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Minor Moves: Indians, Hu, Padres, Rangers

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Today's minor moves, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy..

  • The Indians and Phillies reversed a trade from earlier this winter which sent Chin-lung Hu to Philadelphia.  Cleveland then released Hu soon after.  The middle infielder joined the Phillies in camp in late March but wound up failing his physical.  Hu, 28, spent his entire MLB career in the Dodgers organization before being traded to the Mets last offseason. 
  • The Padres released right-hander Dennis Tankersley who signed with his former club a month ago in an attempted comeback.  The 33-year-old was ranked as San Diego's second-best prospect in 2002 (behind Sean Burroughs and ahead of Jake Peavy) but hasn't appeared in the majors since '04 and the minors since '08. 
  • The Rangers cut former Rule 5 pick Mason Tobin, who appeared in a handful of games for Texas last season but spent most of the year on the disabled list.  The right-hander has been beset by arm trouble since 2008.

Rosenthal On Hamels, Greinke, Cain, Kinsler

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The season is underway and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link) is back with Full Count..

  • Cole Hamels didn't set an Opening Day deadline in his contract talks, but if the Phillies want to hammer out a deal mid-season they'll have to make him a bold and aggressive offer.  Otherwise, the pitcher likely wouldn't listen midseason.  Matt Cain's new deal is the baseline for Hamels and unless they'll venture into Cliff Lee territory (five-years, $120MM), they probably shouldn't bother restarting the talks.
  • The Cain deal also puts the Brewers in a tough spot with Zack Greinke.  Cain has been much more consistent than Greinke in the last five years but he's seen a bit of a drop over the last two seasons.  The Brewers might want to wait to see more before offering $100MM+ plus, though his second-half last season was a sign of great things to come.
  • For the Giants, the Cain signing is a buffer against potentially losing Tim Lincecum.  Lincecum could cost the Giants upwards of $25MM a year, but Rosenthal says to keep two factors in mind.  First, the contracts of Aaron Rowand and Barry Zito will be off the books by the time Lincecum's next deal begins.  Secondly, the club's annual debt payments on AT&T Park – roughly $20MM a year – end after the 2017 season.
  • The Rangers have discussed four- and five- year deals with Ian Kinsler but aren't eager to give him free agent money when he's under control for two more years.  The danger for Texas is that the Yankees could potentially sign Robinson Cano to a monster deal, effectively raising Kinsler's price.  Both players are eligible for free agency after the 2013 season.

East Notes: Hamels, Nationals, Detwiler, Orioles

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While the Phillies have some interest in locking Cole Hamels up long-term, but it would appear that Matt Cain’s $112.5MM extension complicated things for them earlier this week.  Where do things stand now between the Phillies and the left-hander?  More on that and other items out of the Eastern divisions..

  • Thirty days have passed since the Phillies last had contract talks with Hamels, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  The club tried to lock the left-hander down to a deal similar to Jered Weaver’s late last season (five-years, $85MM) but were rebuffed.
  • MLB.com’s Bill Ladson wasn’t surprised to see the Nationals demote John Lannan to Triple-A Syracuse while keeping Ross Detwiler on the 25-man roster.  Just two days after the Nats traded for Gio Gonzalez, a baseball source told Ladson that the club wanted to move Lannan as they felt that Detwiler was ready to breakout.
  • Orioles’ 2006 first-round pick Billy Rowell has agreed to give pitching a try after spending six seasons in the minors as a corner infielder, tweets Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com (via Twitter).  The former ninth-overall pick hit just .227/.304/.244 in 41 games with the O’s Double-A affiliate last season.

Quick Hits: Fontenot, Rays, Carpenter

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It’s Opening Day, part IV. Enjoy these links as the season openers continue around the Major Leagues…

  • Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle hears the Blue Jays or Phillies could be a landing spot for free agent infielder Mike Fontenot (Twitter link).
  • Rays owner Stuart Sternberg told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the Rays have considerable off-field issues, though the team is an annual contender (Twitter link). "Winning hasn't cured the ills," Sternberg said.
  • The Cardinals aren't close to having a timetable on injured right-hander Chris Carpenter, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets. As long as Roy Oswalt’s a free agent, he’ll be an option for the Cardinals.

Quick Hits: Phillips, Kinsler, Podsednik, Moyer

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Links for Thursday, as the first full day of the regular season wraps up…

  • The Reds and Rangers are working towards contract extensions with Brandon Phillips and Ian Kinsler, respectively, and ESPN's Jim Bowden says (on Twitter) there's some work left to be done on each. Phillips is expected to get $12.5-13MM annually, Kinsler $13.5-14MM.
  • Scott Podsednik will report to the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, his agent confirmed to David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News. Podsednik was not technically a Major League free agent this offseason since he spent all of last year in the minors, so he was unable to opt-out of his contract at the end of Spring Training.
  • Jamie Moyer's can make $2MM in incentives op top of his $1.1MM base salary, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports (on Twitter). The 49-year-old left-hander will open the season in the Rockies’ rotation.
  • Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright took note when Matt Cain of the Giants signed earlier in the week, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. "Obviously, you have to pay attention to it,"Wainwright said. "It's a tremendous deal for him." Cain obtained $112.5MM in new money from the Giants, establishing a record for right-handed pitchers.
  • Ivan Rodriguez is working out and says he's in shape, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Heyman suggests the Rays could be a fit for the veteran free agent.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

NL East Notes: Reyes, Hamels, Lannan

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Some NL East links for Thursday, as the Braves and Mets get their season started in New York…

  • Jose Reyes doesn't seem to be missing the Mets, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. It’d be hard to fault Reyes for enjoying his role on an exciting Marlins team and his $106MM contract.
  • Cole Hamels' track record is "a little better than [Matt] Cain's, so it does make things difficult," Phillies senior advisor Pat Gillick told Bob McCown and Damien Cox on Sportsnet Radio FAN 590 yesterday. The Phillies have some interest in locking Hamels up long-term, but Cain's $112.5MM extension complicated things earlier this week.
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he had two "uncomfortable" conversations with John Lannan after telling the left-hander he was being optioned to the minor leagues (Twitter links). "If he was happy and took this laying down, it wouldn't be John Lannan," Rizzo said. "And you'd have to worry about that type of person.''
  • Rizzo said there's "mild" interest in Lannan, but manager Davey Johnson said the Nationals are "not trading him," Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. Lannan has requested a trade.

Phillies Interested In Mike Fontenot

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With Chase Utley on the shelf for the foreseeable future, the Phillies have shown interest in Mike Fontenot according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Giants released Fontenot last week.

Philadelphia has been looking for infield help over the last few weeks. Fontenot, 31, posted a .227/.304/.377 line in 252 plate appearances at second base, shortstop and third base last year The Fielding Bible Volume III suggests he provides adequate defense around the infield.

NL East Notes: Lannan, Johnson, Hamels

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With Jonathon Niese closing in on a contract extension with the Mets, let's look at some other news from around the NL East…

  • The Nationals announced they were optioning John Lannan to the minors, (a move first reported by Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post), which will make Ross Detwiler the club's fifth starter.  In a separate item, Kilgore examines the move and concludes "the Nationals quite clearly put financial interest last and what they believed to be the best baseball decision first."
  • The move is sure to spur on more rumors that the Nationals could trade Lannan, though GM Mike Rizzo told reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington) that Detwiler won the job and that Lannan has drawn only "mild interest" on the trade market.  MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that the Nats were asking a high price for Lannan, and other teams weren't willing to part with a starting position player in exchange for the southpaw.  (Both links are to Twitter.)
  • Josh Johnson hasn't given any thought to how Matt Cain's extension with the Giants may impact any possible new deal between himself and the Marlins, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.  Johnson signed a four-year, $39MM extension with Miami that runs through the 2013 season.  Even if Johnson pitches up to form over the next two seasons, you'd have to figure that his injury history will limit the size and value of a contract extension. 
  • The Phillies offered Cole Hamels an extension worth "Jered Weaver money" (five years, $85MM) late last season, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Hamels now has a strong case for an extension worth at least as much as Cain's deal, Heyman notes.  The Giants' initial offer to Cain, Heyman says, was reportedly worth less than $65MM.
  • From earlier today, Chad Durbin switched NL East teams, signing with the Braves after being released by the Nationals.

Olney On Votto, Cain, Hamels

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Two National League stars signed massive extensions yesterday and Buster Olney discusses the two deals in his latest column at ESPN.com. Some highlights, starting with Joey Votto's $225MM deal:

  • “At some point this contract will be a drag on a team in a mid-market,” one talent evaluator told Olney. Another called the deal “nuts,” and a third said it’s “absolute insanity.” One supporter of the deal said letting Votto go would have crushed the franchise.
  • If the Giants hadn’t offered Matt Cain a record-setting deal, he would have obtained a nine-figure deal elsewhere. Olney suggests it’d be hard to find a more consistent pitcher than Cain.
  • Talks between the Phillies and Cole Hamels have been dormant in recent weeks, but could be rekindled at any time. Olney finds it hard to imagine that an offer worth markedly less than Cain’s $112.5MM deal would have much appeal to Hamels and agent John Boggs. Ruben Amaro Jr. recently said the Phillies can afford three $20MM starters.

Amaro On Hamels, Victorino, Pence

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Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. discussed the upcoming season with Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, addressing stars such as Cole Hamels, Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence along the way. Here are the details on the five-time defending NL East Champions:

  • The Phillies are optimistic that John Mayberry Jr. can add offense in left field. “We believe in the things he can do,” Amaro said. “Laynce Nix is a good complement to him out there in left field. Hopefully we can get the production we need out of those guys.”
  • Amaro said he feels “awful” for Ryan Madson personally, but expressed confidence that the longtime Phillies reliever will come back. Madson will miss the 2012 season to recover from Tommy John surgery.
  • Cole Hamels is on track to hit free agency after the season, but the GM hinted that an extension remains possible, saying the club can afford to have three $20MM pitchers in the rotation. “I know we can,” Amaro said.
  • It’s possible though not necessarily probably that the Phillies will sign Hamels, Pence and Victorino long-term.
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