Winter 2011-2012 FAs

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Edgy DC wrote: Timothy Dolan signed by Cardinals.

I was about to make a "Hey, he has the same name as the archbishop" crack when I realized that you'd already made it.

[ashie62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ashie62 wrote: Maybe Beltran will find the fountain of Youth like Berkman. As opposed to the bad season Carlos had this year?

Yabbut Berkman was almost MVP worthy.

[Edgy MD]

Ryan Madson signs with Cincy and the Reyes comp pick is locked in at #35.

[Guest attgig]

that was a steal for the Reds. 1 year 8.5 mil for a bonafide closer. sucks for Madson, but he played his cards wrong. is he a scott boras client? surprised this is the best boras could do. if Madson can't cash in next year, I'd think he'll have to find a new agent.

[Edgy MD]

I guess the market has ebbed for closers if the Mets can get Frank Francisco at two years, $12 million. It was a flooded marketplace and some shy buyers. I guess in such an environment, the likes of Boras says, "Get a good one-year deal with a team that you can pile up some stats with, and re-enter next year."

[Edgy MD]

Luke Scott, Real American, to the Tampa Bay Rays.

[metirish]

that was a steal for the Reds. 1 year 8.5 mil for a bonafide closer. sucks for Madson, but he played his cards wrong. is he a scott boras client? surprised this is the best boras could do. if Madson can't cash in next year, I'd think he'll have to find a new agent.

Boras: Ryan OK'd $44M bid; Phils didnt execute it

The Reds got an excellent closer on a reasonable contract when they agreed to an $8.5-million, one-year contract with ex-Phillie Ryan Madson. What did Madson get? He received the opportunity to close for a very good young team where he has the chance to rack up saves before hitting the free-agent market again next year. Madson came close to doing a $44-million, four-year deal with the Phillies earlier this winter, as everyone knows by now. But Madson's agent Scott Boras wanted to make it clear that Madson did not reject that proposal, as has been suggested in some places on the blogospere, and in fact informed the Phillies he was ready to sign back with the Phillies for that $44-million deal he said was proposed. "He told the Phillies he would accept it, and the Phillies decided not to execute it,'' Boras said by phone. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro has denied that the deal fell apart because club president Dave Montgomery wouldn't approve it but declined to get into the specifics of how it blew up. Word was, the sides were discussing relatively minor items such as incentives when Amaro raised the idea of needing to go to Montgomery, though Amaro has since said that Montgomery knew all along where things stood and was not the reason the deal didn't go down. The Phillies ultimately signed Jonathan Papelbon for $50 million over four years shortly after the deal with Madson blew up. The Phillies at some point tried to re-engage Madson about returning on a much lower deal, but after being under the impression he had a deal with his old team for $44 million Madson never re-entered serious talks with his old team. In any case, the Reds were the beneficiary of the deal that blew up, gettig the improving reliever who saved 30 of 32 chances in his first year with the bulk of the closing time. He went 4-2 with 62 strikeouts in 60 2/3 inings.

[Frayed Knot]

Seems odd that the Phils would offer such a large deal only to back out on it.
Thing is, we may never know the full truth of what went on here but, if the deal was truly on the table, it wouldn't be the first time that Boras cost one of his clients a pile of money by rejecting an early offer only to chase a bigger one which never materialized.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

The important thing here is that the Phils wound up with a much douchier replacement for Madson.

If it comes to a Phils-Reds playoff series, I know who I'll bet on.

[nymr83]

Prince Fielder still biding his time. Who is still in on him? The Nationals, Rangers, maybe Miami?

[smg58]

I think a lot of GMs just assumed that Madson was beyond their price range. Now he's getting less than the sum of Rauch and Francisco's salaries, and Rauch was sub-replacement level last year. I don't know if Alderson felt he had to act quickly after Reyes signed with Miami, but his aggressiveness in addressing the bullpen may have backfired.

I'm not sure what's up with Fielder. My gut tells me the Yankees will jump in on this. If they give him 160 million reasons to spend the next seven years DHing, he'll be OK with it.

[Gwreck]

I think even the Yankees have a line there. Plus, I presume they are also going to need that DH spot over the next 6 years as a place to hide for Slappy in the lineup.

I wonder if the Brewers can get back in it. With Braun down 50 games (presumably) they could really use him.

[smg58]

I have to think that anybody with an opening at first base or DH is looking at Fielder, and there are enough teams with openings that other teams who don't but have the cash might be looking to snag him and then trade the guy they have. But that's what makes it different from Madson's case, and more curious. Madson had trouble because the supply of closers exceeded the demand. The reverse is true at first base, and yet teams have been coy with Fielder.

[Frayed Knot]

And now despite the MLB.com report from yesterday putting the Prince-to-Washington chances at about 1%, the Wash Post reports today that the Nats brass continues to be in contact with Scott Boras concerning Fielder including a meeting with him as recently as last night (Wed).

What I think is that the "usual suspects" whenever a top FA comes around are either:
- set at 1B and therefore uninterested: Yanx, Sawx, Phils. Braves also
- already spent their allowance elsewhere: Angels and (depending on Yu Darvish) Rangers
- trying to get younger/cheaper for now and/or are tapped out: Cubs, Mets, Dodgers

Then when you throw in the teams who almost certainly can't afford it and that leaves who exactly?
back to the Brewers - maybe, but probably for less than what he turned down six months ago
Giants? (Posey & Belt), Mariners? (they deny it heavily despite early rumors), Marlins (already spent a bunch), O's, Jays, ChiSox (doesn't seem like it)


Sounds like the Natinals want him but are, at least for now, playing it smart enough so as to not bid against themselves and overpay like they did last year when talking to Boras (see Werth, Jayson)

[ashie62]

Watch the MFY's go "oh OK" and sign Fielder.

[MFS62]

Manny wants to come back and "rehab his image".
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/12/manny-aims-to-be-a-role-model-rehab-image/related/

Later

[Frayed Knot]

MFS62 wrote: Manny wants to come back and "rehab his image". http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/12/manny-aims-to-be-a-role-model-rehab-image/related/ Later

There's a video of him doing water-aerobics with old ladies as part of his shape-up work - complete with his dreads all tucked up under a bathing cap.

[Frayed Knot]

The final remaining big-money FA contract aside from Fielder may be Cuban defector (and You Tube video star) Yoenis Cespedes - 26, OF.
He's still "establishing himself" in the Dominican Republic (necessary for FA status) and made his debut in the DWL (by going 0-3 w/3 strikeouts).

The six leading contenders are said to be Miami, both Chicago squads, Baltimore, Detroit, and Cleveland.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: The final remaining big-money FA contract aside from Fielder may be Cuban defector (and You Tube video star) Yoenis Cespedes - 26, OF. He's still "establishing himself" in the Dominican Republic (necessary for FA status) and made his debut in the DWL (by going 0-3 w/3 strikeouts). The six leading contenders are said to be Miami, both Chicago squads, Baltimore, Detroit, and Cleveland.

And Familia struck him out on three 95mph pitches last night.

[ashie62]

Bartolo Colon blow is a Athletic..

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7464755/source-bartolo-colon-agrees-one-year-deal-oakland-as

[Frayed Knot]

Bartolo Colon may be playing for Oakland this coming year, but his name and the word 'athletic' should never be used in the same sentence.

[smg58]

Joel Piniero is going to the Phillies, apparently on a minor-league deal. Yes he was awful last year, but I'd have still given him a million or two if that was all it took.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

smg58 wrote: Joel Piniero is going to the Phillies, apparently on a minor-league deal. Yes he was awful last year, but I'd have still given him a million or two if that was all it took.

Yeah, our depth in starting pitching is... well, it doesn't really exist.

[TransMonk]

Craig Counsell retires and becomes special assistant to Brewers' GM Doug Melvin.

[Frayed Knot]

Rangers have until 5PM EST today to reach a deal with Yu Darvish or his returns stay with his Japanese club for this season.
It is expected that the two sides will reach an agreement although there are rumors of some 300-lb dude named Prince sticking pins into his 'Yu' doll hoping that they won't.

[smg58]

They seem to be haggling over an extra year -- but in the reverse of what you would usually expect. Darvish wants five years (to test free agency sooner), the Rangers want to give him six (presumably because the bidding fee looks less obscene if it buys six years instead of five).

[Frayed Knot]

And six years it is @ $10mil/per

So that makes it $111.7mil (60 + 51.7) over six seasons all in ... or just under $19mil/yr
For comparison purposes, the tab on Dice-K ran about $101 over the same time period.

[ashie62]

Darvish is signed and it appears Texas in trying to get Fielder to go for less years.

[metirish]

They say he is the absolute best pitcher to come over form Japan......and apparently they mean it this time.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

metirish wrote: They say he is the absolute best pitcher to come over form Japan......and apparently they mean it this time.

Fair point. But the numbers/eyeballs do support that.