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Archives for January 2013

Mariners Sign Mike Jacobs

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The Mariners signed first baseman Mike Jacobs to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. John Boggs & Associates represents Jacobs, who has seven seasons of experience at the MLB level.

Jacobs, 32, appeared in 13 games for the Diamondbacks in 2012 after spending the entire 2011 season at the minor league level. The left-handed hitter spent much of the 2012 season at Triple-A, posting a .279/.362/.486 batting line with 18 home runs and 15 doubles in 378 plate appearances.

Jacobs emerged as a power bat in 2006 after the Marlins acquired him in the trade that sent Carlos Delgado to New York. Jacobs hit 20 homers in 2006 then hit a career-high 32 homers in 2008. He last picked up significant MLB playing time as a member of the 2009 Royals.

Rangers Sign Jason Frasor

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12:07pm: Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter) the deal is worth $1.5MM.

11:30am: The Rangers have signed free agent right-hander Jason Frasor to a one-year contract, Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest reports (on Twitter). The team designated catcher Eli Whiteside to create roster space for Frasor, Andro reports. Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News first reported that the Rangers were nearing a deal with Frasor, a Dave Meier client.

Frasor, 35, pitched for the Blue Jays in 2012, posting a 4.12 ERA with 10.9 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 and a 38.4% ground ball rate in 43 2/3 innings. He didn't pitch at all in August, as forearm tightness led to an extended stint on the disabled list. Frasor, the Blue Jays' all-time leader in appearances, averaged 93 mph with his fastball in 2012. In nine seasons at the MLB level, the Chicago native has a 3.77 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 43.0% ground ball rate. He earned $3.75MM this past season.

At the end of the 2012 regular season Frasor told me that he didn't intend to be overly picky about his next destination. The Brewers and Blue Jays also appeared to have some level of interest this offseason. He'll join a Rangers bullpen that includes Joe Nathan and, eventually, Joakim Soria.

Whiteside appeared in 12 games with the Giants this past season and played another 60 games with San Francisco's Triple-A affiliate. In parts of five seasons at the MLB level, the 33-year-old has a .215/.273/.335 batting line. Whiteside is set to earn $625K in 2013 and $200K of that sum is guaranteed. He has already been claimed on waivers three times this offseason, as MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Nationals Interested In Javier Vazquez

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Free agent starter Javier Vazquez might return to MLB in 2013, and if he does he’d like to join a contender. The 36-year-old ACES client will throw for multiple teams, including the Red Sox, in his native Puerto Rico tomorrow. Here are the latest Vazquez-related rumors…

  • The Nationals sent a top scout to watch Vazquez in a recent Puerto Rican winter league game, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. The Nationals were impressed with the right-hander and have interest in signing him to a minor league deal. Washington executives would be willing to grant Vazquez an out clause that would enable him to ask for his release if he’s not on the MLB roster by an agreed upon date. Kilgore suggests the Nationals would not be prepared to offer Vazquez a Major League deal.
  • A scout told Yahoo’s Tim Brown that Vazquez looks great physically (Twitter link). The ball is coming out of his hand well, the person said.

Poll: The Diamondbacks’ Outfield Depth

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The Diamondbacks have already traded an outfielder once this offseason, sending Chris Young to Oakland. Now that they've signed Cody Ross, they're positioned to deal another outfielder. Ross joins perpetual trade candidate Justin Upton and Jason Kubel in the team's starting outfield. Gerardo Parra projects as a bench player and prospects Adam Eaton and A.J. Pollock provide additional depth for general manager Kevin Towers.

Based on the most recent rumors surrounding the team, Upton and Kubel are potential trade candidates. However, there doesn’t appear to be a consensus on which player Towers will trade. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported this morning that the industry seems divided on the topic of which player the Diamondbacks would prefer to move (Twitter link). Teams seeking a high-ceiling player who's years away from free agency will prefer Upton, while teams seeking an affordable short-term fix could pursue Kubel. Which player will the Diamondbacks trade?

How will the Diamondbacks address their outfield depth?
By trading Jason Kubel 40.84% (5,436 votes)
By trading Justin Upton 39.18% (5,215 votes)
They'll keep their outfield depth 12.05% (1,604 votes)
By trading Gerardo Parra 7.92% (1,054 votes)
Total Votes: 13,309

MLBTR Seeks Part-Time Writing Help

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We’re looking to add to the MLB Trade Rumors writing team. The position pays on an hourly basis. The criteria:

  • Exceptional knowledge of all 30 MLB teams, no discernible bias. Knowledge of hot stove concepts such as arbitration and free agent compensation.
  • Availability to regularly work evenings and weekends, sometimes on short notice. Holiday availability is a big plus.
  • Writing experience is necessary and online writing experience is preferred. 
  • Journalistic experience writing and reporting is also a plus.
  • Attention to detail and ability to follow the MLBTR style and tone.  
  • Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news concisely. 
  • Ability to accept and learn from constructive criticism. In general, a team player.
  • Ability to use Twitter and an RSS feed reader such as Google Reader. You must be able to multi-task.
  • If you're interested, email mlbtrhelp@gmail.com and explain how you stand out in a couple of short paragraphs. Hundreds will apply, so we will not be able to respond to most applications.

Orioles Could Add Relief Help

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Though most of the Orioles’ top relievers are under team control for 2013, executive vice president Dan Duquette said he’s open to adding bullpen help between now and Spring Training, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports. Duquette said he had some discussions regarding trade and free agent possibilities during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. That said, he sounds confident in the options already on his roster.

“These guys are at the age where some of them should improve and a couple of them should be able to maintain and perform at the level they did this past year, but that wouldn’t preclude us from adding some additional depth to our pitching staff,” Duquette said.

There’s not much room in the Baltimore bullpen. As Encina explains, Jim Johnson, Pedro Strop, Darren O’Day, Luis Ayala and Troy Patton will likely occupy five of the seven bullpen spots this coming season. Right-hander Tommy Hunter, left-hander Brian Matusz, and Rule 5 selection T.J. McFarland are among the Orioles’ internal options for the final two bullpen vacancies.

As the Sun’s Dan Connolly recently reported, the Orioles have shown interest in free agent right-hander Matt Lindstrom. There are still lots of alternatives available, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows. For example, Chad Durbin, Jason Frasor and Brandon Lyon are among the free agent right-handers who could be targets on relatively modest deals.

Quick Hits: Vazquez, Red Sox, Padres, Astros, Cubs

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The Red Sox will scout right-hander Javier Vazquez in Puerto Rico on Friday, according to Victor Ramos of Solo Beisbol (on Twitter, Spanish link).  An industry source confirmed the news to Rob Bradford of WEEI, who notes that Vazquez has been throwing a fastball in the 92-93 mph range in recent workouts.  Vazquez said earlier this week that he would consider a return to MLB and would like to play for a contender.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • Speaking of the Red Sox, Andrew Bailey says that he's happy to have Joel Hanrahan on board, even though it means that he won't be closing, Bradford writes.  Meanwhile, Bailey believes that he's poised for a strong year thanks to his offseason training.
  • Padres General Manager Josh Byrnes indicated today that the team likely won't pick up a starting pitcher in free agency, writes MLB.com's Corey Brock.  The Padres signed Jason Marquis to a one-year deal last month, adding him to an already lengthy list of rotation candidates.
  • General Manager Jeff Luhnow says the Astros aren't likely to add any additional key players between now and spring training, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.  Houston's biggest pickups this winter were the signings of slugger Carlos Pena and relief pitcher Jose Veras.
  • The Cubs expect free agent Nate Schierholtz to be a regular in right field, writes Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.  Chicago inked Schierholtz to a one-year, $2.25MM deal with $500K in performance bonuses.

Minor Moves: Indians, Reds, Brewers, Rockies

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We’ll keep track of tonight’s minor moves right here..

  • The Indians signed second baseman Matt Antonelli to a minor league deal, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter).  The 27-year-old had a rough Triple-A season for the Yankees and Orioles, but hit .297/.393/.460 for the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate in 2011.
  • The Reds signed right-hander Jeff Marquez, outfielder Derrick Robinson, and right-handed reliever Kevin Whelan, Eddy tweets.  Whelan posted a 3.55 ERA with 12.8 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9 with the Yankees’ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Triple-A partner last season.
  • The Brewers signed right-hander Jim Hoey, shortstop Ozzie Chavez, and outfielder Rene Tosoni to minor league deals.  Tosoni is a former Futures Game MVP and spent 60 games on the Twins big league roster in 2011.
  • The Rockies inked left-hander Erick Threets and right-hander Tim Gustafson to minor league deals, according to Eddy (on Twitter).

Edwin Jackson Fits Cubs’ Short, Long-Term Needs

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The Cubs finalized the largest free agent deal of the Theo Epstein-Jed Hoyer regime today, a four-year, $52MM contract for 29-year-old righty Edwin Jackson.  The expenditure was the sixth-largest for any free agent this year, and the team's parallel pursuits of Jackson and Anibal Sanchez surprised those who thought the club would again tread lightly in free agency as part of a long-term rebuilding plan.  Cubs GM Jed Hoyer explained the rationale behind the signing with his opening remarks at Jackson's press conference:

"He pitched all of last year at 28 years old, he's been incredibly durable, had some really excellent seasons during his time in the big leagues, and we actually think his best days are ahead of him.  He fits very well on the team in 2013, but we think he fits even better going forward as a core member of what we're trying to build here in Chicago.  His talent, his age, and everything we learned about him as a teammate were all reasons we were excited to add him to the roster, and we're excited to go forward with Edwin as a big part of our club."  Hoyer made it clear that every individual season is "precious," and they're trying to build a winner every year.

Having played for seven teams in his career, Jackson has found some measure of stability with the four-year deal.  He told reporters, "It definitely feels great.  I think the most assuring part is that you have the chance to relax and know that you're going to be somewhere for a while and you don't have to feel like you have to prove yourself every year.  I think it's definitely going to help to just go out and have fun and not have to worry about anything else."  Jackson will finalize another long-term deal on Saturday, as he and fiancée Erika Zanders will be tying the knot.

Jackson had an explanation as to why he's played for so many teams, saying with a smile, "I think everyone likes me."  He never saw the movement as a negative; instead, all the trades made him feel wanted.  Hoyer offered another theory, noting, "a lot of his recent stops have been due to the inability to sign him to an extension."  Prior to this contract, Jackson had only signed one multiyear deal, a two-year pact covering only his final arbitration years.  Not coincidentally, Jackson was represented by the Boras Corporation for his previous contracts, an agency he dropped last summer for Legacy Sports Group.  Jackson preferred not to comment on his reason for leaving Boras, saying only that he had "no hard feelings."  Boras pushed Jackson to take a one-year, $11MM deal with the Nationals last February rather than a reported three-year offer in the $30MM range from the Pirates, a decision that ultimately paid off when the Cubs opened their checkbook.

Lance Berkman Talking With Rangers

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Free agent Lance Berkman still hasn't decided on playing in 2013, but he is talking about a possible return with the Rangers and other clubs, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Astros remain open to bringing him back, even after signing free-agent first baseman Carlos Pena, but the Rangers would obviously give the veteran a better chance to win. 

Berkman is one of many options that the Rangers are considering, sources say.  Texas lost outfielder Josh Hamilton to the Angels, traded third baseman Michael Young to the Phillies, and lost catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli to the Red Sox, assuming the deal is completed.  Even if that deal falls through, the odds of a reunion are slim as they already added free agent catchers A.J. Pierzynski and Geovany Soto.

The 36-year-old has said that he wants to spend more time with his family but also admitted that the lure of playing one more season at a lucrative rate might be too hard to ignore.  Last night we learned that the Red Sox are no longer believed to be in on Berkman even though they expressed some interest earlier in the winter.

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