Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for November 2010

Red Sox Acquire Andrew Miller

By | at

The Red Sox acquired Andrew Miller from the Marlins in exchange for Dustin Richardson, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports (on Twitter). 

Miller, 25, was picked sixth overall by Detroit in the 2006 amateur draft and was dealt to Florida as part of the big Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis swap in December 2007.  Miller was seen as arguably the biggest piece (along with Cameron Maybin) of the six-prospect package that Florida acquired for their stars, but the left-hander has struggled to become a consistent major league hurler.  In 79 career games, 54 of them starts, Miller has a 5.84 ERA and a 7.2 BB/9 rate.  Miller was out of options with the Marlins and could've been non-tendered, but the Red Sox were clearly willing to take a chance on a young pitcher who still has a high ceiling.

Richardson is also a 25-year-old southpaw originally chosen in the 2006 draft, though Richardson's pick came in the fifth round.  Also like Miller, Richardson has struggled with control issues — in 16.1 major league innings, Richardson has recorded 15 walks.  His control has been better (4.4 BB/9 rate) in the minors, plus he has a K/9 ratio of 10.0 over his five minor league seasons.  Richardson has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for the last two years and the Marlins were known to be looking for relief pitching this winter.

Moore Explains Greinke Trade Rumors

By | at

Royals GM Dayton Moore repeated today that he is willing to listen to offers for his ace. Moore told Jim Duquette and Kevin Kennedy on MLB Network Radio what will happen if they can’t sign Zack Greinke to another multi-year contract.

“Then we are going to have to make a decision to move him at some point in time,” Moore said. “Is that this winter?  I don't know.  Is it prior to the deadline in 2011?  Possibly.  Is it off-season 2011?  But we will have to make that determination no different than other clubs have had to make.  Minnesota had to make a similar decision with [Johan]  Santana and, of course, Cleveland had to make a decision similar with [Cliff]  Lee and [C.C.] Sabathia.  So we will have to maximize his value certainly at some point in time.”

Moore says the Royals have received calls on Greinke at multiple points, including at last year’s trade deadline. The Blue Jays and Red Sox are among the teams that have inquired on Greinke, who has a partial no-trade clause and two years and $27MMM remaining on his current deal.

Moore added that the Royals are approaching the free agent market cautiously. The club will look to add one or two right-handed hitting outfielders this offseason and, as we heard yesterday, Jeff Francoeur is one option for Kansas City.

Renteria Wants To Retire With Cardinals Or Marlins

By | at

One way or another, Edgar Renteria wants to bring his career full circle and return to the site of his postseason heroics. Few other players could say this and still keep their options open, but Renteria has some choices. Changing course from a recent statement that he would prefer to return to the Giants, Renteria told reporters in his hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia yesterday that he would like to retire playing either for the Cardinals or the Marlins (link in Spanish).

Over the course of nearly an hour of questioning, Renteria explained that he had been undecided about retirement following the World Series, so he sought the opinions of the baseball minds he admired most. "God sent me a message through the MVP, and I don't know if he did it so that I would retire or so that I would keep going," Renteria said. "In any case, I spoke with important baseball people like Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox, and Manny Mota, and they suggested that I continue, and I'm motivated."

Renteria reiterated that he is willing to play second base as well as shortstop, though even after his down 2009 campaign, the 35-year-old stands out as a feasible backup and occasional starter on both sides of the bag. Both the Cardinals and the Marlins have their 2009 and 2010 starting middle infields under contract for 2011, though the Cardinal duo of Skip Schumaker and Brendan Ryan customarily leave more opportunities for spot-starts and substitutions than the Marlins' steady Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez. Though the Marlins aren't a fit for Renteria now, a spot could open up if they are unable to reach an agreement with Uggla and explore trading the second baseman.

Odds & Ends: Pudge, Indians, Orioles, Jeter

By | at

Links for Friday, four years to the day after the Cubs signed Aramis Ramirez to a five-year $75MM contract. He has 93 homers and a .287/.356/.510 line since signing the deal…

Nationals Interested In Bloomquist, Miles, Cairo

By | at

The Nationals are interested in Willie Bloomquist, Aaron Miles and Miguel Cairo, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (on Twitter). GM Mike Rizzo is apparently looking to add versatility to his bench.

Bloomquist, 33 this month, said at the end of the season that he wanted to play every day in 2011. He batted .267/.299/.380, so it seems doubtful that teams would see him as a regular. Instead, clubs will presumably ask Bloomquist to move all around the diamond as he did last year, when he played all four infield positions and all three outfield positions.

Miles, 33, batted .281/.311/.317 for the Cardinals last year. He played short, second and third and even pitched two scoreless innings (lowering his career ERA to 3.60).

The Reds have had preliminary talks about re-signing Cairo, who batted .290/.353/.410 in 226 plate appearances last year. The 15-year veteran played five positions for Cincinnati.

Padres And Marlins Discussing Maybin

By | at

2:54pm: The Padres have acquired Maybin from the Marlins, pending a physical, reports Tom Krasovic of Fanhouse (via Twitter).

2:09pm: Maybin will be traded and a deal with the Padres is getting close, a source tells Jeff Passan of Yahoo (via Twitter).

12:25am: The Marlins have also discussed Maybin with the Royals, according to Frisaro (Twitter link).

11:54am: The Padres and Marlins are discussing a trade involving Cameron Maybin, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. It is unclear who or if any other players are involved in the discussions.

Maybin, still just 23, has yet to establish himself in the big leagues after coming over in the Miguel Cabrera–Dontrelle Willis trade in December 2007. He's a .246/.313/.380 career hitter in 610 plate appearances, mostly with the Marlins. UZR loves his defense in center, rating him at +5.1 at the position for his career. 

Maybin is out of options, so he will need to clear waivers to go to the minors starting next season. He does have four years of team control remaining, however. Florida traded Andrew Miller, the other key piece they received in the Cabrera-Willis deal, to the Red Sox yesterday.

Phillies Sign Eddie Bonine, Erik Kratz

By | at

The Phillies signed right-handed reliever Eddie Bonine and catcher Erik Kratz to minor league deals, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (all Twitter links). 

Bonine posted a 4.63 ERA in 68 innings for the Tigers last year with 3.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. The Tigers made a push to bring The 29-year-old back on a minor league deal before the Phillies made a better offer, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (on Twitter). Both teams expressed interest in Bonine after he became a free agent last week.

Kratz, 30, made his big league debut with the 2010 Pirates after spending nine seasons in the minor leagues. He has a .252/.325/.434 minor league line, but he hit just .118/.167/.118 in 36 big league plate appearances.

Dewayne Wise, Brian Tallet Hit free Agency

By | at

Dewayne Wise and Brian Tallet are free agents after refusing outright assignments to Triple-A Las Vegas, the Blue Jays announced. The A's just claimed Edwin Encarnacion off of waivers, so the Blue Jays' once-massive class of arbitration eligible players is now down to 11. Like Encarnacion, Wise and Tallet were non-tender candidates, so it's not surprising to see either player hit the free agent market.

Wise, 32, played all three outfield positions for Cito Gaston's Blue Jays in 2010. He batted .250/.282/.393 in 118 plate appearances.

Tallet is effective against lefties, but he earned $2MM in 2010 and was getting expensive through arbitration. The 33-year-old pitched to a 6.40 ERA wtih 6.2 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 2010. Against left-handed hitters, Tallet posted 8.6 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9, so I listed him as one of five potential bargain lefties last month.

A’s Claim Edwin Encarnacion

By | at

The A's claimed Edwin Encarnacion off of waivers from the Blue Jays, according to the teams. The third baseman hit 21 home runs last year, more than anyone on the A's. Encarnacion batted .244/.305/.482 and reached the 20-homer plateau for the second time in his six-year career. Oakland GM Billy Beane, who acquired David DeJesus earlier in the week, continues his busy offseason search for bats.

The Blue Jays lost Encarnacion for nothing, but that's no surprise. The 27-year-old earned $4.75MM in 2010 and could have earned even more through arbitration in 2011, so he was a non-tender candidate.

Another non-tender candidate, Kevin Kouzmanoff, now faces an uncertain future in Oakland. Encarnacion has played all but nine innings of his big league career at third base, Kouzmanoff’s position. The A’s also have Conor Jackson, Rajai Davis, Coco Crisp, Ryan Sweeney, Jack Cust and DeJesus, so there won’t be many at bats to spare at DH. It appears that Kouzmanoff’s days in Oakland are numbered, especially since he and Encarnacion couldn't platoon (both handle lefties better than righties).

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, have an opening at third base. Jose Bautista played 48 games at the hot corner in 2010, John McDonald can play third and prospect Brad Emaus has experience there, too. However, it seems likely that the Blue Jays will consider acquiring a third baseman through trades or free agency.

Nationals Interested In Jorge De La Rosa

By | at

Like the Yankees, the Nationals are pursuing both of the winter’s top free agent left-handers. Not only is Washington eyeing Cliff Lee, the front office is interested in Jorge de la Rosa, according to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson. 

When Nationals GM Mike Rizzo was Arizona’s scouting director, he signed De La Rosa to his first pro contract. Twelve years later, the Nationals are looking for front of the rotation starters and De La Rosa is available. Another pitcher with ties to Rizzo, Brandon Webb, is on the Nationals’ radar this winter.

The Yankees and Rockies are among the teams known to have interest in De La Rosa. Assuming Colorado offers arbitration, signing the lefty will cost a top draft pick since he's a Type A free agent. The 29-year-old battled finger injuries in 2010, but still posted a 4.22 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 121 2/3 innings.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top