Rangers Interested In Trading For Utility Infielder
In spite of the deal with Oakland that brought Gregorio Petit to Texas, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that Petit will probably end up in Triple-A rather than fill the Rangers' need for a utility infielder on their big league roster. Texas has been looking to fill their backup infield void for weeks, and a few new options have appeared on the Rangers' radar for a possible deal.
Augie Ojeda (who we know the D'Backs are shopping) is one option that the Rangers have an interest in, Sullivan says. Sullivan proposes that right-hander Luis Mendoza might be a good fit to be dealt for Ojeda since Arizona wants pitching and Mendoza is out of options. Willie Bloomquist and Kevin Frandsen are also possible options, Sullivan reports. Frandsen is another player known to be on the trade market, and that same MLBTR piece also cites the Giants as a team that could be interested in a player of Ojeda's type.
Former Ranger Ramon Vazquez has been mentioned in trade talks this winter and we know the Pirates want to move him. But Sullivan says Texas doesn't want to acquire Vazquez at the cost of Mendoza, and you have to figure that the Rangers might just pick Vazquez up if Pittsburgh is forced to release him.
D’Backs Still Looking To Trade Snyder, Ojeda
The Diamondbacks are still looking to trade catcher Chris Snyder and infielder Augie Ojeda, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
Piecoro says Snyder has looked healthy this spring, after having back surgery in September. The Blue Jays called off a Snyder-Lyle Overbay swap in November because of concerns about the catcher's back. Snyder is owed a hefty $11.25MM over the next two years. According to Piecoro, the Brewers have shown interest in Snyder. Milwaukee currently has Gregg Zaun and George Kottaras behind the dish. They're facing a pitching roster crunch, and the D'Backs could use another arm.
Ojeda, owed $825K this year and under team control through 2011, would obviously be easier to move. Piecoro says Ojeda became available once Tony Abreu demonstrated the ability to play shortstop. The Rangers probably aren't a fit anymore, having acquired Gregorio Petit today.
Offseason In Review: Arizona Diamondbacks
Next in our Offseason In Review series, the Diamondbacks.
Major League Signings
- Brandon Webb, SP: one year, $8.5MM. Club option exercised.
- Adam LaRoche, 1B: one year, $6MM. Includes $7.5MM mutual option for 2011 with a $1.5MM buyout.
- Kelly Johnson, 2B: one year, $2.35MM. Arbitration-eligible for 2011.
- Bob Howry, RP: one year, $2.25MM. Includes $3MM club option with a $250K buyout.
- Total spend: $19.1MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
Extensions
- Justin Upton, RF: six years, $51.25MM.
- Mark Reynolds, 3B: three years, $14.5MM. Includes $11MM club option for 2013 with a $500K buyout.
- Edwin Jackson, SP: two years, $13.35MM.
Trades and Claims
- Acquired RP Aaron Heilman from Cubs for 1B Ryne White and P Scott Maine
- Acquired SP Edwin Jackson from Tigers and SP Ian Kennedy from Yankees, giving up SP Max Scherzer and RP Daniel Schlereth
- Claimed Rule 5 P Zach Kroenke from Yankees
Notable Losses
- Chad Tracy, Eric Byrnes, Alex Romero, Josh Whitesell, Trent Oeltjen, Tony Clark, Doug Davis, Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth, Scott Schoeneweis, Daniel Cabrera, Tom Gordon, Doug Slaten, Yusmeiro Petit, Bobby Korecky
Summary
This offseason Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes revamped his rotation and the right side of his infield, acquired a pair of veteran relievers, and added cost certainty with three extensions. Let's take a closer look.
You already know how I feel about the LaRoche and Johnson signings – they were two of my ten best free agent signings of the offseason. LaRoche is a clear upgrade over the players the D'Backs used at first base in '09, though Johnson's ceiling is the .298/.372/.448 second base line Arizona got from Felipe Lopez, Ryan Roberts, and Augie Ojeda. The team has good depth at second base, with Roberts and Ojeda still around and Tony Abreu in the mix.
Webb had August shoulder surgery and may miss all of April. Still, I feel that choosing the $8MM net price was the right move at the time and Webb will still provide 175 above-average innings. I'm not enthused by the Howry and Heilman additions; they may combine for a good number of devastating home runs allowed.
The D'Backs have a new-look rotation for 2010. Davis, Scherzer, Petit, and Jon Garland are gone after providing two-thirds of the team's starts in '09. The move from Scherzer to Jackson may actually be a more expensive downgrade. I like the Kennedy pickup, but maybe Byrnes would've been better-served trying to pull off a trade without the Scherzer-Jackson component. On the other hand, the D'Backs know Scherzer better than anyone.
Byrnes' arbitration buyout extensions have been a mixed bag so far, with Webb and Dan Haren on the positive side and Chad Tracy, Chris Young, and Chris Snyder on the negative. This winter, the Upton signing was a huge win, while the Reynolds extension didn't appear to bring significant cost savings.
The D'Backs did a solid job in free agency, and have crafted a lineup with few easy outs. Webb is the key to the season, as they'll open with Kennedy as the #3 starter.
Two Clubs Interested In Boof Bonser
At least two teams are interested in Boof Bonser, sources tell Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. McAdam hears that the Cubs and D'Backs are interested in the right-hander. Bonser is out of options, so the Red Sox would have to attempt to put him through waivers if they want to send him to the minors.
D’Backs Looking For Rotation Depth
A National League executive tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the D'Backs are exploring trades for rotation depth. Brandon Webb is recovering from a shoulder injury, so the D'Backs have some concern about their starting five. Right now, that group consists of Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson and some combination of Ian Kennedy, Billy Buckner, Kevin Mulvey and Rodrigo Lopez.
D’Backs Sign Reynolds To Three-Year Deal
The Diamondbacks officially signed third baseman Mark Reynolds to a three-year, $14.5MM deal today. The deal includes a $1MM signing bonus, $500K this year, $5MM in 2011, $7.5MM in '12, and an $11MM club option for '13 with a $500K buyout. Reynolds also received a limited no-trade clause.
Reynolds narrowly missed Super Two status, so 2011 would've been his first arbitration year. This extension overwrites Reynolds' 2010 renewal, meaning the club option is on his last arbitration year. The D'Backs get Reynolds' first two arbitration years at roughly $14MM, so the cost savings don't appear to be great. Piecoro finds Reynolds comparable to Dan Uggla, who will receive $13.15MM for his first two arbitration years and is not on a multiyear deal. The 26-year-old Reynolds broke out with a 44 home run campaign in 2009.
Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic first reported the agreement, and MLB.com's Steve Gilbert added details (via Twitter).
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: Mateo, Kelvim Escobar, Mariners
Links to kick off the work week…
- Dominican outfielder Wagner Mateo is scheduled to work out for the Diamondbacks today, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Mateo's reps don't share the Cardinals' concerns about Mateo's vision.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Rays came second in the Kelvim Escobar bidding, offering $600K. Unlike the Mets, the Rays saw Escobar as a second half contributor.
- Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post thinks stat lovers themselves "may be the new inefficiency in the market," making Adam Dunn a bargain at three years and $40MM even if his defense doesn't improve.
- FanGraphs' Dave Cameron explains why the Astros and Royals sit at the bottom of his organizational rankings.
- SI's Jon Heyman names his "bests" for 2010, with the Angels getting the nod for the best rotation top to bottom. Heyman also talks about Jarrod Washburn, considered a person of interest for Seattle.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Ms are "still pondering backup catching options from outside." There aren't too many available backstops who can be considered clear improvements.
- In his latest GM's Corner video for FOX Sports, Jim Bowden gathers all the GMs involved in the Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee deals. Alex Anthopoulos mentioned that Ruben Amaro Jr. would not include Kyle Drabek or Domonic Brown when Halladay was discussed at the GM Meetings, but relented on Drabek a few weeks later.
- Dustin Parkes of Drunk Jays Fans says "the team has put its money where its mouth is" by signing Adeiny Hechevarria.
Discussion: Andy Sonnanstine
No teams have formally inquired about trading for Andy Sonnanstine, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. However, the right-hander could become the topic of a few trade rumors before the season begins, given Tampa Bay's surplus of starting pitching.
Morosi tweets a few teams that could use another starting pitcher: the Diamondbacks, Mariners, Mets, Twins, Dodgers and Nationals. That list could easily double by Opening Day, with spring performances and injuries potentially raising depth concerns for a few more clubs.
The Rays shouldn't feel any pressure to deal Sonnanstine though. Even if there's no room for him in their rotation, their starting pitching depth is a luxury. As the FOX report suggests, the Rays could use Sonnanstine out of the bullpen as a long reliever, or even send him to Triple-A to start the year, since he has options remaining.
If you were running the Rays, what's your move here? Would you start shopping Sonnanstine, hoping to get some value in return? Or would you keep the right-hander around, providing insurance in case youngsters like Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson struggle?
D’Backs, Kris Benson Agree To Minor League Deal
The Diamondbacks reached an agreement with pitcher Kris Benson on a minor league deal, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that Benson will receive $650K plus $100K of start-based incentives if he's in the big leagues. He also drew interest from the Nationals this winter.
Benson, 35, had rotator cuff surgery in March of '07. He's tallied 163 pro innings since then, most of them unimpressive minor league frames in the Rangers and Phillies organizations.
Benson auditioned for the D'Backs recently, and his agent Gregg Clifton said he was sitting in the 88-89 range. Benson worked at 90 mph with the Mets and Orioles in the two years prior to his injury.
Execs Name Best, Worst Moves Of The Offseason
Recently MLBTR spoke to several MLB executives to gather their nominations for the best and worst moves of the offseason.
Free agent signings that received mention for the best moves: Felipe Lopez, Adrian Beltre, Adam LaRoche, Chone Figgins, Hideki Matsui, and Aroldis Chapman. Said one exec on Chapman: "He might truly live up to the hype." It's hard not to praise the Cards for getting Lopez on a one-year, $1MM deal.
Three trades came up as choices for the best moves of the offseason: the Mariners' acquisition of Cliff Lee, the Royals' trade of Mark Teahen, and the Rangers' trade of Kevin Millwood. One exec noted that the Mariners "didn't trade anyone that can hurt them in the next couple of years" for Lee, while another believed that "trading Lee and Kyle Drabek in the Roy Halladay deal will hurt [the Phillies] in the long run." The Royals received props for "getting some value for Teahen," while the Rangers' increased payroll flexibility from the Millwood deal was noted.
Nominated for the worst moves: free agent deals for Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, Brandon Lyon, Jason Kendall, Aubrey Huff, Jason Marquis, Randy Wolf, and Garrett Atkins. All the execs polled mentioned Holliday's seven year, $120MM deal when choosing their worst deals of the winter. Said one: "The fear that he would sign a one-year deal elsewhere and take his chances a year from now — that just doesn't make sense to me."
Aside from Kendall and Huff, there was a vibe of "like the player, hate the contract" with the panned free agent signings. One exec felt the Royals downgraded behind the plate with Kendall. Huff was nominated as a small-scale misstep, in that the exec felt that "Hank Blalock is better and he couldn't get half that salary on a non-roster deal."