White Sox Re-Acquire Terry Doyle
The White Sox re-acquired Rule 5 selection Terry Doyle from the Twins, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The Twins paid $50K to acquire Doyle in December and they'll get half of that sum back from the White Sox.
Doyle, 26, spent the 2011 season with Chicago's Class A and Double-A affiliates, posting a 3.07 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 173 total innings. The 6'4" Massachusetts native also pitched in the Arizona Fall League.
Quick Hits: Votto, Twins, Dodgers, Lannan
The Padres signed Hall of Fame outfielder Rickey Henderson on this date in 2001 and the 42-year-old went on to steal 25 bases with San Diego in his final season as a Major League regular. Here are today's links…
- Joey Votto told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that it'd be tough for a premium position player to sign a five-year deal. "No matter how fond a person is of the city, players have to maximize the number of years," Votto said. The first baseman, who is under contract with the Reds through 2013, says Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols "did excellent'' in free agency this offseason. Votto added that he would like to stay with the Reds and that the Cincinnati market seems strong.
- Twins GM Terry Ryan said there's a "possibility" the club looks to obtain a utility player from outside of the organization, according to MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (Twitter links). Ryan said he’s open to promoting a Double-A player like Brian Dozier, but not for the utility role.
- Rival executives say manager Don Mattingly is one of the reasons the Dodgers are currently an underrated team, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The second-year skipper told Rosenthal that Spring Training has been easier this year, since he’s no longer breaking new ground at every turn.
- Rosenthal hears the Tigers and Red Sox are the most serious suitors for left-hander John Lannan (Twitter link). However, Lannan hasn’t looked great this spring and the Nationals aim to clear his entire $5MM salary in any trade. Chien-Ming Wang’s hamstring injury could also affect Lannan's status as a trade candidate.
- The Blue Jays remain interested in upgrading their rotation, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets. It doesn't sound like the chances of a deal involving Gavin Floyd are particularly high, however.
Quick Hits: Mariners, Beras, Rockies, Padres, Peavy
Here are some links from the around the league as Saturday turns into Sunday…
- The Mariners could probably afford to trade one of their third base prospects, muses Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Seattle has Kyle Seager, Alex Liddi, Francisco Martinez, and Vinnie Catricala at the hot corner.
- MLB is still investigating the signing of Dominican outfielder Jairo Beras by the Rangers, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. Beras agreed to a $4.5MM deal last month, but there are questions about his age and eligibility to sign.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote about the unique construction of the Rockies' roster. The team added high-character positions players to a largely unproven group of young starters this offseason.
- Dan Hayes of The North County Times reports (on Twitter) that the Padres still expect to have their new television deal with FOX Sports San Diego finalized within the "next few weeks or sooner."
- "If I can't stay healthy for 200 innings, if somebody says something about closing or being a reliever, I can do that, I can be a reliever," said White Sox starter Jake Peavy to MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom. "If it comes down to that, I'll do it because I love this game."
- “I know that I want to make the right decision,” said Yankees closer Mariano Rivera to reporters (including Chad Jennings of The Journal News) today following Andy Pettitte's return. “That’s what I want to do. When I make the right decision, I don’t want to come back or say, ‘I should have done it’ or ‘I should have stayed.’ I want to be 1000% sure that it’s the right decision."Rivera hinted at retirement last month.
Central Links: Schafer, Samuel, Cust, White Sox
Nine years ago today, the Pirates signed Kenny Lofton to a one-year contract. After hitting .277/.333/.437 in 374 plate appearances for Pittsburgh, he was traded to the Cubs along with Aramis Ramirez for Jose Hernandez, Bobby Hill, and Matt Bruback at the deadline. Here's the latest from two of Lofton's many former divisions, the NL and AL Central…
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel that he has no plans to trade Logan Schafer despite the club's center field depth (Twitter link). The 25-year-old Schafer has had a strong spring but is stuck behind Nyjer Morgan and Carlos Gomez on the depth chart.
- The Astros and GM Jeff Luhnow intend to take a look at right-handed reliever Francisco Samuel, reports B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com (on Twitter). The Cardinals – Luhnow's former team – released Samuel earlier today.
- Jack Cust has had a slow start to Spring Training, though Luhnow indicated to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince that the slugger will continue to get chances with the Astros. They signed him to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal worth $500K with an option for 2013 this offseason.
- "We looked to see if we could acquire some of the game's most impactful young players," said White Sox GM Kenny Williams to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com when asked about the team's rebuilding plan. "Our target list was our target list. We set the price high, and we stuck with it."
AL Central Notes: Lannan, Pauley, Dotel, Floyd
Here's a look at some items on the Tigers and White Sox..
- The Tigers are keeping an eye on Nats pitcher John Lannan but have yet to have detailed talks involving him, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
- In the end, Monday’s release of David Pauley had the feeling of a mercy move, writes Jason Beck of MLB.com. By releasing him now, the Tigers give the 28-year-old a better chance to hook on somewhere before pitching staffs are set.
- Octavio Dotel is set to pitch for his 13th club in 13 big league seasons, making him the ultimate nomad, writes Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. Mike Morgan, Ron Villone, and Matt Stairs were all close, having played for a dozen teams.
- There has been concern with Jacob Turner's drop in velocity this spring, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) spoke with execs with other clubs who say that scouts spotted this in late 2011 as well. The Tigers have said that they are not looking to trade the right-hander but he can reportedly be had in the right deal.
- Rival executives say that the price tag for White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd was huge over the winter, tweets Olney.
Blue Jays, White Sox Discussed Gavin Floyd
7:17pm: The Red Sox and Orioles had interest in Floyd over the winter and Baltimore had talks that nearly resulted in a deal, a source told Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
TUESDAY, 7:32am: The Blue Jays and White Sox have discussed many players, but there's no evidence that serious talks regarding Floyd have taken place, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
MONDAY, 9:12pm: "I am not looking to move [Floyd]," White Sox GM Kenny Williams said in an e-mail to MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
2:12pm: The Blue Jays continue pursuing White Sox right-hander Gavin Floyd, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report. Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has interest in upgrading the club's rotation before Opening Day, the FOX reporters add.
The Blue Jays and White Sox have had dialogue about Floyd since Spring Training began, according to Rosenthal and Morosi. The 29-year-old will earn $7MM in 2012 and his contract includes a $9.5MM club option for 2013. Henderson Alvarez and Dustin McGowan currently profile as the club's fourth and fifth starters. Alvarez has just ten big league appearances and though McGowan is looking sharp this spring, he has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, appearing in just five big league games since 2008.
The Blue Jays' pitching staff includes two relievers who were traded to Toronto after finishing the 2011 season with the White Sox: closer Sergio Santos and right-hander Jason Frasor. Anthopoulos and GM Kenny Williams have completed three trades since last summer, as MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows.
Rosenthal On Braves, Blue Jays, Nationals, Gonzalez
Rival executives believe Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez may already be on ‘probation,’ Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Last year’s team lost its grip on a playoff spot down the stretch under Gonzalez, who’s now entering his second season as Atlanta’s manager. Here are the rest of Rosenthal’s notes from around the Major Leagues…
- Special assistant Jim Fregosi may be the Braves’ leading candidate to manage should they replace Gonzalez internally.
- The Diamondbacks would have interest in catcher J.P. Arencibia if the Blue Jays made him available. Arencibia isn’t going anywhere just yet, but top catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud could force the Blue Jays to make some difficult decisions within the year.
- The Blue Jays, Royals, Tigers and others are in the market for starting pitching and many options are available, Rosenthal writes. Joe Blanton, Gavin Floyd and John Lannan are among the potential trade targets for teams seeking starters.
- The Tigers, who are currently leaning toward left-hander Andy Oliver for their final rotation spot, could be a fit for Lannan. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes examined possible fits for Lannan last week, including the Tigers.
- The Padres’ financial outlook is improving, so owner John Moores may be less eager to sell the team to CEO Jeff Moorad. Moorad has two years to complete his purchase of the club, but the deal won’t be finalized in the near future.
- The A’s are no longer interested in free agent reliever Mike Gonzalez and the White Sox aren’t currently pursuing him, Rosenthal reports. The lefty is “about ready to go” following arthroscopic knee surgery.
- Some in the industry question shortstop Ian Desmond, but the Nationals like him.
Central Notes: Floyd, Garza, Baker, Hernandez, Pirates
Here's the latest from both of MLB's Central divisions…
- MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm doesn't put much stock in the latest Gavin Floyd trade rumors between the White Sox and the Blue Jays because of the Jays organization's "cone of silence" under Alex Anthopoulos. "There’s a general rule of thumb Toronto’s GM likes to use in these type of situations," Chisholm writes. "If a report gets out that a deal is done then it very likely is done. If a report comes out that two teams are discussing something, or that a team and agent have begun serious negotiations, more often than not it’s false."
- Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer declined to comment on whether the team was any closer to a multiyear extension with Matt Garza, reports Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com. We heard last month that the two sides planned to talk contract during Spring Training.
- Dusty Baker was non-committal about his future with the Reds as he enters the last year of his contract, Baker told the media (including MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom). "This year, it's my decision, as well as a [Reds] ownership decision. It depends whether I'm asked back. It depends on my feelings," Baker said. "You get to that certain point in your life. We'll see at the end of the year or before it, depending on how things go."
- Indians right-hander Roberto Hernandez (a.k.a. Fausto Carmona) has agreed to complete a work program in the Dominican Republic in exchange for having the false identity charges against him dropped, reports The Associated Press. Hernandez is currently on Cleveland's restricted list while the matter is being investigated. It is still unknown when Hernandez will be allowed to obtain a new visa and resume his baseball career.
- The Indians are interested in Jorge Soler, but Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thinks the Tribe will be outbid for the Cuban outfield prospect. At least nine teams are known to have some level of interest in Soler, with the Cubs considered by "most in the industry" to be the favorites.
- The Pirates' process of rebuilding their minor league system in order to restock their team's talent base is slowly beginning to pay dividends, writes MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.
- Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole's first pro Spring Training experience and his road to being the first overall pick in last summer's amateur draft are profiled by J. Brady McCollough of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
White Sox Considering Mike Gonzalez, Arthur Rhodes
The White Sox have shown interest in lefty relievers Mike Gonzalez and Arthur Rhodes, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Gonzalez, a Scott Boras client, remains unsigned with the season a few weeks away. Boras told me on Friday his client is "in play with a lot of teams right now," and "sometimes late doesn't mean demand, it just means choice." At this point, however, Gonzalez's ability to secure a Major League deal is in jeopardy. Last week, he turned down a minor league offer to return to the Rangers. The White Sox currently have 37 players on their 40-man roster, so they could add Gonzalez without losing anyone. Rhodes, 42, is more likely to settle for a minor league deal, in my opinion. He aims to pitch one more season before retiring.
With Will Ohman and Matt Thornton, the Sox already have a pair of southpaws in their bullpen. In theory, adding someone like Gonzalez could make a Thornton trade more palatable.
Heyman also notes that the White Sox were the other team in on third baseman Eric Chavez at the end. Chavez ultimately re-upped with the Yankees.
Quick Hits: Playoffs, Giolito, White Sox
MLB will expand the playoffs starting this season and the reaction has generally seemed positive. Here are a few more links to cap off the leap day, starting with reaction to the upcoming postseason format…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the changes are good for the game, because they will add excitement with minimal intrusion. Plus, the new format will provide teams with an incentive to win their divisions.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says the changes make sense. Commissioner Bud Selig has made the right call, Heyman writes.
- High school right-hander Lucas Giolito hit 100 mph in a start last night, Baseball America’s Nathan Rode confirms. Giolito is the top high school prospect for the 2012 draft, according to Rode.
- South Side Sox interviewed Dan Fabian, director of baseball operations for the White Sox, about his role with the team, trades, stats and scouting.