Michael Young Rumors: Wednesday
The Rockies aren't in on Michael Young, but other clubs have at least some interest in the Rangers infielder. Young would consider trades on a case-by-case basis, though he can veto deals to teams other than the Cardinals, Yankees, Twins, Astros, Rockies, Dodgers, Angels and Padres. Yesterday we found out that the Cardinals, Twins, Mariners and Tigers have little or no interest in Young. The Astros, however, like Young's tools to an extent and might consider sending Carlos Lee to the Rangers for him. Here's the latest on Young, with the most recent updates up top:
- The Phillies recently contacted the Rangers to express interest in Young, three league sources told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. The talks ultimately didn't get very far and are no longer active. One of the sources characterized the interaction as "tire kicking" on the part of the Phillies. It should be noted that the Phillies are not one of the eight clubs that Young would approve trades to, though the 34-year-old says that he would consider deals to teams not on the list.
- The Yankees aren't expected to pursue Young, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- Several people involved with the Young situation tell Jon Heyman of SI.com that they believe there’s a “decent chance” that the Rangers open Spring Training with Young. Texas is talking to multiple teams about Young and for now the Rangers are discussing deals with clubs that Young would accept trades to.
- The Angels have little interest in picking up most of Young’s contract or assembling a package of players that would appeal to the Rangers, according to Mike DiGiovanna and Steve Dilbeck of the LA Times. Texas is looking for starting pitching and a position player who can help at the Major League level. The Angels would part with Scott Kazmir and Fernando Rodney, but those players have little appeal to the Rangers.
- The Dodgers have some concern about Young’s defense and power, according to DiGiovanna and Dilbeck.
- The Mets should consider acquiring Young, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Mets could send Jason Bay to the Rangers, who are known to be seeking a DH type, and New York could then either keep Young or flip him to another team, with net salary savings in either scenario.
Cardinals, Pujols Remain Far Apart
Albert Pujols and the Cardinals remain far apart in discussions about a possible extension, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter links). Heyman says the sides are so far apart that there's "virtually no chance" for a deal by Pujols' February 16th deadline. Pujols is looking for Alex Rodriguez money ($275MM over ten years), while the Cardinals are reluctant to offer anything more than a six or seven-year deal.
Pujols, 31, is nine months away from hitting free agency for the first time. The three-time MVP has said that he'll stop negotiating an extension once Spring Training begins, so the Cardinals have exactly one week to reach a deal with him. Ten years into his MLB career, Pujols has 408 home runs and a .331/.426/.624 career line.
AL East Links: Gonzalez, Bautista, Shealy, Orioles
The Yankees already added a reliever today. Here are some notes on what their division rivals are up to…
- Adrian Gonzalez says he hasn't imposed a deadline for extension negotiations with the Red Sox, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Gonzalez, who worked out at Red Sox camp today, did not seem worried about talks with Boston, according to Cafardo.
- The Blue Jays' arbitration hearing with Jose Bautista will take place Monday, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- The Jays signed Ryan Shealy to a minor league deal, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). The 31-year-old appeared in five games for the Red Sox last year after spending the 2009 season in the minors. Shealy posted a .231/.345/.472 line at Triple-A for the Red Sox and Rays last year.
- Speaking of Boston, Alex Speier of WEEI.com introduces us to the team's many bullpen candidates. They have lots of left-handers to choose from. Felix Doubront, Rich Hill, Andrew Miller, Hideki Okajima and Dennys Reyes will provide manager Terry Francona with plenty of options.
- The Orioles are actively discussing deals with Luke Scott and Jeremy Guthrie, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The O’s don’t appear to be on the verge of an agreement with either arbitration eligible player. Scott’s hearing is next Monday and Guthrie’s hearing will take place Wednesday. Keep track of all the remaining arbitration hearings with our Arb Tracker.
Red Sox Sign Alfredo Aceves
The Red Sox signed Alfredo Aceves to a Major League deal, the team announced. Aceves will earn $650K and could earn $100K more in incentives, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Agent Tom O'Connell represents Aceves.
Boston takes on limited risk, since Aceves has two options remaining, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). The Red Sox see Aceves as a starter, rather than a reliever, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Speier notes that the deal is a split contract that would pay Aceves $200K in the minors. The Mets also offered Aceves a Major League contract, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com, but Aceves preferred to play for Boston.
A lower-back injury limited Aceves to just ten games last year. He was a workhorse in 2009, when he logged 84 innings in 43 appearances for the eventual World Champions. The 28-year-old right-hander has a 3.21 ERA with 6.2 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and a 38.6% ground ball rate in 126 career innings.
Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has added high-profile relievers (Bobby Jenks, Dan Wheeler) and others (Dennys Reyes, Matt Fox, Hideki Okajima, Rich Hill, Lenny DiNardo, Matt Albers, Jason Bergmann, Brandon Duckworth and Andrew Miller) in his offseason-long effort to improve the team's bullpen. Check out our Transaction Tracker for the details.
Peter Abraham and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe first reported the deal.
Red Sox Sign Dennys Reyes
The Red Sox signed Dennys Reyes to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, the team announced. Reyes will earn $900K if he makes the major league team with incentives that could push the value of the deal to $1.4MM, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
Reyes, 34 in April, had agreed to a one-year Major League contract worth $1.1MM with the Phillies earlier this offseason, but the deal was called off after the two sides "hit a snag." In 59 appearances with the Cardinals last year, the southpaw posted a 3.55 ERA with nearly as many walks (21) as strikeouts (25) in 38 innings. Left-handed batters gave him trouble, tagging him for a .307/.409/.453 batting line, but over the last three years it's a much more respectable .234/.312/.314.
Reyes will join a rebuilt Boston bullpen that now features Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler, assuming he makes the team. The Red Sox will be his 11th team.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports first reported the agreement.
Red Sox Designate Robert Coello For Assignment
The Red Sox announced that they designated right-hander Robert Coello for assignment to create roster space for Alfredo Aceves. Coello pitched in both the Dominican Winter League and the Mexican Pacific League this winter after leading Red Sox minor leaguers with 130 strikeouts in 2010.
Coello, a Cincinnati Reds draft choice who signed with Boston as a free agent in 2008, appeared in six games for the Red Sox last year. The 26-year-old spent most of the season pitching for Boston's top affiliates, where he posted a 3.86 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 107 1/3 innings as a swingman.
Quick Hits: AL West Grades, O-Cab, Scott, Hernandez
Offseason grades were revealed for the NL Central on Tuesday by ESPN.com's Jayson Stark, and his colleague Jerry Crasnick has marks for the AL West today. Here's more on that and a couple other tidbits of note …
- The A's had the best offseason of the AL West clubs, writes Crasnick, after adding some pop to their lineup relatively cheaply and solidifying their bullpen behind their strong, young starting rotation. They missed out on a couple bigger-ticket players and added some guys with injury questions, Crasnick notes, but they improved overall. The Rangers fared OK this offseason, writes Crasnick. The loss of Cliff Lee hurts Texas, as does its mishandling of a good asset in Michael Young, although Adrian Beltre was a nice if pricey add. The Angels and Mariners had a rough go of it, according to Crasnick, with the Halos committing too much money to Vernon Wells in the wake of losing out on Carl Crawford, and the M's pulling off some "uninspiring" signings, like Miguel Olivo.
- Free-agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera is talking to a couple teams and is "too good not to get a job," writes Jon Heyman of SI.com. The Twins, Brewers and Pirates all could make sense as a landing spot for Cabrera, Heyman explains.
- The Mets have signed outfielder Lorenzo Scott to a minor league deal, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Scott, 28, spent 2010 in the Marlins organization, primarly with the Double-A Jacksonville Suns of the Southern League. There he hit .265/.369/.412 in 324 plate appearances.
- The Mariners have signed Moises Hernandez, the older brother of Seattle ace Felix Hernandez, to a minor league deal, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Hernandez, 26, was last with a Major League organizaiton in 2009, when he pitched for three Braves affiliates. For his minor league career, Hernandez has a 4.37 ERA in 116 appearances (57 starts).
- MLBTR founder and owner Tim Dierkes was interviewed by the folks over at BaseballNation.net recently, so be sure to give that a read for more information on the innerworkings of MLBTR.
Yankees Sign Eric Chavez To Minor League Deal
The Yankees have signed Eric Chavez to a minor league deal, according to WFAN's Sweeny Murti. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports that the deal is done and that Chavez will earn $1.5MM if he makes the big league team (Twitter links). The third baseman, who is represented by Lapa/Leventhal, can earn up to $4MM more in bonuses.
Until now, the 33-year-old Chavez has been a career Oakland Athletic. Unfortunately for the veteran, he has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, seeing time in just 64 games across the last three seasons. In 13 big league seasons, Chavez owns a slash line of .267/.343/.478.
Chavez worked out for the Dodgers a few weeks ago and has also been linked to the Mariners and Blue Jays in recent months.
Ohlendorf Beats Pirates In Arbitration Hearing
Ross Ohlendorf won just one game last year, but it didn't take him long to pick up his first victory of 2011. The right-hander beat the Pirates in arbitration, MLBTR has learned. Ohlendorf will earn $2.025MM instead of the $1.4MM salary the Pirates had offered.
Ohlendorf, a super two player, posted a 4.07 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 to go along with his 1-11 record last year. The 28-year-old has a 4.40 ERA in 354 big league innings with the Pirates and Yankees. He set himself up for higher future salaries by beating the Pirates, who have now come to terms with all of their arbitration eligible players.
As MLBTR's Arb Tracker shows, 12 arbitration eligible players, including Josh Hamilton and Jose Bautista, remain unsigned. Jered Weaver's hearing with the Angels is today.
Yankees To Sign Luis Ayala
The Yankees agreed to sign reliever Luis Ayala to a minor league deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The right-hander a career ERA of 3.67 with 5.9 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in parts of six major league seasons.
Ayala last appeared in the majors in 2009, but he has been pitching recently. The 33-year-old closed for Mexico in the Caribbean Series, according to Morosi. Another Mexican right-hander, former Yankee Alfredo Aceves, signed with the Red Sox yesterday.
Ayala will presumably compete for a spot at the back of the Yankees' bullpen with the likes of Buddy Carlyle, Neal Cotts and Mark Prior. There doesn't appear to be much room for competition in the Yankees' restocked 'pen, but spots could open up because of injuries or ineffectiveness.