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Archives for April 2012

Rangers Sign Aaron Heilman

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The Rangers have signed right-hander Aaron Heilman to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A, reports Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com (on Twitter). The Mariners released the Frontline Sports client over the weekend.

Heilman spent the first half of the 2011 campaign with the Diamondbacks, who released him in July after he posted a 6.88 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 28.5% ground ball rate in 35 1/3 innings. He later signed minor league deals with the Phillies and Pirates, but didn't pitch at the Major League level after July 15th. One fifth of fly balls against him left the yard in 2011, a major reason for his unsightly ERA.

Rangers Designate Cody Eppley For Assignment

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The Rangers have designated Cody Eppley for assignment, reports Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com (on Twitter). The move opens up a 40-man roster spot for the Rangers.

Eppley appeared in ten games with the Rangers early on last year, but spent most of the season at Triple-A. The 26-year-old right-hander posted a 3.90 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9 in 55 1/3 innings of relief with Round Rock.

Offseason In Review: Texas Rangers

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The Rangers outbid the competition for Yu Darvish in the hopes that the Japanese right-hander can help put them over the top in 2012.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades and Claims

Extensions

Notable Losses

Draft Picks Gained or Lost

  • Obtained 78th overall selection from Angels for Wilson. Also obtain supplementary first round pick.

Give the Rangers credit: you don't lose two consecutive World Series without fielding some pretty talented teams. They prepared for another run at their first championship by moving their closer to the rotation and winning the rights to one of the most highly coveted pitchers available.

Yu Darvish - Rangers (PW)

Yu Darvish (pictured) required a $107MM commitment, so he'll face intense scrutiny whether he succeeds or not. If he comes close to replicating the stats he put up in Japan, Rangers fans won't have much reason to miss new Angels starter C.J. Wilson. There are no guarantees of excellence, or even of mediocrity from Darvish, but this was a gamble worth taking for a large market team that had determined he could succeed in the Major Leagues.

Neftali Feliz will join Darvish, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis in a rotation that no longer includes Wilson or Alexi Ogando. The decision to pass on Wilson was understandable, but he'll now be an asset for their biggest rival. Ogando, who faded late in his debut season as a starter, will provide newly extended manager Ron Washington with depth.

Feliz should be more valuable to the Rangers as a starter, since he'll pitch more innings in that role. He started throughout his minor league career, so this isn't completely new to him. And if any team can convert relievers to starters it's the Rangers, who have transitioned Wilson and Ogando to the rotation under the watchful eye of pitching coach Mike Maddux.

Because the Rangers are six deep in the rotation, they didn't have room for Roy Oswalt. At the very least, Oswalt's interest in joining the Rangers shows that top-tier free agents view Texas as an appealing place to play. Several needs could emerge for the Rangers within the next 12 months, and their new TV deal should ensure that they have money to spend. They'll be well-positioned to sign players who prefer to join a contender.

The Rangers committed $14.5MM to Joe Nathan, and it seems like an awful lot for a 37-year-old who's one year removed for Tommy John surgery. However, Nathan struck out three times as many hitters as he walked last year and his fastball still checks in at 92.3 mph.

The Rangers signed Joe Beimel and former Brewers teammates Mitch Stetter and Sean Green to minor league deals, but left-handed relief remains a weakness for this team. Michael Kirkman and Robbie Ross haven't proven themselves at the Major League level, yet they'll be counted on to replace Darren Oliver and Mike Gonzalez. Despite Gonzalez's disappointing 2011 performance with the Rangers, he might be worth another shot if the team's young arms falter.

The Rangers could have been a fit for Prince Fielder, but they had the discipline to pass when his asking price soared to uncomfortable heights. As intimidating as Fielder would have been in Texas, Mitch Moreland should do just fine while earning 1/50th of Fielder's salary. Mike Napoli or Michael Young can play first against some tough left-handers when possible, reducing Moreland's exposure to same-side pitchers.

The Rangers locked up Nelson Cruz and Elvis Andrus to extensions that could save the club money in future years. Capping costs was the main motivation for the extensions, as the Rangers didn't obtain control of free agent years on either contract. Tim Dierkes questioned whether the Andrus extension was necessary and I agree that the potential savings probably don't justify the risk. The upside is limited for the Rangers on both deals, yet they took on most of the risk with these two extensions. The Derek Holland deal strikes me as an excellent fit for both sides, however. Holland obtains security, while the Rangers extend their control over the left-hander with two club options.

The Rangers tabled extension talks with Josh Hamilton after the outfielder had an alcohol-related relapse. Hamilton, a free agent next winter, may be playing his final season with the Rangers. Napoli, another prospective free agent, also enters the 2012 season without an extension despite his breakout 2011 season.

The team agreed to terms with Dominican outfield prospect Jairo Beras, but MLB and competing executives believe he is 16 and therefore too young to sign. It makes sense for the club to spend now (when doing so is permitted), before the new CBA's spending restrictions take effect.

The Rangers have increased their win total in each of the past four seasons, winning the past two division titles. The AL West figures to be considerably more competitive now that the Angels have added Wilson and Albert Pujols, so it's by no means a given that the Rangers will reach the playoffs this year. But GM Jon Daniels has assembled a well-balanced roster with enough pieces for another attempt at their elusive first championship. The Rangers appear to be one of the best teams in the game.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

 

Stinson, Rodriguez On Waivers

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Here's where we'll keep track of today's minor moves…

  • The Mets have placed right-handed pitchers Josh Stinson and Armando Rodriguez on outright waivers, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The move clears two 40-man roster spots for the Mets, who risk losing the pitchers to a claim. Stinson 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. Rodriguez pitched at Class A in 2011, posting a 3.96 ERA in 16 starts.

Indians Extend Asdrubal Cabrera

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The Indians announced that they have officially signed shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to a two-year extension for 2013-14. The deal is worth $16.5MM and will delay Cabrera's free agency by one year.

Cabrera, who is represented by Octagon, avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $4.55MM this offseason. This new contract buys out his final year of arbitration eligibility as well as one free agent season. He'll earn $6.5MM in 2013 and $10MM in 2014, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tweets.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in 2011, batting .273/.332/.460 with a career-high 25 home runs and 17 stolen bases. Cabrera has made several notable highlight defensive plays over the past few seasons, but Ultimate Zone Rating hasn't been a fan of his defense at shortstop, pegging him at -12.6 runs below average per 150 games in 2011.

When examining Cabrera's extension candidacy this offseason (prior to his arbitration settlement), MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested a four-year, $27MM would make sense for both sides. If the extension goes through at $16.5MM, Tim's $6.75MM average annual value would be close, though for one fewer year; the Indians would control Cabrera for three years at $21.05MM — slightly more than $7MM per season.

Steve Adams and Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the agreement and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link) reported the deal's value and that the sides were nearing an agreement.

Smoltz Talks Returning NL Pitchers

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It happens every spring. Pitchers nurse shoulders, backs and elbows to health in preparation for the season. But there are no guarantees for any injured pitcher, regardless of his resume. 

“You’ve got to know what your body can and can’t do,” John Smoltz told me in a recent interview. “Not every pitcher’s going to be perfectly healthy their whole career, so there has to be some degree of discomfort that you have to pitch through. Once you learn how to do that, you’re able to overcome more.”

Jair Jurrjens - Braves (PW)

Smoltz speaks from experience. He recovered from Tommy John surgery to reinvent himself as a dominant closer and worked through shoulder problems to strike out nearly a batter per inning as a 42-year-old. Now an analyst with MLB Network, he recently caught up with a number of high-profile pitchers returning from injuries for his role on MLB Tonight.  

When Smoltz signed with the 2009 Cardinals, Adam Wainwright was at his peak, in the midst of a season that would see him post a 2.63 ERA in a league-leading 233 innings. Two and a half years later, Wainwright’s returning from ligament replacement surgery and expectations are lofty. 

“That’s where Tommy John surgery is a little misunderstood,” Smoltz said. “Adam basically is looked upon this year I think unfairly as a big cog to replace the departure of Albert Pujols and now possibly the delay of Chris Carpenter. That’s an unfair situation for him to go in, since he needs the same kind of time and grace that everybody does returning from Tommy John.”

Regaining full strength following Tommy John surgery took more than a year for Smoltz, who missed the 2000 season recovering from the operation. But he acknowledges recovery times vary from pitcher to pitcher and anticipates a strong season from Wainwright. 

“Can he go back to the Cy Young type numbers? I don’t know,” Smoltz said. “I think it’s a little unfair [to expect that] the first year. But I certainly can see him doing easily some of the things that we’ve expected him to do in that first year.”

Smoltz believes Marlins right-hander Josh Johnson will rebound from a disappointing 2011 season. In fact, Johnson may have benefitted from his team's cautious approach late last season. He didn't pitch after May 16th last year, and Smoltz suggested the Marlins could have rushed him back under different circumstances.

“That’s a luxury," he said. "I expect that everything is where it needs to be and that he’s going to go out there and, unfortunately for the hitters, probably dominate.”

Smoltz last played for the Braves four years ago, but he spent two decades in Atlanta, so he knows the organization as well as anyone. He says former teammates Tim Hudson (back) and Jair Jurrjens (knee) must make most of their starts to have successful seasons. The Braves will be relying on their starters, since a repeat performance from their relievers may be unrealistic. 

“There’s no way the bullpen can do what they did last year with the amount of times they were used,” Smoltz said. “I think the starting pitching has got to find a way to pitch some much-needed innings over the course of the season.” 

A few months ago, the Braves seemed to have an abundance of starting pitching, and Mike Minor seemed expendable. Now that Julio Teheran has been sent to the minor leagues and Arodys Vizcaino is out for the season, Minor’s a key component of the Braves’ pitching staff. “Sometimes the best trades you make are the ones you don’t make,” Smoltz noted. 

Mets fans who wish their team had never traded for Johan Santana might agree with that sentiment whole-heartedly. But there’s optimism that the Mets will see some return from the $24MM left-hander in 2012. Smoltz says the two-time Cy Young Award winner seems just as motivated as the 26-year-old Jurrjens. 

“They both have the urgency to want to pitch, but it’s different,” he said. “You’ve got a guy in Johan Santana with all of the hardware, big contract. He wants to get out there and compete. I’ve heard nothing but unbelievable things.”

Cy Young Awards are a motivator for pitchers coming back from injury, but contracts also lurk in the background. Even Smoltz, a future Hall of Famer, wasn’t able to generate interest based on his resume alone during his playing days. Successfully returning from an injury can make all the difference when it’s time for a new contract.

“In sports you’re as good as your last impression,” Smoltz says. 

For these pitchers, the 2012 season represents the opportunity to create new impressions and erase old ones. 

John Smoltz will be a game analyst for the MLB Network Showcase schedule this season beginning on Friday, April 20 featuring the Red Sox v. Yankees at 3pm ET. MLB Network will feature a package of live 30 games featuring all 30 Clubs beginning on Thursday, April 5 between the Dodgers & Padres. Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Quick Hits: Oswalt, Cain, Soria, Votto, McCourt

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We're less than 24 hours away from the first official game at Marlins Park, as the Fish show off their new ballpark in their season opener against the World Series champion Cardinals.  Here are some news bits to tide us over in the meantime…

  • The Giants' extension with Matt Cain is "a sound deal," several non-San Francisco team executives tell ESPN's Buster Olney (via Twitter).
  • Roy Oswalt will likely need around 60 days of preparation time to be ready to pitch, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).  This fits with Oswalt's previous statement about looking at a midseason return.
  • Royals closer Joakim Soria underwent Tommy John surgery today and the medical team "couldn't have been more pleased" with the procedure, a club source tells MLB.com's Dick Kaegel.  Soria will miss the entire 2012 season recovering from the surgery.
  • Joey Votto's 10-year, $225MM extension with the Reds is "one of the crazier seeming contracts in baseball history," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Heyman talks to several anonymous team executives about the contract, with theories ranging from the Reds being worried about the Dodgers' aggressive new ownership to the Reds being able to afford Votto thanks to several years of collecting luxury tax payments.  Then again, one competing GM says simply, "The Reds look like they have no plan."
  • Attorneys for Major League Baseball made a court filing arguing that the Dodgers shouldn't be allowed to emerge from bankruptcy until the team pays back $8.3MM worth of bills from the league, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
  • Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at how some recent big contracts around baseball could impact the Cardinals.  Miklasz thinks that Cain's deal will make Adam Wainwright's next contract even more expensive, but I don't agree, given that Wainwright is three years older and has a more checkered injury history.
  • Several Padres players, as well as several players from the entire NL West and AL West, are discussed by opposing scouts in a chat with Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres.

Rangers, Ian Kinsler Discussing Six-Year Extension

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10:33pm: The Rangers will likely make a contract offer when they meet with Kinsler's representatives on Wednesday, tweets Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

7:20pm: The Rangers and Ian Kinsler are discussing a six-year extention for the second baseman, though the two sides haven't yet been able to agree on financial terms, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Kinsler's current contract expires after this season, though Texas holds a $10MM option on him for 2013.  The new deal would replace that option and run through the 2018 season.  Rosenthal says the Rangers are willing to give Kinsler a contract that would exceed Dan Uggla's five-year, $62MM pact with the Braves.

One of the possible holdups, Rosenthal opines, could be Robinson Cano's next contract.  The Yankees hold a $15MM option on Cano for 2013 and Cano's next deal (whether in free agency or in an extension with New York) will assuredly pay him more.  While Cano is likely to command a larger deal, Kinsler doesn't want to be "shortchanging himself" by signing an extension that ends up worth much less than what Cano eventually earns.  The Yankees have said they plan to keep Cano, though since their team policy is to not enter into early negotiations with pending free agents, there haven't been and won't be any early hints about a new Cano contract that the Rangers and Kinsler can use as a baseline.

The Rangers apparently have just three days to hammer out a new deal with their second baseman, as Kinsler told Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he doesn't want negotiations to last into the season.  Kinsler said an extension "could" still be possible and he wants "to be treated fairly amongst his peers."

Rosenthal recently reported that the length of the contract, not the value, was the main obstacle between Kinsler and the Rangers, so it's a sign of progress that the two sides have apparently settled on a six-year deal.  Kinsler would be the fourth, and most high-profile, Ranger to sign an extension this offseason, following Elvis Andrus, Nelson Cruz and Derek Holland's multiyear deals.

Cubs Notes: Epstein, Jackson, Southpaws

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Here's the latest from Wrigleyville….

  • "We need more talent. We lack impact talent,” Theo Epstein told reporters (including MLB.com's Carrie Muskat) in regards to his team's minor league system.  "We have a number of interesting guys, especially at the lower levels. Every organization has interesting guys at the lower levels….We need some more impact talent and we need some guys who have the ability to break through. It'd be nice to get a breakthrough player or two this year and have someone move from that interesting prospect category to that potential impact category."
  • If the Cubs trade one of their current outfielders, there is no guarantee prospect Brett Jackson will be automatically called up to fill the spot, writes ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine as part of an online chat with fans.  The Cubs want to make sure Jackson is "completely ready" to play in the majors, and Levine says the Cubs may also be thinking about service clock considerations.
  • The Cubs have spent the last few weeks looking to acquire a left-handed reliever, writes Levine.
  • Also from Levine, he predicts Matt Garza is looking for a five-year, $65MM contract extension akin to John Danks' new deal with the White Sox.  The Cubs said they wanted to discuss a multiyear deal with Garza during Spring Training, though there has been little news about the status of these negotiations.

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