Giants Re-Sign Juan Uribe
The Giants officially re-signed the versatile Juan Uribe to a one-year, $3.25MM deal today. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported that the Giants appeared close to a deal with Uribe on December 24th. Jon Heyman of SI.com first tweeted that the sides had reached an agreement, while ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted the value.
With new addition Mark DeRosa guaranteed a starting job, the Giants could once again use Uribe as a super-utility player. His January minor league deal with the Giants proved to be one of last offseason's best, as he hit .289/.329/.495 in 432 plate appearances while playing solid defense at second base, shortstop, and third base. The 30-year-old split his time evenly between the three positions, playing about 300 innings at each. Uribe, who played center field for the Rockies once in 2003, is just as versatile as DeRosa.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Indians Sign Austin Kearns
The Indians signed outfielder Austin Kearns to a minor league deal, according to a team press release.
Kearns, 30 in May, hit .195/.336/.305 in 211 plate appearances for the Nationals this year, logging 363 innings in right field. He had thumb surgery in August, ending his season. The Nats predictably declined Kearns' $10MM club option after the season, finishing a three-year, $17.5MM extension given by Jim Bowden in January of '07. Bowden's July '06 acquisition of Kearns, Felipe Lopez, and Ryan Wagner from the Reds for Bill Bray, Royce Clayton, Brendan Harris, Gary Majewski, and Daryl Thompson was seen as a masterstroke at the time.
Kearns has been lousy offensively the last two years, though his right field defense remains a plus. It's a decent no-risk pickup for the Tribe, who also added Shelley Duncan yesterday.
GM Trade Histories: AL Central
Brendan Bianowicz has more GM Trade History series updates for us. Click below to download Excel spreadsheets with info on the AL Central GMs (trades, free agent signings, and top draft picks).
Mets Sign Jason Bay
The Mets signed left fielder Jason Bay to a four-year, $66MM deal with a vesting option for 2014 that could bring the total to $80MM over five years. The backloaded deal contains a $17MM option for '14 that vests if Bay reaches 600 plate appearances in 2013 or 500 in both 2012 and 2013. The deal also has a full no-trade clause. In additional to a supplemental draft pick, the Red Sox will receive the Mets' second-round pick (currently #53 overall). Bay turned down a four-year, $60MM offer from the Red Sox during the summer; SI's Jon Heyman tweets that they eventually lowered their offer to three years.
One week ago, WFAN's Mike Francesa first reported that the Mets would announce a Bay signing pending a physical. MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone pegged the value of the deal, with Joel Sherman of the New York Post first mentioning the vesting option and Ed Price of AOL FanHouse contributing as well. The AP added more contract details today. SNY's Brad Como tweeted yesterday that Bay passed his physical.
The Mets are far from done this offseason, but many of the initial reactions to the Bay signing talked about their stronger need for starting pitching. The other concern is Bay's defense, which rates poorly under advanced metrics.
Astros Sign Josh Banks
The Astros signed righty Josh Banks to a minor league deal, tweeted MLB.com's Corey Brock last night. Banks, 27, has a 4.2 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 1.5 HR/9, and 5.38 ERA in his 115.3-inning big league career. For the Padres' Triple A affiliate this year he logged a 3.46 ERA in 125 innings. The Padres had claimed Banks off waivers from the Blue Jays in April of '08.
Banks made an appearance in Baseball America's 2008 Handbook, where his control, durability, and pitch efficiency were praised. However, they labeled his fastball as straight and suggested he "may be around the strike zone too much."
Matt Holliday, Cardinals Could Agree This Week
10:06pm: Cardinals' manager Tony La Russa says that any deal should be finalized this week, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The piece offers plenty of detail about this past weekend's negotiations, which have left the Cardinals with "a sense of optimism" regarding Holliday.
5:30pm: Sources tell ESPN.com's Buster Olney that the Cardinals and Holliday "are close to a deal."
12:35pm: It's been suggested that the Cardinals have offered multiple contract scenarios to Holliday. One might have been seven years and $112MM, according to SI's Jon Heyman. Also, Heyman talked to one source who believes the Orioles are "laying in the weeds" despite recent denials.
Meanwhile, Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers his take, in which he notes that silence from Cards GM John Mozeliak might be a positive sign.
8:30am: A Friday tweet by Cardinals manager Tony La Russa had some fans wondering if a Matt Holliday signing was imminent, but Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch contacted La Russa to get an explanation exceeding 140 characters. La Russa explained to Goold:
"We're getting ready to move. I know they’ve been talking a lot with Matt. I know we have a really smart Plan B…(It) could be on Plan A, or it could be our Plan B. The point is, we're not going to get stuck."
La Russa told Goold he was not referring specifically to Holliday with his "Soon the Cards will be smart too" tweet. However, Goold did learn from one source that there could be a Holliday resolution this week. Goold speculated that of the various packages offered to the slugger, six or seven years with a guarantee over $100MM might do the trick. Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports suggested on Wednesday that Holliday aims to top the $18MM average annual salary he passed up from the Rockies in '08. It will be interesting to see how high the Cardinals are willing to go given the lack of a clear second suitor for Holliday.
Mulder Signing Likely For Brewers?
Mark Mulder will meet with Brewers GM Doug Melvin next week, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Haudricourt says to "expect a signing." Mulder hasn't tossed a significant number of big league innings in a season since he logged 93.3 for the '06 Cardinals. He had rotator cuff surgery in September of '06 – more than three years ago.
Mulder would be a depth signing, similar to Brewers offseason additions Chris Capuano, John Halama, and Kameron Loe. The Brewers' big move was a three-year deal for Randy Wolf; Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says they'll "almost certainly" sign one of Jon Garland, Doug Davis, or Jarrod Washburn as well.
Royals Sign John Parrish
The Royals signed lefty John Parrish to a minor league deal, according to a team press release. Parrish, 32, missed all of '09 with a shoulder injury. In 2008 he posted a 4.5 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, and 4.04 ERA in 42.3 innings for the Blue Jays. He has not had success against lefties in recent years.
Odds & Ends: Lowe, Tigers, Halladay, Capps
Links for Monday…
- MLB.com's Mark Bowman says the Braves made it known they were willing to eat $9MM of the $45MM owed to Derek Lowe over the next three years, but found no takers.
- MLB.com's Jason Beck talked to Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski, who said nothing has changed in terms of using Scott Sizemore as the second baseman. Beck points out that if the Tigers wanted a veteran at the position they probably would've offered Placido Polanco arbitration.
- Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told Murray Chass they he expressed interest in Roy Halladay a couple of times, before the trade deadline and at the Winter Meetings. It sounds like Halladay's no-trade clause was an obstacle.
- Chico Harlan of the Washington Post has a Q&A with new Nationals reliever Matt Capps, who agreed to a one-year, $3.5MM deal on Christmas Eve. MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that Capps' physical is scheduled for Tuesday.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis gives us a couple of prospect "All-Bust" teams for the 2000s.
- MLB.com's Todd Zolecki notes that the Phillies have a minor league offer out to Scott Eyre.
- MLB.com's Mark Sheldon talked to Reds GM Walt Jocketty, who will be looking at minor league deal possibilities. Sheldon indicated that the Reds' interest in Noah Lowry is now less than minimal.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan fills us in on the Rangers' offseason plans and potential targets in his mailbag.
- Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues would like to see the Yankees buy low on Oakland's Travis Buck. Buck made our list of right field trade candidates back in November.
Pirates To Sign Brian Burres, Neal Cotts, Tyler Yates
The Pirates agreed to terms on minor league contracts with pitchers Brian Burres, Neal Cotts, and Tyler Yates today, according to a team press release.
Burres, 29 in April, spent the season with the Blue Jays' Triple A affiliate after being claimed off waivers from Baltimore in February. He posted a 7.0 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, and seemingly-undeserved 4.76 ERA in 107.6 innings.
Cotts, 30 in March, had Tommy John surgery in July and was non-tendered by the Cubs after the season. Yates, 32, also had Tommy John surgery in July and was outrighted by the Bucs in October.