Marlins Sign Casey McGehee
The Marlins have been on the lookout for an answer to their hole at third base this offseason, and they filled that spot on the diamond today by officially announcing a one-year deal with Casey McGehee. McGehee, who spent last season playing in Japan, will reportedly earn a base salary of $1.1MM and has additional incentives in his deal contract. Back in October, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reported that McGehee was seeking a return to MLB.
The 31-year-old may not be the No. 1 target of big league clubs from the Rakuten Golden Eagles — that honor goes to his now-former teammate Masahiro Tanaka — but McGehee did hit .289/.371/.512 with 27 home runs in his first season there and got some attention from MLB scouts. McGehee is represented by Barry Meister, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database. McGehee earned a guaranteed $1.5MM with the Golden Eagles last season, meaning he'll take a slight pay cut to return to the Major Leagues (although his incentives likely can carry him beyond that mark).
McGehee broke into the Majors in impression fashion with the Brewers, batting .291/.346/.477 with 39 homers in 273 games (1064 plate appearances). His production vanished over the next two years, though, as the former 10th-round pick batted just .221/.282/.351 over his next 952 plate appearances prior to his signing in Japan.
Last week, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that Miami was intrigued by McGehee. Wilson Betemit, who lost 2013 to injuries, was also discussed as an option by the Marlins.
Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald first reported the agreement (on Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported the Major League guarantee (also on Twitter).
Rockies Acquire Drew Stubbs For Josh Outman
12:41pm: Cleveland will receive left-hander Josh Outman from the Rockies in the trade, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
Outman, 29, pitched to a 4.33 ERA with 8.8 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a 51.3 percent ground-ball rate in 54 innings for the Rockies this past season. Formerly a starting pitcher, Outman converted to the bullpen on a full-time basis for the first time in 2013. Outman averaged 92.4 mph on his heater and held lefties to a minuscule .198/.278/.261 batting line.
MLBTR's Matt Swartz projects Outman to earn $1.4MM in 2013. He will give new manager Terry Francona a second left-handed option in the bullpen along with Marc Rzepczynski.
12:14pm: The Rockies are acquiring Drew Stubbs from the Indians, sources tell Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link) and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Tribe can afford to part with Stubbs thanks to their outfield surplus, which includes Michael Bourn, Michael Brantley, David Murphy, and Ryan Raburn.
We heard back in November that multiple teams approached Cleveland with interest in Stubbs. The 29-year-old hit just .233/.305/.360 in 2013 but is projected to earn $3.8MM in arbitration this offseason by MLBTR's Matt Swartz. Still, Stubbs offers quality defense, power and speed, and he's capable of handling all three outfield positions.
Stubbs, like the newly-acquired Brandon Barnes, is better versus lefties than righties, Rosenthal notes (link). The plan is still for Carlos Gonzalez to go to center field but the Rockies are collecting athletic outfielders that should give them a solid supporting cast in 2014.
Quick Hits: Morales, Tanaka, Dodgers, Giants
Kendrys Morales is being pursued by National League teams as well as American League teams, agent Scott Boras tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Boras describes Morales as a "first baseman who can DH" but Morosi thinks that the draft pick compensation issue will hurt his value. More from around baseball..
- One GM tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) that he doesn't think there's any doubt that Masahiro Tanaka will get more than $100MM.
- The Rakuten Golden Eagles can only take in $20MM under the new posting system, but Ben Badler of Baseball America came up with a sneaky way for the club to make more off of the superstar pitcher.
- The Rangers are doing significant background work on Tanaka, tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. Texas has room for just one significant expenditure, which could slow their movement on Shin-Soo Choo, Passan adds.
- It's odd to see setup men Boone Logan and Joe Smith get more guaranteed money than established closer Grant Balfour, even if it's over three years rather than two, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Balfour agreed to a two-year, $15MM deal with the Orioles earlier today.
- The Yankees' last couple of signings would suggest that they seriously intend to get under the $189MM threshold, so a surprise victory for Alex Rodriguez in his battle would hurt the club quite a bit, Heyman tweets.
- The Rockies are looking for a bench player, but it's not a priority, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Sulia link).
Rosenthal On Red Sox, Butler, Rangers, Angels
Some say that the big-money closer is becoming extinct, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues that reports of the species' demise might be premature since the supply is overwhelming demand this offseason, depressing some free agent prices. While Grant Balfour's two-year, $15MM was surprisingly low to some, Joe Nathan netted a two-year, $20MM deal at age 39. Here's more from Rosenthal's latest column..
- A trade remains possible for the Red Sox, who are checking in with teams that need starters, sources say. Jake Peavy and Ryan Dempster appear the most expendable, but the Sox could get a bigger return if they moved John Lackey or Felix Doubront.
- The Royals seem unlikely to trade designated hitter Billy Butler or any of their relievers after signing free-agent second baseman Omar Infante. Royals GM Dayton Moore wants to pounce after adding Infante, left-hander Jason Vargas and outfielder Norichika Aoki and would love a shot at re-signing free agent Ervin Santana if his market somehow collapses.
- The Rangers do not appear seriously involved in trade discussions for Rays ace David Price at the moment. If they strike out on Shin-Soo Choo, Masahiro Tanaka, and Price, they simply would preserve their prospects and financial resources for later moves.
- The Angels seem to be holding off on a DH like as Raul Ibanez until they know how much they will spend on a pitcher. That pitcher could be right-hander Matt Garza as they have heavy interest in him, sources say. That pitcher could also be Tanaka.
- The Rockies got more trade inquiries on Jordan Lyles than any player at the winter meetings and Brandon Barnes was a popular target, too, according to a source.
Mariners Close To Re-Signing Franklin Gutierrez
The Mariners are close to re-signing Franklin Gutierrez to a one-year deal, sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports 1 (on Twitter). The Mariners need a right-handed outfield bat and have been encouraged by recent reports on Gutierrez's health, motivating them to facilitate a return, Morosi tweets.
Gutierrez, 31 in February, has a .256/.306/.391 career batting line but has a strong defensive reputation and a career .818 OPS against lefties. He became a free agent on November 1st when the Mariners turned down his $7.5MM club option and gave him his $500K buyout instead.
The veteran inked a four-year, $20.5MM extension with the Mariners after an outstanding 2009 season in which he batted .283/.339/.425 with 18 homers, 16 stolen bases and turned in the best center field defense in the game, all totaling a stellar 6.0 WAR. Unfortunately for both parties, several DL stints over the life of that contract kept him from living up to that deal. Gutierrez has battled hamstring, pectoral, and oblique issues and also dealt with a serious concussion.
Gutierrez is represented by Octagon, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database. Over the course of the offseason, the Phillies, Red Sox, and Giants were all reported to have interest in the outfielder.
West Notes: Dodgers, Giants, Astros, Benoit
The Dodgers' total player expenditures last season – including payroll for a 40-man roster, incentive bonuses, benefits and tax payment, comes out to $248MM, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The Dodgers were assessed $11.4MM under baseball's luxury-tax system, according to a person familiar with the matter. More out of the AL and NL West..
- Giants GM Brian Sabean says the club is probably done with major league deals, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Because it would be tough to make additions to the big league roster, he's not looking at minor league invites.
- After losing Jose Veras to the Cubs earlier this evening, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow says he's looking into other pitchers, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. "We're still talking to other relievers," Luhnow said. "Again, the closer role is really going to be determined during Spring Training, and from the standpoint of Josh Fields, Chad Qualls, and Matt Albers, they all have the arm strength and pitches to pitch in the ninth inning. We'll just kind of see what develops. We're not necessarily done on pitching. We're still talking to some pitchers, and we'll see what happens."
- Corey Brock of MLB.com (on Twitter) gets the sense that Joaquin Benoit is very much in play for the Padres as they're still willing to add a difference maker in back end.
Central Notes: Cubs, Veras, Santana, Pirates
The Jose Veras signing makes sense for the Cubs since he comes at an affordable rate, has experience, and can groom the younger guys like Pedro Strop, opines Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com (via Twitter). Earlier tonight, the Cubs agreed to sign Veras to a one-year, $4MM deal with a $5.5MM club option for 2015. Here's more out of the AL and NL Central..
- Before agreeing to his deal with the Cubs, Veras tells Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (on Twitter) that he also had an offer from the Mariners. The Rockies and Astros were also among the clubs with reported interest.
- Even after the Mike Pelfrey agreement, the Twins are maintaining dialogue with Johan Santana's representatives, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). For his part, Santana is very open to a return.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel checked in with Brewers GM Doug Melvin and it doesn't sound like the club is closing in on a first base solution. "It's pretty quiet," said Melvin. "We know all the names. It's a small group. Nothing changes from one day to the next. Ike Davis is the one player people talk about. Other than that, there's not much available." Haudricourt also asked Melvin about Rangers' first baseman Mitch Moreland, but Melvin says that at last check, Texas said they won't move him.
- With multiple question marks, David Schoenfield of ESPN.com feels that the Pirates are likely to regress in 2014.
Red Sox Sign Watanabe, Release Carpenter
The Red Sox announced that they have signed Japanese right-hander Shunsuke Watanabe to a minor league contract. Boston also disclosed that they have released the contract of right-hander Chris Carpenter to the Yakult Swallows of the Nippon Professional Baseball league in exchange for cash.
Watanabe, 37, is a sidearmer who boasts one of the lowest deliveries in professional baseball. While his pitches top out around 70 MPH, his tricky delivery has frustrated hitters across 13 seasons with the NPB's Chiba Lotte Marines. For his career in Japan, Watanabe has posted a 3.65 ERA with 4.8 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9.
Carpenter, who came over in the Theo Epstein compensation deal with the Cubs along with fellow right-hander Aaron Kurcz, saw eight big league games with Boston in 2012 and spent the bulk of 2013 with the club's Triple-A affiliate.
Minor Moves: Tolleson, Treanor, Pino
Tonight's minor moves..
- The Blue Jays announced that they have agreed to terms with infielder Steven Tolleson on a minor league contract with an invitation to attend big league spring training. The 30-year-old spent last season with the White Sox's Triple-A affiliate, batting .288/.381/.426 with eight home runs. Tolleson has appeared in 54 Major League games for Oakland (2010) and Baltimore (2012).
- The Indians announced that they signed catcher Matt Treanor to a minor league deal with an invite to major league spring training. He'll earn $800K if he makes the big league roster, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer. Treanor had 122 plate appearances with the Dodgers in 2012, posting a less-than-stellar .175/.281/.282 slash line. The 37-year-old did not play last season as he recovered from surgery on his left knee.
- The Twins signed right-hander Yohan Pino to a minor league deal, according to the MLB.com transactions page. Pino, who turns 30 on Dec. 26, spent the bulk of last season with the Reds' Triple-A affiliate, posting a 3.26 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 16 starts and 15 relief appearances.
Rockies Sign Justin Morneau
MONDAY: Morneau's deal breaks down as follows, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Morneau will receive $5MM in 2014 and $6.75MM in 2015, with a $9MM mutual option in 2016. If the Rockies decline the option, they'll owe Morneau a $750K buyout. Morneau can make $500K more in 2014 if he has 550 or more at-bats and remains on the 25-man roster at the end of the season. He would also receive a $375K assignment bonus if the Rockies trade him. There are also bonuses for top-10 MVP finishes.
FRIDAY: Todd Helton will be a tough act to follow in Denver, but former American League MVP Justin Morneau will be tasked with filling his shoes. The longtime Twin will be reunited with right fielder Michael Cuddyer as a member of the Rockies next season, as Colorado today officially announced the signing of Morneau to a two-year deal with a mutual option for 2016. Morneau's deal will reportedly guarantee him $12.5MM.
Morneau hit .259/.323/.411 with 17 homers in 2013, a slash line that is a slight improvement over that of a league-average hitter, and his .152 isolated power mark is also slightly above the league average of .146. He had some well-documented power problems for much of the year but turned things around late in the summer, belting nine homers in the month of August before being traded to the Pirates on Aug. 31 in exchange for Alex Presley and a player to be named later (the two sides would eventually settle on Kris Johnson after Duke Welker was briefly sent to Minnesota).
Even with that promising flash, Morneau's power isn't what it was when he was a yearly 30-homer threat. His walk rate has also taken a dip – he walked in 11.3 percent of his plate appearances from 2007-10, but he walked in just 7.9 percent of his trips to the plate in 2013. In his peak, Morneau was a formidable foe for both right- and left-handed pitchers, but he's developed a significant platoon split since returning from a career-threatening concussion suffered midway through what was shaping up to be another MVP-caliber season in 2010. From 2011-13, Morneau has batted just .206/.246/.274. He's also had both neck and wrist surgery in that time. He was healthy in 2013, however, which likely contributed to him providing solid defense at first base again after a poor defensive showing in 2012. Defensive Runs Saved pegged Morneau at +5 runs in 2013, though Ultimate Zone Rating felt he was simply average.
Morneau is represented by Mark Pieper of SFX, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter) first reported that the two sides were close to a deal. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports first reported that the agreement was in place as well as the $12.5MM guarantee (Twitter links).
Steve Adams and Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.