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Diamondbacks Sign Bob Howry

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The Diamondbacks signed reliever Bob Howry to a one-year, $2.25MM deal today.  The contract pays $2MM in 2010 and has a $3MM club option for 2011 with a $250K buyout.  Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic first reported the agreement on Saturday, while MLB.com's Steve Gilbert added contract details today.

Howry, 36, posted a 3.39 ERA, 6.5 K/9, and 3.3 BB/9 in 63.6 innings for the Giants in 2009.  We first heard the D'Backs were interested in the Arizona native a few weeks back after LaTroy Hawkins was scooped up by the Brewers.  Howry is the D'Backs' second bullpen addition of the winter, as they acquired Aaron Heilman from the Cubs in November.

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: Zambrano, Cabrera, Molina

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Links for Monday…

  • Matt Klaassen of Fangraphs gave his thoughts on the Orioles' "enviable outfield logjam."  In his Offseason Outlook for the club, Tim suggested that Luke Scott could make sense as a trade candidate.
  • A week ago, we heard conflicting reports about whether or not the Yankees had talked to the Cubs about acquiring Carlos Zambrano. SI.com's Jon Heyman reports, via Twitter, that the Yankees "definitely" inquired, and speculates that Zambrano is "eminently available."
  • In a piece for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, David O'Brien suggested in passing that the Braves could potentially use Melky Cabrera as a trade chip. Heyman tweets that the Cubs would be very interested, if the Braves were to make Cabrera available.
  • ESPN's Jerry Crasnick says Bengie Molina "might be willing to consider" a two-year deal.  So far the Mets are at one year with an option.
  • Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik must retain at least one of Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez long-term.
  • Derek Zumsteg of U.S.S. Mariner gives us a Milton Bradley chronology.
  • CSNBayArea.com's Mychael Urban tweets that he's heard a whisper connecting the Giants to free agent reliever Kiko Calero.
  • WEEI's Alex Speier examines the differences between the contracts of John Lackey and A.J. Burnett.  In case you missed it, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe revealed on Wednesday that Lackey must play for the league minimum in 2015 "if an old elbow injury forced him to miss significant time with surgery any time during the deal."
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says statheads and scouts are mostly in agreement these days, and Moneyball would be a very different book if Michael Lewis wrote it today.

Yankees Search For Left Fielder

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The New York Yankees are interested in Mark DeRosa and will be disappointed if the versatile veteran agrees to terms with the Giants, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). Here are a few other recent updates on the Yankees' hunt for a left fielder:

  • The Yankees still appear serious about their payroll restrictions. GM Brian Cashman says Xavier Nady's price "is above the Yankees' current budget," according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.
  • Hoch adds that Cashman is "throwing ice water" on any ideas of signing a player like Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. Hoch notes that the situation is reminiscent of 2005, when the Yankees insisted Bubba Crosby would start in center field, before they eventually signed Johnny Damon.
  • The Yanks also don't appear to be a primary suitor for Jermaine Dye, tweets Heyman. Heyman lists a handful of teams more likely to sign Dye, including the Braves, Giants and Rangers.

Mariners Sign Josh Bard, Chad Cordero

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The Mariners signed catcher Josh Bard and reliever Chad Cordero to minor league deals, according to a team press release.

Bard, 32 in March, hit .230/.293/.361 in 301 plate appearances for the Nationals this year, catching 630.6 innings.  He battled a groin strain at times.  Bard has flashed the ability to draw a walk in years past.  Since Kenji Johjima left for Japan, the Mariners have an opportunity for a veteran catcher.  Bard had also drawn interest from the Rockies.

Cordero, 28 in March, is attempting to recover from July '08 labrum surgery.  He tossed 14.3 innings in the minors for the Ms this year after signing in March.

Nationals Reach Agreements With Bruntlett, Whitesell

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The Nationals agreed to terms on minor league deals with infielder Eric Bruntlett and first baseman Josh Whitesell, according to a team press release.

Bruntlett, 32 in March, was acquired by the Phillies in November of '07 along with Brad Lidge.  Bruntlett hit .171/.224/.238 in 118 plate appearances this year while playing all around the diamond.  The Phils released Bruntlett in November and replaced him with Juan Castro.

Whitesell, 28 in April, hit .194/.346/.287 in 133 plate appearances for the D'Backs this year as well as .293/.398/.471 at Triple A.  He raked at Triple A in '08, and has at times shown an impressive ability to draw walks.  Whitesell came up through the Expos organization, but was claimed off waivers by the D'Backs in March of '08.  According to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert, the D'Backs were unable to sell Whitesell's rights to a Japanese team and non-tendered him at the December 12th deadline.

Matt Holliday’s Best Offer

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Based on published reports, let's try to determine the best offer Matt Holliday has received.

  • Tracy Ringolsby, then of the Rocky Mountain News, reported that Holliday rejected a four-year, $82MM extension from the Rockies in the spring of 2008.  Ringolsby's colleague Dave Krieger talked to Holliday about the offer, and learned that it did not include a no-trade clause.  In another article, Ringolsby put the offer at four years and $72MM, and noted that Holliday would've been able to void the contract if dealt. 
  • Did the Rockies really top out at four years?  Reader Dan B. passed along this video of 9NEWS' Susie Wargin interviewing Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd in November of '08.  About 35 seconds into the video, O'Dowd said the Rockies offered Holliday $107.5MM over seven years during Spring Training of '08.  That comes to a salary of $15.36MM, but it's the only $100MM+ offer Holliday received.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the Cardinals' offer to Holliday this winter guaranteed five years, while Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch put the salary at $15-16MM. If both reports are accurate, the Cardinals' best offer could not exceed five years and $80MM.
  • It appears that in terms of total dollars, Holliday's pre-John Lackey offer from the Red Sox was the best.  Boston's five-year offer was initially pegged at $82.5MM, while today John Tomase of the Boston Herald says it was $85MM.
  • It seems that Holliday's best offer in terms of yearly salary was $20.5MM from the Rockies before the '08 season, but the lack of a no-trade clause devalued it.  It appears that the Red Sox outdid the Cardinals by a million or two per year, but Boston's offer is no longer on the table.  Perhaps Scott Boras is holding out for a sixth guaranteed year or $18MM per, but with no obvious competition there's no reason for the Cardinals to raise their offer.  The Orioles' interest waned quickly and the Mets are currently focused on Jason Bay.  In Boras' perfect world Bay would not sign with the Mets, and they'd tangle with the Cards for Holliday. 

Best And Worst Signings So Far

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Free agent deals this offseason have totaled about $400MM so far, according to ESPN's free agent tracker.  The offseason is young – by our count, almost 200 notable free agents remain unsigned.  Before the signings pick up again, let's discuss the best and worst so far.

Worst Signings

  • Placido Polanco, Phillies – three years, $18MM.  Where was the demand for a 34-year-old second baseman coming off a .727 OPS?  What other club would've offered even one or two years at $5MM per?
  • Brandon Lyon, Astros – three years, $15MM.  Lyon's not a bad pitcher, but this commitment is excessive.  He's not a high strikeout guy, and his '09 control was a career-worst.
  • Fernando Rodney, Angels – two years, $11MM.  What would Rodney have gotten without the 37 saves?  I have a reliever, 33 in March, who posted a 4.40 ERA, 7.3 K/9, and 4.9 BB/9.  Can I find a one-year, $2MM offer?
  • John Grabow, Cubs – two years, $7.5MM.  The Cubs are tight on payroll, but were quick to commit an above-market contract to a lefty reliever with a 5.0 BB/9 in '09.
  • Jason Kendall, Royals, Ivan Rodriguez, Nationals – two years, $6MM.  Kendall is 35, Pudge is 38, and neither topped a .700 OPS in '09.  Gregg Zaun had already signed a reasonable one-year, $2.15MM deal.
  • Alex Cora, Mets – one year, $2MM.  Why did his salary hold steady despite a lousy '09?  This contract isn't a franchise-killer, but comparable players could've been had at less than a million bucks.

Best Signings

  • Mike Cameron, Red Sox – two years, $15.5MM.  Cameron is getting up there (37 in January), but he seems perenially undervalued as a solid defender with pop.
  • Marco Scutaro, Red Sox – two years, $12.5MM.  I saw Scutaro getting three years and $18MM, so this strikes me as a reasonable deal for the best available free agent shortstop.
  • Nick Johnson, Yankees – one year, $5.75MM.  Johnson's injury history is acknowledged by the one-year deal.  The Yanks were able to add the best on-base threat on the free agent market for less than $6MM.
  • Gregg Zaun, Brewers - one year, $2.15MM.  Worse catchers received two years and $3MM salaries.
  • Troy Glaus, Braves – one year, $2MM.  I don't agree with trading Javier Vazquez to free up cash for Glaus and others, but in a vacuum I like the signing.  The risk isn't much; maybe he can supply 25 homers and a solid OBP from first base.
  • Matt Capps, Nationals – one year, $3.5MM, J.J. Putz, White Sox – one year, $3MM, Ryota Igarashi, Mets – two years, $3MM, Kelvim Escobar, Mets – one year, $1.125MM.  These are the types of relief deals I respect – one-year commitments, or tiny salaries in Igarashi's case.  Relievers are so volatile, any of these guys could easily outpitch Rodney, Grabow, and Lyon.

Nationals Sign Eddie Guardado

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The Nationals signed veteran left-hander Eddie Guardado to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. The deal is now official, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Fellow Nats beat writer Chico Harlan of the Washington Post reported that the sides agreed to a minor league deal, and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports first reported that a deal was close.

Guardado, 39, posted a 4.46 ERA, 4.7 K/9, and 3.5 BB/9 for the Rangers in 38.3 innings this year after signing a minor league deal in February. He battled shoulder and knee injuries and mulled retirement after the season. Guardado had a preference for the West Coast, but presumably the opportunity wasn't there.

The Nats, who also signed Matt Capps this week, add an option for tough NL East lefties like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard; Guardado has allowed just a .228/.273/.372 line against left-handed hitters in his 17-year career.

Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: Uggla, Marlins, Pirates

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Let's check out some links on this Sunday evening…

  • In his column this morning, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote that there is "no doubt" the Marlins are planning another salary dump with Dan Uggla at the center of it.  Cafardo adds that the club, which receives a ton in revenue-sharing and central-fund money, is looking to keep its profit margin high. 
  • Meanwhile, the Marlins are eager to stay just below $40MM in payroll, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.  Considering their $36.8MM payroll entering last season and the mass of players owed raises in arbitration, moving Uggla would likely put them where they want to be.
  • Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette estimates that the Pirates' offer to Matt Capps was about $500K shy of what he received from the Nationals.  With Washington, Capps will earn a base salary of $3.5MM with the chance to make an additional $425K in performance bonuses.

Mets Sign Kelvim Escobar

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The Mets signed Kelvim Escobar to an incentive-laden one-year deal this week in the hopes that the former closer can become a force in Jerry Manuel's bullpen. Escobar and the Mets agreed to a major league contract with a base salary of $1.25MM.

Francisco Blavia of Lider en Deportes originally tweeted the deal and John Harper of the New York Daily News reported that the Mets were nearing an agreement with Escobar soon afterwards.  Blavia said (via Twitter) that Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Milwaukee had also made Escobar offers.

Between 2004 and 2007, Escobar posted a 3.60 ERA and a 2.63 K-BB ratio as a member of the Los Angeles Angels. He missed the entire 2008 season with shoulder problems, and his July 2008 labrum surgery limited him to just five innings of major league work last year. 

That kind of injury history limited the amount of money the Mets would guarantee the righty, but Escobar can earn more if he's healthy in 2010. As ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reported, the 33-year-old earns a $125K bonus for making the Mets' Opening Day roster, can make $2MM in incentives based on games pitched and $1MM more based on games finished.

Between Escobar and Ryota Igarashi, the Mets have added a high-upside pair of potential late-inning relievers for less than $5MM guaranteed.

Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post.

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