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Archives for January 2013

West Notes: Ethier, Marcum, Ruggiano, Ankiel

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Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier has been the subject of trade rumors all winter, but the veteran isn't buying into the notion that he'll be playing elsewhere come Opening Day, writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. “I haven’t looked too much into it,” Ethier said. “It’s something I see as rumors. I think Ned was pretty quick to say there was nothing to it. That was enough to ease my mind, even though obviously there was a lot following that."

Here's the latest news and headlines from both the AL and NL West…

  • The Mariners and Rangers both had discussions with Shaun Marcum before the veteran elected to sign with the Mets, writes Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com (via Twitter). As a result, each team remains in the hunt for starting pitching.
  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow has some regrets for trading Justin Ruggiano to the Marlins last spring, but likes the player he received in Jobduan Morales, says Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (on Twitter). 
  • Houston manager Bo Porter believes Rick Ankiel will make the big league roster out of Spring Training if he can play up to his potential, writes Dave Zangaro of CSNHouston.com. “He will add leadership. He will add a veteran presence in the lineup. You look at his ability to play defense, I watched him make some throws and make some catches that make you shake your head. This guy’s phenomenal.”

Hernandez, Mariners Aren’t In Serious Contract Talks

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The Mariners have reportedly tried to start contract talks with Felix Hernandez but there are no serious talks taking place at the moment, sources familiar with the situation tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Furthermore, if Seattle is in fact interested in a four-year extension, that's not likely to kick-start talks with the star hurler as Heyman hears he seeks a six-year deal instead.

As it stands, Hernandez is under contract with the M's for $39.5MM through the 2014 season.  However, there hasn't been an exchange of offers on a new deal yet or any traction to speak of, sources with knowledge of the situation tell Heyman.

The 26-year-old knows that he has a chance become the highest-paid pitcher in the game when his current contract runs out.  If he were to agree to a $100MM, four-year extension now, he'd be guaranteed fewer guaranteed dollars than Cole Hamels and Zack Greinke over the next six years.  Those elite pitchers signed contracts at that length for $144MM and $147MM, respectively.

Cubs Designate Lendy Castillo For Assignment

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The Cubs officially announced the signing of pitcher Carlos Villanueva to a two-year deal this afternoon.  In order to make room for him, Chicago has designated fellow right-hander Lendy Castillo for assignment.

Castillo, 23, pitched 16 innings for the Cubs' varsity squad last season and allowed 14 earned runs .  With the exception of one Double-A outing last season, he has never pitched above Single-A ball in the minors.

Villanueva agreed to his deal with the Cubs more than a month ago but the agreement wasn't finalized until today.  Terms of the pact weren't disclosed in the press release but the former Toronto pitcher will reportedly receive $10MM over the next two seasons.

Rangers Sign Jeff Baker

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The Rangers announced that they have agreed to terms with infielder/outfielder Jeff Baker while officially announcing the signing of left-handed pitcher Nate Robertson.  Baker is represented by Scott Boras

Baker, 31, hit .248/.287/.405 with four homers in 68 games for the Cubs, Tigers, and Braves last season.  The veteran drew interest from the Yankees earlier this winter as they were looking to add a right-handed bat to the mix in the outfield.  Baker owns a career slash line of .296/.344/.498 against left-handers.

Yankees Notes: Upton, Hairston, Bench, Rodriguez

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Yesterday, the Yankees avoided arbitration with David Robertson on a one-year, $3.1MM deal, meaning that they have now come to terms with all five of their arb eligible players.  All things considered, it has been an unusually quiet offseason for the Bombers as they look to tighten their belt for 2014.  Were they close to making other moves along the way?  Here's more on that and other news on the Yankees..
  • Cashman told reporters, including MLB.com's Mark Newman, that he had conversations with the Diamondbacks about Justin Upton but Arizona was never focusing on making a deal with them.  That fits in line with a report from ESPN.com's Buster Olney earlier this month that indicated that several teams were anxious to get in on the talks but were struggling to get a response from GM Kevin Towers & Co.
  • Cashman also said that he's aware that he needs to strengthen the bench and find a right-handed bat for the outfield.  However, he doesn't feel as though it all has to come together by Opening Day and suggested that he could explore mid-season deals to make that happen.
  • Meanwhile, the GM says the Yankees were never close to signing Scott Hairston either, despite being linked to him for a good portion of the winter, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post.  Cashman added that the club isn't opposed to multi-year deals but did say that they'll have to be careful about it.  Hairston agreed to a two-year deal with the Cubs earlier this week.
  • General Manager Brian Cashman told ESPN 98.7's Michael Kay there is a chance that Alex Rodriguez will miss the entire season after undergoing hip surgery, writes Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.  "It is a very complicated surgery. Any time someone has a surgery, there is always a chance there are complications. That didn't take place in this case. But is it possible? Sure, it is possible, but is it likely? I don't think so," Cashman said.  If Rodriguez does have to retire at some point due to his hip issue, the Yankees are insured for most of his contract.

White Sox Notes: Payroll, Peavy, Morel, Molina

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The White Sox held another seminar with fans this morning as part of SoxFest 2013 with General Manager Rick Hahn and manager Robin Ventura fielding questions.  When asked what to expect out of the White Sox this season, Hahn encouraged fans to keep their expectations high, tweets Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com.  Here's more from today's Q&A…

  • If the White Sox are in contention this season, Hahn says that they'll be able to add to their payroll if there are upgrades available, Hayes tweets.  The GM added that "the money has always been there", Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
  • Hahn said that the club didn't have internal options to fill the void that would have been created if Jake Peavy left via free agency, according to Hayes (on Twitter).  The White Sox worked out a contract extension with Peavy early in the offseason rather than picking up his $22MM option for 2013.  The 31-year-old will earn $14.5MM in each of the next two seasons with an option for 2015.
  • Ventura explained that third baseman Brent Morel will be in the mix this season and his lack of playing time last season was a result of his injuries, Hayes tweets.  Morel drew trade interest from the Marlins at one point last month as the free agent third base market was quite shallow.
  • Hahn said that this season will be a rebuilding year for Nestor Molina, the right-hander who came to the White Sox in exchange for Sergio Santos last winter, Gonzales tweets.

Mets Notes: Marcum, Bourn, Alderson

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Yesterday, the Mets finally made their first major free agent addition of the offseason when they inked Shaun Marcum to a one-year, $4MM deal with another $4MM in incentives.  Here's more on the right-hander and other news out of Queens..

  • Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (on Twitter) has the breakdown of Marcum's incentives package.  The hurler can earn $1.75MM in roster bonuses and $2.25MM more in bonuses for innings pitched going all the way up to 200.
  • The Mets need a center fielder, but Jay Schreiber of the New York Times highly doubts that it will be free agent Michael Bourn.  Schreiber writes that the Mets would likely be headed for another fourth-place finish in 2013, even with the addition of the 30-year-old.  He also wonders aloud if the club's flirtation with Bourn is at least partly designed to make it seem as if the Mets are trying to do something major, even though they know its a longshot.
  • Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs likes the Mets' signing of Marcum and sees it as a solid bargain for GM Sandy Alderson & Co.  Marcum missed significant time last season due to an elbow issue but posted a 3.70 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 across 21 starts.

Quick Hits: Napoli, Red Sox, Bourn, Mets, Marlins

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It took the Red Sox quite a while to finalize their agreement with Mike Napoli this offseason over concern about a potential hip issue.  Fortunately, his doctor says that the hip problem was detected early enough to prevent it from getting worse over time, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal.  The two sides wound up re-working their three-year, $36MM pact into a one-year, $5MM deal with incentives that could boost it to $13MM in total.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • A source tells Marc Carig of Newsday (on Twitter) that the MLBPA could file a grievance on the Michael Bourn/compensatory draft pick issue, even if the Mets don't agree to terms with the outfielder first.  There has been talk of the players union supporting the Mets if they choose to argue against having to surrender a first-round pick to sign a free agent like Bourn.
  • It appears that the Mets will face some stiff competition in the NL East as they vie with the Nationals and Braves, but GM Sandy Alderson says that he isn't sweating it too much, writes Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.  "I would agree that the Nationals and the Braves appear to be very good teams for '13 and beyond," Alderson said. "But many teams have been described as set up well for the long haul, and it hasn't always worked out as described.
  • The Marlins have made former West Virginia football standout Pat White an offer to get back into baseball, but the quarterback and one of his associates told Orlando Alzugaray of 640 AM that baseball is only a Plan B if football doesn't work out, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.  White won't completely rule out going to spring training with Miami, but he is also considering a two-year contract offer the Canadian Football League and has spoken to representatives for at least eight NFL teams.
  • The Royals now have three catchers on the 40-man roster after claiming George Kottaras earlier today, but GM Dayton Moore isn't sure how many backstops will make the cut for Opening Day, writes Pete Grathoff of The Kansas City Star.  The 29-year-old Kottaras will earn $1MM this season and will remain under team control as an arbitration eligible player through 2015.

Hahn On Viciedo, Pierzynski, Stewart

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Earlier today, the White Sox hosted SoxFest 2013, an interactive event where fans got the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with General Manager Rick Hahn.  Executive Vice President and former GM Kenny Williams couldn't resist joining in and closed things out when he asked Hahn if he'll do a better job than his predecessor.  Hahn responded by saying that the last GM had a better support staff in place (via White Sox on Twitter) and drew laughs from everyone in attendance.  Here's more on the White Sox..

  • Hahn said that the White Sox haven't shopped Dayan Viciedo but added that no one is untouchable, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.  It was reported last month that the White Sox discussed deals involving Viciedo and Alejandro De Aza.
  • The GM was asked about the departure of A.J. Pierzynski and he explained that the money that would have gone to the catcher was instead re-routed to Jake Peavy, Jeff Keppinger, and Matt Lindstrom, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.  Hahn also expressed confidence in catcher Tyler Flowers' abilities.
  • A fan asked Hahn about the decision to claim Zach Stewart off of waivers from the Pirates.  The GM explained that Stewart adds depth to the team's pitching, cost the team very little, and has big league experience, Gonzales tweets.  The White Sox's decision to pick up Stewart yesterday marked the second time that they have acquired the right-hander in two years.

Marlins Agree To Deal With Chad Qualls

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The Marlins have agreed to a minor league deal with reliever Chad Qualls on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).  Qualls is represented by Jim Murray of Excel Sports Management.

The 34-year-old finished out the season with the Pirates after the Yankees traded him to Pittsburgh for Casey McGehee in July.  In 52 games for the Phillies, Yankees, and Pirates last season, Qualls posted a 5.33 ERA with 4.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.

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