NL Central Notes: Pirates, Reds, Gonzalez
The latest links from the NL Central…
- Pirates manager Clint Hurdle deserves to keep his job, but hasn’t yet earned an extension in the view of Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Pirates have officially extended Hurdle, a move that “seems unnecessary” to Morosi given the Pirates’ late-season struggles in 2011-12.
- Talent evaluators are doubtful Shin-Soo Choo can provide average center field defense, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com reports. Bowden, the former GM of the Reds, suggests Jay Bruce would shift to center field if Choo struggles. The Reds acquired Choo from the Indians in a three-team trade earlier this winter.
- Alex Gonzalez has played 13,207 2/3 innings of defense at the MLB level, and all of them have been at shortstop. Yet Gonzalez could play at first base this year, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. The Brewers, who signed Gonzalez to a one-year deal earlier this month, have two injured first basemen in Corey Hart and Mat Gamel. Manager Ron Roenicke said he hopes Gonzalez embraces a utility role with the team. “If he’s wanting to play a long time, then he needs to be a utility man that can play all positions,” Roenicke said.
Multiple Teams Interested In Mike Carp
7:34pm: Brewers general manager Doug Melvin has indeed checked in on Carp, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told McCalvy that there's a good chance that Carp will be dealt in the next 24-48 hours.
7:19pm: The Twins, Red Sox and Astros are among the teams that are interested in Mike Carp, according Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). MLB.com's Greg Johns also speculates (via Twitter) that the Brewers could be a possible landing spot for Carp given Mat Gamel's season-ending injury and Corey Hart's knee surgery.
Carp, 26, has a career .255/.327/.413 batting line in 608 plate appearances. The lefty swinger was designated for assignment by the Mariners last week in order to clear roster space for the recently signed Joe Saunders. As Cafardo notes, Seattle has until Thursday of this week to make a decision regarding Carp's future.
Any team that acquires the first baseman/outfielder would be locking in four years of team control, as Carp won't be eligible for free agency until the 2016-17 offseason.
Central Notes: Cubs, Brewers, Gamel, Chapman, Reds
A look at the Central divisions..
- There are six or seven teams in the eastern or central divisions to which Alfonso Soriano would accept a trade, writes Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. The long-time Cubs outfielder made it clear last summer that he would not have accepted a potential trade to the Giants. Soriano told reporters that the Cubs know which teams he'd prefer, but stated multiple times that his first priority is to win in Chicago.
- Brewers manager Ron Roenicke announced today that Mat Gamel, who was sidelined for the final five months of the 2012 season with a torn ACL, will miss all of the 2013 season, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The Brewers were already thin at first base thanks to Corey Hart's injury. They plan to cover with in-house options, but GM Doug Melvin will look for outside options as well. McCalvy suggests (on Twitter) that they could consider the recently DFA'd Mike Carp and Daric Barton of the A's.
- Craig Fehrman of Cincinnati Magazine profiled Aroldis Chapman and the journey that brought the left-hander to the Reds. The piece includes Chapman's daring move to defect from Cuba and the unique events that led him to changing representation while auditioning for teams.
- The Twins are not among the clubs that have expressed interest in Mark Prior, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). Prior is working on strengthening his shoulder in an attempt to hook on with a team in spring training.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
NL Notes: Lohse, Cardinals, Mets
Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio predicts Kyle Lohse will sign with either the Brewers or Rangers as one of five moves which will happen this spring (Insider subscription required). Bowden also sees extensions for Adam Wainwright and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. Here's the other Senior Circuit news and notes from the first Sunday of Spring Training:
- Count the Phillies out as suitors for Lohse as GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is prepared to go with the staff he has in camp, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
- Lohse will only become of interest to the Cardinals if their rotation candidates aren't panning out during Spring Training, writes CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman in a piece outlining six reasons why the Redbirds remain playoff contenders.
- One reason for the Cardinals making the postseason in three of the last four years is being ranked as one of the NL's top four teams in terms of innings pitched by the starting rotation, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Goold notes this year’s rotation is set to include four starters, beyond Wainwright, who combined have just one 190-inning season.
- The Mets could use catcher John Buck as trade bait once they promote Travis d'Arnaud in the opinion of ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin, who cites the precedent of when David Wright took over at third base.
- Bill Madden of the New York Daily News cautions the Mets to be prudent with their newfound financial flexibility if they dive into next year's free agent outfield pool. Madden lists Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin-Soo Choo, and Hunter Pence (all ranked in the top ten of MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings) as possible targets.
NL Central Notes: Lohse, Brewers, Scutaro, Cardinals
Here's a look at the latest out of the National League Central..
- We recently heard that agent Scott Boras is working hard to sell the Angels on Kyle Lohse and owner Mark Attanasio says that he is doing the same with the Brewers. "Our ears are always open. We don't want to lead our fans on in any way. There's not an active conversation. But our ears are always open. [GM] Doug [Melvin] and his group are always looking to improve the team," said the owner, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- Marco Scutaro had a two-year, $18MM offer from the Cardinals on the table but instead took a three-year, $20MM deal to remain with the Giants, writes Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com. Scutaro's representatives told the Giants early on in the offseason that $20MM over three years would get the job done and they held true to their word, despite a higher average annual value and a recruiting pitch from Matt Holliday.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders if the Cardinals are too old. The Cards have an average age of 30.5, making them the fourth oldest team in the majors behind the Yankees, Phillies, and Rangers.
Kyle Lohse Rumors: Wednesday
The Nationals don't presently have interest in Kyle Lohse, the Cardinals don't expect to add starting pitching, and the Indians don't appear to have interest in Lohse. In other words the market for the Scott Boras client remains unclear even as Spring Training gets started. Here’s the latest with the most recent rumors up top…
- A Red Sox source indicated to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that a deal with Lohse seems unlikely. WEEI.com reported last week that the Red Sox aren't likely to sign Lohse.
Earlier Updates:
- While the Brewers might seem like a fit for Lohse, GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he hasn't had any conversations with Scott Boras. "We aren't talking to him," Melvin said. The GM acknowledged that Boras has spoken with owner Mark Attanasio but said "there's nothing going on" there.
- Agent Scott Boras has repeatedly tried to engage the Angels about Lohse, but so far the club has passed, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). The Angels have already sacrificed a top draft pick to sign Josh Hamilton. Their rotation currently consists of Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Joe Blanton, Tommy Hanson and Jason Vargas.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told reporters today that Gio Gonzalez's connections with the Biogenesis clinic in Miami did not "intensify" the team's search for a starting pitcher, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times reports (on Twitter).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Padres Claim Fautino De Los Santos
The Padres claimed right-hander Fautino De Los Santos off of waivers from Milwaukee, according to the Brewers. The Brewers officially announced the signing of Alex Gonzalez in a related move.
De Los Santos appeared in six games for the Athletics in 2012, pitching out of the bullpen. The A's traded the 26-year-old to Milwaukee last July in the deal that sent George Kottaras to Oakland. De Los Santos posted a 5.80 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 49 2/3 innings of relief work at Triple-A in 2012.
Brewers Sign Alex Gonzalez
The Brewers have officially signed free agent shortstop Alex Gonzalez to a one-year, Major League contract. Gonzalez, a client of agent Eric Goldschmidt, will obtain a $1.5MM guarantee and could earn an additional $1MM in incentives.
Gonzalez played for the Brewers in 2012, but appeared in just 24 games after signing for $4.25MM. The Brewers placed Gonzalez on the disabled list with an ACL tear in early May, and he didn't play again. Before hitting the disabled list, the 35-year-old posted a .259/.326/.457 batting line in 89 plate appearances. In general, Gonzalez has been a low-average, low-OBP hitter with some power and a steady glove throughout his 14-year MLB career.
Gonzalez provides the Brewers with an experienced alternative to Jean Segura. Segura, 22, joined the Brewers in the Zack Greinke trade last summer and hit .264/.321/.331 in 163 late summer plate appearances with Milwaukee.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the deal (all Twitter links).
Quick Hits: Marlins, Reds, Bourn, Lohse, Hendrickson
As February gets underway, Michael Bourn still stands as the best available free agent on the open market. Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (on Twitter) opines that the Mets, Mariners, and Rays are the teams that make the most sense for the center fielder. As for the best starter left on the free agent pile, Bowden sees the Red Sox, Rangers, Angels, Brewers, and Orioles as the best fits for Kyle Lohse. Here's more from around baseball..
- Don't look for the Marlins to make any major moves the remainder of the offseason, says Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter). The team will enter spring training with the roster it currently has in place.
- Regardless of whether or not Scott Rolen joins the Reds, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the club is facing a serious roster crunch. It seems that the veteran wants to play in 2013 but money will be a determining factor in his decision. Recently, the Dodgers reached out to Rolen to express interest.
- The Orioles expect to announce the signing of veteran left-handerMark Hendrickson to a minor league contract with a spring training invite early next week, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The O's also hope to announce their deal with Jair Jurrjens and remain interested in bringing Joe Saunders back despite the depth that they've added.
- Torii Hunter says that enjoyed his time with the Angels, but he also felt misled when the club told him they didn't have enough money to keep him before signing Josh Hamilton to a five-year, $125MM deal, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The veteran hooked on with the Tigers this winter in pursuit of a World Series ring.
- The Tigers had a tough time trying to find organizational depth this winter as many players figured that their path to the majors would be blocked, writes George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press. Regardless, assistant General Manager Al Avila says that the club is done signing minor league players and is ready for spring training.
Daniel Seco contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Brewers, Lyon, Reds
The latest from around MLB…
- Rays closer Fernando Rodney continues to express confidence at the Caribbean Series that he'll get a two-year extension finalized, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). Agent Dan Lozano recently said no talks have taken place between the Rays and Rodney, who's entering the final year of his contract.
- Though the Brewers wanted to sign Lyle Overbay and Juan Rivera, the free agents went to American League teams in part because NL teams can't offer playing time as a DH, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).
- Free agent reliever Brandon Lyon is still talking to several teams yet nothing is imminent, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). Meister Sports Management represents the right-hander.
- The Reds are monitoring the relief market and could make a deal if the price is low enough, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reported this morning (Twitter links). Though the Reds like their bullpen, GM Walt Jocketty acknowledged the team is "looking.'' The Reds have added Manny Parra since Crasnick provided this update, so it's not clear if they'll continue searching for arms.
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