Yankees Links: Hairston, Hughes, Wakamatsu
Hideki Matsui announced his retirement from baseball after ten years in MLB today, seven of which were spent in New York with the Yankees. Here's the latest from the Bronx…
- Even after signing Matt Diaz to a minor league contract, the Yankees remain interested in Scott Hairston according to Kevin Kernan of The New York Post. The club is seeking a right-handed bat to complement their all-lefty hitting outfield.
- Phil Hughes could price himself out of New York with a strong season in 2013, opines Joel Sherman of The New York Post. The right-hander is due to become a free agent next winter and the Yankees are looking to get under the $189MM luxury tax threshold in 2014.
- Within the same piece, Sherman notes the Yankees will own three of the top 35 and four of the top 65 or so picks in next June's amateur draft. They're slated to receive compensation picks for Nick Swisher and Rafael Soriano.
- The Yankees have added former Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu to their pro scouting staff, reports Ken Davidoff of The New York Post (on Twitter).
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Yankees, Diaz
Links on the Yankees and Red Sox as Wednesday becomes Thursday..
- Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (on Twitter) sees several tradeable pieces on the Red Sox roster. Among them are the club's spare catchers (Ryan Lavarnway or Jarrod Saltalamacchia), Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Bailey, or one of their left-handed relievers. Abraham isn't sure what those pieces could net Boston in return, however.
- The Yankees' signing of Matt Diaz to a minor league deal likely won't end their search for a right-handed hitting outfield option, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Diaz's deal will be worth $1.2MM if he reaches the majors with the chance to earn an additional $800K in incentives.
- Diaz could be primed for a bounce-back year as his agents at Reynolds Sports Management (on Twitter) point out that the outfielder's recurring thumb issues are behind him. Diaz's slash line over the last two years has been .251/.295/.326 versus .301/.350/.456 in the previous eight seasons.
Yankees To Sign Matt Diaz
6:04pm: The outfielder can earn as much as $800K in incentives, sources tell Marc Carig of Newsday (Twitter link).
5:44pm: Diaz will earn $1.2MM plus incentives if he makes the big league club, sources tell Feinsand (on Twitter).
5:05pm: The Yankees have agreed to terms with Matt Diaz on a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). Feinsand tipped the signing earlier this week when he noted that the outfielder would be a potential fit for the Bombers.
Diaz spent last season with the Braves and posted a .222/.280/.333 batting line in 51 big league games. The Reynolds Sports Management client boasts a career .324/.364/.498 slash line against lefties.
Quick Hits: Yankees, Royals, Orioles, Hochevar
MLBTR would like to wish all of our readers a very Merry Christmas. Here's tonight's look around baseball..
- Yankees catcher Austin Romine could make an impact this season following the departure of Russell Martin, writes MLB.com's Bernie Pleskoff. Martin signed a two-year, $17MM deal with the Pirates in November. The Yankees still could make a play for a starting catcher, but as it stands, they'll head into spring training with Romine, Chris Stewart, and Francisco Cervelli.
- Royals left fielder Alex Gordon appreciates the moves that General Manager Dayton Moore has made in order to win in the short-term, writes Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star. “To be honest, it seems like we’ve been sitting on prospects the last six years…It’s given them that option to be able to do that and go get a guy like James Shields and some of the other guys they’ve picked up. Yeah, it’s a risk-reward, but it’s something that you sometimes need to pull off," said the soon-to-be 29-year-old. Gordon is signed through the next three seasons with a player option in 2016.
- Some have theorized that the Orioles won't be able to bank on the good fortune that they enjoyed last season in 2013, but Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com notes that the club has plenty of setbacks to overcome. The O's roadblocks led them to go through 52 players in the regular season and 178 roster moves in total.
- While many Royals fans would like to see them dump Luke Hochevar and Jeff Francoeur, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter) doesn't see either player being given away for nothing. Either player could be traded, but Kansas City will want something of consequence in return. The Royals reportedly called the Rockies about Hochevar earlier this month, but nothing materialized from those talks.
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) looked ahead to the biggest storylines of 2013. The Blue Jays now find themselves at center stage after acquiring R.A. Dickey, Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, and others this offseason. The Dodgers will also feel immense pressure to win as they'll claim the highest payroll in baseball in 2013.
- Left-hander Scott Kazmir is grateful for another shot at the major leagues, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. The soon-to-be 29-year-old inked a minor league deal with the Indians late last week. Kazmir last pitched at an All-Star level in 2008, when he posted a 3.49 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Hanrahan
Right-hander Derek Lowe wasn't off to a great start in 2012 but managed to finish out the year strong with the Yankees after signing in August. The veteran posted a 5.52 ERA with 3.1 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 21 starts for the Indians but had a 3.04 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in pinstripes as a reliever. However, as we learned earlier today, he's still looking for an opportunity to start. Here's more out on the Yanks and the rest of the AL East..
- The Yankees may be a team in transition, but Richard Justice of MLB.com refuses to count them out in 2013. For the Bombers to win, however, they'll need a right-handed hitting outfielder to balance their three left-handed hitting outfielders. They also need the newly-acquired Kevin Youkilis, who was signed to fill-in for Alex Rodriguez while he recovers from hip surgery, to stay healthy.
- The Red Sox's trade for Joel Hanrahan could signal that the front office believes that they can contend next season, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. If the deal is built around a player other than Hanrahan who can be controlled for multiple years, then that may not be the exact case. But if Hanrahan is the true centerpiece of the swap and the other player is more of a complementary piece, then it could mean that Boston expects to win next year.
- The Red Sox won't be announcing any of their pending moves over the next couple of days, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). That would presumably pertain to the aforementioned Hanrahan trade and the delayed Mike Napoli deal.
Yankees Notes: Cashman, Ibanez, Diaz, Payroll
Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News looks at the Yankees' offseason so far and examines deals the team hasn't made given budgetary concerns (all Twitter links)…
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman blames the team's lack of pursuit of Raul Ibanez on the club's priority of acquiring a right-handed hitting outfielder. Beyond finding an outfielder, Cashman says that the team does not have an unlimited budget and must work within its means.
- Feinsand points to right-handed outfielder Matt Diaz as a potential fit for the Yankees. Diaz has regained his health, should be an inexpensive sign and would bring a career batting line against lefties of .324/.364/.498.
- The Yankees will open the 2013 season with a payroll over $200MM but remain in a situation similar to last year where Cashman had to move expensive contracts before adding anyone new.
Quick Hits: Livan, Grilli, Swisher, Hairston, Rangers
Condolences go out to the family and friends of former Major League utility man Ryan Freel. The 36-year-old was found dead at his home today after taking his own life according to Chad Cushnir of First Coast News and MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Freel spent most of his career with the Reds, though he also suited up for the Blue Jays, Royals, Cubs, and Orioles.
Here's the latest from around the league as Saturday turns into Sunday…
- Livan Hernandez told MLB.com's Bill Ladson that he plans to play in 2013 (Twitter link). The 37-year-old right-hander posted a 6.42 ERA in 67 1/3 relief innings for the Braves and Brewers last season.
- Jason Grilli will take over as closer for the Pirates following the Joel Hanrahan trade according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Heyman notes the right-hander does not have any bonuses based on games finished in his new contract.
- Nick Swisher is giving "serious consideration" to the four-year, $52MM offer from the Indians according to ESPN's Jim Bowden (on Twitter). The switch-hitting outfielder prefers the Dodgers, Angels, or Yankees though.
- The Phillies, Braves, Mets, and Yankees are among the teams still in play for Scott Hairston, reports Heyman (on Twitter). Heyman says the Yankees may be at a disadvantage because they already have three starting outfielders.
- In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney says the Rangers should not overreact and drastically alter their plan after failing to land several top targets this offseason.
AL East Links: Yankees, Baker, Orioles
Here's the latest from the AL East as the Red Sox move closer to acquiring Joel Hanrahan…
- The Yankees are not close to a trade for an outfielder, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter links). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says the team continues to look for a right-handed bat, mentioning Vernon Wells, Scott Hairston, and Jeff Baker as targets.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Christian Red of The New York Daily News that there are no plans to further upgrade the team's rotation. New York re-signed Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte earlier this offseason.
- The Orioles removed Steve Pearce from the 40-man roster yesterday, and Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com wonders if the club could be adding another player in his place. Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun hears to would be a "kick-the-tires" addition and not a big name.
Mariners Have “Serious Interest” In Raul Ibanez
The Mariners have "serious interest" in Raul Ibanez, reports George A. King III of The New York Post. King reiterates that the Yankees, Rangers, and Phillies also have interest in the veteran slugger.
Ibanez, 40, hit .240/.308/.453 with 19 homers in 425 plate appearances for the Yankees last season while playing more outfield than expected due to Brett Gardner's elbow injury. He spent the 1996-2000 and 2004-2008 seasons in Seattle.
The Mariners acquired a DH-type in Kendrys Morales earlier this week, though he could shift to first if the team is willing to give up on Justin Smoak. Playing Ibanez in the outfield regularly is another option, though it's not advisable.
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.