Quick Hits
We decided to come up with a punchier name for our Odds & Ends posts, and Quick Hits is the winner. Thanks to MLBTR's Zach Links for the suggestion.
One other change you will notice is that we will be bolding the team names in the Quick Hits posts so that you can more quickly jump to the bullet that pertains to your club.
Relief Rumors: Saito, Fuentes, Burton, Nationals
As MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows, lots of free agent relievers remain unsigned. Here's the latest on the relief market:
- Takashi Saito's deal with the Brewers guarantees him $1.75MM and gives him the chance to earn $1.5MM more through incentives, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- MLB.com's Adam McCalvy adds details on the contracts for Sean Green and Craig Counsell.
- Brian Fuentes is telling teams that he would like to close, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Several teams are interested in the lefty and the Rays are one interested club that could offer a closing job.
- The Reds will likely avoid arbitration with Jared Burton today and agree to a one-year deal with the reliever, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
- The Nationals are pursuing another reliever who can pitch late in games and potentially close, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes listed relief help as one of the Nationals' remaining needs last week.
MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker
MLBTR recently introduced an Arbitration Tracker, which is permanently located under the 'Tools' tab at the top of the site. The tracker allows advanced sorting, so you can narrow your searches. If you're curious about which players have already settled on 2011 salaries or which Giants have yet to settle, you're just a few clicks away from knowing the answer.
As teams and players resolve arbitration cases in January and February, we'll keep the tracker updated with all the information you need to know. Check out MLBTR's Transaction Tracker and Free Agent Tracker while you're at it.
Phillies Re-Sign J.C. Romero
Two months after declining his $4.5MM option for 2011, the Phillies have re-signed lefty J.C. Romero according to the team. The one-year deal will pay the reliever $1.35MM plus performance bonuses. He is represented by Praver/Shapiro.
Romero, 34, has battled elbow and forearm issues over the last two seasons, hampering his already shaky control. He's thrown just 53.1 innings since the start of the 2009 campaign, walking more batters (42) than he's struck out (40). Romero is still effective against left-handed batters however, holding them to a .174/.278/.251 batting line over the last three seasons.
Philadelphia had a one-year, $1.1MM deal in place with southpaw Dennys Reyes earlier this month, but it fell apart because the team's medical staff didn't like what they found in his physical according to Randy Miller of The Bucks County Courier Times. That left the club in need of a left-handed reliever. Romero has been with the Phillies since the middle of the 2007 season, when they signed him as a free agent after the Red Sox cut him loose.
Leslie Gudel of CSNPhilly.com first reported the agreement.
Lee Looks To Prove Doubters Wrong
Derrek Lee doesn’t deny that his numbers dropped off last year and he doesn’t use his thumb injury as an excuse for the disappointing season. But after undergoing successful offseason surgery to repair a torn UCL ligament in his right thumb, the 35-year-old is ready to return to form. And he wouldn’t mind proving some of his doubters wrong in 2011.
"I have a little chip on my shoulder," Lee said on a conference call with reporters. "People say I'm old and declining so I want to prove them wrong obviously."
Lee signed a one-year, $7.25MM deal with the Orioles this week after hitting .260/.347/.428 with 19 homers for the Cubs and Braves last year. He drew interest from other clubs, including the Padres this offseason, but he decided to join the Orioles instead. Lee says manager Buck Showalter is an attraction and suggests the O's will have an improved lineup in 2011. But early in the winter, before the Orioles acquired Mark Reynolds and J.J. Hardy, Lee did not expect to play for Showalter.
"Honestly, Baltimore wasn't on my radar earlier this offseason," he said.
Lee arrives in the American League after 14 seasons in the senior circuit and he says he's extremely excited to make the transition. He admits he might not recognize every middle reliever in the AL, but expects to adjust relatively quickly.
The Orioles, in Lee's estimation, have lots of confidence and the potential to surprise people in the competitive AL East. At 35, the slugger aims to do the same.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Carl Pavano Rumors: Thursday
We heard yesterday that the Nationals last spoke to Carl Pavano‘s agent at the Winter Meetings and that the right-hander is talking a lot with the Twins about a potential deal. The Pirates and Royals are also options for Pavano. Here’s the latest:
- The Nationals are not actively pursuing Pavano, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com. Washington isn’t having serious internal discussions about the pitcher and the team isn’t likely to sign him unless his asking price drops.
- The Pirates have mild interest in Pavano, but will not set the price for him, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter).
Twins Closing In On Deal With Pavano
JANUARY 14TH: The team is still trying to sign Pavano and hopes to have an answer over the next week, GM Bill Smith told Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).
JANUARY 6TH: The Twins are nearing an agreement on a two-year deal with free-agent pitcher Carl Pavano, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The sides are making "solid progress" and should have the deal completed soon, tweets LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune.
The Nationals were rumored to have interest in Pavano, but Washington didn't make a strong push for the righty, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. He was interested in pitching for the Rockies, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post, but Colorado's interest tapered off after it re-signed Jorge De La Rosa.
Pavano, who will turn 35 on Saturday, pitched for the Twins in 2010 after they acquired him from the Indians in a midseason trade in 2009. Pavano rejuvenated his career last season (and, to a lesser extent, in '09) after an injury-riddled stint with the Yankees from 2005-08. In 2010, he posted a 3.75 ERA with a 4.8 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 221 innings. He signed a one-year deal with Minnesota prior to last season.
The Twins have been hit relatively hard by free agency so far this offseason, losing Orlando Hudson, Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain, but the potential return of Pavano would keep their strong starting rotation intact.
Orioles, Angels, Rays Interested In Vladimir Guerrero
The Orioles, Angels and Rays have shown different levels of interest in Vladimir Guerrero, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com. Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles heard this week that the Halos weren’t talking to the DH, but a return to Anaheim remains possible for the longtime Angel.
A return to Texas is no longer a possibility, as Rangers GM Jon Daniels said the team is not pursuing Guerrero. Vlad, who turns 36 next month, hit .300/.345/.496 with 29 homers last year. He made his ninth All-Star team and earned his eighth Silver Slugger, finishing 11th in MVP balloting.
The Orioles would have to play Luke Scott in the outfield if they were to sign Guerrero. That would create a logjam with Scott, Felix Pie and Nolan Reimold battling for one outfield spot (assuming Adam Jones and Nick Markakis play every day). The Angels would have to play Bobby Abreu or Juan Rivera in the outfield on a daily basis if they sign Guerrero instead of a player who can patrol the outfield. The Rays could offer Guerrero a full-time DH job and they appear to be a better fit than the O's or Angels.
Details On Beltre’s Other Offers, Vesting Option
Adrian Beltre turned down offers from the A's and Angels before signing with the Rangers. It turns out that one of those offers was larger than initially thought. According to Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com, the A's offered the third baseman a six-year, $76MM deal, not a $64MM deal as we'd heard before. Peter Gammons first reported that the A's had offered $76MM (Twitter link). The Rangers outbid both of their AL West rivals, as the Angels reportedly offered a $70MM deal.
The 2016 option in Beltre's contract is complex, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains. Beltre needs 600 plate apperances with the Rangers in 2015 or 1,200 plate appearances in 2014-15 for the $16MM option to vest in 2016. If the option vests and Beltre's on the disabled list at the end of the 2015 season and a mutually agreed upon doctor determines that he's unable to play at a normal level by the spring of 2016, the team can defer $12MM of the third baseman's 2016 salary at 1% interest (Twitter links).
Phillies Invite Delwyn Young To Spring Training
The Phillies announced that Delwyn Young is one of seven players they have invited to Spring Training. The Phillies and Brewers pursued Young after he elected free agency last fall.
Philadelphia also invited Brian Bass, Tuffy Gosewisch, Joel Naughton, Robb Quinlan, Michael Schwimer and Michael Stutes to Spring Training as non-roster invitees.
Young spent the past two seasons in Pittsburgh, where he hit. 236/.286/.414 in 207 plate appearances last year. The 28-year-old played right field, second base and third base for the Pirates and he played left field as a member of the Dodgers. The switch hitter has a .710 OPS against right-handed pitching in his career and a .708 OPS against southpaws.