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Archives for January 2013

Quick Hits: Wells, Angels, Phillies, Wainwright

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The Angels' Vernon Wells has been a trade candidate for quite some time but a source tells Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (on Twitter) that it is now "very likely" that he will start the season with the Halos.  Those odds have increased even more now that Delmon Young landed in Philadelphia.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro told reporters that they plan to use Young as their starting right fielder, tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Young, who may not be available to start the season as he recovers from ankle surgery, has not played the position in six years.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak says that he hopes to work out a new contract with Adam Wainwright by Opening Day, tweets ESPN.com's Jim Bowden.  For his part, the pitcher says that he isn't setting a deadline for talks.
  • The acquisition of Rafael Soriano caught Nationals reliever Tyler Clippard by surprise, but he isn't in a rut over not getting the chance to close in 2013, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com.

Napoli, Cherington Discuss Contract, Health

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Mike Napoli’s hip condition led to a restructured contract and what he described today as “a pretty tough offseason.” But avascular necrosis (AVN), the condition affecting both of Napoli’s hips, hasn’t diminished his expectations for 2013. The recently-discovered condition has been symptomless, and was caught at an early stage.

“We’re moving in a good direction and I feel like we’ve got that behind us and are ready to go,” Napoli said on a conference call with reporters this afternoon.

Napoli’s one-year, $5MM contract with the Red Sox includes incentives that can boost the value of the deal to $13MM. The sides readjusted their initial three-year, $39MM agreement after Napoli’s physical revealed that he has AVN. 

The 31-year-old said he was initially “shocked” to discover that he had the condition. He played through it in 2012, when he hit 24 home runs, and the Red Sox expect he can be similarly productive this coming season. They’ll rely on Napoli at first base because they want him to stay healthy and they already have ample catching depth.

“There’s no reason Mike Napoli won’t be our primary first baseman in 2013,” Boston general manager Ben Cherington said. “That’s what we’re counting on.”

The Red Sox would be comfortable relying on Napoli as a catcher, Cherington added. That said, the team wanted to add offense at first base given the presence of catchers Jarrod Saltalamacchia, David Ross and Ryan Lavarnway. On offense, Cherington expects Napoli will see pitches, get on base and hit for power — especially given Fenway Park’s dimensions.

Napoli said he expects playing first base will be easier on his body than catching, and that he plans to be ready on Opening Day. After consulting with many doctors he started taking medication for AVN, which has also affected prominent athletes such as Bo Jackson and Brett Favre. 

Napoli remained a free agent after the initial deal caused a delay, and other teams inquired about the possibility of signing him. Agent Brian Grieper of Paragon Sports International said he listened to interested teams and outlined different options to Napoli. However, the Red Sox were patient and supportive throughout the process, Grieper said. While Napoli initially sought a multiyear deal, he wanted to play in Boston instead of returning to the Rangers or signing with another club.

“I had a great two years in Texas and enjoyed my time there,” he said. “The best fit for me was in Boston.”

It took a while, but the unexpectedly lengthy process led to a deal that has both sides looking ahead hopefully at the 2013 season.

AL East Notes: Napoli, Red Sox, Price, Saltalamacchia

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Here’s a look at the latest out of the AL East..

  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com has the details of Mike Napoli’s contract with the Red Sox.  The base of the deal is $5MM but incentives could boost the overall value to $13MM.  The catcher can either hit the $13MM mark by achieving benchmarks in days on the active roster and plate appearance bonuses or can simply nail a “catch all” by being on the active roster for more than 165 days.
  • The Rays would obviously like to keep ace David Price in the fold, but they may not be able to hold on to him long-term.  Price says that he would like to find middle ground with the Rays on a contract extension, but cautions that he won’t “sell himself short”, writes Yahoo’s Tim Brown.  The American League Cy Young Award winner is set to hit the open market three seasons from now.
  • The Red Sox have a logjam behind the plate but they have yet to ask Jarrod Saltalamacchia about playing first base in 2013, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.  For his part, Salty says that he feels that catcher is his natural position.  The 27-year-old would appear to be a trade candidate given Boston’s surplus.

Rays Sign Oviedo, Duncan, Wright, Sandoval

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The Rays have signed outfielder Shelley Duncan and right-handers Jamey Wright, Juan Sandoval, and Juan Carlos Oviedo to minor league deals, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter).  All four deals include invites to major league spring training, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune.

Oviedo is the former Leo Nunez, who finished 142 games for the Marlins from 2009-2011.  The 30-year-old was disciplined for identity fraud prior to last season and appeared in just three minor league games before an elbow injury requiring Tommy John surgery ended his campaign.  For his career, Oviedo has a 4.34 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 across seven big league seasons.

Because his injury will likely cost him the bulk of the 2013 season, the Rays' deal with Oviedo includes an option for 2014, Topkin tweets.

Duncan, 33, spent much of the season as Cleveland's left fielder and posted a .203/.288/.388 batting line in 264 MLB plate appearances.  The left fielder/first baseman refused a minor league assignment in October, making him a free agent.

Wright, 38, has 17 major league seasons to his credit.  The veteran spent 2012 with the Dodgers and made 66 relief appearances, posting a 3.72 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.  Sandoval, 32, had a 2.97 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in the Mexican League last season.

Quick Hits: Heyward, Rolen, Logan, Porcello

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It's time for players such as Buster Posey, Mike Trout and Jason Heyward to get long-term contract extensions, Jim Bowden writes at ESPN.com. Many players, perhaps even some of those on Bowden's list, will sign extensions in the coming months, and MLBTR's Extension Tracker will document all of the deals. In the meantime, here are today’s links…

  • Though Scott Rolen hasn't made a final decision about whether to play in 2013, he has told people that the Reds would be his top choice if he does return, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (Twitter link).
  • CAA now represents reliever Boone Logan, MLBTR has confirmed. The Yankees recently avoided arbitration with the left-hander, agreeing to a one-year, $3.15MM deal for 2013. Be sure to rely on MLBTR’s Agency Database for all agency-related queries.
  • The Tigers don’t appear to be close to trading Rick Porcello, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). Knobler adds that there’s no real pressure to move Porcello in the immediate future despite Detroit’s starting pitching depth. The Tigers have also been calling around trying to move Brennan Boesch, Knobler reports.

Cardinals, Jason Motte Agree To Two-Year Deal

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4:32pm: The deal is worth $12MM and includes performance bonuses, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).

4:06pm: The Cardinals avoided arbitration with closer Jason Motte, agreeing to a two-year deal, the team announced (on Twitter). ACES represents Motte.

The agreement buys out Motte's two final years of arbitration, but won't delay his path to free agency. He still projects to hit the open market following the 2014 season. Motte had filed for a $5.5MM salary for 2013 and the Cardinals had countered with $4.5MM, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. The 30-year-old set himself up for a raise from his 2012 salary of $1.95MM by posting a 2.75 ERA with 10.8 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and an NL-best 42 saves this past season.

The Cardinals have yet to resolve the arbitration cases for David Freese and Marc Rzepczynski.

Olney On Jaso, Kubel, Upton

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The latest from ESPN.com's Buster Olney…

  • If the Mariners’ attempt to acquire Justin Upton had been successful, Seattle would have traded John Jaso to Oakland as part of the deal, Olney reports (on Twitter). Instead, Upton blocked the proposed trade and the A's acquired Jaso in a three-way trade with Washington.
  • The Diamondbacks continue to weigh offers for Upton and Jason Kubel, Olney reports (Twitter links). The Diamondbacks want to deal one of the outfielders sooner rather than later and they feel as though there’s a good chance of getting “suitable value” for Kubel if they decide to deal him.
  • Rival executives view the Orioles as a possible match for Kubel, Olney reports (Twitter links). In Olney's view the Rays are another potential destination for Kubel.
  • The 2002 Braves and the 1995 Indians had some of the best outfields in baseball history, Olney wrote at his Insider-only blog today.

Kyle Farnsworth Nearing Decision

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Free agent reliever Kyle Farnsworth is close to picking a new team, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). Farnsworth is deciding between two clubs, one of which is the Rays.

Interest in Farnsworth has intensified recently, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported last week. The Meister Sports Management client had multiple offers at that time. Farnsworth, 36, posted a 4.00 ERA with 8.3 K/9, 4.7 BB/9 and a 55.1% ground ball rate in 27 innings for the Rays in 2012. He earned $3.3MM in 2012, up from $2.6MM in 2011.

Farnsworth has been linked to the Rays and Brewers so far this offseason. The Rays, Tigers, Blue Jays, Mariners, Marlins and Mets are among the teams that appear to be seeking late-inning relief.

Brewers Sign Bobby Crosby

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The Brewers signed Bobby Crosby to a minor league contract with an invitation to MLB Spring Training, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The deal would pay Crosby $800K if he makes the team and includes $450K in incentives. TWC Sports represents the former AL Rookie of the Year.

Crosby, who turned 33 this month, last played at the MLB level in 2010. He has a .236/.304/.372 batting line over the course of eight big league seasons and has at least 20 games of experience at all four infield positions.

Phillies Sign Delmon Young

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The Phillies announced that they signed Delmon Young to a one-year, $750K contract. The deal includes roster and performance bonuses that could bring the value of the contract to the $3.25MM range, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Phillies are looking for the former first overall pick to compete for playing time in the outfield.

“Delmon is an experienced major league bat who will add some depth to our relatively inexperienced outfield and another layer of competition for playing time there as well,” GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said.

The Phillies had internal debate about Young for weeks, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). While ownership was nervous about his off-field issues, the team needed a right-handed bat. Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, who first reported the Phillies' strong interest in Young, heard from Amaro that players with off-field questions won't necessarily deter the Phillies if they can contribute on the field.

Young joins Darin Ruf, John Mayberry Jr., Domonic Brown and Laynce Nix as a contender for playing time in left and right field. The Phillies had also considered signing Scott Hairston and trading for Vernon Wells. However, those moves seem less likely now that Young has officially joined the Phillies.

Young, a right-handed hitter, spent the 2012 season with the Tigers. The Wasserman Media Group client posted a .267/.296/.411 batting line with 18 home runs in 608 plate appearances. He's recovering from ankle surgery, but that didn't stop the Mariners from checking in on him earlier in the winter. However, the Tigers, Braves, Yankees and Indians didn't appear to have interest.

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