Duquette On Guthrie, Bullpen, Manny
With starter Jeremy Guthrie entering his contract year, Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette felt compelled to send him to the Rockies for pitchers Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom, who can both be controlled for 2013. Duquette praised the strikeout-to-walk ratios of his new additions. Other notes from Duquette's conference call today:
- Duquette feels Hammel essentially replaces Guthrie's innings in the rotation, and Lindstrom represents a power arm at the back of the Orioles' bullpen. By the way, for the latest bullpen depth charts check out RotoAuthority, and for breaking news about stoppers follow @closernews on Twitter.
- Duquette didn't care to speculate on whether the Orioles would have retained Guthrie had he settled a month ago on a figure closer to the team's $7.25MM submission. He did note that he didn't think that salary was possible unless they won a hearing. Upon the trade Guthrie ended up settling below the midpoint, at $8.2MM.
- "We didn't have any offers of young prospects for Jeremy," Duquette told reporters.
- The Orioles top exec wouldn't comment on the Rangers' Koji Uehara, but he did say, "We would still like to strengthen our bullpen between now and Spring Training."
- Duquette admitted he's had exploratory talks with Manny Ramirez's agent and the Orioles have seen him work out, but added, "We are still considering the composition of this club, and some of the challenges of integrating a player like Manny into our ballclub and market."
Rockies To Acquire Guthrie For Hammel, Lindstrom
"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Baltimore anymore," tweeted righty Jeremy Guthrie this morning after learning he'd been traded from the Orioles to the Rockies. The clubs reached an agreement that sends Guthrie to Colorado for pitchers Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun first reported the near-deal, which has now been officially announced.
Guthrie's arbitration hearing against the Orioles was scheduled for this morning with a $7.25MM-$10.25MM spread, but his agent Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA Sports tweeted today he reached an agreement on a one-year deal that fits "within the Rockies' payroll structure" and is "a showing of good faith." Connolly says Guthrie settled with the Rockies at $8.2MM, which is $550K below the midpoint. With the Orioles, a hearing had "seemed possible and even likely," tweeted Van Wagenen.
Guthrie, 32, had been a regular in Baltimore's rotation since being claimed off waivers from the Indians five years ago. Last year he posted a 4.33 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1.13 HR/9, and 39.6% groundball rate in 208 innings for the Orioles. His skills suggest a 200-inning, 4.50 ERA guy in the AL East. Guthrie (pictured) will be a useful addition for a Rockies rotation long on options but short on stability, assuming his proclivity to surrender home runs doesn't worsen in Coors Field. Guthrie will be eligible for free agency after the season, and I would not expect draft pick compensation.
Hammel, 29, posted a 4.76 ERA, 5.0 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 1.11 HR/9, and 43.9% groundball rate in 170 1/3 innings last year. Acquired from the Rays three years ago, Hammel has given the Rockies 170+ innings in each season since the trade. Prior to 2011, Hammel's skills suggested a pitcher capable of a sub-4.00 ERA. In 2011, however, he was demoted to the Rockies' bullpen in August. He'll earn $4.75MM in 2012 and will be arbitration eligible for 2013.
Lindstrom, 31, posted a 3.00 ERA, 6.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 0.50 HR/9, and 47.3% groundball rate in 54 innings last year for the Rockies. His strikeout rates have always seemed low for someone averaging a 96 mile-per-hour fastball. Lindstrom, who was acquired in December 2010 from the Astros, is owed $3.6MM for 2012 and has a $4MM club option for '13. Interestingly, Guthrie and Lindstrom both put their baseball careers on hold for two-year Mormon missions in their lives.
With the trade, Orioles vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette has subtracted his rotation's one sure thing in favor of Hammel, who was demoted from the Rockies' rotation last summer. He did acquire two pitchers for the price of one, as well as potential 2013 control for each. Noted Duquette on today's conference call, "We didn't have any offers of young prospects for Jeremy." Duquette has hooked up with Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd for trades twice before, when the former was at the helm of the Red Sox.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Orioles Designate Clay Rapada For Assignment
The Orioles designated lefty Clay Rapada for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot in the wake of their recent two-for-one trade, tweets MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli.
Rapada, 31 in March, has tallied 52 2/3 big league innings for the Tigers, Cubs, Rangers, and Orioles across five seasons. He's done a nice job against lefties in 34 2/3 career innings.
Rockies Close To Acquiring Jeremy Guthrie
The Rockies and Orioles are nearing an agreement that would send starter Jeremy Guthrie to Colorado, most likely for pitchers Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Connolly believes a third piece for the Orioles was discussed, but the sides settled on Hammel and Lindstrom. Guthrie's arbitration hearing was scheduled for this morning, but is believed to have been postponed. With a $3MM gap, the righty's arbitration case has a sizeable spread.
Guthrie, 32, has been a regular in Baltimore's rotation since being claimed off waivers from the Indians five years ago. Last year he posted a 4.33 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1.13 HR/9, and 39.6% groundball rate in 208 innings for the Orioles. His skills suggest a 200-inning, 4.50 ERA guy in the AL East. Guthrie will be a useful addition for a Rockies rotation long on options but short on stability, assuming his proclivity to surrender home runs doesn't worsen. Guthrie will be eligible for free agency after the season.
Hammel, 29, posted a 4.76 ERA, 5.0 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 1.11 HR/9, and 43.9% groundball rate in 170 1/3 innings last year. Acquired from the Rays three years ago, Hammel has given the Rockies 170+ innings in each of his seasons. Prior to 2011, Hammel's skills suggested a pitcher capable of a sub-4.00 ERA. In 2011, however, he was moved to the Rockies' bullpen in August. He'll earn $4.75MM in 2012 and will be arbitration eligible for 2013.
Lindstrom, 31, posted a 3.00 ERA, 6.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 0.50 HR/9, and 47.3% groundball rate in 54 innings last year for the Rockies. His strikeout rates have always seemed low for someone averaging a 96 mile-per-hour fastball. Lindstrom, who was acquired in December 2010 from the Astros, is owed $3.6MM for 2012 and has a $4MM club option for '13.
With the trade, Orioles vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette has subtracted his rotation's one sure thing in favor of Hammel, who was demoted from the Rockies' rotation last summer. He did acquire two pitchers for the price of one, as well as potential 2013 control for each.
This post was first published the morning of February 6th.
Poll: Which Team Will Sign Manny Ramirez?
Manny Ramirez‘s comeback attempt isn’t your typical feel good comeback story. He abruptly retired last April following a second failed PED test, and several of his former employers had grown tired of his Manny Being Manny act. His offensive production started to wane with age, and he never had much defensive value during his career.
Ramirez, 40 in May, is one of the best hitters of his generation however, a .312/.411/.585 career hitter with 547 doubles and 555 homers. He reached base just once (a single) in 17 plate appearances with the Rays last year before calling it quits, but his comeback attempt is sincere. He’s open to a minor league contract and was scheduled to work out for teams last month. Given his career earnings — nearly $207MM according to Baseball-Reference — it’s hard to believe Ramirez is trying to get back in the game for money.
Manny is reportedly deciding between three teams at the moment: the Athletics, Blue Jays, and Orioles. All three clubs need a DH-type bat, but he would have to serve a 50-game suspension before playing. The suspension will begin once he signs a contract. The Yankees, Rangers, and Mariners could all conceivably add a DH as well, but none of those clubs have been connected to Ramirez this offseason.
Which team will sign Manny Ramirez?
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Athletics 29% (6,376)
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No one will sign him 27% (6,023)
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Orioles 20% (4,558)
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Blue Jays 17% (3,873)
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Another team not listed 6% (1,432)
Total votes: 22,262
Orioles Links: Manny, Additions, Larish
Here's the latest from Baltimore…
- “[Manny Ramirez] is looking for a second chance. I think it is a good story, but that’s about all I can say about it right now," said Orioles GM Dan Duquette to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. The O's are one of three teams in the mix for Manny, though Connolly says it's unlikely the two sides are far along in process because there's so much baggage.
- Duquette also told Connolly that he's not necessarily done adding players to the big league roster. “We’re still talking to teams and there are a couple players we are interested in, but at this time of year people generally want to see what their (rosters) look like,” said the GM. “There are a couple unsigned players that might fit for us.”
- The Orioles signed utility man Jeff Larish according to his Facebook page. MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli reports (on Twitter) that it's a minor league contract without an invite to Spring Training. Larish, 29, hit .240/.330/.449 for the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate last year before breaking his leg. He's a .224/.308/.380 career hitter in 276 big league plate appearances, though he hasn't appeared in the show since 2010.
Manny Ramirez Deciding Between A’s, Orioles, Jays
FRIDAY: Ramirez is deciding between the Orioles, A's and Blue Jays, Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com reports (link in Spanish). Once he decides on a club, his agents will negotiate a possible deal.
THURSDAY: The Athletics and Orioles are the teams who are "most interested" in signing Manny Ramirez, tweets FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. The extent of either team's interest is unknown, as Rosenthal notes it's "unclear" if either team has made Ramirez a contract offer. In a follow-up tweet, Rosenthal says it's possible other teams could also be pursuing Ramirez.
The A's have been linked to Ramirez on a few occasions since the slugger announced he was returning to the Major Leagues. Both managing partner Lew Wolff and assistant GM David Forst have said the team is open to signing the embattled Ramirez, who will face a 50-game suspension for violating the MLB drug policy should he sign a new contract. Rosenthal notes that the A's are also still looking for relief help.
Oakland already has Chris Carter, Jonny Gomes, Seth Smith, Collin Cowgill and others in the mix for DH at-bats, so they could use Spring Training and the 50-game suspended period to evaluate what Ramirez has left in the tank. The O's, likewise, have Wilson Betemit, Chris Davis and Mark Reynolds as DH candidates, so Ramirez wouldn't be a pressing need for them either. Baltimore (and Toronto) sent scouts to see Ramirez hit in a batting cage last month.
One advantage in Ramirez's favor is that his asking price would be little more than $1MM, whereas other DH-types like Johnny Damon and Vladimir Guerrero are said to be looking for $5MM contracts.
Orioles Release Rick VandenHurk
FRIDAY: VandenHurk cleared waivers and was released, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
THURSDAY: The Orioles have placed Rick VandenHurk on release waivers, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). The right-hander, who was designated for assignment last week, could be claimed by another team before his release becomes official tomorrow.
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.
AL East Notes: Chavez, Ethier, Jones, Orioles, BoSox
Here's the latest from the AL East…
- Brian Cashman said there is still a chance Eric Chavez could return to the Yankees, reports ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand. Chavez could have the edge over other DH types like Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui since Chavez can still play the field.
- Mike Axisa of the River Avenue Blues blog sees Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier as an intriguing trade deadline possibility for the Yankees. Ethier would ideally be paired with Andruw Jones as a lefty-righty DH platoon.
- The Yankees still see Phil Hughes as a starting pitcher long-term and aren't likely to trade Hughes given that his trade value is "at a low point," writes MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Last month for Roto Authority, I wrote that Hughes could be a nice dark horse fantasy option if he's healthy and able to win the No. 5 spot in New York's rotation.
- Orioles GM Dan Duquette tells MASNsports.com's Steve Melewski that he wants to get Adam Jones' 2012 salary settled before exploring a multiyear extension with the center fielder. "I've said several times that we like Adam Jones as a player and if we were to consider a long-term deal, that is something that we can certainly consider," Duquette said.
- Melewski also reports that Jones' arbitration case is set to be heard on February 17. The Orioles' other two outstanding arb cases (Jeremy Guthrie and Brad Bergesen) are scheduled for February 6 and 8, respectively.
- The Orioles are still looking for another bat, and it will probably have to come through the free agent market, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The O's had "tepid interest" in Casey Kotchman but had already moved on before Kotchman agreed to terms with the Indians today.
- The Red Sox have hired veteran scout Gary Hughes as a special assistant to the club, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Hughes has spent 45 years in a variety of different scouting and front office positions for numerous teams, including the last nine years as Jim Hendry's special assistant with the Cubs.
- The New York Times Co. has sold 100 shares of its ownership stake in Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Red Sox, reports MLB.com's Evan Drellich. The sale will net $30MM for the Times Co. Between this and a larger sale in July, the Times Co. is down to roughly a third of the 750 units it bought in Fenway Sports Group in 2002. Major League Baseball still has to approve the sale.
Minor Moves: Fossum, Sanchez
Here's where we'll keep track of the day's minor moves…
- The Orioles have agreed to sign left-hander Casey Fossum to a minor league deal, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets. Fossum, 34, last pitched in the Major Leagues with the 2009 Mets. He spent the 2010 season in Japan, before posting a 6.56 ERA in 35 2/3 innings at Triple-A in 2011. Orioles general manager Dan Duquette selected Fossum in the first round of the 1999 draft when he was Boston's GM.
- Astros infielder Angel Sanchez cleared waivers and will be a non-roster invitee at Spring Training, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tweets. The 28-year-old appeared in 110 games for the Astros in 2011, playing shortstop, second and third. He posted a .240/.305/.285 line in 328 plate appearances, and the Astros designated him for assignment last week.