Outrighted To Triple-A: David Huff
Today’s outright assignments..
- The Indians announced that left-hander David Huff cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus. The Tribe designated Huff for assignment on March 31st as he was out of options and did not make the team. Huff has posted a 5.30 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 52 starts and three relief appearances for the Tribe over parts of four seasons.
Reactions To Robinson Cano’s Agency Move
If Robinson Cano's decision to leave agent Scott Boras was a shocker, then it's hard to find a word to describe his new choice for representation. Rapper Jay-Z, who is a minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets, will be a part of Cano's team with his Roc Nation Sports marketing venture. While the actual negotiating on Cano's next deal will be handled by the folks at CAA, it's a surprise to see Jay-Z leap from the pages of Hoops Rumors to MLBTR. Here's more on Cano's big move..
- It remains to be seen whether the change in representation will benefit the Yankees in their quest to re-sign Cano, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Affiliating with Jay-Z’s new company infers that Cano wants to market himself outside of baseball and that would best be accomplished in New York or Los Angeles. The Dodgers, of course, are expected to pursue Cano if he hits the open market.
- Yankees execs are playing today's news low key, but they know that it improves their chances of retaining the second baseman, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. A person in the know tells Sherman (link) that that Cano's recent meet and greet with LeBron James was set up by Jay-Z as part of pitch to woo him away from Boras.
- An ex-teammate of Cano believes that the decision to partner up with Jay-Z means that he'll be staying in pinstripes, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
- It may be true that the move makes him more likely to stay in New York, but Rob Neyer of SB Nation cautions everyone not to make too much of it. To Neyer, the change is about Cano looking to be known to a non-baseball audience.
- A source close to Cano told John Harper of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) that Cano wants a big payday but also wants to stay a Yankee. The 30-year-old didn't see that happening with Boras, who would want to hunt down the biggest contract possible. The source stressed that Cano isn't comfortable with so much attention on his impending free agency and wants to get a deal done "sooner rather than later'' (link).
- Barring something unexpected, Cano is going to be a Yankee for a long time, maybe for the rest of his career, writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. Meanwhile, the move could be a game changer in the agency game. While Boras has lost some big names in recent years and got less than expected for Kyle Lohse and Michael Bourn this offseason, he is the Jay-Z of baseball agents, Passan writes.
- CAA's Brodie Van Wagenen, who will serve as the direct representative for Cano says that his aim is to keep Cano's focus on baseball, tweets Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "Our mandate is to minimize his distractions while helping him achieve his goals on and off the field."
- Cano declined to speak when asked if he would comment on Boras reportedly being caught unaware of his decision to switch agencies, Hoch writes.
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter) sees Cano working out an extension with the Yankees after the agency switch.
Phillies Claim Ezequiel Carrera Off Waivers
The Phillies announced that they have claimed outfielder Ezequiel Carrera off of waivers from the Indians. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Phillies have designated fellow outfielder Ender Inciarte for assignment.
Carrera, 25, has appeared in 116 big league games for the Indians across the last two seasons, posting a .255/.306/.347 slash line. He has spent parts of the last three seasons at the Triple-A level where he has hit .286/.351/.372. Carrera first came to Cleveland by way of Seattle in the deal that sent Russell Branyan to the M's.
Inciarte, 22, was plucked from the Diamondbacks in the Rule 5 draft by the Phillies in December. The youngster, who is said to be strong defensively but lacking a major league-ready bat, split time between Class-A and Advanced-A ball in 2012. Last season, he had a combined slash line of .307/.376/.421
Giants Claim Hunter Strickland
The Giants have claimed pitcher Hunter Strickland off waivers from the Pirates, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). Pittsburgh designated the right-hander for assignment last week.
Strickland, 24, posted a 4.46 ERA in 42 1/3 innings at the Double-A level last season, while also compiling a 2.98 ERA in 45 1/3 innings at High-A. He has yet to advance above the Double-A level, however.
Central Notes: White Sox, Tigers, Wells, Hicks
Here's a look at the latest out of the American League Central..
- White Sox manager Robin Ventura believes that this year's team has more potential than last year's squad, thanks in part to offseason additions that make them a stronger postseason team, writes Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. The White Sox kept their starting pitching in tact while adding Jeff Keppinger and Matt Lindstrom to the fold.
- Jason Beck of MLB.com wonders if the Tigers might make a move for Casper Wells after he was designated for assignment by the Mariners yesterday. Detroit had interest in making a move for Wells towards the end of spring training and will likely have to work out a trade for the outfielder before he hits the waiver wire if they want to grab him.
- The future is now for Twins prospect Aaron Hicks, writes MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger. The center fielder, who is ranked 72nd on Baseball America's Top 100 list and 98th on MLB.com's Top 100, was given the starting job despite the fact that it starts his service clock earlier.
Rangers Release Brandon Allen
The Rangers have released Brandon Allen, according to the CBSSports.com transactions page. The Rangers signed the first baseman to a minor league deal back in December.
Allen, 26, appeared in seven games for the Rays last season before being sold to Japan's Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. In parts of four seasons at the Triple-A level, Allen owns a .283/.390/.543 batting line.
White Sox Acquire Lars Anderson
The White Sox have acquired Lars Anderson from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Anderson was designated for assignment by Toronto on March 29th to free up room for waiver claims Alex Burnett and Clint Robinson.
Anderson, 25, spent most of the 2012 season at Triple-A, where he posted a .250/.353/.396 batting line in 470 plate appearances. He also has 30 games of big league experience to his credit with the Red Sox from 2010-12.
The first baseman has done his best impression of Carmen Sandiego, having moved around quite a bit this offseason. Anderson went from the Indians to the D’Backs in the three-team Shin-Soo Choo deal and before a series of roster moves led him to the White Sox, then the Blue Jays, and finally back to the White Sox.
AL West Notes: Rangers, Astros, Andrus, Norris
It was Opening Day in Texas on Sunday, but the Astros' 8-2 win over the Rangers wasn't the biggest story out of the Lone Star State. Late last night, the Rangers agreed to an eight-year, $120MM deal with an opt-out clause after year four that will keep star shortstop Elvis Andrus locked up until he's at least 30. Here's more out of the American League West..
- The Andrus deal shows that the Rangers are thinking ahead, writes Steven Goldman of SB Nation. While Andrus doesn't provide tremendous offensive firepower, he is among the best all-around shortstops in the game thanks to his defense.
- Bud Norris said that the adrenaline was flowing as he took the hill against Texas last night and one reporter asked if he was excited about the prospect of earning a trade out of Houston. The pitcher sidestepped the question, but Norris could be an attractive piece for a contending club this season, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
- Earlier today, Steve Adams rounded up reactions to the Andrus deal from around the web.
Cafardo On Zambrano, Tigers, Wilson, Soriano
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe spoke with Indians manager Terry Francona, who is very grateful to have a fresh start. Francona would love to make things competitive with the Tigers in his first season in Cleveland, but he's not getting ahead of himself. “There are good teams in our division,” said Francona. “We know how good Detroit is, but you know we can’t approach the season like that. We know we’re playing Toronto first and we have to take care of things with them and then move on to the next series." Here's more from Cafardo..
- Carlos Zambrano is an intriguing free agent, but his reputation as a bad clubhouse guy coupled with his downward-trending performance has kept teams away. “You’ve got to be up for what he brings,” said an NL GM. “Not saying the guy hasn’t been good in his career because he has, but when things go bad, he has a rap sheet that shows how he reacts, and that’s hard to overcome.” The 31-year-old boasts a career 3.66 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9.
- Brian Wilson could be an option for the Tigers once he’s ready, but one National League GM says that he's going to stick to his plan of not letting anyone see him throw until he's 100%, “I think everyone is anxious to see when that time comes, because if he gets it back to what he used to be, he’s going to help someone immediately down the stretch of a pennant race,” said the GM. Cafardo won't rule out a return to the Giants for Wilson either.
- The serious spleen injury suffered by free agent right-hander Carl Pavano has put baseball in the distant future and could even spell the end of his career. Pavano lost a significant amount of blood and faces a long recovery after he fell at his Vermont home while shoveling snow.
- People in baseball have long been wondering when the Cubs will trade Alfonso Soriano, but Cafardo notes that the veteran seems especially happy with the club and has played with intensity through spring training. Soriano is set to earn $18MM in each of the next two seasons.
Offseason In Review: Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers waited until the eleventh hour to make a splash, but they made a significant upgrade to put themselves in the playoff mix.
Major League Signings
- Alex Gonzalez, SS: one year, $1.5MM.
- Kyle Lohse, SP: three years, $33MM.
- Mike Gonzalez, RP: one year, $2.25MM.
- Tom Gorzelanny, SP: two years, $5.7MM.
- Total Spend: $42.45MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
Trades and Claims
- Acquired 3B Stephen Parker from Athletics for P Darren Byrd.
- Acquired P Burke Badenhop from Rays for OF Raul Mondesi Jr.
- Claimed P Arcenio Leon off waivers from Astros.
Extensions
- Carlos Gomez, OF: three years, $24MM.
Notable Losses
- Yorvit Torrealba, Fautino de los Santos, Manny Parra.
Needs Addressed
After trading Zack Greinke last July and losing Shaun Marcum to free agency, the Brewers seemed content to head into 2013 without making a significant upgrade to the rotation. However, Milwaukee decided to give Kyle Lohse a home last week by giving him a three-year, $33MM deal. Aside from the money, the deal also means that the Brewers have to forfeit their No. 17 pick in the June draft. 
You can debate whether or not it was worth it for Milwaukee, but there's no denying that it makes them a better team to open the season. Lohse joins Yovani Gallardo atop the rotation and their presence is especially important given the lack of experience on the rest of the staff. Marco Estrada pitched to a 3.64 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 23 starts and six relief appearances in 2012 and the Brewers would love to see something similar this year, but he had just nine starts on his resume prior to last season. They'll also be counting on Mike Fiers in the No. 5 spot after slotting Chris Narveson in the bullpen.
The Brewers' biggest need was their bullpen and they made major changes in an effort to turn things around. First, Milwaukee traded Raul Mondesi Jr. to the Rays for right-hander Burke Badenhop. Then, they picked up a pair of former Nationals in free agent left-handers Tom Gorzelanny and Mike Gonzalez. All three should help the Brewers' cause this season and they should improve upon their NL-worst 4.66 ERA from last season.
Alex Gonzalez was picked up in February to provide an alternative to Jean Segura, but he'll be serving an even more important role to open the season. With Corey Hart sidelined until mid-to-late May and Mat Gamel out for the season, Gonzalez will start the season as the club's first baseman. Which leads us to..
Questions Remaining
The Brewers scored the most runs in the National League last season (third in the majors) but the Hart injury could hurt them depending on his recovery time. Hart's slash line of .270/.334/.507 was a big reason for their offensive surge last season but they'll have to get by with Gonzalez in the interim, a player who hit .241/.270/.372 in his last full campaign. It's cause for concern defensively as well. Gonzalez has 13,207 2/3 innings of experience of at shortstop but exactly none at first base.
The trio of Badenhop, Gorzelanny, and Gonzalez should improve the Brewers' bullpen but there are still plenty of question marks about their relievers. John Axford took a major step back in 2012, posting a 4.67 ERA (versus a 2.26 ERA in the three years prior) with 12.1 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9. They'll need better than that in 2013 to compete in the NL Central.
Deal of Note
In mid-March, the Brewers gave Carlos Gomez a three-year, $24MM extension that will keep him locked up through the 2016 season. The deal buys out the first three years of Gomez's free agency and could prove to be a bargain for the club if he continues to progress and hit right-handed pitching. It also came as something of a surprise since agent Scott Boras typically urges his players to test the market rather than sign an extension with a year to go before free agency. The 27-year-old posted a .260/.305/.463 batting line in 452 plate appearances with a career high 19 homers as Milwaukee's everyday center fielder last season. He also provides solid defense at the position, as his career 14.7 UZR/150 shows.
Overview
The Brewers finished the 2012 season in the middle of the pack with 83 wins – enough to claim a .500 record but not enough to play in October. While things looked stagnant for much of the winter, the Lohse addition gives their starting rotation a boost that cannot be overstated. As Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel recently noted, Lohse has 331 career starts to his credit, which is more than the combined 270 starts that the originally planned rotation of Gallardo, Estrada, Wily Peralta, Narveson, and Fiers have made.
On paper, Milwaukee's starting five should be strong enough to help reduce demand on their potent offense. If the bullpen can climb out of the cellar, then the Brewers should find themselves in the playoff hunt this year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.