Let the offseason begin: Here are Thursday’s free agent filings.
Posted on October 30th, 2008 – 5:36 PMBy La Velle
Eddie Guardado, Nick Punto and Dennys Reyes all filed for free agency on Thursday, the first of 15 days players can do so.
It’s unlikely that Guardado will re-sign with the Twins. The club dealt for their former closer in August but ended up giving the ball to rookie Jose Mijares as they battled for the playoffs.
There’s a chance that the Twins could re-sign Nick Punto, but it will depend on what Punto’s asking price is. I’ve written before that Punto = Martin Skoula in this town, but he’s valuable as a super-sub. Indications are that the Twins want to upgrade at short and leave Alexi Casilla at second base, so if Punto wants to be paid like a starter he might have to go elsewhere.
Dennys Reyes might not be back either, as Mijares opened eyes during his brief stint in the majors. The price of middle relief is going up by the day, and Reyes, 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA this year, could fetch as much as $4 million a year as a free agent. The way Mijares pitched down the stretch, the Twins appear to be in good hands with him and Craig Breslow facing lefties.
Players have until 15 days after the end of the World Series to file for free agency, so they can sign with any club beginning Nov. 14. If a team signs a Type A or B free agent over the following two weeks, the club losing that player receives draft picks as compensation.
Dec.1 is the deadline for teams to offer arbitration to their free agents so they can receive compensation if they do move. There’s always a batch of players who aren’t offered arbitration, and many teams wait until December to sign. Some don’t care if they lose picks (see: Angels and Torii Hunter, Thanksgiving, 2007).
Here are the 65 players who filed for free agency on Thursday, thanks to info from the player’s association:
Arizona
Cruz, Juan (RP); Eckstein, David (SS)
Atlanta
Norton, Greg (OF); Ohman, Will (RP); Tavarez, Julian (RP)
Baltimore
Millar, Kevin (1B); Payton, Jay (OF)
Boston
Cora, Alex (SS); Ross, Dave (C); Varitek, Jason (C)
Chicago Cubs
Dempster, Ryan (SP); Edmonds, Jim (OF); Fox, Chad (RP); Howry, Bob (RP)
Chicago White Sox
Crede, Joe (3B); Uribe, Juan (2B)
Cincinnati
Affeldt, Jeremy (RP); Lincoln, Michael (RP)
Cleveland
* Donnelly, Brendan (RP)
Colorado
Detroit Tigers
Garcia, Freddy Antonio (SP); Jones, Todd (RP)
Florida
LoDuca, Paul (C)
Houston
Loretta, Mark (2B)
Kansas City
Grudzielanek, Mark (2B)
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Anderson, Garret (OF); Garland, Jon (SP); Teixeira, Mark (1B)
Los Angeles Dodgers
Beimel, Joe (RP); Blake, Casey (3B); Lowe, Derek (SP); Maddux, Greg (SP); Ramirez, Manny (OF)
Milwaukee
Gagne, Eric (RP); Kapler, Gabe (OF); Lamb, Michael (3B); Sheets, Ben (SP); Shouse, Brian (RP)
Minnesota
Guardado, Eddie (RP); Punto, Nick (SS); Reyes, Dennys (RP)
NY Mets
Easley, Damion (2B); Perez, Oliver (SP); Wise, Matt (RP)
NY Yankees
Abreu, Bob (OF); Moeller, Chad (C); Ponson, Sidney (SP); Rodriguez, Ivan (C)
Oakland
Brown, Emil (OF)
Pittsburgh
Gomez, Chris (3B); Mientkiewicz, Doug (1B)
St. Louis
Izturis, Cesar (SS); LaRue, Jason (C); Looper, Braden L. (SP); Lopez, Felipe (2B); Springer, Russ (RP); Villone, Ron (RP)
Seattle
Bloomquist, Willie (OF); Cairo, Miguel (1B); Ibanez, Raul (OF)
Texas
+ Blalock, Hank (3B); Bradley, Milton (DH); Jennings, Jason (SP); Vazquez, Ramon (3B); Wright, Jamey (RP)
Washington
Wilkerson, Brad (OF)
*Potentially eligible due to contract terms.
+Provisional election pending resolution of option provision in Player’s UPC
50 Responses to "Let the offseason begin: Here are Thursday’s free agent filings."
Would the Twins be willing to look at Joe Crede at 3b?
2 players caught my eye.
1. Joe Crede… though, the only reason why the Sox wouldn’t sign him is his injuries, which his new team would have to deal with… He had back surgery this year and struggles with that a lot. If he’s 100% though, you have to look into it, because when he plays, he a dang good 3B.
2. Casey Blake. Can we afford him and at what price do we say no. Yes, Blake can pop a couple homers and is decent with the glove, but I really don’t see him as that big of an upgrade over our rotating third basemen right now. Sure, he’d be steady, but is he worth the price?
Reyes is a Type B, so we’ll get a sandwich pick for him. No such luck with Punto. His 2007 was so bad he’d have to be MVP caliber in 2008 to get on the board.
As much as I’d love to get Crede, I don’t think playing 1 year on FieldTurf would benefit his bad back.
Too bad too since in 2008 he killed the Twins when he was healthy and I enjoyed watching him in the 2005 playoffs.
But the good news for Twins fans is that Chad Moeller, Sidney Ponson, Mike Lamb, Todd Jones, and Doug Mientkiewicz are all out there for the taking!
Though the Twins don’t want to move Casilla I still thing Grudzielanek would be a good signing. Along with Crede or Blake or trading for Beletre or Adkins.
[…] Twins Insider – […]
I think Crede and Blake might be good 1 year fits for our club. Also if Texiera signs with Boston and Youkilis moves to 3rd base that might make Mike Lowell available. He’d be my preferred guy. The Twins also have this love passion for Hank Blalock but the dude can’t stay healthy so we’ll see.
Sign Manny as the DH
1. Span
2. Mauer
3. Morneau
4. Manny
Come on, four guys in a row with near .400 OBP?
Too bad it would cost a boat load of money…
ZERO chance that we sign Manny. Twins should see how much they have to give up to get Atkins from Colorado. That guy would be the perfect Third Baseman for the Twins- and he’s obtainable.
Be careful with Atkins, he defends on the same level as Buscher and was moved to 1st when Helton got hurt. He also had trouble hitting away from Coors Field.
I like the idea of Blake for a couple of year until the young guys are ready.
Hank Blalock? You know the Twins love those off-injured, older players coming off below average seasons.
[…] LaVelle tells us that with the end of the World Series, the free agent market begins. On Thursday, Nick Punto, Eddie […]
Blake “as a one year fit for our club” or “for a couple of years” won’t happen. He’s one of the few, truly solid, non-superstar players (or, more simply put, a step below Manny, Teixeira, Sabathia, and Sheets), in this FA class. Teams have more money to spend than good players to spend it on; he’ll get a lot of dough thrown his way. And he’ll be able to bargain for a long-term contract. I wouldn’t be suprised if he gets signed for 5 years at $60 mil or 4 years at $50 mil. It’s a good time to be a free agent…
If the Twins are going to trade for a position player, I’d prefer they trade for a shortstop that can play here 2 or 3 years than a one year rental of a Beltre or Atkins. I’m comfortable with Harris & Buscher platooning at 3rd, their D isn’t great but it’s okay and they can both hit a little bit. We have nothing at shortstop, and Punto or any of the other free agent options aren’t exactly enticing. My dream is JJ Hardy, but that’s probably unlikely.
The only situation I’d want the Twins to trade for a 3B is if Tex signs with Boston and they trade Lowell. I would’ve loved us to sign him last year. The “old veteran with injuries” thing does seem to kill this team, but I think they could probably get him for a song as he’s coming off injury. Sounds like he’s a good clubhouse guy, and he can hit a little bit.
Who knows, this should be an exciting offseason for us.
“Punto = Martin Skoula” LOL. I was just thinking the reciprocal last night during the game!
Too funny, LEN.
We can win with this group, but we can’t WIN with this group, ya know? We’ll be competitve, sure. We might even win the division, (non) injuries permitting, but PS baseball? N.O. We’ll have a formidable club. Then we’ll run up against an Amazing club, and look like crap in comparison. Our pitching situation is pretty good…no, really good. But our lineup… It just lacks punch. We probably don’t need VAST improvement, but we need sizable upgrades. We simply willn’t be able to play with Boston, New York, Tampa, or Anahiem. We need at least 1 (and probably 2) guys that ARE going to give you 20+ homers with decent avg./obp. Adding Blake, Hardy, Lowell, Beltre, Ibanez (maybe), Holliday, and (I guess, but he’ll have to prove himself to me) Atkins would be good. AT LEAST 2 of these players, or players like them, Must be added. Spend what you have to. Trade who you have to (without giving up much current roster talent). This team lacks punch and each of these guys (presumably) would provide it.
I don’t really know what to make of what I just wrote, except that it just seems to me that they Have to do SOMETHING big. They Must. (Maybe this is just a plea to the Twins FO).
(Last time)
**The Twins should have made a trade at the deadline…and they lost on my B-day…to Oakland…at home**
Face it as they sit the Twins are a pretty solid club. Any club can go into the tank at the most inoppertune time, witness the Rays who looked unbeatable prior to the Series. I think if they can land a good SS/2B and a solid middle reliever the Twins will be a sizeable force in the American league.
Why not look for a cheaper younger player that could solidify 3b with a cheap price tag so that we can go out and put a big bat in the line up at ss or dh.
Marlins:
Jorge Cantu (age 26) 2008 $500,000
2008 HR 29 RBI 95 AVG .227
2005 (In a Dome) HR 28 RBI 117 AVG .286
Twins:
Mike Lamb (age 35) 2008 3.5 Mill
2008 HR 1 RBI 32 AVG .235
Don’t get me wrong Lamb is a good guy I have nothing against him.
This just show’s what we could have had for less money and less of a chance if we have to release them.
Heck Trade for Uggla and Cantu. Put Casilla at SS. We could have quite a change in power. Send them Cuddy
Sorry Cantu’s AVG was .277 not .227
Heck we could bring back Doug Mientkiewicz he played 3B for the Pirates! HA HA Doug is the man though.
Nick Punto and David Eckstien hitting free agency in the same offseason? Let the grit bidding wars commence.
OMG if we sign Eckstien I will have to go pee every ninth batter! He is unwatchable.
People keep saying we should trade Cuddyer. No one is going to give us anything for Cuddyer.
LaVelle,
Will the Twinks ever get serious about signing a bonafide 3rd baseman and DH?
Milton Bradley and Casey Blake would make an immediate impact. But with how stiiiiiiingy (stingy) the Twins are on a buck the players they can afford are still in triple A on most major league clubs.
ES16 Why not? You under-estimate the value of his card tricks in the dugout and clubhouse. That is harder to find than solid relief pitching you know.
La Velle do you think Pohlad’s bed is uncomfortable with all of the penny’s hidden in between the bed matresses
Who is Martin Skoula?
Who is Martin Skoula?
Martin Škoula
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Position Defence
Shoots Left
Height
Weight 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
226 lb (103 kg/16 st 2 lb)
NHL Team
F. teams Minnesota Wild
Dallas Stars
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Colorado Avalanche
Nationality Czech Republic
Born October 28, 1979 (1979-10-28) (age 29),
Litoměřice, CS
NHL Draft 17th overall, 1998
Colorado Avalanche
Pro career 1999 – present
Martin Škoula (born October 28, 1979 in Litoměřice, Czechoslovakia) is a professional ice hockey defenceman, currently with the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League.
[edit] Playing Career
Skoula was selected in the first round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 17th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche. After playing two seasons in the Czech Republic, Škoula came over to North America in 1997, playing for the Barrie Colts of the OHL. His size and offensive ability made him an instant success. After only one game in the American Hockey League, with the Hershey Bears, Škoula joined the Avalanche, despite being only twenty years old.
In 2001, Škoula was a part of the Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup. The following season, he played for his native country at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Despite these successes and a solid statistical record, Škoula was often criticized by fans for poor defensive positioning and decisions, and offensive ability that failed to live up to expectations. In February of 2004, Škoula was dealt to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. After playing only twenty games with the Ducks, Škoula left as an unrestricted free agent. He spent the lockout in the Czech Republic. In August of 2005, Škoula was signed by the Dallas Stars, where he spent less than a season, before being dealt at the trade deadline, March 9, 2006, to the Minnesota Wild. Prior to the 2007–2008 season, Skoula signed with the Wild for an additional 2 years.
Heet,
Sorry, I didn’t take that into consideration. Thanks for pointing that out. I guess a lot of teams would want Cuddyer, and pay a hefty price for him, just based on his magic tricks. That’s why I’m not a GM, I’m not very good at seeing all the angles of a trade.
possible 3b guys;
atkins, .964 fp; away from hitter friendly coor’s field,
12 hr, 44 rbi, .233/.278/.383
kouzmanoff, .974 fp; away from pitcher friendly petco field,
12 hr, 46 rbi, .292/.329/.473
betre, .964 fp; away from seattle,
15 hr, 54 rbi, .292/.349/.512
atkins is scary away from coor’s, kouz and beltre are close away from the pitcher + parks they play in. beltre would be one yr, kouz maybe 2-3 yrs.
other guys glaus or rolen are ?? older and some injury history.
not sure we have enough to get any of them. casey blake only a little better then harris/buscher duo, worth the cost?
not sure any of them do magic tricks.
Recommendations from a Twins fan marooned in Orange County.
1. Jettison Reyes
2. Sign Nicky, but let him understand he never plays well as a starter, but always excels as a super sub.
3. Go after Garret Anderson. Anderson has class, is a team leader in a quiet way, and will provide stability and oomph to this team in a meaningful way at a reasonable cost. Also a bit of payback for hasta la vista Torri last winter.
4. Eckstein isn’t enough of an upgrade to make the effort at short.
gobble,
if you look at normalized OPS (OPS+) Antkins and Kouz are not that much better than Buscher/Harris and the defense is about the same. Ideally, the Twins would upgrade both on offense and defense. If they find a big enough offensive upgrade, not upgrading defense might be ok. With that in mind, here is my potential target list (in order of preference more or less):
Glaus
Wiggington
Beltre
Rollen
Lowell
Mora
Ron Belliard
Casey Blake
I am not sure that anyone else would be much of an upgrade to justify the acquisition cost.
i’d like the 25+ homeruns we could get out of either of those guys. we do need some pop from some place, can’t expect to hit over .300 wrip again. i’m not sure there is a perfect fit from any of these guys. some are getting old, some are injury prone, some expensive, to bad cuddy was so bad there.
Mike Lowell or Glaus would be quite awesome. Just to bad our owner is so cheap and wants to contract the team with that crook Selig. I feel handcuffed as a twins fan sometimes.
Gotta offer Reyes arbitration. Best case-he declines and we get a sandwich pick. Worst case-one year deal at 1 M more than we’d want to pay. To resign him would probably require a three year deal so I think he declines.
Crede. We’ve got dollars in 2009. He might go for a one-year deal with or without options. If he remains healthy (a big if) he is a significant upgrade. If not, we waste dollars in a year that we have dollars to gamble.
Why would Pohlad want to contract the Twins one year and then next thing we know he builds a new stadium??? I don’t quite understand the mentallity behind his decision making. Can anyone help me to understand this.
This is what happened after the contraction scare of 2001/2002:
*Local revenue sharing rose from 20% to 34%
*A central-fund revenue sharing was established that pays clubs whose revenues are below the average an amount proportional to their revenues’ distance from the average
*Luxury tax was established for teams with high payrolls
All of these things drastically increased the Twins’ revenues (and, btw, the county and not Carl paid for most of the stadium)
thrylos 98 Thank you for the explanation. In my eyes Pohlad will always be business first then sports. I have no idea why people will sit there and defend the guy he tried to seriously get rid of the Twins with that no good evil Selig.
Everyone knows what the Twins will do. There is 0 chance they go after Atkins or Beltre. They like Buscher at 3rd. He is a gap hitter who got better defensively at 3rd the 2nd half of the season. Brendan Harris will get the #1 oppportunity at SS. The issue in the OF is not a problem to the Twins. It is a problem to the Twins fans… that’s it. Too many good players??? That’s a problem now. I think that Cud will work at 3b this off-season and try to be ready to go there. I really wouldn’t be suprised if he is the everyday 3b there on opening day with Young, Gomez and Span from lf to rf. Here will be the Twins 09 roster
Lineup:
RF Denard Span
2B Alexi Casilla
C Joe Mauer
1B Justin Morneau
3B Michael Cuddyer
DH Jason Kubel
LF Delmon Young
SS Brendan Harris
CF Carlos Gomez
Bench:
Brian Buscher, 1B/ 3B
Adam Everett, SS
Mike Redmond, C
Matt Tolbert, INF
Randy Ruiz, Big Bopper (Well, for the Twins he is…stop laughing)
Starting Rotation:
Scott Baker
Fransico Liriano
Kevin Slowey
Glen Perkins
Nick Blackburn or Phil Humber
Bullpen
Closer, Joe Nathan
Set-up, Pat Neshek
Lefty, Jose Mijares
Lefty, Craig Breslow
7th INN, Jesse Crain
or 7th, Matt Guerrier
Long, Boof Bonser
If they go with 13 pitchers we may see Bobby Korecky (or Humber/Blackburn) which means no Big Bopper…
Looking forward to a quiet Twins off-season… At least we won’t invest $10M in 3 horrible players…
Beltre would be nice but if Cud moves to third it won’t be necessary.
I think this line-up does look like a playoff team… hopefully we don’t run into “every-other-year” syndrome with the M&M boys and the Twins record. See you in April Lav III.
Whoa, I’m dizzy. I feel like I’ve just taken a time capsule back to October 31, 2007…and I predict a final 2009 record of 88-75, losing out on a tie-breaker with Cleveland in the 163rd game of the season.
we should move cuddyer to 3rd so we have enough money to sign a legit shortstop
CR– I agree with you to a point– I do not think the Twins will make any major moves and will go with the same crew that ended the season this year. I do not expect to see Everett back as a Twin however. They will either give that spot to a minor leaguer or find some journey man cheap. I see Chris Gomez has filed for free agency!
twins are set for next year and next year’s world series. will be fun to watch.
If we resign Punto, no way Harris is the starter at short. Gardenhire has repeatedly demonstrated that he views LNP as a starter, not a super sub. That is why, nice as it would be to keep Punto around as a super sub/utility guy, BS must let him go and save Gardy from himself.
I would love to see Blake come back to the Twins and compared to the price of some other players, he should be well within the Twins’ budget, especially if they let overpaid Punto go. They are also saving $ letting Reyes walk and having Mijares instead. But as they are so miserly, I fear we are once again going to get: (a) nothing; (b) a washed-up cheap once-was, has-been; or (c) Punto in an extended contract!
CRADAM:
Nice posts, I’m with you most of the way. I think we’ve got to find a place for Big Boppi, but I’m having trouble sleeping at night with the Cud at third idea.
What about signing jj Hardy and moving him to third?
“What about signing jj Hardy and moving him to third?”
Pretty hard to sign a guy who isn’t a free agent. They look down on that kind of thing…
Twins should sign Adam Dunn. He’s the fulltime DH. Package Young for a 3B. Sign Hudson for 2B, and move Casilla to SS. Problems solved.
I have seen J.J. Hardy’s name thrown out here and I like the idea. I have not, however, heard the Twins mention him.
I’ll take the .340-.345 OBP for 20-25 homers and 70-80 RBI. But if I were the Brewers, I’d try to ship Bill Hall down I-94…
