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Archives for February 2013

Mariners Designate Mike Carp For Assignment

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The Mariners have announced first baseman/designated hitter Mike Carp has been designated for assignment. The move was made to clear a 40-man roster spot for Joe Saunders, whose one-year deal was made official in a team press release.

“I won’t get to play for Seattle again and that’s a shame,” Carp told Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. “I loved it up there in the Northwest. I consider myself fortunate to have played there. Not too many guys can say they have four years in at the big league level already starting at age 22. I still feel I have a lot to offer. I’m just getting started.”

Carp, 26, has played in parts of the past four seasons with Seattle with the majority of his at-bats coming in 2011. The former Mets draft pick has posted a .255/.327/.413 batting line over the course of his career. The Mariners have 10 days to trade Carp, release him, or outright him to the minors.

Reds Notes: Mat Latos, Scott Rolen

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The Reds enter the 2013 with high expectations after returning to the playoffs last season for only the second time since Barry Larkin's MVP season in 1995. While the Reds won't have the Astros to beat up on all season thanks to Houston's move to the American League, look for the squad to continue to rely on a talented pitching staff to hold off the Cardinals come September. Here's the latest news and stories making headlines out of the Queen City.

  • Mat Latos and members of the Reds front office were seated in the room designated for arbitration hearings when the announcement came that the two parties had reached a deal on a new contract, says John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). Right-hander Latos signed a two-year deal worth $11.5MM.  
  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty released a statement on Tuesday that third baseman Scott Rolen will not be joining Cincinnati for Spring Training this season, according to the team (all Twitter links). Rolen said, "Right now I’m simply not ready to make a commitment. I would like to leave my options open, without closing any doors…"

Byrnes: Padres Could Add Starter

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San Diego general manager Josh Byrnes remains very much open to the possibility of looking outside of the organization to round out the Padres’ rotation, MLB.com’s Corey Brock reports.  Byrnes suggested that San Diego could still be in the market for another starter:

"There is a chance we can solve [the rotation] with our own guys.  The thing about the offseason [is] … we haven't pursued guys just to add bodies. But if we feel there's an upgrade, someone with upside or a long-term guy, then OK.  But we're comfortable with seeing how our guys look. There might be a need [to add a pitcher] but there might not be."

As Brock further explains in his article, the Padres already have a substantial number of starting options competing for spots at the back end of the rotation.  With Clayton Richard, Edinson Volquez, and the re-signed Jason Marquis seemingly good bets to begin the season in starting roles, the Padres figure to look at internal options like Anthony Bass, Tyson Ross, and Eric Stults, along with non-roster invitees Freddy Garcia, Robbie Erlin, and Tim Stauffer.

Byrnes' statement suggests that, should the Padres look to acquire another starter, it would be someone with “upside” or “long-term” potential.  Turning to MLBTR’s Free Agent Tracker, it appears that few pitchers who meet that description remain available.  Kyle Lohse, of course, stands out atop the remaining starting pitching options.  While the Padres were apparently willing to make a substantial, multi-year commitment to Edwin Jackson this offseason, Lohse’s asking price may be too high for San Diego.  Alternatively, the Padres could consider Roy Oswalt or one of several other available veterans, including Dallas Braden and Chris Young.

Mariners To Sign Kameron Loe

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The Mariners will announce today that they've signed right-handed reliever Kameron Loe to a minor league deal, Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter link). PSI Sports Management represents Loe.

Loe elected free agency last November after declining an outright assignment to Triple-A. The 31-year-old would have been arbitration eligible with a projected salary of $2.6MM, so the Brewers were comfortable removing him from their 40-man roster. He  appeared in 70 games last year, posting a 4.61 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. The Orioles had interest in signing Loe earlier this offseason.

Dodgers Notes: Kershaw, Torres

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After an offseason of aggressive spending, it's time for the Dodgers to start working toward their first postseason appearance since 2009. Here's the latest from Camelback Ranch…

  • Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers haven’t started extension talks, Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports. The left-hander, who’s expected to discuss a long-term deal with the team this spring, said he doesn’t want to negotiate during the season. Kershaw added that he's not distracted by speculation that his next contract could surpass $200MM. “It’s people talking. It really doesn’t bother me."
  • Andres Torres told reporters the Dodgers pursued him during the offseason, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The Mets and Reds also had interest in Torres after New York non-tendered him in November. However, he wanted to return to the Giants if at all possible. “My heart is in San Francisco,” he said.

Royals Acquire Elliot Johnson

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The Royals announced that they acquired utility player Elliot Johnson from the Rays as the player to be named later in the December trade involving James Shields and Wil Myers. The Rays had designated Johnson for assignment last week.

Johnson, 28, appeared in 123 games for the Rays in 2012. He posted a .242/.304/.350 batting line with six home runs in 331 plate appearances. The Royals placed Johnson on their 40-man roster, moving Felipe Paulino to the 60-day disabled list in a corresponding move.

The Royals acquired Shields, Wade Davis and a player to be named or cash from Tampa Bay for Myers, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery and Patrick Leonard in December.

AL Central Notes: Perez, Scherzer, White Sox, Twins

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The latest from the AL Central on the day before Michael Bourn is expected to take his physical with the Indians…

  • Chris Perez said he was pleased to see the Indians agree to terms with Bourn, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. "It feels like we're a big market club," Perez said. Last fall the closer publicly criticized Indians ownership and management for their decision making and spending.
  • Max Scherzer said the Tigers brought up the possibility of a long-term contract this winter, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports. “We talked about it,” Scherzer said. “But we were more focused on just getting one year done." Agent Scott Boras represents Scherzer, who said he loves Detroit and the Tigers organization. Scherzer is on track to hit free agency following the 2014 season.
  • A.J. Pierzynski said he's not disappointed to have moved on from the White Sox to the Rangers, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. "I'm excited about the new opportunity here and the chance to come to a team that definitely has a team to be very competitive, with a goal of going to the playoffs," he said. Pierzynski, who obtained a one-year, $7.5MM deal from the Rangers, described the signing as "bittersweet."
  • The Twins have a new-look rotation after adding pitching reinforcements during the offseason, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com writes.

Kyle Lohse Rumors: Tuesday

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Now that Michael Bourn has agreed to terms with the Indians, Kyle Lohse is the top free agent available. Lohse, another client of the Boras Corporation, would represent an upgrade for most rotations. However, the market for the right-hander remains difficult to read, partly because he’s linked to draft pick compensation. Here’s the latest with the most recent rumors up top…

  • Washington GM Mike Rizzo told Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio that the Nationals don't have interest in Lohse presently (Twitter link).

Earlier Updates:

  • The Nationals might try to sign Lohse, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. If Gio Gonzalez faces a suspension for his alleged links to the Miami Biogenesis clinic, the Nationals could look to bolster their rotation by adding Lohse. Though the right-hander would represent a luxury rather than a necessity, the Nationals did like him early in the winter. Now that the Nationals have signed Rafael Soriano, adding Lohse would only require the forfeiture of a second round draft choice. Lohse’s asking price might be prohibitive, however.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said he doesn’t expect to add starting pitching, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). Though Chris Carpenter may not pitch in 2013, the Cardinals have internal candidates such as Joe Kelly, Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal.
  • Some general managers have speculated that the Indians would be a fit for Lohse, but ESPN.com's Buster Olney has been told the Indians won't sign him (Twitter link).

Reds, Latos Agree To Two-Year Deal

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11:35am: Latos' deal is worth $11.5MM over two years, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com (on Twitter). Latos will earn $4.25MM in 2013 and $7.25MM in 2014, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (on Twitter).

11:21am: The Reds announced that they avoided arbitration with right-hander Mat Latos, agreeing to terms on a two-year deal for the 2013-14 seasons (Twitter link). Latos is a Bledsoe Brothers client.

The contract will buy out Latos' first two seasons of arbitration eligibility. He will be eligible for the third and final time following the 2014 season and still projects to hit free agency after the 2015 season.

Latos, 25, joined the Reds last offseason when they acquired him from San Diego for Yonder Alonso, Brad Boxberger, Yasmani Grandal and Edinson Volquez. He posted a 3.48 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 209 1/3 innings with Cincinnati this past season, setting himself up for a substantial raise. Latos filed for $4.7MM, while the Reds countered at $4.15MM. Earlier this winter MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a one-year salary of $4.6MM for Latos, noting that few pitchers have matched his resume while first time arbitration eligible.

The Reds have one remaining arbitration eligible player, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. Homer Bailey, Clayton Richard and Jordan Zimmermann are the only remaining unsigned players.

New York Notes: Yankees, Bourn, Santana

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Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters today that his team is capable of winning 95 games and the World Series. "If we play up to our capabilities, I believe we're a very good team," Girardi said (via Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News on Twitter). Here are some more links from New York as the Yankees and Mets begin Spring Training…

  • Girardi said one of his biggest Spring Training concerns is finding a right-handed designated hitter, Feinsand reports (on Twitter). Juan Rivera and Matt Diaz could provide offense from the right side to complement lefty bats such as Travis Hafner and Dan Johnson.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports expects Derek Jeter to be a valuable contributor for the Yankees in 2013, even if this is the year the Yankees falter as a team.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Mets' interest in Michael Bourn "was essentially an empty pursuit" since the team wasn't about to sign Bourn without assurances that they'd keep their 11th overall draft pick. The Mets never made a firm bid for Bourn, and their suggestions did not include options for 2017. Sherman reported last night that the Mets made Bourn a four-year offer before he agreed to terms with the Indians.
  • Johan Santana said he's not thinking about the trade deadline or free agency, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). The left-hander will earn $25.5MM in 2013 and his contract includes a $25MM club option for 2014. Presumably the Mets will choose the $5.5MM buyout over the option.

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