Dodgers Rumors

Odds & Ends: Everidge, Lincecum, Lewis, Manny

By Tim Dierkes | February 3, 2010 at 9:23pm CDT

Links for Wednesday…

Tommy Everidge cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. The Mariners designated Everidge for assignment last week to make room on the roster for Eric Byrnes.
Various agents think the Giants and Tim Lincecum will somehow avoid an arbitration hearing regardless of how poorly talks are going, reports MLB.com's Chris Haft.
The Astros signed 18-year-old Nicaraguan first baseman Mesac Laguna yesterday, reports Roger Olivas of El Nuevo Diaro.
Free agent journeyman Nelson Figueroa hopes to return to the Mets but wants to avoid the minors, reports Angel Pinto Vaamonde of the blog BeisbolVenezolano.net. Thanks to Nick Collias for translations on these two bullets.
Colby Lewis heard from 12 or 13 teams before signing with the Rangers, reports ESPN's Tim Kurkjian. The A's and Twins also offered two-year deals.
Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball explains how an arbitration hearing works. Hearings are scheduled through February 21st, with Tim Lincecum's case drawing the most attention.
Manny Ramirez "seriously considered opting out of his contract to return to the American League for a designated-hitter role," reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. The idea seems silly now, but in November it wasn't ridiculous to think Manny might've preferred to chase, say, a two-year, $32MM deal elsewhere.
Bill Shanks of Scout.com talked to Braves assistant GM Bruce Manno, who replied "Never say never" when asked about Johnny Damon. Still, Manno likes the club as it stands. And MLB.com's Mark Bowman believes the Braves are not actively pursuing Damon.
Rany Jazayerli examines a "delusional" quote from an anonymous Royals official regarding the team's 2008-09 offseason.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says the Blue Jays should have significant payroll flexibility after the 2010 season.
MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince doesn't see Orlando Hudson as a fit for the Indians.

Dodgers Sign Alfredo Amezaga

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 3, 2010 at 12:33pm CDT

The Dodgers officially signed Alfredo Amezaga to a minor league deal worth $650K with another $800K in incentives today. The 32-year-old worked out for four teams this week and attracted interest from ten-plus clubs earlier in the winter. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first tweeted the agreement last night.

Amezaga appeared in just 27 games last season, hitting .217/.267/.261 as he struggled with knee problems. Amezaga distinguishes himself from other powerless hitters with his versatility. He has major league experience at all four infield positions and all three outfield positions. Most of his experience comes in center field and at shortstop; he grades well in limited samples at both positions, according to UZR/150.

The Dodgers have been adding steadily to their bench this offseason. They signed Ronnie Belliard and Jamey Carroll before adding Reed Johnson and Amezaga this week.

Dodgers Sign Ramon Ortiz

By Tim Dierkes | February 3, 2010 at 8:37am CDT

The Dodgers signed righty Ramon Ortiz to a minor league deal, reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Ortiz, 37 in March, spent 2009 with the Giants' Triple A club. He posted a 3.05 ERA, 7.9 K/9, and 2.4 BB/9 in 129.6 innings. Ortiz's career has also included stops with the Angels, Reds, Nationals, Twins, Rockies, and Orix Buffaloes.

Dodgers Re-Sign Jeff Weaver

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 2, 2010 at 10:49pm CDT

The Dodgers have re-signed Jeff Weaver to a minor league deal worth $800K plus up to $100K in incentives. The 33-year-old righty pitched to a 3.65 ERA in 79 innings for the Dodgers last year. He started seven games and finished five, serving as a swingman in Joe Torre's bullpen. Weaver paired a 3.8 BB/9 with a career high strikeout rate of 7.3 K/9.

We heard this weekend that Scott Boras was trying to find interest in Weaver. There wasn't much buzz around the sidearmer this offseason; the Dodgers were the only team linked to him.

Yahoo's Tim Brown first tweeted the agreement and Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times added the terms of the contract and tweeted when it became official.

Minor League Transactions: Mench, Perez, Cairo

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 2, 2010 at 9:14pm CDT

A 25 homer hitter, a former first rounder and a 14-year veteran signed this week. Baseball America's Matt Eddy has the details on those transactions and more. Here are some highlights from January 25th-31st:

The Nationals signed Kevin Mench. The 32-year-old didn't play in the majors last year, but he hit 25 homers as recently as 2005. He has a career .900 OPS against lefties.
The Blue Jays signed Wade Townsend. The Rays released the 2005 first rounder last summer, but the Jays are giving him a chance.
The Reds signed Miguel Cairo. The 14-year-veteran posted a .705 OPS for the Phillies last year in 47 plate appearances.
The White Sox signed Daniel Cabrera. The 6'7'' right-hander led the American League in walks and earned runs allowed when he logged over 200 innings for the Orioles in 2007. He split time with the D'Backs and Nationals last year, struggling with both clubs.
The Dodgers signed Timo Perez out of the Can-Am League. The 34-year-old surfaced as a rookie for the Mets in the 2000 Subway Series.
The Phillies signed Freddy Guzman.
The Mets signed Val Pascucci, who has 193 minor league homers to his name.

Odds & Ends: Mauer, Hairston, Buck, Benson

By Tim Dierkes | February 2, 2010 at 5:10pm CDT

Links for Tuesday…

We shouldn't expect a Joe Mauer extension soon, according to this tweet from USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
The Padres avoided arbitration with Scott Hairston, signing the outfielder to a one-year deal worth $2.45MM, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports believes that the Tigers have moved into the non-denial stage regarding Johnny Damon (via Twitter).
A's outfielder Travis Buck has a chip on his shoulder after watching the A's acquire multiple outfielders, reports CSNBayArea's Mychael Urban. But as ESPN's Rob Neyer points out, Buck hasn't done much recently with the bat.
Free agent outfielder Darin Erstad told ESPN's Jerry Crasnick he'd love to play in 2010, but "there is nowhere to find at-bats."
Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets that the Dodgers "remain interested in Jeff Weaver, but their roster situation could prevent them from offering him a major-league deal."
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports names the D'Backs, Cubs, Reds, and Nationals as teams monitoring free agent starter Kris Benson. Benson didn't pitch much in the last three seasons due to rotator cuff surgery.
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. further explained his rationale behind the Cliff Lee trade, reports Scott Lauber of The News Journal. Amaro's reasoning didn't sway my opinion; none of the three prospects he received are in Keith Law's top 100 (though Ramirez is #101). The long-term value of Phillippe Aumont, J.C. Ramirez, and Tyson Gillies should not outweigh the extra 4-5 wins Lee would've provided in 2010. And did Amaro even shop Lee around for the best package?
Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star is pessimistic on the Royals, who he says don't offer much beyond Zack Greinke, Billy Butler, and Joakim Soria.
RotoAuthority looks at Boston's closer situation from a fantasy baseball point of view.

Dodgers Sign Reed Johnson

By Steve Adams | February 1, 2010 at 8:15pm CDT

The Dodgers officially signed outfielder Reed Johnson to a one-year, $800K deal today. He can earn another $250K in incentives. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the near-agreement on Sunday, with Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times adding contract details.

Johnson, 33, hit .255/.330/.412 with the Cubs last season, seeing time at all three outfield positions, though primarily in center field. He was limited to just 65 games as a result of a fractured left foot. The Cubs non-tendered him after the season rather than pay him a salary in the $3MM range.

We've heard recently that the Dodgers have been in touch with Garret Anderson, but the Johnson acquisition likely puts an end to that. Johnson makes more sense as a fourth outfielder, given his ability to play anywhere in the outfield, though UZR suggests that his only strong spot is in left.

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

Lowry Audition Pushed Back

By Tim Dierkes | February 1, 2010 at 4:13pm CDT

MONDAY, 4:13pm: Lowry's scheduled throwing session has been pushed back, according to the AP. His agent says the lefty has not had a setback; he just wants to throw a few more bullpen sessions before auditioning.

THURSDAY, 1:35pm: Scott Lauber of the News Journal tweets that the Phillies will be there.

WEDNESDAY, 4:29pm: The Rangers will watch Lowry throw, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.

8:27am: Lefty Noah Lowry is set to throw for teams Tuesday, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The 29-year-old seeks a one-year contract after battling thoracic outlet syndrome the last few years. His last truly effective season was 2005.

Crasnick expects about 15 teams to attend the session, including the Reds, Red Sox, Cardinals, Braves, Astros, Dodgers, Mariners, Cubs, Nationals and Mets. Back in December, a Crasnick report linked the Padres, A's, Rockies, and Pirates to Lowry as well.

Minor League Transactions: Clark, Hammock, Loux

By Tim Dierkes | February 1, 2010 at 8:28am CDT

Baseball America's Matt Eddy has the minor league transactions for the period of January 19-24. A few notables from him, after the Knoedler and Giese bullets:

The Dodgers signed catcher Justin Knoedler, reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.
According to MiLB.com, the A's re-signed pitcher Dan Giese on January 27th. Giese, 33 in May, tossed 22 innings for the big league club last year but learned in June he'd need Tommy John surgery.
The Braves signed reliever Chris Resop, who spent '09 with the Hanshin Tigers.
The White Sox added Brady Clark, who once scored 94 runs as a member of the '05 Brewers. It was the Brewers' December '04 Scott Podsednik–Carlos Lee trade with the Sox that gave Clark a starting opportunity in '05.
The Rockies signed catcher Robby Hammock, who spent last season with Baltimore's Triple A club.
Pitcher Shane Loux signed with the Astros. The 30-year-old posted a 5.86 ERA, 19 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 58.3 innings for the Angels last year.

Odds & Ends: Carroll, Wang, Hudson, Fielder

By Zachary Links | January 31, 2010 at 10:21pm CDT

Sunday night linkage..

Despite their budget constraints, Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times expects the Rays to upgrade their roster. Topkin mentions several quality free agents who may have to accept minor league deals such as Jim Edmonds, Rocco Baldelli, and ex-Ray Jonny Gomes as proof that the market is rife with valuable players.
At the Mariners Fan Fest event, pitcher Mark Lowe told the crowd in attendance that he keeps up on all of the latest transactions with MLBTradeRumors (video from MLB.com, :40 mark). Dave Sims – the television voice of the M's – followed that up with his own mention of MLBTR. Thanks guys!
Tim brings us the terms of Jamey Carroll's contract with the Dodgers via Twitter. Carroll will earn $1.35MM in 2010 and $2.5MM in 2011. The 35-year-old could also earn up to $525K per year in plate appearance incentives.
The Dodgers are among the teams that have reviewed Chien-Ming Wang's medical records, according to a tweet from Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. Recently, ESPN's Jayson Stark pegged the Dodgers as a possible destination for the 29-year-old.
Washington GM Mike Rizzo and Orlando's Hudson's representative haven't talked in a couple of days, according to MLB.com's William Ladson (via Twitter). Furthermore, Rizzo says that if Hudson has brought his price down, it's news to him (also via Twitter).
In response to a fan asking how much he thinks Prince Fielder will sign for, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy writes that he doesn't think he will sign at all and will instead opt to hit the open market after the 2011 season (via Twitter).
Jon Weisman of the Los Angeles Times writes that the Dodgers' rumored signing of Reed Johnson likely means that Ronnie Belliard will get the nod over Blake DeWitt at second base. Weisman's reasoning is that the roster, as it stands now, would feature an all right-handed bench without DeWitt's inclusion. Weisman wonders if this overload of righty sluggers means that the Dodgers will pursue another free agent backup outfielder.

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