Phillies Sign Matt Anderson
The Phillies have signed Matt Anderson to a minor league deal, a source tells Jerry Crasnick of ESPN (via Twitter). Anderson was taken with the top pick in the 1997 draft by the Tigers.
Anderson, 34, appeared in 245 games for the Tigers from 1998 to 2003. The right-hander registered a 4.89 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 during that span. He last pitched in the majors in 2005 for the Rockies where he was called on in 12 games. Anderson's last stint in affiliated baseball came in 2008 when he saw limited action with the White Sox's Triple-A affiliate.
Quick Hits: Soriano, Manuel, Galarraga, Angels
Some items from around the majors…
- The Angels aren't one of the teams reportedly still interested in Rafael Soriano, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. The Yankees are "still trying," in spite of their earlier statements to the contrary.
- Charlie Manuel's agent tells Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that Manuel and the Phillies have a mutual interest in working out a contract extension before Opening Day. Manuel has one year left on his current deal, and Salisbury speculates that he's looking for a two-year extension worth roughly $4MM per season.
- Armando Galarraga is out of options, eligible for arbitration and has probably been squeezed out of the Detroit rotation by Brad Penny, reports Jason Beck of MLB.com. If Galarraga gets too large of a salary bump in arbitration, the Tigers could choose to trade or just release him before Opening Day.
- The Angels' quiet offseason has been heavily criticized, but Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com reminds us that the Halos still have a very solid team.
- If the Twins don't re-sign Jim Thome, Kelly Thesier of MLB.com says the team could return to what it was looking for last winter: a right-handed hitting backup option in the outfield or at first base. Thesier cites Jorge Cantu and Troy Glaus as possibilities, and we've heard the Padres were considering the same two players. The Twins could also dip into the rest of the DH market, or look to upgrade their bullpen.
- There isn't much historial evidence to suggest that Josh Beckett will return to his ace form over the long run, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald.
Phillies Interested In John Maine
The Phillies have had discussions with John Maine's representation, agent Rex Gary confirmed to Andrew Marchand and Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The right-hander made just 24 starts in 2009 and 2010 and was non-tendered by the Mets this winter.
Philadelphia already has five starters with Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and Joe Blanton. Ideally though, the Phillies would like to move Blanton and the $17MM he is owed over the next two seasons.
Maine, who turns 30 in May, would likely have to accept a minor league deal. The right-hander underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in July and his agent says that he has recovered very well.
Phillies Notes: Blanton, Durbin, Manuel
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki that right field, the bullpen and the bench are areas his team could potentially improve upon before the season starts. “I'm looking forward to seeing some competition in all three of those areas," Amaro said. Here are more Phillies-related notes from Zolecki:
- The Phillies don’t have to clear payroll, but they could explore deals that create flexibility for later on in the season. The team is still open to moving Joe Blanton, who will earn a total of $17MM in 2011-12. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently listed some potential destinations for the right-hander.
- Philadelphia hasn’t ruled out a reunion with Chad Durbin. The sides exchanged offers last week.
- The Phils would “obviously” like to extend their relationship with manager Charlie Manuel, Amaro said. Manuel is in the final year of his contract, but the sides won’t necessarily reach an agreement before the regular season begins. For a comprehensive look at 'lame duck' managers and GMs, check out this piece by MLBTR's Mark Polishuk.
Astros Acquire Sergio Escalona
The Astros acquired left-hander Sergio Escalona from the Phillies for minor league second baseman Albert Cartwright, according to the teams. The Phillies designated Escalona for assignment over the weekend to make room for J.C. Romero. Escalona, who will be added to Houston's 40-man roster, appealed to the Astros because of his ability to retire left-handed hitters.
“Sergio adds depth to the competition for lefthanders in our bullpen,” GM Ed Wade said in a statement. “Our scouts have liked his stuff and believe he’s got a chance to be very effective in left-on-left situations.”
Wade was Philadelphia's GM when the Phillies signed Escalona out of Venezuela in May of 2004. The 26-year-old posted a 4.61 ERA in 14 appearances for the 2009 Phillies, but most of his pro experience has come in the minor leagues. Escalona posted a 3.81 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 50 relief appearances at Double-A Reading last year.
Lefties Wesley Wright, Fernando Abad and Gustavo Chacin will also be contenders for jobs in manager Brad Mills' 'pen this spring.
Cartwright, 23, split last season between Class A and Double-A, batting .294/.355/.472 in 547 plate appearances. As MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows, this isn't the first time Wade and Ruben Amaro Jr. have made deals together; the Roy Oswalt trade is their most memorable swap.
Phillies Designate Sergio Escalona For Assignment
The Phillies have designated Sergio Escalona for assignment, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com (via Twitter). The left-hander was DFA'd to make room on the 40-man roster for J.C. Romero, who was officially re-signed on Thursday.
Escalona spent 2010 with the Phillies' Double-A affiliate, turning in a 3.81 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 across 54.1 innings of work. The 26-year-old has 14 major league appearances to his credit, all of which came in 2009 for the Phillies.
Phillies Re-Sign J.C. Romero
Two months after declining his $4.5MM option for 2011, the Phillies have re-signed lefty J.C. Romero according to the team. The one-year deal will pay the reliever $1.35MM plus performance bonuses. He is represented by Praver/Shapiro.
Romero, 34, has battled elbow and forearm issues over the last two seasons, hampering his already shaky control. He's thrown just 53.1 innings since the start of the 2009 campaign, walking more batters (42) than he's struck out (40). Romero is still effective against left-handed batters however, holding them to a .174/.278/.251 batting line over the last three seasons.
Philadelphia had a one-year, $1.1MM deal in place with southpaw Dennys Reyes earlier this month, but it fell apart because the team's medical staff didn't like what they found in his physical according to Randy Miller of The Bucks County Courier Times. That left the club in need of a left-handed reliever. Romero has been with the Phillies since the middle of the 2007 season, when they signed him as a free agent after the Red Sox cut him loose.
Leslie Gudel of CSNPhilly.com first reported the agreement.
Phillies Invite Delwyn Young To Spring Training
The Phillies announced that Delwyn Young is one of seven players they have invited to Spring Training. The Phillies and Brewers pursued Young after he elected free agency last fall.
Philadelphia also invited Brian Bass, Tuffy Gosewisch, Joel Naughton, Robb Quinlan, Michael Schwimer and Michael Stutes to Spring Training as non-roster invitees.
Young spent the past two seasons in Pittsburgh, where he hit. 236/.286/.414 in 207 plate appearances last year. The 28-year-old played right field, second base and third base for the Pirates and he played left field as a member of the Dodgers. The switch hitter has a .710 OPS against right-handed pitching in his career and a .708 OPS against southpaws.
Phillies, Durbin Exchange Offers
The Phillies have made Chad Durbin a formal offer and the pitcher and his representatives at Beverly Hills Sports Council have made a counter-offer, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The reliever is negotiating with the Phillies and several other interested teams, but Durbin would prefer to return to Philadelphia, according to Gelb.
Durbin, who made $2.125MM in 2010, “is believed to be seeking a raise,” Gelb writes. The 33-year-old right-hander posted a 3.80 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 68 2/3 innings last season, his third in Philadelphia.
Odds & Ends: Greinke, Young, Rangers, MacLane
Links for Sunday….
- SI.com's Jon Heyman says the "word is" that the Nationals offered Zack Greinke a big contract extension in an effort to entice him to join their team (Twitter links). He simply didn't believe the Nats could win, so he instead waived his no-trade clause to go to the Brewers.
- A source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Rangers and Rockies have not had any serious talks about Michael Young in the last week, so if he does get traded, it will likely be to a team that did not show much interest in him at the Winter Meetings (Twitter links).
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News offers a "semi-educated guess" that if the Rangers do sign Adrian Beltre, they'll shift Young to a DH/utility role rather than trade him (Twitter link).
- NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman passes along a Japanese report that has the Orix Buffaloes set to acquire Evan MacLane from the Cardinals. An official announcement is expected soon.
- Cole Hamels and the Phillies haven't yet begun discussions for a multiyear extension, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes noted when he examined the Phillies' four aces, Hamels is arbitration eligible after next season and can become a free agent after 2012.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider required) shares a list of 36 potential MLB storylines for 2011. Olney's list includes the Albert Pujols negotiations, Heath Bell trade talks, and C.C. Sabathia's out clause.
- The Jason Bartlett trade potentially opened up a spot on the 25-man roster for long-time Rays' farmhand Elliot Johnson, according to Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times.
- WEEI's Rob Bradford and Alex Speier attempt to determine whether Hideki Okajima is likely to rebound for the Red Sox in 2011.
- Roch Kubatko of MASN can't see the Orioles signing a full-time DH now that Derrek Lee is on board.
- Police say Alfredo Simon is the primary suspect in a fatal shooting in the Dominican Republic, reports the Associated Press (via the Miami Herald). Simon insists he was not involved in the incident, according to Orioles Dominican representative Felipe Alou Jr.