Now that MLB teams are free to negotiate and sign free agents, the period of pure speculation is over.
Tuesday marks the first official day of free agency, a long process where patience ultimately pays off. Due to qualifying offers, which players must accept or decline this week, a few mid-level players found themselves in purgatory last offseason, waiting as long as past Opening Day to sign for teams reticent to forfeit a compensatory draft pick.
As the temperature falls, the rumor mill will begin to burn its hottest with the offseason now underway. Beyond the marquee superstars, there are quite a few above-average contributors who will get paid handsomely in free agency.
Two of those guys are rumored to be staying put, but another could skip town with several clubs eager to scoop him up. Here's the latest free-agent buzz.
Yankees Working to Retain Chase Headley
The New York Yankees were trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive when they acquired Chase Headley in July, but they were also working to keep him in New York past the 2014 campaign.
CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reported that they are intent on keeping Headley as their third baseman for the foreseeable future:
The Yankees may check in on World Series hero Pablo Sandoval, but with his asking price over $100 million, they are focusing on bringing back Chase Headley for third base and have already begun those negotiations.
The Yankees like Sandoval, of course, but they are also quite comfortable with Headley, who played well for them after coming over from San Diego. Headley also found New York much more to his liking than he expected, according to people around the team.
His 31-homer season in 2012 represents a distinct outlier in his career ledger, but Headley remains a highly valuable asset due to his plate discipline and defense. The 30-year-old has notched a .347 career on-base percentage due to a 10.3 walks percentage, per FanGrapgs. He accounted for 13 Defensive Runs Saved in 2014, but changing leagues midseason messed with his shot of winning his second Gold Glove.
More postseason success will make Pablo Sandoval pricey, so the Yankees are better off staying with their guy whose skills are less appreciated but just as important. If neither of those free agents pans out, the Yankees have another option at third base when the greatest shortstop to ever don pinstripes returns. Hold on, let's finish that thought from a safe location.
Alex Rodriguez's suspension officially ended at the conclusion of the 2014 season. Given their interest in retaining Headley, however, it appears clear that they don't trust the 39-year-old's abilities to handle the hot corner.
While the Bronx Bombers benefit from his batting eye and glove, Headley gets to enjoy the bandbox that is Yankee Stadium. Staying together behooves both sides.
Prediction: Headley signs two-year extension with Yankees
Multiple Teams Interested in David Robertson
David Robertson has a strong shot of entering 2015 as baseball's highest-paid relief pitcher. After striking out 96 batters in 64.1 innings, the Yankees' closer is well positioned to draw plenty of interest around the league.
According to the New York Daily News' Mark Feinsand, several teams will pursue Robertson: "The Yankees will extend a qualifying offer to David Robertson, though it’s unlikely the closer will accept it. A league source said no less than a half-dozen teams are interested in the righthander, who is the premier closer available and thus should command a multi-year deal."
On Monday night, ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand confirmed that the Yankees issued Robertson the one-year qualifying offer worth $15.3 million.
In his report, Feinsand listed the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs as some of the interested squads. He added that the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers could also make a push for his services.
Robertson presents one of the most interesting cases among qualifying offers, as $15.3 million would make him baseball's highest-paid closer in baseball, per Spotrac. He'll likely have to sacrifice some of that 2015 salary to secure long-term job security.
The Yankees also have Dellin Betances, whose phenomenal rookie campaign drew similarities to Mariano Rivera's 1996 debut in the bullpen. Yet losing Robertson would deflate the team's bullpen depth, and using Betances in a traditionally rigid ninth-inning role would actually deteriorate his utility.
Gone are the days where onlookers assume no team can outbid the Yankees, especially for one of their own. Robinson Cano and the Seattle Mariners broke that precedent last year, so Robertson's return to New York is far from a certainty.
Out of those potential suitors, the Cubs make the most sense to poach Robertson. They're a big-market team with minimal long-term payroll obligations at the moment, and they're gearing up for a return to relevancy with baseball's best batch of position player prospects.
Since they finished in a three-way tie for MLB's seventh-worst record, they would not have to forfeit their first-round pick, as the top 10 are protected. General manager Theo Epstein is in a perfect position to make some major noise by stealing Robertson from his former nemesis.
Prediction: Robertson signs three-year deal with Cubs
Orioles and Nick Markakis Discussing Long-Term Extension
If the Baltimore Orioles have their way, they'll take a substantial step closer to making Nick Markakis the rare modern-play player who stays in one spot throughout his career.
The 30-year-old outfielder has played all nine big league seasons in Baltimore, hitting a career .290/.358/.435. Although he never morphed into a superstar slugger after tallying his only two 20-homer seasons in 2007 and 2008, he has remained an integral part of the team's lineup.
The two parties are laying the groundwork for an extension to keep their thriving relationship intact. MASNSports.com's Roch Kubatko has the scoop: "The Orioles and Nick Markakis should stay paired up despite his name now appearing among the list of baseball's free agents. The two sides have been talking for weeks - I've heard that the framework involves a four-year deal - and I'd expect an agreement at some point in the not-too-distant future."
Both sides sound eager to strike a deal, making this an easy one to call. Baseball Prospectus' Tucker Blair believes it's an open-and-shut case.
Giving any free agent four years is a risky proposition, but less so for a polished hitter who gets by with solid contact and plate discipline rather than pure power or speed. The Orioles declined a $17.5 million option and failed to extend him a qualifying offer, but that's likely because they want to lock down one of their mainstays beyond 2015.
Prediction: Markakis signs rumored four-year extension with Orioles.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments