13 Teams Eligible For First Competitive Balance Lottery
The new collective bargaining agreement calls for a competitive balance draft pick lottery beginning in 2013, and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has details. 13 teams will be eligible for the first lottery based on their market size and revenue: the Diamondbacks, Orioles, Indians, Royals, Athletics, Pirates, Padres, Rays, Reds, Rockies, Marlins, Brewers, and Cardinals. The lottery gives each of these teams the chance to win one of six extra picks in the 2013 draft, which will come after the compensation picks for free agents. The odds of winning a pick will be based on each team's winning percentage in the previous season.
There will be another group of six picks after the draft's second round. The teams in the mix for these will be the ones that did not win a pick in the first lottery, as well as any other team that receives revenue sharing.
Mayo says lottery picks can be traded, but only once by a team and only during the regular season. The picks cannot be sold for cash.
A third lottery will be held for picks forfeited by teams that exceeded their bonus pools. Teams that did not exceed their pools will be eligible, with odds based on a formula of revenue and winning percentage. Got all that? There will be a quiz tomorrow.
Minor Moves: Podsednik, Evans, Pena, Astros, Ray
Here's where we'll keep track of today's minor moves…
- The Phillies have signed outfielder Scott Podsednik to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 35-year-old did not appear in the big leagues last year, instead hitting .254/.340/.396 in the Phillies' and Blue Jays' farm systems.
- The Pirates have signed Nick Evans to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, reports Andy Martino of The New York Daily News. The 25-year-old hit .256/.314/.403 line in 194 plate appearances with the Mets last season, playing all four corner positions
- The Red Sox re-signed Tony Pena to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, according to Stark. The converted shortstop would earn $625K if he makes the big league team.
- The Astros signed catcher Carlos Corporan to a minor league deal and invited him to Major League Spring Training, according to Alyson Footer of the Astros (on Twitter).
- The White Sox signed Brian Bruney to a minor league deal, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. The right-hander would earn $600K for making the big league team.
- Robert Ray signed a minor league deal with the Marlins, according to Crasnick.
- The Phillies signed left-hander Pat Misch and infielder Kevin Frandsen to minor league contracts, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (Twitter links). Misch, 30, appeared in six games for the Mets this past season, spending most of the year with Triple-A Buffalo. He posted a 4.00 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 141 2/3 innings as a starter for the Bisons. Frandsen, who last appeared in the Major Leagues in 2010, spent the 2011 season in the Phillies' minor league system and posted a .309/.361/.430 line in 338 plate appearances.
- The Diamondbacks signed right-handed reliever Jensen Lewis to a minor league deal, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned (Stark originally reported the Rangers signed him). Lewis, 27, would earn $675K in the Major Leagues, according to Stark. Lewis spent the 2011 season at Triple-A, but has a career ERA of 3.68 with 8.0 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in parts of four MLB seasons.
Marlins Interested In Carlos Guillen
The Marlins have shown interest in free agent Carlos Guillen, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The versatile Guillen could pinch hit and provide the Marlins with an extra option at first, second, third and left field if he has recovered from the assortment of injuries that sidelined him in 2011.
The 36-year-old missed much of the 2011 season with knee, wrist and calf injuries. However, he hit a combined .257/.333/.419 with 17 homers in 597 plate appearances from 2009-10. As Morosi points out, Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen knows Guillen, a fellow Venezuelan, from their time in the AL Central.
Marlins Rumors: Wilson, Reyes, Buehrle, Balaguer
Here are some links from Miami, on the day that Robb Nen celebrates his 43rd birthday. Nen still holds the Marlins' franchise record with 108 saves…
- "They rolled out the red carpet. They seem to have a plan and made it very clear they'd like [C.J. Wilson] to be a part of it," said Bob Garber, Wilson's agent, to Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post. The Marlins hosted the lefty at their new ballpark today. Garber wouldn't say if the team made an offer, but did say his client will "probably" make a decision during the winter meetings next week.
- The sentiment is that Albert Pujols will return to the Cardinals, but Capozzi says the Marlins still hope to sign Jose Reyes and either Wilson or Mark Buehrle. It's also possible they'll try to add both starters.
- The Marlins have interest in 18-year-old Cuban outfielder Yasiel Balaguer, reports Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald (on Twitter). They will scout him this Wednesday in the Dominican Republic. Last year we heard about his "explosive speed and throwing arm."
International Links: Hanley, Ortiz, Aybar
Links are in Spanish…
- As the Marlins' courtship of Jose Reyes enters its second month, it remains unclear what the addition of Reyes would mean for Hanley Ramirez. As of late October, the team reportedly still hadn't spoken with Ramirez about a position change, and according to one source, he is opposed to moving. Ramirez seemed to cede some authority to the team while attending a winter league game last Wednesday, telling Caribe Multimedia, "I am the Marlins' shortstop… As of now, I'm the shortstop. Jose Reyes is a quality player, and he would be welcome on the team if we sign him. But in this case, the front office has the last word." Ramirez's claim to the six-hole is tempered in the immediate future by his recovery from shoulder surgery, which he admitted could cause him to miss some of Spring Training.
- We've already heard today that David Ortiz has an offer in hand and is seeking a three-year deal. Ortiz reinforced that he has value on the open market in an interview with Julio Valdez at Dominican daily El Nacional, saying,"I'd like to stay in Boston — I'd really like to stay — but I'm not going to play for free."
- Willy Aybar recently told a panel of appellate court judges in the Dominican Republic that he has a contract with a team in Japan for the upcoming season, but as to whether he'll be able to honor it, the 28-eight-year-old said, "Only God knows." According to Guillermina Santos at the Dominican daily El Día, the judges then ordered Aybar to remain in prison for allegedly assaulting his wife and disturbing the peace earlier this month, a decision which Aybar's lawyer says he will appeal.
Minor Moves: Marrugo, Rohlinger, Sutil, Maldonado
We'll keep track of today's minor moves right here. News of these moves are courtesy of Matt Eddy of Baseball America unless indicated otherwise..
- The Orioles signed 17-year-old Colombian right-hander Yeizer Marrugo to a deal with a $120K bonus, according to Ernesto Armenteros D. of El Universal (Spanish link) and passed along by Eddy. In the El Universal story, O's scout Jorge Franco says that Marrugo's fastball topped out at 91 mph when they recently scouted him and the youngster has the talent to make it to the majors in five years.
- The Phillies acquired right-hander Adam Worthington from the Diamondbacks as player to be named for left-hander Mike Zagurski. The Phillies sent Zagurski to Arizona in a September trade.
- Cubs outfielder Lou Montanez elected free agency after recently being outrighted off of the club's 40-man roster.
- The Reds re-signed right-hander Chad Reineke after the pitcher elected free agency in October. Reineke had a 3.84 ERA in 25 games (22 starts) with Triple-A Louisville in 2011.
- The Rockies released shortstop Ryan Rohlinger. Rohlinger hit .247/.353/.409 in 103 Triple-A games for Colorado and the Giants.
- The Royals signed a pair of left-handers in Marlon Arias and Tommy Hottovy. Arias spent seven years in the Dodgers system, but hasn't pitched domestically since becoming a free agent following the 2009 season.
- The Marlins signed right-hander Robert Ray, who appeared in a handful of Major League games for the Blue Jays in 2009 and 2010. They also re-signed catcher Luke Montz.
- The Dodgers signed shorstop Luis Cruz.
- The Diamondbacks signed shortstop Wladimir Sutil to a minor league deal, according to El Universal (Spanish link). Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic confirmed the signing to MLBTR.
- The Nationals have re-signed catcher Carlos Maldonado, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com (via Twitter). The move was first reported by El Universal (Spanish link). Maldonado, 32, hit .234/.361/.342 in 38 games with Triple-A Syracuse this season and spent four games on the Nats' varsity squad in 2011.
Marlins To Host Wilson On Monday
The Marlins will attempt to woo C.J. Wilson with a South Florida visit and stadium tour on Monday, writes Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel. Rodriguez writes that the Marlins are likely to put a bid in for Wilson considering that pitching is their top priority and the winter meetings are just around the corner.
Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Albert Pujols have already visited Miami and each free agent received an offer from the club. Prince Fielder is about the only high-end free agent that the Marlins haven't hosted and nothing is scheduled yet, which may or may not speak to their interest level.
Buehrle got to check out the Marlins' new park well before Wilson, but that doesn't mean that Buehrle is higher on the club's board. A source who spoke with a Marlins official in the early stages of the free agency period said he believed Miami preferred Wilson.
Cafardo On Lowrie, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Marlins
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe gives a list of suggestions for the Red Sox's offseason. As they look for a solution in right field, Cafardo feels that the club should go after Michael Cuddyer with Carlos Beltran as a Plan B. The BoSox are also looking for a pair of affordable starters and two interesting names that could be had in deals are Joe Saunders of the Diamondbacks and Francisco Liriano of the Twins. Here's more from Cafardo..
- There were many scouts and GMs in the Dominican Republic recently and Jed Lowrie came up often as a possible shortstop/third base candidate. Teams like his offense and are skeptical about his defense, but are more worried about his mental toughness and his ability to play through injury. The 27-year-old may become a chip for the Red Sox in a deal.
- The Astros are getting more and more inquiries about the availability of Wandy Rodriguez. The Red Sox are one of the teams that have asked.
- Scouts and GMs believe that the Athletics would deal left-hander Gio Gonzalez for the right price. An NL talent evaluator noted that the 26-year-old would be at the top of a lot of teams' lists.
- Baseball people we talked to seem to think that if the Marlins are thinking big, Jose Reyes is the most logical signing for them, with Hanley Ramirez shifting over to third. Cafardo also wonders if the Brewers would explore signing with the likelihood of losing Prince Fielder.
- Free agent David Ortiz is still very much in play with the Orioles. O's GM Dan Duquette met with Ortiz’s agent, Fern Cuza, at the GM meetings.
- Cafardo could envision Jason Varitek backing up Matt Wieters in Baltimore
- The BoSox have considered former Mets GM Omar Minaya for a front office role, but nothing is official yet.
Non-Tender Candidate: Chris Volstad
The Marlins have been a popular team so far this offseason, targeting high-end free agents like Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes, Ryan Madson, and Mark Buehrle. While they're busy trying to lure free agents to their new ballpark in Miami, they also have decisions to make about some players they currently employ. Juan Carlos Oviedo's situation is rather unique, but 25-year-old righty Chris Volstad is a more traditional non-tender candidate.
Now four-plus years into his big league career, Volstad has made at least 29 starts for the Fish in each of the last three seasons. During that time he's pitched to a 4.88 ERA in 499 2/3 innings (88 starts), relying on ground balls (49.9%) rather than strikeouts (5.87 K/9). Volstad does a decent job of limiting walks (3.03 BB/9), but he's struggled against left-handed batters (.278/.342/.465 against) and tends to be pretty homer prone (1.24 HR/9) despite the ground ball tendencies.
The Marlins may have telegraphed their intentions for Volstad when they declined to invite him to their new uniform unveiling earlier this month. Our projections peg the right-hander for a $2.6MM salary next season, his first time through the arbitration process. Volstad figures to be affordable enough that the Marlins might not have to non-tender him before the December 12th deadline, they could probably find a trade partner. Baseball America ranked him as Florida's top prospect as recently as 2008, and he'd remain under team control through the 2014 season.
At the moment, the Marlins' rotation figures to include Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, and Anibal Sanchez. They're making a play for Buehrle and have kicked the tires on C.J. Wilson, and there's a non-zero chance that Javier Vazquez will return. Brad Hand and the recently acquired Wade LeBlanc are in the mix as well. If they deem Volstad expendable, he shouldn't have much trouble finding a new team for next season. It's just a question of whether he gets to choose his next club, or if the Marlins will choose it for him.
Phillies Interested In Jorge Soler
Add the Phillies to the list of clubs interested in 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler. Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Phils scouting director Marti Wolever "was extremely impressed" by Soler during a recent workout in the Dominican Republic. Yoenis Cespedes also took part in that workout and while Philadelphia is known to be looking at the high-profile Cespedes as well, Soler would come at a much cheaper price than what Cespedes will command.
Soler, of course, is cheaper because he's still just 19 and at least a few years away from being a Major League player. In addition to the Phillies, the Yankees, Nationals, Cubs, Marlins and Rangers have also shown interest in Soler.
As Brookover notes, "the Phillies have almost never been a team that gets in bidding wars for international players," though this winter's activity will be limited by the $2.9MM cap on international bonuses under the new collective bargaining agreement. Given the impressive scouting reports on Soler (including how he "might have more offensive upside" than Cespedes, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan), one would think a team would've spent more than $2.9MM on Soler alone were it not for the new cap.