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Free Agency and Trades
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Free Agency, Trades, and Signings
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Written by Joe Tetreault
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Wednesday, 08 December 2010 12:45 |
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The Associated Press (via SI.com) is reporting that the Chicago white Sox and slugging first baseman Paul Konerko have agreed on a three year contract that is worth a guaranteed $37.5 million. Konerko has spent the last twelve seasons with the ChiSox helping them to their first World Series title in 88 years in 2005.
The two sides seemed acrimonious at various points, especially following the club's agreement with Adam Dunn, who is now likely to slot in as the club's designated hitter. Konerko will remain the mainstay at first base.
In his dozen years for the White Sox, he has blasted 358 home runs, an average of one home run ever 17.9 at bats. His career line with the club is a healthy .282/.358/.505. Some of that extra bop from his bat is thanks to the home run friendly field he has and will continue to call home.
Last season was a resurgent year for the thirty-four year old. He posted a career best .312/.393/.584 batting line in 631 plate appearances. He was named to the All-Star team for the fourth time in his career and finished fifth in MVP voting.
The contract will pay Konerko $12 million in both 2011 and 2012 and $13.5 in 2013. Seven million dollars will be deferred from the final year and paid out in million dollar annual increments between 2014 and 2020.
 Joe Tetreault is Managing Editor of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He can be contacted here through The Biz of Baseball
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Free Agency, Trades, and Signings
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Written by Joe Tetreault
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Wednesday, 08 December 2010 10:07 |
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MLB.com's Carrie Muskat tweets that the Cubs have signed free agent first baseman Carlos Pena to a one year contrct worth $10 million. Pena played for Tampa Bay the last four seasons, including a prominent role as part of the 2008 American League Penant winning club.
Pena moves on to the National league for the first time in his career that has included stops in Texas, Oakland, Detroit, and Boston, as well as th Yankees farm system. In 2010, he had a challenging season batting .195/.325/.407 in 582 plate appearances. His batting average was smothered by some bad luck with a .222 BABip, far below the league normal rate of .300.
He broke out with the then Devil Rays in 2007 when he belted 46 home runs and drew 103 walks in 612 plate appearances as Tampa Bay's startng first baseman. The Rays gave him the opportunity after he was cast off by the Tigers and failed to earn jobs with Boston nor New York in 2006. He led the AL in home runs in 2009 with 39 and made his second All-Star appearance.
Chicago seeks a bounce back year from Pena to replace Derrek Lee who was traded last August to Atlanta and is now a free agent. Lee had been a fixture on the north side since 2004.
Joe Tetreault is Managing Editor of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He can be contacted here through The Biz of Baseball
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Free Agency, Trades, and Signings
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Written by Joe Tetreault
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Tuesday, 07 December 2010 19:48 |
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Maury Brown is reporting from Orlando and the Baseball Winter Meetings this week.
A pair of Mets signings signaled a pause in the flurry of activity at Day 2 of the MLB Winter Meetings. Rumors continued to swirl around the lobby and press room, where our own Maury Brown has been holed up this week. Adam Rubin of ESPN New York has the story on both.
Ronny Paulino is still serving a fifty game suspension for violating MLB's performance enhancing drug policy, but after eight games he will assume the back up duties in Queens. Josh Thole will handle the bulk of the catching duties. Paulino posted a .259/.311/.354 batting line in 344 plate appearances for Florida. His deal is for one year and will pay him a reported $1.3 million. Paulino was non-tendered by Florida. He'll be arbitration eligible next offseason, and remains likely to be non-tendered again.
D. J. Carrasco signed a deal for two seasons that is worth $2.5 million guaranteed. The journeyman righty worked 78.1 innings for the Pirates and the Diamondbacks last year. His 3.68 ERA was the best of his career, propelled in part by solid hit and home run peripherals. The Mets expect him to chew up innings out of the pen in a set up role.
Joe Tetreault is Managing Editor of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He can be contacted here through The Biz of Baseball
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Free Agency, Trades, and Signings
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Written by Maury Brown
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Tuesday, 07 December 2010 12:25 |
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 As we reported last week (see Derek Jeter's $51M Contract: Why It Was Reached Now, And How it Stacks Up), the announcement of the Derek Jeter extension was likely to come at the Baseball Winter Meetings. And while it didn’t occur in Orlando (it will take place in Tampa), the Yankees have announced today that the iconic Captain of the club and the Bronx Bombers have finally reached a deal.
The parameters remain the same as reported last week:
Base of 3 years, $51 million through 2013, player option of $8 million for 2014. The fourth year could see additional money – as much as $9 million -- in bonuses. The incentives aren’t based on the boilerplated incentive clauses seen normally, but rather a point system based on MVP, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger voting. If Jeter does not reach any of the incentives he is still gaurneteed $56 million.
A key aspect of the deal that has not yet had the details surface, centers on deferred salary. The terms as to how long and whether the deferred salary has added interest may slowly percolate out into the media in the coming days.
The following is a breakdown of average annual value (AAV) of recent multi-year contracts (base, does not include option years):
At age 36, Jeter is coming off the worst full-season of his career going .270/.340/.370 with 10 HRs, 67 RBIs, and 179 hits over 739 plate appearances. He was selected by the fans for the All-Star Game, and won the Gold Glove last year.
Among all active players with at least 1,000 games played, Jeter, 36, owns the Majors' highest personal career winning percentage (.601, 1,379-914-2), and has appeared in more Yankees victories (1,379) than any other player in franchise history according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Jeter is also the Yankees' all-time leader in hits (2,926), at-bats (9,322) and singles (2,163), ranks second in games played (2,295), doubles (468) and stolen bases (323), is third in runs scored (1,685), fifth in batting average (.314), sixth in walks (948) and extra-base hits (763), ninth in RBI (1,135) and 10th in home runs (234).
Jeter is an 11-time American League All-Star and earned his fifth Gold Glove Award in 2010. He led all Major League shortstops last season with a career-best .989 fielding percentage and committed only six errors - the fewest miscues in a full season in his career and the fewest among all shortstops in the Majors in 2010 with at least 110 games at the position.
He has scored at least 100 runs 13 times in his career, tied with Lou Gehrig for the most 100-run seasons in franchise history and tied for the second-highest total all time, trailing only Hank Aaron's 15 such seasons. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, his 15 consecutive seasons (since 1996) with at least 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases is the second longest streak all-time behind only Barry Bonds (16 straight from 1986-2001).
Jeter, a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner and 1996 AL Rookie of the Year Award winner, owns the most hits in Major League history as a shortstop. With 2,274 games played at the position, he is second on Baseball's all-time list in games at shortstop for one club, trailing the Orioles' Cal Ripken, Jr. (2,302). According to Elias, it marks the third-most contests among players who never played a game at any other fielding position, trailing only Luis Aparicio (2,583) and Ozzie Smith (2,511).
Jeter has appeared in the postseason in 15 of his 16 Major League seasons and is Baseball's all-time leader in postseason games (147), runs scored (101), hits (185), doubles (30) and extra-base hits (54), ranks third in home runs (20) and is fourth in RBI (57). Of the 2,295 games in which Jeter has appeared, in only one were the Yankees mathematically eliminated from postseason play (September 26, 2008).
In 2010, Jeter hit .270 (179-for-663) with 111 runs, 30 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs and 67 RBI in 157 games with the Yankees. He ranked second among all Major League leadoff hitters with 104 runs and 60 RBI, and fifth with 167 hits.
Jeter was originally selected by the Yankees in the first round (sixth pick overall) of the 1992 First-Year Player Draft.
 Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey, as well as a contributor to FanGraphs and Forbes SportsMoney. He is available for hire or freelance. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.
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Free Agency, Trades, and Signings
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Written by Maury Brown
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Friday, 03 December 2010 22:12 |
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With the deadline for tenderiing contracts to players coming and going, we can look at some off-season transactions courtesy of MLB.
To begin, here's the details up to today (Dec. 3rd) for the Baltimore Orioles
| BALTIMORE ORIOLES |
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|
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| Albers, Matthew J |
RHS |
12/02/2010 |
Declared Free Agent XXA2C - Non Tender |
| Angle, Matthew R |
CF |
11/19/2010 |
Selection to ML Roster from NORFOLK to BAL |
| Aubrey, Michael M |
1B |
10/04/2010 |
Elect Free Agency under Article XXD |
| Berken, Jason T |
RHS |
11/4/2010 |
Reinstate From 60-day DL |
| Britton, Zach G |
LHS |
11/19/2010 |
Selection to ML Roster from NORFOLK to BAL |
| Castillo-Betancourt, Alberto |
LHS |
10/04/2010 |
Elect Free Agency under Article XXD |
| Gabino, Armando L |
RHR |
11/18/2010 |
Major/Minor Outright from BAL to NORFOLK, 11/19/2010 Elect Free Agency under Article XXD |
| Hendrickson, Mark A |
LHS |
11/2/2010 |
Elect Free Agency under Article XXB |
| Hoey, Jim U |
RHS |
11/06/2010 |
Selection to ML Roster from NORFOLK to BAL |
| Hughes, Jr., John R |
1B |
11/18/2010 |
Major/Minor Outright from BAL to NORFOLK |
| Izturis, Cesar D |
SS |
11/01/2010 |
Elect Free Agency under Article XXB |
| Lugo, Julio C |
SS |
11/01/2010 |
Elect Free Agency under Article XXB |
| Mahoney, Joseph E |
1B |
11/19/2010 |
Selection to ML Roster from BOWIE to BAL |
| Mata, Frank J |
RHR |
11/04/2010 |
Major/Minor Outright from BAL to NORFOLK |
| Meredith, Cla C |
RHR |
10/04/2010 |
Elect Free Agency under Article XXD |
| Millwood, Kevin A |
RHS |
11/01/2010 |
Elect Free Agency under Article XXB |
| Moore, Scott A |
3B |
10/04/2010 |
Elect Free Agency under Article XXD |
| Patterson, Corey C |
OF |
11/01/2010 |
Elect Free Agency under Article XXB |
| Uehara, Koji |
RHS |
11/01/2010 |
Elect Free Agency under Article XXB |
| Wigginton, Ty A |
3B |
11/01/2010 |
Elect Free Agency under Article XXB |
Source: Major League Baseball
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey, as well as a contributor to FanGraphs and Forbes SportsMoney. He is available for hire or freelance. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.
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Free Agency, Trades, and Signings
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 01 December 2010 15:31 |
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 If there’s a problem with reporting contract agreements, it’s how confusing deals can get with limited information. In nearly every instance there are rumors, followed by total length and dollar amount, followed by a definitive report.
The latter should be the focus and is often lost in the chatter of Twitter, blogs and news services all jumping out there to get a breaking story, first.
The reason that there are normally two stories detailing a deal is one is word-of-mouth at the high level, while the latter is normally driven from a filing with the league or the MLBPA.
Case in point the mega-deal with Troy Tulowitzki. With so much chatter, there was a purposeful manner here at BizofBaseball.com not to jump all over the story. The deal was reported as high as $174 million… then it was $160 million… Both are wrong.
The real amount is $157.75 million and runs to 2020 with a $15 million club option for 2021 ($4 million bouyout). That’s because Tulo had been guaranteed $25.75 million through 2013 under the $31 million, six-year contract he agreed to in January 2008.
There will be questions as to “Why now?” which Rob Neyer has already done. It’s a valid question. But, the reasoning may have to do with sending a message to the free agent market that the Rockies are open for business and going at it hard this off-season to make a run at the Giants in the NL West, and beyond (just ask Jorge De La Rosa).
What’s the real payday for Tulowitzki are esacaltors and other gravy in the contract. According to Jeff Euston at Cot’s Contracts, his salaries for 2020 and 2021 may increase by $6 million annually based on MVP votes, Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers or All-Star selections and he gets a $2 million assignment bonus if traded. He can only be traded once during the contract’s life, something that will keep him wearing no more than two uniforms over the life of the contract.
According to The AP story, Tulo’s deal now ranks as the eighth-highest ever. The Rockies took on a risk wrapping up the All-Star SS in 2008, but much like the Evan Longoria deal with the Rays, it’s been a value deal and if projections hold, this extension for Tulo should be, as well.
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey, as well as a contributor to FanGraphs and Forbes SportsMoney. He is available for hire or freelance. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.
Follow Maury Brown on Twitter
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Free Agency, Trades, and Signings
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Written by Joe Tetreault
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Tuesday, 16 November 2010 18:03 |
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ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Marlins will ship second baseman Dan Uggla to the Braves for utility infielder Omar Infante and lefty flamethrower Mike Dunn. The deal comes shortly on the heels of the club's deal to sign catcher John Buck as a free agent.
Uggla was seen as a likely trade candidate since the end of the 2008 season, when he became arbitration eligible for the first time. His successful hearing resulted in a 2009 salary of $5.35 million, which bumped to $7.8 million when he and the club agreed on a deal January 18, 2010, the day before teams and players exchanged figures.
In five seasons with the Marlins, Uggla posted a batting line of .263/.349/.488/.837. He never played fewer than 146 games and he never hit less than 27 home runs, which was his total for his rookie year of 2006. Uggla was acquired by the Marlins from the Diamondbacks in December of 2005 in the rule 5 draft, which required that he spend one full year with Florida, or else be offered back to Arizona. He was named to the All-Star team that summer and became the poster boy for rule 5 thievery thereafter.
Infante figures to slot in at second base for the Marlins, though he could also handle the chores at third. He had a career best .321/.359/.416/.775 in 506 plate appearances for the Braves. He was controversially named to the All-Star game as utility man. Dunn put up gaudy strikeout numbers (12.8 K/9 IP in 19 innings) but couldn't find the plate with a map and compass (8.1 BB/9 IP and a 1.59 K/BB rate). If he can harness his stuff, he could prove useful out of the pen.
The return for Uggla is perceived to be thin, especially as the deal was within the division. The market for 30 year old second basemen, even with potent bats, proved to be illusory, and the Marlins were unwilling to hold out for a bigger return. The savings from an expected arbitration award will cover nearly half of the $18 million they pledged to Buck for three years.
Joe Tetreault is Managing Editor of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He can be contacted here through The Biz of Baseball
Follow Joe Tetreault on Twitter
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Free Agency, Trades, and Signings
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Written by Joe Tetreault
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Tuesday, 16 November 2010 17:20 |
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Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Marlins will sign free agent catcher John Buck to a three-year, $18 million contract. The deal is the most lucrative free agent signing that the Marlins have agreed to since they signed Carlos Delgado in 2005.
The normally penny-pinching Marlins came under harsh criticism by MLB last offseason when the MLBPA and MLB jointly announced that the Marlins were among the clubs the Union was most concerned had not used their revenue sharing funds as proscribed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The criticisms leveled at Florida only increased this summer when confidential financial information was leaked to Deadspin. Our own Maury Brown obtained a copy of those records and analyzed them to show that the club had a net income of almost $30 million in 2008. That net income figure shrank considerably in 2009, but it proved rather shocking to observers who had seen the Marlins eschew expensive acquisitions year after year claiming relative poverty.
Buck's signing may indicate the club's willingness to spend money to put the team over the top. It may also be aimed at providing a counterpoint to the critics who claimed the club was gaming the system for the last several years. Regardless, the Marlins have a new catcher with a good defensive reputation and a reasonable bat, who enjoyed a break-out season in 2010.
Across the board he met or exceeded his career best numbers. His batting line of .281/.314/.489/.802 had personal highs in each measure. His walk rate (16 walks in 437 plate appearances) was the only measure in which he showed some decline. And that may have had more to do with the organizational philosophy of the 2010 Bashing Blue Jays than with Buck's ability.
Joe Tetreault is Managing Editor of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He can be contacted here through The Biz of Baseball
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Free Agency, Trades, and Signings
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Written by Joe Tetreault
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Tuesday, 16 November 2010 16:11 |
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ESPN Los Angeles reports that the Dodgers have agreed to terms with free agent starter Hiroki Kuroda on a one-year contract that will pay the 35-year old $8 million for next season. According to the report, Kuroda will also receive a $4 million signing bonus that will be paid in 2012 and 2013.
Debuting with the Dodgers in 2008 at age 33, Kuroda quickly became Los Angeles' most consistent starting pitcher of the last three seasons. His best talent is keeping runners off the bases. His WHIP was third best among Dodger starters in 2010, but both Ted Lilly and Vicente Padilla pitched fewer than half the innings that Kuroda logged while posting better WHIP numbers.
For the season, Kuroda made 31 starts and only allowed 180 hits in 196.1 innings on the hill. He also had his best K/9 IP of his three year career. His walk numbers looked higher, but much of that increase was due to Joe Torre asking Kuroda to issue 13 intentional passes in 2010. His unintentional walk rate was 1.6 per 9 IP, the best mark of his career.
Earlier this offseason, LA signed Lilly to a three year extension. With Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley, already under team control, the final spot in the rotation will likely come down to free agent Padilla, should the club attempt to resign him, or John Ely, who had turned in an up and down rookie year in 2010 starting 18 games for the Dodgers. Kuroda turns 36 this February.
Joe Tetreault is Managing Editor of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He can be contacted here through The Biz of Baseball
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Free Agency, Trades, and Signings
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Written by Maury Brown
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Wednesday, 03 November 2010 22:46 |
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 Just after the 2010 World Series ended, MLB's Hot Stove season began in earnest as 142 players became free agents. Along with those 142 were 34 other potential FAs based on option years in their contracts. There are now just six of those players left wirh 24 more hitting the free agency market. Eight players have had options exercised. Here's an update as of 11:45pm ET
| NAME |
POS |
TEAM |
DATE |
FA? |
| Rick Ankiel |
OF |
AT |
11/2 |
Braves Decline 2011 option. Ankiel FA |
| Kyle Farnsworth |
RP |
AT |
11/2 |
Braves Decline 2011 option. Farnsworth FA |
| Alex Gonzalez |
SS |
AT |
11/2 |
Braves pick up 2011 option. Will make $2.5M next season |
| Omar Infante |
2B |
AT |
11/2 |
Braves pick up 2011 option. Will make $2.5M next season
|
| Adam LaRoche |
1B |
AZ |
11/2 |
D-backs Decline 2011 option. LaRoche FA |
| Mark Hendrickson |
RP |
BA |
11/2 |
Orioles Decline 2011 option. Henderickson FA |
| Adrian Beltre |
3B |
BO |
11/3 |
Declines option. Beltre opts for FA |
| Bill Hall |
OF |
BO |
|
|
| Felipe Lopez |
3B |
BO |
|
|
| David Ortiz |
DH |
BO |
|
|
| Aramis Ramirez |
3B |
CC |
11/3 |
Ramirez exercises 2011 player option. Will make $14.6M next season
|
| Bronson Arroyo |
SP |
CI |
11/3 |
Reds pick up 2011 option. Will make $11M next season |
| Orlando Cabrera |
SS |
CI |
11/2 |
Reds Decline 2011 option. Cabrera FA |
| Aaron Harang |
SP |
CI |
11/3 |
Reds Decline 2011 option. Harang FA
|
| Jeff Francis |
SP |
CO |
11/3 |
Rockies Decline 2011 option. Francis FA |
| Miguel Olivo |
C |
CO |
|
|
| Jhonny Peralta |
3B |
DE |
11/2 |
Orioles Decline 2011 option. Peralta FA |
| Scott Podsednik |
OF |
LAD |
11/2 |
Dodgers pick up 2011 option. Will make $2M next season |
| Doug Davis |
SP |
MI |
11/2 |
Brewers Decline 2011 option. Davis FA |
| Trevor Hoffman |
RP |
MI |
11/2 |
Brewers Decline 2011 option. Hoffman FA |
| Gregg Zaun |
C |
MI |
11/2 |
Brewers Decline 2011 option. Zaun FA |
| Jose Reyes |
SS |
NYM |
11/3
|
Mets pick up 2011 option. Will make $11M next season |
| Eric Chavez |
DH |
OA |
11/3 |
A's Decline 2011 option. Chavez FA
|
| Coco Crisp |
OF |
OA |
11/3 |
A's pick up 2011 option. Will make $5.75M next season |
| Mark Ellis |
2B |
OA |
11/3 |
A's pick up 2011 option. Will make $6M next season |
| Jon Garland |
SP |
SD |
11/2 |
Declines option. Garland opts for FA |
| Chris Young |
SP |
SD |
11/3 |
Padres Decline 2011 option. Young FA |
| Erik Bedard |
SP |
SE |
11/3
|
Mariners Decline 2011 option. Bedard FA
|
| Russ Branyan |
1B |
SE |
11/3
|
Mariners Decline 2011 option. Branyan FA |
| Edgar Renteria |
SS |
SF |
|
|
| Daniel Wheeler |
RP |
TB |
11/3
|
Rays Decline 2011 option. Wheeler FA |
| Vladimir Guerrero |
DH |
TE |
11/3
|
Rangers Decline 2011 mutual option. Guerrero FA
|
| Kevin Gregg |
RP |
TO |
|
|
| Adam Kennedy |
2B |
WA |
11/3
|
Nationals Decline 2011 option. Kennedy FA
|
Source: MLBPA
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey, as well as a contributor to FanGraphs and Forbes SportsMoney. He is available for hire or freelance. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.
Follow Maury Brown on Twitter
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