Dodgers' ace and three-time All-Star right-hander Zack Greinke will exercise the opt-out clause in his contract, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Greinke had three years and $71 million remaining on his deal with Los Angeles. Greinke was always expected to opt out of his deal and command a larger contract even prior to this season, where he won the ERA title with a masterful 1.66 mark. The soon-to-be 32-year-old Greinke joined the Dodgers on a six-year, $147 million deal with an opt out clause following three seasons. Considering how well Greinke has pitched over the life of this contract, he could easily surpass the $147 million he was guaranteed from Los Angeles. According to Heyman, one GM suggested that Greinke will get multiple offers for $125 million over five years at a minimum, with the winning bid likely being a five-year, $150 million deal or more. Since signing with the Dodgers, Greinke has solidified himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball, going 51-15 with a 2.30 ERA and 555 to 129 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 602 2/3 innings in three years. He's been worth 13.7 Wins Above Replacement in these seasons, according to FanGraphs. This season, Greinke was even better, going 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA (2.76 FIP) and 200 to 40 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 222 2/3 innings. FanGraphs pegged him at 5.9 Wins Above Replacement. It would not be a shock to see Greinke back with the Dodgers, who are in need of pitching, next season. Outside of ace Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles struggled to find depth this season, working with the likes of Brett Anderson, Alex Wood, and Mat Latos, among others. The Dodgers not only have the need, but they have the money and will spend it to retain Greinke next year and beyond. In addition to the Dodgers, the Yankees, Giants, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Royals, and others will be in need for starting pitching and could make a run at Greinke this offseason. --Devan Fink
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Jason Heyward will certainly have many suitors on the free agent market this winter.
The 26-year-old's ability offensively and defensively make him one of the best, if not the best, position player free agents this offseason. Between his age and abilities, Heyward is likely in line for a long-term deal that could reach over the $200 million threshold. According to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, Cardinals' general manager John Mozeliak wants to bring Heyward back on a long-term deal. Heyward "was a tremendous fit on this club [and] did exactly what we wanted him to do," Mozeliak said. The Cardinals acquired Heyward from the Atlanta Braves last offseason in order to fill a void in the outfield. He did just that, slashing .293/.359/.439 (116 OPS+) with 13 home runs and 60 runs batted in over 610 plate appearances. Heyward rates as an extremely above-average defender to go along with his solid offense. His combination of all-around play made him worth 6.0 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs. --Devan Fink MLB Roundup: Lloyd McClendon out as Mariners' manager; Dan Jennings returns to GM post with Marlins10/10/2015
Here's a quick Major League Baseball roundup from October 9:
The Miami Marlins have announced the re-signing of outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, as MLB.com's Joe Frisaro first reported Tuesday afternoon.
Suzuki will make $2 million in 2016 and also has a $2 million option for 2017, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The 41-year-old Suzuki has had a great decline from his best days. The future Hall of Famer slashed just .229/.282/.279/.561 (53 wRC+) in 438 plate appearances this year, stealing 11 bases in 16 attempts. Suzuki provided slightly above average defense in his time in the Miami outfield, advanced statistics on Fangraphs show. Regardless, Suzuki was signed by the Marlins to be more of a role player, but when Giancarlo Stanton went down to injury and Marcell Ozuna had an unsuccessful year, Suzuki's playing time greatly increased. With the more playing time, Ichiro inched closer to the 3,000 hit milestone. After recording 91 hits in 2015, Suzuki is just 65 hits away from the mark. Some speculate that the Marlins will use Suzuki's upcoming accompishment as a possible marketing point and that could have possibly been one of the reasons for re-signing him (as well as the clubhouse presence for younger players). Ichiro joined the Marlins last offseason on a one-year, $2 million contract. --Devan Fink
The Washington Nationals have fired manager Matt Williams, as James Wagner of the Washington Post first reported Monday.
The team has since announced Williams' firing in a press release, while also announcing that the rest of Williams' coaching staff has been relieved of their duties as well. Williams' firing has long been expected. The Nationals' 2015 season was supposed to be their best yet, with many experts picking them to win the World Series. The team not only did not qualify for the postseason, but posted their worst record since 2011. Many around and inside the game felt Williams' communication with the players and his decision-making skills were both subpar, which ultimately lead to the fall of the Nationals, and now, his firing. Both these issues were highlighted just a few weeks ago, when Bryce Harper and Jonathan Papelbon confronted one another, with the latter strangling the former. Not only did Williams not see the argument, he promptly put Papelbon in the game. Papelbon blew the tie game and took the loss. Williams was named the Nationals' manager prior to the 2014 season. He was signed to a two-year deal with a team option for 2016, which the team exercised back in February. The 49-year-old Williams went 96-66 in his first year as manager, leading him to be named the National League Manager of the Year. This season, however, the Nationals struggled to a 83-79 record, finishing in second in the NL East. --Devan Fink |
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