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NL East Notes: McCann, Phillies, Oswalt, Mets

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Here's the latest from around the NL East…

Reds, Miguel Olivo Nearing Deal

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The Reds are nearing a deal with free agent catcher Miguel Olivo, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). The Phillies, Astros and Dodgers also inquired on Olivo, who's represented by agent Martin Arburua.

Olivo, 34, played for the Mariners in 2012, appearing in 87 games. The right-handed hitter posted a .222/.239/.381 batting line with 12 home rune in 323 plate appearances. He hit for more power against left-handers than right-handers last year, which isn't surprising considering his career line of .270/.303/.477 against southpaws.

Olivo, an 11-year MLB veteran, earned $3.5MM in 2012. If the deal goes through he'll join a Reds roster that includes Ryan Hanigan and Devin Mesoraco. The free agent market for catchers won't include much depth if Olivo signs. Rod Barajas, Chris Snyder and Matt Treanor are among the remaining options, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows.

This post was first published February 1st, 2013.

Phillies Designate J.C. Ramirez For Assignment

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The Phillies announced that they designated right-hander J.C. Ramirez for assignment. The move creates roster space for right-hander Chad Durbin, whose one-year deal with the Phillies is now official.

Ramirez has yet to appear at the big league level. The 24-year-old has a 4.31 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in seven minor league seasons. The Phillies originally acquired Ramirez from the Mariners in the 2009 deal that sent Cliff Lee to Seattle.

Minor Moves: Coello, Mather, Bass

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We'll keep track of tonight's minor transactions right here…

  • The Angels have signed right-hander Robert Coello to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. The 28-year-old has allowed 12 runs in 12 big league innings, but he has a 4.05 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 202 1/3 Triple-A innings. He's spent time in the Red Sox, Cubs and Blue Jays organizations.
  • The Phillies have signed both Joe Mather and Brian Bass to a minor league contracts, according to the CBS Sports Transactions page. The 30-year-old Mather hit just .209/.256/.324 for the Cubs last season but still appeared in 103 games. He's a career .219/.271/.357 hitter. Bass, 31, has a 5.16 ERA over 183 Major League innings between the Twins, Orioles and Pirates. The right-hander spent last season with the Astros' Triple-A affiliate and posted a 5.56 ERA in 77 2/3 innings. Bass hasn't appeared in the Majors since 2010.

Phillies Sign Yuniesky Betancourt

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The Phillies announced that they have signed infielder Yuniesky Betancourt to a minor league deal with an invite to major league spring training.  Betancourt is represented by Alex Esteban of Miami Sports Management.

Betancourt, who turns 31 on Thursday, hit .228/.256/.400 with seven home runs in 57 games with the Royals last season.  The veteran also drew interest from the Twins and the Cubs at different points this winter.

Phillies To Sign Chad Durbin

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9:50am: Durbin's deal includes a base salary of $1.1MM and $350K in incentives, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter).

9:33am: The Phillies have agreed to sign free agent reliever Chad Durbin to a one-year contract that includes a club option for 2014, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. All Bases Covered Sports represents the 35-year-old right-hander, who pitched for the Phillies from 2008-10.

Durbin appeared in 76 games for the Braves in 2012, pitching 61 innings. He posted a 3.10 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 and a 47.7% ground ball rate out of the Atlanta bullpen and drew interest from the team earlier in the offseason. In 13 seasons at the MLB level, Durbin has a 4.95 ERA with 6.2 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 41.9% ground ball rate. Those totals include a 3.62 ERA in 194 games with the Phillies from 2008-10. Durbin has pitched at least 60 innings in every one of the last six seasons.

GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said entering the offseason that he intended to add non-closing relievers for 2013. The Phillies signed Mike Adams to a two-year, $12MM contract earlier in the winter.

NL East Notes: Marlins, Mets, Phillies

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Two NL East teams, the Nationals and Phillies, have projected payrolls surpassing $100MM for the 2013 season. Meanwhile, the Mets and Braves project to spend $80MM and $83MM on payroll, respectively. The Marlins will round out the division with a payroll in the $30-40MM range. Here are some links from the NL East, starting in Miami

  • Tension exists between Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and some MLB players, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald explains. “Players don’t trust him,” one prominent agent told Jackson following the Marlins’ recent trade with Toronto. Players say the owner gets too close for comfort. “He’s always looking in the dugout,” one former Marlin told Jackson. “Mind your business!"
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson sounds more optimistic about adding a reliever than acquiring an outfielder, Dan Martin of the New York Post writes. The Mets are hesitant to hand Frank Francisco the closer job again and have expressed interest in Brian Wilson and others.
  • Alderson discussed his offseason plans in detail on MLB Network Radio yesterday. For the latest on closers around the league follow @closernews throughout the fantasy baseball season.
  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. expects his team will compete in the NL East, even as division rivals make improvements, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. "Absolutely. It's up to the players to prove me right, I guess," the GM said.

Cafardo On Mets, Bourn, Abreu, Red Sox, Mahay

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There were baseball people this winter who pleaded with their teams to go after B.J. Upton as a free agent and to trade for his younger brother, Justin Upton.  However, there also were those who said “over my dead body” would they have either, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  In fact, officials in one AL East organization were nearly unanimous in the opinion that neither Upton was a fit for them.  The Braves obviously didn't share that view and will now enter 2013 with a remarkably athletic lineup thanks to the Upton brothers.  Here's more from today's column..

  • While Cafardo hears that the Mets' interest in Michael Bourn is minimal, that might be enough for them to land him eventually.  Many baseball people are amazed that Bourn is the odd man out in free agency. The Mets, Mariners, and possibly Orioles are waiting for a bargain deal and one AL manager reasoned that if a team can get him on a one-year deal, they might juggle things around to make it happen.
  • The Red Sox were among the teams that tried out Bobby Abreu. but sources say the Red Sox are unlikely to pursue him as the backup first baseman/outfielder that they’re looking for.
  • Left-hander Ron Mahay has decided to call it a career.  The 41-year-old says that he's now looking to get into coaching or managing.  Mahay last appeared in the majors with the Twins in 2010.  For his career, the reliever posted a 3.83 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 across 14 seasons.
  • The Cubs' Alfonso Soriano is on the trading block and could still be moved before spring training, as teams like the Orioles and Rangers look to make last-minute upgrades. 
  • The Angels had some hope that Vernon Wells could be moved this winter, but those odds decreased after the Phillies signed Delmon Young.  “I think people will look back on his career and wonder, how could a guy who came into the league with so much ability let this happen?” said an American League scout who once saw Wells as one of the most talented players in baseball.

NL East Notes: Upton, Rizzo, Nationals, Marlins

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The Braves' acquisition of Justin Upton is the story of the day from the NL East, and the Mets also made news by agreeing to sign Shaun Marcum.  Here are some other notes from around the division…

  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro said he spoke to Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers about Upton but didn't make any progress towards a trade, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News reports. "We just didn't really see a fit," Amaro said. "We communicated a few times with K.T.  Clearly, what he was looking for and what we were willing to give were a little different."
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo discussed some of the building blocks behind his team's rise to success with Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, including investing in the draft and having the flexibility to sign veterans to short-term contracts.  Rizzo anticipates that the Nats won't have any problems affording some of their key young players as they become more expensive.
  • Rizzo also told reporters (including MLB.com's Bill Ladson) that the Nationals were open to multiyear contracts with Jordan Zimmermann and Ian Desmond, as was reported earlier this week.  Rizzo left the door open to potentially acquire another starting pitcher but said that he's happy with his rotation as it currently stands.
  • The Marlins have made a minor league contract offer to Pat White, the former Miami Dolphins quarterback told Orlando Alzugaray of 640 Sports (passed on by Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel).  White was originally picked in the fourth round of the 2004 amateur draft by the Angels and, after his NFL career ended, he signed a minor league deal with the Royals in 2010.

Quick Hits: Wells, Angels, Phillies, Wainwright

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The Angels' Vernon Wells has been a trade candidate for quite some time but a source tells Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (on Twitter) that it is now "very likely" that he will start the season with the Halos.  Those odds have increased even more now that Delmon Young landed in Philadelphia.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro told reporters that they plan to use Young as their starting right fielder, tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Young, who may not be available to start the season as he recovers from ankle surgery, has not played the position in six years.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak says that he hopes to work out a new contract with Adam Wainwright by Opening Day, tweets ESPN.com's Jim Bowden.  For his part, the pitcher says that he isn't setting a deadline for talks.
  • The acquisition of Rafael Soriano caught Nationals reliever Tyler Clippard by surprise, but he isn't in a rut over not getting the chance to close in 2013, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
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