Cubs Sign Aaron Miles
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Cubs signed infielder Aaron Miles to a two-year deal worth $4.9MM. The deal was first reported by ESPN Radio’s Bruce Levine. Speculation is that the move could allow the Cubs to trade Mark DeRosa.
Miles, 32, hit .317/.355/.398 in 408 plate appearances for the Cardinals this year while playing all around the diamond. Miles was one of the top free agent bargains of 2008 at $1.6MM.
One Year For Giambi, Abreu?
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney:
Keep hearing this: Players like Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu might be forced, by circumstance, to settle for one-year offers.
That has to be what the Rays and A’s are hoping – these would be excellent one-year signings. The Yankees’ decision not to offer arbitration to Abreu is looking prescient.
Rockies Sign Luis A. Gonzalez
According to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies signed utility man Luis A. Gonzalez to a minor league deal. Gonzalez played for the Rockies for three years until they sold his contract to the Yomiuri Giants. Gonzalez was suspended in May for amphetamines.
Latest On Andy Pettitte
According to John Harper of the New York Daily News:
A person in regular contact with Yankee brass said Tuesday he believes the club still wants Andy Pettitte back and believes a deal will get done, perhaps as early as next week. According to this person, someone in the Yankee organization was putting out that word as something of a scare tactic, knowing that Pettitte badly wants to pitch for the Yankees next season. "They just want him at their price, that’s still the bottom line," the person said.
Pettitte, 36, posted a 4.54 ERA in 33 starts this year. His 2.9 K/BB and strong groundball rate indicate he’s capable of bouncing back. He’s more than a fifth starter.
Odds and Ends: Mariners, Jeter, Penny
Links for Wednesday…
- With the top three free agent closers off the market, the Brewers maintain interest in Trevor Hoffman.
- The Orioles’ Mark Hendrickson signing is official – he gets $1.5MM plus incentives.
- McCovey Chronicles evaluates some corner infield options for the Giants.
- Geoff Baker asks whether Bill Bavasi will be vindicated at all if the Mariners contend in 2009.
- Japanese pitcher Takateru Iyono is aiming to sign with an MLB club. Also, Taiwanese pitcher Fu-Te Ni has an offer from an East Coast team.
- All of Jeff Passan’s Hot Stove Daily pieces are good reads. Here’s his Marlins one.
- Murray Chass questions the oft-cited "$88.5MM coming off the books" figure for the Yankees.
- Bob Klapisch asks: how does the Mark Teixeira signing affect Derek Jeter‘s future with the Yankees?
- Buster Olney says the D’Backs "took a serious run" at Brad Penny before he signed with Boston.
Dodgers Sign Claudio Vargas
According to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times, the Dodgers signed pitcher Claudio Vargas to an incentive-laden, one-year deal. He’ll earn $400K and has $1.4MM in incentives.
Vargas, 30, spent 2008 in the Mets’ organization. He pitched 85.3 innings across various levels, dealing with elbow pain at one point. He’d been released by the Brewers in March.
Marquis For Vizcaino Deal Close
7:28pm: Ken Rosenthal confirms what most people are saying–that this deal is close, but not yet official.
7:11pm: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald calls the deal "possible, but not done yet." Additionally, says Miles, the deal is apparently "more in the Rockies’ hands than the Cubs’ right now."
Gordon Wittenmyer of the Sun-Times says a deal is "close," and suggests a Milton Bradley signing may be the next move for the Cubs.
6:20pm: This story has been confirmed by Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
While the deal likely won’t be official until next week, it looks like the Cubs will be paying $1MM of Marquis’ salary in 2009. That makes a net reduction of roughly $5MM in payroll for the Cubs.
4:44pm: According to ESPN’s Steve Phillips, the Cubs and Rockies are close to a swap of starter Jason Marquis for reliever Luis Vizcaino (saw it scroll across the screen on ESPN2). Marquis is set to earn $9.875MM in ’09, while Vizcaino will make $3.5MM plus a $4MM option for 2010 with a $500K buyout.
Marquis, 30, tossed 167 innings of 4.53 ball in 2008. He did roughly the same in ’07. Vizcaino, 34, posted a 5.28 ERA in 46 innings. He dealt with a strained shoulder and later expressed concerns that he didn’t pitch enough. His velocity was up from ’07 and he whiffed more than a batter per inning, but he was done in by walks and home runs. Vizcaino added a DUI to his resume in October.
Mets Make Offer To Lowe
TUESDAY, 7:03pm: It looks as though the first of the Mets’ offers has been issued.
According to Jack Curry of the New York Times, the Mets have offered Derek Lowe a three-year deal, worth a total of $36MM. I imagine half the teams in baseball would be willing to offer that amount to Lowe. The article maintains the current notion that Lowe is the Mets’ first choice to bolster their rotation. He had reportedly been seeking five years and $90MM.
MONDAY: MLB.com’s Marty Noble on the Mets:
They intend to make offers early this week to at least two and probably three free-agent pitchers — Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez and Randy Wolf — in hopes of signing one of them.
Noble says the Mets continue to rank the three in that order – Lowe, Perez, Wolf. The Mets haven’t shown any indication of wanting to sign more than one. Lowe and Perez should be ready to sign soon now that Scott Boras isn’t occupied with Mark Teixeira.
Noble adds that the Mets aren’t terribly concerned about having only one left-handed reliever on the roster (Pedro Feliciano). They’ll look for bargains rather than pursue a Joe Beimel type. Mets GM Omar Minaya does want to acquire a utility infielder, with Alex Cora atop the list.
Odds and Ends: Nelson, Quentin, Penny
Links for Tuesday…
- Baseball America has the recent minor league transactions. A few I hadn’t seen before – Reggie Abercrombie back to the Astros, Jesse Foppert re-signed with the Giants, the Rangers signed Casey Daigle.
- Nothing is imminent in the Rays’ discussions with free agent hitters, but they did finalize their deal with reliever Joe Nelson.
- Carlos Quentin in the third round of a fantasy draft: good idea?
- Fred Claire talks about the 2009-10 free agent class, and we got a mention.
- Keith Law likes Boston’s Brad Penny signing, but wonders why they weren’t able to get a 2010 option.
- Richard Justice discusses Drayton McLane’s salary cap recommendation.
- Peter Abraham says the Yankees are still a bit short in the rotation.
Blue Jays Sign Mike Maroth
Sportsnet.ca reports that (among others) the Blue Jays signed lefty Mike Maroth to a minor league deal. Maroth, 31, had shoulder surgery in June of 2008. He made 100 starts for the Tigers from 2003-05, but then the injuries began.