Cubs Claim Adrian Cardenas
The Cubs claimed Adrian Cardenas off of waivers from the Athletics, the A's announced. Oakland had designated the infielder for assignment on January 26th.
Cardenas, 24, spent the 2011 season with Oakland's Triple-A affiliate, where he posted a .314/.374/.418 line in 545 plate appearances and played left field, shortstop, second and third. In six minor league seasons, the 2006 first rounder has a .303/.368/.413 batting line. However, he is a sub-par defender, Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweets. The A's acquired Cardenas from the Phillies in the 2008 trade that sent Joe Blanton to Philadelphia.
Rangers Sign Conor Jackson, Joe Beimel
The Rangers signed outfielder/first baseman Conor Jackson and left-handed reliever Joe Beimel to minor league contracts, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan tweets. The deals include invitations to big league Spring Training.
Jackson posted a .244/.310/.341 line in 390 plate appearances with the Athletics and Red Sox in 2011. The 29-year-old SFX client played all four corner positions last year. Jackson, a right-handed hitter, owns a .283/.381/.436 career line against left-handed pitching, so he could spell left-handed hitters such as Mitch Moreland, Josh Hamilton and David Murphy if he makes the MLB roster.
Beimel, 34, posted a 5.33 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 41.2% ground ball rate in 25 1/3 innings in 2011. The Pirates signed the Joe Sroba client to a minor league deal last January and released him in August. The Rangers don't have much in the way of experienced left-handed relief after losing Darren Oliver and Mike Gonzalez via free agency.
Nationals Sign Mark Teahen
The Nationals announced today they've signed infielder/outfielder Mark Teahen to a minor league deal. They also announced their deal with outfielder Rick Ankiel.
Teahen, 30, hit .200/.273/.300 in 177 plate appearances for the White Sox last year, appearing at the infield and outfield corners. The Blue Jays took Teahen and his contract from the White Sox last summer to facilitate their temporary acquisition of Edwin Jackson. The Jays ended up releasing Teahen last month. He's represented by CAA Sports.
The Nationals will also have Andres Blanco, Jarrett Hoffpauir, Chad Tracy, Mike Cameron, Brett Carroll, Jason Michaels, and Xavier Paul in camp competing for part-time roles on the big league club.
Duquette On Guthrie, Bullpen, Manny
With starter Jeremy Guthrie entering his contract year, Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette felt compelled to send him to the Rockies for pitchers Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom, who can both be controlled for 2013. Duquette praised the strikeout-to-walk ratios of his new additions. Other notes from Duquette's conference call today:
- Duquette feels Hammel essentially replaces Guthrie's innings in the rotation, and Lindstrom represents a power arm at the back of the Orioles' bullpen. By the way, for the latest bullpen depth charts check out RotoAuthority, and for breaking news about stoppers follow @closernews on Twitter.
- Duquette didn't care to speculate on whether the Orioles would have retained Guthrie had he settled a month ago on a figure closer to the team's $7.25MM submission. He did note that he didn't think that salary was possible unless they won a hearing. Upon the trade Guthrie ended up settling below the midpoint, at $8.2MM.
- "We didn't have any offers of young prospects for Jeremy," Duquette told reporters.
- The Orioles top exec wouldn't comment on the Rangers' Koji Uehara, but he did say, "We would still like to strengthen our bullpen between now and Spring Training."
- Duquette admitted he's had exploratory talks with Manny Ramirez's agent and the Orioles have seen him work out, but added, "We are still considering the composition of this club, and some of the challenges of integrating a player like Manny into our ballclub and market."
Rockies To Acquire Guthrie For Hammel, Lindstrom
"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Baltimore anymore," tweeted righty Jeremy Guthrie this morning after learning he'd been traded from the Orioles to the Rockies. The clubs reached an agreement that sends Guthrie to Colorado for pitchers Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun first reported the near-deal, which has now been officially announced.
Guthrie's arbitration hearing against the Orioles was scheduled for this morning with a $7.25MM-$10.25MM spread, but his agent Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA Sports tweeted today he reached an agreement on a one-year deal that fits "within the Rockies' payroll structure" and is "a showing of good faith." Connolly says Guthrie settled with the Rockies at $8.2MM, which is $550K below the midpoint. With the Orioles, a hearing had "seemed possible and even likely," tweeted Van Wagenen.
Guthrie, 32, had been a regular in Baltimore's rotation since being claimed off waivers from the Indians five years ago. Last year he posted a 4.33 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1.13 HR/9, and 39.6% groundball rate in 208 innings for the Orioles. His skills suggest a 200-inning, 4.50 ERA guy in the AL East. Guthrie (pictured) will be a useful addition for a Rockies rotation long on options but short on stability, assuming his proclivity to surrender home runs doesn't worsen in Coors Field. Guthrie will be eligible for free agency after the season, and I would not expect draft pick compensation.
Hammel, 29, posted a 4.76 ERA, 5.0 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 1.11 HR/9, and 43.9% groundball rate in 170 1/3 innings last year. Acquired from the Rays three years ago, Hammel has given the Rockies 170+ innings in each season since the trade. Prior to 2011, Hammel's skills suggested a pitcher capable of a sub-4.00 ERA. In 2011, however, he was demoted to the Rockies' bullpen in August. He'll earn $4.75MM in 2012 and will be arbitration eligible for 2013.
Lindstrom, 31, posted a 3.00 ERA, 6.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 0.50 HR/9, and 47.3% groundball rate in 54 innings last year for the Rockies. His strikeout rates have always seemed low for someone averaging a 96 mile-per-hour fastball. Lindstrom, who was acquired in December 2010 from the Astros, is owed $3.6MM for 2012 and has a $4MM club option for '13. Interestingly, Guthrie and Lindstrom both put their baseball careers on hold for two-year Mormon missions in their lives.
With the trade, Orioles vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette has subtracted his rotation's one sure thing in favor of Hammel, who was demoted from the Rockies' rotation last summer. He did acquire two pitchers for the price of one, as well as potential 2013 control for each. Noted Duquette on today's conference call, "We didn't have any offers of young prospects for Jeremy." Duquette has hooked up with Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd for trades twice before, when the former was at the helm of the Red Sox.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Orioles Designate Clay Rapada For Assignment
The Orioles designated lefty Clay Rapada for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot in the wake of their recent two-for-one trade, tweets MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli.
Rapada, 31 in March, has tallied 52 2/3 big league innings for the Tigers, Cubs, Rangers, and Orioles across five seasons. He's done a nice job against lefties in 34 2/3 career innings.
Anibal Sanchez Wins Arbitration Case
Pitcher Anibal Sanchez won his arbitration case against the Marlins, tweets his agent Gene Mato. In what Mato deems a "historic win for the players going forward," Sanchez received an $8MM salary for 2012 instead of the team's $6.9MM figure. Mato pulled off the win despite not being able to use Shaun Marcum's $7.725MM settlement, as Marcum's deal was strategically not announced until Sanchez's hearing concluded. Sanchez's salary represents the largest ever for a starting pitcher who went to a hearing.
Three hearings have occurred so far this year, but this is the first win for a player. The Marlins appear headed for another hearing with Emilio Bonifacio, though the sides are only $250K apart.
Sanchez, 28 in a few weeks, has a 3.61 ERA in 64 starts for the Marlins over the last two seasons. He appears primed for a big free agent payday after the 2012 season.
Seeking Agency Information For 315 Players
With over 1,500 players, MLBTR's agency database has become a useful tool for fans and journalists. The database has been growing for about a year now, but some gaps in the data remain. Specifically, we're seeking agency information for 315 players currently on 40-man rosters. If you work for an agency that represents any of these players, or otherwise know a player's representation with certainty, we'd greatly appreciate an email to mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com. Click below to see the list of players for which we seek agency data.
Quick Hits: Ankiel, Kuo, Oswalt, Reds, Nationals
On this date in 1983, the Blue Jays traded Leon Roberts to the Royals for a minor leaguer by the name of Cecil Fielder. Fielder made his Major League debut in 1985 and played for the Blue Jays through 1989 before having his contract sold to the Hanshin Tigers. Fielder returned to MLB with the Detroit Tigers in 1990 where he made three All-Star appearances in his first four years with the club. Here's a look at tonight's links..
- Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) points out that the Mets had been eyeing Rick Ankiel, who signed with the Nats earlier today. The Mets are in search of a left-handed bat off of the bench and have also been linked to Kosuke Fukudome, Raul Ibanez, and Johnny Damon.
- Clubs that have been interested in Hong-Chih Kuo believe that he'll wind up signing with the Mariners, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. Earlier today, agent Alan Chang told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that his client is close to deciding on a team.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that it would be tough to clear the payroll space necessary to sign Roy Oswalt. Fay writes that the only tradeable member of the Reds' rotation making significant money is Homer Bailey. Moving Bailey's $2.425MM contract to make room for one year of Oswalt would be risky, but the club has exhibited an all-in attitude recently.
- If GM Mike Rizzo doesn't add another center fielder, Rick Ankiel should have a decent opportunity to win a spot in the Nationals' Opening Day lineup and perhaps platoon with fellow veteran Mike Cameron in center field, writes Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider.
- Earlier this offseason, sources said there was a feeling within the organization that Ankiel might not be able to maintain the offensive productivity he showed in spurts last season if he's primarily coming off of the bench, writes Amanda Comak of The Washington Times.
The Six-Figure Contract Club
So far this offseason, we have seen whole lot of big money contracts handed out. In early December, Albert Pujols signed with the Angels for an eye-popping $240MM over ten years. Some speculated that Prince Fielder might not get a deal on the same scale as suitors appeared to drop out but the slugger hooked up with the Tigers on a nine-year, $214MM deal. This winter also brought significant paydays for Jose Reyes, C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle, Jonathan Papelbon, and others.
However, there were also plenty of bargains to be had this offseason and so far we have seen nine players ink guaranteed deals worth less than $1MM in base pay. Using MLBTR's Transaction Tracker, here's a look at some of the most payroll-friendly Major League signings of the 2011-12 offseason..
- Chris Snyder: $850K with the Astros
- Matt Treanor: $850K with the Dodgers
- Joel Zumaya: $800K with the Twins
- Adam Kennedy: $800K with the Dodgers
- Brian Schneider: $800K with the Phillies
- Clay Hensley: $750K with the Giants
- J.C. Romero: $750K with the Cardinals
- Jack Cust: $600K with the Astros
- Andrew Brackman: $480K with the Reds
This marks Treanor's second consecutive induction into the Six-Figure Contract Club as he re-upped with the Rangers on an $850K guaranteed deal last year. Each deal listed is for one year but the contracts of Treanor, Snyder, and Cust all include options for the 2013 season. With Spring Training just around the corner and several big vets still remaining on the open market, we're sure to see some high-profile inductees added to this list.