Market strong for World Series champion Dotel

His durability and lively fastball probably were good enough for Octavio Dotel to secure a contract for next season.

Throw in an outstanding playoff performance, culminating in a World Series championship with the St. Louis Cardinals, and the list of teams interested in the 37-year-old free-agent relief pitcher has grown.

Speaking from Los Angeles this week, player agent Dan Horwits said five teams — three in the National League and two in the American League — have talked to him about Dotel, the former Blue Jays right-hander who was part of an eight-player trade on July 27 that brought centre-fielder Colby Rasmus to Toronto.

'Obviously he would like to go [back] to St. Louis but other teams have started calling and engaging us, and we’re doing our due diligence and talking with them.' — Dan Horwits, Octavio Dotel's agent

Horwits said he has had a couple of conversations with Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak in the past 10 days and expects to have more discussions, perhaps as early as next week.

He added there is mutual interest to have Dotel return to St. Louis, despite management’s decision to decline a $3.75 million US option in the pitcher’s contract for next season.

"Obviously he would like to go [back] to St. Louis," said Horwits of Dotel, "but other teams have started calling and engaging us, and we’re doing our due diligence and talking with them.

"A couple of other teams we’ve talked to have said they may circle back [and get in the mix] and we may circle back to them, so I would expect that list to grow a bit.

"Some teams are waiting to see what happens with the collective bargaining agreement and if that stays the same, at the appropriate time in early December, the Cardinals will offer [salary] arbitration or not," said Horwits, who wouldn't rule out a return to Toronto by Dotel but added he had yet to speak to Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos.

5-year labour deal: report

The signing off on a new collective bargaining agreement could be crucial for a player like Dotel, a Type A free agent. FOXSports.com reported Thursday night that MLB owners and players had reached a new labour deal with details to be announced on Nov. 21.

Teams have until Nov. 23 to offer arbitration to their Type A free agents (currently the top 20 per cent at their position based on a variety of statistics as determined by the Elias Sports Bureau).

If the Cardinals offer arbitration to Dotel, he would have until Dec. 7 to accept or reject. If he accepts, the pitcher must remain with the Cardinals and either work out a new contract or go to arbitration.

If rejected, Dotel can join any team but the Cardinals would receive compensation: No less than a sandwich pick between the first and second round of next June’s amateur draft plus the signing club’s first-round pick if it finished with one of the 15 best records in the majors.

There is some belief that Type A status could be tweaked in the new CBA to create a market for players such as Dotel whereby the signing team wouldn’t lose a draft pick, but the Cardinals — in Dotel’s case — would be awarded at least a sandwich pick should he sign elsewhere.

On Nov. 15, the New York Post reported that a Mets official had told the representatives of 10 Type A relievers they were only interested if the pitcher’s former team didn’t offer them arbitration because "there is no way we are losing a draft pick."

After posting a 3.28 earned-run average in 28 regular-season games for St. Louis, Dotel shone in the playoffs. In 12 contests, the Dominican had a 2-1 record, 2.61 ERA and walked just two batters in 10 1/3 innings pitched while striking out 14.

"Anytime you have players who have performed well in the post-season and shown they can do it on that heightened stage it certainly adds to their value," said Horwits, who is seeking a two-year contract for Dotel.

"Some of the teams that have contacted us and some that may [still] once this compensation issue [for Type A free agents] is resolved probably have that on their minds as well, the fact of how well he did in the post-season."

The start of Dotel’s 2011 campaign, his 13th in the big leagues with his 11th different team, was slowed in Toronto because of a hamstring injury. He struggled upon his return — recording a 4.50 ERA in April and 5.68 in May — only to turn things around in June and July before getting shipped out of town.

He quickly settled in with his new team in St. Louis, flashing a 94 mile-per-hour fastball (Dotel topped out at 92 in previous seasons) and played an important role in helping the Cardinals erase a 10 ½-game deficit to beat out Atlanta for the NL wild card.

"He’s in great pitching shape and has had the same body type for his whole life," said Horwits, who has negotiated contracts for Dotel the past 12 years. "I think Octavio has shown his durability over the years. He had his Tommy John [surgery] already [in 2004] but other than that he’s been healthy.

"I don’t think there’s a real concern for a team signing him for two years."