Quick Hits: Vazquez, Red Sox, Padres, Astros, Cubs
The Red Sox will scout right-hander Javier Vazquez in Puerto Rico on Friday, according to Victor Ramos of Solo Beisbol (on Twitter, Spanish link). An industry source confirmed the news to Rob Bradford of WEEI, who notes that Vazquez has been throwing a fastball in the 92-93 mph range in recent workouts. Vazquez said earlier this week that he would consider a return to MLB and would like to play for a contender. Here's more from around baseball..
- Speaking of the Red Sox, Andrew Bailey says that he's happy to have Joel Hanrahan on board, even though it means that he won't be closing, Bradford writes. Meanwhile, Bailey believes that he's poised for a strong year thanks to his offseason training.
- Padres General Manager Josh Byrnes indicated today that the team likely won't pick up a starting pitcher in free agency, writes MLB.com's Corey Brock. The Padres signed Jason Marquis to a one-year deal last month, adding him to an already lengthy list of rotation candidates.
- General Manager Jeff Luhnow says the Astros aren't likely to add any additional key players between now and spring training, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Houston's biggest pickups this winter were the signings of slugger Carlos Pena and relief pitcher Jose Veras.
- The Cubs expect free agent Nate Schierholtz to be a regular in right field, writes Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. Chicago inked Schierholtz to a one-year, $2.25MM deal with $500K in performance bonuses.
Minor Moves: Indians, Reds, Brewers, Rockies
We’ll keep track of tonight’s minor moves right here..
- The Indians signed second baseman Matt Antonelli to a minor league deal, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). The 27-year-old had a rough Triple-A season for the Yankees and Orioles, but hit .297/.393/.460 for the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate in 2011.
- The Reds signed right-hander Jeff Marquez, outfielder Derrick Robinson, and right-handed reliever Kevin Whelan, Eddy tweets. Whelan posted a 3.55 ERA with 12.8 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9 with the Yankees’ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Triple-A partner last season.
- The Brewers signed right-hander Jim Hoey, shortstop Ozzie Chavez, and outfielder Rene Tosoni to minor league deals. Tosoni is a former Futures Game MVP and spent 60 games on the Twins big league roster in 2011.
- The Rockies inked left-hander Erick Threets and right-hander Tim Gustafson to minor league deals, according to Eddy (on Twitter).
Lance Berkman Talking With Rangers
Free agent Lance Berkman still hasn't decided on playing in 2013, but he is talking about a possible return with the Rangers and other clubs, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Astros remain open to bringing him back, even after signing free-agent first baseman Carlos Pena, but the Rangers would obviously give the veteran a better chance to win.
Berkman is one of many options that the Rangers are considering, sources say. Texas lost outfielder Josh Hamilton to the Angels, traded third baseman Michael Young to the Phillies, and lost catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli to the Red Sox, assuming the deal is completed. Even if that deal falls through, the odds of a reunion are slim as they already added free agent catchers A.J. Pierzynski and Geovany Soto.
The 36-year-old has said that he wants to spend more time with his family but also admitted that the lure of playing one more season at a lucrative rate might be too hard to ignore. Last night we learned that the Red Sox are no longer believed to be in on Berkman even though they expressed some interest earlier in the winter.
AL Central Notes: Verlander, Tigers, Twins, Indians
Last month, we heard that a number of teams were inquiring on Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello. Detroit turned clubs away at the time because they were unsure if they would be able to retain Anibal Sanchez. Now that they have Sanchez in the fold, however, Detroit could conceivably pull the trigger on a deal. Could they also have a significant free agent pickup on the horizon? More on that and other items out of the American League Central..
- The Tigers have a history of making waves in January, but it looks like their biggest improvements will come from within this year, writes Jason Beck of MLB.com. Even though the club has refused to comment on it, now would be the time for them to sign Justin Verlander to a contract extension as he has two years left on his current deal. Detroit may also pick up a right-handed hitter to play left field in a mix with Andy Dirks, but it’s not expected to be a glamorous signing.
- MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger writes that the Twins are also thinking in-house when it comes to their center field vacancy. Minnesota has a hole to fill after moving both Denard Span and Ben Revere, but they plan to have Darin Mastroianni and prospects Aaron Hicks and Joe Benson compete for the spot. At the same time, General Manager Terry Ryan won’t completely rule out signing a center fielder.
- Indians GM Chris Antonetti is happy to have gotten a second chance to keep Russ Canzler, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Cleveland claimed the infielder earlier today from the Blue Jays just weeks after DFA-ing him.
Yankees Notes: Young, Cashman, Stanton
The Yankees inked Matt Diaz to a one-year, $1.2MM minor league deal just before the New Year. Here's a look at what could be next on the list for the Bombers..
- Even after signing Diaz, the Yankees are looking for a right-handed hitting punch versus left-handed pitchers, but they don't have interest in Delmon Young, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter). The Mariners had interest in Young during the Winter Meetings but have since picked up a pair of veteran outfielders in Jason Bay and Raul Ibanez. Late last month we learned that the Braves aren't interested either.
- General Manager Brian Cashman is prepared to be patient as he looks to make further upgrades to the roster, writes MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Last year, the Yankees didn't bring Ibanez aboard until February.
- The talk of the Yankees swinging a trade for Giancarlo Stanton was inevitable, but it's not likely for a number of reasons, writes Chad Jennings of The Journal News. For starters, the Marlins' willingness to talk doesn't signal that they're looking to give Stanton away for chump change. The Yankees also might not be able to afford the kind of prospect dump that such a deal would require.
Rays, David Price Avoid Arbitration
The Rays have officially signed David Price to a one-year contract, the team announced. The deal is worth $10.1125MM and allows the two sides to avoid arbitration. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner is a Bo McKinnis client.
Price, 27, earned $4.35MM last season and was projected to earn $9.5MM in 2013 according to Matt Swartz's arbitration model, which was developed exclusively for MLBTR. The $10.1125MM salary is a new record for a second-time eligible pitcher, soaring past the $7.37MM earned by Jered Weaver in 2011. Price will be arbitration-eligible a total of four times as a Super Two, and he is scheduled to hit free agency after the 2015 season.
At $10.1125MM, Price also becomes the highest paid player in Rays' history, surpassing the $10MM earned by Carl Crawford in 2010. James Shields briefly held that record before he and his $10.25MM salary for 2013 were traded to the Royals a few weeks ago.
In 31 starts for the Rays last season, Price pitched to a 2.56 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. The first overall pick in the 2007 draft owns a 2.93 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in his three full seasons as a starter, eclipsing the 200-inning plateau all three times. In addition to winning the award this season, Price also finished second in 2010 Cy Young voting behind Felix Hernandez.
The Rays still have four unsigned arbitration-eligible players, as our Arbitration Tracker shows: Sam Fuld, Matt Joyce, Jeff Niemann, and Ryan Roberts. Tampa is one of baseball's "file and trail" teams, meaning if the two sides are unable to reach an agreement before the deadline to exchange salary figures (January 18th), the Rays cut off talks and go to a hearing. The team is 6-0 all-time in arbitration hearings and 5-0 under Andrew Friedman.
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick first reported the agreement while Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com later added details (Twitter links). Mike Axisa and Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Marlins Will Listen On Giancarlo Stanton
WEDNESDAY: Though there’s lots of interest in Stanton, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears from sources who all but rule out a trade (Twitter link). One person told Rosenthal chances of a deal are “as close to zero as they can be.”
SUNDAY: In the wake of the Marlins' blockbuster deal with the Blue Jays, the Marlins publicly stated that they wouldn't trade Giancarlo Stanton. Assistant General Manager Dan Jennings says that the club isn't shopping the right fielder, but they will listen to all offers for him, according to Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (on Twitter).
Teams have been inquiring on Stanton ever since the Marlins shipped Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Josh Johnson to Toronto in November. Stanton was vocal about his displeasure with the Marlins' front office after the trade and agent Joel Wolfe declined comment earlier this month when asked if his client had requested a trade.
Jennings also told Bowden (Twitter link) that Miami isn't going to surprise anyone and pursue any of the top free agents left on the open market. As the MLBTR Transaction Tracker shows, the Marlins have only signed two free agents so far this winter: Placido Polanco and Juan Pierre.
Quick Hits: Saunders, Reds, Yankees, Hamilton
Congratulations to our own Ben Nicholson-Smith on being named one of the 100 most influential Canadians in baseball by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun for the second year in a row. In addition to BN-S, fellow MLBTR writers Luke Adams (also of HoopsRumors) and Mark Polishuk earned honorable mention for their stellar work. Here’s tonight’s look around baseball..
- Even though many seem to feel getting a hitter is the bigger priority for the Orioles right now, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com would like to see the O’s continue their pursuit of Joe Saunders and get involved with Shaun Marcum.
- Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) looked at the biggest risks taken by MLB teams this offseason. The Reds made the list for their decision to put the newly-acquired Shin-Soo Choo in center field and so did the Yankees for letting Russell Martin and Nick Swisher go elsewhere while signing Ichiro Suzuki and Kevin Youkilis who are well past their primes. Bowden also suggests that the Tigers should get a closer with experience like Brian Wilson to support rookie Bruce Rondon.
- Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com looks at ten questions facing the Angels in 2013, including the issue of whether Josh Hamilton is worth the $125MM contract he received this winter. It’ll take longer than one year to fully answer that question, but in the short-term the Halos would like to see the slugger stay healthy.
- The Dodgers are full of promise in 2013 but an awful lot happened in the last year and change to put them in that position, notes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The ball started rolling in November of 2011 when Frank McCourt finally agreed to sell the team.
Indians Have Talked With Shaun Marcum
The Indians have had dialogue with free agent starter Shaun Marcum, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). However, it’s not yet clear how today’s signing of Brett Myers will impact their pursuit of Marcum (Twitter link).
Marcum, ranked No. 19 on Tim Dierkes’ list of Top 50 Free Agents, has also received interest from the Mets, Twins, Padres, and Cubs. The 32-year-old missed a good chunk of last season thanks to shoulder stiffness at the beginning of the year and later on had elbow tightness which cost him more than two months. In 21 starts, Marcum posted a 3.70 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 for the Brewers.
This Date In Transactions History: January 1st
New Year's Day isn't typically a hotbed of activity in baseball, but we have seen a few significant moves go down on January 1st. The biggest 1/1 transaction happened just last year when the Blue Jays acquired Jason Frasor from the White Sox in exchange for right-handed pitchers Myles Jaye and Daniel Webb.
Beyond the fact that the White Sox and Blue Jays didn't take a holiday (much like MLBTR), it was an interesting deal for a number of reasons. For starters, Frasor returned to Toronto just five months after he was shipped to Chicago in a July deal. That trade saw him packaged with right-hander Zach Stewart in exchange for right-hander Edwin Jackson and utility man Mark Teahen. Of course, Jackson's tenure with the Blue Jays was short-lived as he was flipped to the Cardinals for center fielder Colby Rasmus later that day.
The deal was also notable because Frasor just had his $3.75MM club option exercised on Halloween of 2011. The White Sox's return on this trade wasn't spectacular – neither Jaye nor Webb were considered to be strong prospects and had yet to advance to Double-A. However, (then) General Manager Kenny Williams would have gotten absolutely nothing had he declined Frasor's 2012 option. It would appear that Chicago exercised Frasor's option year for the express purpose of trading him.
Frasor had a decent year in his second act north of the border, turning in a 4.12 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 50 appearances. The right-hander is still on the open market and is said to be receiving interest from the Brewers. Meanwhile, the 6'3" pitchers sent to Chicago both spent 2012 in Single-A Kannapolis. Webb (23) and Jaye (21) didn't set the world on fire, but the youngsters still have plenty of baseball in front of them.