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Quick Hits: Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs

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Let's take a quick trip around four of baseball's five most valuable franchises, according to Forbes:

  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. discussed the team's offseason strategy and looked ahead to the new season in a wide-ranging question-and-answer session with Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Daily News. When asked about the decision to add yet more older players to his club, Amaro said that "age is a factor," but not the only factor. "I've said this before and [Yankees GM] Brian Cashman has said this before," said Amaro. "I don't worry so much about age as I do about production." Amaro did note that the team figures to get younger in the outfield with Ben Revere and Domonic Brown expected to occupy two starting spots.
  • Meanwhile, the club has announced its Opening Day roster, which includes outfielder Ender Inciarte, according to a team tweet. As MLBTR previously noted, the 22-year-old Rule 5 draftee has yet to appear above High-A ball. Inciarte will remain Phillies property so long as he sticks on the club's 25-man roster (or is placed on the DL) for the duration of the season. Click here for an explanation of the Rule 5 Draft. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com tweets that he expects Inciarte to be returned to the Diamondbacks when Delmon Young is ready to join the club.
  • Turning to Cashman's Yankees, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman pulled no punches when reviewing the club's offseason, writing that "no one had a worse spring training than baseball's most storied team, maybe ever." Heyman further reports that, in spite of their public proclamations and massive payroll, the Yanks' brass is very concerned internally about the club's prospects for 2013. Likewise, ESPN's Jim Bowden predicted that New York would finish last in the AL East, writing that the club could sport a losing record for the first time since 1992.
  • Meanwhile, first baseman Lyle Overbay has made the Yankees Opening Day roster, Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger reported on Twitter. The 36-year-old was inked shortly after being released by the Red Sox. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch previously reported that Overbay signed what Cashman described as "a three-day, NBA-style contract" to allow the club to get "a quick peek" at the veteran. As McCullough wrote, Cashman has described his recent scramble to add players by evoking the famous Emma Lazarus line featured on the Statue of Liberty: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break [sic] free."
  • While nothing is yet official, Red Sox prospect Jackie Bradley Jr. is heading with the club to New York, where the team opens against the Yankees on Monday, tweets Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. The club will need to clear a 40-man roster spot before it can select the contract of the young outfielder, notes Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal (on Twitter). 
  • The Cubs' front office is working hard to make final additions to the roster, writes Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune (must register to access article). After adding players like Luis Valbuena and Shawn Camp around this time last year, Rogers says, the club could be active on the waiver wire.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Bradley, Cashman, O’s

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This spring, Jackie Bradley Jr. has shown that he absolutely belongs on the Red Sox's big league roster, but he may not break camp with the club for Opening Day because of service time considerations.  It's a system that agent Scott Boras believes is deeply flawed, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.  "Certainly one of the problems in baseball is that the fans are owed the best performance. But for strategic and economic reasons the clubs place themselves in the position where they're making decisions based on the economic structure and not on the performance," Boras said. "Every team does this. I don't think it's good for baseball."  Here's more from the AL East..

  • Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (on Twitter) thinks that the Red Sox are either trying to make sure that he stays healthy and/or looking to trade someone off of the 40-man roster to clear a spot for him.
  • When asked if there were any attractive outside options available, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman responded, "We’ll see. You don’t have to be attractive right now," tweets Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger.
  • The Orioles released Adam Greenberg from their minor league system, tweets Steve Melewski of MASNsports.  Greenberg, who was hit in the head with a pitch when he debuted with the Cubs in 2005, inked a one-day deal with the Marlins last year.

Minor Moves: Evans, Proctor, Demel

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the game.

  • The Diamondbacks signed utility man Nick Evans, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).  Evans, who last appeared at the MLB level with the Mets in 2011, was cut loose by the Dodgers earlier this month.
  • The Orioles have acquired pitcher Scott Proctor from the Giants for cash, Andrew Baggarly of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area reports (via Twitter). Proctor will pitch for Triple-A Norfolk. Proctor last appeared in the big leagues in 2011, when he played for the Yankees and Braves. He pitched in Korea in 2012.
  • The Yankees have outrighted reliever Sam Demel to Triple-A Scranton, the team’s PR department reports (on Twitter). The team claimed Demel from the Astros earlier this week. The team also added Jayson Nix and Ben Francisco to its 40-man roster, the team notes (on Twitter) and, as MLBTR noted earlier today, designated reliever David Aardsma for assignment. Demel, 27, spent most of 2012 at Triple-A Reno in the Diamondbacks system, posting a 4.07 ERA in 66 1/3 innings with 10.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. He has pitched 63 2/3 major-league innings in his career, all with the Diamondbacks.

Yankees Designate David Aardsma For Assignment

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The Yankees have designated David Aardsma for assignment, according to Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter).  The Bombers felt that the right-hander couldn't really provide them distance out of the bullpen and manager Joe Girardi said that he "didn't really fit" on the roster.

Aardsma, 31, underwent Tommy John surgery two years ago but has looked healthy so far this spring.  For his career, the right-hander owns a 4.22 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9.

AL East Notes: Ellsbury, Red Sox, Yankees, Wells

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While many players entering their walk years opt to table contract talks until after the season, Jacoby Ellsbury says that negotiations on a new deal won't be a distraction for him, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  “I know that [the Red Sox] talk [to Scott Boras] not just about me but other guys [on the team]..If there’s something to be discussed regarding me and the future, that’s when it’s brought to my attention — not every little conversation,” said Ellsbury. “There might be talks that I won’t know every little detail, but if there’s something, a decision to be made, that’s when I would get involved and go from there.”  Here's more out of the AL East..

  • While some are pushing the panic button on the aging Yankees, Steve Politi of the Star-Ledger has five reasons to believe in the Bombers this season.  Politi reasons that the Yankees always seem to get production from unlikely places, and the recently-acquired Vernon Wells could be the latest example.
  • The Yankees are a team in turmoil, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  While the Yankees have been known to have a touch of frenzy as Opening Day approaches, the club's last-minute roster shuffling is cause for concern.
  • More from Sherman, who makes an out-on-a-limb prediction for each New York team this season.  For the Yankees, Sherman suggests a midseason deal sending Andre Ethier to the Bronx for Jose Ramirez and Mason Williams.  Sherman reasons that the Yankees will want to boost their offense and find a replacement for Curtis Granderson while the Dodgers will have Yasiel Puig waiting in the wings.

AL Notes: Yankees, Happ, Indians

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The Yankees made some last minute moves this week when they traded for Vernon Wells and picked up the recently-released Lyle Overbay.  Both Wells and Overbay have made the club along with Ben Francisco and Brennan Boesch, leaving Juan Rivera as the odd man out.  Tbe first baseman/outfielder was cut loose, though he did cash in on a $100K retention bonus for staying on the roster beyond Tuesday's Article XX(B) deadline.  Here's more from the Junior Circuit..

  • It's time for the Yankees to start looking for a replacement for Derek Jeter, Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Eduardo Nunez, who is manning shortstop in Jeter's absence, is not a good solution for the long haul, Matthews argues, and Jeter's age and injury status are both worrisome. Matthews also suggests that the Yankees should have acquired Jose Reyes or Yunel Escobar in the offseason.
  • Having gone in just days from being ticketed for Triple-A to being in the big-league rotation with a new contract extension, Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ is thrilled with his recent streak of good fortune, reports MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm. "It certainly has been a great few days," says Happ. "There was a long time before that where it wasn't quite as easy, but this kind of makes it all worth it."
  • After his team's signings of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, GM Chris Antonetti hopes the Indians will snag a playoff spot, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The organization felt it needed a splashy offseason to maintain the attention of its fanbase, Pluto writes. "There is risk whenever you make substantial investment," says Antonetti. "But for us, there was even more risk if we didn't."

Yankees Release Juan Rivera

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The Yankees released first baseman/outfielder Juan Rivera, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Rivera, 34, hit .244/.286/.375 in 339 plate appearances for the Dodgers last year, though he did slug .433 against lefties.  He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in January, and despite injuries to Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira, did not make the Opening Day roster.  Rivera did receive a $100K retention bonus on Tuesday's deadline, notes MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. 

The Yankees added Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay this week.  Wells, Overbay, and Ben Francisco are making the team, Rivera was told, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch and others.  Outfielder Brennan Boesch will also make the club, GM Brian Cashman said (Joel Sherman of the New York Post reporting).

East Notes: Happ, Romero, Mets, Nationals

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The Yankees will finish in last place, predicts Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Predicting the AL East is no easy task, that's for sure.  The latest from baseball's eastern division teams:

  • The Yankees need another Aaron Small-type hidden gem this year, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  The team is facing some derision for recent veteran pickups like Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay, but Sherman feels the front office has earned the benefit of the doubt given its success with these types of additions.
  • The Blue Jays and starter J.A. Happ first discussed an extension in the offseason when they were doing his arbitration case, GM Alex Anthopoulos told Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star.  The agreement was reached before Happ found out he'd made the Opening Day rotation, said the pitcher.  The Jays guaranteed Happ's final arbitration year in 2014 and also snagged a club option for '15.
  • Happ beat out Ricky Romero for the Jays' fifth starter job, even though Romero is owed $7.5MM this year.  Romero, who was optioned to High-A, told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca, "I don’t belong here to be honest with you. This is not for me."
  • The Mets are not yet convinced Ruben Tejada is their shortstop of the future, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.  Gavin Cecchini is Baseball America's top-rated shortstop in the Mets' farm system, but he was drafted out of high school last summer.
  • The Nationals are a scouting-first organization, but GM Mike Rizzo is open-minded to suggestions from their two top analytics people, Adam Cromie and Samuel Mondry-Cohen, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.  The team has its own formula to evaluate defense and its own version of wins above replacement.

AL East Notes: Niemann, Yankees, Red Sox, Overbay

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Scouts watching Rays pitcher Jeff Niemann this month are wary of his lowered velocity, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (on Twitter).  However, one source believes that if they move him to the bullpen, he'll be able to get his velocity up a "tick or two" and restore his trade value.  Here's more out of the AL East..

  • The Yankees are viewing Lyle Overbay as a free three-day look, though he is clearly their best defensive option at first base, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).  The Bombers picked up Overbay shortly after he was cut loose by the Red Sox.
  • The Red Sox ideally would like to keep Jackie Bradley Jr. in the minors for the first few weeks of the season to delay the start of his service time clock, but the club's sense of urgency may alter those plans, writes Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.  If the Red Sox send Bradley to Triple-A Pawtucket for the first nine games of the season, he won't be eligible for free agency until 2019.
  • The Yankees have reassembled a 2006 All-Star team, writes Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal.  The Bombers have eight of 30 players that received AL MVP votes in the '06 season.
  • The Red Sox have a roster decision to make between Daniel Bard, who has minor league options remaining, and the out-of-options Clayton Mortensen, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Boston has to decide whether Bard will have an easier time getting back on track in the majors or in Triple-A Pawtucket.

Yankees Claim Sam Demel, DFA Danny Otero

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The Yankees announced that they have claimed pitcher Sam Demel off of waivers from the Astros.  To make room for Demel on the 40-man roster, the club designated fellow right-hander Danny Otero for assignment.

Demel, 27, owns a career 4.95 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 72 big league relief appearances with the Diamondbacks from 2010-12.  He made just one relief outing last year and spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Reno, where he had a 4.07 ERA with 10.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 56 appearances out of the bullpen.

Otero, 28, made 12 relief appearances for the Giants last season.  In parts of two seasons at Triple-A, Otero owns a 3.03 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9.

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