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Extension Talks Heating Up Between Padres, Hundley

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The Padres locked up Cameron Maybin to a five-year deal earlier this month, and now they're working on another core player. MLB.com's Corey Brock reports (on Twitter) that talks between the team and catcher Nick Hundley have heated up this week, and an agreement could be close. He's an Athletes First client.

Hundley, 28, will earn $2MM this season, his first as an arbitration-eligible player. A .255/.314/.420 career hitter, Hundley broke out with a .288/.347/.477 batting line in 308 plate appearances last season. He did miss more than two months with an oblique strain and an elbow issue, however. Since breaking into the league in 2008, Hundley ranks 13th among all catchers with 6.5 wins above replacement (min. 1,000 PA).

As our Extension Tracker shows, catchers like Kurt Suzuki (four years, $16.25MM), Carlos Ruiz (three years, $8.85MM), Chris Iannetta (three years, $8.3MM), and Yadier Molina (four years, $15.5MM) have signed extensions when they had between three and four years of service time. Hundley's three arbitration years figure to cost San Diego $8-10MM.

Rays Appear To Be Seeking Catcher

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The Rays currently have four catchers on their 40-man roster, but apparently they're seeking even more depth. Jon Heyman and Scott Miller of CBSSports.com hear from those within the industry that Tampa is believed to be seeking an extra catcher (Twitter links). One executive predicted that Jose Molina won't catch more than 80 games.

Molina, 36, was brought in on a one-year, $1.8MM deal this offseason because of his stellar defense and not his .263/.323/.396 batting line with the Blue Jays over the last two years. The veteran backstop has started 81 games behind the plate just once in his 12-year career (2008), and only twice has he started more than 60 games at catcher. The other 40-man roster catchers – Robinson Chirinos, Jose Lobaton, and Stephen Vogt – have 116 plate appearances at the MLB level combined.

As our Free Agent Tracker shows, there isn't much out there in terms of catching help. It's basically Ivan Rodriguez and Ramon Castro. The Rays have pitching to spare if they want to seek another backstop via trade.

Yankees Sign Andy Pettitte

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A year after retiring, Andy Pettitte is back in pinstripes. The Yankees announced that they signed the 39-year-old left-hander to a minor league contract. Pettitte, a Hendricks Sports client, can potentially earn $2.5MM on the deal, which doesn't include incentives. 

Andy Pettitte - Yankees

Pettitte announced his retirement from baseball after the 2010 season and did not play at all in 2011. He got the itch to return while with the team as a guest instructor earlier this month, ESPN's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). The Yankees have left the door open for a return since Pettitte retired, so they were able to work a deal out once he decided to return.

It's unlikely that Pettitte will be able to start the season with the team. Joel Sherman of the New York Post says (on Twitter) that he will use the rest of Spring Training to get in shape, then rejoin the club. The Yankees currently have CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Hiroki Kuroda, Phil Hughes, Freddy Garcia, and Ivan Nova for five rotation spots, so Pettitte makes seven starters for five spots.

Photo courtesy Icon SMI. Jack Curry of The YES Network first reported the deal. Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Helms, Davies, Blue Jays, Orioles

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Here's the latest from the around the league, including updates on two low-profile free agents…

  • Wes Helms is currently working out and waiting for an opportunity with the right team, reports MLBTR's Tim Dierkes (on Twitter). The 35-year-old hit .191/.276/.236 with the Marlins last season before being released in August.
  • Free agent right-hander Kyle Davies is currently rehabbing from a December shoulder surgery, tweets Dierkes. Davies, 28, pitched to a 6.75 ERA in 13 starts for the Royals last year before getting released in August.
  • Sources tell Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail that the Blue Jays will not add a starting pitcher owed significant money right now. A cheap, innings-eating stopgap is more likely. Toronto has been connected to Joe Blanton and Gavin Floyd recently.
  • Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com interviewed Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich about the upcoming amateur draft. Baltimore holds the fourth overall pick this year.

Los Angeles Links: Magic Johnson, LaRussa, Walden

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The Angels play in Orange County, but Los Angeles is in the team name and that's good enough for me. Here's the latest on the Halos and Dodgers…

  • ESPN's Buster Olney says (on Twitter) that some baseball executives believe Magic Johnson's group is the frontrunner to buy the Dodgers. He notes that there is still a long, long way to go in the process.
  • Meanwhile, Bob Nightengale of USA Today hears that Tony LaRussa and agent Arn Tellem would assume front office positions with the Dodgers if Steve Cohen ends up buying the team. The four ownership finalists include Cohen's group, Magic's group, a group led by St. Louis Rams and Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke, and a group led by Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley.
  • Angels closer Jordan Walden is looking to bullpen-mates and former closers Jason Isringhausen and LaTroy Hawkins for advice in his second year on the job, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. "There are some years right there," Walden joked. "I’m trying to learn things, all kinds of things that they’ve done that have worked for them."

No Progress In Talks Between Giants, Matt Cain

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The Giants and representatives for Matt Cain failed to make progress towards a contract extension during talks today according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. No further discussions are planned, and although Cain has not set a deadline for a new deal, neither he nor the team wants to be distracted by talks during the regular season.

The 27-year-old right-hander is seeking a contract that reflects his standing as one the best pitchers in baeball, but the Giants are hesitant to pay Cain free agent money a full year before he's scheduled to hit the open market. Rosenthal opines that he could receive a six-year contract worth $20MM annually as a free agent, which would make him the seventh pitcher in baseball history to secure a nine-figure deal.

Earlier this month we heard that the two sides had positive momentum towards a new pact. Cain, a CAA Sports client, has signed extensions twice before, with the second contract buying out one free agent year and giving him a $15MM salary in 2012. He's pitched to a 3.35 ERA in his seven big league seasons, topping the 200 IP plateau in each of the last five years.

Central Links: Schafer, Samuel, Cust, White Sox

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Nine years ago today, the Pirates signed Kenny Lofton to a one-year contract. After hitting .277/.333/.437 in 374 plate appearances for Pittsburgh, he was traded to the Cubs along with Aramis Ramirez for Jose Hernandez, Bobby Hill, and Matt Bruback at the deadline. Here's the latest from two of Lofton's many former divisions, the NL and AL Central…

  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel that he has no plans to trade Logan Schafer despite the club's center field depth (Twitter link). The 25-year-old Schafer has had a strong spring but is stuck behind Nyjer Morgan and Carlos Gomez on the depth chart.
  • The Astros and GM Jeff Luhnow intend to take a look at right-handed reliever Francisco Samuel, reports B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com (on Twitter). The Cardinals – Luhnow's former team – released Samuel earlier today.
  • Jack Cust has had a slow start to Spring Training, though Luhnow indicated to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince that the slugger will continue to get chances with the Astros. They signed him to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal worth $500K with an option for 2013 this offseason.
  • "We looked to see if we could acquire some of the game's most impactful young players," said White Sox GM Kenny Williams to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com when asked about the team's rebuilding plan. "Our target list was our target list. We set the price high, and we stuck with it."

Johnny Damon Talks Free Agency, Yankees, Tigers

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The 2012 regular season officially starts two weeks from today when the Mariners and Athletics meet in Tokyo, but Johnny Damon still doesn't have a job. He spoke to Casey Stern and Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio yesterday to discuss his current situation…

"I know I've proven a lot, and if the right opportunity comes up, I'll take it," said Damon. "I think the biggest thing holding me back right now, is what if I do take a backup job somewhere, what if somebody gets hurt somewhere else where I would probably prefer to be at? That's why I'm taking my time."

"It's difficult, because I feel like I had pretty good year last year," he added. "From a stat standpoint, better than more than half the players out there."

Damon was linked to the Orioles earlier this month, but GM Dan Duquette quickly shot that down. Another AL East team and one of the 38-year-old's former employers – the Yankees – were in the market for a DH-type earlier this offseason before settling on Raul Ibanez. As Damon said, he was willing to return to New York and money wasn't an obstacle…

"Obviously, at this point of my career, I want to have some say in who I can and can't play with," he said. "I just wanted to make sure [GM Brian Cashman] knew it wasn't about money. Pay me whatever, and I'll try to help you win a championship."

The Tigers also have some appeal to Damon, who played in Detroit in 2010. They don't have a clearly defined DH at the moment if they stick to the plan of playing Miguel Cabrera at third and Prince Fielder at first, so on the surface there appears to be a fit. That's not necessarily the case though.

"I think the biggest thing is just the number of bodies, and possibly their loyalty to Magglio Ordonez if they were going to bring in a DH," said Damon.

Damon hit .261/.326/.418 with 16 homers and 19 steals in 647 plate appearances for the Rays last year, though he's only played 352 1/3 innings in the outfield since leaving the Yankees after 2009. He's also 277 hits away from 3,000 for his career, which could be a factor in his decision to hold out for an everyday job rather than accept a platoon or bench role.

Indians, Roberto Hernandez Restructure Contract

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4:09pm: Hernandez switched agencies and is now represented by Jorge Brito, a one-time employee of Hernandez's former agency, Proformance, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

11:57am: The Indians and Roberto Hernandez (a.k.a. Fausto Carmona) have restructured the right-hander's contract, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). His 2012 salary will now be "far less" than the $7MM he was scheduled to earn, and an option year in his contract has been eliminated.

The contract originally included a $9MM option for 2013 and a $12MM option for 2014. The Indians exercised Hernandez's $7MM option for 2012 last fall, before issues surrounding his age and identity emerged.

Rizzo: Lannan Not Actively Being Shopped

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The Nationals have an excess of starting pitching and other teams are calling about left-hander John Lannan, but GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post that he is not actively shopping the club's two-time Opening Day starter…

"I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of interest," said the GM. "I haven’t made any calls. I’ve fielded several calls. … But, again, this is way too early to say we have too much starting pitching."

"I am not actively shopping him," Rizzo added. "I haven’t actively shopped him all year, all winter."

Kilgore says the team is adamant about not trading Lannan for anything less than what they consider fair value, and they're fully prepared to option him to Triple-A if necessary. The 27-year-old southpaw will earn $5MM in 2012 after losing his arbitration hearing, and a competing GM told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the Nats should expect little in return if a new team absorbs his entire salary (Twitter link). Lannan can remain under team control as a arbitration-eligible player in 2013 before hitting the free agent market.

The Nationals added Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson to holdovers Jordan Zimmermann and Stephen Strasburg this offseason. They also re-signed Chien-Ming Wang and have the out-of-options Ross Detwiler available as well. The Red Sox, Tigers, and Astros are said to be among the clubs with an eye on Lannan, who Tim Dierkes profiled as a trade candidate earlier this month.

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