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Archives for January 2012

AL East Notes: Damon, Maddon, Scott, Kuroda

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On this date in 2009, the Red Sox signed John Smoltz to a one-year contract. He struggled through 40 innings in Boston before moving on to St. Louis, where he pitched to considerably better results in seven starts. Here's the latest on the AL East…

  • Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com wonder if Johnny Damon could be a fit for the Orioles in 2012.
  • The Rays and Joe Maddon have made progress in extension talks for the skipper, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Maddon’s contract expires after the 2012 season, but both sides have expressed interest in working an extended agreement out before then.
  • Luke Scott told reporters that he won’t be ready to play the outfield until May or June, because his shoulder injury is still healing, Topkin tweets. Scott, whose deal with the Rays became official today, will DH right away and may play some first base.
  • Scott says the Orioles never made him a firm offer after non-tendering him, Kubatko tweets.
  • The Red Sox are still in talks with the agent for Hiroki Kuroda, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
  • Former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein addressed his departure from Boston and other related topics on WEEI this morning and we have the details here.

Rays Continue Eyeing Bats

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The Rays announced their one-year deal with Luke Scott today, but they haven't finished tweaking the offense, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says the Rays have "a long list" of hitters they're considering.

Casey Kotchman and Carlos Pena are among the free agent first base options the team could pursue, but Friedman said the Rays won't necessarily add a first baseman. Scott has experience at first base, a position that's easier on his shoulder than the outfield. Friedman told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio that it's unlikely Johnny Damon will re-sign in Tampa Bay and explained that he'd prefer to acquire a first baseman (Twitter links).

The Rays, who finished eighth in the American League with 707 runs scored last year, have signed Scott and Jose Molina this offseason, as MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows.

Bud Selig Receives Extension

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THURSDAY: MLB has announced the extension through 2014, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.

WEDNESDAY: Selig's extension has been approved and will be announced tomorrow, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

TUESDAY: Commissioner Bud Selig will be extended for at least two years this week at the owners' meetings, reports ESPN's Buster Olney.  Selig became MLB's acting commissioner in 1992, and the title became official in 1998.  He currently earns more than $22MM per year.

Giants Agree To Two-Year Deal With Vogelsong

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THURSDAY: Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has the breakdown (on Twitter). Vogelsong will earn $3MM in 2012, $5MM in 2013, and then a $6.5MM club option with a $300K buyout for 2014 comes into play. The total guarantee is $8.3MM.

WEDNESDAY: The Giants and Ryan Vogelsong have agreed to a two-year contract with an option for 2014, reports Mychael Urban of 95.7 FM The Game (via Twitter). The deal is worth a total of $8MM, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets. The Associated Press reports that the deal is worth $8.3MM (via ESPN). The team announced the agreement in a press release, noting that the club holds the third-year option.

Vogelsong, 34, was entering his final season of arbitration eligibility, so the contract will delay free agency by at least a year. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected a $2.5MM salary for the right-hander for 2012, though we heard during the Winter Meetings that the Giants intended to work out a multiyear deal.

Vogelsong pitched in the bigs last season for the first time in five years, enjoying a remarkable comeback. His 2.71 ERA in 30 appearances (28 starts) earned him an All-Star berth and even a Cy Young vote. The righty was originally drafted by the Giants, and was traded to the Pirates in 2001 in a deadline deal that sent Jason Schmidt to San Francisco. Over the next decade, Vogelsong underwent Tommy John surgery, pitched in Japan, and signed multiple minor league deals before finding success last year with the Giants.

Rays To Sign Luke Scott

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THURSDAY: The deal is official, Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (Twitter links). Scott will earn $5MM in 2012, and the club option is worth $6MM with a $1MM buyout. The Tampa Tribune reports (on Twitter) that the contract also includes bonuses placed on plate appearances.

WEDNESDAY: The Rays have reached an agreement with designated hitter Luke Scott on a one-year deal with a 2013 option, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.  Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times was first to report the near-agreement, and he notes that it includes incentives.  Scott is represented by PSI Sports Management.

Scott

Scott, 33, hit .220/.301/.402 in 236 plate appearances in 2011, his season cut short by July shoulder surgery.  The Orioles non-tendered him last month rather than pay a salary in the range of 2011's $6.4MM figure.  Scott told Topkin he expects to primarily serve as the Rays' DH, with some time at first base.  If his shoulder is fully recovered, perhaps he can return to the .500 slugging percentage-type power he's shown in the past.  The Rays are closest to Scott's Florida home, notes Connolly.

Scott is a late bloomer, having burst onto the scene with a strong half-season for the Astros at age 28 in '06.  After the '07 campaign, he was dealt to the Orioles as part of the Miguel Tejada trade.  Scott has drawn plenty of attention off the field, particularly after interviews with David Brown of Yahoo and Amy K. Nelson of ESPN.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

International Deals: Silva, Martinez

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The latest international signings…

  • The Twins signed right-hander Mauricio Silva for $370K, Baseball America's Ben Badler reports. The 16-year-old Venezuela native had been considered one of the more promising Latin American pitching prospects to become eligible to sign last summer, Badler writes.
  • The White Sox signed Venezuelan right-hander Luis Martinez for $250K, Badler reported yesterday. Martinez, who turns 17 this month, can reach 92 mph on the radar gun and also throws a curveball and change-up, Badler reports. This marks the first major international signing for the White Sox since they hired Marco Paddy from the Blue Jays to oversee their Latin American scouting efforts.

Top Ten Remaining Free Agents

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Prince Fielder headlines a handful of high-profile Scott Boras clients who remain available in free agency, but most of the offseason’s top free agents have signed contracts by now. Here’s a look at possible suitors for the top ten remaining free agents (ranking on MLBTR’s list of top 2012 free agents in parentheses):

  • Prince Fielder (2) – Fielder will sign before Spring Training and the Nationals are among the teams with interest. Boras, who seeks a long-term deal for Fielder, is currently in Phoenix working to sell MLB owners on the first baseman.
  • Edwin Jackson (6) – The Yankees and Orioles have been linked to the right-handed Boras client, but the Yankees are said to be reluctant to commit to a long-term contract.
  • Hiroki Kuroda (15) – The Yankees and Red Sox have some interest in Kuroda, who will pitch in MLB in 2012. The Rockies had some interest, but they aren’t likely to meet Kuroda's asking price.
  • Carlos Pena (16) – The Indians, Rays and Pirates seem like potential destinations for Pena, another Boras client.
  • Roy Oswalt (18) – The Red Sox have some interest in Oswalt, who seeks a one-year deal.
  • Javier Vazquez (19) – It still seems likely that the durable right-hander will retire.
  • Bartolo Colon (27) – The market for Colon has been surprisingly quiet, as Mike Axisa explained at River Ave. Blues this morning.
  • Jeff Francis (32) – The Mariners and Pirates were among the teams linked to Francis earlier in the offseason.
  • Casey Kotchman (36) – Like Pena, Kotchman could be a fit for the Indians, Rays or Pirates.
  • Johnny Damon (39) – Could the Athletics or Orioles offer Damon an everyday job as he continues to approach the 3,000 hit plateau?
  • Honorable mentions – Joe Saunders (non-tendered by the Diamondbacks in December) and Yoenis Cespedes (not yet officially a free agent).

Juan Pierre, Joel Pineiro and Kerry Wood are the only other unsigned players who made MLBTR’s list of top free agents. At this point last year, 11 of MLBTR's top 50 free agents remained unsigned.

Epstein On Cubs, Ramirez, Papelbon, Crawford

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Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein joined WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show this morning and discussed a number of topics, including the Cubs, the Red Sox and the circumstances that led to his current role in Chicago. Here are some highlights from the interview:

  • "There are plenty of resources here," Epstein said, when asked about the Cubs' ability to spend. So far the Cubs have made modest free agent additions led by David DeJesus' $10MM contract, as our Free Agent Tracker shows.
  • "We've brought in multiple players in their pre-prime years who have plenty of upside ahead of them," he said of the Cubs' moves so far this offseason.
  • Not surprisingly, Epstein said Manny Ramirez isn't a fit for the Cubs.
  • Epstein said he and current Red Sox GM Ben Cherington discussed the possibility of Epstein's departure for years. To put last year's off-field issues in context, he said there were periods that were "just as unproductive and contentious" in 2004.
  • Though Terry Francona isn't currently an MLB manager, Epstein expects the skipper to land a managerial job as soon as he wants one, whether that occurs next summer or next offseason.
  • "You can get in trouble sometimes giving huge four-year deals to closers," Epstein said, after acknowledging that Jonathan Papelbon will be missed in Boston. Andrew Bailey and Mark Melancon should help Boston's bullpen recover from the loss of Papelbon, Epstein said.
  • Carl Crawford didn't let his athleticism translate into performance during his first year in Boston, but Epstein expects better results in 2012 and beyond. Red Sox owner John Henry wasn't a proponent of the Crawford deal, but Epstein wanted to sign the speedy left fielder.
  • Epstein says the Red Sox should obtain compensation for his departure, but he cited Andy MacPhail's move to the Cubs in 1994 and cautioned that historical precedent suggests the Red Sox shouldn't obtain much from Chicago.

Angels Avoid Arbitration With Kendrys Morales

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THURSDAY: Morales signed for $2.975MM, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

WEDNESDAY: The Angels avoided arbitration with first baseman Kendrys Morales, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times.  Morales hasn't appeared in the Majors since May 29th, 2010, when he broke his ankle in a home plate celebration.  The Scott Boras client's salary is expected to remain close to $3MM.  

According to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez, the Angels are being cautious with Morales, who is ramping up baseball activities.  When he is ready for Major League action, he may have to fight for playing time given the Albert Pujols signing and Mark Trumbo's emergence.

MLBTR's arbitration tracker shows that after signing Morales and Jerome Williams and extending Howie Kendrick, the Angels have two remaining arbitration eligible players in Erick Aybar and Alberto Callaspo.

NL Central Notes: Madson, Wood, Miller

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The Reds signed Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman for $30.25MM on this date in 2010. The 23-year-old has a 3.27 ERA with 12.8 K/9 and 6.5 BB/9 through 63 1/3 innings in parts of two seasons with Cincinnati. He figures to join lefties Bill Bray and Sean Marshall in the Reds' revamped bullpen this year…

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