Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for 2013

Bronson Arroyo In Talks With Twins

By | at

The Twins are in the market for a starting pitcher, and they're furthest along with Bronson Arroyo, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press writes. The Twins are inspecting Arroyo's medical records and have discussed some contract language with Arroyo's agency, Gaylord Sports Management. Berardino earlier tweeted that the two sides have not yet begun discussing terms of the contract, but noted that the work the Twins have already done indicates that they are "serious."

Arroyo has pitched at least 199 innings in each of the last nine seasons, so the Twins would look to him to eat innings in what was baseball's worst rotation in 2013. He posted a 3.79 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 with the Reds last season. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes predicted he would receive a two-year, $24MM deal.

White Sox Targeting Lefty Bats; Have Received Calls On Pitchers

By | at

With a solid pitching core anchored by ace Chris Sale already in place, the White Sox will primarily focus on adding offense this winter, general manager Rick Hahn told MLBTR on Tuesday: "Obviously having been bottom of the league in runs scored, walks, on-base percentage, toward the bottom in slugging, we've got a lot of position player needs or need for improvement at the very least."

Hahn plans to address the issue on the free agent and trade markets over the winter, though he feels he's already begun to make strides in adding more offense to his club: "Having [Avisail] Garcia for a full year, we think, is going to help. Adding Jose Abreu, we think, is going to help. But there's still a few areas we need to get better at from a position player standpoint."

While Hahn elected not to specify which specific areas, he did specify that his preference would be toward left-handed hitters to help balance out what is becoming an increasingly right-handed lineup. Garcia and Abreu are both right-handed, as are Alexei Ramirez, Gordon Beckham, Dayan Viciedo, Tyler Flowers and Josh Phegley.

Hahn would likely have little trouble finding interested parties were he to make some of his pitching depth available in order to add a young bat that would fit with the club's long-term plans. Chicago has a nice depth of pitching from which to deal, and Hahn admits that they've already begun to receive a number of calls as a result:

"I think [our pitching depth] gives us a nice head start on this transition. At the same time, because of that, our pitchers have been fairly popular, at least with other clubs, maybe trying to start some conversations about addressing some of our position player needs."

Hahn says the peculiar composition of his rotation — Sale, Jose Quintana, Hector Santiago and John Danks are all left-handed — wasn't by design but rather a case of four of Chicago's five best options simply happening to be left-handed. "I think if you were to sit down and ideally map out a rotation from scratch, you wouldn't say 'I want four lefties and one righty,' but when those are clearly four of your five best, that's what we go with. We'll see what it looks like come Opening Day."

There are also a number of free agents who could fill needs for the White Sox. While Hahn preferred not to get into specific names or positions, the White Sox have a clear need at catcher after their incumbent backstops combined to bat just .195/.237/.323 in 2013. While Brian McCann would seem to clash with their long-term plan, a younger free agent catcher without a draft pick attached would be the switch-hitting Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who thrives from the left side of the dish. Tim Dierkes, Mark Polishuk and I each predicted that Saltalamacchia would sign with the White Sox in MLBTR's Free Agent Prediction contest, and Tim projected a four-year, $36MM deal for Salty in his free agent profile.

Minor Moves: Paulino, Boscan

By | at

Here's a look at today's minor moves from around baseball.

  • The Tigers have signed catcher Ronny Paulino to a minor-league deal, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman tweets. Paulino, 32, hit .250/.337/.348 in limited action at the minor-league level in 2013. He last appeared in the Majors with the Orioles in 2012, and he has a career big-league line of .272/.324/.376.
  • The Dodgers have signed catcher J.C. Boscan to a minor-league deal and invited him to spring training, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes tweets. Boscan hit .232/.297/.270 in 258 plate appearances for the Cubs' Triple-A Iowa affiliate in 2013. He has 30 career big-league plate appearances.

East Notes: Span, Ruiz, Red Sox, Mets

By | at

Denard Span was surprised to hear his name come up again in trade rumors, MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes. Span has been with the Nationals less than a year, having arrived from Minnesota in a trade for prospect Alex Meyer last November 29. "My first reaction was, 'Here we go again,'" says Span. "I dealt with trade rumors the last two years. It surprised me because I've been in Washington for one year. The guys in Washington have been trying to get me for a while, and to hear rumors this quick after one year is surprising." Span hit .279/.327/.380 in his first year in Washington, a bit below his career averages. Here are more notes from the East divisions.

  • Carlos Ruiz might be a good fit with the Red Sox, suggests FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal hears that one team has already offered Ruiz somewhere in the vicinity of two years and $20MM, and he thinks that team could be the Red Sox. By signing Ruiz rather than Brian McCann or Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Boston would avoid committing to a contract of more than two years. Signing a catcher for three years or more might not be ideal, with prospects Blake Swihart and/or Christian Vazquez potentially ready to help in the next couple years.
  • Marlon Byrd's deal with the Phillies signals how difficult it will be for the Mets to find power this offseason, Newsday's Marc Carig writes. Byrd's contract, which could balloon to $24MM through 2016 if he can stay on the field, followed in the footsteps of Jose Dariel Abreu's $68MM deal with the White Sox, as well as Hunter Pence's $90MM contract with the Giants. Carig notes, though, that the frenzy for power hitters could be beneficial to the Mets in one respect — Lucas Duda and Ike Davis might be able to fetch a decent return on the trade market, despite their deficiencies.

AL Central Notes: Wilson, Royals, Pierzynski

By | at

The Tigers have interest in Brian Wilson as well as Joe Nathan, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports tweets. Wilson was terrific in 2013 after making his return from Tommy John surgery in late August, allowing one run in 13 2/3 late-season innings with the Dodgers and also pitching well in the playoffs. In late October, MLBTR's Steve Adams predicted Wilson would get a one-year, $8.5MM deal in free agency. Here's more from around the AL Central.

  • The Royals would sacrifice their 2014 first-round pick for the right free agent, the Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton reports. After winning 86 games in 2013, the Royals have the No. 19 pick in next year's draft. "It’s part of the evaluation process," says GM Dayton Moore. "[I]f a player really makes sense and can help us win, we’re not going to be overly concerned with that." Dutton notes that Carlos Beltran, Nelson Cruz and Curtis Granderson, all of whom rejected qualifying offers, might be possibilities, since the Royals are looking for extra power in the outfield.
  • The Twins are interested in signing catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who played in Minnesota from 1998 through 2003, writes CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. With Joe Mauer moving to first base, the Twins have an opening at catcher. Heyman reports that they would like to sign Pierzynski for one year, and it's probably unlikely any team would sign the soon-to-be-37-year-old Pierzynski for more than one year. Steve Adams predicts Pierzynski is in line for a one-year, $6.5MM deal.
    Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/11/12/4616487/royals-willing-to-lose-first-round.html#storylink=cpy

AL East Notes: Lester, Blue Jays, Rays

By | at

The Red Sox want relief help, but they aren't likely to pursue high-priced acquisitions, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. That means no moves like last year's trade for Joel Hanrahan, and it also means they won't be in the market for players like Joe Nathan or Grant Balfour. Still, GM Ben Cherington hopes to acquire relievers who might end up pitching in key spots. "We want as many guys as possible that we think have the potential and the stuff to pitch in high-leverage situations," he says. Here's more news from the AL East.

  • The Red Sox have not begun discussing an extension with starting pitcher Jon Lester, but they appear likely to do so near the start of spring training, Bradford writes. If the Red Sox do sign Lester to an extension, they will likely wait until after Opening Day to complete it, since his current contract only counts $9.4MM per season against the 2014 luxury tax. The average annual value of an extension would likely be far greater.
  • The Blue Jays may need to add two starters this winter, writes SportsNet.ca's Shi Davidi. They have R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle, and also Brandon Morrow, who's recovering from a forearm injury. After that, they'll be leaning on players like J.A. Happ, Esmil Rogers, and Todd Redmond, plus youngsters Marcus Stroman, Drew Hutchison and Sean Nolin. That group isn't the greatest bet to provide top-quality innings, at least not in 2014.
  • The Rays are interested in finding a first baseman, catcher and late-inning reliever this offseason, the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin tweets. The reliever may not be a proven-closer type, which is no surprise given the Rays' budgetary constraints. They'll also look for bench help.

Phillies Sign Marlon Byrd

By | at

The Phillies have signed free agent outfielder Marlon Byrd to a two-year, $16MM deal, according to a team release. The deal includes an $8MM option for 2016 that vests if Byrd gets 600 plate appearances in 2015 or 550 plate appearances in 2015 and a total of 1100 plate appearances in 2014 and 2015. If the option does not vest, it becomes a team option.Marlonbyrd

The deal will bring Byrd back to the team that he started his major league career with in 2002.  The 36-year-old is coming off of a season in which he posted a career-best .294/.336/.511 slash line and 24 homers for the Mets and PIrates.  It was a well-timed strong campaign for Byrd and it helped his stock tremendously after he was slapped with a 50-game suspension for PED use in 2012.

Byrd crushed lefties in 2013 slashing .344/.376/.583 with eight homers in 178 plate appearances, but he showed that he can handle right-handed pitchers as well.  Byrd batted .268/.318/.480 against right-handers in 2013, giving him a 129 OPS+ against righties and a 157 mark against lefties.

The Phillies have been linked to Byrd this offseason as they were in search of a right-handed hitting outfielder.  They weren't the only ones, however, as the Mets, Pirates, and Mariners all had varying degrees of interest this winter.

General Manager Ruben Amaro & Co. certainly hope that they'll be getting the 2013 version of Byrd and not the '12 incarnation.  Byrd had just 153 plate appearances in 2012 thanks to his suspension and slashed just .210/.243/.245 for the Cubs and Red Sox.

The outfielder is represented by Seth and Sam Levinson of ACES, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database.  Earlier this month, our own Steve Adams predicted a two-year, $16MM deal for Byrd.

Michael Barkann of WIP reported that Byrd and the Phillies had agreed to terms. Adam Rubin of ESPN New York tweeted that Byrd would get two years and $16MM. ESPN's Jayson Stark tweeted details of Byrd's 2016 option.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Texas Notes: Beltran, Garza, Castro

By | at

The Rangers could become serious contenders for Carlos Beltran's services, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. The Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Royals and Mariners have also been mentioned in whispers about Beltran, but rumors about Beltran and the Rangers really seem to be gathering steam. The Rangers can use the help in their outfield and/or at their DH position, particularly if Nelson Cruz ends up leaving. Here are more notes about the Rangers and Astros.

  • The Rangers will not pursue Masahiro Tanaka or Matt Garza this offseason, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. "We’re not right now looking to give out a big multiyear deal for a starter," says GM Jon Daniels. Starting pitcher Matt Harrison, who missed most of the 2013 season due to injury, tells Wilson he "feel[s] good" about returning to the Rangers' rotation in 2014. If he's healthy, the Rangers don't have a pronounced need for a starting pitcher, with Harrison, Yu Darvish, Derek Holland, Martin Perez, Alexi Ogando and Nick Tepesch all in the fold.
  • The Astros don't expect to trade catcher Jason Castro, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports. "I’m never going to say someone is untouchable. But we fully expect Jason to be on our club for a long time to come," says GM Jeff Luhnow. "He’s reaching his peak. He was our All-Star last year. He’s a team leader." Earlier today, it emerged that other teams had been asking the Astros about Castro, who hit .276/.350/.485 in 2013.
  • The Astros don't expect to make a big move in free agency this winter, McTaggart writes. Given that the Astros still aren't a contender, they're reluctant to part with the draft pick they would lose if they signed a free agent who received a qualifying offer. They also don't want to commit to long contracts at this point.

Reactions To The Marlon Byrd Signing

By | at

The Phillies' signing of outfielder Marlon Byrd to a two-year, $16MM contract wasn't the best idea, ESPN's Keith Law writes (Insider-only). Law cites Byrd's age, PED history and high 2013 batting average on balls in play as potential red flags, and suggests that Byrd might not even be a starting-caliber player over the length of the contract. "Even if you believe that Byrd's power increase is sustainable, as he's made some changes to his swing, paying him as if he'll be more than a .270/.315/.450 guy is irrationally exuberant — and even that assumes his legs will stay healthy enough for him to get to 20-odd homers each year," Law says. Here are more notes on the Byrd signing.

  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington, who acquired Byrd in an August trade with the Mets, wasn't surprised by Byrd's contract, the Inquirer's Matt Gelb writes (on Sulia). "As you look at that outfield group, if you don't want to give up your first-round pick, Marlon Byrd is arguably the best available outfield bat," says Huntington. "He was one of the better players on the market."
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson wasn't surprised by Byrd's contract, either, ESPN New York's Adam Rubin reports. "Had you asked me the question three or four months ago, I might have been surprised. But not in light of what's happened since the end of the season," Alderson says. "There haven't been that many signings, but this one is consistent with the others." The Mets did not have serious discussions with Byrd about returning, Alderson says.
  • Without mentioning Byrd's name, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. indicated that the Phillies' primary reason for agreeing to terms with Byrd was the lack of power in their outfield, CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury writes. "There’s not a lot of power out there. It’s pretty simple," said Amaro. "It’s difficult to develop and it’s difficult to hold on to. Power is an issue and if our club can add some, that would be great."

Hurdle, Francona Win Manager Of The Year Awards

By | at

Clint Hurdle of the Pirates and Terry Francona of the Indians have won the Manager of the Year awards in their respective leagues, MLB.com announced Tuesday night. The other finalists in the National League were the Braves' Fredi Gonzalez and the Dodgers' Don Mattingly. In the American League, the other finalists were John Farrell of the Red Sox and Bob Melvin of the Athletics.

Hurdle led the Pirates to a 94-win season, making 2013 their first winning season and first playoff berth since 1992. The team exceeded expectations in 2013 thanks to strong pitching and an aggressive approach to defensive shifts. Hurdle received 25 of 30 possible first-place votes. Francona, who led a revived Indians team to 92 wins, received 16 of 30 possible first-place votes. He narrowly beat out Farrell, who had 12 first-place votes.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top