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Rockies Sign Hulett, Macri, Salazar

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The Rockies have signed Tug Hulett, Matt Macri and Jeff Salazar to minor league contracts, reports Thomas Harding of MLB.com.  None of the three men played in the majors in 2010; Hulett and Salazar last saw major league action in 2009 with the Royals and Pirates, respectively, while Macri's last taste of the bigs was with Minnesota in 2008. 

Macri (fifth round, 2004) and Salazar (eighth round, 2002) were both originally drafted by Colorado, while Hulett was originally selected by Texas in the 14th round of the 2004 draft.

 

Minor League Transactions: Rangers, Twins, Nats

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Here are some minor transactions from the past week, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy…

  • The Rangers signed two former first-round draft picks in left-hander Zach Jackson and utility infielder Omar Quintanilla.  Jackson, picked 32nd overall by the Blue Jays in the 2004 draft, has a 5.81 ERA in 22 career major league games (17 of them starts) with the Brewers and Indians since 2006.  Jackson spent 2010 pitching for Toronto's Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.  Quintanilla was taken with the 33rd pick of the 2003 draft by Oakland, and then dealt to the Rockies in 2005 as part of the Eric Byrnes trade.  Quintanilla posted a .567 OPS in 559 plate appearances with Colorado between 2005 and 2009. 
  • The Twins signed catchers Steve Holm and Rene Rivera to minor league contracts.  A 17th-round pick of the Giants in the 2001 draft, Holm has spent his entire 10-year pro career with in the San Francisco system, racking up 107 major league plate appearances in 2008 and 2009.  Rivera last played in the majors as a member of the Mariners in 2006, and has since played in the Dodgers, Mets and Yankees' systems.
  • The Nationals signed right-hander Harvey Garcia and catcher Carlos Maldonado.  Garcia had an eight-game cup of coffee with Florida in 2007 and has since pitched in the Pirates and Dodgers' systems.  Eddy says Garcia may have earned a contract due to his solid work this year in the Venezuelan League.  Maldonado, 31, was designated for assignment by Washington in September and then granted free agency after the season.  Maldonado has been in pro ball since 1996 and has 4226 career minor league plate appearances (a .687 OPS) but only 62 PAs in the bigs.

Rockies Acquire Matt Lindstrom

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The Rockies have acquired Matt Lindstrom from the Astros in exchange for minor league pitchers Jonnathan Aristil and Wes Musick, according to a Houston team press release. 

Lindstrom, 31 in February, posted a 4.39 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and 23 saves in his first season as an Astro. He logged 53 1/3 innings and posted a 48.9 % ground ball rate.  This marks the second consecutive offseason (third time overall) that Lindstrom has been traded; the Mets sent him to the Marlins in 2006 and the Marlins sent him to the Astros just over a year ago. 

Lindstrom earned $1.625MM in 2010 and will make over $2MM through arbitration next year. He's under team control through 2012.  The right-hander joins Huston Street, Matt Belisle and Rafael Betancourt at the back of the Rockies' 'pen. This addition could limit the Rockies' interest in David Aardsma, Jon Rauch, Chad Qualls, Todd Coffey and Matt Guerrier.

Aristil, 24, was an infielder when he signed a free agent contract with Colorado in 2003.  Since converting to pitching in 2006, the right-hander has posted a 4.47 ERA in 113 appearances, 53 of them starts and just 12 of which came above the Single-A level.

Musick, 23, is a left-hander whom the Astros originally drafted in the 46th round of the 2005 draft, but Musick chose to attend the University of Houston instead.  Picked by the Rockies in the ninth round of the 2009 draft, Musick has posted impressive numbers in his first two pro seasons — a 3.78 ERA, 8.5 K/9 rate, a 2.1 BB/9 rate and an even 4.00 K/BB ratio in 30 games (28 of them starts).

MLB.com's Thomas Harding was the first to report that Lindstrom was on his way to Colorado, while ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported earlier this afternoon that the Astros were nearing a deal for the reliever.  Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle was the first to report Musick's inclusion in the deal, while Astros director of social media Alyson Footer tweeted the news about Aristil.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk contributed to this post

Padres Close To Deal With Brad Hawpe

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4:48pm: The Padres are "close" to a deal with Hawpe, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

4:09pm: The Padres are considering Russell Branyan and Brad Hawpe as they look to acquire a first baseman. Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the club is talking to Hawpe, who has been a target since earlier in the month (Twitter link).

The Padres are open to making Branyan part of a platoon at first base, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Branyan excels against right-handed pitching (.241/.340/.501 career line), but struggles against lefties. If the Padres combined Branyan with a right-handed hitter like Kyle Blanks, they could get affordable production.

Blanks is recovering from Tommy John surgery and there's a good chance he won't be ready to start the season. Branyan hit 25 homers last year and 31 in 2009, but he has missed time with an assortment of back issues over the course of the past two seasons. Those injuries limited his value last offseason and he settled for a $2MM guarantee though he hoped for a multiyear deal.

Nick Johnson, another first baseman who bats from the left side and has dealt with back injuries, could fill a similar role for the Padres, in my opinion. Adam LaRoche is another possibility, but he has been discussing a three-year deal with the Orioles and the Padres rarely hand out multiyear free agent contracts (Orlando Hudson's deal is the exception, not the rule).

Another one of San Diego's free agent additions, Aaron Harang, is under the same agency (ACES) as Branyan, for what it's worth. About 9.6% of over 10,000 MLBTR readers expect Branyan to be the Padres' Opening Day first baseman.

Hawpe, 31, declined an offer of arbitration from the Rays, but he won't cost a draft pick. In 346 plate appearances for the Rockies and Rays last year, he posted a .245/.338/.419 line with 32 extra base hits. Like Branyan, he has better career numbers against right-handed pitching (.288/.386/.504 line).

Rangers Closing In On Deal With Arthur Rhodes

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The Rangers appear to be closing in on a deal with free agent left-hander Arthur Rhodes, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). The 41-year-old put together a strong season in 2010, making his first All-Star team. He posted a 2.29 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 55 innings out of the 'pen.

The Reds have expressed some interest in bringing Rhodes back, but do not seem close to a deal. The Red Sox and Phillies have also been linked to Rhodes this offseason.

The Reds did not offer Rhodes arbitration, so the Rangers would not have to surrender a draft pick to sign him. Rhodes and 40-year-old Darren Oliver would give the Rangers a potentially effective, but undeniably old pair of lefties out of the 'pen.

Angels Notes: Damon, Podsednik

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It's no secret that the Angels may add an outfielder. They lost out on Carl Crawford, but have interest in a couple free agents. Here's the latest:

  • Along with the Rays and Yankees, the Angels are one of Johnny Damon’s top three choices, according to Newsday’s Ken Davidoff. The Yankees have discussed financial parameters about a deal that would pay Damon a “respectable” amount, but less than the $8MM he earned in 2010. Damon has been linked to the Yankees and Rays this offseason, but it's the first time we've seen him connected to the Angels.
  • The Angels and Reds are two of "a few" teams interested in Scott Podsednik, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).

Astros Working On Potential Matt Lindstrom Deal

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The Astros are working hard on a possible trade involving Matt Lindstrom, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The Rockies are looking for relief help and appeared interested when Lindstrom became available earlier this month. They are one possible suitor for Lindstrom, but there's a long list of teams with potential interest in right-handed middle relievers.

Lindstrom, 31 in February, posted a 4.39 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and 23 saves in his first season as an Astro. He logged 53 1/3 innings and posted a 48.9 % ground ball rate. Lindstrom earned $1.625MM in 2010 and will make over $2MM through arbitration next year. He's under team control through 2012.

Pirates, A’s Swap Minor Leaguers

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The Pirates acquired Corey Wimberly from the A's, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch (on Twitter). The A's acquire right-hander Ryan Kelly in the deal, according to MLB.com's Jane Lee.

Wimberly has not appeared in the majors, but he turned in a productive season as a utility player for the A's at Triple-A in 2010. The 27-year-old posted a .284/.373/.354 line with 56 steals while playing at least ten games at short, second, third, left and center.

Kelly, a 23-year-old reliever, posted a 4.20 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 75 innings at A ball last year. It was his second season in the South Atlantic League and his fourth as a pro, so his ascension through the minors has been unhurried.

Pirates Sign Garrett Atkins

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The Pirates announced that they signed Garrett Atkins to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring Training. He'll earn $800K in the major leagues, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). Agent Jeff Blank represents Atkins.

The Orioles signed Atkins after the Rockies non-tendered him last offseason, but the O's released him in July. Atkins batted .214/.276/.286 in 152 plate appearances last year and saw his home run total dip for a fourth consecutive season.

If the signing works out, Atkins could spell first baseman Lyle Overbay against lefties. Overbay has a career .279/.375/.463 line against right-handers and Atkins has a career .294/.379/.467 line against southpaws, so there's a potential platoon fit here. Third baseman Pedro Alvarez also bats from the left side, so the Pirates could rest him against left-handers and play Atkins at the hot corner.

Atkins can play both corner infield positions, though most of his big league experience comes at third base. He will play under Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle, who managed him in Colorado. 

Pirates Claim Aaron Thompson, DFA Ledezma

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The Pirates announced that they claimed left-hander Aaron Thompson off of waivers from the Nationals and designated Wil Ledezma for assignment.

Thompson, a 2005 first rounder who turns 24 in February, posted a 5.65 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 141 2/3 innings for the Nationals' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates last year. The longtime Marlins farmhand has yet to appear in the major leagues.

The Pirates agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Ledezma last month, avoiding arbitration. The lefty, who turns 30 next month, posted a 6.86 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 19 2/3 innings for the Pirates last year.

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