Archives for March 2012

Tigers Release David Pauley

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 12, 2012 at 3:54pm CDT

The Tigers released right-hander David Pauley, the team announced. The 28-year-old Octagon client is now a free agent. The Tigers placed Victor Martinez on the 60-day disabled list in a related move.

The Tigers acquired Pauley from the Mariners in the trade that sent Doug Fister to Detroit. He posted a 3.16 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 74 innings across 53 relief outings for the Mariners and Tigers in 2011. Pauley is not yet arbitration eligible. Jason Beck of MLB.com first reported the transaction.

Quick Hits: Rivera, Lynn, Guillen, Simmons

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 12, 2012 at 3:47pm CDT

On this date in 1955, the New York Giants signed 17-year-old prospect Willie McCovey as an amateur free agent. Four years later he was named the NL Rookie of the Year when he hit 13 home runs in 52 games. McCovey, now 74, went on to hit 521 home runs in his Hall of Fame career. Here are today's links…

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports looks back at the day in June, 1995 when the Yankees optioned Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter to the minors together. Rivera hasn't said whether this will be his last season as a Major Leaguer, but he told Morosi that winning another championship would be the perfect way to end his career.
Even Rivera's teammates marvel at the closer's ability and accomplishments, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes.
The Cardinals will stretch Lance Lynn out in case Chris Carpenter isn’t ready for Opening Day, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. Roy Oswalt remains available for a mid-season deal in case a long-term opening emerges in the Cardinals’ rotation.
Carlos Guillen told George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press that he retired because his body wasn't keeping up with the daily grind of Spring Training. The 36-year-old retired last week.
David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that shortstop prospect Andrelton Simmons is opening some eyes in Braves camp. The 22-year-old hasn't yet reached Double-A, but some are wondering if he could win the Opening Day shortstop job from Tyler Pastornicky.
Braves executives view Simmons as the long-term answer at short, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio tweets.

Timeline For Calling Up Prospects

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 12, 2012 at 1:57pm CDT

Teams can delay free agency for top prospects by keeping them in the minor leagues for the start of the season and ensuring they obtain less than a full year of service time (172 days) in 2012. The appropriate timing of the player's debut depends on whether he has a 40-man roster spot.

Prospects such as Shelby Miller and Mike Montgomery who aren't on their teams' 40-man rosters must spend less than 172 days in the Major Leagues this year or they'll be on track for an early arrival on the free agent market (post-2017 vs. post-2018). The 2012 season will last 182 days, so prospects not on their team's 40-man roster can safely be called up after April 17th or so (I'm including a couple of buffer days).

Prospects like Bryce Harper with 40-man roster spots must be optioned to the minors for the beginning of the season and spend at least 20 days on optional assignment. These players won't end up a few days short of a full year of service; they'll either spend the full year in the Major Leagues or end up 20-plus days short. As long as 40-man players such as Harper aren't called up before the end of April, they'll be on track for free agency after 2018.

It's always important to keep in mind that service time is just one element of a team's decision-making process. Plus, a substantial proportion of top prospects get optioned to the minor leagues early in their careers. The player's readiness and the team's needs generally trump service time considerations, but there's no denying they're a factor.

I recently explained the timing of prospects' debuts in this piece.

Red Sox Notes: John Lannan, Jorge Soler

By Mike Axisa | March 12, 2012 at 11:46am CDT

Here's the latest on the Red Sox, who are trying to get back to the playoffs after two straight years on the outside looking in…

The Red Sox did not make an offer for Nationals starter John Lannan, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier. Yesterday we heard that they had made an offer for the southpaw, but weren't close. Speier says the Sox intend to monitor Lannan's situation this spring, but there is no indication they will seriously pursue him.
Boston will pursue 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, reports Speier. Soler is still waiting to be declared a free agent by MLB, but Speier says most in the industry (including the Red Sox) expect him to sign with the Cubs.
Check out our Transaction Tracker for a recap of all the Red Sox's moves this offseason.

Mets Notes: Wright, Byrdak, Santana

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 12, 2012 at 11:07am CDT

David Wright will get a cortisone shot for his sore ribcage, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News tweets. Here are some more Mets-related updates…

Mets left-hander Tim Byrdak will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. This means Byrdak figures to start the season on the disabled list.
Rubin wonders if the Mets will open the season with both D.J. Carrasco and Miguel Batista on the 25-man roster or if a non-roster left-hander will make the team (Twitter link). Mike Gonzalez and Arthur Rhodes are free agent possibilities for GM Sandy Alderson to consider.
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com runs through some of the lefties in Mets camp who warrant consideration for a spot in the bullpen.
Mets officials agree that lack of overall depth is an issue for them, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets.
"I truly believe we're going to do this right and that Johan Santana will be on this team Opening Day," Mets manager Terry Collins said, according to the Associated Press (via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Santana aims to return from a shoulder injury this year.

Phillies Notes: Blanton, Gillies, Thome

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 12, 2012 at 9:58am CDT

The latest the the Phillies, who are looking for a sixth consecutive NL East title in the increasingly competitive NL East…

The perception among most baseball people is that Joe Blanton is available for the right price, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News writes.
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said outfielder Tyson Gillies has the skillset to play in the Major Leagues, according to Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "He has better tools than a lot of the guys we've got," Amaro said. "He just needs to play. The poor guy hasn't gotten a chance to play. He's still young." Gillies, 23, missed all but three games in 2011 and played in only 28 games in 2010.
The Phillies’ projected 25-man roster consists of many older players, but Sheridan writes that "it's more important to get better than simply younger.” The Phillies added players such as Jim Thome (41), Ty Wigginton (34) and Chad Qualls (33) this past offseason.
Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer explains why Thome's defensive work will affect the Phillies' ability to work him into their lineup.

Rangers Notes: Cotts, Perez, Hamilton

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 12, 2012 at 8:03am CDT

Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine joined Bryan Dolgin on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and addressed trade talks, extensions and the composition of the team's roster. Here are the details (audio here):

Levine explained that relatively innocent conversations with scouts can turn into full-blown trade talks because they highlight needs and surpluses.
The Rangers don’t have an established left-handed reliever after losing Darren Oliver and Mike Gonzalez in free agency, but they’re pleased with the increased velocity non-roster invitee Neal Cotts is showing early on in camp.
Young pitchers such as Martin Perez have impressed the Rangers' front office and Levine expects contributions at the MLB level in the 'not-so-distant future.'
The Rangers consider Josh Hamilton an elite center fielder, but they continue to play him in left field since they generally believe he's more likely to stay in the lineup as a corner outfielder.
Though Levine didn't comment in detail on extension talks with Hamilton, he did say the club intends to keep as many of its core position players in place for as long as possible. Hamilton is eligible for free agency after the season, but the Rangers haven't ruled out in-season talks for their top position players.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Rangers, Nats, Gregg, Ordonez

By Dan Mennella | March 11, 2012 at 10:15pm CDT

On this day in 2002, the Yankees released outfielder Ruben Rivera, who allegedly stole teammate Derek Jeter’s glove from his locker at the club’s Spring Training complex and proceeded to sell it. On with some links …

Veteran Mark Ellis is excited to be with a big market club such as the Dodgers and sounds excited about the team spending competitively in the future, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Ellis also wants to see his former club, the A’s, get the new stadium that they’re pushing for.
Mike Bauman of MLB.com believes that the Rangers’ rotation will be just as solid as it was last year even following the departure of C.J. Wilson.
It wouldn’t surprise MLB.com’s Bill Ladson if Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo traded for a center fielder for the long term before the season started. Ladson also sees John Lannan being dealt before Opening Day.
Orioles reliever Kevin Gregg would like to remain with Baltimore despite rumors of a possible trade, writes Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com: “I wasn’t blind to the fact that this team was a work in progress, and that’s part of what drew me here. [I wanted] to be a part of it,” Gregg said. Gregg signed a two-year deal with the O’s prior to 2011 that includes a $6MM vesting option for 2013 based on appearances.
Free agent outfielder/DH Magglio Ordonez would like to play in 2012 but isn’t close to signing and is currently in his native Venezuela, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. Maggs, 38, batted just .255/.303/.331 in 357 plate appearances last season, though he posted respectable offensive numbers as recently as 2010.
The Mariners could boast a terrific rotation right now had they retained the likes of Cliff Lee, Brandon Morrow, Doug Fister and Michael Pineda, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, but GM Jack Zduriencik instead opted to trade off those arms in an attempt to replenish a thin farm system. Now, the M’s are pinning their hopes on young, cost-controlled hurlers Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen and James Paxton, as well as a few other prospects.

Week In Review: 3/4/12 – 3/10/12

By Zachary Links | March 11, 2012 at 8:11pm CDT

A recap of this week's news as we get closer and closer to Opening Day..

Andrew McCutchen is officially the face of the Pirates through at least 2017 now that he has a new six-year contract. The deal reportedly guarantees the 25-year-old $51.5MM and has a seventh year club option. McCutchen's contract buys out his final pre-arbitration year, all three arbitration years, and a pair of free agent seasons with a club option for another.
Some wonder if the Yankees can get under the $189MM luxury tax threshold by 2014 and keep both Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson after their contracts expire following the 2013 season. However, team president Randy Levine said this week that the Bombers plan to do just that.
Orioles executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette told reporters that he doesn't expect to sign Johnny Damon, but later said that the veteran could be a possibility.
Roy Oswalt spent most of the offseason telling teams that he'd prefer to sign close to his Mississippi home, but the free agent right-hander will now consider all opportunities.
The Marlins have reportedly discussed the possibility of presenting Giancarlo Stanton with a "big, crooked" contract offer, though they have yet to reach out to him.
The Twins signed left-hander Glen Perkins to a three-year, $10.3MM extension. The SFX client was already under contract for $1.55MM in 2012, so the deal covers the 2013-15 seasons. The pact also includes a club option for 2016.
The Nationals are interested in outfielder Jason Bourgeois and have asked the Astros about him at least three times since December. However, Nationals manager Davey Johnson has been pleased with internal candidates for the center field job such as Roger Bernadina, Brett Carroll and Rick Ankiel.
The White Sox have shown interest in lefty relievers Mike Gonzalez and Arthur Rhodes.
Mariano Rivera may announce whether or not he will pitch in 2013 before the All-Star break.
Zack Greinke will hire an agent if he reaches free agency next winter but is open to discussing a long-term deal with the Brewers on his own.
It doesn't appear that Cole Hamels and the Phillies are close on a new deal. However, Hamels' agent John Boggs met with Phillies' management in Florida this week.
The Giants and Matt Cain appear to have positive momentum in contract extension talks.
Free agent reliever Mike Gonzalez turned down a non-roster offer from the Rangers.
Surprisingly, the Angels are looking around for a left-handed reliever.
The A's released catcher Landon Powell, who had been outrighted off of the 40-man roster in January and was in camp as a non-roster player. Powell has a .207/.284/.328 line in 406 plate appearances over the course of three seasons with the Athletics.
The Orioles released reliever Dennys Reyes over the weekend when he didn't report to camp, but the lefty still plans to pitch for the team this season.
Chris Young is close to rejoining the Mets.

NL East Notes: Nitkowski, Lannan, Nickeas, Harper

By Dan Mennella | March 11, 2012 at 7:42pm CDT

Earlier today, we learned that the Mets may look into dealing righty reliever D.J. Carrasco. Here are a couple more notes on the Amazin's within this batch of NL East links …

The Mets like what they saw out of C.J. Nitkowski's audition on Thursday and are working to sign him to a minor league deal, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday. An agreement seems likely between the club and the 39-year-old.
The Nationals are taking offers on lefty John Lannan, but they're not desperate to trade him, as his $5MM salary for this season is manageable, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN.com. The Red Sox have made an offer for Lannan, but it wasn't close, Bowden adds.
Mets catcher Mike Nickeas may not necessarily be a lock to nab the team's backup catcher role despite already being on the 40-man roster, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The Mets may instead go with Rob Johnson, in which case Nickeas would be placed on waivers and be expected to clear.
Nats prized prospect Byrce Harper will likely begin the season in the minor leagues despite manager Davey Johnson's desire to have the right fielder break camp with the big club, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. However, a midseason callup is possible for Harper, Heyman adds. Harper turned 19 in October and has a full season of minor league experience under his belt after being the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2010.
Mets skipper Terry Collins acknowledged to Joel Sherman of the New York Post that he may in fact be only a transitional manager for the club, perhaps being replaced when the team is ready to compete again: “I realize the possibilities,” Collins said. The Mets have already exercised Collins' 2013 option, however.

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