Yankees To Sign Pedro Feliciano
The Yankees have agreed to sign Pedro Feliciano, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link). MDR Sports represents the left-hander. The two-year deal will be for $8MM and include an option for 2013.
The 34-year-old is durable, effective against left-handed hitters and used to pitching in New York. Feliciano has led the National League in appearances in each of the past three seasons for the Mets, the team with which he has spent his entire eight-year career. Overall, Feliciano posted a 3.30 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 62 2/3 innings in 2010.
Feliciano limited left-handed hitters to a .211/.297/.276 line last year. He did not allow a home run in 139 matchups against lefty batters.
The Yankees will not have to surrender a draft choice, but the Mets will obtain a supplementary first round pick, since Feliciano turned down their offer or arbitration. The Red Sox, Rockies and Phillies also had interest in the reliever.
The Yankees now seem likely to pursue starting pitching, a right-handed reliever and an outfielder who bats from the right-side.
Webb Likely To Decide On Team Soon
Brandon Webb is likely to decide on his next team soon, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. Multiple teams are in the running to sign the right-hander, who has drawn steady interest this offseason. The Rangers have expressed interest, the Cubs were focused on Webb at one point and, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson, the Nationals maintain interest.
The Yankees, Reds and Brewers don't seem interested in Webb, who has missed almost all of the last two seasons with shoulder injuries. He underwent right shulder surgery in August of 2009 and spent most of this past season recovering from the operation.
Webb is drawing considerable interest after two lost seasons because he was one of the top pitchers in baseball from 2003-08. He didn't finish lower than second in the Cy Young Award voting from 2006-08, when he was selected to three consecutive All-Star teams. Webb, a ground ball pitcher, has posted 7.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 with a 3.27 ERA in his career.
Orioles Sign Jeremy Accardo
The Orioles officially announced their one-year deal with Jeremy Accardo today. He'll earn $1.08MM, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Accardo, 29 this weekend, saved 30 games and posted a 2.14 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 as the Blue Jays' closer in 2007. He has since bounced between the majors and minors and spent most of last season at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he posted a 3.48 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.
The Twins, Rays, White Sox, Dodgers and Pirates all expressed interest in Accardo, who became a free agent after the Blue Jays non-tendered him last month. It was not surprising to see Toronto cut Accardo loose, since he said last season that the Blue Jays lied to him. Scott Leventhal and Damon Lapa represent the right-hander.
If the Orioles are happy with Accardo's production, they'll be able to retain him through arbitration in 2012. Another former Blue Jay, Kevin Gregg, is also in discussions with the Orioles.
Busy Offseason For The Dodgers
The Red Sox, Nationals and Phillies have made the biggest acquisitions of the offseason, but none of those teams have been quite as active as one West Coast club. Since the Dodgers' season ended, they have added four starters, two catchers, their starting second baseman, a setup man, a fourth outfielder and then some.
Ned Colletti agreed to sign eight players for $1MM or more. He has mixed in some low-cost acquisitions with some major commitments. Three multiyear deals later, the team has committed over $90MM to players so far this offseason. Here's the breakdown, which you can find via our Transaction Tracker:
- Ted Lilly (extension) three years, $33MM
- Juan Uribe (signing) three years, $21MM
- Matt Guerrier (signing) three years, $12MM
- Hiroki Kuroda (signing) one year, $12MM
- Jon Garland (signing) one year, $5MM
- Rod Barajas (signing) one year, $3.5MM
- Vicente Padilla (signing) one year, $2MM
- Dioner Navarro (signing) one year, $1MM
- The Dodgers have signed Tony Gwynn, Jay Gibbons, Juan Castro, Eugenio Velez, JD Closser, Trent Oeltjen, Alexis Pacheco and Dana Eveland to deals worth less than $1MM.
- Colletti also acquired Blake Hawksworth and Anthony Jackson in trades.
The Dodgers have not signed a Type A free agent who turned down an offer of arbitration (the Twins declined to offer Guerrier arbitration) so they still have all of their top 2011 draft picks. Their first rounder is protected, but they would lose a second rounder in the unlikely event that they sign Carl Pavano, Adrian Beltre or Grant Balfour.
Odds & Ends: Hudson, Jackson, Lee, Crain
These days it takes more than a dollar to get a can of soda from a vending machine. Back in 1936, a dollar represented the late Bob Feller's signing bonus with the Indians. Pretty nice bargain for the Tribe on that one.
Onto tonight's links…
- Orlando Hudson is running out of suitors, but ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill suggests the Blue Jays could be a potential match, with Aaron Hill moving to third base to accomodate Hudson at second. Hudson was originally drafted by Toronto in 1997 and played four seasons for the Jays before being dealt to Arizona following the 2005 season.
- The White Sox are pushing their payroll to new heights, and ESPNChicago.com's Doug Padilla suggests they might consider trading Edwin Jackson to create some salary breathing room.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com (Twitter link) has the breakdown of Cliff Lee's annual salaries with the Phillies. Lee will earn $11MM next season, $21.5MM in 2012, and then $25MM per season from 2013 to 2015, plus the previously-reported vesting option for 2016. Rosenthal tweets that Lee's $27.5MM vesting option in 2016 becomes a club option for the same total if it fails to vest, but in such a situation it seems a lock that Philadelphia would just pay Lee the $12.5MM buyout.
- There was no pressure put on Lee by the players' union to take the largest contract offer, says Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman (Twitter link). "As long as a player makes an informed choice, we're happy," says MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner.
- Jesse Crain spoke about his all-but-official contract with the White Sox in an interview on KFAN 1130 AM in Minneapolis, and MLB.com's Scott Merkin reports on the highlights of the chat. Crain said he was swayed by the chance to close games and Chicago's offer of a three-year deal, also noting that "the Twins didn't really make an offer" to re-sign him.
- Washington GM Mike Rizzo says Oakland's offer for Josh Willingham was better than any of the offers he received for Willingham before last year's trade deadline, tweets MASNsports.com's Ben Goessling.
- The Tigers have the young pitching (Andy Oliver or Jacob Turner) and middle infield prospects (Danny Worth, Will Rhymes, Scott Sizemore) to meet Kansas City's asking price for Zack Greinke, writes Steve Kornacki of MLive.com. Count me as skeptical — it's hard to see the Royals dealing Greinke to a division rival unless they got an absolute monster of an offer, and they'd probably ask Detroit for both Oliver and Turner just as a starting point.
- ESPN's Keith Law covered such topics as Jay Bruce's extension, the 2011 amateur draft and the spate of multi-year contracts for relievers in an online chat with fans today.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com outlines ten of the major holes that various contending teams still need to fill this winter.
Astros Notes: Hall, Bullpen, Bourn, Wandy Rodriguez
MLB.com's Brian McTaggart discusses a few hot stove items in his latest mailbag piece…
- The Astros have a limited amount of payroll space to work with, so they would have to free up some money via a trade before they could sign a free agent like Bill Hall or another veteran for depth. We've heard the Dodgers and Yankees are Hall's "most aggressive" suitors, with L.A. allegedly offering Hall the regular left field job, so Houston could be out of luck.
- Houston is looking to add a left-handed reliever either in a trade or from the free agent market.
- McTaggart says it "doesn't make much sense" to deal Michael Bourn since Houston still has two more years of control over him. McTaggart seemed more open to a Wandy Rodriguez trade, noting that the left-hander's age (32 in January) and lousy start to the 2010 season are possible warning signs for the Astros. Rodriguez is entering the last year of his contract and there have been some extension talks, but the Astros might want to see if they can drum up some trade deadline interest in Rodriguez if he has a good start next season.
Red Sox Want A One-Year Deal With Wheeler
The Red Sox have added Bobby Jenks, Matt Albers, Andrew Miller, and others to their list of bullpen options over the last few days, but Dan Wheeler is still on their wish list. We heard yesterday that Boston was talking with the veteran right-hander, and now CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam (via Twitter) reports that the Sox "likely won't go beyond" a one-year contract offer. Wheeler is a native of Providence, Rhode Island, so McAdam speculates that Wheeler "might prefer being home" rather than seeking a multi-year deal elsewhere.
Wheeler, 33, has been a very solid bullpen option in five of his last six seasons. Over the last three years with Tampa Bay, he posted a 3.24 ERA and a 3.06 K/BB ratio in 203 games. Wheeler became a Type A free agent when the Rays declined his 2011 option, but since they also didn't offer him arbitration, other teams are free to sign Wheeler without giving up a compensatory draft pick.
Rockies Looking At Aardsma, Balfour, Coffey
The Rockies have spoken to the Mariners about a possible David Aardsma trade, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Colorado has also shown interest in right-handers Grant Balfour and Todd Coffey, though Renck tweets that Balfour would have to be acquired in a "sign-and-trade" arrangment since the Rockies don't want to lose their first round draft pick as compensation for signing the Type A free agent.
Aardsma, who is known to be on the market, would be used in a set-up role with the Rockies since Huston Street is established as Colorado's closer. Balfour's Type-A status isn't the only hindrance to a possible signing, as he reportedly wants a three-year contract. The Rockies may be hesitant to give a middle reliever that kind of long-term commitment, though Joaquin Benoit, Jesse Crain, Scott Downs and Matt Guerrier have all signed three-year deals this winter.
Coffey, non-tendered by the Brewers earlier this month, comes with the smallest price tag but is also coming off the least-accomplished season (4.76 ERA, 9.4 H/9 rate) of the three pitchers. Renck adds that Colorado's "wish list" also includes Jon Rauch and Chad Qualls (Twitter link).
Padres Nearing Deal With Orlando Hudson
Orlando Hudson said on MLB Network Radio that he will "probably" sign with the Padres (all Twitter links). The second baseman said five teams expressed interest in him and that there could be an announcement from the Padres later today.
New Tools Menu Button
If you look at our navigation bar under the site's title, we've got a new button for Tools. Here you will find our Transaction Tracker, Free Agent Tracker, Remaining 2011 Free Agents List, 2012 Free Agents List, Widget for publishers, and iPhone app. Similar features will be added to that dropdown in the future.