Rays Sign Joaquin Benoit
The Rays signed reliever Joaquin Benoit to a minor league deal that will pay the righty $750K if he makes the team, plus up to $500K in performance bonuses. Benoit, 32, had rotator cuff surgery in January of '09. The Rays will have a bargain if he can return to his '07 level of performance: a 2.85 ERA and 9.5 K/9 in 82 innings. That season prompted the Rangers to sign Benoit to a two-year, $6MM deal.
The Rays' other minor league deals for pitchers this winter included Winston Abreu, Heath Phillips, R.J. Swindle, and Matt Bush.
Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times reported the deal and its terms via Twitter.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: Molina, Maya, Damon, Marlins
Links for Monday…
- With catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia recovering from shoulder surgery, the Rangers are interested in free agent catcher Jose Molina, industry sources tell T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Molina would be the seventh catcher in camp for Texas if he is willing to sign a minor league deal and compete for a job.
- WEEI's Rob Bradford says the Red Sox are in preliminary negotiations with Cuban pitcher Yuniesky Maya. Sox president Larry Lucchino appears to say the Sox "would soon sign" Maya, in this Terreno de Pelota column by Uziel Gomez (translation credit to Nick Collias).
- Joe Morelli of the New Haven Register has plenty of quotes from Yankees GM Brian Cashman regarding Johnny Damon (hat tip to River Ave. Blues).
- Jack Moore of FanGraphs suggests that the Marlins' quiet offseason could cost them a shot at the playoffs.
- SI's Jon Heyman names his biggest offseason surprises, led by the Mariners' moves.
Out Of Options 2010
Here is MLBTR's list of players who are out of options and have less than five years of service time. These players would have to clear waivers before being sent to the minors. Right now the list is missing a few names, but journalists are on the case.
Athletics
Chad Gaudin, Eric Patterson, Mike Wuertz, Jake Fox, Rajai Davis
Angels
Brandon Wood, Brian Stokes, Bobby Wilson, Reggie Willits, Terry Evans
Astros
Alberto Arias, Yorman Bazardo, Tim Byrdak, Jeff Keppinger, Humberto Quintero
Blue Jays
Brian Tallet, Shawn Camp, Dustin McGowan, Merkin Valdez, Dana Eveland
Braves
Melky Cabrera
Brewers
Todd Coffey, Corey Hart, Joe Inglett, George Kottaras, Chris Narveson, Manny Parra, Rickie Weeks
Cardinals
Skip Schumaker, Ryan Ludwick, Blake Hawksworth
Cubs
Jeff Baker, Tom Gorzelanny, Angel Guzman, Koyie Hill, Geovany Soto
Diamondbacks
Blaine Boyer, Leo Rosales, Edwin Jackson
Dodgers
Hong-Chih Kuo, Ronald Belisario, Charlie Haeger
Giants
Travis Ishikawa, Fred Lewis, Brandon Medders, Nate Schierholtz, Andres Torres, Eugenio Velez
Indians
Fausto Carmona, Shin-Soo Choo, Anderson Hernandez, Andy Marte, Rafael Perez, Mitch Talbot
Mariners
David Aardsma, Brandon League, Franklin Gutierrez, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Ian Snell, Ryan Langerhans
Marlins
Dan Meyer, Leo Nunez, Renyel Pinto, Brian Sanches, Cody Ross
Mets
Nelson Figueroa, Fernando Nieve
Nationals
Jason Bergmann, Brian Bruney, Sean Burnett, Tyler Clippard, Tyler Walker, Mike Morse, Josh Willingham, Alberto Gonzalez
Orioles
Matt Albers, Robert Andino, Jeremy Guthrie, Felix Pie
Padres
Edward Mujica, Tim Stauffer, Sean Gallagher, Tony Gwynn Jr.
Phillies
Pirates
Andy LaRoche, Delwyn Young, Ronny Cedeno, Joel Hanrahan, Hayden Penn
Rangers
Joaquin Arias, Andres Blanco, Nelson Cruz, Luis Mendoza, Dustin Nippert, Scott Feldman
Rays
Willy Aybar, Jason Bartlett, Lance Cormier, Elliot Johnson
Red Sox
Boof Bonser, Manny Delcarmen
Reds
Homer Bailey, Wladimir Balentien, Nick Masset
Rockies
Jason Hammel, Clint Barmes
Royals
Alberto Callaspo, Roman Colon, Kyle Davies, Josh Fields, Luke Hochevar, Anthony Lerew, Brayan Pena, Robinson Tejeda, Mitch Maier
Tigers
Don Kelly, Brad Thomas, Bobby Seay, Ramon Santiago
Twins
Scott Baker, Clay Condrey, Alexi Casilla, Brendan Harris, Delmon Young
White Sox
Jayson Nix, Sergio Santos, Gavin Floyd
Yankees
Sergio Mitre
Thanks to the following sources for the information: Matt Eddy, Susan Slusser, Bill Plunkett, Brian McTaggart, Jordan Bastian, Brewerfan.net, Nick Piecoro, Ken Gurnick, Chris Haft, Anthony Castrovince, Geoff Baker, Joe Capozzi, Adam Rubin, Ben Goessling, Dan Connolly, Corey Brock, Dejan Kovacevic, T.R. Sullivan, Marc Topkin, Alex Speier, Mark Sheldon, Jon Paul Morosi, La Velle E. Neal III, Scott Merkin, Bryan Hoch, Bob Dutton, Greg Schaum, Mark Wilkins
Nationals Sign Willy Taveras
The Nationals signed center fielder Willy Taveras to a minor league deal, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Taveras had been released by the A's on Tuesday, not long after Oakland received him from the Reds to faciliate their Adam Rosales trade. The Nats will presumably pay Taveras the league-minimum $400K if he makes the team, with the A's paying his remaining $3.6MM.
Taveras, 28, hit .240/.275/.285 for the Reds in 437 plate appearances last year. The Reds signed Taveras to a two-year, $6.25MM after he was non-tendered by the Rockies. Defensively, based on UZR, Taveras graded well in 2009 and was slightly below-average the two years prior.
In addition to Taveras, the Nationals signed outfielders Chris Duncan, Kevin Mench, and Jerry Owens to minor league deals this winter.
Offseason In Review: Baltimore Orioles
Leading off our Offseason In Review series, the Orioles.
Major League Signings
- Mike Gonzalez, RP: two years, $12MM. Also gave #52 overall pick to Braves.
- Miguel Tejada, 3B: one year, $6MM.
- Garrett Atkins,1B: one year, $4.5MM. Includes $8.5MM club option for '11 with a $500K buyout.
- Mark Hendrickson, RP: one year, $1.4MM. Includes $1.2MM club option for '11 with a $200K buyout.
- Total spend: $23.9MM
Notable Minor League Signings
Trades and Claims
- Acquired SP Kevin Millwood and $3MM from Rangers for RP Chris Ray and Rule 5 pick Ben Snyder
- Claimed C Craig Tatum off waivers from Reds
Notable Losses
- Melvin Mora ($1MM buyout), Danys Baez, Brian Bass, Chris Ray, Rich Hill, Jeff Fiorentino, Sean Henn, Jamie Walker, Bob McCrory, Radhames Liz, Steven Johnson, Chris Waters
Summary
The Orioles added about $33MM worth of veterans this winter while finishing a couple of ugly contracts in Mora and Baez. The pickups make the Orioles better in 2010, but to what end? Fourth place in the AL East? Perhaps the O's will eventually spin some of these guys into prospects, though a future Gonzalez trade is partially countered by the draft pick they already lost. Whether you liked the Orioles' offseason depends on your philosophy on this question: should a rebuilding club spend significant money for the sake of respectability?
Victor Martinez Hopes To Avoid Free Agency
Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald has an excellent article about Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez this morning. Martinez explained that unlike some other players, he doesn't want to test free agency:
"I don't want to be jumping around, I don’t want to go somewhere else, First, I didn’t want to go out of the Indians organization. Then I'm out, and now I'm here. I came to the place where a lot of players dream to come and a lot of players wish to play here in Boston. So I'm here, I do really want to stay here and hopefully end my career in Boston."
Regarding possible extension talks, Martinez says he's "open now until the season starts." The Red Sox have a shot at getting a reasonable deal done, just as the Indians did when they locked Martinez up for five years at $15.5MM back in '05. For more Martinez discussion, check out this MLBTR post from Wednesday.
Nationals Sign Adam Kennedy
The Nationals officially signed second baseman Adam Kennedy to a one-year $1.25MM deal today, which includes a $2MM club option for 2011. Kennedy's fate was known to be tied to Orlando Hudson, who signed with the Twins the day before Kennedy agreed to terms with the Nats.
Kennedy, 34, hit .289/.348/.410 in 586 plate appearances for the Athletics last year. In his career he's been a strong defender at second base, though that was not evident in 2009's 421-inning sample.
The Cardinals released Kennedy in February of '08, eating most of the $4MM owed to him. The Rays signed him to a minor league deal and traded him to Oakland for a player to be named later in May. The Rays later received Joe Dillon in that deal.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson first reported the agreement and ESPN.com's Buster Olney added the terms of the deal.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Corey Hart Wins Arbitration Hearing
Brewers outfielder Corey Hart won his arbitration hearing, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He'll be paid $4.8MM in 2010, rather than the team's request of $4.15MM. Hart's hearing marked the Brewers' first since they lost to pitcher Jose Mercedes in '98, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
Hart's victory should come as no surprise, as hearings are often a crapshoot. Hart's representatives at CAA have a reputation for being good in the room, also. One possible comparable, Josh Willingham, settled on Hart's side of the midpoint in January. Despite a weaker platform year than Willingham, Hart was able to win his extra $650K.
Odds & Ends: Hart, Dukes, Moreno, Farnsworth
Links for Thursday…
- MLB.com's Adam McCalvy has the details on the Jim Edmonds contract. Bottom line: Edmonds earns at least $850 if he makes the team. He can make $1.75MM more in incentives if he makes 525 plate appearances.
- O's righty Armando Gabino cleared waivers, according to a team press release.
- MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch points out the intricate points system behind the incentives in D.J. Carrasco's minor league deal with the Pirates.
- Maury Brown says the Giants' three-year $37MM offer is good, but probably not enough to tempt Tim Lincecum.
- Corey Hart and the Brewers didn't come to a last-minute agreement before today's arbitration hearing, according to the AP. We can expect a ruling tomorrow.
- Elijah Dukes, who is not yet eligible for arbitration, agreed to a $444K salary this season, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- The Mets signed 22 year-old shortstop Rylan Sandoval out of the Arizona Winter League.
- The White Sox signed 32-year-old righty reliever Orber Moreno to a minor league deal, reports Billy Russo of El Universal. Said Moreno: "Oswaldo Guillen told me that he believes in me and that he will give me the opportunity." Thanks to Nick Collias for translating.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports chatted with free agent outfielder Jermaine Dye, who noted that the Cubs offered $3MM. Dye says it's not about the money, but "there are still guys getting money that I feel I'm better than."
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs applauds the Royals for giving Kyle Farnsworth a shot at starting this year.
- MASN's Roch Kubatko runs through the worst Orioles rumors of the offseason.
- Bill Plunkett of the O.C. Register talked to free agent Darin Erstad, who still wants to play but hasn't found the right opportunity yet.
Mets Reach Agreement With Hisanori Takahashi
The Mets reached an agreement with Hisanori Takahashi on a minor league deal that will pay the lefty $1MM if he's in the majors. The deal also includes up to $2MM in performance bonuses.
Takahashi, 35 in April, is a flyball/command pitcher who can fill a swingman role. The Mets, who signed Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi earlier this offseason, could start Takahashi in the minors.
In 144 innings for the Yomiuri Giants, Takahashi pitched to a 2.94 ERA. He had good strikeout (7.9 K/9) and walk (2.3 BB/9) rates, too.
ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reported that the sides reached an agreement after David Waldstein of the New York Times reported they were on the verge of one. Crasnick, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports and Waldstein added financial details (Twitter links). Before that, NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman passed along a Sports Hochi report indicating that Takahashi would sign with the Mets or Dodgers.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.