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Orioles, Jim Johnson Avoid Arbitration

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The Orioles and closer Jim Johnson have avoided arbitration with a one-year deal, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).  The Moye Sports Associates client will will make $6.5MM in 2013 with $50K more available in performance bonuses based on games finished, Connolly tweets.

The deal is right around the midpoint as Johnson filed for $7.1MM in arbitration while the Orioles countered with $5.7MM.  The new deal marks a significant raise for Johnson, who earned $2.625MM last season.

Johnson, 29, pitched to a 2.49 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 71 games, earning him his first career All-Star selection.  This was Johnson’s third year of arbitration eligibility thanks to his Super Two status.  The right-hander is scheduled to exchange figures with the O’s once more after the 2013 season and hit the open market after the 2014 campaign.

As MLBTR’s Transactions Tracker shows, Darren O’Day and Jason Hammel are Baltimore’s only remaining arbitration eligible players.  

Outrighted To Triple-A: Martinez, Petersen

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We'll track the day's outright assignments here…

  • The Orioles announced that they outrighted catcher Luis Martinez to Triple-A after he cleared waivers. The Orioles designated Martinez for assignment three days ago after claiming him off of waivers from Texas last month. He hit .270/.350/.386 in 247 plate appearances at Triple-A this past season.
  • The Marlins outrighted Bryan Petersen to Triple-A, Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post reports (on Twitter). The Marlins designated Petersen for assignment this week to create roster space for Jon Rauch. Petersen appeared in 84 games for the Marlins last year, playing all three outfield positions. The 26-year-old posted a .195/.272/.257 batting line in 273 plate appearances.

Orioles Designate Trayvon Robinson For Assignment

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The Orioles announced that they designated outfielder Trayvon Robinson for assignment. The move creates roster space for right-hander Todd Redmond, who was claimed off of waivers from the Reds.

The Orioles acquired Robinson from Seattle for Robert Andino this past November. Robinson appeared in 46 games for the Mariners in 2012, posting a .221/.294/.324 batting line in 164 plate appearances as a left fielder. The 25-year-old was initially acquired by the Mariners in the three-team trade with the Red Sox and Dodgers that sent Erik Bedard to Boston.

Orioles Claim Todd Redmond

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The Orioles claimed Todd Redmond off of waivers from the Reds, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports (on Twitter). The Reds designated Redmond for assignment one week ago to create roster space for Manny Parra.

Redmond made his MLB debut in 2012, starting one game at the big league level. The 27-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 3.63 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 148 2/3 innings. The Reds acquired him from the Braves for Paul Janish last July.

Orioles Notes: Saunders, Jurrjens, Johnson

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The Mariners agreed to sign Joe Saunders yesterday, which means the left-hander won’t be returning to Baltimore. Saunders and the Orioles had mutual interest in a new deal, but never reached an agreement. Here are the latest Orioles-related notes from Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun…

  • It appears the Orioles offered Saunders a one-year deal, Encina writes. Saunders said he wanted to return to Baltimore and the Orioles maintained interest in re-signing him throughout the winter.
  • The Orioles have yet to finalize their one-year, $1.5MM agreement with Jair Jurrjens, and there’s a chance the deal will fall through. The Orioles were still receiving medical evaluations on Jurrjens as of last night, Encina reports. It’s becoming unclear whether the deal will be completed and it doesn’t seem to be headed in a positive direction. Orioles executives have long-standing concerns about Jurrjens’ health.
  • It’s possible the Orioles could offer Jim Johnson a two-year deal to cover his final arbitration seasons. However, it seems more likely that the sides will settle on a one-year contract. Johnson filed for $7.1MM in arbitration with the Orioles offering $5.7MM, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. The Orioles have two other unsigned arb eligible players: Jason Hammel and Darren O’Day.

Orioles Close To Two-Year Deal With Darren O’Day

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SATURDAY, 1:19pm: In an interview on WBAL radio, GM Dan Duquette indicated that the O's have reached agreement on a one-year deal to avoid arbitration but are working on a two-year pact, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter).

FRIDAY, 8:36pm: After avoiding arbitration with Jason Hammel and Jim Johnson earlier this evening, the Orioles may be on the verge of taking care of their lone remaining case.  The O's are close to a two-year deal with Darren O'Day that would include an option for a third year, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter).

The two-year deal will cover O'Day's remaining years of arbitration, putting him in line to test free agency after the 2014 season.  O'Day, who had previously earned Super Two status, filed for $3.2MM this winter while the O's offered $1.8MM.  

AL East Notes: Rays, Scott, Orioles, Jurrjens

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Here's a look at news out of the American League East..

  • Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter) hears that Luke Scott can earn up to $750K in performance bonuses through his one-year deal with the Rays.  The incentive is tied to plate appearances, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The designated hitter will make a base salary of $2.75MM in 2013 and will look to stay healthy after a pair of trips to the DL limited him to 96 games last season.
  • The Orioles still haven't finalized their deal with Jair Jurrjens as team doctors are still going over the information from his Monday physical, Connolly tweets.  The pitcher says that the two sides are close to finalizing the pact and and says there's just some "small stuff" to iron out (Twitter link).  Jurrjens agreed to a one-year, $1.5MM Major League contract last month that balloon to as much as $4MM with incentives.
  • Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com says it's possible that Orioles Executive Vice President Dan Duquette is stockpiling pitching depth in order to deal for a middle-of-the-order bat.  Even if the O's use the surplus to bolster their offense, Ghiroli expects them to still hang on to extra pitching as insurance.

Quick Hits: Johnson, Boras, Givens, Reds, Lowe

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The newest member of the Rays organization, Kelly Johnson, spoke with reporters on a conference call earlier today about his signing with Tampa Bay. The veteran second baseman/outfielder said he respected the Rays way of playing baseball under manager Joe Maddon, which made joining the franchise an easy decision. "I wasn't surprised they were interested. I knew if I wanted to go to Tampa I had to be willing to move around. They called and I was happy hear from them."

Here is what's happening around the league…

  • Scott Boras denied his involvement with the planting of a rumor about his client Jose Valverde and an imminent deal with the Marlins, reports Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. 
  • Mychal Givens will no longer play shortstop in the minors for the Orioles, but rather try his hand at pitching, writes Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com. 
  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty has yet to hear any updates from Scott Rolen while he remains at a stalemate with his four remaining arbitration-eligible players, says Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
  • Francisco Liriano's deal with the Pirates remains on track to become official, but will not do so until his non-throwing arm heals so the veteran can take a physical, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
  • Derek Lowe will wait to see what other offers come his way after passing on a minor league deal from the Rockies, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). 

Orioles Claim Canzler, Designate Martinez

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Russ Canzler's offseason travels haven't ended just yet — the Orioles announced that they claimed the first baseman/outfielder off of waivers from the Yankees. Baltimore designated catcher Luis Martinez for assignment in a corresponding move.

The Yankees designated Canzler for assignment four days ago to create roster space for Travis Hafner. Not surprisingly, he failed to clear waivers. This marks the fourth time this winter he has been claimed off of waivers: the Blue Jays claimed him on December 21st, the Indians claimed him on January 2nd, and the Yankees claimed him on January 4th.

Canzler appeared in 26 games for the Indians this past season. The 26-year-old posted a .269/.299/.398 batting line in 97 MLB plate appearances while playing first base and left field. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .265/.328/.487 batting line with 22 home runs and 36 doubles in 539 plate appearances. Chris Cotillo first reported today's claim on Twitter.

The Orioles initially acquired Martinez from the Rangers with a January waiver claim. Martinez appeared in ten games with Texas this past season. He spent most of the year at Triple-A, where he hit .270/.350/.386 in 247 plate appearances. The 27-year-old also appeared in 22 games with the Padres in 2011, his first campaign in the Major Leagues.

Minor Moves: Buschini, Burres, Pineiro

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We'll track the day's minor moves here…

  • The Padres signed second baseman Adam Buschini to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock. The 25-year-old Buschini was a fourth-round pick of the Phillies in 2009 but hasn't appeared in affiliated ball since 2010. He spent this past season in the Australian Baseball League where he won the Triple Crown by hitting .363 with 15 homers and 50 RBIs.
  • Left-hander Brian Burres has agreed to sign with Taiwan's Lamigo Monkeys, agent Marc Kligman tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The 31-year-old Burres has a 5.75 ERA, 5.6 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 358 1/3 innings between the Orioles, Blue Jays and Pirates. 
  • The Orioles agreed to sign right-hander Joel Pineiro to a minor league deal, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (all Twitter links). The 34-year-old last-pitched at the MLB level with the 2011 Angels. Pineiro, who pitched in the Orioles' minor league system in 2012, had surgery to repair a SLAP tear in his right shoulder last July.
  • The Orioles also completed a minor league deal with left-hander Mark Hendrickson, Connolly reports. Hendrickson, the former NBA player who pitched with Baltimore from 2009-11, recently threw bullpen sessions for Orioles personnel. The 38-year-old is now pitching sidearm as he attempts to return to the MLB level for the first time since 2011. 
  • The Indians have agreed to sign Jeremy Hermida to a minor league contract, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). Hermida played for the Padres in 2012, appearing in 13 games. The 29-year-old was regarded as a top prospect early in his professional career and he hit 18 home runs for the 2007 Marlins, but he hasn't produced on offense in the past three seasons. Hermida, a first round pick in 2002, bats from the left side.
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