No Contract Negotiations for Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera...Yet

Are contract extensions on the horizon for free agents to be Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera? Not yet, says GM Brian Cashman:

When Brian Cashman looks at Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Joe Girardi, the Yankees’ GM paints his shortstop, closer and manager with the same brush.

And with spring training opening next week in Tampa, Cashman has no plans to stray from his plan of not negotiating with them. All three contracts are in the final year.

“I don’t think you can separate one from the other,” Cashman explained. “I am not saying they are the same, but the questions will come, ‘If you did one, why didn’t you do the other?’ If this was Kansas City, it would be different — but it’s not.”

I can't imagine Jeter or Rivera playing anywhere else so it's not like the Yankees HAVE TO get both guys signed right now. Eventually, both guys will sign and finish out their illustrious careers with the Yankees. No matter how Jeter and Rivera perform in 2010, I'm 100% confident that both guys will be back with the Yankees in 2011 and even though everyone expects Jeter and Rivera to return, the Yankees will handsomely pay both guys, especially if their respective 2010 performances mirror their 2009 seasons.

Manny Ramirez: DH to be in 2011?

Perhaps...so says Nick Cafardo:

Manny Ramirez, OF, Dodgers - Third base coach Larry Bowa says the team has to watch him closely this year, because last year Ramirez wore down quickly and didn’t have his usual pop. “When he came back to us last year, he looked a bit lost, and it took him a while to get things going,’’ said Bowa. “I know he wants to play another three or four years, so this is an important year for him.’’ Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported that Ramirez was considering not picking up his $20 million option and instead returning to the American League to DH. That’s where he may be headed in 2011.

If Manny puts up big numbers in 2010 with the Dodgers, then there is no reason to think that an AL team won't feel comfortable investing at least $10 million+ in Ramirez. But as we saw this winter, the market for free agent DHs was terrible and many had a difficult time drumming up interest for their services. But then again, Manny offers more than just offensive production because he is a brand and one of the few players in baseball who has first name recognition and brings with him a certain buzz factor.

Furthermore, at this stage in his career, Manny offers no value in the field and is statistically one of the worst left fielders in baseball. So in turn, getting Manny off the field and focusing solely on hitting could increase his overall value to the club...as long as his offensive production remains stellar.

Joe Mauer: A Nine or Ten Year Contract IS Possible

So says Twins owner Jim Pohlad:

He also indicated an openness to signing Mauer for nine or 10 years, if that's what it would take. First baseman Justin Morneau's six-year contract signed two years ago is the current Twins record.

"I don't think six is a magic number," Pohlad said, adding: "Total value is what drives it. We do not have a term policy."

I have a difficult time giving such a large guarantee to a catcher, but it seems that the Twins are willing to do it because they love Mauer, they know how important he is, and they will do everything in their power to keep him off the free agent market. Forget about the impact of deferred compensation, giving Mauer such a large extension is what really could hurt the Twins down the road.

If you're Twins GM Bill Smith, would you give Joe Mauer a 10 year extension?

Joe Mauer and the "Legacy Contract"

How will the Twins keep Joe Mauer off the 2011 free agent market? With a "legacy contract" that might, if you listen to yesterday's reports, keep Mauer under contract with the Twins for ten seasons:

In reality, it's complicated, as the Twins are working on something CEO Jim Pohlad calls "a legacy contract." It will recognize what Mauer has done for the franchise until now, and what he will do in the future, and it could be worth at least $20 million per year.

Two people close to the Mauer family suggested the framework of a deal -- the number of years and guaranteed money -- could already be in place, with the sides working on details such as deferred compensation. But people closer to the negotiations would not confirm this.

This type of deal could become dangerous for the Twins. While it would be a home run in short term, the long term implications of a "legacy contract" with Mauer could be devastating. Mauer is obviously a rare and unique talent, who means more to the Twins and to Minnesota than any words will be able to describe, but giving a catcher a ten year contract seems like an awfully risky move. The Twins might not have many other options at this point if they want to keep Mauer, but committing so many years to a player, who plays the most demanding position in baseball is tough for me to feel good about.

I have no problem paying Joe Mauer $18-$20 million dollars annually because that's what he's worth (and probably more) on the open market, but committing to Mauer for 10 years will lock him up until he's 36. The risk of Mauer breaking down or missing significant time because of injury is high as long as he's still catching.

This situation is a catch 22 for the Twins because they need to keep Mauer around long term for the short term and long term future of the franchise, but by committing to him for so many years, they might pay for the deal towards the end of the contract. I still think a 7-8 year guaranteed deal would be ideal for the Twins and if Mauer is set on the deal reaching ten years in length, then give him the opportunity to extend the deal a year or two with options based on his health, performance, game played, at bats, etc.

Let the Beckett Watch Begin

John Tomase touches on a number of fascinating points as Red Sox ace Josh Beckett heads towards free agency after this season:

1. Injury Protection

But there could be complications. The Red Sox recently have made a point of including injury protection in their big free agent contracts. Right fielder J.D. Drew [stats] and Lackey agreed to clauses that allow the team to opt out (Drew) or add another season at the minimum (Lackey) if pre-existing conditions sidelined either.

Bay balked at a similar provision last year, which is what derailed those negotiations in July and caused the Sox to pull their four-year, $60 million offer off the table. It never returned.

When the Sox acquired Beckett in November 2005, there were sufficient concerns about the health of his right shoulder to give the team pause before pulling the trigger. The sides didn’t include any injury protection in the three-year, $30 million extension he signed during the 2006 season, and he has averaged 30 starts and 198 innings per season since.

Still, if the team considered the shoulder worrisome in 2005, it stands to reason there will be concerns in ’10.

Kudos to the Red Sox for asking their big money free agents to include this provision in their contracts. The Red Sox are simply protecting their investment and in the long term, I think we can all agree that provisions like this are a plus for the team.

If Beckett finishes the 2010 season healthy, then it would not surprise me to see the Red Sox not insist on this provision in the contract. The injury protection that the Red Sox have in JD Drew and John Lackey's contracts only cover pre-existing conditions that the Red Sox identified before the contract was agreed upon. The only problem here is that Beckett has no existing condition that we know of that the Red Sox can put into the contract. The article mentions that Beckett has a history of shoulder concerns and I guess the Red Sox can put that into the contract, but my research has shown the Beckett has never been on the DL because of his shoulder (look out for blisters though!).

The Red Sox negotiations with Jason Bay fell apart because they insisted on having a injury protection clause in the contract, but Bay refused because he was not hurt. If the Red Sox want to keep Beckett around after 2010, then they might have to suck it up and not put the injury clause in the contract because from Beckett's perspective, there is no reason that he should have to forfeit money and years to the Red Sox now when he has not missed any time with the said pre-existing condition (then again, he might really, really want to stay in Boston).

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2. Will Josh Beckett land a $100 million dollar contract?

At one time, signing Beckett to a $100 million deal seemed like a foregone conclusion. In 2007, he won 20 games for the first time, finished second in the Cy Young Award voting to CC Sabathia, and carried the Sox to the World Series as AL Championship Series MVP.

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He’s clearly one of the most desirable pitchers in the game, but will the Red Sox see him that way by the end of the season? Will he be a $100 million player? Will he get a five-year deal? Crazy as it sounds, could he even be trade bait for a bat come July if the Red Sox decide they don’t like their chance of retaining him?

A lot can change between now and next winter, but my opinion is if Beckett puts together a season similar to his 2007 season in 2010, then he will have a good chance at a $100 million dollar+ contract. Beckett's age, ability, and past performance (2003 postseason, 2007 season, 2009 season) all are good reasons why a team should invest heavily in Beckett despite his somewhat up and down performance with the Red Sox.

The one major factor that Beckett has working against him-even if he puts together a career season in 2010-is that the 2011 free agent class is going to be rich in starting pitchers. The list of quality free agent starting pitchers is quite impressive: Beckett, Cliff Lee, Javier Vazquez, Brandon Webb, and Ted Lilly are the cream of the crop. Normally there are two or three quality starting pitchers on the free agent market, but the forecast for the winter suggests that we could have at least five top flight starting pitchers, who are free agents. There is no doubt that there will be heavy demand for these starting pitchers, but the supply of "ace level" starting pitchers could ultimately bring the individual prices of these starting pitchers down.

Can Aaron Miles Increase his Value with the Reds?

When Aaron Miles was traded to the Athletics, I thought he would be in line for a boost in playing time. But today, Miles was traded to the Reds, which could be disastrous for his value moving forward:

The Cincinnati Reds acquired infielder Aaron Miles in a trade with the Oakland Athletics, swapping young infielder Adam Rosales and outfielder Willy Taveras.

The Reds also will get a player to be named or cash, according to sources.

Miles, 33, was a disappointment with the Cubs last season, hitting .185 in 74 games -- and likewise, the 28-year-old Taveras struggled with the Reds, hitting just .240 in 102 games.

Assuming that Miles stays with the Reds and is not dealt again in the near future, I'm struggling to see where he will find playing time. Miles has primarily played shortstop and second base throughout his career, but with Orlando Cabrera (160 games played in '09) and Brandon Phillips (151 games played in '09) manning shortstop and second base respectively, playing time will be scarce for Miles. For a guy coming off a terrible season, this is not exactly the ideal situation for Miles, who will be a free agent after the 2010 season.

If Miles stays with the Reds, he will have to find ways to make himself valuable in order to earn at bats and playing time. Miles needs to be ready to play all over the infield and even the outfield as needed for the Reds and show some value as a pinch hitter. There's always the chance that someone gets hurt so that Miles will get some more playing time, but right now, Miles has to hope the best and prepare for the worst.

The best case scenario for Miles and his upcoming free agency is that the Reds release him and give him a chance to compete for a job elsewhere where he will play more.

Joe Mauer Close to a Deal? Maybe?

So much for a bidding war for Joe Mauer next winter. Well, not officially. But it certainly doesn't look like Mauer will become a free agent next winter. Not if the Twins have their way:

Everybody I spoke with during TwinsFest believes the team soon will have Joe Mauer signed to a contract extension. Two people (on the fringes), who have their own information pipelines, claimed that the deal's basic framework -- the number of years and guaranteed money -- is already set, with the sides negotiating things such as deferred payments, etc.

Our best sources on this subject, however, insisted there wouldn't be news of an extension all weekend, and they were right. (Clarification: It's important to emphasize here that we have not confirmed that the framework is done. Fringe sources might think so, but those closest to the talks haven't confirmed. The spirit of this blog post was "gut feelings and hot tips," but some media outlets are running with this as hard information.)

Mauer said Friday he doesn't want his contract to become a distraction for the team. But there is hardly widespread panic that the Twins are going to lose him to free agency.

I'm confident an extension is coming. It's a matter of when, not if.

Any predictions about what Mauer's extension might look like? I'm sticking to my 6 years/$120 million dollar prediction.