Here are a few notes on teams’ searches for bullpen help.
- The Padres are trying to lure Fernando Rodney with an incentive-based deal, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter). The Cubs and other teams are also possibilities for Rodney. The 38-year-old former closer posted a 4.74 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 overall in a tough season in 2015, although he fared well after a late-August trade from Seattle to Chicago.
- GM Jerry Dipoto says the Mariners are likely to add at least one big-league free agent reliever, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune tweets.
- The Astros have already landed Ken Giles, but they aren’t done making moves to improve their bullpen, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Lefty free agent Tony Sipp, who posted a 1.99 ERA, 10.3 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in a terrific season for Houston in 2015, remains on the Astros’ radar.
- The Twins are looking for a lefty reliever, but are unlikely to pursue Sipp or Antonio Bastardo, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune tweets. That means they could turn to the trade market. Twins exec Terry Ryan says he would prefer to acquire a lefty capable of working multiple innings and is not interested in a LOOGY, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press notes (on Twitter).
- The Yankees are among the teams that have been in touch with Rafael Soriano’s representation, Heyman tweets. The 35-year-old Soriano missed most of the 2015 season, not signing until June and then dealing with shoulder troubles, and the Cubs released him in early September. Prior to that, however, he had two relatively successful seasons as the Nationals’ closer and was terrific in ninth-inning work for the Yankees in 2012.
mariners should get rodney, he seems like a good fit for them
funniest thing ive read all day
That worked out well last time right?
He does he would be a great fit there. For one the fan base loves him
What fan base? He argued w/ bullpen coach Mike Rojas. Refused to walk to the pen before 7th inning.
Come to SD on a 1 year incentive based deal totally relying on Saves & holds
Joakim Soria hopefully to Seattle
He’s gone
Rodney won’t return to Seattle. Look forward to his entourage near you
I really hope the Padres don’t sign him.
in SD on an incentive based deal purely on saves & holds – the Padres have always had a strong closer. Hoff could rub off on him, the fact he wants to make a decent contract one more time before he retires may get him to throw great and of course they go sells tickets if Petco sees him close out a game or 2
Why the Dodgers are not all over Tony Sipp baffles me. Clearly, they are in the market for a good lefty reliever and Sipp has been nothing short of dominant the last two years. Forget Chapman, forget Miller, keep all the youngsters and just spend money which they have almost an endless supply of. Sipp, Hatcher, and Jansen is a pretty good back three; they could also convert Wood into relief if they add another starter and upgrade at the trade deadline if the current options weren’t working out.
agreed with this. why give up a lot of young talent for one year of Chapman? LA’s big concern now is replacing Grienke.
the idea of the dodgers going after sipp isn’t crazy, but i don’t know that the dodgers are after a good “lefty” reliever. i think they’re just in the market for insanely dominant relievers, and the ones available (chapman and miller) just happen to both be left-handed,
but the dodgers’ existing lefties, howell and avilan, were actually some of the brighter spots in the LA pen last year. the real problem area was righty setup behind jansen. chris hatcher was… OK. pedro baez was terrible, in spite of his inexplicably OK-looking numbers at the end of the year.
With the Dodgers moving on from Chapman, could Seattle reasonably make a move on him?