Mariners Acquire David Aardsma
According to Ryan Divish, the Mariners acquired reliever David Aardsma from the Red Sox for minor league lefty Fabian Williamson. Aardsma had been designated for assignment on Thursday.
Aardsma, 27, posted a 5.55 ERA in 48.6 innings for the Red Sox last year. Control was a problem, but he did rack up Ks. Aardsma’s average fastball velocity was 94.5 mph.
Phillies Avoid Arb With Victorino, Blanton
4:45pm: Todd Zolecki says the Phils signed Joe Blanton for $5.475MM.
1:19pm: According to CSN Philly, the Phillies avoided arbitration with outfielder Shane Victorino by signing him for ’09. The Philadelphia Daily News says he’ll get $3.125MM.
Mariners Avoid Arb With Bedard, Heilman
4:16pm: Ryan Divish says the Ms reached an agreement with Heilman.
1:26pm: According to Larry LaRue, the Mariners avoided arbitration with pitcher Erik Bedard by signing him for ’09 at $7.75MM plus $650K in incentives. LaRue believes they’re close to a deal with Aaron Heilman.
Astros Avoid Arb With Backe, Byrdak
4:10pm: MLB.com’s Alyson Footer says the Astros signed Byrdak for $1MM.
12:03pm: According to the Houston Chronicle’s Brian McTaggart:
Astros general manager Ed Wade said today the club signed righthander Brandon Backe to a one-year, $1.55 million contract worth more than $1 million more in incentives.
The Astros filed figures for Tim Byrdak, Geoff Geary, and Wandy Rodriguez, but will continue negotiating in advance of the scheduled February hearings.
Cubs Sign Kadokura, Rivas, Stanton
This is another minor signing that was covered earlier but perhaps got buried – the Cubs inked Japanese righty Ken Kadokura to a minor league deal. He didn’t pitch much in ’08; not sure why at this time. The Cubs also added Luis Rivas, Mike Stanton, and a bunch of other non-roster guys.
Ryan Howard Submits $18MM
According to the AP, Ryan Howard asked for $18MM in arbitration. The Phillies put in a $14MM figure. Prince Fielder requested a pretty reasonable $8MM; the Brewers came in at $6MM.
Cubs Avoid Arb With Kevin Gregg, Mike Wuertz
TUESDAY: MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat says Mike Wuertz signed for $1.1MM.
MONDAY: According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs avoided arbitration with reliever Kevin Gregg by signing him for $4.2MM for ’09. Gregg will be a free agent after the season.
Jays Avoid Arb With Frasor, Bautista
Add two more signings for the Jays: Jason Frasor ($1.45MM) and Jose Bautista ($2.4MM). We mentioned Jeremy Accardo ($900K plus incentives) earlier.
Mets, Oliver Perez Not Close To Deal
According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Mets realize now they won’t be locking up Oliver Perez quickly. Their reported three-year, $30MM offer is not on the table and Perez is still seeking about $60MM over five years. It’s the same old story regarding their backup plans: Ben Sheets, Randy Wolf, and Jon Garland.
Eight More Avoid Arbitration
SI.com’s Jon Heyman has seven more players who avoided arbitration today: Jeremy Accardo ($900K), Heath Bell ($1.225MM), Ryan Church ($2.8MM), Gerald Laird ($2.8MM), Javier Lopez ($1.35MM), Bobby Seay ($1.3MM), and Joel Zumaya ($735K). I think next year we’ll put all of these in one constantly-updated post.
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick says Angel Pagan signed for $575K.