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Quick Hits: Young, Ortiz, Blue Jays, Chicago Teams

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Congratulations to Jack Gillis, Jim Howard, Terry Reynolds and Mike Toomey on their induction into the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame!  The four long-time scouts will be inducted individually during separate ceremonies through August.

Some news items…

  • The Rockies and Rangers were close enough on a Michael Young trade package earlier this winter that a Colorado player who would've gone to Texas, Eric Young Jr., was asked to take a physical, reports Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSports.com.  Texas was concerned by the stress fracture that sidelined Young Jr. for half of last season and the two sides couldn't settle on a deal.
  • With Vladimir Guerrero struggling to find a contract, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal wonders if a similar fate awaits David Ortiz in next winter's free agent market.
  • The Blue Jays' decision to start John Buck over prospect J.P. Arencibia in August and September of last season was an organizational call, Alex Anthopoulos tells MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm.  The Jays GM said he promised Buck an everyday job if he signed with Toronto, and Anthopoulos wanted to stand by his agreement.  "When we give our word to someone … that's part of our brand," Anthopoulos said. "When I'm negotiating with an agent or I'm trying to recruit a player, and we have to tell them something, whether it's good or bad news, they know that we're going to honor our word and we're going to be straight shooters."
  • Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago discussed several Cubs and White Sox topics in a chat with fans.
  • Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com gives his list of the offseason's biggest winners and losers.  I'm not sure if I agree with Urban's designation of Manny Ramirez as the biggest individual "loser" this winter — he took a big pay cut, but the Rays should still be a contending team.

Padres Designate Oscar Salazar For Assignment

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The Padres designated Oscar Salazar for assignment to create roster space for Samuel Deduno, the team announced (on Twitter). The Padres claimed Deduno from the Rockies over the weekend.

Salazar appeared in 85 games for the Padres last year, playing left, right, first, second and third. The 32-year-old Venezuelan hit .237/.318/.336 in 148 plate appearances. In parts of four seasons with the Padres, Orioles and Tigers, Salazar has a .269/.342/.435 line. His lone DL stint with the Padres occurred last August, when he missed four weeks with a right achilles strain.

West Notes: Hamilton, Paxton, Rockies, Dodgers

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Some news from baseball's western divisions….

  • Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine gives ESPNDallas.com's Richard Durrett an update on negotiations between the team and arbitration-eligible Josh Hamilton.  "I would characterize our communication as very open and strong….with each call we're making progress," Levine said.
  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik tells The Seattle Times' Larry Stone that the team has had "a conversation or two over the course of the winter" with fourth-round draft pick James Paxton, who still remains unsigned.  Paxton was selected 37th overall by the Blue Jays in the 2009 draft but didn't reach an agreement, and then couldn't return to college ball due to his association with agent Scott Boras.
  • The Rockies may have ended their search for pitching depth, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.  Colorado was looking at Rodrigo Lopez and Mark Hendrickson, but those pursuits proved fruitless when the pitchers signed elsewhere (Lopez with the Braves, Hendrickson with the Orioles).
  • The potential sale of a minority share of the Mets "could provide a clue" as to what will happen with the Dodgers' ownership situation once the McCourts settle their divorce case, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.

Orioles To Sign Mark Hendrickson

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The Orioles have agreed to sign Mark Hendrickson to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). Hendrickson had an offer from the Rockies, but chose to return to Baltimore, where he'll compete to be a situational left-hander and long reliever. Dan Connolly of the Sun reports that the deal is worth about $900K if Hendrickson makes the team (Twitter link). 

The 36-year-old logged 75 1/3 innings for the Orioles last year, posting a 5.26 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9. He has started at least one game in every season since 2002, but he's primarily a reliever at this point. Hendrickson has held left-handed hitters to a .702 OPS in his career.

The Rays and Orioles also expressed interest in Hendrickson earlier in the offseason. Hendrickson, who played for four NBA teams before focusing on baseball, is now with his fifth MLB club.

Rockies Extend Rafael Betancourt

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The Rockies have signed Rafael Betancourt to an extension that will keep him in Denver through 2012 according to ESPN's Enrique Rojas (Spanish link). Troy Renck of the Denver Post adds that the one-year extension carries a mutual $4.25MM option with it.

Betancourt, 36 in April, was already under contract for 2011 at $3.77MM. The new deal guarantees him $4MM in 2012, and there's a $250K buyout on Colorado's half of the mutual option. If Betancourt declines his half of the deal, there's no buyout. If he's traded, the buyout becomes guaranteed.

The Rockies acquired Betancourt prior to the 2009 trade deadline in exchange for minor leaguer Connor Graham, and he's been nothing short of oustanding in their bullpen. Since the trade, the right-hander owns a 3.08 ERA and has fanned more than 12 hitters per nine innings while walking less than two per nine.

New York Notes: Dickey, Murphy, Posada

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SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field, making it very possible the stadium will host an All-Star Game before it hosts its first playoff game. Let's check out the rest of today's Mets- and Yankees-related links….

Padres Claim Samuel Deduno

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After being designated for assignment by the Rockies earlier this week, Samuel Deduno has been claimed on waivers by the Padres, according to MLB.com. Colorado had designated the right-hander to make room for the newly acquired Clayton Mortensen.

Deduno missed part of last season due to injuries, but made his big league debut with the Rockies late in the year. Heading into 2010, Baseball America ranked the 27-year-old as Colorado's 11th-best prospect, writing that he "can be a solid major league starter if he sharpens his command and develops a changeup. His two strikeouts pitches should make him a good bullpen arm regardless."

Although he has struggled with his control throughout his minor league career (5.1 BB/9), Deduno has averaged 10.0 K/9 as a starter in 120 outings. San Diego could be a good fit for the righty, given the team's knack for finding and developing relievers.

Rodrigo Lopez Weighing Offers From Braves, Mets, Rockies

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Rodrigo Lopez "expects to decide to sign" with either the Braves, Mets or Rockies by the end of the weekend, reports ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (ESPN Insider subscription required).  All three contracts are non-roster invitations to Spring Training, with various performances bonuses attached.

Lopez, 35, allowed a league-high 37 homers and 111 earned runs last season, posting a 5.00 ERA and a 2.07 K/BB ratio in 33 starts with Arizona.  Lopez has already played for the Rockies (in 2007) and has also pitched for the Padres, Orioles and Phillies in his nine-year Major League career, missing the 2008 season due to Tommy John surgery. 

O’s Offer Contract To Hendrickson; Rockies Interested

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The Orioles have offered left-hander Mark Hendrickson a minor league contract, reports The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly.  Hendrickson, 36, has posted a 4.74 ERA, a 2.19 K/BB ratio and a 10.6 H/9 rate in 105 games (12 of them starts) over the last two seasons in Baltimore.  The Orioles declined Hendrickson's $1.2MM option for 2011, but were still known to be interested in bringing the veteran back at a lower price.

Hendrickson is also being targeted by the Rockies, reports Troy Renck of The Denver Post.  It's no secret Colorado is looking for left-handed bullpen help, specifically a pitcher who is willing to sign a minor league contract.  Tampa Bay and Seattle showed some interest in Hendrickson earlier this offseason, but there has been no news on either of those fronts since the Winter Meetings.

Rockies, Ian Stewart Avoid Arbitration

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FRIDAY: Stewart will earn $2.22875MM, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). That's below the $2.375MM midpoint, closer to the Rockies' submission. MLBTR has learned that if Stewart stays healthy and reaches his incentives next season he will earn $2.35MM. 

THURSDAY: The Rockies have avoided arbitration with third baseman Ian Stewart, MLBTR has learned.  With salary submissions of $2.6MM and $2.15MM, the sides had been $450K apart on the Super Two player's first arbitration year.  Stewart's settlement amount is not yet known, but his agreement means the Rockies have taken care of all their arbitration eligible players according to our Arb Tracker.

Stewart, 26 in April, hit .256/.338/.443 in 441 plate appearances in 2010.  He projects as the Rockies' starting third baseman once again, though they've got backup options in Jose Lopez, Ty Wigginton, and Joe Crede.

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