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Beltway Links: Nationals, Morse, McLouth, Orioles

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Mike Morse remains a prime piece of trade bait and earlier this afternoon we learned Adam LaRoche sought a no-trade clause as part of his new two-year deal with the Nationals. He did not receive one, however. Here's the latest on the Nats and Orioles…

  • Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) doesn't see the Nationals getting much for Morse. The 30-year-old is eligible for free agency next fall and GMs aren't eager to give up good prospects for a player in that situation. Some GMs have told Olney privately that while they like Morse, they can't see surrendering much for him due to his defensive shortcomings and lengthy injury history.
  • Meanwhile, MLB.com's Matthew Leach says Morse is a very intriguing trade chip for the Nationals. He lists the Orioles, Yankees, Giants, Mariners, Rays, and Rangers as clubs who could have interest in the slugger.
  • Nate McLouth says he re-signed with the Orioles in large part because of the team chemistry in Baltimore, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The outfielder inked a one-year, $2MM deal with the O's in December.
  • Jonathan Bernhardt of Sports on Earth argues that the Orioles' lack of activity this offseason was the best of several bad options.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Kosuke Fukudome Signs With Hanshin Tigers

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Outfielder Kosuke Fukudome signed with the Hanshin Tigers earlier this offseason according to a Sponichi report passed along by Patrick Newman at NPB Tracker. The Octagon client received a three-year deal worth roughly $5.5MM.

Fukudome, 35, hit .171/.294/.195 in 51 plate appearances for the White Sox last year before being released at midseason. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees and hit .276/.440/.378 in 166 Triple-A plate appearances to close out the season. Fukudome is a .258/.359/.395 career hitter at the big league level with the Cubs, Indians, and ChiSox.

Pirates Acquire Jeanmar Gomez

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The Pirates have acquired Jeanmar Gomez from the Indians in exchange for Quincy Latimore, reports ESPN's Keith Law (on Twitter). Cleveland had designated the right-hander for assignment last week.

Gomez, 24, pitched to a 5.96 ERA with 4.7 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 90 2/3 innings for Indians last season. He owns a 5.18 ERA in 206 2/3 innings across 38 starts and four relief appearances in his big league career over the last three seasons. Baseball America ranked Gomez as the team's 21st best prospect in their 2010 Prospect Handbook, saying he should be a "serviceable fifth starter or middle reliever in the future."

Latimore, 23, was Pittsburgh's fourth round pick in the 2007 draft. The outfielder hit .252/.321/.433 with 15 homers and ten steals in 462 Double-A plate appearances last season, his second straight year at the level. Baseball America ranked Latimore as the 21st best prospect in the Pirates' system in their 2011 Prospect Handbook, noting he needs to be more patient at the plate.

Nationals Discussing Morse With Several Teams

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In the wake of re-signing Adam LaRoche, the Nationals are speaking to 5-6 teams about a trade involving Mike Morse according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 30-year-old right-handed hitter will earn $7MM in 2013 before qualifying for free agency after the season. He's hit .296/.345/.516 over the last three years. Here's the latest on Morse…

  • Morse is opposed to being a designated hitter, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Trouble is, Morse isn't highly regarded defensively. 
  • The Yankees are indeed among the interested teams, Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • The Nationals are seeking a left-handed reliever and/or prospects in any Morse swap, reports ESPN's Jim Bowden (Twitterlinks). Amanda Comak of The Washington Times hears the asking price was high at the Winter Meetings.
  • The Nationals believe the Rays would make a great trade partner for Morse, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson (on Twitter). Tampa has a strong prospect base from which to build a package.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com points out that the Mariners, Indians, Rays, Rangers, Yankees, Phillies, and Mets all need a bat and could target Morse (Twitterlinks). Rosenthal doubts Washington would trade him within the division to Philadelphia.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Dodgers Sign J.P. Howell

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The Dodgers' offseason spending continues, as they've officially announced the signing of 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 left-hander is a Legacy Sports Group client.

Uspw_6472630Howell, 29, pitched to a 3.04 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 50 1/3 innings for the Rays last season after missing all of 2010 and part of 2011 due to shoulder surgery. He held left-handed batters to a .200/.306/.306 batting line with a 52.4% ground ball rate in 2012. Howell is a soft-tosser, averaging just 87.1 mph with his fastball last year according to PitchFX.

The Dodgers have not been shy about spending over the last eight months or so. They've re-signed Brandon League while adding Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu this offseason, plus they acquired Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and others during the season. Howell replaces the departed Randy Choate, who took a three-year deal with the Cardinals last month.

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes did not rank Howell as one of the offseason's Top 50 Free Agents. As our Free Agent Tracker shows, lefty relievers like Will Ohman, J.C. Romero, and Manny Parra remain unsigned.

Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times was the first to report that the two sides were nearing an agreement (on Twitter), and ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the agreement had been reached. Olney also added Howell's base salary (Twitter link), while Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweeted news of the incentives.

Steve Adams also contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Brewers Sign Mike Gonzalez

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The Brewers have officially announced the signing of Mike Gonzalez to a one-year contract. The veteran left-hander is a client of the MVP Sports Group and is guaranteed $2.25MM with incentives that can increase the value of his contract.

Gonzalez, 34, pitched to a 3.03 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 35 2/3 innings for the Nationals last season after signing in early-May. He held left-handed batters to a .179/.257/.269 batting line with 23 strikeouts in 75 plate appearances. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes did not rank Gonzalez as one of the offseason's Top 50 Free Agents.

Relief help was a priority for the Brewers this offseason after their bullpen posted a MLB-worst 4.66 ERA in 2012. Earlier this month they acquired Burke Badenhop from the Rays and signed Tom Gorzelanny, another former Nationals left-hander. ESPN's Jim Bowden says (on Twitter) the Nats and Reds were also in on Gonzalez.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first broke news of the agreement (Twitter links). Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM tweeted the financial details, and MLB.com's Adam McCalvy tweeted that Gonzalez's physical would take place after New Year's Day (on Twitter).

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Vazquez, Nationals, Padres, Stanton

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On this date three years ago, the Mets officially signed R.A. Dickey to a minor league contract worth $600K if he made the team. Three seasons and one NL Cy Young Award later, the knuckleballer was traded to the Blue Jays for a package including two top prospects this offseason. Here's the latest from around the league as Saturday turns into Sunday…

  • "I am seriously considering pitching again, but have not made a final decision," said Javier Vazquez to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. "Certainly, If I do come back, [the Nationals are] definitely a place I would consider. I'm feeling really good and throwing the ball well."
  • The Padres have talked to the Marlins about Giancarlo Stanton, but nothing too detailed according to Bill Center of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Center notes Miami had interest in Padres prospect Jedd Gyorko earlier this winter.
  • In his latest Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney ranked the Braves' bullpen as the best in baseball. Atlanta strengthened their relief corps by acquiring Jordan Walden a few weeks ago.
  • Within the same column, Olney says the Yankees probably won't make many more additions prior to Spring Training. New York claimed Russ Canzler off waivers yesterday.
  • The Pirates and Francisco Liriano have not yet finalized their two-year agreement, but there are no hang-ups or deal-breakers according to Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Sulia). The holidays delayed things.

Reactions To The Lance Berkman Signing

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The Rangers and Lance Berkman agreed to a one-year contract with a vesting option earlier today, plugging the team's DH hole. Berkman will receive $10MM in 2013 with a $1MM buyout of the option. Here is a collection of news and reactions to the deal…

  • "It never really got past the tire-kicking phase," said Berkman to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart when asked about talks with the Astros (all Twitter links). Houston never made an offer and the two sides only discussed contract parameters. "I have nothing but good things to say about the Astros organization and the way our negotiations went," added Berkman.
  • The Red Sox showed interest in Berkman before he signed with Texas, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Talks never gained momentum due to his geographical preferences, however.
  • The Orioles also kicked the tires on Berkman according to Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com (on Twitter). They moved on due to his asking price.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Berkman is the type of hitter the Rangers have rarely had, meaning he's patient and willing to use the entire field (all Twitter links).
  • Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is "stunned" at the size of Berkman's contract (Twitter link). He assumes the Rangers thoroughly reviewed the medicals.

Minor Moves: Rick VandenHurk

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Earlier today the Dodgers signed Alfredo Amezaga to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Here are the rest of Saturday's minor moves…

  • The Pirates have released Rick VandenHurk so he can sign with a foreign club, the team announced (on Twitter). The 27-year-old right-hander pitched to a 3.06 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 129 1/3 innings last season, almost all with Pittsburgh's Triple-A affiliate.  VandenHurk is represented by Beverly Hills Sports Council.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Eli Whiteside

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Here are Saturday's outright assignments…

  • The Rangers have outrighted Eli Whiteside to Triple-A Round Rock, reports Rangers executive vice president of communications John Blake (on Twitter). Texas designated the catcher for assignment when they signed Jason Frasor. Whiteside, 33, is a .215/.273/.335 career hitter in the big leagues, and he's been claimed off waivers three times this offseason as our Transaction Tracker shows.

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