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Thursday, November 05, 2009

Biz of Baseball: Matsui, Damon, Guerrero Highlight List of 183 Potential MLB Free Agents

With the New York Yankees winning the 105th World Series, 4 games to 2 against the Philadelphia Phillies, MLB’s “silly season” is now officially underway. Clubs that didn’t make the postseason, or were eliminated along the way have already begun preparing for the 2010 season, and now, movement on the free agent front has begun.

Today, the MLB Players Association released a list of 183 potential free agents. Today marks the first day of the 15-day period in which these players may give notice of their election of free agency. The word “potential” is important as some players have options that allow them to opt out for free agency.  A good example would be Manny Ramirez’ contract with the Dodgers.

Noteworthy players that are available for free agency include Johnny Damon, Andy Pettitte, and World Series MVP Hideki Matsui of the World Champion Yankees, Victor Martinez and Tim Wakefield with the Red Sox, Vladimir Guerrero, Chone Figgins, and John Lackey of the Angels, as well as Matt Holliday of the Cardinals, Carl Crawford of the Rays, and Pedro Martinez (and if he opts out) Cliff Lee of the Phillies.

Complete list here

Repoz Posted: November 05, 2009 at 04:03 PM | 59 comment(s)
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   1. Best Regards, Larry Mahnken  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:18 PM (#3379951)
Lee has a club option that is 100% certain to be picked up, unless Maury is saying he'll demand a trade -- but I can't see the Phillies letting him walk on that. They'd either give him an extension or trade him.

If Lee actually did become a free agent... that would be bad. Because you know who would sign him.
   2. Dan  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:21 PM (#3379952)
Several of these guys have club options that are 100% guaranteed to be picked up: Victor Martinez, Carl Crawford, and Cliff Lee.
   3. Toolsy McClutch  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:22 PM (#3379953)
I'd love to see that total list with something like RC and RC/AB as a sortable option. Or some value metric.

Hell, I'm a WPA whore, I think that would be great too.
   4. Teal & Black  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:22 PM (#3379954)
They should all opt out. I will hire all of them for my new baseball team, financed by a loan I'll receive using said baseball team as collateral.

C V. Martinez
1 Branyan
2 Lopez
S Scutaro
3 Figgins
L Holliday
C Crawford
R Guerrero
D Matsui

SP Lee
SP Lackey
SP Pettitte
SP P. Martinez
SP Wakefield
   5. Shooty Did Not Kill McGurk  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:22 PM (#3379955)
Victor Martinez is a free agent? I though the Sox had an option.
   6. Nasty Nate  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:27 PM (#3379962)
yeah that blurb was not gracefully written. Martinez, C Lee, and Wakefield are not "available for free agency" unless their teams allow it. And I'm sure Lee would love to "opt out" but he's not the one with the choice.
   7. Ryan Jones  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:27 PM (#3379963)
Victor Martinez is a free agent? I though the Sox had an option.


They do, and they're certain to pick it up.
   8. The Joe Mauer Power Hour (kj)  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:27 PM (#3379964)
They do. The option is for $7M vs a 250K buyout. There's no way they don't pick that up.

EDIT: Ryan, may I offer you a Coke?
   9. Darren  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:30 PM (#3379967)
They do, Shooty.
   10. Best Regards, Larry Mahnken  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:44 PM (#3379987)
Factual responses to direct questions are not Cokes.
   11. Yankee_Redneck  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:48 PM (#3379996)
Factual responses to direct questions are not Cokes.


Can he get an RC?
   12. Ravecc  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:51 PM (#3380004)
Lee's option is $9m with his 2008 CY win.

Can he demand a trade if he doesn't get an extension (assuming he wants one) since he was traded in the middle of a multi-year contract?
   13. Ryan Jones  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 03:58 PM (#3380013)
Can he demand a trade if he doesn't get an extension (assuming he wants one) since he was traded in the middle of a multi-year contract?


Apparently, the ability to demand a trade after being traded in the middle of a multi-year deal was taken out of the current CBA. It's supposed to only apply to those contracts signed under the last deal (of which very few remain). Lee, as far as I understand, would not have the right to demand a trade under those rules.
   14. Rowland Office Supplies  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 04:00 PM (#3380019)
Has Matsui actually ever said anything about playing alongside Ichiro or is that something McCarver gleaned from the ether? He kept yammering that Matsui would either re-sign with the Yanks or THE ONLY OTHER FORESEEABLE OPTION was going to Seattle and being Ichiro's teammate.
   15. ?Donde esta Dagoberto Campaneris?  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 04:00 PM (#3380021)
Angels sign Abreu for 2/18; 1 mil buyout for 9 million deal in third year which may vest with PAs

I think I like it.
   16. Shredder  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 04:01 PM (#3380023)
Take Abreu off the list. Just re-signed for two years.
   17. Maury Brown  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 04:01 PM (#3380024)
Slight clarification... The players with asterisks have options within the contracts that could be either club or player. Lee's is a club, not player option. Article has been updated at the source.
   18. 1k5v3L, Useless  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 04:02 PM (#3380026)
Take Abreu off the list. Just re-signed for two years.
So will he be the full time DH?
   19. ?Donde esta Dagoberto Campaneris?  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 04:05 PM (#3380030)
Possibly a most-time DH depending on Vlad. Also a good lead-off option if Figgins moves on. His diminishing power makes him a nice fit there.
   20. Ryan Jones  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 04:05 PM (#3380031)
Well, with Abreu signed, the list of likely free agents just got even worse.
   21. Maury Brown  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 04:15 PM (#3380042)
FYI... List of players with either club or player option:

Tim Hudson
Brandon Webb
Alex Gonzalez
Victor Martinez
Jason Varitek
Ramon Hernandez
Rafael Betancourt
Yorvit Torrealba
Jermaine Dye
Doug Brocail
Coco Crisp
Miguel Olivo
Will Ohman
Manny Ramirez
Braden Looper
Dave Weathers
J.J. Putz
Pedro Feliz
Cliff Lee
Jack Wilson
Brian Shouse
Gregg Zaun
Austin Kearns
   22. Hector Moreda & The Generalissimo  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 04:16 PM (#3380044)
Matsui, Damon, Guerrero

Ladies and Gentlemen, the starting outfield for YOUR 2010 San FranCISCO GIANTS!!
   23. The Joe Mauer Power Hour (kj)  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 04:41 PM (#3380063)
Factual responses to direct questions are not Cokes.

I thought he sounded thirsty.
   24. Best Dressed Chicken in Town  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 04:48 PM (#3380069)
Has Matsui actually ever said anything about playing alongside Ichiro

I don't think so. I don't recall ever hearing about them having any kind of relationship. I have no idea why McCarver kept saying that. Oh wait -- is it because they're both Japanese? They must be kindred spirits!
   25. The Joe Mauer Power Hour (kj)  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:00 PM (#3380090)
Oh wait -- is it because they're both Japanese? They must be kindred spirits!

I know that the assumption that they'd like to play together just because they're both Japanese is a huge invitation for snark, but it's a fair assumption to make, even if the two have no history of friendship, just because of the small number of Japanese ballplayers. It makes a whole lot more sense than saying that Adam Kennedy is likely to be interested in joining fellow Californian Ryan Madson in Philadelphia.
   26. Damon Rutherford  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:03 PM (#3380094)
I hope BTF rekindles their Free Agent Signing Contest this off-season. Likely need a volunteer or two.
   27. Ryan Jones  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:04 PM (#3380095)
Has Matsui actually ever said anything about playing alongside Ichiro

For some reason, I thought they weren't actually big fans of each other.
   28. snapper  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:06 PM (#3380097)
Matsui to Seattle makes all kinds of sense. The Yankees are almost certain to keep either Damon or Matsui, and Damon is the much better bet b/c he can still play LF. The Mariners have a big Japanese fan base, Japanese owners, and perhaps the worst DH output in history of the last few seasons.
   29. Kiko Sakata  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:11 PM (#3380104)
Oh wait -- is it because they're both Japanese? They must be kindred spirits!


The offseason that Fukudome came over to the States somebody described his offense as a cross between Ichiro and Matsui. Considering that Ichiro is a singles-hitting contact hitter and Matsui's a slugger who's willing to take a walk, I think that 95% of all major-league hitters could probably be described as having a hitting style somewhere between these two guys. That said, like snapper says in #28, given what the Mariners have been running out there at DH the last couple of years, Matsui probably makes a good bit of baseball sense to them.
   30. Ryan Jones  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:11 PM (#3380105)
and perhaps the worst DH output in history of the last few seasons.


A few seasons is understating it. They're up to 6 years of Hoover-style, golfball through a garden hose, suckery, featuring such BTF favorites as the corpse of Jose Vidro, and Dinosaur Carl.

Mariners' DH:

2004: 0.753 OPS (92 OPS+)
2005: 0.723 OPS (88 OPS+)
2006: 0.656 OPS (63 OPS+)
2007: 0.746 OPS (88 OPS+)
2008: 0.608 OPS (58 OPS+)
2009: 0.747 OPS (91 OPS+)
   31. Confined to the Halls of Congers (formerly Y...)  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:19 PM (#3380113)
I think read somewhere that Matsui is close to Uehara, but I might be totally off base.
   32. Gamingboy  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:23 PM (#3380118)
C V. Martinez
1 Branyan
2 Lopez
S Scutaro
3 Figgins
L Holliday
C Crawford
R Guerrero
D Matsui

SP Lee
SP Lackey
SP Pettitte
SP P. Martinez
SP Wakefield


And does Bobby Valentine Manage?
   33. ess eff  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:33 PM (#3380130)
Is it an absolute given that Matsui can't play LF anymore? Not even like Bonds in his final season?
   34. Best Dressed Chicken in Town  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:34 PM (#3380132)
I know that the assumption that they'd like to play together just because they're both Japanese is a huge invitation for snark, but it's a fair assumption to make, even if the two have no history of friendship, just because of the small number of Japanese ballplayers.

It's a fair point, but even we limit Matsui to the AL, and say he won't betray the Yankees by going to Boston, there also also Japanese players on Baltimore, Cleveland, and Kansas City. Why can't he sign there? Furthermore, Matsui has survived as the only Japanese player on the Yankees for several years (save a couple Igawa sightings). NOW he requires a countryman to feel comfortable?

Maybe Matsui does make sense in Seattle for actual baseball reasons, but the only reason McCarver gave (at least twice) was the presence of Suzuki.
   35. Ignatius J. Reilly  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:34 PM (#3380131)
Take Hudson off the option list. I believe it was a mutual option for 12M, but it got torn up for a 3/27M extension.
   36. Ryan Jones  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:40 PM (#3380138)
Is it an absolute given that Matsui can't play LF anymore?


Pretty much. His knee required draining at least twice this year, and is unlikely to improve. If he's going to be used in the OF, he'll likely turn into some version of what Alou was with the Mets - a good hitting, terrible fielding outfielder, who spends months at a time on the DL.

He really needs to be stuck at DH as much as humanly possible.
   37. Ryan Jones  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:44 PM (#3380143)
there also also Japanese players on Baltimore, Cleveland, and Kansas City. Why can't he sign there?


Cleveland has an unmovable DH, and Kansas City sucks (and is currently playing a DH at 1B).

Someone else can come up with a reason for Baltimore, since I really can't remember who their DH is, or if they have one.
   38. Koot  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:53 PM (#3380161)
They didn't mention Brett Myers. Fortunately, FOXSPORTS has an article about him!

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10323722/Myers:-It-would-be-'upsetting'-to-leave-Philly-

With this gem...

"This has been my family for 11 years, since I've been drafted," Myers said. "It's always hard to part with family. But at the same time, you've got to roll with the punches, see what happens, see what's best for your family.

"If this is a good fit, and they need me, I'm ready to roll."


It's great, because, as you can see by the underlined part, I think Brett Myers is in on the joke. I mean, rolling with the punches, worrying about what's best for his family... I think he just wanted to set everyone up for some nice jokes at his expense!
   39. Ryan Jones  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 05:55 PM (#3380165)
No, he's just a moron.
   40. Confined to the Halls of Congers (formerly Y...)  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 06:04 PM (#3380176)
Matsui actually wouldn't be a terrible fit in Baltimore. Matsui said recently that he's willing to play 1b, and assuming he'd be semi-competent he could serve as a stopgap until Snyder is ready or they get someone else. Even if he can't play 1b, he could DH if they traded Scott. The orioles could definitely use more power.
   41. Primakov is once again done with politics  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 06:24 PM (#3380191)
The sanest thing for the Red Sox to do may be what they just did: acquire Jeremy Hermida. If Theo stands pat with that, and the team ends up with like 90 wins as a result, I wouldn't consider that a big price to pay.

I'll be more annoyed if they vastly overpay for someone when Pujols might be an FA after 2010.
   42. frannyzoo  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 06:40 PM (#3380197)
Koot: I usually trust the links, references, but you had me going to that one. Those Myers quotes are simply remarkable. I'm sure the journo must have had a hard time writing anything legible in his pad from laughing so hard. Douche doesn't even scratch the surface.
   43. Campeones de la Serie Mundial('zop)  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 06:41 PM (#3380198)

I'll be more annoyed if they vastly overpay for someone when Pujols might be an FA after 2010.

Hell will freeze over before the Yankees let the Red Sox sign Albert Pujols.
   44. battlekow  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 06:53 PM (#3380213)
Felipe Lopez is officially a Type B free agent.
   45. ess eff  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 06:53 PM (#3380212)
What would possibly be the scenario for Pujols being a FA in a year? The option for 2011 is for $16 million.
   46. Gamingboy  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 06:54 PM (#3380216)
Someone else can come up with a reason for Baltimore, since I really can't remember who their DH is, or if they have one.


I think they got Uehara almost entirely for the reason that he was a servicable arm, and because it would increase the profile of the Orioles in Japan. Literally the Orioles were a near-total unknown in Japan (and still are, given the fact Uehara got hurt during the season), with the Japanese knowing about Cal Ripken (who is well-regarded there for his work ethic) but basically nothing else (which is probably a bit of an exaggeration, since I know the Orioles did a few tours there back during the Weaver days, but I'm guessing Uehara was referring to his generation).
   47. Gamingboy  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 06:56 PM (#3380220)

Hell will freeze over before the Yankees let the Red Sox sign Albert Pujols.


Mark Teixeira may though.
   48. Swedish Chef  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 06:56 PM (#3380221)
What would possibly be the scenario for Pujols being a FA in a year? The option for 2011 is for $16 million.

Has a team ever forgotten to exercise an option in time?
   49. Tom Nawrocki  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 07:09 PM (#3380236)
Has a team ever forgotten to exercise an option in time?


I think that's how the Red Sox lost Carlton Fisk.
   50. AJM  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 07:15 PM (#3380245)
Someone at work mentioned to me last week the thought Matsui would sign with Seattle because of Ichiro. So it is possible that McCarver heard it somewhere, or they both could've made it up.
   51. ess eff  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 07:20 PM (#3380251)
Has a team ever forgotten to exercise an option in time?


I think that's how the Red Sox lost Carlton Fisk.


Well, Travis Lee became a free agent when the Twins forgot to send him a contract after drafting him.

And Catfish Hunter became a free agent when Charlie O. Finley neglected to pay an insurance premium.

I've got to believe that the Cardinals will be more careful about dotting i's and crossing t's.
   52. villageidiom  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 07:21 PM (#3380252)
I think that's how the Red Sox lost Carlton Fisk.
Kinda. They missed the deadline to tender him a new contract, by putting it in the mail one day too late.

In terms of a team forgetting to exercise an option... Would any team admit it?
   53. robinred  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 07:23 PM (#3380254)
I think after G6, the Yankees will offer Godzilla a two-year deal to DH and he will take it. I think Damon will wind up elsewhere, though.
   54. Maury Brown  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 07:24 PM (#3380257)
Tie-in with this posting....

Holliday, Lackey, Highlight 79 MLB Players Opting for Free Agency

All 79 that filed on the first day that eligible players could do so at link.
   55. robinred  Posted: November 05, 2009 at 07:27 PM (#3380262)
This might sound goofy, but if Austin Kearns is on the market, I want the Reds to try to bring him back.
   56. bond1  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 01:09 AM (#3380472)
Given that ticket sales were tepid at the new Yankee Stadium all season, I think the Yanks will have to strongly consider their Japanese fan base. Those are a lot of Japanese stadium adverts posted out there. In fact, Godzilla's game 6 homerun landed right above the Komatsu sign hanging from the second deck in right field. I have no idea how much the Yanks garner from Japanese billboards, Japanese tourists, Yankee paraphernalia in Japan, or even if they offer the Yank Network in Japan, but if Matsui splits, all those Japanese sponsors and tours will go sayonara.
   57. battlekow  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 02:37 PM (#3381164)
The Brewers declined David Weathers' option, so have at him.
   58. Jose Canusee  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:00 PM (#3381512)
Thought it was funny they called Jason Bay "Jay Bay", which may be either his DJ handle or something from the Magical Mystery Tour. Meanwhile they call Tomo Okha Tomokazu so it's not like they were texting it.
   59. Sam M.  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:31 PM (#3381555)
If he's going to be used in the OF, he'll likely turn into some version of what Alou was with the Mets - a good hitting, terrible fielding outfielder, who spends months at a time on the DL.

So you're saying Omar is ready to pounce?
   60. JPWF13  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:36 PM (#3381559)
And Catfish Hunter became a free agent when Charlie O. Finley neglected to pay an insurance premium.


It wasn't "neglect"
it was done deliberately through a combination of pigheadedness and bad advice- and then he tried to pay it when he realized that Catfish and the Union were serious about using it to have Hunter declared a FA.
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