Quick Hits: Hall, Young, Feliz, Burnett, Buck
Links for Wednesday night..
- Longtime major leaguer Juan Castro told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that he never considered retirement at any point this winter. The 38-year-old is trying to hook on with the Dodgers in 2011 for what would be his fourth stint with the club.
- Earlier today, Yankees GM Brian Cashman told versatile Astros veteran Bill Hall that the club was "this close" to signing him, tweets Jack Curry of the YES Network.
- A source close to the Rockies told Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated that the Rangers sought a "very good player" for Michael Young, but didn't elaborate on who that player might be.
- Some in the Rangers front office feel that Neftali Feliz could develop into the type of starter that would otherwise cost a bundle in a trade, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
- Yankees fans have been hard on A.J. Burnett, who is set to earn $16.5MM annually through 2013. However, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that Burnett's career numbers are not all that different from Boston's Josh Beckett.
- Outfielder Travis Buck views his arrival in the Indians locker room as a fresh start, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
Quick Hits: Beimel, Milledge, Doumit, Wainwright
Links for Sunday evening as we mourn the passing of Dodgers legend Duke Snider..
- Lefty Joe Beimel is happy to be back with the Bucs organization, Langosch writes.
- Outfielder Lastings Milledge faces an uphill battle as he tries to make the White Sox as a non-roster invitee, writes the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales.
- The Pirates could still deal Ryan Doumit in the near future but the club plans to wait for the right package in return, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
- In a piece for Fangraphs, Jonah Keri weighs the pros and cons of the Cardinals picking up Adam Wainwright's option.
- In addition to Kyle McClellan, the Cards could also audition Ian Snell, Miguel Batista, and former No. 1 draft choice Adam Ottavino to fill the void in their rotation, writes Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. If they cannot find their guy in-house in the next two weeks, they may consider outside options.
- This winter's signings should raise the White Sox's projected payroll for 2011 to slightly more than $125MM, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
- A higher payroll means raised expectations for the Rockies in 2011, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
Quick Hits: Rockies, Dodgers, McDonald, Clippard
Links for Thursday night..
- While I wondered if the Braves could be a match for the Cardinals as they look for pitching, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggests that the Rockies could be a match. A major league source told Rosenthal that the Cards will first explore internal options before looking out-of-house.
- Commissioner Bud Selig has rejected a proposal under which FOX would have loaned about $200MM to Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, three people familiar with the talks told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times.
- Ex-Giant Juan Uribe is happy to be aboard with the Dodgers, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Former Dodgers pitcher James McDonald is excited to turn over a new leaf with the Pirates, writes Evan Drellich of MLB.com. McDonald was shipped to Pittsburgh along with Andrew Lambo for Octavio Dotel last season.
- Nationals reliever Tyler Clippard says that he will continue to be represented by agent Casey Close, who is leaving CAA Sports, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Brewers right-handers Justin James and Shaun Marcum were drafted by Toronto in the same year but took very different paths to wind up in Milwaukee, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. James claimed off waivers by the Brewers from the A's this offseason.
NL West Notes: Giants, Gonzalez, Diamondbacks
It's still early in Arizona, where the five NL West teams train, but that won't stop us from providing updates on some of those clubs. Here's the latest…
- Giants manager Bruce Bochy repeated that he's open-minded about who ends up playing left field in 2011, according to MLB.com's Chris Haft. Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, Mark DeRosa and Nate Schierholtz are all candidates to play left for San Francisco.
- Edgar Renteria told Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that he called the Giants' $1MM offer "a total disrespect" because of pride, not money. The 2010 World Series MVP went on to sign a $2.1MM deal with Cincinnati.
- Carlos Gonzalez told Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post that he doesn't expect to be overwhelmed by the attention that comes with national endorsement deals and his new $80MM contract with the Rockies.
- D'Backs GM Kevin Towers explained to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he intends "to build [the Arizona] organization around young pitching." Pitchers like Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy and Jarrod Parker figure to be important contributors for the D'Backs' staff going forward. Kennedy, who was often grouped with Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes while playing in the Yankees' system, cautions against lumping pitchers together, though.
Rockies, Matt Belisle Agree To Two-Year Deal
The Rockies and Matt Belisle have agreed to a two-year contract worth $6.125MM according to the right-hander's representatives, CAA (on Twitter). The deal also includes performance bonuses.
The two sides agreed to a one-year deal worth $2.35MM last month to avoid arbitration. The new contract buys out Belisle's final season of arbitration-eligibility and one year of free agency.
Belisle, 30, found a home in Colorado's bullpen in 2009 after years of trying to cut it as a starter with the Reds. He broke out in a big way in 2010, leading all big league relievers with 92 innings pitched. Belisle struck out 91 batters (8.9 K/9) and walked just 16 (1.6 BB/9) in all those innings, though it's worth noting that five of those walks were intentional. He was also adept at getting ground balls, with a 46.3% grounder rate.
Colorado has now signed a total of six players to multiyear contract extensions this winter, as our Transaction Tracker shows. The others: Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Matt Lindstrom, Jason Hammel, and Rafael Betancourt. The total value of those extensions is north of $220MM, with most going to Tulo and CarGo.
Joe Crede Hits Free Agency
The Rockies announced that Joe Crede, who had signed a minor league deal with Colorado, decided not to report to Spring Training (Twitter link). He has become a free agent again, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
Crede, a Scott Boras client, missed the 2010 season after dealing with back, shoulder, forearm, leg, knee and hand injuries with the Twins in 2009. The former All-Star and Silver Slugger winner played strong defense (+21.6 UZR/150) and showed some power (15 homers in 367 plate appearances) with Minnesota. Crede has a .254/.304/.444 career line.
As MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows, Crede and Willy Aybar are the two third basemen remaining on the open market.
Rockies To Sign John Maine
The Rockies agreed to sign John Maine to a minor league deal with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, the team announced (on Twitter). ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, who first reported the agreement, notes that Maine could earn about $3MM for making the Opening Day roster and can opt out if he doesn't make the big league team (Twitter links).
The Phillies and Royals showed interest in the 29-year-old right-hander as recently as yesterday, but they'll have to turn elsewhere for pitching depth.
Maine auditioned for teams last month after the Mets non-tendered him in December. He pitched to a 4.01 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 87 starts from 2006-09, but struggled to stay healthy and pitch effectively in 2010. Maine limped through nine early-season starts last year and didn't pitch after injuring his shoulder in May. He underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in July.
Michael Young Rumors: Wednesday
The Diamondbacks have discussed Michael Young with the Rangers, though a trade to Arizona remains a longshot. The Marlins have interest in Young, too, but like the D'Backs, they aren't eager to assume responsibility for the $48MM remaining on Young's contract. Here's the latest on Young, with the most recent updates up top:
- Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com spoke to an executive that said the Rangers would have to eat half of the money left on Young's contract to trade him, then predicted they wouldn't (Twitter link).
- Jeff Wilson of The Star Telegram spoke to GM Jon Daniels, who said the club will try to reach out to Young in the coming days to update him on trade talks and help clear the air. "We're not going to set a deadline or anything like that," said Daniels. "Once he's here (in Spring Training), we're going to move forward with the business of baseball. If something happens after that point, we'll address it. That's where we are."
- A source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that there is "nothing really going on" between the Angels and Rangers regarding Young (Twitter link).
- Morosi adds that talks between the Rangers and Rockies are dormant, though they could restart if Texas offers to take on more money (Twitter link).
- Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News explored three teams the Rangers could still work out a trade with.
- The Rangers are still evaluating possible Young deals, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link).
- A Rockies source tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post that Colorado doesn't have much hope of restarting talks with Texas (Twitter link).
Rockies, John Maine Close To Deal
The Rockies are close to signing John Maine to a minor league deal, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). Maine, who drew interest from six or seven teams, will be able to opt out of the contract if he doesn't make the Rockies' Opening Day roster. The Phillies and Royals showed interest in the 29-year-old right-hander as recently as yesterday, but they'll have to turn elsewhere for pitching depth.
Maine auditioned for teams last month after the Mets non-tendered him in December. He pitched to a 4.01 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 87 starts from 2006-09, but struggled to stay healthy and pitch effectively in 2010. Maine limped through nine early-season starts last year and didn't pitch after injuring his shoulder in May. He underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in July.
This post was first published on February 17th.
Rockies To Sign Jesus Colome
The Rockies agreed to sign Jesus Colome to a minor league deal, according to Jack Etkin of Inside the Rockies. The Rockies consider Colome and Chris Sampson depth options who could end up at Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Colome, 33, signed with the Mariners, then the Dodgers, then the Rangers in 2010, a whirlwind season for the right-hander. He posted a 5.29 ERA in 17 innings for Seattle with 8.5 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9. Colome was an reliable contributor for the 2007-08 Nationals, when he posted a 4.07 ERA in 122 relief appearances (137 innings).