Heyman On Blalock, Crawford, Reynolds
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- Heyman writes that the Rays and Marlins are thought to have interest in Hank Blalock. We discussed Blalock here; his prospects are dim now that the Indians, Orioles, Braves, and Pirates have gone in different directions.
- Heyman notes that the Yankees love Carl Crawford and that could be one reason they were reluctant to give Johnny Damon a two-year deal. We discussed Crawford's situation earlier today.
- The Diamondbacks offered Mark Reynolds an extension to cover his first three arbitration years, in the $11MM range. That'd be quite a concession, since he should easily top $5MM in his first arbitration year.
- Heyman tweets that the Braves and Reds "could be in the mix" for outfielder Garret Anderson. Presumably, Anderson is in line for a minor league deal. He was linked to the Dodgers before they signed Reed Johnson.
Odds & Ends: De La Rosa, Halladay, Astros, Molina
Let's round up the last of the leftover links from the work week….
- MLB.com's Thomas Harding shares a few Rockies notes from Spring Training. According to Harding, 2011 free agent Jorge de la Rosa would like to stay in Colorado beyond this season.
- After watching Roy Halladay dominate the AL East for years, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark is eager to see what the Phillies' new ace is capable of in the Senior Circuit.
- Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports that the Astros agreed to terms with three Minor Leaguers on their 40-man roster today: infielder Jose Vallejo and right-handers Matt Nevarez and Henry Villar. The trio signed one-year contracts with corresponding Major League values of $400K.
- Bruce Bochy's plan to give Bengie Molina a few more days off this season could hurt Molina financially, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. Molina has multiple games-started incentives in his contract, and will not maximize his earnings if he starts fewer than 115 times.
- GM Alex Anthopoulos wants to focus on speed, athleticism, and strong baserunning throughout the Blue Jays' organization, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
- Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post says that the Marlins are optimistic about their chances in 2010, despite being the only team not to sign a Major League free agent this winter.
- Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball updates his arbitration scorecard following Jeff Mathis' win over the Angels. The only remaining arbitration case is Ryan Theriot's.
Marlins Sign Mike MacDougal
The Marlins have signed free agent reliever Mike MacDougal to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training. The deal will pay MacDougal $700K if he makes the team, plus there's another $75K in performance bonuses. He joins Jose Veras, Seth McClung and Derrick Turnbow as power bullpen arms the Marlins brought to camp on minor league deals.
MacDougal, 33 in March, served as the Nationals' closer after being released by the White Sox in April. He converted 20 of 21 save chances, though he walked as many men (31) as he struck out in 50 innings of work. MacDougal's fastball flirts with triple-digits, but he's put more than three runners on base for every two innings pitched ever since his All Star season back in 2003.
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald originally reported the deal, and Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com added the salary details.
Cody Ross Wins Arbitration Hearing
Cody Ross won his arbitration hearing with the Marlins, tweets Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. The outfielder will earn $4.45MM this year instead of the $4.2MM salary the Marlins offered.
Ross, 29, hit .270/.321/.469 in 604 plate appearances for the Marlins last year. He logged over 1300 innings in center and right, posting a UZR/150 of -7.8. That stat wouldn't have figured into the arbitration hearing, but his 24 homers and 90 RBI might have.
Ross, who won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2011 season, earned $2.25MM for the Marlins last year. Corey Hart, a comparable outfielder who figures to hit free agency when Ross does, won his hearing with the Brewers last week.
Odds & Ends: Molina, Maya, Damon, Marlins
Links for Monday…
- With catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia recovering from shoulder surgery, the Rangers are interested in free agent catcher Jose Molina, industry sources tell T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Molina would be the seventh catcher in camp for Texas if he is willing to sign a minor league deal and compete for a job.
- WEEI's Rob Bradford says the Red Sox are in preliminary negotiations with Cuban pitcher Yuniesky Maya. Sox president Larry Lucchino appears to say the Sox "would soon sign" Maya, in this Terreno de Pelota column by Uziel Gomez (translation credit to Nick Collias).
- Joe Morelli of the New Haven Register has plenty of quotes from Yankees GM Brian Cashman regarding Johnny Damon (hat tip to River Ave. Blues).
- Jack Moore of FanGraphs suggests that the Marlins' quiet offseason could cost them a shot at the playoffs.
- SI's Jon Heyman names his biggest offseason surprises, led by the Mariners' moves.
Odds & Ends: Franklin, Red Sox, Cardinals, Mauer
Some links for Sunday…
- As A's were unable to land Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro this offseason, GM Billy Beane says that the club had to work harder than ever to fill their holes, writes MLB.com's Jane Lee.
- Cody Ross' arbitration hearing with the Marlins will take place tomorrow morning at 10:00, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Ross – who is one of seven remaining players who has an arbitration hearing scheduled – is seeking $4.45MM while the Marlins are countering with $4.2MM.
- Maury Brown of Biz of Baseball brings us the record of each club in arbitration hearings since the process was first put into place in 1974. In this span, the A's have had the most hearings with 35.
- Brady Gardiner of Sirius XM Radio tweets that Ryan Franklin's agent said that in 2007, his client turned down a more lucrative offer from Toronto to sign with the Cardinals in order to play for Dave Duncan. Franklin signed a one-year, $1MM deal with St. Louis in January of '07.
- Dustin Pedroia takes exception to those who question Boston's offense in 2010, writes WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Pedroia feels the Red Sox lineup can score more runs than the 2009 club. He also voices high praise for Josh Beckett and says he wants Beckett around "for a long time."
- Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Dispatch answers 10 questions for Cardinals fans, and notes that Russ Springer would take a marked-down contract to return to St. Louis. St. Louis stands to enter camp with rougly a $92,625,000 payroll
- Sid Hartman of The Minneapolis Star Tribune says that Twins' owner Jim Pohlad may have to change his policy of not deferring money if they want to re-sign Joe Mauer. Hartman says Mauer would save millions in income tax by deferring some payments until after he retires.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post names his winners and losers of the offseason. Roy Halladay and the Twins head the winners, while the Dodgers and Royals highlight the losers.
- Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe runs down each team's offseason, and looks at what lies ahead for each during the 2010 season.
Odds & Ends: Blue Jays, Gomes, Lincecum
Links for Saturday…
- Jordan Bastian of MLB.com provides his list of the top 10 prospects in Toronto's system and answers other Jays-related questions in a reader mailbag.
- MLB.com's Mark Sheldon writes that the holding pattern between Jonny Gomes and the Reds is continuing. Sheldon says that Gomes might make his decision once one of the other second-tier outfielders – guys like Garret Anderson, Cliff Floyd, Endy Chavez, or Marlon Anderson – sign with a club.
- Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle says that Tim Lincecum's contract with the Giants will have future ramifications because it'll help keep his salary down after it expires. Lincecum will still have two more years of arbitration eligibility left when this new deal expires.
- The Yankees will be serious bidders for Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechevarria once he is "unblocked" by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, reports George A. King III of The New York Post.
- Despite signing Mike Lamb to a minor league deal, the Marlins are still on the lookout for a lefty bat off the bench, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
- In a separate tweet, Frisaro says that the chances of the team bringing Kiko Calero back are slim, even on a minor league deal. They have concerns about his shoulder.
- Jim McLennan of AZ Snakepit posted Part Two if his interview with Diamondbacks' GM Josh Byrnes.
- John Tomase of The Boston Herald says that the Red Sox don't look like a team in transition, despite GM Theo Epstein's comments earlier this offseason.
- Here are the latest minor league transactions, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy. The Marlins signed outfielder Jason Lane to a minor league deal.
Marlins Notes: Blalock, Delgado, Branyan
Some Marlins tidbits courtesy of MLB.com's Joe Frisaro..
- Hank Blalock may be an option for the Marlins as they seek a left-handed bat off the bench, tweets Frisaro. Up until this point, the Indians were the only known suitor for the 29-year-old's services.
- Frisaro also reports (via Twitter) that Florida has no interest in signing Carlos Delgado and still has no interest in Russell Branyan. Yesterday we learned that the Marlins spoke to Delgado's agent, though the veteran slugger is said to be seeking more money and playing time. There were rumblings of Florida's interest in Branyan, but Frisaro learned last week that the club has not spoken to him.
Delgado Not Retiring; May Sign Mid-Season
Carlos Delgado isn't retiring, but you may not find him on anybody's Opening Day roster. The first baseman's agent, David Sloane, tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Delgado will not be accepting any of the offers currently available to him, some of which are major league deals.
But Delgado does not plan on retiring. Instead, he'll wait for an opportunity to open up.
“When that happens, Carlos will be available," Sloane said. "We’re confident someone will sign him. It’s just a matter of who and when.”
This could mean Delgado joins a team mid-season if and when openings emerge around the league at first base or DH. Two of Delgado's former teams, the Marlins and Mets have some interest.
The 37-year-old is 27 homers away from reaching 500 for his career. Delgado hit 38 homers in 2008 and posted a .914 OPS in 112 plate appearances last year before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right hip.
Marlins Rumors: Erstad, Delgado, Uggla
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald breaks down the Marlins rotation after Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco before arriving at some rumors. Here they are:
- The Marlins are considering Darin Erstad, who would like to play this year. The Marlins would use Erstad like they used Ross Gload – at first, in the outfield and as a pinch hitter.
- They spoke with Carlos Delgado's agent since they have interest in the slugger as a backup first baseman and pinch hitter. The former Marlin wants extensive playing time and more money, however.
- Dan Uggla says he's "surprised but very pleased" that the Marlins didn't trade him this offseason.