Phillies Release Yuniesky Betancourt
The Phillies have released Yuniesky Betancourt, tweets MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. The Phillies signed Betancourt to a minor league contract in January.
"It was a very difficult decision," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters including Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "He played great for us. We had some other guys feel great, and we’re comfortable with where we are as far as those players are concerned."
Those players would be Freddy Galvis and Kevin Frandsen. Agent Alex Esteban told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that Betancourt requested his release by exercising his out clause and there are three teams who are interested in his client (Twitter link). Gelb tweeted the Phillies tried to trade Betancourt, but other teams walked away.
Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com tweets both the Yankees and Cardinals are "poking around" Betancourt. The mention of the Yankees is interesting, as GM Brian Cashman told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News earlier today that he won't be looking outside the organization for a shortstop despite Derek Jeter's ailing ankle (Twitter link). The Giants and Brewers are in the market for an utility infielder and could be interested in Betancourt, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Twitter.
Betancourt hit just .228/.256/.400 with seven home runs in 228 plate appearances for the Royals last season. The 31-year-old is in the midst of an incredibly strong Spring Training collecting 21 hits in 47 at-bats en route to a .447/.451/.574 batting line with a 1.025 OPS in 51 plate appearances.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Kyle Lohse Rumors: Thursday
Agent Scott Boras told Peter Gammons of MLB Network that right-hander Kyle Lohse won’t wait until after the upcoming amateur draft to sign with a new team. Here’s the latest on which teams are interested in the free agent…
- The Rockies have done their due diligence on Lohse, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. However, the club would have to increase payroll to sign Lohse and the sides would only complete a deal “if by a very, very remote chance he just flat-out doesn’t have anything,” in the words of Rosenthal’s source. The right-hander wants to match Ryan Dempster’s two-year, $26.5MM contract, Rosenthal reports. The Rangers and Brewers are maintaining contact with Lohse.
- One week after Spring Training began, Lohse was asking for a three-year, $45MM contract, Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reports (on Twitter). That asking price has continued to drop.
Earlier updates:
- Lohse could be close to contributing at the MLB level, Yahoo's Tim Brown reports (on Twitter). The 34-year-old is throwing 90-pitch simulated games in Arizona.
- The Angels maintain that they don’t have interest in Lohse, but the door isn’t fully closed, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (Twitterlinks).
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin doesn't want to surrender the 17th overall draft pick to obtain Lohse, Bowden reports. The Royals aren’t interested, Bowden notes.
- Despite speculation that the Reds could get involved with Lohse, GM Walt Jocketty told reporters not to expect anything. When asked about the pitcher, Jocketty said, "Who? Why? We couldn't afford him," according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Brewers, Athletics Swap Minor Leaguers
The Brewers announced that they acquired third baseman Stephen Parker from the Athletics for right-hander Darren Byrd. Neither player has MLB experience.
The Athletics originally drafted Parker in the fifth round of the 2009 draft. The 25-year-old spent the 2012 season at Triple-A, where he posted a .256/.327/.390 batting line in 375 plate appearances. Parker, a left-handed hitter, has spent most of his minor league career playing first and third base.
Byrd, 26, signed with the Brewers as a minor league free agent in 2010. He spent three years in the Milwaukee farm system, pitching at Double-A Huntsville in 2012. He posted a 2.59 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 73 innings of relief work last year.
NL Central Links: Taveras, Profar, Lohse, Tabata
Perhaps no player in the game brings as much focus and preparation to his at-bats as Joey Votto, ESPN's Buster Olney details in this must-read profile of the Reds first baseman (Insider subscription required). "It's all about reframing the challenge," Votto said. "I've stopped caring about runs and RBIs. I care more about how high a percentage of productive at-bats I can have, how consistently tough and competitive I can be for the opposing pitcher. That's my goal every single time I go up there."
Here's the latest from around the NL Central…
- A swap of Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar for Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras "has not been discussed," one of the involved GMs tells Peter Gammons of the MLB Network (Twitter link). Needless to say, such a deal would be a blockbuster; Profar and Taveras rank first and third, respectively, on Baseball America's preseason ranking of the sport's 100 best prospects. Gammons wonders if Profar-for-Taveras would be on the table "if [Scott] Boras didn't represent [Elvis] Andrus," thus making it uncertain if Andrus would sign an extension to remain in Texas.
- Few teams would benefit from signing Kyle Lohse as much as the Brewers, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel opines. The Brewers have been adamant about going with younger pitchers and not spending big on veteran starters, but Haudricourt wonders if Lohse could be an option given how some of Milwaukee's current rotation members have struggled during Spring Training.
- Mark Rogers, one of those struggling pitchers, is out of options and the Brewers are looking at several different ways to avoid losing him on waivers, Haudricourt writes.
- Jose Tabata needs to produce to remain with the Pirates, as Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette outlines how Tabata is out of options and, if he doesn't make the roster, could be a good trade chip due to his team-friendly contract. Click here for a full list of every player who is out of options this spring.
- From earlier today, the Cardinals released Ronny Cedeno and we heard the Tigers weren't interested in Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol.
Quick Hits: Lohse, Crosby, Tejada
Kyle Lohse may not sign with a team until after the first-year player draft takes place in June, writes Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. required). Where might Lohse sign? Bowden writes that the Rangers are the most likely destination if he signs before Opening Day, while the Brewers, Orioles, Angels, and Reds are also candidates. Here are more links from around MLB…
- Recently released infielder Bobby Crosby will look to continue his comeback with an MLB team, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The Brewers released Crosby yesterday after determining that his chances of making the Opening Day roster were slim, but agent Paul Cohen said his client aims to continue playing.
- MLB owners are moving toward eliminating the pension plans of non-uniformed employees, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf has opposed the idea, which will be put to the vote in May. Most owners now want to abolish the pension plan, Rubin reports. This would affect front office executives and scouts, among others.
- Miguel Tejada has already asked about managing the Dominican Republic team at the next World Baseball Classic in 2017, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. "We'll see," said Moises Alou, the general manager of the Dominican team. Tejada, a veteran of 15 MLB seasons, last played at the MLB level with the 2011 Giants.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Brewers Release Bobby Crosby
Bobby Crosby's comeback attempt is on hold, as the Brewers have granted the infielder his release. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Brewers have released Crosby, who signed a minor league deal with the team in January (Twitter link). The TWC Sports client would have earned $800K at the MLB level plus $450K in incentives.
Crosby, 33, last played at the MLB level in 2010. The former AL Rookie of the Year has a .236/.304/.372 batting line over the course of eight big league seasons and has at least 20 games of experience at all four infield positions.
Central Notes: Gomez, Chapman, Choate, Indians
It was on this day in 1932 that the Reds and Dodgers swung a very notable trade. Clyde Sukeforth, Tony Cuccinello and Joe Stripp went to Brooklyn while Cincinnati acquired Babe Herman, Wally Gilbert and a then-23-year-old catcher named Ernie Lombardi. Needless to say, this deal ended up being a big win for the Reds — Lombardi spent the bulk (10 years) of his Hall of Fame career in Cincinnati and hit .311/.359/.469 and 120 homers with the club. Lombardi won two batting titles during his career, and was the last catcher to lead the NL in average until Buster Posey last season.
Here are some items from around both the NL and AL Central…
- Carlos Gomez's three-year, $24MM extension with the Brewers "isn't likely to be a stinker" for the club, Fangraphs' Eno Sarris writes, and it could be a bargain if Gomez's power and ability to hit right-handed pitching continue to develop.
- An opposing NL scout tells FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal that the Reds "are crazy" if they use Aroldis Chapman as a starter. "It’s Joba Chamberlain all over again. His velocity dropped off in the second inning. He couldn’t get his off-speed stuff over the plate consistently. No question in my mind, he’s the closer," the scout said. Meanwhile, Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News talked to several other scouts about Chapman and they were "nearly unanimous" that he is a better fit as a closer. Keep following @CloserNews on Twitter for all the latest updates on the Reds and other ninth-inning situations from around baseball.
- Randy Choate talks about his career and his development into a left-handed relief specialist with Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Choate signed a three-year, $7.5MM deal with the Cardinals in December.
- Ryan Raburn may have the edge on winning a bench job with the Indians at the expense of Ezequiel Carrera, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian opines. Bastian thinks the Tribe could try to deal Carrera in such a scenario since he is out of options and would probably be claimed off waivers by another team. Here is the full list of out of options players who could be facing a roster crunch by the end of Spring Training.
- Earlier today on MLBTR, we heard about the Tigers weighing their trade options, while Ben Nicholson-Smith covered the Tigers' winter moves as part of our Offseason In Review series.
Brewers To Extend Carlos Gomez
4:55pm: Gomez will earn $7MM in 2014, $8MM in 2015 and $9MM in 2016, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). This would amount to a three-year, $24MM extension.
4:50pm: The Brewers announced that they extended Gomez for three years, through the 2016 season. The deal buys out Gomez's first three free agent seasons. “He has always had the physical skills, and his recent performance has given us the confidence that he will take the next step in becoming one of the top center fielders in the game," GM Doug Melvin said.
4:07pm: The Brewers are going to extend center fielder Carlos Gomez with a four-year contract, Tom Haudricourt and Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report (Twitter links). Gomez, a client of the Boras Corporation, will obtain about $27.5MM.
Gomez had been on track to hit free agency following the 2013 season, so this deal delays his arrival on the open market. The sides agreed to a one-year, $4.3MM contract for 2013 earlier this year.
It's not clear if the deal covers the 2013-16 seasons or the 2014-17 seasons, but Haudricourt suggests the deal buys out three free agent seasons (Twitter link). If that's the case the sides agreed to value Gomez's free agent years at approximately $7.7MM each.
Gomez, 27, posted a .260/.305/.463 batting line in 452 plate appearances as Milwaukee's everyday center fielder in 2012. He established career highs in home runs with 19 and stolen bases with 37. In six seasons at the MLB level, the Dominican Republic native has a .247/.294/.379 batting line. Gomez has had added value on defense in every one of those six seasons based on UZR/150.
Gomez has been traded twice since the Mets signed him as an amateur free agent in 2002. The Twins acquired him in the trade that sent Johan Santana to New York. Two offseasons later Gomez was traded to Milwaukee in the deal that sent J.J. Hardy to Minnesota.
As MLBTR's list of 2014 free agents shows, a number of prominent center fielders are still on track for free agency after the 2013 season. Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury and Coco Crisp are among the prospective free agents for next offseason.
Some observers will be surprised that Boras, an agent known for taking clients to free agency, completed this contract. However, Boras clients such as Jered Weaver, Carlos Gonzalez and Ryan Madson have all signed extensions covering free agent seasons in recent years, so there's some precedent for Gomez's deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Why I Chose My Agency: Aramis Ramirez
Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez has received MVP votes in five different seasons. The accomplished slugger spoke to MLBTR today about why he chose his agent, Paul Kinzer of Kinzer Management Group.
On when he first came into contact with Kinzer:
After I played in the New York-Penn League in 1996, I met him in the Dominican and at the time I didn't have an agent, so he was my first agent and my only one.
On whether other agents had tried to talk to him:
A couple of guys when I was playing in the New York-Penn League in my first year in '96, they approached me, but I wasn't really into it. I was just concentrating on baseball. I wasn't worrying about an agent, I was just in A ball, so it wasn't my main thing. Then I met Paul in the Dominican and he seemed like a real honest guy and I signed with him.
On the decision to go with Kinzer, and their relationship:
He had a couple of Dominican players back then, good friends of mine, Neifi Perez and Enrique Wilson. They both told me he was great, and I trusted them. There was a Dominican guy too that worked for him, Abraham Mejia, that I knew since I was 14 or 15.
We have a real good relationship, he's like a father to me. He was the best man at my wedding. It's not a business relationship between me and Paul. It's more like a friendship, a father/son thing. We've been together for so long…he loves my family, I love his, and we always keep in touch besides business stuff.
On recommending Kinzer to other players:
I have in the past. I don't really like that, but if there is a guy that doesn't have an agent, or a young player, I recommend him. I did with [Starlin] Castro when he was coming up. I told Paul he has to go to the complex and sign this kid, he was going to be good.
On his level of involvement in multiyear contract discussions prior to free agency:
I was very involved. That was between me and Paul. Even though he was with a big company before, it was only me and him. He kept me updated every single moment, and I want to be. It was my future and I want to know what's going on.
On the contract clauses with the Cubs that allowed Ramirez to void:
That was his idea all along, and it worked out well. We did it in Chicago a couple of times and that was a good job on his part.
On Wasserman Media Group parting ways with Kinzer last year, and how that affected him:
I don't really have a relationship with them. To me Paul is my agent, and I know he was with that company, but I guess it didn't work out. I'm sticking with Paul no matter what, he's my agent. It wasn't the company — Paul is my agent, and he has been my whole career. He let me know right away when they were going through the process of separating, and I told him it was not going to affect my relationship with him.
On how the free agent process unfolded after the 2011 season:
I just let him work. I always tell him that I will do my job on the field, he's got to do his job outside the field. He kept me updated, anytime a team called, or we have to go meet somebody. When I was a free agent a year ago we had to go to L.A. and meet a couple of teams out there. He just kept me updated every single step.
Other entries in the Why I Chose My Agency Series include David Wright, Matt Holliday, Jay Bruce, Jeremy Affeldt, and Adam Wainwright.
Transaction Retrospection: The First Greinke Trade
Zack Greinke made quite a few headlines this offseason by becoming the highest-paid right-handed pitcher in Major League history (Felix Hernandez has since topped him). The former No. 6 overall selection in the draft signed a six-year, $147MM with the Dodgers.
Greinke has long been a high-profile arm, thanks largely to his 2009 American League Cy Young Award. His 9.3 wins above replacement (Fangraphs version) that season were the most by any pitcher since Randy Johnson's 2004 season.
So it's no wonder that Greinke had a long list of suitors when it became evident that the Royals were going to trade him. Nor is it surprising that Greinke commanded a young shortstop, a young center fielder and a pair of right-handers that had both been first-round picks.
On December 19, 2010, the Royals traded Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt to the Brewers in exchange for shortstop Alcides Escobar (24 years old at the time), center fielder Lorenzo Cain (24), right-hander Jake Odorizzi (20) and right-hander Jeremy Jeffress (23). Each player in the deal had recently ranked in Milwaukee's Top 10 prospects, according to Baseball America. Let's take a look at each on an individual basis… 
The Major League Side
- Zack Greinke: Greinke joined Shaun Marcum as one of two offseason acquisitions for the Brewers that offseason, as the team clearly had an "all-in" mentality entering the final season of Prince Fielder's contract. He broke a rib that offseason playing basketball, limiting him to 171 2/3 innings, but he pitched to a 3.83 ERA with an NL-best 10.5 K/9 when healthy. The Brewers ultimately finished with a 96-66 record, netting them an NL Central Division title. Greinke got his only taste of postseason baseball that year but allowed an unsightly 12 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings. The Brewers lost in the NLCS to the Cardinals, who would go on to win the World Series. Greinke hurled 123 more innings for the Brew Crew in 2012, pitching to a 3.44 ERA, 8.9 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 before being traded to the Angels. GM Doug Melvin landed Jean Segura, John Hellweg and Ariel Pena in that deal, but that's a whole different post.
- Yuniesky Betancourt: Betancourt hit a paltry .252/.271/.381 with the Brewers but still totaled 584 plate appearances in spite of that sub-par production. His defense was also well below-average, and the result was a mere 0.4 wins above replacement, per Fangraphs. Betancourt did manage to swat 13 homers that season — the second-highest mark of his career — but his lack of plate discipline and poor glove mitigated most of that value. He would go on to re-sign with the Royals as a free agent the following offseason and is now in the Phillies organization as a non-roster invitee.
- Alcides Escobar: Milwaukee's No. 3 prospect at the time of the trade (per BA) Escobar has blossomed into the Royals' everyday shortstop, posting fWAR marks of 2.2 and 2.6 in his first two seasons with Kansas City. He doesn't walk often (4.2 percent), but he's posted a respectable .274/.311/.368 triple slash line with Kansas City. That includes significant improvement from 2011-12, as his OPS+ jumped from 74 to 98 between the two years. He's developed into an elite base-stealer, collecting 61 swipes in 75 tries (81.3 percent). In 2012, he went 35-for-40 (87.5 percent). The Fielding Bible evaluates Escobar's defense at +12 runs during his time with Kansas City, while Ultimate Zone Rating feels he's been closer to average. Still just 26 years old, Escobar has room for growth.
- Lorenzo Cain: Cain's arrival as Kansas City's everyday center fielder was delayed by the acquisition of Melky Cabrera. Groin and thigh strains have cost Cain 98 games between his two seasons with the Royals, but he looks poised to take the reins as the team's everyday center fielder in 2013. It's a small sample, but Cain has a .266/.315/.410 batting line in 267 plate appearances with the Royals. His seven homers and ten steals translate to a 162-game average of 17 homers and 25 steals — a well-above average combination of power and speed for a center fielder. In 726 1/3 career innings in center, UZR/150 rates him at 14.4 runs above average, and The Fielding Bible agrees at +15 runs. He's excelled in the Minors for the Royals and is in the midst of an impressive Spring Training showing, but he'll already be 27 on April 13. Kansas City needs to let Cain play in order to determine if they have a long-term piece this season.
The Prospect Side
- Jake Odorizzi: Odorizzi made his big league debut for Kansas City in 2012, but totaled only 7 1/3 innings. Those will likely be the only innings he ever throws for the Royals, as GM Dayton Moore included the now-22-year-old in the James Shields trade. Odorizzi is BA's No. 92 prospect in all of baseball, and he ranks 45th on MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo's version of the same list. BA ranks him fifth among Rays prospects, praising his four average pitches (fastball, slider, curve, change-up) but noting that he lacks a true out pitch. Both BA and Mayo agree that Odorizzi has a chance to become a reliable No. 3 starter, but his ceiling is limited by average offerings across the board.
- Jeremy Jeffress: Jeffress' star has fallen considerably since he ranked as BA's No. 100 prospect prior to the 2009 season. Now 25 years of age, the Royals traded him to the Blue Jays for cash considerations this past November. Jeffress pitched 82 innings for Kansas City's Triple-A affiliate and maintained his strong strikeout rate (9.3 K/9) but walked too many (4.7 BB/9) and allowed nearly a hit per inning as well. He received a pair of call-ups to the big league club but walked 24 batters in 26 2/3 innings. He has the potential to be a power arm late in games, but he'll now look to fulfill that upside elsewhere.
In the end, the Brewers got an ace-caliber pitcher and an NLCS berth in exchange for the four prospects they dealt. Greinke managed to net them a trio of prospects including a new, promising shortstop to replace Escobar. Kansas City turned Greinke into an everyday shortstop, a promising center fielder and a pitching prospect that helped them acquire a new ace-caliber pitcher (Shields). However, the Royals are better positioned to compete with this top-of-the-rotation arm than they were the last time they had one.
Both teams fell a bit short of their best case scenarios (Milwaukee didn't win a World Series, and Kansas City cut ties with Jeffress for next to nothing), but this is a trade that definitely reaped benefits for each side.
Baseball America's 2013 Prospect Handbook was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.