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Orioles, Brian Matusz Nearing Deal

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The Orioles are nearing a deal with arbitration eligible left-hander Brian Matusz, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (on Twitter). The Orioles have yet to complete a deal with the Excel Sports Management client.

Matusz, 25, is arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason following a year in which he posted a 4.87 ERA in 98 innings as a starter and reliever. The super two player had a projected $1MM salary, Matt Swartz anticipated for MLBTR.

Matusz is one of Baltimore's seven remaining arb eligible players, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. Chris Davis, Jason Hammel, Jim Johnson, Darren O'Day, Troy Patton and Matt Wieters are the others.

Orioles, Tommy Hunter Avoid Arbitration

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The Orioles announced that they've avoided arbitration with right-hander Tommy Hunter (Twitter link). The sides agreed to a one-year contract worth $1.82MM, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).

Hunter, 26, had been arbitration eligible for the first time. The Moye Sports Associates client posted a 5.45 ERA in 133 2/3 innings as a starter and reliever for Baltimore in 2012. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz correctly ancipated that Hunter's salary would fall in the $1.8MM range.

Baltimore has seven remaining arb eligible players, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows: Chris Davis, Jason Hammel, Jim Johnson, Brian Matusz, Darren O'Day, Troy Patton and Matt Wieters. The Orioles are nearing a deal with Matusz.

Quick Hits: Blum, Webb, Orioles, Padres

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Utility infielder Geoff Blum's ready to call it a playing career after 14 seasons in the big leagues, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. After spending five years with the Astros over two different stints, Blum will return to Houston to join the club's television broadcasting team on a part-time basis. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the league…

  • The Rockies remain interested in former Cy Young winner Brandon Webb, who plans to set a date to throw in front of teams in the near future, reports the Denver Post's Troy Renck (via Twitter). Webb, 34 this spring, last appeared in the big leagues in April 2009.
  • The Orioles have a few free agents for other teams to consider ranging from a sure-fire Hall of Famer to a utility infielder who will most likely use Twitter to announce his next stop, says Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com.  
  • The offseason doesn't always mean vacations or relaxing poolside for younger players in the Padres organization as the salary of a minor leaguer often fails to cover the bills, writes Corey Brock of MLB.com. 

East Notes: Orioles, Mets, Wilson, Blue Jays

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We know that the Orioles aren't looking to trade J.J. Hardy based on recent comments from manager Buck Showalter, but that doesn't mean that Baltimore won't look to make other deals.  "I know from talking to Peter [Angelos], if there's a deal there that everybody thinks works, we're going to go. Nobody's scared here.  Nobody's afraid to make a deal here. Trust me. Trust me. It's just, we've got to get the right one," said the skipper, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter).  Here's more out of the AL and NL East..

  • The Mets are reportedly showing serious interest in Brian Wilson, but Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (onTwitter) doesn't see a signing in the immediate future.  At this stage, Rubin is told that Wilson still has a ways to go after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. 
  • Don't look for the Mets to actively pursue Grady Sizemore thanks to an outfield already full of left-handed hitters, adds Rubin (via Twitter). The former Indians star's health remains an issue heading into 2013 as Sizemore works to recover from microfracture surgery on his knee.
  • Other teams in the AL East, like the Blue Jays, claim that they're not building with the idea of pouncing while the Yankees are cost-conscious, but Ken Davidoff of the New York Post isn't necessarily buying it.  Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has said that his club has a three-to-five-year window to seriously contend, and a person familiar with the the Blue Jays’ internal discussions says that it ties back into the Yankees’ apparent weakening and the Red Sox's disappointing 2012.
  • The Red Sox have high hopes for their recently-replenished youth movement, writes Tim Britton of The Providence Journal.  Boston has placed a greater emphasis on developing talent from within their system ever since their August trade with the Dodgers.

Daniel Seco contributed to this post.

AL East Notes: Dickerson, Hardy, Orioles, Red Sox

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Here's today's look at the American League East..

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Dickerson, Cabrera, Hendrickson, Neal

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Earlier today we learned the Phillies signed Rodrigo Lopez to a minor league deal, now here are the rest of Saturday's minor moves…

  • The Yankees have released Chris Dickerson according to the MLB.com transactions page. New York designated the 30-year-old outfielder for assignment after claiming Russ Canzler last week. Dickerson hit .316/.417/.515 in Triple-A last year and received a September call-up.
  • Fernando Cabrera signed a minor league deal with the Angels, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Cabrera, 31, owns a 5.24 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 across parts of seven career big league seasons. The right-handed reliever spent last season with the Mets' Triple-A affiliate.
  • Mark Hendrickson will have a tryout with the Orioles during their mini-camp next week, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com (Twitter links). The 39-year-old left-hander has not appeared in the big leagues since 2011, and Kubatko says he's trying to reinvent himself as a sidearmer.
  • The Indians have released Thomas Neal, the team announced (Twitter links). The 25-year-old outfielder was designated for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster for Nick Swisher earlier this month. The team says they have interest in re-signing Neal, who hit .314/.400/.467 in Double-A last season.

Orioles Avoid Arbitration With Nolan Reimold

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6:28pm: Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun reports (on Twitter) that Reimold received $1MM, exactly as Swartz's model projected.

5:58pm: The Orioles have avoided arbitration with Nolan Reimold, the team announced. The ACES client received a one-year contract. Financial terms are unknown, but Matt Swartz projected the outfielder to earn $1MM in 2013.

Reimold, 29, hit .313/.333/.627 with five homers in 69 plate appearances last year, though his season ended in late-April due to a neck injury that required surgery. He's a .261/.338/.455 career hitter in 916 plate appearances, with most of his playing time coming in 2009 and 2011.

The Orioles have eight unsigned arbitration-eligible players, as our Arbitration Tracker shows: Chris Davis Jason Hammel, Tommy Hunter, Jim Johnson, Brian Matusz, Darren O'Day, Troy Patton, and Matt Wieters.

AL East Notes: Jeter, Morse, Red Sox, Duquette

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The Yankees could have another tricky negotiation with Derek Jeter on the horizon, writes Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York.  Jeter is entering the last guaranteed year of his current deal and he holds a 2014 player option worth $9.5MM ($8MM in base salary plus $1.5MM that Jeter has thus far earned in incentives).  If Jeter comes back from offseason ankle surgery and continues to hit well, the Yankee icon will surely be looking for a longer commitment beyond 2014.  Knowing the Yankees' stance on extensions, however, I'd expect the team to not discuss another deal with Jeter until after the 2014 season, when Jeter will be 40 years old and the Bombers will have a better idea if their captain is worth another multiyear contract.

Here are the latest items from around the AL East…

  • The Yankees have "nothing alive" with the Nationals in regards to a deal for Michael Morse, reports Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees blog (Twitter link).  New York was one of several teams interested in Morse, who has been on the trade block since the Nats re-signed Adam LaRoche.
  • In an interview on WEEI radio's Hot Stove Show (partial transcription from WEEI.com's Kirk Minihane), Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said that there is no news about the team and Mike Napoli.  The Sox are continuing to talk with Napoli while also exploring other options at first base.
  • Speaking of those first base options, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the Red Sox "have explored" signing Casey Kotchman and Nick Johnson and also checked in with the Mariners about a trade for Justin Smoak.
  • The Orioles are looking for pitching depth as they head into Spring Training, executive VP Dan Duquette tells MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli.  Though the O's haven't made any major transactions this winter, Duquette believes his team has improved itself, though he did vaguely mention a few deals that didn't happen.  "We looked around the industry for that middle-of-the-order bat," Duquette said. "There was one free agent that was a significant player. There have been some other players available in a trade that I'm not sure they were better than what we had, and the cost of the acquisition has been a little pricey for us."

Beltway Links: Nationals, Morse, McLouth, Orioles

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Mike Morse remains a prime piece of trade bait and earlier this afternoon we learned Adam LaRoche sought a no-trade clause as part of his new two-year deal with the Nationals. He did not receive one, however. Here's the latest on the Nats and Orioles…

  • Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) doesn't see the Nationals getting much for Morse. The 30-year-old is eligible for free agency next fall and GMs aren't eager to give up good prospects for a player in that situation. Some GMs have told Olney privately that while they like Morse, they can't see surrendering much for him due to his defensive shortcomings and lengthy injury history.
  • Meanwhile, MLB.com's Matthew Leach says Morse is a very intriguing trade chip for the Nationals. He lists the Orioles, Yankees, Giants, Mariners, Rays, and Rangers as clubs who could have interest in the slugger.
  • Nate McLouth says he re-signed with the Orioles in large part because of the team chemistry in Baltimore, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The outfielder inked a one-year, $2MM deal with the O's in December.
  • Jonathan Bernhardt of Sports on Earth argues that the Orioles' lack of activity this offseason was the best of several bad options.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Tigers, Cubs, Orioles Discussed Three-Way Deal

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The Tigers and Cubs are discussing a potential three-way trade that would send Rick Porcello to Chicago with the Orioles as the third party, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.  The Tigers want Baltimore involved because they want shortstop J.J. Hardy and they don't feel that the Cubs have the necessary components to make it a two-team trade.

For the O's to part ways with Hardy in a deal, the Cubs would have to send pitching to the Orioles.  However, Kubatko thinks that the O's will have to be overwhelmed by an offer in order to part with Hardy.  Dan Duquette & Co. are happy with the left side of their infield and they don't intend on moving Manny Machado to shortstop this year.

The Orioles are also one of the teams that are interested in Porcello and it's logical to think that they could just hammer out a two-team swap with the Tigers instead.  The Padres, Mariners, and Pirates have also expressed interest in the right-hander recently.  The 24-year-old posted a 4.59 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 53.2% ground ball rate last season and is under team control through 2015.

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