TODAY, 1:25pm: Mulder's deal includes no guaranteed money, tweets Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. He will have to make the opening day roster to guarantee his $1MM base, and must stay active and in the rotation for the full season to reach the $6MM in incentives, according to Fletcher.
YESTERDAY, 6:36pm: Mark Mulder has agreed to a minor league deal with a big league invite with the Angels, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The veteran, who is represented by Brian Charles of Big League Management Company, LLC, can earn more than $6MM if all incentives are met, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The deal comes with a guaranteed $1MM base salary, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
Mulder, 36, hasn't pitched since 2008 because of shoulder issues, and has been working as an analyst with ESPN since 2011. Mulder began his comeback in Arizona in November and auditioned for the Giants, Diamondbacks, and numerous other clubs before reaching agreement with the Halos. In nine seasons with the Athletics and Cardinals, Mulder owns a 4.18 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.
The veteran will get an opportunity to compete for a starting job while also training near his home in the Phoenix area, tweets Crasnick. The Halos have Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson atop the rotation, with Joe Blanton, Garrett Richards, and lefties Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago also in the rotation mix. The agreement with Mulder shouldn't preclude them in their pursuit of Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka or Matt Garza. The baseball world will be rooting for Mulder, who last pitched in '08 and hasn't spent a full season as a starter since '05.
While it's a minor league deal, Mulder's agent won't commit to the left-hander actually pitching in the minors. "Mark will evaluate that if and when the time comes," Charles told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (via Twitter).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe first reported that Mulder was nearing agreement with the Angels.
DarthMurph
Who needs Tanaka when you can have Mulder? Unlike Tanaka, Mulder has proven that he can pitch in the big leagues. Where was Tanaka in 03?
David Cosgrove
not sure if srs
DarthMurph
They’ve already got 3 players from the 2001 playoffs in Pujols, Ibanez, and Mulder. Now they can sign Freddy Garcia, Barry Zito, trade for Ichiro, and call it an offseason.
GrilledCheese39
Is it bad that I can actually see them making those moves? Hahaha
letsgogiants
Zito is trying to come back next year, and right now he is surfing in So-Cal, so I wouldn’t be totally shocked to see Zito sign with them.
Jose Ochoa
Its funny how people have jokes
Originalop
That’s the point of jokes..
Jose Ochoa
Aren’t you smart I bet you learned that in 2014
Originalop
That was painful to read..
Jose Ochoa
how painful? from a 1-10
Originalop
That’s the point of jokes..
Eddie Millhauser
Tanaka was 15 lolol
hediouspb
Middle school
Luke DeSando
Highschool
johnrhee
Mariners could use a Tanaka, Garza, or Jimenez (if still available) as second or third starting pitcher.
vtadave
(Insert one of the 29 other teams here) could use those guys as well, particularly as #2 or #3 starters.
jsprague
Wow, never thought of that before. Did you think of that just now?
johnrhee
Mariners could use a Tanaka, Garza, or Jimenez (if still available) as second or third starting pitcher.
John C. Reilly
Can’t imagine a scenario where he makes the big league roster.
Cabro Epico
Right, with that superb rotation the Angels have
John C. Reilly
Mulder hasn’t pitched a full season since 2005
LooksEasyOnTV
The Astros were still good then. . .
GrilledCheese39
Well it could be worse, Tommy Hanson and Joe Blanton could still be in it.
X Marks the Spot
Ken Bottenfield or Oil Can Boyd would be a better option than those two.
Melvin McMurf
point taken
RyÃ…nWKrol
Bullpen maybe? If he accepts that.
Raysfan77
Angles got promising arms In that three team deal but there rotation still is far from competitive right now, nice veteran pick up.
Jose Ochoa
I still think their going hard on tanaka or garza…. Its gonna be a much improved rotation and their actually going to have a first round pick so not bad well c how everything works out
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
Do I assume properly that the $1 million base salary guarantee only applies if he makes the big league team?
Huff's dog
Bad deal if he makes the team. 1 million base salary? He hasnt pitched since 2008!!! That plus up to 6 million with incentives? I guess it depends on how easy they are to hit, but either way Mulder should have only gotten a minor league deal and the mlb minumum if he made the team.
RyÃ…nWKrol
It is a minor league deal and there’s never any harm in moves like this. I’s only $1 million and if he makes the squad that means he earned it.
Leykis
He hasn’t pitched since 2008 but still an upgrade over Blanton.
RyÃ…nWKrol
My grandma is an upgrade over Blanton.
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
What would it take to sign her?
letsgogiants
Not 15 million, that’s for sure.
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
So, say, 5/45 and she’s in the rotation?
Royal_beating
If Boras is her agent, she will sign right before spring training with a 5/60 and a no-trade. Don’t discount the “mystery” team.
Joe Valenti
And sadly he won’t even make as much as Blanton, even if he hits all of his incentives
Blue387
A tee-ball tee might be an upgrade over Joe Blanton.
letsgogiants
I read this at first as a “tree-ball tree” and still agreed.
0vercast
Just watch…Blanton has a suburb bounce-back year in preparation for his next contract. That’s often how it goes.
D.j. Wilson
Huddy to the Giants and Muldy to the Angels. All our guys are joining sworn enemies. Your move, Zito. Texas maybe?
MeowMeow
The most harmful thing Barry Zito could do would be to go back to Oakland
D.j. Wilson
Couldn’t have said it better myself
RyÃ…nWKrol
Not a bad idea at all. Low risk. Wonder if he accepts a AAA assignment if he doesn’t make the squad. My biggest (realistic) hope is that he accepts a role in their bullpen if he has to. That idea intrigues me the most about this signing. They can deepen their bullpen even more with this move. We’ll see.
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
If he’ll agree to go to the bullpen, it becomes a potentially terrific move.
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
The deal comes with a guaranteed $1MM base salary… why may I ask?
That’s a lot of cheese for someone who hasn’t pitched really since 2005.
I dunno! Heck though, I am interested to see what he has in the tank.
Maybe he feels if Colon can do it, why can’t he (Mulder).
RyÃ…nWKrol
I’m drawing a blank on how many players have come back from a 5 year hiatus.
MetsMagic
Besides Minnie Minoso and Satchel Paige, I believe Jose Rijo tried a comeback around 10 years ago.
disadvantage 2
That he did (Jose Rijo). And he did it while throwing low 80’s after three Tommy Johns and virtually no ligament in his arm.
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
Jim Bouton retired in 1970, and logged 29 innings for Atlanta in 1978. He was far from amazing, but I suppose it qualifies as a comeback, since he did pitch in the majors.
John Donovan
Jim Palmer tried it for the Orioles after he had been elected to the Hall of Fame. I think it was a year after he was enshrined, but he never made it out of Spring Training.
Either way, this is my favorite story of the offseason by far. If it works, great it is a terrific story…if not, then nobody loses anything and we get a chance to say goodbye to one of the best pitchers of the early 2000s. It kind of reminds me of Ben Sheets coming back with the Braves a couple of years back.
Chris Coulter
Dave Stieb did as well.
JJ 3
WOW so he going to be a SP or RP.
HalosFan8
I think he’d really only be a SP, unless he can’t gain back his stamina.
JJ 3
i agree, that why im confuse with the 6MM incentives for a LRP.
pft2
It would be an interesting story if he comes back strong, simply because it is so improbable. Hope he does it though. If he does, I might start warming up and try to be the first 56 yo rookie of the year,
BraveCrowe
Has anyone heard anything about velocity? Dude obviously knows how to pitch… I’m just curious to see what kind of zip is on the ball.
HalosFan8
Fastball touched 92 in his early showings this winter
HalosFan8
This is a risk free move for the Angels. They’re not sure how the bullpen and rotation are going to shore up, so why not create some more competition with a solid vet/retiree that can only benefit the team, whether on the field or in the clubhouse during Spring Training. Lots of LH options for the pen and rotation, but it’s not likely that Blanton starts. Richards should finally get a full season of being a SP, but knowing Sciosch we could see him back in the pen. And if nothing works out with Mulder, we didn’t lose anything. If he makes the team, he is a cheap, veteran guy who has to earn the dollars agreed on, besides the $1 mil.
AceGunderson
Don’t forget Mark Mulder!
Joe Valenti
He’s automatically higher on the depth chart then Joe Blanton. Surprised he settled for anything less then 2 years $14M
Ruben_Tomorrow
Angels digging into the eX Files to bring Mulder into ST.
Onewildman
It will be interesting to see what Mark Mulder has if anything in the left arm.
As I understand it, he (Mulder) was covering the Dodgers and Cardinals on the Radio this past postseason and saw something in Paco Rodriguez’s delivery that he wanted to mimic. Supposedly, Mulder returned to his hotel room and repeats Paco’s delivery in the mirror and experiences no pain in his throwing shoulder. Later in the offseason he and Kyle Lohse play catch at a family party
Onewildman
Lohse told Mulder that he had movement and velocity. Mulder than calls a scout and he throws for three MLB teams. He was said to have throw 88-91 with “run” and didn’t suffer any setbacks after throwing.
Luke DeSando
I guess he couldn’t find a spot on the Phillies/Yankees.
BRigney61
Yanks felt, that at 36, he would lower the average age of their roster.
MeowMeow
He might want to wear something more suitable to baseball than that
Quikmix
for a one year, incentive-laden deal, what’s not to like here?
NewYorkMammoths
I Want To Believe.
PhillyYank
Geez. They must be really desperate for pitching. The guy’s shoulder virtually fell off of his torso. But okay: low risk, unlikely reward.
Seriously though; congrats, Mark. Loved you in Oakland.
PhillyYank
Geez. They must be really desperate for pitching. The guy’s shoulder virtually fell off of his torso. But okay: low risk, unlikely reward.
Seriously though; congrats, Mark. Loved you in Oakland.
Jack Miller
Nice low cost addition that will automatically give them a good clubhouse guy and his production can’t be as bad as Blanton’s
Jack Miller
They should add Barry Zito and Freddy Garcia to add to that pitching staff. And for right field acquire Ichiro from the Yanks!
JK
Yamsi12
First throwing money away on Madson, now Mulder……
Scott 33
It’s peanuts if he doesn’t make the team, and if he does make it, the only way he earns MORE than peanuts is if he performs well. Who cares?
matthewc-4
Good move for the Halos. $1M is basically nothing in the game today. The Halos are setting themselves up for a rotation of; 1. Weaver. 2. Wilson. 3. Tanaka or Garza. 4. Richards. 5. Mulder, Santiago, or Skaggs. It’s good to have options and Santiago could be a nice bullpen piece if he loses the competition for the 5th spot. Building depth… that’s all they’re doing and I like it.
BeisbolJunkie
If he revives his career, I think he owes Paco Rodriguez & his funky delivery a really big Prize.
JamieMoyer
Great, now when they get to ST, Mulder can brag to Trout that he still makes more than him.
DerekJeterDan
I remember a couple of years ago when the Yankees signed Raul Ibanez to a 1.1 Million Dollar Contract over the much more popular choice, Johnny Damon for DH.
We all know how well that worked out for the team and Ibanez resurrected career.
My hope to Mark Mulder is a very similar resurgence in LA for only 1 Million.
Wasn’t long ago that Zito, Hudson, and Mulder were shut down Aces.
AndyWarpath
…it was pretty long ago.
ibarczewski
It was 11 years ago. That’s a long time.
genius.gm.on.mlb.the.show
Babe is gone dan?
DerekJeterDan
Only until the Tanaka fiasco is over.
If Tanaka goes elsewhere, Babe returns.
If Tanaka comes to New York, Tanaka stays!
Kingmojo101
Can the angels just sign garza to a deal now and save themselves the fiasco of bidding on tanaka and going up against competition for garza aswell.
Quikmix
Garza would be silly to sign before Tanaka sets the market. The holdup is not on the team-side. The free agents know that demand for them will increase after Tanaka has signed
Thunda Pig
Where’s Grady Sizemore?
Chet Steadman
Angels with 84 wins this year.
kdub53
The new information makes this signing even more awesome for the angels. Yes its a longshot but they are putting 0 out on mulder, which is way better then the risk that they took with madson.especially in the fact that he isnt injured at the time of the signing, and as to the fact that mulder has to work toward being in the rotation.
Rally Weimaraner
Almost zero risk here and the potential to acquire a cheap back of the rotation starter/ long reliever. Great depth move!
Quikmix
no guaranteed money? yeah, this was a no brainer. I’m surprised another team didn’t have a better offer.
Edictor27
curious to see the breakdown of the incentives
bjsguess
Not sure why people have such a hard time grasping the concept behind this deal. It’s a great move for the Angels. If he does nothing (most likely scenario) they pay him nothing. If he has anything left and can contribute at the big league level then he makes a $1M. If he can contribute substantially at the big league level his earnings are capped at $6M.
So long as the team is not depending on him (which they aren’t) there is absolutely no reason to hate on this deal.
Chris Coulter
I’ll be interested to see how he pitches on 5-year’s rest.
Ryan F.
The last time Mark Mulder won a game Jose Bautista was batting lead off for the Pittsburgh Pirates {June 15, 2006}
LetsGoBucs92122
Best of luck to MM! Hope he makes a contribution in the big leagues. If he does, this could be a nice pickup for the Angels.
Paul_Morphy
MLB teams need arms. If you think you can pitch at all, somebody will take a looksee at you. Mulder might still be able to get big league hitters out. Even if he has, say, 120 innings in him it would be worth signing him.