Ben Nicholson-Smith | MLB Trade Rumors

Quick Hits: Qualifying Offers, Swisher, Kennedy

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 2, 2013 at 4:20pm CDT

All but seven of MLBTR's top 50 free agents have agreed to terms, but there are still dozens of unsigned players at this stage in the winter, as MLBTR’s Free Agent Tracker shows. Here are some links from around MLB as the 2013 portion of the 2012-13 offseason gets underway…

Yahoo's Jeff Passan explains the tension between the MLB teams that aim to keep their top draft picks and free agents such as Kyle Lohse, Rafael Soriano, Michael Bourn and Adam LaRoche, who are linked to draft pick compensation after declining qualifying offers. Agent Scott Boras, who represents Lohse, Soriano and Bourn, faces the challenge of finding contracts for these players at a time that some teams are hesitant to engage them.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders if the next collective bargaining agreement will adjust or even overhaul the current system of qualifying offers to find a balance for all parties involved.
Nick Swisher will be introduced to the Cleveland media tomorrow if he passes his physical, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (on Twitter). The Indians agreed to sign the outfielder for $56MM over four years.
Though former Angels infielder Adam Kennedy hasn’t officially retired, he’s opening a baseball development facility in Anaheim next week, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports (on Twitter). The 36-year-old TWC Sports client played in 86 games for the 2012 Dodgers, posting a .262/.345/.357 batting line in 201 plate appearances.
The Dodgers and Mariners haven’t talked about a potential deal involving Andre Ethier in weeks, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Earlier today ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported that the Mariners have called the Dodgers repeatedly to ask about the outfielder.

Indians Designate Jeanmar Gomez For Assignment

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 2, 2013 at 3:08pm CDT

The Indians have designated right-hander Jeanmar Gomez for assignment, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The move creates 40-man roster space for Russ Canzler, who has been claimed from the Blue Jays on waivers.

Gomez started 17 games for the Indians in 2012, appearing in three more out of the bullpen. He posted a 5.96 ERA with 4.7 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 90 2/3 total innings. The 24-year-old has started at least ten games every season since 2010, and owns a 5.18 ERA with 4.9 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in his three-year MLB career.

Indians Claim Russ Canzler

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 2, 2013 at 3:05pm CDT

The Indians have claimed infielder Russ Canzler back from the Blue Jays via waivers, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter). The Blue Jays had claimed Canzler from Cleveland on December 21st, not long after the Indians designated him for assignment.

Canzler appeared in 26 games for the Indians this past season. The 26-year-old posted a .269/.299/.398 batting line in 97 MLB plate appearances while playing first base and left field. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .265/.328/.487 batting line with 22 home runs and 36 doubles in 539 plate appearances.

Rangers, Jason Frasor Nearing Deal

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 2, 2013 at 2:45pm CDT

The Rangers are nearing a one-year deal with free agent reliever Jason Frasor, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News reports. Agent Dave Meier represents the veteran right-hander.

Frasor, 35, pitched for the Blue Jays in 2012, posting a 4.12 ERA with 10.9 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 and a 38.4% ground ball rate in 43 2/3 innings. He didn't pitch at all in August, as forearm tightness led to an extended stint on the disabled list. Frasor, the Blue Jays' all-time leader in appearances, averaged 93 mph with his fastball in 2012. In nine seasons at the MLB level, the Chicago native has a 3.77 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 43.0% ground ball rate. He earned $3.75MM this past season.

At the end of the 2012 regular season Frasor told me that he didn't intend to be overly picky about his next destination. If the sides complete a deal he'll join a Rangers bullpen that includes Joe Nathan and, eventually, Joakim Soria.

This post was first published on January 3rd, 2012.

Olney On Astros, Price, Ethier

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 2, 2013 at 12:43pm CDT

ESPN.com's Buster Olney explains that the Angels, Rangers, A's and Mariners could benefit from Houston's presence in the AL West. The Astros, losers of 100-plus games in 2011 and 2012, project as a sub-.500 team again in 2013. Conversely, NL Central teams such as the Reds and Cardinals might miss their former rival. Here’s more from Olney’s ESPN.com column…

Olney ranks the game's top infields, starting with the Rangers, Tigers and Reds.
There's an assumption within the industry that the Rays will trade David Price sometime in the next calendar year, Olney writes. The left-hander recently avoided arbitration with Tampa Bay, agreeing to a one-year, $10.1MM contract.
The Mariners have called the Dodgers repeatedly to ask about potential trades involving Andre Ethier, Olney reports. The Dodgers intend to hold onto Ethier, but would listen to offers on him. The Mariners haven't presented Los Angeles with a formal proposal, according to Olney.

Cubs Sign Edwin Jackson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 2, 2013 at 11:55am CDT

The Cubs have officially signed Edwin Jackson, the team announced. It's a four-year contract worth $52MM, and it does not include a no-trade clause. Jackson is a Legacy Sports Group client.

The Cubs have worked exceptionally aggressively to add free agent starting pitching this offseason. They already signed Scott Feldman, Scott Baker and Carlos Villanueva to join a rotation led by Matt Garza and Jeff Samardzija. Travis Wood also has considerable experience starting, but he might now project as a reliever.

None of the Cubs' additions will cost the team a future draft pick. The Nationals declined to make Jackson a qualifying offer after the season, which means he wasn’t linked to draft pick compensation. As MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows, Jackson's deal represents the largest free agent contract the Cubs have agreed to under GM Jed Hoyer.

Jackson joins his eighth MLB team and his seventh club since 2008. The 29-year-old spent the 2012 season with the Nationals, posting a 4.03 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 47.3% ground ball rate in 189 2/3 regular season innings. He reached the 180-inning plateau for the fifth consecutive season with an average fastball velocity of 93.5 mph.

Jackson joined Legacy Sports in July, leaving the Boras Corporation. Last winter Jackson obtained a one-year, $11MM contract to play in Washington. One year later, the Indians, Rangers and Padres were among the teams with interest in Jackson.

Jackson ranked seventh on MLBTR’s list of top 50 free agents. As MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows, Kyle Lohse and Shaun Marcum are among the top free agent starters remaining.

Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com first reported the agreement while Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com added details (Twitter links). Mike Axisa contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mets Sign Andrew Brown

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 2, 2013 at 10:01am CDT

The Mets announced that they signed outfielder Andrew Brown to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training (Twitter link).

Brown made his MLB with the 2011 Cardinals before the Rockies claimed him off of waivers from St. Louis. The 28-year-old spent part of the 2012 season with the Rockies, appearing in 46 games as a corner outfielder. Brown, a right-handed hitter, posted a .232/.302/.429 batting line with five home runs in 126 plate appearances with the Rockies this past season. He also appeared in 100 games at Triple-A, posting a .308/.364/.597 batting line with 24 home runs and 33 doubles. However, Colorado granted him free agency in November.

Checking In On Teams In Need Of Pitching

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 2, 2013 at 9:34am CDT

MLBTR’s Zach Links recently checked in on some of baseball’s lowest scoring offenses, noting that clubs such as the Dodgers and Mariners could score more often in 2013 thanks to some of their recent moves. Let’s now turn from run scoring to run prevention and check in on the teams that allowed the most runs in 2012.

Seven teams — the Rockies, Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Astros, Blue Jays and Cubs — posted team ERAs of 4.50 or more this past season, and each club allowed at least 750 runs in total. We'll take a look at those bottom seven teams and see what they've done to improve their pitching and defense so far this offseason. Team name links go to a summary of the moves on MLBTR's Transaction Tracker and 2012 runs allowed totals are in parentheses. For reference, the average MLB team allowed 701 runs this past season.

Rockies (890 runs allowed, 5.22 team ERA) – Jeff Francis, who led the 2012 Rockies with 113 innings pitched, re-signed on a one-year deal. Jorge De La Rosa exercised his player option and Colorado traded for reliever Wilton Lopez. Dan O’Dowd and Bill Geivett must do more to address their run prevention issues in the coming months, or they’ll risk a similarly poor showing in 2013.

Indians (845 runs allowed, 4.78 team ERA) – The Indians started the offseason by exercising Ubaldo Jimenez's 2013 option, and they haven't stopped there. GM Chris Antonetti acquired pitching prospect Trevor Bauer from Arizona along with relievers Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw. They have since agreed to terms with Brett Myers, who projects as a starter in Cleveland.

Twins (832 runs allowed, 4.77 team ERA) – GM Terry Ryan has re-worked his team's pitching staff, trading for Alex Meyer and Vance Worley and signing Kevin Correia, Mike Pelfrey and Rich Harden. The Twins also re-signed a number of pitchers to minor league deals, creating depth. However, the Twins parted with Ben Revere and Denard Span to upgrade their pitching, which creates questions about Minnesota's outfield defense.

Red Sox (806 runs allowed, 4.70 team ERA) – The Red Sox upgraded their rotation by signing Ryan Dempster to a two-year contract. They've also addressed their bullpen, trading for Joel Hanrahan and signing Koji Uehara to a one-year contract. On defense, Shane Victorino will play right field, but defensive standout Jose Iglesias no longer projects as a starter and it looks as though Mike Napoli will replace the sure-handed combination of Adrian Gonzalez and James Loney at first base.

Astros (794 runs allowed, 4.56 team ERA) – The Astros have made some relatively low-profile changes to their pitching staff as they prepare for their first season in the American League. The club acquired Alex White for Wilton Lopez, claimed Philip Humber off of waivers, traded for John Ely, and signed reliever Jose Veras to a one-year deal. At this point it looks as though Houston will have trouble preventing runs again in 2013.

Blue Jays (784 runs allowed, 4.64 team ERA) – The Toronto front office overhauled a starting rotation that lacked depth in 2012. Defending Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey joins newcomers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle in a rotation that now looks like a strength instead of a major weakness. GM Alex Anthopoulos also traded for Esmil Rogers and added numerous others via waiver claims and minor league signings. The future of Darren Oliver still has to be determined, but other than that Toronto's pitching staff seems essentially set.

Cubs (759 runs allowed, 4.51 team ERA) - The Cubs have upgraded their rotation in a meaningful way, adding Edwin Jackson, Scott Feldman, Carlos Villanueva and Scott Baker on free agent contracts. They also retained free agent Shawn Camp and signed right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa and left-hander Hisanori Takahashi. Chicago’s pitching staff could be much stronger in 2013.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Red Sox Sign Stephen Drew

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 26, 2012 at 1:10pm CDT

The Red Sox have officially signed free agent shortstop Stephen Drew to a one-year contract, the team announced. The Scott Boras client will earn $9.5MM in 2013, with another $500K available in performance bonuses.

Drew, 29, will have the chance to re-build his value in Boston and seek a multiyear deal in free agency a year from now. He posted a .223/.309/.348 batting line with seven home runs in 327 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks and Athletics this past season. The ankle injury that ended Drew's 2011 season prematurely sidelined him until the end of June, 2012.

Drew's presence in Boston will push 22-year-old infielder Jose Iglesias to the bench, or perhaps to the minor leagues. Known for his tremendous defense, Iglesias has a .264/.313/.314 batting line as a minor leaguer and doesn't have Drew's offensive upside.

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has added a number of veteran free agents so far this offseason. Shane Victorino, Ryan Dempster, David Ross, Mike Napoli and Koji Uehara have also agreed to deals with the Red Sox (Napoli's deal hasn't been finalized, however).

The Indians, Tigers, Athletics, Yankees, and Cardinals also showed interest in Drew this offseason. He ranked 24th on MLBTR’s list of top 50 free agents, but wasn’t linked to draft pick compensation, since he wasn’t eligible to obtain a qualifying offer.

As MLBTR’s Free Agent Tracker shows, the class of free agent shortstops looks especially thin with Drew off of the board. Interested teams could turn to the trade market, where Asdrubal Cabrera and Jed Lowrie are among the potential trade targets.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the agreement while also adding details with ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter links). Mike Axisa contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Nationals Aim To Resolve LaRoche Talks

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 21, 2012 at 4:25pm CDT

The Nationals want to settle their negotiations with Adam LaRoche, and could press for resolution soon, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. Though general manager Mike Rizzo wouldn’t issue the free agent first baseman an ultimatum, he might deliver “something close to it.”

The Nationals made LaRoche a two-year offer earlier in the offseason after he declined a qualifying offer. Rizzo could tell LaRoche that the Nationals intend to proceed with internal options if he doesn’t accept their offer, Kilgore writes. If LaRoche signs elsewhere — teams such as the Orioles and Rangers could be interested — the Nationals would rely on Michael Morse at first base. If LaRoche accepts the Nationals’ offer, Morse would become a trade candidate. LaRoche wants a three-year deal, but he’s tied to draft pick compensation, which could be limiting his free agent value.

The Nationals aren’t worried about the possibility of another team offering LaRoche a three-year deal, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reported today (Twitter links). In that scenario the Nationals would obtain a compensatory draft pick from the signing team. The Nationals won’t give LaRoche a three-year deal, according to Bowden, the team’s former GM.

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