TBNL: The Kevin Millar trade; Draft prospects; MLB Network's new HQ

After five seasons (and exactly 500 games) with the Marlins, Kevin Millar had a surprisingly strong resume. He’d collected 111 doubles, hit 59 homers, driven in 251 runs, and hit .296/.367/.504 (127 OPS+) over 1,699 PA.

Reticent to give him a raise in arbitration, the Marlins sold Millar’s rights to the NPB’s Chunichi Dragons for a reported sum of $1.2M in January 2003. Millar agreed to a two-year, $6.2M contract with the Dragons.

As part of the procedure for selling a player’s rights, the Marlins placed Millar on waivers with the expectation that he would clear without issue and that they could release him (allowing him to sign the contract with Chunichi). The Red Sox, however, essentially broke an unwritten rule by putting a claim in on Millar.

According to an ESPN news article from February 2003, it was only then that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein spoke to Millar about coming to Boston. Millar then changed his mind about going to Japan and notified the Dragons and Major League Baseball.

MLB, the Marlins, and the Dragons spent weeks resolving the details of voiding the initial agreement. Chunichi received their $1.2M back and Millar was officially returned to the Marlins on February 14.

The next day (23 years ago today), he was traded to Boston for an undisclosed sum that was believed to be between $1.3-1.5M.

Millar’s presence and humor in the Boston clubhouse are credited with being a key factor in the club’s turnaround in 2003 and its World Series run in 2004. Millar batted .282/.362/.451 (109 OPS+) with 52 homers over his three years in Boston.

He’d kick around the AL East for four more seasons (three in Baltimore, one in Toronto) before hanging up his spikes and settling in front of a microphone (MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk” feels like it’s been around forever).

Quartet headline early draft talk

College baseball’s regular season got underway on Friday. Naturally, much of the attention around the collegiate game in the coming months will center on the bigger programs and those who could be draft selections this summer. Draft rankings and mock drafts will start to appear more and more frequently.

The MLB Draft will begin on July 13. Washington has the first-overall pick after winning the Draft Lottery.

There is a growing consensus about the draft class’s top tier, which consists of four players: Florida State left-hander Jamie Arnold, Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette, UC Santa Barbara right-hander Tyler Bremner, and Oklahoma high school infielder Ethan Holliday.

Much can change between now and then, of course.

Extension szn

Teams typically spend the offseason focused on adding to their rosters, but once spring training begins it also marks the start of extension season. Teams will look to lock up some of their own players to long-term deals in the coming weeks. It happens every year.

Kansas City was the first to make a move, agreeing on Friday to a three-year, $13.25M extension with Cole Ragans that covers this year and his first two arbitration-eligible seasons.

Extension season extends to managers in the last years of their contracts, too. Notably, both Dave Roberts (Dodgers) and Aaron Boone (Yankees) are reportedly discussing new deals with their clubs to remain in their roles beyond this season.

Jersey retirements

Three players are set to have their numbers retired this season: David Wright (Mets), Ichiro Suzuki (Mariners), and Billy Wagner (Astros). No plans have been announced, but it’s not out of the question CC Sabathia (Yankees) joins them before long.

Last month, I attempted to determine who would be the next player from each franchise to receive such an honor. This past week, CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder took a similar approach (though Matt’s is a bit more thorough). I’ll let you read both and see where (and on whom) we disagree. 

Elsewhere, around the sport …

• Jaden Agassi, the son of tennis Hall of Famers Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, is on Germany’s roster for the WBC Qualifiers in Tucscon in March. Agassi, a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher, went undrafted out of USC but made six starts with a 2.96 ERA over 27.1 IP in the MLB Draft League last year.

• Since the launch of the network in 2009, MLB Network’s physical home has been located in Secaucus, NJ. According to Sam Neumann at Awful Announcing, plans have been reached to move to a brand-new facility in time for the 2028 season located in Elmwood Park (roughly 13 miles South). The new facility will mark a step forward for MLBN which has taken over broadcasting for several teams that have lost their local broadcast partners.

• Third baseman Munetaka Murakami is already expected to be the next big NPB import MLB teams will be battling over next winter. It’s unclear whether the Yakult Swallows intend for this to be a regular thing, but Murakami worked out in right field for the first time on Friday, according to a report from Yahoo! Japan. Increasing his defensive versatility will only boost Murakami’s potential value (and could add new suitors).

• The White Sox lost an MLB-record 121 games last year and had a relatively quiet offseason. On Friday, they added a late addition to their spring camp by signing Joey Gallo to a minor league deal. He hit .161/.277/.336 (74 OPS+) in 260 PA last season for the Nationals. Not exactly the kind of addition that’s going to turn a franchise around.