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NL West Notes: Theriot, Padres, Diamondbacks

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Jamie Moyer pitched four perfect innings against the Giants last night, and the 49-year-old's teammates were impressed with his approach, even if the opposition wasn't intimidated by his 80mph offerings. "To be able to move and get on the field, much less compete, is amazing,'' Michael Cuddyer told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Here are some more notes from the NL West…

  • Ryan Theriot’s $1.25MM contract becomes guaranteed if the Giants don’t remove him from the roster by March 29th, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. If they cut the infielder within the week, they’ll only owe him $312.5K, but the decision’s about more than the bottom line. Freddy Sanchez may start the season on the disabled list, and the Giants may want to bench Brandon Crawford against tough lefties. In other words, having Theriot on the roster could prove useful.
  • Tom Krasovic of Inside the Padres offers a Q&A about the Padres' leadership in light of Jeff Moorad's decision to step down as the club's CEO. Krasovic hears that the Padres "are headed to another owner" than Moorad or current owner John Moores.
  • Yahoo's Tim Brown makes the case that the next Dodgers owner would do well to keep manager Don Mattingly in place.
  • Manager Kirk Gibson says the Diamondbacks are "underdogs" entering the season, Mike Bauman of MLB.com writes. "That's just the kind of attitude you've got to take. You can't anything for granted," Gibson said. The Diamondbacks won the NL West with 94 regular season wins in 2011 and seem poised for another strong season.
  • Rockies third base prospect Nolan Arenado should be at the Major League level before long, even though he probably won't be on the Opening Day roster Heyman tweets.

Offseason In Review: Colorado Rockies

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The Rockies made changes at catcher, second base, third base, and right field this offseason, and many rotation spots are up for grabs.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

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The biggest move of the Rockies' busy offseason was the Cuddyer signing.  Though he's below-average defensively at the position, Cuddyer is penciled in to replace Smith and Spilborghs as the Rockies' right fielder.  Smith is defensively-challenged himself, and as a left-handed hitter he's the inverse of Cuddyer offensively.  Pairing Smith with a better platoon partner like Jonny Gomes, as the A's did, would have equaled or exceeded Cuddyer's production at a fraction of the commitment.  There is an intangible side to the Cuddyer signing, as the Rockies like the leadership he brings.

Smith was fairly popular on the trade market, and Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd eventually pulled the trigger for a pair of back-rotation arms in Moscoso and Outman.  Chatwood, acquired for catcher Chris Iannetta, has more upside than those two but was rushed to the Majors last year by the Angels.  Iannetta had more value to the Rockies than to any other team, because he gained the ability to void his 2013 club option only if traded.  The Rockies controlled Iannetta for two years, but the Angels probably control him for one.  O'Dowd still did well in getting six years of Chatwood for Iannetta, a player of whom he did not seem terribly fond.

Though the Rockies won the Iannetta trade from an actuarial standpoint, they downgraded at catcher in 2012.  Ramon Hernandez is inferior defensively and is probably incapable of catching 100 games in his age 36 season.  Perhaps the Rockies feel the short-term dropoff in their catcher swap is insignificant, and wanted a more experienced backstop for a young pitching staff.  

Some of O'Dowd's intended upgrades required payroll flexibility, so he shipped out unneeded veterans Street and Wigginton.  Unloading $7MM owed to Street was a masterstroke, and ditching $2MM on Wigginton was also a win.  These were O'Dowd's questionable contracts in the first place, but at least he was able to cut his losses.  O'Dowd added a pair of new contracts in the extensions for relievers Betancourt and Belisle.  Each received one extra year at the market rate for a solid setup man, which is favorable to letting both reach free agency after 2012.

The Rockies' newfound payroll flexibility allowed for the acquisition of Scutaro.  The Rockies acquired a quality infielder on a salary dump, and only had to make a one-year commitment.  With an average throwing arm and declining range, Scutaro is better-suited for second base as he enters his age 36 season.  There will be a defensive loss compared to Ellis, but he required a two-year commitment.  An OBP north of .350 from Scutaro would be a big improvement over the .304 mark compiled by the team's second basemen in 2011.  

With a below-midpoint $8.2MM salary, Guthrie will cost less than Hammel and Lindstrom, who are owed $8.55MM in 2012.  Hammel flashed potential in 2009-10, but he's not a 200-inning workhorse like Guthrie.  Prior to the Guthrie acquisition, the closest to a sure thing in Colorado's rotation was 24-year-old Jhoulys Chacin, who led the NL in walks in 2011 and showed up to spring training overweight.

For the remaining rotation spots, the Rockies' options were so numerous that they deemed Slowey expendable.  The Rockies acquired the non-tender candidate from Minnesota in December for reliever Daniel Turpen, and then flipped him to Cleveland about a month later for reliever Zach Putnam and $1.25MM.  It was a middle reliever upgrade for the Rockies, at the cost of $1.25MM.  Juan Nicasio and Drew Pomeranz probably slot into the Rockies' rotation behind Guthrie and Chacin, but there will be heavy competition all year.

Stewart and Weathers were shipped to Chicago in a change of scenery deal.  Weathers' trade value was probably minimal, as he would eventually clear waivers with the Cubs.  The Rockies' third base situation may remain dicey in the short-term, as Blake, Chris Nelson, Wood, and/or Harris will keep the seat warm for top prospect Nolan Arenado.  The Rockies received Colvin and LeMahieu for Stewart, two useful big leaguers who may fall short of everyday duty.

After all the offseason activity, are the Rockies a better team?  Last year's rotation posted a 4.73 ERA, so that bar is set low.  The bar is low at the hot corner as well, and the Rockies definitely improved at second base.  With full seasons from Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler, the offense could be a powerhouse.  The Rockies must hope a potentially downgraded defense and an inexperienced rotation can keep them in games.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Minor Moves: Jamie Hoffmann, Cardinals

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Let's keep track of the day's minor moves right here…

  • Outfielder Jamie Hoffmann elected free agency after being outrighted by the Rockies, reports Troy Renck of The Denver Post. The 27-year-old was slowed by an illness this spring and struggled in games.
  • Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (on Twitter) that the Cardinals have released four minor leaguers: RHP Pete Parise, LHP Dan Calhoun, LHP Jean Mijares, and RHP Sean Watson. None of the four were among the team's top 30 prospects according to Baseball America, though Goold notes that Parise was once considered a closer-type.

Quick Hits: Wuertz, Cespedes, Helton, Dodgers

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On this day in 1991, the Royals released leftfielder Bo Jackson after he suffered a serious hip injury in the NFL playoffs against the Cincinnati Bengals.  That was Jackson's final NFL game but the iconic athlete eventually returned to baseball in 1993 with the White Sox and played 75 games for the Angels in '94 before the players strike brought the season to an end.  Here's a look at what's happening today..

  • Angels outfielder Torii Hunter would "love to stay" with the Halos but understands that at age 37, and with Los Angeles having plenty of money on the books, this season may be his last, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The five-year, $90MM deal that Hunter signed prior to the 2008 season expires after this year.
  • Free agent starter Javy Vazquez is not considering coming out of retirement, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
  • Free agent reliever Michael Wuertz will throw for teams on Thursday in Tempe, Arizona, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  The Twins are expected to be among the clubs in attendance.
  • Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was willing to sign with the Cubs and had reason to believe that he might wind up in Chicago, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  Ultimately, the Cubs offered six years for $36MM while the Athletics offered that same number for four years.  The Cuban star also said that he was seeking either a four-year deal or one that was for eight years or more.  Through a translator, Cespedes said that he probably would have wound up in Chicago had the Cubs offered him the same deal before the A's did.
  • Rockies first baseman Todd Helton insists that he hasn't thought about retirement, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post.  The 38-year-old has two years remaining on his contract.
  • More from Renck as he writes that Esmil Rogers is a trade candidate for the club.  Rogers, Edgmer Escalona, and Josh Outman are battling for the final spot in the bullpen.  Rogers is out of options and could be moved.
  • Dodgers play-by-play announcer Vin Scully addressed the club's ownership situation prior to yesterday's broadcast and said that he doesn't believe it is having any effect on the players at all, writes J.P. Hoornstra of the LA Daily News.

Rockies Will Consider Dontrelle Willis

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The Rockies are always looking to add pitching depth, and today the team will internally discuss whether to pursue Dontrelle Willis according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post. The Phillies released the southpaw yesterday.

“It’s tough at this point in camp, but we will take a look at it,” said GM Dan O’Dowd.

Colorado has left-handed relievers Rex Brothers and Matt Reynolds on the 40-man roster, but it should only take a minor league contract to land Willis at this point. The 30-year-old has held lefty batters to a .178/.245/.248 batting line with a 5.0 K/BB ratio in 143 plate appearances over the last two seasons. Yesterday we heard that the Marlins were unlikely to have interest in bringing their former ace back.

NL West Notes: Lincecum, Padres, Moores, Jimenez

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Here's a look at some items out of the National League West..

  • The Giants offered Tim Lincecum at least $100MM over five years a couple months back, but it now it appears that the two sides are at least $75MM apart, with the right-hander looking for a seven- or eight-year deal, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
  • Jeff Moorad has withdrawn his application to be the controlling partner of the Padres, meaning that John Moores will own the team for the foreseeable future, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
  • Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres runs down the particulars of what this means for the future of the club.  Moorad will remain the Vice Chairman and CEO of the Padres while Moores will remain the majority owner of the team as he has since 1994-95.  Krasovic also writes that MLB is likely to approve the 20-year TV deal between the Padres and FOX.
  • Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez don't exactly see eye-to-eye with former teammate Ubaldo Jimenez on his dissatisfaction with the Rockies, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.  The pitcher said that he was upset with the club in part because Tulowitzski and Gonzalez received lucrative new deals following the 2010 season while he did not.

West Notes: Athletics, Jimenez, Rockies, Hernandez

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Items out of the AL and NL West..

  • The Athletics released a statement this afternoon regarding recent reports that MLB might not allow the club to move to San Jose due to the Giants' territorial rights.  The A's point out that out of "the four two-team markets in MLB, only the Giants and A's do not share the exact same geographic boundaries."  The statement also emphasizes that a move to San Jose would benefit other owners when it comes to revenue sharing.
  • For the first time, Ubaldo Jimenez openly admitted that he wanted to be traded from the Rockies, writes Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSportsArizona.com.  The pitcher watched Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez sign long-term contracts with the club and felt as though he had been put on hold.  Jimenez was looking for a trade this time last year but wasn't dealt until July 30th.
  • There was some buzz about Felix Hernandez's favorable comments regarding his future in Seattle beyond 2014, but Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times cautions not to read too far into them.  Hernandez signed a five-year, $78MM deal prior to the 2010 season and Baker writes that there are no immediate plans to put another deal in front of the ace.

Rockies, Tracy Have “Handshake Agreement” On Extension

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6:51pm: Tracy confirmed the extension in an appearance on MLB Roundtrip with Jeff Joyce and Cliff Floyd on MLB Network Radio.  Tracy said the deal will be re-evaluated after every season and he has "an opportunity to manage this club, basically…as the way I understand it, until I don't want to manage it anymore."  Tracy sees this as his final job, saying he has "every intention of finishing my career in a Colorado Rockies uniform."

6:17pm: The Rockies and Jim Tracy have agreed to extend the manager's contract past 2012, according to the club's Twitter feed.  The two sides "have a handshake agreement for Tracy to continue to be a part of the organization's leadership team," and in a follow-up tweet, GM Dan O'Dowd says the team "expects this relationship to continue for a number of years." 

Exact terms of the new agreement weren't announced but Troy Renck of the Denver Post describes it as "kind of like a roll-over deal in many ways."  At the very least it means Tracy won't be a lame-duck manager heading into 2012, while still giving the Rockies room to inexpensively cut ties with Tracy should they want to make a change.

Tracy took over as Colorado's manager partway through the 2009 season and helped turn around a struggling club, eventually leading the Rockies to a playoff berth as the National League's wild card team.  For his efforts, Tracy received the NL Manager Of The Year award and a three-year, $4.4MM contract extension.  Over the last two seasons, however, the Rockies have failed to live up to expectations, posting just a 156-168 record and finishing fourth in the NL West in 2011.

Minor Moves: Fisher, Crowe, Rockies

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Keeping track of the latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Reds assigned Carlos Fisher to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. The right-hander, who was designated for assignment last week, receives an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
  • Outfielder Trevor Crowe will be in Indians camp as a non-roster player, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tweets. Cleveland outrighted Crowe off of the 40-man roster back in November.
  • The Cubs released right-hander Robinson Lopez, according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (on Twitter). Chicago acquired Lopez from Atlanta in the 2010 Derrek Lee trade.
  • The Rockies signed right-hander Zack Segovia to a minor league deal, Goldstein tweets. Segovia, 28, appeared in the Majors with the 2007 Phillies and the 2009 Nationals.
  • The Rockies signed Jared Wells, a right-hander who pitched briefly with the 2008 Mariners and Padres, according to Goldstein (Twitter link).
  • The Marlins signed 32-year-old infielder Chase Lambin, Goldstein tweets. Though Lambin has 500-plus games of Triple-A experience, he has yet to play in the Major Leagues.

Quick Hits: Payrolls, Orioles, De La Rosa, Red Sox

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On this day in 1988, the Padres traded Rich Gossage and Ray Hayward to the Cubs for Mike Brumley and Keith Moreland.  Here's a look at today's links..

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that the Yankees and Red Sox are no longer alone as financial superpowers. Sherman also looks at five offseason market trends that will impact the 2012 season and beyond.
  • In analyzing the Orioles' collection of non-roster invitees and the 40-man roster decisions they'll face this Spring, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes that Baltimore would eat a portion of Kevin Gregg's $5.8MM salary to trade him. Kubatko also speculates that an out of options player like Pedro Strop could be moved during Spring Training.
  • Free agent Scott Kazmir is set to throw for scouts in Houston on Wednesday, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
  • Jorge De La Rosa will undoubtedly exercise his $11MM player option for 2013 as he rehabs from elbow surgery, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post.  If he does that, the Rockies receive a $11MM club option for 2014.
  • Red Sox officials seem to think they’ll know what they’ll be getting from the Cubs “before the official start of spring training,’’ but it's not clear if that refers to when pitchers and catchers report or when the full squad arrives, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. 
  • If Magglio Ordoñez doesn't find a big-league job this season, he will have his own professional baseball club waiting for him in his native Venezuela, writes Robert Downs of the Detroit Free Press.  The slugger is set purchase shares in the Caribes de Anzoátegui when he retires.
  • The Indians and Casey Kotchman never talked about anything but a one-year deal, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.  The first baseman signed with the Tribe for $3MM earlier this month.
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