Rays Designate Dane De La Rosa For Assignment
The Rays have designated Dane De La Rosa for assignment, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). The move creates room on the 40-man roster for Luke Scott after his one-year, $2.75MM deal was finalized earlier this evening.
De La Rosa has made just 12 relief appearances for the major league squad over the last two years. He spent the bulk of that time in Triple-A, where he posted a 3.00 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9.
Padres Designate Jeudy Valdez For Assignment
The Padres have designated infielder Jeudy Valdez for assignment, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com (on Twitter). The move will allow the club to make room for Fautino De Los Santos, who was claimed off of waivers earlier today.
Valdez, 23, was promoted last season to Double-A San Antonio where he hit .225/.273/.364 in 507 plate appearances. The youngster has seen a good deal of time at second base in the Padres' farm system but has spent the last two years at shortstop.
Mets Sign Corey Patterson, Mike Wilson
The Mets have signed outfielders Corey Patterson and Mike Wilson to minor league deals, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). Patterson is represented by Jim Bronner and Bob Gilhooley, according to the MLBTR Agency Database.
Patterson, 33, hooked on with the Brewers on a minor league deal last season. The veteran spent the year in Triple-A Nashville, hitting .251/.285/.410 with ten homers in 387 plate appearances. For his big league career, Patterson owns a .252/.290/.400 slash line across twelve seasons.
Wilson has a .269/.362/.477 line across four seasons at the Triple-A level but played in just 71 games last season. The 29-year-old was the Mariners' second-round pick in the 2001 draft.
Rays Sign Kelly Johnson
The Rays announced that they have signed second baseman Kelly Johnson to a one-year deal. The SFX client will earn $2.45MM in 2013, according to the team.
The addition of Johnson will allow Tampa Bay to play Ben Zobrist in right field, but the club is expected to still use Zobrist at second base at times and Johnson may play some outfield, Ken Rosenthal tweets. Johnson, who turns 31 next month, hasn't played in the outfield since his debut season in 2005 with the Braves.
Johnson hit .225/.313/.365 with 16 homers in 581 plate appearances for the Blue Jays in 2012. For his career, Johnson owns a .255/.338/.429 slash line across seven seasons.
Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports first reported the agreement.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Rays, Brignac
The Yankees made one of their trademark low-risk, high-reward signings last week when they agreed to a one-year, $2MM deal with Travis Hafner that includes another $2MM in performance bonuses. The left-handed hitter has a career batting line of .287/.391/.534 against right-handed pitching and could prove to be a great pickup if he stays healthy. Meanwhile, they still have some business to take care of on the other side of the plate. Here's more on that and other news out of the AL East..
- Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman told Jim Bowden (via Twitter) and Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that he is not finished yet and they are still looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder. The Yankees recently inked Juan Rivera to a minor league deal, but they'll look for a stronger option in the outfield.
- The Rays have a similar need for a right-handed hitting outfielder/designated hitter/first baseman, but they likely won't find their man before spring training with limited options available, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Carlos Lee and Russ Canzler are among the hitters still available on the open market.
- More from Topkin, who writes that there was trade chatter surrounding infielder Reid Brignac last week. Brignac is out-of-options and seems unlikely to make the 40-man roster. Aside from Brignac, the Rays still have to clear two more roster spots. Catcher Stephen Vogt and reliever Dane De La Rosa are candidates to be DFA'd.
Cafardo On Bourn, Red Sox, Morales, Bailey, Okajima
The Yankees will face an uphill battle if they attempt to void Alex Rodriguez's contract due to his alleged ties to a Miami PED clinic. The use of banned substances alone may not be enough to 86 a contract, but a former agent tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that they could try to prove there was fraud prior to the contract being signed. In that situation, the Bombers would try to show that A-Rod lied about taking PEDs and therefore the contract was agreed to under false pretenses. Here's more from today's column, with a heavy dose of news on current and former members of the Red Sox..
- There has been speculation that the Mets are trying to get MLB to allow them to keep their first-round pick if they sign Michael Bourn. According to a Mets source, they are still trying to determine whether they can get him to sign and they'll only go all out on the compensation issue if they determine that they can.
- A few teams contacted the Red Sox about left-hander Franklin Morales this winter and a few others are watching him closely in spring training. Teams are intrigued by Morales’s starting capability and are especially interested to see if he can consistently maintain his 96 mph fastball over a full outing. If Gio Gonzalez winds up being penalized for his alleged link to the PED clinic in Miami, Cafardo believes that the Nationals may be interested in Morales.
- Andrew Bailey is another Red Sox pitcher who will be watched by scouts. There are still teams out there who could use a closer like the Tigers and Mets and Boston might listen for the right return.
- A few teams are interested in signing Hideki Okajima to a minor league deal, but he hasn’t made up his mind yet. The left-hander was recently released by his Japanese team so that he could pursue a return to the majors.
- Teams like the Astros and Mets are kicking around the possibility of bringing Daisuke Matsuzaka to camp to see if he can recapture the form he had in his first two seasons in Boston. He could also head back to Japan if he doesn't feel that he has a good chance of making a big league roster. Last month, a Mets insider told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that he didn't believe the club reached out to Matsuzaka.
- Derek Lowe wants to be a starting pitcher, but it appears that he will have to go settle for being a swingman. The Mets and the Astros are possibilities.
Kevin Millwood To Retire
After a 16-year major league career, right-hander Kevin Millwood has decided to call it a career, according to Richard Walker of the Shelby Star. The 38-year-old spent last season with the Mariners and posted a 4.25 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, and a 44.7% ground ball rate in 28 starts.
Millwood says that he told agent Scott Boras that he only wanted to pitch close to his home in Georgia, indicating the Braves and Rays were really his only two choices. When neither team showed interest, he decided that he wouldn't pitch in 2013. The veteran says that there's still plenty in the tank, but he would rather spend more time with his family than be on the road this season.
“I feel like I can still throw it well and going out on a high note is a big deal,” Millwood said. “I just felt it was time to be closer to home and to be around the kids more often.”
Last season was a solid effort for Millwood and was punctuated by his six inning contribution to the Mariners' no-hitter over the Dodgers in June. For his career, Millwood owns a 4.11 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. He also earned just under $90MM in his time with the Braves, Phillies, Indians, Rangers, Orioles, Rockies, and Mariners.
Quick Hits: Marlins, Reds, Bourn, Lohse, Hendrickson
As February gets underway, Michael Bourn still stands as the best available free agent on the open market. Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (on Twitter) opines that the Mets, Mariners, and Rays are the teams that make the most sense for the center fielder. As for the best starter left on the free agent pile, Bowden sees the Red Sox, Rangers, Angels, Brewers, and Orioles as the best fits for Kyle Lohse. Here's more from around baseball..
- Don't look for the Marlins to make any major moves the remainder of the offseason, says Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter). The team will enter spring training with the roster it currently has in place.
- Regardless of whether or not Scott Rolen joins the Reds, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the club is facing a serious roster crunch. It seems that the veteran wants to play in 2013 but money will be a determining factor in his decision. Recently, the Dodgers reached out to Rolen to express interest.
- The Orioles expect to announce the signing of veteran left-handerMark Hendrickson to a minor league contract with a spring training invite early next week, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The O's also hope to announce their deal with Jair Jurrjens and remain interested in bringing Joe Saunders back despite the depth that they've added.
- Torii Hunter says that enjoyed his time with the Angels, but he also felt misled when the club told him they didn't have enough money to keep him before signing Josh Hamilton to a five-year, $125MM deal, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The veteran hooked on with the Tigers this winter in pursuit of a World Series ring.
- The Tigers had a tough time trying to find organizational depth this winter as many players figured that their path to the majors would be blocked, writes George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press. Regardless, assistant General Manager Al Avila says that the club is done signing minor league players and is ready for spring training.
Daniel Seco contributed to this post.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Teixeira
Here's a look at some items on the Yankees and Red Sox..
- The Yankees' bullpen in 2012 featured only two left-handers, but that figure may change in 2013, says Chad Jennings of the Journal News. Look for Boone Logan to reprise his role as Joe Girardi's go-to left-handed reliever as the veteran made 80 appearances last season.
- With a lack of appealing first basemen left on the free agent market, the Red Sox figure to look internally for Mike Napoli insurance, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. Boston recently inked Lyle Overbay to a minor league deal and the veteran can opt out of his contract if he isn't on the big league roster by the end of spring training.
- Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira knows that fans see his eight-year, $180MM contract as an overpay, and he doesn't disagree, writes Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal. "Agents are probably going to hate me for saying it," the 33-year-old said. "You're not very valuable when you're making $20MM. When you're Mike Trout, making the minimum, you are crazy valuable. My first six years, before I was a free agent, I was very valuable. But there's nothing you can do that can justify a $20MM contract."
- In an interview with Drew Voros of Index Universe, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman explained that he tends to be conservative when pursuing pitching talent from Japan due to differences in pitching routines and the size of the mounds. The interview also covers Cashman's approach to statistical analysis and his affinity for low-risk, high-reward type acquisitions.
Daniel Seco contributed to this post.
Orioles Notes: Wieters, Abreu, Rhodes
The Orioles recently watched Fernando Tatis and Arthur Rhodes work out, but it doesn't look like the Os' will bring back either veteran. Speaking of reunions, Baltimore would like to re-sign Joe Saunders but the left-hander might have a lucrative two-year deal on the table from another club. Here's a look at the latest out of Baltimore..
- Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com wonders when the Orioles and catcher Matt Wieters will get down to hammering out a long-term deal. The backstop has three more seasons until he his eligible for free agency and his leverage will only increase if he can continue his strong hitting to go along with his stellar defensive play.
- The Orioles wouldn't be a bad fit for Bobby Abreu, opines Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Yesterday, Heyman reported that the Marlins and Rays are among the possibilities for the veteran.
- Someone in the O's organization described Rhodes' tryout as a "courtesy," writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Rhodes apparently was the one who approached the Orioles the workout and wanted to find out if he had anything left in the tank.