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Minor League Transactions: Mench, Perez, Cairo

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A 25 homer hitter, a former first rounder and a 14-year veteran signed this week. Baseball America's Matt Eddy has the details on those transactions and more. Here are some highlights from January 25th-31st:

  • The Nationals signed Kevin Mench. The 32-year-old didn't play in the majors last year, but he hit 25 homers as recently as 2005. He has a career .900 OPS against lefties.
  • The Blue Jays signed Wade Townsend. The Rays released the 2005 first rounder last summer, but the Jays are giving him a chance. 
  • The Reds signed Miguel Cairo. The 14-year-veteran posted a .705 OPS for the Phillies last year in 47 plate appearances. 
  • The White Sox signed Daniel Cabrera. The 6'7'' right-hander led the American League in walks and earned runs allowed when he logged over 200 innings for the Orioles in 2007. He split time with the D'Backs and Nationals last year, struggling with both clubs.  
  • The Dodgers signed Timo Perez out of the Can-Am League. The 34-year-old surfaced as a rookie for the Mets in the 2000 Subway Series. 
  • The Phillies signed Freddy Guzman. 
  • The Mets signed Val Pascucci, who has 193 minor league homers to his name.

Odds & Ends: Mauer, Hairston, Buck, Benson

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Links for Tuesday…

Reds Sign Orlando Cabrera

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Shortstop Orlando Cabrera officially signed a one-year, $3.02MM deal with the Reds today.  The contract pays $2.02MM in 2010.  There's also a $4MM mutual option for '11 with a $500K buyout if Cabrera declines and a $1MM buyout if the Reds decline.  Yahoo's Tim Brown first tweeted news of the agreement, with MLB.com's Mark Sheldon adding the contract details.

Cabrera, 35, hit .284/.316/.389 in 708 plate appearances for the Athletics and Twins last year.  1400 innings may not be enough to draw a defensive conclusion, but Cabrera's UZR/150 was below average in 2009 after above average ratings the previous two years.  For Cabrera to represent an upgrade for the Reds over Paul Janish, the veteran's glovework will need to bounce back.

The Rockies and Nationals also expressed late interest in Cabrera.  Last year, he signed with the A's on March 2nd.

Lowry Audition Pushed Back

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MONDAY, 4:13pm: Lowry's scheduled throwing session has been pushed back, according to the AP.  His agent says the lefty has not had a setback; he just wants to throw a few more bullpen sessions before auditioning.

THURSDAY, 1:35pm: Scott Lauber of the News Journal tweets that the Phillies will be there.

WEDNESDAY, 4:29pm: The Rangers will watch Lowry throw, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.

8:27am: Lefty Noah Lowry is set to throw for teams Tuesday, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.  The 29-year-old seeks a one-year contract after battling thoracic outlet syndrome the last few years.  His last truly effective season was 2005.

Crasnick expects about 15 teams to attend the session, including the Reds, Red Sox, Cardinals, Braves, Astros, Dodgers, Mariners, Cubs, Nationals and Mets.  Back in December, a Crasnick report linked the Padres, A's, Rockies, and Pirates to Lowry as well.

Reds, A’s Swap Taveras & Rosales For Miles & More

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The Reds traded outfielder Willy Taveras and infielder Adam Rosales to the Athletics today for infielder Aaron Miles and a player to be named later or cash, reports ESPN's Buster Olney.  Let's break down this bad contract swap.

Taveras will earn $4MM in 2010.  The speedy 28-year-old was a bust for the Reds in '09, hitting .240/.275/.285 in 437 plate appearances.  Rosales did not hit well in the bigs either, but he did crush Triple A pitching in 125 plate appearances.  Before the season Baseball America said he profiles as a "good utiltyman."  He's played all around the infield in the minors.  Rosales' inclusion might even out the salary gap between Taveras and Miles.

Miles will earn $2.7MM in 2010, though the Cubs sent $1MM to the A's as part of a December '09 trade.  Like Taveras, he was signed to a two-year deal despite being non-tendered by his former club and proceeded to have a terrible season.  AOL FanHouse's Ed Price tweets that there's "zero chance" this trade opens a spot for Johnny Damon on the Reds.

Olney posits that the Reds' $1.3MM savings may go toward Orlando Cabrera.  The A's were looking to add a cheap utlityman in Rosales.  The A's have taken a $3MM hit on Taveras and given up Jeff Gray, Ronny Morla, Matt Spencer, and a PTBNL or cash to get Jake Fox and Rosales.  They're not done, though, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Oakland is "not expected to hang on to Taveras for long."

Still, we don't have all the details on this trade yet.  What else will be sent to Cincinnati?  What will the A's do with so many outfielders?

Odds & Ends: Indians, Mets, Verlander

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As Tommy John's long-lost brother Elton once said, Saturday night's alright for fighting…and also for posting news links.

  • The Tribe's quiet offseason is recapped by Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, who also looks at how busy the other AL Central teams have been in comparison.
  • MLB.com's Marty Noble outlines how he would have handled the Mets' offseason if he had been the GM, both if the team's goal was to contend or to rebuild (Noble's preference).
  • Steve Kornacki of MLive.com thinks Justin Verlander's reported five-year, $75MM offer from the Tigers "is too sweet a contract for Verlander to pass on," even without the sixth year that the pitcher wants.
  • Mark Sheldon of MLB.com passes along some tidbits from Dusty Baker on the Reds Winter Caravan.  Baker said that reliever Mike Lincoln (who last started a major league game in 2000) was a contender for the No. 5 spot in the Reds' rotation, and that the club had considered moving top prospect Yonder Alonso to catcher.  John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer sums these ideas up as candidates for the "sometimes-managers-say-the-darnedest-things file."
  • MLB.com's Bryan Hoch believes the Yankees have finished their roster tinkering before spring training, and talks to Yankees manager Joe Girardi about New York's offseason moves.
  • Chuck Greenberg, the incoming general managing partner of the Texas Rangers, is profiled by Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. 
  • MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch was all over the Q&A sessions with Pirates management during the team's PirateFest event.  Here is her latest transcript of a similar sessions with various Pittsburgh players.
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets his guesses about the destinations of some of the free agent infielders left on the market.  He sees Orlando Hudson in Washington, Orlando Cabrera in Cincinnati and Felipe Lopez in St. Louis.
  • Count the White Sox out of the running for Johnny Damon or Hank Blalock, says Scott Merkin of MLB.com, since both are too costly for the limited space left in the team's budget.  When asked about the possibility of Damon in Chicago, Sox GM Kenny Williams rhetorically asked, "Who is his agent?"

Kris Benson Is “100 Percent,” Has Thrown For Two Teams

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Gregg Clifton, the agent for right-hander Kris Benson, tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Benson is recovered from the arm injuries that has plagued him for the last three years and should be signed "within the next few weeks."  Benson has had throwing sessions for two clubs, though Clifton didn't identify who the two interested teams were.

Benson spent the 2007 season recovering from rotator cuff surgery on his throwing arm.  He spent 2008 pitching in the Phillies' minor league system (making it as high as Triple-A) and then joined the Rangers in 2009.  The veteran righty battled elbow tendinitis and pitched in just eight games for Texas last season, posting an 8.46 ERA.

Even at full strength, don't expect a whole lot from Benson; his career ERA+ is exactly 100 and his last standout season came all the way back in 2000 (3.85 ERA, 2.14 K/BB ratio).  Morosi speculates that Benson could be a target for teams who missed out on Ben Sheets, naming the Cubs, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Mariners, Nationals and Reds as possible suitors.  Wherever Benson goes, look for him to sign a minor-league contract that would top out at around $1MM including incentives.

Odds & Ends: Mora, Edmonds, Nelson

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Saturday linkage…

  • With Orlando Cabrera "leaning towards" accepting an offer from Cincinnati, Troy Renck of the Denver Post says the Rockies are "a finalist" in the hunt for Melvin Mora.  Renck reports that Colorado, Texas and Seattle are the most interested parties.
  • Jim Edmonds tells MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Edmonds on Wednesday that "he didn't see a fit" for the outfielder in St. Louis.  Edmonds signed with Milwaukee a day later.
  • Righty Joe Nelson is attracting interest from the Dodgers, Nationals, and Red Sox, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The journeyman reliever broke through with the Marlins in 2008, posting a 2.00 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 54 innings.  His 2009 with the Rays was less than spectacular, but the 35-year-old points to his performance outside May, as he had a 2.38 ERA in the 10 games prior and a 1.40 ERA in 20 games after.
  • Jonny Gomes and the Reds are close to agreeing to a deal, according to ESPN.  Yesterday, GM Walt Jocketty confirmed that the club offered a minor league deal to the 29-year-old outfielder.  Gomes proved to be one of the best minor league signings of 2009, hitting .267/.338/.541 with 20 HRs in 98 games.
  • The Padres have set an arbitration date with outfielder Scott Hairston, though they hope to reach an agreement beforehand, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter).  Brock writes that the two sides could come to terms next week.
  • ESPN's Jorge Arangure (via Twitter) gets the feeling that Cuban prospect Jose Julio Ruiz may sign this week or shortly thereafter.  Ruiz – who has reportedly garnered interest from the Red Sox and Tigers – was "unblocked" by the Office of Foreign Asset Control yesterday, allowing him to sign with a major league club.

Infield Market Hinging On Hudson?

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FRIDAY, 8:32pm: MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that Hudson is looking for $9MM, but the Nationals are only willing to pay him a third of that. GM Mike Rizzo has spoken to Hudson recently, however they talked about how he would fit with the team, rather than dollars and years.

THURSDAY, 3:15pm: Chico Harlan of the Washington Post hears that the Nationals are waiting on Hudson's decision.

10:32am: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggested yesterday three teams are in on free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson.  Today, Rosenthal says six teams are "showing varying degrees of interest."

The Nationals are one of those clubs, though MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that Hudson's price is still too high and they're considering either going internal or signing Adam Kennedy or Orlando Cabrera.

Rosenthal indicates Hudson is the "linchpin" of the free agent infield market, with the fates of Kennedy, Cabrera, Felipe Lopez, and Melvin Mora tied to Hudson.  Regarding Mora, a Rosenthal tweet has the Rangers, Rockies, Mariners, and Reds in the mix.

Rosenthal's list of teams that are or could be looking for infield help includes the Nats, Twins, Reds, Tigers, Rockies, Mariners, Rays, and Cardinals.  Morosi likes Kennedy as a match for Detroit.

Johnny Damon Rumors: Friday

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Johnny Damon is open to joining the Blue Jays, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (via Twitter). Damon said in a text message that he is "all ears and eager to help make any team better."

Yesterday we learned that the Blue Jays inquired on Damon. GM Alex Anthopoulos suggested Jays fans keep expectations in check, however. We also heard that Scott Boras, Damon's agent, was trying to engage the Reds and Tigers.

Today, Jayson Stark wrote that the Tigers don't seem that interested. The Braves haven't spoken to Boras in a month and a half and the Rays have little to spend.
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