Mike Axisa | MLB Trade Rumors

Athletics Pushing To Sign Brian Fuentes

By Mike Axisa | January 15, 2011 at 10:51am CDT

Despite agreeing to sign Grant Balfour, the Athletics still aren't done trying to upgrade their bullpen. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says that Oakland is "pushing" to sign Brian Fuentes, and he reiterates that the Blue Jays are a serious suitor for his services as well.

A multitude of teams have expressed interest in the free agent lefty this offseason, and with Balfour and Rafael Soriano now off the board, Fuentes has emerged as arguably the best free agent reliever available. Oakland already has two effective left-handers in its bullpen (Craig Breslow and Jerry Blevins), but there's no such thing as too many quality relievers.

We've also seen young, cost-controlled relievers traded quite a bit this offseason, including in deals for J.J. Hardy, Mark Reynolds, Jason Bartlett, and Cameron Maybin. Oakland could turn around and deal Blevins, Joey Devine, or Brad Ziegler for help at another position now or before the deadline. The market is certainly there, and adding Fuentes would help maintain the team's relief depth.

Orioles Still Trying To Add Pitching Depth

By Mike Axisa | January 15, 2011 at 9:50am CDT

The Orioles just finalized their deal with Kevin Gregg two days ago, but that doesn't mean they're done trying to strengthen their bullpen and pitching staff in general. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail told Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun that he's having enough ongoing trade talks as well as discussions with free agents to believe they can make another move before pitchers and catchers report in a month.

"We have different discussions going on to try to get us a little more left-handed in the bullpen," said MacPhail. "We’ll just have to see how those discussions unfold."

"We got enough out there so you don’t know what’s going to come back and when or if anything comes back at all. That’s the case as you get progressively close to spring training. We have a lot of different conversations going on."

MacPhail declined to name specific targets or elaborate on how extensive talks were, but he acknowledged that the club still has some offers on the table for pitching help. Zrebiec hears from another source that any moves will not be too significant, and if they add another starter, it'll likely be through trade.

The market for lefty relief help still has a lot to offer as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows. Joe Beimel, Dennys Reyes, Randy Flores, and Brian Fuentes are still available, though Fuentes is probably out of the team's price range according to Zrebiec. Kenshin Kawakami, Joe Blanton, Tom Gorzelanny, and Armando Galarraga highlight the starting pitching trade market.

Hoyer On Bell, Contracts, Pitchers, Hawpe, Hudson

By Mike Axisa | January 15, 2011 at 8:43am CDT

Padres GM Jed Hoyer spoke with Darren Smith of XX1090 Sports Radio about the state of his team yesterday. You can download the mp3 of the 16-minute interview here, and here's a recap of the important hot stove items…

Unsurprisingly, Hoyer's primary focus is arbitration figures at the moment. MLBTR's Arb Tracker shows that the team still has five players up for arbitration, including Heath Bell and Ryan Ludwick.
Hoyer believes the team will be able to sign Bell before an arbitration hearing. While the two sides are open to and have discussed the possibility of a multiyear deal, right now the focus is on getting a contract for 2011 worked out.
Hoyer likes the idea of bringing recently retired players in to just hang around with his young ballclub. Obviously the most notable recently retired player is long-time Padre Trevor Hoffman, who is now working with the club in a front office capacity.
"As far as Major League deals, I'd never say never, but I think we're pretty much done," said the GM. The team is closing in on deals with Gregg Zaun and Chad Qualls, and they figure to sign a few more players to minor league contracts before camp opens up.
"I think writing guys off after one year is a mistake," Hoyer said, referring to the recently signed Brad Hawpe. He considers age a factor when determining if a player is on the decline for good, and Hawpe is still just 31 and only a year removed from three straight seasons with no worse than a .879 OPS.
Free agent pitchers have called Hoyer directly to say they'd love to pitch for the Padres. Hitters aren't as receptive to playing in Petco Park, however.
Hoyer doesn't think they overpaid Orlando Hudson when they gave the second baseman a two-year, $11.5MM contract. "I think we got him on a very reasonable two year deal."
Gaslamp Ball rounded up the non-hot stove items for those of you interested in learning about how much playing time they plan to give Nick Hundley as well as how much they value defense.

Athletics Close To Deal With Brian Fuentes

By Mike Axisa | January 14, 2011 at 8:09pm CDT

8:09pm: The two sides are closing in on a two-year deal worth about $10.5MM, according to Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter).

6:55pm: Expect the A's to announce the signings with Fuentes and Balfour on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).

5:08pm: The deal calls for Fuentes to get more than $5MM per year and will include "lots" of closing incentives, a source told Rosenthal (via Twitter).

4:50pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says (via Twitter) that it is expected to be a two-year deal with an option for a third.

3:36pm: The Athletics are close to finalizing a deal with Brian Fuentes, reports Steve Phillips of AOL FanHouse (on Twitter). We heard that Oakland was pushing to sign the free agent lefty just yesterday. ESPN's Buster Olney says the deal isn't done just yet (Twitter link).

The A's have remade their team quite a bit this offseason, facilitating trades for David DeJesus and Josh Willingham while signing Grant Balfour and Hideki Matsui as free agents. Fuentes would join Balfour in an already strong bullpen that features Michael Wuertz, Craig Breslow, Brad Ziegler, and All-Star closer Andrew Bailey.

ESPN's Buster Olney pointed out that geography could work in Oakland's favor since Fuentes if from nearby Merced. The Blue Jays were also considered a serious suitor to sign the lefty reliever, and both the Yankees and Rays were connected to him earlier this month. Fuentes was said to be seeking Scott Downs money a few weeks ago, though it's likely that his asking price has since come down.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Hoffman, Soriano, Price

By Mike Axisa | January 14, 2011 at 1:14pm CDT

On this day seven years ago, the Angels signed Vladimir Guerrero to a five-year contract worth $90MM. The deal also included an option for a sixth year at $15MM, which was eventually picked up. Vlad hit .337/.391/.598 with 39 homers in his first year with the Halos, taking home the AL MVP award. During his six year stint in Anaheim, Guerrero was a .319/.381/.546 hitter with 173 homers, winning that one MVP and finishing in the top three of the voting two other times.

Vlad is still looking for a job this offseason, but then again so are plenty of other DH's. Here is this week's batch of links…

Friarhood remembers Trevor Hoffman's time with the Padres.
RE-Think The Game looks at the pros and cons of the Rafael Soriano signing.
Baseball Time In Arlington looks at the Rangers' payroll levels in the past and going forward.
The Process Report pictures a contract extension for David Price.
Wahoo Blues breaks down Chris Perez's arbitration case.
FanSpeak wonders if the Orioles should sign a DH.
Dock of the Rays looks at how Tampa can spend some of its remaining money on the open market.
The Sports Banter put together some productive free agent platoons.
The Nats Blog wonders if the Nationals should flip Ian Desmond with Danny Espinosa defensively.
Rooftop View explains why the Matt Garza deal is no good for the Cubs.
Meanwhile, the composite believes the Garza deal helps the Yankees.
Cubs Billy Goat Blog tries to predict the Cubs' future.
Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan is curious to know where the Athletics' infield depth is.
Rays Prospects chatted with Baseball America's Jim Callis about Tampa's minor league system.
Reds Minor Leagues put a dollar value on each team's farm system.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Previewing The Market For Prince Fielder

By Mike Axisa | January 13, 2011 at 10:44pm CDT

Earlier today we heard from Scott Boras, who is still trying to find a job for three of his highest profile clients this offseason. His biggest client next offseason, both literally and figuratively, will be Prince Fielder of the Brewers. The first baseman is due to earn upwards of $15MM in 2011, his final trip through the arbitration process, and he'll hit the open market after the season at just 27 years old.

Fielder's credentials are undeniable. He's hit .281/.395/.549 with 162 total home runs over the last four seasons, an average of just over 40 per season. Only Ryan Howard has gone deep more times since 2007, and only a handful of players boast better on-base percentages. Fielder's defense is generally below average and there are legitimate long-term concerns about his size and ability to play the field. His father Cecil Fielder had a similar build and had gone from being one of the game's best sluggers to merely above average by age 30.

Boras will have his work cut out for him, because three of baseball's biggest spenders (Yankees, Tigers, Phillies) already have first basemen locked up to nine-figure contracts. The Cardinals and Red Sox figure to join that group once extensions for Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez are in place, respectively. Other clubs like the Reds, White Sox, Twins, and Nationals don't have a desperate need for a first baseman. Here are some of the clubs that could have interest in Fielder next offseason…

Angels – Shut out of all the top free agents this winter, the Halos could be an aggressive player for Prince. They already have Kendry Morales at first however, meaning that they'd be locking one of the two into the DH spot for the foreseeable future. Their relationship with Boras isn't great either.
Blue Jays – If Edwin Encarnacion or Adam Lind can't handle first in 2010, Toronto could try to make a big play for Fielder. It would go against everything Alex Anthopoulos has done to date though. They might also be preoccupied with trying to re-signing Jose Bautista by then as well.
Cubs – The Cubbies added Carlos Pena on a one-year deal, so the position will be open next winter. Kosuke Fukudome's $14.5MM salary will be off the books as well, so the money seems to be there. We know they've been looking for lefty power for quite some time.
Dodgers – Ned Colletti is somewhat limited by the team's ownership situation right now, but things could change in the next 12 months. Perhaps a new owner would like to make a big splash.
Giants – Aubrey Huff just re-signed for two years but he can play other positions if needed, though if he does, it might be in deference of top prospect Brandon Belt. San Francisco will have to start thinking about a long-term extension for Tim Lincecum soon enough, and that is likely to eclipse $100MM.
Mets – Sandy Alderson has limited his free agent spending this winter, but he'll have Carlos Beltran ($20.07MM), Oliver Perez ($12MM), and Luis Castillo ($6.25MM) coming off the payroll after next season. Some of that money might go to an extension for Jose Reyes, but signing Fielder could free them up to trade Ike Davis for help elsewhere.
Orioles – The O's made a run at Mark Teixeira two winters ago, so we know they have the ability to support a $20MM a year player. Derrek Lee is on a one-year deal, and Andy MacPhail could choose to add that big power bat just as his young players start to mature.
Rangers – Texas has still has some Cliff Lee money to spend, but this would still be a long shot. They have several players due sizable arbitration raises in the next two years (most notably Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz), and would probably need to unload Michael Young as well.

We shouldn't rule the Brewers out either, no matter how unlikely it seems. They made a representative offer to CC Sabathia after the 2008 season, so we know they have that kind of money available. Of course that was before they added Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, and before signing both Corey Hart and Yovani Gallardo long-term. The market for Fielder still has another 11 months to develop, and plenty will change between now and then. At this moment though, there's no clear-cut suitor.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Borders, Marlins, NL Central

By Mike Axisa | January 13, 2011 at 9:22pm CDT

Some links from around the league…

Steve Dilbeck of The Los Angeles Times spoke to Dodgers' manager Don Mattingly, who said the team has zero interest in adding a lefty reliever just for the sake of it. They're looking for the best pitchers, regardless of what arm they throw with.
The Dodgers released Pat Borders according to this week's edition of minor league transactions, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy. Yes, it's that Pat Borders. Click through for the story.
Larry Stone of The Seattle Times took a look at some of last year's late signings that paid big dividends.
Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun Sentinel has the full list of players that the Marlins have signed to minor league contracts with invites to Spring Training. We heard about the four most notable players yesterday.
MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince wrote about how the competitive atmosphere in the NL Central has intensified this offseason.

Padres Close To Deal With Gregg Zaun

By Mike Axisa | January 13, 2011 at 7:22pm CDT

The Padres are close to a deal with free agent catcher Gregg Zaun, reports Bill Center of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Earlier today we learned that San Diego was closing in on a contract with Chad Qualls, so GM Jed Hoyer is close to addressing two issues he recently identified.

Zaun, 40 in April, missed most of the 2010 season after having surgery to repair a damaged labrum in his throwing shoulder. In 117 plate appearances with the Brewers, he hit a solid .265/.350/.392 with two homers and nearly as many walks (11) as strikeouts (12). The switch-hitting catcher has thrown out just 24% of attempted base stealers in his career, even less in recent years, and that doesn't figure to get any better after his recent injury.

The Padres were looking to add some depth behind the plate after parting ways with Yorvit Torrealba. Zaun will likely compete with Rob Johnson and Guillermo Quiroz to serve as Nick Hundley's backup.

Nationals Considering Jerry Hairston Jr.

By Mike Axisa | January 13, 2011 at 7:16pm CDT

With utility player Willie Harris seemingly out of the fold, the Nationals are now considering Jerry Hairston Jr. according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. He adds that Washington had interest in David Eckstein earlier this offseason, but the two sides haven't talked in weeks.

Hairston, 34, hit just .244/.299/.353 in 476 plate appearances for the Padres last season, though he had hit .281/.343/.432 in the two prior seasons. He missed the end of the season because of a fractured tibia, and he also battled elbow issues in 2010. Hairston provides tremendous versatility, with a ton of experience at every position other than pitcher, catcher, and first base.

Braves Claim Anthony Varvaro

By Mike Axisa | January 13, 2011 at 6:54pm CDT

The Braves have claimed Anthony Varvaro off waivers from the Mariners, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Seattle designated the right-hander for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Miguel Olivo earlier this month.

Varvaro, 26, made his big league debut this past season, allowing five runs in four innings out of the Mariners' bullpen. The Tommy John surgery survivor pitched to a 4.02 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 in 65 relief innings at the Double and Triple-A levels in 2010. Baseball America ranked Varvaro as Seattle's 30th best prospect before the 2008 season, noting that he sits in the low-90's with his fastball.

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