Relief Rumors: Saito, Fuentes, Burton, Nationals
As MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows, lots of free agent relievers remain unsigned. Here's the latest on the relief market:
- Takashi Saito's deal with the Brewers guarantees him $1.75MM and gives him the chance to earn $1.5MM more through incentives, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- MLB.com's Adam McCalvy adds details on the contracts for Sean Green and Craig Counsell.
- Brian Fuentes is telling teams that he would like to close, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Several teams are interested in the lefty and the Rays are one interested club that could offer a closing job.
- The Reds will likely avoid arbitration with Jared Burton today and agree to a one-year deal with the reliever, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
- The Nationals are pursuing another reliever who can pitch late in games and potentially close, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes listed relief help as one of the Nationals' remaining needs last week.
MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker
MLBTR recently introduced an Arbitration Tracker, which is permanently located under the 'Tools' tab at the top of the site. The tracker allows advanced sorting, so you can narrow your searches. If you're curious about which players have already settled on 2011 salaries or which Giants have yet to settle, you're just a few clicks away from knowing the answer.
As teams and players resolve arbitration cases in January and February, we'll keep the tracker updated with all the information you need to know. Check out MLBTR's Transaction Tracker and Free Agent Tracker while you're at it.
Lee Looks To Prove Doubters Wrong
Derrek Lee doesn’t deny that his numbers dropped off last year and he doesn’t use his thumb injury as an excuse for the disappointing season. But after undergoing successful offseason surgery to repair a torn UCL ligament in his right thumb, the 35-year-old is ready to return to form. And he wouldn’t mind proving some of his doubters wrong in 2011.
"I have a little chip on my shoulder," Lee said on a conference call with reporters. "People say I'm old and declining so I want to prove them wrong obviously."
Lee signed a one-year, $7.25MM deal with the Orioles this week after hitting .260/.347/.428 with 19 homers for the Cubs and Braves last year. He drew interest from other clubs, including the Padres this offseason, but he decided to join the Orioles instead. Lee says manager Buck Showalter is an attraction and suggests the O's will have an improved lineup in 2011. But early in the winter, before the Orioles acquired Mark Reynolds and J.J. Hardy, Lee did not expect to play for Showalter.
"Honestly, Baltimore wasn't on my radar earlier this offseason," he said.
Lee arrives in the American League after 14 seasons in the senior circuit and he says he's extremely excited to make the transition. He admits he might not recognize every middle reliever in the AL, but expects to adjust relatively quickly.
The Orioles, in Lee's estimation, have lots of confidence and the potential to surprise people in the competitive AL East. At 35, the slugger aims to do the same.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Carl Pavano Rumors: Thursday
We heard yesterday that the Nationals last spoke to Carl Pavano‘s agent at the Winter Meetings and that the right-hander is talking a lot with the Twins about a potential deal. The Pirates and Royals are also options for Pavano. Here’s the latest:
- The Nationals are not actively pursuing Pavano, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com. Washington isn’t having serious internal discussions about the pitcher and the team isn’t likely to sign him unless his asking price drops.
- The Pirates have mild interest in Pavano, but will not set the price for him, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter).
Orioles, Angels, Rays Interested In Vladimir Guerrero
The Orioles, Angels and Rays have shown different levels of interest in Vladimir Guerrero, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com. Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles heard this week that the Halos weren’t talking to the DH, but a return to Anaheim remains possible for the longtime Angel.
A return to Texas is no longer a possibility, as Rangers GM Jon Daniels said the team is not pursuing Guerrero. Vlad, who turns 36 next month, hit .300/.345/.496 with 29 homers last year. He made his ninth All-Star team and earned his eighth Silver Slugger, finishing 11th in MVP balloting.
The Orioles would have to play Luke Scott in the outfield if they were to sign Guerrero. That would create a logjam with Scott, Felix Pie and Nolan Reimold battling for one outfield spot (assuming Adam Jones and Nick Markakis play every day). The Angels would have to play Bobby Abreu or Juan Rivera in the outfield on a daily basis if they sign Guerrero instead of a player who can patrol the outfield. The Rays could offer Guerrero a full-time DH job and they appear to be a better fit than the O's or Angels.
Details On Beltre’s Other Offers, Vesting Option
Adrian Beltre turned down offers from the A's and Angels before signing with the Rangers. It turns out that one of those offers was larger than initially thought. According to Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com, the A's offered the third baseman a six-year, $76MM deal, not a $64MM deal as we'd heard before. Peter Gammons first reported that the A's had offered $76MM (Twitter link). The Rangers outbid both of their AL West rivals, as the Angels reportedly offered a $70MM deal.
The 2016 option in Beltre's contract is complex, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains. Beltre needs 600 plate apperances with the Rangers in 2015 or 1,200 plate appearances in 2014-15 for the $16MM option to vest in 2016. If the option vests and Beltre's on the disabled list at the end of the 2015 season and a mutually agreed upon doctor determines that he's unable to play at a normal level by the spring of 2016, the team can defer $12MM of the third baseman's 2016 salary at 1% interest (Twitter links).
Phillies Invite Delwyn Young To Spring Training
The Phillies announced that Delwyn Young is one of seven players they have invited to Spring Training. The Phillies and Brewers pursued Young after he elected free agency last fall.
Philadelphia also invited Brian Bass, Tuffy Gosewisch, Joel Naughton, Robb Quinlan, Michael Schwimer and Michael Stutes to Spring Training as non-roster invitees.
Young spent the past two seasons in Pittsburgh, where he hit. 236/.286/.414 in 207 plate appearances last year. The 28-year-old played right field, second base and third base for the Pirates and he played left field as a member of the Dodgers. The switch hitter has a .710 OPS against right-handed pitching in his career and a .708 OPS against southpaws.
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Total votes: 10,522
Rangers Not Pursuing Rafael Soriano
The Rangers are not currently pursuing Rafael Soriano and were not engaged with him at any point this winter, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The team signed Adrian Beltre this week, so there's not enough money remaining in the team's budget for Soriano, another Scott Boras client.
There's a potential fit for Soriano in Anaheim as MLBTR's Mark Polishuk explains here. Jon Heyman of SI.com has suggested that the Yankees are likely to pursue Soriano if Andy Pettitte retires and the White Sox are eyeing the reliever, too. The Cardinals don't appear to have much interest, however.
Soriano is one of three unsigned free agents who will cost a draft pick. The Red Sox, who are in line for the Rangers' 2011 first rounder, would only get Texas' second rounder if Soriano heads to the Lone Star State, so there's reason for them to hope he signs elsewhere.
Cubs, Rays Working On Garza Trade
Cubs GM Jim Hendry is working feverishly to acquire Matt Garza from the Rays, according to Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald. The Cubs are getting set to send Chris Archer, Hak-Ju Lee, Brandon Guyer and Robinson Chirinos to Tampa Bay, according to Miles. There may be additional parts to the deal for each team, Miles reports.
Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago reports that the sides are close to a deal.
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 would join Ryan Dempster, Tom Gorzelanny, Randy Wells, Carlos Zambrano and Carlos Silva in a crowded Chicago rotation. If the Rays-Cubs deal goes through, it wouldn't be surprising to see Cubs starters appear in trade rumors before long.
If any team can afford to part with a starting pitcher, it might be the Rays, who still have David Price, James Shields, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson. The return from the Cubs probably won't impact Tampa's Opening Day roster, but it will add depth to the Rays' already impressive farm system.
Baseball America ranked Archer first among Cubs prospects this offseason while Lee placed fourth and Guyer placed tenth. Archer, a 22-year-old right-hander, made it as high as Double-A last year. The starting pitcher posted a 2.34 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9, limiting opponents to 6.4 H/9. The Cubs acquired him from the Indians just over two years ago in the Mark DeRosa trade. Jim Callis of Baseball America notes that Archer is a year away from the majors and could be a closer in the future (Twitter link).
It's not a great time to be an up-and-coming shortstop in the Cubs organization, as Starlin Castro figures to be the team's shortstop for years. Lee, who was born seven months after Castro, is also a highly-regarded shortstop. The native of Korea has a .299/.370/.375 line with 57 stolen bases in two pro seasons. When Baseball America ranked Lee sixth among Cubs prospects before the season, the publication described him as a gifted hitter with the tools to make difficult defensive plays.
Guyer, who turns 25 this month, posted a .344/.398/.588 line in 410 plate apperances at Double-A last year. He has played all three outfield positions in his four-year minor league career.
Chirinos is the oldest of the four prospects, as he turns 27 this month. The infielder hit .326/.416/.583 with 18 home runs in the upper minors last year.
This post was first published January 7th, 2010.