Ben Nicholson-Smith | MLB Trade Rumors

Phillies To Sign Chad Durbin

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 28, 2013 at 9:50am CDT

9:50am: Durbin's deal includes a base salary of $1.1MM and $350K in incentives, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter).

9:33am: The Phillies have agreed to sign free agent reliever Chad Durbin to a one-year contract that includes a club option for 2014, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. All Bases Covered Sports represents the 35-year-old right-hander, who pitched for the Phillies from 2008-10.

Durbin appeared in 76 games for the Braves in 2012, pitching 61 innings. He posted a 3.10 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 and a 47.7% ground ball rate out of the Atlanta bullpen and drew interest from the team earlier in the offseason. In 13 seasons at the MLB level, Durbin has a 4.95 ERA with 6.2 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 41.9% ground ball rate. Those totals include a 3.62 ERA in 194 games with the Phillies from 2008-10. Durbin has pitched at least 60 innings in every one of the last six seasons.

GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said entering the offseason that he intended to add non-closing relievers for 2013. The Phillies signed Mike Adams to a two-year, $12MM contract earlier in the winter.

NL East Notes: Marlins, Mets, Phillies

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 28, 2013 at 9:20am CDT

Two NL East teams, the Nationals and Phillies, have projected payrolls surpassing $100MM for the 2013 season. Meanwhile, the Mets and Braves project to spend $80MM and $83MM on payroll, respectively. The Marlins will round out the division with a payroll in the $30-40MM range. Here are some links from the NL East, starting in Miami

Tension exists between Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and some MLB players, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald explains. “Players don’t trust him,” one prominent agent told Jackson following the Marlins’ recent trade with Toronto. Players say the owner gets too close for comfort. “He’s always looking in the dugout,” one former Marlin told Jackson. “Mind your business!"
Mets GM Sandy Alderson sounds more optimistic about adding a reliever than acquiring an outfielder, Dan Martin of the New York Post writes. The Mets are hesitant to hand Frank Francisco the closer job again and have expressed interest in Brian Wilson and others.
Alderson discussed his offseason plans in detail on MLB Network Radio yesterday. For the latest on closers around the league follow @closernews throughout the fantasy baseball season.
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. expects his team will compete in the NL East, even as division rivals make improvements, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. "Absolutely. It's up to the players to prove me right, I guess," the GM said.

Athletics Interested In Hideki Okajima

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 28, 2013 at 8:01am CDT

The Athletics are considering signing Hideki Okajima, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The left-hander spent the 2012 season pitching with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks after pitching with the Red Sox from 2007-11.

Okajima posted a 0.94 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9 over the course of 47 2/3 innings in Japan last year. He was a key contributor in Boston's bullpen from 2007-10, posting a 3.06 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 over the course of 254 appearances during that four-year period. Agent Joe Rosen represents Okajima, who turned 37 last month.

Left-handed relievers Sean Doolittle, Jerry Blevins and Jordan Norberto provide the A's with depth entering the 2013 season. However, bringing in Okajima would presumably be a low-risk move from the team’s perspective.

Latest On Kershaw, Dodgers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 25, 2013 at 4:25pm CDT

It won’t be a surprise if the Dodgers’ aggressive new ownership group looks to sign Clayton Kershaw to a long-term deal. However, those discussions haven’t taken place just yet. The left-hander told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that he and the Dodgers haven’t started discussing a contract extension.

“We’ll see,” Kershaw said. “I don’t have any expectations.”

The Dodgers are expected to discuss an extension before Spring Training begins next month, Hernandez writes. The Excel Sports Management client will earn $11MM in 2013 and is now on track to hit free agency following the 2014 season. He’ll go to arbitration one last time next offseason if the sides don’t agree to a multiyear deal before then.

Kershaw, the NL Cy Young winner in 2011, was the runner-up for the award this past season. He posted a 2.53 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 227 2/3 innings in 2012, leading the NL in ERA for the second consecutive season. Hernandez reports that Kershaw has been throwing off a mound without being bothered by his hip.

Cardinals Interested In Ronny Cedeno

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 25, 2013 at 4:15pm CDT

MONDAY: It appears that Cedeno is headed to the Cardinals, Heyman reports (on Twitter).

FRIDAY: The Cardinals are one of many teams interested in shortstop Ronny Cedeno, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. It's been a quiet offseason for Cedeno, at least based on recent reports.

Cedeno played for the Mets last year, appearing in 78 games, mostly as a middle infielder. The 29-year-old posted a .259/.332/.410 batting line in 186 plate appearances with New York. He earned $1.2MM, and has earned between $1-2MM in each of the last three seasons.

Rafael Furcal projects as St. Louis' starting shortstop, but he could miss the start of the season due to an elbow injury. Pete Kozma provides St. Louis with an internal alternative at the position.

Largest Remaining Arbitration Cases

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 25, 2013 at 2:34pm CDT

When the offseason began, MLBTR had projected arbitration salaries for more than 200 players. Most of those players have agreed to terms with their respective clubs, and many others were non-tendered or otherwise removed from their teams' 40-man rosters. That leaves 29 unsigned arbitration eligible players, including many high profile cases. Using MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker let's take a look at the ten unsigned players who filed for $5MM plus when they exchanged figures with teams one week ago…

Chase Headley filed for $10.3MM, Padres countered with $7.075MM
Jason Hammel filed for $8.25MM, Orioles countered with $5.7MM
Shin-Soo Choo filed for $8MM, Reds countered with $6.75MM
Max Scherzer filed for $7.4MM, Tigers countered with $6.05MM
Jim Johnson filed for $7.1MM, Orioles countered with $5.7MM
Martin Prado filed for $7.05MM, Braves countered with $6.65MM
Homer Bailey filed for $5.8MM, Reds countered with $4.75MM
Jordan Zimmermann filed for $5.8MM, Nationals countered with $4.6MM
Clayton Richard filed for $5.55MM, Padres countered with $4.905MM
Dexter Fowler filed for $5.15MM, Rockies countered with $4.25MM

The Diamondbacks, who acquired Prado from Atlanta yesterday, will have to defend the Braves’ filing number if they don’t work out a multiyear agreement with their new acquisition. Many others, including Bailey and Zimmermann, are also candidates for multiyear deals.

Hearings will begin next month, though these cases won't necessarily end up going before panels of arbitrators. No file and trial team has any remaining arb eligible players, as Tim Dierkes recently explained. That said, the Nationals have been regulars at arb hearings in recent years, even though they aren't technically a file and trial team.

Royals Designate Tony Abreu For Assignment

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 25, 2013 at 1:20pm CDT

The Royals announced that they designated infielder Tony Abreu for assignment. The move creates roster space for George Kottaras, who was claimed off of waivers from the Athletics.

Abreu, 28, appeared in 22 games for the Royals last year, playing second base, third base and shortstop. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Omaha and posted a .322/.347/.492 batting line with 36 doubles in 453 plate appearances.

Royals Claim George Kottaras

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 25, 2013 at 1:18pm CDT

The Royals announced that they claimed catcher George Kottaras off of waivers from the Athletics. The A's had designated Kottaras for assignment to create roster space for John Jaso last week.

Kottaras hit nine home runs and posted a .211/.351/.415 batting line in 209 plate appearances last year. Oakland acquired the 29-year-old from the Brewers for Fautino De Los Santos in July. He'll earn $1MM in 2013 and will remain under team control as an arbitration eligible player through 2015.

Giants, Arias Avoid Arbitration

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 25, 2013 at 12:09pm CDT

We'll track the day's arbitration settlements under $2MM here. Be sure to use MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker for all the details related to this year's cases…

The Giants avoided arbitration with Joaquin Arias by agreeing a one-year deal, MLB.com's Chris Haft reports (on Twitter). The Beverly Hills Sports Council client will earn $925K in 2013. As our Arb Tracker shows, the Giants have one unresolved arbitration case remaining; Sergio Romo's 2013 salary remains undetermined.

Yankees, David Robertson Avoid Arbitration

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 25, 2013 at 11:11am CDT

The Yankees avoided arbitration with David Robertson, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The sides agreed on a one-year, $3.1MM deal for 2013.

Robertston had filed for a salary of $3.55MM and the Yankees had countered with a $2.85MM offer, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. The $3.1MM agreement sits slightly below the $3.2MM midpoint between the sides' filing numbers. Robertson, a Lapa/Leventhal client, remains on track to hit free agency following the 2014 season.

The Yankees have now agreed to terms with all five of their arb eligible players.

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