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Yankees Release David Adams

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The Yankees have released infielder David Adams to make space on the team's 40-man roster for Vernon Wells, tweets Sweeny Murti of WFAN. Adams, 25, spent last season in Double-A, where he hit .306/.385/.450 over 383 plate appearances.

As Larry Stone wrote in the Seattle Times a few years back, a failed medical exam of Adams held up the Yankees' attempt to acquire Cliff Lee in 2010. "I had him," Cashman said of Lee, until the Mariners found that Adams had what turned out to be a fractured ankle. When Cashman refused to replace Adams with Eduardo Nunez or Ivan Nova, Texas jumped in with a deal centered around Justin Smoak. The change of events not only kept Lee from going to the Yanks, but also prevented catcher Jesus Montero from going to Seattle (for the time being).

Article XX(B) Free Agents Update: Tuesday

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Major League Baseball's new collective bargaining agreement contains a provision that allows certain free agents who are signed to minor league contracts to receive a $100K retention bonus if they are not on the team's 25-man roster or the Major League disabled list five days prior to the season.

Free agents who qualify for this distinction are those who have at least six years of Major League service time and had a Major League contract expire at the end of the previous season, but signed a minor league deal ten or more days prior to Opening Day.

MLBTR has confirmed with MLB that the deadline for teams to decide on these players is today at 11am central time. By the deadline, teams with these players in camp need to decide whether to:

  • Add the player to their 25-man roster or Major League disabled list (or agree to do so in writing).
  • Grant the player his outright release from the minor league contract so that he may pursue opportunities with other teams.
  • Pay the player a $100K retention bonus to keep him in the organization beyond the deadline and send him to the minors.

Here's the latest news from around the league on Article XX(B) signees and their roster statuses with their respective teams (newest updates on top).  

Don Kelly Will Not Opt Out Of Contract With Tigers

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Left-handed-hitting utility man Don Kelly will not excercise the opt-out clause in his contract, reports MLB.com's Jason Beck. While he could have done so today, Kelly instead will stick with the club on "an informal agreement." As Beck explains it: "if Kelly doesn't make the Opening Day roster, team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski will try to find Kelly another team with a big-league job for him." Failing that, "Kelly will accept an assignment to Triple-A Toledo."

According to Kelly, "this is all contractual stuff," and he is "just trying to go out and get hits." Kelly has enjoyed a strong spring with the Tigers, putting up a .238/.347/.548 line. 

Rangers Notes: Ryan, Borbon, Woods, Rotation

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Let's take a quick look at some Texas Rangers news:

  • The Rangers and CEO Nolan Ryan are on a "sad, unnecessary collision course," writes Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman. It seems more likely than not that Ryan will leave the club that he "helped rescue from despair," says Bohls, who cites a source "close to Ryan" who said it was '70-30' that he leaves." Boyls further opines that while Ryan is "not completely blameless in this soap opera because he's overstepped his bounds at times," he "has done too much and meant too much to be treated so callously."
  • With highly-touted infield prospect Jurickson Profar headed to Triple-A in favor of Leury Garcia and Nick Tepesch taking the fifth rotation spot, the Rangers are continuing to hone their roster by "having trade discussions with other teams about outfielder Julio Borbon," writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Texas is "ready to go with Craig Gentry and Leonys Martin as their center fielders," says Sullivan, making Borbon expendable. According to GM Jon Daniels, "based on the interest we've received" in Borbon, the club would be "shocked" if he cleared waivers if the team sought to stash him in Triple-A.
  • The Rangers also hope to work out a trade to keep Rule 5 pick Coty Woods, reports Sullivan. Since Woods cleared waivers, the club has 72 hours to reach a deal with the Rockies if they hope to hold on to him. 
  • Regarding the rotation, Sullivan writes that the team is committed at this point to Tepesch. "The Rangers were never seriously interested in free-agent pitcher Kyle Lohse and they[] have no ongoing trade discussions with other teams about starting pitching. They have scouted Dodgers pitchers Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang but did not get good reports back and there is nothing going between the two teams."

Yankees Sign Lyle Overbay

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The Yankees signed first baseman Lyle Overbay to a minor league deal, tweets Erik Boland of Newsday.  Overbay was released this morning by the rival Red Sox, who avoided a $100K retention bonus in the process.

Overbay, 36, hit .259/.331/.397 in 131 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks and Braves last year.  He was squeezed out in Boston due to their Mike Carp acquisition, but has found a potential opportunity with the Yankees due to a wrist injury that will sideline first baseman Mark Teixeira into May in the best case.

The Yankees have also added Vernon Wells, Ben Francisco, and Brennan Boesch since Teixeira and Curtis Granderson were injured.

Yankees Acquire Vernon Wells

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A player with a supposedly untradeable contract has been dealt for a second time, as the Yankees acquired outfielder Vernon Wells from the Angels on a salary dump deal.  The trade was announced officially today, and the Halos received a couple of token minor leaguers in outfielder Exicardo Cayones and lefty reliever Kramer Sneed.  The big benefit for the Angels was salary relief, as the Yankees will reportedly assume a surprising $13.9MM of the $42MM owed to Wells for 2013-14, of which they'll pay $11.5MM this year to avoid a luxury tax hit in 2014.  Wells was happy to waive his no-trade clause and escape a likely fate of being buried on the Angels' bench.

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Wells, 34, was acquired to serve as the Yankees' everyday left fielder until Curtis Granderson returns to the lineup in May from a broken wrist.  Signed to a seven-year, $126MM extension by the Blue Jays in 2006, Wells posted a solid year in 2010 that allowed Toronto to unload most of his remaining $86MM on the Angels, which also cost the Halos Mike Napoli and cost GM Tony Reagins his job.  Wells performed terribly after the trade, hitting .222/.258/.409 in 791 plate appearances.  It was surprising to see the Yankees essentially give a two-year, $13.9MM contract to a player most teams would consider a fourth outfielder at best.  By comparison, the Cubs signed Scott Hairston this offseason for two years and $5MM.  The trade is a big win for Angels GM Jerry Dipoto, who unloads a player he didn't need and avoids the Competitive Balance Tax.

Cayones, 21, was acquired by the Yankees from the Pirates in the A.J. Burnett trade in February of last year, so he's again attached to a salary dump.  He hit .228/.374/.291 in 200 Low-A plate appearances last year, playing mostly right field.  Sneed, 24, posted a 5.37 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 5.7 BB/9, and 0.71 HR/9 in 63 2/3 High-A innings last year.  Neither is considered much of a prospect, which makes sense with the Yankees assuming so much of Wells' contract.

Yahoo's Jeff Passan first broke the story on Sunday, with Jim Bowden, Mike DiGiovanna, Alden Gonzalez, Jon Heyman, Buster Olney, Joel Sherman, and Mark Feinsand also contributing along the way.  Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Chris Young

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33-year-old righty Chris Young is officially a free agent, having been granted his release by the Nationals today.  He should sign within a day or two, hears Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, but MLB.com's Bill Ladson says Young is not close to signing with any team.  The latest:

  • The Mets are in talks with Young, tweets Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN, though Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says the Mets "don't appear to be thinking about" a reunion.  Earlier today, we heard that the Mets have "legitimate concerns" about pitcher Shaun Marcum's availability for the season due to a neck issue, based on comments pitching coach Dan Warthen made to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.  Rubin said the Mets were internally discussing bringing Young back, "but a team insider portrayed it as not the most likely of scenarios," partially because the pitcher's future would be uncertain once all the Mets' starters are healthy.  
  • The Rangers are not interested in a reunion with Young, tweets Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  • Young has not ruled out a return to the Nationals, tweets Ladson.
  • The Blue Jays, Orioles, Twins, Indians, Cubs, Cardinals, Red Sox, Mets, and Brewers had scouts in attendance for Young's start yesterday, tweeted Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, though those scouts were not necessarily there for him.

Varvaro, Cristhian Martinez Likely To Stay Put

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3:08pm: With Jonny Venters spraining his elbow today, Varvaro and Martinez are both likely to begin the year with the Braves, tweets MLB.com's Mark Bowman.

7:55am: Right-handed relievers Anthony Varvaro and Cristhian Martinez were a couple of solid waiver claims by the Braves, as both have made contributions to the team's Major League bullpen.  However, since both pitchers are out of options, one of them could be traded if Jordan Walden is ready for Opening Day on Monday, writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman.

Walden was injured earlier this spring, and the Braves could retain Varvaro and Martinez for now by putting Walden on the disabled list to start the season.  Otherwise, it would make sense to trade Varvaro or Martinez rather than expose one to waivers.

Varvaro, 28, was claimed off waivers from the Mariners in January 2011.  He's got some control issues, and has spent much of the last two seasons at Triple-A.  He seems the more expendable of the two for the Braves.

Martinez, 31, joined the Braves via waivers from the Marlins in April 2010.  Since then he has a 3.81 ERA, 7.4 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, and 0.86 HR/9 in 177 1/3 innings. 

Brewers Sign Yuniesky Betancourt

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The Brewers signed infielder Yuniesky Betancourt to a Major League deal, according to a press release from his agency.  He'd been the team's starting shortstop in 2011, and now he'll serve in a utility role.

Betancourt, 31, hit .228/.256/.400 in 228 plate appearances for the Royals last year, playing mostly second base.  He was on a minor league deal with the Phillies this spring, but opted out a few days ago.

 

Yankees Claim Dan Otero

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The Yankees claimed righty reliever Dan Otero off waivers from the Giants, tweets Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com.  

The move opens a 40-man roster spot for the Giants, but only complicates the situation for the Yankees, as detailed prior to the pickup by Chad Jennings of The Journal News.  The Yankees announced the move, noting that Cesar Cabral was placed on the 60-day DL to make room.  The team's 40-man roster is full, but they've got many players they'd like to add, including the newly-acquired Vernon Wells.

Otero, 28, made his Major League debut with the Giants in 2012.  He spent most of the year at Triple-A, where he posted a 2.90 ERA, 6.5 K/9, 1.2 BB/9, and 0.58 HR/9 in 62 innings.

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