Mariners To Acquire Aaron Laffey
6:51pm: The Indians will receive infielder Matt Lawson in return for Laffey, according to a team press release. Seattle will also send cash considerations to the Tribe, according to their Twitter feed.
Lawson has mostly played second base, but has also seen some time in the outfield as well as at shortstop. The Indians' press release refers to the 25-year-old as an "infielder/outfielder". In 118 games at the Double-A level last season, Lawson hit .293/.372/.439 with nine homers.
6:13pm: The Indians have reportedly traded Aaron Laffey to Seattle, writes Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer. There's no word yet on what Cleveland will recieve in return for the soon-to-be 26-year-old.
Cleveland had planned to use Spring Training to decide whether to put the left-hander in the bullpen or at the back of the rotation. Recently, Laffey said that while he was amiable towards whatever the Tribe decided on, he was very much looking forward to knowing what role he would take on in 2011.
"That's something I haven't had in a couple years," Laffey told Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. "That consistency in knowing you're going to start the year in one position, and you're going to stay there, I haven't had that yet."
In four big league seasons, Laffey has a 4.41 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. Trading the left-hander is likely the move to open up a spot on the Indians' 40-man roster for the recently signed Chad Durbin, Bastian tweets.
East Notes: Lackey, Crawford, Dickey, Buck
Some links from the East – both AL and NL..
- After disappointing in the first year of his five-year, $82.5MM deal with the Red Sox, John Lackey is looking forward to putting 2010 behind him and meeting expectations, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.
- More from Bradford as Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez recognize that the paths of Jayson Werth and Mark Teixeira helped lead them to Boston.
- Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey doesn't take his new found security for granted, writes David Waldstein of the New York Times.
- After dealing Dan Uggla to the Braves this winter, the Marlins are counting on catcher John Buck to help replace some of his power, writes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
NL West Notes: Zito, Byrnes, Kershaw, Roberts
There's a lot going on in Giants camp and their division rivals are making headlines, too. Here's the latest…
- Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote today that Barry Zito is "walking a thin line" within the organization and that there's "exasperation" with Zito. Jenkins reported that Zito doesn't have a guaranteed rotation spot and wrote that Zito would not be wearing a Giants uniform by 2013, the last guaranteed year on his contract.
- As Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports, Zito was stunned by the report. Giants manager Bruce Bochy told the left-hander that the Chronicle report was the first he'd heard of the team's frustration. Zito walked five of the 13 hitters he faced in his spring debut.
- Ever gone on vacation only to keep checking out what's going on around MLB? I certainly have and, as MLB.com's Corey Brock explains in this must-read piece, so has Padres executive Josh Byrnes.
- The Dodgers agreed to terms with Clayton Kershaw on a one-year, $500K deal, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. That's more than usual for a pre-arbitration eligible player, but the 22-year-old has a 3.17 ERA and 9.3 K/9 in 483 innings of work, so he's not your average pre-arb player.
- D'Backs GM Kevin Towers told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert that he has been most impressed with utility player Ryan Roberts this spring (Twitter link).
Draft Prospect Q&A: Matt Purke
As the 2011 Draft draws closer, MLBTR will be introducing you to a handful of the top eligible prospects with a series of Q&As. The series debuted last week with one of the top college pitchers in the nation and continues today with another.
Matt Purke pitched well enough as a high schooler to go in the first round of the 2009 draft. He didn't sign with the Rangers, who selected him 14th overall, and instead joined the TCU Horned Frogs. He led the team to its first ever College World Series appearance last year with a shiny 16-0 record and 142 strikeouts in 116 innings.
The 20-year-old sophomore is draft eligible once again and, according to Baseball America and ESPN.com's Keith Law, should go in the first round once again, possibly first overall. Baseball America called Purke "a bona fide ace with a lively 91-94 mph fastball and a wipeout slider" that can overmatch hitters. Purke calls his breaking ball a curve, but he isn't going to get into an argument about semantics with the publication that named him the 2010 Baseball America Freshman of the Year.
Purke talked to MLBTR this afternoon. Here's what we discussed:
Dodgers Renew Ronald Belisario’s Contract
The Dodgers have renewed Ronald Belisario's contract and have placed him on the restricted list, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. For the third straight season, the right-hander's arrival at Spring Training has been delayed by visa problems.
Belisario, 28, failed to report to camp by February 26, giving the Dodgers the right to remove him from the 40-man roster while retaining his rights by placing him on the restricted list. It was reported a few weeks ago that Belisario would probably have to miss the season due to the problems. However, the reliever claimed that he had lost his passport and was working to get it replaced.
The hurler posted a 2.04 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in his rookie campaign but was unable to find similar success in 2010. Belisario missed a month of action last year, reportedly due to a stint in substance-abuse rehab.
AL Notes: Royals, Miller, Chavez, Napoli, Vizquel
Let's take a look at some items related to the Junior Circuit..
- A rival executive described the Royals' young talent as "an embarrassment of riches" to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Speaking of Kansas City, Jonah Keri of Fangraphs examines the one-year, $2.5MM deal given to Jeff Francoeur. Even though the deals given to Francoeur and fellow outfielder Melky Cabrera (one-year, $1.25MM) are puzzling for many reasons, Keri notes that the one-year deals don't block any of the club's prospects.
- The Red Sox are hopeful that Andrew Miller will resurrect his career after signing a minor league deal with the club this winter writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. According to Miller's agent, the lefty recieved big league offers from three other teams but preferred the BoSox.
- Two ex-Mariners, Endy Chavez and Brett Tomko, are looking to make it back to the majors with the Rangers, writes Kirby Arnold of The Daily Herald.
- Now in Texas, Mike Napoli says that he knew that the Angels would trade one of their talented catchers, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. The Halos had a glut at the position with Napoli, Jeff Mathis, Bobby Wilson, and Hank Conger waiting in the wings.
- White Sox veteran Omar Vizquel Is a reminder of what might have been for the M's, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
- The Pirates are likely still in search of two lefties out of the 'pen, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Offseason In Review: Cincinnati Reds
The Reds are next in our Offseason In Review series.
Major League/International Signings
- Bronson Arroyo, SP: three years, $35MM. $15MM deferred without interest, paid through 2021.
- Ramon Hernandez, C: one year, $3MM.
- Edgar Renteria IF: one year, $2.1MM.
- Miguel Cairo, IF: two years, $2MM.
- Jonny Gomes, LF: one year, $1.75MM. Club option exercised.
- Fred Lewis, OF: one year, $900K. Can be controlled through 2013 as an arbitration eligible player.
- Total spend: $44.75MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
Extensions
- Jay Bruce, RF: six years, $51MM. $13MM club option for 2017 with a $1MM buyout.
- Joey Votto, 1B: three years, $38MM.
- Johnny Cueto, SP: four years, $27MM. $10MM club option for 2015 with a $800K buyout.
Trades and Claims: None
Notable Losses
Summary
In 2010 the Reds rode the league's best offense and an acceptable pitching staff to the NL Central crown, marking their first winning season since 2000 and first playoff appearance since '95. In the offseason that followed, GM Walt Jocketty adopted the motto, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Due to payroll limitations, Jocketty's only real play to change the Reds significantly would have been through trades or by way of declining Arroyo's option. In early November Jocketty decided to exercise Arroyo's 2011 option at a hefty $13MM, as opposed to a $2MM buyout. It was a large commitment to a 34-year-old soft-tosser many teams would consider an innings eater, though six seasons in a row of 200-plus innings is a rarity. A month later Jocketty tacked on two years, coming up with a new deal heavy on deferred money. The Reds halved Arroyo's 2011 salary in the process.
Otherwise Jocketty minimized his free agent expenditures, committing under $10MM to five position players. I don't blame him; there wasn't much out there at left field or shortstop. The bullpen features enough big arms to withstand the loss of Rhodes, though an arbitration offer would not have been a bad idea for the Type A lefty. In addition to a full season of Aroldis Chapman, the Reds' 2011 pen features a sleeper in Jose Arredondo. Signed to a minor league deal a year ago, he's fully recovered from Tommy John surgery. The Reds will try Paul Janish and Renteria at shortstop with Cabrera's departure. I don't mind the plan, though I'm curious if the Reds inquired on J.J. Hardy.
The Reds' front office spent the bulk of their offseason hammering out extensions with Bruce, Cueto, and Votto, and attempting one with Edinson Volquez. Bruce's deal offers a chance at three affordable free agent seasons, and it makes sense for both sides. Cueto's contract allows for two free agent years, and is riskier by nature since he's a pitcher. But $16MM is the going rate for a good young pitcher's arbitration years in an extension, so this was a typical contract.
As MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith outlined in January, Votto's deal was a head-scratcher from the Reds' point of view. The Reds were not able to buy out any free agent seasons, which might have cost upwards of $20MM each. At best the Reds received a mild discount of a few million dollars on Votto's first two arbitration years, compared to the year-to-year earnings of Prince Fielder.
Payroll aside, the Reds did not need to tinker much with the NL's best offense. They're bringing back a similar group, with plenty of upside for players like Bruce and Drew Stubbs. Replacing Harang with a young in-house starting pitcher is an upgrade, especially if Homer Bailey's late-season success carries over. The team is overly enamored with Arroyo and the Votto extension was player-friendly, but the painful aspects of those contracts will be realized after 2011. The 2011 Reds are short on new faces, which is a positive in their case.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
No Extension This Time For Brewers, McGehee
The Brewers announced that they signed Casey McGehee to a one-year contract instead of completing the extension they had preliminary discussions about. There's no rush for a deal, as the third baseman isn't arbitration eligible until after the coming season and isn't scheduled to hit free agency until after the 2014 campaign.
McGehee hit 23 homers last year, posting a .285/.337/.464 line in 670 plate appearances in his first full season. The longtime Cubs farmhand caught on with the Brewers in 2009 and hit 16 homers with an .859 OPS in 394 plate appearances as a rookie.
The Brewers, who have already extended infielder Rickie Weeks this offseason, have now signed all 40 players on their 40-man roster.
Rays Sign Edgar Gonzalez
The Rays signed right-hander Edgar Gonzalez to a minor league deal, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (on Twitter). The seven-year veteran's deal does not include an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
Gonzalez, who induces slightly more ground outs than air outs, relies on a slider and a fastball that averages just under 90 mph. He split the 2010 season between the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, where he struck out 29 batters in 24 1/3 innings, and Monterrey of the Mexican League, starting for both clubs.
Gonzalez, 28, last appeared in the majors for the 2009 A's, when he pitched to a 5.51 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 65 1/3 innings. He has similar numbers over the course of his career, which includes six seasons with the Diamondbacks (5.88 ERA, 5.8 K/9, 3.1 BB/9).
NL East Notes: Zimmermann, Marlins, Heyward
Players with zero to three years of service time are under team control and don't have the power to negotiate their salaries. Most of these players agree to terms with their clubs on deals worth $400-500K, but some don't agree to terms and their clubs renew their contracts instead (it doesn't affect the player's timeline for arbitration or free agency). Here's the latest on the NL East, including news on some contract renewals:
- The Nationals announced that they have renewed the contracts of right-handers Tyler Clippard and Jordan Zimmermann.
- The Marlins renewed the contracts of four of their own players, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (on Twitter). The team did not agree to terms with Logan Morrison, Gaby Sanchez, Mike Stanton or Ryan Webb.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan shows that Jason Heyward is uncharacteristically mature for a 21-year-old. The Braves right fielder tells Passan that he can improve upon his standout rookie season, something that would please new manager Fredi Gonzalez.