Diamondbacks Agree To Deal With Xavier Nady
The Diamondbacks have agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.75MM with Xavier Nady. He can earn another $1MM in incentives. The first baseman/outfielder is a Scott Boras client and was in Phoenix for a physical on Wednesday.
Nady, 32, hit .256/.306/.353 with six homers in 347 plate appearances for the Cubs in 2010. He missed almost all of 2009 after having his second Tommy John surgery. D'Backs GM Kevin Towers had Nady with the Padres, continuing a theme that has seen him target (or acquire) many of his former players this winter, including Henry Blanco, Sean Burroughs, and Geoff Blum.
Nady signed a one-year contract worth $3.3MM guaranteed (he did earn another $1.05MM in incentives) coming off his injury, and I predicted that he would have to settle for a similar deal when I previewed his free agent stock back in September.
Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic originally reported that the two sides were close to an agreement. SI.com's Jon Heyman confirmed the agreement and added details, as did Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (all four Twitter links).
Minor Deals: Yankees, Chulk, Van Every, Coats
Let's take a look at today's notable minor league deals, with the most recent updates at the top:
- The Yankees signed Doug Bernier, Buddy Carlyle, Neal Cotts and Gustavo Molina to minor league deals, the team announced. The club officially announced its deals with Andy Sisco and outfielder-turned-pitcher Brian Anderson.
- The Pirates have welcomed back Donald Veal just two weeks after non-tendering him, Eddy tweets. Veal underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year.
- The Rays picked up right-handed reliever Jonah Bayliss, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). Bayliss turned in a 3.58 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 for Houston's Triple-A club last season.
- The Athletics signed right-handed reliever Vinnie Chulk, tweets Eddy. Chulk appeared in 28 games for Pittsburgh's Triple-A affiliate in 2010 and spent the other half of the year with the Hiroshima Carp. His numbers overseas left much to be desired but the righty carries more than 250 games of big league experience.
- First baseman Andy Tracy has hooked on with the Diamondbacks, tweets Baseball America's Matt Eddy. The left-handed hitter, who turned 37-years-old on Saturday, has spent the last three years with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate. In 2010 he hit .275/.373/.492, numbers that are slightly better than his career averages.
- The Nationals signed outfielder Jonathan Van Every, according to Eddy (via Twitter). The 31-year-old boasts a career .471 slugging percentage in Triple-A and can play all three outfield positions. Van Every played in 39 games for Boston's varsity squad across the last three years.
- Washington picked up another versatile, left-handed hitting outfielder in Buck Coats, Eddy tweets. Coats, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Cubs, has a lifetime slash line of .294/.352/.407 at the Triple-A level.
- The Cubs invited first baseman Bryan LaHair and outfielder Brad Snyder to Spring Training, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter).
D’Backs To Sign Henry Blanco
The D'Backs have agreed to sign Henry Blanco for $1MM, according to Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona (Twitter link). The deal is pending a physical and should be official by tomorrow. Elite Sports group represents the catcher.
It's the second time Kevin Towers has signed Blanco; the GM signed him to play for the Padres before the 2009 season. The 39-year-old hit .215/.271/.300 in 144 plate apperances for the Mets last year. The D'Backs aren't bringing him in for offensive thump, though. Blanco should be a steady backup for Miguel Montero and he can still throw out opponents on the basepaths. He has caught 43% of would-be base stealers in his 13-year MLB career.
Diamondbacks Close To Deal With Xavier Nady
The Diamondbacks are closing in on a deal with Xavier Nady, reports Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. The first baseman/outfielder was in Phoenix for a physical on Wednesday.
Nady, 32, hit .256/.306/.353 with six homers in 347 plate appearances for the Cubs in 2010. He missed almost all of 2009 after having his second Tommy John surgery. D'Backs GM Kevin Towers had Nady with the Padres, continuing a theme that has seen him target (or acquire) many of his former players this winter, including Henry Blanco, Sean Burroughs, and Geoff Blum.
Nady signed a one-year contract worth $3.3MM guaranteed (he did earn another $1.05MM in incentives) coming off his injury, and I predicted that he would have to settle for a similar deal when I previewed his free agent stock back in September.
The post was originally published on December 15th.
Diamondbacks Interested In Kearns, Hawpe
The Diamondbacks have varying levels of interest in Austin Kearns, Brad Hawpe, Xavier Nady, and Jorge Cantu, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The team's interest in Nady and Cantu has been reported previously.
The D'Backs have added Melvin Mora and Geoff Blum to replace Mark Reynolds at third base, but they've still got openings at first base and left field. The team took a shot on Paul Konerko and is said to have interest in Derrek Lee as another first base possibility.
Diamondbacks Nearing Deal With Henry Blanco
WEDNESDAY, 7:53am: The Diamondbacks are "on the verge" of a one-year deal with Blanco, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. The contract will likely pay the catcher about $1MM in 2011 and may include a mutual option for 2012.
TUESDAY, 11:30am: Blanco indicated the two sides are close to an agreement in an interview on the team site of the Margarita Braves (link in Spanish), where he plays in the Venezuelan Winter League. Asked by Leonard Ojeda Ledezma about his status with the Diamondbacks, Blanco replied, "Although nothing definite has been settled on yet, I believe it should be made official in the first part of next week. I'm happy because I'll have Venezuelan teammates like Gerardo Parra and Melvin Mora." – Nick Collias
FRIDAY, 12:28pm: The D'Backs are still eyeing Blanco, but will move on if his asking price is too high, according to Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (on Twitter).
WEDNESDAY, 11:18am: The Diamondbacks are close to signing backup catcher Henry Blanco, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. A one-year deal is likely, he says.
Blanco, 39, picked up 144 plate appearances in 50 games for the Mets last year. He was signed by Kevin Towers to play for the Padres prior to the '09 season.
Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox, Pavano, Buehrle, Millwood
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe names the winners and losers of the Winter Meetings in his newest piece, with the Red Sox, Nationals, and White Sox topping his list of winners. Cafardo also shares a handful of hot stove notes. Here are the highlights:
- Before they signed Carl Crawford, the Red Sox "did a ton of work" on Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Beltran.
- Carl Pavano figures to wait for Cliff Lee to sign, so he can see the type of offers he receives as the top pitcher on the market. Cafardo thinks Pavano could be a backup plan for the Rangers if they don't land Lee, though the Twins still remain the favorites for the 34-year-old. Texas has also inquired on Matt Garza and James Shields.
- The White Sox will listen to offers for Mark Buehrle, whose contract expires after the 2011 season. Buehrle earned ten and five rights this year, so he'd have the option of vetoing any trade.
- Agent Scott Boras says a strong market is developing for Kevin Millwood.
- Team officials that spoke to Cafardo had mixed opinions on free agent backstop Russell Martin. One opined that Martin "can't call a game," while another raved about the enthusiasm the catcher brings each day.
- According to Cafardo, the Red Sox were the only team to discuss Justin Upton with the Diamondbacks, balking at Kevin Towers' insistence that Daniel Bard be included in a potential deal.
- The Astros would have interest in trading Matt Lindstrom and Jeff Keppinger.
- Grant Balfour is seeking a three-year contract. The Red Sox have looked into him, but are hoping Matt Guerrier will accept their offer. As Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston noted today (via Twitter), Guerrier is one of the top relief targets for Boston, along with Brian Fuentes and Jesse Crain.
Six Teams Interested In Derrek Lee
The Orioles, Athletics, Blue Jays, Padres, Nationals, and Diamondbacks have all expressed interest in free agent first baseman Derrek Lee according to SI.com's Jon Heyman (via Twitter). We've heard that Lee wouldn't mind playing for Arizona, and the interest from the O's and A's is nothing new. Heyman reiterated the D'Backs interest in Xavier Nady as well.
Lee, 35, had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb after the season. He's expressed a desire to join a playoff club for 2011, but calling any of those six teams a contender would be generous. D'Backs GM Kevin Towers was the Padres GM when Lee broke in with the team in 1997, and the running theme of the offseason has been Towers bringing some of his former players to Arizona. Nady obviously fits the bill as well.
I examined Lee's free agent stock back in October.
D’Backs Notes: Konerko, Heisey, Parra, Lee
Some news from the desert, courtesy of The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro…
- The Diamondbacks' offer of a three-year, $30MM contract to Paul Konerko would have put them over their payroll threshold, but they couldn't pass up the chance to get "a star-caliber hitter at a possible hometown discount." Arizona CEO Derrick Hall tells Piecoro that the team had a legitimate chance to sign Konerko before he eventually re-signed with Chicago.
- The Reds were interested in Gerardo Parra and the D'Backs in Chris Heisey, but a potential deal of the two outfielders was scuttled because the Reds want to keep Heisey.
- Derrek Lee "is said to have interest in" playing in Arizona. We've heard that the D'Backs have had interest in Lee, but Piecoro thinks the first baseman "might be a longshot financially."
- The D'Backs won't be going after any pitching in the short term, following the acquisition of Rule 5 draft pick Joe Paterson.
D’Backs Seriously Considering Jorge Cantu
Jorge Cantu is one of the first basemen the Diamondbacks are seriously considering, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The Padres, Mariners and Rockies reportedly have interest in the infielder, though Colorado's interest may have disappeared since the team agreed to terms with Ty Wigginton.
Cantu, 29 in January, struggled offensively in 2010, batting just .256/.304/.392 for the Marlins and Rangers. His home run total dropped to 11, down from 16 in 2009 and 29 in 2008. He topped 40 doubles in '08 and '09, but hit just 29 in 2010. Though Cantu has extensive experience at both corner infield positions, GM Kevin Towers is presumably eyeing him as a first baseman, since the D'Backs already have Melvin Mora and Geoff Blum at the hot corner.