East Notes: Phillies, Steinbrenner, Yankees, Red Sox
Despite what some observers may think, the Phillies refuse to believe that their window has closed, writes Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "If I really thought the window was closing," said Cole Hamels, "I would have been gone. I play to win. They didn't have to give me any assurances. You can see it. You can feel it." There are a number of questions surrounding the Phillies, including offseason acquisition Michael Young's ability to play third base, but Ryan Howard cautions fans not to be surprised by their success in 2013. Here's more out of baseball's eastern divisions..
- Hal Steinbrenner has been adamant about the Yankees cutting their payroll to $189MM, but ESPN New York's Wallace Matthews reports that he may return to something resembling his father's free-spending ways. "This is the first time since George died that it appears a Steinbrenner is actually running the Yankees," a source tells Matthews. A change in the Yankees' approach would have dramatic implications throughout the free-agent market, and it could have a near-immediate impact on Robinson Cano as he enters his walk year.
- The Red Sox generally haven't incorporated former major league players into their decision-making, but GM Ben Cherington appreciates special assistant Jason Varitek's input, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. In the coming months, Varitek will assist the front office in player development and draft scouting. Two other former Red Sox stars, Pedro Martinez and Tim Wakefield, are also working with Cherington.
- In addition to being a key bullpen piece for the Orioles, the recently extended Darren O'Day is also a mentor to his fellow Baltimore sidearmers, writes Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. O'Day recently agreed to a two-year, $5.8MM deal with a club option for 2015.
Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.
Pirates Extend Clint Hurdle
The Pirates have officially extended the contract of manager Clint Hurdle through the 2014 season with an option for 2015, the team announced. Hurdle was entering the final season of his three-year deal with Pittsburgh.
“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to continue and finish what we started,” he said. “There’s no place I would rather be than in a Pirates uniform.”
Hurdle led the Pirates to a surprisingly hot start last season that peaked with a 64-54 mark in mid-August but the Bucs ultimately wound up with a 79-83 record. For his managerial career, Hurdle owns a 685–798 record, good for a .462 winning percentage.
Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review first reported the agreement (on Twitter).
Central Notes: Cubs, Brewers, Gamel, Chapman, Reds
A look at the Central divisions..
- There are six or seven teams in the eastern or central divisions to which Alfonso Soriano would accept a trade, writes Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. The long-time Cubs outfielder made it clear last summer that he would not have accepted a potential trade to the Giants. Soriano told reporters that the Cubs know which teams he'd prefer, but stated multiple times that his first priority is to win in Chicago.
- Brewers manager Ron Roenicke announced today that Mat Gamel, who was sidelined for the final five months of the 2012 season with a torn ACL, will miss all of the 2013 season, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The Brewers were already thin at first base thanks to Corey Hart's injury. They plan to cover with in-house options, but GM Doug Melvin will look for outside options as well. McCalvy suggests (on Twitter) that they could consider the recently DFA'd Mike Carp and Daric Barton of the A's.
- Craig Fehrman of Cincinnati Magazine profiled Aroldis Chapman and the journey that brought the left-hander to the Reds. The piece includes Chapman's daring move to defect from Cuba and the unique events that led him to changing representation while auditioning for teams.
- The Twins are not among the clubs that have expressed interest in Mark Prior, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). Prior is working on strengthening his shoulder in an attempt to hook on with a team in spring training.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
East Notes: Mets, Red Sox, Aceves, Yankees
In a meeting with his players today, Mets manager Terry Collins told his team that just because they don't have eight players making $20MM doesn't mean that they can't win, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post (on Twitter). Could the Mets surprise people this year? We'll have to wait and see. Here's more out of the AL and NL East..
- A rival evaluator told Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that if the Red Sox decide to move Alfredo Aceves, he will have some value in the trade market. Aceves' agent, Tom O'Connell, was in Fort Myers, Florida today and had a chat with GM Ben Cherington, according to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal (Twitter link). However, it's not clear if the two were talking about Aceves.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson has committed to reloading the team's farm system and won't sacrifice the club's future to win the short term, writes Andy McCullough of Baseball America (subscription req'd).
- Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano told reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (via Twitter), that he's not thinking about his next contract and is only focused on winning another championship. Last week we heard that Cano and the Bombers aren't making much progress on contract talks.
- Barring something completely unexpected, Yankees manager Joe Girardi seems like a safe bet to re-sign with the team this winter and lead them for another three years or so, writes Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues.
- Pedro Martinez is pitching in to help out the Red Sox in spring training, but he told reporters that he doesn't see himself wanting to be a manager or a pitching coach, tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
Diamondbacks Acquire Tony Campana
The Cubs announced that they have traded outfielder Tony Campana to the Diamondbacks in exchange for minor league right-handed pitchers Erick Leal and Jesus Castillo. The Cubs designated Campana for assignment last week to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Scott Hairston.
Campana, 26, finished 2012 with a slash line of .264/.308/.299 in 192 plate appearances. The speedster also racked up 30 stolen bases last season, good for ninth in the National League. The Diamondbacks are already more than set in the outfield, so its not clear what kind of role they have in mind for Campana.
Venezuelans Leal and Castillo are both just 17-years-old and spent time with the D'Backs Dominical Summer League affiliate in 2012. Leal posted a 2.44 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 12 starts and two relief appearances. Meanwhile, Castillo had a 5.40 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in eight starts and six games out of the bullpen.
Cardinals, Wainwright Still Talking Extension
While both the Cardinals and Adam Wainwright have advertised a pause in contract talks, the lines of communication are open and conversations continue to occur between both parties, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The pitcher had said that talks were on hold as recently as last week.
While Albert Pujols' relationship with the Cards front office became strained during the negotiation process, things remain solid between the club and Wainwright. When asked if Wainwright’s talks had assumed an edge similar to Pujols’ in 2011, one party familiar with the process told Strauss, “Not even close. And I’d bet anything it won’t.”
The supposed break from talks allowed both sides to get out of giving daily progress reports to the press while also allowing the Cardinals to reevaluate their position. The Cards will either have to raise the average annual value of their offer or give in to Wainwright's request for a longer pact with a lower AAV. The 31-year-old, who has finished top three Cy Young Award balloting in two of his last three available seasons, is said to be seeking more than five years guaranteed.
Orioles Sign Darren O’Day To Two-Year Extension
The Orioles and Darren O'Day have agreed to a two-year deal with a club option for a third year. The Beverly Hills Sports Council client will earn a guaranteed $5.8MM over two years when factoring in the $400K buyout. The 2015 option will pay $4.25MM, if exercised.
The two-year deal covers O'Day's remaining years of arbitration, putting him in line to test free agency after the 2014 season if his option is not picked up. O'Day, who had previously earned Super Two status, filed for $3.2MM this winter while the O's offered $1.8MM.
O'Day, 30, pitched to a 2.28 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in his first year with the Orioles. Baltimore first acquired the right-hander after the 2011 season on a waiver claim from the Rangers.
With O'Day signed, the Orioles have now taken care of all of their arbitration eligible players.
The agreement was first announced by the Beverly Hills Sports Council. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com had the terms of the deal while Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com first announced that a deal was close.
Minor Moves: A’s, Pirates, Colon, Orioles, Hudson
Here's a look at today's minor moves, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy..
- The Athletics are close to signing Mexican League infielder Antonio Lamas to an undisclosed deal, reports John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).
- The Pirates signed right-hander Roman Colon to a minor league deal. Colon appeared in a few games for the Royals last season but spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A Omaha where he posted a 3.09 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 40 games.
- The Orioles signed left fielder Kyle Hudson, who spent the first four years of his career in the Baltimore organization. The 26-year-old hit just .264/.335/.286 for the Triple-A affiliates of the Phillies and Rays.
- Right-hander Mark Hamburger is seeking employment once again after being released by the Astros this week. The 26-year-old was a roster casualty several times last season and spent time with the Rangers, Astros, and Padres.
Daniel Seco contributed to this report.
Latest On Mets, Jose Valverde
2:10pm: A source tells Newsday's Marc Carig Valverde is only on the Mets' radar if there's an injury in camp and a need arises.
1:25pm: The Mets expect Valverde to receive a big league deal somewhere else, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. If that doesn't happen, however, they may consider him later, but not so much now.
12:54pm: A team insider characterized the chances of the Mets signing Valverde as "really, really unlikely," according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
9:27am: The Mets are leaving the door "slightly ajar" for free agent Jose Valverde to join the club as their closer, an industry source told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. The source says that the Mets view Valverde, who turns 35 next month, as “a 5 out of 10.” However, as Davidoff notes, the Mets current bullpen isn't exactly filled with 8s and 9s.
Mets officials will assess the performances of their relievers in live action while continuing to collect information on Valverde. As it stands, Bobby Parnell is slotted in as the closer, with Brandon Lyon and Josh Edgin as the primary setup options.
It appeared that Valverde found a home earlier this month with the Marlins, but those reports proved to be untrue. Shortly thereafter, agent Scott Boras denied planting the story in order to drum up interest in his client. Valverde and Kyle Lohse are the two remaining members of MLBTR's Top 50 Free Agents list to be without a team.
Edward Creech contributed to this post.
Cafardo On Arroyo, Wang, Perez, Dodgers, Oswalt
The Rays shed about $28MM of payroll this winter between B.J. Upton, James Shields, Carlos Pena, Jeff Keppinger, J.P. Howell, and Wade Davis, but that's no problem for the confident organization, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. While the team will look different in several areas this season, they'll still have their typically strong pitching. The first four of the rotation are set with David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore, Alex Cobb with a competition between four strong candidates for the No. 5 spot. Here's more from today's column..
- Bronson Arroyo has been a consistent pitcher for the Reds, but the feeling from most people and the pitcher himself is that this could be his last year in Cincinnati. One major league source says the Cubs would be a perfect fit as a strong veteran presence in their rebuilding effort.
- Agent Alan Nero said he has taken Chien-Ming Wang off the market until he pitches for Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic. If he pitches well, the veteran should have a healthy market for a team in need of depth. The Yankees are keeping tabs on Wang despite already having six starters in the fold.
- While there’s more focus on where Alfonso Soriano might be dealt, David DeJesus could also be a nice midseason chip for the Cubs. The outfielder would be a solid fit for a few teams, including the Phillies, Orioles, and Red Sox.
- It looks like the Indians will hold on to Chris Perez for now, but the Dodgers had serious interest in him not too long ago. If Tribe gets off to a slow start, L.A's interest could be something to keep in mind.
- The Red Sox have discussed first baseman/outfielder Mike Carp, who was designated for assignment last week by the Mariners, as a backup. There may not be room, however, as they are committed to Lyle Overbay. Overbay has asked the Red Sox if he could play some outfield as well this season.
- Roy Oswalt still hasn't officially retired and he could be leaving the door open to join a club during the season. Recently, we learned that the Mets tried to sell Oswalt on becoming their closer in 2013, but the veteran isn't interested in the bullpen.
- Teams will pay attention to out-of-options Red Sox reliever Clayton Mortensen in spring training. The 27-year-old looks to be the odd man out the way the Sox bullpen could be configured.