Latin Links: Martinez, Maya, Ramirez, Escobar
A rumor by any other name smells just as sweet. Links are in Spanish…
- Pedro Martinez has largely been linked in rumors to National League teams this winter, but Vladimir Guerrero thought recently his former Expo teammate might join him in Arlington. "Early in March, when I reported to Texas' spring training, I heard a fair amount about the possibility that Pedro was going to sign here, but it didn't happen," Guerrero told Juan Mercado at the Dominican paper El Dia. Martinez showed last year he wasn't afraid to pitch the stretch run in a hitter's park, as National League batters actually fared significantly better against Martinez on the road (.322/.362/.517 in 20 IP) than at Citizens Bank Ball Park (.225/.274/.701 in 24 IP) during his two months with the Phillies.
- The flurry of activity this offseason in regard to Cuban prospects is likely "the tip of the iceberg," Rangers scout Juan Alvarez tells the Nuevo Herald's Jorge Ebro. The latest signings from the island, of pitchers Reinier Roibal by the Giants and Sergio Espinosa by the Rays, were relatively low on fanfare, but Ebro quotes a source saying interest is quickly heating up for 27-year-old Cuban right-hander Yuniesky Maya. Maya has been linked this winter primarily to the Red Sox, who reportedly view him as a starter.
- In an interview with the Venezuelan paper El Tiempo, Max Ramirez clarifies recent reports that he is focusing on first base as his quickest route to the Rangers' major league roster. While he admits to taking some grounders, "They still consider me as a catcher and I think that's where I have more opportunities now," Ramirez says. Earlier this week the 25-year-old's name popped up once again as a possible trade chip for Mike Lowell, but that window likely closed for the time being when the Rangers claimed Ryan Garko off waivers yesterday. Nevertheless, as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Gil LeBreton recently noted, Ramirez is the odd man out at any position in Texas, especially after the team acquired catcher Matt Treanor from the Brewers.
- Kelvim Escobar is throwing again and will stay in extended spring training for the Mets, but the team isn't counting on having him in the bullpen any time soon. A day before his previously stated April 1 deadline to decide whether to sit out 2010, Escobar told Lider en Deportes' Carlos Valmore Rodriguez that neither he nor the team are throwing up their hands on his one year, $1.25MM contract. Escobar says of Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel, "They always tell me not to worry, they don't want me in April or May, because that's not when you win the World Series. (They tell me) they need me for a long time, to take my time and not rush myself, to be patient about things."
Odds & Ends: Rangers, Pirates, Dye, Schoeneweis
A few Thursday evening links….
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes that, with all their spring acquisitions, the Rangers have potentially turned their bench from a weakness into a strength.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter) hears that the Pirates are engaged in "very minor" trade talks with the Rays. Kovacevic says that right-hander Virgil Vasquez could be involved.
- Anthony Witrado of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel speaks to Brewers GM Doug Melvin, who does not deny that the team has or had interest in Jermaine Dye.
- Scott Schoeneweis has earned the final spot in the Red Sox bullpen, reports Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. Schoeneweis signed with Boston on a minor league deal, and will earn $500K for making the big league roster.
- Despite not spending a single dollar on a major league free agent this year, the Marlins' use of revenue sharing money has satisfied league officials, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.
Odds & Ends: Paxton, Darvish, D’Backs
Links for Thursday…
- Rays infielder Elliot Johnson is the latest out of options player to hit the waiver wire, reports Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
- Lefty James Paxton signed with the American Association's Grand Prairie AirHogs in advance of re-entering the draft, reports Baseball America's J.J. Cooper. Cooper says the AirHogs' schedule should allow for three weeks of playing time for Paxton before the draft. The Blue Jays drafted the Scott Boras client 37th overall as an A.J. Burnett compensation pick, but were not able to sign him. Paxton was involved in some drama with the NCAA and eventually decided to withdraw from the University of Kentucky.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a clarification from Yu Darvish, who says his recent comments did not refer to moving to MLB.
- Forced to make a pick, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes the White Sox as his World Series champions.
- Rosenthal says that with Brandon Webb's return date uncertain, the Diamondbacks are trying to trade for a starter.
- Aaron Gleeman suggests the Twins' new stat guy might have a hard time having his voice heard.
- WEEI's Alex Speier notes that a Josh Beckett extension would give the Red Sox four pitchers with contracts of at least four years, more than any other team. Still, Jon Lester's contract is quite team-friendly.
- The Red Sox are positioned as long-term contenders, writes Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe.
- Baseball Prospectus' Jeff Euston looks at the concept of contract renewals for zero-to-three players. Tom Tango responds, saying "the inequity in the front-end helps to drive the salaries on the back-end in free agency."
- Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press feels that Ben Revere would be the most expendable Twins' prospect if they are to go after Padres closer Heath Bell.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that the Brewers released outfielder Tike Redman.
Not Much Trade Activity For Mike Lowell
THURSDAY, 12:14pm: Red Sox GM Theo Epstein told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald, "There hasn't been much trade activity, if at all," for Lowell this spring.
WEDNESDAY, 5:03pm: Bradford reports the two sides "aren’t close" to a deal and it's unlikely that Lowell is dealt before the start of the season. Meanwhile, WEEI's Alex Speier says the Mets are not interested in Lowell despite Daniel Murphy's knee injury.
4:17pm: Talks between the Rangers and Red Sox for Mike Lowell have accelerated, reports ESPN's Gordon Edes. Perhaps the Rangers' interest picked up after Lowell hit two doubles today. Just two days ago Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote that the Rangers' interest in Lowell was "light," and the Sox didn't expect a suitable offer from any team.
Via WEEI's Rob Bradford, it was known that the Rangers would scout Lowell again today. However, Bradford said the Rangers' interest is "tempered by their reluctance to allocate any substantial amount of money to a player who would be filling a reserve role." Bradford says that for the Rangers to take Lowell on as a backup, the Red Sox would have to assume almost all of his $12.5MM salary. Potentially, a bigger market for Lowell could develop once teams get a better look at him.
Offseason Questions For The AL East
You've laughed, cried, nodded, and shaken your head in disbelief as you read my offseason reviews for all 30 teams. Now it's time to pose a question or two for each club, starting with the AL East.
- Was there a way for the Orioles to add sufficient veteran respectability for 2010 for less than the $33MM spent on Kevin Millwood, Mike Gonzalez, Miguel Tejada, Garrett Atkins, and Mark Hendrickson? Did giving up two years of Chris Ray and the #53 pick in this year's draft fit with the long-term plan?
- Will Boston's defensive improvements really add eight or nine wins? Will Mike Cameron, Adrian Beltre, and Marco Scutaro contribute enough offensively?
- Can Nick Johnson, Brett Gardner, and Randy Winn adequately replace Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui? Will Javier Vazquez match his 3.72 ERA projection?
- Will Mitch Talbot blossom with the Indians, as other ex-Rays Jason Hammel and Edwin Jackson did with their new clubs? Will the Rays regret failing to upgrade at designated hitter? Will their bullpen be crippled by a Rafael Soriano injury?
- Did the Blue Jays waste $2.75MM on Kevin Gregg? Will Kyle Drabek, Travis d'Arnaud, and Brett Wallace justify the Jays giving up a year of Roy Halladay and $6MM?
Odds & Ends: Lowell, Redding, Brantley, Wilson
Some news items as we say goodbye to March and hello to another great baseball-filled April…
- ESPN's Rob Neyer thinks the Rangers should just go ahead and acquire Mike Lowell, since the reported $3MM gap between Texas and Boston is a small price to pay for solidifying the Rangers' first base platoon. Given the number of conflicting reports about the deal, it's hard to say if a Lowell-to-Texas trade is imminent or a longshot at this point.
- Tim Redding talks to The Denver Post's Jim Armstrong about being assigned to Colorado's Triple-A team. Four days ago, Tracy Ringolsby of Inside the Rockies pointed out that Redding has an opt-out clause he can use if he finds a spot on another team's 25-man roster. That's unlikely; Ringolsby says the Mariners scouted Redding but came away unimpressed.
- The Indians were hoping to hold up Michael Brantley's service clock, but his strong Spring Training and Russell Branyan's injury forced the club's hand, writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. Brantley will now be Cleveland's starting left fielder on Opening Day.
- Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times takes a look at Angels catcher Bobby Wilson, who is out of options and faces a tough task in finding a roster spot given the Mike Napoli–Jeff Mathis combo behind the plate in Los Angeles. If the Angels are forced to put Wilson on waivers, you'd figure that several teams would be interested in a catcher who has a solid .283/.338/.423 line in 2642 minor league plate appearances.
- Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com chatted with fans about a number of A's and Giants-related topics, including Urban's belief that the extensions for Matt Cain, Brian Wilson and Jeremy Affeldt may have been inspired by San Francisco's confidence in their upcoming crop of position players.
- In another online chat, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch mentioned that the Cardinals are interested in acquiring a left-handed power bat for the bench. Strauss noted the club's "history of eleventh-hour spring training moves."
Minor League Transactions
Matt Eddy of Baseball America is back with his weekly list of minor league transactions, and here are a few of the familiar names on the move…
- RHP Chad Orvella, who last played in the majors for Tampa Bay in 2007, was released by the Angels after signing with the club earlier this month.
- The Dodgers released outfielder Brian Barton. Barton was one of just two non-pitchers to appear in a game last season without making a plate appearance. He entered his only major league game of 2009 as a pinch-runner and was caught stealing.
- Jesse Foppert was released by Florida. Foppert's last major league game was in 2005 with San Francisco, but the right-hander has been pitching in the Giants' (and, briefly, the Mariners') system ever since. Prior to the 2003 season, Foppert was the fifth-highest ranked prospect in the game by Baseball America.
- And finally, if you see a spate of "Boston Releases Papelbon" headlines, it's not an April Fool's joke. The Red Sox released right-hander Josh Papelbon, Jon's younger brother.
Odds & Ends: Offenses, Ben Snyder, Kelly Johnson
Action-packed links for Wednesday…
- NL offense rankings are up at RotoAuthority, courtesy of CHONE projections and the Baseball Musings lineup analysis tool. The Rockies are on top and the Padres bring up the rear, but plenty will change as the season unfolds.
- Two closers were named in recent days, and our Twitter account @CloserNews passed along the info instantly to allow you to make the winning fantasy pickups.
- The Rangers are attempting to work out a trade with the Giants that will allow them to retain Rule 5 lefty Ben Snyder, tweets Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Snyder already cleared waivers, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Sullivan also notes that Matt Treanor chose not to exercise his out clause; he's headed to Triple A.
- WEEI's Rob Bradford writes that although the Rangers are scouting Mike Lowell today and they're more interested in him than any other club, a deal is unlikely now and the Rangers would want the Red Sox to pay almost all of his salary. Bradford also notes that earlier this offseason, the Rangers expressed interest in Jed Lowrie.
- Free agent Kevin Millar hopes to continue his playing career, he explained on ESPN's Waddle & Silvy show.
- Diamondbacks second baseman Kelly Johnson strongly considered offers from the Blue Jays, Pirates, and Indians, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
- The A's feel that out of options players Eric Patterson and Jake Fox would not clear waivers, so they're likely to send Landon Powell and Adam Rosales down (Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reporting).
- Baseball America's Matt Eddy offers analysis and predictions for seven out of options pitchers.
- The Orioles are looking for a suitor for catcher Chad Moeller, who is "shocked and disappointed" about not making the team according to Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltmore Sun. Peter Schmuck feels that Moeller was a better choice than Craig Tatum.
- Jeff Suppan explained to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that he's not dealing with a phantom neck injury, despite the convenient timing.
- Though they could've saved $750K, the Nationals chose not to cut Scott Olsen according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs knows the Mariners, and he analyzes the organization's health in this article.
Odds & Ends: Padron, Washburn, Moeller, Chapman
Links for Tuesday…
- I joined Jeff & Jeff on KNFS 590 St. Louis today; click here to listen to audio.
- Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald tweets that the Red Sox signed 22-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Padron to a minor league deal with a $350K bonus. Cuban Ball Players has a bit on Padron here.
- SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Royals will join the Mariners in the Jarrod Washburn bidding. Heyman first made the Royals-Washburn connection on January 11th, but nothing much came of it.
- Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times spoke to Orlando Cabrera, Tony Reagins, and Walt Jocketty about the decline in multiyear free agent contracts.
- Rays first baseman Dan Johnson cleared waivers and accepted a Triple A assignment, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune.
- Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun feels that Orioles catcher Chad Moeller is unlikely to accept a minor league assignment now that the team has chosen Craig Tatum to back up Matt Wieters.
- Aroldis Chapman is expected to begin the season in the minors, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs praises the Rockies for their player development, but questions their offseason tweaking. For more on that topic, check out our Rockies offseason in review.
- Rich Hill, recently reassigned to Triple A, can elect free agency around June if he's not in the Majors according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Red Sox Make Four-Year Offer To Beckett
3:55pm: Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe weighs in, agreeing with Olney's optimism for a deal but saying Beckett's agent currently seeks a five-year extension in excess of John Lackey's $82.5MM. WEEI's Rob Bradford talked to Beckett, who is mostly staying out of the negotiations between the team and agent Michael Moye.
11:10am: Josh Beckett has a four-year offer on the table from the Red Sox, reports ESPN's Buster Olney. Olney writes of "optimism a deal will be completed in the next week or two."
Olney envisions a total package in the $65-70MM range. His colleague Gordon Edes wrote on Saturday that "concerns about Beckett's right shoulder have dissuaded the Red Sox from going to a fifth year."
Beckett projects as one of the best available free agent starters after the 2010 season, and with a strong season he could conceivably get a sixth guaranteed year on the open market. Cliff Lee, Javier Vazquez, and Brandon Webb will also be eligible for free agency after the season if they're not signed to extesions.