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Rays To Sign Jayson Nix

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The Rays are set to sign infielder Jayson Nix to a minor league deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Nix is represented by Turner Gary Sports.

The 31-year-old Nix has spent the past three seasons in the AL East, playing for the Blue Jays in 2011 and then the Yankees in 2012-13. Over the past two seasons in the Bronx, Nix has totaled 505 plate appearances, batting .239/.307/.340 with seven home runs and 19 stolen bases (in 23 attempts).

Nix offers a great deal of versatility in the field, an asset that surely attracted the Rays in particular. He has experience at second base, shortstop, third base, left field and right field in parts of six Major League seasons split between the Rockies, White Sox, Indians, Jays and Yankees.

Rays Claim Pedro Figueroa, Designate Jerry Sands

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The Rays have claimed Pedro Figueroa off of unconditional release waivers, according to Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).  To make room on the roster, the club has designated outfielder Jerry Sands for assignment.

Figueroa, 28, has 24 big league appearances to his credit over the last two years with the Athletics.  He spent the bulk of last year at Triple-A Sacramento, posting a 4.10 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 45 relief appearances and one start.

Sands, 26, was claimed off waivers from the Pirates just before Christmas and didn't get a chance to go house hunting in Tampa Bay.  Sands batted just .207/.311/.329 with seven home runs in 106 games (397 PAs) at the Triple-A level in 2013.  Once a favorite in the Dodgers' farm system, he became one of the players in the Adrian Gonzalez/Carl Crawford/Josh Beckett blockbuster of August 2012.  The Red Sox included him in another notable trade last offseason – the deal that sent Mark Melancon to Pittsburgh and Joel Hanrahan to Boston.  In his minor league career, Sands is a .276/.366/.526 hitter with 128 homers in 2433 plate appearances. 

Minor Moves: Thomas, Olmedo, Darnell, Solis

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Here are today's minor transactions, with the latest moves at the top of the post…

  • The Angels signed left-hander Justin Thomas to a minor league deal, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez tweets.  Thomas posted a 6.93 ERA over 24 2/3 IP with the Mariners, Pirates, Red Sox and Yankees from 2008-12.  The 29-year-old southpaw spent the first half of 2013 pitching for the Athletics' Triple-A affiliate before signing with the Nippon Ham Fighters.
  • The Rays signed infielder Ray Olmedo, third baseman/outfielder James Darnell, catcher Ali Solis and right-hander Santiago Garrido to minor league contracts, the team announced via its Twitter feed.  All four players will receive invitation to the Rays' Major League Spring Training camp.
  • Since Rafael Ortega was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals earlier today, only two players remain in DFA Limbo according to the MLBTR DFA Tracker: Padres right-hander Adys Portillo and White Sox lefty Santos Rodriguez.

Mariners Need Ownership Approval For More Major Moves

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Mariners are weighing a number of high-profile additions, including Nelson Cruz, Masahiro Tanaka and David Price, but the team needs to persuade ownership before pressing forward on those moves. That information meshes with another Rosenthal report from last month which indicated that the Mariners may be nearing their payroll limit for 2014.

Seattle's signing of Robinson Cano this offseason was clearly an ownership-level decision, and GM Jack Zduriencik made a nice followup signing by inking Corey Hart to a one-year deal to further bolster the club's offense. Zduriencik also bought low on Logan Morrison in a trade with the Marlins, hoping that the 26-year-old can still deliver on some of his top prospect hype from a few years ago. However, save for the re-signing of the oft-injured Franklin Gutierrez, it's been quiet for the Mariners since that time.

Cano is an elite bat, but it's hard to figure that his addition plus a pair of question marks is enough to turn the organization around. Hart did not play a game in 2013, and Morrison has batted .236/.321/.387 over his past 667 plate appearances after slashing .259/.351/.460 in his first 812 big league PAs. Seattle's shot at contention is further complicated by the fact that they share a division with the highly competitive Rangers and A's. The Angels, who finished third in each of the past two seasons, have added to their rotation and should see improved production out of Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton as well.

AL East Notes: Rays, Orioles, Markakis

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The Blue Jays remain among the favorites to sign either Ervin Santana or Ubaldo Jimenez, despite their quiet offseason thus far, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  In fact, the Jays could be quite aggressive in the New Year.  Rosenthal writes that they could acquire as many as two starters before the offseason is over and they've also discussed trades for significant starters, including the Cubs' Jeff Samardzija.  More out of the AL East..

  • Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he is looking to add another bench player and remains on the lookout for another arm for the bullpen, writes Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Tribune.  Friedman also indicated that this year's payroll could be a record high, beating 2010's total of $72.8MM.  If that's the plan, it could be an indication that they plan to hang on to David Price.
  • Like the Blue Jays, it's been a pretty quiet offseason so far for the Orioles, but Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com fully expects the club to go out and get another starter based on the current makeup of the rotation.  For now, it looks like Chris Tillman, Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez, and Bud Norris are in the rotation. The fifth spot is wide open, but left-hander Zach Britton is the likely favorite because he's out of options.
  • Nick Markakis potentially could be entering his last season with the Orioles in 2014, a year where he will be paid $15MM with a club option at $17.5MM.  While it would take an exceptional season for that to be triggered, the O's would happily settle for a return to the norm for Markakis in 2014 and worrying about 2015 later, writes Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.

East Notes: Braves, Rays, Berry, Red Sox

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With an unfavorable TV deal, the Braves are becoming the Rays, SB Nation's Grant Brisbee argues. That's a bit hyperbolic, as Brisbee acknowledges, but the Braves' payroll has fallen from third in the big leagues in 2000 to 16th in 2013, because their payroll hasn't really risen since then, while it has for most other teams. That's a trend that could continue, unless the Braves' new stadium dramatically changes their fortunes. That means they have to rely more on making smart moves than on spending money. Here's more from around the East divisions.

  • James Loney says the Rays, Brewers, Pirates and Astros all made him similar offers, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune tweets. "I felt [Tampa Bay] was going to be the best option and this is where I wanted to be," Loney says.
  • If the Rays keep David Price in 2014, they will have a higher payroll than they had in 2010, when it was $72.8MM, Mooney reports. That's not a sustainable figure in the long term, Rays GM Andrew Friedman says, but the team has a chance to be "great" in 2014 (Twitter links).
  • The Orioles are still interested in re-signing Francisco Rodriguez, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. The Orioles could then use him as a backup plan at closer in case Tommy Hunter struggles. Fernando Rodney might cost too much for them, Kubatko suggests.
  • Orioles executive Dan Duquette says newly-acquired outfielder Quintin Berry is a strong defensive outfielder and "he's shown good on-base capability, particularly against RH pitching," Kubatko tweets.
  • It's not likely the Red Sox will sign or trade a starting pitcher before the beginning of spring training, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald writes. Boston currently has a solid set of starting pitching options in Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz, Jake Peavy, Ryan Dempster and Felix Doubront, plus Brandon Workman, Allen Webster and others. Lauber's tweet suggests the Red Sox will not attempt to trade someone like Lackey, and they will not sign Masahiro Tanaka.

Rays Re-Sign James Loney

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JANUARY 3rd: The Rays officially announced the deal, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that Loney gets a $5MM signing bonus, $1MM in 2014, $7MM in 2015, and $8MM in 2016.

DECEMBER 13th: The Rays have reached an agreement with James Loney on a three-year, $21MM contract, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The deal is pending a physical. ESPN's Buster Olney was the first to report that the Rays were on the verge of an agreement with the Legacy Agency client (also on Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that $5MM of that guarantee will come as a signing bonus.

Loney-James

Loney's guarantee is slightly less than the three-year, $27-30MM contract he was recently rumored to be seeking. The 29-year-old still obtains a tremendous raise from last year's $2MM salary. The raise is well-deserved, as Loney is fresh off a rebound campaign in which he batted .299/.348/.430 with the Rays. He posted the strong defensive marks that have come to be expected of him, registering a 7.2 UZR/150 and +4 Defensive Runs Saved.

Loney will re-join a lineup that features franchise cornerstone Evan Longoria, 2013 AL Rookie of the Year Wil Myers and the underrated Ben Zobrist. He doesn't have the prototypical power one would expect from a first baseman, but he has strong on-base and defensive skills, similar to recently acquired backstop Ryan Hanigan.

Loney was one of many first base options for the Rays to consider; Corey Hart and Justin Morneau have each signed affordable contracts in the past week or so, and Seattle acquired Logan Morrison from the Marlins in exchange for reliever Carter Capps. The trade market still presents options such as Ike Davis, Mitch Moreland and perhaps Justin Smoak.

However, signing Loney has long been a priority of the Rays, based on comments from exeuctive vice president and general manager Andrew Friedman made to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times earlier this month: "The good thing for us is he liked it here. We liked him, he fit in well. And we're a known quantity … I'm hopeful that he can be here."

Edward Creech contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AL East Links: Baldelli, Fuld, Yankees, Lackey

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Rocco Baldelli was forced into premature retirement at age 29, but the former Rays outfielder has adjusted well to his post-playing career.  As MLB.com's Bill Chastain relates, Baldelli is acting as something of a jack-of-all-trades as a special assistant in the Rays' baseball operations department, helping the club with everything from scouting to draft preparation to Spring Training work.  "I get to see everything. I really enjoy gaining a perspective on everything we're doing. … It gives you a big picture view, and during the year I get the micro view of the organization," Baldelli said.

Here's some news from around the AL East…

  • Sam Fuld is keeping the Rays in "the mix" as he decides his next contract, the outfielder tells Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.  "Would definitely be nice to be back if the opportunity is right," Fuld said, adding that he is "just waiting for the landscape to clear a bit."  MLBTR's Zach Links reported last week that Fuld has been offered minor league deals from five teams, some of which have already been ruled out.
  • The Yankees' plan to drastically overspend on the 2014-15 international free agent market is further explored by Scout.com's Kiley McDaniel, who explains why the Yankees are making this splash now and how they're exploiting this loophole in what McDaniel believes is a "broken" international spending system.
  • There has been some speculation that the Red Sox could trade John Lackey, as the team is looking to move a veteran starter to make room for a younger arm.  Trading Lackey would definitely be a sell-high move for Boston and they could command a strong return given Lackey's 2013 performance and his team-friendly contract, but MLB.com's Ian Browne doesn't "see any way the Red Sox will look to trade Lackey."  That same team-friendly deal is also a boon to the Sox, Browne notes, and "barring a stunning development," Lackey will be on the Opening Day roster.
  • In AL East news from earlier today on MLB Trade Rumors, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons' option for 2015 was guaranteed since he was still employed at the start of the calendar year, the Rays claimed southpaw Pedro Figueroa off waivers from the A's, and we shared a collection of Orioles notes.

NL West Notes: D’Backs, Tanaka, Hanley, Giants

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The Diamondbacks consider Masahiro Tanaka to be their "No. 1 target" and are serious suitors for the Japanese ace, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports.  Had Arizona not acquired Mark Trumbo, the Snakes were open to spending the $140MM that agent Scott Boras said it would've taken to sign Shin-Soo Choo, and Rosenthal notes that D'Backs management could instead invest that money (the $20MM posting fee and a $120MM contract) towards landing Tanaka.  The D'Backs could have an extra source for information on Tanaka in the form of scout Rick Short, who played with Tanaka from 2007-09 on the Rakuten Golden Eagles.

You can click here for some Tanaka news from earlier today, and here are some more items from around the NL West…

  • Also from Rosenthal's piece, Arizona could be more motivated to sign an ace like Tanaka in free agency since they found the Cubs' and Rays' respective asking prices for Jeff Samardzija and David Price to be too high, Rosenthal notes, not to mention the fact that Price will become more expensive in his final two arbitration-eligible seasons.  The D'Backs rate Tanaka higher than other free agent arms like Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez or Ervin Santana.
  • Hanley Ramirez and the Dodgers have reportedly been discussing an extension this offseason and ESPN Los Angeles' Mark Saxon looks at some of the factors involved in giving Ramirez a major new deal.
  • In a Giants-related mailbag, MLB.com's Chris Haft argues that the Giants should've given Brett Pill more time to prove himself rather than give those at-bats to Jeff Francoeur last summer.  Pill's rights were recently sold to the KIA Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization and his deal with the club was just finalized today.  As Haft writes, "the sense here is that the Giants jettisoned Pill without fully discovering what they had in him."
  • Buster Posey is just one season into his multiyear extension with the Giants and he's still owed $157MM over the next eight seasons.  While it's far too early to place a verdict on this contract, Grant Brisbee of the McCovey Chronicles argues that the Giants may have saved money by locking Posey up last March as opposed to this offseason, as San Francisco might've had to offer their star catcher a nine- or even a ten-year deal in the $200MM threshold.

Rays Claim Pedro Figueroa Off Waivers From Athletics

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The Rays have claimed lefty Pedro Figueroa off of release waivers from the Athletics, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The 28-year-old reliever had spent his entire career in the Oakland organization.

Figueroa spent most of the last two seasons throwing at Triple-A, where he compiled a 2.62 ERA in 44 2/3 innings in 2012. That earned him a shot at 19 big league appearances, over which he managed a 3.32 ERA. But Figueroa saw his ERA rise to a 4.10 mark in 59 1/3 innings last year in the upper minors and was bombed in just five MLB outings. The native Dominican suffered a spike in walks (from 3.6 BB/9 to 5.0 BB/9) and became easier to hit (7.1 H/9 against 8.6 H/9) across his two Triple-A campaigns.

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