Nationals Actively Pursuing Derrek Lee
The Nationals are "actively" pursuing free agent first baseman Derrek Lee, a baseball source told MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Another source told the Nationals beat writer Lee is the team's top first base target. Ladson adds that talks "don't appear to be serious" between the Nats and Adam LaRoche.
Washington "may consider" Casey Kotchman if they fail to sign Lee, writes Ladson. Lee was linked to six teams on Saturday, but the Padres and Diamondbacks are probably out. The Orioles may be the Nationals' main competition.
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Yankees Sign Russell Martin
The Yankees' $4MM deal with Russell Martin is official now that he has passed his physical, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). With Jorge Posada moving into a designated hitter role next year, Martin should be the Yankees' starting catcher. Since Martin has less than five years of service time, he's under team control for 2012 as an arbitration eligible player.
Martin, 28 in February, hit .248/.347/.332 in 387 plate appearances for the Dodgers before being non-tendered this month. His season ended in August due to a hairline fracture in his right hip, so his Yankees physical is not a formality. Martin was once a rising star for the Dodgers, but he turned down a $4.2MM offer (an $850K pay cut) to return in 2011, so he'll earn less guaranteed money in New York. The Red Sox and Blue Jays also bid for his services, though Boston's interest was limited. Martin is represented by Matt Colleran.
MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez first reported the agreement.
Carl Pavano Rumors: Tuesday
With Cliff Lee off the market, Carl Pavano is the best available free agent starter – putting aside Andy Pettitte and those trying to bounce back from injury. The Yankees won't be entertaining a reunion, but we can't rule out the Rangers for Pavano now. The latest on the righty:
- The Brewers are definitely in the hunt for Pavano, a source tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin spoke with O'Connell yesterday but has yet to make an offer, tweets MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- The Nationals and Pavano's other suitors are still in, agent Tom O'Connell told MASN's Ben Goessling.
- Pavano is still exploring his options, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, but other suitors think he's going back to the Twins.
Cardinals Sign Gerald Laird
The Cardinals signed catcher Gerald Laird on a one-year deal, the team announced. SI's Jon Heyman reports that the contract will pay Laird $1MM. He can earn another $300K in incentives. Laird will serve as Yadier Molina's backup, replacing Jason LaRue.
Laird, 31, hit .207/.263/.304 in 299 plate appearances for the Tigers this year, catching 670 2/3 innings. He gunned down 34% of attempted basestealers, so the Cardinals will never be easy to run on in 2011. Laird's offensive woes in his two-year Detroit stint have relegated him to backup duty, and his starts could be particularly rare given Molina's durability.
Laird is represented by Scott Boras. Our transaction tracker reveals that he's the fourth Boras client to sign this winter. The free agent market for catchers is down to four viable options, three if Bengie Molina retires.
Orioles Still Have Offer On Table For Gregg
2:48pm: Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets that the Orioles have not made a two-year, $12MM offer to Gregg and they don't feel a deal is imminent. They've still got a two-year offer in the $8-10MM range on the table.
2:44pm: The Orioles are close to a two-year, $12MM deal with reliever Kevin Gregg, reports ESPN's Joe McDonald. He notes that the Red Sox and Nationals are still involved in talks with Gregg, but the Orioles are the frontrunner.
The potential Baltimore deal is the same as the one they struck with Mike Gonzalez a year ago, and I think they'll have similar regrets in overpaying for saves again. Gregg, 32, posted a 3.51 ERA, 8.8 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 0.6 HR/9, and 42.3% groundball rate in 59 innings this year. He saved 37 games in 43 tries, an improvement on his 76-77% success rate of the previous two years.
Mariners Sign Langerhans, Bautista, Gimenez, Ring
The Mariners announced they've signed four players to minor league deals with spring training invites today: outfielder Ryan Langerhans, reliever Denny Bautista, catcher Chris Gimenez, and reliever Royce Ring.
Langerhans, 31 in February, hit .207/.328/.351 in 254 plate appearances over the last two seasons with the Mariners, playing mostly left field. He was non-tendered by the Mariners a year ago, re-signed shortly thereafter, designated for assignment in April, and outrighted in November.
Bautista, 28, posted a 3.74 ERA, 11.8 K/9, 7.2 BB/9, 1.1 HR/9, and 33.3% groundball rate in 33 2/3 innings for the Giants this year. He averaged almost 95 mph on his fastball, but clearly had control issues. In a 22 2/3 inning Triple-A stint, his walk rate was down at 3.6 per nine.
Gimenez, 28 later this month, has 197 big league plate appearances with the Indians to his name. This year at Triple-A, he hit .276/.341/.464 in 219 plate appearances while spending time at catcher and the outfield corners. He can also handle the infield corners.
Ring, 30 later this month, posted a 1.93 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, and 0.4 HR/9 in 42 Triple-A innings for the Yankees' affiliate this year. The southpaw posted a 9.8 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 against lefty batters.
Cliff Lee Signing: The Fallout
Cliff Lee's unexpected five-year, $120MM deal with the Phillies has repercussions for several teams.
Rangers
- Lee's agent Darek Braunecker proposed a seven-year contract that would have sealed the deal for the Rangers, and they declined.
- The Rangers figure to be rumored with most available starters. They were linked to Chien-Ming Wang this morning and Brandon Webb previously, and in theory could go after Carl Pavano. Names like Zack Greinke and James Shields could also be in the mix.
- GM Jon Daniels won't limit himself to starting pitching; he may consider "beefing up the offense."
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News notes that the Rangers still have to address their DH situation and will probably want to add late-inning relievers if they're to move Neftali Feliz or Alexi Ogando to the rotation.
Yankees
- From Joel Sherman of the New York Post: "One Yankees executive likened what they now face as losing out on Microsoft stock and instead having to diversify the portfolio to keep it strong." The Yanks have added Russell Martin and will probably look into innings-eaters or reclamation project starters. They're also expected to add two relievers and a righty-hitting fourth outfielder. So, they'll spread the wealth.
- GM Brian Cashman preached that "Plan B is patience." He feels that prices will go up with teams, and I assume agents, sensing blood in the water. He's also willing to wait until the season to make an acquisition.
- Cashman says Lee's decision "doesn't affect" Andy Pettitte, who remains undecided but is feeling the pull of retirement a little stronger than normal.
- Cashman talked about the failed Lee trade from July and said he's grateful it didn't happen. At this point, he says "It would be a rare situation for me to include Montero in a deal."
Phillies
They'll look to move Joe Blanton before Opening Day; CSNPhilly's Jim Salisbury tweets that there is no rush. Nonetheless, we've already looked at potential trade partners. Blanton's agent Casey Close expects a trade.
Other Teams
- The Lee signing works out well for the Red Sox, explains WEEI's Rob Bradford. The Sox get Lee out of the league and have a shot at a first-round pick if the Rangers sign Adrian Beltre.
- Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times believes that if the Rangers push for Beltre, it will complicate things for the Angels.
Red Sox Considering Matt Albers
The Red Sox are considering reliever Matt Albers as a depth signing, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. We've seen Boston linked to most high-profile relievers, but Albers would likely be signed cheaply.
Albers, 28 in January, posted a 4.52 ERA, 5.8 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 0.7 HR/9, and strong 56.5% groundball rate in 75 2/3 innings for the Orioles this year before being non-tendered. The Orioles had acquired Albers three years ago as part of the Miguel Tejada deal. He was diagnosed with a torn labrum in the middle of the '08 season, but chose rehab over surgery.
Pirates Sign Lyle Overbay
The Pirates signed first baseman Lyle Overbay to a one-year, $5MM deal, the team announced. Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review provided the amount. The statement from GM Neal Huntington:
"Lyle Overbay is solid major league player and we expect him to have a positive impact on our club offensively, defensively, and in the clubhouse."
The Pirates primarily used Garrett Jones at first base in 2010, but they expressed a desire to add a right-handed hitting complement. Overbay doesn't fit that description; GM Neal Huntington told MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch the new plan is to have Jones could pair up with new acquisition Matt Diaz in right field. Overbay will be the everyday first baseman.
Overbay, 34 in January, hit .243/.329/.433 in 607 plate appearances for the Blue Jays this year. His performance picked up after a rough start. Overbay is represented by Octagon.