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Archives for January 2013

AL Central Notes: Verlander, Tigers, Twins, Indians

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Last month, we heard that a number of teams were inquiring on Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello.  Detroit turned clubs away at the time because they were unsure if they would be able to retain Anibal Sanchez.  Now that they have Sanchez in the fold, however, Detroit could conceivably pull the trigger on a deal.  Could they also have a significant free agent pickup on the horizon?  More on that and other items out of the American League Central..

  • The Tigers have a history of making waves in January, but it looks like their biggest improvements will come from within this year, writes Jason Beck of MLB.com.  Even though the club has refused to comment on it, now would be the time for them to sign Justin Verlander to a contract extension as he has two years left on his current deal.  Detroit may also pick up a right-handed hitter to play left field in a mix with Andy Dirks, but it’s not expected to be a glamorous signing.
  • MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger writes that the Twins are also thinking in-house when it comes to their center field vacancy.  Minnesota has a hole to fill after moving both Denard Span and Ben Revere, but they plan to have Darin Mastroianni and prospects Aaron Hicks and Joe Benson compete for the spot.  At the same time, General Manager Terry Ryan won’t completely rule out signing a center fielder.
  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti is happy to have gotten a second chance to keep Russ Canzler, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.  Cleveland claimed the infielder earlier today from the Blue Jays just weeks after DFA-ing him.

Yankees Notes: Young, Cashman, Stanton

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The Yankees inked Matt Diaz to a one-year, $1.2MM minor league deal just before the New Year.  Here's a look at what could be next on the list for the Bombers..

  • Even after signing Diaz, the Yankees are looking for a right-handed hitting punch versus left-handed pitchers, but they don't have interest in Delmon Young, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).  The Mariners had interest in Young during the Winter Meetings but have since picked up a pair of veteran outfielders in Jason Bay and Raul Ibanez.  Late last month we learned that the Braves aren't interested either.
  • General Manager Brian Cashman is prepared to be patient as he looks to make further upgrades to the roster, writes MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.  Last year, the Yankees didn't bring Ibanez aboard until February.
  • The talk of the Yankees swinging a trade for Giancarlo Stanton was inevitable, but it's not likely for a number of reasons, writes Chad Jennings of The Journal News.  For starters, the Marlins' willingness to talk doesn't signal that they're looking to give Stanton away for chump change.  The Yankees also might not be able to afford the kind of prospect dump that such a deal would require.

Giants Sign Scott Proctor

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The Giants have signed free agent reliever Scott Proctor, Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea reports (on Twitter). The Treasure Coast Palm first reported that the Giants had a deal with the Jensen Beach resident. Frontline represents Proctor, who pitched in Korea in 2012.

Proctor, who celebrated his 36th birthday today, pitched to a 7.14 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 6.5 BB/9 in 39 games for the Braves and Yankees in 2011.  For his career, the right-hander has a 4.78 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in seven big league seasons.

The Giants also signed Ryan Sadowski, according to Baggarly. The 30-year-old right-hander started six games for the 2009 Giants. Like Proctor, he pitched in Korea last year.

Quick Hits: Qualifying Offers, Swisher, Kennedy

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All but seven of MLBTR's top 50 free agents have agreed to terms, but there are still dozens of unsigned players at this stage in the winter, as MLBTR’s Free Agent Tracker shows. Here are some links from around MLB as the 2013 portion of the 2012-13 offseason gets underway…

  • Yahoo's Jeff Passan explains the tension between the MLB teams that aim to keep their top draft picks and free agents such as Kyle Lohse, Rafael Soriano, Michael Bourn and Adam LaRoche, who are linked to draft pick compensation after declining qualifying offers. Agent Scott Boras, who represents Lohse, Soriano and Bourn, faces the challenge of finding contracts for these players at a time that some teams are hesitant to engage them.
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders if the next collective bargaining agreement will adjust or even overhaul the current system of qualifying offers to find a balance for all parties involved.
  • Nick Swisher will be introduced to the Cleveland media tomorrow if he passes his physical, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (on Twitter). The Indians agreed to sign the outfielder for $56MM over four years.
  • Though former Angels infielder Adam Kennedy hasn’t officially retired, he’s opening a baseball development facility in Anaheim next week, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports (on Twitter). The 36-year-old TWC Sports client played in 86 games for the 2012 Dodgers, posting a .262/.345/.357 batting line in 201 plate appearances.
  • The Dodgers and Mariners haven’t talked about a potential deal involving Andre Ethier in weeks, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Earlier today ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported that the Mariners have called the Dodgers repeatedly to ask about the outfielder.

Indians Designate Jeanmar Gomez For Assignment

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The Indians have designated right-hander Jeanmar Gomez for assignment, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The move creates 40-man roster space for Russ Canzler, who has been claimed from the Blue Jays on waivers.

Gomez started 17 games for the Indians in 2012, appearing in three more out of the bullpen. He posted a 5.96 ERA with 4.7 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 90 2/3 total innings. The 24-year-old has started at least ten games every season since 2010, and owns a 5.18 ERA with 4.9 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in his three-year MLB career.

Indians Claim Russ Canzler

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The Indians have claimed infielder Russ Canzler back from the Blue Jays via waivers, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter). The Blue Jays had claimed Canzler from Cleveland on December 21st, not long after the Indians designated him for assignment.

Canzler appeared in 26 games for the Indians this past season. The 26-year-old posted a .269/.299/.398 batting line in 97 MLB plate appearances while playing first base and left field. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .265/.328/.487 batting line with 22 home runs and 36 doubles in 539 plate appearances.

Rangers, Jason Frasor Nearing Deal

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The Rangers are nearing a one-year deal with free agent reliever Jason Frasor, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News reports. Agent Dave Meier represents the veteran right-hander.

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. If the sides complete a deal he'll join a Rangers bullpen that includes Joe Nathan and, eventually, Joakim Soria. 

This post was first published on January 3rd, 2012.

Rays, David Price Avoid Arbitration

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The Rays have officially signed David Price to a one-year contract, the team announced. The deal is worth $10.1125MM and allows the two sides to avoid arbitration. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner is a Bo McKinnis client.

Uspw_6576754Price, 27, earned $4.35MM last season and was projected to earn $9.5MM in 2013 according to Matt Swartz's arbitration model, which was developed exclusively for MLBTR. The $10.1125MM salary is a new record for a second-time eligible pitcher, soaring past the $7.37MM earned by Jered Weaver in 2011. Price will be arbitration-eligible a total of four times as a Super Two, and he is scheduled to hit free agency after the 2015 season.

At $10.1125MM, Price also becomes the highest paid player in Rays' history, surpassing the $10MM earned by Carl Crawford in 2010. James Shields briefly held that record before he and his $10.25MM salary for 2013 were traded to the Royals a few weeks ago.

In 31 starts for the Rays last season, Price pitched to a 2.56 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. The first overall pick in the 2007 draft owns a 2.93 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in his three full seasons as a starter, eclipsing the 200-inning plateau all three times. In addition to winning the award this season, Price also finished second in 2010 Cy Young voting behind Felix Hernandez.

The Rays still have four unsigned arbitration-eligible players, as our Arbitration Tracker shows: Sam Fuld, Matt Joyce, Jeff Niemann, and Ryan Roberts. Tampa is one of baseball's "file and trail" teams, meaning if the two sides are unable to reach an agreement before the deadline to exchange salary figures (January 18th), the Rays cut off talks and go to a hearing. The team is 6-0 all-time in arbitration hearings and 5-0 under Andrew Friedman.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick first reported the agreement while Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com later added details (Twitter links). Mike Axisa and Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Marlins Will Listen On Giancarlo Stanton

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WEDNESDAY: Though there’s lots of interest in Stanton, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears from sources who all but rule out a trade (Twitter link).  One person told Rosenthal chances of a deal are “as close to zero as they can be.”

SUNDAY: In the wake of the Marlins' blockbuster deal with the Blue Jays, the Marlins publicly stated that they wouldn't trade Giancarlo Stanton.  Assistant General Manager Dan Jennings says that the club isn't shopping the right fielder, but they will listen to all offers for him, according to Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (on Twitter).

Teams have been inquiring on Stanton ever since the Marlins shipped Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Josh Johnson to Toronto in November.  Stanton was vocal about his displeasure with the Marlins' front office after the trade and agent Joel Wolfe declined comment earlier this month when asked if his client had requested a trade.

Jennings also told Bowden (Twitter link) that Miami isn't going to surprise anyone and pursue any of the top free agents left on the open market.  As the MLBTR Transaction Tracker shows, the Marlins have only signed two free agents so far this winter: Placido Polanco and Juan Pierre.

Olney On Astros, Price, Ethier

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney explains that the Angels, Rangers, A's and Mariners could benefit from Houston's presence in the AL West. The Astros, losers of 100-plus games in 2011 and 2012, project as a sub-.500 team again in 2013. Conversely, NL Central teams such as the Reds and Cardinals might miss their former rival. Here’s more from Olney’s ESPN.com column…

  • Olney ranks the game's top infields, starting with the Rangers, Tigers and Reds.
  • There's an assumption within the industry that the Rays will trade David Price sometime in the next calendar year, Olney writes. The left-hander recently avoided arbitration with Tampa Bay, agreeing to a one-year, $10.1MM contract.
  • The Mariners have called the Dodgers repeatedly to ask about potential trades involving Andre Ethier, Olney reports. The Dodgers intend to hold onto Ethier, but would listen to offers on him. The Mariners haven't presented Los Angeles with a formal proposal, according to Olney.

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