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Quick Hits: Saunders, Cubs, Soriano, Gonzalez

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The Orioles would like to re-sign Joe Saunders and have continued talks with him, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter).  They'll have plenty of competition for the left-hander, however, as he is drawing high interest from three other clubs.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • On today’s edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast, MLBTR’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts discussed the Mariners–Angels trade, the Cubs’ new-look rotation, and some recent trade rumors.
  • The Dodgers are still kicking the tires on Joel Hanrahan of the Pirates and free agent Brian Wilson as they look to deepen their bullpen, but they aren't in the mix for Rafael Soriano, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Nationals continue to talk to Mike Gonzalez about returning and the Reds are also in pursuit, Bowden tweets.
  • Sources tell Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter) that the Rangers were never serious bidders for Edwin Jackson.  The right-hander signed a four-year, $52MM contract with the Cubs earlier today.
  • Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik has landed a bigger bat for the middle of his lineup, but that doesn't mean Seattle is done with its roster maneuverings, writes Greg Johns of MLB.com.  The Mariners still have financial flexibility since they should several million dollars in the difference between what Kendrys Morales ($4.8MM) will earn compared to Jason Vargas ($7.4MM) in their final year of arbitration eligibility.  
  • Dexter Fowler told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (on Twitter) that Rockies General Manager Bill Geivett told him that it would take a lot in return for them to deal him to the Braves.  Atlanta is targeting Fowler along with Emilio Bonifacio and other outfield options.

Minor Moves: Tateyama, Greenberg, Miller

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The latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Rangers signed right-hander Yoshinori Tateyama to a minor league deal, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (on Twitter). The 36-year-old appeared in 14 games for the Rangers this past season, but spent the majority of the year at Triple-A, where he posted a 1.13 ERA with 10.2 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 in 39 2/3 innings.
  • The Orioles agreed to sign Adam Greenberg to a minor league contract, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter). Greenberg's MLB career nearly ended when he was hit on the head with a pitch seven years ago, but the Marlins signed him this past September and he got an official MLB at bat.
  • The Reds re-signed catcher Corky Miller to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (on Twitter). Miller, 36, spent this past season with the Reds' Triple-A team, posting a .235/.386/.354 batting line in 313 plate appearances. He has ten years of MLB experience, but last appeared in the big leagues with the Reds in 2010.

Twins, Rockies, Reds Interested In Freddy Garcia

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The Twins, Rockies and Reds are among the teams that have checked in on free agent right-hander Freddy Garcia, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter link). Garcia, who turned 36 in October, is represented by Peter E. Greenberg & Associates.

Garcia spent this past season with the Yankees, posting a 5.20 ERA with 7.5 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 40.2% ground ball rate in 107 1/3 innings. The 14-year veteran made 17 starts and appeared in 13 games as a reliever in 2012, earning a base salary of $4MM in 2012. His fastball velocity checked in below 90mph, as usual (87.5 mph on average).

Garcia hasn’t been linked to any other teams so far this offseason, but it’s not surprising to see that the Twins and Rockies checked in given that both clubs have been looking to add pitching depth. The Reds already have a full rotation, yet might be interested in Garcia as a long reliever.

Reds To Sign Jack Hannahan

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10:51am: Hannahan is believed to have obtained about $4MM, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).

7:50am: The Reds announced that they have signed free agent infielder Jack Hannahan to a two-year contract. The deal includes a club option for 2015, according to the team (on Twitter). Hannahan, a Joe Speed client, is expected to back up Todd Frazier in Cincinnati.

Hannahan became a free agent two weeks ago when the Indians non-tendered him. Five teams had "genuine" interest, including the Yankees, Twins and White Sox. MLBTR projected a $1.5MM salary for the 32-year-old via the arbitration process, so he ends up profiting from the Indians' decision to release him.

Hannahan appeared in 105 games for the Indians in 2012, mostly at third base (he played in seven games at shortstop and another two at first base). In 318 plate appearances, he posted a .244/.312/.341 batting line with 16 doubles. The left-handed hitter has slightly better numbers against right-handed pitching for his career, making him a natural complement to the right-handed hitting Frazier.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement and John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer first reported the two-year term.

Free Agent Rumors: Hamilton, LaRoche, Rolen

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MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker allows you to review the offseason's new contracts and navigate all remaining free agents. Here are the latest rumors on a handful of free agent position players…

Olney On Wilson, Bourn, Indians, Red Sox

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One AL GM said the Indians got “incredible value” for Shin-Soo Choo by obtaining Trevor Bauer in last night’s three-team trade, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. While evaluators love Didi Gregorius’ glove, they wonder if the Diamondbacks’ new infielder will hit enough to merit an everyday job. Here's the latest from Olney (some Twitter links)…

  • Free agent right-hander Brian Wilson is expected to have opportunities to close, Olney writes. The Giants non-tendered their longtime closer last month, making him a free agent.
  • Agents and executives wonder what will happen with free agent center fielder Michael Bourn, Olney reports(on Twitter). In my view the Rangers and Mariners appear to be two possible destinations for the Scott Boras client.
  • The Indians could still trade Asdrubal Cabrera, Justin Masterson and Vinnie Pestano, as Olney points out (on Twitter). There’s “not much action” on Chris Perez, however.
  • Some evaluators say the Red Sox are poised to move on the pitching market as prices drop, according to Olney(on Twitter). GM Ben Cherington figures to add starting pitching depth at some point, as his projected rotation consists of Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Felix Doubront, John Lackey and Franklin Morales.
  • It’s apparent that the Mariners aren’t the top choice of the best free agent hitters. Olney suggests Seattle will end up signing a leftover player, though they’re pressing to land someone of note.
  • Phillies officials have privately maintained that they’d be prepared to offer Josh Hamilton a three-year deal.

Trade Reactions: Reds, Choo, D’Backs, Indians

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Earlier tonight, the Reds, Indians, and Diamondbacks completed a three-team deal that will change the complexion of all three teams and have a significant effect on the rest of the major league offseason.  We already saw some fallout from the trade when D'Backs General Manager Kevin Towers said that it is "highly unlikely" that he will move Justin Upton now that the team has addressed its other needs.  Here's more reaction to the deal..

  • The Reds aren't done and are still planning to add a utility man, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter) spoke to two scouts who watched Shin-Soo Choo last season and both believe that Reds manager Dusty Baker will wind up slotting Jay Bruce in center field and Choo in right field.  The Reds reportedly plan to use Choo in center and even referred to him in their press release as a center fielder, despite having played only ten games there as a big leaguer.
  • The Reds will probably make a qualifying offer to Choo to get a first round pick next year when he becomes a free agent and Billy Hamilton is ready to take over the position, Bowden tweets.
  • If Upton is staying put in Arizona as Towers says, the Rangers pretty much have to sign Josh Hamilton with the options rapidly dwindling, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com tweets.
  • When Reds GM Walt Jocketty said that he was seeking a one-year option in center field at the winter meetings, Crasnick (Twitter links) figured he was talking about a Coco Crisp or a David DeJesus type.  Instead, Jocketty went way bigger.
  • Didi Gregorius reminds Towers of "a young Derek Jeter", tweets Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.
  • It's possible that the Diamondbacks will move Chris Owings over to second base if Gregorius succeeds at short, tweets Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.
  • Choo doesn’t have to be good or even average in center field to be an overall upgrade over Drew Stubbs, writes Jack Moore of Fangraphs.
  • Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) tips his cap to Indians GM Chris Antonetti for turning Choo and spare parts into six years of Trevor Bauer.

Reds Acquire Shin-Soo Choo In Three-Team Deal

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8:12pm: The Diamondbacks announced that they have acquired shortstop Didi Gregorius, left-handed pitcher Tony Sipp, and first baseman Lars Anderson from the Indians in exchange for right-handed pitchers Trevor Bauer, Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw.  The Reds are receiving Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Donald in the swap and are sending Drew Stubbs to Cleveland as well.  The Indians will send the Reds approximately $3.5MM to account for the differences in projected salaries between Choo and Stubbs, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).

The Reds will use Choo in center field even though he hasn't played there for the Indians since 2009 and has played just ten MLB games at the position in total.  The Reds are banking on the 30-year-old's offensive production being able to make up for whatever they might lose defensively.  The veteran owns a  .289/.381/.465 slash line across eight major league seasons.

Choo, a Scott Boras client, is set to hit the open market after the 2013 season.  The Indians have been said to have him available via trade, albeit with a high price tag.  The Reds will plug Choo in as the leadoff hitter, a role they have been working hard to fill.  The club spoke with the Twins about Ben Revere before he was traded to the Phillies and also had conversations with the Rockies about Dexter Fowler.

Stubbs, 28, struggled at the plate in 2012 as he posted a .213/.277/.333 batting line with 14 home runs in 544 plate appearances.  The former eighth-overall pick in the 2006 draft has a .241/.312/.386 across four big league seasons with the Reds.

It was believed that the initial acquisition of Gregorius by the Indians would pave the way for them to deal fellow shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, but they instead flipped Gregorius and kept Cabrera.  The 22-year-old Gregorius won't be arbitration eligible until 2016 and won't see the open market until 2019.  The Netherlands native split time between Double-A and Triple-A last season, hitting .265/.324/.393 with seven homers in 561 plate appearances.  The 27-year-old Cabrera, meanwhile, is set to earn $6.5MM in 2013 and $10MM in 2014 before hitting free agency.  Gregorius entered 2012 as the Reds' sixth-best prospect, according to Baseball America.  The publication also had him ranked as the organization’s best defensive infielder and deemed him to have the best throwing arm in the farm system.

Sipp posted a 4.42 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 63 relief appearances last season. The 29-year-old was a fixture in the Indians' bullpen, making 248 relief appearances with Cleveland from 2009-12.

The Indians acquired Anderson at the trade deadline this year from the Red Sox in exchange for Double-A starter Steven Wright.  The 25-year-old posted a .250/.353/.396 slash line in 111 games for Triple-A Pawtucket and Triple-A Columbus.  Anderson has also played in 30 big league games for the Red Sox across three seasons.

Bauer, 21, was the third overall selection by Arizona in the 2011 Draft out of UCLA.  Baseball America had Bauer as the ninth-best prospect in baseball entering 2012.  The hurler spent most of 2012 between Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Reno where he had a combined 2.42 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 22 starts. Bauer became the first member of the 2011 draft to appear in the big leagues when he made four starts for the Diamondbacks in July.

Albers, 29, spent 2012 with the Red Sox and D'Backs, posting a 2.39 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 63 relief appearances.  For his career, Albers owns a 4.68 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 across seven big league seasons.

Shaw, 25, spent the bulk of last season in the Arizona bullpen where he had a 3.49 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 64 relief appearances.  The right-hander was taken in the second-round of the 2008 draft by the Diamondbacks and has seen time in 97 big league games across the last two seasons.

8:04pm: The portion of the deal involving the Diamondbacks and Indians has not been finalized, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com (via Twitter).

7:50pm: The deal sending Shin-Soo Choo to the Reds has been completed, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).  The Reds will also receive Jason Donald in the trade, Heyman confirms (via Twitter).

The three-team deal that was being worked on had Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Donald going to the Reds, Didi Gregorius to the Diamondbacks, and Drew Stubbs plus an Arizona pitcher going to the Indians, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  Patrick Corbin or Trevor Bauer will likely be the Arizona pitcher going to Cleveland, Rosenthal tweets.

Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com first reported that the Reds were close to acquiring Choo in a deal with the Indians netting them Stubbs and Gregorius.  Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer reported that the D'Backs were involved, making it a three-team deal.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the framework of the trade. 

Reds, Indians, D’Backs Talking Shin-Soo Choo Trade

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6:48pm: The three-team deal would see Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Donald going to the Reds, Didi Gregorius to the Diamondbacks, and Drew Stubbs plus an Arizona pitcher going to the Indians, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  Patrick Corbin or Trevor Bauer will likely be the Arizona pitcher going to Cleveland, Rosenthal tweets.

4:52pm: The Diamondbacks would much prefer getting Gregorius back from the Indians instead of Cabrera in exchange for young pitching, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets.

4:20pm: There is now a three-team deal in the works between the Reds, Indians, and Diamondbacks, according to Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer.  Asdrubal Cabrera is not involved in the discussions at this stage.

The Indians discussed a deal for Cabrera with the Diamondbacks that would have netted them right-hander Trevor Bauer and left-hander Tyler Skaggs at the winter meetings.

3:01pm: The Reds and Indians are deep in talks that would send Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.  The Indians would receive center fielder Drew Stubbs and shortstop Didi Gregorius in return while the Reds are expected to receive another player in the deal.

The Reds would use Choo in center field even though he hasn't played there for the Indians since 2009 and has played just ten MLB games at the position in total.  The Reds are banking on the 30-year-old's offensive production being able to make up for whatever they might lose defensively.  The veteran owns a  .289/.381/.465 slash line across eight major league seasons. 

The acquisition of Gregorius could allow the Indians to deal fellow shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.  Cabrera, 27, is set to earn $6.5MM in 2013 and $10MM in 2014 before hitting free agency.  Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Gregorius won't be arbitration eligible until 2016 and won't see the open market until 2019.  The Netherlands native split time between Double-A and Triple-A last season, hitting .265/.324/.393 with seven homers in 561 plate appearances.

Stubbs, 28, struggled at the plate in 2012 as he posted a .213/.277/.333 batting line with 14 home runs in 544 plate appearances.  The former eighth-overall pick in the 2006 draft has a .241/.312/.386 across four big league seasons with the Reds.

Choo, a Scott Boras client, is set to hit the open market after the 2013 season.  The Indians were said to have him available via trade, albeit with a high price tag.  The Reds would plug Choo in as the leadoff hitter, a role they have been working hard to fill.  The club spoke with the Twins about Ben Revere before he was traded to the Phillies and also had conversations with the Rockies about Dexter Fowler.

Reds To Sign Ryan Ludwick

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The Reds announced that they signed free agent outfielder Ryan Ludwick to a two-year deal with a mutual option for 2015 (Twitter link). The BHSC client obtains a $15MM guarantee following his best offensive season since he was a member of the Cardinals.

Ryan Ludwick - Reds (PW)

The Reds made the free agent outfielder a two-year two-year offer earlier in the week, but John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that at least one other club was being more aggressive on Ludwick. The 34-year-old posted a .275/.346/.531 batting line with 26 home runs in 472 plate appearances for the Reds this past season, a marked improvement from 2010-11 when he didn't hit more than 17 home runs or post an OPS above .750.

Ludwick ranked 26th on MLBTR's list of top 50 free agents with MLBTR's Tim Dierkes correctly predicting that he would re-sign with the Reds.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the agreement and the dollar amount. Fay first reported the option year and that the Reds were making progress toward a deal. Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

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