Aaron Laffey Rumors
Contract Details: Tejeda, Blue Jays, Phillies, Pirates
MLB.com's beat reporters have been digging up details on some recent minor league deals. Here are the latest updates:
- Robinson Tejeda will earn $825K if he makes the Indians' roster and can earn $50K for pitching in 50 games, 55 games, 60 games and 65 games, Jordan Bastian tweets. Tejeda would earn a $100K bonus for pitching in 70 games.
- Aaron Laffey will earn $800K if he makes the Blue Jays, Gregor Chisholm tweets. Brian Bocock would earn $480K at the Major League level.
- Todd Zolecki has the details on the Phillies' deals with Dontrelle Willis and Luis Montanez. Willis has many incentives, including bonuses for winning the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
- Jenifer Langosch reports what Anderson Hernandez ($500K), Logan Kensing ($675K) and Jose Morales ($650K) will earn if they make the Pirates' roster.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Kuroda, Laffey
The Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles could use rotation upgrades and the Rays could use a first baseman and/or designated hitter. Here’s the latest on the American League East as the 2012 portion of the offseason continues and Spring Training draws a little closer...
- Tyler Kepner of the New York Times explains that Cole Hamels and Matt Cain could make more sense for the Yankees next offseason than Edwin Jackson or C.J. Wilson would have this winter. The Yankees have shown uncharacteristic restraint so far this offseason, but Cain and Hamels are set to hit free agency after 2012 if they don’t sign extensions first.
- The Yankees would offer Hiroki Kuroda a one-year deal, but they say he’s too expensive at the moment, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- Kuroda would prefer to sign with a West Coast team, but the Red Sox have maintained interest in him, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. So far, the right-hander’s asking price hasn’t dropped.
- The Red Sox had interest in free agent left-hander Aaron Laffey before he signed with the Blue Jays over the weekend, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.
Blue Jays Sign Aaron Laffey
The Blue Jays have signed left-hander Aaron Laffey to a split contract, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned. The Royals non-tendered Laffey earlier this month.
Laffey, 26, turned down a pre-tender deal with the Royals in order to find an opportunity to pitch as a starter. Three teams told Laffey that he could compete for a spot in the rotation and ultimately the pitcher decided that the Blue Jays presented him with the best opportunity to do that.
Laffey made 47 appearances for the Yankees and Mariners in 2011, posting a 3.88 ERA with 5.1 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. In 49 major league starts, Laffey owns a 4.35 ERA with 4.3 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.
American League Non-Tenders
Today's American League non-tenders are below, but you can keep track of all teams in our non-tender tracker.
- The Mariners announced that they non-tendered Dan Cortes and Chris Gimenez.
- The Orioles announced that they non-tendered Willie Eyre, the right-handed reliever who was designated for assignment last week. They non-tendered Jo-Jo Reyes, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). The Orioles also non-tendered Luke Scott, tweets Connolly. Scott, who battled a shoulder injury in 2011 and underwent surgery this summer, projected to earn $6MM through arbitration.
- The Rays non-tendered Andy Sonnanstine, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (Twitter link).
- The Rangers non-tendered right-hander Fabio Castillo, according to Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com (Twitter link).
- The Red Sox announced that they non-tendered Rich Hill.
- The Royals announced that they will non-tender left-hander Aaron Laffey.
- The Twins announced that they've non-tendered left-hander Jose Mijares (Twitter link).
- The Tigers non-tendered second baseman Will Rhymes, announced the team. Rhymes is not yet close to being arbitration eligible, as he has less than one year of big league service time. Rhymes, 28, hit .306/.377/.390 at Triple-A this year.
Royals Claim Laffey, Designate Chavez
The Royals announced today they've claimed lefty Aaron Laffey off outright waivers from the Yankees and designated reliever Jesse Chavez to create a 40-man roster spot.
Laffey, 26, posted a 3.88 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 1.18 HR/9, and 48.1% groundball rate in 53 1/3 innings for the Mariners and Yankees this year. He wasn't any better against left-handed hitters. Earlier today, Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues wrote that Laffey was an expected victim of the Yankees' upcoming 40-man roster crunch.
Chavez, 28, had joined the Royals at last year's trade deadline in the Rick Ankiel/Kyle Farnsworth deal. He struggled mightily in the Majors this year but had a 3.75 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, and 0.9 HR/9 in 57 2/3 Triple-A innings. Chavez averaged 94.5 miles per hour on his fastball the last few years, but that dropped a full two miles per hour this year in the Majors.
Yankees Designate Aaron Laffey For Assignment
The Yankees designated lefty Aaron Laffey for assignment, tweets Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger. They'd claimed him off waivers from the Mariners on Friday. Carig notes that Laffey was placed on optional waivers, meaning he remains on the 40-man roster and can be pulled back if claimed.
Laffey, 26, posted a 4.14 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 1.4 HR/9, and 50.9% groundball rate in 45 2/3 innings for the Mariners and Yankees this year.
Yankees Claim Laffey, Designate Gustavo Molina
The Yankees claimed left-hander Aaron Laffey off of waivers from the Mariners and designated catcher Gustavo Molina for assignment, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). It's the second time this week that the Yankees have claimed a left-hander; they picked up Raul Valdes on Tuesday.
The Mariners designated Laffey for assignment to create roster space for Chance Ruffin earlier in the week. Laffey appeared in 36 games for Seattle this year, posting a 4.01 ERA with 5.1 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 42 2/3 innings of work. The Mariners acquired the 26-year-old from Cleveland this March for cash and Double-A infielder Matt Lawson.
To create room for Laffey on their full 40-man roster, the Yankees designated Molina, who wasn't with the Major League team. The 29-year-old has spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he has a .239/.273/.310 line in 152 plate appearances. He also appeared in three Yankees games this year and has previous experience with four other MLB teams.
Mariners Designate Aaron Laffey For Assignment
The Mariners announced that they designated left-hander Aaron Laffey for assignment to create roster space for Chance Ruffin, who will be available against the Blue Jays tonight. The Mariners now have ten days to trade, release or outright the contract of Laffey.
Laffey, 26, appeared in 36 games for Seattle this year, posting a 4.01 ERA with 5.1 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 42 2/3 innings of work. The Mariners acquired him from Cleveland this March for cash and Double-A infielder Matt Lawson.
Mariners To Acquire Aaron Laffey
6:51pm: The Indians will receive infielder Matt Lawson in return for Laffey, according to a team press release. Seattle will also send cash considerations to the Tribe, according to their Twitter feed.
Lawson has mostly played second base, but has also seen some time in the outfield as well as at shortstop. The Indians' press release refers to the 25-year-old as an "infielder/outfielder". In 118 games at the Double-A level last season, Lawson hit .293/.372/.439 with nine homers.
6:13pm: The Indians have reportedly traded Aaron Laffey to Seattle, writes Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer. There's no word yet on what Cleveland will recieve in return for the soon-to-be 26-year-old.
Cleveland had planned to use Spring Training to decide whether to put the left-hander in the bullpen or at the back of the rotation. Recently, Laffey said that while he was amiable towards whatever the Tribe decided on, he was very much looking forward to knowing what role he would take on in 2011.
"That's something I haven't had in a couple years," Laffey told Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. "That consistency in knowing you're going to start the year in one position, and you're going to stay there, I haven't had that yet."
In four big league seasons, Laffey has a 4.41 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. Trading the left-hander is likely the move to open up a spot on the Indians' 40-man roster for the recently signed Chad Durbin, Bastian tweets.
Indians Agree To Terms With Nine
The Miami Herald reports that the Indians agreed to terms with nine players today.
Among the nine were Shin-Soo Choo, Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers, Josh Barfield, Wyatt Toregas, Jon Meloan, Adam Miller, Anthony Reyes, and Tony Sipp.
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