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Minor Moves: LaRoche, Delcarmen, Brackman

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

  • The Blue Jays announced that they signed infielder Andy LaRoche to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training. LaRoche, who last appeared at the MLB level with the 2011 A's, posted a .251/.335/.422 batting line at Triple-A in 2012.
  • The Orioles signed relievers Rob Delaney and Manny Delcarmen and outfielder Chris Pettit to minor league deals, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). Delcarmen, 30, last pitched at the MLB level in 2010 with the Red Sox and Rockies. He pitched for the Yankees' top affiliate in 2012, posting a 4.42 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9 in 57 innings. The 28-year-old Delaney pitched in four games for the 2011 Rays and spent the 2012 season with the Marlins' Triple-A team, posting a 2.29 ERA in 63 innings. Pettit played briefly for the Angels in 2009 and 2011. The right-handed hitting 28-year-old posted a .282/.354/.454 batting line in the upper minors this past season.
  • The White Sox signed right-hander Andrew Brackman, Eddy reports (on Twitter). The former first round pick posted a 6.71 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 in the Reds' minor league system last year.

Quick Hits: Saunders, White Sox, Konerko, Prospects

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Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar tops MLB.com's list of the top 100 prospects in baseball for 2013.  Profar has been the subject of many trade rumors this winter but the Rangers are unwilling to move him, for good reason given his high ceiling.  Of the six prospects atop MLB.com's list, two (Wil Myers and Travis d'Arnaud) were dealt to new teams this offseason and another (Taijuan Walker) would have been on the move were it not for Justin Upton's no-trade clause.

Here are some items from around the Majors…

  • Joe Saunders has been offered a two-year deal worth roughly $15MM from an unknown team, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports, though his sources aren't directly involved in the negotiations.  The Orioles aren't the mystery team, as Baltimore would prefer to sign Saunders to a one-year deal with a team option for the second year.  Connolly says the O's are still interested in Saunders despite their recent agreement with Jair Jurrjens.  Besides the O's, the Mariners and Twins have also been linked to Saunders this winter, and the Twins have offered Saunders a one-year deal.
  • The White Sox are still looking for a left-handed hitter, MLB.com Scott Merkin tweets.  Such a player is likely to be a platooner or bench depth at this point in the offseason.
  • Paul Konerko tells CSN Chicago's Chuck Garfien that his on-field performance won't be the key factor if he decides to retire after the 2013 season.  "Don't look at the numbers, that if things are going well [in 2013], that necessarily means I would play [after this season]. And the reverse of that is true, too," Konerko said.  It was almost a year ago that Konerko told Garfien that he was pondering retirement once his contract is up.
  • It's hard to find ace-level pitching available in a trade, but Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal cites Yovani Gallardo, Ian Kennedy and Jarrod Parker as pitchers who could be on the block should their teams fall out of contention next season.  Parker may seem like a premature trade target but MacPherson notes that "the Athletics have a history of trading young pitchers for even younger pitchers."
  • The Rangers have signed the most international prospects that appear in Baseball America's 2013 Prospect Handbook, B-A's Ben Badler writes.  Fifteen international players originally signed by the Rangers are ranked either among their own top 30 prospects or in the top-30 lists of other teams, as determined by Baseball America.  At the bottom of the list are the Astros, who have just two international signings ranked.

Minor Moves: Lopez, Waldrop, Zagurski, Dickerson

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

  • The Padres have signed left-hander Arturo Lopez to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, MLB.com's Corey Brock reports (Twitter link).  Lopez made four relief appearances for the Padres in 2009 and has also pitched in the Mets' and Dodgers' farm systems.  The 29-year-old southpaw has spent the last two seasons pitching in the Mexican League.
  • The Pirates signed right-hander Kyle Waldrop to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (via Twitter).  Waldrop appeared in 24 games as a reliever for the Twins over the last two seasons and posted a 3.62 ERA over 32 1/3 career innings.  Waldrop was outrighted off Minnesota's 40-man roster in October.
  • The Pirates also signed left-hander Mike Zagurski to a minor league deal that contains an invite to Spring Training.  The deal was announced by the team in December.  Zagurski made 45 appearances out of the bullpen for the Diamondbacks in 2012, posting a 5.54 ERA, an 8.2 K/9 and a 1.79 K/BB over 37 1/3 innings.
  • The Orioles announced that they signed outfielder Chris Dickerson to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training (Twitter link). The 30-year-old appeared in 25 games for the Yankees in 2012, playing all three outfield positions. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .316/.417/.515 batting line in 321 plate appearances.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post

Cafardo On Mets, Bourn, Abreu, Red Sox, Mahay

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There were baseball people this winter who pleaded with their teams to go after B.J. Upton as a free agent and to trade for his younger brother, Justin Upton.  However, there also were those who said “over my dead body” would they have either, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  In fact, officials in one AL East organization were nearly unanimous in the opinion that neither Upton was a fit for them.  The Braves obviously didn't share that view and will now enter 2013 with a remarkably athletic lineup thanks to the Upton brothers.  Here's more from today's column..

  • While Cafardo hears that the Mets' interest in Michael Bourn is minimal, that might be enough for them to land him eventually.  Many baseball people are amazed that Bourn is the odd man out in free agency. The Mets, Mariners, and possibly Orioles are waiting for a bargain deal and one AL manager reasoned that if a team can get him on a one-year deal, they might juggle things around to make it happen.
  • The Red Sox were among the teams that tried out Bobby Abreu. but sources say the Red Sox are unlikely to pursue him as the backup first baseman/outfielder that they’re looking for.
  • Left-hander Ron Mahay has decided to call it a career.  The 41-year-old says that he's now looking to get into coaching or managing.  Mahay last appeared in the majors with the Twins in 2010.  For his career, the reliever posted a 3.83 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 across 14 seasons.
  • The Cubs' Alfonso Soriano is on the trading block and could still be moved before spring training, as teams like the Orioles and Rangers look to make last-minute upgrades. 
  • The Angels had some hope that Vernon Wells could be moved this winter, but those odds decreased after the Phillies signed Delmon Young.  “I think people will look back on his career and wonder, how could a guy who came into the league with so much ability let this happen?” said an American League scout who once saw Wells as one of the most talented players in baseball.

Orioles Agree To Sign Jair Jurrjens

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The Orioles have agreed to sign Jair Jurrjens to a one-year, $1.5MM Major League contract that could be worth as much as $4MM with incentives, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports.  Jurrjens is represented by the Boras Corporation.

Jurrjens, who turns 27 next week, was non-tendered by the Braves following a rough 2012 season that saw him post a 6.89 ERA, a 13.4 H/9, 19 strikeouts and 18 walks in over 48 1/3 innings.  The right-hander is under team control through the 2014 season and is just one year removed from an All-Star season in 2011, though he was plagued with injuries and a loss of form in the second half of that season.

The O's were rumored to be looking to add some veteran depth (such as Joe Saunders) to their young rotation and the Jurrjens signing could prove to be a coup if he regains his health and old form.  The Pirates, Twins, Rockies and Royals had all shown interest in Jurrjens this offseason.

AL East Notes: Cherington, Upton, Kubel, Rays

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Pedro Martinez is returning to the Red Sox as a special assistant to GM Ben Cherington, the club announced today.  The future Hall-of-Famer told reporters (including MLB.com's Ian Browne) that he will be helping instruct the organization's pitchers during Spring Training and throughout the season.  "I hope to be a friend to most of those kids that probably have some questions or if they have uncertainties about what they're going to be facing," Martinez said. "What kind of things they should be aware of? I think I'm very well prepared and armed to actually help them with it."

Here are some more items from around the AL East…

  • In an interview on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show (partial transcript here), Cherington said the Red Sox addressed a number of weaknesses over the winter and he thinks the Red Sox can contend.  "Maybe we didn’t make the one headline move or haven’t to this point…but I do think we’ve added strength to a lot of different areas to the roster, a lot of areas we had holes in," Cherington said.  He also defended Boston's ownership against recent criticisms from ex-manager Terry Francona.
  • The Orioles had interest in Justin Upton but weren't prepared to move top prospects like Manny Machado or Dylan Bundy in return, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports.
  • Connolly also outlined the talks between the Orioles and Diamondbacks about Jason Kubel, saying that the O's never had more than "lukewarm" interest in Kubel's services.  The Orioles felt they were Arizona's "backup plan" to trade an outfielder as the Snakes' preference was to swap Upton.
  • Rays owner Stuart Sternberg told Hillsborough County Commission officials that "Major League Baseball at this point no longer believes in the Tampa Bay area," reports Stephen Nohlgren of the Tampa Bay Times.  Sternberg reiterated his belief that a new stadium is needed to make his franchise viable and said he is committed to keeping the team in the Tampa area.  MLB released a statement today expressing disappointment in the Rays' attendance, saying, "The status quo is simply not sustainable."
  • Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos discussed the team's winter moves, plans for the upcoming season and more in an online chat with Toronto Sun readers.  Included is a nice compliment for MLB Trade Rumors, as Anthopoulos says he reads our website, "All the time, and I'd venture to say that almost every front office person in baseball does the same. Great site and great way to stay connected with what's happening."
  • The Yankees are running out of options if they want to add right-handed hitting outfield depth, opines Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees blog.

Michael Bourn Rumors: Thursday

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Suitors are starting to show up for Michael Bourn, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Mets, it appears, are one of them. They’re interested in Bourn, but they remain hesitant to meet his asking price and don’t want to surrender the 11th overall selection in the 2013 draft to complete a deal. Here are the latest Bourn-related rumors as the market for the center fielder picks up…

  • The Rangers aren't involved at all in the Bourn talks, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter). This leaves the Mets and Mariners as favorites for Bourn, Nightengale writes.

Earlier updates

  • Heyman suggests it’ll take a five-year deal worth $15MM or so per season to sign Bourn, a Scott Boras client. B.J. Upton obtained a five-year, $75.2MM contract that could be a comparable for Bourn’s next deal.
  • Bourn is an “outside possibility” for the Orioles, Heyman reports. The Cubs are thought to like Bourn “very much” and have some level of interest.
  • Heyman writes that at least one prominent Dodgers player contacted Bourn encouraging him to sign in Los Angeles. Braves players made similar calls, as did Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez. However, the Braves don’t need an outfielder now that they’ve traded for Justin Upton.
  • The Rangers seem like the best fit for Bourn assuming the Tigers don’t get involved, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick writes (on Twitter). However, it’s not certain how often the Rangers have been talking to Bourn, Heyman writes. MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reported today that the Rangers don't expect to sign either Bourn or Kyle Lohse. The Rangers have been in talks with Boras, however.

Mariners Notes: Hernandez, Saunders, Montero

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Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik won't get into details about contract negotiations with Felix Hernandez but he told reporters today that he has "every intention of keeping Felix [in Seattle] for the long-term", tweets Greg Johns of MLB.com.  Here's more on the M's..

  • Jack Z also said that the door is "wide open" for a young pitcher to make the starting five, but the GM would prefer to add a veteran, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).
  • That veteran just might be Joe Saunders, who has the interest of the Mariners as well as the Orioles.  It's not clear who the other teams with interest in the left-hander, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  
  • The Mariners will also look to add another catcher or two prior to Spring Training in support of Jesus Montero, Johns tweets.  

Justin Upton Rumors: Wednesday

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Here's a look at the latest Justin Upton rumors with all links going to Twitter..

  • Arizona GM Kevin Towers is going on vacation this Friday, Rosenthal reports. While Towers would prefer to trade Upton or Kubel by then, it's not a deadline.
  • The Braves are now waiting to hear back from the Diamondbacks about their offer, Rosenthal reports. It's a "sensitive" time in the trade talks. For much of the offseason, the Braves had trouble getting the Diamondbacks to return their calls, Rosenthal reports. Things have evidently changed.

Earlier Updates

  • The Rangers haven't talked to the Diamondbacks about Upton in weeks, Heyman reports.
  • The Diamondbacks could make a trade involving Upton or Kubel with the next few days, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports.  Heyman notes that the Braves seem seriously interested in Upton and adds on Twitter that they're trying hard for him and have offered a "strong" package of players.  The Rangers, Rays and Padres have also shown interest, Heyman writes.
  • The Diamondbacks have an offer on the table for Upton, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports.  The offer is believed to be from the Braves, Rosenthal writes.  Arizona likes Evan Gattis' power, but the team continues weighing various options.  For example, Diamomdbacks executives discussed Kubel with the Orioles today.
  • The Diamondbacks want to make a decision on trading Jason Kubel or Upton by Friday, people involved in the process tell ESPN.com's Buster Olney.  Arizona had an agreement with the Mariners on an Upton deal earlier this offseason but the 25-year-old used his limited veto power to shoot the trade down.
  • Meanwhile, Arizona's talks with the Braves on Upton have resumed (Twitter link).  Atlanta is said to be aggressive about acquiring Upton and they're likely the frontrunner for the outfielder if he is dealt.  The D'Backs have been reviewing the Braves' offer and some folks involved believe that it's a strong proposal, according to Olney.
  • The asking price for Kubel is dropping and Baltimore would be a logical landing spot for him, Olney tweets.  Earlier today it was reported that the O's are pursuing Kubel but talks are not yet at an advanced stage.

Orioles Pursuing Jason Kubel

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12:21pm: It's unlikely the Orioles would acquire both Kubel and Porcello, Rosenthal writes in an expanded piece at FOXSports.com. Free agent left-hander Joe Saunders and trade candidate Alfonso Soriano are also possibilities, according to Rosenthal. Saunders seeks a three-year contract, but Soriano is the least likely option for Baltimore.

10:17am: The Orioles are pursuing a trade for Diamondbacks outfielder Jason Kubel, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). However, talks are not at an advanced stage. The Diamondbacks were looking to obtain young pitching from the Orioles for Kubel earlier in the month.

If the Orioles were to acquire Kubel, he'd be in the running for playing time at left field and DH along with Nate McLouth, Nolan Reimold and Wilson Betemit. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks would no longer have surplus outfielders if they send Kubel to Baltimore.

The Diamondbacks continue to weigh offers for Kubel and Justin Upton, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported yesterday. The Diamondbacks want to deal one of the outfielders sooner rather than later and they feel as though there’s a good chance of getting “suitable value” for Kubel if they decide to deal him, Olney reported. Rival executives view the Orioles as a possible match for Kubel.

Rosenthal notes that the Orioles also like Tigers starter Rick Porcello. However, the Tigers don't appear to be in a rush to trade the right-hander Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reported yesterday. The Diamondbacks are also among the teams that have been linked to Porcello this winter.

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