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Archives for January 2014

Free Agent Notes: Tanaka, Santana, Reynolds, Baker, Guerrier

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Here is the latest on several free agent situations around the league:

  • While not technically a free agent, Masahiro Tanaka can still be signed by any club that is also willing to pay his $20MM posting fee. Reports out of Japan indicate that the Yankees and Dodgers are the favorites to land the 25-year-old righty, tweets David Waldstein of the New York Times, with Tanaka's wife reportedly interested in landing on the West Coast. The Angels are also said to be among the top suitors for Tanaka's services, says MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (referencing a recent report from Japanese outlet Sports Hochi).
  • The Orioles, Twins, and Yankees recently asked for medicals on righty Ervin Santana, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. (Links to Twitter.) New York appears only to be performing due diligence, says Rosenthal, who notes that Santana's flyball tendencies make him a poor fit at Yankee Stadium. Meanwhile, the Twins seem unlikely to add another free agent starter, Rosenthal adds.
  • There are at least five clubs that "have been in on" infielder/DH Mark Reynolds, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The teams include the Nationals, Rangers, Twins, Orioles, and Yankees. 
  • Right-handed starter Scott Baker has several minor league offers in hand but is holding out for a guaranteed MLB deal, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. The Twins have not been interested in a reunion thus far, Wolfson adds.
  • Another former Twin who spent time with the Cubs last year, right-handed reliever Matt Guerrier, is set to throw off of a mound on Friday as he rehabs from an elbow injury suffered late last year, Wolfson tweets. Minnesota is interested in potentially bringing him back, according to Wolfson.

Pablo Sandoval’s Agent Forms New Agency

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Gustavo Vasquez, agent for Pablo Sandoval, Salvador Perez, Luis Avilan, and others, left Morgan Advisory Group last year to form his own agency, MLBTR has learned.  Vasquez's new agency, SPS Sports Group, also represents Jeanmar Gomez, Miguel Socolovich, Edwin Escobar, Armando Galarraga, Victor Garate, Mauricio Robles, Adys Portillo, and Gorkys Hernandez.

Sandoval, 27, spent some time on the DL in June for a foot strain, but still managed his highest games played total since 2010 by appearing in 141 contests.  Sandoval hit .278/.341/.417 with 14 home runs in 584 plate appearances on the season, with the lowest isolated power mark of his career.  Having signed an extension in January 2012 covering only his arbitration years, Sandoval is in position to reach free agency after 2014 as a 28-year-old.  With a healthy campaign and offensive production closer to his career marks, Kung Fu Panda would be well positioned on the open market, though it's certainly possible the Giants will retain him.

For the latest on player representation, be sure to check MLBTR's agency database.

O’s Backed Off Balfour Deal Due To Knee, Wrist Concerns

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Though two doctors voiced their confidence that Grant Balfour's shoulder was healthy after the Orioles backed out of their two-year agreement with the Australian closer, ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the O's actually called off the deal due to concerns over Balfour's knee and wrist (Twitter link).

The Orioles and Balfour had agreed to a two-year, $15MM contract in what looked to be a solid move for Baltimore — shedding Jim Johnson's salary and saving $3-4MM to turn the ninth inning over to Balfour. However, Baltimore backed off due to medical concerns, infuriating Balfour and his representatives at ACES. At the time, Balfour was said to be considering filing a grievance against the Orioles.

Since his deal with the Orioles fell through, Balfour has been connected to the Yankees, Rays and Giants, among other teams. He added in a radio appearance that he had at least one offer on the table. At this point, a healthy Balfour would be in the running for best reliever on the market, alongside Fernando Rodney. However, if there are medical concerns surrounding his knee and wrist that have flown under the radar to this point, he may have a difficult time matching that two-year, $15MM offer.

Reds To Sign Jeff Francis, Thomas Neal

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4:38pm: The Reds have also signed Thomas Neal, the outfielder tweeted himself. Neal, 26, spent the 2013 season in the Cubs and Yankees organizations. He batted .325/.391/.411 in 297 Triple-A plate appearances and collected two hits and a walk in 17 Major League PAs. Neal is represented by Jeff Berry of CAA Sports.

3:08pm: The Reds have agreed to a minor league deal with southpaw Jeff Francis, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). Francis is represented by Frontline Athlete Management. His deal includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

This will be Francis' second stint with the Reds, as he also inked a minor league pact with Cincinnati prior to the 2012 season. Francis exercised an opt-out clause in June that year and has spent the past season-and-a-half with the Rockies — the team that originally selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2002 draft. In that time, Francis has pitched to a 5.84 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 48.9 percent ground-ball rate.

Francis is the second starter with notable big league experience that the Reds have brought in on a minor league deal this offseason. Cincinnati also inked right-hander Chien-Ming Wang to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring Training.

Giants Sign Loe, Gutierrez, Rosario

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The Giants released their list of Spring Training invitees today, which included the minor league signings of right-handers Kameron Loe, J.C. Gutierrez and Sandy Rosario.

Loe, 32, posted a 7.09 ERA with 5.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a 50.5 percent ground-ball rate in 26 2/3 innings for the Mariners, Cubs and Braves in 2013. A bloated 34.4 percent homer-to-flyball ratio was Loe's undoing last season, as it led to an unthinkable 11 homers in those 26 2/3 frames. Loe's career mark is just 13 percent in that category, and the league average was 10.5 percent, suggesting that he's due for some improved luck in that department. Loe isn't far removed from big league success, as he posted a 3.61 ERA in 229 1/3 innings from 2008-12 with the Rangers and Brewers.

Gutierrez, 30, pitched to a 4.23 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 42.6 percent ground-ball rate in 55 1/3 innings for the Angels and Royals in 2013. Formerly referred to as "Juan" rather than "J.C.," Gutierrez has 222 2/3 innings of Major League experience and spent a good chunk of the 2010 season closing for the Diamondbacks, collecting 15 saves in the process.

The 28-year-old Rosario saw the most extensive action of his big league career in 2013, totaling 41 2/3 innings of 3.02 ERA ball for the Giants. His ratios weren't as impressive as his ERA, as he averaged 5.2 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 to go along with a 44.7 percent ground-ball rate.

All three pitchers in this group will hope to win a spot alongside closer Sergio Romo and relievers Jeremy Affeldt, Javier Lopez and Santiago Casilla, each of whom is a lock for a spot in manager Bruce Bochy's relief corps.

O’s Interested In Delmon Young, Jack Cust, Mark Reynolds

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The Orioles have some interest in adding both Delmon Young and Jack Cust on minor league deals, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Each player will be at the Orioles' minicamp tomorrow to see if there's a potential fit on a non-roster deal, according to Kubatko. Baltimore also has some interest in a reunion with Mark Reynolds, though nothing is hot on that front for now, according to Kubatko (All links to Twitter).

Young, 28, batted .260/.307/.407 with 11 homers in 361 plate appearances for the Phillies and Rays in 2013. He performed significantly better with the Rays overall, as he posted a .699 OPS (92 OPS+) with the Phillies and a .780 mark (117 OPS+) with the Rays. Young is regarded as a poor defensive player but has handled lefties well throughout his career and could fill a DH/part-time left field role for Baltimore.

Cust, who turns 35 on Thursday, hasn't appeared in the Majors since 2011 with the Mariners when he batted .213/.344/.329 in 270 plate appearances. After a solid year with the Triple-A affiliates for the Yankees and Blue Jays in 2012 (he batted .243/.400/.442 in 114 games), Cust sat out the 2013 season. Cust didn't have a long peak, but he was very good for the A's from 2007-10 when he batted .247/.381/.457 and averaged 24 homers per season. In 2008, he paced the American League with 111 walks and also belted 33 homers.

Reynolds spent two seasons with the O's, batting .221/.328/.458 with 60 homers from 2011-12. However, Baltimore elected to non-tender him rather than go through arbitration a final time heading into the 2013 campaign. Reynolds latched on with the Indians on a one-year deal. After a blistering April, he cooled off and was ultimately released before signing with the Yankees. He hit .220/.306/.393 with 21 homers overall last season.

Astros To Sign Cesar Izturis

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The Astros have agreed to a minor league deal with infielder Cesar Izturis, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). Izturis, who is represented by the Legacy Agency, will receive an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

Izturis spent the 2013 season with Cincinnati, where he batted .209/.259/.271 in 142 plate appearances. A well-regarded defensive shortstop, Izturis posted a +4.8 UZR/150 and was worth +4 runs, according to The Fielding Bible's Defensive Runs Saved metric. Heyman notes that he has a good chance of making the Astros' roster as a utility infielder out of Spring Training.

White Sox Avoid Arbitration With Dayan Viciedo

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The White Sox have avoided arbitration with left fielder Dayan Viciedo by signing him to a one-year deal worth $2.8MM, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter). MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected that the Scott Boras client would earn exactly $2.8MM via arbitration.

Viciedo saw his power drop substantially in 2013 — his age-24 season. After clubbing 25 homers and posting a strong .188 isolated power mark (slugging percentage minus batting average) in 2012, Viciedo's homer total fell to 14, and his ISO dropped to .161. Overall, he batted .265/.304/.426 in 473 plate appearances with the Sox.

The White Sox control Viciedo through the 2017 season, meaning he will be arbitration eligible three more times as a Super Two player. The arbitration process will continue to reward his power totals, meaning he'll need to show some improved on-base skills and/or improved defense in order to avoid becoming a non-tender candidate in the future.

Phillies To Sign Ronny Cedeno

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Phillies have agreed to sign shortstop Ronny Cedeno to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training (Twitter link). Cedeno is a client of Eric Goldschmidt.

Cedeno, who turns 31 next month, batted .242/.287/.330 with three homers and five steals in 288 plate appearances with the Astros and Padres in 2013. His strikeout rate jumped to a career-worst 25.3 percent last season, and his 4.9 percent walk rate was the second-lowest of his career.

In parts of nine Major League seasons with the Cubs, Pirates, Mets, Padres, Mariners and Astros, Cedeno is a career .246/.289/.354 hitter. He has extensive Major League experience at shortstop and second base, and he's also appeared at third base, first base and in the outfield.

Jose Mijares Changes Agents

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Free agent lefty Jose Mijares has switched agents and is now represented by agent Eric Goldschmidt, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Mijares had previously been represented by Relativity Baseball (formerly called SFX).

The 29-year-old Mijares elected free agency after being outrighted to Triple-A by the Giants in November, He had been projected to earn $2.1MM in arbitration, but the Giants cut him in favor of giving Javier Lopez a three-year, $13MM extension. Mijares posted a 4.22 ERA with 9.9 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 34.6 percent ground-ball rate in 2013. His typically excellent splits against left-handed batters regressed this past season, as they batted .276/.343/.367 against Mijares.

As can be seen in MLBTR's Agency Database, Goldschmidt also represents clients such as Alberto Callaspo, Ramon Hernandez, Juan Rivera and Alex Gonzalez. MLBTR's database contains information on more than 2,000 Major League and Minor League players. If you see any omissions or errors within the database, please email us at mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

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