Rangers Designate Ramirez & Rapada For Assignment
The Rangers designated Max Ramirez and Clay Rapada for assignment to create roster space for Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter).
Ramirez appeared in 28 games for the Rangers last year, batting .217/.341/.348 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 career line. The Rangers already have three backstops on their 40-man roster: Taylor Teagarden, Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Treanor.
Rapada, 30 in March, appeared in 13 games for the Rangers last year. He pitched just nine innings, walking seven and striking out five. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 1.82 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 59 1/3 innings. Those numbers, which are similar to the ones he posted for the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate in 2009, have yet to translate into big league success for the left-hander.
Heyman On Crawford, Pavano, CarGo
There’s word that many Angels people were in favor of offering Carl Crawford a seven-year deal worth $142MM or so, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. The Red Sox won the bidding for the All-Star left fielder with a $142MM offer that left the Angels without one of their offseason targets. Owner Arte Moreno has said that his team never made Crawford an offer, but he acknowledged the Angels' interest. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors:
- There are thought to be one or two teams looking at Carl Pavano other than the Twins and Nationals, according to Heyman. The Mariners and Rangers have been linked to Pavano this winter, but it's not clear if those clubs are currently interested.
- Heyman reports that the Rockies are still trying to lock up Carlos Gonzalez. Meanwhile Troy Renck of the Denver Post hears that the Rockies could move closer to an extension with the 25-year-old this week
Dodgers Sign Tim Redding
The Dodgers have signed Tim Redding to a minor league deal and invited him to Spring Training, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The 32-year-old will provide depth for the Dodgers, who already have starters Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda, Ted Lilly, Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla.
Redding didn't appear in the majors last year, though he logged 109 innings in the minor leagues. Pitching for the Yankees' and Rockies' Triple-A affiliates, Redding posted a 2.89 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 as a starter. He last appeared in the majors with the 2009 Mets, when he posted a 5.10 ERA in 120 innings as a swingman.
The Dodgers added Dana Eveland in a similar move earlier in the offseason. The Redding deal is one of many minor league contracts GM Ned Colletti has negotiated this winter. Agent Tom O'Connell represents Redding.
Reds Interested In Fred Lewis
The Reds are looking for a versatile outfielder who bats from the left side and they are now interested in Fred Lewis, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The 30-year-old played all three outfield positions for the Blue Jays last year and boasts a .280/.354/.442 line against right-handed pitching in his five-year MLB career. That would make him a natural complement to Jonny Gomes, Drew Stubbs and Chris Heisey, who all bat right-handed. Lewis is precisely the type of player the Reds would like to add.
“What we’re looking for is veteran outfielder, preferably a left-handed hitting outfielder," GM Walt Jocketty told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer last week.
The team is also considering Scott Podsednik, who is versatile and left-handed, like Lewis. The Blue Jays non-tendered Lewis in December and he has since drawn interest from the Indians, Tigers, Mets and others. The Rays also checked in on Lewis, according to Morosi (on Twitter). However, their interest appears to be "extremely limited."
Lewis hit 31 doubles last year and posted a .262/.332/.414 line in 480 plate appearances for the Blue Jays.
Red Sox Sign Hector Luna
The Red Sox signed Hector Luna to a minor league deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Luna, who turns 31 next month, is a six-year MLB veteran with experience at every position but pitcher and catcher.
Luna appeared in 27 games for the Marlins last year, batting .138/.133/.379 with two homers in 30 plate appearances. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he hit .294/.367/.477 in 411 plate appearances. Most of Luna's big league experience comes on the infield, at second, thid and short.
Jed Lowrie provides the Red Sox with similar versatility and he is ahead of Luna on the depth chart after posting a .907 OPS in 197 plate appearances last year.
Yankees Expect To Hear From Pettitte Soon
A Yankees official told Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com that the front office expects to know within a few days whether Andy Pettitte will pitch in 2011. Pettitte appears to be leaning toward retirement, but the Yankees are waiting to address other needs until they know the veteran left-hander’s intentions.
"Starter, reliever, a bat, it depends on what's out there,'' Matthews’ source said. '"But we gotta know what Andy is gonna do first.''
Pettitte would be a welcome addition to a rotation that contains its share of uncertainty after C.C. Sabathia and Phil Hughes. A.J. Burnett will attempt to recover from a disappointing 2010 campaign; Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre are leading canidadates to win starting jobs if Pettitte retires.
When MLBTR readers voted on Pettitte's future last week, 52% of over 13,000 readers said they think he'll continue playing.
Pirates To Re-Sign Brian Burres
The Pirates added a candidate for the starting rotation today, agreeing to re-sign Brian Burres, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. Even after he non-tendered the 29-year-old left-hander, GM Neal Huntington maintained that the club had interest in a new deal.
Burres appeared in 20 games for the Pirates last year, serving as a swingman. He started 13 games and relieved in seven others, logging 79 1/3 innings and posting a 4.99 ERA. His strikeout (5.1 K/9) and walk (3.9 BB/9) ratios are below-average, but he will provide the Pirates with depth.
Manager Clint Hurdle will choose between some new additions and some familiar faces when he lines up his 2011 rotation. Burres, Kevin Correia, Scott Olsen, Paul Maholm, Ross Ohlendorf, James McDonald, Charlie Morton, Jeff Karstens, Daniel McCutchen and Brad Lincoln could all start for the Pirates this season.
The Pirates can retain Burres through 2013 if they offer him arbitration.
Brewers Rumors: Marcum, Betancourt, Weeks
The Brewers are going to be a different looking team in 2011. GM Doug Melvin appears to have improved his starting rotation significantly with a pair of major trades. Here's the latest on what remains for the Brewers between now and Opening Day…
- MLB.com's Adam McCalvy explains that the Brewers are open to extensions with new acquisitions Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke. Jon Heyman of SI.com notes that no talks are planned between Greinke and the Brewers at this point (Twitter link).
- All indications from Melvin suggest he's comfortable with Craig Counsell and Yuniesky Betancourt at short. Melivn defended Betancourt's ability and McCalvy takes an in-depth look at the shortstop's glovework.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel projects upcoming raises for the Brewers' five unsigned arbitration-eligible players. Make sure to check out MLBTR's new arbitration tracker for the latest on Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, Kameron Loe, Manny Parra, Marcum and other arbitration eligible players throughout MLB.
Twins Notes: Thome, Pavano, Greinke
So far this offseason, the Twins have made a number of minor league deals, traded J.J. Hardy to the Orioles and added Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Twins GM Bill Smith isn't done yet, though. The club could still add Jim Thome, Carl Pavano and/or others. Here's the latest on the defending AL Central champions from La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
- There are indications that Thome’s representatives raised some “eyebrows” when Lance Berkman signed for $8MM. Thome, who signed for a $1.5MM guarantee last winter, posted a .283/.412/.627 line, while Berkman hit just .248/.368/.413.
- There are no indications that Pavano has a three-year offer, according to Neal, who wonders whether the Twins have even offered a two-year deal.
- It’s not clear that the Twins can afford both Thome and Pavano, since both are coming off strong seasons and the Twins’ payroll is already high.
- There’s word that the Royals were not interested in discussing potential Zack Greinke trades with their AL Central rivals. The Indians and Twins did appear to have interest in Greinke, Neal writes.
Adrian Beltre Rumors: Monday
Multiple reports suggested that the Rangers and Adrian Beltre were close to an agreement on a multiyear deal yesterday, but it turns out that "nothing is remotely imminent" between the team and the third baseman. Though MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reported that the sides aren't nearing a deal, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says there "appears to be some hope" about a potential agreement. Here's the latest on the talks between Scott Boras and Beltre's suitors:
- Rangers officials admitted to Sullivan that they like Beltre, but team president Nolan Ryan says the Texas infield remains unchanged. "As of right now, Michael Young is our third baseman," Ryan said. "We haven't done anything."
- The Rangers' interest in Beltre is completely sincere, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. The 31-year-old wanted to return to Boston, but the Red Sox didn’t care to meet Boras’ asking price, according to Olney.