Pirates Notes: Payroll, Hanrahan, Jones
Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington and President Frank Coonelly hosted a Q&A session for fans and addressed a number of topics concerning the club. Here's a look at some highlights, courtesy of Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Twitter, unless noted otherwise..
- The Pirates president says that payroll "could be approaching" $70MM this year, but didn't go so far as to offer a guarantee (Twitter link). Today marked the first time that he went public with that information.
- Huntington says that it's no guarantee that Joel Hanrahan will be dealt. The team's plan is to keep Garrett Jones in the fold for next season, but won't make any promises (via Twitter).
- Coonelly explained that the club has no regrets about the way they handled the Mark Appel negotiatons. "We'd make [the] same decision today. And we wouldn't call [agent Scott Boras] to see if Appel would sign if available," said the club president. However, the club will continue to draft the best player available and won't be deterred from doing business with certain agents (Twitter links).
- Huntington said that the Pirates have a handful of young arms ready to step up in place of Jeff Karstens and Kevin Correia (link). That may mean that Pittsburgh will concentrate more on in-house solutions than previously thought.
- Reports of the Pirates holding a meager TV contract are not true, according to Coonelly. "The facts out there have been wrong. Our contract is well over $16M and it did include signing bonus," Huntington explained (via Twitter). Coonelly added that the extra money will allow Pittsburgh to spend more in the draft (link).
Rosenthal On Dodgers, Angels, Pirates, Indians
Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that all signs point to the Mets trading knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Here's more from Rosenthal's column..
- Dodgers starters Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano are even more in play with the Pirates, Mariners, Twins, Blue Jays, and Indians among the teams checking in, major league sources tell Jon Paul Morosi. The club began shopping Harang and Capuano at the winter meetings, anticipating that they would add at least two other starters, which turned out to be Zack Greinke and Ryu Hyun-Jin.
- One rival executive predicts that the Angels will keep Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo while moving Vernon Wells. The outfielder holds a no-trade clause and is owed $21MM in each of the next two seasons but probably can't bring the Angels the pitcher they need.
- Joel Hanrahan has been linked to both the Tigers and Dodgers, but both clubs are wary of his salary, according to sources. Hanrahan is projected to make $6.9MM in arbitration next season.
- A source says that the Indians' four-player return for Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Donald won't deter them from moving right-hander Justin Masterson, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, or closer Chris Perez in the right deal, Rival teams say the Tribe insisted upon major leaguers/major league ready pieces for Choo and they would presumably seek the same in return for their other veterans.
Yankees Sign Kevin Youkilis
The Yankees announced that they have signed infielder Kevin Youkilis on a one-year contract. The Pro Star Management, Inc. client obtains $12MM, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who first reported the agreement (via Twitter). Youkilis drew interest from a number of clubs this offseason, including the Indians and newly-minted skipper Terry Francona.
Youkilis struggled offensively as a member of the embattled 2012 Red Sox, hitting just .233/.315/.377 with four homers across 165 plate appearances. However, he bounced back after being traded to the White Sox and boosted his slash line to .236/.346/.425 with 15 home runs in 344 plate appearances.
The 33-year-old is expected to see significant time at third base as Alex Rodriguez recovers from surgery on his left hip. A-Rod will be out until at least May and could even be sidelined until July. When Rodriguez returns to action, Youkilis could help support him at third while also seeing time at first base and DH.
Cleveland bowed out of the Youkilis chase on Sunday when they inked Mark Reynolds to a one-year contract worth $6MM. Prior to that, the Tribe reportedly offered Youkilis a two-year deal worth approximately $18MM. Some also saw the free-spending Dodgers as a possible suitor for Youkilis, but it doesn't appear that they ever jumped into the mix.
Rosenthal notes (via Twitter) that this is another sign that the Yankees appear to be serious about tightening their belt before 2014. The Bombers are looking to get under $189MM limit by that point and they have inked Youkilis, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Hiroki Kuroda to one-year deals to help accomplish that.
Dodgers Acquire Skip Schumaker From Cardinals
WEDNESDAY: The Dodgers announced the deal: Schumaker for Lemmerman.
TUESDAY: The Dodgers have acquired Skip Schumaker from the Cardinals, a source tells Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness first reported that the Dodgers would acquire Schumaker for minor league shortstop Jake Lemmerman.
Cards General Manager John Mozeliak recently acknowledged that Schumaker was a trade candidate. The 32-year-old will earn $1.5MM in 2013, the last year on his contract. The Twins were also reportedly interested in the left-handed hitter who owns a .345 career on-base percentage, but has struggled to hit lefties. The emergence of young talent in St. Louis ultimately led to Schumaker's exit after eight big league seasons.
Schumaker posted a .276/.339/.368 slash line last season in 304 plate appearances. The veteran has experience playing second base as well as all three outfield positions.
Lemmerman, 23, spent the 2012 season with the Dodgers' Double-A affiliate. The 2010 fifth round selection posted a .233/.347/.378 batting line in 449 plate appearances while playing shortstop and second base.
Quick Hits: Soriano, Astros, Dickey, Grilli
On the most recent edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast, MLBTR’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts discussed the Rays–Royals trade, Zack Greinke’s deal with the Dodgers and the most recent rumors from around MLB. Here's more from around baseball to cap off a busy Tuesday evening..
- The Cubs previously shopped Alfonso Soriano to the Astros as a possible DH, but Houston doesn't have enough money even with Chicago picking up the bulk of what is owed to him, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Earlier today we learned that the Phillies have talked with the Cubs about a deal for Soriano.
- Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner wonders if the Mariners should now make a play for the Mets' R.A. Dickey. Cameron argues that it's something to think about if Justin Upton stays put in Arizona, Josh Hamilton returns to Texas, and if Nick Swisher passes on Seattle's offer.
- Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) notes that Jason Grilli's new contract with the Pirates doesn't include performance incentives for games finished. A bonus for games finished might have given an indication of his role in the bullpen going forward.
- Kevin Youkilis now joins Johnny Damon, Mark Bellhorn, Doug Mientkiewicz, Derek Lowe, Mike Myers, and Alan Embree as members of the 2004 Red Sox to later play for the Yankees, tweets Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
- Josh Johnson told Barry Davis of Sportsnet (video link) that he first found out about being traded to the Blue Jays via MLBTradeRumors' mobile app. If you haven't already, you can pick up the iPhone MLBTR app right here.
- The Red Sox appointed Gary DiSarcina as manager of Triple-A Pawtucket, according to Maureen Mullen of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). DiSarcina just recently agreed to serve as a special assistant to Angels GM Jerry Dipoto.
Trade Reactions: Reds, Choo, D’Backs, Indians
Earlier tonight, the Reds, Indians, and Diamondbacks completed a three-team deal that will change the complexion of all three teams and have a significant effect on the rest of the major league offseason. We already saw some fallout from the trade when D'Backs General Manager Kevin Towers said that it is "highly unlikely" that he will move Justin Upton now that the team has addressed its other needs. Here's more reaction to the deal..
- The Reds aren't done and are still planning to add a utility man, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter) spoke to two scouts who watched Shin-Soo Choo last season and both believe that Reds manager Dusty Baker will wind up slotting Jay Bruce in center field and Choo in right field. The Reds reportedly plan to use Choo in center and even referred to him in their press release as a center fielder, despite having played only ten games there as a big leaguer.
- The Reds will probably make a qualifying offer to Choo to get a first round pick next year when he becomes a free agent and Billy Hamilton is ready to take over the position, Bowden tweets.
- If Upton is staying put in Arizona as Towers says, the Rangers pretty much have to sign Josh Hamilton with the options rapidly dwindling, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com tweets.
- When Reds GM Walt Jocketty said that he was seeking a one-year option in center field at the winter meetings, Crasnick (Twitter links) figured he was talking about a Coco Crisp or a David DeJesus type. Instead, Jocketty went way bigger.
- Didi Gregorius reminds Towers of "a young Derek Jeter", tweets Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.
- It's possible that the Diamondbacks will move Chris Owings over to second base if Gregorius succeeds at short, tweets Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.
- Choo doesn’t have to be good or even average in center field to be an overall upgrade over Drew Stubbs, writes Jack Moore of Fangraphs.
- Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) tips his cap to Indians GM Chris Antonetti for turning Choo and spare parts into six years of Trevor Bauer.
Diamondbacks “Highly Unlikely” To Trade Justin Upton
Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers told reporters that a trade of Justin Upton is now "highly unlikely" now that they have filled their other needs, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Those needs were filled in tonight's blockbuster three-team deal that saw Arizona acquire shortstop Didi Gregorius, left-handed pitcher Tony Sipp, and first baseman Lars Anderson.
Upton has been featured prominently in trade rumors this offseason with a number of suitors in the mix. Lately, it appeared that the Rangers were the most aggressive of the bunch and discussed three- and four-team scenarios to land the outfielder. Instead, Texas saw a different multi-team blockbuster likely block their pursuit of Upton.
Reds Acquire Shin-Soo Choo In Three-Team Deal
8:12pm: The Diamondbacks announced that they have acquired shortstop Didi Gregorius, left-handed pitcher Tony Sipp, and first baseman Lars Anderson from the Indians in exchange for right-handed pitchers Trevor Bauer, Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw. The Reds are receiving Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Donald in the swap and are sending Drew Stubbs to Cleveland as well. The Indians will send the Reds approximately $3.5MM to account for the differences in projected salaries between Choo and Stubbs, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
The Reds will use Choo in center field even though he hasn't played there for the Indians since 2009 and has played just ten MLB games at the position in total. The Reds are banking on the 30-year-old's offensive production being able to make up for whatever they might lose defensively. The veteran owns a .289/.381/.465 slash line across eight major league seasons.
Choo, a Scott Boras client, is set to hit the open market after the 2013 season. The Indians have been said to have him available via trade, albeit with a high price tag. The Reds will plug Choo in as the leadoff hitter, a role they have been working hard to fill. The club spoke with the Twins about Ben Revere before he was traded to the Phillies and also had conversations with the Rockies about Dexter Fowler.
Stubbs, 28, struggled at the plate in 2012 as he posted a .213/.277/.333 batting line with 14 home runs in 544 plate appearances. The former eighth-overall pick in the 2006 draft has a .241/.312/.386 across four big league seasons with the Reds.
It was believed that the initial acquisition of Gregorius by the Indians would pave the way for them to deal fellow shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, but they instead flipped Gregorius and kept Cabrera. The 22-year-old Gregorius won't be arbitration eligible until 2016 and won't see the open market until 2019. The Netherlands native split time between Double-A and Triple-A last season, hitting .265/.324/.393 with seven homers in 561 plate appearances. The 27-year-old Cabrera, meanwhile, is set to earn $6.5MM in 2013 and $10MM in 2014 before hitting free agency. Gregorius entered 2012 as the Reds' sixth-best prospect, according to Baseball America. The publication also had him ranked as the organization’s best defensive infielder and deemed him to have the best throwing arm in the farm system.
Sipp posted a 4.42 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 63 relief appearances last season. The 29-year-old was a fixture in the Indians' bullpen, making 248 relief appearances with Cleveland from 2009-12.
The Indians acquired Anderson at the trade deadline this year from the Red Sox in exchange for Double-A starter Steven Wright. The 25-year-old posted a .250/.353/.396 slash line in 111 games for Triple-A Pawtucket and Triple-A Columbus. Anderson has also played in 30 big league games for the Red Sox across three seasons.
Bauer, 21, was the third overall selection by Arizona in the 2011 Draft out of UCLA. Baseball America had Bauer as the ninth-best prospect in baseball entering 2012. The hurler spent most of 2012 between Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Reno where he had a combined 2.42 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 22 starts. Bauer became the first member of the 2011 draft to appear in the big leagues when he made four starts for the Diamondbacks in July.
Albers, 29, spent 2012 with the Red Sox and D'Backs, posting a 2.39 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 63 relief appearances. For his career, Albers owns a 4.68 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 across seven big league seasons.
Shaw, 25, spent the bulk of last season in the Arizona bullpen where he had a 3.49 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 64 relief appearances. The right-hander was taken in the second-round of the 2008 draft by the Diamondbacks and has seen time in 97 big league games across the last two seasons.
8:04pm: The portion of the deal involving the Diamondbacks and Indians has not been finalized, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com (via Twitter).
7:50pm: The deal sending Shin-Soo Choo to the Reds has been completed, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The Reds will also receive Jason Donald in the trade, Heyman confirms (via Twitter).
The three-team deal that was being worked on had Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Donald going to the Reds, Didi Gregorius to the Diamondbacks, and Drew Stubbs plus an Arizona pitcher going to the Indians, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Patrick Corbin or Trevor Bauer will likely be the Arizona pitcher going to Cleveland, Rosenthal tweets.
Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com first reported that the Reds were close to acquiring Choo in a deal with the Indians netting them Stubbs and Gregorius. Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer reported that the D'Backs were involved, making it a three-team deal. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the framework of the trade.
NL West Notes: Rockies, Fowler, Greinke, Dodgers
The Diamondbacks could be on the verge of completing a three-team deal with the Indians and Reds, but that's not all that's happening in the National League West..
- If the deal sending Shin-Soo Choo to the Reds goes through, it'll be much less likely that the Rockies will trade Dexter Fowler this winter, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets. Their best remaining chance for a trade partner for Fowler would be the Mariners if they strike out on Josh Hamilton and Michael Bourn.
- In the wake of the Zack Greinke signing, the Dodgers could wind up making Clayton Kershaw baseball's first $30MM-a-year pitcher, writes Dylan Hernandez of Los Angeles Times. However, the Dodgers are unlikely to offer him no-trade protection. Of course, they could get creative like they did in the case of Greinke. If the former Angel is traded, he can opt-out of his contract at the end of that season.
- At today's introductory press conference, Greinke explained that he kept in touch with the Angels throughout the offseason but the two sides never got to talking about contract details, tweets Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.
- General Manager Ned Colletti said the Dodgers are probably done spending, more or less, according to Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- Colletti also said that there was a 24-hour lull in the talks with Greinke, which made the club nervous for a short time, tweets Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
- Greinke said that the Angels' number one selling point was the chance to play alongside Mike Trout for the next six years, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
- The Rockies have made it clear since the end of the season that they are not shopping Michael Cuddyer, but they have to listen as they look to acquire more pitching, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The Phillies and Yankees could both use a corner outfielder and Renck says the situation is worth monitoring.
Phillies Discussed Alfonso Soriano Deal With Cubs
5:25pm: The deal appears to be a longshot to happen, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Phillies were uninterested in Soriano when first presented with the possibility but warmed up to it enough to consider it.
4:31pm: The Phillies have discussed a deal with the Cubs that would net them Alfonso Soriano in exchange for Domonic Brown, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. However, the Phillies might be more inclined to sign a free agent, such as Cody Ross or someone else.
The Cubs are believed to be willing to pay $26MM of the $36MM remaining on Soriano's deal if they can get quality prospects in return. The Phillies like Soriano offensively but have reservations about his defensive play, despite his improvement last season. Soriano, who will turn 37 next month, hit .262/.322/.499 with 32 home runs in 615 plate appearances.
Ross would be a better fit for the Phillies' budget than fellow free agent outfielders Nick Swisher and Josh Hamilton. Earlier today we learned that the Mets have kicked the tires on Ross, but would be unwilling to make a commitment to him beyond two years. The Phillies, Braves, Mariners, Red Sox, Yankees, and Orioles have all been linked to Ross so far this offseason.