Archive for February, 2008

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K-Rod loses in arbitration, still tied for highest salary decision

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

The Angels beat All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez in salary arbitration Friday, and he will receive $10 million this season rather than his request for $12.5 million. Despite the loss, Rodriguez tied the record for the highest salary in an arbitration decision, a mark he shares with Alfonso Soriano, who lost his case against Washington in 2006, and Ryan Howard, who beat Philadelphia on Thursday.

The 26-year-old Rodriguez, whose 132 saves over the past three years are the most in the majors, took the arbitration defeat in stride.

Rodriguez made $7.1 million last year, when he tied for second in the AL with 40 saves. He is eligible for free agency after this season and recently indicated that he might leave the Angels, expressing dissatisfaction that they haven’t offered him a long-term deal that suits him. They have made several proposals for longer contracts, including one believed to be for around $34 million for three years, but he has opted to sign for one year each time.

Rodriguez is coming off a seson where he had a 3.45 ERA in the second half to finish with a 2.81 ERA, his highest since 2003. He had six blown saves in 46 chances.

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Howard nets $10M in arbitration vs. Phillies

Thursday, February 21st, 2008

Howard won his salary arbitration case against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday when he was awarded $10 million, the highest figure given a victorious player.

Howard made $900,000 last year and $355,000 during his MVP season in 2006. The Phillies offered $7 million, but Howard became the first player to win in six arbitration cases this season. Howard tied the record for the highest salary awarded in arbitration, received by Alfonso Soriano in his losing case against the Washington Nationals in 2006. Soriano had sought $12 million.

Howard batted .268 with 47 homers and 136 RBIs last season in what was considered a down year for him. In 2006 he had 58 homers, 149 RBIs and a .313 average, one of the best seasons by a second-year player.

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Fogg agrees to 1-year deal with Reds

Thursday, February 21st, 2008

Right-hander Josh Fogg agreed to a one-year contract Thursday with the Cincinnati Reds, who are trying to fill out their rotation. The 31-year-old pitcher will get a chance to win a spot in a rotation that is in flux after right-handers Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo. Matt Belisle, Homer Bailey and Edinson Volquez are competing for jobs.

Fogg went 10-9 with a 4.94 ERA in 29 starts and one relief appearance for Colorado last season. He pitched the third game of the World Series against Boston and failed to make it out of the third inning, giving up 10 hits and six runs in all. Fogg also has pitched for the White Sox and the Pirates.

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Source says Kinsler, Rangers agree on 5-year, $22M deal

Tuesday, February 19th, 2008

Second baseman Ian Kinsler has agreed to a five-year, $22 million contract with the Texas Rangers, according to a baseball source. The deal includes a club option for a sixth year that could increase the overall value of the package to $32 million. The Rangers are expected to make an announcement Tuesday afternoon at their spring training site in Surprise, Arizona.

Kinsler, 25, hit .261 with 20 homers and 23 stolen bases for the Rangers last season. Despite missing almost the entire month of July with a stress fracture in his left foot, he became the sixth player in club history to put up a 20-homer, 20-steal season.

The new contract will take Kinsler through three years of salary arbitration and his first year of free agency — and possibly a second year if the Rangers exercise their $10 million club option.

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RHP Chacon could join Astros rotation

Tuesday, February 19th, 2008

The Astros, pursuing another veteran option for their rotation, are close to signing right-hander Shawn Chacon to a one-year contract, according to a major-league source. Chacon, 30, will join a group that includes right-handers Roy Oswalt, Woody Williams and Brandon Backe, along with left-hander Wandy Rodriguez.

The Astros depleted their rotation depth during the off-season, including three young minor-league starters, in trades for shortstop Miguel Tejada and closer Jose Valverde.

Sixty of Chacon’s 64 appearances with the Pirates last season were in relief, and he finished 5-4 with a 3.94 ERA. However, he has been used primarily a starter in five of his seven major-league seasons.

Chacon is 37-46 with a 4.89 ERA in 119 career starts and 6-12 with 36 saves and a 5.39 ERA in 135 career relief appearances. He has pitched for the Rockies and Yankees as well as the Pirates.

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Sabathia says contract talks with Indians are off

Friday, February 15th, 2008

Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said Thursday that he doesn’t expect to have any talks with the Cy Young winner until the 2008 season is over. He was reacting to a message Sabathia posted said on his Web site Wednesday night that said he and his agents have broken off negotiations on a contract extension with the club.

The Indians recently offered Sabathia, who is eligible for free agency after the season, a four-year extension believed to be worth $17 million to $18 million per year. But if they want to keep the left-hander, the Indians may have to approach the six-year, $137.5 million contract the New York Mets gave Johan Santana after his recent trade from Minnesota.

Sabathia went 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA and led the majors with 241 innings in 2007, becoming Cleveland’s first Cy Young winner since Gaylord Perry in 1972. He’s expected to again anchor the pitching staff and is in for a huge payday if he hits the free agent market.

The Indians will likely make another offer, but Shapiro said he knows the club will be competing with teams that have bigger payrolls.
In spring training last season, the Indians signed pitcher Jake Westbrook to an extension and laid the groundwork for a new deal for DH Travis Hafner, which was signed in July. Shapiro was hopeful something similar would happen in this camp with Sabathia.

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Reds, Phillips agree to 4-year deal

Friday, February 15th, 2008

Second baseman Brandon Phillips agreed to a $27 million, four-year deal on Friday, settling the Cincinnati Reds’ final arbitration case and satisfying a player who doesn’t want to leave. The new contract includes a club option for a fifth season. If Phillips is traded, it becomes a mutual option, and the total value of the contract increases to $43.25 million over five years.

The 26-year-old infielder had a breakout season last year, when he joined Alfonso Soriano as the only second basemen in major league history to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases.

The Indians considered him one of their top prospects, but he struggled when promoted to the majors and fell out of favor with the organization. By opening day 2006, the Indians were out of options and patience with Phillips, who traded him to the Reds for a player to be named.

The move shocked Phillips, who realized he was getting a second and perhaps final chance in Cincinnati. He hit .276 with 17 homers and 75 RBIs that season, taking over as the starting second baseman along the way.

Last year, he emerged as one of the team’s up-and-coming stars. He joined outfielder Eric Davis and Larkin as the only Reds players to have 30 homers and steals in a season. He also broke Joe Morgan’s team record for homers by a second baseman.

He had a 22-game hitting streak early in the season, the best of his career. Phillips also led NL second basemen in fielding percentage, committing only eight errors.

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Saito agrees to contract with Dodgers

Thursday, February 14th, 2008

Right-hander Takashi Saito agreed to a $2 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, a day before the team’s pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

Saito, who can earn an additional $200,000 in incentives, was 2-1 with a 1.40 ERA and 39 saves in 43 chances with the Dodgers last season, and made the NL All-Star team.

Saito, who turns 38 on Thursday, signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers two years ago after playing 14 seasons for Yokohama of the Japanese Central League. He was 6-2 with a 2.07 ERA and 24 saves in 26 chances in his first NL season.

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Rockies, Atkins agree to 1-year deal

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

Third baseman Garrett Atkins and the Colorado Rockies agreed Monday to a one-year contract worth $4,387,500.

Atkins batted .301 with 25 homers and 111 RBIs last season for the NL champions.

Eligible for arbitration for the first time, he had asked for a raise from $400,000 to $4.65 million when arbitration figures were exchanged last month. Colorado offered $4,125,000.

Atkins can earn $92,500 in performance bonuses: $17,500 each for 600, 625 and 650 plate appearances, and $20,000 each for 675 and 700 plate appearances.

Colorado has two players remaining in arbitration, pitcher Brian Fuentes and outfielder Brad Hawpe.

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Twins pick up free-agent hurler Hernandez

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

After trading Johan Santana to the Mets and losing free agent right-hander Carlos Silva to the Mariners, the Twins have signed Livan Hernandez to a one-year contract in the range of $5 million to $6 million, according to major-league sources. The deal, expected to be announced Tuesday, will include performance-based incentives that will enable Hernandez to approximate his $7 million salary with the Diamondbacks last season.

The Twins evidently value Hernandez’s durability. Hernandez leads the majors in innings pitched since 2003, and has exceeded 200 innings in every season since 2000.

However, Hernandez has spent his entire 12-year career in the National League, and some scouts and executives believe he is ill-suited to pitch in the more offensively oriented AL.

Last season with the Diamondbacks, Hernandez allowed 34 home runs, the second-highest total in the NL. He finished 11-11 with a 4.93 ERA, then made two starts in the postseason, beating the Cubs in the Division Series but losing to the Rockies in the NLCS.

Hernandez is 134-128 lifetime with a 4.25 ERA. He also is a career .232 hitter, but will hit rarely — if ever — in the AL.

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