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Minor Moves: A’s, Pirates, Colon, Orioles, Hudson

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Here's a look at today's minor moves, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy..

  • The Athletics are close to signing Mexican League infielder Antonio Lamas to an undisclosed deal, reports John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).
  • The Pirates signed right-hander Roman Colon to a minor league deal.  Colon appeared in a few games for the Royals last season but spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A Omaha where he posted a 3.09 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 40 games.  
  • The Orioles signed left fielder Kyle Hudson, who spent the first four years of his career in the Baltimore organization.  The 26-year-old hit just .264/.335/.286 for the Triple-A affiliates of the Phillies and Rays.
  • Right-hander Mark Hamburger is seeking employment once again after being released by the Astros this week.  The 26-year-old was a roster casualty several times last season and spent time with the Rangers, Astros, and Padres. 

Daniel Seco contributed to this report.

AL West Notes: Cabrera, Athletics, Garland

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The baseball community is buzzing over Michael Bourn's four-year pact with the Indians, but there's more news than just that in the baseball world. Here's a collection of links pertaining to the AL West…

  • Right-hander Fernando Cabrera, who signed a minor league contract with the Angels in January, can opt out of his deal if he is not on the Major League roster by July 31 according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (Twitter link).
  • John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group tweets that Athletics manager Bob Melvin called Hiroyuki Nakajima and told him not to worry about the club's acquisition of Jed Lowrie. The A's traded for Lowrie a week ago.
  • There's no bad blood between Bartolo Colon and his teammates, writes CSN Bay Area's Casey Pratt. The Athletics have welcomed Colon back with open arms, and his teammates are glad to have him back in the fold as they look to defend their AL West title.
  • A scout texted Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and praised the Mariners for their minor league pact with Jon Garland. The scout tells Rosenthal that Garland looks healthy and was impressive in a recent workout. Garland told Rosenthal that his decision not to go to camp with the Indians after agreeing to a minor league deal with them last winter may have been the best decision of his career because it helped him finally get back to 100 percent. Cleveland GM Chris Antonetti called Garland's decision "very classy."
  • Kenji Nimura, who served as Hiroki Kuroda's intepreter for the Yankees last season, will now assume that role with Yu Darvish of the Rangers, Newsday's David Lennon tweets.
  • Ryan Madson suffered a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which means he probably won't be ready to take the reins as the Angels' closer on Opening Day, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. Remember fantasy baseball players, you can keep track of all the latest closer-related injuries and news this season by following Tim Dierkes' @closernews on Twitter.

Athletics To Sign Hideki Okajima

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The Athletics have agreed to sign left-hander Hideki Okajima to a minor league deal with an invite to big league spring training, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). The deal with the Joe Rosen client is pending a physical.

The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks recently released Okajima from his contract, allowing him to pursue opportunities at the MLB level. A few teams had interest in Okajima, who spent the 2012 season in Japan after pitching with the Red Sox from 2007-11.

Okajima posted a 0.94 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9 over the course of 47 2/3 innings in Japan last year. The 37-year-old was a key contributor in Boston's bullpen from 2007-10, posting a 3.06 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 over the course of 254 appearances during that four-year period. He'll join left-handed relievers Sean Doolittle, Jerry Blevins and Jordan Norberto in the Oakland bullpen.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported the sides were nearing a deal.

Athletics, Okajima Nearing Deal

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The Athletics are nearing a deal with left-handed reliever Hideki Okajima, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). Agent Joe Rosen represents Okajima.

The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks recently released Okajima from his contract, allowing him to pursue opportunities at the MLB level. A few teams had interest in Okajima, who spent the 2012 season in Japan after pitching with the Red Sox from 2007-11.

Okajima posted a 0.94 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9 over the course of 47 2/3 innings in Japan last year. The 37-year-old was a key contributor in Boston's bullpen from 2007-10, posting a 3.06 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 over the course of 254 appearances during that four-year period. If the A's complete a deal with Okajima, he'll join left-handed relievers Sean Doolittle, Jerry Blevins and Jordan Norberto in the Oakland bullpen.

AL West Notes: Norris, Luhnow, Athletics, Profar

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The Mariners dominated headlines around baseball today, agreeing to an extension with Felix Hernandez, agreeing to terms with Joe Saunders, finalizing a one-year deal with Kelly Shoppach and designating Shawn Kelley for assignment.  While the bulk of the news from the AL West came from Seattle, here are some more items from around the division…

  • In an interview on the MLB Network (video link), Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said he was looking forward to having Bud Norris in the rotation next season and that he wasn't currently talking to anyone about trading the right-hander.  Luhnow noted, however, that the Astros' recent history has shown "we're willing to talk to any club about any player if we feel the deal furthers our strategy to develop the best young talent in baseball….We'll continue to look at all options."  FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported on Tuesday that Norris was available and that the Cardinals, Padres and Orioles were all interested in Norris during the Winter Meetings.
  • Speaking of Houston's recent moves, Luhnow's trades as Astros general manager are recapped by MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
  • "Our currency is not cash.  Our currency is young players," Athletics GM Billy Beane tells CBS Sports' Danny Knobler. While the A's won't see a major payroll increase in 2013, the team has been dealing young talent in exchange for more expensive veterans this offseason since Oakland feels it can contend next season.  
  • The topic of a Jurickson Profar-for-David Price deal was recently posed to ESPN's Keith Law during a radio appearance, and ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett goes further in-depth in analyzing the specifics of such a trade between the Rangers and Rays.  Durrett would make the trade since it would give the Rangers a proven ace, while Law wouldn't make the deal one-for-one since Texas would be giving up too many years of team control.  Law, however, doesn't think Tampa Bay would consider such an offer anyway since, "it would be very hard for the Rays to justify a deal like that with the perceived value of Price."

Quick Hits: Prospects, Yankees, Okajima, Carpenter

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Jurickson Profar of the Rangers, Oscar Taveras of the Cardinals and Dylan Bundy of the Orioles top Keith Law's list of the best 100 prospects in baseball at ESPN.com. Five Cardinals occupy spaces on Law's top 100 list, which focuses on high-impact minor leaguers who could develop into MLB stars. Here are some links from around MLB with Spring Training approaching quickly…

  • There’s lots of talent beyond the top 100, so Law looks at some prospects who just missed his primary list.
  • General manager Brian Cashman said the Yankees are content to let MLB lead the investigation into Alex Rodriguez’s involvement with a Miami-based clinic that distributed performance enhancing drugs to prominent athletes. As Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger reports, the GM hasn’t spoken to Rodriguez about the issue, nor have others in the organization. “The only thing required from our end, right now, is patience and smarts,” Cashman said.
  • Athletics GM Billy Beane said the team’s 25-man roster is now complete, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. However, Slusser reports that the A's are still considering free agent left-hander Hideki Okajima.
  • Though Chris Carpenter is expected to miss the 2013 season, the Cardinals won’t be responsible for all of his $12.5MM salary. Insurance will cover some of that sum in 2013, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). That said, the Cardinals aren’t expecting major savings.

Trade Reaction: Athletics-Astros Deal

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The Athletics and Astros completed a five-player trade that fortifies the 2013 A’s and adds depth to Houston’s organization. Infielder Jed Lowrie and right-handed reliever Fernando Rodriguez join the Athletics in exchange for first baseman Chris Carter, starting pitcher Brad Peacock and catching prospect Max Stassi. Here’s the latest reaction to the trade, which was officially announced last night:

  • While the deal fits into Houston’s long-term vision, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders how low the Astros can go before becoming an embarrassment to MLB. The Astros have lost a total of 213 games since 2011, and it seems likely that they’ll struggle again in 2013. “There aren’t many years where you can say one team will definitely have the No. 1 pick,” a rival GM told Rosenthal. “But they will definitely have the No. 1.” Astros GM Jeff Luhnow maintains that his primary objective is putting together a consistent winner. “Whether that’s ’14, ’15, ’16, we don’t know. But that’s what we’re working toward. So, any move we make has to be seen in that light.”
  • The Astros added three young players with value, "but no star potential" ESPN.com's Keith Law writes. It's a good return in terms of value, though none of the newcomers are likely to become All-Stars. Law wonders if the Astros could have obtained a possible star in the deal instead of adding depth.
  • The 2013 Athletics have a deeper, better infield following the trade, FanGraphs' Jeff Sullivan explains. Meanwhile, the Astros have more talent now than they did at this time yesterday.
  • ESPN.com’s Buster Olney points out that Bud Norris’ $3MM salary now leads the Astros. That’s less than the average MLB salary and what Zack Greinke will earn in three weeks, as Olney points out. It's possible the Astros will have a historically poor record. "What you question is, how bad can they be," an NL official told Olney.
  • Entering the offseason it was clear the A’s needed to bolster the left side of their infield, and I like that they’ve managed to accomplish that goal at a reasonable cost. That said, I can see why the Astros decided to move Lowrie at a time that his trade value remains reasonably high.

Poll: Oakland’s Best Offseason Acquisition

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It’s been a busy offseason for the Athletics and general manager Billy Beane following their surprise AL West championship in 2012. The A’s have exercised Grant Balfour’s option and re-signed Bartolo Colon to a one-year deal while electing to let right-hander Brandon McCarthy depart via free agency.

Beyond that, the A’s GM has orchestrated three trades this offseason, acquiring Chris Young, John Jaso and Jed Lowrie in three separate transactions — two of which were three-team deals. The A’s also dipped into the international market to add shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima. For those who have forgotten, here’s a quick recap of each of those moves:

  • The A’s signed Nakajima to a two-year deal worth $6.5MM. The 30-year-old is expected to play shortstop for Oakland and owns a .310/.381/.474 batting line and 104 homers dating back to 2007.
  • Oakland traded Cliff Pennington to the D’backs and Yordy Cabrera to the Marlins in order to acquire Young and $500K from Arizona. The Diamondbacks also received Heath Bell, and the Marlins received cash considerations. Young is set to hit free agency following the 2013 season.
  • Beane and Co. traded A.J. Cole back to the Nationals in order to acquire Jaso from the Mariners. Mike Morse was traded from Washington to the Mariners in the deal as well. Jaso is under team control through 2015.
  • The A’s traded Brad Peacock, Chris Carter and Max Stassi to the Astros in exchange for Lowrie and right-hander Fernando Rodriguez. Lowrie is under control through 2014.

Following today, Beane uncharacteristically divulged to reporters — including CSN Bay Area’s Casey Pratt — that the team was done making additions to its Major League roster (Twitter link). With that in mind, let’s put it to a vote:

Athletics Acquire Jed Lowrie In Five-Player Deal

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The Astros announced that they sent shortstop Jed Lowrie to the Athletics in a five-player trade. The Astros acquire first baseman Chris Carter, starting pitcher Brad Peacock and catching prospect Max Stassi from the A's in the deal, which sends right-handed reliever Fernando Rodriguez to Oakland along with Lowrie. Jed Lowrie

The Astros are trading Lowrie approximately one year after acquiring him from the Red Sox. Astros GM Jeff Luhnow maintained throughout the offseason that he didn't want to trade Lowrie unless he could obtain impact players in return.

“This trade gives us power, pitching and catching,” Luhnow said in a statement released by the team. “Three valuable commodities that will help improve our organization.”

Lowrie, who turns 29 in April, enjoyed arguably his best season in 2012 — his lone season in Houston. After being traded from the Red Sox along with Kyle Weiland in exchange for Mark Melancon, Lowrie hit .244/.331/.438. He hit a career-high 16 home runs, but was held to just 97 games due to a thumb sprain and an ankle injury. Unfortunately, those 97 games also represent a career-best for Lowrie as well.

Lowrie is set to earn $2.4MM in 2013 after avoiding arbitration with the Astros last month. He'll be eligible for arbitration a third and final time next offseason and is eligible for free agency following the 2014 season. As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out (on Twitter), the Astros now have less than $15MM in guaranteed contracts for this upcoming season.

The 28-year-old Rodriguez struggled in 2012, posting a 5.37 ERA in 70 1/3 frames for the Astros. However, his FIP (4.22) and xFIP (4.23) are nearly identical to the marks he posted in 2011 when his ERA was 3.96. He averaged 93.9 mph on his heater last season and has fanned 136 batters in 123 1/3 innings. He can be controlled through 2017.

Peacock, who turned 25 on Saturday, ranked fourth on Baseball America's list of Top 10 Athletics prospects. The right-hander was a key component of last winter's Gio Gonzalez trade but had a down season in 2012. He had a 6.01 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 134 2/3 innings for Oakland's Triple-A affiliate. BA's Jim Shonerd wrote in November that Peacock pitched up in the zone too frequently in 2012, and added:

"When he's going well, he still shows three quality pitches. Peacock's fastball works at 91-95 mph but lacks movement, underscoring the need for better command. He also flashes a sharp curveball and a changeup with depth. He has added a slider/cutter hybrid to help induce weak contact, but it remains a work in progress."

Stassi, 21, entered the season as Oakland's No. 14 prospect, according to BA. He spent 2012 at High-A Stockton, where he batted .268/.331/.468 with 15 homers in 360 trips to the plate. He's been bothered by shoulder problems throughout his professional career, but BA praises his compact swing, solid power and ability to use the middle of the field.

The 26-year-old Carter is a former top prospect in his own right, and he displayed the power that earned him that distinction in 2012. Carter batted .239/.350/.514 with 16 homers in 260 plate appearances for the A's. He is under team control through 2018 and is not yet eligible for arbitration.

Beane has now traded away two of the four players he acquired in last offseason's trade of Gonzalez. He moved A.J. Cole back to Washington in a trade that sent John Jaso to the A's and Mike Morse to the Mariners. Tommy Milone and Derek Norris still remain a part of the A's organization.

Steve Adams also contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Quick Hits: Headley, Wells, Lowe, A-Rod, Mariners

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Earlier tonight, the Padres avoided arbitration with Chase Headley by agreeing to a one-year, $8.575MM deal.  The third baseman is under team control through 2015 and General Manager Josh Byrnes started dialogue with Headley's representatives about a contract extension earlier this winter, writes MLB.com's Corey Brock.  However, those talks have been tabled for now.  "We couldn't frame it up where it made sense for both sides," Byrnes said.  In today's poll, nearly 70% of MLBTR readers said that it would make sense to lock Headley up long-term.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • The Dodgers, Blue Jays, Angels, Tigers, Orioles, Brewers, and Athletics were in Peoria, Arizona today to watch Kip Wells, Mark Lowe, and Ryan Rowland-Smith throw, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (on Twitter).  Wells, 35, made seven starts for the Padres last season and posted a 4.58 ERA with 20 walks and 19 strikeouts.
  • The Yankees can dream about getting out from under Alex Rodriguez's contract, but there is very little chance of it happening, writes David Waldstein of the New York Times.  Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports noted that the Yankees could pay just 15% of the $114MM owed to A-Rod if his hip injury is diagnosed as career-ending and he misses the entire season.
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (video link) has a gut feeling that aces Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez, and Justin Verlander will work out new contracts with their respective clubs before they get the chance to hit the open market.
  • The Mariners need to add a dependable starting pitcher, opines Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.  Baker suggests that the M's should try and swing a trade for the Dodgers' Chris Capuano by sending Franklin Gutierrez back to the club where he started his pro baseball career.
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