Padres Looking At Alberto Gonzalez, Robert Andino
Earlier this month we heard that the Padres were looking for a utility player for their bench, and it appears they've turned their attention to Alberto Gonzalez and Robert Andino. MASNsports.com's Phil Wood reports that San Diego has been "looking hard" at the Nationals' utility infielder, while MLB.com's Corey Brock says Andino is on the radar as well (Twitter link). Both players are out of options.
Gonzalez, 28 in April, has spent the last two full years and part of a third in the nation's capitol, hitting .266/.302/.350 overall. He has plenty of experience at second, third, and short, and has also dabbled at first base and in right field. The Padres currently have Jarrett Hoffpauir, Kevin Frandsen, and Jesus Guzman in camp competing for the utility infielder's job, and the Nats have depth at the position with Jerry Hairston Jr. and Alex Cora.
Andino, 27 in April, is a .226/.275/.318 career hitting in 440 plate appearances, most of which have come with the Orioles. The vast majority of his playing time has come at short, though he's also seen time at second, third, left, and center fields. Baltimore has Cesar Izturis, Nick Green, and Brendan Harris on their utility infielder depth chart as well.
Mets Notes: Perez, Isringhausen, Castillo
Some Mets-related items…
- Andy Martino of The New York Daily News says that GM Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins are scheduled to meet with Oliver Perez on Monday morning, and an announcement that the left-hander has been released could come shortly thereafter.
- ESPN New York's Adam Rubin passes along a press release issued by the Wilpons answering the $1 billion lawsuit filed against them in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
- Perez left the Mets complex this morning and says no one has told him what's next, tweets Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal. Costa says to expect a decision by tomorrow.
- Pitching coach Dan Warthen says that no decision has been reached on Perez yet and he doubts that anything will happen today, Costa tweets.
- Warthen's assessment is supported by a team official who told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that the Mets are not expected to make any roster moves today.
- Only an injury would prevent Jason Isringhausen from breaking camp with the Mets, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The 38-year-old said earlier this month that he would retire before accepting a minor league assignment.
- Second baseman Luis Castillo will almost certainly have a new job within 24 hours after he clears waivers today at 1pm EST, writes Buster Olney of ESPN. Olney points out that it's worth remembering Castillo's history and relationship with the Marlins. When owner Jeffrey Loria visited the Vatican in 2002, he brought back a blessed cross for Castillo.
West Rumors: Beltre, Hultzen, Neshek, Rockies
Some links from the left coast…
- Adrian Beltre told Scott Miller of CBS Sports that he signed with the Rangers instead of the Angels because he felt Texas gave him "the best chance to put a ring on [his] finger." The third baseman wouldn't elaborate on the talks he had with the Halos before signing.
- ESPN's Keith Law hears that the Diamondbacks love Virginia left-hander Danny Hultzen, a projected first round pick (Twitter link). Arizona holds the third and seventh overall picks in this year's draft, and Hultzen owns a 62:4 K:BB ratio in 34 1/3 innings this spring.
- Dan Hayes of The North County Times tweets that new Padre Pat Neshek isn't guaranteed to make the team because he still has a minor league option remaining.
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post (via Twitter) could see the Rockies checking in on Michael Young now that the Rangers are reportedly willing to eat half of the veteran's salary.
- Renck also tweets that if Chone Figgins were made available, Colorado would be interested in him as a player but disinterested overall because of his hefty contract. Figgins is entering year two of a four-year deal worth $36MM, plus a vesting 2014 option for $9MM.
Nothing Going On Between Cardinals, Phillies
Earlier this week we heard that the Phillies have some interest in Cardinals' outfielder Jon Jay, though Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears that nothing is going on between the two teams right now (Twitter link). The Cards are looking for a right-handed reliever to replace Kyle McClellan, who will likely take Adam Wainwright's spot in the rotation, but they appear to be looking elsewhere.
The Phillies have eight righty relievers on their 40-man roster, though Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, and Jose Contreras probably aren't going anywhere. Since the Cardinals finished with fewer wins than the Padres last year, they had a chance to claim Pat Neshek but apparently decided against it. St. Louis also passed on Kiko Calero earlier this month.
Ben Nicholson-Smith explored Philadelphia's interest in Jay last week.
Week In Review: 3/13/11 – 3/19/11
With less than two weeks until Opening Day, let's run down the past seven days here at MLBTR…
- Luis Castillo's time with the Mets finally came to a close this week, when New York released him with one year remaining on his contract. Castillo hopes to latch on with another team.
- The Reds agreed on an extension for backup catcher Ryan Hanigan this week. The three-year deal will guarantee Hanigan, 30, a total of $4MM.
- Other extensions could follow soon, particularly one for Adrian Gonzalez in Boston. The two sides may resume extension talks soon. C.J. Wilson is another extension candidate, though he and the Rangers put their talks on hold for now.
- Neftali Feliz has been back and forth between starter and closer this Spring, but he appears likely to close for the time being. Texas may pursue relievers later, as manager Ron Washington prefers a veteran closer. If it comes to that, Texas can likely cross Joakim Soria off their list; Kansas City is planning to hang onto him.
- Early in the week we heard that the Rangers were still seeking top prospects for Michael Young, but as Opening Day draws near, we learned that they're willing to eat as much as half of his contract to make that happen.
- Doug Davis will audition for teams in the coming week. He's not the only one trying to showcase his stuff; the Yankees watched Kevin Millwood throw last week as well.
- Leon'ys Martin, an elite 22-year-old Cuban prospect, became a free agent and is talking with Major League teams.
- We saw three different players call it quits this week: Jason Davis ended his comeback attempt, Ian Snell officially retired, and Scot Shields called it a career as well. Best of luck to all three in life after baseball.
- One player whose retirement status remains uncertain is Bengie Molina; the oldest Molina has said he's retired for now, but his brother Jose said this week that Bengie was still looking to play.
- Teams looking for catching help that don't have interest in Molina may turn to the Nationals. We've heard they're looking to shop catchers, and Ivan Rodriguez's name is the latest to hit the rumor mill.
- Several teams have called the Rangers about the availability of Chris Davis.
- We learned some of the details around Felix Hernandez's no-trade clause this week. The Mariners ace can block trades to ten teams, including the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Angels, Dodgers, Rangers, and Phillies.
- The Pirates claimed lefty Garrett Olson from the Mariners, and the Blue Jays signed Chris Woodward to a minor league deal. For the rest of the week's minor moves, check our transactions section.
Quick Hits: Astros, Neshek, Castillo, Phillies
Links for Sunday afternoon..
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick says (via Stephen Goff of Examiner.com) it's unlikely the Astros will attend Doug Davis' upcoming workout. Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle reported earlier that the race for Houston's fifth starter was down to Jordan Lyles and Nelson Figueroa, with Ryan Rowland-Smith now vying for a bullpen job.
- Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that the Twins aren't adding anyone to their 40-man roster in light of San Diego's claim of Pat Neshek, suggesting that the team was clearly trying to trade the right-hander but failed.
- David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News writes that the Phillies may not be able to add to their $165MM payroll but believes that they could make personnel moves to create payroll flexibility.
- The White Sox have informed rookie Brent Morel that he's won the starting job at third base, according to Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). This means less playing time for Mark Teahen, whom the club is open to trading.
Wood’s Time With Angels Running Out?
Eight years ago, Brandon Wood was a first-round pick (23rd overall) by the Angels. Five years ago, Baseball America dubbed him the third-best prospect in the game. He ranked 8th and 16th on that same list the following two seasons. Now, the 26-year-old Wood may be an organizational afterthought. According to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Wood's chances of making the Angels' roster are dim, barring a trade or release of fellow infielder Alberto Callaspo.
Wood hit just .146/.174/.208 last season through 243 plate appearances. He managed just six walks while striking out 71 times — more than 29% of his plate appearances.
Wood is now out of options, meaning he'd have to pass through waivers unclaimed for the Angels to re-assign him to the minor leagues. Despite his struggles, it's unlikely this would happen, as a rebuilding team (DiGiovanna speculates on Toronto, specifically) would give him a chance based on his track record as an elite prospect.
Despite a strong push over the past week in Spring Training (7-19 with 2 HR, a double, and a triple), Wood remains buried on the team's depth chart. Maicer Izturis and Callaspo are ahead of him at third base, Erick Aybar and Izturis are ahead at short, while the combination Kendrys Morales (who will open the year on the DL), Mark Trumbo, and Howie Kendrick are in front of him on the first base depth chart.
DiGiovanna speculates that a trade of Callaspo to a team in need of infield help, such as the Phillies, would create room for Wood to make the club. We heard last week though that the Phillies payroll is tapped out, and Callaspo is set to earn $2MM this season. A release of Callaspo's non-guaranteed contract would also create room. The Angels, however, would still be responsible for part of his salary and would be risking a somewhat known commodity for Wood's upside, which may never surface.
It seems likely that Wood's time as an Angel may be coming to a close, with either a trade or DFA coming in the near future, giving him a chance at a fresh start in a new organization.
Non-Roster Notes: Chavez, Stairs, Atkins
As we cruise through Spring Training and gear up for Opening Day, let's take a look at some news on some notable non-roster invitees around the league…
- Whether or not Yankees manager Joe Girardi wants to acknowledge it, there's "no way" Eric Chavez doesn't make the team out of camp, tweets ESPN's Wallace Matthews.
- Nationals manager Jim Riggleman told MLB.com's Bill Ladson there's a "good chance" that Matt Stairs breaks camp with the team.
- MLB.com's Jennifer Langosch writes that Garrett Atkins is hoping to re-kindle his career with the Pirates, but to this point has done nothing to distinguish himself from his competition (Steve Pearce, Andy Marte, and Josh Fields). Atkins was just 4-30 this spring entering play today.
Padres Claim Pat Neshek Off Of Waivers
The Padres announced that they have claimed right-hander Pat Neshek off of waivers from the Twins. The news was first broken by the reliever himself on his Twitter feed.
Neshek first broke into the Majors with Minnesota in 2006. Over his first two seasons, the side-armer posted a 2.68 ERA through 107 1/3 innings of work with fantastic marks of 10.6 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. He struggled out of the gates in 2008 and was diagnosed with a partially torn UCL in his throwing elbow. After months of attempting to rehab without surgery, Neshek underwent Tommy John in November of that year.
He returned in 2010 but struggled with an inflamed tendon in his pitching hand leading to a decrease in strikeouts and some command issues. The 30-year-old Neshek has made 132 career relief appearances over parts of four seasons with the Twins. He owns a career 3.05 ERA with 10.5 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9, but his minor league numbers since his injuries (4.35 ERA, 5.9 K/9, 3.3 BB/9) aren't as encouraging.
MLBTR's Steve Adams also contributed to this post.
Phillies, Marlins Not Serious About Castillo
The Phillies and Marlins have both been linked to free agent second baseman Luis Castillo, but neither team appears to be serious about signing the veteran. Castillo was scheduled to officially clear waivers at 1pm EST today.
The Phillies are not high on the idea of signing Castillo to fill-in for Chase Utley at second base, writes David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. Murphy gets the sense that the Phillies would be willing to take a look at him on a non-guaranteed deal, but there should be other suitors willing to give the veteran more playing time.
Meanwhile, the Marlins haven't completely closed the door on the idea of signing Castillo but they're also not in hot pursuit of him, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. The club was considering Castillo to play second base if they decide that Matt Dominguez's bat isn't up to snuff for the big league roster.
The Marlins would have shifted Omar Infante to third base and put someone else – possibly Emilio Bonifacio – at second. Dominguez still may not make the cut out of Spring Training, but the Marlins are not presently searching for a third baseman on the trade market.