Forget Cyber Monday, today is Non-Tender Tuesday.
- Yesterday was the day teams had to make their decisions on whether to offer arbitration to those players who were eligible. CBS has a good list of all those who are now free agents: John Axford, Andrew Bailey, Tommy Hanson headline 2013 non-tenders - CBSSports.com. "A whole new slate of players became free agents on Monday. Forty-three players, in fact. Midnight ET was the deadline for teams to tender contracts to their players without multiyear contracts and fewer than six full years of service time." According to Alden Gonzalez (link below),
- I'm a little surprised the Angels didn't offer Jerome Williams arbitration considering they have a limited amount of room under the luxury tax threshold and need two more starters. Angels don't extend contracts to four, including Jerome Williams - latimes.com. "Williams, 32, was valuable for 2 1/2 years, moving back and forth between the bullpen and rotation with no complaint and going 19-18 with a 4.46 ERA in 79 games, 46 of them starts. But Williams was inconsistent as a starter, and the Angels deemed $3.9 million too steep a price for a swingman. They could use a lower-priced pitcher such as Chris Volstad, who recently signed a minor league deal, in that role." Williams always seemed like a real classy guy.
- Angels non-tender pitcher Jerome Williams; Kevin Jepsen to get contract offer - angels.com. "Now, they project to be roughly $15 million below the luxury-tax threshold of $189 million, giving them more flexibility to add at least two starting pitchers to a staff that only has Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson and Garrett Richards returning." What are the types of pitchers a team can get for roughly $7.5 million? Let me introduce you to the $7.5 million man himself...Joe Blanton.
- The Athletics were busy yesterday improving their squad. They added a new closer, Athletics Acquire Jim Johnson For Jemile Weeks - MLBTradeRumors.com. "The Athletics have officially acquired closer Jim Johnson from the Orioles in exchange for second baseman Jemile Weeks. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) was the first to report the deal. The Orioles also pick up a player to be named later or future considerations in the deal, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. " And signed a new pitcher for their rotation; Athletics To Sign Scott Kazmir - MLBTradeRumors.com. "The A's and Scott Kazmir have reached an agreement on a two-year, $22MM contract, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio" I'm not saying the Halos should've looked into having Kazmir return, but he seemes to be the "type" of pitcher the club will be signing to fill out their rotation.
- And now, another reason to hate the Red Sox: Red Sox sign A.J. Pierzynski - Yahoo Sports. "Pierzynski, who turns 37 years old later this month, batted .272/.297/.425 with 17 home runs in 529 plate appearances for the Texas Rangers in 2013."
The Angels non-tendered starters Jerome Williams and Tommy Hanson, third baseman Chris Nelson and reliever Juan Gutierrez on Monday, saving roughly $10 million in projected salaries for 2014.
The five other arbitration-eligible players -- designated hitter Mark Trumbo, third baseman David Freese, closer Ernesto Frieri, and relievers Kevin Jepsen and Fernando Salas -- were tendered contracts.
And lastly, thank you fans. You always were supportive no matter what was happening. Thank you.
— Jerome Williams (@pinkpuka57) December 3, 2013