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Today begins the nearly week-long, year end Baseball Writers of America Awards celebration and starting tonight at 6 p.m. EST, MLB Network will be airing nightly programs to present those awards. The first honor will be for the Rookie of the Year.

American League Candidates

In the American League it’s an all-Western affair where the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels are represented.

First up, we have Yoenis Cespedes of the Oakland Athletics. Cespedes, the 27-year-old (as of October) rookie from Cuba had a stellar first year for Oakland batting .292/.356/.505/.861 with 23 home runs and 82 RBI in 129 games all while helping the A’s to a surprise AL West Division title.

Cespedes was an interesting case of a guy who started off slowly – he batted .236/.309/.418/.727 in the first two months of the season, was able to make adjustments and go on to have a great season overall.

Cespedes favored playing at home batting .319/.406/.531/.937 in Oakland compared to .268/.308/.483/.791 on the road but there was a place which houses a team in his Division where Cespedes seemed to be very comfortable playing. He had a .324/.343/.647/.990 line in the Ballpark in Arlington which just so happens to be the home of our next Rookie of the Year candidate…

» Continue reading “Looking At The Rookie Of The Year Candidates”

Teams are starting to put the finishing touches on their rosters, settling hard-fought deals and adding depth. Except for Oakland. I have no idea what they’re going to do with a roster full of outfielders.

• The Red Sox and DH David Ortiz reached an eleventh-hour agreement, avoiding arbitration with a one-year, $14.575 million deal. The figure represents the midpoint between the two sides. Big Papi, just in case you weren’t clear on things, slashed .309/.398/.554 in 2011.
• In the wake of “Fausto Carmona” uncertainty, the Indians have signed Jon Garland to a minor-league deal, adding depth and options to their rotation. Garland is returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him in 2011. When healthy, he’s an innings-eater with a career 4.68 FIP.
• In its apparent quest to amass every single free agent outfielder, Oakland inked a record 4-year, $36 million deal with Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes. The Mystery Team has done well this off-season; no one even really considered the A’s to be in the running for Cespedes.
• Righty reliever Casey Janssen signed a 2-year, $5.9 million extension with the Blue Jays, dodging salary arbitration. Janssen has had a bit of a yo-yo career so far, but posted a 2.26 ERA/2.45 FIP over 55.2 innings last season.

» Continue reading “Monday Trade Roundup: Baseball Soon!”

UPDATE: The Oakland A’s have agreed to a 4-year, $36 million deal with Yoenis Cespedes according to pretty much everyone on the Internet, including MLB.

The Rangers locked down a few of their big postseason performers in this week’s Hot Stove wheelings and dealings.

• Veterans Hong-Chih Kuo and Shawn Camp, lefty and righty relievers respectively, signed with the Mariners. Kuo has a history of excellence when healthy, but has had a career plagued with DL trips. Camp is durable but no standout, with a career 4.16 FIP.
• NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw avoided arbitration with the Dodgers, signing a 2yr/$19 million deal. The contract buys out Kershaw’s first two years of arbitration eligibility. Kershaw made just $500k last year, and was seeking $10 million in arbitration, while the Dodgers had offered $6.5 million.
• Scott Boras client and shortstop half of my current favorite double-play combo Elvis Andrus agreed to a 3yr/$14.4 million contract with the Rangers. The deal buys out all of Andrus’ arbitration years. Only 23, he slashed .279/.347/.361 in 2011 and showed very strong defensive value.
• The Diamondbacks avoided arbitration with lefty reliever Craig Breslow, agreeing to a one-year, $1.795 million deal. Breslow posted a 3.79 ERA/3.58 FIP with Oakland in 2011. The deal locks down the last of Arizona’s arbitration-eligible players for 2012.

» Continue reading “Monday Trade Roundup: Rangers Edition (UPDATE)”

Arbitration hearings began at the start of February, and we already have a few results in. Some of the bigger names managed to dodge those Florida meetings with last-minute settlements, as well. For full information on players’ arbitration status, check out MLB Trade Rumors’ Arbitration Tracker.

• Cleveland acquired young bat Russ Canzler from Tampa Bay for cash considerations. He’s expected to compete for a job out of Spring Training, but a big part of his appeal is his defensive versatility, and a bench role might be his best option.
• Reliever Chad Qualls signed a 1yr/$1.15 million contract (plus incentives) with the Phillies. The righty posted a 3.51 ERA/3.90 FIP in 74.1 innings in 2011, but what intrigues me most is his 56.6% ground ball rate.
• The Padres signed righty Micah Owings to a 1yr/$1 million contract. Owings hurled 63 innings last season, mostly as a reliever, and put together a 3.57 ERA/4.47 FIP. He’s also not a bad option as a bat off the bench, sporting a career .286/.313/.507 line.
• Our first arbitration-hearing result is in: The Nationals beat John Lannan. The lefty hurler and his team were only $0.7 million apart, but the panel sided with the Nats’ proposal of $5 million despite career-best numbers from Lannan last season.

» Continue reading “Monday Trade Roundup: Arbitration Beginneth”

The beat writers all kept saying that it was unwise to doubt Scott Boras when it came to finding Prince Fielder a job. Well, it turns out they were right, and I won’t be making that mistake again. Yikes.

• The Diamondbacks claimed catcher Craig Tatum off waivers, where he was placed by the Astros to make room for Jack Cust. Tatum will have to prove himself in spring training, but could provide depth as a backup catcher. He is, however, out of options, so he’d have to clear waivers again if he were to be sent down to AAA.
• Veteran infielder Omar Vizquel signed a minor league contract with Toronto. The 44-year-old will have a chance to make the club out of Spring Training, where he would provide infield depth behind Brett Lawrie and Kelly Johnson.
• The Blue Jays signed an extension with righty Brandon Morrow for 3 years, $20 million (with a $10 million option/$1 million buyout for 2015). Morrow struck out more than 10 per 9 innings in 2011 for a FIP of 3.64, although he sometimes displays control issues.

» Continue reading “Monday Trade Roundup: Prince Fielder Has A Job Edition”

I know you missed all your transaction news last week, what with my Hall of Fame musings taking their place. But we’re back this week with enough action to make up for it, including a few big pitching moves.

• The Orioles signed lefty starter Wei-Yin Chen of Taiwan to a 3yr/$11.3 million contract. Chen was a cheap option for Baltimore, having been released by the NPB’s Chunichi Dragons and thus not subject to a posting fee. He owns a 2.48 ERA over 4 years with the Chunichi Dragons.
• Former Pirate starter Paul Maholm has signed with the Cubs, adding further depth to a rotation plagued with injuries in 2011. The one-year contract guarantees Maholm $4.75 million, with incentives and an option for 2013. The lefty posted a 3.66 ERA and a 3.78 FIP in an injury-shortened 2011 season.
• Righty pitcher Justin Germano returns from Korea to sign with the Red Sox. Germano, who has bounced around in his Major League tenure, is the owner of a 5.02 career ERA, and adds depth to the Sox bullpen.
• Cincinnati added another strong piece to their bullpen in Ryan Madson, ousted Phillies closer. The deal is for one year and $8.5 million, surely a downgrade from what a top-tier closer like Madson would have sought. The righty posted a 2.37 ERA/2.25 FIP over 60.2 innings in 2011.
•  First baseman Kendrys Morales, he of the home-plate-ankle-breaking, re-signed with the Angels for just under $3 million (and avoided arbitration in the process). Morales is still rehabbing, but the Angels hope he will DH and bat cleanup behind Albert Pujols.
• Tampa Bay reached a deal with designated hitter Luke Scott for one year and $5 million, with incentives and an option for 2013. Scott posted a .220/.301/.402 line in a 2011 campaign cut short by shoulder surgery. But a return to anything like 2010 form, when he batted .284/.368/.535, would make the deal an absolute steal for the Rays.
• Ex-journeyman Ryan Vogelsong will return to the Giants, who have agreed to sign him to a 2yr/$8.3 million contract with an option for 2014. The right-handed starter unexpectedly shone last season, posting a 2.71 ERA. A 3.67 FIP and a high strand rate suggest that those results are unsustainable, but even with some regression, the deal looks like a good one.
• The Brewers avoided arbitration with left-hander Manny Parra, signing him to 1yr/$1.2 million. Parra had a shaky 2010, posting a 5.02 ERA, and missed 2011 after back issues and elbow surgery.
• The Phillies dodged arbitration with Kyle Kendrick, sealing a one-year deal for just over $3.5 million. Kendrick acted as a swing man last season, providing depth in the face of injuries and posting a 3.22 ERA/4.55 FIP (which warrants investigation, but I will tentatively go with “low strikeouts”).
• After rumors that he was headed elsewhere, Kerry Wood returned to the Cubs for a one year, $3 million deal with an option for 2013. Wood posted a 3.35 ERA/3.59 FIP over 51 innings in 2011, and you have never heard a crowd go as crazy as fans did at the Cubs Convention when Wood’s contract was announced.

» Continue reading “Monday Trade Roundup: Big Ticket Pitching”