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Quick Hits: Bourn, Richard, Padres, Manuel

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It took Michael Bourn a long time to find his new team this winter, but the center fielder isn't complaining, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  At the same time, several executives charge that agent Scott Boras overreached and initially asked for much more than a four year deal.  "Boras clearly felt he’d get significant length, definitely five years, possibly six or seven," one exec told Rosenthal.  Here's more Saturday linkage..

  • Clayton Richard is now the lone remaining arbitration case with Homer Bailey agreeing to a one-year deal this afternoon, but it seems likely that he'll be headed to the table with the Padres, tweets Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
  • Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is entering the final season of his two-year contract extension, but the skipper says that he is focused on winning and not his next deal, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.  Manuel is adamant that he won't worry about his job security if the team struggles early on in the season and pointed out that managers like Joe Torre and Tony LaRussa have been in similar situations.
  • While Rafael Soriano won't miss ceding the ninth inning to Mariano Rivera in New York, he will miss having the legendary closer as a teammate, writes Harvey Araton of the New York Times.  Meanwhile, he's happy to be with the Nationals where he knows for certain that he will enter as the closer.

National League Notes: Phillies, Boras, Weiss

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The Phillies have been a playoff contender for the better part of the past half decade, but time and a decline in talent may mean the window of opportunity is quickly closing at Citizens Bank Park, writes Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News. "A lot of it will depend on how people perform, on how the young players perform," Amaro said. "At some point we're going to be filtering some young players onto this club and we need to find out who needs to be those guys to keep us going, to keep us afloat." Here's the latest news from around the National League.

  • Scott Boras believes the market is heating up for his unsigned clients like Kyle Lohse and Jose Valverde thanks to the start of Spring Training, says Adam Berry of MLB.com. "Like most free agents with that kind of ability, I think you get all kinds of calls. Frankly the calls increase during Spring Training rather than decrease because the need level of each club is more evident," Boras said. "These are ownership decisions at this point. The talent is there. 
  • Walt Weiss must put his stamp on every aspect of his squad as he enters the 2013 season as the Rockies first-year manager, writes Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post. Renck points to Todd Helton as the starting point with his declining skills, inability to play a full season and the lingering DUI arrest that must be addressed by the veteran first baseman in front of the team. 
  • John Mozeliak's contract extension from the Cardinals stems from his linear integration model that has paid dividends in the form of victories at the Major League level, says Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I think he’s got a real sense of how to make a decision and a recommendation and not panicking into doing something that is good for the moment,” Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. 

NL East Notes: Hudson, Desmond, Halladay

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The Mets are optimistic that they can surprise people in 2013 then spend more liberally starting next offseason. Here’s the latest on their division rivals…

  • As Tim Hudson begins the final year on his contract with the Braves, he's hopeful of staying in Atlanta long-term. The right-hander told Mark Bowman of MLB.com that he hopes to play for "a while longer" with the Braves. "I think when the day comes when I'm not a Brave or not playing for anybody, it's going to be a sad day around the Hudson house," he said.
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said he’s “open minded” to the notion of pursuing a contract extension with shortstop Ian Desmond before the season begins, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times reports (on Twitter). Desmond said he's open to the possibility of an extension, but not in a rush to complete a deal, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). The 27-year-old will earn $3.8MM as a first time arbitration eligible player in 2013 following a breakout offensive season.
  • Phillies ace Roy Halladay doesn’t sound intrigued by the possibility of hitting free agency this coming offseason, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News reports. The right-hander’s three-year, $60MM contract will expire assuming he doesn’t pitch 259 innings or more in 2013. "I think if I have my druthers I would be here until I'm done," he said. "As good as they've been to me, I think they realize that I would be as good to them as I could be. So going forward, if that that was the case, I really can't see myself playing anywhere else.” Halladay ranked fifth on Tim Dierkes' 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings.

Juan Cruz Hits Free Agency

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The Phillies and Juan Cruz have mutually decided to rescind their agreement, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports (Twitter link). The right-handed Praver/Shapiro client is now a free agent.

The Phillies signed Cruz to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training last month. He spent the 2012 season with the Pirates, posting a 2.78 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 in 35 2/3 innings before getting designated for assignment. The 34-year-old had signed a one-year, $1.25MM contract with Pittsburgh leading up to the 2012 season.

Cruz never formally signed his contract with the Phillies, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes (on Twitter). The sides agreed there wasn't a fit following the Phillies' deal with Chad Durbin.

NL East Notes: Braves, Zimmermann, Phillies

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As the Mets’ pursuit of Michael Bourn continues slowly but surely, let’s check in on the rest of the NL East for the latest news…

  • Braves president John Schuerholz told Mark Bowman of MLB.com that the idea of acquiring both Upton brothers “probably would have been a little too much to hope for” at the outset of the offseason. Even so, Braves scouts and executives weren’t discouraged. “Nobody stopped working because we thought it was unrealistic to get it done,” Schuerholz explained. “We just kept working harder to get it done.”
  • Jordan Zimmermann's arbitration hearing has been set for February 19th, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The right-hander filed for $5.8MM with the Nationals countering at $4.6MM, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. Zimmermann says he and the Nationals have made "a little progress" toward a one-year deal, Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter). The sides haven't engaged in long-term talks.
  • Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News notes that two of the Phillies' offseason additions — Delmon Young and Michael Young — could be defensive liabilities in 2013. It's far from a given that the Phillies will be adequate defensively with Delmon in right field and Michael at third base.

NL Notes: Phillies, Reds, Rockies, Figgins

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As players, coaches, and front office personnel begin to arrive in Florida and Arizona for Spring Training 2013, let's take a look at the news and notes from the National League:

Quick Hits: Indians, Mark Prior, Phillies, Mark Lerner

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On this day in 1971, Satchel Paige became the first Negro League player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The oldest player to make his Major League debut, Paige took the field for the Indians for the first time at the age of 42. Here's the latest news and stories making headlines across MLB.

  • After making a series of deals this offseason in hopes of making a strong push toward the playoffs, the Indians may not be done adding pieces to their roster just yet, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer. Kyle Lohse and Michael Bourn remain on the radar for Cleveland as the organization would only have to give up a third round draft pick in order to sign either player.
  • Mark Prior hasn't given up on his goal of returning to the Major Leagues as he's working on strengthening his shoulder in hopes of receiving an invitation to Spring Training, says David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com. Currently in the best shape of his life according to reports, Prior spent the 2012 season at Triple-A Pawtucket as a member of the Red Sox organization before being released in August. For more on Prior, Doug Miller of MLB.com takes an in-depth approach to telling the past and present story of the former sensation's life on both a professional and personal level.
  • The contracts for recently-signed members of the Phillies organization are broken down by Todd Zolecki of MLB.com as he provides the financial incentives players would receive based upon meeting specific goals. For example, Delmon Young would be awarded $100K if named NL MVP next season and $250K for reaching 600 plate appearances, among others. 
  • Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner told college students at a conference directed toward finding a career in sports that he often learns of deals made by his GM Mike Rizzo by visiting MLB Trade Rumors, writes James Wagner of The Washington Post. A special thanks to Mark for publicly recognizing the work done at MLBTR by Tim Dierkes and his staff.

Minor Moves: Dodgers, Tolbert, Hernandez, Hill

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Here are today's minor league transactions, with the latest at the top of the page…

  • The Dodgers have invited 17 non-roster players to Spring Training, including infielder Brian Barden and catchers Ramon Castro and Eliezer Alfonzo, the club announced.  The trio were signed to minor league contracts within the last two months.
  • The Phillies have signed infielder Matt Tolbert to a minor league contract, Baseball America's Matt Eddy reports (and also recaps the rest of the week's minor league transactions).  Tolbert hit .230/.288/.319 in 680 PA with the Twins from 2008-11 and spent the bulk of his time playing second, third and shortstop.  Tolbert played for the Cubs' Triple-A team in 2012.
  • The Mariners have signed right-hander Moises Hernandez (Felix's older brother) to a new minor league contract, reports Chris Harris, broadcaster for the Mariners' Double-A affiliate (Twitter link).  The elder Hernandez has a 4.83 ERA over eight minor league seasons in the Mariners', Braves' and Orioles' farm systems.
  • The Indians have signed left-hander Rich Hill to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, the club announced.  After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2011, Hill returned to action to post a 1.83 ERA, a 9.6 K/9 and a 5.0 BB/9 in 19 2/3 relief innings for the Red Sox last season but was non-tendered in November.  The 32-year-old southpaw has a career 4.59 ERA over eight Major League seasons with the Red Sox, Orioles and Cubs.

NL East Links: Boras, Loria, Phillies, Chipper

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It was on this day in 1999 that Dennis Martinez announced his retirement from baseball.  The first Major League player from Nicaragua, Martinez enjoyed a 23-year career with five teams, including spending his final season with Atlanta and eight years with Montreal from 1986-93.  "El Presidente" is best remembered for throwing the 13th perfect game in Major League history, shutting down the Dodgers on July 28, 1991.

Here's the latest from around the NL East…

  • Scott Boras has denied an accusation that he planted a rumor that the Marlins were close to signing Jose Valverde, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.  Spencer reported on Monday that the Marlins/Valverde rumor was false, with one source suspecting that Boras planted the rumor to generate interest in his client.  Boras said he had "no motive" for creating the rumor since "what benefit would it be for me and my client to do that" when the false information could be so easily disproven.
  • Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has turned down several offers to buy the team in recent months, The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson reports, including a group led by former Florida governor Jeb Bush.  Loria has no intention to sell the team, though Jackson hears from an unnamed league official that Major League Baseball would prefer if Miami had an owner more willing to spend.
  • The additions of Mike Adams and Chad Durbin will improve the Phillies bullpen, but the team also needs one of their young relievers to fill key roles in 2013, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News writes.
  • Chipper Jones discussed the Braves' offseason moves and his upcoming visit to the team's Spring Training camp with MLB.com's Mark Bowman.  Though he accepted the Braves' invitation to spend five days at camp, Jones said he is enjoying retirement and has "not had the itch whatsoever" to play again.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Carpenter, Mattison, Ramirez

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We'll keep track of tonight's outright assignments in this post..

  • The Red Sox announced that they have outrighted right-hander Chris Carpenter to Triple-A Pawtucket.  Carpenter, who was DFA'd to make roster space for Mike Napoli, missed significant time in 2012 after undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow.  He posted a 2.08 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 21 2/3 minor league innings and pitched just six major league innings last season.
  • Marlins outfielder Kevin Mattison cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A New Orleans, according to Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post (on Twitter).  Mattison will still be among the 72 players in major league camp with Miami.  The 27-year-old was DFA'd earlier this week to make room for Sam Dyson.
  • The Phillies announced that right-hander J.C. Ramirez has been outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after clearing waivers.  Ramirez, 24, spent time in Double-A and Triple-A last season, posting a combined 4.01 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9.
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