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Archives for February 2012

Brewers Sign Jay Gibbons

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The Brewers signed outfielder Jay Gibbons to a minor league deal, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). Agent Bo McKinnis represents the 34-year-old, who played in the Brewers' organization in 2008,

Gibbons appeared in 24 games for the Dodgers last year, playing both corner outfield positions and posting a .255/.323/.345 line in 62 plate appearances. He has a .258/.318/.460 career line against right-handed pitching.

Extension Updates: Zimmerman, Bourn, Phillips

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Extension season generally continues well into Spring Training and the regular season. For example, teams and players agreed on nine extensions between this date last year and the end of April. Let's check in on some ongoing extension talks:

  • Ryan Zimmerman said he doesn't want to discuss a new extension after this Friday, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Zimmerman had already set the official start of Spring Training as a soft deadline for talks, since he doesn't want to let contract talks become a distraction. Agent Brodie Van Wagenen was in Nationals camp today.
  • Michael Bourn says the Braves haven't approached him about an extension so far, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Bourn will earn $4.4MM in 2012 and hit free agency after the season unless the Braves lock him up.
  • Brandon Phillips said he's not looking for "Prince Fielder money" in extension talks with the Reds, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I just want what other second baseman got," he said. "I want to be in my city." Phillips is not under contract beyond 2012.
  • Check out MLBTR's Extension Tracker for information on previous deals.

Red Sox Notes: Hill, Ortiz, Epstein, Valentine

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Eleven years ago today, the Red Sox purchased Jorge De La Rosa from Monterrey of the Mexican League. He spent close to two years in their farm system, then was traded to the Diamondbacks as part of the package for Curt Schilling prior to the 2004 season. Here's the latest from Boston…

Jon Garland No Longer With Indians

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Jon Garland is no longer with the Indians, reports Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain-Dealer. The right-hander was scheduled for a physical on Monday, but he didn't take it and his minor league contract will not be finalized.

GM Chris Antonetti told ESPN's Jim Bowden that Garland is going to continue to rehab, but he's not currently able to compete for a job (Twitter link). The Tribe agreed to sign the righty shortly after learning that Fausto Carmona – a.k.a. Roberto Hernandez – was unlikely to be in Spring Training on time. The 32-year-old Garland missed most of last season due to shoulder surgery after posting nine consecutive seasons of at least 190 innings.

Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

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If you prefer your MLBTR fix limited to only your favorite team, we've got you covered.  Below are links to our team Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds.

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Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

Edgar Renteria Leaning Toward Retirement

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Edgar Renteria doesn't plan to play in 2012 and is leaning toward retirement, agent Barry Meister told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. However, Renteria won't officially file for retirement just yet in case an opportunity emerges later on.

Renteria obtained offers from two NL teams this offseason, but they were for minor league deals, and he decided to pass. The Royals considered the 16-year-veteran earlier on in the offseason, but it's not clear if they made him an offer.

Renteria spent the 2011 season with the Reds, posting a .251/.306/.348 line in 333 plate appearances as a shortstop and second baseman. He owns two Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, 140 home runs and a .286/.343/.398 line as a Major Leaguer and has earned upwards of $85MM since breaking in with the 1996 Marlins. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes examined retirement candidates around MLB last month.

Scott Kazmir Considering Mets, Five Other Clubs

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Free agent left-hander Scott Kazmir is considering six teams and could decide on his next club within a few days, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets. The Mets, who selected Kazmir in the first round of the 2002 draft, are among the interested teams.

Kazmir worked out in front of about ten scouts last week, throwing in the 86-89 mph range. The 28-year-old appeared in one game for the Angels last year, but got released after struggling at Triple-A. The Yankees are not interested, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets.

Blue Jays Sign Rick VandenHurk

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The Blue Jays announced that they signed Rick VandenHurk to a non-guaranteed split Major League contract. The Orioles released the right-hander earlier this month, making him a free agent. 

VandenHurk, 26, has experience in five big league seasons, but he appeared in just four games for the 2011 Orioles. He spent most of the season as a starter at Triple-A, where he posted a 4.43 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 154 1/3 innings. The 6'5" native of the Netherlands has a 5.97 ERA with 8.8 K/9, 4.7 BB/9 and a 27.9% ground ball rate in 181 career innings with the Marlins and Orioles. 

The Blue Jays created 40-man roster space for VandenHurk by placing right-hander Alan Farina on the 60-day DL.

Minor Moves: Dane Sardinha

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The latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • Catcher Dane Sardinha failed a recent physical because of an elbow issue, and his minor league deal with the Orioles wasn't completed, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets.  Sardinha agreed to terms with Baltimore earlier in the month. The 32-year-old appeared in 15 games for the Phillies last year and also has big league experience with the Tigers and Reds. He has a .216/.262/.328 line in 11 minor league seasons.

Yankees Notes: Rivera, Betances, Rodriguez

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It sounds as though 2012 may be the final season of what will surely be a Hall of Fame career for Mariano Rivera. Here’s the latest on the Yankees and the back end of their bullpen as Spring Training 2012 gets underway…

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post doubts the Yankees will spend on the best free agent closer available, though it’s a strategy they might have chosen in the recent past. Brian Cashman believes it’s unwise to sign relievers other than Rivera to significant contracts, and the GM aims to keep payroll under $189MM by 2014.
  • David Robertson and Rafael Soriano are internal candidates to close if Rivera retires, as Sherman points out. Many baseball people believe the Yankees should use prospect Dellin Betances out of the bullpen, but he has just two MLB games to his name at this point.
  • The Yankees don’t expect Alex Rodriguez to be a vital part of their team four or five years from now, but there’s $143MM remaining on his contract, so the team needs to get as much value as possible from A-Rod.
  • The Yankees will obtain another closer, but they won’t replace Rivera, Sherman writes.
  • Robertson, Soriano and Joba Chamberlain told Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger that they aren't thinking about replacing Rivera just yet.

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