Orioles Claim Todd Redmond
The Orioles claimed Todd Redmond off of waivers from the Reds, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports (on Twitter). The Reds designated Redmond for assignment one week ago to create roster space for Manny Parra.
Redmond made his MLB debut in 2012, starting one game at the big league level. The 27-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 3.63 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 148 2/3 innings. The Reds acquired him from the Braves for Paul Janish last July.
Reds, Leake Avoid Arbitration
The Reds avoided arbitration with right-hander Mike Leake, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. The sides agreed to a one-year deal worth $3.06MM for 2013.
Leake had asked for $3.5MM with the Reds offering $2.65MM, as MLBTR's Arb Tracker shows. Leake, a Beverly Hills Sports Council client, had been arbitration eligible for the first time this winter. The 25-year-old has two more years of arbitration eligibility and will hit free agency following the 2015 season.
The Reds had a number of noteworthy arbitration cases this offseason, and three of them remain unresolved. Shin-Soo Choo, Homer Bailey and Mat Latos are all still unsigned, as noted on our Arb Tracker. Be sure to check out MLBTR's Arbitration Basics for a primer on the process.
Quick Hits: Johnson, Boras, Givens, Reds, Lowe
The newest member of the Rays organization, Kelly Johnson, spoke with reporters on a conference call earlier today about his signing with Tampa Bay. The veteran second baseman/outfielder said he respected the Rays way of playing baseball under manager Joe Maddon, which made joining the franchise an easy decision. "I wasn't surprised they were interested. I knew if I wanted to go to Tampa I had to be willing to move around. They called and I was happy hear from them."
Here is what's happening around the league…
- Scott Boras denied his involvement with the planting of a rumor about his client Jose Valverde and an imminent deal with the Marlins, reports Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
- Mychal Givens will no longer play shortstop in the minors for the Orioles, but rather try his hand at pitching, writes Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty has yet to hear any updates from Scott Rolen while he remains at a stalemate with his four remaining arbitration-eligible players, says Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
- Francisco Liriano's deal with the Pirates remains on track to become official, but will not do so until his non-throwing arm heals so the veteran can take a physical, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- Derek Lowe will wait to see what other offers come his way after passing on a minor league deal from the Rockies, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
Quick Hits: Marlins, Reds, Bourn, Lohse, Hendrickson
As February gets underway, Michael Bourn still stands as the best available free agent on the open market. Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (on Twitter) opines that the Mets, Mariners, and Rays are the teams that make the most sense for the center fielder. As for the best starter left on the free agent pile, Bowden sees the Red Sox, Rangers, Angels, Brewers, and Orioles as the best fits for Kyle Lohse. Here's more from around baseball..
- Don't look for the Marlins to make any major moves the remainder of the offseason, says Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter). The team will enter spring training with the roster it currently has in place.
- Regardless of whether or not Scott Rolen joins the Reds, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the club is facing a serious roster crunch. It seems that the veteran wants to play in 2013 but money will be a determining factor in his decision. Recently, the Dodgers reached out to Rolen to express interest.
- The Orioles expect to announce the signing of veteran left-handerMark Hendrickson to a minor league contract with a spring training invite early next week, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The O's also hope to announce their deal with Jair Jurrjens and remain interested in bringing Joe Saunders back despite the depth that they've added.
- Torii Hunter says that enjoyed his time with the Angels, but he also felt misled when the club told him they didn't have enough money to keep him before signing Josh Hamilton to a five-year, $125MM deal, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The veteran hooked on with the Tigers this winter in pursuit of a World Series ring.
- The Tigers had a tough time trying to find organizational depth this winter as many players figured that their path to the majors would be blocked, writes George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press. Regardless, assistant General Manager Al Avila says that the club is done signing minor league players and is ready for spring training.
Daniel Seco contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Brewers, Lyon, Reds
The latest from around MLB…
- Rays closer Fernando Rodney continues to express confidence at the Caribbean Series that he'll get a two-year extension finalized, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). Agent Dan Lozano recently said no talks have taken place between the Rays and Rodney, who's entering the final year of his contract.
- Though the Brewers wanted to sign Lyle Overbay and Juan Rivera, the free agents went to American League teams in part because NL teams can't offer playing time as a DH, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).
- Free agent reliever Brandon Lyon is still talking to several teams yet nothing is imminent, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). Meister Sports Management represents the right-hander.
- The Reds are monitoring the relief market and could make a deal if the price is low enough, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reported this morning (Twitter links). Though the Reds like their bullpen, GM Walt Jocketty acknowledged the team is "looking.'' The Reds have added Manny Parra since Crasnick provided this update, so it's not clear if they'll continue searching for arms.
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Reds Sign Parra, Designate Redmond
4:34pm: Parra obtained a Major League deal with a base salary of $1MM, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Parra can earn another $400K in appearance bonuses.
4:06pm: The Reds announced that they signed left-hander Manny Parra to a one-year contract (Twitter link). The club designated right-hander Todd Redmond for assignment in a corresponding move.
Parra appeared in 62 games for the Brewers in 2012, posting a 5.06 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 58 2/3 innings of relief work. The Brewers non-tendered the 30-year-old earlier in the offseason instead of paying him a projected $1.6MM salary. Parra, a CAA Sports client, also drew interest from the Cardinals, Pirates and Mets this winter. He joins a Reds bullpen that includes left-hander Sean Marshall.
Redmond made his MLB debut in 2012, starting one game at the big league level. The 27-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 3.63 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 148 2/3 innings. The Reds acquired him from the Braves for Paul Janish last July.
Reds Sign Miguel Olivo
The Reds announced that they signed catcher Miguel Olivo to a minor league contract with an invitation to MLB Spring Training (Twitter link). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, who first reported the sides were nearing a deal, reports that the Phillies, Astros and Dodgers also inquired on Olivo (Twitter links).
Olivo, 34, played for the Mariners in 2012, appearing in 87 games. The right-handed hitter posted a .222/.239/.381 batting line with 12 home rune in 323 plate appearances. He hit for more power against left-handers than right-handers last year, which isn't surprising considering his career line of .270/.303/.477 against southpaws.
Agent Martin Arburua represents Olivo, an 11-year MLB veteran, who earned $3.5MM in 2012. He joins a Reds roster that includes Ryan Hanigan and Devin Mesoraco. The free agent market for catchers no longer features many options for interested teams. Rod Barajas, Chris Snyder and Matt Treanor are among the remaining options, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows.
Latest On Scott Rolen, Reds
7:02pm: Reds GM Walt Jocketty tells Fay that he hasn't spoken to Rolen's agents in a few days but, “I think there’s a chance we get something worked out. We’re talking about the details — how much opportunity is there.”
4:17pm: After waiting for weeks to hear whether Scott Rolen will play in 2013, the Reds may have their answer. John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer now hears that Rolen wants to play and suggests that money is an issue. The Reds don’t have much payroll flexibility and can’t pay Rolen the $6.5MM salary he earned in 2013.
There’s also the question of roster space. The Reds have indicated that Todd Frazier will get the chance to play third on an everyday basis and they’ve also signed infielder Jack Hannahan. That said, the Reds appear to be Rolen’s top choice. The Dodgers reached out to express interest, but "Rolen is not an L.A. kind of guy," according to Fay.
Rolen played in 92 games for the Reds in 2012, posting a .245/.318/.398 batting line in 330 plate appearances. ACES represents the seven-time All-Star.
Reds, Miguel Olivo Nearing Deal
The Reds are nearing a deal with free agent catcher Miguel Olivo, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). The Phillies, Astros and Dodgers also inquired on Olivo, who's represented by agent Martin Arburua.
Olivo, 34, played for the Mariners in 2012, appearing in 87 games. The right-handed hitter posted a .222/.239/.381 batting line with 12 home rune in 323 plate appearances. He hit for more power against left-handers than right-handers last year, which isn't surprising considering his career line of .270/.303/.477 against southpaws.
Olivo, an 11-year MLB veteran, earned $3.5MM in 2012. If the deal goes through he'll join a Reds roster that includes Ryan Hanigan and Devin Mesoraco. The free agent market for catchers won't include much depth if Olivo signs. Rod Barajas, Chris Snyder and Matt Treanor are among the remaining options, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows.
This post was first published February 1st, 2013.
Reds Avoid Arbitration With Simon, Heisey
We'll track the day's arbitration agreements under $3MM right here…
- The Reds announced that they've avoided arbitration with right-hander Alfredo Simon and outfielder Chris Heisey (Twitter link). Both players obtain one-year deals for 2013, which leaves the Reds with four unsigned arb eligible players: Homer Bailey, Shin-Soo Choo, Mat Latos and Mike Leake. As MLBTR's Arb Tracker shows, Heisey filed for $1.65MM with the Reds countering at $1.05MM. He obtained $1.325MM, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon tweets. The first time eligible super two player discussed a multiyear deal with the Reds earlier in the month. Meanwhile, Simon filed for $1.05MM and the Reds offered $750K.