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Archives for January 2011

Mets Negotiating With Tim Byrdak

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The Mets and left-hander Tim Byrdak have "mutual interest" in each other and have been discussing a contract, according to Mike Silva of the New York Baseball Digest.  Silva thinks a deal could be finalized within "the next couple of days."

We heard earlier today that the Mets were looking for southpaw relief help, and Byrdak fits that bill, holding left-handed batters to a .202/.296/.380 line in his nine Major League seasons.  Byrdak, 37, has a 3.46 ERA over the last four seasons but also averaged five walks per nine innings in that stretch; it's actually an upgrade from his career 5.5 BB/9 rate.  Byrdak spent the last three seasons with the Astros, who released the southpaw in November.

Yankees Notes: Cashman, Pettitte, Damon

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Brian Cashman's admission that he wasn't in favor of the Rafael Soriano signing has generated almost as much buzz as the signing itself.  Here's the latest on that controversy and some other Yankee-related items…

  • The Soriano negotiations were handled by Hal Steinbrenner and Randy Levine, reports MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.  In spite of this split of opinion over the reliever, Levine still called Cashman "the best general manager in the game."
  • Cashman's decision to go public with his disagreements "were a sign of larger disputes within the Yankee front office," says CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler.  Sources in the Yankee organization tell Knobler that ownership wasn't pleased with recent Cashman acquisitions like Randy Winn, Javier Vazquez and Nick Johnson.
  • Cashman deserves respect for sticking to his principles, writes ESPNNewYork.com's Wallace Matthews, but the general manager was wrong in his belief that signing Soriano wasn't worthwhile. 
  • New York's negotiations with Andruw Jones are being led by Cashman and his baseball operations team, tweets ESPN.com's Buster Olney, so the Soriano signing could just be an "isolated case" of ownership getting involved.
  • In another Bryan Hoch piece, Joe Girardi revealed that Andy Pettitte is training to "get into baseball shape" in case the southpaw decides to pitch in 2011.  Cashman said the decision is solely up to Pettitte and the club won't try to woo him into a return.
  • Johnny Damon is still drawing some interest from the Yankees, in part because the team thinks Damon could help getting A.J. Burnett back in form, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  Heyman notes that the Yankees can't offer Damon the playing time that he could find with the Angels and Rays.

Athletics Notes: Fuentes, Jackson, San Jose

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On this day in 1931, the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League traded catcher Ernie Lombardi to the Brooklyn Robins (who later became the Dodgers).  Lombardi, an Oakland native, only played one season in Brooklyn, but he went on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career spent mostly with Cincinnati.

Here are some news items about the modern-day Oakland nine…

  • Brian Fuentes' now-finalized two-year contract is worth a guaranteed $10.5MM with a $6.5MM club option for 2013, reports The Associated Press.  Fuentes will earn $5MM in both 2011 and 2012 and be paid a $500K buyout if the option isn't picked up.  The left-hander can also earn escalating six-figure bonuses relating to games finished and will be paid $200K if he's traded at any point during the life of the contract.
  • In spite of the games-finished bonuses, Fuentes says he has no problem serving as a set-up man for incumbent A's closer Andrew Bailey, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  "I was told he's the closer," Fuentes said. "There is no competition in my mind."
  • Slusser also has details on the plate-appearance bonuses in Conor Jackson's new Oakland contract.  The A's avoided arbitration with Jackson on Tuesday.
  • Slusser hears from assistant GM David Forst that the club might be in the market for a backup infielder, though the Athletics want to keep Steve Tolleson, who was designated for assignment today.
  • Major League Baseball needs to faciliate the Athletics' desired move from Oakland to San Jose for both the sake of the franchise and the league as a whole, argues Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.   

Twins Agree To Terms With Carl Pavano

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The Twins have agreed to terms with right-hander Carl Pavano on a two-year, $16.5MM contract, according to a team press release.  Pavano will earn $8MM next season and $8.5MM in 2012, plus an extra $500K should he reach certain incentive clauses.  A deal between the club and the veteran starter has seemed imminent for the last two weeks, and the two sides were said to be "very close" to a contract just yesterday.  Pavano is represented by Tom O'Connell.

Pavano, 35, has pitched well for the Twins since joining the team in August 2009.  Pavano has posted a 3.97 ERA and a 3.32 K/BB ratio in 44 starts as a Twin, and his seven complete games last season tied Cliff Lee for most in the American League.

Pavano's deal resembles the contract Joel Pineiro signed almost exactly a year ago, a comparison MLBTR's Tim Dierkes drew in late December.  In November, three of five MLBTR writers correctly predicted Pavano would remain with the Twins.

Ken Davidoff of Newsday was the first to report the deal had been finalized, while Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and USA Today's Bob Nightengale added contract details.

Mets Notes: Reyes, Dickey, Beimel

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Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com has the latest on the Amazins…

  • Jose Reyes doesn't want to discuss his impending free agent status during the season.  It may be a moot point, since Sandy Alderson wasn't planning to pursue extension talks with players before Spring Training, though the Mets GM recently hinted he could be open to negotiating with Reyes during the season.  Reyes will earn $11MM in 2011 after the Mets picked up the option year on the four-year, $23.25MM contract signed by the shortstop in 2006.
  • R.A. Dickey and the Mets have exchanged arbitration figures, but the knuckleballer still hopes the two sides can work out a multi-year contract.  Both Dickey and the club were interested in the prospect of a long-term deal back in October.
  • The Mets have had "discussions" with free agent reliever Joe Beimel, but a source tells Rubin that these talks aren't "active." (Twitter link)  It's possible the Mets were one of several teams that made Beimel an offer last month, though we haven't heard much news about Beimel since.  Rubin reported earlier today that the Mets are still looking to add another left-handed reliever to their bullpen before Spring Training.

Padres Agree To Terms With Chad Qualls

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The Padres have agreed to terms with right-hander Chad Qualls, according to a team press release.  The contract is for one year with a team option for 2012.  Qualls will earn $1.5MM next season and it will cost the Padres $1.05MM to buy out the 2012 option, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (Twitter link).  Qualls is represented by Hendricks Sports.

We heard last week that the two sides were close to a deal, and with its finalization, Tampa Bay picks up a supplementary round draft pick as compensation for Qualls.  (San Diego doesn't lose any picks, as Qualls was a Type B free agent.)  The Rays now have 13 of the first 90 picks in the 2012 amateur draft.

Qualls, 32, began last season as the Diamondbacks' closer, but struggled finishing games and found himself traded to the Rays at the deadline.  He posted a 7.32 ERA, a 2.33 K/BB ratio, and a 13.0 hits/9 rate in 70 appearances with Arizona and Tampa Bay last season.  Qualls was said to be looking for a one-year contract so he could rebuild his value for a larger deal next winter.

Rangers Notes: Manny, Guerrero, Daniels

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Rangers president Nolan Ryan discussed possible moves for the defending American League champions and MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan has the details…

  • The Rangers are sill interested in adding offense after missing out on Jim Thome.
  • “It’s always nice to have a veteran bat off the bench," Ryan said. "It gives you an opportunity late in the game if you don't like the matchups. I'm not sure that person is out there."
  • Vladimir Guerrero and Manny Ramirez are probably not fits, Ryan said.
  • It’s not realistic for the Rangers to acquire another dependable veteran starter, Ryan said. Instead, the team will rely on Michael Kirkman, Derek Holland and Tommy Hunter to continue developing.
  • Extending GM Jon Daniels, whose contract expires after the season, will become a priority in the coming weeks.

Millwood Open To Re-Signing In Baltimore

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Kevin Millwood told Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com that he can imagine re-signing with the Orioles. And agent Scott Boras says the O's have some interest in bringing Millwood back to Baltimore.

"Scott went over teams that were interested and he mentioned Baltimore, but I'm not sure about the level of interest," Millwood said.

Millwood says he doesn't expect to sign in the immediate future and believes he'll land a major league contract. The 36-year-old posted a 5.10 ERA with 6.2 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 37.2% ground ball rate in 190 2/3 innings for the Orioles last year. 

The Indians and Yankees have expressed interest in Millwood, as have the Rockies and Royals. However, Colorado and Kansas City have since added starting pitchers, so their interest may have diminished. The Orioles are looking to add pitching depth, and they are currently exploring the trade market.

 

Rockies Sign Joe Crede

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The Rockies signed Joe Crede to a minor league contract that's still pending a physical, the team announced (on Twitter). The Scott Boras client missed the 2010 season after dealing with back, shoulder, forearm, leg, knee and hand injuries with the Twins in 2009.

Boras said last month that Crede is healthy and "ready to come back and play." He played strong defense (+21.6 UZR/150) and showed some pop (15 homers in 367 plate appearances) with Minnesota in '09, so the 32-year-old has value when healthy.

Crede hit 30 homers five years ago and won the Silver Slugger. He may not make another All-Star team, but his .254/.304/.444 career line and history as a strong defender suggest he can help the Rockies if he's healthy. Colorado has a crowded infield, with Crede, Ian Stewart, Troy Tulowitzki, Jose Lopez, Jonathan Herrera, Eric Young, Ty Wigginton and Todd Helton all in the mix.

Nationals Release J.D. Martin

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The Nationals announced that they have given right-hander J.D. Martin his unconditional release to create roster space (Twitter link).

Martin, 28, has made 24 starts for the Nationals over the last two seasons, most of which came in 2009. He has pitched to a respectable 4.32 ERA with 4.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 125 innings. Martin has spent most of the last three seasons in Triple-A, posting an excellent 3.21 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 144 innings at the level.

Earlier this afternoon, MLB.com's Bill Ladson predicted that the Nationals would cut ties with the pitcher.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

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