Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Diamondbacks Rumors

White Sox Claim Lars Anderson

By | at

The White Sox announced that they claimed first baseman Lars Anderson off of waivers from the Diamondbacks. Chicago's 40-man roster is now full. Arizona had designated Anderson for assignment last week.

The Diamondbacks originally acquired Anderson from Cleveland in a three-team trade earlier in the offseason. The 25-year-old appeared in six games for the Red Sox last year, but Boston traded him to the Indians for Steven Wright at the non-waiver trade deadline last July. Anderson, a left-handed hitter, spent most of the 2012 season at Triple-A, where he posted a .250/.353/.396 batting line in 470 plate appearances.

Martin Prado Talks Extension

By | at

Martin Prado didn’t expect Frank Wren to call last week, so he was surprised to hear the Braves general manager explain that he’d been traded to Arizona for Justin Upton. But now that he’s had a week to adjust to the chance, Prado says he’s happy to be on board with the Diamondbacks. Yesterday the sides agreed to a four-year, $40MM contract extension, so he can expect to be in Arizona for a while.

“Since I got to the big leagues I’ve been looking to be secure, to be in the right spot and not have to worry about going to free agency” he said on a conference call with reporters yesterday afternoon. “The way I am right now I’m happy.”

Prado’s deal covers his final arbitration season and delays his free agency by three years. The versatile 29-year-old said he has heard good things about the Diamondbacks and was comfortable accepting the deal before playing his first game with the the team. Arizona will use him at third base after sending Chris Johnson to Atlanta in the Upton deal.

The Braves generated considerable excitement with the trade, which places Upton alongside his older brother B.J. in Atlanta’s outfield. While Wren said giving up Prado “was the most difficult part” of the deal, some have said the Diamondbacks didn’t get enough in return. Prado acknowledged that Upton is a “superstar caliber” player and said both teams stand to benefit from the deal. But he certainly doesn’t expect it’ll look lopsided in the future.

"Maybe in a couple of years, people will think a different way," he said.

D’Backs Agree To Four-Year Deal With Martin Prado

By | at

The Diamondbacks announced they have agreed to a four-year contract through 2016 with infielder/outfielder Martin Prado.  The deal will pay Prado $40MM in total, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).  The 29-year-old is represented by the Legacy Agency.

Prado was in his third and final winter of arbitration eligibility and was set to hit the open market after the 2013 season.  Arizona acquired Prado and four other players from the Braves for Justin Upton and third baseman Chris Johnson earlier this month.  We heard last week that General Manager Kevin Towers & Co. were optimistic about agreeing to a new three or four-year deal with the veteran.

In 2012, Prado posted a .301/.359/.438 slash line with ten homers in 690 plate appearances for Atlanta.  For his career, Prado has hit .295/.345/.435 across seven seasons for the Braves.  

The Braves reportedly had a strong sense that 2012 would be his final season with them as he was pushing for a new contract with a $12MM average annual value.  This four-year pact with the Diamondbacks gives him a considerable raise over his $4.75MM salary and comes a lot closer to the type of salary he had in mind.

D’Backs, Pennington Agree To Deal

By | at

January 30th: The deal is official now that Pennington has passed his physical, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter links). Pennington will earn $1.25MM in 2013 and $2.75MM in 2014. The deal also includes a $1MM signing bonus for a total of $5MM.

January 22nd: The Diamondbacks and Cliff Pennington have reached agreement on a two-year, $5MM deal, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter).  The middle infielder is represented by Sosnick/Cobbe.

Arizona acquired Pennington from the A's last October in a three-team deal that also brought Heath Bell to the Diamondbacks.  For his career, Pennington owns a .249/.313/.356 batting line across parts of five seasons in Oakland.

This was Pennington's first time as an arbitration eligible player.  The two sides were $1MM apart upon exchanging figures – the 28-year-old filed for $2.8MM while Arizona countered with $1.8MM.

Rosenthal On Lohse, Prado, Porcello, Padres

By | at

The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…

  • Though Brewers owner Mark Attanasio recently said “there’s always a chance” that Kyle Lohse could end up in Milwaukee, Rosenthal suggests the free agent right-hander will likely sign elsewhere. The Brewers are reluctant to surrender the 17th overall selection in the upcoming draft in addition to the corresponding slot money. Lohse, the top starter remaining in free agency, has been linked to draft pick compensation since he turned down the Cardinals’ qualifying offer. 
  • Martin Prado’s bat might seem suited for second base, but Aaron Hill is already established at the position. It won’t be an issue, since the Diamondbacks want to keep both Prado and Hill, according to Rosenthal. Both players are clients of The Legacy Agency.
  • Rick Porcello could benefit from pitching in front of a better infield defense, and he remains a potential trade target given Detroit’s starting pitching depth. However, some teams are concerned about Porcello’s low strikeout rate, struggles against left-handers and $5.1MM salary. If Porcello has a big year, he could obtain a substantial raise through arbitration leading up to the 2014 season.
  • The Padres are likely to pass on Porcello for more affordable starters. Rosenthal suggests San Diego could look to trade for pitchers such as Aaron Harang and Luke Hochevar in Spring Training.

Rangers Notes: Andrus, Upton, D’Backs

By | at

After speaking with Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson, Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette of SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio checked in with Rangers GM Jon Daniels.  We've got the goods courtesy of Bowden on Twitter..

  • The Rangers "would love" to extend Elvis Andrus' contract, but the club needs Andrus to want the same thing (Twitter link).  Andrus has expressed interest in staying in Texas but so far that hasn't manifested itself in a new deal.  Having three strong options for two positions is a "good problem" in Daniels' view and he doesn't sound like he's feeling pressure to remedy it with a move.  
  • Daniels told the duo (audio link) that the Rangers were in on Justin Upton until the trade-that-never-was with the Mariners.  If Texas made a deal for Upton, it would have been a prospect heavy package but Daniels believes that D'Backs GM Kevin Towers wanted big league ready players as well.  The Rangers wanted Upton but were unwilling to surrender one of their shortstops to make it happen.
  • The GM was asked about the possibility of looking into either Michael Bourn or Kyle Lohse.  Without addressing either player in particular, Daniels said that he doesn't expect to make any significant moves between now and the start of camp (Twitter link).

Rosenthal On Tigers, Diamondbacks, Bourn

By | at

Two of the biggest MLB stories to emerge recently are the Justin Upton trade and the Mets’ interest in Michael Bourn. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports weighed in on both subjects in recent columns. Here are some highlights:

  • The Tigers like shortstop prospect Nick Ahmed and wanted him as part of a package for Rick Porcello, Rosenthal reports. Those talks would have made yesterday’s trade with the Braves a three-team deal. However, Arizona GM Kevin Towers suggested to the media yesterday that he’s comfortable with his starting pitching depth after acquiring Randall Delgado from the Braves.
  • The Mets would have the support of the MLBPA if they continue lobbying for the right to surrender a second round pick instead of a first rounder should they sign a free agent linked to draft pick compensation. But sympathy for the Mets would only go so far just one offseason after the completion of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement. MLB wouldn’t want to establish a precedent and would likely fight a grievance by the MLBPA, Rosenthal reports. 
  • Scott Boras, Bourn’s agent, is a factor in this as well, Rosenthal reports. MLB isn’t inclined to do Boras any favors such as making an exception for Bourn.

Quick Hits: Rangers, Furbush, Aviles, Free Agents

By | at

A few notes from around the Majors as we wrap up a very busy Thursday…

  • The Rangers are "not looking at anything major" in terms of further offseason moves, general manager Jon Daniels tells MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  If the club does make any additions, it will be bench depth or another candidate to fight for the fifth starter's job. 
  • Left-hander Charlie Furbush wasn't part of the package the Mariners offered to the Diamondbacks for Justin Upton, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times reports.  The two teams had agreed on a package that included Taijuan Walker, Nick Franklin and Stephen Pryor before Upton blocked the deal with his no-trade protection.  Stone isn't sure if just those three were offered to Arizona or if another pitcher besides Furbush was also part of the proposed trade.
  • Mike Aviles hasn't heard updates from his agent about his contract status with the Indians but tells MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that "as far as I know, everything is progressing and I don't see why it wouldn't be settled" before the two sides reach an arbitration hearing. Aviles is the Tribe's only remaining arb-eligible player who hasn't yet agreed to a deal.  MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker indicates that Aviles is looking for a $3.4MM contract while Cleveland is offering $2.4MM.
  • Michael Bourn and Kyle Lohse are still unsigned, which many attribute to the draft pick compensation tied to them as players who turned down qualifying offers from their former teams. Andrew Miller, the Red Sox MLBPA representative, told Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal that the two players' situations "clearly means more fine-tuning" is needed for the new free agency rules. "It's not an open market for these guys….It's just unfortunate that those guys can help teams but teams are hesitant to go after them because of a draft pick," Miller said.
  • Center field has been the busiest position of the offseason, as MLB.com's Andrew Simon notes the large number of teams who have made changes in center this winter.
  • The Royals don't have an out clause in their TV contract with FOX Sports Kansas City, Royals senior VP of business Kevin Uhlich tells Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star. The club's current broadcast deal runs through the 2019 season.

NL East Notes: Upton, Rizzo, Nationals, Marlins

By | at

The Braves' acquisition of Justin Upton is the story of the day from the NL East, and the Mets also made news by agreeing to sign Shaun Marcum.  Here are some other notes from around the division…

  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro said he spoke to Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers about Upton but didn't make any progress towards a trade, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News reports. "We just didn't really see a fit," Amaro said. "We communicated a few times with K.T.  Clearly, what he was looking for and what we were willing to give were a little different."
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo discussed some of the building blocks behind his team's rise to success with Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, including investing in the draft and having the flexibility to sign veterans to short-term contracts.  Rizzo anticipates that the Nats won't have any problems affording some of their key young players as they become more expensive.
  • Rizzo also told reporters (including MLB.com's Bill Ladson) that the Nationals were open to multiyear contracts with Jordan Zimmermann and Ian Desmond, as was reported earlier this week.  Rizzo left the door open to potentially acquire another starting pitcher but said that he's happy with his rotation as it currently stands.
  • The Marlins have made a minor league contract offer to Pat White, the former Miami Dolphins quarterback told Orlando Alzugaray of 640 Sports (passed on by Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel).  White was originally picked in the fourth round of the 2004 amateur draft by the Angels and, after his NFL career ended, he signed a minor league deal with the Royals in 2010.

Diamondbacks Notes: Upton, Kubel, Mets, Payroll

By | at

The blockbuster trade of Justin Upton is dominating headlines around baseball today.  We've already looked at one batch of reaction to the deal as well as Arizona's hopes of quickly signing Martin Prado to an extension, but here are some more news items out of the desert…

  • The Diamondbacks are "a team stressing culture over talent," writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, dealing Upton and Trevor Bauer because neither player fit the club's preference for "the dirt-on-the-uniform, all-out, get-concussed-or-go-home sort of player."
  • The D'Backs will keep Jason Kubel, GM Kevin Towers told reporters during a conference call, including USA Today's Bob Nightengale (Twitter link).  This comes as no surprise, as it was expected that Arizona would only move one of Kubel or Upton from a crowded outfield that also includes Gerardo Parra, Adam Eaton, Cody Ross and A.J. Pollock in the mix.  Kubel had drawn interest from a number of teams, including the Padres, Orioles, White Sox, Mariners and Mets.
  • Speaking of the Mets, they talked to the D'Backs about Upton at various points this winter but the two teams never got far, Metsblog's Matthew Cerrone reports.  The Mets didn't have the Major League-ready young infielder that Arizona wanted, nor were the Mets willing to trade Zack Wheeler or Matt Harvey.
  • The Diamondbacks' payroll in 2013 "will start with a nine," according to managing general partner Ken Kendrick, reports Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona (via Twitter).  This would represent a significant bump from the Snakes' 2012 payroll, which Cot's Baseball Contracts lists as a little more than $75.4MM.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top