Rangers Reach Agreement With Colby Lewis
The Rangers agreed to sign Colby Lewis to a two-year, $5MM deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Lewis, 30, posted a 2.96 ERA, 9.49 K/9, and 0.97 BB/9 in 176.3 innings for the Hiroshima Carp last year and was similarly dominant in '08. Lewis, who originally came up with the Rangers, would be a steal if he approaches his Japanese ball numbers.
He can earn up to $500K each year for reaching certain unkown incentives. The Rangers, who would like to bring in a catcher, are nearing their payroll limit. As MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan points out, they will have to clear roster space for Khalil Greene and their new pitcher.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Corner Infield Options For The Orioles
The Orioles' search for a corner infielder begins with a pair of Scott Boras clients and extends to Puerto Rico, but with a number of alternatives available, the club can afford to wait. Boras, who spoke recently with team president Andy MacPhail, tells Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that Hank Blalock and Joe Crede are options for the Orioles.
"They are fits for Baltimore," Boras said. "It just really depends on whether they want a first or a third baseman."
MacPhail would prefer to play Garrett Atkins at first, according to the Sun, so Crede might makes more sense for the O's. Crede will be looking for the kind of make good contract that fellow Boras client Adrian Beltre signed last week: a short term deal that allows the player to demand a bigger contract if he succeeds.
As expected, the Orioles scouted Carlos Delgado in Puerto Rico last week, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.com. Kubatko names Russell Branyan, Ryan Garko and Chad Tracy as alternatives the O's could pursue.
The Sun notes that the O's signed former Marlin Andy Gonzalez to a minor league deal.
Blue Jays Talking Trades, Will Watch Sheets
Alex Anthopoulos is back from a productive honeymoon. The Blue Jays GM tells MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that he worked on three trades and talked to six GMs while vactioning in Hawaii.
The Jays have at least some interest in a notable free agent, too. They will scout Ben Sheets when he throws next week, Anthopoulos confirmed. Toronto doesn't seem like the most logical destination for Sheets, who will see interest from contenders looking to deepen their rotations,but Anthopoulos says the Jays have to do their homework on all players.
"We're not doing our job if we don't at least take a look," he said.
The Jays are tracking players aggressively under Anthopoulos, who upgraded the scouting staff once he became GM.
Indians Sign Mike Redmond
The Indians have signed catcher Mike Redmond, according to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. The 38-year-old has backed up Joe Mauer since 2005 and he figures to do the same for Lou Marson in Cleveland. As Castrovince notes, it's the first major league free agent signing the Indians have made this offseason.
Redmond hit .237/.299/.289 in 147 plate appearances last year. He has a career OBP of .345, but very little power. He hit just two homers in his five-year stint with the Twins. The Padres, who are also looking for catching depth,had been linked to Redmond earlier in the month.
D’Backs Avoid Arbitration With Conor Jackson
The D'Backs avoided arbitration with Conor Jackson, agreeing to sign the left fielder to a $3.1MM deal for 2010, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Jackson, who earned $3.05MM last year, won't be a free agent until after the 2011 season.
The 27-year-old dealt with Valley Fever in 2009 and made just 110 plate appearances, hitting .182/.264/.253. It was easily Jackson's worst showing in the major leagues; his OPS topped .800 in each of the three seasons before last year.
Marlins Rumors: Johnson, Nolasco, Pinto, Uggla
The Marlins spent big yesterday. Here are the details on their plans for the rest of the offseason:
- Josh Johnson tells MLB.com that he always wanted to stay with the Marlins long-term. Yesterday the right-hander agreed to an extension that buys two of his free agent years out.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets that the Marlins didn't consider a long-term deal for another one of their young right-handers, Ricky Nolasco.
- The Marlins may trade Renyel Pinto before the season begins, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.
- Capozzi hears that the Marlins are talking regularly with Dan Uggla in hopes of agreeing on the infielder's 2010 salary without going to arbitration.
Rockies Avoid Arb With Barmes, Buchholz, De La Rosa
FRIDAY, 8:13am: Renck reports that the Rockies avoided arbitration and agreed to pay De La Rosa $5.6MM this season. If he pitches 220 innings, De La Rosa can earn $300K in incentives.
THURSDAY, 5:06pm: Renck is now reporting that the Rockies are close to avoiding arbitration with a third player, lefty Jorge De La Rosa. It would be a one-year deal worth $5.6MM.
2:05pm: The Rockies resolved two of their seven arbitration situations today, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Renck says they agreed to one-year deals with second baseman Clint Barmes and reliever Taylor Buchholz, though terms are not yet available.
Both players are entering their second arbitration years. Barmes earned $1.625MM in '09, while Buchholz made $1.055MM.
Odds & Ends: Damon, White Sox, Wood
Thursday night linkage…
- The Tigers could be in play for Johnny Damon, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. The 36-year-old has a .961 OPS at pitcher-friendly Comerica Park.
- The White Sox formally announced today that they have invited fifteen players to Spring Training – ten of which from within the organization. Outfielder Jordan Danks, younger brother of John Danks, is one of the more notable invitees.
- Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com takes a look at the Indians' bullpen in 2010. It should come as no surprise that Kerry Wood and his hefty contract are unlikely to be moved. Wood is set to earn $10.5MM in 2010 with a vesting option for $11MM in 2011 if he finishes 55 games.
RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team
As you know, MLB Trade Rumors has RSS and Twitter feeds that cover all rumors. For those of you who would prefer not to see every rumor, we now have RSS and Twitter feeds by team. We've also created a Twitter account for the Tranasctions-only feed, for those who only want to see completed deals. Links are provided after the jump.
Okajima, Red Sox Avoid Arbitration
The Red Sox and reliever Hideki Okajima have agreed to terms on a one-year deal, reports Ian Browne of MLB.com (via Twitter). Okajima will make $2.75MM and will receive bonuses of $50K each for 50, 55, 60, 65, and 70 appearances, according to Browne in a follow-up tweet. The deal marks a significant raise for the lefty as he earned a base salary of $1.25MM last season.
In 2009, Okajima posted a 3.39 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 68 games. The 34-year-old is entering his fourth major league season and will be under the BoSox contractual control until 2012.