Baltimore Orioles Rumors
AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Wakefield, Orioles
Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) points out that with Tim Wakefield and Javier Vazquez retired, the active strikeout leader is now C.C. Sabathia with 2,017. Here's a look at a few items out of the American League East..
- It would not be shocking to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) to see Wakefield get a call in June or July if the Red Sox are hit with injuries.
- Scouts like the power arm of Diego Moreno, but there are a lot of questions about his maturity, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) had the early reads on the Yankees' imports from the Pirates. Moreno can reach 98 mph on the gun but has command issues while Exicardo Cayones can hit but doesn't have much in the way of power.
- Before deciding to call it a career, Tim Wakefield had offers from four clubs, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Agent Barry Meister says that one of the four offers was a guaranteed big league deal.
- Wakefield didn't consider any of those offers for long, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Upon hearing of the offers, the pitcher asked his agent, "Do they play for Boston?"
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun ranked the Orioles' offseason acquisitons by potential impact. At the top of the list is 26-year-old left-hander Wei-Yin Chen.
AL East Links: Kazmir, Orioles, Epstein, Wakefield
The Red Sox announced minor league deals with Ross Ohlendorf and Mauro Gomez earlier today. Here are the rest of the links from their division...
- The Red Sox will not be one of the teams in attendance for Scott Kazmir's workout tomorrow, reports Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). The southpaw's audition was supposed to be today, but it was pushed back.
- Korean pitching prospect Seong-Min Kim originally agreed to a $575K deal with the Orioles, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports.
- Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun hears that while MLB hasn't approved the contract between the Orioles and the 17-year-old left-hander, MLB didn't technically void it. In any case it seems the deal for Kim will not go through as originally announced.
- A Red Sox official expects compensation for Theo Epstein to be finalized "very soon," Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets. The Red Sox and Cubs recently sent briefs to the commissioner's office explaining their perspective on the issue of how to compensate Boston for Epstein's departure to Chicago.
- Agent Barry Meister didn't comment on whether Tim Wakefield will accept a minor league deal from the Red Sox, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com tweets. It doesn't appear that Wakefield will accept the offer, Edes writes.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Orioles Release Clay Rapada
The Orioles released left-hander Clay Rapada, according to the transactions page on CBSSports.com. Rapada, who was designated for assignment nine days ago, confirms the news on his Twitter account.
Rapada, who turns 31 next month, posted a 6.06 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 16 1/3 innings for the Orioles last year. He had pitched 52 2/3 MLB innings over the course of five seasons for the Tigers, Rangers, Cubs and Orioles and is not yet arbitration eligible.
Latest On Jorge Soler
7:57pm: The Yankees and Phillies are in hardest on Soler now, Yahoo's Jeff Passan tweets.
5:21pm: Marlins president David Samson said on 790 the Ticket that the club doesn't have interest in Soler, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets.
2:51pm: The Marlins are interested, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal hears Soler's power is comparable to that of Miami outfielder Mike Stanton -- high praise to say the least.
12:59pm: The Blue Jays watched Soler and others Wednesday at the team's complex in the Dominican Republic, writes MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. The Orioles will be in the D.R. to watch him Sunday. Sanchez lists the Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Phillies, and Cubs as other interested parties.
WEDNESDAY, 8:26am: The Phillies are also interested in Soler, reports Olney.
TUESDAY, 2:18pm: The Yankees have serious interest in Soler, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets.
12:33pm: Many teams remain involved in the bidding for 19-year-old Cuban prospect Jorge Soler, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The Cubs have been extensively linked to the outfielder, but they’re not the only club involved.
The Yankees are in on the bidding, tweets David Kaplan of CSN Chicago, and Heyman suggests the Marlins could be involved. Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald hears that “a good number” of teams have interest (Twitter link). Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus explained yesterday that Soler would rank 38th or 39th on his list of top prospects.
AL East Notes: Bowden, Angelos, Jones
Four of the five AL East teams -- the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles -- appear to have some interest in Cuban outfield prospect Jorge Soler. Here are the latest links from the division...
- Rob Bradford of WEEI.com explains that the future of out-of-options right-hander Michael Bowden may be closely linked to his Spring Training performance. For MLBTR's complete list of out of options players on the Red Sox and around the league click here.
- An Orioles official tells Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun that there's "absolutely no truth" to rumors owner Peter Angelos is considering selling the team.
- The Orioles would have to offer Adam Jones an extension of at least five years for him to sign long-term, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Rosenthal explores the timeline for a possible Jones trade, pointing out that the Braves were among the teams that inquired on the center fielder this offseason. Jones avoided arbitration with the Orioles last night, agreeing to a $6.15MM contract for 2012. He’s under team control through 2013.
MLB To Void Deal Between Kim, Orioles
Major League Baseball will void the contract between 17-year-old left-hander Seong-Min Kim and the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. The move figures to improve relations between MLB and Korean baseball officials, and it won't prevent the Orioles from signing Kim at a later date.
Soon after the Orioles announced their deal with Kim on January 30th the Korea Baseball Organization and Korea Baseball Association bristled at the breach of protocol. Baltimore completed a deal with Kim before he completed high school, so he was suspended from playing or coaching in South Korea and the Orioles were banned from scouting KBO games. The Orioles issued a formal apology less than a week ago.
Orioles, Adam Jones Avoid Arbitration
The Orioles and center fielder Adam Jones have avoided arbitration by agreeing to terms on a one-year deal, the team announced via press release. Jones will earn a base salary of $6.15MM with $50K in performance-based bonuses -- $25K apiece for reaching 620 and 635 plate appearances, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links).
Jones, 26, is under team control through the 2013 season, after which he is eligible for free agency. We heard earlier today that the O's and the right-handed hitter have discussed a possible long-term extension, although Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com tweets that those talks have been tabled till next offseason, as GM Dan Duquette considers in-season negotiations a distraction.
Jones, for his part, seems uncertain about the prospects of a long-term deal with the O's, according to Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com: "I don't know, I guess I am brand new to this sort of thing. Whatever happens, happens. I just go out there and get to do what I love to do. All the people that talk, let them talk. Let me play. I don't care to see the talking back and forth. Just let me go play."
The Orioles offered Jones $5MM for the upcoming season, while he and his agent, Nez Balelo of CAA Sports, filed at $7.4MM, so the settled amount of $6.15MM is just shy of an even midpoint. With Jones' 2012 salary now settled, the Orioles have no remaining arbitration eligible players, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows.
Orioles, Jones Have Talked Extension
The Orioles and Adam Jones have had preliminary discussions about an extension, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette acknowledged the talks, but said they aren't currently the club's top priority.
"Yes, we have discussed a variety of different options,” Duquette said. “But the goal right now is to get a deal for this year and avoid the hearing."
Jones, who has an arbitration hearing scheduled for Friday, seeks $7.4MM and the Orioles offered $5MM. The 26-year-old is on track to hit free agency after the 2013 season. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested in August that a four-year extension in the $40MM range could work for both sides and examined Jones’ case in further detail last week. The center fielder posted a .280/.319/.466 line with 25 homers last year. Jones said about a month ago that the Orioles hadn’t started extension talks.
Quick Hits: Payrolls, Orioles, De La Rosa, Red Sox
On this day in 1988, the Padres traded Rich Gossage and Ray Hayward to the Cubs for Mike Brumley and Keith Moreland. Here's a look at today's links..
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that the Yankees and Red Sox are no longer alone as financial superpowers. Sherman also looks at five offseason market trends that will impact the 2012 season and beyond.
- In analyzing the Orioles' collection of non-roster invitees and the 40-man roster decisions they'll face this Spring, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes that Baltimore would eat a portion of Kevin Gregg's $5.8MM salary to trade him. Kubatko also speculates that an out of options player like Pedro Strop could be moved during Spring Training.
- Free agent Scott Kazmir is set to throw for scouts in Houston on Wednesday, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
- Jorge De La Rosa will undoubtedly exercise his $11MM player option for 2013 as he rehabs from elbow surgery, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post. If he does that, the Rockies receive a $11MM club option for 2014.
- Red Sox officials seem to think they’ll know what they’ll be getting from the Cubs “before the official start of spring training,’’ but it's not clear if that refers to when pitchers and catchers report or when the full squad arrives, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- If Magglio Ordoñez doesn't find a big-league job this season, he will have his own professional baseball club waiting for him in his native Venezuela, writes Robert Downs of the Detroit Free Press. The slugger is set purchase shares in the Caribes de Anzoátegui when he retires.
- The Indians and Casey Kotchman never talked about anything but a one-year deal, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer. The first baseman signed with the Tribe for $3MM earlier this month.
Cafardo On Oswalt, Burnett, Phillies, Rodriguez
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe takes a look at what we can expect out of David Ortiz's arbitration hearing on Monday. The only way the hearing can turn bad, according to one source with experience in arbitration cases, is if the Red Sox mention that Ortiz's positive test for a banned substance in 2003. However, Boston may be reluctant to go there, for risk of inviting bad feelings. Here more from Cafardo..
- The Red Sox are willing to give Roy Oswalt a one-year deal worth $5-$7MM, but the veteran remains reluctant to pitch in Boston. However, as we've heard elsewhere, the 34-year-old hasn't ruled Boston out.
- Any money that the Yankees save in a potential A.J. Burnett trade will be put toward a lefthanded-hitting DH/outfielder type, with Raul Ibanez and Johnny Damon likely in that mix.
- Don't be surprised if Vladimir Guerrero, Magglio Ordonez, Xavier Nady, or Manny Ramirez wind up with the Phillies. The Phillies really want to add a righthanded hitter who can pinch hit and occasionally play the outfield. However, they’re extremely close to luxury tax territory.
- The Athletics, Orioles, and Blue Jays remain the main teams interested in Ramirez.
- Mike Gonzalez remains the most high-profile lefty reliever on the market and agent Scott Boras is hoping teams reassess their needs right before camp. The Phillies could be a fit, but they have budget concerns. The Orioles also want to add one more bullpen piece but they might not want to go down that road again.
- The lack of interest in Astros left-hander Wandy Rodriguez is surprising considering that the club would assume a fair portion of the $36MM left on his deal. Houston is also surprised at the lack of interest in righty Brett Myers, who would appear to be a good piece for a contending club.
- While interviewing for the Red Sox managerial job, Tigers third base coach Gene Lamont felt confident that he was going to get the nod. Lamont met with Ben Cherington and Larry Lucchino in Boston, John Henry in Boca Raton, Florida, and Tom Werner in New York City.
- After watching Ryan Flaherty in camp with the Orioles, Cafardo believes that the infielder and Rule 5 draft pick can win a spot with the club.
