Orioles Sign Mike Gonzalez
The Orioles signed lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez to a two-year deal worth $12MM guaranteed, as first reported by Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Gonzalez is likely to close for the O's, and Yahoo's Tim Brown tweeted that he can earn another $4MM in incentives. Since the Braves offered arbitration to Gonzalez, a Type A free agent, the Orioles will surrender their second-round pick (currently #44) to them.
Gonzalez, 32 in May, attracted strong interest this winter (at least according to Scott Boras). For the Braves this year he posted a 2.42 ERA, 10.9 K/9, and 4.0 BB/9 in a career-high 74.3 innings. He saved ten games, with Rafael Soriano getting the Braves' other chances. Gonzalez had Tommy John surgery in May of '07 and made it back to the Majors about a year later. He missed some time in July of this year with elbow tendinitis, but says the injuries are completely behind him.
Dan Connolly's Baltimore Sun article has quotes from Gonzalez, Orioles president Andy MacPhail, and manager Dave Trembley. So far this winter the Orioles have added Gonzalez, Kevin Millwood, and Garrett Atkins (at a total cost of $25MM), but Trembley said he doesn't think MacPhail is done yet.
Reds Agree To Minor League Deal With Nix
The Reds agreed to sign Laynce Nix to a minor league deal, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Nix became a free agent about a month ago, but the Reds stayed in contact with him and ultimately brought him back. Nix set a career high with 15 homers this year, hitting .239/.291/.476 in 337 plate appearances for the Reds.
Minor League Signings: Dumatrait, Stokes, Hacker
MLBTR has learned of three minor league signings:
- The Tigers signed 28-year-old lefty Phil Dumatrait, formerly of the Pirates. Dumatrait missed most of the year with a shoulder injury and was recently non-tendered when an agreement could not be reached on his minor league salary.
- First baseman Jason Stokes, 28 in January, also signed with the Tigers. He missed time in recent years due to back problems, but is healthy now.
- Righty Eric Hacker, 27 in March, signed with the Giants. This year at various Double and Triple A stops he compiled a 4.45 ERA, 6.2 K/9, and 3.5 BB/9 in 147.6 innings. The Pirates acquired Hacker in May after the Yankees designated him for assignment.
Mets Sign Clint Everts, Elmer Dessens
The Mets announced the signing of righty Clint Everts according to the Twitter account of the Reynolds Sports Agency. The 25-year-old pitched in the minors for the Nationals this year, splitting time across three levels. He allowed 49 hits and 26 walks in 60.0 innings, striking out 68 for an ERA of 1.65.
And we first heard about the Mets' involvement with Elmer Dessens weeks ago, but the club officially announced that signing today, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (via Twitter).
Rays Sign Ryan Shealy, Joe Dillon
The Rays signed Ryan Shealy to a minor league deal and invited him to Spring Training, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The 30-year-old first baseman has a .271/.335/.429 line in 591 career plate appearances with the Rockies and Royals. Shealy, who didn't play at all last year, is a right-handed hitter, but hits oddly well against righties (.843 career OPS).
The Rays also signed Joe Dillon, according to MLB.com's Bill Chastain. The Rays acquired the 34-year-old for Adam Kennedy this year, and used him in 15 games.
Names Discussed In Giants-Uggla Talks
2:13pm: A source tells Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com that a deal sending Uggla to the Giants is "not going down."
Crasnick writes that the first obstacle would be financial. The Giants will have to give Tim Lincecum a major raise in arbitration and are already hamstrung by the contracts of Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand. Uggla is expected to make more than $7MM in 2010.
Sabean & Co. are also hesitant to part with Jonathan Sanchez, as his departure would leave the club with only three proven starters.
10:43am: Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald informs us of names discussed in the Marlins' discussions with the Giants for Dan Uggla:
Giants players who were discussed include right-hander Jonathan Sanchez; lefty Clayton Tanner, and a midlevel pitching prospect.
It's unclear from Jackson's blurb who proposed what or if all three pitchers would be a possible return for Uggla. I believe that Sanchez alone would be more than enough for the Marlins – he has three years of team control compared to Uggla's two. Plus, Uggla's projected salary in his final arbitration year (2011) could be pretty steep. I'd be surprised to see Giants GM Brian Sabean move Sanchez for Uggla.
If you're wondering about Tanner, he's a 22-year-old lefty who repeated High A ball for the Giants this year and posted a 3.17 ERA, 7.8 K/9, and 2.7 BB/9 in 139.3 innings. His Baseball America Handbook blurb before this season spoke of shoulder issues but a dependable curveball, predicting he'd spend '09 in Double A. Tanner made Kevin Goldstein's Giants Top 11 for Baseball Prospectus heading into the '08 season, with this synopsis: "Tanner projects as a back-end starter, with a backup plan involving a future as a grounder-inducing reliever."
White Sox Claim Freddy Dolsi
The White Sox have claimed former Tigers reliever Freddy Dolsi off of waivers, tweets Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Merkin adds that the trade of Jon Link to the Dodgers has allowed the club to add Dolsi to the 40-man roster.
In the last two seasons with the Tigers, Dolsi has posted a 3.55 ERA over 58.1 innings of work. In that period of time his fastball was clocked at an average of 94.8 miles per hour.
Jason Bay Rumors: Friday
The Mariners have a new left fielder, so we can safely assume they won't be committing tens of millions to Jason Bay. As Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post notes on his Twitter account, Bay's options are disappearing. Hubbuch says resolution with the Mets "should be coming soon." They're currently waiting to hear back from Bay on their offer.
Mariners Could Trade Morrow, Talking Extension With Gutierrez
1:19pm: Earlier in the week Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the club isn't currently talking trades with the Mariners. A deal is still possible, but the Brewers have shown no inclination to trade Gamel.
10:59am: The Mariners are trying to trade one of their young players and lock another one up long-term, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal hears that the Mariners are trying to trade Brandon Morrow for a corner infielder or DH. The M's may re-visit talks with the Brewers about a Mat Gamel for Morrow swap.
Yankees Near Deal With Nick Johnson
FRIDAY, 1:14pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney says Johnson will make $5.5MM next year, plus incentives based on plate appearances. The deal includes a mutual option for 2011 worth $5.5MM.
THURSDAY, 6:13pm: The deal is now near completion, says Davidoff. Pending a physical, Johnson will agree to a one-year deal with the Yankees worth about $5.5MM.
5:14pm: Newsday's Ken Davidoff agrees that the Yankees and Johnson are engaged in "serious discussions," but notes that Johnson has yet to take a physical.
4:24pm: King now says the Yankees are "moving toward" a one-year deal with Johnson, which could be announced tomorrow.
3:17pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Giants increased their offer to Johnson to the $5.5-6MM range. Johnson earned $5.5MM this year to finish a Jim Bowden-authored contract signed in March of '06. The Mariners remain in the mix as well.
9:00am: We've known of the Yankees' interest in Nick Johnson since at least December 7th, when ESPN's Jayson Stark put them among seven teams to inquire. Today, George King of the New York Post has a little more detail on the Yankees' interest.
King says the sides are discussing a one-year deal, which is important to note since Johnson was said to be seeking two years. Said Johnson's agent Rex Gary of the talks:
"We have had dialogue, things are moving forward. Something could happen to speed things up, but it’s hard to predict."
Given Mark Teixeira's presence, Johnson would spend most of his time at DH. King suggests a Johnson signing might eliminate the chances of Johnny Damon returning. Johnson would be coming home if he signed with the Yankees – he was drafted by them in '96 but traded to the Expos in '03 with Randy Choate and Juan Rivera for Javier Vazquez. Interestingly, all four players involved in that six-year-old deal were productive in 2009.
Johnson, whose .426 OBP this year leads all free agents, is also known to have interest from at least the Mariners, Giants, and Red Sox.