Cardinals Sign Lance Berkman
The Cardinals have signed Lance Berkman to a one-year deal, the club has announced (via Twitter). Berkman will earn $8MM according to Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter). The former Houston Astro will be placed in left field with Matt Holliday being moved to right field.
Big Puma identified the Cardinals as one of his many suitors earlier this week. GM John Mozeliak says that the slugger will be an everyday player in St. Louis, according to Tom Ackerman of KMOX 1120 AM (via Twitter).
“He’s an impact player who not only helps solidify our everyday lineup, but he also brings a wealth of experience," the GM said.
Berkman was likely drawn to the Cards in part because of their ability to offer him a spot in the outfield. The veteran never ruled out signing on with an American League team as a DH though he made his disdain for it well known.
The 34-year-old last played in the outfield in 2007, and he owns an ugly -2.1 UZR/150 for his career, with most of his work coming in right field.
Reaction To The Adrian Gonzalez Trade
If all goes according to plan, Adrian Gonzalez will soon become the newest member of the Boston Red Sox. Here's a sampling of opinion from around the baseball world on the deal that has been talked about for quite some time..
- Gonzalez could put up monster numbers in Fenway, says Alex Speier of WEEI.com. During the 2009 All-Star game, the slugger told the site that he was long curious about what it would be like to play his home games in a different park. Petco, of course, is less-than-friendly to hitters.
- The "Human Trade Rumor" will prove that he has been worth the wait, says Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
- While the proposed deal may seem to favor the Red Sox on the surface, Keith Law of ESPN (Insider subscription required) sees it as being pretty even. While there's a lot to like about the makeup of right-hander Casey Kelly, Law points out that he is also a great defensive pitcher. His fielding is so strong in fact that Law writes that "it's like having an extra infielder on the diamond."
- Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter) says that the Padres still need a first baseman in the short-term.
- Heath Bell says he's okay with the deal if it makes San Diego better in the long-term, according to Marty Caswell of XX1090 radio (via Twitter).
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that the deal would shake up this winter's hot stove. The trade would certainly hurt free agent Adrian Beltre, who would lose leverage as a result.
- Rival executives have mixed feelings about the Padres' return for Gonzalez, tweets Rosenthal.
- BoSox pitcher Tim Wakefield likes Gonzalez as a player and a person, tweets Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
- The Red Sox used their deep pockets to get the man they wanted, writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
Werth Agrees To Deal With Nationals
Free agent outfielder Jayson Werth has agreed to a deal with the Washington Nationals, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Werth signing with the Nats would be a surprise, though the pairing does make sense. Washington now has money to spend after losing Adam Dunn in free agency and needs to replace the bopper's bat in the lineup.
It was said earlier this week that the most serious suitors for Werth were the Phillies, Tigers, and Red Sox. Boston met with Werth on Wednesday though contract terms were not discussed.
MLB.com's Todd Zolecki first reported that the two sides were nearing agreement.
Diamondbacks Notes: Reynolds, Blanco, Nady
Some D-Backs news from Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic..
- The Diamondbacks were discussing a Mark Reynolds swap with the Blue Jays as recently as prior to Thursday night's arbitration deadline. However, the Orioles have been the most aggressive of any suitor and Piecoro says they seem to be the most likely landing spot for the third baseman.
- Arizona is in the market for a backup catcher and free agent Henry Blanco is at or near the top of their list. The 39-year-old hit just .215/.271/.300 in 144 plate appearances for the Mets last season.
- Piecoro writes that Xavier Nady would fit the mold for the D-Backs as they look for a right-handed hitter off of the bench that can play left field and first base. Nady suffered a down year with the Cubs in 2010 and should come cheap. The veteran earned $3.3MM off of his one-year deal with Chicago.
Giants Re-Sign Pat Burrell
The Giants re-signed outfielder Pat Burrell to a one-year, $1MM deal that does not include any incentives. The team announced the deal today.
Burrell, 34, hit .252/.348/.469 with 20 home runs in 437 plate appearances for the Rays and Giants this year. He tallied over 600 innings in left field for San Francisco. The return to the National League, and perhaps the chance to play defense again, resulted in a solid comeback. Burrell isn't known for his glovework, but on the plus side he was the only free agent left fielder to hit 20 home runs in 2010. His agents at Legacy Sports seemingly adhered to his wish to remain in San Francisco rather than shop around for the biggest contract.
Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News was the first to report that a deal may have been struck between the two sides and Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reported details on the deal (Twitter links).
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.
Rockies Aggressively Pursuing Berkman
THURSDAY, 7:51am: The Rockies' initial offer to Berkman was low, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. It appears Berkman is looking for $8-10MM, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. Rosenthal notes that if Berkman were to sign with Oakland, he would spend some time in the field.
WEDNESDAY, 6:50pm: The Rockies are aggressively pursuing free agent outfielder Lance Berkman, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post. Renck writes that the slugger will likely get offered more money elsewhere but his preference to return to the National League helps Colorado's chances. Berkman recently said that there are eight teams interested in him this winter.
While the 34-year-old slugger won't rule out being a DH, he says that he is still capable of playing either first base or corner outfield. Berkman has not played the outfield since 2007 but claims to have made a full recovery from the arthroscopic knee surgery he underwent in March.
In 122 games for the Astros and Yankees last season, the five-time All-Star hit .248/.368/.413 with 14 homers in 481 plate appearances.
Yankees Re-Sign Sergio Mitre
The Yankees have re-signed Sergio Mitre to a one-year, $900K deal, reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN (via Twitter). The right-hander could earn up to $200K more through incentives. Mitre was entering his third year of arbitration eligibility.
Mitre appeared in 27 games for the Yanks in 2010, registering a 3.33 ERA with 4.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9. While the 29-year-old didn't start many games for the Bombers last season, he does have 64 career starts to his credit, giving the Yankees an option as a spot starter.
Twins Notes: Pavano, Thome, Capps
Let's take a look at some Twins-related items courtesy of MLB.com's Kelly Thesier..
- The Twins would still like to retain Carl Pavano after the hurler turned down arbitration from the club. However, the big question is whether Minnesota is willing to meet Pavano's asking price. It has been said that Pavano is after something similar to the three-year, $33MM deal Ted Lilly signed with the Dodgers. The right-hander could be in line for a big payday as the events of this offseason have left him as the second best starter on the open market.
- There's still no word on whether Jim Thome wants to return to baseball in 2011 for his 21st season in the majors. However, the Twins continue to be interested in bringing the veteran slugger back. In October, Thome said that he was leaning towards playing in 2011.
- One reader asks Thesier if the club might non-tender Matt Capps in order to spend on a different reliever. That won't be the case though as GM Bill Smith will definitely extend Capps an arbitration offer. The 27-year-old gives the club insurance as a closing option in case Joe Nathan is not healthy at the start of the season.
Odds & Ends: Tejeda, Tigers, Lee, Pena
Wednesday night linkage..
- The Royals could use Robinson Tejeda as a trade chip, writes Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
- Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets that the Tigers signed first baseman Scott Thorman. Thorman belted 22 homers for the Royals' Triple-A affiliate last season.
- Joel Zumaya and Armando Galarraga are unlikely to be nontendered, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.
- It's going to be a while before we see Cliff Lee sign with a team, a league source told Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
- Sam Merten of the Dallas Observer wonders if the Rangers have the money and desire to keep up their winning ways.
- It makes sense for the Tigers to retain Magglio Ordonez, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.
- Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic likes the D-Backs' signing of Wily Mo Pena.
Reliever Brian Shouse Retires
Longtime relief pitcher Brian Shouse is retiring after 21 seasons in professional baseball, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
“It has been a long and fun career,” the 42-year-old said. “It lasted much longer than I anticipated.”
By age 33, Shouse had just 13 major league games to his credit. After spending some time with Kansas City in 2002, the reliever hooked on with Texas and established himself as a major-league caliber pitcher. He arguably enjoyed his best season in 2008 when at age 39 he registered a 2.81 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 69 games for the Brewers.
Shouse signed a minor-league deal with Boston in January but was cut before the start of the season. He then secured a minor-league contract with Tampa Bay in July but couldn't find his way back to the majors.