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Yankees Release David Aardsma

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The Yankees have unconditionally released reliever David Aardsma, tweets MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.  Aardsma had been designated for assignment on Friday.

Aardsma signed with the Yankees in February 2012, and appeared in only one big league game for them after recovering from July 2011 Tommy John surgery.  The team picked up his cheap $500K option in October, but cut him this spring partially due to his history as a one-inning guy.

Aardsma, 31, was drafted in the first round by the Giants in 2003, but didn't really find himself until he became the Mariners' closer in 2009.  From 2009-10, Aardsma ranked ninth in the game with 69 saves.  Aardsma's velocity reached 94 miles per hour in Spring Training, and he was able to prove his health, so he should generate interest as a free agent.

Latest On Robinson Cano

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Robinson Cano found an agent who is perhaps more powerful than Scott Boras, dropping Boras for Jay-Z this week.  While it was previously suggested CAA Baseball's Brodie Van Wagenen would handle all of the contract negotiations, Jay-Z will be "intimately involved," Van Wagenen tells Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Heyman feels that Cano, next offseason's top free agent, has "at least tipped his hand that he wants to stay in the Bronx."  

Boras, who never brokered a contract for Cano during their time together, flew to New York Tuesday to try to meet with his former client, writes Heyman.  Notes Heyman, "As of late Wednesday morning, he had not heard a word back from Cano, who is notoriously non-confrontational."  Perhaps players just aren't keen on making the breakup call to Boras.  Former Boras advisee Jay Bruce admitted to me in February that his mom made that call with his contact at the agency, though it was certainly a different situation since Bruce was a teenager and did not have a relationship with Boras himself.  Cano did not want to address his avoidance of his former agent, responding to the question with, "No answer on that one, how's that?" according to David Lennon of Newsday.

Cano's teammate Mark Teixeira, also a former Boras client, explained to reporters why some players might prefer other representation.  He told reporters, including Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, "Everyone knows Scott likes to control everything.  He has a financial-services part of his business, he has a sports-performance training side of his business, he has a mental-performance side of his business. He has everything that you could possibly do; he takes care of for you if you choose. It doesn’t necessarily benefit every player. Some guys need that, some guys want that. But the guys that want to take control of their lives and make their own decisions, it’s not ideal for."  

Does Jay-Z have a conflict of interest, given his longstanding association with the Yankees?  Certainly Boras doesn't sport a Yankees cap in public.  Publicist Ron Berkowitz told Heyman, "Jay-Z's a New York guy, but he's going to represent his guys, and it's going to be about where the player wants to go."

Latest On Robinson Cano

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Robinson Cano's decision to fire Scott Boras yesterday in favor of Jay-Z's newest venture — Roc Nation Sports — caused quite the stir in the media. Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote that Boras was "blindsided" by Cano's decision. Here's more on the situation…

  • Rosenthal corrects his earlier statement that Boras will receive commission on Cano's $15MM salary in 2013 by noting that Cano's former agent Bobby Barad will receive that commission (Twitterlinks).
  • Jay-Z is still waiting to be formally certified as an agent, writes Rosenthal.  The rapper is one of three representatives from his company, Roc Nation, to receive temporary limited certification.  Meanwhile, Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA is the only person currently certified to represent Cano.
  • Boras was caught off-guard by Cano's decision to change representation, writes Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger.  “Robinson is a fine guy. Obviously between the 20th of March and the start of the season, he received a lot of information. Obviously a lot of promises. A lot of things came his way. I don’t know specifically what they are. But this happened very, very quickly," said the agent.
  • While this is indisputably a big blow for Boras, he can argue that it's a different situation because of Jay-Z and he wasn't dumped for another baseball agent, writes Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Victorino, Cano

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The Orioles made a surprising playoff run in 2012, but SB Nation's Rob Neyer can see why people question their ability to repeat. He argues that the Orioles were merely average in terms of runs scored and runs allowed in 2012, and expecting players like Brian Roberts and Nolan Reimold to perform better than they have in years is going to invite critics. Here's more out of the AL East…

  • Shane Victorino inked a three-year, $39MM deal with the Red Sox this offseason, but he told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that he turned down a bigger offer from the Indians to join the Boston-New York rivalry. Victorino says that Cleveland offered $44MM over four years, but his previous experiences playing at Fenway Park and the intensity of the fans swayed him to leave some money on the table.
  • Scott Boras was "blindsided" by Robinson Cano's decision to switch agents yesterday, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Cano, who still must pay Boras the commission on 2013's $15MM salary, had signed a representation agreement with Boras as recently as March 20. Brodie Van Wagenen, who will be Cano's primary baseball representative with CAA/Roc Nation Sports, said he wouldn't publicly discuss a new opening for Cano to sign a contract, but noted that Cano loves New York and would like to stay.
  • There are still roadblocks to getting a new deal with the Yankees worked out for Cano and his new representatives, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman wonders about conflicts of interest surrounding Jay-Z — a lifelong Yankee fan who will perform at Yankee Stadium this year — negotiating against the team. He also wonders whether or not the Yanks will want to give another player that's on the wrong side of 30 a $200MM contract.

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Posey, Cano, Indians

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Pirates GM Neal Huntington and Rays GM Andrew Friedman claim that their decisions to leave Gerrit Cole (Pirates) and Wil Myers (Rays) in the minors to start the 2013 season were motivated not by service-time concerns, but by those players' readiness, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports. Mayo says the scouts he's spoken to can't blame Huntington for sending Cole to Triple-A Indianapolis, since Cole has very limited experience at that level. Friedman, meanwhile, says that he needs to be sure a player is ready before having him compete in the tough AL East. "The AL East will expose very quickly any weaknesses that you have," he says. "So when we bring someone here, we need to feel that he's ready to step in and help us win right away."

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington, in contrast, says his organization promoted Jackie Bradley Jr. to start the season — even though doing so could affect Bradley's timetable for free agency — because Bradley is one of the organization's 25 best players, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports. "At the end, if there was that level of confidence that he was part of the best 25-man roster, then we felt he should be on the team. That’s part of our responsibility to the fans and to the organization," Cherington says. In addition, Cherington notes, the Red Sox begin their season with plenty of games within their division, and it's especially crucial that they do well in those games. Their first four series against the Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles and Rays, all AL East opponents. Here are more notes from around the majors.

  • The Giants have locked up catcher Buster Posey with an eight-year, $159MM extension, but in Keith Law's latest podcast for ESPN, Posey's agent, Jeff Berry of Creative Artist Agency (CAA), contemplates what might have happened if Posey and the Giants had decided to go year-to-year through the arbitration system. Berry argues that Posey's situation would have been unique, because Posey has won an MVP and a Rookie of the Year award and has played for two World Series-winning teams, but after missing much of 2011 to injury, he doesn't have particularly impressive career bulk counting stats, which are a factor in arbitration hearings. "The challenge, first and foremost, in the arb system was looking at, 'Wow, this guy has accomplished things that no one else has ever done, but [among superstars in the arbitration process] he's also played less than anyone,'" Berry says.
  • Reacting to Robinson Cano's decision to fire Scott Boras and hire CAA and the rapper Jay-Z as his representation, one agent says that "Jay-Z doesn’t know s— about baseball," Michael O'Keeffe of the New York Daily News writes. "You don’t hire a real estate agent to do neurosurgery," the agent continues. O'Keeffe goes on to note that, of course, Jay-Z will not be negotiating a deal for Cano, who will be a free agent after the season. That duty will go to CAA, which represents Posey and a number of other MLB stars. Here are more reactions to Cano's agency switch.
  • This year's Indians are excited about the team's offseason spending spree, Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. "Hats off to Chris Antonetti and the Dolan family, after losing 94 games [in 2012] they very easily could have folded up shop and said, 'Let’s wait for a few more young kids to develop and see what we’ve got,'" says Jason Giambi, who signed a minor-league deal with Cleveland in February. Instead, he says, "[t]hey went out and got some guys and spent some money. They put together a good ballclub, now we have to answer the bell and play good."
  • The Rangers had scouts watching pitcher Joba Chamberlain in spring training, but the Rangers and Yankees never ended up discussing a deal, George A. King III and Zach Braziller of the New York Post write. King and Braziller note that Chamberlain impressed the Yankees with a spring training performance that included nine strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings.

AL Notes: Rodriguez, Andrus, Kazmir, Snyder

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The changing nature of free agency has been a hot topic of late, as MLBTR noted earlier today. A series of high-profile extensions this spring have reinforced an apparent new trend towards teams retaining their best young players with long-term deals. As Larry Stone of the Seattle Times posits, this trend also increases the importance of scouting and developing young players, with MLB's recent spending limits potentially leveling the playing field between large and small-market clubs.

  • Alex Rodriguez's record-breaking 2007 contract extension with the Yankees was re-visited in a piece on Saturday from David Waldstein of the New York Times. Waldstein reports on the events that ensued after Rodriguez exercised the opt-out clause in his contract, with the announcement infamously coming in the midst of what turned out to be the final game of the World Series. After receiving counsel from people ranging from Mariano Rivera to Warren Buffett, Rodriguez apologized to Hal and Hank Steinbrenner to pave the way to a new deal with the Yanks. The unprecedented contract included a $265MM salary guarantee over ten seasons, a $10MM signing bonus, and career home run milestone payments of up to $30MM. With Rodriguez now suffering from some combination of ineffectiveness, injury, and intrigue, Waldstein writes, New York may be exploring a variety of ways to get out from under the deal.
  • An opt-out clause could play a big role in another potential ten-year commitment: the recently-inked eight-year, $120MM extension between Elvis Andrus and the Rangers. As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains, the deal's opt-out clause is likely to turn the Andrus extension into a four-year, $60MM deal. While this seems to be a big concession by Texas, Rosenthal says it was necessary to lock up four of the Scott Boras client's free agent years. The club will pursue insurance to protect itself in the event that Andrus does not exercise the opt-out clause due to injury. The deal also gives the Rangers plenty of flexibility to take advantage of super-prospect Jurickson Profar, either in their lineup (at second base) or via trade.
  • While still not conforming his new deal, Andrus commented today on his relationship with Boras, as reported by T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Discussing his agent's penchant for testing the market, Andrus said: "We're the boss. I know everybody thinks that about Scott but it's different if you're the one in that position. He works for us. I know he tries to get the best deal that he can but it comes down to my choice and what's better for me and my family."
  • Scott Kazmir appears close to coming all the way back to the big leagues after being activated by the Indians, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer. In a corresponding move, the club optioned left-hander Nick Hagadone to Triple-A. Kazmir, who will now receive a $1MM base salary after initially signing a minor league deal, may still have to wait to actually make an appearance after straining his ab. As the Indians noted on Twitter, today's transaction allows the club to back-date a Kazmir DL stint if he is not ready to go.
  • The Red Sox are signing infielder Brandon Snyder to a minor league deal, as first reported by Chris Cotillo (Twitter link). Alex Speier of WEEI.com confirmed (via Twitter) that Snyder, who was recently released by the Rangers, has signed with Boston and is headed to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Reactions To Robinson Cano’s Agency Move

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If Robinson Cano's decision to leave agent Scott Boras was a shocker, then it's hard to find a word to describe his new choice for representation.  Rapper Jay-Z, who is a minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets, will be a part of Cano's team with his Roc Nation Sports marketing venture.  While the actual negotiating on Cano's next deal will be handled by the folks at CAA, it's a surprise to see Jay-Z leap from the pages of Hoops Rumors to MLBTR.  Here's more on Cano's big move..

  • It remains to be seen whether the change in representation will benefit the Yankees in their quest to re-sign Cano, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Affiliating with Jay-Z’s new company infers that Cano wants to market himself outside of baseball and that would best be accomplished in New York or Los Angeles.  The Dodgers, of course, are expected to pursue Cano if he hits the open market.
  • Yankees execs are playing today's news low key, but they know that it improves their chances of retaining the second baseman, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  A person in the know tells Sherman (link) that that Cano's recent meet and greet with LeBron James was set up by Jay-Z as part of pitch to woo him away from Boras.
  • An ex-teammate of Cano believes that the decision to partner up with Jay-Z means that he'll be staying in pinstripes, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
  • It may be true that the move makes him more likely to stay in New York, but Rob Neyer of SB Nation cautions everyone not to make too much of it.  To Neyer, the change is about Cano looking to be known to a non-baseball audience.
  • A source close to Cano told John Harper of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) that Cano wants a big payday but also wants to stay a Yankee.  The 30-year-old didn't see that happening with Boras, who would want to hunt down the biggest contract possible.  The source stressed that Cano isn't comfortable with so much attention on his impending free agency and wants to get a deal done "sooner rather than later'' (link).
  • Barring something unexpected, Cano is going to be a Yankee for a long time, maybe for the rest of his career, writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.  Meanwhile, the move could be a game changer in the agency game.  While Boras has lost some big names in recent years and got less than expected for Kyle Lohse and Michael Bourn this offseason, he is the Jay-Z of baseball agents, Passan writes.
  • CAA's Brodie Van Wagenen, who will serve as the direct representative for Cano says that his aim is to keep Cano's focus on baseball, tweets Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.  "Our mandate is to minimize his distractions while helping him achieve his goals on and off the field."
  • Cano declined to speak when asked if he would comment on Boras reportedly being caught unaware of his decision to switch agencies, Hoch writes.
  • Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter) sees Cano working out an extension with the Yankees after the agency switch.  

Robinson Cano Fires Boras; Hires CAA

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11:33am: Boras told ESPN's T.J. Quinn, "I haven't spoken to Robinson, and I hope to."  Quinn's sources say Cano is still under contract with Boras.  And I can confirm that at this moment, the MLBPA still has Cano's agent as Boras.  It could just be a matter of paperwork, however, since Cano and his new agent have already released statements.

9:27am: Robinson Cano has fired agent Scott Boras, reports ESPN's Buster Olney.  Olney says the Yankees' second baseman "has quietly been meeting with other agents in recent weeks to discuss a possible switch, and now he has changed representation."  Cano hired CAA as his new agency, tweets Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.  Cano is the top free agent of the 2013-14 offseason, with a potential $200MM contract in his sights, so it's a big blow for Boras and huge addition to a CAA roster that includes Ryan Braun, Buster Posey, Adam Jones, Ryan Zimmerman, Roy Halladay, Matt Cain, Jake Peavy, Andre Ethier, Matt Garza, Corey Hart, and Ryan Howard, among many others.

Cano hired Boras in February 2011, three years after previous agent Bobby Barad negotiated a team-friendly contract that included a pair of club options.  Last month, Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters the team had made a "significant offer," with free agency looming after the season.  It stands to reason that the Yankees' chances of extending the player before free agency have increased.  Cano's marketing will be handled by Jay-Z's company Roc Nation, notes Feinsand, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says this affiliation is part of the reason the player chose CAA.  Olney further explains, "Jay-Z is starting a sports rep agency, attached to CAA, and Cano will be its first client."  CAA agent Brodie Van Wagenen will handle baseball stuff, tweets Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger.  For more on Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports venture, including news that Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter) himself is planning to become a certified agent, check out this article from ESPN's Darren Rovell.

"Because of my love of sports, it was a natural progression to form a company where we can help top athletes in various sports the same way we have been helping artists in the music industry for years," Jay-Z told Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal.

Usually, the Boras Corporation adds a few of the top free agents before free agency hits.  The agency does still have big names for next offseason in Jacoby Ellsbury and Shin-Soo Choo.

Quick Hits: Indians, Youkilis, Walker

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Over the course of 48 hours last week, teams handed out nearly a half-billion dollars in long-term deals to Justin Verlander, Buster Posey, Adam Wainwright and Paul Goldschmidt, Bob Nightengale of USA Today notes. But not all of those expensive contracts go well, which leads to, for example, last week trade of Vernon Wells from the Angels to the Yankees. "We're becoming like the NBA," says Brewers GM Doug Melvin. "Instead of old-fashioned baseball trades, we're trading contracts. I can see more of these in the future. And that's concerning." A sidebar to Nightengale's article lists how much each team will be paying other teams this year, much of it for contracts gone bad. The Angels are paying the most money, most of it going to the Yankees for Wells. The Pirates are receiving the most money, much of it coming from the Yankees (for A.J. Burnett) and Astros (for Wandy Rodriguez). Here are more notes from around the league.

  • Two bad months — a bad August 2011 for the Red Sox, and a bad August 2012 for the Indians — helped create the 2013 Indians, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. Without the Red Sox's bad month, Cleveland wouldn't have been able to hire manager Terry Francona, and without the Indians' 5-24 August, the team's ownership might not have felt the need to make a splash in the offseason. That month of "zombie baseball" led to the acquisitions of Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, Brett Myers and Mark Reynolds, Hoynes argues.
  • The Red Sox will see former star Kevin Youkilis as he makes his regular-season debut with the Yankees on Monday, Peter Abraham of the Boston Glove notes. Youkilis signed a $12MM deal with the Yankees in the offseason. "It’ll be weird," says Boston's Jon Lester. "I wouldn’t never thought that it would happen. But he made that choice for him and his family. I’m sure he’s excited about it."
  • Pirates second baseman Neil Walker also says he isn't likely to discuss a long-term contract with the team during the regular season, Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (on Twitter). The Bucs have not made a new offer to Walker, either, Sanserino says. Walker will make $3.3MM in 2013 in his first year of arbitration eligibility.

Yankees Designate Clay Rapada For Assignment

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The Yankees have designated left-hander Clay Rapada for assignment to clear a spot for Lyle Overbay, tweets MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Rapada is out of options. The Yankees now have ten days to trade, release, or outright him to the minors.

Rapada has been suffering from shoulder bursitis this spring. The Yankees had intended to place Rapada on the disabled list, but changed their minds risking the possibility the 32-year-old will be claimed by another team, according to Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger. Rapada pitched to a 2.82 ERA, 8.9 K/9, and 4.0 BB/9 in 70 games (38 1/3 innings) out of the bullpen for the Yankees in 2012.

The Yankees signed Overbay last Tuesday in an effort to boost a lineup hit hard by injuries to Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez. Overbay will man first base against left-handers with Kevin Youkilis taking over against right-handers. 

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