Phillies Sign Jose Contreras
The Phillies officially signed righty Jose Contreras to a one-year, $1.5MM deal today. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said he'll be stretched out in Spring Training as a starter but is best suited for the bullpen. Enrique Rojas of ESPN first reported the agreement on Friday.
Contreras, 38, posted a 5.42 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 21 starts for the White Sox before getting traded to the Rockies in late August. Contreras pitched well as a reliever in his brief stint for Colorado.
Hisanori Takahashi Seeking Major League Deal
Japanese lefty Hisanori Takahashi seeks a big league deal as he attempts to transition to MLB, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Crasnick names five interested teams: the Orioles, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox, and Giants. Takahashi, 35 in April, is willing to pitch as a starter or reliever.
Last year for the Yomiuri Giants Takahashi posted a 2.94 ERA, 7.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, and 1.0 HR/9 in 144 innings. Takahashi's '08 numbers: 4.13 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, and 1.18 HR/9 in 122 innings. By numbers alone Takahashi could be considered a command guy who might have trouble keeping the ball in the yard and exceeding 150 innings.
Back in November, Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker profiled Takahashi. He earned about $1.3MM in '09 and is represented by Peter Greenberg. Takahashi doesn't throw very hard or shut down lefties, but is known for his screwball.
How To Use MLB Trade Rumors
For those new to MLB Trade Rumors, here's a primer on how to use the site.
- Subscribe to our main Twitter and RSS feeds. One benefit of Twitter is that you will be notified if posts are updated.
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- We also have a Facebook fan page.
- If you just arrived at MLBTradeRumors.com and want a quick overview, check out our Top Stories section on the righthand sidebar.
- The sidebar also includes the site search box and links for rumors by team.
- More interesting stuff: our list of current free agents, another list containing free agents after the 2010 season, and our GM Trade History spreadsheets. The free agent lists are constantly updated.
- Check out the mobile version of MLB Trade Rumors.
- Looking to start a discussion? Try the MLBTR Forums.
Odds & Ends: Prospects, Livan, Cardinals, Damon
Some links for Wednesday night…
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo released his list of the top 50 prospects in the game. Jason Heyward and Stephen Strasburg rank one-two.
- Livan Hernandez sent a contract proposal to Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo back in December, but he never received a response according to a tweet from MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports that Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak confirmed that any pickups from here on out would be on the offensive side of the roster.
- Scott Boras said that "The Yankees never even made an offer to me regarding Johnny Damon during the entire process," according to a tweet from Tyler Kepner of The New York Times. In a second tweet, Kepner says Boras indicated that the two-year, $14MM offer the team reportedly made was conditional on whether or not Nick Johnson would sign.
- ESPN's Jorge Arangure reports that 17-year-old righty Rafael DePaula is back on the market after being suspended for a year by MLB after lying about his age. His agent hopes to have him signed within the next 15-20 days, and Arangure mentions that both the Yankees and Red Sox are interested.
- Pirate relievers Anthony Claggett and Steven Jackson both cleared waivers according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch, and have been outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis. Claggett was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Octavio Dotel, Jackson for Ryan Church.
- Astros' GM Ed Wade said that signing Wandy Rodriguez to a long-term deal would become a "front-burner discussion for us" if he repeats his 2009 success in 2010, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. Wandy had a 3.02 ERA with an 8.4 K/9 in 205.2 innings last season.
- Craig Calcaterra of NBCSports.com says that the Braves have discussed Johnny Damon recently, but came up with three reasons why he wasn't a fit.
- David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News lays out the Phillies' payroll commitments for the next four years. As of right now, the team stands to shed almost $70MM off the books following the 2011 season.
Discussion: Jonny Gomes
As teams scour what's left on the free agent market during the dog days of January, they'll be hard-pressed to find a better power hitter from the right side than Jonny Gomes. The 29-year-old hit 20 homers in just 314 plate appearances for the Reds last season, and over the last five years he's averaged close to 30 bombs per 162 games.
Cincinnati non-tendered Gomes instead of giving him a significant raise (through arbitration) over the pro-rated $600K salary he earned in 2009. He owns a career .274/.369/.517 batting line versus left handers, though he doesn't do much beyond mash southpaws. He doesn't steal bases, and his outfield defense can be charitably described as awful.
The Cubs filled their outfield hole by agreeing to deal with Xavier Nady earlier in the week, and the Yankees did the same by inking Randy Winn today. With his options drying up, do MLBTR's readers see any potential fits for Gomes? Maybe Atlanta or Seattle?
Reds Sign Miguel Cairo
The Reds signed infielder Miguel Cairo to a minor league deal, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Cairo, 36 in May, played briefly for the Phillies last year and hit .287/.325/.392 for their Triple A club. He's capable of playing all around the diamond.
Bowden Interviews Rizzo
Those hoping for drama might be disappointed upon reading the transcript of Jim Bowden's interview with his Nationals GM successor Mike Rizzo. Still, a few hot stove nuggets emerged from the XM Radio program, which Bowden co-hosted with Seth Everett. Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post has the details.
- Rizzo thinks the Nationals will eventually be able to compete for top free agents "once the revenues catch up with the city." In his defense, they've had some sizeable offers rejected over the last few years.
- Rizzo said he's talked to the agents for Orlando Hudson and Orlando Cabrera, among others, as the team seeks to improve defensively. Rizzo described his rotation as "kind of a pitch-to-contact group." Rotation locks Jason Marquis and John Lannan certainly fit that mold.
- The Nationals were close on a couple of deals for Josh Willingham, Rizzo indicated. The Nats GM would consider a trade for a young starter, but is in "no hurry to trade Willingham."
Odds & Ends: Street, Nelson, Prospects, Mets
Links for Wednesday…
- Check out Huston Street's contract extension details, courtesy of Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.
- Free agent reliever Joe Nelson has expressed an interest in pitching for the Cubs, reports Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Nelson seemed like a bargain signing by the Rays at $1.3MM, but his control and flyball rates took a turn for the worse and he was designated for assignment in September.
- ESPN's Keith Law ranks the farm systems, from the Rangers at #1 to the White Sox at #30. Law's Top 100 Prospects list comes out tomorrow.
- Baseball America is also kicking into gear, with their Prospect Handbook coming out soon. They're holding an all-day chat Friday, with BA editors as well as prospects Tim Alderson, Ryan Westmoreland, Logan Morrison, and Casey Crosby available for your questions.
- ESPN's Tim Kurkjian has a must-read article on Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos and his plan to bring the team back to prominence.
- Scott Lauber of The News Journal tweets that while the Phillies like Chien-Ming Wang, but he might not be a fit because he won't be ready for the start of the season.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Mets are on a "Pollyanna streak," currently regarding their rotation. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports seems to believe the Mets are a total mess, and suggests they start over.
- Red Sox GM Theo Epstein told Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News that he wouldn't have made the Billy Wagner deal last August without the shot at two draft picks.
- Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says that the A's agreed not to offer arbitration to Ben Sheets if he's a Type A free agent after the season. Achieving that status seems impossible anyway after he missed all of '09 and did not receive DL days. Slusser also notes that Coco Crisp received a $250K signing bonus, bringing his deal to $5.5MM guaranteed.
Rays Interested In Johnny Damon
The Rays have interest in Johnny Damon as a DH candidate, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman says the Rays are considering Damon even if they can't unload Pat Burrell. Sherman's sources believe Damon would be willing to play for $7MM, partially deferred.
We learned earlier today from ESPN's Jerry Crasnick that agent Scott Boras is "trying to engage" the Reds and Tigers for Damon. Crasnick notes that those clubs would have a hard time fitting Damon into the budget. The Yankees are out, having reached an agreement with Randy Winn today.
Oakland's rumored interest in a Damon reunion was not directly addressed by GM Billy Beane, reports MLB.com's Jane Lee. Still, Beane said his priority is adding infield depth.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.
Brewers Claim Joe Inglett Off Waivers
The Brewers claimed infielder Joe Inglett off waivers from the Rangers, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. McCalvy says the Brewers designated reliever Chris Smith for assignment to make room.
Inglett had been designated by the Rangers Monday to make room for Colby Lewis. He'd joined Texas on a December waiver claim from the Blue Jays.
Smith, 29 in April, posted a 6.8 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, and 4.11 ERA in 46 innings out of Milwaukee's pen this year. He also tossed a very strong 42.6 innings in Triple A – 1.27 ERA, 10.3 K/9, 1.3 BB/9. Smith had hooked on with the Brewers as a free agent after being outrighted by Boston in October of '08.