Padres Claim Radhames Liz
According to a team press release, the Padres have claimed righthander Radhames Liz off waivers from the Orioles. The 26-year-old appeared in two games for the O's in 2009, allowing eight hits and ten runs in just 1.1 innings. He made 17 starts for Baltimore in 2008, putting up a 6.72 ERA in 84.1 IP.
Prior to the 2008 season, Baseball America ranked Liz as the Orioles' number two prospect behind Matt Wieters.
White Sox Sign Andruw Jones
The White Sox have signed outfielder Andruw Jones to a one year contract worth $500K, according to ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine. Jones could earn another $1MM in performance based incentives, and Levine mentions that the ChiSox are not looking at him as a starting outfielder, instead they were looking to solidify their bench.
The 32-year-old Jones hit .214/.323/.459 in 331 plate appearances for Texas last year, spending most of his time at DH. He also appeared in eight games at first base, plus 17 in the two corner outfield spots. FanGraphs values his 2009 peformance at $3.6MM, so this appears to be a nice little pickup considering the low base salary.
Yesterday we heard that Chicago was interested in Coco Crisp, though the Jones signing might quell that interest.
Phillies Targeting Adrian Beltre
Major league and team sources have indicated that Phillies' GM Ruben Amaro is targeting free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, according to Randy Miller of The Bucks County Courier Times. However, Amaro apparently knows that money may be an issue, because Scott Boras is "believed to be after a four-year deal."
The Phillies are shopping around for someone to man the hot corner after turning down Pedro Feliz's option, and the 30-year-old Beltre seems like a natural fit given his excellent defense and solid bat, assuming his shoulder is healthy.
Phillies, Juan Castro Agree To Terms
1:40pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki learned from Castro's agent Oscar Suarez that he's closing in on a deal with the Phillies. As Suarez put it: "Who doesn't like Juan Castro?" Scott Lauber of The News Journal says only a physical remains, and David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News says an agreement has been reached on a one-year deal with a club option.
1:11pm: Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the Phillies are the frontrunner to sign Castro, though no deal is imminent.
11:50am: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com report that both the Dodgers and Phillies are pursuing utility infielder Juan Castro. The Phillies are looking at him as a replacement for Eric Bruntlett (who isn't likely to return), while Dodgers are trying to retain him after he hit .277/.311/.339 in 121 plate appearances for them last year.
The 37-year-old Castro signed a minor league deal with LA last season, though he spent basically the entire season in the big leagues. He made $700K while playing three infield spots and left field in 2009.
Odds & Ends: Dye, Pettitte, Bay, Yankees, Mauer
Some links to start the day…
- Yesterday we heard that Jermaine Dye was open to playing first base, and Jack Moore at FanGraphs determines that unless he takes a massive paycut, Dye's still not worth taking the spot of a prospect.
- Andy Pettitte isn't expected to make his decision about a 2010 return anytime soon, according to Mark Feinsand of The NY Daily News.
- FoxSports.com's Tracy Ringolsby runs down the ten biggest free agency blunders. I have to disagree that the Dodgers are better off with Juan Pierre in left instead of Manny Ramirez, what about you?
- Cathal Kelly of The Toronto Star says there is a "school of thought" that the Blue Jays could be a surprise suitor for Jason Bay, who is Canadian. The move could ease some fan anger should they trade Roy Halladay.
- After last year's spending spree, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said "We're not going to spend as much this year," according to The NY Post's Dan Martin. Maybe he means they can afford only one nine-figure contract instead of two this offseason.
- Charley Walters of The Pioneer Press notes that playing on the East Coast could result in enormous endorsement opportunities for Joe Mauer, something he'd have to consider before agreeing to an extension with the Twins.
- A's majority owner John Fisher and minority owner Lew Wolff reinforced their desire to build a new ballpark in downtown San Jose, reports Joe Stiglich of The Contra Costa Times.
- The Boston Herald provides a nice little primer for the AL East hot stove.
Olney On Cabrera, Yankees, Cust, Rays
In today's blog post at ESPN, Buster Olney writes about the potential market for Miguel Cabrera, who is now apparently available in a trade. He notes the enormous financial commitment attached to Cabrera's All-World bat, and discusses the Red Sox, Angels, Mets, White Sox, Giants, Mariners, and Braves as potential landing spots.
Here's the rest of Olney's rumors…
- Olney tweets that the Astros' payroll will be cut from $107MM to the low $90MMs.
- Olney says the Yankees will look to add two relievers in all likelihood, though it's unclear if they're willing to give up a first round pick for one of the Type-A bullpen arms. For what it's worth, GM Brian Cashman said the bullpen wasn't an area of "obvious need" yesterday.
- Jack Cust could be in line for a $4.5MM payday through arbitration, which just might get him non-tendered. Given all the DH-types on the market, that might not be a good thing for Cust. We learned yesterday that the Mets might be among the suitors for him.
- Regarding a potential Milton Bradley to Tampa trade, Olney says the Rays "absolutely will not do it unless it's on their terms, which is that the Cubs might absorb enough money in the swap of Bradley and (Pat) Burrell to make it worthwhile for the Rays."
- Olney also reiterates that it's extremely unlikely the Padres will move Adrian Gonzalez given his favorable contract.
Mariners Interested In Nick Johnson
The Mariners are interested in free agent first baseman Nick Johnson, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com. Johnson has also heard from the Giants, Mets, and Yankees.
Despite their interest in Johnson, the Mariners are still negotiating with Russell Branyan, and they've also discussed Lyle Overbay with the Blue Jays. Toronto appears willing to pay some of Overbay's $7MM salary according to the Fox scribes. Both Johnson and Branyan are reportedly seeking multi-year deals.
The team has also discussed moving Jose Lopez to first, but Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times thinks he'll be moved this offseason. Casey Kotchman could also be an option should the Red Sox non-tender him.
Gammons’ Latest: Yankees, Tigers, Chapman
ESPN's Peter Gammons touched on a bunch of hot stove topics in his latest blog post, so let's round everything up…
- Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain will come to Spring Training as starters, but the Yankees haven't ruled out a run at John Lackey, Ben Sheets, or another starter. The feeling inside the organization is that the payroll will be scaled back a bit.
- One Tigers source emphatically told Gammons "there will be no fire sale. [Owner] Mike Ilitch wouldn't allow it."
- At least one GM says that switching agents raises some character questions about Aroldis Chapman.
- Conor Jackson's stint in winter ball convinced the team he's healthy, and he'll be in their first base/left field mix next year. Jackson made our list of non-tender candidates.
Rockies Not Interested In Mike Lowell
The Rockies are looking for a righthanded hitter that can handle first and third bases, though they're not interested in Mike Lowell according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com. Colorado can't afford to pay a part-time player $12MM, and a major league source says the team wouldn't be interested even if the Red Sox ate half of Lowell's salary.
Rosenthal and Morosi add that the Rockies haven't ruled out bringing Jason Giambi back, though he doesn't offer versatility or a righty stick.
Royals Sign Bryan Bullington
The Royals have signed righthander Bryan Bullington to a minor league contract, according to The KC Star's Bob Dutton.
The 29-year-old Bullington was the first overall pick of the 2002 draft, but he's appeared in just 13 big league games during his career. He's allowed 24 runs and 63 baserunners in 39 career innings, bouncing around from the Pirates to the Indians to the Blue Jays.
Kansas City has also signed Wilson Betemit, Jorge Campillo, and Brad Thompson to minor league deals this offseason.