Archives for January 2012

Quick Hits: Manny, Braves, Oliver, Tejada

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 11:37pm CDT

Some links as Thursday turns into Friday…

As part of his comeback attempt, Manny Ramirez will work out for teams later this month according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Manny was officially reinstated last month, and he indicated that the "doors are open" for a minor league contract.
Braves GM Frank Wren told MLB.com's Mark Bowman that he feels both Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado will be with the team at the start of Spring Training. They still have interest in Adam Jones and could continue to pursue the outfielder if the Orioles lower their demands.
The Yankees never inquired on lefty reliever Darren Oliver before he signed with the Blue Jays, reports MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith (on Twitter). New York has brought in southpaws Hideki Okajima and Mike O'Connor on minor league deals this offseason.
Miguel Tejada is training in Miami as he looks to make a comeback, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The 37-year-old was designated for assignment by the Giants in August after hitting .239/.270/.326 in 343 plate appearances.
Matt Eddy of Baseball America recapped the last three weeks of minor league transactions. We've covered all the significant moves here, but you can check out which low-level minor leaguers your favorite team recently released.

Mariners Agree To Sign Hisashi Iwakuma

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 10:57pm CDT

10:57pm: Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times reports (on Twitter) that the incentives kick in at 20 starts, at which point Iwakuma will be paid a $200K bonus. He will make $250K for 22 starts, $300K for 25 starts, and $400K for 30 starts. The innings bonuses kick in at 140 IP, and he can earn another $400K for 200 IP.

Iwakuma spent four days in Seattle back in December according to Baker, during which time he met GM Jack Zduriencik and was shown around town. He didn't speak to Ichiro Suzuki before signing, says Baker (on Twitter).

7:35pm: The Mariners have agreed to sign right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma to a one-year contract worth $1.5MM, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (all Twitter links). The deal includes $3.4MM in incentives based on starts and innings pitched. We heard the two sides were closing in on a deal earlier this week. Iwakuma is a Sosnick-Cobbe client.

The Rakuten Golden Eagles posted the 30-year-old righty a year ago and the A's won the rights to negotiate with him for $19.1MM. However, the sides didn't work out a deal and Iwakuma re-signed with Rakuten. He posted a 2.42 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 119 innings in 2011 and became a true free agent after the season. He figures to join Felix Hernandez, Jason Vargas, and Michael Pineda in Seattle's rotation with Blake Beavan and Charlie Furbush as candidates for the fifth spot.

Mets, Ronny Cedeno Nearing Deal

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 5, 2012 at 10:30pm CDT

2:57pm: The Mets are close to a one-year deal with Cedeno that would be worth $1.1-1.2MM, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

11:59am: The Mets and free agent shortstop Ronny Cedeno have reached a critical point in their negotiations, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. They haven't agreed to a deal yet, but there could be a verdict soon, Rubin reports. Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger tweets that the sides are nearing a deal and that Cedeno is still considering his options.

The Mets seek shortstop depth behind Ruben Tejada and have been linked to free agents such as Cedeno, Jack Wilson and Ryan Theriot. The Pirates declined Cedeno's option earlier this offseason, after he posted a .249/.297/.339 line in 454 plate appearances. The 28-year-old posted a strong 6.8 UZR/150 at shortstop this past season, though his career mark of -1.6 UZR/150 is slightly below average. The Red Sox and Pirates were also linked to Cedeno earlier this offseason. Peter E. Greenberg & Associates represents Cedeno.

This post was first published on January 6th, 2012.

West Links: Dodgers, Rangers, A’s, Mariners, Pujols

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 10:16pm CDT

Time for some links from baseball's two West divisions…

"I think so," said Dodgers GM Ned Colletti when asked if he was done with his free agent shopping, reports Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). They re-signed Mike MacDougal to a one-year deal today, the tenth free agent they've signed this winter.
The Rangers continue to have dialogue about long-term contract extensions with core players like Ian Kinsler and Derek Holland, reports Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas. "Our general feeling is to try not to negotiate during the year, but we've made exceptions," said GM Jon Daniels.
Daniels also refused to comment about the Rangers' talks with Yu Darvish, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. "It's best for us to lay low," said the GM. "The less noise around that, the better."
Athletics GM Billy Beane told MLB.com's Jane Lee that he has some interest in a few free agent outfielders, and he's also exploring trade possibilities (Twitter link). Bullpen help is another possibility, says Joe Stiglich of The Bay Area News Group (on Twitter).
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said they are "still keeping our ears open" regarding veteran starters even after signing Hisashi Iwakuma, reports Shannon Drayer of MyNorthwest.com (on Twitter).
ESPN's Buster Olney says (on Twitter) that the union calculated the value of Albert Pujols' contract with the Angels at $246,841,811. Ronald Blum of the AP has a breakdown of the perks in the contract, such as a suite on road trips.
Troy Renck of The Denver Post has the details of Wil Nieves' minor league contract with the Rockies (on Twitter). The backstop will earn $700K in the majors and $14K per month in the minors. He's also been invited to Spring Training.

Marlins Links: Guillen, Zambrano, Cespedes

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 9:41pm CDT

The Miami Marlins continued their busy offseason by officially trading Chris Volstad for Carlos Zambrano and $15.5MM of his $18MM salary today. Here's some more from baseball's first Florida team…

President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said new manager Ozzie Guillen "was a major force" in the Zambrano trade, reports Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald (on Twitter). Guillen and Zambrano are friends and countrymen.
“We really liked him when we saw him at that workout [in November],” said Beinfest to Mike Bernardino of The Sun Sentinel, referring to Yoenis Cespedes. “It’s something we’re continuing to monitor, and we’ll kind of leave it there. But we were very impressed. Obviously, as a Cuban we think it would be an interesting fit in this market and on this ballclub. It’s something we continue to monitor and stay up on.”
Bernardino says teams will submit a sealed bid for Cespedes to his agent Adam Katz through MLB, then have an opportunity to increase their offers. It's unclear if this is an official process, or just how Katz will attempt to find a suitor for the outfielder.
Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald says (on Twitter) that the Marlins will withdraw from the Cespedes derby if his price tag exceeds $60MM.

Luhnow On Rebuilding, Free Agents, Payroll, Norris

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 9:01pm CDT

Astros GM Jeff Luhnow made an appearance on Astroline Radio yesterday, discussing a variety of topics about the team. You can listen to the interview here, though Astros' senior director of social media Alyson Footer provided a partial transcript. Here are the highlights…

"[Our] plan involves us building from within, developing a system that can be productive and allow us to compete year in and year out," said the GM. "How long it takes until we’re competing year in and year out, I don’t know at this point."
Luhnow said they will "be a small market team for a few years" as they rebuild, meaning they will avoid big free agent contracts.
The Houston market is big enough that the Astros can support a large payroll, but the team has "milestones along the way that [they're] going to need to hit" if they want to approach $100MM.
The team plans to emphasize both scouting and statistical analysis to make the best decisions as they move forward.
Luhnow does not plan to trade right-hander Bud Norris. "He is a critical part of the plan moving forward," said the GM.

Epstein On Zambrano, Volstad, Soriano

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 8:30pm CDT

The Cubs officially traded Carlos Zambrano to the Marlins for Chris Volstad today, paying all but $2.5MM of the $18MM owed to him next year. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein spoke to reporters after the trade was announced, so let's recap…

"Best case scenario is that if it did work, [Zambrano would] be leaving as a free agent at the end of the year," said Epstein to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. "Or, if we had to spend that money anyways as a sunk cost, would we rather spend it on a 25-year-old who we can put in our rotation and control for three seasons? That made a lot more sense."
"At some point in the future, if there's a transaction that makes sense with any of our players that puts the Cubs in a better position moving forward, we are going to pursue it," said Epstein to ESPN's Chicago's Bruce Levine. "But in respect to [Alfonso Soriano], he has power and is an offensive contributor. We can work with him to get the best out of him and see where that takes us."
A couple of teams have inquired about Soriano according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter), but so far the Cubs have been unable to find a match. The outfielder still has three years at $18MM per season left on his contract.

Dave Duncan Taking Leave Of Absence

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 7:59pm CDT

Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan is taking a leave of absence due to family matters, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Duncan's wife has been battling cancer and had surgery to remove a brain tumor in August. Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the team will issue an announcement tomorrow (Twitter links).

“As far as how long he’ll be gone, no one knows,” said GM John Mozeliak to Rosenthal.

Duncan, 66, has been the team's pitching coach since 1995, and he is widely considered to be one of the very best in the game. He was in the second year of a two-year deal signed last offseason. Bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist has filled in for Duncan in the past, though it's unclear if he will do so again.

Rangers Remain Interested In Mike Gonzalez

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 7:00pm CDT

The Rangers are still looking for bullpen help, specifically left-handed, and the club remains interested in Mike Gonzalez according to Rich Durrett of ESPN Dallas. Texas met with the lefty's agent, Scott Boras, at the winter meetings.

Gonzalez, 33, appeared in seven games with the Rangers last year after being acquired from the Orioles at the end of August. He's pitched to a 4.27 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 78 innings over the last two seasons, his only two in the American League. Gonzalez has held left-handed batters to a .213/.281/.335 batting line during his nine-year career. Texas lost Darren Oliver to the Blue Jays, but a full season of Gonzalez will help mitigate the loss.

Rockies, Rangers Swap Greg Reynolds For Chad Tracy

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 6:13pm CDT

The Rockies have acquired utility man Chad Tracy from the Rangers for right-hander Greg Reynolds according to the team's Twitter feed. Tracy is the son of Rockies manager Jim Tracy.

Reynolds, 26, was the second overall pick in the 2006 draft and has pitched to a 7.47 ERA in 94 big league innings from 2008-2011. He missed most of 2009 and part of 2010 with shoulder problems. Tracy, 26, has never appeared in the big leagues. He's a .269/.340/.466 career hitter in the minors, spending the last two seasons at Triple-A (.260/.342/.485 hitter at the level). Tracy has played first base, left field, and catcher in his career.

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