Rockies, Red Sox Talked Marco Scutaro
6:00pm: The deal isn't close at this time and isn't likely to happen at all, writes Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. Silverman adds that the talks could indicate that the Red Sox are looking for ways to clear some salary in order to sign a free agent starter like Roy Oswalt.
4:52pm: Talks are fizzling, Renck tweets. The Red Sox are reluctant to part with Scutaro, since they don't have a clear alternative at short.
4:25pm: The Rockies are nearing a deal for infielder Marco Scutaro, Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets. The teams are talking and the Rockies are trying to complete the trade. The veteran infielder would presumably play second base if the Rockies acquire him.
Scutaro, 35, set career highs in batting average and slugging percentage for a .299/.358/.423 line in 445 plate appearances in 2011. He also had a career-best 8.1% strikeout rate and finished with more walks (38) than strikeouts (36). Only seven shortstops have contributed more wins above replacement than Scutaro (12.7) since 2008, according to FanGraphs’ version of the statistic. The Red Sox exercised their $6MM option for him after the season.
If the Red Sox move Scutaro, they'd have a hole at shortstop heading into Spring Training. With Jed Lowrie on the Astros, prospect Jose Iglesias and infielders Nick Punto and Mike Aviles would sit atop Boston's depth chart.
Indians Acquire Kevin Slowey
4:49pm: The Rockies are sending $1.25MM to Cleveland in the deal, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tweets. That means the Indians will pay Slowey $1.5MM in 2012.
3:03pm: The Indians have acquired starting pitcher Kevin Slowey and cash considerations from the Rockies for right-handed reliever Zach Putnam. The Rockies announced the moves, which Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports first reported on Twitter.
It's been a busy week for the Indians, who are faced with the possibility that Fausto Carmona has been playing under an assumed name. They've signed Ryan Spilborghs, Gregorio Petit, Fred Lewis and Jeremy Accardo to minor league contracts.
The move provides Cleveland with rotation depth in the event that Carmona isn't ready to pitch out of the rotation on Opening Day. Meanwhile, the Rockies clear room on a crowded pitching staff that includes more rotation options than ever after this week's deal for Josh Outman and Guillermo Moscoso.
Though the Indians are acquiring Slowey from Colorado, he has spent his entire five-year career in the AL Central. In 2011 he posted a 6.67 ERA with 5.2 K/9, 0.8 BB/9 and a 31.1% ground ball rate in 59 1/3 innings for the Twins, who traded him to the Rockies for Daniel Turpen in December. Slowey owns a 4.66 ERA with 6.7 K/9, 1.4 BB/9 and a 31.6% ground ball rate for his career and will earn $2.75MM in 2012.
Putnam, 24, debuted with the Indians in 2011, but spent most of the season at Triple-A. The 2008 fifth rounder posted a 3.65 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 69 innings of relief at Columbus.
Rockies, Red Sox Close To Completing Scutaro Deal
The Rockies and Red Sox are "finishing up" a trade that would send Marco Scutaro to Colorado in exchange for a pitcher, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Renck believes the pitcher heading to Boston could be Clayton Mortensen, whose name was mentioned in previous discussions between the two teams (via Twitter).
Renck reported the deal as being close yesterday, though talks also seemed to fizzle just as quickly. Today, negotiations restarted as Renck says the Rockies had to "work through financial issues" to fit Scutaro's $6MM salary into the payroll.
Scutaro fills the Rockies' need for a second baseman, as the veteran will return to the position after primarily playing shortstop over the last three seasons. Scutaro hit .299/.358/.423 in 445 plate appearances with Boston in 2011, and is returning to the NL for the first time since he broke into the Majors with the Mets in 2002-03.
For the Red Sox, the deal frees room in the payroll for the club to pursue a starting pitcher. It also creates a hole at shortstop, with a Mike Aviles–Nick Punto platoon being the likeliest short-term solution. Prospect Jose Iglesias could also be in the mix if he has an excellent Spring Training.
Mortensen, 26, was a supplemental first-round pick (36th overall) for the Cardinals in the 2007 draft. He was part of the trade package the Cardinals sent to the A's in July 2009 in exchange for Matt Holliday. Mortensen has a 5.12 ERA, a 4.7 K/9 rate and a 3.7 BB/9 rate in 24 Major League games (13 of them starts) with the Rockies, A's and Cardinals.
This post was originally published on January 21st.
Rockies To Sign Jamie Moyer
The Rockies have agreed to sign 49-year-old left-hander Jamie Moyer to a minor league deal, the team announced. Troy Renck of the Denver Post reported Monday that the Rockies had offered the veteran a contract. The Rockies will give Moyer the chance to compete for a rotation spot while tutoring younger pitchers on the staff, assuming he passes an upcoming physical.
Moyer pitched for the Phillies in 2010 and missed last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He worked out in front of scouts this offseason and appears to have impressed the Rockies.
Moyer owns a 267-204 career record with a 4.24 ERA in 24 MLB seasons. He posted a 4.84 ERA with 5.1 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 and a 44.1% ground ball rate for the 2010 Phillies. 14 of the players on Colorado's 40-man roster were not yet born when Moyer debuted with the Cubs in June of 1986.
Players Avoiding Arbitration: Tuesday
Dozens of arbitration eligible players have agreed to deals with their respective teams today and we've been tracking all of the developments right here. Several teams, including the Rays, Nationals, Marlins, White Sox, Blue Jays, Braves, and perhaps Astros, are known for committing to going to hearings if they get to the point of filing. Keep track of all the madness with MLBTR's arbitration tracker, which shows settlement amounts, filing figures, and midpoints. Today's players to avoid arbitration on deals worth less than $4MM:
- The Cardinals avoided arbitration with pitcher Kyle McClellan, tweets B.J. Rains of FOX Sports Midwest. Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (on Twitter) that the one-year deal is worth $2.5MM with incentives based on starts. MLBTR projected a $2.7MM for the Steve Comte client.
- MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith reports (on Twitter) that the Padres and Chase Headley agreed to a one-year deal worth $3.475MM, avoiding arbitration. Earlier this evening, the Padres announced that they avoided arbitration with Luke Gregerson, Edinson Volquez, Carlos Quentin and Will Venable. They also avoided arbitration with lefty reliever Joe Thatcher on a deal worth $700K, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. CAA announced catcher John Baker has signed for $750K. Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune first reported that the Padres reached agreements with Hundley, Chase Headley, and Tim Stauffer. Hundley will earn $2MM in 2012, MLB.com's Corey Brock tweets. Dan Hayes of the North County Times tweets the salaries for Volquez ($2.2375MM), Venable ($1.475MM), Gregerson ($1.55MM)
- The Rangers avoided arbitration with Matt Harrison, tweets Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. The ACES client gets $2.95MM on a one-year deal. MLBTR had projected a $2.9MM salary.
- The Cubs announced that they have avoided arbitration with Jeff Baker ($1.375MM), Blake DeWitt ($1.1MM), Ian Stewart ($2.237MM) Chris Volstad ($2.655MM), and Randy Wells ($2.705MM). MLB.com's Carrie Muskat tweeted the salary figures.
Rockies Offer Jamie Moyer Minor League Deal
The Rockies are waiting to see if 49-year-old left-hander Jamie Moyer will accept a minor league contract offer, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. The Rockies would give Moyer the chance to compete for a rotation spot while tutoring younger pitchers on the staff.
Moyer pitched for the Phillies in 2010 and missed last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He worked out in front of scouts this offseason and appears to have impressed the Rockies. Renck reported earlier today that the Rockies offered a veteran pitcher a contract.
Moyer owns a 267-204 career record with a 4.24 ERA in 24 MLB seasons. He posted a 4.84 ERA with 5.1 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 and a 44.1% ground ball rate for the 2010 Phillies. 14 of the players on Colorado's 40-man roster were not born when Moyer debuted with the Cubs in June of 1986.
Rockies Make Offer To Veteran Starting Pitcher
The Rockies have made an offer to a veteran starting pitcher, GM Dan O'Dowd told Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. O'Dowd didn't provide any further detail, other than saying it wasn't Kevin Millwood.
The Rockies' rotation picture seems about ten-deep after today's acquisition of Guillermo Moscoso and Josh Outman for Seth Smith, and it appears O'Dowd seeks a veteran presence beyond that of Jorge De La Rosa. Renck speculates on Rodrigo Lopez and Jeff Francis as possibilities.
Athletics Acquire Seth Smith
The Athletics acquired outfielder Seth Smith from the Rockies for righty Guillermo Moscoso and lefty Josh Outman, according to the Rockies' Twitter feed. The A's are a somewhat surprising match for Smith, but they did need corner outfield help after losing Josh Willingham and David DeJesus to free agency. Josh Reddick and Coco Crisp round out Oakland's outfield.
Smith, a 29-year-old left-handed hitter, batted .284/.347/.483 with 15 home runs in a career-high 533 plate appearances for the Rockies last year. The corner outfielder has struggled against southpaws in his career. Smith (pictured) is under team control through 2014, and MLBTR reported last night that he'll earn $2.415MM in 2012. The Rays, Mariners, Braves, and Mets are among the other teams that showed interested in Smith this winter. He became expendable after the Rockies signed Michael Cuddyer for $31.5MM in December.
Moscoso, 28, had his first prolonged big league exposure last year for the A's. He posted a 3.38 ERA, 5.2 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 0.98 HR/9, and 26.8% groundball rate in 128 innings. His flyball/pitch-to-contact approach might not play well at Coors Field. Originally signed by the Tigers, Moscoso was traded to the Rangers in December of '08 for Gerald Laird and then to the A's a year ago for Ryan Kelly. Prior to the 2010 season, Baseball America wrote, "Moscoso is ready for a big league role, either as a back-of-the-rotation starter, a long reliever, or a swingman."
Outman, 27, tossed 58 1/3 big league innings last year and another 78 1/3 at Triple-A. He's been a useful starter in the Majors, with a chunk of missed time due to June 2009 Tommy John surgery. Outman was drafted by the Phillies in 2005 and traded to Oakland in '08 as part of the Joe Blanton deal. Prior to that season, BA said Outman profiled as a number three starter. Now, he'll join Moscoso in what Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd called a "raging competition" for rotation spots. The Rockies are actually close to adding a veteran starter to the mix for more depth, tweets Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Rockies, Seth Smith Avoid Arbitration
8:46pm: Smith will earn $2.415MM, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned.
8:28pm: The Rockies and Seth Smith have avoided arbitration by agreeing to terms on a one-year deal, the team announced via Twitter.
Smith, 29, was eligible for arbitration for the first time. The outfielder has been a productive offensive player thus far in his career, posting a .275/.348/.485 line in 1,449 plate appearances. The left-handed hitter is well above average against righties (.290/.364/.518) but struggles mightily against southpaws (.202/.269/.319), so he's best deployed in a platoon.
Smith, a second-round pick of the Rox in 2004, was projected by MLBTR's Matt Swartz to earn $2.6MM through arbitration.
Minor Moves: Espino, Rockies, Reyes, Lebron
The latest minor moves…
- The White Sox have agreed to sign catcher Damaso Espino to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training, MLBTR has learned. The 28-year-old posted a .292/.347/.381 line in 224 plate appearances for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in 2011.
- The Rockies announced that they signed infielder Brendan Harris and catcher Jose Gonzalez to minor league deals (Twitter link). Harris, 31, spent the 2011 season with the Orioles' top affiliate, where he posted a .225/.282/.331 line with ten home runs in 565 plate appearances. The seven-year veteran has MLB experience at all four infield positions.
- The Indians announced that they signed infielder Argenis Reyes and right-hander Willy Lebron to minor league deals that don't include invitations to big league Spring Training. The club also confirmed the signing of infielder Chin-lung Hu to a minor league deal. Reyes started the 2011 season in indy ball then signed a minor league deal with the Indians in August. The 29-year-old has MLB experience with the Mets. Lebron, 32, posted a 3.02 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 65 2/3 innings in the upper levels of the Royals' system last year.