Padres Agree To Terms With Chad Qualls
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
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
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
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
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.
Minor League Signings: Bynum, Padilla, Romero
A few notable minor league signings, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy…
- The Cardinals signed infielder Freddie Bynum. The 30-year-old spend last season in Japan, and is a career .234/.275/.379 hitter in 377 plate appearances, mostly with the Orioles and Cubs. He has experience at both middle infield spots and in the outfield.
- The Marlins signed outfielder Jorge Padilla. The 31-year-old finally made his big league debut in 2009 after a minor league career that started in 1998. He hit .120/.154/.120 in 26 plate appearances with the Nats and has performed well at the Triple-A level (.304/.372/.406).
- The Marlins also added another outfielder, 27-year-old Alex Romero. He hasn't played in the big leagues since 2009, and is a .239/.279/.339 career hitter in 299 plate appearances, all with the Diamondbacks. Romero can handle all three outfield spots.
J.D. Martin Expected To Be Taken Off 40-Man Roster
Now that the Jerry Hairston Jr. contract is official, the Nationals are expected to take J.D. Martin off their 40-man roster according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (on Twitter). The move will create room for their new utility player.
Martin, 28, has made 24 starts for the Nationals over the last two seasons, most of which came in 2009. He's 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.
Yankees, Carl Pavano Considered Deal
2:39pm: ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees would have signed Pavano only if they were able to work out a sign-and-trade that would have saved their first round draft pick. Pavano is a Type A free agent and would have required such compensation.
11:58am: Pavano seriously considered returning to the Yankees, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Yankees explored a one-year, high-salary deal with Pavano before the Twins offered a second year.
10:43am: The Yankees paid Carl Pavano $39.95MM from 2005-08 and got 26 total appearances from the right-hander, who made annual trips to the 60-day DL. But Pavano's first stint in New York didn't stop the team from considering him this offseason. GM Brian Cashman told reporters, including Peter Botte of the New York Daily News, that the club had "several discussions" with agent Tom O'Connell, who represents the 35-year-old (Twitter link).
Pavano, who is 'very close' to a deal with the Twins, has rebounded from his four seasons in the Bronx. He has a 4.39 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 in 420 1/3 innings since the beginning of the 2009 campaign.
Nationals Sign Jerry Hairston Jr.
The Nationals announced that they have officially signed Jerry Hairston Jr. to a one-year contract with a $2MM base salary. Hairston, a CAA client, can earn another $1MM in incentives.
Hairston hit .244/.299/.353 in 476 plate appearances for the Padres last year, playing all over the diamond, as usual. The 34-year-old appeared at short, second, third and in both corner outfield positions in 2010. Hairston hasn't shown much of a platoon split throughout his career; the right-handed batter has an OPS of about .700 against right-handers and left-handers.
The Nationals have been in the midst of a back-and-forth with the Mets this week. First, the Mets signed longtime Nats utlity player Willie Harris. Then the Nats signed former Mets utility player Alex Cora. We heard yesterday that the Mets are likely to sign Scott Hairston and the Nats responded by agreeing to terms with his brother today.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson first reported the deal, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports added details (Twitter links).
Collins Hopes To Add Another Lefty Reliever
The Mets added Taylor Tankersley on a minor league contract just a few days ago, but new manager Terry Collins told ESPN New York's Adam Rubin that he'd like to add another lefty reliever before the season. Tankersley would then have competition for the lefty specialist job in Spring Training.
"We're hoping to sign another one," said Collins. "It certainly would make it a little bit better for us if we had another one coming into camp, and I know Sandy [Alderson] is working with a couple of people."
Our Free Agent Tracker shows that players like Joe Beimel, Dennys Reyes, and Ron Mahay remain unsigned. Oliver Perez does not seem to be a candidate for that or any job with the team, and the out-of-options Pat Misch hasn't had much success against lefties in his career: .289/.337/.467 against. His best shot at making the club might be as a long reliever, says Rubin.