AL West Notes: Bourn, Lohse, Rangers, A’s, Astros
Here's a look at some items out of the American League West..
- With five weeks to go before Spring Training, the Rangers have not ruled out free agent outfielder Michael Bourn or pitcher Kyle Lohse, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. The newly-signed Lance Berkman is a former teammate of both players and GM Jon Daniels said that he "picked [Berkman's] brain over lunch" about the two players. Texas has been reluctant to chase either player because of their price tags but they both remain unsigned with no clear destination.
- In her latest mailbag, Jane Lee of MLB.com says that she doesn't see the A's making any splashy moves between now and Opening Day as they are satisfied with their current group. Another reader asks if a reunion with Brandon Inge might be in the cards. While the players in the clubhouse would love to have the veteran back, the 25-man roster is at capacity and there is no room for Inge.
- Roger Clemens says that his major league days are over, but the 50-year-old is on the verge of returning to the Astros in a role that would allow him to work with Houston's pitchers, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
Reactions To The Lance Berkman Signing
The Rangers and Lance Berkman agreed to a one-year contract with a vesting option earlier today, plugging the team's DH hole. Berkman will receive $10MM in 2013 with a $1MM buyout of the option. Here is a collection of news and reactions to the deal…
- "It never really got past the tire-kicking phase," said Berkman to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart when asked about talks with the Astros (all Twitter links). Houston never made an offer and the two sides only discussed contract parameters. "I have nothing but good things to say about the Astros organization and the way our negotiations went," added Berkman.
- The Red Sox showed interest in Berkman before he signed with Texas, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Talks never gained momentum due to his geographical preferences, however.
- The Orioles also kicked the tires on Berkman according to Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com (on Twitter). They moved on due to his asking price.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Berkman is the type of hitter the Rangers have rarely had, meaning he's patient and willing to use the entire field (all Twitter links).
- Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is "stunned" at the size of Berkman's contract (Twitter link). He assumes the Rangers thoroughly reviewed the medicals.
Yankees, Astros, Rangers, O’s Interested In Berkman
7:18pm: The Yankees also have interest in Berkman, reports Ken Davidoff of The New York Post (on Twitter). Berkman spent time with New York in 2011, but Davidoff says it's unclear if he would consider a reunion since the two Texas teams are involved.
4:17pm: Nolan Ryan confirmed to Berman that the Rangers have an offer out to Berkman (Twitter link). "We are looking for a designated hitter," Ryan said. "We feel like he would fill that bill."
3:27pm: Houston GM Jeff Luhnow told Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston that he has been in contact with Berkman (Twitter link). The sides spoke yesterday and today and talks are ongoing.
2:23pm: The Rangers are trying to talk Berkman into playing next year, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Team president Nolan Ryan is said to be leading the Rangers' pursuit of Berkman, Heyman writes. Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com confirms the Orioles’ interest, noting that they have reached out “informally” (Twitter link).
9:01am: Lance Berkman said he’s “still a little bit in limbo” as he considers his options for 2013, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The switch hitting first baseman/designated hitter received two offers before Christmas and hopes to resume discussions with interested teams.
The Rangers have reached out, and the Rays and Red Sox are also interested. Goold adds a third AL East team to the list of Berkman’s suitors: the Baltimore Orioles. It's clear that Berkman has opportunities, but he suggested he’d have to be well-compensated to return for another season.
“If I’m going to play, I’m going to give my heart and soul to the team,” he told the Post-Dispatch. “But if the carrot’s not big enough, the mule isn’t going to want to go.”
Berkman, a Texas native, added that the Rangers have a geographic advantage. His first MLB team, the Astros, could also have interest. But now that the Astros have added Carlos Pena, Houston’s not an ideal fit.
Berkman missed most of the 2012 season because of knee injuries. When healthy he hit .259/.381/.444 in 97 plate appearances for the Cardinals. Moye Sports Associates represents the 14-year MLB veteran, who turns 37 next month.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Vazquez, Red Sox, Padres, Astros, Cubs
The Red Sox will scout right-hander Javier Vazquez in Puerto Rico on Friday, according to Victor Ramos of Solo Beisbol (on Twitter, Spanish link). An industry source confirmed the news to Rob Bradford of WEEI, who notes that Vazquez has been throwing a fastball in the 92-93 mph range in recent workouts. Vazquez said earlier this week that he would consider a return to MLB and would like to play for a contender. Here's more from around baseball..
- Speaking of the Red Sox, Andrew Bailey says that he's happy to have Joel Hanrahan on board, even though it means that he won't be closing, Bradford writes. Meanwhile, Bailey believes that he's poised for a strong year thanks to his offseason training.
- Padres General Manager Josh Byrnes indicated today that the team likely won't pick up a starting pitcher in free agency, writes MLB.com's Corey Brock. The Padres signed Jason Marquis to a one-year deal last month, adding him to an already lengthy list of rotation candidates.
- General Manager Jeff Luhnow says the Astros aren't likely to add any additional key players between now and spring training, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Houston's biggest pickups this winter were the signings of slugger Carlos Pena and relief pitcher Jose Veras.
- The Cubs expect free agent Nate Schierholtz to be a regular in right field, writes Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. Chicago inked Schierholtz to a one-year, $2.25MM deal with $500K in performance bonuses.
Olney On Astros, Price, Ethier
ESPN.com's Buster Olney explains that the Angels, Rangers, A's and Mariners could benefit from Houston's presence in the AL West. The Astros, losers of 100-plus games in 2011 and 2012, project as a sub-.500 team again in 2013. Conversely, NL Central teams such as the Reds and Cardinals might miss their former rival. Here’s more from Olney’s ESPN.com column…
- Olney ranks the game's top infields, starting with the Rangers, Tigers and Reds.
- There's an assumption within the industry that the Rays will trade David Price sometime in the next calendar year, Olney writes. The left-hander recently avoided arbitration with Tampa Bay, agreeing to a one-year, $10.1MM contract.
- The Mariners have called the Dodgers repeatedly to ask about potential trades involving Andre Ethier, Olney reports. The Dodgers intend to hold onto Ethier, but would listen to offers on him. The Mariners haven't presented Los Angeles with a formal proposal, according to Olney.
Checking In On Teams In Need Of Pitching
MLBTR’s Zach Links recently checked in on some of baseball’s lowest scoring offenses, noting that clubs such as the Dodgers and Mariners could score more often in 2013 thanks to some of their recent moves. Let’s now turn from run scoring to run prevention and check in on the teams that allowed the most runs in 2012.
Seven teams — the Rockies, Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Astros, Blue Jays and Cubs — posted team ERAs of 4.50 or more this past season, and each club allowed at least 750 runs in total. We'll take a look at those bottom seven teams and see what they've done to improve their pitching and defense so far this offseason. Team name links go to a summary of the moves on MLBTR's Transaction Tracker and 2012 runs allowed totals are in parentheses. For reference, the average MLB team allowed 701 runs this past season.
Rockies (890 runs allowed, 5.22 team ERA) – Jeff Francis, who led the 2012 Rockies with 113 innings pitched, re-signed on a one-year deal. Jorge De La Rosa exercised his player option and Colorado traded for reliever Wilton Lopez. Dan O’Dowd and Bill Geivett must do more to address their run prevention issues in the coming months, or they’ll risk a similarly poor showing in 2013.
Indians (845 runs allowed, 4.78 team ERA) – The Indians started the offseason by exercising Ubaldo Jimenez's 2013 option, and they haven't stopped there. GM Chris Antonetti acquired pitching prospect Trevor Bauer from Arizona along with relievers Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw. They have since agreed to terms with Brett Myers, who projects as a starter in Cleveland.
Twins (832 runs allowed, 4.77 team ERA) – GM Terry Ryan has re-worked his team's pitching staff, trading for Alex Meyer and Vance Worley and signing Kevin Correia, Mike Pelfrey and Rich Harden. The Twins also re-signed a number of pitchers to minor league deals, creating depth. However, the Twins parted with Ben Revere and Denard Span to upgrade their pitching, which creates questions about Minnesota's outfield defense.
Red Sox (806 runs allowed, 4.70 team ERA) – The Red Sox upgraded their rotation by signing Ryan Dempster to a two-year contract. They've also addressed their bullpen, trading for Joel Hanrahan and signing Koji Uehara to a one-year contract. On defense, Shane Victorino will play right field, but defensive standout Jose Iglesias no longer projects as a starter and it looks as though Mike Napoli will replace the sure-handed combination of Adrian Gonzalez and James Loney at first base.
Astros (794 runs allowed, 4.56 team ERA) – The Astros have made some relatively low-profile changes to their pitching staff as they prepare for their first season in the American League. The club acquired Alex White for Wilton Lopez, claimed Philip Humber off of waivers, traded for John Ely, and signed reliever Jose Veras to a one-year deal. At this point it looks as though Houston will have trouble preventing runs again in 2013.
Blue Jays (784 runs allowed, 4.64 team ERA) – The Toronto front office overhauled a starting rotation that lacked depth in 2012. Defending Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey joins newcomers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle in a rotation that now looks like a strength instead of a major weakness. GM Alex Anthopoulos also traded for Esmil Rogers and added numerous others via waiver claims and minor league signings. The future of Darren Oliver still has to be determined, but other than that Toronto's pitching staff seems essentially set.
Cubs (759 runs allowed, 4.51 team ERA) - The Cubs have upgraded their rotation in a meaningful way, adding Edwin Jackson, Scott Feldman, Carlos Villanueva and Scott Baker on free agent contracts. They also retained free agent Shawn Camp and signed right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa and left-hander Hisanori Takahashi. Chicago’s pitching staff could be much stronger in 2013.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AL West Notes: Astros, Rangers, Pierzynski
The Astros will have a new division, sharp new logo, and some new faces as well in 2013. Chip Bailey of the Houston Chronicle looked at three areas of change for the club and asked if they are truly upgrades. The move to install Jose Veras as the team's closer given his lack of experience in finishing games is something of a head scratcher for Bailey. The Astros surprised a lot of people when they signed Carlos Pena to a one-year, $2.9MM deal, money that may have been better spent elsewhere. However, Bailey tips his cap to General Manager Jeff Luhnow for his efforts to upgrade the club's rotation. Houston made a trio of low-risk gambles in Alex White, Philip Humber, and John Ely. Here's more out of the AL West..
- At today's introductory press conference for A.J. Pierzynski, Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels said that there is a decent chance that they'll add another bat, tweets Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest.
- Rangers skipper Ron Washington told reporters that incumbent Geovany Soto will get some playing time but Pierzynski will be the club's No. 1 catcher, Andro tweets. The club re-signed Soto to a one-year, $2.75MM deal with $250K in incentives.
- Pierzynski says that he came to Texas in part because of his affinity for playing there and the climate (Twitter link).
Astros Not Close To Signing Jose Lopez
10:50pm: Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter) there is nothing going on between Lopez and the Astros. GM Jeff Luhnow told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart they are not in “active discussions at this time with free agents.”
5:46pm: The Astros are close to signing Jose Lopez according to Carlos Gonzalez Lovito at the Venezuelan sports blog Sin Uniforme. MLBTR's Nick Collias provided the translation.
"On December 26th I'm going to fly to Houston," said Lopez at a press conference. "Nothing is firm yet, but I might have to stop playing (in the Venezuelan winter leagues). Everything depends on the physical exams."
Lopez, 29, hit .246/.270/.356 with four homers in 248 plate appearances with the Indians and White Sox last season while playing right field in addition to first, second, and third bases. His numbers against left-handers were a bit more respectable (.277/.293/.415). Lopez is represented by Martin Arburua.
Astros Sign Jose Veras
4:10pm: The Astros plan to give Veras the chance to close, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The right-hander’s contract includes significant incentives based on games finished that could increase his $1.85MM salary by $500K. Depending on Veras’ games finished total next year, the value of the 2014 option could increase to the $4-5.5MM range, Rosenthal reports.
1:17pm: The Astros announced that they have signed right-handed reliever Jose Veras to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $2MM, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes, who first reported the agreement (on Twitter). The deal includes a 2013 salary of $1.85MM and a 2014 option worth $3.25MM with a $150K buyout. Praver/Shapiro represents Veras.
Veras, 32, elected to become a free agent last month after the Brewers outrighted him off of their 40-man roster. The move amounted to an early non-tender for Veras, who had a projected salary of $2.6MM.
In 72 appearances for Milwaukee in 2012, Veras posted a 3.63 ERA with 10.6 K/9, 5.4 BB/9 and a 43.8% ground ball rate in 67 innings. The seven-year veteran has a career ERA of 4.01 with 9.4 K/9, 4.9 BB/9 and a 39.4% ground ball rate. He averaged 93.8 mph with his fastball this past season, generating swings and misses 9% of the time.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Miller, Beato, Nunez, Pearce
The latest outright assignments from around MLB…
- The Astros outrighted infielder Brandon Laird and outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin to Triple-A after the players cleared waivers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports (on Twitter).
- The Yankees announced that they outrighted right-hander Jim Miller to Triple-A. They had designated him for assignment two days ago to create 40-man roster space for Ichiro Suzuki.
- The Red Sox outrighted Pedro Beato to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports (on Twitter). The Red Sox designated the right-hander for assignment two days ago to create roster space for Ryan Dempster.
- The Diamondbacks outrighted shortstop Gustavo Nunez to Detroit's Triple-A affiliate, the Tigers announced. Nunez, a 2011 Rule 5 Draft selection, spent the 2012 season on the Pirates' disabled list recovering from right ankle surgery. The Diamondbacks claimed him off of waivers from Pittsburgh on October 26th before returning him to Detroit today.
- The Orioles announced that they outrighted outfielder Steve Pearce to Triple-A. The club now has one open 40-man roster spot.
- The Cubs announced that they outrighted Gerardo Concepcion to Class A Kane County after the left-hander cleared waivers. Chicago's 40-man roster now includes 39 players.
- The Blue Jays announced that they outrighted right-hander Mickey Storey to Triple-A Buffalo. Toronto had claimed Storey off of waivers earlier in the week.