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Minor Moves: Tim Wheeler, Noel Arguelles

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Here are today's minor moves from around the league…

  • In addition to Rafael Ortega, who was recently claimed by the Rangers, the Rockies also put outfield prospect Tim Wheeler on waivers, tweets the Denver Post's Troy Renck. Wheeler, however cleared and has been outrighted to the minor leagues, says Renck. Wheeler entered the season as Colorado's No. 11 prospect, per Baseball America, but struggled to the tune of a .262/.330/.355 batting line as a 25-year-old at the Triple-A level. Prior to the season, BA noted the alarming drop in Wheeler's power, and he didn't correct it in 2013. Wheeler blasted 33 homers at Double-A in 2011 but has gone yard just seven times in 855 plate appearances at Triple-A since that time.
  • The Royals have outrighted left-hander Noel Arguelles to Triple-A Omaha after the Cuban hurler cleared waivers, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). That Arguelles, 23, cleared waivers is no surprise given the fact that he is guaranteed nearly $1.4MM in 2014 after signing a five-year, $7MM contract prior to the 2010 season. Shoulder surgery has derailed the once-promising lefty's prospect status, as he's pitched to a 6.14 ERA with more walks than strikeouts over his previous 196 1/3 innings in the minors.

Rangers Claim Rafael Ortega From Rockies

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The Rangers have claimed outfielder Rafael Ortega off waivers from the Rockies, according to Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish (on Twitter).

The 22-year-old Ortega made his big league debut with the Rockies in 2012, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a pair of walks in six trips to the plate. However, the Venezuelan native batted just .228/.315/.297 in 42 games at the Double-A level this season before his season ended in June. He entered the 2013 campaign ranked 15th among Rockies prospects, according to Baseball America, who called him a true center fielder with a plus, accurate arm and plus speed. BA noted that he needs to be careful not to fall in love with swinging for the fences after a home run, though he does have surprising pop for someone with a 5'11", 160-pound frame.

Rockies Aggressively Pursuing Justin Morneau

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After hiring Eric Young Sr. as their first base/baserunning coach and Blake Doyle as their hitting coach yesterday, the Rockies have turned their focus to Justin Morneau and are aggressively pursuing the longtime Twin, according to the Denver Post's Troy Renck.

The Rockies have a vacancy at first base following the retirement of franchise icon Todd Helton. Morneau could replace Helton's left-handed bat, and Coors Field would serve as an ideal platform for the former AL MVP to reestablish his reputation as a feared power hitter. The Rockies would also make sense for Morneau given the fact that Michael Cuddyer, his longtime teammate in Minnesota and close friend, will play out the third and final year of his contract with the Rockies in 2014.

Morneau, 32, batted .259/.323/.411 with 17 home runs between the Twins and Pirates in 2013. However, save for an August explosion in which he drilled nine home runs in a span of 29 games, his power stroke was rarely on display. Morneau has been seeking to rediscover his peak form since a concussion ended his 2010 season (when he was batting .345/.437/.618 on July 7 of that year). Since that time, he's dealt with severe post-concussion symptoms as well as injuries to his wrist and neck, both of which have required surgery.

Quick Hits: Peralta, Saltalamacchia, Molina

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The Cardinals' four-year, $53MM deal with Jhonny Peralta has an interesting twist: it's frontloaded.  The shortstop will earn $15.5MM in 2014, $15MM in '15, $12.5MM in '16, and $10MM in '17, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Here's tonight's look around the majors..

  • Peralta's deal raises the uncomfortable issue of PED usage paying off, writes Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.  Diamondbacks relief pitcher and team union representative Brad Ziegler took his dissatisfaction with the deal to Twitter, but he's far from the only player who has an issue with players linked to PEDs getting major paydays.
  • Heyman looks at the market for Jarrod Saltalamacchia and wonders if the Blue Jays, Twins, or Rockies could steal him away from the Red Sox.  The Rangers look like another possibility to some, but one person connected with the club says a return for Salty isn't too likely at the moment.  Texas has looked at free agent catchers, but they've also suggested that Geovany Soto will be their fulltime backstop.
  • The Rays' are still waiting on results of Jose Molina's physical and therefore won't have an announcement on his signing until early next week, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  Molina is expected to ink a two-year, $4.5MM pact to stay with Tampa Bay.
  • The opportunity to win attracted Skip Schumaker to the Reds, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.  Schumaker said his decision came down to the Reds and one other unspecified playoff-caliber team.
  • In today's inbox, MLB.com's Corey Brock touches on the possibility of star third baseman Chase Headley being moved and other matters surrounding the Padres.

Rockies Talking Trade With Angels, Royals

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After making strong plays for free agents Jose Dariel Abreu, Brian McCann, and Carlos Ruiz, the Rockies are searching hard for impact bat and relief help.  The Rockies have talked with the Angels about slugger Mark Trumbo and called the Royals about their surplus of relievers, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.

Trumbo, of course, will be hard to pry away and has drawn interest from several clubs in need of a power bat.  A deal with KC might be easier to swing, writes Renck, as Colorado's main trade piece, center fielder Dexter Fowler, could be a fit in Kansas City.  Opposing execs have said for weeks that the Rockies are open to trading Fowler and they've already talked with Carlos Gonzalez about playing in center if necessary.

Royals relievers Aaron Crow and Tim Collins are reportedly "very available" via trade, and Wade Davis could be a trade candidate after the signing of free agent starter Jason Vargas.  Both Crow and Collins are headed into the first year of arbitration eligibility and MLBTRs Matt Swartz projects them to earn $1.9MM and $1MM, respectively.  Davis will make $4.8MM in 2014 and has three club options for 2015 through 2017.  Renck adds that the Rockies attempted to acquire Davis from the Rays multiple times prior to his inclusion in last winter's James Shields–Wil Myers blockbuster.

Fowler was hampered by multiple hand injuries in 2013 and he started just three games in September because of a knee injury.  Fowler, who will make $7.35MM this season, posted a .263/.369/.407 slash line in 2013.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

NL Notes: Guerrero, D’backs, Rockies, Peralta, Nats, Marlins

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For the latest on negotiations between MLB and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball on the posting fee arrangement — which has major implications, in particular, for highly-regarded starter Masahiro Tanaka — check out this update from Ben Badler of Baseball America. We'll round out the evening with a variety of links from around the National League:

  • Alexander Guerrero is dealing with a hamstring injury in his Dominican Winter League stint, tweets Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, and GM Ned Colletti indicated that the missed time could postpone the Dodgers' decision as to whether he'll play short or second next year. That decision — or, potentially, the inability to make it — could seemingly have an impact on Los Angeles' off-season shopping list.
  • The Diamondbacks are down on the free agent market, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. "I've spoken a little to our own free agents," said GM Kevin Towers. "But from the looks of where this free agent market is right now and where it's headed, it's not a place where I want to do a lot of business." Gilbert notes that the club has made an offer to infielder Eric Chavez, but that he is still mulling interest from other landing spots.
  • The Rockies are implementing a new player development structure, reports Thomas Harding of MLB.com. In lieu of roving instructors, the standard in baseball, Colorado will employ "developmental directors" who will each be responsible for a given team and look to prioritize skill development rather than minor league game outcomes.
  • Discussing the club's recent signing of Jhonny Peralta, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak explained that a thin shortstop market left Peralta as the best fit for the club. While he said the club considered his PED suspension, he opined that "I don't think it's the Cardinals' responsibility necessarily to be the morality police on potentially future employment." As Peralta admitted his violation of the league's policy and paid his penance, said Mozeliak, "at this point in the game, there's nothing that says he can't go play or isn't free to go sign with another club."
  • Mozeliak also said that the club looked around at possible trades, but found the cost prohibitive, tweets Stan McNeal of FOX Sports Midwest. 
  • In a well-argued set of responses to fan questions, Adam Kilgore and James Wagner of the Washington Post took stock of a wide range of issues facing the Nationals. Among the thoughts offered relate to the second base position. The Nats are well-situated to add Robinson Cano, says Kilgore, and the move makes some sense. But Kilgore explains that such a scenario remains largely unlikely. Meanwhile, fallen keystoner Danny Espinosa has relatively minimal trade value, Wagner offers. His value to the organization, in terms of upside and as a competitor/backup option to Anthony Rendon, probably outweighs what he'd return.
  • The Marlins are mulling over a minor league offer to infielder Scott Sizemore, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel. Certainly, Miami would figure to have the inside track on players looking for a legitimate chance to see big league time at second or third.
  • Miami has not only lured "superscout" Jeff McAvoy away from the Rays, but sources tell Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports that the club will add Mike Berger from the Diamondbacks in a vice president role (Twitter links). This makes for a quiet but outstanding off-season, opines Passan, who notes that the organization could look quite different if owner Jeffrey Loria gives new GM Dan Jennings more authority than was afforded predecessor Larry Beinfest.

West Notes: Angels, Rockies, Johnson

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After the signing of reliever Joe Smith and their recent trade for David Freese and Fernando Salas, the Angels will only have about $8MM more they can spend before hitting the luxury tax threshold, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports. The Angels will likely continue to look for starting pitching, and they could trade Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar or Mark Trumbo in order to acquire pitching and clear salary. Here are more notes from the West divisions.

  • The Angels are interested in signing Bronson Arroyo and/or Bartolo Colon, but a deal is not close with either player, ESPN's Jim Bowden tweets.
  • With Brian McCann (Yankees) and Carlos Ruiz (Phillies) now off the market, the Rockies are likely through looking for a catcher, Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post guesses (via Twitter). Those two, along with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, were the big names on the free agent market, and with McCann and Ruiz gone, Renck suggests that the Rockies will try to upgrade at other positions instead.
  • With Josh Johnson in the fold, the Padres have the makings of a good rotation in place, and Matt Calkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune argues that should empower them to be bold for the rest of the offseason. With Johnson, Andrew Cashner, Ian Kennedy and Tyson Ross at the big-league level, and Max Fried, Matt Wisler and Burch Smith behind them, the Padres can use their pitching depth to acquire a power hitter, Calkins argues. Of course, Padres starters had the worst WAR of any team last season, and Johnson is coming off an injury-plagued year, so it's questionable how much depth they really have.
  • Padres GM Josh Byrnes tells MLB Network Radio, in fact, that Johnson hasn't even thrown since having surgery on his elbow in October. Byrnes also suggests that "if this year doesn't go well, we'd like to get a discounted look at next year" (Twitter links). Johnson is signed to a one-year deal, but the Padres will receive a $4MM option for 2015 if Johnson doesn't start at least seven games in 2014.

Early Reactions To The McCann Deal

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Let's take a look at some of the early reactions to the Yankees' reported five-year, $85MM deal for Brian McCann:

  • Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets that the Rockies were "very aggressive" in angling for McCann but weren't prepared to offer $100MM to a player that will probably be DHing by the contract's end.
  • While the Rangers lost out on McCann, there are still players available that would boost the team's offense, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News writes. Texas continues to seriously consider Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Beltran for their left field job, while Jacoby Ellsbury and re-signing Nelson Cruz are also possibilities.
  • With McCann off the board, the Rangers could also target a catcher who bats from the left side on a short-term deal, then platoon him with Geovany Soto, Grant writes. As a switch hitter, Dioner Navarro would appear to fit that bill.
  • The Red Sox were interested in McCann, but their offer wasn't close to what he ended up getting, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe tweets.
  • In a post for ESPN Insiders (sub. req'd.), Keith Law writes that the signing addresses the Yankees' most pressing need and projects that the deal will ultimately be "one of the most sensible" agreements of the offseason. While Law admits that five years is a lot to commit to a catcher, McCann should be able to take advantage of Yankee Stadium's short right porch to boost his power numbers. His article also suggests that McCann's strong framing skills add value in a way that isn't reflected in current defensive metrics. 
  • The Braves remained in discussions with McCann's agent, B.B. Abbott, as recently as Friday, David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says (Twitter link). However, they weren't invovled in the multi-year bidding for the catcher. The Braves will receive a draft pick after the first round becuase of the signing, O'Brien notes.

Minor Moves: Laird, Wells, Lerud, Maya, Sappelt

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We'll keep tabs on the day's minor moves here:

  • The Royals announced a series of minor league signings, including for third baseman Brandon Laird, outfielder Paulo Orlando and right-hander Wilking Rodriguez. Laird, 26, is the younger brother of Gerald Laird and joins the Royals from the Astros, where he received major league playing time in 2013. Orlando, 28, is re-upping with the Royals after six seasons in the organization. The 23-year-old Rodriguez will transition to the Royals after seven seasons in the Rays' farm system. He has a career 3.90 ERA, mostly as a starter, but has never reached Double-A.
  • Matt Eddy of Baseball America has updates on a number of clubs' minor league signings. Among those with MLB experience (with links to Twitter): The Rockies will return Bobby Cassevah and Matt McBride, and have added righty Greg Burke. Headed to the Tigers is righty Jhan Marinez, while Gorkys Hernandez and Edinson Rincon will stick with the Royals organization. The Phillies have brought back shortstop Andres Blanco. And the Dodgers inked utility infielder Brendan Harris. Other clubs with new signings include the Orioles, Reds, Marlins,  White Sox, and Athletics. 
  • The Cubs have signed outfielder Casper Wells, according to a tweet from Eddy. The team also added righties Paolo Espino and Carlos Pimentel, along with shortstop Jeudy Valdez. Wells got 102 plate appearances with three different clubs last year, posting a meager .126/.186/.147 line that is perhaps understandable given his constant movement and scant playing time. In 2012, over 316 plate appearances with the Mariners, Wells was good for a .228/.302/.396 slash. 
  • In addition to bringing back righty Benino Pruneda and catcher Jose Yepez on minor league deals, the Braves have added former Phillies backstop Steven Lerud, tweets Eddy. Lerud appeared in nine games for the Phils between 2012-13. At Triple-A last year, he had an interesting .217/.353/.311 line over 219 plate appearances, as he drew nearly as many walks (35) as he had hits (39).
  • Cutting ties with a major international acquisition, the Nationals have released righty Yunesky Maya, Eddy tweets. Washington saw little return on its $6MM investment in Maya, who had been outrighted off of the club's major league roster early in the 2013 season. After struggling in two brief call-ups in 2011-12, Maya's last stint with the Nats was even more regrettable. In his only MLB appearance of the 2013 season, Maya retired one batter in the bottom of the tenth before surrendering a walk-off home run to Pablo Sandoval. 
  • The Cubs have released outfielder Dave Sappelt, tweets Eddy. As Eddy notes, Sappelt was one of the pieces — along with lefty Travis Wood and second baseman Ronald Torreyes — picked up by Chicago in the deal that sent Sean Marshall to Cincinnati. The 26-year-old Sappelt has a .251/.301/.343 slash line in 274 plate appearances spread over the 2011-13 seasons. He has spent most of his time in Triple-A over that time frame, and posted a sub-.700 OPS in each of his two years at Iowa.

Brian McCann Closing In On Deal With Yankees

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5:09pm: The deal is for five years and $85MM and has a sixth-year vesting option that could boost the contract's value to $100MM, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The deal is simply pending a physical, Rosenthal adds in a second tweet.

4:51pm: The deal could be worth close to $90MM, if not more, tweets Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

4:41pm: McCann is closing in on a five-year, $80MM+ deal with the Yankees, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Two other sources tell Rosenthal (Twitter link) that the Rockies made a late, strong run at McCann.

4:13pm: Brian McCann is on the verge of a long-term deal with the Yankees, two sources tell Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.  McCann’s agent, B.B. Abbott, told Grant that he could not confirm that his client had agreed to terms with any team.

McCann, soon-to-be 30, is also said to be on the radar for the Red Sox and Rangers this offseason.  The veteran hit .256/.336/.461 in 102 games for the Braves last season and has been widely regarded as this winter's top free agent catcher over Boston's Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  The backstop ranks fourth on Tim Dierkes' Top 50 Free Agents List for this offseason.

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