West Links: Dodgers, Rangers, A’s, Mariners, Pujols
Time for some links from baseball's two West divisions…
- "I think so," said Dodgers GM Ned Colletti when asked if he was done with his free agent shopping, reports Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). They re-signed Mike MacDougal to a one-year deal today, the tenth free agent they've signed this winter.
- The Rangers continue to have dialogue about long-term contract extensions with core players like Ian Kinsler and Derek Holland, reports Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas. "Our general feeling is to try not to negotiate during the year, but we've made exceptions," said GM Jon Daniels.
- Daniels also refused to comment about the Rangers' talks with Yu Darvish, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. "It's best for us to lay low," said the GM. "The less noise around that, the better."
- Athletics GM Billy Beane told MLB.com's Jane Lee that he has some interest in a few free agent outfielders, and he's also exploring trade possibilities (Twitter link). Bullpen help is another possibility, says Joe Stiglich of The Bay Area News Group (on Twitter).
- Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said they are "still keeping our ears open" regarding veteran starters even after signing Hisashi Iwakuma, reports Shannon Drayer of MyNorthwest.com (on Twitter).
- ESPN's Buster Olney says (on Twitter) that the union calculated the value of Albert Pujols' contract with the Angels at $246,841,811. Ronald Blum of the AP has a breakdown of the perks in the contract, such as a suite on road trips.
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post has the details of Wil Nieves' minor league contract with the Rockies (on Twitter). The backstop will earn $700K in the majors and $14K per month in the minors. He's also been invited to Spring Training.
Rangers Remain Interested In Mike Gonzalez
The Rangers are still looking for bullpen help, specifically left-handed, and the club remains interested in Mike Gonzalez according to Rich Durrett of ESPN Dallas. Texas met with the lefty's agent, Scott Boras, at the winter meetings.
Gonzalez, 33, appeared in seven games with the Rangers last year after being acquired from the Orioles at the end of August. He's pitched to a 4.27 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 78 innings over the last two seasons, his only two in the American League. Gonzalez has held left-handed batters to a .213/.281/.335 batting line during his nine-year career. Texas lost Darren Oliver to the Blue Jays, but a full season of Gonzalez will help mitigate the loss.
Rockies, Rangers Swap Greg Reynolds For Chad Tracy
The Rockies have acquired utility man Chad Tracy from the Rangers for right-hander Greg Reynolds according to the team's Twitter feed. Tracy is the son of Rockies manager Jim Tracy.
Reynolds, 26, was the second overall pick in the 2006 draft and has pitched to a 7.47 ERA in 94 big league innings from 2008-2011. He missed most of 2009 and part of 2010 with shoulder problems. Tracy, 26, has never appeared in the big leagues. He's a .269/.340/.466 career hitter in the minors, spending the last two seasons at Triple-A (.260/.342/.485 hitter at the level). Tracy has played first base, left field, and catcher in his career.
Rangers Notes: Napoli, Fielder, Darvish, Bullpen
Yesterday we heard that Yu Darvish was in the Dallas-Forth Worth Metroplex to see the area as well as the Rangers' operations first-hand. No deal is close though, and the two sides have 13 days to get one done. Here's the latest from Texas, courtesy of MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan…
- "We love Mike and we're not closing the door on anything but right now we are focused on a one-year deal," said Daniels in reference to a long-term deal for Mike Napoli. The backstop is arbitration-eligible for the final time and projects to earn $8.5MM in 2012. The two sides were discussing a long-term deal last month.
- Daniels made it clear the team is not interested in Prince Fielder as their focus right now is on Darvish. If something falls apart with the righty, Sullivan speculates that they could turn their attention to Fielder.
- The Rangers are still interested in upgrading their bullpen, with lefty relief being a primary focus. Texas recently lost southpaw Darren Oliver to the Blue Jays.
Orioles Acquire Jai Miller
WEDNESDAY, 7:38am: The A's received $45K for Miller, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
TUESDAY, 1:06pm: The Orioles acquired outfielder Jai Miller from the Athletics for cash considerations, according to a press release. Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said in a statement, "Jai Miller has the power, speed, base stealing skills and good athletic ability to be an asset in our outfield as he competes for a spot on our ballclub this spring." With the Orioles' trade of Brandon Snyder to the Rangers, their 40-man roster remains full.
Miller, 26, hit .276/.368/.588 with 32 home runs in 475 Triple-A plate appearances this year, his fourth stint at the level. He spent most of his time in center and right field.
Miller was originally drafted by the Marlins in the fourth round in 2003. He was designated for assignment in April of 2010, claimed a few days later by the A's, designated again that same month, claimed by the Royals a few days later, and outrighted in November of 2010, at which point he signed back with the A's as a free agent. The A's then designated Miller for assignment in late December of 2011 after trading Gio Gonzalez.
Darvish Visiting Dallas; No Deal Close
Yu Darvish is currently in the Dallas-Forth Worth Metroplex with his father to see the area and get a first-hand look at the Rangers' operations, reports Jeff Wilson of The Star-Telegram. The two sides are not close to a deal, however. "He isn't [there] for a press conference," said one of Wilson's sources, who notes that Darvish will return to Japan this week to begin his offseason workouts. Here's the latest on the right-hander…
- The two sides have until January 17th to reach a deal, reports Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball (on Twitter). We're exactly two weeks away.
- "There's no reason to think this won't get done," said a high-ranking baseball person to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. "There's no reason to think this has to go to the deadline, either." Most contract negotiations through the posting process have gone right down to the wire.
- Heyman's sources have suggested that Darvish would seek at least $65MM over five years.
- The Yankees bid just $15MM for Darvish, reports Heyman (on Twitter).
Minor Moves: Davis, Quintanilla, Nelson
Here's where we'll keep track of today's minor moves…
- The Padres signed catcher Brad Davis to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock. Davis, a San Diego native, appeared in 33 games with the Marlins in 2011.
- The Mets signed Omar Quintanilla to a minor league contract, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Quintanilla, 30, appeared in 11 games for the Rangers this past season and spent most of the year at Triple-A, where he posted a .298/.369/.452 line in 234 plate appearances. He'll provide the Mets with depth at shortstop.
- The Rangers re-signed first baseman Brad Nelson to a minor league deal, tweets Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com. Nelson, a former top prospect, posted a .281/.360/.501 line with 24 homers at Triple-A last year. The 29-year-old made it to the Major Leagues as a member of the Brewers in 2008-09.
Rangers Acquire Brandon Snyder
The Rangers acquired infielder Brandon Snyder from the Orioles for cash considerations, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Snyder, 25, was drafted 13th overall by the Orioles in 2005, a first round that has become legendary for the talent produced.
Snyder gave up catching after the 2006 season and now plays the infield corners. In 2011 he hit .261/.312/.406 in 494 Triple-A plate appearances, his third stint at the level.
Olney On Rays, Quentin, Polanco, Marlins, Darvish
After ranking MLB's best rotations, bullpens, infields, outfields, and lineups in December, ESPN.com's Buster Olney opened up 2012 with his overall power rankings. The Rays are ranked No. 1 thanks in large part to their outstanding rotation. This year, Matt Moore joins the mix and Olney writes that the left-hander has the numbers and the ability of Stephen Strasburg without the same level of hype behind him. Of course, the club still has some issues to address, such as the identity of their first baseman and designated hitter. However, Olney feels that their pitching makes them the top club in baseball at present. Here are some highlights from today's column..
- It's possible that the Padres could negotiate a very team-friendly two- or three-year deal with the Carlos Quentin before arbitration. However, it's hard to imagine the club investing heavily in the outfielder before gauging how much he can stay on the field and how his power translates to pitcher-friendly Petco Park.
- The Phillies would still like to find an alternative to the oft-injured Placido Polanco. In October, skipper Charlie Manuel said that he would be in favor of an upgrade at third base if possible. The club dangled Polanco in early December when it seemed as if they might lose Jimmy Rollins to free agency and look to sign Aramis Ramirez to play third.
- The Cubs are talking with a number of teams about Matt Garza, including the Marlins. A lot of baseball scouts are not wild about the quality and depth of the prospects in Miami's farm system.
- Yu Darvish is not yet signed with the Rangers, but rival executives don't believe he has much leverage and will eventually work out a deal.
Quick Hits: Oliver, Cubs, Nationals, Byrd, Aviles
Some Quick Hits for Friday night..
- The Rangers never made a formal offer to Darren Oliver before the reliever agreed to sign with Toronto, writes Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram. The 41-year-old's deal is for one-year with a club option for 2013.
- The Cubs have made a good deal of moves so far this offseason but they've quietly made major changes to their scouting department as well, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. The team hired former Red Sox major league scout Kyle Evans to oversee Chicago's revamped video and advance scouting. President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein also plucked amateur scout Matt Dorey from Boston but subsequently agreed not to hire any other BoSox front office personnel until December 2014.
- Yesterday, ESPN.com's Buster Olney suggested that the Red Sox and Nationals could have interest in Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd. Eric Seidman of Fangraphs believes that Olney was right to link the Nats to the veteran outfielder but argues that the club should be thinking bigger.
- Cuban outfielder Guillermo Aviles is a name to keep in mind down the road, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. Aviles, 19 in January, stands at 6-foot-1 and scouts say he shows a good deal of promise. The left-handed outfielder remains a resident of Cuba and its not known when or if he might look to make the jump to the Majors.