Reds Sign Orlando Cabrera
Shortstop Orlando Cabrera officially signed a one-year, $3.02MM deal with the Reds today. The contract pays $2.02MM in 2010. There's also a $4MM mutual option for '11 with a $500K buyout if Cabrera declines and a $1MM buyout if the Reds decline. Yahoo's Tim Brown first tweeted news of the agreement, with MLB.com's Mark Sheldon adding the contract details.
Cabrera, 35, hit .284/.316/.389 in 708 plate appearances for the Athletics and Twins last year. 1400 innings may not be enough to draw a defensive conclusion, but Cabrera's UZR/150 was below average in 2009 after above average ratings the previous two years. For Cabrera to represent an upgrade for the Reds over Paul Janish, the veteran's glovework will need to bounce back.
The Rockies and Nationals also expressed late interest in Cabrera. Last year, he signed with the A's on March 2nd.
Lowry Audition Pushed Back
MONDAY, 4:13pm: Lowry's scheduled throwing session has been pushed back, according to the AP. His agent says the lefty has not had a setback; he just wants to throw a few more bullpen sessions before auditioning.
THURSDAY, 1:35pm: Scott Lauber of the News Journal tweets that the Phillies will be there.
WEDNESDAY, 4:29pm: The Rangers will watch Lowry throw, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
8:27am: Lefty Noah Lowry is set to throw for teams Tuesday, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The 29-year-old seeks a one-year contract after battling thoracic outlet syndrome the last few years. His last truly effective season was 2005.
Crasnick expects about 15 teams to attend the session, including the Reds, Red Sox, Cardinals, Braves, Astros, Dodgers, Mariners, Cubs, Nationals and Mets. Back in December, a Crasnick report linked the Padres, A's, Rockies, and Pirates to Lowry as well.
Orlando Hudson Rumors: Monday
3:53pm: The Rockies are out on Hudson as well as Felipe Lopez, writes Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.
Meanwhile, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said on Sirius XM's MLB Home Plate show today that GM Mike Rizzo "feels confident that we’re going to get [a Hudson deal] done," but other teams are interested and taking a lower-than-expected contract "might be a little bit of a hard pill to swallow" for the player.
11:15am: Ladson tweets that the Indians, Rockies, and another AL team – not the Twins – are in on Hudson, aside from the Nationals. He adds in another tweet that Hudson "appears unwilling to play for the Nats at a discount."
Still, Olney does believe (via Twitter) the Twins have shifted their focus from pitching to an infielder, perhaps given Nick Punto's recent surgery and Francisco Liriano's impresive winter ball stint.
9:25am: Let's try to decipher the latest rumors involving free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson. MLB.com's Bill Ladson expects a decision this week (Twitter).
Yesterday, ESPN's Tim Kurkjian wrote the Nationals "appear to be getting closer to signing" Hudson. The deal "would be for $3 million with incentives that could easily reach $4 million for 2010." Kurkjian cautioned that Hudson had not signed off on Washington's offer. Also on Sunday, Ladson countered Kurkjian's report with two Tweets. Ladson said Nationals GM Mike Rizzo hadn't talked to Hudson's agent "in a couple of days," and if Hudson's price is coming down "that's news to Rizzo."
This morning, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that the Twins "appear to be serious in their pursuit of Hudson." On Saturday, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune wondered if the Twins were "looking harder into acquiring Hudson" based on TwinsFest comments. Neal's colleague Joe Christensen doesn't believe the Twins would go to $3MM for Hudson.
Mariners Sign Ryan Garko
The Mariners officially signed Ryan Garko to a one-year, $550K deal today. Garko can earn another $525K in plate appearance incentives. Gregg Bell of the AP first reported the agreement.
Mariners assistant GM Jeff Kingston recently spoke about targeting a right-handed hitter who can crush left-handed pitching while playing at first base or DH. Garko, 29, fits the bill given his .311/.391/.491 line against southpaws over the past three seasons. Garko was non-tendered by the Giants after the season. The Mariners can retain him for 2011 and 2012 as an arbitration-eligible player if they choose.
GM Jack Zduriencik's take on the signing:
"We are happy to add Ryan to our Major League roster. We think he is a player that adds versatility as a right-handed hitter with experience playing first base, designated hitter and catcher."
Mariners Designate Gaby Hernandez For Assignment
Righty Gaby Hernandez was designated for assignment to make room for Ryan Garko, according to a Mariners press release.
Hernandez, 24 in May, posted a 6.0 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, and 5.23 ERA in 146.3 Triple A innings last year. He was acquired from the Marlins for Arthur Rhodes at the '08 trade deadline. The Marlins had acquired Hernandez from the Mets for Paul Lo Duca in December of '05. Baseball America ranked Hernandez 21st among Mariners prospects heading into the '09 season, but he didn't crack their top 30 in the brand new 2010 Handbook.
Mauer Extension Talks Going Well
3:27pm: ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that he heard from multiple sources that Rosen's report of a preliminary 10-year agreement is not accurate.
3:05pm: WCCO TV's Mark Rosen reports that Mauer and the Twins reached a preliminary agreement on a 10-year extension. Such a contract would take him through the 2020 season, at which point he'd be 37.
10:32am: Joe Mauer may soon sign a contract extension with the Twins, believes Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Two Christensen sources take the good vibes even further, suggesting the number of years and guaranteed money is already agreed upon. Christensen's take on a Mauer extension: "It's a matter of when, not if."
If Mauer is locked up, Victor Martinez will jump to the top of the projected free agent catcher class for the 2010-11 offseason.
Giants Sign Horacio Ramirez
The Giants signed lefty Horacio Ramirez to a minor league deal, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Ramirez, 30, pitched only 22.6 big league innings for the Royals in 2009 after re-signing for a surprising $1.8MM in December '08. He was designated for assignment in June, and landed with the Nationals' Triple A club. Ramirez made 16 uninspiring starts for Syracuse.
Johnny Damon Rumors: Monday
Johnny Damon would like to play for the Tigers, agent Scott Boras informed Lynn Henning of the Detroit News. Boras praised Damon's 189 successful plate appearances at Comerica Park and says the outfielder believes he can make the Tigers a winner. However, as of January 15th, the Tigers had not expressed interest in Damon. MLB.com's Jason Beck dissects the situation in today's mailbag.
Damon's future remains unclear – the Blue Jays and Rays have kicked the tires, but that's about it in recent weeks.
Giants To Sign Byung-Hyun Kim
The Giants agreed to a minor league deal with reliever Byung-Hyun Kim, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Kim last pitched in the Majors for the Marlins in '07. He signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Pirates in February of '08, but was bought out a month later for $300K.
Kim, now represented by Paul Cobbe, spent most of the last few years "re-charging" in South Korea.
Athletics Sign Gabe Gross
The Athletics officially signed outfielder Gabe Gross to a one-year, $750K deal. He can earn another $250K in incentives. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported serious discussions Saturday night, with Jane Lee of MLB.com reporting the agreement and contract details.
Gross, 30, hit .227/.326/.355 in 326 plate appearances for the Rays last year, logging 638.6 innings in right field. He has experience at the other two outfield positions, and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle feels he's the favorite for Oakland's fourth outfielder job. Gross has struggled mightily against lefties in his career; he's hit 242/.338/.409 against righties the last three years.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.