December 7, 2012

Rumor Roundup

Friday, December 7

by Daniel Rathman

Ben Revere rode into Philadelphia, Reed Johnson returned to Atlanta, and the Rule 5 draft happened, but other than that, Thursday brought little action. While we await the fall of the next domino, here are a few stories to watch over the weekend:

“There’s a bidding war for Jack Hannahan!”
Indeed, there is. And multiple executives told CBS Sports’ Danny Knobler that this simple fact epitomizes a loony few days in Nashville, which saw a plethora of three-year deals, amid a surprisingly quiet stay for the high-payroll Dodgers and Yankees.

The 32-year-old Hannahan, who was non-tendered by Cleveland last month after taking home $1.135 million in 2012, is not a bad player: He has been worth 3.6 WARP over the last two seasons. But essentially all of Hannahan’s value is tied up in his outstanding defense at the hot corner, which has produced 27 FRAA during that time period, compensating for his sub-par TAv (.264 in 2011, .249 in 2012).

Why is Hannahan, tied to at least three teams by FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi, so popular? In a market that doled out $12 million over three years to Jeff Keppinger, teams in need of infield help don’t have many proven alternatives left. Perhaps the most desperate general manager at the position, the Yankees’ Brian Cashman—whose team will be without Alex Rodriguez until June and lost free agent Eric Chavez to the Diamondbacks—called the spending “aggressive on every level.”

Cashman’s purse strings are so tight this offseason, with ownership eyeing a $189 payroll cap for 2014, that Wall Street Journal beat writer Dan Barbarisi heard that he was not even authorized to make offers without first seeking the Steinbrenners’ approval. The Yankees are seeking a one-year solution in a three-year environment, and after years of flexing their financial muscle, Cashman has run headlong into a market where the shoe is on the other foot. He was, at long last, reportedly able to slip one offer through…

Yankees focusing on Kevin Youkilis
…although that offer’s outcome remains uncertain. While the Reds, Twins, and White Sox duke it out over Hannahan, Cashman has shifted his attention to Youkilis, putting a $12 million paycheck for 2013 on the table, according to MLB.com beat writer Bryan Hoch. A change of scenery from Boston to Chicago breathed some life into the 33-year-old infielder’s bat, but a September slump brought his overall triple-slash line down to .236/.346/.425. Combine that with below-average glove work at third base and a negative contribution across the board for the Red Sox, and Youkilis’ 2012 comes in at 0.9 WARP. Suddenly, Hannahan doesn’t look so bad.

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