Alfredo Aceves Rumors

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Saltalamacchia, Yankees

News out of the American League East..

• The Red Sox would possibly give up Franklin Morales or Alfredo Aceves in a deal for Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.   The Pirates, however, may be thinking more along the lines of Felix Doubront, which would be a deal-breaker, according to a major league source.  Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported Boston's interest in Hanrahan.
• The Red Sox had some inquiries on Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but it appears that they may go to spring training with three catchers, plus Mike Napoli, if that deal gets done, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.  Boston also has free agent pickup David Ross and Ryan Lavarnway slotted in at the catcher position.
• The Rangers' signing of A.J. Pierzynski could shake the catching market loose and spark trade interest in Saltalamacchia for the Red Sox, tweets Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal.  Pierzynski and Texas agreed to a one-year deal earlier this evening.
• The Yankees did not make an offer to Pierzynski, according to Heyman (via Twitter).  The Bombers' plan at present is to go with a combination of Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart, and Austin Romine behind the plate.  The Yanks were known to have interest in Pierzynski but were said to be wary of his defense.

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Red Sox Notes: LaRoche, Gonzalez, Ross, Aceves

Here's the latest news from Fenway...

• The Red Sox are talking to Adam LaRoche, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  With the Sox reluctant to go beyond a three-year contract for Mike Napoli, LaRoche could be the team's fallback plan.  A three-year deal would top the Nationals' best offer to the free agent first baseman, as the Nats "have been fairly steadfast" in not offering LaRoche more than two years.  The Rangers have also been linked to both LaRoche and Napoli this offseason.
• Also from Heyman's piece, he notes that the Red Sox have "checked in" on Alex Gonzalez and Stephen Drew, though Jose Iglesias will get first priority at shortstop.
• Jacoby Ellsbury's name hasn't been mentioned in trade talks, team president Larry Lucchino said during an appearance on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan radio show today (partial transcript from WEEI.com's Kirk Minihane).  Lucchino also said that while the Sox haven't closed the door on any free agents, "what we have ruled out is the kind of long-term, gigantic commitment to players if at all possible....We are more concerned about years than we are dollars."
• From that same radio appearance (courtesy of The Boston Herald's Scott Lauber), Lucchino said the team is still interested in re-signing Cody Ross.  Though Boston recently signed Jonny Gomes, Lucchino said the team wants to build "deep depth" after last year's injury-plagued season.
• The Red Sox will tender Alfredo Aceves a new contract before tomorrow's non-tender deadline, reports Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.  The pitching-needy Sox value Aceves' versatility as a starter and reliever too much to let him go for nothing, despite Aceves' disciplinary issues in 2012.  Lauber thinks Aceves could still possibly be a trade candidate.

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Cafardo On Shields, Twins, Wells, Red Sox, Aceves

After 25 years as a General Manager and president of the Twins, Cubs, and Orioles, Andy MacPhail stepped away from baseball last season to take care of his ailing father.  Now, MacPhail tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he wants to return to baseball in some capacity.  The executive was often viewed as a future commissioner and it would make sense for him to get involved with the league office.  He also won't rule out working as a GM again, but he has yet do discuss that with any team and most clubs already have their front office leadership in place.  Here's more from Cafardo..

• The Twins have already inquired on Rays pitcher James Shields.  Tampa Bay will field plenty of other calls on Shields in the coming weeks but whether they pull the trigger to obtain offense remains to be seen.  The Dodgers say they're not shopping Andre Ethier, but it may make sense to use him to get Shields if they have their eye on Josh Hamilton.  The problem there is that the Rays may not be able to carry Ethier's contract.
• The Angels are shopping Vernon Wells in an effort to clear some of the $42MM still owed to him.  The Halos have tried to start talks with the Red Sox and would like to get John Lackey back, but the Sox are curious to see what Lackey looks like after Tommy John surgery.
• There was speculation that the Red Sox were trying to include Alfredo Aceves in a deal for Dan Haren.  The Red Sox love Aceves' arm and stuff, but could do without the high maintenance. Aceves is very much available, but they won’t give him away for nothing.  The pitcher can fill different roles, but he still prefers to start.
• The Dodgers would love to reunite with free agent Hiroki Kuroda.  The hurler could have more suitors than any other pitcher this winter if the Yankees don't tie him up quickly.
• Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is taking a wait-and-see approach on his agents, the Levinson brothers.  A few clients have already jumped ship but Pedroia noted that they have been good to him and his family.
• The Red Sox would like to re-sign Vicente Padilla, but he is on the radar of a few teams, including the Angels, who are desperately looking to retool their bullpen.  Padilla ran out of gas late in the year but turned in a decent year in total.

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Red Sox Notes: Lucchino, Aceves, Ross, Loney, Bogar

The Red Sox lost their 82nd game of the season last night, clinching the franchise's first losing season since 1997.  Needless to say, the Sox will be busy this offseason to ensure they get back over the .500 mark and beyond in 2013.  Here's the latest out of Fenway Park...

• The Red Sox are looking to add an experienced front office executive to assist GM Ben Cherington, reports Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston.  Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava has been rumored in connection with this role, though since the Jays would only allow LaCava (or any employee) to interview with another team if he was being offered a promotion.
• Larry Lucchino was non-committal about Alfredo Aceves' future with the team in an interview on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show.  (WEEI.com's Alex Speier provides the partial recap.)  Aceves has had some disciplinary issues in Boston and the decision about his role in 2013 "will be made next spring by whatever team he is with," said Lucchino.  "Maybe he’s with us. We’ll see. Maybe he’s elsewhere. It’s a little early to answer that question. We have so far [put up with his activities].”  Aceves is arbitration-eligible for the second time this offseason.
• Lucchino also discussed several other Red Sox players, including pending free agent Cody Ross, who the team "loves" and would like to bring back.  Lucchino said the club is "at the beginning stages of that process.”  Earlier today, Ross said his top priority for free agency would be to sign with a contending team.
• James Loney tells Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe that he would be interested in returning to Boston if the Sox make him a contract offer this winter.  Loney is set to hit free agency and could prefer to sign with an AL team if he has a choice, as the first baseman says he prefers playing under American League rules.
• The Sox should move quickly to find a new manager, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, arguing that the team can't afford another long managerial search or protracted negotiations with the Blue Jays over John Farrell.  "The easiest choice" would be to hire bench coach Tim Bogar, who is a management favorite and has already interviewed for the Astros' job. 

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Red Sox, Aceves Agree To One-Year Deal

The Red Sox and Alfredo Aceves have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.2MM deal with $100K in bonus incentives, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  In addition to the $1.2MM base, Aceves will receive $25K for 5, 10, 15 and 25 starts or 55, 60, 65 and 70 appearances, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.

The two sides settled right around the midpoint as the Red Sox offered $950K and the right-hander was seeking $1.6MM, according to MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker.  The O'Connell Sports Management client has just over three years of service time to his credit and isn't set to hit the open market until after the 2014 season.

With Aceves signed, Boston has just one arbitration case left to tackle in David Ortiz.

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AL East Notes: Red Sox, Burnett, Blue Jays

The Yankees signed Alfredo Aceves on this date in 2008. The investment paid off, as the Yankees obtained 126 innings of 3.21 ERA baseball from the right-hander before non-tendering him last offseason. He signed with the rival Red Sox about a year ago and excelled in 2011, his debut campaign in Boston. Aceves' arbitration case remains unresolved and his 24-3 career record and 2.93 ERA should be enough to make things interesting should the sides go to a hearing. Here are today’s AL East links...

• Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said the hearings for Aceves and David Ortiz aren’t scheduled this week, Alex Speier of WEEI.com tweets.
• Yankees GM Brian Cashman said last night at Sacred Heart University that he's comfortable with A.J. Burnett in his starting rotation, Matt Ehalt of ESPNNewYork.com reports. The right-hander has two years and $33MM remaining on his contract.
• The Yankees have three players on the 40-man roster with less than five years of service who are out of options: Boone Logan, Chris Dickerson and Justin Maxwell. 
• Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have four such players in Rajai Davis, Luis Perez, Sergio Santos and Luis Valbuena. Jeff Mathis and Dustin McGowan have five-plus years of service and are out of options.

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

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Non-Tenders Contributing With New Teams

Every winter teams non-tender players when they would rather risk losing them to another team than go through the potentially expensive arbitration process. Most non-tenders don’t come back to haunt their former clubs, but they definitely have the potential to do so.

Teams non-tendered over 50 players last offseason and a handful of them have added value for new organizations. Here’s a breakdown of which 2010 non-tenders are contributing in 2011:

Outfielders

• Tony Gwynn Jr., Dodgers (non-tendered by Padres) - Gwynn has a .255/.312/.333 line with 15 stolen bases in 252 plate appearances for the Dodgers and has played all three outfield positions.
• Scott Hairston, Mets (non-tendered by Padres) - Hairston has a robust .264/.331/.527 line with seven homers in a part-time role for the Mets.

Infielders

• Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays (technically non-tendered by Athletics) - Encarnacion has a .277/.326/.446 line this year, including an .894 OPS since June 1st.

Catchers

• Ronny Paulino, Mets (non-tendered by Marlins) - Paulino has been a serviceable part-time backstop for the Mets, posting a .293/.328/.374 line in 187 trips to the plate.
• Russell Martin, Yankees (non-tendered by Dodgers) - Martin has 12 homers and a .228/.324/.383 line in 349 plate appearances. He's tenth among all MLB catchers with 2.1 wins above replacement.

Right-Handed Relievers

• Matt Albers, Red Sox (non-tendered by Orioles) - The right-hander has a 2.31 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 46 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Albers is easily having his best season yet and all he cost was $875K. He's under team control through 2013.
• Todd Coffey, Nationals (non-tendered by Brewers) - The big righty has a 4.40 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 45 innings so far in 2011. The numbers are solid, but not so good that the Brewers have much to second-guess themselves on.
• Alfredo Aceves, Red Sox (non-tendered by Yankees) - Aceves has a 3.18 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 76 1/3 innings as a swingman for the Red Sox this year. Considering the injuries the Boston pitching staff has sustained, you could argue that Aceves has been one of their best offseason additions.
• Jose Veras, Pirates (non-tendered by Marlins) - Veras has a 3.19 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 53 2/3 innings this year and has been a key weapon in Clint Hurdle's bullpen.
• Dustin Moseley, Padres (non-tendered by Yankees) - Moseley has a 3.30 ERA with 4.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 20 starts. Now on the DL, Moseley has completed a career-high 120 innings.
• Taylor Buchholz, Mets (technically non-tendered by Red Sox) - When healthy, Buchholz has been effective, posting a 3.12 ERA with a 26K/7BB ratio in 26 innings. He has been on the disabled list since June.
• Joel Peralta, Rays (non-tendered by Nationals) - The 35-year-old leads the American League in appearances (55) and has a 3.68 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 after 51 1/3 innings in Tampa Bay.

Left-Handed Relievers

• George Sherrill, Braves (non-tendered by Dodgers) - Sherrill has a 3.38 ERA with a 36K/11BB ratio in 32 innings for his new club. He has mostly faced left-handed hitters.

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Quick Hits: Inge, Molina, Bedard, Lopez, Aceves

Thursday night Quick Hits..

• Brandon Inge will pick up ten and five rights next Wednesday, according to John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press. That means the Tigers will need permission to trade Inge, who would like to spend the rest of his career in Detroit.
• Troy Renck of The Denver Post (via Twitter) could see the Rockies pursuing free agent catcher Bengie Molina.  However, Renck tweets that the veteran would like to be in the majors right away and move through the minors quickly, which could be a hurdle.
• The Cubs have been looking hard for someone like Rodrigo Lopez, GM Jim Hendry told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.  Earlier today, Hendry acquired Lopez in exchange for left-hander Ryan Buchter.
• The Erik Bedard deal looks a whole lot better for the Mariners now that the left-hander is back to his winning ways as of late, opines Greg Johns of MLB.com.
• Landing pitcher Alfredo Aceves appears to have paid off big time for the Red Sox through the first two months of the season, writes Tim Britton of the The Providence Journal.

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Non-Tenders Contributing With New Teams

Every winter teams non-tender players when they would rather risk losing them to another team than go through the potentially expensive arbitration process. In 2010, for example, Matt Capps and Kelly Johnson rewarded their new teams with standout years after being cut loose, though most non-tenders don’t make that kind of contribution.

Teams non-tendered over 50 players last offseason and a handful of them are already proving their worth with new organizations. Here’s a breakdown of which 2010 non-tenders are exceeding expectations in 2011:

Starting Pitchers

• Dustin Moseley, Padres (non-tendered by Yankees) - The 29-year-old leads the league with six losses, but he's been much more effective than his record would indicate. Moseley has a 3.40 ERA with 4.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 through 53 frames.

Right-Handed Relievers

• Joel Peralta, Rays (non-tendered by Nationals) - Unlike most non-tenders, Peralta was effective last year. After 22 1/3 innings in the Rays' revamped bullpen, he's looking like a smart, low-risk addition. Peralta has a 2.82 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.
• Taylor Buchholz, Mets (though Buchholz has never thrown a pitch for Boston, the Red Sox were technically the ones to non-tender him) - Buchholz is looking a lot like his 2008 self through 21 2/3 innings in the Mets' 'pen. The 29-year-old has a 1.66 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9.
• Jose Veras, Pirates (non-tendered by Marlins) - Veras has 26 strikeouts and a 3.06 ERA through 17 2/3 innings. Veras' 13.2 K/9 is seventh-best among MLB relievers this year and few pitchers beat his 94 mph average fastball by much.
• Alfredo Aceves, Red Sox (non-tendered by Yankees) - The Red Sox need him more than ever with two members of their Opening Day rotation on the shelf. So far, Aceves has a 2.60 ERA with 4.7 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 17 1/3 innings.
• Todd Coffey, Nationals (non-tendered by Brewers) - Coffey, who added value in 2009-10, has a 2.30 ERA with 10.3 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 15 2/3 innings.
• Matt Albers, Red Sox (non-tendered by Orioles) - Though Bobby Jenks was the most prominent non-tender who signed with Boston this winter, Albers may be the most impressive. He has a 1.65 ERA with 8.8 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 52.3% ground ball rate through 16 1/3 innings.

Left-Handed Relievers

• George Sherrill, Braves (non-tendered by Dodgers) - After a poor showing with the Dodgers in 2010, Sherrill is adding value again. He has raised his strikeout rate (10.2 K/9), lowered his walk rate (4.7 BB/9) and has allowed just seven hits and two earned runs in 9 2/3 innings, mostly against left-handed hitters.

Position Players

• Russell Martin, Yankees (non-tendered by Dodgers) - Arguably the biggest success story of all, Martin drew interest from a number of AL East teams before signing with the Yankees. He has a .261/.362/.479 line and leads qualified MLB catchers in home runs (7), on-base percentage (.362), wOBA (.380) and WAR (1.5). It’s a win-win, as Martin got $4MM in guaranteed money and a fresh start, while the Yankees get a top catcher who’s under team control through 2012. With Jack Cust, Matt Diaz and others off to slow starts, Martin is the lone non-tendered position player making an impact so far this year.

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New York Notes: Mets, Piazza, Yankees, Aceves

Eight years ago today, the Yankees signed Ramon Ramirez to a minor league contract after winning his rights via the posting system with a $350K bid. Ramirez, then 21, had been with the Hiroshima Carp, appearing in just two games with them from 2002-2003.

Here's some links from the Big Apple...

• Bud Selig briefly spoke to SI.com's Jon Heyman (Twitter link) about the Mets' ownership and dire financial situation. "We're in unchartered waters. I talk to Fred (a lot), we just have to hope it works out," said the commissioner. The team is said to be seeking another loan on top of the $100MM it's already been granted by the league.
• Mike Piazza is helping coach Team Italy this spring, and he told ESPN New York's Adam Rubin and Newsday's David Lennon that he would like to own a team someday, but not necessarily the Mets (Twitter links). When asked if he's been contacted by anyone about owning a club, Piazza replied "I can't confirm or deny."
• Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe that he doesn't believe he'll be able to acquire a starter before the Opening Day, and perhaps not until June. "Normally anything of quality doesn't become available until after the June draft," said Cashman. "That's why you try and get as much as you can get accomplished in the winter. I know New York doesn't handle patience very well. But I'm from Kentucky, so it's a little easier for me to deal with."
• Cashman also spoke to Abraham about why the Yankees non-tendered Alfredo Aceves, who eventually signed with the Red Sox. "I offered him a minor league contract, that was it. I wasn't going to do anything more than that," said the GM. "Because of the back issue, we could not give him [a Major League contract]. He was throwing off the mound for us and he always hit a wall. So we ultimately continued to fail throughout the entire process to get him off the DL and active. He had a lot of success for a period of time, but then ultimately we'd had to take steps back and we'd have to shut him down and re-do the treatment."

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