Archives for February 2010

Nationals Sign Willy Taveras

By Tim Dierkes | February 15, 2010 at 11:54am CDT

The Nationals signed center fielder Willy Taveras to a minor league deal, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Taveras had been released by the A's on Tuesday, not long after Oakland received him from the Reds to faciliate their Adam Rosales trade. The Nats will presumably pay Taveras the league-minimum $400K if he makes the team, with the A's paying his remaining $3.6MM.

Taveras, 28, hit .240/.275/.285 for the Reds in 437 plate appearances last year. The Reds signed Taveras to a two-year, $6.25MM after he was non-tendered by the Rockies. Defensively, based on UZR, Taveras graded well in 2009 and was slightly below-average the two years prior.

In addition to Taveras, the Nationals signed outfielders Chris Duncan, Kevin Mench, and Jerry Owens to minor league deals this winter.

Offseason In Review: Baltimore Orioles

By Tim Dierkes | February 15, 2010 at 11:23am CDT

Leading off our Offseason In Review series, the Orioles.

Major League Signings

Mike Gonzalez, RP: two years, $12MM. Also gave #52 overall pick to Braves.
Miguel Tejada, 3B: one year, $6MM.
Garrett Atkins,1B: one year, $4.5MM. Includes $8.5MM club option for '11 with a $500K buyout.
Mark Hendrickson, RP: one year, $1.4MM. Includes $1.2MM club option for '11 with a $200K buyout.
Total spend: $23.9MM

Notable Minor League Signings

Will Ohman, Chad Moeller, Michel Hernandez, Jeff Salazar, Scott Moore, Mike Hinckley, Andy Gonzalez

Trades and Claims

Acquired SP Kevin Millwood and $3MM from Rangers for RP Chris Ray and Rule 5 pick Ben Snyder
Claimed C Craig Tatum off waivers from Reds

Notable Losses

Melvin Mora ($1MM buyout), Danys Baez, Brian Bass, Chris Ray, Rich Hill, Jeff Fiorentino, Sean Henn, Jamie Walker, Bob McCrory, Radhames Liz, Steven Johnson, Chris Waters

Summary

The Orioles added about $33MM worth of veterans this winter while finishing a couple of ugly contracts in Mora and Baez. The pickups make the Orioles better in 2010, but to what end? Fourth place in the AL East? Perhaps the O's will eventually spin some of these guys into prospects, though a future Gonzalez trade is partially countered by the draft pick they already lost. Whether you liked the Orioles' offseason depends on your philosophy on this question: should a rebuilding club spend significant money for the sake of respectability?

Victor Martinez Hopes To Avoid Free Agency

By Tim Dierkes | February 15, 2010 at 8:18am CDT

Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald has an excellent article about Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez this morning. Martinez explained that unlike some other players, he doesn't want to test free agency:

"I don't want to be jumping around, I don’t want to go somewhere else, First, I didn’t want to go out of the Indians organization. Then I'm out, and now I'm here. I came to the place where a lot of players dream to come and a lot of players wish to play here in Boston. So I'm here, I do really want to stay here and hopefully end my career in Boston."

Regarding possible extension talks, Martinez says he's "open now until the season starts." The Red Sox have a shot at getting a reasonable deal done, just as the Indians did when they locked Martinez up for five years at $15.5MM back in '05. For more Martinez discussion, check out this MLBTR post from Wednesday.

Odds & Ends: Franklin, Red Sox, Cardinals, Mauer

By Mike Axisa | February 14, 2010 at 11:05pm CDT

Some links for Sunday…

As A's were unable to land Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro this offseason, GM Billy Beane says that the club had to work harder than ever to fill their holes, writes MLB.com's Jane Lee.
Cody Ross' arbitration hearing with the Marlins will take place tomorrow morning at 10:00, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Ross – who is one of seven remaining players who has an arbitration hearing scheduled – is seeking $4.45MM while the Marlins are countering with $4.2MM.
Maury Brown of Biz of Baseball brings us the record of each club in arbitration hearings since the process was first put into place in 1974. In this span, the A's have had the most hearings with 35.
Brady Gardiner of Sirius XM Radio tweets that Ryan Franklin's agent said that in 2007, his client turned down a more lucrative offer from Toronto to sign with the Cardinals in order to play for Dave Duncan. Franklin signed a one-year, $1MM deal with St. Louis in January of '07.
Dustin Pedroia takes exception to those who question Boston's offense in 2010, writes WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Pedroia feels the Red Sox lineup can score more runs than the 2009 club. He also voices high praise for Josh Beckett and says he wants Beckett around "for a long time."
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Dispatch answers 10 questions for Cardinals fans, and notes that Russ Springer would take a marked-down contract to return to St. Louis. St. Louis stands to enter camp with rougly a $92,625,000 payroll
Sid Hartman of The Minneapolis Star Tribune says that Twins' owner Jim Pohlad may have to change his policy of not deferring money if they want to re-sign Joe Mauer. Hartman says Mauer would save millions in income tax by deferring some payments until after he retires.
Joel Sherman of The New York Post names his winners and losers of the offseason. Roy Halladay and the Twins head the winners, while the Dodgers and Royals highlight the losers.
Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe runs down each team's offseason, and looks at what lies ahead for each during the 2010 season.

Edwin Jackson, D-Backs Avoid Arbitration

By Zachary Links | February 14, 2010 at 8:17pm CDT

The Diamondbacks and Edwin Jackson avoided arbitration, agreeing to a two-year, $13.35MM deal that will pay the right-hander $4.2MM in 2010 and $8.35MM in 2011. Jackson also receives an $800K signing bonus.

Steve Gilbert of MLB.com first reported the agreement (via Twitter). Jon Heyman of SI.com first reported the terms of the deal (via Twitter) and Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic added detail (via Twitter).

An arbitration hearing had been scheduled for this Wednesday between Jackson, who was seeking $6.25MM, and Arizona, which countered with $4.6MM. The 26-year-old earned $2.2MM last year with the Tigers, so the deal represents a major increase in salary for Jackson, a Scott Boras client.

The two year agreement will cover the remainder of the right-hander's arbitration-eligible years. In other words, Jackson becomes a free agent once this deal expires after the 2011 season.

Jackson enjoyed a strong campaign in 2009, posting an ERA of 3.62 with 6.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in a career-high 214.0 innings. He walked a higher percentage of hitters and allowed more home runs after the All Star break, so his second half ERA was more than twice his 2.52 first half mark.

Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.

Discussion: Felipe Lopez

By Steve Adams | February 14, 2010 at 4:41pm CDT

It's been a tough offseason for Felipe Lopez. Yesterday, the free agent infielder fired Scott Boras, likely due to the fact that it's February 14 and he remains jobless despite a strong 2009 campaign.

The switch-hitter signed a one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Diamondbacks last offseason. Lopez was productive in Arizona, hitting .301/.364/.412 until he was traded to the Brewers in mid-July. All Lopez did in Milwaukee was improve, hitting .320/.407/.448 in 66 games with the Brew Crew. In total, his .310/.383/.427 line combined with his strong UZR/150 of 7.6 at second base last season make for a desirable target. Or one would at least think.

Perhaps teams are scared off by Lopez's .360 BABIP, which is substantially higher than his career mark of .323. His 10.4% walk rate is higher than his career mark of 9.2% as well, but even that number is above the 2009 league average of 8.9%. It may not be reasonable to expect a .383 OBP again, but in a market where we've seen Miguel Tejada sign for one year at $6MM, Orlando Hudson at one year and $5MM, and Pedro Feliz at one year and $4.5MM, it's hard not to ask why Lopez is still looking for work. After all, he had a better all-around season than all three of those former free agents.

To this point, the only substantial interest we've seen in Lopez has been from the Cardinals, though they've dedicated a great deal of money to Matt Holliday and Brad Penny this offseason. Last we heard, St. Louis has $6MM-$7MM to spend, and they've got question marks in the infield that make Lopez a logical fit.

Keeping in mind that he can play all over the infield and even some outfield if necessary, are there fits besides St. Louis, or is their reunion just a matter of time? Cleveland, Toronto, and Colorado could potentially use some infield insurance, to name a few possibilities. Let's hear some suggestions for the man who quietly posted a 4.6 WAR season in 2009 but still hasn't found a home.

Week In Review: 2/7/10 – 2/13/10

By Steve Adams | February 14, 2010 at 2:48pm CDT

Happy Valentine's Day, baseball lovers. Let's take a look back at the past week:

With a $5MM gap to settle, Tim Lincecum's arbitration hearing with the Giants loomed on the horizon, but was avoided last minute on Friday. "The Freak" signed a two-year, $23MM deal, so Giants fans can rest easy for now anyway. Earlier in the week we also heard that a three-year, $37MM offer was on the table.
Not all arbitration cases were avoided, however, as Corey Hart won his case against the Brewers, while B.J. Upton lost his with the Rays.
One of the most feared hitters of the 1990s and 2000s hung it up this week, when Frank Thomas officially announced his retirement. The Big Hurt will finish up with 521 home runs and a .301/.419/.555 line to his credit. I don't know about you, but a career .974 OPS is pretty good in my book. Congrats on a phenomenal career, Frank.
Thomas wasn't the only big name from in recent history to officially retire. Tom Glavine also announced his retirement this week. For his career, Glavine notched 305 wins, a 3.54 ERA, two Cy Young Awards and four other Top 3 finishes in the voting. Glavine will take a job as a special assistant to Braves team president John Schuerholz.
He may be getting up there in the years as well, but Carlos Delgado's not calling it quits just yet. The free agent slugger won't retire, and may sign somewhere midseason. It looks like Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz might take similar routes. Hey, it worked pretty well for Pedro last year.
Earlier in the week, we looked at whether or not Scott Boras had failed some of his clients, such as Johnny Damon, Jarrod Washburn, or Felipe Lopez. Apparently Lopez thinks the answer is "yes," because he fired everyone's favorite super-agent this week. Lopez is still without work, despite great offense and defense in 2009. Maybe Boras will have better luck with his newest client, Kendry Morales.
Anyone looking for an all-speed fourth outfielder? The A's released Willy Taveras this week just days after taking on the veteran center fielder in a trade with the Reds in order to get Adam Rosales as well.
Chien-Ming Wang has offers and will make a decision in the near future. It's looking like the Nationals are the clear front-runner for the right-hander's services. Wang would join Jason Marquis and provide a clear upgrade and some stability to the Nats' rotation if healthy.
Adeiny Hechevarria, a 19-year-old Cuban shortstop that ESPN's Jorge Arangure has dubbed "the next big thing out of Cuba," is generating a lot of interest. Six teams recently watched Hechevarria, who could receive an offer in excess of $10MM.
The Orioles have been active this offseason, and may not be done yet. They have some interest in free agent lefty Jarrod Washburn, who is said to be content to wait for the right offer. Tough to say if Washburn presents a clear upgrade over a youngster like Chris Tillman, but at this point, you have to figure the price tag would be pretty minimal.
Minor league deals were handed out like candy this week. Just to name a few: Marcus Thames with the Yankees, Will Ohman in Baltimore, Hisanori Takahashi with the Mets, and Jacque Jones is back with Minnesota. To see the rest of the deals, check out our Transactions section.

Moyer Open To Pitching In 2011

By Mike Axisa | February 14, 2010 at 10:57am CDT

Despite being 47-years-old and dealing with a myriad of physical ailments during the last six months, Phillies' starter Jamie Moyer is open to pitching in 2011 according to Andy Martino of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“You know, I’m going to leave that as an open-ended question because I don’t know how to answer that,” Moyer said when asked if he expected to retire after this year, when his current contract expires. “It could be (my last season). It potentially could be. But so could have last year. So could have two years ago, so could have five years ago.

Moyer finished the 2009 season injured after tearing three muscles in his groin and lower abdomen in late-September, and was then hospitalized in October and November due to possible blood infections following the subsequent surgery. He also had a minor knee procedure last month.

After posting a 4.94 ERA and being demoted to the bullpen last year, Moyer will earn $6.5MM in 2010 as part of the two-year, $13MM deal he signed last winter. Sitting at 258 career wins, he has a very outside shot at the magical 300 win mark.

Kendry Morales Hires Scott Boras

By Mike Axisa | February 14, 2010 at 8:52am CDT

While he lost free agent Felipe Lopez yesterday, agent Scott Boras has picked up a new client in Angels first baseman Kendry Morales, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Morales is entering the final season of a six year, $4.5MM contract and will be arbitration-eligible for the first time after this season.

The 26-year-old Morales was previously represented by the Hendricks brothers. Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN writes that Morales helped lure Aroldis Chapman to Hendricks Sports Management.

Odds & Ends: Rangers, Wang, Indians

By Mark Polishuk | February 13, 2010 at 10:35pm CDT

A few links to pass along….

Jon Daniels says "it's less than 50-50" that the Rangers make any more moves before spring training, reports Jeff Wilson of The Dallas Morning News. Wilson adds that Rod Barajas and Rocco Baldelli have been connected to Texas this winter, and the Rangers might also be interested in a platoon partner for Chris Davis.
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals are out of the Chien-Ming Wang sweepstakes. We've already learned that the Nationals are the favorites to sign the right-hander.
Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer answers some reader mail that covers such topics as a possible Grady Sizemore trade and Omar Vizquel's somewhat surprising criteria for picking a new city.
Orlando Cabrera and Aaron Miles aren't exactly the first two names that leap to mind when you're thinking about October baseball, but Reds GM Walt Jocketty said that the duo's playoff experience was a factor in their acquisition, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Larry Stone of the Seattle Times provides a general recap of the 2009-10 offseason.

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