Rangers Notes: Andrus, Berkman, Borbon
Here's the latest news out of Surprise, Arizona, as the Rangers begin their Spring Training preparations…
- Elvis Andrus told reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) that he'd be happy to continue exploring a multiyear extension with Texas. “If they want to keep talking and get to a point where there is a really great offer for my future, yeah, I’d do it for sure,” Andrus said. The team has interest in locking Andrus up, though Grant notes the two sides haven't made much progress in limited negotiations this winter.
- Grant speculates that Andrus and agent Scott Boras' idea of "a really great offer" might be an eight- or ten-year contract with an average annual value of around $15MM. The Yankees could be a "looming" factor in negotiations, Grant writes, as Andrus is under contract through the 2014 season, which is also when Derek Jeter's contract will be up.
- Lance Berkman talked to MLB.com's Alyson Footer about his decision to sign with the Rangers, his injury concerns and how close he came to retiring this offseason. Health permitting, Berkman said that he would like to play two more seasons before calling it a career.
- Julio Borbon is facing a make-or-break situation in Spring Training but the outfielder told reporters (including ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett) that he changed his offseason regimen and is confident of making the Opening Day roster. Borbon is out of options and would have to clear waivers to be sent to the minors, though the Rangers may not have room for him with Craig Gentry, Leonys Martin and Mike Olt all in the mix for part-time outfield jobs.
Quick Hits: Rangers, Orioles, Granderson, Cubs
The Rangers enter Spring Training in search of a utility infielder and fear they may have to find the answer internally as free agents may be scared off by a lack of playing time, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. "We've been really fortunate to have great infields over the past decade," GM Jon Daniels said. "That's always been an issue and something we've heard about from free agents. That's why promoting guys from within gets around that, and trading for guys gets around that." Let's check in across league to catch up on the latest headlines and stories making news.
- Orioles GM Dan Duquette believes his team stands to enjoy another strong season given the talent he has in his lineup as well as pitching staff even without making a major move this winter, says Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
- Curtis Granderson stands to collect quite the paycheck when he hits the free agent market this fall given his hitting prowess and the weak crop of center fielders set to become available, writes Andy McCullough of The Star-Ledger.
- Matt Garza's tenure with the Cubs may extend beyond the 2013 season thanks to the draft compensation rules currently plaguing Kyle Lohse and his chances of signing with a team, says Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
AL Central Notes: Perez, Scherzer, White Sox, Twins
The latest from the AL Central on the day before Michael Bourn is expected to take his physical with the Indians…
- Chris Perez said he was pleased to see the Indians agree to terms with Bourn, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. "It feels like we're a big market club," Perez said. Last fall the closer publicly criticized Indians ownership and management for their decision making and spending.
- Max Scherzer said the Tigers brought up the possibility of a long-term contract this winter, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports. “We talked about it,” Scherzer said. “But we were more focused on just getting one year done." Agent Scott Boras represents Scherzer, who said he loves Detroit and the Tigers organization. Scherzer is on track to hit free agency following the 2014 season.
- A.J. Pierzynski said he's not disappointed to have moved on from the White Sox to the Rangers, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. "I'm excited about the new opportunity here and the chance to come to a team that definitely has a team to be very competitive, with a goal of going to the playoffs," he said. Pierzynski, who obtained a one-year, $7.5MM deal from the Rangers, described the signing as "bittersweet."
- The Twins have a new-look rotation after adding pitching reinforcements during the offseason, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com writes.
AL West Notes: Cabrera, Athletics, Garland
The baseball community is buzzing over Michael Bourn's four-year pact with the Indians, but there's more news than just that in the baseball world. Here's a collection of links pertaining to the AL West…
- Right-hander Fernando Cabrera, who signed a minor league contract with the Angels in January, can opt out of his deal if he is not on the Major League roster by July 31 according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (Twitter link).
- John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group tweets that Athletics manager Bob Melvin called Hiroyuki Nakajima and told him not to worry about the club's acquisition of Jed Lowrie. The A's traded for Lowrie a week ago.
- There's no bad blood between Bartolo Colon and his teammates, writes CSN Bay Area's Casey Pratt. The Athletics have welcomed Colon back with open arms, and his teammates are glad to have him back in the fold as they look to defend their AL West title.
- A scout texted Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and praised the Mariners for their minor league pact with Jon Garland. The scout tells Rosenthal that Garland looks healthy and was impressive in a recent workout. Garland told Rosenthal that his decision not to go to camp with the Indians after agreeing to a minor league deal with them last winter may have been the best decision of his career because it helped him finally get back to 100 percent. Cleveland GM Chris Antonetti called Garland's decision "very classy."
- Kenji Nimura, who served as Hiroki Kuroda's intepreter for the Yankees last season, will now assume that role with Yu Darvish of the Rangers, Newsday's David Lennon tweets.
- Ryan Madson suffered a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which means he probably won't be ready to take the reins as the Angels' closer on Opening Day, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. Remember fantasy baseball players, you can keep track of all the latest closer-related injuries and news this season by following Tim Dierkes' @closernews on Twitter.
AL West Notes: Norris, Luhnow, Athletics, Profar
The Mariners dominated headlines around baseball today, agreeing to an extension with Felix Hernandez, agreeing to terms with Joe Saunders, finalizing a one-year deal with Kelly Shoppach and designating Shawn Kelley for assignment. While the bulk of the news from the AL West came from Seattle, here are some more items from around the division…
- In an interview on the MLB Network (video link), Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said he was looking forward to having Bud Norris in the rotation next season and that he wasn't currently talking to anyone about trading the right-hander. Luhnow noted, however, that the Astros' recent history has shown "we're willing to talk to any club about any player if we feel the deal furthers our strategy to develop the best young talent in baseball….We'll continue to look at all options." FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported on Tuesday that Norris was available and that the Cardinals, Padres and Orioles were all interested in Norris during the Winter Meetings.
- Speaking of Houston's recent moves, Luhnow's trades as Astros general manager are recapped by MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
- "Our currency is not cash. Our currency is young players," Athletics GM Billy Beane tells CBS Sports' Danny Knobler. While the A's won't see a major payroll increase in 2013, the team has been dealing young talent in exchange for more expensive veterans this offseason since Oakland feels it can contend next season.
- The topic of a Jurickson Profar-for-David Price deal was recently posed to ESPN's Keith Law during a radio appearance, and ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett goes further in-depth in analyzing the specifics of such a trade between the Rangers and Rays. Durrett would make the trade since it would give the Rangers a proven ace, while Law wouldn't make the deal one-for-one since Texas would be giving up too many years of team control. Law, however, doesn't think Tampa Bay would consider such an offer anyway since, "it would be very hard for the Rays to justify a deal like that with the perceived value of Price."
Quick Hits: Giants, Bourn, MLBPA, Andrus, Rolen
The MLBPA announced that Dave Prouty has been promoted to the position of general counsel, replacing executive director Michael Weiner in that role. The 54-year-old Prouty becomes the fourth general counsel in the history of the MLBPA. “I am confident that Dave will excel in his new role and that the players will continue to receive the high level of legal representation they have come to expect from their union,” Weiner said. Here are some links from around MLB…
- While emphasizing that GM Brian Sabean decides which players to sign, Giants skipper Bruce Bochy won't rule out a return for Brian Wilson, writes Chris Haft of MLB.com. "I can't say that [Wilson] will be back." But, Bochy added, "I can't say the door's closed on Brian Wilson. … I don't think that's completely shut."
- The Mets are still hopeful on Michael Bourn and General Manager Sandy Alderson talking about him publicly is a positive sign, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. However, nothing appears to be imminent between the club and the top remaining free agent left on the open market.
- In an appearance on ESPN Dallas’ the Ben & Skin Show, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said he hopes to stay in Texas long-term (story via Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com). However, the Scott Boras client said he’s prepared to “see what happens” when his contract expires following the 2014 season. “We’re still talking about it. That’s all I can say. For sure, I would love to stay here.”
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti suggested on MLB Network that free agent third baseman Scott Rolen will "probably end up some other place than Los Angeles,"Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. The Dodgers had “some interest” in bringing Rolen on to provide depth at the corner infielder positions, Colletti acknowledged.
- Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times has the details on the incentives included in the contracts for Kyle Farnsworth and Kelly Johnson. The Rays announced their deals with both players yesterday.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AL West Notes: Bud Norris, Jon Daniels, Rangers
Astros GM Jeff Luhnow remains confident the organization has taken the right steps to field a competitive team in the near future even with payroll that may fall short of $25MM, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "I think people are focusing on what the Major League payroll is, and I think the reality is we're making a huge investment in our people," Luhnow said. "We're not going to do something to improve a few games in 2013 that comes at the expense of our ability to compete over the long haul."
Let's take a look around the AL West to catch up on the latest news and headlines.
- The Astros may move another key player before the start of Spring Training as Bud Norris has been drawing attention and is available for the right package, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. The 27-year-old right-hander is set to earn $3MM during the 2013 season, making him the highest paid player on the Astros roster.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels spoke with reporters for 40 minutes on Tuesday as he addressed the burning question of whether he did enough this offseason to keep Texas competitive in 2013, writes Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com. "What I'm excited about with this club is all the things we've talked about for years, we like the core of this team, recommitting ourselves to pitching, to the athletes, to giving our young guys a chance, to finding the right guys to fit the club, to finding the right veteran presence."
- Jurickson Profar and Mike Olt will be given every opportunity to make the big league club out of Spring Training for the Rangers, but look for Leury Garcia to compete for a spot as well, says Gerry Fraley of The Dallas Morning News. Garcia, 21, has spent the majority of his career as a middle infielder but recently gained experience playing outfield in the Dominican Republic Winter League.
Quick Hits: Rivera, Blue Jays, Lugo, Cubs
On this date ten years ago the Red Sox claimed Bronson Arroyo off of waivers from the Pirates. At that point Arroyo had a 5.44 ERA in parts of three seasons with Pittsburgh and the Pirates exposed him to waivers. He would add considerably more value in Boston, where he posted a 4.19 ERA in parts of three seasons before being traded to Cincinnati for Wily Mo Pena in Spring Training of 2006. Here are today's links…
- Mariano Rivera declined to answer when Newsday's David Lennon asked the Yankee legend if this would be his final season (Twitter link).
- The contract of Blue Jays manager John Gibbons includes a rolling option that means he won’t face a season as a lame-duck manager, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. Gibbons, who signed for two years plus an option earlier this offseason, has a unique clause in his contract. As long as the Blue Jays don’t fire Gibbons by January 1st of a given year, his option will vest for the following season and the sides will add another option to the contract. The unique deal means Gibbons will have a two-year contract as long as he’s managing the team. It’s reminiscent of the perpetual option on the deal between the Red Sox and Tim Wakefield, though it appears to be the first of its kind for an MLB manager.
- Julio Lugo said he’s leaning toward retiring following this year’s Caribbean Series, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports. "It might be [the end], unless something comes that changes my mind," Lugo said. "But I think this is going to be it for me." The 37-year-old infielder last appeared at the MLB level with the 2011 Braves. He has a .269/.333/.384 batting line over the course of 12 seasons plus $48MM in career earnings (via Baseball-Reference).
- The Cubs (Scott Feldman), Brewers (Mike Gonzalez) and Pirates (Russell Martin) completed some under-the-radar signings that have the potential to pay off in 2013, Matthew Leach writes at MLB.com.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports confirms that the Rangers and Indians have interest in free agent infielder Ryan Theriot (Twitter link). The Phillies and Giants are also interested in Theriot, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported last month.
AL West Notes: Kobayashi, Rangers, Trout, Wells
The Rangers and Nationals are waiting to hear if Nelson Cruz or Gio Gonzalez could face disciplinary action from Major League Baseball due to their possible connection to a clinic that sold performance-enhancing drugs, but though both teams are in limbo with these key players, ESPN's Jim Bowden doesn't think either team will jump quickly to find replacements until more facts are known. As it happens, Bowden says both clubs were already looking to improve in those areas before the news of this PED scandal broke — the Nats were known to want pitching depth and the Rangers were in need of another power hitter. Bowden suspects the Rangers will make a move for a big bat closer to the trade deadline.
Here are some more items from around the AL West…
- The Angels are close to signing right-hander Hiroyuki Kobayashi to a minor league deal, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). Kobayashi, 34, has pitched out of the bullpen for Chiba Lotte and Hanshin for the last three seasons. He last explored a move to MLB when he became a free agent following the 2010 season, when he was linked to the Pirates and Diamondbacks in rumors.
- It wouldn't make sense for the Rangers to sign Michael Bourn to replace Cruz, argues MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, since "a five-year contract to cover a two-month need seems a bit extreme." The Rangers didn't make a big push for a center fielder this winter since they like Craig Gentry and Leonys Martin as CF options.
- The Angels haven't talked to Mike Trout's representatives about an extension for the young star, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports. Trout is under team control through the 2017 season and is still two seasons away from arbitration eligibility. Those arb years will get expensive if Trout continues his superb play but, as Gonzalez notes, big-market clubs like the Angels can afford pricey arbitration payouts and thus don't quite feel the pressure that smaller-market clubs have to lock up their young stars early.
- Casper Wells has turned into something of an afterthought on the Mariners roster and could become trade bait if the M's were to add another outfielder like Bourn, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Wells struggled when given regular at-bats last season and Baker wonders if the club has given up on the player who was "possibly the front-liner" of the trade package the Mariners received in the Doug Fister deal.
Quick Hits: Yankees, Cruz, Wells
We shouldn't be surprised if the Yankees spend aggressively on free agent starting pitching in the years ahead, Jim Bowden writes at ESPN.com. Check out MLBTR’s 2014 free agent list to see which players will join Matt Garza, Josh Johnson and Adam Wainwright on the free agent market a year from now. Here are today’s links…
- In a piece at ESPN Insider, Zachary Levine of Baseball Prospectus searches MLB rosters for some players who could be traded now that their salaries are essentially sunk costs. Luke Hochevar and Ted Lilly are among the players who make Levine's list.
- Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal looks ahead at some of the starting pitchers who could be available in trades, suggesting that Yovani Gallardo, Jarrod Parker and Ian Kennedy could be dealt in future years.
- ESPN.com’s Buster Olney wonders if Nelson Cruz’s alleged connection to performance enhancing drugs suppliers could lead to renewed interest in Michael Bourn from the Rangers (Twitter link).
- Free agent right-hander Kip Wells threw a bullpen for the Mariners today, Evan Drellich of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). Wells, 35, posted a 4.58 ERA with more walks (20) than strikeouts (19) in 37 1/3 innings with the Padres in 2012.