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AL East Notes: Red Sox, Ichiro, Jeter, Orioles

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MLBTR’s offseason in review series is just getting started, but the AL East is now complete. Click here to see how the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Blue Jays and Orioles navigated their respective offseasons. Here are some more links from the division…

  • The Red Sox aren't close to bumping up against MLB's luxury tax, as Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com shows. With commitments in the $163MM range, the Red Sox have $15MM separating them from the $178MM threshold.
  • Ichiro Suzuki explained to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post that he wanted to re-sign with the Yankees because of the team's focused emphasis on winning. “Those are things that I wanted in a clubhouse and on a team, and I didn’t know that it existed,” Ichiro said. “I kind of had given up hope that I would find that ideal clubhouse, kind of how I felt how about a clubhouse should be. And I was able to find that last year, and that was here.”
  • In a video blog Davidoff explains that Brian Cashman's recent misadventure won't stop him from doing his job as the Yankees' general manager. Cashman broke his right fibula and dislocated his right ankle after jumping out of a parachute to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project two days ago.
  • Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner are among the ten most powerful people in baseball, Tom Verducci writes at SI.com. Commissioner Bud Selig tops Verducci's list.
  • The Orioles like what they see from Jair Jurrjens this spring, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports. Jurrjens, who signed a minor league deal with Baltimore this past offseason, is one of 13 Orioles pitchers competing for a rotation spot this spring.

Brewers, Orioles Eyeing Harang

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Scouts from the Brewers and Orioles watched as Aaron Harang pitched in a minor league game today, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. Harang, who doesn’t have a clear role on the Dodgers’ pitching staff at this point, pitched three scoreless innings. The 34-year-old appears to be a likely trade candidate given his team’s pitching depth.

Harang started 31 games for the Dodgers last year, posting a 3.61 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 179 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old will earn $7MM in 2013 and his contract includes a $7MM mutual option with a $2MM buyout for 2014. 

The Brewers and Orioles have relatively young rotations that include considerable uncertainty, so it’s not surprising to see these clubs linked to Harang. Both Milwaukee and Baltimore expressed interest in free agent starters this winter but ultimately stuck with mostly internal options. Teams such as the Indians, Twins, Pirates and Mets were linked to Harang earlier this offseason.

Cafardo On Red Sox, Vazquez, Stanton, Cano

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that even though the 2013 Red Sox may not knock your socks off, they could still be extremely effective.  In theory, Boston could have used their wiggle room on the likes of Josh Hamilton, Adam LaRoche, and Cody Ross.  Instead, the club's shopping spree yielded Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, Jonny Gomes, David Ross, Stephen Drew, and Ryan Dempster.  However, the BoSox have set themselves up for bigger things in the long run and they could still be competitive in '13.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • The Red Sox, Nationals, Yankees, Orioles, and Brewers had major interest in free agent pitcher Javier Vazquez before knee surgery put his season in jeopardy. “Never say never,” said a major league source close to the hurler, “but we won’t see him in the immediate future.”
  • One AL executive cautions not to rule out the Tigers as a major player for the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton when the time comes. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski has strong ties to the Marlins from his time with them and may have the chips to get a deal done.  Detroit could use third baseman/outfielder Nick Castellanos, outfielder Avisail Garcia, righty Rick Porcello, and others to entice Miami.
  • One NL executive says that he is envious of the position that Robinson Cano finds himself in.  “He’s going to have the Yankees and the Dodgers offering him a record amount of money,” said the exec.  GM Brian Cashman says he has already offered a “significant” contract, but there's no reason for the Scott Boras client to take the deal when considering how much the Dodgers may be willing to bid.
  • Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur had the worst WAR among everyday players last season, but at age 29, he feels that he is just entering his prime.  It appears that the Royals would be willing to move him and his strong arm in the outfield could attract interest.

2014 Vesting Options

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Recently, I crunched the numbers on vesting options from the last three years and found that just over 29% of them were triggered.  Which players can lock in their 2014 options based on their performance this season?  Let's take a look..

  • Kurt Suzuki, Nationals: $9.25MM option vests with 113 starts in 2013.
  • Jamey Carroll, Twins: $2MM option vests with 401 plate appearances.
  • Wilson Betemit, Orioles: $3.2MM option vests with 324 plate appearances (combined 700 between 2012 and 2013).
  • Lance Berkman, Rangers: $13MM option vests with 550 plate appearances.
  • Roy Halladay, Phillies: $20MM option vests with 259 innings pitched (combined 415 innings pitched between '12 and '13).
  • Barry Zito, Giants: $18MM option vests with 200 innings pitched.
  • Johan Santana, Mets: $25MM option vests with 215 innings pitched or winning the 2013 Cy Young Award.

It's also worth noting that Francisco Liriano has a $8MM club option for 2014 with the Pirates, but it can vest at any of three levels, $5MM, $6MM, or $8MM, based on the number of days he is not on the DL this year with a recurrence of his right arm injury.

Offseason In Review: Baltimore Orioles

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The Orioles added outfield depth and bolstered their bench this winter. Yet Dan Duquette’s second offseason as the club’s top baseball executive was even quieter than his first. The Orioles spent with extreme caution this winter, even after making their first playoff appearance in 15 years.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

Needs Addressed

Duquette re-signed left fielder Nate McLouth to a deal that's both low-commitment and low upside. While McLouth hit respectably with the Orioles last year, recent history suggests he has become a below-average hitter (.221/.320/.346 batting line since 2010). It's possible Nolan Reimold will produce at the plate and McLouth will be the club's fourth outfielder, a role he may be better suited for given his struggles against left-handed pitching.

Manny Machado - Orioles (PW)

The club also bolstered its bench with a pair of former Twins: Danny Valencia and Alexi Casilla. Valencia could provide some pop against left-handers and Casilla, a switch-hitter, represents insurance in the event that Brian Roberts spends time on the disabled list.

The Orioles didn't sign any prominent free agents, but Duquette did add Jair Jurrjens on a low-risk deal. This move could pay off for the Orioles, who are positioned to create room in their rotation in case Jurrjens proves to be healthy. Still just 27, Jurrjens required only a minor league commitment.

The relatively quiet offseason seems to reflect confidence in internal options. Perhaps Chris Tillman and Miguel Gonzalez can build on last year’s success while Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman prepare themselves for significant MLB roles. There’s reason for optimism elsewhere, as Manny Machado prepares for his first full season and the bullpen returns undiminished.

Questions Remaining

The Orioles would look stronger now if they had found an everyday alternative to Roberts at second base. Or if they had added a number three starter to pair with Jason Hammel and Wei-Yin Chen atop a rotation that includes its share of uncertainty. Or if they had acquired an impact bat for left field or designated hitter.

Flirtations with Joe Saunders and other free agent starters didn’t develop. Nor did inquiries to the Diamondbacks regarding outfielders Justin Upton and Jason Kubel. The Orioles reportedly showed interest in free agent bats such as Josh Hamilton and Nick Swisher, only to see them sign elsewhere. 

There were potential upgrades available on the trade market (Kubel, Michael Morse) and in free agency (Cody Ross, Lance Berkman, Mike Napoli). Instead the Orioles are left with DH Wilson Betemit hitting right-handers and Valencia and others matching up against lefties. There’s no point in spending for the sake of spending, but the Orioles had real needs at a time that solutions were available in free agency. It would have been encouraging to see owner Peter Angelos spend on a power bat or a free agent starter.

Deal of Note

The Orioles didn’t sign any players to long-term deals this winter, but their leadership structure figures to remain in place for a while. The club extended Duquette and manager Buck Showalter through the 2018 season with deals that were completed last month. Both had strong cases for extensions. Duquette’s moves, particularly his ability to find quality pitching in unexpected places, led to the Orioles’ first playoff berth in 15 years. Showalter managed the pitching staff skillfully, coaxing 93 wins from a team picked by many to finish in last place. 

Overview

The Orioles enter the 2013 season with questions in the rotation, at second base and in left field. Some regression seems likely, especially in the stacked American League East. It’s a good thing the Orioles have experience proving doubters wrong. They know better than most that pre-season predictions can be wildly inaccurate.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Orioles Notes: Upton, Uehara, Urrutia

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A few notes on the Orioles..

  • The Orioles considered trading pitching for a hitter last offseason, but decided not to deal their young hurlers, Jayson Stark of ESPN reports. Stark says the Orioles would not include Dylan Bundy in a deal with the Diamondbacks for Justin Upton, and also ultimately passed on Jason Kubel. “Some of the bats that we could get would have improved our team,” says executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette. “But it wasn't a huge improvement. And we wanted to hold onto the pitching depth and see if we could utilize the pitching depth to have a competitive team. And we could always take a look at that [later].”
  • Koji Uehara thought he might return to Baltimore this offseason, Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun reports. "I thought that there would be a possibility [of playing in Baltimore], but I didn't especially put a lot of weight on each team or one particular team," says Uehara. "I thought that every team had a chance." The Red Sox signed Uehara to a one-year, $4.25MM deal in December.
  • Outfielder Henry Urrutia has finally arrived in the United States, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports writes. The 26-year-old Cuban defector received a $779K bonus from the Orioles in 2012, but had been in Haiti and has only now received a work visa. He will take a physical, then head to Orioles minor-league camp in Sarasota. The O's had intended to send Urrutia to Double-A Bowie last year, Kubatko notes.

East Notes: Young, Phillies, Orioles, Yankees

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Phillies offseason acquisition Michael Young won't come out and say it, but his frosty relationship with his former team's front office likely has to do with the Rangers' decision to put him on the trading block immediately following the 2010 World Series, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Statistically minded analysts don't love Young because of his relatively low walk totals and questions about his defense, but he's looking forward to having the chance to play third base in Philly.  Here's more out of the AL and NL East..

  • In a piece for Insider subscribers, ESPN.com's Jim Bowden has five crucial questions for the 2013 Phillies.  Ben Revere should have no problem manning center field, but Bowden is concerned about Delmon Young in right and the group of players vying for the job in left.  A last minute deal for Alfonso Soriano is still possible in his eyes but the veteran's below-average defense won't solve their issues.
  • The Orioles' bullpen was remarkably strong in 2012 and Matt Vensel of the Baltimore Sun asks if they can replicate their success this season.  The O's pen will look rather similar this season but the group's low strikeout totals coupled with the workload of Jim Johnson and Darren O'Day could raise issues for Baltimore.
  • After a relatively quiet offseason, the Yankees have a great deal of uncertainty surrounding them as they look ahead to April, writes Hal Bodley of MLB.com. 

AL Notes: Lohse, Cano, Granderson, Orioles

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MLBTR's Mark Polishuk examined the market for Kyle Lohse and wrote it would be very surprising to see the Royals make a move for him. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star agrees, even if a rash of injuries were to hit their starters, because the Royals are $10MM over their projected break-even point in payroll. Dutton adds James Shields, Ervin Santana, Jeremy Guthrie, and Wade Davis can't pitch poorly enough this spring to lose their spots in the rotation. Elsewhere around the American League:

  • The Yankees will not let the way Alex Rodriguez's ten-year, $275MM contract has panned out affect their negotiations with Robinson Cano, GM Brian Cashman told ESPN Radio's Ian O'Connor (transcript courtesy of ESPNNewYork.com). "There's only so much you can spend, but we'll look at Robbie as an individual, not as it relates to whatever we're doing with Alex Rodriguez and our commitment and the regression we have experienced with Alex," said Cashman.
  • The Yankees announced Curtis Granderson will miss the next ten weeks with a fractured right forearm after being hit with a pitch during today's Spring Training game. Non-roster invitees Matt Diaz and Juan Rivera plus minor leaguers Melky Mesa and Zoilo Almonte are the in-house candidates to replace the Yankees' leading home run hitter from a year ago, tweets the YES Network's Jack Curry.
  • If the Yankees do go outside the organization to replace Granderson, they can find a better option toward the end of camp, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. 
  • A deal for Alfonso Soriano could make sense for the Yankees and the Cubs have made it clear to the industry they would be willing to pay much of the $36MM owed Soriano for the next two years, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter links).
  • Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com asked if the Yankees turn to Vernon Wells to replace Granderson. If so, the Angels would still have to eat a majority of the $42MM due Wells over the next two years (Twitter links).
  • Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters, including CSNBaltimore.com's Rich Dubroff, he's satisfied with the DH candidates already in camp and will not scour the free agent market. "We’re answering the questions here,” Showalter said. “We’re going to find it right here. We spent a lot of time getting this group in. We’re going to look in our backyard." Wilson Betemit is the main candidate to DH against right-handers while Russ Canzler and Danny Valencia are the favorites against left-handers. Dubroff also sees Nolan Reimold in the mix as well as regulars whom Showalter wants to give a breather.

 

AL East Notes: Yankees, De La Rosa, Red Sox, Orioles

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Here's the latest out of the American League East..

  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com ran down his likes and dislikes on the Yankees this season.  Heyman likes that the Bombers have kept their strong rotation in tact and believes that even though they acted like a small-market team this winter, they will go out and spend in July if they need to.  Meanwhile, Heyman is concerned about the club's age and lack of depth in the minors.
  • Pedro Martinez believes that Rubby De La Rosa, one of the key pieces of the Red Sox's blockbuster trade with the Dodgers, has a chance to be "someone special", writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.  De La Rosa is rebounding from Tommy John surgery and will see his innings capped in 2013.
  • Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com wonders if quality is more important than quantity when it comes to a team's farm system.  The Orioles had just two players ranked in the Baseball America top 100 prospects list this year, with Dylan Bundy at No. 2 and Kevin Gausman at No. 26.  Manny Machado also would have been towards the very top of the list had he qualified for rookie status.
  • Orioles reliever Darren O'Day told the local press, including CSNBaltimore.com (video link) that he is especially happy to have a contract extension with the club given the way that he has bounced around in the past.  O'Day inked a two-year extension with a club option for 2015.

AL East Notes: Britton, Posada, Yankees

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The Yankees and Orioles won 90-plus games in 2012, but they're candidates to regress in 2013, according to MLBTR readers. Those two AL East clubs were by far the most popular answers to the question 'which 90-win team will disappoint in 2013.' Here's more from the division…

  • One rival executive expects the Orioles to discuss trades involving left-hander Zach Britton later in the spring, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Orioles have limited roster spots and lots of young arms, including Britton and Jake Arrieta. Troy Renck of the Denver Post suggests the Rockies will call later on in Spring Training (Twitter link).
  • Jorge Posada, now a guest instructor with the Yankees, says he's not going to be coming out of retirement any time soon, Jack Curry of the YES Network reports (on Twitter). "I have no interest in playing ball," Posada said.
  • While the Yankees are optimistic about their chances in 2013, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that others are skeptical. One GM has his doubts that the Yankees will be playing in October. "I don't think they are a playoff team," the GM said. A second GM wondered why they weren't more aggressive this past offseason and an owner suggested they're "a little long in the tooth."
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