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Archives for March 2013

Marlins Release Michael Wuertz

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The Marlins released right-handed reliever Michael Wuertz, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). Beverly Hills Sports Council represents Wuertz, who signed a minor league deal with Miami in January.

Wuertz, 34, last appeared in the big leagues with the 2011 Athletics. He posted a 6.68 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 7.0 BB/ 9 that year, battling hamstring and thumb injuries. In eight MLB seasons with the Cubs and Athletics, Wuertz has a 3.71 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9.

Quick Hits: Tanaka, Headley, Stanton, Crawford

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Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka may be the next Japanese pitcher to turn a strong World Baseball Classic performance into a nine-figure Major League contract, ESPN's C.J. Nitkowski writes (Insider subscription required).  Tanaka, 24, has a 2.50 ERA, 8.6 K/9 and 4.34 K/BB ratio in 1103 IP over six seasons with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.  Tanaka has expressed interest in pitching in North America and is three years away from international free agency, though Rakuten could open the posting process before then.

Here's the latest from around the majors…

  • The Padres are starting to listen to offers for Chase Headley, Bill Madden of the New York Daily News reports.  The Padres tabled extension talks with Headley earlier this winter after the two sides were far apart on terms.  The third baseman is under contract through the 2014 season and Madden argues that the Yankees should make a move for a young star like Headley or Giancarlo Stanton in order to bolster the lineup and ensure the team will contend this year.
  • "The fact is, this is the right time to trade Stanton. He’s never going to have more value than this," a Marlins operative tells Madden, arguing that such an unpopular move can't hurt a team that is already at rock bottom in terms of public perception.  “I understand Jeffrey [Loria]’s getting killed in Miami over blowing up the team this winter and why he doesn’t want to trade Stanton. But how much more can we get killed?  He’s already had some injury issues, and we’re never going to sign him to a long-term deal," Madden's source said.
  • Carl Crawford criticized the Boston media and told CBS Sports' Danny Knobler that he erred in signing with the Red Sox in the 2010-11 offseason.  "It just wasn't the right place for me at the end of my day. I didn't do my homework. Maybe they didn't, either," Crawford said.
  • If the Tigers do acquire a reliever, MLB.com's Jason Beck believes such a deal isn't likely until nearer to the end of Spring Training when other teams have their own bullpen situations settled.
  • Chone Figgins feels a lack of playing time exacerbated his struggles with the Mariners and is looking forward to seeing more action playing under NL rules with the Marlins, The Associated Press reports.
  • Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster have both looked good in Spring Training and the Red Sox could reap more than financial benefits from last summer's trade with the Dodgers if these two young pitchers develop, John Tomase of the Boston Herald writes.  Tomase also talks to Rays manager Joe Maddon about how the Rays were targeting De La Rosa before L.A. dealt him to Boston.

Yankees Notes: Free Agents, Youkilis, Cano

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As usual, there's no shortage of headlines out of the Bronx, what with Mariano Rivera's pending retirement announcement and a batch of Yankee items earlier today from the New York Post's Ken Davidoff.  Here's some more Yankees-related news…

  • The Yankees won't be able to find and buy premium talent in free agency as easily as they have in the past, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal writes, as so many teams have been able to sign their top players and keep them from hitting the open market.  While New York's minor league system isn't bad, Rosenthal notes that the Yankees lack MLB-ready young replacements for their aging stars and they also lack the prospect depth to trade for the likes of Giancarlo Stanton.
  • Kevin Youkilis is happy to play at either first base or third base following Mark Teixeira’s injury, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports (on Twitter).  Youkilis' versatility will provide the Yankees with some flexibility in pursuing either type of corner infielder.
  • Grantland's Rany Jazayerli recaps the Yankees' modern history of success and believes the team is poised to struggle in 2013.
  • Robinson Cano will be "the most important position player in baseball" in the wake of the injuries in the Yankee lineup, Mike Axisa of River Ave Blues opines.  "No other team that fancies itself a contender will rely as heavily on one player as the Yankees will rely on Cano early this season," Axisa writes.  This reality can only help Cano and Scott Boras in their contract negotiations with the team.

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post

AL Central Notes: Tigers, Sale, Indians, Morneau

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Here's the latest from around the AL Central…

  • Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski admitted to reporters (including Lynn Henning of the Detroit News) that teams had been calling him about the Tigers' starting pitching depth.  The Rangers reportedly asked about Rick Porcello earlier this week and several teams have shown interest in the right-hander throughout the offseason.
  • Dombrowski and Jim Leyland revealed no new details about the Tigers' closer situation other than saying that rookie Bruce Rondon is still very much a candidate for the job despite struggling in four Spring Training outings.
  • White Sox GM Rick Hahn discussed Chris Sale's extension with reporters (including MLB.com's Scott Merkin) and likes that the team was able to lock up a potential ace at what could end up being a bargain price.  "Obviously this past offseason was a pretty robust one in terms of where the compensation was going. So being able to lock something down before there was further escalation in Chris' market had a lot of appeal to us," Hahn said.
  • Scott Kazmir can opt out of his minor league deal with the Indians if he isn't on their Major League roster by April 2, ESPN's Buster Olney reports (via Twitter).  Daisuke Matsuzaka, another Tribe minor league signing, also has an opt-out date "about the same time."
  • Unless Justin Morneau improves on his 2012 numbers, Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities feels the Twins will struggle to get "anything significant" for the slugger in a possible trade, and could have to settle for a trade package similar to what they received for Francisco Liriano last summer.  Morneau hit .267/.333/.440 with 19 home runs in 570 PA in 2012 and is entering his last season under contract with Minnesota.  Mackey also discusses the Twins payroll, various roster decisions and other topics during this chat with fans.

NL Central Notes: Villanueva, Snider, Pirates, Reds

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Brewers GM Doug Melvin is in good health following a unique Spring Training injury.  As MLB.com's Evan Drellich and Adam McCalvy relate, Melvin was stung by an Arizona bark scorpion on Wednesday night and, after his left hand swelled up, made a three-hour visit to a local emergency room.  Here's the latest from around the NL Central…

  • Cubs swingman Carlos Villanueva tells MLB.com's Carrie Muskat that long relievers (like himself) who can make spot starts are "definitely underappreciated" around baseball.  “There’s no market for it,” Villanueva said. “When you go arbitration with somebody, you hear you’re not good enough to start, you’re not good enough to close, and it obviously drives the value down."
  • After struggling to live up to his potential in Toronto, Travis Snider is eager to get a fresh start with the Pirates, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo writes.
  • Snider is one of a dozen former first-round draft picks that could play key roles for the Pirates in 2013, according to MLB.com's Tom Singer.  The Bucs have acquired several former first-rounders (like Snider or Jason Grilli) and have plenty of homegrown top picks in the fold.
  • Jason Donald delivered the controversial hit that broke up Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game in 2010 and now the two are teammates with the Reds.  "We never have an in-depth discussion, but it was, 'Oh, hey … good to see you again,'" Donald told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "It wasn't anything like, 'Hey, you remember when I ruined the best game of your life?' He's such a good guy and I know he understands. It's something we can both look back on and know we were a part of history."
  • Earlier today on MLBTR, we featured a collection of Cardinals Notes and some Astros-related items as part of a Texas Notes post.

Braves Could Listen On Venters

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THURSDAY, 7:39pm: The Braves haven't had any internal discussions about trading Venters, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter link).  The Venters trade rumor "appears to be unfounded," writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman, and with relievers Eric O'Flaherty and Jordan Walden both dealing with injuries, Atlanta may not be able to afford moving Venters.

WEDNESDAY, 10:44am: There's talk among scouts that the Braves will listen to trade offers for left-handed reliever Jonny Venters, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). However, the Braves say they love the depth in their bullpen, particularly from the left side.

Venters appeared in 66 games in 2012, posting a 3.22 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 58 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old has a 2.23 ERA with 10.1 K/9 in three seasons with the Braves. Those numbers earned him a raise to $1.625MM this offseason when he was arbitration eligible for the first time. Venters is under team control through 2015.

If the Braves were to trade Venters they'd still have left-handers Eric O'Flaherty and Luis Avilan available in the bullpen. Teams such as the Nationals, Tigers and Dodgers could have interest in a reliever of Venters' caliber in my view. The Braves could seek a left-handed hitting bench player if they do consider trading Venters.

Aubrey Huff: “I’m Pretty Much Retired”

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Aubrey Huff was hoping a team would invite him to Spring Training but since no contract materialized during the offseason, the 13-year veteran tells Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that he is "pretty much retired" from the game.

“I have no regrets,” Huff said. “I love it. I’m having a great time with my wife and kids. I don’t even have an itch to pick up a baseball bat. I wondered if I’d feel that desire when everybody reported to spring training, but I didn’t.”

Huff, 36, became a free agent when the Giants declined their $10MM option on his services for the 2013 season.  Huff signed a two-year, $22MM deal with San Francisco following the 2010 season and struggled with both injuries and an anxiety disorder over the life of that contract, hitting just .239/.309/.359 in 674 PA in 2011-12.  That said, Huff's overall tenure with the team was still a success given that his big 2010 campaign (an .891 OPS in 668 PA) came for a one-year price of $3MM and helped the Giants win a World Series title. 

Ed Hayes, Huff's agent, said in January that his client intended to play in 2013 and had spoken to a few interested teams.  The Diamondbacks were the only club known to be linked to Huff this winter.  His name had been mentioned as a possible target for the Yankees given that injuries to Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira had left New York short-handed at first base and left field, Huff's positions.

If this is indeed it for Huff, he retires with 242 homers and a .278/.342/.464 line over 6786 career PA.  The University of Miami product played for the Rays, Astros, Orioles, Tigers and Giants over his 13 years in the Major Leagues, winning a Silver Slugger Award with Baltimore in 2008 and winning two World Series rings with San Francisco.

Cardinals Notes: Tulowitzki, Wainwright, Pitching

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Expect to hear a lot of rumors about the Cardinals' shortstop vacancy until Opening Day and beyond, as earlier today GM John Mozeliak left the door open for the team to pursue outside help if the Cards' internal options aren't up to the task.  Here are the latest items about the 11-time World Series champions…

  • The Cardinals haven't called the Rockies about Troy Tulowitzki, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman tweets, though such a call would've probably been moot since Colorado has no interest in trading its star shortstop.  If St. Louis does acquire a new shortstop, I'd suspect it would be a player who comes at a much lower price than Tulowitzki, who is owed $144MM through the 2020 season.
  • Mozeliak suggested to reporters (including Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that both the Cards and right-hander Adam Wainwright would like to resolve discussions regarding a possible contract extension by Opening Day. Talks are ongoing, according to Mozeliak, who said yesterday that he’s optimistic about reaching a deal.
  • Losing both Chris Carpenter and Rafael Furcal for the season could turn 2013 into a transition year for the Cardinals, Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.  The Redbirds' biggest asset is its young pitching, but with the team still figuring out the best roles for its young arms, Gordon thinks the Cardinals might prefer to keep those pitchers for the short term rather than trade them for a shortstop any time soon.

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post

Texas Notes: Ryan, Daniels, Lohse, Astros, Crane

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Here's the latest news from both the Rangers and Astros, including how the future of the Lone Star State's greatest pitcher (Nolan Ryan) impacts both Texas clubs…

  • Jon Daniels said the Rangers never offered him Ryan's CEO job, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.  Before being promoted to the position of president of baseball operations, Daniels said the Rangers offered him a few other titles, and "all of those discussions involved me reporting directly to Nolan."  There has been speculation that Ryan could leave the Rangers given the increased influence of Daniels and Rick George, the newly-promoted president of business operations. 
  • Hiring Ryan and giving him a significant role would greatly benefit the Astros both on and off the field, MLB.com's Richard Justice opines.
  • Kyle Lohse is "slightly better than just a guy" in the Rangers' view, writes Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN Dallas, which is partly why the team isn't interested in the veteran right-hander.
  • Astros owner Jim Crane tells reporters (including MLB.com's Brian McTaggart) that the team's ongoing negotiations over a new TV contract are crucial to the team's financial well-being and its rebuilding process.  "This is a long-term deal, and it will really affect the ability to finance the team and the payroll," Crane said. "We have to have a deal that's market with the Rangers and Angels and we should be able to get that….We want to have our payroll where the Rangers' is so we can compete with everybody."
  • Also from McTaggart, the Astros have done well to rebuild their farm system though it may take a few years for their current batch of top prospects to make an impact on the Major League level.

Orioles Eyeing Dodgers Starters

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The Orioles are among the teams eyeing Aaron Harang, and he’s not the only Dodgers starter who has captured the attention of Baltimore’s decision makers. The Orioles are also scouting trade candidates Ted Lilly and Chris Capuano, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter).

The Orioles’ rotation presently consists of Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez and Chris Tillman. A number of others, including Jair Jurrjens, are in competition for the final spot in manager Buck Showalter’s rotation. 

Lilly, 37, started just eight games in 2012, missing most of the year with neck and shoulder injuries. He'll earn $12MM in 2013, the final season of a three-year deal with the Dodgers. Capuano posted a 3.72 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 198 1/3 innings in 2012. Like Harang and Lilly, he's in the final guaranteed year of his contract and doesn’t have a guaranteed spot in the Dodgers' rotation. Harang started 31 games for the Dodgers last year, posting a 3.61 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 179 2/3 innings. He’ll earn $7MM in 2013 and his contract includes a $7MM mutual option with a $2MM buyout for 2014. 

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