AL East Notes: Price, Orioles, Morales, Drew
David Price's trade market has been somewhat slow to develop, as it may be harder than expected to find a team with both the means and the immediate need to pay the Rays' high asking price for their ace left-hander. The Dodgers may not have enough Major League-ready prospects to pull off a Price deal, ESPN Los Angeles' Mark Saxon opines, though adding Yasiel Puig to the mix would certainly get Tampa Bay's attention. The Cubs, meanwhile, have talented youngsters (Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, etc.) that could pry Price from the Rays, but ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers doesn't think it makes sense for the Cubs to short-circuit their rebuilding process just for two years of Price on a team that isn't ready to contend.
Here's some more from around the AL East…
- The Orioles would have to give up their first round draft pick (17th overall) to sign Kendrys Morales, which FOX Sports Jon Morosi tweets is still "a substantial barrier" to Morales coming to Baltimore. Still, the O's remain interested in the free agent slugger. MLBTR's Jeff Todd recently examined the rather slim market for Morales, who is hampered by both the draft pick compensation and his defensive limitations.
- The Red Sox want Stephen Drew back and hope to still re-sign him, manager John Farrell said during a radio appearance on WEEI's Hot Stove Show (partial transcript from WEEI.com's Alex Speier). Boston's recent trade for Jonathan Herrera adds needed experience to their young left side of the infield, but Farrell said that there's mutual interest between Drew and the Sox in a reunion.
- In AL East news from earlier today, the Orioles' deal with Grant Balfour may be held up due to a medical concern about Balfour's shoulder…the Orioles signed Xavier Paul to a minor league contract…we covered a number of Yankees-related items in a Yankees Notes post.
West Notes: Santana, Garza, Gutierrez, Padres
A look at the AL and NL West..
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (on Twitter) that he's in on two of Masahiro Tanaka, Ervin Santana, and Matt Garza.
- The Mariners are showing continued interest in Santana, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Franklin Gutierrez says that he had other offers, including one from the Indians, but "didn't think twice" about other opportunities when the Mariners called him, tweets Greg Johns of MLB.com.
- Even after adding Joaquin Benoit, free agent pitcher Josh Johnson, and trading for outfielder Seth Smith, the Padres might not be finished, writes Corey Brock of MLB.com.
- Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com wonders if the Dodgers can bank on second baseman Alexander Guerrero. Los Angeles signed the Cuban standout this winter to a four-year, $28MM deal that can increase to $32MM with incentives.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels says that not much has changed since the winter meetings, writes Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com.
Brewers Eyeing Michael Young
The Brewers are interested in Michael Young as a first baseman, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Dodgers and Rockies are also in the mix for Young. The Nationals are involved too, but they're also exploring other options at present.
Young could pair with Juan Francisco at first base in Milwaukee. It certainly helps that, as Rosenthal notes (link), Brewers GM Doug Melvin and coaches Jerry and Johnny Narron know Young from his days with the Rangers.
The Brewers have been combing the first base market and lost a potential option when they're own free agent, Corey Hart, hooked on with the Mariners. Recently, our own Charlie Wilmoth looked at some of the other remaining options at the first base position, including the Cardinals' Matt Adams, the Mets' Ike Davis ( whom they've been heavily connected to), and Kendrys Morales. Adams would be a tremendous addition, but prying him away from divisional rivals could be tough.
West Notes: Dodgers, Giants, Astros, Benoit
The Dodgers' total player expenditures last season – including payroll for a 40-man roster, incentive bonuses, benefits and tax payment, comes out to $248MM, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The Dodgers were assessed $11.4MM under baseball's luxury-tax system, according to a person familiar with the matter. More out of the AL and NL West..
- Giants GM Brian Sabean says the club is probably done with major league deals, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Because it would be tough to make additions to the big league roster, he's not looking at minor league invites.
- After losing Jose Veras to the Cubs earlier this evening, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow says he's looking into other pitchers, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. "We're still talking to other relievers," Luhnow said. "Again, the closer role is really going to be determined during Spring Training, and from the standpoint of Josh Fields, Chad Qualls, and Matt Albers, they all have the arm strength and pitches to pitch in the ninth inning. We'll just kind of see what develops. We're not necessarily done on pitching. We're still talking to some pitchers, and we'll see what happens."
- Corey Brock of MLB.com (on Twitter) gets the sense that Joaquin Benoit is very much in play for the Padres as they're still willing to add a difference maker in back end.
Minor Moves: Bell, Marrero, Tigers, Goedert
Here are today's minor moves from around the league…
- The Dodgers have signed third baseman Josh Bell, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The one-time top prospect has only seen 282 career MLB plate appearances, over which he has a meager .195/.223/.265 triple slash with four home runs. Spending time at Triple-A in the Yankees and White Sox systems last year, Bell hit a combined .226/.324/.356 in 210 plate appearances.
- The Orioles have signed first baseman Chris Marrero to a minor league contract, according to Baseball America's Matt Eddy (on Twitter). Now 25 years old, the former No. 15 overall draft pick and top prospect has a .232/.256/.272 batting line in 133 career Major League plate appearances but has a solid .281/.353/.413 line in 1140 career PAs at Triple-A.
- Right-hander Luis Marte and infielder Danny Worth have both cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Toledo, the Tigers announced. Marte, 27, was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Rajai Davis. Worth, 28, was DFA'ed to clear a roster spot for Joba Chamberlain.
- The Blue Jays have signed infielder Jared Goedert to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The 28-year-old spent last season in the Pirates organization, batting .241/.316/.390 with 11 homers in 519 plate appearances. The longtime Indians farmhand is primarily a third baseman and owns a career .261/.332/.459 batting line in 1562 Triple-A plate appearances.
Dodgers Close To Multi-Year Deal With J.P. Howell
The Dodgers are nearing agreement on a multi-year deal with southpaw reliever J.P. Howell, reports Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. According to Gurnick, the deal contemplates a $11.25MM guarantee for two seasons. It would also contain a $6.25MM vesting option for a third year that will become guaranteed with 120 appearances over 2014-15.
Howell, 30, is represented by the Legacy Agency. He played in Los Angeles last year after inking a one-year, $2.85MM deal that included $1.2MM in achievable incentives. He was among the best left-handed relief options on the market this time around. Two other top lefties landed three-year deals, with Javier Lopez obtaining a $13MM guarantee from the Giants and Boone Logan netting $16.5MM from the Rockies. But Howell's deal betters those two in average annual value, and easily eclipses the two-year, $5.5MM commitment that Manny Parra received from the Reds.
Though Howell is slightly older than Logan, he is coming off of a better season. Howell registered a 2.03 ERA in 62 innings for the Dodgers in 2013, striking out 7.8 batters per nine innings while allowing 3.3 walks and 6.1 hits per nine. Advanced metrics were a fan of his work last year as well, with an FIP landing at 2.89 and an xFIP at 3.48.
On the other hand, those same measures were much less pleased by Howell's 2011-12 campaigns, leaving at least some cause to wonder whether he can repeat his 2013 results. Steamer and Oliver projections, via Fangraphs, both see Howell as likely to regress. Predicting a bump up in his low HR/9 and BABIP numbers from last year, those systems peg him as a mid-3.00 ERA hurler next year.
West Notes: Mariners, Cruz, Trumbo, Dodgers, Rockies
The Mariners are one of the winners of the Winter Meetings, John Harper of the New York Daily News writes. Many in baseball have predicted Robinson Cano's 10-year, $240MM deal will end poorly, but the contract will help the Mariners attract other stars and generate fan interest, Harper says. More Saturday night links from baseball's Western divisions:
- The Seattle Times' Ryan Divish has new quotes from Mariners GM Jack Zdurienick on the club's plans for the rest of the offseason. While the Mariners still aim to acquire a right-handed bat, bullpen arms and a back-up catcher, they may have to get creative to do so, Zdurienick says. Nelson Cruz would appear to fit the club's need for right-handed offense, but Divish says he's asking for a deal with a $16-17MM annual salary.
- Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times has high praise for Mark Trumbo's character following the trade that sent the slugger to the Diamondbacks. "I've been a lifelong Angels fan, and in many ways, it has been pretty much all I've known," Trumbo said of the deal. "It'll be a little tough."
- An unnamed Dodgers player told Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter) that Juan Uribe is an "amazing teammate and defender who hit [the] organization's biggest [home run] since [Kirk] Gibson." The third baseman, who will reportedly re-up with the Dodgers for two years and $15MM, clubbed a dramatic go-ahead homer that helped the Dodgers clinch the National League Division Series over the Braves this year.
- The Rockies want to add a veteran to their bench, and Michael Young may be available now that the Dodgers have re-signed Uribe, Troy Renck of The Denver Post writes (Sulia link). Young is reporetedly looking for a starting role, however.
- Carlos Gonzalez says he's prepared for an upcoming move to center field, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. Gonzalez will shift to center from left following the Rockies' trade of Dexter Fowler to the Astros.
Juan Uribe Rumors: Saturday
Here is the latest on Juan Uribe, who is one of the most intriguing infield candidates remaining on the free agent market:
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said today that he remains hopeful of bringing back Uribe at third, reports Ken Gurnick of MLB.com (via Twitter). Recent reports had indicated that Uribe and the Dodgers may be moving apart after the sides could not agree on a one-year deal with an option for a second.
- Earlier this morning, we heard that Michael Young could be of interest as the everyday man on the hot corner in Los Angeles, based in part on the team's perception that Uribe could be planning to depart.
- The Marlins remain interested in Uribe, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reported late last night. Miami would likely not only use Uribe at third, but also to take some at-bats against lefties at first base. Uribe wants two or three years in a deal, says Frisaro.
Dodgers Could Sign Young As Regular Third Baseman
The Dodgers are considering signing free agent Michael Young and installing him as the club's everyday third baseman, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. MVP Sports Group represents the 37-year-old.
After spending much of his time in 2011-12 as a designated hitter, Young served last year as the Phillies' regular third bagger before finishing the year as a utilityman for the Dodgers. Young's return to a daily role in the field came with mixed results. On the one hand, he proved that he is still capable of keeping up with the grind. On the other, Young's hot corner work graded out at or below replacement level in the aggregate.
Young hit at a slightly above average rate in 2013, posting a .279/.335/.395 triple-slash in 565 plate appearances. On the other hand, UBR pegged Young as costing his clubs 4.6 runs through baserunning. And advanced fielding metrics were not fans of his work on the hot corner. UZR, for instance, graded Young as the second-worst regular third baseman in the league.
While we heard recently that the Dodgers were eyeing Young, it would seem a surprise for Los Angeles to plug him into its everyday lineup to start the year. The club could also ink him as a utility player and use his presence to regain some leverage in a seller's market. Juan Uribe, who delivered a big year for the Dodgers in 2013, remains available. But the club is reportedly prepared to move on after not hearing back on an offer to the free agent, with Olney tweeting that L.A. increasingly believes he'll find a new home. Otherwise, the Dodgers will presumably need to test the trade market, where pickings are slim and prices could be high.
Dodgers Acquire Seth Rosin
FRIDAY: The Mets announced (on Twitter) that they have received cash considerations from the Dodgers in exchange for Rosin.
THURSDAY: The Mets have traded right-hander Seth Rosin — their selection in this morning's Rule 5 Draft — to the Dodgers, tweets MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. GM Sandy Alderson had told reporters (including ESPN's Adam Rubin) earlier this morning that he had worked out a deal to send Rosin to another team for a player to be named later (Twitter links).
Rosin, 25, posted a 4.33 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 126 2/3 innings for the Phillies' Double-A affiliate in 2013. The Giants selected Rosin in the fourth round of the 2010 draft out of the University of Minnesota and traded him to the Phillies along with Nate Schierholtz and Tommy Joseph in the Hunter Pence deal of July 2012. Schierholtz was non-tendered after the 2012 season and signed with the Cubs, leaving Joseph as the last remaining piece of that deal. Of course, Rosin is no guarantee to stick with the Dodgers and could ultimately be returned to the Phillies.