Yankees Have Strong Interest In Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones appears to be the Yankees' top choice as they continue to search for a fourth outfielder, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). The sides are still apart on money, Heyman writes. Agent Scott Boras, who represents Jones, also represents Johnny Damon, who is one of the Yankees' backup options. Former Yankee Marcus Thames is still a consideration for the Bronx Bombers.
The Yankees are looking for an outfielder who bats from the right side and can handle left and center field against tough lefties. The team wants a player that can give left-handed batters Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner some rest against select southpaws and provide the team with depth.
Jones, 33, hit 19 homers for the White Sox last year, playing all three outfield positions. He has an .863 OPS against lefties in his career, including a .931 mark in 2010.
Rangers Pursuing Jim Thome
Though the Rangers are out on Vladimir Guerrero, they appear interested in adding another aging but productive slugger. The team is actively trying to lure Jim Thome to Texas, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link).
Thome posted a .283/.412/.627 line in 340 plate appearances with the Twins last year, belting 25 homers. The 20-year MLB veteran was typically productive against right-handed pitching, posting a .302/.455/.698 line against righties.
Cubs Claim Max Ramirez
Max Ramirez has been claimed on waivers for the second time in six days. This time, the Cubs claimed him from the Red Sox, according to the teams. The Red Sox claimed Ramirez from the Rangers last week after working to acquire him for Mike Lowell last offseason. For the second consecutive winter, the Red Sox have had Ramirez within their grasp only to lose him.
Ramirez will restore some of the catching depth the Cubs lost when they sent Robinson Chirinos to the Rays in last week's Matt Garza trade. Ramirez appeared in 28 games for the Rangers last year and posted a .217/.341/.348 line in 85 plate appearances. The 26-year-old has spent most of his seven-year pro career in the minors, where he has a .298/.396/.476 line.
Before the 2010 season, Baseball America wrote that Ramirez is "a plus hitter who works the count and drives the ball to all fields" when healthy. However, the publication described the catcher as a below-average defender with below-average arm strength and well below-average running speed.
The out-of-options catcher could compete with Welington Castillo and Koyie Hill to back up Geovany Soto.
Astros Acquire Sergio Escalona
The Astros acquired left-hander Sergio Escalona from the Phillies for minor league second baseman Albert Cartwright, according to the teams. The Phillies designated Escalona for assignment over the weekend to make room for J.C. Romero. Escalona, who will be added to Houston's 40-man roster, appealed to the Astros because of his ability to retire left-handed hitters.
“Sergio adds depth to the competition for lefthanders in our bullpen,” GM Ed Wade said in a statement. “Our scouts have liked his stuff and believe he’s got a chance to be very effective in left-on-left situations.”
Wade was Philadelphia's GM when the Phillies signed Escalona out of Venezuela in May of 2004. The 26-year-old posted a 4.61 ERA in 14 appearances for the 2009 Phillies, but most of his pro experience has come in the minor leagues. Escalona posted a 3.81 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 50 relief appearances at Double-A Reading last year.
Lefties Wesley Wright, Fernando Abad and Gustavo Chacin will also be contenders for jobs in manager Brad Mills' 'pen this spring.
Cartwright, 23, split last season between Class A and Double-A, batting .294/.355/.472 in 547 plate appearances. As MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows, this isn't the first time Wade and Ruben Amaro Jr. have made deals together; the Roy Oswalt trade is their most memorable swap.
Revisiting AL Free Agent Arbitration Decisions
At the end of November, 16 American League free agents declined their teams' offers of arbitration. In doing so, they forfeited the chance to settle on one-year deals with their former clubs through the arbitration process and launched themselves into free agency.
If the players below had accepted arbitration like Frank Francisco and Jason Frasor did, they would have signed one-year deals with their former clubs. While the players wouldn’t have been guaranteed raises, those who go through the arbitration process rarely take significant pay cuts.
The chart below will help examine the decisions that players and their agents made in November. It shows the players' 2010 salaries and, if applicable, the new deals they've agreed to.
Regular MLBTR Features
If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, our Week In Review posts and Mike Axisa's Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature. Here's some more detail on when you'll see our weekly features and exactly what to expect from them:
- MLBTR Chats – Come by every Wednesday at 2pm CDT to chat about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the major leagues.
- Baseball Blogs Weigh In – Every Friday morning, Mike Axisa directs you to some of the best writing on baseball blogs around the web. Whether it's opinion, stats or something else entirely, you can connect to the best of the blogosphere once a week on MLBTR. If you want to send Mike a post of yours, reach him at: mike@riveraveblues.com.
- Week In Review – It's amazing how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, we summarize the week's biggest stories in our Week In Review posts.
- MLBTR Originals – We gather all our original analysis and reporting in one place every Sunday night.
Top Ten Remaining Free Agents
Only 11 of MLBTR's top 50 free agents remain unsigned. Johnny Damon checks in at number 11 and here are the top ten, with their original rankings in parentheses and their rumored suitors to this point in the winter:
1. Rafael Soriano (7) – The Yankees might be in, but the White Sox, Rangers and Cardinals don't appear to have interest. Are the Angels going to step up after a relatively quiet winter?
2. Carl Pavano (13) – The Twins are closing in on a deal with the right-hander.
3. Jim Thome (18) – Thome will play in 2011, but it's hard to predict which team will sign him. To vote on the slugger's future, click here.
4. Vladimir Guerrero (19) – The Orioles, Angels and Rays are reportedly interested in Vlad.
5. Manny Ramirez (20) – Predicting Manny's next team isn't much easier than predicting his next quirky move. There's a good chance he ends up DHing on a one-year deal.
6. Andy Pettitte - (25) – The veteran lefty is still undecided about his future, so the Yankees are still in limbo.
7. Brian Fuentes (33) - The Pirates aren't pursuing Fuentes, but the Blue Jays and Rays are among the lefty's many suitors.
8. Kevin Millwood (38) – The Rockies, Cubs and Royals have been linked to Millwood this offseason.
9. Grant Balfour (42) – Balfour, a Type A free agent, will cost a draft pick. The O's expressed interest before signing Kevin Gregg, but it's not clear if the team is still considering Balfour.
10. Scott Podsednik (44) – The Angels are in on Podsednik and the Reds maintain interest, though they added the left-handed hitting Jeremy Hermida.
Cubs Acquire Matt Garza
Eight player trades don't come along very often, but the Rays and Cubs finalized one today. Tampa sent Matt Garza, Fernando Perez, and minor leaguer Zach Rosscup to Chicago in exchange for Sam Fuld and prospects Chris Archer, Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos, and Hak-Ju Lee.
Garza, 27, posted a 3.91 ERA with 6.6 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 35.8% ground ball rate in 204 2/3 innings for the Rays last year. He heads to arbitration for the second time this winter and is set to receive a raise from the $3.35MM salary he earned in 2010.
Garza joins Ryan Dempster, Tom Gorzelanny, Randy Wells, Carlos Zambrano and Carlos Silva in a crowded Chicago rotation. It wouldn't be surprising to see Cubs starters appear in trade rumors before long. If any team could afford to spare a starter, it was the Rays, who still have David Price, James Shields, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson. The return from the Cubs doesn't impact Tampa's Opening Day roster, but it adds depth to the Rays' already impressive farm system.
The 80-89 Win Club
A third of the teams in baseball won between 80 and 89 games last year. None of them made the playoffs, but all of them were within striking distance of a postseason berth. The ten teams have had wildly different approaches to the 2010-11 offseason – at least so far. I've broken the clubs down into three groups, with their 2010 win totals in parentheses and links that send you to the club's offseason transactions summary:
Blue Jays A Serious Suitor For Fuentes
The Blue Jays are one of the most serious suitors for left-handed reliever Brian Fuentes, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff. The Blue Jays appear to be one of many teams pursuing Fuentes, who would like to close according to FOX Sports.
Though the Red Sox may be done adding lefties now that they've re-signed Hideki Okajima, AL East teams appear to have heavy interest in Fuentes. Along with the Blue Jays, the Rays and Yankees have also been linked to Fuentes this offseason. Not every AL East team is bidding on the 35-year-old, though. He appears to be too expensive for Baltimore, though the O's are looking at more affordable southpaw relievers.
Fuentes would be a fit for the Rays, if they can afford his asking price ($5MM-plus per season on a multiyear deal). The Blue Jays could also use left-handed relief help after losing Scott Downs and Brian Tallet. Jesse Carlson, Wil Ledezma, Rommie Lewis and David Purcey figure to compete for spots in manager John Farrell's 'pen this spring.
Octavio Dotel is the favorite to close in Toronto, but Jason Frasor could win the job and Fuentes would likely have a chance at it if the Jays sign him