Odds & Ends: Rays, Indians, Padres
Tuesday night links..
- MLB announced today that the number of foreign-born players on Opening Day rosters has dipped to its lowest level in four years, according to Reuters. Just 27.7% of players in 2010 were born outside of the United States compared to the league's all-time high of 29.2% in 2005.
- Rays owner Stu Sternberg believes that his club is built for the long haul, writes MLB.com's Bill Chastain. It will be interesting to see what happens with Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena, who are in the final year of their contracts.
- Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer writes that the Indians' farm system is chock full of solid prospects. Hoynes breaks down the players to watch, from Triple-A to Single-A.
- Padres prospect Logan Forsythe will be shifting from third base to second base when Double-A San Antonio opens the season, wrote Tom Krasovic a few days ago. The 23-year-old, who is considered to be one of San Diego's top prospects, is being moved to ease a glut of third basemen in the Padres' system.
MLBPA Threatening To File Grievance
The Major League Baseball Players Association is thinking about filing a collusion grievance charging owners with conspiring against free agents last winter, according to the Associated Press. Union head Michael Weiner confirmed to the AP that there is an ongoing investigation.
"We have concerns about the operation of the post-2009 free agent market," Weiner said. "We have been investigating that market. Our investigation is far along but not yet complete."
Agents for players have claimed that they have received multiple similar offers for free agent clients and have urged the union to speak up on the matter.
The union also alleged misconduct by teams following the 2008 season. The two sides reached a standstill agreement, giving the players' association more time to decide whether to proceed with a grievance on that matter.
Meanwhile, the MLBPA also announced today that Opening Day salaries are up slightly from last year, according to Tom Singer of MLB.com. The average player salary is $3.34MM compared to $3.31MM last season.
Twins Sign Jason Repko
The Twins have signed Jason Repko to play center field for their Triple-A affiliate, according to Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune. The 29-year-old was cut loose by the Dodgers on Wednesday, a move that saved the club $375K of his $500K salary.
In 2009 the oft-injured Repko hit .277/.329/.471 with 16 HRs for the Dodgers' Triple-A squad while making just 7 plate appearances in the majors.
Odds & Ends: Brewers, Marlins, Red Sox, Calero
Sunday night links..
- While other clubs did some last minute tinkering today, Brewers GM Doug Melvin decided to stand pat with his lineup, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- For the first time in three years, the Marlins won't have the lowest payroll in baseball on Opening Day, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Florida's payroll of $46MM ranks ahead of the Padres and Pirates.
- Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter) didn't expect Scott Schoeneweis to make the BoSox roster after being released by the Brewers. Edes adds that he expects Alan Embree to make his way to the big league squad after he puts in more work in the minors.
- The Mets have demoted reliever Kiko Calero to their Triple-A affiliate, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Calero's deal – which he signed in early March – does not allow Calero to opt-out upon being assigned to the minors.
- Jeff Zrebiec and Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun write that O's outfielder Nolan Reimold took ground balls at first base yesterday. Orioles GM Andy MacPhail told the Sun not to read too much into it, as they were only seeking to increase the 26-year-old's versatility. However, an item on ESPN's rumor page wonders aloud if the fielding practice could be about the club's future plans at the position without Luke Scott and Garrett Atkins.
- A major league insider told Jordan Bastian of MLB.com that the extension given to Adam Lind is a good deal for both parties. The Blue Jays signed Lind to a four-year, $18MM pact yesterday morning.
- Ken Gurnick of MLB.com points out that Carlos Monasterios is just the fourth Rule 5 draftee to make a Dodgers Opening Day roster.
Week In Review: 3/28/10 – 4/3/10
As the first game of the 2010 season winds down, let's take a look back at the week that was..
- The Marlins made a splash when they acquired lefty Nate Robertson and cash for minor league reliever Jay Voss. Detroit is picking up $9.6MM of the $10MM owed to Robertson.
- Matt Cain agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Giants on Sunday. The deal will cover Cain through the 2012 campaign, buying out one year of free agency. The 25-year-old is set to earn $4.5MM in 2010, $8MM in 2011, and $15MM in 2012.
- The Blue Jays signed Adam Lind to a four-year, $18MM contract extension. The pact also includes club options for 2014, 2015, and 2016. If Toronto picks up all three options, Lind will earn $38.5MM over seven years.
- Baltimore acquired Julio Lugo from the Cardinals for a player to be named later. The O's will pay Lugo the league minimum while Boston is on the hook for the remaining $8.6MM. The move led to Robert Andino getting DFA'd by the club.
- On Saturday, Jack Cust was DFA'd by the Athletics. There was no room on the roster for the 31-year-old with both Travis Buck and Jake Fox making the team. Cust inked a one-year, $2.65MM deal with the A's in January.
- The Red Sox made a four-year offer to Josh Beckett. The pitcher's agent was reportedly seeking a five-year pact.
- Texas extended righthander Scott Feldman through the 2012 season. The pact guarantees the 27-year-old nearly $14MM and includes a club option for 2013. The deal buys out all three of his arbitration years and allows the Rangers to retain him through his first year of free agency if they so choose.
- Chad Gaudin hooked on with the A's for one year at $700K. The 27-year-old is known mostly for his work as a starter but will be slotted into Oakland's bullpen.
- More Rangers goodness as they claimed Ryan Garko off of waivers from the Mariners. The acquisition ends the Mike Lowell trade talk – for now.
- Speaking of Lowell, there hasn't been a whole lot of trade activity surrounding him as of late.
- The Rockies released righty reliever Justin Speier. The 36-year-old will reportedly retire if he is unable to land a big league job.
- We learned that Victor Martinez doesn't want to get into contract talks with Boston during the season. The 31-year-old catcher maintains that he wants to remain with the BoSox beyond 2010.
- The Giants completed a small deal with the Rangers, landing Edwin Escobar in exchange for Ben Snyder.
- Pitcher Jarrod Washburn reportedly turned down a "small offer" from the Mariners. The Royals are said to have offered more money than the M's, but the lefty prefers Seattle.
- In other M's news, Corey Patterson opted out of his deal with the club. Patterson signed a minor league deal with Seattle last December.
- Milwaukee made a run at outfielder Jermaine Dye, but the talks reached an impasse. The Brewers are said to be less-than-thrilled with Corey Hart and might have tried trading him if they inked Dye.
- The Yankees signed catcher Chad Moeller and utility man Robby Hammock to minor league deals. Moeller was cut by the Orioles just days earlier.
- Toronto cut outfielder Joey Gathright but he found work with the Orioles soon after.
- Doug Mientkiewicz was finally granted his release by the Dodgers. Meanwhile, the club freed up two more roster spots by selling Eric Stults to the Hiroshima Carp and cutting Jason Repko.
- The Phillies reached agreements with a pair of pitchers – Josh Fogg and Ty Taubenheim.
- Tim gave us his ten worst free agent signings of the offseason.
- Need a baseball refresher course? Ben ran down all the stats MLBTR readers need to know.
Blalock To Accept Minor League Assignment
Hank Blalock will report to the Rays' Triple-A affiliate in Durham, according to the Tampa Bay Tribune (via Twitter). Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times tweets that this means the 29-year-old was unable to find a major league job elsewhere.
Late last week, Reid Brignac made Tampa Bay's Opening Day roster, leaving Blalock as the odd man out. Despite his assertion that he does not want to play minor league ball, he told Topkin that he would remain in Durham for the "foreseeable future" if he could not land a gig in the big show (link goes to Twitter).
Blalock is not today's only notable addition to Triple-A Durham, as Elliot Johnson was also placed on the squad after clearing waivers.
Rangers Notes: Greenberg, Feldman
A couple of Rangers tidbits..
- Chuck Greenberg says that his group is on the verge of acquiring the Rangers, writes Richard Durrett of ESPN.com. While he says he cannot pinpoint the date that the transfer will be complete, Greenberg says that it is on track to be done on the week of April 19th.
- Meanwhile, GM Jon Daniels says that Scott Feldman will likely be the last player to be given a contract extension before Opening Day, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Texas locked up the 27-year-old yesterday to a deal that will keep him with the Rangers until at least 2012.
Yanks Could Be Shopping For Outfielder Soon
Some in the industry are already wondering if the Yankees could be in the market for outfield help soon, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Both Randy Winn and Marcus Thames have struggled this spring, though Thames officially made the club's Opening Day roster today. The club may find themselves uneasy with the two veterans as starting left fielder Brett Gardner is not yet an established major league hitter. They would be especially thin in the outfield if Curtis Granderson or Nick Swisher are bitten by the injury bug.
Rosenthal writes that the Yankees figure to be more patient with Winn as he is more than four years removed from playing in the AL.
The Yankees investment in Winn and Thames amounts to just $2MM combined. Rosenthal writes that if one or both struggle, and Gardner also stumbles out of the gate, then the team could be seeking an outfielder quickly.
Dodgers Release Jason Repko
WEDNESDAY, 1:08pm: The Dodgers released Repko, reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. The move saved the team $375K of his $500K salary.
TUESDAY, 6:34pm: The Dodgers have placed outfielder Jason Repko on waivers, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The move is less than surprising, as there is no room in Los Angeles' outfield for the club's first-round selection in the 1999 draft.
The 29-year-old has suffered multiple injuries throughout his career and has not seen significant time in the Majors since 2006. In 433 plate appearances for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate last season, Repko hit .277/.329/.471 with 16 home runs.
What Can We Expect In April?
As Spring Training winds down and Opening Day draws near, let's dig up some of the more interesting stories on MLBTR from April of 2007, 2008, and 2009 to see what kind of news we can expect in the coming weeks..
- On April 11th, 2007, the Twins made a low-ball offer to Johan Santana. Minnesota offered their superstar pitcher a two-year extension for $36MM, plus a club option for 2011. Tim summed it up perfectly when he wrote, "I know you have to start somewhere with negotiations, but the Twins could essentially double their offer and it would still be well below market value." Santana later denied that the Twins made such an offer.
- We saw a handful of extensions agreed upon in the coming days, including a three-year, $33MM extension for Jake Westbrook and a two-year, $7MM contract for Ryan Freel.
- The Braves gave John Smoltz a contract extension towards the end of that month. The deal gave him $14MM in 2008 with vesting options for '09 and '10 for a similar rate. Smoltz pitched 28 innings in 2008, terminating his deal at season's end.
- Now we fast forward to April of 2008, where Evan Longoria signed a long-term deal with the Rays early in his rookie season. Though Longoria signed with very little Major League experience, this has become the game's most team-friendly contract.
- Scott Hatteberg said that he would welcome a trade after being slotted as the understudy to Joey Votto.
- Kenji Johjima inked a three-year, $24MM extension with the M's, only to bolt for the Hanshin Tigers in the fall of 2009.
- Toronto was fed up with Frank Thomas and released him, leaving them on the hook for more than $7MM. The thrifty A's signed the Big Hurt to a cheap deal.
- Matt Morris retired from baseball soon after being released by the Pirates.
- The Rockies and the Tigers closed out that month with a rare April trade, swapping pitchers Jason Grilli and Zach Simons.
- In April of 2009, Indians GM Mark Shapiro denied that the club was willing to part with Cliff Lee. Lee would continue to be a member of the Tribe – until right before the trade deadline.
- The White Sox made what proved to be a great pickup when they signed Scott Podsednik to a minor league deal.
- Manny Ramirez, as he is wont to do, decided to be Manny and stated publicly that he would like to return to Cleveland before the end of his career.
- There were plenty of interesting signings in this month – Chad Gaudin hooked on with San Diego, Ron Villone signed with the Nats, and Dallas McPherson joined the Giants.
Could you see the Cardinals presenting Albert Pujols with an offer well below market value, similar to how the Twins handed Johan in 2007? Do you think the Padres, similar to the Indians last season, will shoot down Adrian Gonzalez trade talk, only to deal him closer to the deadline? Let's hear your thoughts.