Brewers Rumors

Brewers Break Off Talks With Capuano

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 27, 2010 at 7:30pm CDT

Brewers GM Doug Melvin says the team agreed to stop negotiations with Chris Capuano, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Now that the Brewers have added Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum to a rotation that already included Yovani Gallardo, Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson, they don't have room for Capuano.

The Brewers had made Capuano an offer at the beginning of the offseason and it was on the table earlier this month, but the sides have now decided to move on. Melvin says Capuano wants to be a starter, so the Brewers don't have room for him. However, the GM says he likes the left-hander a lot and has heard other teams have interest.

Capuano, 32, came back from his second Tommy John surgery in 2010 after missing the 2008-09 seasons. He posted a 3.95 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2/9 BB/9 in 66 innings as a swingman for the Brewers last year. His best seasons came in 2005-06, when he averaged 220 innings per season and posted ERAs near 4.00 with 7.4 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.

It wouldn't be surprising to see the Orioles, Indians, Royals, Tigers, Pirates, Cardinals, Nationals or Mets show interest in Capuano. That's a speculative list that depends on teams' assessments of the lefty's health. Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner hears that the Mariners have interest.

Unfinished Business: NL Central

By Tim Dierkes | December 27, 2010 at 2:56pm CDT

We looked at the NL East earlier; now it's time to examine the unfinished business of NL Central clubs.

Cubs: Starting pitcher. ESPN's Bruce Levine says the Cubs are still talking to Tampa Bay about Matt Garza, though the Rays seem to prefer to hang on to him. The Cubs' rotation is already five-deep, so adding a back-end guy wouldn't make sense.
Reds: Lefty reliever, left-handed hitting outfielder/leadoff hitter, backup shortstop, Joey Votto extension. The Reds have a small amount of cash to play with after Arthur Rhodes signed with the Rangers. Scott Podsednik or Fred Lewis could fit into their tight budget. NL MVP Votto will be tough to lock up, but he's under team control through 2013 anyway.
Astros: Lefty reliever. The Astros will probably stay in-house for left-handed relief, though they could make a minor move. They also appear reluctant to sign a left fielder and affect Brett Wallace's playing time. Their last move may be trading Jeff Keppinger to clear a little payroll.
Brewers: None. After signing Takashi Saito today, the Brewers might be done with a successful offseason. They have Yuniesky Betancourt at shortstop and Carlos Gomez/Chris Dickerson in center, but don't appear to be looking for upgrades.
Pirates: Veteran reliever, starting pitcher, taker for Ryan Doumit. Despite the signings of Kevin Correia and Scott Olsen, MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch says they're still looking for starting pitching. They've also been in on Octavio Dotel and others and appear to be shopping Doumit.
Cardinals: Albert Pujols extension, pitching depth. There was word on December 8th from Joe Strauss that the Cards were shopping for a sixth starter and big league reliever, though MLB.com's Matthew Leach wrote six days ago that they appear to be done adding Major Leaguers. An established backup third baseman wouldn't hurt. The dominating story for the next several weeks should be Pujols, who will be perilously close to free agency if the Cards don't get something done before spring training.

Odds & Ends: Brewers, Nolasco, Thames, Astros

By Mike Axisa | December 24, 2010 at 9:12pm CDT

Happy Holidays to all of MLBTR's readers. Here is today's batch of links…

Yovani Gallardo was delighted to learn of the deal that brought Zack Greinke to Milwaukee, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
The Ricky Nolasco deal leaves the Marlins with $41.5MM in contractual committments for nine players this season, writes Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post. The right-hander made his three-year extension worth $26.5MM official early this morning.
In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney says the Yankees are unlikely to bring Marcus Thames back for the 2011 season since they need reserve players capable of providing flexibility on defense.
Astros GM Ed Wade told Joseph Duarte of The Houston Chronicle that he believes he had enough "protection on the back end of the bullpen" to trade Matt Lindstrom. "With the ability to go out and add two more young arms to create more depth in the system and balance the payroll, this was a sensible deal for us to make."
MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling muses about some players who have taken their time finding a new team this offseason.

Brewers Re-Sign Craig Counsell

By Tim Dierkes | December 22, 2010 at 4:46pm CDT

Craig Counsell is returning to Milwaukee for another season, the Brewers announced today. The 15-year veteran will earn $1.4MM in his sixth campaign with the Brewers. Agent Barry Meister represents Counsell.

Counsell, 40, hit .250/.322/.319 in 230 plate appearances this year while appearing at shortstop, third base, and second base. He has appeared in 100 or more games in each of the past seven seasons.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel added the terms of the deal on Twitter.

Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.

Brewers Sign Sean Green

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 22, 2010 at 4:30pm CDT

The Brewers announced that they signed right-hander Sean Green to a one-year contract. MLB.com's Adam McCalvy hears that the contract is worth a non-guaranteed $875K.

Green missed most of the 2010 season because of a ribcage injury, but logged over 200 innings out of the 'pen from 2007-09 with the Mariners and Mets. New York non-tendered him earlier this month, making him a free agent. Agent Adam Hubble represents Green.

The 31-year-old made just 11 appearances last year, with all but one of them coming in September and October, when he struck out 11 batters in 8 1/3 innings. Green allowed just five hits, but his command failed him. Though he has never limited free passes particularly well, Green walked more than usual in 2010 (7.7 BB/9).

Brandon Webb Rumors: Wednesday

By Tim Dierkes | December 22, 2010 at 9:45am CDT

Yesterday we learned that the Rangers and Nationals are still showing strong interest in Brandon Webb, the Cubs' pursuit has slowed, and there is a mystery NL Central team expressing late interest. I wouldn't be surprised to see other teams in play as well. The latest:

The Reds "haven't had any conversations about Webb recently, and thus are not the mystery team," tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The Reds are the closest team to Webb's Kentucky home. Are the Astros, Pirates, or Cardinals the unknown team?
The Brewers are not the NL Central mystery team, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel learned from GM Doug Melvin.

Contract Details: Bruce, Lee, Jenks, Pirates, Gomez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 21, 2010 at 10:51pm CDT

Here are some recent updates on contracts from around the majors:

Jay Bruce gets $25.25MM for his four arbitration years and $12-12.5MM each for a pair of free agent seasons, reports MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
Cliff Lee can earn $50K for winning a Gold Glove or a Silver Slugger and his new deal also includes bonuses for winning the Cy Young Award, making the All-Star team and winning playoff MVP awards, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.
Jonathan Papelbon is Boston's closer, but Bobby Jenks' new deal with the Red Sox includes up to $1MM in incentives for finishing games, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.
The Pirates cannot offer Scott Olsen or Kevin Correia arbitration if they rank as Type A free agents when their contracts expire, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch, who has all the details you'd want to know about the contracts for those two pitchers and Josh Fields.
As MLB.com's Adam McCalvy explains, Carlos Gomez can earn up to $100K in incentives depending on how many plate appearances he picks up next year. The Brewers' decision to trade Lorenzo Cain likely helped Gomez.

Brewers Claim Roque Mercedes

By Tim Dierkes | December 21, 2010 at 1:29pm CDT

The Brewers claimed righty reliever Roque Mercedes off waivers from the Diamondbacks, tweets MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. This gives the Brewers 37 players on the 40-man roster. Mercedes had been designated for assignment by Arizona on Friday along with Rusty Ryal's release to clear spots for Henry Blanco and Xavier Nady.

Mercedes, 24, came up through the Brewers' system and was traded to Arizona in July of last year in the Felipe Lopez deal. This year at Double-A he posted a 4.36 ERA, 7.5 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, and 0.8 HR/9 in 53 2/3 innings. Heading into the season, Baseball America ranked Mercedes 28th among D'Backs prospects, saying, "he could develop into a seventh-inning reliever."

Minor Deals: Stokes, Diaz, Barton, Brewers

By Tim Dierkes | December 20, 2010 at 9:37pm CDT

Rounding up today's minor signings:

The Blue Jays signed Brian Stokes, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). The 31-year-old struggled through 16 2/3 innigns for the Angels last year, but was useful for the Mets from 2008-09 before they sent him to L.A. for Gary Matthews Jr..
The A's signed right-hander Jonathan Ortiz, who combined a sinker and an above-average changeup to post 11.8 K/9 in the Yankees system this year, according to Eddy (all links go to Twitter).
The Tigers signed shortstop Argenis Diaz, who was non-tendered by the Pirates despite his strong glovework.
The Angels signed Ryan Braun – not the Brewers slugger, but the 30-year-old right-hander who posted a 2.20 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 in 57 1/3 innings at Triple-A Charlotte last year. He last pitched in the majors for the 2007 Royals.
The Twins signed Matt Brown, a former Angel who should provide corner infield depth.
The Pirates re-signed Tyler Yates, who missed last season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
Brian Barton, who hit 19 homers and stole 18 bases in the Atlantic League this year, signed with the Reds, according to Eddy (on Twitter).
The Cubs signed lefty Polin Trinidad, who posted a 4.81 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 149 2/3 innings in the upper minor for the Astros last year (Twitter link).
The Brewers signed Edwin Maysonet and Shawn Riggans to minor league deals and invited them to Spring Training, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). Maysonet, 29, appeared in 46 games as a backup infielder for the Astros in 2008-09 and hit .248/.308/.329 in 356 minor league plate apperances last year. Riggans, who spent parts of four seasons with the Rays, barely played in 2010.
The Twins inked lefty Chuck James, tweets Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. The 29-year-old former Brave had rotator cuff surgery in September of 2008.
The Nationals announced seven signings, including previously unreported contracts for Ryan Mattheus, Michael Aubrey, and Brian Bixler. Mattheus, a 27-year-old right-handed reliever, was acquired by the Nats at the '09 trade deadline in the Joe Beimel deal, the same month he had Tommy John surgery. His is a Major League deal. Aubrey, drafted 11th overall by the Indians in 2003, hit .235/.310/.495 at Triple-A this year. Bixler, a defensive-minded utility infielder, was acquired by Washington from the Pirates in August.

Odds & Ends: Pavano, Greinke, Soria, Pettitte

By Tim Dierkes | December 20, 2010 at 12:21pm CDT

Two years ago today, the Yankees officially signed C.C. Sabathia to the largest-ever contract for a pitcher. Sabathia's $161MM record figures to hold for a while, though a couple of monster seasons by Francisco Liriano, Cole Hamels, Zack Greinke, and Matt Cain could put it in jeopardy in the 2012-13 offseason if those pitchers do not sign extensions. Today's links:

The Brewers are officially out on Carl Pavano now that they've acquired Zack Greinke, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Pavano appears to be down to the Twins and Nationals, unless the Pirates jump in.
Greinke told Anthony Witrado of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel he removed the Brewers from his no-trade list once they acquired Shaun Marcum and retained Prince Fielder.
Greinke fired his agents at SFX after the Winter Meetings because he felt they were responsible for his not being traded, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan. Passan adds that SFX facilitated a deal with the Nationals, but the pitcher rejected it. SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Royals sought Jesus Montero and Eduardo Nunez from the Yankees, but they weren't convinced New York was right for Greinke. The Royals also wanted Manuel Banuelos or Dellin Betances, tweets Joel Sherman.
MLB.com's Peter Gammons analyzes the Brewers' and Royals' situations.
Though the Royals are getting calls on closer Joakim Soria, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that they have no plans to move him.
Andy Pettitte is still leaning toward retirement, Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Jack Curry of the YES Network. If that doesn't change, Curry tweets that the Yankees intend to fill the rotation from within and have low interest in Freddy Garcia/Kevin Millwood types. ESPN's Wallace Matthews has more comments from Cashman.
Free agent first baseman Derrek Lee seeks $8-10MM, tweets Rosenthal. That'd fall in the range of Lance Berkman and Carlos Pena, he notes. Rosenthal says the Padres probably can't afford Lee at that price but it's not necessarily too high for the Nationals.

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