NL East Notes: Chipper, Werth, Rollins
The Mets made a minor trade and the Marlins are finalizing their roster. Here's the latest from the other NL East teams…
- The Braves are looking to upgrade their bench with another right-handed bat, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). The Braves have been on the lookout for such a player throughout the month of March.
- In a wide-ranging Q&A with David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chipper Jones says the hardest part of getting older is that something hurts every day. But fret not, Braves fans – Chipper's knee has been pain-free for three weeks.
- As Tyler Kepner of the New York Times explains, a visit with a wrist surgeon changed the course of Jayson Werth's career a little more than four years ago. The Nationals lured Werth to Washington this offseason, signing him to a $126MM deal.
- Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins tells Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he has six or seven more years of baseball left. The 32-year-old hits free agency after the season.
Dodgers Sign Billingsley To Three-Year Extension
The Dodgers announced that they have signed Chad Billingsley to a three-year extension that includes a team option for a fourth year. Billingsley will earn a guaranteed $35MM from 2012-14, his final season of arbitration eligibility and his first two free agent seasons. The Dodgers say they chose to invest in the pitcher because of his history of success and durability.
“Through his professional career Chad has shown that he is very capable of winning games and taking the ball,” GM Ned Colletti said. “His won-loss record speaks to that as well as his innings pitched totals.”
Billingsley will earn $6.275MM in 2011, his second of three seasons as an arbitration eligible player. Under his new extension, the right-hander will then earn $9MM in 2012, $11MM in 2013, $12MM in 2014 and either $14MM or a $3MM buyout in 2015. The deal includes a clause which allows Billingsley to block trades to ten teams.
Billingsley, a Dave Stewart client, has been a steady presence in the Dodgers' rotation since 2006. He posted a 3.57 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 191 2/3 innings last year. His career numbers – 59-41 record, 3.55 ERA, 825 2/3 innings, 8.2 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 – have led to larger-than-usual rewards through arbitration. With a typical season in 2011, Billingsley could have asked for an eight-figure salary in '12 and hit free agency afterwards, but the extension provides security and extends his stay in California.
Francisco Liriano, Trevor Cahill, Jered Weaver, Clay Buchholz, C.J. Wilson and Clayton Kershaw are among the top starting pitchers currently without multiyear extensions.
Joe McDonnell of FoxSportsWest.com (Twitter link) first reported the deal and Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles and Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times added detail (all Twitter links).
Quick Hits: Padres, Pirates, Rangers
Links from around the majors as Armando Galarraga makes Arizona's rotation…
- One scout tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that every team is kicking the tires on bullpen help, back-of-the-rotation starters, utility players and backup catchers (Twitter link).
- Scouts break down former Padres, current Padres, and other West Coast teams for Tom Krasovic of Inside the Padres. One scout says there's "no doubt" that Cameron Maybin can play center field in spacious Petco park.
- Top Pirates prospects Stetson Allie, Jameson Taillon and Tony Sanchez have little in common off of the field, but are looking forward to making an impact in Pittsburgh, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers are looking for a shortstop for Triple-A and suggests Luis Cruz, Tony Abreu and Juan Castro are options.
NL East Notes: Phillies, Marlins, Isringhausen
It has been a busy day in the NL East as the Phillies completed a signing, the Braves made a trade and the Mets placed three players on waivers. Here's the rest of what you need to know about the division…
- Alden Gonzalez previews the NL East for MLB.com and, with some help, predicts the Phillies will win the division, followed by the Braves, Marlins, Nationals and Mets.
- MLB.com's Mark Bauman argues that the margin for error has shrunk for the Phillies' highly-regarded rotation, because Brad Lidge and Chase Utley have been sidelined with injuries.
- Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest told MLB.com's Joe Frisaro that he isn't actively looking to make any deals between now and Opening Day, though he'll watch out for possible bargains. "You always look to see if there is an upgrade or a different fit for your club," Beinfest said. "We're not going to do something [just] to do something. It's going to have to be an upgrade over what we think we have here."
- If the Marlins acquire a third baseman, it would essentially be a "place-keeper" for prospect Matt Dominguez, Beinfest said.
- Like Bartolo Colon of the Yankees, Jason Isringhausen of the Mets surprised people this spring and pitched well enough to earn a roster spot despite a history of injuries. Joel Sherman of the New York Post explains the parallels between the two pitchers and the uncertainty surrounding them.
Padres Release Oscar Salazar
The Padres released infielder Oscar Salazar, the team announced. San Diego acquired Salazar in the 2009 trade that saw the Orioles acquire Cla Meredith, who was also released this month.
Salazar played first, second, third and both corner outfield positions last year, posting a .237/.318/.336 line in 148 plate appearances. The Padres acquired Alberto Gonzalez earlier today, so they no longer needed the 32-year-old Salazar.
In related moves, the Padres called Cedric Hunter up from Triple-A, optioned Wade LeBlanc, Aaron Cunningham and Everth Cabrera to Triple-A, reassigned Randy Flores, Guillermo Quiroz and Logan Forsythe to minor league camp and placed Eric Patterson on the 15-day DL.
Phillies To Sign Kevin Frandsen
The Phillies have agreed to sign Kevin Frandsen to a minor league contract, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). The infielder will head to Triple-A for now.
Frandsen nearly signed with Arizona after the Padres released him, but the deal with the D'Backs fell through. He'll provide the Phillies with depth behind Wilson Valdez, the newly-acquired Luis Castillo and the injured Chase Utley. Jon Heyman of SI.com reported earlier today that Castillo appears likely to start the season at second while Utley recovers (Twitter link).
Frandsen, 28, has big league experience at third, short, first and both corner outfield positions, but he has played more games at second than at any other position. He hit .250/.294/.319 in 173 plate appearances for the Angels last year.
Padres Acquire Alberto Gonzalez
The Padres acquired Alberto Gonzalez from the Nationals for right-hander Erik Davis and cash considerations, the teams announced. The Padres, who had been working to upgrade their bench, were looking hard at Gonzalez this week. The A's, Astros and Braves were also eyeing the infielder over the weekend.
Davis split the 2010 campaign between three levels, posting a 3.52 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 143 1/3 innings as a starter. The 24-year-old right-hander has made just eight starts above Class A, where he spent the first two seasons of his pro career. Davis, who played at Stanford with Nationals reliever Drew Storen, led all minor league pitchers with 30 wins in 2009-10.
Gonzalez, 27, played in 114 games last year, appearing at every infield position and in right field. He hit .247/.277/.301 last year in his fourth MLB season.
The move boosts the chances that Mets infielder Luis Hernandez goes unclaimed while on waivers.
Abreu, Ramirez, Blanco, Mets On Waivers
D'Backs infielder Tony Abreu, Cubs catcher Max Ramirez, Royals outfielder Gregor Blanco and Mets infielder Luis Hernandez are on waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork adds that Nick Evans and Pat Misch of the Mets are also on waivers.
It's not surprising to see Abreu on waivers, since Arizona made him available earlier in the month. Ramirez is no stranger to waivers, having been claimed twice this past winter. Hernandez doesn't have an obvious role on the Mets and has drawn trade interest.
Yankees Release Ronnie Belliard
The Yankees released Ronnie Belliard, according to Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). The Yankees signed the veteran infielder to a minor league deal last month, but he did not make the team. Instead, Eduardo Nunez and Eric Chavez will be the Yankees' backup infielders.
Belliard, 35, hit .216/.295/.327 in 185 plate appearances for the Dodgers last year, playing first, second and third. He has a .273/.338/.415 line in 13 MLB seasons.
Royals Rumors: Pena, Treanor, May, Adcock
The latest on the Royals, who acquired Matt Treanor today…
- It seems that the Royals will team Brayan Pena and Treanor behind the plate, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). This means Lucas May might not break camp with the Royals.
- May is out of options and GM Dayton Moore says the Royals are "probably looking to do something" with him. A trade is the preferred route, according to Dutton (on Twitter).
- Moore confirmed to Dutton that Rule 5 selection Nate Adcock will make the team (Twitter link).
- Rany Jazayerli analyzes each pitcher on the Royals' projected Opening Day staff.