Archives for January 2012

Braves To Sign Jack Wilson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 2:23pm CDT

The Braves have agreed to re-sign shortstop Jack Wilson to a one-year deal, MLB.com's Mark Bowman tweets. The PSI Sports Management client will earn a $1MM base salary and could earn $500K more by reaching incentives, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links).

Wilson, 34, hit .243/.274/.285 for the Mariners and Braves in 2011, appearing at second, short and third. Better known for his defense than for his offense, Wilson has a 5.0 UZR/150 for his career. He figures to back up prospect Tyler Pastornicky at short and could spell Chipper Jones at third base if necessary.

Rays Designate Nevin Ashley For Assignment

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 2:05pm CDT

The Rays designated catcher Nevin Ashley for assignment to create roster space for Luke Scott, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The team's 40-man roster remains full.

Ashley, 27, posted a .263/.358/.384 line in 444 plate appearances for the Rays' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in 2011. The 2006 sixth rounder has a .260/.353/.378 line in parts of six pro seasons. However, he was behind Jose Molina, Robinson Chirinos and Jose Lobaton on the Rays' depth chart.

Diamondbacks Interested In Bartolo Colon

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 1:36pm CDT

The Diamondbacks are showing interest in free agent starter Bartolo Colon, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark tweets. Mitch Frankel represents the veteran right-hander, who could also be an option for the Yankees.

Colon posted a 4.00 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 164 1/3 innings with the Yankees in 2011. The 38-year-old signed a minor league deal with New York last offseason and thrived at the back of the team's rotation, especially early on in the season. Colon, who didn't pitch in MLB in 2010, has been treated with stem cells from his bone marrow and fat to repair tears in his elbow and rotator cuff.

Asking Price Drops For Oswalt, Kuroda, Jackson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 12:23pm CDT

The asking prices for top free agent starters have dropped significantly, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. Roy Oswalt is said to be asking for $8MM, Hiroki Kuroda’s asking for $10-11MM and Edwin Jackson’s asking price has also dropped.

Oswalt and Kuroda seek one-year deals, while Jackson’s agent, Scott Boras, seeks a five-year deal. Each of the three starters is one of the top five players remaining on MLBTR’s list of Top 50 Free Agents. Last week MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes explained which teams could be looking for starting pitching.

An $8MM investment Oswalt seems more than reasonable for a team in need of pitching help. Though the 34-year-old struggled with back issues in 2011, he finished the season with six strong September starts and a season ERA of 3.69 with 6.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9. Similarly, a one-year deal in the $10-11MM range for Kuroda seems team-friendly. The right-hander posted a 3.07 ERA in 202 innings with 7.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. Kuroda's less than a month away from his 37th birthday, but a one-year deal would protect teams' long-term interests.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Posada, Madson, Fielder

By Mike Axisa | January 13, 2012 at 12:00pm CDT

On this date in 2005, the owners unanimously approved the sale of the Brewers from Bud Selig to Mark Attanasio for $223MM. In the seven years under Attanasio, Milwaukee has as many playoff appearances (two) as they did in 34 years under Selig, who moved the Seattle Pilots franchise to his hometown in 1970. As the offseason draws closer to an end, here is the latest and greatest from around the web…

Baltimore Sports and Life interviewed Orioles GM Dan Duquette.
Did The Tribe Win Last Night? spoke to Jason Kipnis about his expectations for 2012.
I-70 Baseball looked back at what pitching coach Dave Duncan did with the Cardinals.
Yanks Go Yard wrote about Jorge Posada's retirement.
River Ave. Blues re-lived Posada's greatest regular season game.
Red Reporter is excited about the Reds signing Ryan Madson.
Redleg Nation wonders if the Reds still have money to spend.
Brotherly Glove wrote about the Reds signing Madson.
North and South of Royal Brougham says the Mariners should extend Dustin Ackley.
Two Points on a Compass has a plan in case the Mariners don't sign Prince Fielder.
Some Thoughts on Baseball explained why the Blue Jays will sign Fielder.
Yankees Fans Unite wonders if Edwin Jackson would take a two-year contract.
Sideline Scholars says the Rays made a great move by signing Luke Scott.
Chicken Friars revisited the Anthony Rizzo trade.
Rising Apple looked back at Fernando Martinez through the years.
Motor City Bengals explains why Matt Garza is a good idea for the Tigers.
Fish Stripes is all for the Marlins pursing Yoenis Cespedes.
Marlin Maniac thinks Ozzie Guillen can tame Carlos Zambrano.
Marlins Daily wonders who will play center field in Miami.
Puckett's Pond explains why the Twins will have a better OBP next season.
BoSox Injection thinks the Red Sox may be waiting for next year's free agent class.
Talkin Sox with Dan says it's time for Jon Lester to take over the Sox's staff.
Sports of Boston previewed Boston's pitching staff.
Shutdown Inning wrote about the future of Alexi Ogando.
SB Nation explained how the Cubs got to where they are today.
Lasorda's Lair thinks the Dodgers may need a second lefty in the bullpen.
Talk Sports Philly believes the Ryan Howard contract will end up being a bargain.
The Friarhood reviewed the entire Padres' offseason.
The Hottest Stove mused about the luxury tax.
Call to the Pen wrote about the two Bud Seligs.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

Phillies Avoid Arbitration With Kyle Kendrick

By Mike Axisa | January 13, 2012 at 11:57am CDT

The Phillies announced that they have avoided arbitration with Kyle Kendrick by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $3.585MM. SFX represents the second-time arbitration eligible right-hander.

As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, the Phillies now have three remaining arbitration eligible players: Cole Hamels, Hunter Pence and Wilson Valdez.

Kendrick, 27, posted a 3.22 ERA with 4.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 114 2/3 innings last year. He owns a 43-30 career record with a 4.41 ERA in 598 1/3 innings of work since 2007. The Phillies control his rights through 2014.

Yoenis Cespedes Talks Free Agency

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 11:00am CDT

Yoenis Cespedes says the six teams with "more interest" in signing him are the Marlins, Cubs, White Sox, Orioles, Tigers and Indians, tweets Dionisio Soldevila of the Associated Press. The Cuban outfielder, who struck out in each of his three at bats in the Dominican Winter League last night, will likely become a free agent soon. Cespedes said he isn't worried that his performance in the Winter League will reduce his bargaining power, Soldevila tweets.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears from people in the know that the Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, Rangers and Nationals also have some level of interest in Cespedes. Marlins president David Samson recently acknowledged that his team intends to make an aggressive run at Cespedes, who is represented by Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group.

Rays, Maddon Closing In On Extension

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 9:48am CDT

The Rays are closing in on a multiyear extension with manager Joe Maddon, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Maddon’s contract is set to expire after 2012, but both sides have expressed interest in working out a deal to keep the skipper in place beyond the coming season.

Maddon, the 2011 American League Manager of the Year, has managed the Rays to three playoff berths in the past four seasons, including an AL pennant in 2008. In six years under the 57-year-old Maddon, the Rays have a 495-477 record.

Indians Hire Adam Everett

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 9:17am CDT

Adam Everett, who played 34 games with the Indians last year, is back in uniform for the Tribe, but not as a player. The Indians announced that they hired the longtime infielder as a special assistant to baseball operations. He’ll instruct infielders at the Indians’ Major League and minor league camps this Spring Training and provide infield instruction and evaluation during the regular season.

The Indians released Everett in June to create roster space for third base prospect Lonnie Chisenhall. The 34-year-old spent most of his 11-year career as a shortstop, though he appeared at second and third for the Indians in 2011. If his playing career has indeed ended, he'll retire with a .242/.294/.346 line for the Astros, Tigers, Twins and Indians and career earnings approaching $12MM. Everett never won a Gold Glove, but owns an impressive UZR/150 of 15.0 at shortstop.

Orioles Have Interest In Johnny Damon

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 8:36am CDT

The Orioles appear to have some interest in Johnny Damon, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. Luke Scott's deal with the Rays likely means Damon won't return to Tampa Bay, but the Orioles might have room for the designated hitter.

Damon, 38, is just 277 career hits away from 3,000, so the milestone is within reach. He hit .261/.326/.418 with 16 homers and 29 doubles in 582 plate appearances as the Rays' DH in 2011. Relative to the league as a whole, he hit well (110 OPS+), but DHs averaged a better batting line this past season: .265/.340/.429. It's worth noting Damon has played in at least 140 games every season since 1996.

I examined Damon's free agent stock in November, concluding that another modest one-year deal is likely. This is the first public indication that a team other than the Rays has interest in Damon. A return to the Athletics could also be possible in my opinion. As Heyman pointed out on Twitter yesterday, Damon is 'nomad' spelled backwards, which is appropriate for a player who's about to join his fourth team in as many seasons.

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