Minor Moves: Yankees, Jeroloman, Carpenter
Today's minor moves…
- The Yankees outrighted Colin Curtis to Triple-A and announced that Greg Golson is now a free agent, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter).
- The Twins confirmed the loss of Jim Hoey, adding that they outrighted recently-claimed shortstop Pedro Florimon to bring their 40-man roster count to 38.
- The Blue Jays also confirmed the claim of Jim Hoey today, also noting they've outrighted catcher Brian Jeroloman and righty Drew Carpenter. Their 40-man roster is now full.
- The Brewers announced they've signed first baseman Travis Ishikawa to a minor league deal, and also confirmed their signing of Mike Rivera. Ishikawa was designated for assignment by the Giants in March, and after clearing waivers went on to hit .251/.368/.383 in 211 Triple-A plate appearances. Ishikawa injured his non-throwing shoulder in June while playing right field and had surgery that month. His agent Jim McDowell tells MLBTR Ishikawa was cleared for baseball activities two months ago and will be at full strength for 2012.
Rays Acquire Burke Badenhop
The Rays acquired right-hander Burke Badenhop from the Marlins for minor league catcher Jake Jefferies, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. MLBTR projects Badenhop, 28, would earn approximately $1.1MM through the arbitration process as a first-time eligible player.
Badenhop posted a 4.10 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 63 2/3 innings in 2011. His 58.5% ground ball rate ranked tenth in MLB among pitchers with at least 60 innings this past season. Badenhop has a 4.34 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in parts of four seasons with the Marlins.
The Rays selected Jefferies in the third round of the 2008 draft. The 24-year-old posted a .238/.282/.327 line in 242 plate appearances for two of Tampa Bay's minor league affiliates in 2011 and has a career line of .254/.318/.343 as a professional.
Twins Nearing Deal With Josh Willingham
5:25pm: Phil Mackey and Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN hear that Willingham is expected to make his decision before the end of the day on Wednesday. Terms are unknown. Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com says (on Twitter) that Willingham became an option for the Twins once they had trouble bridging the money gap with Cuddyer.
4:47pm: The Twins are nearing a deal with free agent outfielder Josh Willingham, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The move would likely mean free agents Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel are moving on from Minnesota and it could facilitate a deal between Cuddyer and the Rockies.
Willingham, a Sosnick Cobbe Sports client, had narrowed his choices down to three teams. The Twins would not have to surrender a draft pick to sign him, but the Athletics would obtain two top selections for him, since they offered arbitration earlier in the offseason.
This post was originally published on December 13th.
Marlins Sign Aaron Rowand
The Marlins signed Aaron Rowand to a minor league deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Giants, who cut Rowand in August, are paying him $12MM less the MLB minimum salary in 2012, the final season of the five-year, $60MM deal he signed with San Francisco in 2007.
Rowand hit .233/.274/.347 in 351 plate appearances for the Giants this past season, playing all three outfield positions. The 34-year-old was last a useful player in 2009, according to FanGraphs' version of wins above replacement. The White Sox, Rowand's first MLB team, showed some interest in him this offseason.
Zack Greinke Left CAA, Has No Agent
Brewers right-hander Zack Greinke is an extension candidate and he projects as one of the top free agents of the 2012-13 offseason, but he doesn't have an agent. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports that the 28-year-old left CAA last spring and does not currently have a representative (all Twitter links).
Greinke posted a 3.83 ERA with 10.5 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 47.3% ground ball rate in 171 2/3 innings for the Brewers in 2011, his first campaign in the National League. Crasnick cautions against reading too much into the fact that the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner doesn't have an agent, though it's certainly unusual. We can be sure that many agents would like to represent Greinke as he considers extension offers and nears free agency. Visit MLBTR's agency database for updates on player representatives around baseball.
Mets Claim Jeremy Hefner; Sign May, Olson
The Mets claimed righty Jeremy Hefner off waivers from the Pirates, reports ESPN New York's Adam Rubin. They also signed catcher Lucas May and lefty Garrett Olson to minor league deals.
Hefner, 25, was claimed by the Pirates from the Padres in November but designated for assignment by Pittsburgh on Friday. The 25-year-old posted a 4.98 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, and 1.2 HR/9 in 157 1/3 innings at Triple-A this year. Baseball America ranked him 15th among Padres prospects prior to the season, noting that his "three average offerings and feel for the strike zone make him ideally suited to fit in the back of a rotation."
May, 27, hit .238/.330/.427 in 286 Triple-A plate appearances this year for the Diamondbacks' and Royals' affiliates. Olson, 28, is a former first-round draft pick who posted a 3.05 ERA, 6.4 K/9, 4.9 BB/9, and 0.7 HR/9 in 85 2/3 Triple-A innings for the Pirates' affiliate.
Blue Jays Focused On Gio Gonzalez
The Blue Jays are focused on Athletics lefty Gio Gonzalez, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Last week, Slusser reported that 12 teams were interested in Gonzalez, and there were indications the A's and Jays might try to involve a third team to facilitate a deal.
The A's recently traded Trevor Cahill to the Diamondbacks, but ESPN's Buster Olney still thinks Gonzalez will be dealt. Gonzalez, 26, ranked ninth in the AL with 197 strikeouts but led the league with 91 free passes. He's under team control through 2015. Gonzalez is a Super Two player for 2012 and MLBTR projects a $4.2MM salary. That's not far from the current first-time starting pitcher arbitration record, and if Gonzalez stays healthy and continues pitching well I think he could earn nearly $40MM over his four arbitration years.
Pujols’ Wife On Cardinals’ Offer
"The city of St. Louis has absolutely been deceived," said Albert Pujols' wife Deidre today on the Greg & Sandi show this morning on 99.1 Joy FM in St. Louis (thanks to Drew Silva for the link). Deidre's thoughts on her husband's offseason…
- Deidre was confused that the Cardinals said they wanted Albert to be a Cardinal for life but only offered a five-year deal. She feels she and Albert have been given an unfair trial by the public, based on "deceiving numbers" in the media. She explained, "The offer that people have seen on television…had that offer been the one that was given to us with guarantee, we would have a bird on our back. It wasn't a guaranteed situation." Deidre also confirmed they turned down a larger offer in taking $254MM from the Angels. Marlins president David Samson told reporters they were at ten years and "a hair over $200MM," so it's unclear which team offered more than $254MM, if any.
- The Cardinals' ten-year, $210MM offer to Pujols included $30MM deferred without interest, tweets Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Deidre may have been referring to the Cardinals' initial bid of five years and $130MM.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak commented on the negotiations to KFNS St. Louis. He also agreed that it's safe to assume his team will not be in on Prince Fielder.
Blue Jays Claim Jim Hoey
The Blue Jays claimed reliever Jim Hoey off waivers from the Twins, GM Terry Ryan confirmed on ESPN 1500 (hat tip: Aaron Gleeman). Hoey indicated the same on Twitter.
Hoey, 28, struggled in 24 2/3 innings with the Twins this year, his first big league action since 2007. He posted a 3.83 ERA in 42 1/3 Triple-A innings. The Twins acquired the hard-throwing Hoey a year ago in the J.J. Hardy deal.
Rockies Making Aggressive Push For Cuddyer
The Rockies are making an aggressive push for Michael Cuddyer, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Cuddyer is believed to be seeking a three-year, $30MM deal, and the Twins remain in the mix. Cuddyer does not appear to be close to a decision, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports.
Cuddyer, 32, hit .284/.346/.459 with 20 home runs in 584 plate appearances this year. Cuddyer's versatility would be useful to the Rockies, as he's able to play the infield corners, second base, and right field.