The rumors began a week and a half ago, and today they came to fruition. The Cubs have signed closer Carlos Marmol to a three-year extension worth $20 million. An agreement of some sort was expected after the two sides found their arbitration submissions $1.5 million apart. That the deal will last three years, buying out Marmol’s first year of free agency, represents the interesting part.
Sometimes the narrative reflects reality. In many cases it’s not true. Baseball is full of myths and stories that just don’t reflect the events that unfolded on the field. So early in the 2010 season, when the term “Year of the Pitcher” made its rounds, I had hoped that the numbers — that is, the record of what happened on the field — would prove something else. For some reason I forgot about it, but a recent conversation raised the topic again. Was 2010 really the year of the pitcher?
How does a player finish with the sixth-best offensive numbers in the league, but still only produce the 36th-best WAR? With some pretty atrocious fielding. In 2010, 29 players finished with -7 UZR or worse. Among them were some of the game’s premier sluggers, meaning they saw some of their offensive contributions offset by their poor fielding skills. Six in particular stand out as being significantly affected by poor UZR numbers.
The situation the Rangers face with Mike Young has little to do with Young’s abilities as a player. In the past six seasons he has accumulated 19.6 WAR, which places him among the best shortstops, second basemen, and, to a lesser degree, third basemen in the league. Rather, the issue stems from the team’s decision in 2007 to extend Young’s contract by five years and $80 million. With three years and $48 million remaining, Young is a decidedly overpaid player. That means the Rangers will either have to eat some money or get creative in a trade.
An hour ago Dave wrote about why a Young-for-Carlos Lee swap made sense. The potential trade, at least in part, centers on the contracts changing hands on both sides. Might one of the other seven teams on Young’s approved list have a similar contract swap situation?
The Rangers and the Rockies started talking about Michael Young at the Winter Meetings. It appears that, two months later, they’re on the verge of a deal. As reported by FoxSports.com, “a deal could be in place as soon as Monday.” That’s today. In many ways a swap makes sense. Young wants out of Texas and the Rockies would welcome an upgrade at second base. But there’s much more to consider here, and the non-performance aspects of the deal might make it an unworthy one for Colorado.
It all ended when Bengie Molina grounded out to Alex Rodriguez, though no one knew it at the time. It was actually a well-struck ball heading down the third base line, but Rodriguez laid out, sprang to his feet, and fired a one-hopper that Mark Teixeira scooped out of the dirt. In celebration, Andy Pettitte let loose with a mighty pump of the fist. With today’s news that Pettitte will announce his retirement tomorrow, that fist pump marks his final act on a pitching mound.
You can use your metric of choice, but it won’t make a difference. The Diamondbacks featured the worst bullpen in 2010, and it wasn’t particularly close. The unit’s ERA was more than a full run worse than the next closest, and their collective WAR was 1.7 worse. Their new GM, Kevin Towers, built some pretty solid bullpens during his years in San Diego, and now he faces the same task in Arizona. It appears that he’s following the same blueprint as a few teams from recent memory.
Teams’ perpetual need for bullpen help turned into a bull market for relievers this winter. To date 17 relief pitchers have signed multi-year contracts, totaling $202.6 million. Only three of those pitchers — Mariano Rivera, J.J. Putz, and Kevin Gregg — will serve as his team’s regular closer. They account for $50 million, meaning that the remaining 14 middle relievers have combined for a $152.6 million pay day, and that just counts the multi-year crew. Finding value on the relief market has proven a bit tough this year, but there are a couple of remaining players who could provide a team with quality relief innings on the cheap.
To call the Oakland A’s off-season aggressive might understate the fervor with which Billy Beane has rebuilt his roster. Already he has signed four major league free agents, exercised two options, and traded for two starters. They add up to nearly $50 million total. Beane would have spent more, too, if he had his way: the A’s reportedly had a $64 million offer to Adrian Beltre. This morning we learned that Beane might not be finished. Reports circulated that the A’s are interested in a swap with the Mariners: Kevin Kouzmanoff “and perhaps a pitcher” for Chone Figgins. Despite the Figgins’s name value, this trade might not greatly benefit the A’s.