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Rays Exercise Option On James Shields

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The Rays exercised James Shields' $7.5MM option, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Shields would not have been eligible for free agency if the Rays had declined the option. Instead, Tampa Bay would have gone to arbitration with Shields and he would have obtained a salary in excess of $7.5MM.

Picking up Shields' option was an easy decision, even for the low-payroll Rays. The right-hander posted a 2.82 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 249 1/3 innings in 2011, leading the league with 11 complete games and four shutouts. He would have extremely high trade value, though Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has said he wants to preserve Tampa Bay's pitching depth.

The Rays still face decisions on Kyle Farnsworth and Kelly Shoppach.

Outrighted: Thompson, Burton, Pirates, Tigers

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Players outrighted off 40-man rosters today:

  • The Reds announced that they outrighted Daryl Thompson and Jared Burton off of the 40-man roster.  Burton would have been arbitration eligible for the second time and MLBTR projected a salary in the $900K range for the 30-year-old.
  • The Pirates announced that they outrighted Brian Burres, Kevin Hart, Brandon Wood and Steve Pearce to Triple-A to create 40-man roster space.  All four players can now elect free agency.  Wood and Pearce would have been arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason, and though neither player projected to earn even $1MM, the Pirates decided to cut them loose instead of tendering contracts.
  • The Tigers outrighted catcher Omir Santos and lefty Brad Thomas, tweets MLB.com's Jason Beck.  Thomas would have been arbitration eligible, but it was clear he wouldn't make it to the point of being tendered a contract after missing much of the season with an elbow injury.

Twins Claim Matt Maloney

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3:50pm: The Reds announced that the Twins claimed Maloney off of waivers (Twitter link).

1:08pm: The Twins appear to have acquired 27-year-old lefty Matt Maloney from the Reds, as Maloney tweeted today, "Thanks for everything Reds…but i am now a Minnesota Twin!!! Looking forward to a great new opportunity!!"

Maloney spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 2.99 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 1.2 BB/9, and 0.9 HR/9 in 81 1/3 innings, missing much of the season with a cracked rib.  Baseball America ranked him eighth among Reds prospects a few years ago, noting that his ceiling was that of a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Royals Exercise Joakim Soria’s 2012 Option

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The Royals announced that they exercised their 2012 option for closer Joakim Soria. Soria will earn a $6MM salary, rather than a $750K buyout. Soria would not have been eligible for free agency if the Royals had declined the option. Instead, Kansas City would have gone to arbitration with Soria and he would have obtained a salary in excess of $6MM. “This decision was more of a formality,” Royals GM Dayton Moore said. 

Soria, 27, posted a 4.03 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 60 1/3 innings in 2011. It was an up-and-down campaign for the 27-year-old, who lost his closing job after a rough stretch in late May.

Reds Exercise Phillips’ Option, Decline Cordero’s

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The Reds announced that they exercised Brandon Phillips' 2012 option and declined their option for Francisco Cordero (Twitter link). The Reds will pay Cordero a $1MM buyout instead of a $12MM salary and they'll pay Phillips a $12MM salary instead of a $1MM buyout.

Phillips, 30, hit .300/.353/.457 with 18 homers in 674 plate appearances for Cincinnati in 2011. He has made his desire for an extension clear, stating in September that it would feel like “a slap in my face” if the Reds pick up the option without talking long-term deal. But if the sides do discuss an extension, don't expect a hometown discount "There’s no homeboy hookup. That ain’t going to work," Phillips said.

The Reds discussed an extension for Cordero, a Type A free agent, toward the end of the regular season. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explained in his recent offseason outlook article that the Reds "can't afford to commit $5MM a year for two more seasons of Cordero."

Padres Notes: Byrnes, Bell, Hoyer, McLeod

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The Padres officially named Josh Byrnes their general manager today, so the two-year-long Jed Hoyer era is over in San Diego. Here's the latest on the Padres as they prepare for their first offseason under Byrnes…

  • Byrnes says San Diego will likely offer Heath Bell arbitration, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (on Twitter). Bell is a Type A free agent, as MLBTR learned earlier today. If he declines arbitration to sign elsewhere, the Padres will obtain two draft picks in 2012. However, Bell has indicated that he will accept.
  • Padres CEO Jeff Moorad explained in a statement that he holds Byrnes' predecessor in high esteem. “Thanks to Jed Hoyer’s leadership, we are in a far better position to win consistently in the future than we were two years ago." The Padres played to a 161-163 record in two seasons under Hoyer, though that's just one imperfect measurement of his contribution to the team.
  • Jason McLeod, who left the Padres for the Cubs along with Hoyer, told Tom Krasovic of Inside the Padres that leaving San Diego is bittersweet in a Q&A about his time with the team.
  • The Cubs offered Hoyer a five-year contract, which the Padres declined to match, according to Krasovic.

Padres Decline Options On Harang, Hawpe, Qualls

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The Padres announced today they've declined their options on Aaron Harang, Brad Hawpe, and Chad Qualls.

Only Harang was slightly in question; he had a $5MM mutual option with a $500K buyout.  The 33-year-old San Diego native posted a 3.64 ERA, 6.5 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 1.05 HR/9, and 40.6% groundball rate in 170 2/3 innings.  His SIERA suggests a 4.25 ERA would have been deserved.

Hawpe, 32, had a $6MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout.  His season ended early due to elbow surgery.  Qualls, 33, had a $6MM club option with a $1.05MM buyout.

Red Sox Decline Options On Wheeler, Atchison

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The Red Sox declined their club options on relievers Dan Wheeler and Scott Atchison, announced the team.  Atchison remains on the team's 40-man roster.

Wheeler, a Type B free agent, had no buyout on his contract.  The 33-year-old posted a 4.38 ERA, 7.1 K/9, 1.5 BB/9, 1.28 HR/9, and 32% groundball rate in 49 1/3 innings for the Red Sox.  He missed time due to calf and forearm injuries.

David Aardsma Elects Free Agency

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Reliever David Aardsma has cleared waivers and elected free agency, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  Aardsma was certain to be non-tendered after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July, so this move lets him reach free agency earlier.  The 29-year-old saved 69 games for Seattle from 2009-10 and makes for an interesting signing if he's option to a club option for 2013.

Aardsma told MLB.com's Greg Johns, "I loved my time in Seattle.  I love the fans and thank Jack Zduriencik for giving me opportunity to have a job and become a closer. I want to thank all the fans in Seattle for their support. It’s not fun, but it’s part of the job and this is going to be next step. It doesn’t mean I won’t be back.  This is one of those things we all knew was coming because of the situation. It doesn’t close anydoors, it just opens more."

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