Ubaldo Jimenez expected to reject Cleveland Indians' $14 million qualifying offer at GM meetings
Updated Nov 9, 2013 ; Posted Nov 9, 2013
Ubaldo Jimenez pitches the Indians to the playoffs.
Ubaldo Jimenez is one of four key free agents who would walk away from the Indians this offseason.
(Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer)
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Baseball's general managers meetings begin Monday in Orlando, Fla. They will dovetail into the owners' meetings Thursday in the same city.
This much is clear from the Indians' point of view even before the meetings begin.
No. 1: Reborn right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez is expected to turn down his $14.1 million qualifying offer before Monday's deadline. The Indians can still negotiate with him if he does reject it.
No. 2: Reborn left-hander Scott Kazmir and his agents have given no indication that he will return to the Indians. He's looking for a multiyear deal, while they prefer another one-year arrangement.
No. 3: Right-hander Joe Smith, who gave the Indians five quality seasons out of the pen, is probably gone as well. Smith is looking for a three-year deal, but the Indians don't want to go beyond two.
No. 4: Right-hander Matt Albers, who absorbed a lot of bad relief innings, could be headed down the trail as well.
Jimenez, Kazmir, Smith and Albers are free agents. So are Jason Kubel, Chris Perez and Kelly Shoppach, but the first four were contributors to last season's AL wild card team. So was Perez in his role as closer, but since the Indians released him a couple of hours after the final out of the World Series, it was clear his stay in Cleveland was over.
The Indians would like to keep Jimenez, Kazmir, Smith and Albers, but it appears they'll find more lucrative opportunities elsewhere. Negotiations have taken place with little progress reported. The Yankees have already been linked to Jimenez, while Colorado has expressed interest in Smith.
Improvement seen
At least the Indians know what holes they need to fill. Right now, they've lost two starting pitchers and three relievers, including their closer.
"I feel we're in a better position at the end of this season than we were at the end of the 2012 season," said Antonetti. "We have the ability to bring back our whole position club, a club that tied for fourth in the American League in runs scored and finished (tied) for fifth overall.
"We have seven quality major league alternatives in the starting rotation with Justin Masterson, Danny Salazar, Corey Kluber, Zach McAllister, Carlos Carrasco, Josh Tomlin and Trevor Bauer. And we have some talented pitchers in the back end of the bullpen."
Antonetti and his staff have been concentrating on a couple of things since the end of the season. They'd like to add a veteran starter and fill some holes in the bullpen. Then they'll take a look at improving the offense.
Veteran starter needed
They've already talked to Tim Hudson, whose season with Atlanta ended prematurely because of a broken right ankle. A.J. Burnett, Jake Westbrook, Bronson Arroyo, Bartolo Colon, Bruce Chen, Aaron Harang, Roy Halladay and Barry Zito are among the other veteran arms available.
Last winter the Indians thought Brett Myers, who signed a one-year $7 million deal with a vesting option, could fill that role, but a sore right elbow scuttled those plans in April.
It sounds as if Antonetti will try to fill the closer's job from within. Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw are the leading candidates. If not, there are plenty of veteran closers on the market with Grant Balfour, Brian Wilson, Fernando Rodney, Edward Mujica, Joe Nathan and Joaquin Benoit looking for work.
If they stick with Allen or Shaw at closer, the Indians will still try to add relievers to bridge the gap from the starters to the late innings.
Big spenders no more?
The Indians were the surprise big spenders of last year's offseason, paying Nick Swisher $56 million and Michael Bourn $48 million along with $7 million for Myers and $6 million for Mark Reynolds. Antonetti had money to work with because owner Paul Dolan sold his regional TV network, SportsTime Ohio, to Fox.
There's TV money coming in this winter as well, about $25 million, from the new national broadcasting contracts. But since each team is getting the same amount, the Indians won't have the advantage they did last year.
The Indians payroll is expected to stay around $80 million. It's estimated that they already have $69,400,000 committed. That includes anticipated raises to nine players who are eligible for arbitration: Masterson, Drew Stubbs, Michael Brantley, Marc Rzepczynski, Vinnie Pestano, Tomlin, Lou Marson, Blake Wood and Frank Herrmann. Some of those players could be non-tendered or not offered contracts on Dec. 2.
Long-term deal for Masterson?
Sometime this offseason the Indians are expected to take another run at Masterson regarding a multiyear deal. Mlbtraderumors.com speculates that Masterson is in line for a five-year deal worth between the $65 million John Danks received with the White Sox and the $85 million Jered Weaver received from the Angels.
Masterson, the Indians' No.1 starter, is currently on a relief mission in Africa. He can be a free agent after 2014.
The Indians have already made offers to free agents and proposed trades. Those negotiations will continue when the meetings begin Monday. Antonetti will co-chair the meetings with San Diego's Josh Byrnes, which will make three busy days even busier than anticipated.