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NL West Links: Upton, Hall, Helton, Lee, Padres

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The big news out of the NL West today is Justin Upton's rejection of a trade that would have sent him to the Mariners in exchange for four of Seattle's top young players.  The deal would've been a big risk for both sides, though since the Diamondbacks have other outfield options to potentially replace Upton, the bulk of the risk would've fallen on Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik.  As a source opines to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link), Upton may have "saved Jack Z's job" by rejecting the trade and keeping so much top-flight young talent in Seattle.

Here are some more items from around the NL West…

  • The "strained relationship" between Upton and the Diamondbacks makes it seem that Upton will be playing elsewhere by Spring Training, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
  • In a chat with fans at MLB.com that took place before the latest Upton news broke, Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall discussed all of the speculation about the outfielder.  "All of the media speculation is unfortunate, but not unusual," Hall noted, saying that other teams had been telling the media about their interest in Upton.
  • Todd Helton told reporters (including Troy Renck of the Denver Post) that he is recovering well from hip surgery and confirmed he will return for his 17th Major League season.  Helton is entering the final year of his contract with the Rockies and said in September that he wanted to play in 2013 if his health permitted.
  • Dodgers prospect Zach Lee has no regrets about choosing baseball over college football stardom, he tells MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.  Lee was the 28th overall pick of the 2010 draft and received a $5.25MM bonus to sign with the Dodgers instead of playing football at LSU.
  • The millions earned by Major League stars obscures the fact that most minor leaguers earn very modest paychecks, as MLB.com's Corey Brock explores how several Padres prospects make ends meet during the offseason.

Minor Moves: Escobar, Rays, Samson, Palmer

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We’ll track the day’s minor moves here…

  • The Brewers announced they have signed right-hander Kelvim Escobar to a minor league deal.  Escobar turns 37 in April and has appeared in just one Major League game since 2007 (a five-inning start with the Angels in 2009) due to various arm injuries but has pitched well in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason.  Escobar posted a 4.15 ERA in 411 Major League games with the Blue Jays and Angels between 1997 and 2009.
  • The Rays have signed catcher Craig Albernaz, outfielder Jason Bourgeois and right-hander J.D. Martin to minor league contracts with invites to Major League Spring Training camp, the club announced.
  • Nate Samson signed a minor league deal with the Reds, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned. The 25-year-old infielder spent the 2012 season in the upper minors of the Cubs' system, posting a .273/.320/.346 batting line in 283 plate appearances.
  • The Dodgers signed right-hander Matt Palmer to a minor league deal, according to the transactions page at CBSSports.com. Palmer, 33, appeared in three games for the Padres this past season, but spent most of the year at Triple-A, posting a 5.66 ERA in 98 2/3 innings.
  • The NC Dinos are in the final stages of signing right-hander Eric Hacker, the KBO expansion team announced (via Dan Kurtz of myKBO.net). Hacker, who joins a staff including Adam Wilk and Charlie Shirek, appeared in four games for the 2012 Giants and has experience in two other MLB seasons.

GM Notes: Cherington, Rizzo, Colletti

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Let's catch up on the latest stories and happenings taking place in front offices from around the league…

  • Red Sox GM Ben Cherington spoke to Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio about the status of free agent Mike Napoli and where the slugger stands with the team. Cherington told Bowden (via Twitter) that Boston is still looking to add offense to the first base position as the club still considers Napoli to be a free agent. He added that the Red Sox will continue to work through the issues of signing Napoli but admits there is no deal at this point (on Twitter).
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo faces the task of improving a 98-win team this offseason and recently took a break from the action to chat with MLB.com's Bill Ladson on the state of Nationals baseball. Rizzo points to the young, talented players on his roster taking the proverbial "next step" as one of the factors for the team's continued success in 2013.
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti's major concern for his roster isn't about adding more pieces but rather making sure players are fully recovered from various injuries before Spring Training starts, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. "We're fine right now if we come into camp, we're in a good spot," Colletti said.

Rosenthal On Padres, Orioles, Rockies, Phillies

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The Orioles showed serious interest in Justin Upton before talks with the Diamondbacks sputtered, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported last night. Here are some more of Rosenthal’s notes from around MLB…

  • Rosenthal hears from one executive who expects the Padres to make another significant move. However, the Padres like their group of young starting pitchers and aren’t inclined to make a strong play for one of the remaining free agent starters. San Diego could still trade for a pitcher such as Rick Porcello, Luke Hochevar or Aaron Harang.
  • Talks about a deal involving Upton and Chase Headley didn’t progress, Rosenthal reports.
  • The Orioles continue seeking starting pitching and Joe Saunders remains a target. The Orioles also checked in on Porcello, according to Rosenthal.
  • Though the Orioles spoke with Lance Berkman before he signed with the Rangers, they weren’t interested in spending big for the switch-hitting DH.
  • Jeff Karstens, Derek Lowe, Aaron Cook and Jair Jurrjens are among the possibilities the Rockies are considering. The Rockies wouldn’t offer all of those pitchers Major League deals, however.
  • Rosenthal suggests free agent reliever Rafael Soriano could be a longshot for the Rockies. Colorado would have to surrender its second round draft pick to sign the Scott Boras client.
  • The Phillies continue seeking a right-handed hitting outfielder, Rosenthal reports. They’re still considering free agent Scott Hairston and trade candidates Alfonso Soriano and Vernon Wells. It’s possible the Phillies will go with platoons in both corner outfield positions.

Dodgers Sign J.P. Howell

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The Dodgers' offseason spending continues, as they've officially announced the signing of J.P. Howell to a one-year deal. Howell will reportedly earn $2.85MM with an additional $1.2MM worth of incentives built into the contract. The left-hander is a Legacy Sports Group client.

Uspw_6472630Howell, 29, pitched to a 3.04 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 50 1/3 innings for the Rays last season after missing all of 2010 and part of 2011 due to shoulder surgery. He held left-handed batters to a .200/.306/.306 batting line with a 52.4% ground ball rate in 2012. Howell is a soft-tosser, averaging just 87.1 mph with his fastball last year according to PitchFX.

The Dodgers have not been shy about spending over the last eight months or so. They've re-signed Brandon League while adding Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu this offseason, plus they acquired Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and others during the season. Howell replaces the departed Randy Choate, who took a three-year deal with the Cardinals last month.

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes did not rank Howell as one of the offseason's Top 50 Free Agents. As our Free Agent Tracker shows, lefty relievers like Will Ohman, J.C. Romero, and Manny Parra remain unsigned.

Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times was the first to report that the two sides were nearing an agreement (on Twitter), and ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the agreement had been reached. Olney also added Howell's base salary (Twitter link), while Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweeted news of the incentives.

Steve Adams also contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cafardo On Cubs, Ellsbury, Morneau, Dodgers

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When Theo Epstein took over the Cubs a year ago, he took the long range view and opted for an all-out gutting and rebuilding.  This winter, however, he surprised some when he entered the bidding for Anibal Sanchez and signed Edwin Jackson to a lucrative four-year deal.  Does that mean that the Cubs are better than he anticipated?  “We’re certainly farther along than we were last year at this time,” said Epstein, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. “When we got here, we identified one core player [Starlin Castro] and now we can look around and see Anthony Rizzo, Darwin Barney, Jeff Samardzija , and others. We do have more positional prospects than pitchers, so we felt Jackson will be with us for many years to come.”  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • If Matt Garza can show teams that his elbow is in solid shape during spring training then the Cubs will consider offers for the right-hander.  It's hard to read the Cubs' intentions though since they are building for the future while also signing veteran pitchers.
  • Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is a hard sell to some teams because he is in his walk year and has struggled with injury, but there are other clubs out there looking to make a splash who may feel that one year of a motivated Ellsbury would be tempting. 
  • The Twins' Justin Morneau is in the final year of his contract at $14MM and Cafardo wonders if they would deal him if they got a nice group of young players.  Teams like the Red Sox, Orioles, and Rays (even with James Loney) could be interested in first base help.
  • Dodgers pitchers Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang are both available thanks to the club's offseason pickups and the expected return of Ted Lilly.  Capuano should draw more interest since he is a lefty and coming off a decent season.
  • The White Sox say they want to hang on to Gavin Floyd, but younger pitchers have made him expendable.  It has been speculated that the White Sox won't look to move Floyd until John Danks is healthy.
  • Andrew Bailey is slated to be the Red Sox set-up man in support of Joel Hanrahan, but Cafardo wonders aloud if they might be willing to deal him to address another need?   Bailey didn't help his trade value after he returned from thumb surgery last year, but at least teams know he’s healthy.
  • Cafardo gets the feeling that Justin Upton will be gone just as soon as D'Backs GM Kevin Towers  hears the right mix of players.  Of course, there has also been a great deal of talk surrounding Jason Kubel.

Dodgers Sign Alfredo Amezaga

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The Dodgers signed Alfredo Amezaga to a minor league deal with an invite to big league spring training, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).  The utility man spent last season with the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate.

In 113 games with Triple-A Iowa, Amezaga hit .274/.336/.372 with six homers.  The 34-year-old also has spent parts of nine years in the big leagues with a career slash line of .247/.307/.333 for the Marlins, Angels, Rockies and Pirates.

Minor Moves: Dodgers, Moore, Royals, Boyer

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We'll keep track of tonight's minor moves right here..

  • The Dodgers signed outfielder Jeremy Moore, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America.  Moore ranked as the Angels' No. 11 prospect after the 2011 season but missed all of last year after having hip surgery.  Eddy writes that Moore may lack the plate discipline to ever play regularly but could provide a cheap source of power, speed, and defensive versatility in the outfield.  Moore hit .298/.331/.545 with 15 homers for the Halos' Triple-A affiliate in 2011.
  • The Royals announced that they have signed right-hander pitcher Blaine Boyer to a minor league deal.  Boyer, 31, owns a 4.81 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 233 career MLB relief appearances.
  • The Royals signed first baseman Chad Tracy, according to Eddy.  Tracy, not to be confused with the Nationals' utility man by the same name, is the son of former manager Jim.  The 27-year-old hit .269/.324/.432 with 12 homers for the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate in 2012.
  • The Orioles released Elvis Duran, their top-paid Latin American signing from 2011, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.  The 18-year-old had just one professional season under his belt and was released due to an elbow injury, according to one source.  The 6'7" hurler was signed under the old regime before Dan Duquette took over baseball operations.

Dodgers Moving Towards Deal With J.P. Howell

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The Dodgers are moving towards a one-year contract with J.P. Howell, reports Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The deal has not been finalized, however. The left-hander is a Legacy Sports Group client.

Howell, 29, pitched to a 3.04 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 50 1/3 innings for the Rays last season after missing all of 2010 and part of 2011 due to shoulder surgery. He held left-handed batters to a .200/.306/.306 batting line with a 52.4% ground ball rate in 2012. Howell is a soft-tosser, averaging just 87.1 mph with his fastball last year according to PitchFX.

The Dodgers have not been shy about spending over the last eight months or so. They've re-signed Brandon League while adding Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu this offseason, plus they acquired Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and others during the season. Howell would replace the departed Randy Choate, who took a three-year deal with the Cardinals a few weeks ago.

This post was originally published on January 4th.

Diamondbacks “Open” To Discussing Upton

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6:52pm: The Braves and Mariners have inquired on Upton along with the Rangers, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  One source said that Atlanta “made strong overtures” for Upton earlier in the offseason but came away thinking that the Diamondbacks were not motivated to trade him.

The Mariners are particularly eager to add a hitter and some have gone so far as to say that they're desperate to do so.  They have checked in on the Dodgers’ Andre Ethier and the Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton, according to sources.  Upton might be the Mariners' most realistic pursuit, according to one source with knowledge of the team’s thinking.  The M's have had “on-and-off” discussions with Arizona throughout the offseason, but Upton is not inclined to remove them from his four-team no-trade list.

3:44pm: Facing a surplus of outfielders following their deal with Cody Ross, the Diamondbacks are once again “very much open” to talking about trading Justin Upton, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (all Twitter links). Their specific demands have changed, Olney notes.

Diamondbacks executives have viewed the Mariners as a possible trade partner for Upton, according to Olney. However, the Mariners are on Upton’s no-trade list, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier in the offseason (Twitter link). The Blue Jays are also on the list, which is partially in place to provide Upton with leverage in talks.

Some officials are now convinced the Diamondbacks will trade Upton rather than Jason Kubel, Olney reports. MLBTR readers disagree. Approximately 34% of nearly 10,000 voters said today that they expect the Diamondbacks to address their outfield depth by trading Upton, but approximately 45% expect Kubel to be moved.

The Rangers, Diamondbacks, Rays and Indians discussed multi-team trade scenarios involving Upton at the 2012 Winter Meetings. Texas, Seattle and the Mets now seem like potential fits in my view.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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