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Phillies Sign Aaron Cook

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The Phillies signed free agent starter Aaron Cook to a minor league deal, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Pro Star Management, Inc. client would earn $1.625MM at the MLB level.

Cook started 18 games for the Red Sox in 2012 after signing with Boston last January. The 33-year-old posted a 5.65 ERA with 1.9 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 58.6% ground ball rate in 94 innings. His fastball averaged 89.8 mph, but he generated swings and misses on just 3.7% of his offerings, according to FanGraphs.

Cook, an 11-year MLB veteran, has a 4.60 ERA with 3.7 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 at the big league level. The Rockies also appeared to have some interest in him this winter.

Mets Notes: Brian Wilson, Scott Hairston

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The Mets completed a nine-figure contract extension and made a blockbuster trade this winter, but they’ve been quiet in free agency. Mike Puma of the New York Post has the latest on their current pursuits…

  • The Mets watched free agent reliever Brian Wilson this weekend, and weren’t impressed, Puma reports. The Mets don’t consider the rehabbing right-hander to be worthy of a big league deal at this point. Wilson, who’s recovering from Tommy John surgery, wasn’t interested in a minor league contract, according to Puma. The Mets could watch him pitch later on, but right now he’s not physically ready in the view of Mets personnel. “He’s got a ways to go,” one person said. The Mets were known to have interest in Wilson.
  • It’s believed that the Mets countered Scott Hairston’s asking price of two years and $8MM with a one-year, $2MM offer, Puma reports. One source suggested to the Post that the Mets will find a way of adding an outfielder even if they don’t re-sign the free agent Hairston.

Dodgers Sign Jesus Flores

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The Dodgers signed catcher Jesus Flores to a minor league deal that includes in invitation to Spring Training, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). Praver/Shapiro represents Flores, who was non-tendered by the Nationals earlier in the offseason.

Flores appeared in 83 games for the Nationals this past season. The 28-year-old posted a .213/.248/.329 batting line with six home runs and 12 doubles in 296 plate appearances. Flores, who bats and throws right-handed, prevented 27% of stolen base attempts against him in 2012. He'll provide depth behind A.J. Ellis along with Tim Federowicz.

Marlins To Sign Mike Wuertz, Nick Green

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We'll track the day's minor moves right here… 

  • The Marlins agreed to sign reliever Mike Wuertz to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training, according to the Beverly Hills Sports Council (via Twitter). The 34-year-old last appeared in the big leagues in 2011 with the Athletics as his lack of control (7.0 BB/9) led to his eventual release. Wuertz enjoyed success earlier in his career with the Cubs where a high K/9 ratio (9.3) with stronger command made him an asset to the Chicago bullpen. The newest member of the Marlins organization did not pitch at any level during the 2012 season.
  • Miami also struck a minor league deal with infielder Nick Green that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports. The veteran will have an"excellent chance" to make the team as a backup infielder, Frisaro writes. Green, 34, appeared in seven games with the Marlins in 2012, but he spent more time at Triple-A, where he posted a .344/.397/.599 batting line with 12 home runs in 237 plate appearances. Green battled a thumb injury last year, but has since recovered.

Daniel Seco contributed to this post.

Nationals To Sign Rafael Soriano

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The Nationals agreed to sign free agent closer Rafael Soriano to a two-year, $28MM contract, Yahoo's Jeff Passan reports (Twitter links). Soriano will receive $7MM in 2013, $7MM in 2014 and the remaining $14MM in deferred payments from 2018-2025, reports Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The deal includes a 2015 option valued at $14MM that will vest if Soriano finishes 120 games over the course of the next two seasons. Agent Scott Boras represents Soriano.

Rafael Soriano - Yankees (PW)

Soriano posted a 2.26 ERA with 9.2 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 35.9% ground ball rate for the Yankees this past season. The 33-year-old saved 42 games, reaching the 40-save plateau for the second time in three seasons.

He ranked 17th on MLBTR’s list of top 50 free agents entering the offseason, and passed on two contracts that were available to him earlier in the winter. He opted out of his existing contract with the Yankees then declined New York’s qualifying offer.

The decision to decline the Yankees’ qualifying offer linked Soriano to draft pick compensation. The Nationals will lose a draft pick for signing Soriano, and the Yankees will obtain a compensatory selection for their loss. The Nationals stand to lose the 29th overall selection, while the Yankees are now poised to gain the 32nd overall selection, Jim Callis of Baseball America notes (on Twitter). Throughout the process Boras insisted he’d find a favorable deal for his client.

Soriano's deal resembles the two-year, $30MM contract Mariano Rivera signed with the Yankees before the 2011 season. Non-relievers such as Ryan Dempster, David Ortiz and Torii Hunter signed two-year deals worth a comparable amount earlier this offseason, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows.

Soriano joins a Nationals bullpen that includes right-handers Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard, Craig Stammen, Ryan Mattheus and Henry Rodriguez. Washington doesn't boast much established left-handed relief after losing Sean Burnett, Tom Gorzelanny and Mike Gonzalez to free agency.

Boras represents a number of Nationals players, as MLBTR's Agency Database shows. Bryce Harper, Danny Espinosa, Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg and Jayson Werth are also clients of the Boras Corporation. 

Nationals owner Ted Lerner was "heavily involved" in bringing Soriano to Washington, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. The Dodgers were also in the mix for Soriano, MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reports (on Twitter). The Yankees never engaged Soriano after he declined their qualifying offer, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Morosi that Detroit "did not seriously pursue" the reliever either.

Michael Bourn and Kyle Lohse, two other Boras clients, are now the lone remaining free agents still linked to draft pick compensation. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Quick Hits: Wuertz, Webb, Wheeler

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Rafael Soriano’s two-year, $28MM agreement with the Nationals dominated headlines this afternoon, but let’s not let the news overshadow some other notes from around MLB. Here are Tuesday’s links…

  • Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN in Minneapolis suggests reliever Michael Wuertz will soon sign a minor league deal with a National League team (Twitter link).
  • NL East teams such as the Phillies, Marlins, Nationals and Mets are keeping tabs on free agent right-hander Brandon Webb, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
  • The Mets won’t trade Zack Wheeler to acquire Justin Upton from Arizona, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter link). The Mets and Diamondbacks don’t see a fit for a deal involving Upton at this point, Heyman adds. New York does have interest in high-profile outfielders such as Upton.
  • The Red Sox have seen all of Javier Vazquez's starts in Puerto Rico, Peter Gammons of MLB Network reports (on Twitter). Many clubs will be watching the free agent right-hander pitch today, Gammons notes. Vazquez, 36, has said he's not in a hurry to sign.

Hairston Expected To Choose Team This Week

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4:09pm: The Cubs also talked to Hairston, Heyman reports (on Twitter). Hairston could complement left-handed hitters such as David DeJesus and Nate Schierholtz in Chicago.

3:18pm: The Mets balked when Hairston asked for $8MM over two years, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Yankees aren't involved, but the outfielder still seems upbeat, Heyman adds.

10:46am: Free agent outfielder Scott Hairston is expected to choose a team this week, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter).

The Yankees, Mets, Braves and Phillies have been linked to Hairston this winter. At one point the two New York teams were viewed as finalists for the right-handed hitting outfielder, but the Mets now appear to be targeting bigger names.

Hairston hit 20 homers and posted a .263/.299/.504 batting line for the Mets this past season. The 32-year-old played all three outfield positions, spending most of his time in the two corner spots. He faced left-handed pitching in precisely half of his 398 plate appearances and, as usual, he excelled against lefties with a .286/.317/.550 batting line and 11 home runs.

Hairston, an Excel Sports Management client, earned $1.1MM in each of the past two seasons. He could be looking for a two-year contract in the $10MM range following Jonny Gomes’ deal with the Red Sox.

AL East Notes: Rays, Blue Jays, Johnson

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Links from the only division in baseball that featured three 90-win teams in 2012…

Giants Could Re-Sign Lincecum

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Tim Lincecum struggled often in 2012, but the Giants haven’t given up on him long-term, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Twitter links). In fact, the prospect of re-signing Lincecum next offseason, when he’s eligible for free agency for the first time, figured into some of the Giants’ budgetary decisions this year.

Lincecum will hit free agency after earning $22MM in 2013. The 28-year-old has two Cy Young Awards and two World Series titles on his resume, but he struggled throughout the 2012 regular season, posting a 5.18 ERA with 9.2 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 45.9% ground ball rate in 186 innings. Lincecum, a client of Beverly Hills Sports Council, led the league in wild pitches and earned runs during the regular season before contributing out of the bullpen during the Giants' World Series run. His average fastball velocity dipped to a career low 90.4 mph during the regular season.

Rangers Sign Kyle McClellan

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The Rangers announced that they signed right-hander Kyle McClellan to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training. Agent Steve Comte represents McClellan.

McClellan didn't pitch after the Cardinals placed him on the disabled list last May 18th. The 28-year-old had right elbow and shoulder surgery on July 10th, but has already begun throwing again. The Rangers expect he'll be ready for the beginning of Spring Training.

The Cardinals released McClellan in November instead of going to arbitration and facing an expected $2.4MM salary. In the four seasons leading up to the 2012 campaign, McClellan posted a 3.61 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 359 1/3 innings for St. Louis, mostly as a member of the Cardinals' bullpen.

The Rangers also announced that they signed left-hander Ryan Feierabend and right-hander Kevin Pucetas to minor league contracts. Feierabend has MLB experience, though he last pitched in the big leagues in 2008.

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