Mike Axisa | MLB Trade Rumors

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Zambrano, Quentin, Garza

By Mike Axisa | January 6, 2012 at 9:48am CDT

On this date in 2006, the Diamondbacks came to terms with Justin Upton after making him the first overall pick in the 2005 draft. The signing deadline back then was the next year's draft, not mid-August. Upton received a $6.1MM bonus, the largest ever given out as part of a minor league contract for a drafted player at the time. He mashed his way to the big leagues less than two years later and already has two All-Star Game nods to his credit. Upton also finished fourth in the NL MVP voting this year after hitting .289/.369/.529 with 31 homers. Here are the first links of 2012…

MLB Reports interviewed Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
Rum Bunter interviewed Pirates second baseman Neil Walker.
Baseball Time In Arlington looked at what went wrong with Daisuke Matsuzaka and what it means for Yu Darvish.
The Cub Reporter will miss the always entertaining Carlos Zambrano.
FishStripes says the Zambrano trade is about as even as possible.
Bleacher Nation broke down the newest Cub, Chris Volstad.
Chicken Friars likes the Carlos Quentin trade for the Padres.
South Side Sox says GM Kenny Williams has painted the White Sox into a corner.
River Ave. Blues explains why Edwin Jackson reminds them of Rafael Soriano.
Royals Review thinks Jackson is a great fit for the Royals.
The Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan doesn't like the Athletics bringing back Coco Crisp.
Nolan Writin' says Mike Napoli deserves Victor Martinez money.
Wahoo's On First thinks Manny Ramirez is a fit for the Indians.
Bless You Boys doesn't think the Tigers should acquire Matt Garza.
Through The Fence Baseball looks at the significance of the Garza rumors.
Crashburn Alley wonders if Jonathan Papelbon is the next Mariano Rivera.
Rays Insider explores the possibility of Kurt Suzuki for the Rays.
House of the Bluebird looks at what it would take for the Blue Jays to extend Brandon Morrow.
Twins Fan From Afar thinks the Twins should sign Francisco Liriano long-term.
Camden Crazies analyzed the Orioles' recent moves involving Jai Miller and Brandon Snyder.
Warehouse Worthy wrote about how the new CBA will impact the Orioles.
Red Sox Post lists some starting pitcher options for the Red Sox.
The McAuliffe Report is glad the Red Sox brought back Rich Hill.
More Mariners previewed the Mariners bullpen.
SaBEERmetrics makes a Hall of Fame case for Larry Walker.
Giants Nirvana reopens Will Clark's Hall of Fame case.
Baseball Reality Tour lists MLB's 24 best players under 24 years of age.
Bleacher Report ranks the 50 biggest trades in baseball history.
M.C. Antil looks back at some baseball deaths we may have missed in 2011.
MLB Draft Insider introduces us to the 12 best college position players available in next year's draft.

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Quick Hits: Manny, Braves, Oliver, Tejada

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 11:37pm CDT

Some links as Thursday turns into Friday…

As part of his comeback attempt, Manny Ramirez will work out for teams later this month according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Manny was officially reinstated last month, and he indicated that the "doors are open" for a minor league contract.
Braves GM Frank Wren told MLB.com's Mark Bowman that he feels both Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado will be with the team at the start of Spring Training. They still have interest in Adam Jones and could continue to pursue the outfielder if the Orioles lower their demands.
The Yankees never inquired on lefty reliever Darren Oliver before he signed with the Blue Jays, reports MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith (on Twitter). New York has brought in southpaws Hideki Okajima and Mike O'Connor on minor league deals this offseason.
Miguel Tejada is training in Miami as he looks to make a comeback, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The 37-year-old was designated for assignment by the Giants in August after hitting .239/.270/.326 in 343 plate appearances.
Matt Eddy of Baseball America recapped the last three weeks of minor league transactions. We've covered all the significant moves here, but you can check out which low-level minor leaguers your favorite team recently released.

Mariners Agree To Sign Hisashi Iwakuma

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 10:57pm CDT

10:57pm: Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times reports (on Twitter) that the incentives kick in at 20 starts, at which point Iwakuma will be paid a $200K bonus. He will make $250K for 22 starts, $300K for 25 starts, and $400K for 30 starts. The innings bonuses kick in at 140 IP, and he can earn another $400K for 200 IP.

Iwakuma spent four days in Seattle back in December according to Baker, during which time he met GM Jack Zduriencik and was shown around town. He didn't speak to Ichiro Suzuki before signing, says Baker (on Twitter).

7:35pm: The Mariners have agreed to sign right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma to a one-year contract worth $1.5MM, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (all Twitter links). The deal includes $3.4MM in incentives based on starts and innings pitched. We heard the two sides were closing in on a deal earlier this week. Iwakuma is a Sosnick-Cobbe client.

The Rakuten Golden Eagles posted the 30-year-old righty a year ago and the A's won the rights to negotiate with him for $19.1MM. However, the sides didn't work out a deal and Iwakuma re-signed with Rakuten. He posted a 2.42 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 119 innings in 2011 and became a true free agent after the season. He figures to join Felix Hernandez, Jason Vargas, and Michael Pineda in Seattle's rotation with Blake Beavan and Charlie Furbush as candidates for the fifth spot.

West Links: Dodgers, Rangers, A’s, Mariners, Pujols

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 10:16pm CDT

Time for some links from baseball's two West divisions…

"I think so," said Dodgers GM Ned Colletti when asked if he was done with his free agent shopping, reports Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). They re-signed Mike MacDougal to a one-year deal today, the tenth free agent they've signed this winter.
The Rangers continue to have dialogue about long-term contract extensions with core players like Ian Kinsler and Derek Holland, reports Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas. "Our general feeling is to try not to negotiate during the year, but we've made exceptions," said GM Jon Daniels.
Daniels also refused to comment about the Rangers' talks with Yu Darvish, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. "It's best for us to lay low," said the GM. "The less noise around that, the better."
Athletics GM Billy Beane told MLB.com's Jane Lee that he has some interest in a few free agent outfielders, and he's also exploring trade possibilities (Twitter link). Bullpen help is another possibility, says Joe Stiglich of The Bay Area News Group (on Twitter).
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said they are "still keeping our ears open" regarding veteran starters even after signing Hisashi Iwakuma, reports Shannon Drayer of MyNorthwest.com (on Twitter).
ESPN's Buster Olney says (on Twitter) that the union calculated the value of Albert Pujols' contract with the Angels at $246,841,811. Ronald Blum of the AP has a breakdown of the perks in the contract, such as a suite on road trips.
Troy Renck of The Denver Post has the details of Wil Nieves' minor league contract with the Rockies (on Twitter). The backstop will earn $700K in the majors and $14K per month in the minors. He's also been invited to Spring Training.

Marlins Links: Guillen, Zambrano, Cespedes

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 9:41pm CDT

The Miami Marlins continued their busy offseason by officially trading Chris Volstad for Carlos Zambrano and $15.5MM of his $18MM salary today. Here's some more from baseball's first Florida team…

President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said new manager Ozzie Guillen "was a major force" in the Zambrano trade, reports Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald (on Twitter). Guillen and Zambrano are friends and countrymen.
“We really liked him when we saw him at that workout [in November],” said Beinfest to Mike Bernardino of The Sun Sentinel, referring to Yoenis Cespedes. “It’s something we’re continuing to monitor, and we’ll kind of leave it there. But we were very impressed. Obviously, as a Cuban we think it would be an interesting fit in this market and on this ballclub. It’s something we continue to monitor and stay up on.”
Bernardino says teams will submit a sealed bid for Cespedes to his agent Adam Katz through MLB, then have an opportunity to increase their offers. It's unclear if this is an official process, or just how Katz will attempt to find a suitor for the outfielder.
Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald says (on Twitter) that the Marlins will withdraw from the Cespedes derby if his price tag exceeds $60MM.

Luhnow On Rebuilding, Free Agents, Payroll, Norris

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 9:01pm CDT

Astros GM Jeff Luhnow made an appearance on Astroline Radio yesterday, discussing a variety of topics about the team. You can listen to the interview here, though Astros' senior director of social media Alyson Footer provided a partial transcript. Here are the highlights…

"[Our] plan involves us building from within, developing a system that can be productive and allow us to compete year in and year out," said the GM. "How long it takes until we’re competing year in and year out, I don’t know at this point."
Luhnow said they will "be a small market team for a few years" as they rebuild, meaning they will avoid big free agent contracts.
The Houston market is big enough that the Astros can support a large payroll, but the team has "milestones along the way that [they're] going to need to hit" if they want to approach $100MM.
The team plans to emphasize both scouting and statistical analysis to make the best decisions as they move forward.
Luhnow does not plan to trade right-hander Bud Norris. "He is a critical part of the plan moving forward," said the GM.

Epstein On Zambrano, Volstad, Soriano

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 8:30pm CDT

The Cubs officially traded Carlos Zambrano to the Marlins for Chris Volstad today, paying all but $2.5MM of the $18MM owed to him next year. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein spoke to reporters after the trade was announced, so let's recap…

"Best case scenario is that if it did work, [Zambrano would] be leaving as a free agent at the end of the year," said Epstein to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. "Or, if we had to spend that money anyways as a sunk cost, would we rather spend it on a 25-year-old who we can put in our rotation and control for three seasons? That made a lot more sense."
"At some point in the future, if there's a transaction that makes sense with any of our players that puts the Cubs in a better position moving forward, we are going to pursue it," said Epstein to ESPN's Chicago's Bruce Levine. "But in respect to [Alfonso Soriano], he has power and is an offensive contributor. We can work with him to get the best out of him and see where that takes us."
A couple of teams have inquired about Soriano according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter), but so far the Cubs have been unable to find a match. The outfielder still has three years at $18MM per season left on his contract.

Dave Duncan Taking Leave Of Absence

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 7:59pm CDT

Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan is taking a leave of absence due to family matters, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Duncan's wife has been battling cancer and had surgery to remove a brain tumor in August. Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the team will issue an announcement tomorrow (Twitter links).

“As far as how long he’ll be gone, no one knows,” said GM John Mozeliak to Rosenthal.

Duncan, 66, has been the team's pitching coach since 1995, and he is widely considered to be one of the very best in the game. He was in the second year of a two-year deal signed last offseason. Bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist has filled in for Duncan in the past, though it's unclear if he will do so again.

Rangers Remain Interested In Mike Gonzalez

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 7:00pm CDT

The Rangers are still looking for bullpen help, specifically left-handed, and the club remains interested in Mike Gonzalez according to Rich Durrett of ESPN Dallas. Texas met with the lefty's agent, Scott Boras, at the winter meetings.

Gonzalez, 33, appeared in seven games with the Rangers last year after being acquired from the Orioles at the end of August. He's pitched to a 4.27 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 78 innings over the last two seasons, his only two in the American League. Gonzalez has held left-handed batters to a .213/.281/.335 batting line during his nine-year career. Texas lost Darren Oliver to the Blue Jays, but a full season of Gonzalez will help mitigate the loss.

Rockies, Rangers Swap Greg Reynolds For Chad Tracy

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 6:13pm CDT

The Rockies have acquired utility man Chad Tracy from the Rangers for right-hander Greg Reynolds according to the team's Twitter feed. Tracy is the son of Rockies manager Jim Tracy.

Reynolds, 26, was the second overall pick in the 2006 draft and has pitched to a 7.47 ERA in 94 big league innings from 2008-2011. He missed most of 2009 and part of 2010 with shoulder problems. Tracy, 26, has never appeared in the big leagues. He's a .269/.340/.466 career hitter in the minors, spending the last two seasons at Triple-A (.260/.342/.485 hitter at the level). Tracy has played first base, left field, and catcher in his career.

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