NL East Links: Marlins, Amaro, Betemit
The Nationals' acquisitions of Doug Fister, Nate McLouth and Jerry Blevins may be enough to make them the NL East favorites for 2014, MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko opines. Kolko feels the Marlins and Mets are still rebuilding, the Phillies lack depth and the Braves have been weakened by the losses of Brian McCann and Tim Hudson, opening the door for Washington reclaim the NL East crown after their disappointing 2013 campaign.
Here's some more from around the division…
- The Marlins are still looking for a veteran reliever to add experience to their bullpen, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro writes.
- Ruben Amaro Jr. sees a lot of risk in the free agent pitching market, the Phillies GM told reporters (including Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com). "With the way the market is set up right now, I’m not real comfortable with going the extra mile for some of the guys that are still out there still that may improve us a little bit, but in the long run may be detrimental to us," he said. Amaro's statement likely includes top pitchers such as Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Ervin Santana.
- The Braves and Indians have interest in Wilson Betemit, CSNBaltimore.com's Rich Dubroff reports (Twitter link). The Marlins were also linked to Betemit earlier this week but their signing of Casey McGehee probably ended that interest.
MLBTR's Zach Links contributed to this post
Marlins Designate Kyle Skipworth For Assignment
The Marlins have designated Kyle Skipworth for assignment, a source tells MLBTR. The 23-year-old was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2008 draft.
The catcher got his first taste of big league action this past season, seeing a handful of plate appearances across four games in the spring. Prior to 2009, Baseball America had Skipworth ranked as the No. 89 prospect in the country. At the time of his selection, BA touted Skipworth as "the best high school catcher in the nation, and [maybe] the best prep prospect at that position since Joe Mauer was the first pick in the 2001 draft." The Marlins gave the athletic youngster a $2.3MM signing bonus after selecting him.
The move will create room for the newly-signed Casey McGehee on the 40-man roster. You can keep up with everyone in DFA limbo using the MLBTR DFA Tracker.
Marlins Sign Casey McGehee
The Marlins have been on the lookout for an answer to their hole at third base this offseason, and they filled that spot on the diamond today by officially announcing a one-year deal with Casey McGehee. McGehee, who spent last season playing in Japan, will reportedly earn a base salary of $1.1MM and has additional incentives in his deal contract. Back in October, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reported that McGehee was seeking a return to MLB.
The 31-year-old may not be the No. 1 target of big league clubs from the Rakuten Golden Eagles — that honor goes to his now-former teammate Masahiro Tanaka — but McGehee did hit .289/.371/.512 with 27 home runs in his first season there and got some attention from MLB scouts. McGehee is represented by Barry Meister, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database. McGehee earned a guaranteed $1.5MM with the Golden Eagles last season, meaning he'll take a slight pay cut to return to the Major Leagues (although his incentives likely can carry him beyond that mark).
McGehee broke into the Majors in impression fashion with the Brewers, batting .291/.346/.477 with 39 homers in 273 games (1064 plate appearances). His production vanished over the next two years, though, as the former 10th-round pick batted just .221/.282/.351 over his next 952 plate appearances prior to his signing in Japan.
Last week, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that Miami was intrigued by McGehee. Wilson Betemit, who lost 2013 to injuries, was also discussed as an option by the Marlins.
Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald first reported the agreement (on Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported the Major League guarantee (also on Twitter).
NL East Notes: Phillies, Rollins, Marlins
The Phillies have a contender's payroll, and therefore Ruben Amaro Jr. is still in win-now mode despite an aging and declining core, writes CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury. However, the Phils may be just one bad half away from Amaro finally conceding to a rebuild, says Salisbury, who recalls a quote from Amaro at the Winter Meetings where Amaro acknowledged the possibility.
- Salisbury's colleague, Corey Seidman, opines that the Phillies are stuck with Jimmy Rollins, much like they are with Jonathan Papelbon. Though there are a few contenders in need of a shortstop upgrade, but Rollins' $11MM salary plus his 10-and-5 rights make it nearly impossible to move him.
- The Marlins are willing to trade from their wealth of starting pitchers to acquire a third baseman, president of baseball operations Michael Hill told MLB.com's Joe Frisasro. Said Hill: "This is why you build and try to create depth, to allow you to do what you need to do to win games at the Major League level."
- Since Mike Rizzo took over as Nationals GM in 2009, he’s seven different trades with A's GM Billy Beane of the Athletics. Chase Hughes of CSNWashington.com looked back on all of the deals that have gone down between Oakland and Washington.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Cafardo On Trumbo, Middlebrooks, Burnett, Morales
The Winter Meetings featured the three-team trade that sent Mark Trumbo to the Diamondbacks, as well as a number of other moves, but Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe argues that this year's meetings featured plenty of press, but comparatively little meaningful activity. Cafardo wonders whether baseball should issue a moratorium on moves before the Winter Meetings, so that the meetings themselves feature more signal and less noise. Here's more from Cafardo:
- For the Diamondbacks, the Trumbo acquisition was about adding power, which is in short supply these days. "Just looking at the West, and looking at the National League and looking at the free agent market going forward, I just don’t know where you’re going to find power," says GM Kevin Towers.
- If the Red Sox re-sign Stephen Drew, that would bump Xander Bogaerts to third base and make Will Middlebrooks a trade candidate. The Marlins, who are looking for a third baseman, would likely be interested.
- Even after a report that the Orioles had interest in A.J. Burnett and had been in touch with his agent, the Pirates feel Burnett doesn't want to play for any other team. "There’s no reason for [Burnett] not to be back," says a Pirates official.
- Four teams have offered two-year deals to free agent Bronson Arroyo, but Arroyo is holding out for a three-year deal, or maybe a two-year deal with a vesting option.
- There doesn't appear to be a particularly robust market for Kendrys Morales, with the Mariners adding Corey Hart and Logan Morrison and the Angels likely to sign Raul Ibanez. The Orioles might be one possibility, but not at Morales' price.
Marlins Still Looking To Add Third Baseman
When Juan Uribe re-upped with the Dodgers yesterday, the Marlins were left looking at a thin third base supply that lacks any obvious starter-level options. But that does not mean that Miami will not make an addition, reports Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.
Eric Chavez could be an option, as he has posted two straight years with a better-than .800 OPS. But Chavez, who just turned 36, has done virtually all of his damage against right-handed pitching. He also has drawn wide interest, and may not end up being terribly cheap. Of the remaining free agents, says Frisaro, the Fish are most interested in bringing back Casey McGehee from Japan or giving Wilson Betemit a chance to reestablish his health and his bat. But, says Frisaro, the club may be more inclined to bring one of those two in on a minor league deal.
As I noted in presenting the club's offseason outlook, a stopgap could well make sense. That is especially so if Miami agrees with MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo that prospect Colin Moran could be ready for the bigs by the end of the summer.
Alternatively, as I explained in that piece, the club could slide Derek Dietrich to the hot corner. Dietrich has power upside and a big arm, and is just 24. But he is now without a position after the signing of Rafael Furcal. Frisaro does note that Dietrich could still be under consideration at third. The easiest (and, perhaps, best) option at this point might be to platoon his left-handed stick with a right-handed swinging veteran.
Of course, I wrote that piece before Miami went out and spent a decent chunk of cash to add veteran options around the infield. With an exciting young outfield and pitching staff already in place, it may be tempting to round out the offseason with a more impactful addition.
Indeed, according to Frisaro's report, there is at least some consideration being given to pursuing a third baseman via trade. Though the club would not part with any of its young pitching unless it returns "a big league prospect under club control," Frisaro suggests Will Middlebrooks of the Red Sox and Mike Olt of the Cubs as hypothetical targets.
From my perspective, with Moran in the wings and Dietrich on hand, the club would have to achieve significant value in a trade to make that route the most attractive proposition. Simply adding a right-handed bat to complement the team's existing youngsters may be the most efficient and highest-upside play at the present.
East Notes: Yankees, Barney, Marlins, McGehee
The latest from the AL East..
- The Yankees may have interest in Darwin Barney of the Cubs, tweets Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com. The two sides have discussed the second baseman in the past and talks have been renewed in the wake of Omar Infante's agreement with the Royals. Barney had a down year in 2013, posting a .208/.266/.303 line in 501 plate appearances.
- Meanwhile, the Marlins are looking for a third baseman and are intrigued by free agent Casey McGehee, who played in Japan this year and led his team to a championship, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Back in October, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reported that McGehee was seeking a return to MLB. The 31-year-old hit .289/.371/.512 with 27 home runs in his first season with the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Wilson Betemit, who lost 2013 to injuries, has also been discussed as an option. Miami wants a third baseman with versatility, and McGehee and Betemit both fit the bill.
- Despite a little talk about other teams interest in Brian Roberts, he hasn’t been mentioned very often by the Orioles in the last few weeks, writes Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com.
- Rays infielder Tim Beckham, the top pick in the 2008 draft, will miss a good chunk of the 2014 season after suffering an ACL tear, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He would have been a long shot to make the Opening Day roster but he likely would have seen action if Tampa Bay needed depth or had an injury to a middle infielder.
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.
Quick Hits: Rays, Kimbrel, Weeks, Kalish, Madson
Andrew Friedman doesn't think the Rays' search for a first baseman will last beyond another week, the club's executive VP told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). "There were some suggestions…of movement" between the Rays and James Loney on Thursday, Topkin reports, and Loney remains the Rays' top choice, though at less than his three-year, $27MM asking price. If Loney signs elsewhere, Topkin expects the Rays to acquire a first baseman in a trade rather than in free agency.
Here are some more items from around baseball as we conclude the 2013 Winter Meetings…
- This might be the optimal time for the Braves to trade Craig Kimbrel, ESPN's Buster Olney writes (Insider subscription required). Kimbrel is about to get much more expensive now that he's eligible for arbitration, to the point that Kimbrel's incredible statistics "broke" the arbitration projection model used by MLBTR's Matt Swartz.
- Rumors connecting Rickie Weeks to the Blue Jays, Braves and Marlins during the Winter Meetings were all false, Brewers GM Doug Melvin tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).
- Ryan Kalish "is in the final stages" of signing with a new team, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. Kalish was non-tendered by the Red Sox earlier this month. The outfielder missed the entire 2013 season recovering from shoulder and neck surgeries.
- Several teams, including the Red Sox, have been scouting right-hander Ryan Madson, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports. The Rockies were also recently linked to Madson, who has missed two full seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery.
- ESPN's Paul Swydan (Insider subscription required) lists four teams who could be helped by the inexpensive additions of Kevin Youkilis, Brian Roberts, Johan Santana and Jeff Francis, respectively. Swydan also wrote about how Clint Barmes could help the Mets, but Barmes re-signed with the Pirates earlier today.
- Diamondbacks president/CEO Derrick Hall discussed his team's desire for a top starting pitcher, the recent Mark Trumbo deal and several other topics during a live chat with fans on MLB.com.
- The Pirates, Orioles and Indians could be risking their recent success with their hesitation to spend, USA Today's Bob Nightengale opines.
- Several team executives and scouts joined ESPN's Jayson Stark in listing the winners and losers of the offseason thus far, with a pair of teams (the Mariners and Yankees) somewhat in between, in the "winners with an asterisk" category.
AL West Notes: Wilson, Young, Angels, Morrison
The Rangers made headlines today by selecting Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft. Before going on to NFL stardom, Wilson was selected by the Rockies as a second baseman in the fourth round of the 2010 draft, and Colorado retained its rights to Wilson until this morning. Wilson will report to Spring Training and talk to the Rangers' minor leaguers in a motivational capacity. "We decided if he ever wanted to play again, he'd be a guy that we'd want with us," Texas assistant GM A.J. Preller told reporters, including MLB.com's Richard Justice. The Wilson selection isn't a gimmick, ESPN's Richard Durrett writes, and Jon Daniels is excited to have Wilson's winning qualities in the organization, though Daniels stressed that the club isn't trying to distract Wilson from his NFL goals. Here's more out of the AL West…
- Shin-Soo Choo and Nelson Cruz remain unsigned, which is good news for the Rangers, ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett writes. The Rangers like both players and are hoping that their asking prices drop the longer they stay on the market. Daniels said that his team's pursuit of Choo was "unchanged" from yesterday.
- There is a chance that Michael Young could rejoin the Rangers if both parties see a fit, MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez tweets. Texas dealt its longtime franchise staple to the Phillies last offseason and Young was subsequently dealt to the Dodgers in August.
- Despite recent rumors linking the Angels to Matt Garza and Raul Ibanez, general manager Jerry Dipoto told reporters (including Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times) that his team doesn't have any outstanding offers to free agents.
- In a special piece for FOX Sports, new Mariners first baseman/outfielder Logan Morrison wrote about the experience of being traded to a new team. Morrison's piece is particularly fascinating in that it was written prior to the trade that sent him to Seattle. LoMo says he doesn't have any ill feelings toward the Marlins organization, adding that contrary to public opinion, owner Jeffrey Loria was "great and generous" to Morrison and his family. Loria allowed Morrison and his family to use his personal plane to get to Kansas City for the funeral of Morrison's father.
- The Astros spoke to the Marlins about Morrison and also pursued Corey Hart and Mike Morse, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports. Jose Veras rejected the Astros' initial contract offer but the two sides still share a mutual interest in a reunion.
- The Yankees, Indians, Braves, Phillies, Blue Jays, Twins and Indians were all involved in trade talks for Brett Anderson before the Athletics sent the right-hander to the Rockies, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post