Mets, Rockies, Giants Interested In Wellemeyer
2:36pm: Troy Renck of The Denver Post says that the Giants are the favorite to land Wellemeyer, followed by the Rockies.
2:01pm: Todd Wellemeyer told the Team 1380 in St. Louis that he could sign with the Mets, Rockies or Giants. Tim McKernan of the Team tweets that Wellemeyer hasn't talked to the Cardinals and doesn't expect to return to St. Louis (Hat Tip: Bart Hubbuch).
MLBTR reported earlier this week that the Phillies and D'Backs expressed interest in Wellemeyer, along with the Rockies. The 31-year-old pitched to a 5.89 ERA in 122.1 innings last year, with sub-par rate stats: 5.7 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9.
Orlando Hudson’s Other Offers
Orlando Hudson agreed to a one-year $5MM deal with the Twins yesterday, but other teams were in it until the end. Here's a look at the offers the O-Dog turned down to play in Minnesota:
- The Nationals offered Hudson a $4MM deal that could have reached $5MM with incentives, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- The Indians offered Hudson $10MM over two years, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Indians, who have had a remarkably quiet offseason, wanted Hudson on a heavily-backloaded deal. Lots of money was tied up in the buyout of a third year option.
Odds & Ends: Jays, V-Mart, Jeter, Gonzalez
Links for Friday…
- Tim Dillard, who was designated for assignment earlier in the week, cleared waivers, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter).
- Don't expect the Twins to add much to their 2010 payroll. GM Bill Smith tells Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the team is nearing the "upper extremes" of what it can spend (Twitter link).
- The Blue Jays are no longer in on Carlos Delgado, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says the Twins had one of the best offseasons in baseball.
- Alex Anthopoulos doesn't expect to trade any of his relievers before the season starts, tweets MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. However, the Jays GM points out that things can change.
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier compares Victor Martinez to similar catchers to hit free agency in recent years. Speier writes that after this season V-Mart could be in line for a four-year $40MM deal like the ones Ivan Rodriguez and Jason Varitek signed. Some consider Martinez a first baseman going forward, which would make him a "completely different animal" in the eyes of interested teams.
- Those small market Twins will open the season with a payroll of about $96MM, writes Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
- Derek Jeter hits free agency after the season and Hank Steinbrenner says we can "pretty much assume" what will happen at that point given Jeter's place in Yankee history (link from the Philadelphia Daily News).
- Padres GM Jed Hoyer tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that he hasn't ruled out signing Adrian Gonzalez long-term. That seems unlikely given the offers Gonzalez could demand as a free agent.
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that Adam Kennedy will be the Nats' everday second baseman, which likely leaves Cristian Guzman at short.
- Now the Nats will look for a veteran starter, tweets Ladson.
- Jesus Guzman cleared waivers and will receive an invitation to Giants Spring Training, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Giants designated the infielder for assignment in late January.
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star tweets that Jarrod Washburn may be too expensive for the Royals.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes that some within the Dodgers organization called Orlando Hudson "Slow-Dog" because they were surprised he wasn't faster. Some Dodgers officials believe Hudson's defensive reputation is better than it should be.
Mark Reynolds, D’Backs Talking Multi-Year Deal
1:22pm: Reynolds expects to be talking in terms of formal offers by the week of February 15th, according to Piecoro.
12:37pm: The D'Backs are discussing a multi-year deal with Reynolds, tweets MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Reynolds tells Gilbert that the sides have discussed two and three-year deals. If the D'Backs come at him with a fair offer, Reynolds says he's "willing to take a look." The sides aren't talking money yet, but Reynolds tells Gilbert that they're discussing a two or three-year deal with options.
9:15am: The D'Backs and Mark Reynolds have mutual interest in a multi-year deal, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The club is expected to make an offer before Spring Training and there are indications the sides could discuss a three-year deal. Managing general partner Ken Kendrick told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert that Reynolds is one player the club would prefer to lock up.
"We would like to not have to go through year-by-year arbitration with [Reynolds], if we can agree on a multiyear deal," Kendrick said.
Olney On Verlander, Branyan, Bedard
ESPN.com's Buster Olney points out that Orlando Hudson would likely benefit from hitting in front of Joe Mauer. Those hitting before Mauer saw lots of fastballs last year and Hudson hits the heater well. Here are Olney's rumors:
- An AL scout calls the Justin Verlander deal a "solid sign for the club." An NL GM calls Verlander a "top-of-the-rotation type, long term." An NL scout says it's a "great signing" for the Tigers if the righty stays healthy.
- Despite concerns about Russell Branyan's back, one current coach says the slugger looks good in workouts.
- Some within the industry believe Erik Bedard could miss months of the upcoming season. The lefty is close to signing with the Mariners.
Deciphering The Tigers’ Interest In Damon
THURSDAY, 10:31pm: Damon and Scott Boras are seeking a two-year commitment from the Tigers, according to Lynn Henning of The Detroit News. Detroit is pushing for a one-year deal and will have to pay $7MM "or more" for his services in 2010.
WEDNESDAY, 9:35am: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, formerly of the Tigers beat, believes Boras is trying to appeal to owner Mike Ilitch as he did for Ivan Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez in the past. Morosi believes a Damon deal with the Tigers "is a distinct possibility."
TUESDAY, 6:25pm: Johnny Damon would play in Detroit, but the Tigers haven't spoken with agent Scott Boras and their level of interest in the left fielder remains unclear. This week Boras told the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press that Damon would play in the Motor City, citing his client's will to win and fondness for manager Jim Leyland.
Dodgers Sign Alfredo Amezaga
The Dodgers officially signed Alfredo Amezaga to a minor league deal worth $650K with another $800K in incentives today. The 32-year-old worked out for four teams this week and attracted interest from ten-plus clubs earlier in the winter. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first tweeted the agreement last night.
Amezaga appeared in just 27 games last season, hitting .217/.267/.261 as he struggled with knee problems. Amezaga distinguishes himself from other powerless hitters with his versatility. He has major league experience at all four infield positions and all three outfield positions. Most of his experience comes in center field and at shortstop; he grades well in limited samples at both positions, according to UZR/150.
The Dodgers have been adding steadily to their bench this offseason. They signed Ronnie Belliard and Jamey Carroll before adding Reed Johnson and Amezaga this week.
Dodgers Re-Sign Jeff Weaver
The Dodgers have re-signed Jeff Weaver to a minor league deal worth $800K plus up to $100K in incentives. The 33-year-old righty pitched to a 3.65 ERA in 79 innings for the Dodgers last year. He started seven games and finished five, serving as a swingman in Joe Torre's bullpen. Weaver paired a 3.8 BB/9 with a career high strikeout rate of 7.3 K/9.
We heard this weekend that Scott Boras was trying to find interest in Weaver. There wasn't much buzz around the sidearmer this offseason; the Dodgers were the only team linked to him.
Yahoo's Tim Brown first tweeted the agreement and Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times added the terms of the contract and tweeted when it became official.
Minor League Transactions: Mench, Perez, Cairo
A 25 homer hitter, a former first rounder and a 14-year veteran signed this week. Baseball America's Matt Eddy has the details on those transactions and more. Here are some highlights from January 25th-31st:
- The Nationals signed Kevin Mench. The 32-year-old didn't play in the majors last year, but he hit 25 homers as recently as 2005. He has a career .900 OPS against lefties.
- The Blue Jays signed Wade Townsend. The Rays released the 2005 first rounder last summer, but the Jays are giving him a chance.
- The Reds signed Miguel Cairo. The 14-year-veteran posted a .705 OPS for the Phillies last year in 47 plate appearances.
- The White Sox signed Daniel Cabrera. The 6'7'' right-hander led the American League in walks and earned runs allowed when he logged over 200 innings for the Orioles in 2007. He split time with the D'Backs and Nationals last year, struggling with both clubs.
- The Dodgers signed Timo Perez out of the Can-Am League. The 34-year-old surfaced as a rookie for the Mets in the 2000 Subway Series.
- The Phillies signed Freddy Guzman.
- The Mets signed Val Pascucci, who has 193 minor league homers to his name.
Odds & Ends: Tejada, Lincecum, Bedard
Some links for your Tuesday night…
- Melvin Mora wasn't the only former Oriole the Rockies were interested in this offseason. Dan O'Dowd & Co. had interest in Miguel Tejada before he signed with the Orioles, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies were willing to spend on Tejada, but the infielder didn't seem to like the idea of rotating between infield positions.
- The Giants have only engaged Tim Lincecum in "very insignificant" conversations about two-year deals, the pitcher's agent tells Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. Rick Thurman expects the sides to go to a hearing.
- Even scouts aren't sure when Erik Bedard will be able to pitch, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- Peter Gammons tweets some advice to Adam Kennedy: call the Tigers.
- Tyler Hissey says Boston's improved defense should combine with the club's deep rotation to prevent more runs, especially if Clay Buchholz breaks out.