Mike Axisa | MLB Trade Rumors

D’Backs Notes: Johnson, Rodriguez, Stange, Sweeney

By Mike Axisa | February 7, 2011 at 11:08pm CDT

Earlier tonight we learned that the Diamondbacks signed Robby Hammock to a minor league contract, but Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has some more news from the desert…

GM Kevin Towers said there's nothing to report about negotiations with Kelly Johnson, and the two sides still appear headed toward an arbitration hearing. Johnson filed for $6.5MM while the team countered with $4.7MM according to our Arbitration Tracker.
Right-handed pitchers Rafael Rodriguez, Daniel Stange, and Brian Sweeney all cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Reno. Sweeney will join the Major League team in Spring Training as a non-roster invite. Rodriguez was designated for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster for Armando Galarraga while Stange and Sweeney were cut for Aaron Heilman and Willie Bloomquist.

ESPN Links: Wright, Dodgers, Papelbon

By Mike Axisa | February 7, 2011 at 10:54pm CDT

On this date five years ago, the Dodgers signed Japanese veteran Takashi Saito to a minor league contract that paid him just $500K in the big leagues. Saito, then 36, seized the team's closer role by mid-May, and in three years with the Dodgers he pitched to a 1.95 ERA with 11.6 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 189 2/3 innings.

Here's some notes from the worldwide leader…

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick graded the offseason of the five AL Central clubs, giving the Tigers a B+ for their additions of Victor Martinez, Joaquin Benoit, and Brad Penny. Indians' fans, I'm sorry to say your team received a D.
David Wright told ESPN's Jayson Stark that he believes his Mets teammates will be impacted by a lawsuit seeking $1B from ownership. "When something is going on with them, of course it's going trickle down," said Wright. "You have to understand that unfortunately there's some great parts about this business and there's some situations like this." Make sure you check out Howard Megdal's simple guide to the Madoff/Wilpon mess.
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti spoke to Jon Weisman of ESPN Los Angeles about a variety of topics, including closer Jonathan Broxton and the team's outfield situation. I recently identified Broxton as a player entering a make or break year.
ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes spoke to Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who said he's comfortable with his role on the team. The Sox imported Bobby Jenks this offseason, and it's been speculated that he could replace Papelbon if he struggles.

Poll: Where Will Michael Young End Up?

By Mike Axisa | February 7, 2011 at 8:52pm CDT

Michael Young has been a popular man on the trade rumor circuit this offseason, but it wasn’t until this afternoon that we learned the third baseman had officially requested a trade. A number of teams could use a player of Young’s caliber, however only a few can afford the $48MM left on his contract. That’s why Texas will likely eat some of that money to facilitate a deal.

The Rockies have been, by far, the team most connected to Young. Their latest offer includes Jose Lopez but not Aaron Cook, and they’ll reportedly need the Rangers to absord $20MM or more in a deal. Eric Young Jr.’s name has also come up in talks. Colorado would play Young at second, the position he played when he first broke into the league.

We’ve also heard that the Dodgers have interest in acquiring Young, but their uncertain ownership situation is standing in the way. After missing out on Adrian Beltre, who displaced Young in Texas, it’s possible that both the Athletics and Angels would have interest in Young. Both clubs are seeking help at the hot corner, but it’s unclear if the Rangers would be willing to move him within the division. Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times took a look at what it could take to send Young to Anaheim.

The Cardinals are also in need of a third baseman, however GM John Mozeliak has indicated that the team’s payroll is “leaking” following the Lance Berkman signing. They also need to focus on extending Albert Pujols. The Mets could use Young at second, but they don’t have much room in the budget and ownership is currently being sued for ten figures. It’s important to note that the only thing connecting those two clubs (plus the A’s) is my speculation.

Misc. Signings: Coke, Bourgeois, Rodriguez, Hammock

By Mike Axisa | February 7, 2011 at 6:54pm CDT

Here are a few miscellaneous signings from around the league…

The Tigers have agreed to terms with eight pre-arbitration-eligible players according to MLB.com's Jason Beck. The only big leaguer of the bunch is left-hander Phil Coke, who received $425K. The other seven players are minor league prospects.
Senior Director of Social Media Alyson Footer tweets that the Astros have agreed to terms with a pair of pre-arb players. Outfielder Jason Bourgeois gets $424K, right-hander Aneury Rodriguez $413K. Houston acquired Rodriguez in this offseason's Rule 5 Draft.
The Diamondbacks have signed Robby Hammock to a minor league contract according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Hammock, 33, spent the 2010 season in the Yankees' minor league system, hitting .233/.341/.370 in 85 plate appearances while battling injury. He played with the D'Backs from 2003 through 2008, and has experience at catcher, first base, third base, and the corner outfield spots.

Make Or Break Year: Jonathan Broxton

By Mike Axisa | February 5, 2011 at 10:21pm CDT

About eighth months ago, Jonathan Broxton of the Dodgers was arguably the most dominant reliever in the game. He started the 2010 season with career numbers that were straight out of a video game: 11.92 K/9, 3.58 BB/9, 45.6% grounders, and a .204/.287/.304 batting line against in 317 innings. The Dodgers had every reason to be confident when they had a lead in the ninth inning.

The 2010 season started and Broxton was performing just like he had during his entire career, if not better. Through his first 33 appearances, he struck out 48 and walked just five in 32 2/3 innings, leading to a 0.48 ERA. But then things started to go bad. Broxton blew a four-run lead against the Yankees on June 27th, throwing a career-high 48 pitches in the inning. He was never the same the rest of the season.

Broxton pitched to a 7.58 ERA the rest of the way, walking nearly as many batters (23) and he struck out (25) in 29 2/3 innings. Batters tagged him to the tune of .325/.437/.479, and he blew five of 11 save opportunities. By the end of the season, Hong-Chih Kuo and Kenley Jansen were getting ninth inning work while Broxton handled middle relief.

Whether it's a coincidence or the sign of something bigger, that game against the Yankees marks a turning point for Broxton. His trademark velocity had been down that month (relatively speaking), so maybe the crack in the dam finally gave way that game. Now that he's closing in on free agency, Broxton needs to show his old form if he wants to land a major pay day after the 2011 season.

Luckily for him, he's still extremely young, not celebrating his 27th birthday until June. New manager Don Mattingly has indicated that Broxton will be his closer to at least start the season, so he's going to have an opportunity to put the struggles behind him and re-establish himself as one of the game's best bullpeners.

Quick Hits: Vlad, Brewers, Yankees, Pujols

By Mike Axisa | February 5, 2011 at 9:20pm CDT

Nine years ago today, MLB announced it had withdrawn its plan to contract the Twins and Expos due to legal issues and major opposition from the players' union. Minnesota has won six division titles and moved into Target Field since then, and they now boast a $100MM+ payroll. The Expos have since relocated to Washington and moved into Nationals Park, and this winter they handed out their first $100MM+ contract.

Here's some links for Saturday…

Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports (on Twitter) that Vladimir Guerrero is scheduled to take his physical with the Orioles this upcoming Friday in Baltimore.
Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio spoke to Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel about letting talent dictate the team's payroll as opposed to spending for the sake of spending.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman wasn't terribly interested in the starters that were left on the open market after Cliff Lee signed with the Phillies, writes Chad Jennings of The LoHud Yankees Blog.
In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney says there does not to appear to have been much progress in talks about a long-term contract extension between the Cardinals and Albert Pujols. The Spring Training deadline is about two weeks away.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun says the Guerrero signing has created some questions, such as what the Orioles' Opening Day payroll will be.
Minor league contract signees Eric Chavez and Ronnie Belliard will compete with four homegrown players for two spots on the Yankees' bench according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but he notes that Ramiro Pena and Eduardo Nunez have an advantage because they can play shortstop.

Michael Young Rumors: Saturday

By Mike Axisa | February 5, 2011 at 8:45pm CDT

In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney notes that something has changed in the relationship between Michael Young and Rangers, possibly because of trade talk this winter. He speculates that the Athletics and Blue Jays could be fits in a deal. Let's keep tabs on the latest regarding Texas and their third baseman here throughout the day…

MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the Dodgers are interested in Young, but their unstable ownership situation is standing in the way.
A well placed source told Renck (via Twitter) that he doesn't think the Rockies will get Young. Renck also hears (via Twitter) that the Rockies would need Texas to eat $20MM or more in a deal.
A source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that talks between the Rangers and Rockies have reached an "advanced stage," and a trade could come as soon as Monday. Texas is not talking to any other club, and a source confirmed that Jose Lopez is in the latest offer.
Renck says it's "very, very unlikely" that Dexter Fowler would be involved (on Twitter).
Troy Renck of The Denver Post reports that the Rangers have not reached out to Rockies as of Friday, contradicting what we heard yesterday.
Renck notes (on Twitter) that Colorado would be willing to give up Lopez in a trade, but not Aaron Cook. That is subject to change, however. The Rox are understandably leery of surrendering big league starting pitching.

The Six-Figure Contract Club

By Mike Axisa | February 5, 2011 at 7:48pm CDT

Big money contracts rule the offseason and rumor circuit, which is why Ben Nicholson-Smith recently recapped the 20 biggest free agent deals of the offseason. Three players signed for $100MM+, four others signed for $50MM+, and five others signed for $30MM+. Not everyone is that lucky though.

As MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows, a total of 15 players have signed guaranteed one-year contracts worth less than a million bucks this winter. That does not include minor league contracts, incentives, or option years. As Spring Training draws closer, you can expect to see more players added to this pool. Here's a list of those 15 players, sorted by highest contract value to lowest…

Dustin Moseley: $900K with the Padres.
Joel Peralta: $900K with the Rays.
Fred Lewis: $900K with the Reds.
Matt Albers: $880K with the Red Sox.
Matt Treanor: $850K with the Rangers.
Jorge Cantu: $850K with the Padres.
Wil Nieves: $775K with the Brewers.
Brian Tallet: $750K with the Cardinals.
Ryan Rowland-Smith: $720K with the Astros.
Justin Duchscherer: $700K with the Orioles.
Nick Punto: $700K with the Cardinals.
Tony Gwynn Jr.: $675K with the Dodgers.
Jay Gibbons: $650K with the Dodgers.
Taylor Buchholz: $600K with the Mets.
Scott Olsen: $500K with the Pirates.

All but Treanor, Cantu, Punto, Duchscherer, and Gibbons were non-tendered. Moseley, Albers, Nieves, Rowland-Smith, Gwynn, and Buchholz all remain under team control beyond 2011 as arbitration-eligible players.

Giants Sign Justin Christian To Minor League Deal

By Mike Axisa | February 5, 2011 at 5:38pm CDT

The Giants have agreed to sign outfielder Justin Christian to a minor league contract according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, but they did not give him an invitation to Spring Training.

Christian, 31 in April, spent last year playing in the Yankees' minor league system, hitting .289/.366/.435 with 22 steals and nearly as many walks (48) as strikeouts (56) in 468 plate appearances, mostly at Double-A. He was brilliant in the Mexican Pacific League this winter, hitting .356/.452/.561 with 22 doubles, ten homers, 24 steals (one caught stealing), 44 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 253 at-bats.

Christian's lone big league action came in 2008, when he hit .250/.302/.325 with seven steals in 43 plate appearances for New York. He's spent the majority of his career in the outfield (all three spots), but he's seen work at second base and shortstop.

Kelvim Escobar To Attempt Comeback

By Mike Axisa | February 5, 2011 at 12:23pm CDT

Despite having more shoulder surgeries (two) than pitching appearances (one) since 2007, Kelvim Escobar will attempt a comeback as a reliever according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The right-hander hopes to throw for teams in March.

Escobar, 35 in April, has battled major shoulder injuries over the last three seasons, missing all of 2008 and 2010 while making one subpar start with the Angels in the middle of 2009. The Mets signed him to a one-year deal worth $1.25MM last spring, but he didn't even make it out of Spring Training healthy.

When healthy, Escobar has been very effective, posting a 3.60 ERA in 653 innings from 2004 through 2007, striking out 7.7 batters per nine innings while walking just 2.8 batters per nine unintentionally. As a reliever, he's held batters to a .243/.329/.385 batting line with 9.8 K/9 in 247 1/3 career innings, but that was a long, long time ago.

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