Mike Axisa | MLB Trade Rumors

AL East Links: Yankees, Baker, Orioles

By Mike Axisa | December 22, 2012 at 1:59pm CDT

Here's the latest from the AL East as the Red Sox move closer to acquiring Joel Hanrahan…

The Yankees are not close to a trade for an outfielder, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter links). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says the team continues to look for a right-handed bat, mentioning Vernon Wells, Scott Hairston, and Jeff Baker as targets.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Christian Red of The New York Daily News that there are no plans to further upgrade the team's rotation. New York re-signed Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte earlier this offseason.
The Orioles removed Steve Pearce from the 40-man roster yesterday, and Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com wonders if the club could be adding another player in his place. Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun hears to would be a "kick-the-tires" addition and not a big name.

Mariners Have “Serious Interest” In Raul Ibanez

By Mike Axisa | December 22, 2012 at 10:21am CDT

The Mariners have "serious interest" in Raul Ibanez, reports George A. King III of The New York Post. King reiterates that the Yankees, Rangers, and Phillies also have interest in the veteran slugger.

Ibanez, 40, hit .240/.308/.453 with 19 homers in 425 plate appearances for the Yankees last season while playing more outfield than expected due to Brett Gardner's elbow injury. He spent the 1996-2000 and 2004-2008 seasons in Seattle.

The Mariners acquired a DH-type in Kendrys Morales earlier this week, though he could shift to first if the team is willing to give up on Justin Smoak. Playing Ibanez in the outfield regularly is another option, though it's not advisable.

Orioles, Mariners, Padres, Mets Talking To Saunders

By Mike Axisa | December 22, 2012 at 8:57am CDT

8:57am: Marc Carig of Newsday hears the Mets are also discussing Saunders (Twitter link). He's on their list along with Carl Pavano, Shaun Marcum, and Chris Young.

8:36am: Free agent left-hander Joe Saunders is talking to the Orioles, Mariners, and Padres according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Pirates also had interest, but the Francisco Liriano signing presumably takes them out of the running.

Saunders, 31, pitched to a 4.07 ERA in 174 2/3 innings for the Diamondbacks and Orioles this season. He posted his typically low strikeout (5.8 K/9) and walk (2.0 BB/9) rates to go along with the lowest full season ground ball rate of his career (43.1%). MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked the veteran southpaw as the 25th best free agent available this winter, predicting he would re-sign with Baltimore.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dickey, Felix, Cano, Pena

By Mike Axisa | December 21, 2012 at 12:20pm CDT

The holidays are coming and the baseball hot stove usually slows down for a week or so, but not that much. Expect plenty of signings and trades before the New Year, as well as plenty of blog posts. Here's the latest from around the web…

Baltimore Sports & Life interviewed Orioles left-hander Zach Britton.
Halo Hangout wonders how Josh Hamilton's past will affect his future.
House of the Bluebird analyzed the R.A. Dickey trade for the Blue Jays.
Rising Apple says the Dickey trade was a necessary move for the Mets.
Hume's Jays Bullpen wrote about he Blue Jays and their competitive window.
Blogging Mets thinks service time will factor into the debuts of Zack Wheeler and Travis d'Arnaud.
The True Fan's Sports Blog wrote about the team pursuing Nick Swisher.
Pinstripe Pundits mused about the possibility of Robinson Cano leaving the Yankees.
Know Hitter thinks it's time for the Mariners to trade Felix Hernandez.
Pro Ball NW says the Mariners need to see some improvement from their young core.
Sports of Boston wonders why the Red Sox weren't in on Kendrys Morales or Jason Vargas.
NASORB calls the Morales pick-up a significant one for the Mariners.
CLNS Radio is unsure how much better than 2013 Red Sox will be than the 2012 team.
Talkin' Sox with Dan wonders what's going on with Mike Napoli.
Call to the Pen says the Tigers should hold on to all their starting pitchers.
Climbing Tal's Hill thinks Carlos Pena might be another Carlos Lee for the Astros.
Through the Fence Baseball wonders what the Cubs will do with Matt Garza.
Dodgers Nation thinks the Dodgers should trade Andre Ethier.
Three For Ten says the Phillies filled two holes by signing John Lannan.
Twinkie Town thinks Kevin Correia and Mike Pelfrey accidentally switched contracts.
The Giants Cove isn't a fan of the Giants bringing Andres Torres back.
A's Farm thinks the Athletics roster might be set for 2013.
Lasorda's Lair tries to sort out the Dodgers' roster clog.

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

Red Sox Closing In On Deal For Joel Hanrahan

By Mike Axisa | December 20, 2012 at 3:30pm CDT

3:00pm: The deal is not complete, but it is in the final stages, a Pirates source tells Bowden (on Twitter).

2:44pm: Outfielder Jerry Sands is in the trade, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

1:01pm: Jose Iglesias is not currently in the talks, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

12:24pm: The Red Sox are moving closer to a trade for Joel Hanrahan, reports ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes. One source cautioned there is "still work to be done," however. It's unclear what the Pirates would receive for their closer, though Edes hears they want a "significant return."

Hanrahan, 31, pitched to a 2.72 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 59 2/3 innings for Pittsburgh last season. He earned $4.1MM and projects to earn $6.9MM through arbitration next year. Hanrahan is scheduled to become a free agent after 2013.

Andrew Bailey, Boston's incumbent closer, pitched to a 7.04 ERA in 15 1/3 innings in 2012 while missing most of the year with injuries. WEEI.com's Rob Bradford reports they have not discussed free agent Rafael Soriano despite having a protected first round pick. The Dodgers were among the teams with interest in Hanrahan in recent weeks.

Phillies Sign Mike Adams

By Mike Axisa | December 20, 2012 at 11:52am CDT

The Phillies have officially signed veteran reliever Mike Adams, the team announced. It's a two-year contract worth $12MM with a third year club/vesting option worth $6.5MM. The option vests if he appears in 120 games from 2013-2014 with at least 60 appearances in 2014. The right-hander is represented by Josh Yates at ACES.

Adams, 34, has been one of the game's very best setup men in recent years. He pitched to a 3.27 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 52 1/3 innings for the Rangers this year, his lone full season in Texas after being acquired from the Padres for two pitching prospects at the 2011 trade deadline. Adams owns a 2.28 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in his eight-year career.

Philadelphia has been seeking bullpen help in front of Jonathan Papelbon this offseason, though they used right-hander Josh Lindblom to acquire Michael Young a few weeks ago. The team was also looking for a low-risk starter after using Vance Worley to acquire Ben Revere, and they have since agreed to sign John Lannan. More outfield help figures to be on the agenda as well.

Adams is returning from October surgery to correct Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a procedure that involved removing a rib. He is expected to be ready in time for Opening Day. Adams also dealt with numerous shoulder problems earlier in his career, including surgery on his labrum and rotator cuff back in 2008. As our Free Agent Tracker shows, he is the ninth reliever to receive a multiyear contract this offseason.

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Adams as the 42nd best free agent available in his Top 50 Free Agents List, correctly predicting he would sign with the Phillies. If you signed up for our Free Agent Prediction Contest, check out where you stand with our leaderboard.

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports first reported the two sides were nearing a deal while Tyler Garrett of KRISTV first reported the agreement. ESPN's Jayson Stark and FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal added details along with Brown (Twitter links). Photo courtesy of USA Sports Images.

Cubs To Sign Carlos Villanueva

By Mike Axisa | December 20, 2012 at 8:20am CDT

The Cubs have agreed to sign Carlos Villanueva, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). The SFX client obtains a two-year, $10MM deal, Heyman reports.

Chicago has sought out rotation depth this offseason, and they've already signed Scott Baker and Scott Feldman as our Free Agent Tracker shows. They also made a run at Anibal Sanchez and are reportedly a final suitor for Edwin Jackson. Villanueva, Baker, and Feldman will join rotation incumbents Jeff Samardzija, Matt Garza, and Travis Wood.

Villanueva, 29, pitched to a 4.16 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 125 1/3 innings spread across 16 starts and 22 relief appearances for the Blue Jays last season. He's made 29 starts and 42 relief appearances over the last two seasons and has proven capable in both roles. Earlier this offseason we heard Villanueva was reportedly seeking the opportunity to make 30 starts next season, an opportunity the Cubs can provide.

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Villanueva as the 29th best free agent on the market this offseason, predicting he would sign with the Royals. To see where you stand in our Free Agent Prediction Contest, check out our leaderboard.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Yankees Designate Jim Miller For Assignment

By Mike Axisa | December 19, 2012 at 5:29pm CDT

The Yankees have designated Jim Miller for assignment, the team announced. The move frees up a 40-man roster spot for Ichiro Suzuki, who has officially re-signed.

Miller, 30, appeared in 33 games for Oakland this past season. He posted a 2.59 ERA with 8.1 K.9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 48 2/3 innings. The Yankees claimed him off waivers from the Athletics late last month.

Red Sox Notes: Napoli, Ellsbury, Drew

By Mike Axisa | December 19, 2012 at 2:32pm CDT

The Red Sox officially announced the signing of Ryan Dempster to a two-year, $26.5MM contract earlier today. Here's what GM Ben Cherington had to say to reporters following the announcement…

"(We are still) working through some issues, and we'll continue to do so. … Until something's done, it's not done," said the GM when asked about Mike Napoli, tweets Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald. Napoli's three-year, $39MM contract reportedly hit a snag due to a red flag found during his physical.
Cherington reiterated that he intends to keep center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, tweets ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes. The 2011 AL MVP runner-up can become a free agent after next season.
Stephen Drew is expected to take his physical "soon," tweets Tim Britton of The Providence Journal. The shortstop agreed to a one-year deal worth $9.5MM earlier this week.
Earlier today the Red Sox designated Pedro Beato for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster for Dempster.

Angels Seek Innings-Eater For Kendrys Morales

By Mike Axisa | December 19, 2012 at 12:38pm CDT

Kendrys Morales remains more likely to be traded than Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo in the wake of the Josh Hamilton signing, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Angels seek an innings-eating starting pitcher in return for their switch-hitting DH.

Morales, 29, will not receive a qualifying offer after the 2013 season according to Rosenthal. He is projected to earn $4.8MM through arbitration this winter, a reasonable sum for a player who hit .273/.320/.467 with 22 homers in 522 plate appearances this past season. It was reported over the weekend that multiple AL teams had interest in Morales, though few clubs have an innings-eater to spare.

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