Odds & Ends: Marlins, Cardinals, Bruce, Jeter
Links for Saturday night…
- Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post says the Marlins are still looking for bullpen help (specifically a veteran lefty), a lefty bat off the bench, and outfield help.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said that his team's lineup is set for 2011 after today's Lance Berkman pickup, reports Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter links). Mozeliak described the team's payroll as "leaking," adding that Berkman received a higher salary as a trade-off for just one year.
- Jay Bruce is optimistic about a new contract with the Reds according to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Bruce mentions that nothing is imminent, however.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that about five teams called to express interest in signing Derek Jeter before he re-upped with the Yankees, though the shortstop never considered going anywhere else. In fact, he didn't even listen to what they had to say (Twitter link).
- The recently non-tendered George Sherrill has drawn some interest according to Marc Carig of The Star Ledger (Twitter link). The Yankees are not one of the interested teams, however.
- Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News looks at Plan B and C should Texas be unable to retain Cliff Lee.
- Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic tweets that Chad MacDonald will be the Mets' new scouting director. He served as the Diamondbacks director of international scouting for the last two years.
Odds & Ends: Hardy, Punto, Dunn, Marlins, Lee
Some items to wrap up the week…
- The Pirates were close to a trade for J.J. Hardy on Thursday night, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Pittsburgh is known to have an interest in Hardy and could still work out a deal given that the Twins tendered Hardy a contract.
- There is "mutual interest" between Nick Punto and the Indians, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. (Twitter link) The two sides will continue their talks during the winter meetings.
- Yahoo Sports' Big League Stew blog collects some of the Washington media's reaction to Adam Dunn leaving town, and it isn't very positive.
- It's looking increasingly unlikely that Arizona will trade Justin Upton, but if Upton is moved, it won't be to Florida, writes Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Rodriguez says the Marlins are looking for a left-handed bench bat and possibly a left-handed reliever, though the club is unlikely to re-sign Will Ohman.
- Phillies assistant GM Scott Proefrock tells Fox Sports Radio's Jim Bowden (Twitter link) that his club isn't interested in bringing back Cliff Lee. "That ship has sailed," Proefrock said.
- Erik Bedard tells Larry Larue of the Tacoma News Tribune that he was offered a guaranteed deal from another club but turned it down to sign a non-guaranteed contract with Seattle.
- The Mariners "are becoming a West Coast version of the Orioles, a place top-tier free agents avoid because the stench of losing is overwhelming," writes Yahoo's Steve Henson in his winter meetings preview.
National League Non-Tenders
This post will list all the National League players non-tendered today, but the best place to track all 200+ arbitration eligible players is our new non-tender tracker.
- Rockies: Manny Delcarmen
- Mets: Sean Green Chris Carter, John Maine
- Nationals: Joel Peralta, Wil Nieves, Chien-Ming Wang
- Dodgers: Russell Martin, George Sherrill, Trent Oeltjen
- Giants: Chris Ray, Eugenio Velez
- Pirates: Lastings Milledge, Argenis Diaz, Donnie Veal, Brian Burres
- Diamondbacks: Blaine Boyer, Ryan Church, Augie Ojeda, D.J. Carrasco
- Marlins: Jose Veras, Ronny Paulino
- Padres: Tony Gwynn, Scott Hairston, Matt Antonelli, Luis Perdomo
- Brewers: Todd Coffey, Joe Inglett
- Astros: Sammy Gervacio
- Braves: Matt Diaz
Minor Deals: Gotay, Rays, Duckworth, Carlyle
A number of former big leaguers agreed to minor league deals today. Here are the details:
- The Marlins signed Ruben Gotay, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). The 27-year-old hasn't appeared in the majors since 2008, but he led the Pacific Coast League in walks and posted an .845 OPS last year.
- The Rays announced that they signed five players, including righty Cory Wade and lefty R.J. Swindle, to minor league deals. Wade, 27, spent last year in the minors, but he pitched for the Dodgers in 2008-09. He has a 3.18 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 99 big league innings. Swindle is another 27-year-old who spent the 2010 season in the minors. He posted a 2.45 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 in 55 innings for the Rays' Triple-A affiliate. Like Wade, Swindle could prove useful for the 2011 Rays, who are building a bullpen on a budget.
- The Reds signed outfielder David Cook, according to Eddy (on Twitter). The 29-year-old has a .258/.369/.468 line in eight minor league seasons.
- The Red Sox signed right-hander Brandon Duckworth, according to Eddy (on Twitter). The 34-year-old spent the 2010 season pitching for the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, where he posted a 3.32 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9. He has a 5.28 ERA in parts of eight big league seasons.
- The Yankees signed right-hander Buddy Carlyle to a minor league deal, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Carlyle, 32, spent the 2010 season in Japan after posting a 5.61 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in parts of six big league seasons.
- The D'Backs signed David Winfree, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The 25-year-old has a .273/.319/.448 line in his eight-year minor league career.
Marlins Sign Javier Vazquez
After a second disappointing stint with the Yankees, Javier Vazquez is returning to the National League. Vazquez has officially signed a one-year contract worth $7MM with the Marlins. He also receives a full no-trade clause, and the team has agreed not to offer the righty arbitration next offseason.
Since the season ended, the Marlins have appeared to be one of the favorites to sign the 34-year-old; Florida had a little cash to spend on pitching after trading Dan Uggla to the Braves, and Vazquez expressed interest in joining the team, which plays its home games near his native Puerto Rico. The Nationals, Cubs, and Rockies also had varying levels of interest in Vazquez, who passed on two-year offers for the chance to pitch close to home.
Vazquez agreed to turn down an arbitration offer from the Yankees, which means New York will receive a supplementary pick in next year's draft. Because Vazquez is a Type B free agent, the Marlins will not have to surrender a pick in the deal.
Although he struggled to a 5.32 ERA and was eventually removed from the Yankees' rotation in 2010, Vazquez was extremely effective the last time he played in the NL East. In 2009, he finished fourth in Cy Young voting, pitching to a 2.87 ERA and striking out more than a batter per inning for the Braves. I named him as a pitcher who could benefit from a move to the NL this winter, so joining the Marlins makes him a decent bet to bounce back in 2011.
Bill Ladson of MLB.com first wrote that the two sides were closing in on a deal, while Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) reported that an agreement had been reached. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports later tweeted the contract details.
Odds & Ends: Vazquez, Nationals, Yankees, Werth
Links for Sunday…
- Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun Sentinel says (via Twitter) that the Marlins never give out no-trade clauses, but they gave one to Javier Vazquez to get his price down.
- Meanwhile, Ben Goessling of MASN Sports looks at some pitching options for the Nationals now that Vazquez is off the board.
- With the Yanks and Derek Jeter still far apart during negotiations, Seth Livingstone of USA Today looks at some other star Yankees that ended their career elsewhere.
- Jayson Werth told CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury that he's not close to signing via text message. "It’s very early. I will make an informed decision in due time," said the free agent outfielder.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains why Juan Uribe would make sense for the Dodgers.
- Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders if the Pirates are sincere with their interest in several big name free agents, but he notes they do in fact have money to spend.
- In the wake of Victor Martinez signing with the Tigers, John Tomase of The Boston Herald looks at how the Red Sox have done with their extra draft picks over the years.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman says that Magglio Ordonez remains a possibility for the Tigers (Twitter link), who have already committed close to $90MM for four players this offseason.
- Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News explains how declining his option and not offering Vladimir Guerrero arbitration suggests the Rangers want him back.
- Right-hander Waldis Joaquin, who was released by the Giants then claimed off waivers by the White Sox, have rejected the claim and elected to become a free agent according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin (Twitter link).
Marlins Closing In On Javier Vazquez
The Marlins and Javier Vazquez are close to agreeing to terms on a contract, a baseball source tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
On Tuesday, we heard that Vazquez was seeking a one-year deal and that talks with the Marlins were heating up. Florida's geographical proximity to the right-hander's native Puerto Rico is one factor in Vazquez's interest in the team.
The Nationals were rumored to be preparing an offer for Vazquez at one point, but according to Ladson, they are out of the running for the 34-year-old's services due to the serious nature of Vazquez's discussions with the Marlins.
Minor League Transactions
Here's a look at some notable names involved in minor transactions between November 16-21, as compiled by Baseball America's Matt Eddy…
- Left-hander Scott Rice signed with the Cubs. Rice was picked 44th overall by Baltimore in the 1999 amateur draft, but has yet to get a cup of coffee in the majors after appearing in 377 minor league games.
- Right-hander Jon Huber re-signed with the Dodgers. Huber last pitched in the majors in 2007 with Seattle.
- Veteran right-hander Scott Patterson re-signed with the Mariners. Patterson has four major league games to his name, with the Padres and Yankees in 2008.
- The Marlins re-signed Vinny Rottino, and also signed relievers Victor Garate and Frank Mata. The Fish also removed right-hander Brett Sinkbeil from their 40-man roster. Sinkbeil was Florida's first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2006 draft, drafted ahead of such notables as Daniel Bard, Joba Chamberlain and Chris Perez.
- Former Tigers outfielder Jeff Frazier signed with the Nationals. Frazier made his major league debut with Detroit last season, posting a .511 OPS in 24 plate appearances.
- The Orioles removed right-hander Armando Gabino and first baseman Rhyne Hughes from their 40-man roster, and Gabino elected free agency. Gabino has a 15.12 ERA in 8 1/3 major league innings with Baltimore and Minnesota. Hughes posted a .530 OPS in 51 plate appearances for the O's last season.
- Pittsburgh released a number of minor leaguers, including a few notable international players. Taiwanese prospects Sheng-Cin Hong and Chih-Wei Hsu, both signed by the Pirates at the start of the 2009 international signing period, have been let go by the club. Also released was Dinesh Patel, signed by Pittsburgh in 2008 after being a finalist on the Indian reality show "Million Dollar Arm." Patel, a cricket player, had never pitched or even picked up a baseball before appearing on the show.
- The Rangers reinstated Nathan Haynes from the inactive list and released the outfielder. Haynes hasn't actually played since 2008. Drafted 32nd overall by Oakland in the 1997 amateur draft, Haynes never caught on in the bigs, managing 95 career plate appearances with the Angels and Rays in 2007-08.
- Right-hander Chad Reineke, best known for being traded straight-up for Randy Wolf in 2008, has re-signed with the Reds.
- The Tigers outrighted Fu-Te Ni to Triple-A and removed the Taiwanese southpaw from their 40-man roster. Ni had an impressive 2.61 ERA in 36 outings in his 2009 rookie season, but his ERA ballooned to 6.65 in 22 games with Detroit last year.
Rosenthal On Lee, Konerko, Huff, Burrell, Hudson
The Yankees’ “lack of tact” in their negotiations with Derek Jeter isn’t helping them, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Here are Rosenthal's latest updates on the Yankees and other teams around the league:
- Even Cliff Lee’s representatives would be surprised if the left-hander received a seven-year offer like C.C. Sabathia did.
- The Rangers were in on Victor Martinez “big,” according to Rosenthal.
- The Rangers are talking to Vladimir Guerrero and showing interest in Paul Konerko. The White Sox offered the first baseman arbitration, so it will cost a top pick to sign him.
- The Dodgers showed serious interest in Aubrey Huff before he re-signed with the Giants, according to Rosenthal.
- The Phillies discussed the idea of bringing Pat Burrell back to Philadelphia, but decided against it.
- Type B free agent Orlando Hudson almost certainly agreed in advance to reject the Twins’ offer of arbitration, Rosenthal says. The Twins agreed not to offer the second baseman arbitration if he was a Type A free agent, so Hudson may have agreed not to accept if he ended up a Type B.
- The Marlins have between $3-8MM to spend, depending on which one of Rosenthal’s sources you ask.
- Eric Hinske is close to deciding between the Braves and Brewers, who have both offered him contracts.
Vazquez Seeks One-Year Deal; Marlins In Pursuit
Javier Vazquez wants a one-year deal, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. The right-hander could be looking to re-establish his value and hit the open market a year from now in search of a bigger payday.
Vazquez has turned down at least one offer worth about $20MM over two years, according to Stark. The Nationals, Cubs and Rockies have expressed interest in Vazquez, but another club appears to be in the lead for his services.
Talks with the Marlins have gotten "hot," according to Stark. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports confirms on Twitter that the sides had extensive discussions about a deal. We heard last week that there's mutual interest between the team and the pitcher, partly since the Marlins play relatively close to Vazquez's native Puerto Rico.
The Yankees offered Vazquez arbitration, but he appears to have agreed to turn it down and, because he is a Type B free agent, no team will have to surrender a pick to sign the 34-year-old.