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Archives for February 2013

Pirates Nearing Deal With Jonathan Sanchez

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8:54pm: Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review confirms that the deal is close and adds that it would be a minor league contract (Twitter link).

5:13pm: The Pirates are close to a deal with Jonathan Sanchez, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter).

Sanchez, 30, was traded from the Giants to the Royals for Melky Cabrera last offseason, but the trade wound up being a lopsided one. Sanchez pitched to a 7.76 ERA and walked 44 batters in 53 1/3 innings for the Royals before being designated for assignment. The Royals flipped him to the Rockies for Jeremy Guthrie, who had endured similar struggles in Colorado. He didn't fare much better there, however, as he allowed 12 earned runs and walked nine in just 11 1/3 innings.

Sanchez makes sense as a low-risk investment, however, given his success from 2009-11. The southpaw compiled a 3.75 ERA, 9.5 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 458 innings during that time. Sanchez isn't entirely dissimilar from Francisco Liriano, with whom the Pirates are still attempting to finalize a deal. Both lefties have swing-and-miss stuff but struggle due to erratic command.

Minor Moves: Buschini, Burres, Pineiro

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We'll track the day's minor moves here…

  • The Padres signed second baseman Adam Buschini to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock. The 25-year-old Buschini was a fourth-round pick of the Phillies in 2009 but hasn't appeared in affiliated ball since 2010. He spent this past season in the Australian Baseball League where he won the Triple Crown by hitting .363 with 15 homers and 50 RBIs.
  • Left-hander Brian Burres has agreed to sign with Taiwan's Lamigo Monkeys, agent Marc Kligman tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The 31-year-old Burres has a 5.75 ERA, 5.6 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 358 1/3 innings between the Orioles, Blue Jays and Pirates. 
  • The Orioles agreed to sign right-hander Joel Pineiro to a minor league deal, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (all Twitter links). The 34-year-old last-pitched at the MLB level with the 2011 Angels. Pineiro, who pitched in the Orioles' minor league system in 2012, had surgery to repair a SLAP tear in his right shoulder last July.
  • The Orioles also completed a minor league deal with left-hander Mark Hendrickson, Connolly reports. Hendrickson, the former NBA player who pitched with Baltimore from 2009-11, recently threw bullpen sessions for Orioles personnel. The 38-year-old is now pitching sidearm as he attempts to return to the MLB level for the first time since 2011. 
  • The Indians have agreed to sign Jeremy Hermida to a minor league contract, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). Hermida played for the Padres in 2012, appearing in 13 games. The 29-year-old was regarded as a top prospect early in his professional career and he hit 18 home runs for the 2007 Marlins, but he hasn't produced on offense in the past three seasons. Hermida, a first round pick in 2002, bats from the left side.

Athletics Acquire Jed Lowrie In Five-Player Deal

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The Astros announced that they sent shortstop Jed Lowrie to the Athletics in a five-player trade. The Astros acquire first baseman Chris Carter, starting pitcher Brad Peacock and catching prospect Max Stassi from the A's in the deal, which sends right-handed reliever Fernando Rodriguez to Oakland along with Lowrie. Jed Lowrie

The Astros are trading Lowrie approximately one year after acquiring him from the Red Sox. Astros GM Jeff Luhnow maintained throughout the offseason that he didn't want to trade Lowrie unless he could obtain impact players in return.

“This trade gives us power, pitching and catching,” Luhnow said in a statement released by the team. “Three valuable commodities that will help improve our organization.”

Lowrie, who turns 29 in April, enjoyed arguably his best season in 2012 — his lone season in Houston. After being traded from the Red Sox along with Kyle Weiland in exchange for Mark Melancon, Lowrie hit .244/.331/.438. He hit a career-high 16 home runs, but was held to just 97 games due to a thumb sprain and an ankle injury. Unfortunately, those 97 games also represent a career-best for Lowrie as well.

Lowrie is set to earn $2.4MM in 2013 after avoiding arbitration with the Astros last month. He'll be eligible for arbitration a third and final time next offseason and is eligible for free agency following the 2014 season. As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out (on Twitter), the Astros now have less than $15MM in guaranteed contracts for this upcoming season.

The 28-year-old Rodriguez struggled in 2012, posting a 5.37 ERA in 70 1/3 frames for the Astros. However, his FIP (4.22) and xFIP (4.23) are nearly identical to the marks he posted in 2011 when his ERA was 3.96. He averaged 93.9 mph on his heater last season and has fanned 136 batters in 123 1/3 innings. He can be controlled through 2017.

Peacock, who turned 25 on Saturday, ranked fourth on Baseball America's list of Top 10 Athletics prospects. The right-hander was a key component of last winter's Gio Gonzalez trade but had a down season in 2012. He had a 6.01 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 134 2/3 innings for Oakland's Triple-A affiliate. BA's Jim Shonerd wrote in November that Peacock pitched up in the zone too frequently in 2012, and added:

"When he's going well, he still shows three quality pitches. Peacock's fastball works at 91-95 mph but lacks movement, underscoring the need for better command. He also flashes a sharp curveball and a changeup with depth. He has added a slider/cutter hybrid to help induce weak contact, but it remains a work in progress."

Stassi, 21, entered the season as Oakland's No. 14 prospect, according to BA. He spent 2012 at High-A Stockton, where he batted .268/.331/.468 with 15 homers in 360 trips to the plate. He's been bothered by shoulder problems throughout his professional career, but BA praises his compact swing, solid power and ability to use the middle of the field.

The 26-year-old Carter is a former top prospect in his own right, and he displayed the power that earned him that distinction in 2012. Carter batted .239/.350/.514 with 16 homers in 260 plate appearances for the A's. He is under team control through 2018 and is not yet eligible for arbitration.

Beane has now traded away two of the four players he acquired in last offseason's trade of Gonzalez. He moved A.J. Cole back to Washington in a trade that sent John Jaso to the A's and Mike Morse to the Mariners. Tommy Milone and Derek Norris still remain a part of the A's organization.

Steve Adams also contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tigers, Max Scherzer Avoid Arbitration

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5:01pm: Scherzer's deal will pay him $6.725MM — the midpoint between the two figures, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter).

4:52pm: The Tigers avoided arbitration with right-hander Max Scherzer, Brian Britten of the Tigers announced (on Twitter). Scherzer, a client of the Boras Corporation, obtains a one-year deal for 2013.

Scherzer filed for $7.4MM and the Tigers countered with a $6.05MM offer, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. The 28-year-old will go to arbitration one more time following the 2013 season then hit free agency two offseasons from now. The Tigers have now avoided arbitration with all of their eligible players.

Here's a look at the remaining unsigned arb eligible players from around MLB. Be sure to check out MLBTR's Arbitration Basics for a primer on the process.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Giants Claim Tony Abreu

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The Giants claimed infielder Tony Abreu off of waivers from Kansas City, the Royals announced. The Royals had designated Abreu for assignment on January 25th to create room for another waiver claim, catcher George Kottaras.

Abreu, 28, appeared in 22 games for the Royals last year, playing second base, third base and shortstop. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Omaha and posted a .322/.347/.492 batting line with 36 doubles in 453 plate appearances. Abreu has a .252/.280/.355 batting line in 464 plate appearances over the course of four MLB seasons.

Brandon Webb To Retire

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Former National League Cy Young winner Brandon Webb is retiring from baseball, agents Jonathan Maurer and Mike Montana of Millennium Sports told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. Webb, a three-time All-Star who last pitched at the MLB level in 2009, had been considering another comeback attempt.

The Diamondbacks initially selected Webb in the eighth round of the 2000 draft. Three years later he posted a 2.84 ERA with Arizona over the course of 180 2/3 innings. From 2004-08 the groundball pitcher averaged 227 innings with a 3.30 ERA, 7.1 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. That stretch included his three All-Star appearances and the 2006 NL Cy Young Award. However, Webb hasn't pitched in the big leagues since Opening Day 2009. Shoulder injuries have limited him for the past few years, and though the Rangers took a chance on him in 2011, he didn't make it back to MLB.

Teams such as the Rockies, Twins, Phillies, Marlins, Nationals and Mets had interest in Webb this winter. The 33-year-old earned more than $31MM during his MLB career, according to Baseball-Reference. Webb will retire with an 87-62 record and a 3.27 ERA in 1319 2/3 innings pitched over the course of 199 career appearances.

Mets Notes: Bourn, Lyon, Matsuzaka

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The Mets are nearing a deal with right-handed reliever Brandon Lyon less than a week after adding Scott Atchison and LaTroy Hawkins. Here’s the latest on the Mets’ roster…

  • New York GM Sandy Alderson said the Mets will probably be done adding to their bullpen, assuming the deal with Lyon goes through, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports (Twitter links). The club had interest in a number of relievers as recently as last week, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork reported.
  • Alderson sounds serious about pursuing free agent center fielder Michael Bourn, DiComo reports. However, the GM said the Mets could end up going to Spring Training with their current roster. The Mets have sincere interest in Bourn, but don't intend to forfeit the 11th overall pick in the 2013 draft to complete a deal with the Scott Boras client.
  • One Mets official indicated to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that the team has no interest in Daisuke Matsuzaka (Twitter link). Cafardo reported yesterday that teams like the Astros and Mets were considering the possibility of bringing the free agent right-hander to camp.

Cardinals Notes: Prospects, Free Agents

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The Cardinals have added role players such as Randy Choate, Ty Wigginton and Ronny Cedeno this offseason instead of making more substantial changes to their roster. But most of the players who led the Cardinals to an 88-win season in 2012 will return, so general manager John Mozeliak didn't need to make major moves this winter. Here’s the latest from St. Louis…

  • The Cardinals have the top farm system in baseball, Keith Law writes in his annual rankings at ESPN.com. In Law’s view the Cardinals have "drafted well, fared well in Latin America, traded well and developed well over the past five years." Five of the top 100 prospects in baseball play in the Cardinals’ system, according to Law.
  • Mozeliak explained to Anna McDonald of ESPN.com that advanced metrics encourage teams to pay free agents for what they will do next as opposed to what they have already done. "Now we're able to combine these advanced stats with the ability now to really create a model that gives us sort of recommendations on contracts, salary and length," he said. "When you start thinking about things like the aging curve — that is something I think 20, 30 years ago when players were signing contracts, they were signing contracts for what they accomplished — now people are signing contracts for what you expect them to do." The complete ESPN.com piece provides more insight into Mozeliak’s view on the role of baseball analytics.

Latest On Marlins, Jose Valverde

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11:43am: Valverde is talking with a number of teams, including the Marlins, but no deal is imminent, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

11:27am: The report that the sides are nearing a deal is "utterly false," Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. One of Spencer's sources suspects Boras is "trying to drum up attention when no market exists."

10:23am: The Marlins are nearing a one-year deal with free agent reliever Jose Valverde, Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com reports (on Twitter). The Boras Corporation represents Valverde.

Valverde, who turns 35 next month, spent the past three years as the Tigers' closer. The right-hander converted all 49 of his save chances in 2011, but his performance dropped off last year, when he posted a 3.78 ERA with 6.3 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and 35 saves in 69 innings. He lost his closing job in the playoffs, with the Tigers turning to Phil Coke and others in high-leverage situations. Valverde posted a 34.0% ground ball rate in 2012 while averaging 93.4 mph with his fastball.

Valverde entered the offseason ranked 44th on MLBTR's list of top free agents available. The Mets had interest in Valverde, who was unsure if he would pitch in 2013 back in October. The Tigers made it clear that they were not going to bring him back to Detroit.

Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Wilson and Mark Lowe are among the other free agent relievers available, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows. Valverde could end up closing for the Marlins, who currently have internal options such as Steve Cishek and Ryan Webb. Follow @closernews on Twitter for closer-related fantasy baseball news and analysis. 

Remaining Arbitration Cases

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High-profile players such as Chase Headley and Martin Prado avoided arbitration last week, further reducing the number of unsigned arb eligible players remaining. There are now just 15 such players, down from the group of 200-plus players for whom MLBTR projected arbitration salaries when the offseason began. Using MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker let's take a look at the remaining unsigned players…

  • Jason Hammel filed for $8.25MM, Orioles countered with $5.7MM
  • Shin-Soo Choo filed for $8MM, Reds countered with $6.75MM
  • Max Scherzer filed for $7.4MM, Tigers countered with $6.05MM
  • Jim Johnson filed for $7.1MM, Orioles countered with $5.7MM
  • Homer Bailey filed for $5.8MM, Reds countered with $4.75MM
  • Jordan Zimmermann filed for $5.8MM, Nationals countered with $4.6MM
  • Clayton Richard filed for $5.55MM, Padres countered with $4.905MM
  • Dexter Fowler filed for $5.15MM, Rockies countered with $4.25MM
  • Mat Latos filed for $4.7MM, Reds countered with $4.15MM
  • Sergio Romo filed for $4.5MM, Giants countered with $2.675MM
  • David Freese filed for $3.75MM, Cardinals countered with $2.4MM
  • Mike Leake filed for $3.5MM, Reds countered with $2.65MM
  • Mike Aviles filed for $3.4MM, Indians countered with $2.4MM
  • Darren O'Day filed for $3.2MM, Orioles countered with $1.8MM
  • Gerardo Parra filed for $2.7MM, Diamondbacks countered with $2.1MM

Hearings are scheduled to begin in Phoenix today and continue through February 21st, Paul Hagen of MLB.com reported last week. However, these cases won't necessarily end up going before panels of arbitrators. No file and trial team has any remaining arb eligible players, as Tim Dierkes recently explained.

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