Lew Ford Rumors

Minor Moves: Red Sox, Orioles

We'll keep track of today's minor moves here..

• The Red Sox agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Terry Doyle on a minor league deal, according to Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com.  The 26-year-old last pitched for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League after four seasons and change in the White Sox system.
• The Orioles have re-signed outfielder Lew Ford to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter).  The Orioles outrighted Ford to Triple-A Norfolk last Friday.  The 36-year-old .331/.390/.550 with 11 homers in 62 games for Norfolk last season.

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Outrighted To Triple-A: Ishikawa, Torres, Ford, Nickeas

Tonight's outright assignments..

• The Brewers announced via press release that they have outrighted first baseman Travis Ishikawa to Triple-A Nashville.  Ishikawa, 29, hit .257/.329/.428 with four homers in 94 games last season.
• The Rockies announced (via Twitter) that they have outrighted right-hander Carlos Torres.  In related moves, the club selected the contracts of right-hander Josh Sullivan, reinstated Todd Helton, Juan Nicasio, and Christian Friedrich from the 60-day DL.  The right-hander appeared in 31 games for the Rockies this season posting a 5.26 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9.
• The Orioles announced (via Twitter) that they have outrighted Lew Ford, Zach Phillips and Steven Tolleson to Triple-A Norfolk.  Ford turned in another strong Triple-A batting line in 2012, hitting .331/.390/.550 with 11 homers in 62 games.
• Mets catcher Mike Nickeas cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Las Vegas, tweets Andy McCullough of The Star-Ledger.  Nickeas saw time in 47 big league games for the Mets this season as one of several backstops to pitch in at the position.
• The Twins announced that right-hander Sam Deduno has been assigned outright to Triple-A Rochester.  The move will help make room for the acquisitions of Thomas Field, Josh Roenicke, and Alexi Casilla off of waivers.
• The Royals sent catcher Manny Pina to Triple-A Omaha on outright assignment, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.  In related moves, left-hander Danny Duffy and right-hander Felipe Paulino have been reinstated from the 60-day disabled list.  Pina, 25, hit .260/.389/.397 in 162 Double-A plate appearances last year.

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Minor Moves: Lew Ford, Henry Sosa

The latest minor moves from around MLB...

• The Orioles signed outfielder Lew Ford to a minor league deal, according to their Triple-A affiliate (via Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com on Twitter). The 35-year-old last appeared in the Major Leagues in 2007, but he picked up MVP votes after posting an .827 OPS with the 2004 Twins.
• The Astros have sold the rights of right-hander Henry Sosa to the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization, Alyson Footer of the Astros tweets. Sosa, 26, started ten games for the Astros last year, posting a 5.23 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 53 1/3 innings. He had been starting for Houston's Triple-A affiliate this season.

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Latin Links: Liriano, Ruiz, Ramirez, Garcia

News from sources that use subjunctive tenses. Links are in Spanish...

• Francisco Liriano tells Hoy's Dionisio Soldevila he seriously considered retirement eight months after his elbow ligament replacement surgery in 2006. He also gives perhaps his clearest rejection yet of the idea that he take the John Smoltz route and step into Joe Nathan's slot as closer. "I don't want to be a closer," Liriano says. "I don't know if I'm ready to roll out there three or four times a week." After a dominant winter in the Dominican and a reportedly resurgent fastball this spring, Liriano is currently manager Ron Gardenhire's pick for the fifth spot in the Twins rotation.
• Two weeks after his acrimonious split from agent Jorge Luis Toca, Cuban prospect Jose Julio Ruiz has surfaced again. Representatives from 22 teams recently watched Ruiz and fellow new Legacy Sports client Yadil Mujica at a staged tryout in the Dominican Republic, writes Jorge Ebro at the Nuevo Herald. The Blue Jays, Red Sox, Rangers, and Rays have all reportedly made offers to the left-handed first baseman this winter, all at around $2MM. The Rays at minimum can likely be crossed off the list of Ruiz's potential suitors after the team signed Leslie Anderson.
• Rangers prospect Max Ramirez is getting more serious about moving to first, just like Mike Lowell, the player for whom Ramirez was almost traded earlier this winter. "I played a fair amount of first (base) in Venezuela," Ramirez tells Lider en Deportes' Carlos Rodriguez. "I didn't do it as much in the minors, but I've improved and I feel good." Ramirez, who is currently blocked at catcher by Taylor Teagarden and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, has been mentioned as a possible solution to the Rangers' seeming shortage of reserve corner infielders. He played 23 innings at first during a brief 2008 call-up.
• White Sox fifth starter Freddy Garcia tells Lider's Rodriguez that retirement never crossed his mind after he was released by the Mets last spring after just two starts at Triple A. "They told me one thing and did another," Garcia says. "I came to fight for a spot and they never gave me a chance."
• Former Twins outfielder Lew Ford has signed with the Oaxaca Warriors of the Mexican League, reports Eduardo Gonzalez Garcia at Noticias Sureste. After a one-year sojourn in Japan, Ford signed with the Reds last August and played for their Triple A Louisville affiliate. He last appeared in the majors in 2007.

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Reds Sign Lew Ford

According to the MILB transactions feed, the Reds have signed OF Lew Ford to a minor-league deal. Ford, 33, returned from a stint in Japan with the Hanshin Tigers and previously had signed a deal with the Rockies this year but never got into game action. Ford last appeared in the majors in 2007 with the Twins, where he posted a .233/.315/.362 line.

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Rockies Sign Lew Ford

We haven't written about Lew Ford in years.  According to Jack Etkin of Inside The Rockies, Colorado signed the outfielder to a minor league deal.  Ford spent '08 in Japan.  He seems to have little chance of making the big league team.  It seems that Seth Stohs had this news way back on March 4th.

Back in '04, Ford played regularly for the Twins and hit .299/.381/.446 in 154 games.

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Odds and Ends: Burke, Nathan, Adam Miller

Here we go, another collection of random rumors.

• Chris Burke is definitely getting traded.  Though Burke was the 10th overall pick in 2001, he'll be 28 in March and sports a career line of .249/.319/.377.
• Joe Nathan is in Nashville, and seemed amused by the closer vacancies in San Francisco and Milwaukee.
• The Royals have $25MM to burn, and whether or not it makes sense they're damn well going to spend it.
• The Indians refused to trade Adam Miller for Delmon Young.  Paul Hoynes suggests the Tribe tried to push Cliff Lee for Young instead but Lee was too expensive for the Rays.  The Indians have a few extra starters and a backup catcher capable of full-time duty in Kelly Shoppach.  They're reluctant to make a deal on both fronts.
• Lew Ford is closing in on a deal with the Hanshin Tigers.
• Johan Santana WHIFF Profile courtesy of friend of MLBTR Tom Koch-Weser.

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