Zack Greinke Asks For Trade
Royals ace Zack Greinke has asked the club for a trade, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Earlier today, the 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner changed agents, opting to be represented by Jeff Berry and Casey Close of CAA rather than SFX.
A high-ranking executive from another team says that the pitcher "really wants out" of Kansas City. Separate major league sources confirmed that Greinke has unequivocally asked the club to be dealt. Royals GM Dayton Moore has declined comment on the report.
Greinke has the right to block trades to 15 teams including the Yankees, Red Sox, and Nationals. Teams such as the Tigers, Angels, and Rangers were left off of his no-trade list. The Royals are, understandably, asking for a great deal in return for Greinke. The club is reportedly looking for even more than Travis Snider and Kyle Drabek in a deal with Toronto, a package that the Blue Jays are not willing to part with regardless.
Minor Deals: Antonelli, Parraz
We'll keep track of all of today's minor deals in this one handy post. The most recent updates are up top:
- Matt Antonelli announced that he has signed with the Nationals on his personal blog. The Padres' first-round selection in the 2006 draft carries a reputation as a second baseman with a solid glove and bat but doesn't possess a great deal of power, writes Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com.
- The Yankees have claimed outfielder Jordan Parraz off of waivers from the Red Sox, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The 26-year-old's time in the Boston organization was rather brief as the club claimed him off of waivers from the Royals just three weeks ago.
Rangers Sign Seth McClung
The Rangers have signed Seth McClung to a split contract, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The 6'6" right-hander will be looked at as a starter in Spring Training.
McClung, who turns 30-years-old in February, hooked on with the Marlins last winter but was cut loose just prior to Opening Day. He last appeared in the majors in 2009 with the Brewers, registering a 4.94 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9.
The veteran pitcher recently switched his representation from the Boras Corporation to Sosnick Cobbe Sports. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that he'll earn $700K if he makes the team, with another $700K available in bonuses tied to the number of starts he makes.
Padres Acquire Jason Bartlett
The Padres have acquired Jason Bartlett from the Rays, tweets Marty Caswell of XX1090 Sports Radio. San Diego will also receive a player to be named later from Tampa Bay in exchange for Brandon Gomes, Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, and Cole Figueroa. The PTBNL will be a minor leaguer and will be worked out in advance of Opening Day, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
The two sides reportedly had a deal worked out last week in which Bartlett would be shipped westward for Russell and Ramos. There were rumblings that the Rays were concerned about Ramos' health but the club apparently feels comfortable enough with a new deal in place.
The swap marks a homecoming of sorts for Bartlett, who was originally drafted by the Padres in 2001 before being shipped to the Twins roughly one year later. The shortstop shined in 2009 but slumped in 2010, hitting .254/.324/.350 with four home runs in 532 plate appearances.
With seemingly every Rays reliever on the free agent market, and limited spending power, Rays president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman had to get creative to find relief help. Russell, a 27-year-old right-hander, pitched 15 2/3 innings for the Padres in 2010, posting 10.3 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 4.02 ERA. He also appeared in 50 Triple-A games, posting a 4.88 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 5.6 BB/9. It marks the second time in two years that he's been traded; the Padres acquired him in the 2009 Jake Peavy deal.
Ramos, 26, pitched briefly for the 2010 Padres, but spent much of the season at Triple-A Portland, where he posted a 3.28 ERA as a swingman. He has never struck out an overwhelming number of hitters (5.9 K/9 in 2010) and his walk rate rose to 4.0 BB/9 this year. The lefty turned down the chance to sign with Tampa Bay when they drafted him in the 6th round of the 2002 draft. Three years later, he signed with the Padres after they selected him 35th overall.
Figueroa was ranked as the Padres' 30th best prospect heading into 2010 by Baseball America. According to the publication, the middle infielder is a patient hitter with lackluster power. Defensively, he has an average arm and great hands, meaning that he'll likely wind up at second base.
Gomes, a right-handed pitcher, has spent the last two seasons in Double-A San Antonio. Since earning the promotion, the 26-year-old has registered a 2.24 ERA with 12.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 116 appearances.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Minor Deals: Yankees, Chulk, Van Every, Coats
Let's take a look at today's notable minor league deals, with the most recent updates at the top:
- The Yankees signed Doug Bernier, Buddy Carlyle, Neal Cotts and Gustavo Molina to minor league deals, the team announced. The club officially announced its deals with Andy Sisco and outfielder-turned-pitcher Brian Anderson.
- The Pirates have welcomed back Donald Veal just two weeks after non-tendering him, Eddy tweets. Veal underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year.
- The Rays picked up right-handed reliever Jonah Bayliss, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). Bayliss turned in a 3.58 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 for Houston's Triple-A club last season.
- The Athletics signed right-handed reliever Vinnie Chulk, tweets Eddy. Chulk appeared in 28 games for Pittsburgh's Triple-A affiliate in 2010 and spent the other half of the year with the Hiroshima Carp. His numbers overseas left much to be desired but the righty carries more than 250 games of big league experience.
- First baseman Andy Tracy has hooked on with the Diamondbacks, tweets Baseball America's Matt Eddy. The left-handed hitter, who turned 37-years-old on Saturday, has spent the last three years with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate. In 2010 he hit .275/.373/.492, numbers that are slightly better than his career averages.
- The Nationals signed outfielder Jonathan Van Every, according to Eddy (via Twitter). The 31-year-old boasts a career .471 slugging percentage in Triple-A and can play all three outfield positions. Van Every played in 39 games for Boston's varsity squad across the last three years.
- Washington picked up another versatile, left-handed hitting outfielder in Buck Coats, Eddy tweets. Coats, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Cubs, has a lifetime slash line of .294/.352/.407 at the Triple-A level.
- The Cubs invited first baseman Bryan LaHair and outfielder Brad Snyder to Spring Training, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter).
Poll: Will The Rays Trade Matt Garza This Offseason?
The trade talk surrounding Rays right-hander Matt Garza began to heat up this week as teams looked to fortify their pitching. The Brewers and Rangers have talked to Tampa Bay about a possible swap but the Cubs were said to have the strongest bid.
Texas is one club that is eyeing Garza as a Plan B if they are unable to land Zack Greinke in a trade. The asking price for the 2009 AL Cy Young award winner is said to be sky-high and Garza could obviously be had for less. Meanwhile, the Rays are flush with pitching and have holes to patch up elsewhere.
When considering Tampa Bay's needs and Garza's rising value, it seems like Garza is a strong trade candidate this offseason. However, prior to the winter meetings, Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times opined that the Rays will hang on to their pitchers until this summer unless the offers are exceptionally strong.
Will The Rays Trade Matt Garza This Winter?
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Yes 59% (6,424)
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No 41% (4,410)
Total votes: 10,834
Red Sox Haven’t Talked Possible Trade With Cameron
During this morning's press conference to introduce Carl Crawford to the Boston media, GM Theo Epstein told reporters that he hasn't addressed a trade with Mike Cameron, writes MLB.com's Evan Drellich. The club's big winter splash knocks Cameron out of the starting outfield but doesn't neccessarily mean that he doesn't have a place on the bench.
"This role is something he can embrace and really make the most out of and have a tremendous impact on this club with all the left-handed hitting that we have," the GM said of the right-handed hitter.
Cameron would also provide a solid insurance policy to the Red Sox as Jacoby Ellsbury missed the majority of 2010 and J.D. Drew hasn't played more than 140 games since 2006. However, the soon-to-be 38-year-old is owed $7.25MM in 2011, making him an expensive reserve option.
On Thursday it was reported that the Red Sox have received inquiries on Cameron and are willing to listen, though they intend on keeping him.
Brewers Acquire Shaun Marcum
The Brewers and Blue Jays officially announced a trade that will send two players a little closer to home. The Blue Jays will send Kansas City native Shaun Marcum to Milwaukee in exchange for Canadian prospect Brett Lawrie. It's the second deal the teams have made within the past week, after Toronto acquired Carlos Villanueva for a player to be named later on Friday.
Marcum, who turns 29 next Tuesday, turned in a 3.39 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 across 25 starts in 2008 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. After missing the 2009 major league season, he came back strong in 2010, posting a 3.64 ERA with 7.6 K/0 and 2.0 BB/9. The hurler is entering his second year of arbitration eligibility, so he's under the Brewers' control through 2012. Last year, the hurler avoided arbitration with the Blue Jays when he agreed to a one-year, $850K deal.
Lawrie, 21, turned in a strong 2010 in Double-A Huntsville, hitting .285/.346/.451 with eight homers in 135 games. Baseball America ranked Brett Lawrie as Milwaukee's second-best prospect in their 2010 handbook. The 16th pick in the 2008 draft, Lawrie is said to be an aggressive hitter with good pop. While he was praised for his strong hands and quick bat, Baseball America writes that he needs to dedicate himself to defense if he wants to become a second baseman in the mold of Jeff Kent. Some scouts believe the soon-to-be 21-year-old is destined for an outfield corner.
The Brewers were long known to be prioritizing starting pitching this winter, after their rotation posted a 4.65 ERA (15th in NL) in 2010. With their acquisition of Marcum, they were able to improve the rotation without moving Prince Fielder, who will likely still be available in the right deal. In a pair of tweets, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains that part of the reason the Brewers were willing to part with a top prospect for Marcum is their belief that a long-term deal with the right-hander is a possibility.
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel was the first to report that the two sides had agreed to a deal. The Brewers have announced the trade (on Twitter).
White Sox, Konerko Talking
MONDAY, 1:15am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that Monday's meeting will involve Konerko's agent and assistant GM Rick Hahn. With the Orioles viewed as the only other serious suitor for Konerko, there's a "strong feeling" the White Sox will get a deal done as early as this week.
SUNDAY, 9:29pm: Reinsdorf will do anything he can to re-sign Konerko, a source tells Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com.
1:42pm: A deal between Konerko and the White Sox will probably happen but nothing is imminent, sources tell Buster Olney of ESPN (via Twitter).
1:34pm: Konerko won't be meeting with White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf tomorrow, only his agent Craig Landis will, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal believes that the two sides will reach an accord, though they're not close just yet.
12:58pm: Jerry Reinsdorf and Paul Konerko are very close, according to Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter). The slugger and White Sox chairman are scheduled to meet tomorrow.
Re-signing Konerko would cap off an incredibly busy week for the White Sox who also reeled in Adam Dunn and retained A.J. Pierzynski. On Friday GM Kenny Williams told reporters that both Dunn and Pierzynski will accept deferred payment on their newly minted contracts, giving the club the ability to make Konerko a solid offer.
Odds & Ends: Paulino, Beltre, Werth, Thome
Some links on what has been a very busy day in baseball..
- Ronny Paulino is on the Rockies' radar after being non-tendered by the Marlins, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.
- Don't expect Adrian Beltre in Baltimore, GM Andy MacPhail told Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
- GM Ruben Amaro says the Phillies offered Jayson Werth a significant contract, writes David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- The Nationals' offer for Werth was so far beyond what everyone else was offering that agent Scott Boras didn't bother to ask other teams if they wanted to match, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN.
- Not only does Jim Thome plan on coming back in 2011, he wants to play for two more seasons, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Mariano Rivera's new deal with the Yanks is for exactly $30MM but deferred payments make it worth $14.7MM per year, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.
- The Carl Pavano market should become a little more transparent this week, says Buster Olney of ESPN (via Twitter). Earlier we learned that the Nats are in the mix for the veteran pitcher.