Archives for February 2010

Rockies Unlikely To Sign Beimel Or Wellemeyer

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 9, 2010 at 3:09pm CDT

The Rockies are not likely to re-sign Joe Beimel or add Todd Wellemeyer. Beimel tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post that he doesn't expect to re-sign with the Rockies, despite a successful stint with the team last year. The lefty, who didn't sign until March 18th last spring, says he's happy to wait for the right offer.

Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd tells ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that the club has 'no interest' in Todd Wellemeyer (Twitter link). Wellemeyer listed the Rockies as a possible fit last week, but the 31-year-old right-hander will have to look elsewhere for a job. The Giants, Mets, Phillies and D'Backs have all been linked to Wellemeyer.

The Rockies have plenty of starting pitching already. Ubaldo Jimenez, Aaron Cook, Jorge de la Rosa, Jason Hammel and Jeff Francis should figure prominently in a rotation that could also include Franklin Morales and Tim Redding.

Odds & Ends: Theriot, Delgado, Damon, Yankees

By Tim Dierkes | February 9, 2010 at 2:45pm CDT

Links for Tuesday…

2011 free agent Brandon Webb threw for the first time since his August shoulder surgery today and told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert that he feels good.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says (via Twitter) that he's not under the impression that the Reds are in on Johnny Damon.
The Cubs haven't spoken with Ryan Theriot's representatives recently and expect to go to an arbitration hearing with the infielder, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
Jim Reeves of ESPNDallas.com explains how Rangers GM Jon Daniels now reports to Nolan Ryan. Within the piece, Daniels says the Rangers obtained virtually every player they targeted this offseason.
Carlos Delgado's agent tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that his client's conditioning is progressing well (Twitter link).
Morosi tweets that the Brewers signed Chase Wright to a minor league deal.
Corey Hart's arbitration hearing is scheduled for Thursday, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. If the hearing does occur, Hart will either be paid $4.8MM or $4.15MM in 2010. It'll be Doug Melvin's first hearing as Brewers GM.
Johnny Damon is a big fan of Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings, agent Scott Boras told John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press. Boras says Damon received "four or five offers right away" after it became clear the Yankees wouldn't re-sign him.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman explained to George King of the New York Post that he groups Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Joe Girardi together in terms of not negotiating extensions.
WEEI's Rob Bradford explains why Josh Beckett's shoulder will be a critical factor in whether the Red Sox re-sign the righty.
Comparing 2008 to 2009, FanGraphs' Matthew Carruth lists the pitchers with the biggest gains and losses on their fastballs.
The Brewers agreed to sign Dominican righties Eduard Reyes, Carlos Sosa, and Elvis Mora, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
McCalvy points us to this entertaining interview the blog Right Field Bleachers did with Marlins reliever Seth McClung.
The blog Monozygotic compiled a list of non-roster Spring Training invitees for all 30 teams.

Mets Claim Jason Pridie

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 9, 2010 at 2:11pm CDT

The Mets claimed Jason Pridie off waivers from the Twins, according to a team press release. The move opens up room on the 40-man roster for recent acquisition Orlando Hudson. Pridie, 26, has appeared in 11 major league games, all for the Twins.

Last year Pridie hit .265/.295/.382 in 546 plate appearances in his second full season at Triple A. The Twins obtained him in the 2007 trade that sent Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett to the Rays for Brendan Harris and Delmon Young. Minnesota added potential outfield depth today, signing Jacque Jones.

Twins Sign Jacque Jones

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 9, 2010 at 1:59pm CDT

The Twins signed Jacque Jones to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. Jones, 35 in April, sat out last season after hitting poorly in 2008. He hit one homer and posted a .147/.239/.207 line for the Tigers and Marlins that year.

The outfielder's best seasons came in Minnesota, where he was a regular from 2000-05. Jones' last productive year came right after he left the Twins. He hit a career-high 27 homers for the Cubs in 2006 with an .833 OPS. That marked the fourth time in five seasons he reached the 20-homer plateau.

The Twins have Delmon Young, Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel and Jim Thome around already. To make the team's Opening Day roster, Jones would presumably need to win a job from Brendan Harris, Nick Punto or Alexi Casilla or see one of the team's regulars get injured. Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that Jones is willing to play in the minors if he doesn't make the team.

Brewers Sign Scott Schoeneweis

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 9, 2010 at 1:36pm CDT

The Brewers signed Scott Schoeneweis to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, tweets MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The lefthander will earn $800K if he makes the Brewers' roster. The D'Backs, who traded for Schoeneweis last winter, decided not to offer him arbitration after the season.

Schoeneweis struggled through the 2009 campaign, dealing with the death of his wife and pitching just 24 innings. His stats (5.3 K/9, 4.9 BB/9, 7.12 ERA) were not good, but the Brewers will likely give the 36-year-old the chance to become their second lefty reliever, tweets McCalvy.

As McCalvy noted last week, 24-year-old Rule 5 draft pick Chuck Lofgren could make the Brewers as a left-handed reliever. The Brewers will have to offer Lofgren back to the Indians if he doesn't make the team. He pitched 98.1 innings at AAA last year, striking out 5.7 K/9 and walking 3.0 K/9.

Orioles Sign Mark Hendrickson

By Tim Dierkes | February 9, 2010 at 12:35pm CDT

The Orioles officially re-signed lefty Mark Hendrickson to a one-year, $1.4MM deal today. Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun first reported the agreement on January 28th. The deal pays $1.2MM in 2010 and includes a $1.2MM club option for 2011 with a $200K buyout. The 35-year-old will take on a relief role in 2010, though the contract contains bonuses for games started. The Orioles made room for Hendrickson by designating reliever Armando Gabino for assignment.

As a reliever in 2009, Hendrickson posted a 3.44 ERA, 6.1 K/9, and 2.3 BB/9 in 55 innings.

Orioles Designate Armando Gabino For Assignment

By Tim Dierkes | February 9, 2010 at 12:32pm CDT

The Orioles designated righty reliever Armando Gabino for assignment to make room for Mark Hendrickson, according to a team press release. Gabino, 26, posted a 2.94 ERA, 5.9 K/9, and 2.2 BB/9 for the Twins' Triple A club in '09 before Baltimore claimed him off waivers in November.

Orioles Sign Will Ohman

By Tim Dierkes | February 9, 2010 at 12:25pm CDT

The Orioles signed lefty reliever Will Ohman, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The 32-year-old tallied only 22.6 pro innings last year for the Dodgers due to a shoulder injury, and they declined his $2.2MM option after the season. Ohman didn't sign with the Dodgers until March 30th, so he didn't have much of a Spring Training.

Ohman can be very tough on lefties – he held them to a .200/.257/.314 line in 114 plate appearances in 2008. The Blue Jays and Royals also showed interest in Ohman this winter, reported Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

Athletics Release Willy Taveras

By Tim Dierkes | February 9, 2010 at 12:10pm CDT

The Athletics released outfielder Willy Taveras, tweets MLB.com's Jane Lee. Taveras had been designated for assignment on February 1st immediately after being acquired from the Reds along with Adam Rosales. Taveras passed through Oakland as GM Billy Beane's way of facilitating the Rosales acquisition.

The A's ultimately acquired Jake Fox and Rosales. The financial cost is the $4MM owed to Taveras, less $400K if he signs elsewhere as a free agent and less the $1MM the Cubs sent with Aaron Miles. If Taveras signs somewhere the A's will have paid $2.6MM to get Fox and Rosales, while also giving up Jeff Gray, Ronny Morla, and Matt Spencer.

Indians Sign Jamey Wright

By Tim Dierkes | February 9, 2010 at 10:44am CDT

The Indians signed reliever Jamey Wright to a minor league deal, reports MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. Wright, 35, posted a 4.33 ERA, 6.8 K/9, and 5.0 BB/9 in 79 innings for the Royals last year, earning $1.4MM. Among those with 50+ innings, Wright's 59.1% groundball rate ranked 11th in baseball. Only one remaining free agent was better: Mike MacDougal at 62.1%.

Other Indians non-roster invitees this year include Mike Gosling, Jason Grilli, Saul Rivera, Brian Buscher, Mark Grudzielanek, Luis Rodriguez, Shelley Duncan, and Austin Kearns. Mike Redmond is the team's only big league signing.

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