Central Notes: White Sox, Floyd, Brewers, Lohse
Items out of the AL and NL Central..
- The White Sox are looking around for a left-handed hitter, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The club has also made it known once again that Gavin Floyd is available. Interest in the right-hander is said to be high and the Orioles are one of the clubs who have him on the radar.
- It doesn't sound like the Brewers are going to be making a run at Kyle Lohse after GM Doug Melvin explained that the team is "getting down to the end" of adding players, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com tweets. Lohse looks to be the top starter available following Edwin Jackson's four-year deal with the Cubs.
- Twins General Manager Terry Ryan isn't sure if Rich Harden will be slotted in as a starter or a reliever, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. “It depends on how he responds. We could go either way with him," said the GM. Harden signed a minor league deal with Minnesota this morning that includes a MLB spring training invite.
Olney On Saunders, Hairston, Hanrahan, Howell
In today's column, Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) looks at the best second-tier and third-tier free agents remaining. Here's a look at the highlights..
- Joe Saunders is receiving interest from four clubs and the Orioles have ramped up their efforts to retain him. It seems Saunders would be in position to get more than the two-year, $15MM deal signed by Joe Blanton.
- Scott Hairston is looking for a significant raise over the $1.1MM he earned last season and he might wind up being too rich for the Mets' blood. Jonny Gomes is a similar player and got $10MM over two years from the Red Sox.
- Some teams see the significant increase in walks allowed last season by Joel Hanrahan as a red flag. After posting a 2.1 BB/9 rate in 2011, Hanrahan jumped to 5.4 in 2012. There is also some concern among rival evaluators that his diminished control is a sign of an arm issue. Hanrahan would argue that the control problems may have stemmed from the inconsistent save chances that a Bucs closer gets.
- Free agent reliever J.P. Howell should sign soon, perhaps with the Nationals. Other interested clubs include the Phillies, Cubs, Mariners, and Rangers.
- Travis Hafner would be a classic make-good guy to bring to spring training, but he won't fit all rosters because he can't play a position.
- Executives have reservations about Lance Berkman, including his health, overall shape, and motivation to play.
- Some have said that the Cubs overpaid for Edwin Jackson ($52MM over four years), but new financial restraints in the draft and international market have forced clubs to pay more. In short, the Cubs basically paid the going rate for a 29-year-old healthy pitcher of his caliber.
Minor Moves: Figueroa, McPherson, Bocock, Bush
Tonight’s minor moves, courtesy of Baseball America’s Matt Eddy (all links go to Twitter)..
- The Diamondbacks signed right-handers Nelson Figueroa, Alexis Lara, and Warner Madrigal, Eddy tweets. Figueroa, 38, spent 2012 with the Yankees and Red Sox‘s Triple-A affiliates. The veteran posted a 3.89 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 15 starts and ten relief appearances.
- The Dodgers signed journeyman third baseman Dallas McPherson, according to Eddy. The 32-year-old infielder has hit 144 HR at the Triple-A level for Pirates, White Sox, Athletics, Marlins, and Angels with a .276/.349/.572 batting line.
- The Nationals signed defensive-minded shortstop Brian Bocock to a minor league deal, Eddy tweets. Bocock spent last year with the Blue Jays in the minors.
- Right-hander Dave Bush will return from pitching in Korea to sign with the Blue Jays, Eddy reports. Toronto originally drafted him in the second-round in 2002.
- The Reds inked 7’1″ right-hander Loek Van Mil, whose is better than his numbers would indicate, in Eddy’s opinion.
- The White Sox signed utility man Andy Gonzalez, and right-hander Jeff Gray while re-signing catcher Damaso Espino and right-hander Matt Zaleski.
- The Cubs signed right-handers Andrew Carpenter and Cory Wade plus first baseman Brad Nelson to minor league deals. Wade elected free agency from the Blue Jays in late November.
- The Giants signed outfielder Cole Gillespie, a 28-year-old right-handed hitter with a career .390 OBP in Triple-A for the Diamondbacks and Brewers.
Indians To Sign Scott Kazmir
The Indians have reached a minor league deal with Scott Kazmir, according to Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Cleveland is taking a low-risk chance on the left-hander following his strong performance in Puerto Rico this winter.
The left-hander displayed great stuff during his time in PR, throwing a 90-94 mph fastball. The 28-year-old missed the 2012 major league season but did spend some time with the independent Sugar Land Skeeters, the same club made nationally famous by their signing of Roger Clemens.
The 28-year-old had a disappointing 2011 season that included time on the disabled list, one appearance for the Angels and a 17.02 ERA with more walks than strikeouts at Triple-A. He last pitched at an All-Star level in 2008, when he posted a 3.49 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9.
Mariners Sign Jeremy Bonderman
Jeremy Bonderman has agreed to a minor league deal with the Mariners, with an invitation to spring training, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Washington native is coming off of elbow reconstruction surgery.
Bonderman fielded calls from a dozen clubs this offseason with the Tigers and Nationals also showing serious interest. The right-hander dropped 35 pounds from his frame and is set to start throwing again in January. For his career, Bonderman owns a 4.89 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 across eight seasons with Detroit.
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Saltalamacchia, Yankees
News out of the American League East..
- The Red Sox would possibly give up Franklin Morales or Alfredo Aceves in a deal for Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. The Pirates, however, may be thinking more along the lines of Felix Doubront, which would be a deal-breaker, according to a major league source. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported Boston's interest in Hanrahan.
- The Red Sox had some inquiries on Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but it appears that they may go to spring training with three catchers, plus Mike Napoli, if that deal gets done, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. Boston also has free agent pickup David Ross and Ryan Lavarnway slotted in at the catcher position.
- The Rangers' signing of A.J. Pierzynski could shake the catching market loose and spark trade interest in Saltalamacchia for the Red Sox, tweets Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. Pierzynski and Texas agreed to a one-year deal earlier this evening.
- The Yankees did not make an offer to Pierzynski, according to Heyman (via Twitter). The Bombers' plan at present is to go with a combination of Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart, and Austin Romine behind the plate. The Yanks were known to have interest in Pierzynski but were said to be wary of his defense.
Quick Hits: Saunders, Cubs, Soriano, Gonzalez
The Orioles would like to re-sign Joe Saunders and have continued talks with him, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter). They'll have plenty of competition for the left-hander, however, as he is drawing high interest from three other clubs. Here's more from around baseball..
- On today’s edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast, MLBTR’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts discussed the Mariners–Angels trade, the Cubs’ new-look rotation, and some recent trade rumors.
- The Dodgers are still kicking the tires on Joel Hanrahan of the Pirates and free agent Brian Wilson as they look to deepen their bullpen, but they aren't in the mix for Rafael Soriano, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Nationals continue to talk to Mike Gonzalez about returning and the Reds are also in pursuit, Bowden tweets.
- Sources tell Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter) that the Rangers were never serious bidders for Edwin Jackson. The right-hander signed a four-year, $52MM contract with the Cubs earlier today.
- Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik has landed a bigger bat for the middle of his lineup, but that doesn't mean Seattle is done with its roster maneuverings, writes Greg Johns of MLB.com. The Mariners still have financial flexibility since they should several million dollars in the difference between what Kendrys Morales ($4.8MM) will earn compared to Jason Vargas ($7.4MM) in their final year of arbitration eligibility.
- Dexter Fowler told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (on Twitter) that Rockies General Manager Bill Geivett told him that it would take a lot in return for them to deal him to the Braves. Atlanta is targeting Fowler along with Emilio Bonifacio and other outfield options.
Dodgers Outright Scott Van Slyke To Triple-A
Tonight's outright assignments..
- The Dodgers announced that Scott Van Slyke has been outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers. The outfielder/first baseman appeared in 27 games for the Dodgers last season. In parts of three Triple-A seasons, Van Slyke owns a .290/.360/.476 batting line.
Mets Notes: Sizemore, Liriano, Pavano
Scott Hairston would like to return to the Mets in 2013 but the club also has their eye on another free agent outfielder. Here’s more on that and other news out of Queens..
- Kevin Burkhardt of SNY (via Twitter) hears that the Mets are very interested in Grady Sizemore. Sizemore missed the entire 2012 season with the Indians and is coming off of microfracture surgery on his right knee.
- The Mets have reached out to the reps of free agent left-hander Francisco Liriano, right-hander Carl Pavano, and many others to replace R.A. Dickey, according to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post (on Twitter). Talks between Liriano and the Twins have reportedly regressed and earlier today we learned that Minnesota is showing intense interest in Rich Harden.
Twins Interested In Rich Harden
The Twins were in contact with the agent for free agent pitcher Rich Harden, sources tell La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune. The right-hander is represented by Brett Laurvick of the Wasserman Media Group.
Harden, who has been hampered by injuries in recent years, is attempting a comeback after missing the 2012 season. Harden would likely sign a minor league deal and be invited to major league spring training. It's not clear at this time if the veteran is attempting to come back as a starter or a reliever. The situation, according to Neal, is heating up quickly.
Harden spent the 2011 season with the A's and posted a 5.12 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 15 starts. The 31-year-old also missed the bulk of the 2006 and 2007 seasons due to injury.