East Notes: Doumit, Blue Jays, Drew, Valle
Braves GM Frank Wren says he viewed Ryan Doumit as the best player available to fill his bench need because "he's almost two players in one," tweets Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Atlanta acquired Ryan Doumit from the Twins in exchange for left-hander Sean Gilmartin earlier today. More out of the AL and NL East..
- While Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulous is still engaged in trade talks, he might be content to stand pat at this stage of the offseason, writes Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.
- The Doumit pickup also allows Evan Gattis to pinch hit when he's not catching for the Braves, notes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox are still interested in Stephen Drew following today's acquisition of infielder Jonathan Herrera, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Herrera will serve as a utility man for Boston.
- Former Phillies catching prospect Sebastian Valle appeared to be on the move last winter, along with pitcher Tyler Cloyd, in a proposed deal for Houston reliever Wilton Lopez, but the Phils backed off the deal because of concerns about the condition of Lopez’s arm, writes CSNPhilly.com's JIm Salisbury. The Phillies designated Valle for assignment this morning.
- Wren said the trade doesn't mean anything for Braves catching prospect Christian Bethancourt, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "When he’s ready to be our catcher, he’ll be our catcher."
- In today's mailbag, a reader asks MLB.com's Bill Ladson if the Nationals are done making moves this winter.
West Notes: Santana, Garza, Gutierrez, Padres
A look at the AL and NL West..
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (on Twitter) that he's in on two of Masahiro Tanaka, Ervin Santana, and Matt Garza.
- The Mariners are showing continued interest in Santana, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Franklin Gutierrez says that he had other offers, including one from the Indians, but "didn't think twice" about other opportunities when the Mariners called him, tweets Greg Johns of MLB.com.
- Even after adding Joaquin Benoit, free agent pitcher Josh Johnson, and trading for outfielder Seth Smith, the Padres might not be finished, writes Corey Brock of MLB.com.
- Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com wonders if the Dodgers can bank on second baseman Alexander Guerrero. Los Angeles signed the Cuban standout this winter to a four-year, $28MM deal that can increase to $32MM with incentives.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels says that not much has changed since the winter meetings, writes Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com.
Central Notes: Rincon, Twins, Viciedo, Konerko
The Twins announced a wave of front office promotions today, highlighted by the promotion of assistant GM Rob Antony to vice president/assistant GM. Antony will be responsible for Major League contracts (including arbitration); Major League and Minor League player evaluation; and oversight of the team's video, baseball analytics and baseball communications department. More from the Central divisions…
- Former Twins reliever Juan Rincon is looking for a minor league deal with, ideally, an invite to big league spring training, agent Burton Rocks tells MLBTR. Rincon, 35 in January, wants a club to bring him in to help mentor younger pitchers and have him continue in that role after his playing career is through as a scout. Rocks has talked to "four or five" clubs about his unique proposal for Rincon, who spent last season with the York Revolution of the Atlantic League.
- The White Sox have an infusion of young, exciting position players including outfielders Avisail Garcia and Adam Eaton and Paul Konerko is excited to be back in the fold and see what they can do. "Eaton is the guy that can make things go if he hits his stride," Konerko said on a conference call with White Sox season ticket holders, according to CSNChicago.com. "A guy like Eaton can be a someone who is a complete steal because of the tools he has. He can be a real mainstay." Konerko re-signed with Chicago on a one-year deal that gives him a $2.5MM guarantee.
- Dayan Viciedo could split time this season with Alejandro De Aza in left field, remain the starter if De Aza is moved, or he could wind up traded himself, writes CSNChicago.com's Dan Hayes. The White Sox haven't given up on the 25-year-old, but they're not sure what they'll do with him either.
- Jeff Karstens is said to be pain-free and in midst of normal winter throwing program. tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. He's planning to work out for clubs in January. Karstens had shoulder surgery in June, which involved debridement of his rotator cuff and labrum, and never threw a big league pitch for the Pirates in 2013. The veteran is represented by All Bases Covered Sports Management, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database.
- The Twins were in on Eric Chavez before he signed with the Diamondbacks earlier today, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter).
Mariners Designate Chance Ruffin For Assignment
The Mariners announced that right-hander Chance Ruffin has been designated for assignment. The move will make room on the M's 40-man roster for Franklin Gutierrez.
Ruffin, 25, made nine big league relief appearances last season but spent the bulk of the year in Doulbe-A and Triple-A where he posted a combined 3.91 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9. Ruffin was taken with the 48th overall pick in the 2010 draft by the Tigers. Detroit sent Ruffin as the player to be named later in the Doug Fister deal in 2011.
To keep track of Ruffin and everyone else in DFA limbo, check out MLBTR's DFA Tracker.
Minor Moves: Tanaka, Germano, Reynolds
Today's minor moves..
- The Rangers have agreed to a minor league deal with Kensuke Tanaka, according to a report from Sponichi (Japanese link) passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (via Twitter). The Giants released the second baseman/left fielder back in September after designating him for assignment. The 32-year-old saw limited time with the Giants this season but excelled in 400 plate appearances at Triple-A Fresno, batting .329/.400/.397 with three homers and 22 steals.
- The Rangers have signed right-hander Justin Germano to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas News (via Twitter). Germano saw two innings of work for the Blue Jays last season but spent most of 2013 with their Triple-A affiliate, turning in a 4.47 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9.
- Greg Reynolds signed to pitch for the Seibu Lions of NPB in 2014, according to CAA Sports (via Twitter). Reynolds spent last season with the Reds' Triple-A affiliate, posting a 2.42 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 156 1/3 innings.
- The Mariners announced that they've outrighted outfielder Travis Witherspoon to Triple-A Tacoma. The 24-year-old Witherspoon was designated for assignment last week to clear a roster spot for Corey Hart.
- Rick van den Hurk is returning to the Samsung Lions of the KBO, where he helped them capture the the Korean Series title last year, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The deal is pending a physical exam. VandenHurk, 28, last appeared in the majors with the Pirates for a handful of games in 2012.
- The Pirates announced that they have signed seven minor league free agents, including Travis Ishikawa, Michael Martinez, Daniel Schlereth, Adam Wilk, and Kyle McPherson. All of those deals are minor league contracts with invites to big league spring training. Ishikawa had 20 combined plate appearances for the Yankees and Orioles last season, but spent the bulk of the year at the Triple-A level, where he hit .290/.389/.465 with nine homers. Martinez, 31, had 40 big league PAs for the Phillies and posted a .300/.352/.407 line for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Schlereth, a first-round pick in the 2008 draft, has 94 career big league relief appearances to his credit.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Brewers Eyeing Michael Young
The Brewers are interested in Michael Young as a first baseman, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Dodgers and Rockies are also in the mix for Young. The Nationals are involved too, but they're also exploring other options at present.
Young could pair with Juan Francisco at first base in Milwaukee. It certainly helps that, as Rosenthal notes (link), Brewers GM Doug Melvin and coaches Jerry and Johnny Narron know Young from his days with the Rangers.
The Brewers have been combing the first base market and lost a potential option when they're own free agent, Corey Hart, hooked on with the Mariners. Recently, our own Charlie Wilmoth looked at some of the other remaining options at the first base position, including the Cardinals' Matt Adams, the Mets' Ike Davis ( whom they've been heavily connected to), and Kendrys Morales. Adams would be a tremendous addition, but prying him away from divisional rivals could be tough.
Astros Acquire Jesus Guzman
The Padres have traded outfielder/first baseman Jesus Guzman to the Astros for infielder Ryan Jackson, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com (on Twitter).
San Diego got interest in Guzman in late July, but he wound up staying put for the rest of the season. The 29-year-old took a step back from his previous two seasons with the Padres in 2013, hitting just .226/.297/.378 in 318 plate appearances. Prior to that, Guzman had a .277/.342/.446 slash line through 592 PAs in 2011 and 2012.
Jackson, 25, saw time in 20 big league games for the Cardinals from 2012-13 before being waived in the fall and picked up by Houston. Jackson spent the bulk of 2013 with the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate in Memphis. Over the last two years in Memphis, Jackson has a .275/.343/.371 slash line with the better results coming in 2012. The Padres put a claim in on Jackson when he was up for grabs, but the Astros were able to get him instead, Brock tweets.
Marlins Designate Kyle Skipworth For Assignment
The Marlins have designated Kyle Skipworth for assignment, a source tells MLBTR. The 23-year-old was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2008 draft.
The catcher got his first taste of big league action this past season, seeing a handful of plate appearances across four games in the spring. Prior to 2009, Baseball America had Skipworth ranked as the No. 89 prospect in the country. At the time of his selection, BA touted Skipworth as "the best high school catcher in the nation, and [maybe] the best prep prospect at that position since Joe Mauer was the first pick in the 2001 draft." The Marlins gave the athletic youngster a $2.3MM signing bonus after selecting him.
The move will create room for the newly-signed Casey McGehee on the 40-man roster. You can keep up with everyone in DFA limbo using the MLBTR DFA Tracker.
Kurt Suzuki Has Interest from Twins, Mariners
The Twins and Mariners are possibilities for veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Cubs are also among the clubs with interest, as noted by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle last week.
While Minnesota likes the 30-year-old, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears from a person with direct knowledge that nothing is going on yet between the club and the catcher. Suzuki hit .232/.290/.337 with five homers in his second straight season split between the A's and Nationals. Though he's typically been solid in terms of catching base stealers, Suzuki caught just eight of 65 potential thieves in 2013 (12 percent) and graded out as one of the league's worst in terms of pitch-framing. He was highly adept at blocking pitches in the dirt, per Fangraphs, trailing only Yadier Molina in that regard.
Royals Acquire Danny Valencia
The Orioles announced that they have acquired outfielder David Lough from the Royals in exchange for infielder Danny Valencia.
Valencia, 29, split 117 games between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk last season, being recalled to the Major Leagues on May 19. In 170 plate appearances last year for the O's, he had a .304/.330/.553 slash line to go with eight homers. The 29-year-old has seen scattered MLB action since a mediocre stint as the Twins' everyday third bagger in 2011, however. Valencia has spent parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues with Minnesota (2010-12), Boston (2012) and Baltimore (2013).
Lough, 27, hit .286/.311/.413 in 96 games for Kansas City in 2013, playing all three outfield positions. He finished eighth in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting and led all rookies in WAR, as noted by the O's press release. The outfielder also finished the season with a stellar 27.3 UZR/150 rating, good for sixth amongst all outfielders in baseball.