Rangers Notes: Beltre, Young, Pettitte
The Rangers have been busy today, finalizing deals with Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes and designating Clay Rapada and Max Ramirez for assignment in the process. Here are a few more notes on the defending American League champs, from MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan:
- Team officials don't seem optimistic about signing Adrian Beltre. Click here for the latest on the free agent third baseman.
- The Rangers have asked Michael Young what he thinks about switching positions again and he was not receptive to the idea. Troy Renck of the Denver Post hears that the Rockies aren't likely to discuss potential Young trades with the Rangers (Twitter link).
- Earlier in the offseason, the Rangers were interested in Andy Pettitte, according to Sullivan. However, they heard that the lefty will either return to the Yankees or retire. ESPNNewYork reported today that the Yankees expect to hear from Pettitte soon.
Rangers Designate Ramirez & Rapada For Assignment
The Rangers designated Max Ramirez and Clay Rapada for assignment to create roster space for Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter).
Ramirez appeared in 28 games for the Rangers last year, batting .217/.341/.348 in 85 plate appearances. The 26-year-old has spent most of his seven-year pro career in the minors, where he has a .298/.396/.476 career line. The Rangers already have three backstops on their 40-man roster: Taylor Teagarden, Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Treanor.
Rapada, 30 in March, appeared in 13 games for the Rangers last year. He pitched just nine innings, walking seven and striking out five. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 1.82 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 59 1/3 innings. Those numbers, which are similar to the ones he posted for the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate in 2009, have yet to translate into big league success for the left-hander.
Rangers To Sign Arthur Rhodes
The Rangers have announced their deal with left-hander Arthur Rhodes. The deal pays Rhodes $3.9MM in 2011 and includes a $4MM vesting option for 2012, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
Rhodes, 41, is coming off the first All-Star season of his 19-year major league career. In 69 games with the Reds last year, Rhodes posted a 2.29 ERA, a 8.2 K/9 rate and a 2.78 K/BB ratio. Rhodes qualified as a Type A free agent, but since Cincinnati didn't offer him arbitration, Texas won't lose a draft pick as compensation.
Steve Phillips of AOL Fanhouse (Twitter link) first reported the agreement and Jon Heyman of SI.com first added detail about the vesting option.
Rangers To Sign Brandon Webb
The Rangers are set to announce their one-year deal with Brandon Webb. The contract is worth $3MM plus incentives that could bring the total value of the deal to $8-10MM. The team will make the deal official this afternoon, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link).
Webb, 31, won the National League Cy Young award in 2006, when he went 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9. Prior to the 2009 season, Webb had cemented himself as one of the best in the National League, totaling 1315 2/3 innings of 3.24 ERA ball with 7.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 since his 2003 debut. In addition to his 2006 Cy Young nod, he also finished second in both 2007 and 2008.
That seems like a long time ago though, as Webb has thrown just four innings since. Webb has spent a total of 372 days on the disabled list in his recovery from shoulder surgery in 2009. The Rangers will hope that this signing works out better than a similar move they made last season when they signed Rich Harden to a one-year deal.
Webb will join C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, and Tommy Hunter in a Texas rotation that's trying to cope with the loss of Cliff Lee. The move may prove to be a risky decision for Webb, as the hitter-friendly environment in Texas isn't an ideal setting for a pitcher to re-establish his value. Returning to his outstanding career 62.4% groundball rate would help Webb mitigate the homer-happy confines of his new home park.
Webb and agent Jonathan Maurer were possibly deciding between the Rangers and an NL Central mystery team, widely believed to be the Reds. If that's true, then it's not as if Webb was ever considering a pitcher-friendly environment in the first place. Back in November, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith correctly predicted Webb would end up with the Rangers.
ESPN's Buster Olney and Jerry Crasnick reported the terms of the deal. FanHouse's Ed Price first reported the agreement.
Adrian Beltre Rumors: Monday
Multiple reports suggested that the Rangers and Adrian Beltre were close to an agreement on a multiyear deal yesterday, but it turns out that "nothing is remotely imminent" between the team and the third baseman. Though MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reported that the sides aren't nearing a deal, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says there "appears to be some hope" about a potential agreement. Here's the latest on the talks between Scott Boras and Beltre's suitors:
- Rangers officials admitted to Sullivan that they like Beltre, but team president Nolan Ryan says the Texas infield remains unchanged. "As of right now, Michael Young is our third baseman," Ryan said. "We haven't done anything."
- The Rangers' interest in Beltre is completely sincere, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. The 31-year-old wanted to return to Boston, but the Red Sox didn’t care to meet Boras’ asking price, according to Olney.
Rangers Talking With Adrian Beltre
10:30pm: After talking to Rangers officials, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan writes, "There appears to be some mutual interest on both sides, but nothing is remotely imminent."
6:52pm: Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports that the two sides are close to agreeing to a deal (link in Spanish). An agreement "appears imminent" according to one of Rojas' sources, while another tells him it will "probably" be a five-year contract with an option for 2016.
SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that nothing is done, but "there appears to be some hope." Jeff Wilson of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram echoes Heyman's report (Twitter link).
3:14pm: While the two sides have no deal in place, the Rangers remain in contact with Adrian Beltre, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) have both shot down a report out of the Dominican Republic earlier today that said the Rangers had signed Beltre to a six-year deal.
With Michael Young, Elvis Andrus, and Ian Kinsler all entrenched in the Texas infield, it would seem an unlikely match at first. However, the Rangers had some discussions at the Winter Meetings about sending Young to multiple teams, and this is far from the first time we've seen them linked to Beltre. Young could also be shifted into a designated hitter role in the event of a Beltre signing.
As WEEI.com's Alex Speier points out, Texas landing Beltre would represent a best case scenario for the Red Sox, as the Rangers' first round pick is unprotected, while other suitors such as the A's and Angels would only net Boston a second-round selection. In a poll just before New Year's, 11.55% of the near-12,000 MLBTR readers who voted thought Beltre would land in Texas.
According to Morosi, Scott Boras is seeking a five-year deal worth at least $85MM for his client, which is on par with ESPN's Buster Olney's take in late December. Despite ongoing discussions with the Rangers, Morosi says the Angels are still viewed as the favorite to land Beltre.
Odds & Ends: Greinke, Young, Rangers, MacLane
Links for Sunday….
- SI.com's Jon Heyman says the "word is" that the Nationals offered Zack Greinke a big contract extension in an effort to entice him to join their team (Twitter links). He simply didn't believe the Nats could win, so he instead waived his no-trade clause to go to the Brewers.
- A source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Rangers and Rockies have not had any serious talks about Michael Young in the last week, so if he does get traded, it will likely be to a team that did not show much interest in him at the Winter Meetings (Twitter links).
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News offers a "semi-educated guess" that if the Rangers do sign Adrian Beltre, they'll shift Young to a DH/utility role rather than trade him (Twitter link).
- NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman passes along a Japanese report that has the Orix Buffaloes set to acquire Evan MacLane from the Cardinals. An official announcement is expected soon.
- Cole Hamels and the Phillies haven't yet begun discussions for a multiyear extension, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes noted when he examined the Phillies' four aces, Hamels is arbitration eligible after next season and can become a free agent after 2012.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider required) shares a list of 36 potential MLB storylines for 2011. Olney's list includes the Albert Pujols negotiations, Heath Bell trade talks, and C.C. Sabathia's out clause.
- The Jason Bartlett trade potentially opened up a spot on the 25-man roster for long-time Rays' farmhand Elliot Johnson, according to Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times.
- WEEI's Rob Bradford and Alex Speier attempt to determine whether Hideki Okajima is likely to rebound for the Red Sox in 2011.
- Roch Kubatko of MASN can't see the Orioles signing a full-time DH now that Derrek Lee is on board.
- Police say Alfredo Simon is the primary suspect in a fatal shooting in the Dominican Republic, reports the Associated Press (via the Miami Herald). Simon insists he was not involved in the incident, according to Orioles Dominican representative Felipe Alou Jr.
Rangers Agree To Terms With Venezuelan Shortstop
Venezuelan shortstop Rougned Odor has agreed to terms with the Rangers for $450K, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The left-handed Odor can also hold his own at second base and many scouts feel that he will transition to the other side of the bag.
At 5'10", Badler writes that Odor stands out for his simple, compact stroke and advanced feel for hitting. Some who have seen the middle infielder recently say that he has increased his speed, as evidenced by his time of 6.62 seconds in the 60-yard-dash. Earlier this year Baseball America projected that Odor would be one of the ten best-compensated free agents from Latin America.
Rangers, Yankees, Indians Interested in Bartolo Colon
Bartolo Colon's work in the Dominican winter league has continued to draw the attention of major league teams, and the 37-year-old starter sounds eager to sign. According to an AP story out of Santo Domingo, Colon told reporters in the Domincan Republic yesterday, "Texas, Cleveland, and the Yankees are interested in me" (link in Spanish).
The Indians had been known to be watching Colon's progress, and Colon had previously mentioned that he "maintains conversations" with the Yankees, but the Rangers' interest hadn't been previously reported. Asked if he had a preference among the three clubs, Colon simply said, "I'll go with the one that signs me."
More background on Colon's return to action on the international stage can be found here. Over the ensuing month of winter ball, he has continued to look impressive, managing a 1.47 ERA over his seven starts in the Domincan League's regular season for the Aguilas Cibaeñas.
The 50-game Dominican regular season has ended and Colon's team's season is over, but the right-hander was the first player selected overall in the postseason draft, and went to the reigning champion Leones del Escogido (in the Dominican winter league, postseason teams are allowed to draft from among the eliminated teams' rosters). In his one postseason start with the Leones, Colon avoided the loss but wasn't as sharp, giving up four runs on 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Odds & Ends: Rangers, Wheeler, Red Sox
Links for Thursday, exactly one year after the D'Backs signed Kelly Johnson. Former Arizona GM Josh Byrnes deserves credit for this shrewd addition. Here are today's links…
- MLBTR's Tim Dierkes talked baseball with Roy Shelton of NetDugout.com.
- The Rangers do like Adrian Beltre, but as MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan explains, they could be showing interest partly to drive up the third baseman’s price for the Angels. Click here to vote on Beltre's next team.
- Matthew Carruth of FanGraphs shows that lots of talented players, including Cliff Lee, have moved from the AL to the NL this offseason. The Senior Circuit "looks like it is making inroads against the American League for next season."
- Dan Wheeler explains to John Tomase of the Boston Herald that he realized he had to trust his stuff in the 2004 NLCS against the Cardinals. Wheeler and Bobby Jenks are two of most recent additions to the group of well-established right-handers in Boston's 'pen.
- In a separate piece, Tomase examines the Red Sox 'pen, which was "an unquestioned weakness" last year, but could be a strength in 2011. Lefties Felix Doubront, Andrew Miller and Rich Hill will compete for a spot and Matt Albers and Scott Atchison will also be in the mix.