By Mike Axisa | at
The Cubs have claimed right-hander Sandy Rosario off waivers from the Red Sox, reports MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter). As our Transaction Tracker shows, it's the third time the right-hander has been claimed off waivers this winter.
Rosario, 27, pitched in four games for this year's Marlins team, but spent most of the season in the minor leagues. He posted a 1.99 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 31 2/3 total innings for three of the Marlins' minor league affiliates.
By Zachary Links | at
On the most recent edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast, MLBTR’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts discussed the Rays–Royals trade, Zack Greinke’s deal with the Dodgers and the most recent rumors from around MLB. Here's more from around baseball to cap off a busy Tuesday evening..
By Zachary Links | at
5:25pm: The deal appears to be a longshot to happen, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Phillies were uninterested in Soriano when first presented with the possibility but warmed up to it enough to consider it.
4:31pm: The Phillies have discussed a deal with the Cubs that would net them Alfonso Soriano in exchange for Domonic Brown, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. However, the Phillies might be more inclined to sign a free agent, such as Cody Ross or someone else.
The Cubs are believed to be willing to pay $26MM of the $36MM remaining on Soriano's deal if they can get quality prospects in return. The Phillies like Soriano offensively but have reservations about his defensive play, despite his improvement last season. Soriano, who will turn 37 next month, hit .262/.322/.499 with 32 home runs in 615 plate appearances.
Ross would be a better fit for the Phillies' budget than fellow free agent outfielders Nick Swisher and Josh Hamilton. Earlier today we learned that the Mets have kicked the tires on Ross, but would be unwilling to make a commitment to him beyond two years. The Phillies, Braves, Mariners, Red Sox, Yankees, and Orioles have all been linked to Ross so far this offseason.
By Zachary Links | at
The Cubs announced that they have reached an agreement with Japanese closer Kyuji Fujikawa. The two-year, $9.5MM contract includes a club/vesting option for 2015.
Fujikawa will receive a $1MM signing bonus, $4MM in salary for 2013 and '14, plus a vesting option at $5.5MM or $6MM based on games finished. If the option does not vest, it turns to a $5.5MM club option with a $500K buyout. In total, Fujikawa has a guaranteed $9.5MM when including the buyout.
It was reported last week that Fujikawa was nearing a decision with the Halos in the lead. At least ten teams offered the hurler along the way, including the Dodgers, Orioles, and Diamondbacks. Over the past six seasons with the Hanshin Tigers, the 32-year-old record 202 saves while posting a 1.36 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 12.4 K/9, and 2.3 BB/9 in 369 2/3 innings.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement and the details of the deal. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported the total value of the deal.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
Could Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton end up re-signing in the AL West? The answer to that question will have ramifications within the division and throughout the sport. Here are today’s AL West links…
By Zachary Links | at
Post-meetings links from around baseball..
By Zachary Links | at
4:24pm: The deal is non-guaranteed, a source tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. The Cubs will be off the hook for the $2MM deal if he is released in spring training.
3:32pm: The Cubs are set to re-sign third baseman Ian Stewart, sources tell Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter). It's a one-year, $2MM deal for the Reynolds Sports Management client, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The deal also includes $500K of incentives.
The 27-year-old is said to be back to full health after playing with a broken bone in his wrist for the last two years. During that stretch, Stewart has had a .183/.272/.289 slash line with five home runs in 338 total plate appearances. Before the injury, Stewart owned a career .245/.332/.451 slash line in four seasons with the Rockies.
The Cubs non-tendered Stewart earlier this month as he was set to earn $2.3MM in arbitration. Stewart picked up varying degrees of interest from other clubs in the last week including the Marlins.
By Tim Dierkes | at
MLBTR projected a $1.5MM salary for third baseman Jack Hannahan if he'd gone through the arbitration process in 2013. The Indians elected to cut the defensive-minded 32-year-old loose instead. Suddenly, with Eric Chavez and Jeff Keppinger signing at the Winter Meetings, Hannahan has become a relatively hot commodity in a weak third base free agent market. The latest:
By Luke Adams 2 | at
10:24am: It will be a two-year deal and the Giants are out, tweets Rosenthal. Pirates GM Neal Huntington said today that they made a "very fair offer" to Grilli.
THURSDAY, 8:28am: Grilli will decide between the Cubs, Blue Jays, Giants, and Pirates at 10am today, or earlier if one of the teams goes to three years on the 36-year-old, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB Network. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Grilli will stay in Pittsburgh if no one adds the third year.
WEDNESDAY, 4:38pm: Grilli is still wading through all the offers presented to him, Sheffield told MLB.com's Tom Singer. The Brewers haven't talked with Sheffield this week, GM Doug Melvin told reporters.
12:42pm: If Grilli is close to a deal, it's not with the Brewers, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
10:50am: Jason Grilli's agent, former MLB slugger Gary Sheffield, tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (Twitter link) that he's nearing a deal for his client. However, Sheffield didn't reveal which team was closing in on Grilli.
As Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes, Grilli is expected to choose from nearly a dozen suitors today, with the Pirates still in the mix. The right-hander figures to land a multiyear contract.
By Steve Adams | at
Each year, Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings conclude with the Rule 5 Draft. For those who are unfamiliar with the event, MLBTR offers an in-depth description, but here's a quick overview.
Players are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft if they aren't on the 40-man roster four or five years after signing, depending on the age at which they signed. Teams draft in the reverse order of the previous season's standings but aren't required to make a selection. If they do choose a player, they pay his former team $50K and must keep that player on the Major League roster all season or offer him back to his original team for $25K.
The results from the Major League phase:
Second round of Major League phase:
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