Nationals Sign Eddie Guardado
The Nationals signed veteran left-hander Eddie Guardado to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. The deal is now official, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Fellow Nats beat writer Chico Harlan of the Washington Post reported that the sides agreed to a minor league deal, and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports first reported that a deal was close.
Guardado, 39, posted a 4.46 ERA, 4.7 K/9, and 3.5 BB/9 for the Rangers in 38.3 innings this year after signing a minor league deal in February. He battled shoulder and knee injuries and mulled retirement after the season. Guardado had a preference for the West Coast, but presumably the opportunity wasn't there.
The Nats, who also signed Matt Capps this week, add an option for tough NL East lefties like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard; Guardado has allowed just a .228/.273/.372 line against left-handed hitters in his 17-year career.
Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post.
Mets Reach Agreement With R.A. Dickey
WEDNESDAY, 7:41pm: The two sides have reached an agreement on a minor league deal, a source familiar with the negotiations tells the Associated Press.
If added to the major league roster, Dickey would get a one-year contract worth $600K and have the chance to earn $150K more in performance bonuses.
TUESDAY, 2:12pm: The Mets are nearing a minor league agreement with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, according to Ronald Blum of the Associated Press. Dickey, 35, posted a 4.62 ERA, 5.9 K/9, and 4.2 BB/9 in 64.3 innings for the Twins this year. He tossed another 33.3 mediocre innings at Triple A.
Athletics Sign Coco Crisp
The Athletics signed center fielder Coco Crisp to a one-year, $5.25MM deal today. He has a 2011 club option for $5.75MM with a $500K buyout. MLBTR first reported the agreement early Sunday, while Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle added the financial details today. Crisp had been talking to the Padres as well.
Crisp, 30, tallied only 215 plate appearances with the Royals this year due to shoulder injuries. He had surgery on both shoulders during the summer and plans to be ready for Spring Training.
Given his salary, Crisp figures to be penciled in as the starting center fielder in Oakland. Scott Hairston, Rajai Davis, and Ryan Sweeney would battle for playing time in the other two spots, unless someone is traded.
Angels Reach Agreement With Fernando Rodney
2:57pm: The Angels have agreed to terms with Fernando Rodney, according to ESPNDeportes.com's Enrique Rojas (Jayson Stark of ESPN.com provides an english version of the story). Rodney will sign a two-year deal worth $11MM, pending a physical.
WEDNESDAY, 11:58am: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark hears that Rodney won't end up in Philadelphia. Instead, the Phillies will look for bargains in the new year. Stark mentions Danys Baez as a possibility for the Phils.
7:00pm: ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Phillies are interested in Rodney as well, at two years and $12MM. Nice little offer.
TUESDAY, 1:07pm:The Angels are in serious discussions with free agent reliever Fernando Rodney, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark. The Angels are a nice match for Rodney, as the number of teams with closing opportunities is dwindling. The Angels are already on the hook for $9MM for Brian Fuentes next year, but if they bump him to a setup role they can prevent his 2011 option from vesting.
Rodney, 33 in March, posted a 4.40 ERA, 7.3 K/9, and 4.9 BB/9 in 75.6 innings. Not very impressive numbers, but he can at least boast of saving 37 games in 38 tries. Rodney operates with a mid-90s fastball and a mid-80s changeup. Since he's a Type B free agent who turned down arbitration, the Tigers will gain a supplemental draft pick if he signs elsewhere.
Blue Jays Acquire Brandon Morrow
The Blue Jays acquired pitcher Brandon Morrow from the Mariners for reliever Brandon League and minor league outfielder Johermyn Chavez today. The agreement was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports on Monday, while MLB.com's Jordan Bastian added the Chavez detail yesterday.
Morrow, 25, has a 3.96 ERA, 9.3 K/9, and 5.7 BB/9 in his 197.6-inning big league career. The hard-throwing righty was drafted fifth overall by the Mariners in '06. He made the team's Opening Day roster in '07 as a reliever, and stayed in that role to open the '08 season due to the Erik Bedard acquisition. He dealt with a shoulder injury that year. In August of '08 he transitioned to starting. Elbow issues surfaced in the spring of '09, but once healthy Morrow was back in the 'pen. He was sidelined by biceps tendinitis shortly thereafter, and it was back to starting in June. Morrow has a pretty serious injury history in his big league career; it's difficult to determine if the frequent role-switching was the cause or the effect. He is not yet arbitration-eligible and is under team control through 2013. Chavez, who turns 21 next month, hit .283/.346/.474 last year in A ball.
League, 27 in March, has a 4.09 ERA, 6.9 K/9, and 3.2 BB/9 in 202.3 career relief innings. League also throws in the mid-90s, and has a strong career groundball rate of 62%. He's had an up-and-down career, oddly posting his best peripherals in '09 (3.6 K/BB) alongside a 4.58 ERA. League had a shoulder injury that cost him most of '07. He's under team control through 2012.
The Blue Jays come out ahead on this one. Morrow is an obvious health risk, but he still has frontline starter potential. It's a gamble worth taking at the cost of a reliever and a prospect. Perhaps the Mariners believe it's all downhill from here for Morrow.
Royals Sign Brian Anderson
The Royals signed outfielder Brian Anderson to a one-year, Major League deal worth $700K. He can earn another $100K in incentives. MLB.com's Scott Merkin broke the news yesterday, while Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports added contract details. Anderson was acquired by the Red Sox from the White Sox for Mark Kotsay and cash on July 28th, and non-tendered on December 12th.
Anderson, 28 in March, has a career line of .227/.290/.370 in 883 plate appearances, mostly with the White Sox. He's mainly played center field in his career, and the Royals probably represented his best opportunity for big league playing time. The Royals will have the chance to retain Anderson beyond 2010 as an arbitration-eligible player.
Merkin notes that the Cubs, Nationals, and Reds had also expressed interest in Anderson.
MLBTR Forums
The MLBTR Forums are hopping, with over 1,800 users signed up and engaging in baseball discussions and debates. We've got areas for trade rumors, free agent talk, the draft, fantasy baseball, general baseball, and each of the 30 teams. Sign up today!
Javier Vazquez Trade Reactions
Javier Vazquez was traded for the fifth time in his 12-season career today, and we've collected reactions.
- Braves GM Frank Wren told reporters that Melky Cabrera is a nice fit, but he's still looking for offense. David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the $8MM or so saved by the Braves probably won't go toward Jason Bay or Matt Holliday, but he wonders if they'll try for Adrian Gonzalez. We've got more on potential bats for the Braves here.
- ESPN's Keith Law says the Braves were "lucky to get a young pitcher as good as Arodys Vizcaino," as he feels this trade was basically a salary dump. Law believes the Braves' Kenshin Kawakami signing in January was unnecessary, and that led to this Vazquez trade.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post has pretty much every Yankees angle covered. Vazquez was simply the best available option for them. The Yanks' payroll is up around $198MM against a $200MM target, though trading Sergio Mitre and/or Chad Gaudin would free up a little cash. The Yanks will try to snag a veteran left fielder at a bargain rate, and aren't considering Holliday or Bay.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman confirmed that he won't be adding a big piece (MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reporting). Chad Jennings of The LoHud Journal has quotes from Vazquez from the conference call.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Rays, Orioles, and Blue Jays should just give up now.
Nationals Notes: Garland, Orlando Hudson
So far this winter the Nationals have traded for reliever Brian Bruney and signed starter Jason Marquis and catcher Ivan Rodriguez. They're a finalist to sign reliever Matt Capps. They've also added Joel Peralta, Jamie Burke, and Doug Slaten, among others. What's next for GM Mike Rizzo?
- Chico Harlan of the Washington Post says the Nats initially targeted Jon Garland, but Garland prefers to sign with a West Coast team. He should have some options if he's willing to take a one-year deal in the $6-7MM range.
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that the Nationals still have interest in free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson. Signing Hudson would mean keeping Cristian Guzman at shortstop.
Minor League Transactions
Baseball America's Matt Eddy has the latest minor league transactions. I believe this is the first I've seen of the White Sox signing relievers Greg Aquino and Erick Threets. Check out Eddy's post for the full list.