One doesn't always associate the Dodgers with bargain signings, but agents tell Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet.ca that the Dodgers' acquisitions of Dan Haren and Paul Maholm are among the most team-friendly of the offseason. L.A. got Haren, who wanted to return to the West Coast, for one year and $10MM, and Maholm on an incentive-based deal. Agents also name the Ervin Santana, Nelson Cruz and A.J. Burnett deals as good ones for teams. Here are more notes from around the West divisions.
- The Mariners are still open to adding a starting pitcher, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal tweets. "Our ears are still open," says GM Jack Zduriencik. "We’ll see what happens." Injuries have left the Mariners' rotation uncertain after Felix Hernandez.
- Zduriencik says the Mariners' attention to detail helped them woo Robinson Cano, MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom writes. "Jay-Z came, Robinson Cano came. There were probably eight of them that rolled into Seattle. … It was Jay-Z's birthday the day before. We had a birthday cake for him. We sang Happy Birthday," Zduriencik says. "We made a great presentation. It was amazing how the whole process came along so quickly."
- The Rangers had already discussed the idea of trading Ian Kinsler for Prince Fielder before the Tigers proposed it, ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett reports. The day before Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski called to propose the deal, Rangers assistant GM A.J. Preller had discussed it in a meeting of the Rangers' baseball execs. Durrett's piece is one of two parts about the Rangers' offseason additions of Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo. Here's part two, which details a meeting the Rangers had with Choo before they signed him.
Perhaps the Mariners FO should put some of that attention to detail into understanding that they can’t play five 1B/LF/DH types at the same time. I’m glad to know though that it was signing happy birthday to Jay-Z and giving him a cake that got Cano signed. Here I thought it was because the Mariners gave him 3 more years and 75 million more then any other team would.
No doubt that was a dumb comment by Jack Z…
I was hoping this headline was gonna be rumor of M’s making an attempt to trade for Kemp and get a real CF. Kemp may be injured now but he’s coming along and would be the type of player we need behind Cano long term.
The Mariners rotation uncertain? If these guys aren’t going to pay attention to PacNW teams, don’t bother writing about them. James Paxton is a lefty who throws mid to upper 90’s. He made a tweek in his delivery last year and has been lights out since. (MLB 24 IP .172 BAA 0.92 whip 21K 7 BB). Erasmo Ramirez is a young kid who throws mid 90 heat, pounds the zone and has excellent command. He was hurt last year but dominated in the VWL and has done the same this spring. Baker is at year 2 after TJ surgery and they aren’t asking him to be a TOR guy, just a 4 or 5. Beavan has looked good in spring and is fighting for a rotation spot for one month until Kuma gets over his finger tendon strain. Not a shoulder, not an elbow, a finger tendon strain. Iwakuma will be with the team by the end of April. I’m hoping the M’s take it nice and slow with Walker so all his MLB innings are in the 2nd half of the season if they need him… for a playoff run. 🙂
Dan Haren is a shell of his former self
Other than Greinke and the extension for Kershaw, who have the Dodgers signed for more than $10M AAV in the last couple of years?
If the Mariners need pitching, they should go see the Mets about either Lannan or Dice-K who have already been pitching this spring… Awesome deal for the Mets to get Franklin.
And Endy Chavez for Rafael Montero would be an awesome deal for the Mariners.
Chavez, like John Lannan and Daisuke Matsuzaka, is a non-roster invitee while Montero, like Nick Franklin, is a 23-year-old who has been ranked in the third quadrant of a Baseball America Top 100 prospect list and who, like Franklin, remains under team control for six seasons.
In other words, neither trade is realistic.
The pitching will be fine, might be a couple tough starts to start the season, the M’s need a real OF’er that can play good D, and hit for avg. Ackley is not a true OF’er he should be traded to a team to play 2nd. He does not have the arm to play OF. I know he played it in College, but this is the MLB. Saunders is a great D guy, but streaky at the plate. Lomo and Hart are question marks. Chavez is a good 4th guy, Almonte is coming along and fun to watch, not sure about his accuracy though. If they fix that, he might be the starter in RF. It would be great if we could package Franklin for an OF’er. They have a decent minor system, and maybe even giving Smoak new scenery might help. Then go out and get Morales to DH and play 1st with Hart and Lomo.