MLBTradeRumors - Week In Review

Week In Review: 10/25/09 - 10/31-09

By Tim Dierkes [November 1 at 6 CST]

Baseball's hot stove season begins after the World Series, but we still had action during the last week of October.

• Manny Acta was hired to manage the Indians, which led to the Astros hiring Brad Mills. Tony La Russa's extension with the Cardinals was announced; it's a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2011. La Russa is bringing Mark McGwire with him as the Cards' new hitting coach.
  
• Jed Hoyer was announced as the Padres' new GM; he replaced Kevin Towers. Hoyer signed a four-year contract with a club option for 2014. Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd and manager Jim Tracy are close to three-year agreements.
  
• Catcher Kenji Johjima opted out of his Mariners contract on October 19th, leaving $16MM on the table. On Tuesday he reached an agreement with the Hanshin Tigers for four years and around $21MM.
  
• The Rays re-signed outfielder Gabe Kapler to a one-year, $1.05MM deal, a slight raise on last year's salary. The Astros re-upped infielder Geoff Blum for one year and $1.5MM, with a mutual option for 2011. The biggest signing of the week goes to the Giants, who inked Freddy Sanchez to a two-year, $12MM extension. Sanchez is off the market, but remaining free agent second basemen include Akinori Iwamura (club option), Mark DeRosa, Orlando Hudson, Adam Kennedy, Felipe Lopez, Ronnie Belliard, Placido Polanco, and Juan Uribe.
  
• Righty Tim Hudson was expected to sign a three-year extension worth around $27MM by the end of the week. If an agreement was reached, the Braves are keeping it under wraps. Perhaps they're still hammering out details.
  
• Several players became free agents, including Tyler Yates, Chris Coste, Noah Lowry, Edgar Gonzalez, and Jack Taschner. View our full 2010 MLB free agents list here.
  
• Alex Anthopoulos' first move as Blue Jays' GM was a quiet one: he claimed pitcher Sean Henn off waivers from the Orioles.
  
• The Orioles declined two options: third baseman Melvin Mora for $8MM and catcher Chad Moeller for $850K. Moeller is still expected to return. The Astros declined their $2.85MM option on reliever Doug Brocail.
  
• Gary Matthews Jr. wants to be traded and does not realize how undesirable he is. Speaking of bad contracts, we listed a slew of them here.
  
• We summed up the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes. Chapman visited with the Red Sox and Orioles this week, while the Tigers and Mariners were added to the list of suitors.
  
• SI's Jon Heyman reported that Manny Ramirez is "planning to exercise" his $20MM player option for 2010.
  
• Albert Pujols told 101 ESPN in St. Louis that he wants to be a Cardinal for life. Pujols is basically under contract through 2011 already.
  
• Free agent left fielder Jason Bay chatted with fans at WEEI.com, and said he wouldn't be limited by geography.
  
• We analyzed the trade market for all five infield positions: catcher, first base, second base, shortstop, and third base.
  
• We did Offseason Outlooks for the Braves, Tigers, and Mariners.
  
• Ben Nicholson-Smith's Trades of the Decade series included famous deals involving Bartolo Colon, Scott Kazmir, and Ken Griffey Jr.
  

Week In Review: 11/1/09 - 11/7/09

By Zach Links [November 8, 2009 at 8:55pm CST]

The first week of November brought us the early stages of the Hot Stove season. Let's take a look at the week that was...

• Minnesota acquired shortstop J.J. Hardy from the Brewers for center fielder Carlos Gomez. There were other suitors for Hardy, including the Cincinnati Reds.
  
• The Rays traded second baseman Akinori Iwamura to the Pirates for reliever Jesse Chavez. The 26-year-old Chavez is coming off of his rookie season in which his fastball had an average velocity of 94.5 MPH. With this deal, Tampa Bay saved themselves some money and added a promising young arm.
  
• The Red Sox acquired Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins for two minor league left-handed pitchers. To date, the production of the 25-year-old has been disappointing, considering that he was once Baseball America's fourth best prospect in baseball. Theo Epstein says that he bought low on the young slugger.
  
• The Angels re-signed Bobby Abreu to a two-year deal worth a guaranteed $19MM. There is a option in place for a third year that could vest depending on his number of plate appearances. The man responsible for the move, GM Tony Reagins, received a new contract of his own.
  
• Talk of an American League team being interested in Manny Ramirez was shot down rather quickly. Later on in the week, Ramirez exercised his $20MM option for 2010.
  
• The Royals shipped Mark Teahen and $1MM to the White Sox for Chris Getz and Josh Fields. White Sox GM Ken Williams says that Teahen will play third base and Scott Podsednik is unlikely to return.
  
• Tim Hudson has yet to ink a highly discussed extension with the Braves. Meanwhile, they signed Joe Torre's favorite reliever, Scott Proctor. The soon-to-be 33-year-old is an insurance policy in the event that the club loses both Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano in free agency.
  
• Tim's Offseason Outlook series rolled on with glances at the Minnesota Twins and Florida Marlins.
  
• Ben Nicholson-Smith highlighted the A.J. Pierzynski deal as one of his Trades of the Decade.
  
• There are plenty more trades to come this winter and Ben will be keeping track of all of them in one handy post.
  

Week In Review: 11/8/09 - 11/14/09

By Steve Adams [November 15, 2009 at 5:46pm CST]

Time once again for a look back at the highlights from the past seven days here at MLBTR. Let's take a look:

• The Mariners inked Jack Wilson to a two-year, $10MM deal this week. Wilson's glove alone is worth that money; Jack Zduriencik is putting together a terrific defensive team. For what it's worth, Wilson seems to absolutely love it in Seattle. The Mariners also reached an agreement this week with Ken Griffey Jr. for a $2MM base salary plus incentives. Griffey's numbers took a sharp decline in 2009, but he says he's looking forward to helping out in whatever role he's given in 2010. One Mariner isn't quite ready to return though; Russell Branyan rejected Seattle's initial one-year offer, stating that he wants two years guaranteed.
  
• Despite missing nearly all of 2009, Tim Hudson signed a three-year, $27MM extension with an option for a fourth year. If Hudson is healthy, this gives the Braves a tremendous amount of pitching depth to deal from to fill other holes. Hudson threw 42.1 innings at the end of the season to the tune of a 3.61 ERA, though his .295 opponent average could be a caution flag. The Braves may not stop with Hudson either. Talks of an extension for Javier Vazquez surfaced this week as well.
  
• Tim Wakefield also received an extension, signing for two years and $5MM. Wakefield's average annual salary will take a hit, but he's guaranteed another two years right now, which must be nice at the age of 43.
  
• Several new (and in some cases, surprising) names emerged on the trade market. The Tigers have announced that they'll listen on both Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson, while the Pirates would be open to dealing Ryan Doumit, and the Nationals are getting a lot of calls about Josh Willingham.
  
• Speaking of the Nationals, they announced this week that interim manager Jim Riggleman will take over the job as the club's official manager for 2010.
  
• We saw a lot of options picked up or declined this week. The Red Sox picked up Victor Martinez's $7.1MM option for 2010, while the Rays picked up their $10MM option on Carl Crawford but declined to bring back Gregg Zaun or Brian Shouse. The Brewers wisely declined their $6.5MM option on Braden Looper, and the Rockies did the same with Rafael Betancourt's $5.4MM option. And after much drama, Jason Varitek exercised his $3MM player option with the Red Sox.
  
• Tim released his list of the Top 50 Free Agents this offseason, as well as his predictions for where each will land.
  
• In his Trades of the Decade series, Ben takes a look at the deal that sent Hanley Ramirez to Florida and Josh Beckett to Boston.
  
• If you're wondering who's available on the trade market, Tim's got you covered. This week's posts in the trade market series include starting pitchers, closers, and designated hitters.
  
• Offseason Outlook updates this week include the Rangers and Giants.
  
• And in case you missed it, the 2009 Elias Rankings have been officially released.
  

Week In Review: 11/15/2009 - 11/21/2009

By Steve Adams [November 22, 2009 at 3:46pm CST]

As Sunday afternoon crawls along at a slower-than-usual pace, we'll take a look back at the past week here on MLBTR:

• We saw one trade this week, as the Diamondbacks acquired Aaron Heilman in exchange for minor leaguers Scott Maine and Ryne White. We saw several reactions to the trade shortly after; personally, I feel like getting anything for Heilman is a solid move, as he was a likely non-tender candidate.
  
• The Cubs made more headlines this week, signing John Grabow to a two-year, $7.5MM extension. This move left me scratching my head, as there will likely be better options on the market, for better prices. It's hard to see Grabow fetching $7.5MM elsewhere. While he posted a solid ERA for the Cubs, his walk rate of nearly 5.0 per nine innings for the season should be a red flag.
  
• Sticking within the division for now, the Reds also extended a veteran, inking Ramon Hernandez to a one-year, $3MM deal with a vesting option for $3.25MM. As Tim pointed out in the post, it's a bit surprising, considering we've heard the Reds are trying to slash payroll in the past.
  
• Updates on the Roy Halladay sweepstakes: The Blue Jays are willing to grant teams a window to discuss a contract extension for their ace in order to increase his value. This week, we've heard that they've contacted the Cubs and that they're talking with the Dodgers. The Dodgers interest in Halladay is clear, though they're reportedly not pursuing John Lackey.
  
• Not surprisingly, Jason Bay rejected his initial extension offer from the Red Sox. Bay will hit the open market as one of the most highly-demanded players this offseason, and will likely listen to offers from multiple teams before deciding. Boston had offered four years and roughly $60MM for the outfielder's services.
  
• One team that will likely make a bid for Bay is the Angels, who consider Bay an option but have bluntly declared that top free agent Matt Holliday "will not be an Angel."
  
• Bad news for Marlins fans this week, as it looks like extension talks for ace Josh Johnson have failed. Johnson has stated he'd like to remain with Florida, but is that the best move at this point? The Marlins could hold onto Johnson, who's under team control for two more seasons, until the deadline or until next offseason before looking to move him for prospects. What's the best play?
  
• The Royals made several minor league signings this week, including contracts to Brad Thompson, Jorge Campillo, and Vance Wilson. Nice moves to add some depth to the organization, with some upside in Thompson and Campillo.
  
• Fresh off the heels of a fantastic 74-42 run in the NL West, the Rockies extended manager Jim Tracy for three seasons this week. It's certainly been a good couple of weeks for the NL Manager of the Year.
  
• MLBTR's list of the Top 50 Free Agents has been out for awhile now, and if you'd like a second opinion, check out Keith Law's list, which was released earlier in the week.
  
• Tim covered the Cardinals in his Offseason Outlook series this week, while Ben added to the Trades of the Decade series by revisiting the deal that sent Mark Teixeira to Atlanta. The other series update this week was the trade market for lefty relievers.
  

Week In Review: 11/22/09 - 11/28/09

By Steve Adams [November 29, 2009 at 5:52pm CST]

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrated this week! Here's your weekly look back at all things Hot Stove from MLBTR:

• The Blue Jays signed not one, but two shortstops this week, inking Alex Gonzalez to a one-year, $2.75MM contract with a $2.5MM club option, and re-signing John McDonald for two years and $3MM total.
  
• The White Sox also made two signings this week, inking Andruw Jones on a one-year deal for $500K and Omar Vizquel for one year and $1.375MM.
  
• Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum is sticking to his desire to go year-to-year with the Giants, and will only seek a one-year deal this offseason. Is it possible that Lincecum and his agent could submit a number as ridiculous as $23MM? It's been discussed, believe it or not.
  
• Onto the Roy Halladay front, the Blue Jays reportedly want a young, controllable arm and bat for their ace, plus prospects. This week we heard that the Cubs are unlikely to deal for Doc for payroll reasons, and that the Dodgers are a long shot as well due to their unwillingness to include Chad Billingsley. The Angels, on the other hand, are resuming their pursuit. Halladay's preferred locations at this point are the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, and Phillies.
  
• Sticking with the "ace" topics, the Marlins apparently aren't looking to deal Josh Johnson this offseason. Johnson's under team control for two more years, and can still fetch a haul at the July trade deadline or following the 2010 season.
  
• Twins fans could be in for the best gift of all this holiday season, as the Twins are looking to finalize a contract extension for 2009 AL MVP Joe Mauer by Christmas. We also heard this week that the Twinkies may be looking at Rich Harden; not surprising really, they'd been connected to him at the August trade deadline.
  
• One of the more entertaining stories I've seen since joining MLBTR: Jason Grilli signed with... well, someone this week. We just don't know who, aside from the fact that it's not the Yankees.
  
• We learned the Elias numbers for Type-A free agents this season, conveniently located here for your viewing pleasure.
  
• This week Tim covered the Rockies in his Offseason Outlook series. He also covered righty relievers in the final installment of his Trade Market series. Here's the recap of the whole thing.
  
• Ben also made his final installment in the Trades of the Decade series, covering the deal that sent Alex Rodriguez to New York in exchange for Alfonso Soriano. Here's a recap of the whole series, feel free to check it out and discuss.
  

Week In Review: 10/29/09 - 12/5/09

By Steve Adams [December 6, 2009 at 5:55pm CST]

Just hours away from one of the most exciting hot stove times of the year! Remember, MLBTR is offering 24/7 coverage of the Winter Meetings this year. Let's take a look back at the week leading up to the meetings, as there was plenty of action to go around already:

• The Mariners reached a preliminary agreement with Chone Figgins on a four-year, $36MM deal, with a $9MM option for a fifth year. Jack Zduriencik has put together a fantastic defensive team, and adding Figgins to the top of the lineup alongside Ichiro will certainly set the stage for their offense. Figgins signed for less than what I thought he'd get; got to like it for the Mariners.
  
• The next biggest signing of the week went to Placido Polanco, who received three years and $18MM plus an option from the Phillies. I'd expected the Phils to pursue Adrian Beltre, so this one confused me. Polanco's a nice player, but three years seems too long, and why sign a Gold Glove second baseman only to put him at third? They must not have liked Beltre's $10MM per season asking price.
  
• Not much of a surprise to see the Red Sox sign Marco Scutaro this week; it'd been rumored for quite some time. Scutaro got two years and $12.5MM guaranteed. Interestingly, he was also offered a two-year deal by the Jays and a three-year deal by the A's. Looks like he wanted the more clear shot at the postseason. Reactions to the signing can be seen here.
  
• The Braves bolstered their bullpen, adding Billy Wagner for $7MM with a $6.5MM option for 2010, and inking Takashi Saito to a one-year, $3.2MM deal. With the Braves in need of some offense, I was surprised to see them throw $10MM at their bullpen. I love the value for Saito, though I was surprised to see Wagner get $7MM. Still, if they stay healthy, that should be a solid combo to shut down games.
  
• On the trade front this week, the Rays acquired Kelly Shoppach from Cleveland for a player to be named later. Potentially a steal for the Rays, if Shoppach can find a way to return to his 2008 form. Unfortunate for the Indians that his value fell so far in 2009; he could've fetched some value a year earlier.
  
• The A's acquired Jake Fox and Aaron Miles in exchange for minor leaguers Jeff Gray, Ronny Morla, Matt Spencer, and $1MM cash from the Cubs. I'm sure the Cubs are thrilled to be rid of Miles and his .466 OPS, and the A's get a decent bat to go along with it, but I don't see the appeal in this one for Oakland as much.
  
• Roy Halladay placed a Spring Training deadline on any trades, putting some pressure on the Blue Jays and new GM Alex Anthopolous. Here's a look at some of the latest on Doc's situation.
  
• In total, 23 players were offered arbitration this week.
  
• Offseason Outlook updates this week featured the Red Sox and Phillies.
  

Week In Review: 12/13/09 - 12/19/09

By Zach Links [December 20, 2009 at 9:20pm CST]

Let's take a look back on the week that was...

• The biggest news of the week was, of course, the Roy Halladay-Cliff Lee blockbuster. The four-way deal landed Doc and prospects in Philly, Lee in Seattle, a trio of youngsters (including Kyle Drabek) in Toronto, and Michael Taylor in Oakland. Halladay also agreed to a three-year extension that will pay him $20MM annually through 2013. The contract will not affect his 2010 salary ($15.75MM) and will include a vesting option.
  
• The BoSox signed the market's top starter, John Lackey, to a five-year deal worth $82.5MM. This matches A.J. Burnett's deal with the Yanks from a year ago and includes no incentives or bonuses.
  
• Boston also took care of their vacancy in the outfield, signing Mike Cameron to a two-year deal worth approximately $15.5MM. The soon-to-be 37-year-old is expected to be slotted in left field.
  
• After Johnny Damon and the Yanks were unable to come to terms on a new deal, the club welcomed Nick Johnson back to the Bronx. Johnson will earn $5.5MM plus incentives next season, with a $5.5 mutual option for 2011.
  
• The Halos signed Hideki Matsui to a one-year pact for about $6.5MM. The deal will pay him roughly half of the $13MM he made with the Yanks in the final year of his contract.
  
• Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik turned the less-than-stellar Carlos Silva into outfielder Milton Bradley. The Cubs also receive $9MM in the transaction, but only net $5MM as Silva will earn $4MM more than Bradley over the next two seasons.
  
• The trade of Mike Lowell to the Rangers was called off on Saturday as a physical revealed that the third baseman would require surgery on his right thumb. The deal, which had been talked about for quite a while, would have sent Max Ramirez to Boston in exchange for Lowell and $9MM to help cover his $12MM salary.
  
• The Dodgers shipped Juan Pierre to the White Sox, in exchange for pitchers Jon Link and John Ely. Ned Colletti & Co. will eat $10.5MM of Pierre's contract as part of the deal.
  
• The Orioles signed former Braves reliever Mike Gonzalez to a two-year deal worth $12MM guaranteed. Since Atlanta offered the 31-year-old Type A free agent arbitration, the O's will surrender their second-round pick to them (currently #44).
  
• The O's also inked Garrett Atkins to a one-year deal worth $4.5MM. The contract has a club option for 2011 worth $8.5MM with a $500K buyout.
  
• The Reds restructured Scott Rolen's contract, extending his deal through 2012. Rolen will recieve a shade under $24MM through the remainder of the pact while giving the club an additional $5MM in payroll flexibility this winter.
  
• While Jason Bay's options have shrunk considerably this past week, some feel he may be hesitant to play for the Mets.
  
• It sounds as though Adrian Gonzalez will be staying put- for now, at least. Although it has been widely reported that the BoSox covet the slugger, the Padres aren't expected to move him this winter.
  
• The Nats are making a run at free agent pitcher Jon Garland, who is seeking a three-year deal. Washington, however, would prefer to limit him to two years.
  
• Jamey Carroll agreed to a two-year deal with the Dodgersfor just under $4MM total. Carroll is expected to see time at multiple positions while serving as insurance for Blake DeWitt at second base.
  
• Arbitration-eligible Ricky Nolasco came to terms with the Marlins on a one-year deal worth $3.8MM. This represents a significant 58% pay raise for the 27-year-old.
  
• Tim polished off his crystal ball and looked ahead to the free agent class of 2011.