Quick Hits: Lawrie, Pujols, Hanley
Some links to tide you over until tonight's first pitch…
- The Mariners would have traded Michael Pineda to the Blue Jays for Brett Lawrie and another prospect,Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun reports. One executive tells Elliott that “Toronto said no at Lawrie.”
- Angels first baseman Albert Pujols told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he's not going to lose his edge, even after signing a massive free agent contract. "I always have that chip on my shoulder, no matter what kind of success I've had," Pujols said. He added that he wouldn't be hurt if the Cardinals assigned his former number 5 to another player.
- Major League Baseball is on the cusp of a new era, Tom Verducci of SI.com writes. The sport is doing well thanks to extended labor peace and growing TV revenues.
- Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen expects big things from his third baseman, Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post writes. "Hanley Ramirez has a chance to be MVP in this league," Guillen said.
Yankees Sign Ramon Ortiz
The Yankees signed right-hander Ramon Ortiz, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. It's a minor league deal, Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger tweets. The Giants recently released the 39-year-old Praver/Shapiro client.
Ortiz appeared in 22 games for the Cubs last year, posting a 4.86 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 33 1/3 innings. The 11-year MLB veteran also made 16 starts at Triple-A, completing 99 1/3 innings with the Iowa Cubs. The Yankees acquired catcher Chris Stewart from the Giants earlier today.
Bill Hall Elects Free Agency
Utility player Bill Hall elected free agency upon learning that he didn't make the Yankees' Opening Day roster, Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal tweets. Hall wants a Major League job and will try to sign with another club.
The Yankees had signed Hall to a minor league deal in February. The contract would have been worth $600K plus incentives at the Major League level and it included an opt-out clause in case Hall didn't make the Opening Day roster. The 32-year-old played for the Astros and Giants in 2011, posting a .211/.261/.314 line in 199 plate appearances. He played second base and left field last year, but has MLB experience at a wide array of other positions.
Yankees Designate Justin Maxwell For Assignment
The Yankees have designated Justin Maxwell for assignment, reports Mark Feinsand of The New York Daily News (on Twitter). Maxwell is out of options.
Maxwell, 28, hit .260/.358/.588 with 16 homers and 11 steals in 204 Triple-A plate appearances last season before injuring his shoulder. The outfielder had a strong showing in Spring Training could get claimed off waivers.
Giants, Yanks Swap Chris Stewart For George Kontos
2:32pm: The Yankees have acquired Stewart in exchange for right-hander George Kontos, reports MLB.com's Bryan Hoch (on Twitter).
Kontos, 26, allowed two runs in six innings for New York last September, his big league debut. He pitched to a 2.62 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 89 1/3 Triple-A innings.
2:13pm: Shea hears that Stewart is being traded to the Yankees, but it is not official and the team hasn't announced anything yet (Twitter link).
1:53pm: The Giants will trade Chris Stewart according to John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). The deal is pending at the moment. The backstop is out of options.
Stewart, 30, hit .204/.283/.309 in 183 plate appearances with the Giants last season after Buster Posey's injury. A release from the team says the trade will be announced later today. The details are unknown.
Cubs Claim Luis Valbuena
2:18pm: The Cubs have claimed Valbuena, reports ESPN's Keith Law (on Twitter).
2:04pm: Luis Valbuena has been claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays by an unknown team, reports Richard Griffin of The Toronto Star (on Twitter). He is out of options.
Valbuena, 26, was traded from the Indians to the Blue Jays in November. He spent the majority of 2011 with Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate where he hit .302/.372/.476 with 17 homers in 472 plate appearances. The infielder played 194 games for the Indians' varsity squad in 2009 and 2010 and saw a good deal of time at second base.
Cardinals Acquire Cedric Hunter
The Cardinals have acquired Cedric Hunter from the Athletics for future considerations, reports Brian Walton of TheCardinalNation.com. Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch confirmed the move (on Twitter). Hunter has been assigned to Triple-A.
Hunter, 24, was with Oakland after being claimed off waivers from the Padres in October. He had one hit and one walk in five plate appearances for San Diego last season, also putting up a .255/.322/.358 in 316 Triple-A plate appearances. Baseball America ranked him as the Padres top prospect back in 2007.
NL East Notes: Harvey, Wheeler, Nationals
The Marlins will break in their new ballpark tonight when they host the Cardinals and the regular season gets started in earnest. Here are some links from the NL East…
- The Mets "have taken a step backward in the short term" Mike Puma of the New York Post writes in his season preview. Puma points out that David Wright will look to prove himself worthy of an extension and suggests pitching prospect Matt Harvey could be called up by July.
- Mets VP of player development and amateur scouting Paul DePodesta took questions in a Baseball Prospectus chat yesterday and explained that he'll be thrilled if Harvey and Zack Wheeler become dependable starters in the Major Leagues. "If they do, we'll be happy with the results in the long run," DePodesta added.
- Commissioner Bud Selig told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that the Nationals are generating lots of buzz this spring. "In terms of people talking about a club that is clearly coming on, it’s the Nationals,” Selig said. The commissioner credits Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg for providing fans with "hope and faith.”
Brewers Claim Josh Stinson
The Brewers have claimed Josh Stinson off waivers from the Mets, reports ESPN New York's Adam Rubin (on Twitter). New York waived the right-hander earlier today. Stinson, 24, appeared in 14 games with the Mets last year, but spent most of the season in the upper minors, where he posted a 5.94 ERA in 109 innings.
Indians Designate Thomas Neal, Release Felix Pie
The Indians have designated Thomas Neal for assignment and released Felix Pie, reports MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (on Twitter). In related moves, Grady Sizemore was placed on the 60-day DL while Dan Wheeler and Jose Lopez were added to the roster. Jeremy Accardo, Ryan Spilborghs, and Rick Vandehurk will all report to Triple-A.
Neal, 24, was part of the trade that send Orlando Cabrera from the Indians to the Giants at least year's deadline. He hit .289/.343/.391 in 277 plate appearances split between Double and Triple-A last year. Pie, 27, is a .249/.298/.374 career hitter in over 1,000 big league plate appearances, most coming with the Orioles.