Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Astros Rumors

Removed From 40-Man: Jesse Chavez, Brian Bixler

By | at

We'll keep track of which players are removed from 40-man rosters right here…

  • Right-hander Jesse Chavez cleared waivers and the Blue Jays outrighted him to Triple-A, the team tweeted.
  • The Astros designated Brian Bixler for assignment, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The Astros, who needed roster space because of today's trade, had claimed Bixler from the Nationals last month. The 29-year-old appeared in 79 games for the Nationals in 2011, playing all three outfield positions, shortstop, third base and first base. He posted a .205/.267/.265 line in 94 plate appearances. 

Red Sox Notes: Melancon, Lowrie, Closer Search

By | at

Earlier today, the Red Sox shipped shortstop Jed Lowrie and starter Kyle Weiland to Houston for reliever Mark Melancon.  Here's a look at some items out of Boston with plenty of talk about the trade..

  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) likes the trade for the Red Sox but stresses that Melancon can't be the team's closer.  In his view, Boston still needs to acquire someone for the ninth inning.
  • ESPN's Keith Law thinks the Astros won the deal.
  • Melancon's power arm and mental toughness are definite positives, but Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe tweets that the 26-year-old projects as a set-up man in the AL rather than a closer.
  • Meanwhile, one talent evaluator told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he loves what Melancon has to offer and believes that he has what it takes to be a closer.  The right-hander finished 47 games for the Astros last season.
  • The Red Sox are still in on multiple starters and closers, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.  It's a good bet that they'll land either the starter or closer that they're after and may get both.
  • More from Speier (via Twitter) who notes that the deal should be a good opportunity for both Weiland and Lowrie.  Lowrie has largely been blocked by Marco Scutaro and now would have had Jose Iglesias in front of him.  Meanwhile, Weiland was set to start the year in Triple-A but will now get to pitch for the Astros' varsity squad.

Red Sox Acquire Melancon For Lowrie, Weiland

By | at

The Red Sox acquired reliever Mark Melancon from the Astros for shortstop Jed Lowrie and starter Kyle Weiland, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  ESPN's Jerry Crasnick first tweeted that Weiland was traded to Houston in a deal that involved a reliever going to Boston.  The deal marks the first trade involving Major Leaguers by both Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and Red Sox GM Ben Cherington since taking over their respective roles. 

Melancon, 26, turned in a 2.78 ERA, 8.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 0.61 HR/9, and 56.7% groundball rate in 74 1/3 innings this year, saving 20 games in 25 tries.  The right-hander won't be arbitration eligible until after the 2013 season and won't hit free agency until after the 2016 campaign.  Acquiring Melancon will bolster Boston's bullpen, but they're unlikely to stop here, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Boston has reportedly been after A's closer Andrew Bailey and Rosenthal says that they can't be ruled out on Ryan Madson.

Lowrie has been drawing a good deal interest from clubs this offseason.  The infielder's name also came up during the Winter Meetings when the Red Sox met with the Rangers and discussed possible trades.  In 341 plate appearances for Boston last season, the oft-injured Lowrie hit .252/.303/.382 with six homers.  Lowrie has been used all around the infield, but he's likely to take over as the Astros' starting shortstop.  He's arbitration eligible for the first time this winter and MLBTR projects a $1.2MM salary.

Weiland, 25, struggled in 24 2/3 innings in his Red Sox debut this year.  At Triple-A, he posted a 3.58 ERA, 8.8 K/9, 3.9 BB/9, and 0.70 HR/9 in 128 1/3 innings.  A third-round pick in 2008, Baseball America ranked Weiland 20th among Red Sox prospects prior to the season.  BA says the former Notre Dame closer "relishes pitching inside" and his "best pitch is a low-90s fastball that peaks at 95 but is most notable for its hard sink."  The Astros plan to use Weiland as a starter in 2012, tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com.

The Astros will have to clear a spot on their 40-man roster, as it was full prior to the trade.

Quick Hits: Varitek, A’s, Braves, Cordero, Lee, Pujols

By | at

Some links as Tuesday turns into Wednesday…

Players To Avoid Arbitration

By | at

Tonight is the deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration eligible players. Many teams will agree to terms with players before the deadline and we'll keep track of them here:

  • The Orioles have agreed to terms with Dana Eveland on a one-year, $750K deal for 2012, MLBTR has learned.
  • The Giants have agreed to terms with Mike Fontenot on a one-year deal for 2012, avoiding arbitration, MLBTR has learned. It's a $1.05MM deal, according to the Associated Press.
  • The Red Sox announced that they re-signed Matt Albers. He'll earn $1.075MM, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
  • The Padres agreed to terms with Chris Denorfia on a one-year deal, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (Twitter link). The deal is worth $1.165MM, according to Ronald Blum of the AP
    The Pirates agreed to terms with Jason Grilli on a one-year, $1.1MM deal for 2012, MLBTR has learned.
  • The Rockies agreed to terms with Kevin Slowey on a one-year deal, the team announced (on Twitter). Slowey obtains $2.75MM from the Rockies, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link). MLBTR had projected a $2.7MM salary.
  • The Blue Jays agreed to sign Jeff Mathis to one-year deal that guarantees the backstop $1.5MM in 2012, MLBTR has learned. The Blue Jays have since confirmed the move.
  • The Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with Jesse Litsch (one-year, $975K) and Dustin McGowan (one-year, $600K) according to a team press release.
  • The Dodgers have signed outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. to a two-year deal.
  • The A's announced that they agreed to terms with Landon Powell, Daric Barton and Adam Rosales on one-year deals for 2012. The A's aren't non-tendering any arbitration eligible players this offseason. Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group hears Barton will earn $1.1MM in 2012 (Twitter link). Rosales will earn $600K and Powell will earn $620K, according to Ronald Blum of the AP.
  • The Marlins signed Donnie Murphy to a contract for 2012, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link). He'll earn $560K, according to Ronald Blum of the AP.
  • The Brewers announced that they signed George Kottaras to a one-year deal, avoiding arbitration. He'll earn $700K, according to Ronald Blum of the AP.
  • The Astros avoided arbitration with Humberto Quintero, signing him to a one-year deal worth $1MM, according to the team. MLBTR had projected a $1.2MM salary for Quintero.
  • The Angels agreed to terms with right-hander Jerome Williams on a one-year deal, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times (on Twitter). Williams agreed to sign for $820K with $120K in incentives, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (on Twitter).
  • Skip Schumaker is nearing a two-year deal with the Cardinals.

Red Sox Rumors: Luxury Tax, Wandy

By | at

The latest on the Red Sox, courtesy of Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald…

  • GM Ben Cherington's comments on the team's pursuit of pitching: "We need to add some pitching depth, we’re working on that, we don’t know what the scope of that’s going to be. Last year at this time, nobody knew who Alfredo Aceves was, and by the end of the year he was one of our best pitchers."  Tim Britton of the Providence Journal notes that Aceves was a non-tender last year by the Yankees, and takes a look at seven players who could interest the Sox if they're cut loose at tonight's deadline.  Click here for my list of non-tender candidates.
  • Red Sox president Larry Lucchino explained the team's stance on the luxury tax: "We wouldn’t rule it out (going over the threshold), but our plan historically has been to try to be at or around it.  We have gone over it when we felt there was a need to. When the baseball operations department suggested a certain transaction made imminent good sense, we were willing to go over it, and I think that will be our policy going forward."
  • Wandy Rodriguez is among the starting pitchers of interest to the Red Sox, writes Silverman.  Word was a week ago that the Astros didn't want to eat any of Wandy's potential $36MM over the next three years, though that was before Jeff Luhnow was hired as GM.
  • Gio Gonzalez, Andrew Bailey, John Danks, and Gavin Floyd also remain on the radar, says Silverman.  The White Sox and Red Sox got together during the Winter Meetings to discuss Danks and Floyd.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains why he feels the Red Sox are a fit to acquire the Marlins' Hanley Ramirez.

Quick Hits: Aoki, Cuddyer, Buerhle, Sherrill, Quentin

By | at

Some links to check out as we await tomorrow night's non-tender deadline..

  • As expected, the Yakult Swallows filed posting paperwork on outfielder Norichika Aoki Monday morning in Japan, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.
  • Free agent Michael Cuddyer's decision will be huge news and could happen soon, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Morosi adds that the decision will have a big impact on the Twins' and Rockies' plans.
  • Chuck Garfien of CSNChicago.com spoke with Mark Buerhle who said that he hopes to return to the White Sox in some capacity after his four-year deal with Miami is through.  The veteran also said that the Sox didn't make him an offer after the Marlins put their deal on the table.
  • Free agent left-hander George Sherrill is drawing interest from the Royals, Phillies, Blue Jays, and Mariners, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  The Rockies were also said to be targeting the veteran last week.
  • Even though the two sides were reportedly talking on Tuesday, the Red Sox aren't discussing a deal for Carlos Quentin with the White Sox, tweets Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  Earlier today we learned that Quentin has come up in talks with the Blue Jays, though those discussions have apparently cooled.
  • The Indians are in on all "non-[Prince] Fielder" bats, including Josh Willingham, but don't have much financial flexibility, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Tribe is after a right-handed bat and the club has been linked to Derrek Lee, Andruw Jones, and Mike Cameron among others.
  • Troy Renck of The Denver Post (via Twitter) doesn't see catcher Eliezer Alfonzo returning to the Rockies but could see the club going after someone like Jeff Mathis if he is non-tendered.  Mathis, 28, was shipped from the Angels to the Blue Jays on December 3rd for left-hander Brad Mills.
  • Craig Breslow, who was traded to the Diamondbacks along with starter Trevor Cahill on Friday, first heard of the deal via Twitter, not the A's front office, writes Katie Dowd of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Former Mets General Manager Steve Phillips likes the Astros' hire of Jeff Luhnow as GM and believes that he understands how to operate a small market team, writes Stephen Goff of Examiner.com.

Quick Hits: Pujols, Lee, Davis, Buehrle

By | at

On this day in 2008, the Rays traded Edwin Jackson to the Tigers for Matthew Joyce.  In his first full season for Tampa Bay in 2011, Joyce hit .277/.347/.478 with 19 homers and received his first All-Star nomination.    Here are some links for Saturday afternoon..

  • The personal services clause in Albert Pujols' contract ties him to the Angels for ten years beyond his playing contract, tweets Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.  In total, Pujols and the Angels are set to be in business together for 20 years.
  • The Angels were the only team to call the Cardinals about a possible trade for Pujols in recent years, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links).  The talks never advanced, however, as the Cards wouldn't consider trading him (via Twitter).
  • There's no evidence of any interest in Carlos Lee yet, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network.  Heyman suggests that the 35-year-old might need Prince Fielder to come off the board first before the Astros can trade him.  Last year, Lee hit .275/.342/.446 with 18 homers for the Astros.  The Indians have reportedly considered the veteran but are wary of his price tag.
  • The Athletics’ haul for right-hander Trevor Cahill should be a pretty good indication of what the Rays might expect for righty Wade Davis, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.  Clubs might not view Davis as highly, but his contract might make him even more appealing to teams such as the Reds and Marlins.
  • According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Nationals’ final offer to Mark Buehrle was $39MM over three years, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.  Ultimately, the right-hander signed with the Marlins for $58MM over four years.  Ultimately, the Nats' offer was $19MM less in overall guaranteed money and $1.5MM less in average annual value.

NL Central Notes: K-Rod, Pena, Phillips, Pirates

By | at

Here's the latest from Albert Pujols' former division…

  • "A handful of teams" are interested in Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.  Though Rodriguez's 2012 salary is projected as around $13MM through arbitration, the Brewers don't necessarily plan to trade him until they know if Rodriguez is content being John Axford's set-up man.  Yesterday, MLBTR's Steve Adams examined how Rodriguez's decision to accept arbitration affects the Brewers' offseason plans.
  • Carlos Pena is "in play" as a possibility for the Cardinals, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network.  Heyman hasn't heard anything yet about the Cards possibly entering the Prince Fielder sweepstakes.
  • David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears from a friend of Tony La Russa that the ex-Cardinals skipper had already made up his mind about retirement two months before the World Series.
  • The Reds met with Brandon Phillips' agents on Wednesday and presented a new contract offer, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  “I don’t know if they were completely happy…they didn’t agree to it,” said Reds GM Walt Jocketty.  Fay's piece also mentions that the Reds were planning to make a pick in yesterday's Rule 5 draft, but the player was gone before Cincinnati would draft in the 14th overall spot.
  • The Pirates took the "portfolio approach" at the Winter Meetings, GM Neal Huntington tells Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  The Bucs addressed several needs during the Meetings and Huntington said the team has enough payroll flexibility to make more moves if necessary this offseason.
  • Contract details for some of these new Pirates are provided by MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
  • The Astros have some quality prospects, but John Manuel of Baseball America writes that their farm system still needs major help after years of bad drafts.

NL Central Notes: Cardinals, Luhnow, Pirates, Poreda

By | at

Wrapping up a few NL Central loose ends from the Winter Meetings:

  • GM John Mozeliak said Thursday that the Cardinals will "redeploy the resources" that had been allotted for Albert Pujols, writes MLB.com's Matthew Leach.
  • Jon Heyman of the MLB Network tweets that the Cardinals figure to non-tender Ryan Theriot, and names the Mets, Braves, Astros, Reds, Blue Jays, and Royals as teams who may have interest in the infielder.
  • New Astros GM Jeff Luhnow was introduced today and said he's "very optimistic" about taking the club in the right direction, as MLB.com's Brian McTaggart writes.
  • The Pirates' deal with Erik Bedard includes $500K in potential innings bonuses, tweets ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.
  • In the Triple-A portion of today's Rule 5 draft, the Pirates selected Aaron Poreda, tweets John Manuel of Baseball America. The former first-rounder was part of the trade that sent Jake Peavy from the Padres to the White Sox in 2009.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top