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Quick Hits: Braves, Fielder, Reds, Cespedes, Dodgers

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On this day last year, the Rangers traded Frank Francisco and cash considerations to the Blue Jays for Mike Napoli.  Toronto pulled the trigger on the swap just four days after acquiring Napoli from the Halos.  Here's a look at tonight's links..

  • The Braves have set a player payroll budget of $94MM for this year, leaving them with several million dollars still to spend, chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk told Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  McGuirk also said that Liberty Media has expressed no intention of selling the club in the near future.  Also of note is that the club is locked into a 25-year local TV deal that will prevent the franchise from cashing in on MLB’s trend toward higher telecast rights fees.
  • The Rangers' bid for Prince Fielder was much shorter than nine years, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
  • The Reds are probably done handing out big league deals this offseason, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  Earlier tonight, the club reached agreement on a minor league deal with Jeff Francis.
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter) ranked Yoenis Cespedes' most probable destinations in the following order: Cubs, Marlins, Orioles, and White Sox.
  • Peter Ueberroth says he's heard from several groups bidding on the Dodgers but rebuffed them all, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
  • C. Trent Rosecrans of CBSSports.com examined what's left on the open market.
  • Free agent Raul Ibanez believes that a three-day session that he had in December with Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo will be key to a bounce back season in 2012.  Last season, Ibanez hit .245/.289/.419 in 575 plate appearances for the Phillies.
  • Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette is zeroed in on improving the club's on-base percentage this winter, writes Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun.
  • Rival executives applaud Fielder for signing on with a winning club rather than signing with a struggling club just for the money, Heyman tweets.

Rosenthal On Fukudome, Uehara, Orioles, Jackson

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A look at the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • Kosuke Fukudome wants to remain in the majors, according to a source with knowledge of his thinking.  Some executives, however, believe he could end up back in Japan.  The Brewers had interest in Fukudome before signing Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki.
  • Rangers right-hander Koji Uehara enjoyed his time so much in Baltimore that he recommended the Orioles to the two free-agents the team signed out of the Japanese league, Tsuyoshi Wada and Wei-Yin Chen, according to a major-league source.  A trade back to the O's is possible for Uehara, who rejected a deal to the Blue Jays this week.
  • The Red Sox are talking to Edwin Jackson, who might be open to a one-year pact. However, one executive points out that the AL East isn't an easy landing spot for a starting pitcher. If Jackson signs for one year, he might be better off in the NL, where he could produce better numbers before trying the open market again.
  • The bright side of the Nationals’ failure to sign Prince Fielder is that it allows the club to retain positional flexibility, particularly in center field.  A long-term deal for the slugger eventually might have pushed the Nats to use an outfield of Michael Morse in left, Jayson Werth in center and Bryce Harper in right.  Now, they can move Morse to first after Adam LaRoche plays out his contract this season and go after a center fielder.

Uehara, Feldman Drawing Interest

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Rangers right-hander Koji Uehara is drawing “considerable interest,” MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reports. A possible deal with the Blue Jays fell through, but the Orioles are intrigued and other teams have shown more interest than Baltimore.

Scott Feldman has also drawn interest, Sullivan reports. However, the 28-year-old right-hander will make $6.5MM in 2012 with a $9.25MM club option for 2013 ($600K buyout), and he spent much of the 2011 season recovering from a winter knee operation. I expect the Rangers would pick up the majority of Feldman’s contract in any trade. He posted a 3.94 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 32 innings in the second half of last season.

Uehara posted a 2.35 ERA with 11.8 K/9 and 1.2 BB/9 in 65 innings for the Orioles and Rangers in 2011. However, he allowed 11 regular season home runs and three more in the postseason. He'll earn $4MM in 2012.

Orioles, Robert Andino Avoid Arbitration

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The Orioles announced that they have avoided arbitration with infielder Robert Andino. As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, the Orioles submitted a $1MM offer, while Andino and his representatives at Legacy Sports Group asked for $1.6MM. The sides settled at the midpoint for a $1.3MM salary, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets.

Andino, 27, posted a .263/.327/.344 line in 511 plate appearances while playing second, third, shortstop and left field in 2011. He's arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason and will remain under team control through 2014. The Orioles have unresolved arbitration cases with Brad Bergesen, Jeremy Guthrie and Adam Jones.

Prince Fielder Talks May Conclude Today

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There's something close to a final four for Prince Fielder at this point in the sweepstakes for the free agent first baseman. There was lots of buzz about the Nationals, Orioles and Rangers yesterday, though their level of interest remains unclear. Here are the latest updates, with the most recent rumors up top:

  • There is no deal in place despite some recent confusion on Twitter, Scott Boras told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link).
  • The Marlins and Orioles are not in the mix on Fielder, tweets Rosenthal. He confirms that the Nationals appear to be the favorites.
  • The Nationals must have decided they're willing to offer more than six years, Heyman tweets.
  • Fielder is expected to get at least seven years, maybe even eight according to Heyman (on Twitter). 
  • ESPN's Buster Olney heard speculation that the Tigers would be a fit on a one-year deal, which would allow Fielder to hit the market next winter, when the Mets and Dodgers could have new ownership (Twitter links).
  • The Rangers believe they are out of the bidding for Fielder, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Talks have accelerated and could conclude today, according to Nightengale. The Nationals appear to be the favorites to sign the first baseman.
  • GM Dan Duquette said he's not sure the Orioles are that interested in Fielder, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. "Lots of teams are interested in power-hitting left-handed batters, so I guess you can put us in that group," Duquette said.
  • There are indications that four or five finalists for Fielder exist, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes. Some say the Nationals are reluctant to offer an “ultra long” deal.
  • One GM wonders if agent Scott Boras will wait until outgoing Dodgers owner Frank McCourt picks a winning bidder for the club, ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes. Boras could then sell the incoming owner on Fielder before the sale of the team becomes official. It's a risky strategy since Spring Training is just a month away and the intentions of the new owner aren't yet known.
  • The Fielder sweepstakes are nearing their conclusion and the Nationals are a leading contender for him, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Some members of the Nationals’ ownership would prefer to play Adam LaRoche at first in 2012, then acquire a center fielder and move Michael Morse to first base in 2013, Rosenthal writes.

Orioles Sign Wilson Betemit

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1:01pm: Betemit obtains a $3MM guarantee and the deal could be worth up to $6MM, tweets Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun.

9:44am: The Orioles announced that they have signed Wilson Betemit to a two-year, Major League contract that includes a vesting option for 2014.  Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com adds that Betemit will be Baltimore's primary DH and that the option is based on plate appearances (Twitter links).  Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun first reported the move (via Twitter).  Betemit is represented by the Wasserman Media Group.

The 30-year-old utilityman hit .285/.343/.452 for the Royals and Tigers last season, starting at third in K.C. until Mike Moustakas was called up and then was dealt to Detroit as a hot corner alternative to Brandon Inge.  Betemit has experience playing all over the diamond but has mostly played third base for the last two seasons.  He could well play third again in Baltimore if the O's again become frustrated with Mark Reynolds' defense, but the switch-hitting Betemit provides depth in several spots for the club, including designated hitter.

Orioles Designate Rick VandenHurk For Assignment

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The Orioles announced that they designated right-hander Rick VandenHurk for assignment to create roster space for infielder Wilson Betemit.

VandenHurk, 26, has experience in five big league seasons, but he appeared in just four games for the 2011 Orioles. He spent most of the season as a starter at Triple-A, where he posted a 4.43 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 154 1/3 innings. The 6'5" native of the Netherlands has a 5.97 ERA with 8.8 K/9, 4.7 BB/9 and a 27.9% ground ball rate in 181 career innings with the Marlins and Orioles.

Angels, Jays, Orioles, Phillies Are Pursuing Cordero

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6:54pm: Bean Stringfellow, Cordero's agent, wouldn't comment on whether the Angels were looking at Cordero as a closer or as Jordan Walden's setup man, reports DiGiovanna.  Stringfellow called it "a delicate situation."

6:21pm: The Angels, Blue Jays, Orioles and Phillies are all pursuing Cordero, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).  These could well be the four finalists Gonzalez referenced.

5:29pm: Free agent reliever Francisco Cordero expects to sign with a new team by the end of the week, reports MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez.  Four clubs are finalists for Cordero; Gonzalez's source identifies the Angels as one of the four, but the Rays are not in the mix.  One of the unknown teams "is a championship-contending team looking to slot [Cordero] in the eighth inning," and Gonzalez speculates this could be the Phillies, looking at Cordero as Jonathan Papelbon's setup man.

The Angels, Red Sox, Reds and Orioles have all been linked to Cordero this winter, though Boston's acquisitions of Andrew Bailey and Mark Melancon probably eliminate them from the hunt.  The Reds are probably also out due to their signing of Ryan Madson, though they fit Gonzalez's description of a title contender and Cordero could be open to remaining in a familiar environment to chase a World Series.

Prince Fielder Rumors: Monday

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It's hard to imagine that anything's holding back the market for Prince Fielder at this point. Albert Pujols signed more than a month ago, Yu Darvish and the Rangers worked out a deal, and agent Scott Boras has taken the time to introduce Fielder to some MLB owners. It doesn't seem likely that a new suitor for the powerful free agent first baseman will emerge if Boras continues waiting, since the sale of the Dodgers won't be completed on time to convince the new ownership group of Fielder's value. We're left with rumors linking Fielder to the Nationals, Rangers, Mariners, Dodgers, Cubs and Orioles, but not much certainty. Here are the latest updates on Fielder, with the most recent notes up top:

  • A Nationals source says he would be "stunned" to see the Nats give Fielder a contract for longer than seven years, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.  Kilgore also looks at some other recent contracts for slugging first basemen and predicts Fielder will receive a seven-year, $170MM deal with whatever team signs him.
  • The Orioles haven't met with Boras and don't have a meeting scheduled, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. There's some interest, depending on Boras' asking price, but Kubatko doesn't expect the Orioles to chase Fielder. "They're nowhere near being in position to sign him," he writes.
  • One GM told Rosenthal that the Rangers are in on Fielder "hard," though others say the Rangers won't go heavy on years (Twitter link).
  • The Orioles are "definitely in on" Fielder and there's plenty of motivation to sign him, Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio and MLB.com tweets. Duquette is a former Orioles GM who's the cousin of current GM Dan Duquette. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out that interest from the Orioles and Nationals gives Boras leverage (Twitter link).
  • The Nationals are a finalist for Fielder, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. The Rangers and at least one other club are still in the running for him.
  • There's now "something close to a final four" for Fielder, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
  • The Rangers' management team is in the Dominican Republic for the next week, so it's doubtful the team will sign Fielder in the near future, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
  • The Nationals continue to work on a deal for Fielder, but there was no agreement as of last night, tweets Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel repeats (on Twitter) that there's no deal at the moment.

Quick Hits: Pineda, Posada, White Sox, Dodgers

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Today the Yankees and Mariners announced the trade that will send right-handers Michael Pineda and Jose Campos to New York for catcher/DH Jesus Montero and right-hander Hector Noesi. Here are some links for Monday, starting with a couple of notes related to the blockbuster swap…

  • In this week’s edition of Ask BA, Jim Callis of Baseball America explains that he prefers Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish over Pineda in the long term. However, Pineda isn't far behind Darvish in Callis’ estimation.
  • One scout says Noesi could be the "surprise piece" for the Mariners, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
  • Jorge Posada will discuss his retirement at a press conference at Yankee Stadium tomorrow morning, the Yankees announced. News broke a couple of weeks ago that the long time backstop has decided to call it a career.
  • Pita Rona, a 17-year-old New Zealand native, signed with the Orioles, TVNZ reports. Director of international operations David Stockstill and GM Dan Duquette confirmed the move. New Zealand has yet to produce a Major League player.
  •  The White Sox announced that they promoted former player and manager Buddy Bell to the role of VP, player development and special assignments.
  • The first financial proposals to buy the Dodgers arrived over the weekend and the soft deadline for submissions is today, Yahoo’s Tim Brown tweets.
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