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Rockies Sign Chris Volstad

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The Rockies have signed Chris Volstad to a minor league deal worth $1.5MM, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter). The Moye Sports Association client will compete for a spot in Colorado's rotation.

Volstad, 26, spent the 2012 season with the Cubs where he posted a 6.31 ERA with 4.9 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 over 111.1 innings. The towering right-hander will look to regain the success he enjoyed with the Marlins earlier in his career.

Quick Hits: Capuano, Stanton, Rays, Arbitration

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Here's a look at the stories and news making headlines on Tuesday evening…

  • Chris Capuano arguably had the best year of his career in 2012 but finds himself without much job security with Spring Training mere weeks away, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. The Dodgers left-hander can only point to his team's decision to forgo any semblance of a budget and add the best available players at any and every position. 
  • Two months after the Marlins left themselves with a bare bones roster thanks to a blockbuster deal with the Blue Jays, Miami star Giancarlo Stanton remains upset about the team's future, says Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports.
  • Rays Executive VP Andrew Friedman spoke with the media on Tuesday while 30 prospects went through training exercises at Tropicana Field, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Friedman pointed to the designated hitter position as an area of concern, which the team may attempt to address through free agency.
  • According to the MLBPA, 133 Major League players filed for arbitration on Tuesday. Players and teams will swap salary proposals on Friday with hopes of reaching an agreement without having to appear in front of an arbitration panel. Keep updated on the latest arbitration-related transactions by utilizing MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker.

Phillies Sign Juan Cruz

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The Phillies have signed right-hander Juan Cruz to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Praver/Shapiro represents the 34-year-old veteran.

Cruz's 2012 season came to a premature ending when the Pirates designated the reliever for assignment in August and Cruz refused to pitch in the minors, thus leading to his release. The journeyman did show signs of effectiveness as he posted a 2.78 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 over 35.2 innings.

National League Notes: Cardinals, Rolen, Dodgers

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On this day in 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave baseball the go-ahead to play despite World War II. In his famous "Green Light Letter" FDR said‚ "I honestly think it would be best for the country to keep baseball going." He also encouraged more night baseball so that day-shift workers would have the opportunity to attend games.

Here's the latest news and headlines from around the National League…

  • The Cardinals' hope for building a successful middle infield in 2013 will be closely tied to the health of shortstop Rafael Furcal, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. The 35-year-old veteran suffered a season-ending elbow injury in August.
  • The Reds have yet to hear back from Scott Rolen regarding his plans for the 2013 season, says John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The 37-year-old third baseman posted a .245/.318/.398 batting line in 2012.
  • Count the Dodgers as a potential suitor for Rolen's services as the team looks to strengthen the left side of its infield, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Rolen has enjoyed success at Dodgers Stadium over the course of his career as he's batted .338 with a .955 OPS.

Angels, Jerome Williams Avoid Arbitration

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The Angels avoided arbitration with right-hander Jerome Williams, reports Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. The Full Circle Sports Management client agreed to a one-year deal worth $2MM. 

Williams had a projected salary of $1.9MM for 2013 after posting a 4.58 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 over the course of the 2012 season. The 30-year-old veteran has spent the past two seasons with the Angels after struggling to earn a spot on a big league roster since after the 2007 campaign. 

The Angels have four remaining arbitration eligible players, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows: Kevin Jepsen, Jason Vargas, Tommy Hanson and Alberto Callaspo. 

Quick Hits: Blum, Webb, Orioles, Padres

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Utility infielder Geoff Blum's ready to call it a playing career after 14 seasons in the big leagues, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. After spending five years with the Astros over two different stints, Blum will return to Houston to join the club's television broadcasting team on a part-time basis. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the league…

  • The Rockies remain interested in former Cy Young winner Brandon Webb, who plans to set a date to throw in front of teams in the near future, reports the Denver Post's Troy Renck (via Twitter). Webb, 34 this spring, last appeared in the big leagues in April 2009.
  • The Orioles have a few free agents for other teams to consider ranging from a sure-fire Hall of Famer to a utility infielder who will most likely use Twitter to announce his next stop, says Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com.  
  • The offseason doesn't always mean vacations or relaxing poolside for younger players in the Padres organization as the salary of a minor leaguer often fails to cover the bills, writes Corey Brock of MLB.com. 

Week In Review: 1/6/13 – 1/12/13

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Here's the top news and stories that made headlines this past week at MLBTR…

  • The Nationals signed Adam LaRoche to a two-year contract worth $24MM with a mutual option for 2015. The left-handed hitter posted a .271/.343/.510 batting line in 647 plate appearances as Washington's first baseman.
  • The Phillies signed veteran Rodrigo Lopez to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Lopez will receive $1MM plus incentives if he's on the big league roster.
  • The Orioles avoided arbitration with Nolan Reimold, who will receive $1MM from Baltimore next season.
  • The Blue Jays signed catcher Henry Blanco to a non-guaranteed deal for the 2013 season. The 41-year-old Elite Sports Group client would earn $750K at the MLB level.
  • Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton invoked his limited no-trade clause to reject an agreed-upon deal between the D'Backs and Mariners that would have sent Upton to Seattle.
  • Marcus Thames has been hired as the hitting coach for the Yankees' high A-ball affiliate in Tampa, effectively ending the outfielder's ten-year Major League career.
  • The Brewers avoided arbitration with left-hander Chris Narveson, who will earn $840K in 2013.
  • The Cubs signed infielder Brent Lillibridge and outfielder Darnell McDonald to minor league contracts.
  • Chicago also avoided arbitration with infielder Luis Valbuena, who will earn $930K in 2013.
  • The Pirates acquired Jeanmar Gomez from the Indians in exchange for Quincy Latimore. Cleveland had designated the right-hander for assignment last week.
  • Pittsburgh's deal with Francisco Liriano has been put on hold after it was revealed that the left-hander suffered a non-throwing arm injury in December.
  • The Dodgers signed veteran reliever J.P. Howell to a one-year deal. Howell will reportedly earn $2.85MM with an additional $1.2MM worth of incentives built into the contract.
  • The Brewers signed reliever Mike Gonzalez to a one-year contract. The veteran left-hander will earn $2.25MM plus incentives that can increase the value of his contract.
  • The Yomiuri Giants signed infielder Jose Lopez to a one-year deal worth $1.2MM guaranteed plus $500K in performance bonuses.

GM Notes: Cherington, Rizzo, Colletti

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Let's catch up on the latest stories and happenings taking place in front offices from around the league…

  • Red Sox GM Ben Cherington spoke to Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio about the status of free agent Mike Napoli and where the slugger stands with the team. Cherington told Bowden (via Twitter) that Boston is still looking to add offense to the first base position as the club still considers Napoli to be a free agent. He added that the Red Sox will continue to work through the issues of signing Napoli but admits there is no deal at this point (on Twitter).
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo faces the task of improving a 98-win team this offseason and recently took a break from the action to chat with MLB.com's Bill Ladson on the state of Nationals baseball. Rizzo points to the young, talented players on his roster taking the proverbial "next step" as one of the factors for the team's continued success in 2013.
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti's major concern for his roster isn't about adding more pieces but rather making sure players are fully recovered from various injuries before Spring Training starts, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. "We're fine right now if we come into camp, we're in a good spot," Colletti said.

Minor Moves: Tanaka, Corpas, Mann

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We'll track Wednesday's minor moves here…

  • The Giants signed second baseman Kensuke Tanaka to a minor league contract with an invitation to MLB Spring Training, reports John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). The former Nippon Ham Fighters star will be given an opportunity to compete for a utility spot on the big league roster. 
  • The Rockies signed right-hander Manny Corpas to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp, writes Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The veteran reliever served as the closer for Colorado in 2007 when the team reached the World Series for the first and only time in franchise history. The 30-year-old made 48 appearances for the Cubs in 2012, but became a free agent at the end of the season when he refused an outright assignment to the minor leagues. 
  • The Nationals signed left-hander Brandon Mann to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, reports Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com (via Twitter). Mann, 28, has spent the past two seasons pitching in Japan for the Yokohama Bay Stars where he posted a 4.27 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 92.2 innings.

Nationals Scouting Javier Vazquez

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The Nationals are scouting Javier Vazquez as GM Mike Rizzo traveled to Puerto Rico this evening to watch the veteran right-hander pitch, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com (on Twitter). While Washington already has one of the strongest rotations in all of baseball, adding an insurance arm may make sense given Dan Haren's health issues last season.

Vazquez has been contacted by 15 teams about his services, but does not plan to sign with a club until after the World Baseball Classic in March and will only consider pitching for a contender, writes Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The former All-Star last pitched for the Marlins in 2011 where he posted a 3.69 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 192.2 innings.

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