Indians Notes: Lugo, Cabrera, Perez
Before Spring Training begins, the Indians will work to settle two unresolved arbitration cases and the uncertainty that surrounds Fausto Carmona/Roberto (Heredia) Hernandez. Here are some notes from Cleveland…
- Talks between the Indians and Julio Lugo have fallen apart, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. The sides agreed to terms earlier this month, but it no longer appears that the move will become official. Bastian suggests a physical issue may have surfaced.
- The arbitration hearing dates for Asdrubal Cabrera and Rafael Perez have been set, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. The Indians haven’t had an arbitration hearing since 1991, Hoynes writes.
- No one is sure how long it will be before Carmona/Hernandez can join the team, Bastian explains. It seems unlikely that the Indians will have him by Opening Day since obtaining a visa and sorting through legal issues will take time.
Latest On Roy Oswalt
Free agent righty Roy Oswalt is scheduled to meet with the Rangers today, we learned last week from Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News. The latest on the three-time All-Star:
- The sides had a "good," exploratory meeting, Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com reports.
- The Rangers met with Oswalt and the situation is ongoing and unresolved, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan tweets.
- Oswalt let the Indians and Blue Jays know he has no interest, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB Network. Oswalt clearly wants the Rangers or Cardinals, writes Gammons. Gammons' tweet does not reference the Red Sox, who reportedly made an offer last week. The Red Sox have not considered themselves out of the hunt, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Oswalt's agent Bob Garber told me on Saturday his client has no chance of landing in a bullpen, so if the Rangers or Cardinals sign him, a corresponding move will be necessary.
Contract Details: Red Sox, Indians, Reds
MLB.com’s beat reporters have passed along lots of contract details today. Here they are:
- Jane Lee has the details on the Athletics and Steve Gilbert adds the latest on the Diamondbacks.
- Ian Browne has the details on the Red Sox and their recent contracts. Carlos Silva and Aaron Cook would earn bonuses for winning the Comeback Player of the Year.
- Jeremy Accardo and Chris Ray can ask the Indians to release them if they are not on the Major League roster by April 4th and June 1st, respectively, Jordan Bastian writes. Bastian also has contract details for Fred Lewis and others who signed minor league deals with Cleveland.
- Todd Zolecki has the details on the new contracts for all Phillies, from Joe Savery to Cole Hamels.
- The seven players who signed Major League deals with the Marlins so far this offseason will cost Miami $31.585MM in 2012, Joe Frisaro writes.
- Brian McTaggart explains the Chris Snyder and Jack Cust deals in detail.
- Mark Sheldon has the details on Ryan Madson, Nick Masset, Paul Janish and the rest of the Reds who have agreed to new deals this offseason.
- Brittany Ghiroli has the details on Robert Andino’s 2012 contract.
Indians Sign Dan Wheeler
SUNDAY: Wheeler will earn $900K if he makes the Major League roster, tweets Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Wheeler can make an additional $50K every 5 games he appears in from 45-70 games, $50K for 35 games finished, $75K for 40 games finished, and $125K each for 45 and 50 games finished.
THURSDAY: The Indians announced that they signed reliever Dan Wheeler to a minor league contract. Diamond Sports Management represents the right-hander.
Wheeler, 34, posted a 4.38 ERA with 7.1 K/9, 1.5 BB/9 and a 32.0% ground ball rate in 49 1/3 innings for the Red Sox in 2011. Boston declined its option on Wheeler after the season, but did offer arbitration. Wheeler, who earned $3MM in 2011, declined in a decision that likely cost him guaranteed money. Wheeler has a 3.88 ERA with 7.9 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 35.7% ground ball rate in his 12-year MLB career.
As Alex Speier of WEEI.com points out on Twitter, the Red Sox won't get a compensatory draft pick for losing Wheeler, since he didn't sign a Major League deal.
Quick Hits: Indians, Pena, Oswalt, Kinsler, Rangers
Some links as Saturday turns into Sunday…
- The Indians offered Carlos Pena a one-year deal worth $8MM, reports Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Pena took less money (one-year, $7.25MM) to return to the Rays, however.
- One of the two sides will have to get creative for Roy Oswalt to land with the Cardinals, says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He says the team's motives are unclear as well, noting that St. Louis recently checked in on Edwin Jackson.
- Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler says that he doesn't have anything new to report on a possible long-term extension, writes Richard Durrett of ESPN.com. Kinsler added that there haven't been many discussions with the club in regards to a new deal, but we know that there has been some conversation.
- More from Durrett, as he writes that Rangers pitcher Matt Harrison isn't concerned about hearing Roy Oswalt's name being connected to the club. Harrison would likely be bumped out of the rotation if Texas signs the veteran, but Harrison says that he's okay with moving to the bullpen.
AL Central Links: Indians, Fielder, Span, Thome
Happy birthday to right-hander Gavin Floyd, who is 29 years old today. With the number of Floyd trade rumors we've heard this winter, you wonder if this could be Floyd's last birthday as a member of the White Sox. Here's the latest from the AL Central…
- Indians manager Manny Acta told reporters at a Town Hall event today (including MLB.com's Jordan Bastian) that he wants the team to pick up another bat. "I do hope that something happens," Acta said. "Chris [Antonetti] has worked really hard…about trying to acquire a hitter or two. It's not a secret, we need some help offensively." For his part, Antonetti said he was "hopeful that we'll be able to improve the team between now and the start of Spring Training," (all Twitter links).
- The Tigers' nine-year, $214MM contract with Prince Fielder "was an ownership-driven, impulsive deal, which is why the Tigers will contend for a World Series and why the contract makes poor baseball sense," writes Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci.
- John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press recounts the history between Tigers owner Mike Illitch and agent Scott Boras.
- The Tigers apparently have no plans to move Brandon Inge, reports MLB.com's Jason Beck. The team sees Inge as a fallback option if Miguel Cabrera can't handle playing third base.
- Denard Span told media (including MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger) he's feeling better after suffering a concussion last July and offered to play a different position if it helps the Twins. Manager Ron Gardenhire, however, said he plans to use Span in his usual center field spot.
- White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf tells Chuck Garfien of CSNChicago.com that he and Jim Thome have a handshake deal in place for Thome to work for the Sox in some capacity after he retires.
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams said his club is "maxed out" of money for the Major League roster, reports Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Williams "played coy" when discussing Cuban free agents, however — the Sox are known to be one of Yoenis Cespedes' suitors.
Minors Moves: De La Torre, Rohlinger
A couple of minor league transactions to pass along. We'll add to this list if anything else comes in tonight …
- The Indians announced they've signed right-hander Jose De La Torre and infielder Ryan Rohlinger to minor league contracts. De La Torre, 26, has struck out 277 batters in 265 2/3 career minor league innings. He's spent his career to date in the Mets farm system. Ry-Ro, 28, had cups of coffee with the Giants each of the past four seasons before moving on to the Rockies' organization last year.
Indians Place Roberto Hernandez On Restricted List
The Indians have placed Roberto Hernandez (better known as Fausto Carmona) on the restricted list according to Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain-Dealer (on Twitter). The move clears a spot on the team's 40-man roster, and Hernandez will not accrue service time or get paid until he reports.
Hernandez's true age and identity was revealed last week, and although he's since been released by the Dominican court, it's unclear if he'll be able to secure a visa and make it to the United States in time for Spring Training or the regular season. The team is reportedly doing all it can to help expedite the process, though they recently acquired Kevin Slowey to provide some rotation depth.
Latest On Roy Oswalt
10:35pm: The Cardinals made a bid approaching $5MM on Oswalt weeks ago but that deal is not likely to happen, tweets Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Strauss predicts that the Rangers will win the bidding on Oswalt with $2-3MM more and other perks.
9:36pm: Some executives believe that the Rangers are the favorites to land Oswalt, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Other interested clubs include the Cardinals, Red Sox, Nationals, Indians, and Brewers.
Even after acquiring Gio Gonzalez, Rosenthal writes that the Nats value Oswalt's veteran presence and makeup. The Indians are in the mix as they face the possible loss of the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona. Milwaukee would only sign Oswalt at the right price.
The big question with the 34-year-old is whether he'll continue playing if neither the Cardinals nor Rangers want him. One friend of the pitcher says that he again mentioned retirement as an option, though two sources close to Oswalt insist that he will pitch in 2012 and perhaps even sign a two-year deal. Sources also say that the right-hander turned down a strong offer from the Tigers.
4:35pm: There's mutual interest between the Rangers and Oswalt, but for him to be a fit, it'd have to be on Texas' terms, Heyman tweets.
1:33pm: The Red Sox made Oswalt an offer, but are unsure of his interest level, since he has yet to accept, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
8:13am: Now that Prince Fielder has agreed to terms with the Tigers, Edwin Jackson and Roy Oswalt are the top unsigned free agents. It wouldn’t surprise many if Oswalt, who now seeks a one-year deal, signs in Boston, but two general managers think he wants to join the Rangers and another says he’d like to sign in St. Louis, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB Network.
Oswalt would like to join Mike Maddux and Nolan Ryan with the Rangers, Gammons reports. However, both of last year’s World Series teams enter the 2012 season will rotations that appear to be full.
Though Oswalt had two back-related stints on the disabled list in 2011, he finished the season with six strong September starts and a season ERA of 3.69 with 6.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9. The 34-year-old Bob Garber client made 23 starts and completed 139 innings this past season, posting a 3.69 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and a 45.1% ground ball rate overall. His average fastball velocity dropped to 91.4 mph, however. Oswalt was a Type A free agent, but the Phillies declined to offer him arbitration and he won't cost a draft pick.
Quick Hits: Zimmerman, McCutchen, Cespedes, Sano
MLB has announced that Tony La Russa will manage the NL team during the All-Star Game in 2012, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). La Russa retired from managing earlier this offseason, but he'll continue the tradition of the pennant winning managers from the prior year managing the two All-Star clubs. Here's the latest from around the league…
- Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post reports that Ryan Zimmerman is open to a creative contract extension that would allow the Nationals to build a strong team around him. "We want to do a deal so it helps me and the team at the same time, so they can go out and sign guys like Prince Fielder or other free agents," said Zimmerman. Fielder is off the table now, and the Nats know what it'll take to sign their star third baseman long-term.
- "Never say never," said Pirates GM Neal Huntington to Jeff Nelson and Jim Memolo of MLB Network Radio when asked about a potential Andrew McCutchen trade. "If someone wants to back up the truck and give us one of those organization-altering deals, it's something that we'd have to listen to…It would have to be a dramatic overpay on the part of the other club."
- The Nationals consider Yoenis Cespedes a corner outfielder or even a first baseman, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson (on Twitter). Earlier today we learned that Cespedes has gained residency in the Dominican Republic, and now awaits MLB's approval to become a free agent.
- The Indians are "making the necessary moves to get [Robert Hernandez Heredia] to the United States," reports the AP (via ESPN). Heredia, better known as Fausto Carmona, faces a judicial process in the Dominican Republic after lying about his identity.
- Twins top prospect Miguel Sano has changed representation according to SI.com's Melissa Segura (on Twitter). He is now with SFX agent Troy Caradonna.