Sean Burnett Rumors
NL East Notes: Braves, Nationals, Phillies
Here are the latest links from the NL East...
- The Braves made an “aggressive” offer for Shin-Soo Choo before the Reds acquired him, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Mariners were also involved, but their offer wasn’t as strong.
- Nationals manager Davey Johnson said he has received “positive signs” from GM Mike Rizzo that Washington will re-sign free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche before Christmas, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter).
- The Phillies and Brewers were in on Sean Burnett before he signed with the Angels, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (all Twitter links). Morosi wonders if this means the Phillies would be willing to move a left-handed reliever. It's possible Antonio Bastardo, Jeremy Horst and Raul Valdes would have become trade candidates if the Phillies had signed Burnett.
- Here's the latest on the Mets and R.A. Dickey.
Contract Details: Burnett, Blanton, Choate
The Angels officially announced their deals with Sean Burnett and Joe Blanton today. Here are details on those contracts and the breakdown of another recently-signed deal...
- Burnett’s 2015 option vests if he pitches in 110 total games from 2013-14, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports (all Twitter links). The 2015 option is valued at $4.5MM. The Angels recently agreed to sign Burnett to a two-year, $8MM contract that includes incentives. The option becomes a club option with a $500K buyout if it doesn't vest, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). Burnett obtains a $250K signing bonus, $3.5MM in 2013 and $3.75MM in 2014, Rosenthal reports.
- Blanton’s two-year, $15MM contract with the Angels calls for a $6.5MM salary in 2013 and a $7.5MM salary in 2014, DiGiovanna reports. The deal includes an $8MM club option for 2015 with a $1MM buyout.
- Randy Choate will earn base salaries of $1.5MM in 2013, $3MM in 2014 and $3MM in 2015 on his three-year, $7.5MM contract with the Cardinals, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. Langosch has all of the details on the deal, which was agreed upon one week ago.
Overnight Links: Burnett, Phillies, Giants, Rays
It's the middle of the night, but news rarely stops coming in over the course of baseball's Winter Meetings. Here are some links from around the baseball world for those who are still awake...
- One of the reasons that Sean Burnett's two-year, $8MM deal with the Angels was so affordable was because he had surgery to remove a bone spur this offseason, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. For comparison, Jeremy Affeldt signed for three years and $18MM.
- Danny Knobler of CBS Sports writes that the Phillies have a list of five center field targets that includes Michael Bourn, Josh Hamilton, Dexter Fowler, Curtis Granderson and Ben Revere. This is the first they've been linked to Revere, who Knobler says the Twins will move for young pitching despite already having traded Denard Span.
- Scott Boras told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he's spoken to Giants team president Larry Baer about established closers like Rafael Soriano and Jose Valverde (Twitter link). There doesn't seem to be a match there in my opinion, given Sergio Romo's excellence and reports that the Giants are at their payroll threshold.
- The Rays have hired former Astros scouting director Bobby Heck as as special assignment scout, tweets Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Angels To Sign Sean Burnett
The Angels reinforced their bullpen with another free agent today, reaching an agreement with lefty Sean Burnett on a two-year deal with a club option, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. The deal is worth $8MM, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times, and includes a $4.5MM vesting option for 2015 with a $500K buyout. Burnett is represented by Jim Munsey.
Burnett, 30, had been drawing strong interest as one of the best free agent lefty relievers available this offseason. He posted a 2.38 ERA, 9.1 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 0.64 HR/9, and 57.4% groundball rate in 56 2/3 innings for the Nationals in 2012.
The Angels signed righty Ryan Madson last month, though they also subtracted Jordan Walden in the Tommy Hanson deal.
Earlier today, the Cardinals reached an agreement with lefty Randy Choate on a three-year, $7.5MM deal. Last month, the Giants re-signed southpaw Jeremy Affeldt to a three-year, $18MM contract.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported a deal was close. Photo courtesy of U.S. Presswire.
Cardinals Out On Sean Burnett
The Cardinals are no longer in the running to sign Sean Burnett, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis had been one of eight teams in the mix for arguably the top left-handed reliever remaining on the market.
With St. Louis no longer involved, Burnett figures to be drawing interest from a group of suitors that includes the Angels, Brewers, and perhaps the Nationals, among others.
Free Agent Rumors: Rolen, Bourn, McCarthy, Drew
A number of free agents have found deals in Nashville this week, but there are still a ton available, including 29 of our top 50. Here's the latest on a few of the remaining options:
- Scott Rolen remains undecided on whether he'll retire or continue his playing career, his agent tells John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. If Rolen decides he wants to play, Fay believes the Reds could be interested in bringing him back in some role.
- Former Rockie Ryan Spilborghs is drawing serious interest in Japan, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- The Mariners like Michael Bourn "very much," though the Phillies and Rangers remain in on the speedy outfielder, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
- A couple reasons the Angels' interest in Brandon McCarthy has picked up in Nashville are his age (29) and the fact that he likely won't command more than a two-year deal, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
- Stephen Drew figures to land at least a two-year deal, which would probably take the Tigers out of the running, says MLB.com's Jason Beck. The Red Sox continue to be in on Drew, however, according to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford.
- In their hunt for left-handed relief help, the Cardinals have inquired on Manny Parra and explored what it would take to sign Sean Burnett, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cards are expected to find their man fairly soon, says Goold.
- Dan Johnson, who was non-tendered by the White Sox last week, is interested in returning to the Rays, but may end up in Japan, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Angels Close To Deal With Sean Burnett
The Angels are close on free agent lefty Sean Burnett, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Burnett, 30, had been drawing strong interest as one of the best free agent lefty relievers available this offseason. He posted a 2.38 ERA, 9.1 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 0.64 HR/9, and 57.4% groundball rate in 56 2/3 innings for the Nationals in 2012.
NL East Notes: Sean Burnett, Reed Johnson, Nolasco
The Mets are talking R.A. Dickey trades, the Marlins' highest-paid player wants out and the team is shopping its second-highest, and the Phillies have moved on to other outfielders with Angel Pagan off the board. More from around the NL East...
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo does not "see a fit financially or term-wise" with free agent lefty Sean Burnett, he told reporters including Mark Zuckerman today, but he won't rule anything out as the team seeks a second lefty in the bullpen to pair with the newly re-signed Zach Duke.
- Braves GM Frank Wren spent part of the day talking to the agents of free agent bench candidates, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. O'Brien says the team is believed to have an offer out to bring back outfielder Reed Johnson.
- Wren told reporters including MLB.com's Mark Bowman that while no player is untouchable, shortstop Andrelton Simmons is "unreachable." Pitching prospects Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado aren't off-limits, but "if we’re going to trade one of those guys it’s going to be a significant deal," explained Wren.
- Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post has more from Nolasco's agent Matt Sosnick, who explained that his client would "be a completely happier player playing somewhere else."
Brewers Notes: Grilli, Sean Burnett, Josh Hamilton
The Brewers are looking to make some additions to their pitching staff; here's the latest.
- GM Doug Melvin said he has talked to Gary Sheffield, who represents reliever Jason Grilli. He's also been in touch with Sean Burnett's agent (Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reporting).
- Regarding the recent chatter that the Brewers are unwilling to do more than two years for a pitcher, Melvin quipped, "I'll do a 10-year deal if the money is right. $1 million a year."
- Despite mounting evidence that it won't happen, the Josh Hamilton rumor won't die. The Brewers "do appear to be involved at least to some degree," tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Asked whether the Brewers could get involved on Hamilton or Zack Greinke, Melvin said today, "No. It sounds like they're getting market value."
Eight Teams Interested In Sean Burnett
9:05am: The Angels are one of the eight teams interested in Burnett, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), who classifies the team's interest as "serious."
4:07am: Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a rundown of the Cardinals' gameplan for the Winter Meetings, and within it he writes that St. Louis is one of at least eight teams to have reached out to lefty Sean Burnett.
Burnett figures to be the premier left-handed reliever available in this year's free agent crop now that Jeremy Affeldt has re-upped with the Giants on a three-year deal. Burnett's agent, Jim Munsey, recently refuted a report that his client was seeking a four-year deal.
The Brewers are said to be prioritizing left-handed relief this week, and the Nationals have made it known that they'd like Burnett to return for a fifth season. Burnett declined his half of a mutual option with the Nats last month in order to seek a multi-year free agent deal.
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