The Diff: C.J. Miles, Cleveland Cavaliers difference-maker
January 22, 2014Doyel: As a city, Cleveland deserves better
January 22, 2014Highly coveted Japanese import Masahiro Tanaka and the New York Yankees agreed to a seven-year $155 million deal on Wednesday. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal was the first to report the details. It’s a record amount given to an incoming Japanese player under the new posting system that caps team transfer fees at $20 million.
But with Tanaka off the free agent board, this now means that pieces should fall into play soon for the remaining top pitchers. This includes likely departing Cleveland Indians right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez as well as Kansas City’s Ervin Santana and Texas’ Matt Garza.
MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo shares that one National League executive bets that deals could be reached for those three as early as this weekend.
Today is actually Jiménez’s 30th birthday. He had an outstanding final four-fifths of 2013 with the Tribe. In his 27 starts from April 29-onward, he went 13-7 with a 2.61 ERA and 179 strikeouts in 165.2 innings. He arguably was baseball’s best pitcher in the second half.
This followed nearly two full seasons of sub-standard pitching, among the worst for any full-time starter. That’s what makes his free agency status fairly intriguing in this rapidly changing market place. Reportedly, he is requesting $14 million per year for multiple seasons.
Jiménez declined Cleveland’s one-year qualifying offer of $14.1 million. That means any signing team will have to forfeit their highest available draft pick for the right to sign him in free agency. That caveat means there’s a small but non-zero possibility he could somehow find his way back to Cleveland.
[Related: The Qualifier: Can the Indians steal back Ubaldo Jimenez?]
16 Comments
Ubaldo and his agent are really hoping he’s next. I don’t think so I think Santana and Garza go first. No way is Ubaldo worth anywhere near what Tanaka received from the once again spending like there is no tomorrow Yankees.
So who is without first round draft picks?
Mariners, Phillies, Mets are in top 10 and can sign Jimenez without losing their pick
Yessir. I’m guessing the M`s for Ubaldo.
They’d then lose their next-highest pick. Not a first-rounder, but still valuable.
I could see him ending up in Philly as well with all of their injuries to SP last year.
Could the Ms get choo if they wanted to as well and still not forfiet 1st rounder?
they would just do what we did last year with Swisher & Bourn. 1st rounder protected, so you keep losing the next highest pick (2nd, 3rd, etc.).
Nice to finally see a small-market, mid-budget team get a chance to sign a big name. I for one am tired of the Royals and Indians and Pirates of the world grabbing all the top guys and leaving other teams fighting for the scraps. A new dawn in MLB has arrived!
Wait, what? 😉
Works for the Sox, no?
The Sox haven’t been as fiscally irresponsible of late. The Yankees want to knock the Dodgers out of the headlines.
2014 ??
2013 $155mil
2012 $175
2011 $163
2010 $168
And, have to remember it took a salary purge to get to that 2013 number. Frugal Bostonians they are.
Toronto!
I never said the Red Sox didn’t spend but that purge was a truly masterful move. All the national outlets were lauding the Dodgers and belittling the Sox yet one year later Boston had this:
http://www.theemblemsource.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/800×800/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/8/-/8-44981_boston_red_sox_world_series_champions_2013.jpg
Pure jealousy that’s why the NY Yankees have spent over a combined $400M in contracts!
Choo already signed with Dallas. Rangers needed a RF and leadoff hitter; they could live without their 1st round pick.