Mike Axisa | MLB Trade Rumors

East Links: Ortiz, Farrell, Guillen, Litsch, Red Sox

By Mike Axisa | October 19, 2012 at 6:51pm CDT

The Red Sox and Blue Jays are making progress on compensation talks for manager John Farrell, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. A contract between Farrell and the Red Sox won't be an obstacle once compensation is agreed upon. Here is the latest from baseball's two East divisions…

Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reports (on Twitter) that the Red Sox and David Ortiz did engage in contract talks earlier this week. A few days ago we learned that the slugger was still seeking two years and $25-30MM.
The status of Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen is expected to be settled early next week, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Club officials will meet in New York to discuss the state of the team.
Jesse Litsch still feels pain in his throwing arm and has started to think about his post-playing career, perhaps coaching or scouting according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. The right-hander had two surgeries this year and could have a third soon. The Blue Jays recently outrighted him off the 40-man roster and he elected free agency.
Orioles third base coach DeMarlo Hale is unlikely to get the Red Sox gig as the club apparently has their heart set on Farrell, writes Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com.
Meanwhile, Hale told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) that he believes that his interview with the Red Sox went well. The coach added that he's unsure of when he'll he might hear back from the club.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Yankees Will Exercise Granderson’s Option For 2013

By Mike Axisa | October 19, 2012 at 5:15pm CDT

The Yankees intend to exercise Curtis Granderson's club option for 2013, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The option was originally worth $13MM, but Granderson triggered an escalator clause with his fourth place finish in last season's MVP voting. The option is now worth $15MM.

Granderson, 31, hit .232/.319/.492 with 43 homers in his third season with the Yankees. He's the only player in baseball to hit at least 40 home runs in each of the last two seasons thanks in part to Jose Bautista's wrist injury. Granderson was in the final guaranteed year of the five-year, $30.25MM extension he signed with the Tigers prior to the 2008 season.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: A-Rod, Wright, Ellsbury

By Mike Axisa | October 19, 2012 at 12:22pm CDT

On this date in 2009, catcher Kenji Johjima opted out of the final two years of his contract with the Mariners and forfeited $16MM. He was reportedly unhappy with his reduced playing time and headed home to Japan. Johjima, the first Japanese-born catcher in MLB history, hit .303/.352/.507 with 28 homers for Hanshin Tigers in 2010, but knee and elbow problems limited him to just 62 games over the last two years. The Japan Times reported last month that he will retire after this season due to the injuries. Here is the latest from around the web…

South Side Sox expects the White Sox to be part of the Alex Rodriguez talks this winter.
Meanwhile, South Side Showdown doesn't expect the ChiSox to acquire A-Rod.
Wahoo's on First wonders if the Indians could make a deal for A-Rod.
Halo Hangout thinks the Angels may be a suitor for A-Rod.
Amazin' Avenue looked at the cost of signing David Wright to an extension.
Lone Star Ball says the Rangers failed to make meaningful upgrades at the trade deadline.
Over The Monster wrote about the idea of trading Jacoby Ellsbury.
Rising Apple thinks Shin-Soo Choo and Josh Willingham could be fits for the Mets.
Royals Review wants the Royals roll the dice on Dan Haren if he becomes available.
Blue Jays Plus wonders where Ricky Romero will end up next season.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness wrote about some outfield options for the Dodgers.
Lasorda's Lair wonders if the Dodgers will bring Juan Rivera back next year.
Cole on LA graded the 2012 Dodgers.
FanSpeak looked ahead to the upcoming Nationals' offseason.
Redleg Nation broke down the Reds' payroll and contract situations.
Burning Dowm the Yard says that Orioles manager Buck Showalter deserves an extension.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Tufts, Green, Murphy

By Mike Axisa | October 17, 2012 at 9:08pm CDT

Let's keep track of the day's outright assignments right here as clubs get their 40-man rosters in shape prior to the offseason…

The Rangers announced that right-hander Tyler Tufts was outrighted to Triple-A Round Rock after being activated from the 15-day disabled list. Tufts appeared in 19 minor league games last season before undergoing stomach surgery. The move leaves Texas with 39 players on their 40-man roster.
The Marlins have outrighted infielder Nick Green to Triple-A according to Clark Spencer of The Miami Herland (on Twitter). The 34-year-old Green hit .174/.208/.304 in 24 plate appearances for Miami this season and is a .236/.303/.347 career hitter in the big leagues.
The Marlins have also outrighted utility man Donnie Murphy to Triple-A according to Spencer. Murphy, 29, hit .216/.281/.379 in 129 plate appearances for the Fish this year. He's a .205/.270/.373 career hitter in the show.
The Marlins have also outrighted infielder Gil Velazquez to Triple-A according to Spencer. The 33-year-old hit .232/.246/.250 in 57 plate appearances for Miami this year.

Blue Jays Claim Cory Wade Off Waivers

By Mike Axisa | October 17, 2012 at 2:32pm CDT

The Blue Jays have claimed right-hander Cory Wade off waivers from the Yankees, the team announced. New York designated him for assignment last week.

Wade, 29, appeared in 79 games for the Yankees across the last two years, posting a 4.23 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 during that stretch. The reliever spent his first two big league seasons with the Dodgers and had a brief minor league stint with the Rays before joining the Bombers in June of 2011. He will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason.

Red Sox Designate Che-Hsuan Lin For Assignment

By Mike Axisa | October 17, 2012 at 2:27pm CDT

The Red Sox have designated outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin for assignment, the team announced. The move creates room on the 40-man roster for the recently-claimed Sandy Rosario.

Lin, 24, had three singles in a dozen plate appearances with Boston this season, his big league debut. He's a .256/.347/.344 hitter in over 2,750 minor league plate appearances whose best attribute is his defense in center field. Lin was named MVP of the 2008 Futures Game after hitting a two-run homer off Ryan Mattheus.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Nate McLouth

By Mike Axisa | October 13, 2012 at 7:47pm CDT

The last few seasons have been a rollercoaster for 30-year-old Nate McLouth, a former All-Star with the Pirates who finished the season as the regular left fielder for the Orioles. In between he was traded to the Braves, had his option declined, re-signed by the Pirates, released by Pittsburgh, and signed by Baltimore.

McLouth earned himself a three-year deal worth $15.75MM back in 2009 after hitting .276/.356/.497 with 26 homers, 23 steals, and a league-leading 46 doubles back in 2008. He was traded to Atlanta shortly thereafter, where he put together just a .229/.335/.364 batting line in over 1,000 plate appearances across three years. After a second tour of duty as a bench player with the Pirates failed, McLouth hooked on with the Orioles and had the best stretch of his career since breaking out in 2008.

Called up in early-August after hitting .244/.325/.461 in 209 plate appearances for the team's Triple-A affiliate, McLouth quickly assumed Baltimore's left field job full-time and even batted third for a few weeks. When Nick Markakis went down with a season-ending thumb injury, the 2008 All-Star assumed the leadoff spot. McLouth finished the season with a .268/.342/.435 batting line in 236 plate appearances for the Orioles, and he went 7-for-22 (.318) with a homer and two steals against the Yankees in the ALDS.

McLouth is now set to head back onto the open market, this time on much more favorable terms after the Braves declined his club option last winter. He's a .248/.335/.421 hitter in nearly 3,000 career plate appearances, and he's shown both speed and decent pop from the left side. As a left-handed hitter, most of his damage comes against righties (.257/.346/.447) and not lefties (.223/.303/.346). Although he's is a strong defender by reputation, the various advanced metrics actually rate him as below-average.

Two strong months and one great playoff series with the Orioles won't be enough to make teams forget McLouth's performance with Pirates earlier this year as well with the Braves. He fits best as a platoon corner outfielder who can fill in at center on occasion, and the good news is that he's on the "heavy" side of the platoon as a lefty. I think McLouth's best free agent comparable may be Casey Kotchman, another guy who bounced around and struggled for years before having the proverbial "one good year" with the Rays a season ago. He turned that year into a one-year, $3MM contract with the Indians last offseason.

Earlier today we learned that McLouth would like to return to the Orioles, but the club already boasts impressive outfield depth with Markakis, Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold, and even Chris Davis. There simply may not be a spot for him in Baltimore next season. McLouth played well enough down the stretch that he will likely be able to find a guaranteed contract (rather than a minor league deal) on the open market, but that contract may only be for one year and a few million bucks. He'll have to repeat this year's his success again in 2013 before richer opportunities come along.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Quiroz, Loux, Christian

By Mike Axisa | October 13, 2012 at 5:55pm CDT

Here are the day's outright assignments, courtesy of the International League and Pacific Coast League transactions pages…

The Red Sox have outrighted Guillermo Quiroz to Triple-A and the catcher has elected free agency. Boston designated the 30-year-old for assignment earlier this month. Quiroz made outs in both of his plate appearances as the team's third backstop in September.
The Giants have outrighted Shane Loux to Triple-A. Loux, 33, pitched to a 4.97 ERA with as many walks as strikeouts (nine) in 25 1/3 relief innings this season.
The Giants have also outrighted Justin Christian to Triple-A. The 32-year-old outfielder posted a .125/.197/.143 batting line in 61 plate appearances for San Francisco this year.

Mets May Start Talks With Wright & Dickey Next Week

By Mike Axisa | October 13, 2012 at 12:14pm CDT

Mets GM Sandy Alderson has made it no secret that signing both David Wright and R.A. Dickey beyond 2013 is one of his top offseason priorities, and a source told Andy Martino of The New York Daily News that formal contract negotiations with both players could begin next week. "Too early to tell," said a source when asked if either player could agree to a new deal this month.

Earlier this week we learned that the team intends to open talks with Wright by offering a deal in the $100MM range, which would be in line with the six-year, $100MM extension Ryan Zimmerman signed with the Nationals earlier this year. The 29-year-old Wright hit .306/.391/.492 with 21 homers this year, and the Mets will surely exercise his $16MM club option for next season soon after the World Series.

Dickey, 37, could be in line for an Oliver Perez-like contract following his Cy Young caliber season, meaning three years and $36MM. The club will surely exercise his $5MM club option for 2013 as soon as necessary. Martino hears that Alderson is sincere in his desire to sign Dickey, but there is some in the organization who are concerned about his age and injury history. The knuckleballer pitched through a torn abdominal muscle this season and dealt with a right foot problem last year.

Reynolds & McLouth Would Like To Return To Orioles

By Mike Axisa | October 13, 2012 at 10:40am CDT

The Orioles impressive season ended with an ALDS Game Five loss to the Yankees yesterday, but the team improved so much that a pair of impending free agents told MLB.com's Adam Rosenbloom that they would like to return to the club next year.

"I'd definitely like to come back," said Mark Reynolds. "This is the most fun I've ever had playing baseball, this group of guys. There's a bunch of ballplayers in this room. No prima donnas, nobody for themselves. Just ballplayers who pull for each other, and who wouldn't want to be in that environment?"

The 29-year-old Reynolds hit .221/.335/.429 with 23 homers in 538 plate appearances this year, making the transition from third base over to first base full-time. The club holds an $11MM option for his services next year, but even if they decline it they would still control his rights as an arbitration-eligible player. Baltimore could turn down the option and try to re-sign him at a lower salary without having to worry about a bidding war on the open market.

Nate McLouth, 30, also indicated a willingness to return to the Orioles next season, telling Rosenbloom that he "couldn't have had a better time in the time" with the team. He signed a minor league contract with Baltimore at midseason before taking over their left field and leadoff hitter jobs full-time in the second half. McLouth was their best hitter in the ALDS and produced a .268/.342/.435 batting line 236 regular season plate appearances with the team.

With Nick Markakis and Nolan Reimold expected to be healthy in time for next season, plus 33-homer guy Chris Davis' ability to play first base or right field, the Orioles may not have spots for Reynolds and/or McLouth next year. McLouth in particular figures to look to parlay his strong finish into a full-time job somewhere.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Headlines

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect