Quick Hits: Weaver, Giants, Dodgers, Walker
Jered Weaver isn't worried that he might have lost out on a bigger contract when he signed a five-year, $85MM extension with the Angels in 2011, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles times writes. "I don't give a [expletive]," says Weaver. "You can quote me on that." If not for the extension, Weaver would have been a free agent this past offseason, in which Zack Greinke received a $147MM contract from the Dodgers. Here are more notes from around the majors…
- Giants president Larry Baer is discussing long-term contract extensions with general manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Sabean and Bochy are signed through 2014, but, after having won World Series in 2010 and 2012, Baer appears to be planning to keep them in San Francisco much longer, saying their extensions "won't be for one year."
- The Dodgers have discussed an extension with manager Don Mattingly, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times notes. "I think you might see something come up before the end of the year," says Dodgers chairman Mark Walter. Mattingly is in the last year of a three-year deal. Walter also says that the Dodgers, who already have a $230MM payroll in 2013, still have the financial flexibility to add substantial talent at this year's trade deadline, should the need arise. "I think in terms of who the players are, what we need and what our options are, rather than a total budget," Walter says. An extension for Clayton Kershaw could also be on the horizon.
- The Pirates and second baseman Neil Walker avoided arbitration with a one-year, $3.3MM deal in late January, but "it could be a matter of when, not if" the two parties reconvene talks on an extension, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Walker will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2016 season, at which point he will be 31 years old.
AL West Links: Downs, Daniels, A’s, Ankiel
Ivan Rodriguez has been hired by the Rangers as a special assistant to the general manager, the team announced today. "Pudge" spent 13 of his 20 Major League seasons as a Ranger and will now serve the organization as a scout, organizational instructor and ambassador. Here are some more items from around the AL West…
- Scott Downs wants to remain with the Angels and the southpaw tells MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez that he would be willing to negotiate an extension during the season. Downs' representatives at CAA have told the Angels' front office about their client's wishes but have yet to get a response. Downs turns 37 in March and has pitched very well in Anaheim, posting a 2.17 ERA over 99 1/3 innings in his first two years of his three-year, $15MM contract. He turns 37 in March, however, and Gonzalez speculates that the Angels may let Downs go since Sean Burnett and Nick Maronde are in the fold as left-handed bullpen options.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels spoke with Dallas Morning News readers about the team's offseason moves, international signings, the current Texas roster and more in a live chat today.
- The Athletics have received tentative guidelines from the Commissioner's Office regarding a possible move to San Jose, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. This isn't necessarily a sign that the A's will be allowed to move, Shaikin notes, though if the team can comply with these guidelines, it could prompt Bud Selig to put the matter of the proposed move to a vote of the other league owners. MLB has been studying the Athletics' proposed San Jose relocation for four years, and the Giants are known to oppose the move on the grounds that it infringes on their territorial rights.
- Rick Ankiel will make $750K if he makes the Astros' Opening Day roster, plus a few small bonuses based on plate appearances, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports. Houston signed the veteran outfielder to a minor league contract in January.
AL West Notes: Walker, Rangers, Lohse, Angels
Top prospect Taijuan Walker's stuff has Mike Morse "excited" about being with the Mariners, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports. Morse took a few swings against the 20-year-old Walker in Spring Training on Tuesday and was surprised by what he saw, particularly given Walker's age. "He was throwing an easy 94 or 95 [mph]," Morse said. "I'm like, 'C'mon Mike, bear down, show this kid who's boss.' But stuff like that gets you excited about an organization." Here are more notes from around the A.L. West…
- The Rangers still aren't interested in free agent starter Kyle Lohse, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com writes. Texas has a vacancy in its rotation behind Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando.
- Angels reliever Kevin Jepsen is focusing on "keeping it simple" this spring, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. Jepsen blames his struggles early in the 2012 season on a change to the grip on his two-seam fastball, which diminished his ability to throw his other pitches effectively. He allowed nine runs in seven innings through the end of April, before recovering to post a 3.02 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 44 innings for the season.
- Astros Jarred Cosart and Josh Zeid are excited to pitch against their former team, the Phillies, in their spring opener Saturday, says Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. At the 2011 trade deadline, the Phillies traded both players to the Astros, along with Jonathan Singleton and Domingo Santana, for Hunter Pence.
Los Angeles Notes: Vizquel, Theriot, Greinke
The two teams representing the Greater Los Angeles area appear to be on collision course for a World Series matchup given the depth of their respective rosters. From the Dodgers adding arguably one of the most dominant pitchers in the game (Zack Greinke) to the Angels bolstering their already powerful lineup with the bat of Josh Hamilton, both teams have their eyes set on October. Here's the latest from around Tinseltown.
- Omar Vizquel finds himself at a Spring Training camp for the 25th year in a row, but this time he'll be the one leading instruction as he transitions from player to coach, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. The potential future Hall of Famer begins the journey from coach to manager as the Angels' roving infield instructor.
- Ryan Theriot's possible return to the Giants remains unlikely given the veteran's desire for increased playing time, specifically, as a starter, says Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Gate (via Twitter). Theriot, 33, posted a .270/.316/.321 batting line in 104 games with the Giants in 2012.
- Zack Greinke spoke with reporters on Friday about dealing with anxiety issues that nearly derailed his career back when he was a rookie in 2006, writes Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. "I haven't really had a problem with any of it since 2007," Greinke said. "I don't really think about it ever anymore. It was just [taking] the medicine. It really was."
L.A. Notes: Greinke, Mattingly, Hamilton, Pujols
Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke is a “baseball junkie,” writes FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, who notes that Greinke participated in scouting trips with the Brewers’ front office while he pitched for Milwaukee. Greinke wanted the Brewers to pick infielder Corey Seager, but Greinke’s current team, the Dodgers, took Seager before the Brewers had a chance to select him. Here are more notes from the Dodgers and Angels:
- Greinke doesn’t mind making less money than Felix Hernandez, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports. The Mariners right-hander recently signed a seven-year, $175MM extension, topping Greinke’s six-year, $147MM deal with the Dodgers. Hernandez is “a better pitcher than I am,” Greinke says.
- ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden predicts that the Dodgers will extend manager Don Mattingly’s contract during Spring Training. Bowden suggests that Davey Johnson’s impending retirement, which will create what would appear to be a desirable managerial opening with the Nationals, could help convince the Dodgers to extend Mattingly, preventing him from leaving.
- New Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton describes hitting in the Los Angeles lineup, alongside Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, as “appealing,” the San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea reports (on Twitter).
- Pujols, meanwhile, says that “We look good on paper, but we still have to go out there and perform,” MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez writes (on Twitter).
Quick Hits: Mariners, Indians, Red Sox, Zambrano
MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith and Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts discussed the 2014 free agent class and busy weeks for the Mariners and Indians on the most recent edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast. While you check that out, here's more from around baseball on this Wednesday night..
- In an interview with WEEI's Dennis & Callahan this morning, Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino discussed the team's philosophy regarding free agents and their approach to Josh Hamilton this winter, writes WEEI.com's Alex Speier. “I think we have to keep all avenues open. There was discussion about Hamilton. But when it became clear that it was likely to be a five-, six-, seven-year contract, we thought there was a better way to redeploy the money we had saved from similar long-term contracts," Lucchino said.
- A source tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter) that Carlos Zambrano may sign in Japan on Taiwan if he can't land a major league deal this offseason. Big Z is a free agent after posting a 4.49 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in 20 starts and 15 relief appearances last season.
- The Angels' new trio of starters could prove to be a great bargain, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. Jason Vargas, Tommy Hanson, and Joe Blanton will earn a combined $18.725MM this season. Some feel that the Halos' rotation is their weakpoint, but they apparently won't be making a run at Kyle Lohse.
- More from Speier, who looked at the Red Sox's new approach to roster building in the wake of last season's blockbuster with the Dodgers.
Angels Sign Chad Cordero
Reliever Chad Cordero announced via Twitter that he has signed a minor league deal with the Angels. The deal does not include a spring training invite, according to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (on Twitter). Cordero retired from baseball in June of 2011 after hooking on with the independent St. Paul Saints.
Cordero, 30, said back in March that he was getting the itch to play again and was giving serious consideration to making a comeback. Across six seasons with the Nationals/Expos, Cordero posted a 2.78 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. The right-hander last appeared in the majors in 2010 when he saw time in nine games for the Mariners.
Cordero is represented by Reynolds Sports Management.
Kyle Lohse Rumors: Wednesday
The Nationals don't presently have interest in Kyle Lohse, the Cardinals don't expect to add starting pitching, and the Indians don't appear to have interest in Lohse. In other words the market for the Scott Boras client remains unclear even as Spring Training gets started. Here’s the latest with the most recent rumors up top…
- A Red Sox source indicated to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that a deal with Lohse seems unlikely. WEEI.com reported last week that the Red Sox aren't likely to sign Lohse.
Earlier Updates:
- While the Brewers might seem like a fit for Lohse, GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he hasn't had any conversations with Scott Boras. "We aren't talking to him," Melvin said. The GM acknowledged that Boras has spoken with owner Mark Attanasio but said "there's nothing going on" there.
- Agent Scott Boras has repeatedly tried to engage the Angels about Lohse, but so far the club has passed, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). The Angels have already sacrificed a top draft pick to sign Josh Hamilton. Their rotation currently consists of Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Joe Blanton, Tommy Hanson and Jason Vargas.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told reporters today that Gio Gonzalez's connections with the Biogenesis clinic in Miami did not "intensify" the team's search for a starting pitcher, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times reports (on Twitter).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AL West Notes: Cabrera, Athletics, Garland
The baseball community is buzzing over Michael Bourn's four-year pact with the Indians, but there's more news than just that in the baseball world. Here's a collection of links pertaining to the AL West…
- Right-hander Fernando Cabrera, who signed a minor league contract with the Angels in January, can opt out of his deal if he is not on the Major League roster by July 31 according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (Twitter link).
- John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group tweets that Athletics manager Bob Melvin called Hiroyuki Nakajima and told him not to worry about the club's acquisition of Jed Lowrie. The A's traded for Lowrie a week ago.
- There's no bad blood between Bartolo Colon and his teammates, writes CSN Bay Area's Casey Pratt. The Athletics have welcomed Colon back with open arms, and his teammates are glad to have him back in the fold as they look to defend their AL West title.
- A scout texted Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and praised the Mariners for their minor league pact with Jon Garland. The scout tells Rosenthal that Garland looks healthy and was impressive in a recent workout. Garland told Rosenthal that his decision not to go to camp with the Indians after agreeing to a minor league deal with them last winter may have been the best decision of his career because it helped him finally get back to 100 percent. Cleveland GM Chris Antonetti called Garland's decision "very classy."
- Kenji Nimura, who served as Hiroki Kuroda's intepreter for the Yankees last season, will now assume that role with Yu Darvish of the Rangers, Newsday's David Lennon tweets.
- Ryan Madson suffered a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which means he probably won't be ready to take the reins as the Angels' closer on Opening Day, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. Remember fantasy baseball players, you can keep track of all the latest closer-related injuries and news this season by following Tim Dierkes' @closernews on Twitter.
Quick Hits: Thome, Boras, Angels, Villalona, Rolen
Here's the latest from around the majors…
- The Indians are no longer pursuing Jim Thome, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link) reports, as the team doesn't want to devote a roster spot to a full-time DH. Thome is "healthy, working out [and] open to other clubs," Rosenthal notes. Thome said in December that he was open to continuing his career in 2013.
- Scott Boras plans to open a sports fitness center for his clients in south Florida next year, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports, in part to prevent players from getting associated with doctors and clinics associated with PEDs. Boras says his clinic will “bring about a certain level of assurance that the players we represent are certainly given the best information and best professional training…We feel we can best avoid all of the outside resources that are attacking these young men and providing them with false information and less than licensed professional medical assistance.”
- The Angels twice chose to focus on their hitters ahead of their pitching rotation this winter, decisions that MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez feels will define their season, for better or worse.
- Angel Villalona will join the Giants' Spring Training camp after obtaining a work visa to come to the United States, Baseball America's Ben Badler reports. Villalona couldn't get a visa last year and was on MLB's restricted list in 2010-11 due to complications from being charged with murder in his native Dominican Republic in 2009, charges that were eventually dropped.
- While Scott Rolen can't contribute on the field as he could in his prime, his veteran leadership can still be a big boost to a contender, MLB.com's Mike Bauman writes. Rolen has toyed with retirement this winter but may be negotiating a return to the Reds.