Red Sox Rumors

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/11/16

By Steve Adams | March 11, 2016 at 7:24pm CDT

Here are today’s minor moves from around the league…

The Orioles have re-signed outfielder Julio Borbon to a minor league contract, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Borbon has taken 863 MLB plate appearances, compiling a composite .272/.318/.347 slash with 47 stolen bases. But the 30-year-old last saw the Majors in 2013 and has spent the past two seasons in the Baltimore organization at Triple-A. His numbers dipped in his second go-around with Norfolk; last year, Borbon batted just .269/.299/.321, though he contributed on the basepaths, as usual, by swiping 23 bases in 114 games despite that modest OBP.
Baseball America’s John Manuel tweets that the Red Sox have released right-hander Karsten Whitson. The 24-year-old Whitson was selected ninth overall by the Padres in 2010 as a high schooler, but he turned down a $2.1MM signing bonus to attend the University of Florida. Unfortunately, Whitson began to battle shoulder injuries after an excellent freshman season and ultimately wound up signing for $100K as an 11th-round pick by the Red Sox in 2014. Whitson pitched just seven innings for the Sox’ short-season Class-A affiliate in 2014 — his lone professional experience to date.

AL Notes: Astros, Alburquerque, ERod, Tazawa, Castro

By Jeff Todd | March 10, 2016 at 11:00pm CDT

Astros GM Jeff Luhnow addressed a variety of issues today with Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. He suggested that the club’s first base mix may not be fully resolved this spring, with the organization remaining open to making changes over the course of the season. He made clear that Houston won’t just be relying on metrics in reaching its decisions, but is paying close attention to how the various contenders look against advanced competition this spring.

Meanwhile, Luhnow said, the Astros’ back-of-the-rotation competition may result in some bullpen time for one of Doug Fister, Scott Feldman, or Mike Fiers. But he emphasized that he expects “all three guys are going to end up making a lot of starts for us this year.”
The Angels are hoping that reliever Al Alburquerque will be able to bounce back after a tough 2015, and improved health is one reason for optimism, as MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports. Albuquerque says that he was hobbled for all of the spring and much of the regular season last year after contracting the Chikungunya virus over the winter. His fastball velocity steadily increased over the course of the year, and Albuquerque says he feels “much better” in camp.
The Red Sox now seem all but certain to go without young lefty Eduardo Rodriguez to open the year, as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. Though the swelling is down in his right knee, Rodriguez still hasn’t returned to the bump and manager John Farrell says there’s “still no time frame or date to get him on the mound yet.” With the club obviously exercising caution, and a full ramp-up still needed, it would appear to be surprising if he’s able to join the 25-man roster on Opening Day.
In other Red Sox pitching news, Boston is hoping that the decision to shut down reliever Junichi Tazawa late last year will help him regain his form in 2015, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal writes. Generally a highly reliable pen arm, Tazawa seemingly hit a wall late last year. Now, pitching coach Carl Willis says he sees improved “late action to his pitches,” cleaner mechanics, and better location. The 29-year-old’s ability to bounce back will not only be important to the club, but will also determine his market standing when he qualifies for free agency after the season.
Reversing its prior stance, the Yankees don’t intend to prepare Starlin Castro to spend any further time at third base this spring, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. He’ll instead focus on settling in at second base and preparing to serve as the reserve shortstop, says manager Joe Girardi. As King notes, that could open up some additional opportunity for Rob Refsnyder to make the team as a utility piece.

AL East Notes: Sabathia, Heyward, Saunders, Bautista, Kopech, Panda

By Steve Adams | March 8, 2016 at 6:36pm CDT

CC Sabathia’s announcement that he would enter rehabilitation for alcohol abuse on the eve of the Yankees’ Wild Card playoff game last October stunned fans and those throughout the industry, and now, the left-hander offers an honest account of the factors that led to his decision over at the Players’ Tribune. Sabathia explains the reasons that he first turned to alcohol and the way in which his addiction evolved in an extremely candid, personal chronicle of his battle with the disease. Sabathia details his time spent in rehab and thanks his family as well as friends in the game such as David Ortiz, Torii Hunter and David Price for their support throughout the process. The big lefty writes that he feels mentally stronger than he ever has heading into a season and offers a message of hope to those that are going through their own battles with addiction.

Some notes from the AL East…

Prior to Jason Heyward’s trade to the Cardinals last offseason, the Yankees and Braves discussed a blockbuster framework that would’ve sent Heyward, Andrelton Simmons, David Carpenter, Melvin Upton and Chris Johnson to New York in exchange for Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Manny Banuelos, Gary Sanchez and Ian Clarkin, according to a report from Jon Heyman (links to Twitter). Per Heyman, New York ultimately wouldn’t pull the trigger on the deal. A later, much smaller trade would see Carpenter and lefty Chasen Shreve sent to the Yankees in exchange for Banuelos. Heyward, meanwhile, was dealt to the Cardinals in a trade that sent Shelby Miller to the Braves. Atlanta, of course, flipped Miller to the D-backs this winter in a potentially franchise-altering deal.
Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins joined Buster Olney on today’s Baseball Tonight Podcast (audio link, with Atkins appearing at about the 29-minute mark) to discuss his background in baseball and a few Jays topics. Olney asked Atkins about the reported near-trade to acquire Jay Bruce which would’ve sent Michael Saunders to the Angels as part of a three-team deal. “[Saunders] has been unbelievable,” said Atkins when asked about the rumored swap. “With the rumors, spending time with him about that, he was as humble, as professional and as committed as possible to make sure that this will be the best trade that never happened.” Atkins went on to praise Saunders’ mobility and a pair of homers against inside fastballs — one from an opposing lefty. The inability to turn on inside pitches is often a concern with players coming off knee surgery, Atkins said, but Saunders to this point has shown no such ill effects.
Olney also asked about reports of Jose Bautista’s lofty asking price in extension talks with the Blue Jays. Atkins called Bautista “one of the smartest guys” he’s been around and said interactions with his right fielder have been nothing but positive. “My interactions with him, contrary to what people may think based on what’s been read, have been incredible,” Atkins said. “They’ve been amicable, they’ve been warm, they’ve been open, full of laughter and really, full of positivity. … I think, unfairly, some things have been portrayed that aren’t necessarily true. It’s unfortunate that there’s been somewhat of a negative light cast on his potential demands, and the focus has gone away from what a talented player he is and what a great person he is.”
Red Sox prospect Michael Kopech, a right-hander that received a 50-game suspension during last year’s minor league season for use of the banned stimulant Oxilofrine, has run into some trouble once again, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Kopech suffered a fractured right hand in an altercation with a teammate, per Bradford. “It was stupid,” GM Mike Hazen told Bradford of Kopech’s incident. “He’s going to have to grow up, obviously, with the things that have happened so far. He’s got a long road to go to get to the big leagues. He obviously has a ton of potential. He’s got a long way to go. These types of things, you don’t want to put more barriers in front of you than playing professional baseball already presents you.” Kopech was selected with the 33rd overall pick of the 2014 draft as compensation for the Red Sox’ loss of Jacoby Ellsbury in free agency. When he was able to take the field last year, the 19-year-old logged a 2.63 ERA with 9.7 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 in 65 innings (15 starts, one relief appearance).
Pablo Sandoval has been working with Red Sox infield instructor Brian Butterfield to alter the positioning of his glove on certain plays as well as his general first-step quickness, manager John Farrell tells reporters, including Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. Mastrodonato notes that while Farrell has raved about the preparation of Hanley Ramirez, he’s been more cautious in his descriptions of Sandoval, telling the media today that there’s still “work to be done” in terms of his defense and finding his timing at the plate. Sandoval, per Mastrodonato, says he’s been focusing quite a bit on his first step and spent the entire offseason hitting right-handed in an effort to get his right-handed swing back to its peak levels. (Sandoval, for those who weren’t aware, abandoned switch-hitting about a third of the way through the 2015 season.)

AL East Notes: Sims, Stroman, Ramirez, Bogaerts, Rodriguez

By Jeff Todd | March 7, 2016 at 5:11pm CDT

Spring training provides many opportunities for teams to interact with their fans, but it isn’t often that you hear about a club actually signing one. But the Yankees did just that for ten-year-old Landis Sims, an inspiring young man who miraculously has devised a way to play baseball despite being born without hands or lower legs. It’s a great story, courtesy of ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand, and well worth a read. Congratulations to Landis on his opportunity in Yanks camp!

Here’s more from the AL East:

Budding Blue Jays staff ace Marcus Stroman has impressed plenty already, but Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca writes that he’s working on taking the next step by tinkering with a quick pitch to keep hitters off balance. More notable than the new offering itself, perhaps, is the process behind it. “I always like to pick hitters’ brains,” explains Stroman, “and the biggest thing sometimes hitters say that messes them up is when pitchers change their tempo, change their motion, change their delivery.” Generally, the soon-to-be 25-year-old righty says that he “feel[s] extremely strong out there on the mound” this spring.
While the focus on Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez has revolved around his transition in the field, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports that he’s also working to re-tool his swing. The surprising Travis Shaw is doing all he can to push Ramirez this spring, but Boston skipper John Farrell says he’s pleased with what he’s seen thus far at the plate from the veteran. His swing is “more compact,” says Farrell, “more of a line-drive approach.” Ramirez started strong last year offensively but faded to a substandard .249/.291/.426 overall batting line on the season.
As Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes, Ramirez once wrestled with the decision whether to accept an early-career extension, ultimately accepting one with the Marlins. Now, current Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts could be facing a similar choice. While Bogaerts previously suggested that Boston had not initiated talks, his response was somewhat different when asked recently. “I would just say I’m working hard, and will keep working hard,” he said when asked about a possible long-term deal. “People who work hard get good rewards, so we’ll see what happens what happens with that in the end. I’m just trying to focus on the game now.” While it’s not yet clear whether serious talks are underway, or whether they will ultimately occur this winter, it is certainly interesting to consider whether Boston will make a real run at locking up the Scott Boras client, a former top prospect who broke out last year and still has four years of team control remaining.
The Red Sox have a limited window to get enticing young lefty Eduardo Rodriguez ready to open the season in the rotation, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. He is staying off of the mound for the time being after recently suffering a tweak to his right kneecap. Boston is proceeding cautiously with a pitcher who is expected to be a key cog for years to come, and appears to feel good about leaning on its depth if that proves necessary. The 22-year-old contributed 121 2/3 innings of 3.85 ERA pitching last year, with 7.2 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9, and with 170 total frames (including his Triple-A output) he seems ready to take on a full season’s workload if he can return in time for a full ramp-up.

Cafardo On Orioles, Bruce, Red Sox, Maeda

By Zachary Links | March 6, 2016 at 8:54am CDT

In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders where James Loney might fit in with the Rays this year. The veteran is currently behind the platoon of Steve Pearce and Logan Morrison at first and he’s also blocked at DH and left field by Corey Dickerson and Desmond Jennings, respectively. With a salary of $8MM, the Rays have been unable to find a taker for Loney via trade, though they are willing to eat some of that money to facilitate a deal.

Here’s more from today’s column:

The Orioles are still considering a deal for Reds outfielder Jay Bruce as they try to bolster their lineup in March. The O’s are also considering Austin Jackson, but Bruce could be considered the better fit thanks to his power. Bruce will make $12.5MM in 2016, plus a $1MM buyout or a $13MM option in 2017, which isn’t exactly chump change. Also, even though Bruce has some excellent campaigns on his resume, his play over the past two seasons hasn’t been all that strong.
One NL exec says a few teams have ID’d Red Sox catcher Ryan Hanigan as a possible trade target this summer. Red Sox officials have said that it’s unlikely they would part with Hanigan due to the inexperience of Blake Swihart and fellow youngster Christian Vazquez. However, rival officials aren’t sold on that and believe that Hanigan could be more available than Boston is letting on. Hanigan has a $3.7MM salary for 2016 with an option for 2017.
Can new Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda be effective in his first MLB season? One scout who watched him throw in Japan isn’t so sure. “His stuff isn’t as good as [Masahiro] Tanaka and he’s more a middle to end of the rotation type of guy,” said the scout. “I don’t know how his fastball plays in the big leagues. I think he’s got the secondary pitches, but the quality of hitters he’ll face may be a challenge at first.” The Dodgers will be without Brett Anderson for the next three to five months, so they are certainly hoping that Maeda can hit the ground running.
Agent Randy Rowley tells Cafardo that Justin Masterson will throw a bullpen session for several teams towards the end of March.
The trade sending John Ryan Murphy to the Twins in exchange for outfielder Aaron Hicks was “the best pure baseball deal of the offseason,” in the opinion of one official who spoke with Cafardo. That official, Cafardo notes, was not involved in the swap in any way. Hicks, a defensive specialist, posted a .256/.323/.398 batting line in 2015 and added 13 steals, numbers that made him a little more attractive to the Bombers. The Twins, meanwhile, got themselves an upgrade behind the plate in the wake of Kurt Suzuki’s struggles.
Free agent outfielder Grady Sizemore hasn’t received much interest to date. The veteran spent the second half of last season with the Rays.

AL East Notes: Loup Injury, Betts, Worley, Paredes

By Steve Adams | March 4, 2016 at 11:18am CDT

Blue Jays lefty Aaron Loup has been shut down for two weeks after an MRI revealed a strained flexor in his left forearm, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet writes. While Loup remains optimistic that he’ll be ready for Opening Day, manager John Gibbons conceded that that’s not necessarily a reasonable expectation. “That’d be kind of tough,” Gibbons told Nicholson-Smith and others at Blue Jays camp in Dunedin, Fla. “I don’t want to say no, but it might be real tough. Really it’d be a rush job.” Loup is expected to slot in as a second lefty reliever behind Brett Cecil, but if he’s unable to break camp with the club, the Jays will look at the ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte and non-roster invitees Scott Diamond, Chad Girodo, Wade LeBlanc and Pat McCoy, per Nicholson-Smith.

Here’s more from the division…

Mookie Betts tells Alex Speier of the Boston Globe that he’s yet to discuss a long-term deal with the Red Sox. “[A long-term deal] is not part of the discussion right now,” said Betts. “I’m just focused on going and playing this year. We’re going year-by-year [in contracts].” Betts expressed an appreciation that the Red Sox boosted his salary from $514,500 to $566K — a larger raise than many clubs give to pre-arbitration players — but stressed that his current emphasis is on establishing himself as a consistent player as opposed to worrying about his earning power.
Right-hander Vance Worley finds himself in a familiar position this spring as he battles for a roster spot with the Orioles, writes Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. “I feel like my whole career has always been about having to prove it again and again and again,” said Worley. “There’s always someone nipping at your heels, especially at this level. You’ve got the younger guys. This guy throws hard. This guy’s got this, he’s got that. I’m not that guy. I’ve never been that guy.” Worley admits that it was tough to lose his rotation spot with the Pirates last year upon Charlie Morton’s return from the DL, and it was more difficult to be designated for assignment and clear waivers despite posting a 3.00 ERA in 30 relief innings. “Any guy who has that situation where you clear waivers — that was my second time clearing — It’s about being mentally tough, because some guys crumble,” Worley continued. “Some guys just fall apart and they say, that’s it for the year. I know I’m a big leaguer and you have to have that mindset.” Worley is out of minor league options and will have to be exposed to waivers if the Orioles wish to send him to the minors.
Encina also writes that Jimmy Paredes is likely to miss significant time after suffering a sprained left wrist in an attempt at a diving catch in yesterday’s Grapefruit League contest. Paredes said he knew the injury was serious because his wrist and hand immediately went numb, though he’s thankful to have avoided a fracture. Nonetheless, it’s a poor time for an injury, Encina notes, as the Orioles had hoped to evaluate him as an option in the outfield this spring. Now, he’s wearing a plastic cast on his left wrist to stabilize the joint, and it’s unclear specifically when he’ll be able to return to action. Like Worley, Paredes is out of options and entered camp battling for a roster spot. Paredes underwent an MRI this morning and was diagnosed with a bone bruise, tweets Rich Dubroff of CSN Midatlantic.

AL Notes: Bautista, Indians, Kimbrel, Nava, Heredia

By Steve Adams | March 3, 2016 at 8:49pm CDT

Jose Bautista’s asking price in an extension has been a source of controversy, and MLB Network’s Peter Gammons echoes reports indicating that Bautista sought a six-year contract in asking for a new deal with the Blue Jays. Gammons spoke to Bautista about his rigid training and diet routine, exploring his ability to defy aging curves thanks to acute physiological self-awareness and in-depth study of said aging metrics. “I am preparing to defy those aging curves by my strict adherence to physical, mental and nutritional routines,” Bautista explained in discussing his desire to play into his 40s. “When I missed time (at 31) with hip problems, I changed everything. I studied, I learned about my body, and how to keep it at peak performance levels, and how to maintain it. … It is about discipline and diet and strive for physical and mental states that defy aging. I love a good steak; I cannot eat red meat. There are a lot of things I love, but I cannot be who and what I want to be and eat and drink them.” As Gammons writes, Jays president Mark Shapiro is somewhat cut from the same cloth — seeking to instill that awareness of conditioning and physiological intellect throughout the organization.

A few more notes from around the American League…

Terry Francona’s proficiency in managing platoons will be tested early in the regular season, writes MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince, as the Indians attempt to make due with a patchwork outfield mix while Michael Brantley recovers from shoulder surgery. With Abraham Almonte suspended, Cleveland could lean on a combination of Rajai Davis, Collin Cowgill, Lonnie Chisenhall, Joey Butler, Will Venable, Robbie Grossman, Shane Robinson, Michael Choice and prospects Tyler Naquin and James Ramsey — there will be no Austin Jackson signing or Jay Bruce trade, Castrovince reaffirms — none of whom necessarily profiles as an everyday option.
Tim Britton of the Providence Journal chronicles a foot injury suffered by Craig Kimbrel at 18 years of age that helped transform him add more than 10 miles per hour to his formerly unimposing fastball. Kimbrel dropped 12 panels of sheet rock on his left foot while working with his father, an electrician, thus resulting in nearly a semester wearing a cast. During that time, his coach at Wallace State Community College began a unique throwing program to build arm strength in Kimbrel, which involved him throwing from both knees. Kimbrel and coach Randy Putman both explained to Britton that the program isn’t for everyone, and Kimbrel’s flexibility and athleticism made him uniquely suited for the unorthodox exercises. When healthy enough to pitch, Kimbrel’s stamina was also impacted by missed time with the foot injury, thus prompting a move to the bullpen — a role in which he has excelled ever since.
Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com and Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register each profiled the nearly unfathomable route that Daniel Nava took to the Major Leagues in a pair of columns this week. Angels fans that are unfamiliar with their new left fielder’s obstacle-ridden road to the big leagues will want to explore the 33-year-old’s journey from equipment manager of his college club to indy ball player that was signed by the Red Sox for one dollar to 27-year-old rookie that turned the first Major League pitch that he saw into a grand slam. Gonzalez notes, in fact, that Hollywood producers have contacted Nava to inquire about making a movie out of his journey, though the new Angels outfielder says he has no intention of entertaining any such inquiry while his career is still going.
The Mariners will likely send recently signed Cuban center fielder Guillermo Heredia to Class-A Advanced or Double-A to begin his professional career in the U.S., writes MLB.com’s Greg Johns. As Johns points out, Heredia hasn’t played in a game since 2014 due to the lengthy nature of his defection from Cuba, so the club is prepared for some rust that will need to be shaken off. Heredia spoke, through an interpreter, about his excitement for the opportunity to take the next step in his pro career and also explained that the presence of countryman Leonys Martin (who, not coincidentally, shares an adjacent locker) will help to ease his transition. Heredia has known Martin since the two were both in Cuba, and he’s already begun soliciting Martin for advice as he works toward a big league career.

Injury Notes: Brantley, Matusz, Loup, Gardner, Rodriguez

By Steve Adams | March 3, 2016 at 7:11pm CDT

Spring Training is still young, but we’ve already seen a rash of injuries, with Brett Anderson going down for three to five months due to back surgery while a pair of AL Central outfielders — Jarrod Dyson (link) and Cameron Maybin (link) — could each be out up to six weeks. Here’s a look around the league at some other injuries that could potentially carry roster ramifications…

Indians left fielder Michael Brantley has “flown through” his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery, manager Terry Francona told reporters, including Cleveland.com’s Zack Meisel, on Wednesday. Brantley’s next step is to hit in a batting cage, and from there he’ll progress to full batting practice, per Francona, who said he doesn’t think Brantley will need to be out as long as the initial projections that pegged him for an early May return. While Francona notes that there’s still a significant progression required before Brantley is game-ready, the general feeling surrounding his return appears to be optimistic in nature.
The outlook on Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz, however, doesn’t appear as rosy; manager Buck Showalter told reporters that the reliever would undergo an MRI, and his return to action isn’t imminent (links to Twitter from MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli). As Ghiroli notes, the club expects to know more on the status of Matusz tomorrow.
Blue Jays lefty Aaron Loup is also ailing, writes Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Loup is experiencing tightness in his left forearm and could be headed for an MRI, though the next steps in his rehab aren’t yet known. “He threw today and didn’t feel real good, so they’re going to check it out,” said manager John Gibbons.
Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner isn’t expected to play in spring games until after March 14, MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch writes, as he’s currently dealing with lingering effects from a deep bone bruise in his wrist suffered in the American League Wild Card game last season. Gardner faced live pitching on Wednesday after taking the winter off from hitting, Hoch notes, and while everything went well, he’s still behind the rest of the club’s outfielders. However, despite the fact that his spring debut will be delayed by a couple of weeks, Gardner should have enough time to get up to speed for the regular season, in the estimation of manager Joe Girardi.
Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez suffered a dislocated right kneecap earlier this week, but the team hopes to have him ready for Opening Day, writes Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. “There’s still a little bit of swelling in the knee, but he’s improving to the point where we’ll put a ball in his hand today and he’ll begin a throwing program on flat ground that will be shortened distance,” explained manager John Farrell, who also noted that while Opening Day is the goal, Rodriguez will “be out there when he’s out of danger.”

AL East Notes: Tulowitzki, Murphy, Sox, Chapman

By Steve Adams | March 2, 2016 at 8:40pm CDT

Troy Tulowitzki was blindsided by his trade to the Blue Jays last July, but the former Rockies star told FOX’s Ken Rosenthal that he’s not bitter toward his former organization. “I was honest last year saying it was very tough for me, ” Tulowitzki explained. “And now I’m honest saying I’m over it.” Tulowitzki spoke to Rosenthal about how close he’s become with Josh Donaldson since joining the team, praising Donaldson’s leadership and intensity. “You want him on your team,” Tulowitzki said of the reigning AL MVP. “He might be that guy on the other team that irks you. But you love taking the field with him. He gets the best out of me.” Tulowitzki spoke favorably about his new organization overall, praising the level of competitiveness that permeates the veteran clubhouse.

AL East Notes: Fowler, Markakis, Estrada, Cessa, Murphy

By Jeff Todd and Zachary Links | March 1, 2016 at 2:31pm CDT

In a recent interview on MLB Network Radio (Twitter links), Orioles executive Dan Duquette further responded to recent comments by agent Casey Close regarding the Dexter Fowler talks. “It would’ve been a good fit for us. We’re disappointed the deal didn’t come together [but] that’s the way it goes sometimes,” Duquette said. Duquette went on to say that he was puzzled by the statement and he didn’t quite understand why Close was upset. “When you show sincere interest in a player, it helps him get a better deal,” said the Orioles GM.

Here’s more out of Baltimore and the rest of the AL East:

The Orioles tried to open a conversation with the Braves about bringing back former right fielder Nick Markakis, Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com tweets. But Atlanta seemingly showed little interest in trying to work out a swap, per the report.
The qualifying offer had an impact not only on Fowler, but also on one player who never fully tested the market: Marco Estrada, who struck a two-year deal to remain with the Blue Jays. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca looks at the different experiences of Estrada and fellow Toronto signee J.A. Happ, who says he had interest from a dozen clubs on the first day of free agency. Estrada, meanwhile, says he “didn’t get a chance to really go through that process.” He added that he “probably should have done a better job of” assessing his market during his week-long consideration of the QO, and wishes he “could have gotten more years” in his deal, but ultimately says he’s happy to return to the Jays and was able to enjoy a more relaxing offseason after his early deal.
Yankees righty Luis Cessa will get a shot to make it as a starter after being involved in several prominent trades, as Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes. GM Brian Cashman said that adding Cessa and Chad Green in exchange for Justin Wilson was about getting quality pitchers who provide the team with options. “We think he has starter capability, just like we think Green has starter capability,” Cashman said. “And then if not, all failed starters go to the pen. We feel we acquired, in Cessa’s case, a strike-thrower with a good arm.”
Newly-signed Red Sox outfielder David Murphy says that it’s “surreal” to return to the Boston organization, as Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports. Murphy says he knew he “was going to have to be patient” this winter, but nevertheless was surprised with how quiet market turned out to be. But he says he’s ready to “turn the page” on his disappointing winter and is looking forward to trying to crack the roster with the Red Sox — or, failing that, another club.

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