Mets Designate Aaron Laffey For Assignment
The Mets have designated Aaron Laffey for assignment, according to Marc Carig of Newsday (on Twitter). The left-hander saw less than an inning of work against the Nationals last night as he allowed a walk and a double to set up a three-run homer from Adam LaRoche.
Laffey, 28, signed a minor league deal with the Mets in December. The veteran pitched to a 4.56 ERA with 4.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 16 starts and six relief appearances for the Blue Jays last season. He also made eleven starts for Triple-A Las Vegas, posting a 4.52 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.
Rosenthal On Wells, Lee, Konerko, Rodriguez
In his latest edition of Full Count, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link) gives the Yankees credit for realizing that Vernon Wells still had a lot left. The big stumbling block in trade talks between the Yankees and Angels was how much of the $42MM deal the Bombers would pay for. Discussions stalled until the spring when the Yankees lost Mark Teixeira to injury and their interest was renewed. Here's more from Rosenthal..
- If the Phillies fall out of contention, Cliff Lee could become a trade target once again. They declined to trade him last August after the Dodgers claimed him on waivers, but it would make sense to make a deal if they're not winning. However, Lee is earning $25MM per season through 2015 and has a $27.5MM vesting option for 2016. On top of that, he can only be traded to nine teams without his permission. The Phillies may have trouble making a deal for Lee because of those issues, but a shortage of quality starting pitching could lead to a swap with a contending team. Rosenthal lists the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Cardinals as teams that could be interested, depending on their needs.
- Don't expect a Mariano Rivera-style victory lap for Paul Konerko as he won't make up his mind about his future until after the season. The decision will likely hinge on multiple factors, including how he plays, whether the White Sox want him back, and whether another club would be a potential fit. The D'Backs made a run at Konerko the last time he was on the open market, but that first base job now belongs to Paul Goldschmidt.
- Francisco Rodriguez could look elsewhere if he doesn't make the Brewers' roster in 30 days, but Milwaukee is probably his best option. He'll earn the prorated portion of a $2.25MM salary if he makes the squad, plus incentives.
Quick Hits: Dodgers, Crawford, Yankees, Wells
Here's today's look around the majors as the Red Sox take the field in Boston and look to extend their winning streak to seven games..
- The Dodgers didn't know exactly what they were getting when they acquired Carl Crawford in last year's blockbuster deal, but the early returns are promising now that he is back in action. In fact, one scout told Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he is greatly impressed with what he's seen in 2013 and his stopwatch times to first are the fastest they've been since his early years with the Rays.
- On the other coast, Vernon Wells is looking like his old self with the Yankees, writes MLB.com's Chris Toman. To manager Joe Girardi, the veteran looks similar to his time in Toronto where he was a three-time All-Star.
- In an interview with ESPN.com (video link), former big league outfielder Moises Alou said that he enjoys his current job as GM for a team in the Dominican Republic and hasn't been swayed by MLB job offers that has come his way.
Quick Hits: Maholm, Royals, Shields, Martin
Earlier today, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) looked at five early season surprises and wondered if they'd be able to sustain it across the entire year. The list begins with Paul Maholm of the Braves and Bowden notes that he wound up there only after Ryan Dempster used his no-trade clause to block a deal to Atlanta. The Braves instead traded prospects for another Cubs starter in Maholm and it worked out for them in a big way. The Braves later used the prospects offered in the Dempster trade to acquire Justin Upton from the D'Backs and Maholm has been more successful since the deal. Here's more from around baseball..
- Royals General Manager Dayton Moore spoke with ESPN's Buster Olney (audio link) on his latest podcast about his moves this winter. Moore explained that he pulled the trigger on the December deal for James Shields because he felt that the club needed to win through pitching. Meanwhile, he expects big things out of Wade Davis once he gets back into the flow of being in the rotation.
- While Russell Martin's offense hasn't shown up yet in 2013, the club's biggest free agent acquisition of the winter has shown something very important in Pittsburgh, writes Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs.
- In his latest mailbag, a reader asked Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star if the Blue Jays should look to sign someone in the wake of injuries to Jose Reyes and Brett Lawrie. In Griffin's eyes, there's no one on the open market right now that could step in and make a difference right away.
Rangers Won’t Seek Outside Pitching Help
Earlier today, Rangers pitcher Matt Harrison decided that he will undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his lower back. His absence will undoubtedly test the Rangers' pitching depth, but General Manager Jon Daniels doesn't expect to go out-of-house for reinforcements, writes Todd Wills of ESPNDallas.com.
Daniels said that he won't be seeking a deal in part because of the difficulty involved in swinging a trade in April. He also doesn't feel pressure to make a move with Colby Lewis, Neftali Feliz, and Martin Perez rehabbing at the team's spring training facility.
"We're always keeping our eyes open," Daniels said. "But I don't think we'll do anything from outside. We'll play it out. We like the guys we've got. We like the guys that are on the mend. That's obviously an important group for us in Arizona."
The Rangers made a considerable investment in Harrison this offseason, inking him to a five-year, $55MM extension. Harrison posted a 3.34 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 across 399 innings of work in 2011-12.
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NL Central Notes: Brewers, Price, Cubs, Cardinals
Earlier tonight, the Brewers picked up Francisco Rodriguez up on a minor league deal. Here's more on K-Rod and other notes out of the National League Central..
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin says that Rodriguez represents another option that they can go to if necessary and is a low-risk signing, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Melvin also said that he spoke to a prosecutor before re-signing Rodriguez to ensure that Rodriguez’s legal troubles were closed. The reliever was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery in September, but those charges were dropped.
- In an interview with Mut & Merloni of WEEI, ESPN.com's Buster Olney said that he sees the Cubs as the most likely team to trade for the Rays' David Price with the Cardinals also in the mix. In Olney's estimation, the Cards can blow everyone else out of the water if they decide to dip into their farm system to pull off a trade.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) credited Melvin for picking up Yuniesky Betancourt late in the spring after he didn't hook on with the Phillies. The signing looks particularly good at the moment after Betancourt's grand slam last night and third inning home run earlier this evening.
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Nationals Notes: Harper, Zimmerman, Skole
Earlier this week, we learned that the Nationals' acquisition of Denard Span indirectly stemmed from maneuverings involving the Upton brothers. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explained that the Nats made a strong attempt to deal for Justin Upton early in the offseason and when they realized that they couldn't land him, they refocused on finding a left-handed hitting center fielder who could bat leadoff. However, they didn't get their man on the open market after B.J. Upton's lucrative five-year, $75MM deal scared them away from free agents. Here's the latest out of Washington..
- General Manager Mike Rizzo says it's too soon to discuss a contract extension for Bryce Harper, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Rizzo doesn't feel compelled to work on a new deal for Harper just yet since he is a "zero plus" player, meaning that he has less than one full year of service time under his belt.
- While Ryan Zimmerman's throwing struggles have led some pundits to ask if the Nationals need to consider other options at third, Rizzo shot that notion down earlier today, writes Amanda Comak of the Washington Times. “The Nationals do not need a new third baseman,” the GM said. “We’ve got one of the best, if not the best, third basemen in all of baseball. We love the guy. He’s ours. And I’m glad we have him.”
- Rizzo also disclosed that prospect Matt Skole tore the UCL in his left elbow, Comak tweets. Skole, who is ranked No. 4 in the Nats' system by Baseball America, will undergo Tommy John surgery and his recovery should take 3-4 months (link).
Brewers Sign Francisco Rodriguez
6:08pm: Rodriguez will get $2MM or more if he makes the big league squad, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
5:23pm: The Brewers officially announced that they have signed Francisco Rodriguez to a minor league deal. Milwaukee has 30 days to assign the reliever, who will train at the club's spring training facility in the interim.
The 31-year-old Rodriguez appeared in 78 games for the Brewers last season and posted a 4.38 ERA, 9.0 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 72 innings. He initially came to Milwaukee from the Mets in a trade during the final year of the three-year, $37MM contract he signed to be New York's closer. The Brewers offered Rodriguez arbitration following the 2011 season, and he made the surprising decision to accept, leaving GM Doug Melvin on the hook for an $8MM salary.
In his 11-year career, K-Rod has a 2.70 ERA, 11.0 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 720 2/3 innings. His 294 saves rank 25th all-time, and he set the all-time single-season saves mark with 62 back in 2008 with the Angels.
MLB.com's Adam McCalvy first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal. Steve Adams contributed to this post.