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Minor Moves: Rich Hill

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Let's keep track of the day's minor league signings right here…

  • The Red Sox have re-signed Rich Hill to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, reports John Tomase of The Boston Herald (on Twitter). The 31-year-old left-hander struck out a dozen in eight scoreless innings with the Sox last year before blowing out his elbow. He's currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

AL East Notes: Jurrjens, Chen, Longoria, Yankees

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Here's the latest from the AL East….

  • The Red Sox are not in on Jair Jurrjens, but the Orioles, Blue Jays, Rockies and Tigers remain in on the Braves right-hander, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
  • The Orioles are still interested in Chunichi Dragons left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, and the team has scouted Chen several times in Japan.  The O's were linked to Chen earlier this offseason and we've also heard that the PIrates had an interest in the free agent southpaw.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes predicted Chen could be signed for a contract in the neighborhood of four years and under $20MM.
  • Rays third baseman Evan Longoria texted the St. Petersburg Times (reported by The Times' Marc Topkin) to deny recent internet rumors that he wanted to leave Tampa Bay.  "I don't have any idea where that rumor came from! It's completely false,'' Longoria said.  "I've said from the start I love Tampa, I love the direction we are heading as a franchise and there is no better place for me to continue to grow as a player and person.''
  • The Yankees have been quiet this winter seemingly in an attempt to avoid a hefty luxury tax penalty next season, but one AL executive doesn't think this strategy will last.  "I think they can sit back right now," the anonymous exec told The Star-Ledger's Jeff Bradley, "because on paper they have a very strong team. But do I think the Yankees won't spend aggressively if they start to dip in the win column? Not a chance. I think they'll do what they have to do to win."
  • The Athletics wanted right-hander Noah Syndergaard from the Blue Jays as part of any trade for Gio Gonzalez, reported Jeff Blair on the Fan590's Prime Time Sports radio show (passed on by Andrew Stoeten of the Drunk Jays Fans blog.)  Syndergaard was drafted 38th overall by Toronto in the 2010 draft and has posted impressive numbers in his first two years of pro ball.
  • Earlier today, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith posted a collection of Red Sox notes.

Red Sox Notes: Kalish, Bailey, Reddick

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The Red Sox obtained Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney from the Athletics yesterday, sending Josh Reddick, Miles Head and Raul Alcantara to Oakland. Here's the latest on the Red Sox as reaction to and analysis of the trade continues…

  • Ryan Kalish says he had left shoulder surgery in November in addition to his September neck operation, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Kalish may be ready for game action by May or June, but he doesn’t have a clear timetable. The Red Sox have Sweeney and Darnell McDonald in right, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them pursue other options.
  • The Red Sox never got the sense that Ryan Madson’s price was going to drop enough to make him a viable option, tweets Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.
  • Bailey would have been traded to Texas if the Red Sox hadn't included Reddick in the deal, Peter Gammons of MLB Network tweets.
  • The Red Sox are now shooting for a starter, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Heyman lists Hiroki Kuroda, Matt Garza, Roy Oswalt, Joe Saunders and Edwin Jackson as possibilities.
  • Red Sox director of player development Ben Crockett told FanGraphs' David Laurila that Head can hit despite the fact that "he's not going to win any beauty contests." Jim Callis of Baseball America told Laurila that Head's stocky frame makes him difficult to project. "I do think he can hit, but he’s limited to playing first base and you just don’t see that many 5'10", 5'11" first basemen in the big leagues," he said.
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law says Oakland got fair value for Bailey, whose health is an unknown, and Sweeney, whose raw power hasn't translated during games. Reddick provides the Athletics with additional years of control and Head and Alcantara could also prove useful. However, the Red Sox aren't likely to miss the trio of players they gave up and they obtained a proven closer.

Red Sox Links: Bailey, Sweeney, Starting Pitchers

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The Red Sox officially replaced Jonathan Papelbon earlier today, acquiring Andrew Bailey (and Ryan Sweeney) from the Athletics for Josh Reddick and two prospects. Let's round up the latest from Boston, starting with GM Ben Cherington's conference call following today's trade, courtesy of WEEI.com's Rob Bradford…

  • "We’re going to continue to work," said Cherington about the team's pursuit of starting pitching. "We’re actively considering and looking at starting pitching options also, but we haven’t found one yet where we feel like the acquisition cost is the right one. That doesn’t mean that it won’t come. It just hasn’t come yet."
  • Cherington said they are comfortable with Bailey's injury history, which includes Tommy John surgery several years ago and another minor elbow procedure in 2010. Talks about the right-hander started way back during the season, when they were looking for bullpen help during the summer.
  • Sweeney will be in the right field mix, as will Mike Aviles and Darnell McDonald. Cherington said they've tried to acquire Sweeney in the past.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says the trade "looks like a steal" for the Red Sox, calling it the finest moment in Cherington's young career as GM.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports echoes what Cherington said in the conference call, that the Sox are exploring all avenues for rotation help (Twitter link)

Matt Garza Talks Heating Up

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5:12pm: The Cubs and Blue Jays continue to discuss a Garza deal, Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com tweets.  The Cubs seem to be prioritizing young starting pitching in talks about Garza, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. One executive told Heyman that the Yankees and Blue Jays have what it takes to acquire Garza.

12:53pm: Trade talks for Cubs starter Matt Garza are heating up, writes David Kaplan of Comcast Sportsnet Chicago.  Kaplan says the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Red Sox are involved, but the Cubs' asking price is "incredibly high."

Yesterday, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith took an in-depth look at Garza's contract situation; he's under team control through 2013.  Cubs president Theo Epstein said on Friday that Garza is "exactly type of pitcher we want to build around," but he'll listen on everybody.  So far this winter trade values have been established for Gio Gonzalez, Mat Latos, and Trevor Cahill, but all of them came with at least four years of team control.

Red Sox Acquire Andrew Bailey

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The Red Sox have acquired Andrew Bailey from the Athletics in a trade that will send Josh Reddick to Oakland and Ryan Sweeney to Boston, the teams announced. First base prospect Miles Head and right-handed pitching prospect Raul Alcantara are going to Oakland in the deal.

Andrew Bailey - A's

Bailey (pictured) figures to replace longtime closer Jonathan Papelbon at the back of Boston's bullpen in 2012. The 27-year-old right-hander posted a 3.24 ERA with 8.9 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 37.1% ground ball rate in 41 2/3 innings in 2011 after recovering a forearm strain that sidelined him early on in the season. MLBTR projects a $3.5MM salary for Bailey in 2012. The two-time All-Star and 2009 AL Rookie of the Year is under team control through 2014.

Reddick, 24, posted a .280/.327/.457 line in 278 plate appearances for the Red Sox this past season. The left-handed hitter got his first extended shot at Major League pitching in 2011, after posting a .278/.332/.500 line in parts of five minor leagues seasons. Reddick has big league experience at all three outfield positions and figures to get the chance to play every day in Oakland. He's under team control through 2016 and won't be arbitration eligible until after the 2013 campaign.

Sweeney, 27 in February, played all three outfield positions for the Athletics in 2011, posting a .265/.346/.341 line in 299 plate appearances. He has experience in parts of six big league seasons and will remain under team control through 2013. Sweeney's career UZR/150 of 9.2 suggests he's an above-average defender, and his numbers in right field are particularly impressive. MLBTR projects a 2012 salary of $1.6MM for Sweeney through arbitration.

Sweeney's a left-handed hitter who has a solid career line of .296/.352/.402 against right-handed pitching. However, GM Ben Cherington may want to pair him with someone who can hit left-handers given his career .233/.306/.289 line against southpaws. Ryan Kalish and Darnell McDonald (.285/.348/.451 career line against lefties) are internal candidates for the Red Sox to consider and right-handed hitting free agents Ryan Spilborghs and Cody Ross could also be fits.

The Red Sox selected Head, now 20, in the 26th round of the 2009 draft. He has posted a .274/.351/.446 line in 861 minor league plate appearances over the course of the past three seasons, but has yet to reach Double-A. Alcantara, who recently turned 19, has a 2.72 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 as a starter in 125 2/3 minor league innings. However, he has just four appearances above Rookie Ball.

Bailey will join the recently-acquired Mark Melancon in a new-look Red Sox bullpen. Boston may move  Daniel Bard to the rotation and Alfredo Aceves might also start, but Matt Albers, Scott Atchison, Bobby Jenks and Franklin Morales are candidates to contribute out of the bullpen in 2012.

ESPN.com's Buster Olney first reported the move (all Twitter links). Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

Latest On Andrew Bailey

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Athletics closer Andrew Bailey likely will be traded to the Red Sox or Rangers, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, who notes that both suitors have interest and the chips needed.  Earlier this month the Rangers won the right to negotiate with Yu Darvish and the Red Sox acquired Mark Melancon, but reports indicated both clubs remained interested in Bailey.  The Rangers might have an excess of starters if they sign Darvish and keep Alexi Ogando out of the 'pen.

In a report a week ago, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports noted that the Rays are also in on Bailey.

AL East Notes: Rays, Yankees, Danks, Red Sox

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Here's a look at some items out of the only division to produce three 90-win teams in 2011…

Quick Hits: Indians, Red Sox, Ortiz, Beltran, Orioles

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Some links as Sunday turns into Monday…

  • In a mailbag, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain-Dealer says he still expects the Indians to pursue a veteran hitter before the season. The Tribe recently made a run at Carlos Beltran.
  • Each year is a different story for the Red Sox, but the club typically meets its biggest needs in November and December, writes Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  However, since the current ownership group took over a decade ago, they have made some key additions in January and February, including their pickup of David Ortiz off of waivers in early 2003.
  • The Red Sox were among several suitors for Carlos Beltran who dangled the designated hitter spot as a way to prolong his career, but the veteran wanted to continue to play in the outfield, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The Blue Jays, and Indians were also among the American League teams in the mix for Beltran.
  • The Orioles aren't counting on Brian Roberts being ready for Spring Training, so Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com takes a look at the club's second base situation heading into 2012.  Based on executive vice president Dan Duquette's comments yesterday, it doesn't sound as though the club is looking to trade for a solution at second.
  • Agent Scott Boras, who negotiated Daisuke Matsuzaka's six-year, $52MM deal in 2006, is no fan of the Japanese posting system, Silverman writes.  Boras says that the actual talks with Boston weren't unpleasant, but he would have preferred to see his client choose between other cities that might have fit him better.

Cafardo’s Latest: Madson, Kuroda, Cespedes, Zumaya

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Even on Christmas, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe delivers his usual Sunday Baseball Notes column. This week, he runs down the best available players remaining on the free agent and trade markets at each position. Here are a few highlights from those lists and the rest of Cafardo's piece:

  • The Red Sox and Angels are "keeping the dialogue open" with Ryan Madson.
  • While many reports have indicated Hiroki Kuroda's willingness to play on the East Coast, the right-hander still has some desire to stay out west.
  • The Marlins are being aggressive on Yoenis Cespedes, with the Nationals right behind them. Earlier this weekend, we heard there's some divide within the Marlins' front office on Cespedes.
  • An AL GM on Joel Zumaya: "Our doctors don't think he would pass the physical based on what they see."
  • The Rays are among the clubs that have talked to Francisco Cordero.
  • Cafardo gets the feeling Matt Garza will be dealt, and warns not to rule out the Tigers.
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