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Archives for February 2012

Quick Hits: Oswalt, Wilson, Dotel, International Draft

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Here's the latest from around the league on a historic day, as Ryan Braun became the first player to successfully appeal a banned substance-related supension…

  • "It’s strictly a money thing," said Lance Berkman to reporters (including Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com) when asked about Roy Oswalt (Twitter links). "The Cardinals [offer] … wasn’t enough to lure him out of Mississippi … I think he feels like that he can get the same money in half a season as he could in a full season and he’s probably right."
  • "He's under control this year and next year, and we're in the monitoring stage for obvious reasons," said Giants GM Brian Sabean to Hank Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle when asked about the future of Brian Wilson. "We're still in the wait-and-see period." Wilson can become a free agent after 2013.
    Octavio Dotel will become the first player in MLB history to play for 13 teams when he appears in his first game with the Tigers, as Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press writes. Matt Stairs, Mike Morgan and Ron Villone currently share the record with Dotel, who hopes to retire a Tiger.
  • Commissioner Bud Selig spoke about an international draft in this piece by Josh Leventhal of Baseball America. "We'll watch the situation carefully and make the right decision," said Selig. "I can't say [when a draft would be put in place]. We want to see how [the process] works out."
  • ESPN's Keith Law published his first list of the top 50 prospects in this year's draft (Insider req'd). High school outfielder Byron Buxton topped list, following by high school righty Lucas Giolito and Stanford righty Mark Appel.

Yankees, Martin Discussing Extension

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9:21pm: Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says (on Twitter) that talks haven't gotten off the ground, and the two sides will revisit an extension during the season. The Yankees are willing to do $20MM over three years, but Martin wants a raise.

3:03pm: The Yankees have suggested the possibility of re-working Russell Martin’s one-year contract into a three-year extension, agent Matt Colleran told Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com. However, GM Brian Cashman said Martin and Colleran "weren't interested" in the team's initial offer, Jack Curry of the YES Network reports (Twitter links). Martin will earn $7.5MM in 2012 on his current contract before hitting free agency.

The Yankees aim to have a payroll under $189MM by the 2014 season for luxury tax purposes, and Martin is willing to “be flexible in their budget constraints," according to Colleran. GM Brian Cashman and Colleran spoke yesterday and will likely discuss a deal again soon. Though the Yankees' initial offer didn't entice Martin to sign, Cashman said he's open to resuming discussions.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals continue extension talks with Yadier Molina, who is also scheduled to hit free agency after the season. If Martin and Molina sign long-term, Mike Napoli and Miguel Montero would be the top available free agent catchers next winter. Arizona GM Kevin Towers said earlier in the offseason that there are few satisfying comparable catchers to Montero and MLBTR's Extension Tracker supports his assertion. The catchers with five or more years of service time who recently signed extensions wouldn't be relevant to Martin, Molina, Montero and Napoli.

NL East Links: Hamels, Ross, Marlins, Bay

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Four years ago today, the Nationals signed Odalis Perez to a minor league contract. He pitched to a 4.34 ERA in 159 2/3 innings for them that season, then didn't show up to Spring Training the next year. Three years ago today, the two sides came full circle and Washington released him. Here's the latest from Perez's old division, the NL East…

  • Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels ruled out the possibility of signing in his hometown of San Diego, asking Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com "why would I want to go where fans only support you from the third inning through the sixth?'' (Twitter link). Hamels will hit free agency after the season if the Phillies don’t sign him to an extension.
  • Cody Ross told Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Marlins’ decision not to give him a raise as a pre-arbitration eligible player bothered him and increased his willingness to go to an arbitration hearing against his former club.
  • Brian Costa of The Wall Street Journal took a look at Jason Bay's contract and what the future could hold for the outfielder and the Mets. Bay is owed $16MM in 2012 and 2013, then a $17MM vesting option for 2014 comes into play.
  • Here's the latest news regarding a contract extension for Ryan Zimmerman. The Nationals have approximately 36 hours to get their franchise player signed long-term before his self-imposed deadline. Zimmerman can't become a free agent until after 2013.

West Links: Isringhausen, Giants, D’Backs, Dodgers

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Earlier today we learned that the Padres are still talking about a contract extension with Cameron Maybin and will receive a low-level minor leaguer from the Cubs in exchange for former GM Jed Hoyer. Here's the latest from baseball's two West divisions…

  • Jason Isringhausen's contract with the Angels includes a base salary between $700K and $1MM with incentives, reports Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter).
  • The Giants are not interested in Roy Oswalt, reports Hank Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). The right-hander will look to sign at midseason, but would likely want to play closer to his Mississippi home.
  • The Diamondbacks offered Hiroki Kuroda a one-year deal worth $13MM this offseason, Tom Krasovic of West Coast Bias tweeted earlier this month. That's $3MM more than he took from the Yankees
  • Joe Torre and Rick Caruso have withdrawn their joint bid to purchase the Dodgers, reports Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times. Caruso could re-enter the bidding if team owner Frank McCourt agrees to include the Dodger Stadium parking lots in the sale.
  • "There were a lot of nights when I woke up at 3 o'clock in the morning staring at the ceiling," said Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com when talking about the Michael Pineda–Jesus Montero trade negotiations. "In the end, it was pretty simple: [The Yankees] needed a pitcher, and we needed a hitter. I hated to give up a guy like Pineda."

Ryan Braun Wins Appeal, Will Not Be Suspended

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Ryan Braun has won the appeal of his failed banned substance test and will not be suspended for the first 50 games of the season, reports Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel. The union officially announced the win, saying both parties agreed to the announcement despite what is usually a confidential process. MLB has issued a statement saying it "vehemently disagrees" with the decision.

"It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation," said Braun in a statement passed along by MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. "We were able to get through this because I am innocent … This is not just about one person, but about all current and future players, and thankfully the process worked."

Haudricourt says the appeal went Braun's way not because of the test result, but because of a technicality with the testing process. CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman and The New York Post's Joel Sherman report that part of Braun's argument was that the sample was not shipped in a timely fashion and that the chain of custody was broken for two days, meaning the sample was left unprotected (Twitter links). Independent arbitrator Shyam Das ruled in favor of the technicality, giving Braun the win by a 2-1 margin.

The reigning NL MVP is the first player to have a suspension successfully overtuned through the appeals process.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Rays, Rivera, Vizquel

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Roy Oswalt probably won't be signing in Boston any time soon and the Yankees are discussing a multiyear deal with Russell Martin. Here are some more updates of note from the AL East…

  • Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said he's ready to move on without Oswalt, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports. “I think I may have been more comfortable, but I wouldn’t have been totally comfortable,” Valentine said of potentially signing Oswalt. “What did he pitch, 136 innings last year?” Valentine was close — it was 139.
  • Red Sox GM Ben Cherington says he doesn’t anticipate making any more additions in the near future, Alex Speier of WEEI.com tweets.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports discusses the Rays’ impressive rotation depth and explains why it’s a good ‘problem’ to have. Manager Joe Maddon told Rosenthal the club could use a six-man rotation at times this year and said top prospect Matt Moore won’t be relegated to the bullpen.
  • Mariano Rivera seems to be savoring the early days of Spring Training, so Joel Sherman of the New York Post won’t be surprised if the closer chooses to retire after the season.
  • Blue Jays infielder Omar Vizquel said he'll likely become involved in coaching next year, according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm (on Twitter). The 44-year-old doesn't anticipate playing after 2012 and would eventually like to manage in the Major Leagues.

Roy Oswalt Will Look To Sign Midseason

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2:10pm: Agent Bob Garber confirmed to reporters that Oswalt will stay in shape and look to sign with a contender midseason, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

12:09pm: Roy Oswalt has told MLB teams that he may sign midseason, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports. The free agent right-hander explained that he intends to stay ready in case an appealing opportunity emerges before midseason.

The Red Sox, Rangers, Cardinals and Reds were among the many clubs to express interest in Oswalt this offseason. It appears that they didn't have enough room in their rotations or budgets for the 34-year-old, who seeks a one-year deal and a job as a starter.

Roger Clemens, a former teammate of Oswalt's, sat out the beginning of the season in 2006 and 2007 before signing midseason and Pedro Martinez had a similar approach to the 2009 campaign.

NL Central Notes: Braun, Molina, Crisp, Gimenez

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Considerable uncertainty surrounds the Brewers, who don't yet know whether Ryan Braun will miss 50 games after a positive test for a banned substance. Here are the latest links from the NL Central, which will look much different than it did a year ago whether or not Braun plays a full season in 2012…

  • Braun is on his way to Brewers camp and doesn’t know whether he’ll face a 50-game suspension yet, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. A decision is expected today or tomorrow.
  • Brewers camp is looking different this year, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. There are more distractions than the Brewers would like, as Braun's possible suspension looms and the club moves on without Prince Fielder.
  • Agent Melvin Roman recently met with Cardinals GM John Mozeliak to discuss an extension for Yadier Molina, Derrick Goold and Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch report. The most recent round of discussions took place in the past two days and went well, the Post-Dispatch reports. Roman said Tuesday that the sides won't discuss an extension after Opening Day.
  • Coco Crisp said the Cardinals offered him a multiyear deal this offseason, Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group tweets. The outfielder eventually signed a two-year, $14MM contract with the Athletics.
  • The Pirates nearly signed Chris Gimenez earlier this month, the catcher told Bill Chastain of MLB.com. The Rays signed Gimenez soon after the Mariners released him.

Youngest Free Agents Remaining

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Now that Spring Training is underway, few notable free agents not named Roy Oswalt remain. Some players (min. 50 PAs in 2011) and pitchers (min. 20 IP in 2011) are available, but they’re generally nearing the ends of their careers or recovering from serious injuries. There are currently just eight remaining free agents who will play the 2012 season at or under the age of 33.

Kyle Davies, 28, checks in as the youngest free agent available, but he hasn’t drawn any reported interest after posting a 6.75 ERA in 13 starts for the 2011 Royals. The markets for 31-year-olds Sergio Mitre and Felipe Lopez have been equally quiet.

Jon Garland, 32, had a physical scheduled with the Indians this week, but he didn’t take it, so his minor league contract fell through. Another 32-year-old, Chris Young, pitched just 24 innings last year, though he did draw some interest from the Mets over the winter. Brandon Webb, also 32, hasn't appeared in the Major Leagues since Opening Day, 2009

The two remaining 33-year-olds seem to be line for minor league deals, if they do sign. Xavier Nady didn't offer the Diamondbacks much in terms of power, on-base skills or defensive value last year and Michael Wuertz walked 26 in 33 2/3 innings for the Athletics.

Health permitting, all of these free agents are young enough to turn their careers around, so a comeback story or two might be in store. That said, it’s no surprise that teams are generally focused on their own players at this point in the year.

Dodgers Claim Matt Angle

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The Dodgers have claimed outfielder Matt Angle off of waivers, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com tweets. The Dodgers confirmed the news, noting that they moved Rubby De La Rosa to the 60-day DL in a corresponding move (Twitter link). The Orioles designated Angle for assignment to create roster space for Luis Ayala approximately two weeks ago.

Angle debuted with the 2011 Orioles, playing all three outfield positions, and posting a .559 OPS in 95 plate appearances. The 26-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .271/.347/.344 line in 489 plate appearances. He hit his first big league home run off of Justin Verlander in Detroit as the right-hander attempted to win his 25th game of the season.

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