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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.

July 2nd Rumors: Aybar, Devers, Zapata, Jimenez

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Kiley McDaniel of sbb.scout.com has a primer on the international signing period, which begins July 2nd every year.  That's when 16-year-olds from countries such as the Dominican Republic and Venezuela can be signed by Major League teams.  The latest from McDaniel:

  • There is no super elite prospect this year, writes McDaniel.  He notes that under the new collective bargaining agreement, most teams will have budgets in the $1.5-4MM range, as determined by the 2012 MLB standings.  The Astros could have north of $7MM to spend, however.  McDaniel notes that teams can trade for up to 50% of their assigned cap.
  • In another article, McDaniel looks at particular players in this July 2nd class.  Dominican shortstop Obispo Aybar could get a $1MM bonus, even though MLB is investigating his age and clubs believe he is 18 or 19.
  • Dominican third baseman Rafael Devers has been connected to the Red Sox, with a possible bonus over $1MM.
  • Right fielder Micker Zapata, born on the island of St. Thomas but trained in the Dominican in recent years, has drawn interest from the Phillies, Mariners, Twins, and Indians.  McDaniel notes that Zapata "speaks perfect English from his upbringing in St. Thomas."
  • Dominican right fielder Eloy Jimenez has shown similar tools to Zapata with plus speed, a right field arm, and big raw power to his pull side.  Jimenez has been rumored to be in line for a bonus that would likely top the class, ranging from $2.5MM-$3MM and is most often linked to the Astros.  
  • Gleyber Torres is a Venezuelan shortstop who doesn’t offer a ton of projection but has the smoothness and skills to put him into the top group of talents in this class.  The Cubs are said to like him and they could spend over $2MM on him. 
  • Fellow Venezuelan shortstop Yeltsin Gudino is rumored to be in line for over $1MM with the A's and Mariners mentioned most often. 
  • Dominican shortstop Franly Mallen is further along than Gudino and has caught the attention of a number of teams.  Rumor has it that a couple of clubs have already offered him a bonus in the high six figures. 
  • Dominican righties Mayky Perez and Marcos Diplan are the top two pitchers this year.  Perez is 6’5, 205 pounds and shows three average or better pitches with a physical, projectable frame.  Diplan, meanwhile, is skinny at 6’0, 160 pounds and boasts a 90-94 mph fastball with an above average breaking ball.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Phillies Release Aaron Cook

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The Phillies released righty Aaron Cook, according to a tweet from the team.  The team's other choices were to add him to the 25-man roster or pay a $100K retention bonus to send him to the minors.

Cook, 34, posted a 5.65 ERA, 1.9 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 1.44 HR/9, and 58.6% groundball rate in 94 innings for the Red Sox last year.  He signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in mid-January.  Cook still keeps the ball on the ground, but it's hard to survive with so few strikeouts.

Quick Hits: Astros, Phillies, Dodgers

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The Astros and GM Jeff Luhnow are drawing polarized opinions this spring, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Luhnow argues that the Astros are closer to building a strong organization than some outside commentators might think, citing Jose Altuve, Jason Castro and Lucas Harrell as players who could be part of a strong core in Houston. "I think the core is already here," says Luhnow. "I really do." Here are more notes from around the majors.

Phillies Release Yuniesky Betancourt

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The Phillies have released Yuniesky Betancourt, tweets MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. The Phillies signed Betancourt to a minor league contract in January.

"It was a very difficult decision," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters including Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "He played great for us. We had some other guys feel great, and we’re comfortable with where we are as far as those players are concerned."

Those players would be Freddy Galvis and Kevin Frandsen. Agent Alex Esteban told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that Betancourt requested his release by exercising his out clause and there are three teams who are interested in his client (Twitter link). Gelb tweeted the Phillies tried to trade Betancourt, but other teams walked away.

Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com tweets both the Yankees and Cardinals are "poking around" Betancourt. The mention of the Yankees is interesting, as GM Brian Cashman told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News earlier today that he won't be looking outside the organization for a shortstop despite Derek Jeter's ailing ankle (Twitter link). The Giants and Brewers are in the market for an utility infielder and could be interested in Betancourt, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Twitter.

Betancourt hit just .228/.256/.400 with seven home runs in 228 plate appearances for the Royals last season. The 31-year-old is in the midst of an incredibly strong Spring Training collecting 21 hits in 47 at-bats en route to a .447/.451/.574 batting line with a 1.025 OPS in 51 plate appearances.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Orioles, Phillies Swap Minor Leaguers

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The Orioles have acquired minor league right-hander Julio Rodriguez from the Phillies in exchange for outfielder Ronnie Welty, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (on Twitter).

Rodriguez, who turned 21 in August, pitched to a 4.23 ERA with a 9.1 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in 134 innings for the Phillies' Double-A affiliate last season. He did not rank among Baseball America's Top 30 Phillies prospects, nor did he appear on MLB.com's list of Top 20 Phillies prospects.

The 25-year-old Welty has some experience at all three outfield positions but played right field exclusively in 2012. Last season, he batted .333/.373/.662 with 13 homers in 229 plate appearances across four levels. However, a great deal of those plate appearances came in Rookie ball and Class-A (both levels) as he rehabbed from an injury. In 37 games for Double-A Bowie, he batted .286/.303/.564. Like Rodriguez, he did not appear on his team's respective Top 30 and Top 20 prospects.

Phillies Notes: Outfield, Roster Moves, Betancourt

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Tim Dierkes covered the Phillies' winter moves yesterday in the latest installment of MLBTR's Offseason In Review series.  If today's news is any indication, however, the Phils may yet make another tweak or two to their roster before Opening Day.  Here's the latest from the City of Brotherly Love…

  • The Phillies have been talking to other teams about adding depth in the outfield, bullpen and behind the plate, ESPN's Jayson Stark reports (Twitter link).
  • Also from Stark (Twitter links), Phillies GM Ruben Amaro said the outfield situation isn't quite settled.  "We could make a trade (or) sign somebody," Amaro said. "We'll see. If there are ways to improve our team, we'll try to do it." 
  • Alex Esteban, Yuniesky Betancourt's agent, tells Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that his client will opt out of his minor league deal with the Phillies if he isn't added to their Major League roster by Sunday.  "Our preference would be to stay with the Phillies but it's out of our control," Esteban said. "We would definitely be opting out and seeing what's out there."  Gelb speculates that the Cardinals, Marlins and Astros could be possible fits for Betancourt if he becomes a free agent. 
  • If Betancourt makes the Phillies and reaches his contract incentives, his deal would pay him $1.4MM, Gelb reports.
  • From earlier today, the Phillies released Rodrigo Lopez.

Phillies Release Rodrigo Lopez

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The Phillies have released Rodrigo Lopez, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports (on Twitter). Lopez, an MVP Sports Group client, signed a minor league deal with Philadelphia in January. He would have earned $1MM on the big league roster but will instead hit free agency.

Lopez made four relief appearances for the Cubs last season, but spent most of the year in Triple-A. The 37-year-old posted a 5.28 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 73 1/3 innings with Chicago's Iowa affiliate. A veteran of 11 MLB seasons, Lopez posted a 4.42 ERA in 97 2/3 innings for the 2011 Cubs.

The Phillies have confirmed the move.

Offseason In Review: Philadelphia Phillies

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The Phillies addressed their outfield, third base, and late-inning relief concerns without making a major free agent splash.

Major League Signings

Minor League Signings

Trades and Waiver Claims

Notable Losses

Needs Addressed

The Phillies' needs were clear at the beginning of the offseason.  GM Ruben Amaro Jr. addressed the outfield, third base, and the bullpen without doling out any large contracts.

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The Phillies explored all avenues in center field.  They were linked to free agents such as B.J. Upton, Michael Bourn, Josh Hamilton, and Angel Pagan, but Amaro chose to acquire 24-year-old former first round pick Ben Revere from the Twins for a useful big league starter in Vance Worley and a respectable pitching prospect in Trevor May.  Credit Amaro for making a push for Revere (pictured) when many thought he'd be unavailable, since the Twins had already dealt Denard Span.  Revere, who is not yet arbitration eligible, is under control through 2017.  Revere will have to provide value to the team with his glove, as he doesn't possess power and doesn't draw walks.  The departure of Worley created an opening in the rotation, which Amaro addressed by signing Lannan as a free agent. 

The free agent market for third basemen was shallow, so Amaro went the trade route there as well by acquiring Young.  The 36-year-old is coming off his worst season in the last decade, though prior to 2012, he'd been a consistent three-win contributor.  Young escapes the trade rumors and lack of position that plagued his final years in Texas, and some level of bounceback seems probable.  Plus, he has a reputation as a good clubhouse guy.  The Phillies effectively have to contribute $7.2MM toward Young's salary, and they surrendered some bullpen depth in Lindblom and a decent relief prospect in Bonilla.

Adams was signed at top of the market setup man dollars to be the new bridge to closer Jonathan Papelbon.  At 34 years old with a significant injury history and slipping peripherals, Adams represents a gamble by Amaro.  At least the Phillies didn't have to guarantee a third year.  Durbin, signed at an affordable price, restores the depth lost by dealing Lindblom.

The Phillies chose an interesting route to filling right field, signing Delmon Young dirt cheap.  Young, the first overall pick in '03, had one decent season back in 2010.  He'll have a sub-par on-base percentage unless he hits near .300, since he doesn't draw walks.  Young will likely cost the team runs on defense, especially coming off November microfracture surgery on his ankle.  The Phillies will have to hope Revere can pick up Young's slack defensively, and Young stays out of trouble and pops 20 home runs.  The whole idea of Young as a productive regular seems unlikely to pan out, but the cost was barely above the league minimum.

Questions Remaining

Will the Phillies' new-look outfield provide any offense?  The best bet for usefulness is Domonic Brown, the former top prospect who was pegged as a breakout candidate by ESPN's Keith Law.  The infield offers a bit more offense, but it's an aging group.

The other looming question is what to expect out of Roy Halladay, who finally looked mortal last year.  If Doc shakes off the spring velocity concerns and musters up 225+ innings of sub-3.00 ERA ball, the team's trio of aces should keep them in contention all year.  Otherwise, the Phillies' rotation depth will determine whether they can even play .500 ball in 2013.

Deal of Note

Lannan, a 28-year-old southpaw, spent most of 2012 languishing with the Nationals' Triple-A club before reaching free agency via non-tender in November.  Since Lannan only has four years of Major League service, his arbitration eligibility after 2013 effectively serves as a club option.  At $2.5MM, the Phillies didn't have to invest much in a pitcher they mostly just need to take the ball every fifth day and not embarrass himself.

Overview

The Phillies are not going to be a trendy playoff pick for 2013, with the Nationals and Braves both looking strong.  But don't forget 2011, when the same trio of ace starters led them to 102 wins.  If Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Halladay, Papelbon, and Adams are healthy and effective, this team will be very tough to beat 60% of the time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL East Notes: Mets, Braves, Brown

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Links from the NL East…

  • There's little question within the Mets organization that Travis d'Arnaud will become the team's starting catcher at some point this year, Mike Puma of the New York Post writes. However, d'Arnaud will start the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, barring an injury. By keeping d'Arnaud in big league camp, the Mets are running the risk that he'll get injured and start picking up MLB service time while on the disabled list, Michael Baron of MetsBlog.com notes.
  • The Braves front office doesn't seem concerned about the possibility that their lineup will strike out often in 2013, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. Martino also discusses the re-branding of the Braves in the post-Chipper Jones and Bobby Cox era. “We like talent,” one Braves person said.
  • Don't be surprised if Mike Minor of the Braves and Domonic Brown of the Phillies are among the players who break out in 2013. ESPN.com's Keith Law includes these players on his list of former top prospects poised for big performances in the coming season.
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