Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Giants, Lo Duca, Stults
Tuesday night linkage..
- The Dodgers' ownership issue won't be resolved until the end of the season, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The trial to determine the owner of the club will begin on August 30th.
- Sergio Santos – formerly a shortstop in the Diamondbacks organization – has made it to the major leagues as a pitcher for the White Sox, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
- Todd Wellemeyer isn't sure that the Giants' rotation is better than the Cardinals starting five that he was a part of, writes Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News. While it has yet to be announced, Wellemeyer will likely be crowned the fifth starter in San Francisco's rotation.
- Rockies catcher Paul Lo Duca will accept his reassignment to the minors, tweets Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
- Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times supports the Dodgers' sale of Eric Stults to the Hiroshima Carp. This year marked Stults' ninth with the organization.
- Dontrelle Willis is sad to see Nate Robertson go to Florida, writes Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. Willis' inclusion in Detroit's rotation was a big reason why the Tigers were able to part with Robertson.
Choo Negotiations At Standstill
Negotiations to lock up right fielder Shin-Soo Choo don't seem to be going anywhere, writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. The South Korean will be arbitration-eligible for the first time after this season. Choo earned a shade over $420K last season, and his contract was renewed with a "minimal raise" for 2010.
Ideally, the Indians would like to sign the 27-year-old to a five-year deal with a team option for a sixth. However, neither Choo nor his agent Scott Boras have shown interest in such a pact. You may recall that Choo hired Scott Boras as his representative in late February, roughly two weeks after Felipe Lopez cut ties with the super-agent.
Castrovince points out that during Mark Shapiro's tenure, the Tribe has a habit of locking up their core players prior to arbitration. The most prominent example, he writes, was the six-year, $23.45MM deal given to Grady Sizemore in 2006.
Meanwhile, Castrovince also writes that Asdrubal Cabrera – who is also arbitration-eligible at season's end – also fits the mold of a player that the Indians would look to lock up. At present, it's unclear whether the Tribe has made such an attempt.
Mariners Waive Ryan Garko, Will Keep Sweeney
7:19pm: Mike Sweeney has made the Mariners' Opening Day roster, writes Morosi. The 36-year-old was set to retire if he didn't make a team's Opening Day squad. Sweeney will be in a designated hitter platoon with Ken Griffey Jr.
Meanwhile, a source tells Morosi that the Rangers' current interest level in Garko isn't high.
5:10pm: The Mariners have put Ryan Garko on waivers, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Seattle signed the first baseman to a one-year, $550K deal roughly two months ago. The 29-year-old still has options remaining.
Morosi points out that the Rangers are in search of a right-handed bat, though he is unsure if they are interested in Garko. Texas is in search of a backup corner infielder and although manager Ron Washington seems willing to give middle infielder Andres Blanco a chance at third, it is unlikely that Garko is up to the task. Before he landed with the M's, the Rangers were said to be interested in Garko's services.
In 40 games (127 plate appearances) for the Giants last season, Garko hit .235/.307/.330 with 2 HRs.
Rangers Searching For Backup Corner Infielder
The Rangers are looking to acquire a backup corner infielder before Opening Day, writes Jim Reeves of ESPN.com. Manager Ron Washington had hoped that one of the club's young players – such as Matt Brown or Max Ramirez – would step up to fill the role, but that has not happened.
One Rangers source said that the team keeps coming back to Boston's Mike Lowell. The same source indicated that Texas believes that they can basically get Lowell for the same player they agreed to deal over the winter, Max Ramirez.
Kevin Millar is also on the Rangers' watch list, though he may earn himself a bench spot with the Cubs. Wes Helms of the Marlins and Fernando Tatis of the Mets could also fit the bill as corner infielders off of the bench. Meanwhile, "super-utility" players like Houston's Geoff Blum and Kansas City's Willie Bloomquist are likely too rich for Texas' blood.
Odds & Ends: Gaudin, Mets, Cain, Parra
Links for Sunday evening..
- A's assistant GM David Forst told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that the team did not sign Chad Gaudin as a result of Michael Wuertz's injury. Forst says that the team has been looking to add bullpen depth all spring, which was their reason for acquiring Edwar Ramirez and Jason Jennings.
- The Mets will likely wait until the last possible moment to outright pitcher Pat Misch with the hope of stowing him in Triple-A, writes Marty Noble of MLB.com.
- Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes that it will be interesting to see where the Giants' rotation stands in 2012. San Francisco will have roughly $35MM committed to Matt Cain and Barry ZIto for that season with Tim Lincecum once again eligible for arbitration.
- Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner (via Twitter) wants Seattle to land Manny Parra, though he can't imagine the Brewers parting with him. This morning, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported that Parra could be an available option for the M's.
- Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos released Joey Gathright because he didn't think it was fair to send him to the minors, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
- The Indians are expected to make their remaining roster decisions by Thursday, tweets Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. The Tribe is looking to nail down their final starter, two bullpen spots, and utility players.
Week In Review: 3/21/10 – 3/27/10
It's time to take a look back at the week that was..
- The biggest news of the week was, of course, Joe Mauer's eight-year extension with the Twins. The Minnesota native will make $184MM over the course of the deal, which averages out to $23MM per season. It's the fourth largest deal in MLB history and it will keep the face of the franchise in Minnesota through the 2018 season.
- We learned that the Red Sox are not willing to give Josh Beckett an extension beyond four years. Beckett is set to earn $12.1MM this season.
- Andres Blanco was shipped to Texas for a player to be named later. The 26-year-old posted a line of .252/.303/.341 in 138 plate appearances for the Cubs last season.
- The Orioles acquired Steven Lerud from the Royals in exchange for a player to be named later.
- Boston is still willing to move Mike Lowell, and the Rangers could be a match – again. Despite rumors to the contrary, the Marlins say that they are uninterested in a reunion with the third baseman.
- The Giants agreed to extensions with two of their pitchers. Closer Brian Wilson agreed to a two-year pact worth $15MM that will buy out two of his arbitration years. Meanwhile, Jeremy Affeldt's deal is worth $9MM over the next two seasons, though the 2011 year is a club option.
- The Rangers acquired catcher Matt Treanor in exchange for infielder Ray Olmedo. The 34-year-old Treanor missed most of 2009 with a hip injury.
- A day after his 27th birthday, the Yankees released pitcher Chad Gaudin. The Yankees will owe Gaudin one-quarter of his $2.95MM salary for 2010.
- Joe Beimel found a home with the Rockies, agreeing to a minor league deal with a base salary of $850K if he makes the squad. The soon-to-be 33-year-old can also earn up to $300K in incentives.
- MLBTR contributor Blake Bentley learned that 17-year-old Dominican righty Rafael DePaula may sign soon. Bentley sees a two-horse race between the Yankees and Mariners for his services.
- The Red Sox signed reliever Alan Embree to a minor league deal that could pay him $1.1MM if he makes the big league roster. This signing marks the lefty's second stint with the team.
- Detroit is reportedly shopping pitcher Nate Robertson. Robertson is entering the final year of a three-year, $21.25MM contract.
- The Dodgers are reportedly shopping pitcher Eric Stults and outfielder Jason Repko, as they are overloaded in both areas. Infielder Chin-lung Hu was also rumored to be on the block, but that was shot down by MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.
- After being let go by Milwaukee, reliever Scott Schoeneweis agreed to a minor league deal with the Red Sox. The 36-year-old will earn $500K if he makes the big league squad.
- The Twins agreed to terms with lefty Ron Mahay. The 38-year-old did well against lefties last season.
- The Mets are said to be shopping outfielder Gary Matthews Jr., though they are unlikely to find a taker for him. The 35-year-old costs the Mets just $2MM over the next two seasons as the Angels picked up the tab on the majority of his contract.
- The A's acquired reliever Edwar Ramirez from the Rangers for infielder Gregorio Petit. Ramirez, who turned 29 today, posted 10.6 K/9 in 98.3 big league innings with the Yankees.
- The Giants finally found a taker for Kevin Frandsen as he was sent to the Red Sox for a player to be named later. The 27-year-old infielder has a .240/.304/.341 line in 453 major league appearances, all of which have been with the Giants.
- Lefty Brian Shouse was cut loose by the BoSox. The 41-year-old was set to earn $800K if he were to make the major league roster.
- On Wednesday, the Nats agreed to terms on a deal with reliever Mike MacDougal, who was waived by the Marlins earlier in the week. MacDougal posted a 4.31 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 6.3 BB/9 last season.
- Angel Berroa asked for and was granted his release by the Dodgers. Ditto for reliever Eric Gagne.
- Extension talks between Albert Pujols and the Cardinals have been tabled until this winter. Pujols is under team control through the 2011 season.
- Tim compiled a list of all of the key free agents in the 2012 offseason. Shortly afterwords, he followed it up with his take on the free agent class.
Chad Gaudin Agrees To Sign With A’s
Pitcher Chad Gaudin has reached agreement with the A's on a deal worth $700K. The righty turned 27 years old on Wednesday and was cut loose by the Yankees on Thursday.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement and Jon Heyman of SI.com followed up with the contract details (via Twitter).
After starting 25 games last season for the Padres and Yankees, it is likely that Gaudin will be slotted into Oakland's bullpen. Several Athletics relievers have been bitten by the injury bug, including Michael Wuertz, Andrew Bailey, and Craig Breslow.
Giants, Cain Agree To Three-Year Extension
The Giants and Matt Cain have agreed to a three-year contract extension, writes Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News. The deal, which will cover Cain through the 2012 season, buys out one year of the hurler's free agency. On Friday, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle speculated (via Twitter) that the Giants could be close to an extension with the 25-year-old.
Baggarly tweets that Cain will still make $4.5MM in 2010, $8MM in 2011, and $15MM in 2012. The new agreement voids Cain's old contract, in which he would have earned $4.25MM in 2010 with a $6.25MM club option for the following year. The old contract also included escalators based on innings pitched and games started that could have tacked another $1.9MM onto the 2011 option.
The extensions for Jeremy Affeldt and Brian Wilson have also been made official. Affeldt agreed to a two-year, $9.5MM pact while Wilson will earn $15MM over the next two seasons.
Mientkiewicz Seeks Release From Dodgers
Despite being told that he will not make the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, Doug Mientkiewicz's request to be released from his contract has yet to be granted, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Mientkiewicz says that he has been told he is the club's contingency plan in the event that Garret Anderson is hurt.
The Dodgers have contractual control over the 35-year-old first baseman until Friday, when his opt-out clause goes into effect. Mientkiewicz says he doesn't understand why he has yet to be cut loose as Angel Berroa and Eric Gagne were both released upon their requests.
Mientkiewicz, known best for his defense, declined an offer from manager Joe Torre to stay on with the club as a coach. In twelve big league seasons, the veteran has a career slash line of .271/.360/.405.
Dodgers Shopping Stults, Repko, Hu
WEDNESDAY, 10:01pm: MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports that the Dodgers aren't trying to deal Hu, since they need him in case something happens to Rafael Furcal. Gurnick also notes that L.A. is shopping Jason Repko, who has nowhere to play in the crowded Dodger outfield.
TUESDAY, 5:25pm: The Dodgers are looking to move pitcher Eric Stults and shortstop Chin-lung Hu, baseball officials from the NL and AL tell Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
Los Angeles may feel that Stults is now expendable as they have multiple candidates for the final spot in their rotation. Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse tweets that Ramon Ortiz is the top candidate, even though some within the organization feel that Josh Lindblom should be the fifth starter. Yesterday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com wrote that the aforementioned Ramon Ortiz, Rule 5 selection Carlos Monasterios, Charlie Haeger, Russ Ortiz, and Josh Towers were all in the mix for the job. Mike Axisa recently summed up this proverbial game of musical chairs in one handy post.
Meanwhile, if the Dodgers are unable to find a taker in the majors for Stults, they could find a suitor overseas. The 30-year-old hurler has previously been linked to the Chiba Lotta Marines and earlier this week, he was named as a possible target of the Hanshin Tigers.
Hu, who recently turned 26, made a few appearances for Los Angeles in 2009 as a September call-up. For the team's Triple-A affiliate, he turned in .294/.332/.393 with 6 HRs in 544 plate appearances.