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AL East Notes: McLouth, McCann, Orioles, Samardzija

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The Yankees are interested in Nate McLouth writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but more as a backup plan to primary targets such as Carlos Beltran and Curtis Granderson. The Orioles remain in the mix for McLouth, and Rosenthal adds that the chances of McLouth going to the Yankees appear "slim." Still, he points out, the very fact that they're keeping tabs on McLouth speaks to the wide net they've cast this winter and the "tangled web of the Yankees' offseason." Here's more out of the AL East …

  • We just hit on some Red Sox notes, but also within the report of WEEI.com's Alex Speier are some quotes from Sox backstop David Ross, who spoke with former teammate Brian McCann about coming to Boston. McCann expressed to Ross that years were the primary factor in his decision to join the Yankees. It didn't hurt, Ross added, that McCann relishes the idea of swinging into Yankee Stadium's welcoming right field fence.
  • "We've been focused on adding some pitching depth, and that's been accomplished so far," Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette told Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com following today's acquisition of Brad Brach. Duquette also acknowledged that most of the work to be done still lies ahead: "It's only Nov. 25. We're working to set up the team to be competitive next season."
  • We also learned earlier today that Duquette expects to tender contracts to all of the club's players that are eligible for arbitration.
  • Recent reports have linked the Blue Jays to Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija, but the club has not made any trade offers to acquire a starter, Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB Network Radio (via MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm). Though Anthopoulos did not deny interest, or that the club has talked things over with Chicago, he did dampen expectations of any major news before the Winter Meetings. "Before the Thanksgiving holiday sometimes there's that last little push [when] teams want to get some things off their plate," said Anthopoulos. "So maybe things happen here in the next two or three days. If not, we'll take it to the [Winter Meetings], I guess, at that point."

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

Twins Remain Interested In Signing Bronson Arroyo

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10:23pm: Minnesota has yet to make an offer to Arroyo, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports via Twitter. He opines that the club will need to go to three years to entice Arroyo. 

The club has also not extended offers to fellow free agent starters Ricky Nolasco, Matt Garza, or Phil Hughes, Wolfson further tweets.

6:18pm: The Twins "remain very high" on Bronson Arroyo, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reports via Twitter. It may still be possible for Minnesota to bring him in on a two-year pact, Dierkes adds.

We heard a few weeks back that the Twins were very much in on Arroyo, and today's news confirms that they are still in active pursuit. The club is reportedly looking to add two veteran arms to its starting mix, and has already seen possible options like Dan Haren, Jason Vargas, Tim Hudson, and Josh Johnson reach deals elsewhere. It makes sense, then, that Arroyo is in play, especially since he is one of just a few viable, quality options that is expected to be had on a relatively short-term contract. 

Set to begin the 2014 season at 37 years of age, Arroyo remains baseball's prototypical innings eater, having made at least 32 starts in every campaign for the last decade. Arroyo logged exactly 202 innings in both 2012 and 2013, posting near-identical 3.74 and 3.79 earned run averages.

Red Sox Notes: Short/Third, Starters, Catchers, Napoli

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Here's the latest out of Beantown, with plenty of information straight from Red Sox GM Ben Cherington and club CEO and president Larry Lucchino:

  • Cherington touched on a range of issues in comments to the media today, as reported by Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Boston feels confident improved production from the left side of its infield with in-house options like Will Middlebrooks and Xander Bogaerts, says Cherington. But he said the club will look to add "at least somebody on the left side of the infield. Whether that's more in the form of an everyday player or depth, whatever that is, it just depends on how the rest of our offseason unfolds."
  • With an attractive set of starting pitchers under contract, Cherington acknowledged that the team has received interest. "We've had a number of conversations and I think it's no secret, one area we have a little bit of depth in is the rotation," he said, adding that it remains to be seen "what that means for [the Red Sox]" since the club is wary of leaving itself too thin in the event of an unexpected injury. 
  • The club will be "a little choosy, a little selective" about addressing its catching need, said Cherington, given its "pretty strong position long-term with the young catching we have in the organization." 
  • On the overall market, also via Speier, Lucchino sums things up succinctly: "everyone is expecting [the market] will go up because nothing ever goes down and because there's new television money available." While the club would like to keep down its long-term commitments, he says, and "still value[s] the draft picks enormously," he acknowledged that a "diverse portfolio of contracts" will include some that are "longer than you want."
  • Ultimately, according to Lucchino, the Red Sox "are not going to be a stand-pat team." Explaining that he "learned a long time ago that you can't fall in love with your veterans," Lucchino said that each the club "will have a different personality, composition as well as personality."
  • One free agent that has obviously been tied to Boston is last year's first baseman, Mike Napoli. Opining that a reasonable projected value for Napoli (using various WAR projections and dollars-per-win figures) could reach as high as $80MM total over the next four years, SI.com's Jay Jaffe ultimately settles on predicting an eye-popping four-year, $68MM deal for the slugger.

Pirates Notes: First Base, Furcal, Burnett, Trade, Jones

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Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relays a host of updates on the Pirates (all links to Twitter):

  • One area where GM Neal Huntington hopes to make a move is at first. Though the club believes that Gaby Sanchez can increase his production against same-handed pitching, he is still in need of a platoon partner to hit righties.
  • The Pirates have joined seven other clubs in reaching out to shortstop Rafael Furcal, his representatives at Kinzer Management Group told Sawchik.
  • Turning to the still-unresolved situation of free agent starter A.J. Burnett, Huntington said he was hoping to see some movement. "It has not inhibited our abiity to do things at this point in time," said Huntington, "but there is no question it is something we would like to see move forward if it's possible. If not, we'll have to operate as we see fit." The GM had more pointed words as well, telling MLB.com's Tom Singer that, "if he or others want a market-value deal, they'll sign elsewhere." As Singer notes, there must be at least some temptation for Burnett to look outside the Pittsburgh market given the money promised recently to mid-to-late 30's starters like Dan Haren ($10MM, one year) and Tim Hudson ($23MM, two years).
  • On the club's acquisition today of outfielder Jaff Decker and righty Miles Mikolas, Huntington noted that Decker can play anywhere in the outfield and has a realistic shot at making the team's active roster out of Spring Training. Huntington also indicated that Decker has appeal both from an analytic and a scouting perspective. As for Mikolas, Huntington indicated that his groundball inducing abilities were the primary draw.
  • Meanwhile, Garrett Jones, who lost his roster spot as part of the day's dealings, was just going to be too expensive to bring back, according to Huntington. "[T]he arbitration process was likely to drive the dollars above where we were comfortable," the GM said. Decker's move to Pittsburgh could also have an impact on Travis Snider, with respect to whom Huntington would only say that the front office is "working through the process."

Coaching Links: Mariners, Tigers, Braves

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Here's today's look at the various coaching hirings from around the league…

  • The Mariners announced nearly their entire coaching staff today. Former big league slugger and Mets coach Howard Johnson will serve as the team's hitting coach. Former Tigers bullpen coach Mike Rojas will reprise that role with the 2014 Mariners. Former big league catcher John Stearns will serve as the team's third base coach — a role he's filled with the Mets in the past. Andy Van Slyke, the former Tigers first base coach and a three-time All-Star as a player, will serve as the first base coach. Rick Waits, who has served as the team's minor league pitching coordinator for three seasons and enjoyed a 12-year playing career, will be the pitching coach. Lastly, recently retired infielder Chris Woodward will serve as an infield coach after spending 2013 as a minor league infield coordinator for the Mariners. 
  • The Tigers announced today that Darnell Coles will serve as their assistant hitting coach. Coles was originally slated to manage the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate in Nashville before accepting the position. Coles served as a manager at the Double-A level from 2012-13 and has eight years of minor league coaching experience.
  • David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Braves have hired former Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee as their minor league pitching coordinator. He also reports that former Reds assistant hitting coach Ronnie Ortegon will become the Braves' minor league hitting coordinator (Twitter links).

Chad Durbin Retires

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Longtime MLB reliever Chad Durbin has retired, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick tweets. Soon to be 36, Durbin made 16 appearances for the Phillies last season before being released at the end of May.

Over the course of fourteen years of full or partial big league pitching, first as a starter and then as a reliever, Durbin netted 836 1/3 innings and compiled a 5.03 ERA. He was more effective from the pen, however, as his career ERA drops to 4.29 when only relief innings are considered. Durbin's best season came at an opportune time: he solidified the World Champion Phillies' bullpen in 2008 with a career-high 87 2/3 innings at a career-low 2.87 earned run average. 

Dodgers Sign Dan Haren

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A down-and-up 2013 season did not prevent Dan Haren from landing an eight-figure guarantee, as the hurler has officially agreed to a one-year, $10MM deal with the Dodgers. The contract includes a $10MM option for 2015 that vests if Haren throws 180 innings. Haren is represented by Greg Landry of CAA Sports.

USATSI_7409866_154513410_lowresBoth the guaranteed and the option year base salaries could be boosted significantly by incentives. Haren can make up to $3MM in added cash in 2014 based upon games started and innings pitched, beginning at 24 starts and 150 innings pitched. 

Haren, 33, posted a 4.67 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 in 2013. His peripherals indicated that he deserved better than his ERA indicated, with an xFIP a run lower. Given that Haren isn't particularly old and that he's pitched at least 169 2/3 innings in every season since 2005, $10MM seems like a somewhat low total, particularly in an offseason in which Tim Lincecum got two years and $35MM and Jason Vargas got four years and $32MM. Still, MLBTR's Steve Adams had Haren pegged at one year and $10MM exactly, noting that Haren has already made $61MM in his career and might be willing to take less to stay near his family on the West Coast. Haren made $13MM last season as a member of the Nationals.

On Wednesday, we learned that Haren was talking to the Dodgers. He will join a Dodgers rotation picture that includes Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley, though Billingsley had Tommy John surgery in April, and Beckett's health is also in question. Indeed, Dodgers' GM Ned Colleti says he is still considering adding another arm to the club's mix of starters.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) first reported the deal. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported via Twitter the vesting and incentive mechanisms. Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times tweeted the deal's finalization and final terms.

Charlie Wilmoth and Jeff Todd contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mariners President And COO Chuck Armstrong To Retire

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Longtime Mariners president and COO Chuck Armstrong will retire effective January 31 of next year, the team announced via press release. The 71-year-old has served as president for 28 of the last 30 seasons, the club noted.

"Thanks to our outstanding ownership, the franchise is stable and will remain the Northwest's team, playing in Safeco Field," said Armstrong. The only regret, said Armstrong, was that the club never achieved a championship during his tenure. Seattle will now begin the process of finding a replacement and transition responsibilities, the club added in its release. 

Tigers Moving Toward Deal With Brian Wilson

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The Tigers are moving toward a deal with free agent, right-handed reliever Brian Wilson, Lynn Henning of the Detroit News reports, though a deal has not yet been reached. Wilson and agent Dan Lozano met on Sunday in Los Angeles with new Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, Henning adds.

With Joaquin Benoit and Jose Veras now on the open market after working from the back of the Detroit pen in 2013, the Tigers have been expected to be among the most active buyers of late-inning relievers. Wilson, who will turn 32 in March, returned from his second Tommy John surgery late last year with the Dodgers, posting a 0.66 ERA in 13 2/3 innings. He registered 8.6 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 in that stretch. Wilson checked in at 47th on MLBTR's Tim Dierkes's list of the top fifty free agents.

Orioles Will Tender All Arb-Eligibles; Have Yet To Talk Extension With Wieters, Davis

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Orioles GM Dan Duquette spoke with reporters today about the latest in Birdland. As reported by Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, Duquette said that the club is planning to tender contracts to each of the nine Orioles players that are eligible for arbitration.

Here is the slate of players who stand to receive a tender, along with the salaries projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz: catcher Matt Wieters ($7.9MM); first baseman Chris Davis ($10MM); outfielders Nolan Reimold ($1.2MM) and Steve Pearce ($1.1MM); relievers Troy Patton ($1.2MM), Brian Matusz ($2.1MM), Tommy Hunter ($3.1MM), and Jim Johnson ($10.8MM); and starter Bud Norris ($5MM). In total, Swartz projects a $42.4MM tab for the group.

As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explored in reporting Swartz's projections, Reimold in particular had been a questionable tender recipient. As MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko notes on Twitter, the decision on Reimold was made after receiving positive updates on his health status as he rehabs from another neck surgery. "He's coming along pretty well," Duquette relayed. "He's ahead of where he was at the same time in 2012." As Connolly explained, the O's feel that he has been good when healthy and expect him to be ready for the spring. Per the analysis of Dierkes and Kubatko (via Twitter), Johnson, Patton, and Pearce all were also possible non-tender candidates. 

The two least surprising members of the list of Orioles set to be tendered — Wieters and Davis — are also, of course, the two major Baltimore extension candidates. Duquette said that the club is focused on making additions to the club at present, and has yet to enage agent Scott Boras (who represents both players) in off-season contract talks.

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