Dodgers Remain Interested In Braden Looper
The Dodgers remain interested in free agent pitcher Braden Looper, but they're not willing to offer him more than a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. They would like to add the 35-year-old righty to the group of starters competing for the final spot in the team's rotation.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears that Looper could wait for pitchers to get injured before signing (Twitter link).
Odds & Ends: Ruiz, Braves, Offenses, Yankees
Links for Thursday…
- ESPN's Jorge Arangure tweets that Jose Julio Ruiz has changed agents, which will likely complicate any negotiations. The Red Sox were reported hot on the Cuban defector's trail.
- Tim Marchman of SI.com ranks MLB's 30 general managers, from Andrew Friedman to Dayton Moore.
- Moore tells Doug Tucker of the AP that he's confident he'll continue to build the team's farm system. The Royals have tripled their budget in Latin America under Moore.
- Stephania Bell of ESPN.com explains the injury risks that come with Billy Wagner, Troy Glaus, Takashi Saito and Tim Hudson, four players the Braves signed or extended this offseason.
- I've ranked the American League offenses over at RotoAuthority, using CHONE projections and the Baseball Musings lineup analysis tool.
- Jack Curry tweets that no one has called the Yankees yet about Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre, and GM Brian Cashman won't deal until late spring anyway.
- Milton Bradley told Tyler Kepner of the New York Times that "obviously, it was something with Chicago, not me." Bradley says the Cubs tried to make him a player he's not, expecting 30 home runs.
- Cubs manager Lou Piniella said on ESPN's Waddle & Silvy show that he'll determine his future after the season.
Reds Interested In Gary Matthews Jr.?
7:53pm: John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer spoke to a Reds' source who said the team has zero interest in Matthews (link goes to Twitter). The source went so far as to name five outfielders the team has in camp that they'd take over the former Angel.
6:54pm: The Reds are interested in acquiring Gary Matthews Jr. if he can't win the Mets' centerfield job, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Sarge Jr. is currently battling Angel Pagan to replace Carlos Beltran as he recovers from knee surgery, though Olney mentions that Pagan is expected to win the job.
Cincinnati has been seeking outfield help seemingly all winter, though they did just re-sign Jonny Gomes about two weeks ago. They have five other outfielders on their 40-man roster at the moment, though Chris Heisey and Drew Stubbs have yet to experience a full season in the big leagues
The Mets acquired Matthews from the Angels back in January, and the Halos are on the hook for all but $2MM of the $23.5MM left on his deal. Even though Matthews has hit just .245/.326/.358 in 837 plate appearances over the last two seasons, $2MM for two years of a fourth or fifth outfielder isn't awful.
Dodgers Sign Pitcher From Tryout Camp
The Dodgers have signed righthanded reliever Ricardo "Ricky" Rivas to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Rivas was the only player out of 85 to receive a deal out after participating in a tryout camp at Camelback Ranch-Glendale.
The 26-year-old Rivas spent last season with the El Paso Diablos of the independent American Association, where he posted a 4.82 ERA with a 5.5 K/9 and a 3.4 BB/9 in 37.1 innings. A 48th round pick of the Pirates in 2004, Rivas didn't sign and instead headed to Oklahoma State before jumping into the indy ranks.
Brewers Discussed Fielder Extension With Boras
Prince Fielder told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the Brewers met with agent Scott Boras yesterday to discuss an extension for the first baseman. The details aren't clear, but Fielder knows the Brewers haven't made an offer.
"All I know is that Scott said they talked and everything was positive," Fielder said. "I heard the talks were good. Now, they do whatever."
Mets Sign Kiko Calero
The Mets signed Kiko Calero to a minor league deal worth up to $1.5MM. He earns $850K if he makes the team, with another $650K available in incentives. There is no opt-out if the Mets send him to the minors.
Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News tweeted news of the deal, which was announced on SNY's broadcast of this afternoon's Mets game. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted the details.
Calero had been looking for a major league deal, so the Mets deserve credit for adding him on a minor league contract, especially since there's a good chance Kelvim Escobar will start the season injured.
The 35-year-old pitched 60 innings of 1.95 ERA ball last year for the Marlins, with 10.4 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9. But the Marlins had concerns about his health and they weren't the only ones. Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe heard from two executives who said Calero's medicals didn't look good (Twitter link). That didn't prevent eight teams from offering the righty minor league deals, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (via Twitter).
D’Backs Offer Mark Reynolds Extension
The D'Backs just locked up their franchise player and they may sign another young star to an extension soon. Jon Heyman of SI.com reported that the D'Backs offered Mark Reynolds a two-year $13.5MM deal to cover the 2011-12 seasons. MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reports that the sides will meet in person tomorrow to discuss a possible extension.
Blue Jays Claim Casey Fien
The Blue Jays claimed Casey Fien off waivers from the Red Sox, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (via Twitter). To make room for Fien, the Jays moved Scott Richmond to the 60-day DL.
It's been a busy week for Fien, who is with his third organization since Monday. The Tigers designated the reliever for assignment last week and the Red Sox claimed him Monday. He posted 10.2 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 58 Triple A innings last year and made his MLB debut. He has only faced 53 major league hitters, so it wouldn't be fair to judge him on the 7.94 ERA he posted for the Tigers.
The Red Sox now have 39 players on their 40-man roster, according to a team press release.
Offseason In Review: Texas Rangers
Next in our Offseason In Review series, the Rangers.
Major League Signings
- Rich Harden, SP: one year, $7.5MM. Includes $11MM mutual option for 2011 with a $1MM buyout.
- Vladimir Guerrero, DH: one year, $6.5MM. Includes $9MM mutual option for 2011 with a $1MM buyout
- Colby Lewis, SP: two years, $5MM. Includes $3.25MM club option for 2012 with a $250K buyout.
- Darren Oliver, RP: one year, $3.5MM. Includes $3.25MM club/vesting option for 2011 with a $500K buyout.
- Total spend: $22.5MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
Trades and Claims
- Acquired RP Clay Rapada from Tigers for a player to be named later or cash considerations
- Acquired RP Chris Ray and Rule 5 pick RP Ben Snyder from Orioles for SP Kevin Millwood and $3MM
- Acquired 1B Mitch Hilligoss from Yankees for OF Greg Golson
Notable Losses
- Marlon Byrd, Kevin Millwood, Hank Blalock, Andruw Jones, Omar Vizquel, Ivan Rodriguez, Jason Jennings, Eddie Guardado, Kris Benson, Joe Inglett, Greg Golson
Summary
Rangers GM Jon Daniels chose to gamble on upside this winter with the signings of Harden, Lewis, and Guerrero. Harden could provide 150 innings of sub-3.00 ball, but he could also succumb to injuries or continue his homer-prone ways of '09. Lewis could prove his massive success in Japan the last two years was no fluke, or his skills could be lost in translation. Vlad could return to his 600 plate appearance/.900 OPS glory days, or he could have another injury-plagued year.
I like the strategy. Daniels did not play it safe with the money he had available, yet his moves will not hurt the franchise long-term. Don't forget that the Rangers have the best farm system in baseball. Given the club option, Lewis could even be helping the Rangers affordably in 2012.
If Vlad and Josh Hamilton are able to stay healthy, the Rangers should have a slightly above-average offense (based on CHONE projections). Their attack looks powerful – only Elvis Andrus projects to slug under .400. The rotation seems unpredictable. We already discussed Harden and Lewis, while projections suggest Scott Feldman and Tommy Hunter will regress. Options run deep, with studs like Derek Holland and Neftali Feliz in the mix, Martin Perez drawing raves, and Brandon McCarthy and Matt Harrison battling for innings.
The Rangers deserve credit for a strong offseason. If they're in contention midseason and need another piece, no team is better-positioned to trade for a star player.
Mauer’s Agent Arrives At Twins’ Camp
As expected, uncovering details on the Joe Mauer extension talks has proven difficult. Still, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune learned that Mauer's agent Ron Shapiro arrived at Twins' camp in Fort Myers, Florida. Neal explains:
While it's being shaped as Shapiro's annual visit to spring training, the sides are expected to hold face-to-face discussions about the future of the Twins' MVP catcher.
In a slightly pessimistic note, Neal speaks of "indications that progress has slowed recently." But don't worry Twins fans, SI's Jon Heyman (Twitter) and ESPN's Buster Olney both speak of optimism about these talks. Neal still contends that no deadlines have been set. Yahoo's Jeff Passan reported on November 30th that Mauer "plans on ending contract negotiations if a deal isn't struck by the end of spring training."
Tom Tango of Inside The Book recently tackled Mauer's value in an ESPN article, and determined that somewhere between $145-176MM would be appropriate for eight years.