Brewers Rumors

Odds & Ends: Hart, Dukes, Moreno, Farnsworth

By Tim Dierkes | February 11, 2010 at 3:17pm CDT

Links for Thursday…

MLB.com's Adam McCalvy has the details on the Jim Edmonds contract. Bottom line: Edmonds earns at least $850 if he makes the team. He can make $1.75MM more in incentives if he makes 525 plate appearances.
O's righty Armando Gabino cleared waivers, according to a team press release.
MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch points out the intricate points system behind the incentives in D.J. Carrasco's minor league deal with the Pirates.
Maury Brown says the Giants' three-year $37MM offer is good, but probably not enough to tempt Tim Lincecum.
Corey Hart and the Brewers didn't come to a last-minute agreement before today's arbitration hearing, according to the AP. We can expect a ruling tomorrow.
Elijah Dukes, who is not yet eligible for arbitration, agreed to a $444K salary this season, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
The Mets signed 22 year-old shortstop Rylan Sandoval out of the Arizona Winter League.
The White Sox signed 32-year-old righty reliever Orber Moreno to a minor league deal, reports Billy Russo of El Universal. Said Moreno: "Oswaldo Guillen told me that he believes in me and that he will give me the opportunity." Thanks to Nick Collias for translating.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports chatted with free agent outfielder Jermaine Dye, who noted that the Cubs offered $3MM. Dye says it's not about the money, but "there are still guys getting money that I feel I'm better than."
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs applauds the Royals for giving Kyle Farnsworth a shot at starting this year.
MASN's Roch Kubatko runs through the worst Orioles rumors of the offseason.
Bill Plunkett of the O.C. Register talked to free agent Darin Erstad, who still wants to play but hasn't found the right opportunity yet.

Odds & Ends: McClung, Aurilia, Lincecum, Brewers

By Tim Dierkes | February 10, 2010 at 9:42pm CDT

Links for Wednesday…

According to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, Seth McClung's deal with the Marlins would be worth $800K if he makes the team, not $600K as originally reported (link goes to Twitter).
MLB.com's Tom Singer wrote about the hazards of signing pitchers to five-year deals.
Baggarly tweets that even though he isn't retired, Rich Aurilia has a broadcasting deal in place that is contingent on him not finding a job on the field.
Tim Lincecum and the Giants are still no closer to a deal, reports Andrew Baggarly of The San Jose Mercury News. Their arbitration hearing is now less than two days away.
MLB.com's Adam McCalvy takes a look back at the Brewers' arbitration history. The team is scheduled to go to a hearing with Corey Hart tomorrow, which would be their first in 12 years.
Mariners' GM Jack Zduriencik did not rule out the possibility of adding a catcher, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com (via Twitter).
RotoAuthority analyzes the Blue Jays' closer situation from a fantasy baseball angle.
SI's Jon Heyman names his free agent winners and losers. It's a well-done piece; my only gripe is Jason Marquis being in the loser bracket after signing a two-year, $15MM deal.
ESPN's Buster Olney reports that before signing with the Padres, catcher Yorvit Torrealba "offered himself to the Mets for $1.4MM." The Mets "indicated they had no money to spend."
Aaron Schafer of Viva El Birdos grades the Cardinals' offseason moves and non-moves.

Odds & Ends: Theriot, Delgado, Damon, Yankees

By Tim Dierkes | February 9, 2010 at 2:45pm CDT

Links for Tuesday…

2011 free agent Brandon Webb threw for the first time since his August shoulder surgery today and told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert that he feels good.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says (via Twitter) that he's not under the impression that the Reds are in on Johnny Damon.
The Cubs haven't spoken with Ryan Theriot's representatives recently and expect to go to an arbitration hearing with the infielder, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
Jim Reeves of ESPNDallas.com explains how Rangers GM Jon Daniels now reports to Nolan Ryan. Within the piece, Daniels says the Rangers obtained virtually every player they targeted this offseason.
Carlos Delgado's agent tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that his client's conditioning is progressing well (Twitter link).
Morosi tweets that the Brewers signed Chase Wright to a minor league deal.
Corey Hart's arbitration hearing is scheduled for Thursday, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. If the hearing does occur, Hart will either be paid $4.8MM or $4.15MM in 2010. It'll be Doug Melvin's first hearing as Brewers GM.
Johnny Damon is a big fan of Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings, agent Scott Boras told John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press. Boras says Damon received "four or five offers right away" after it became clear the Yankees wouldn't re-sign him.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman explained to George King of the New York Post that he groups Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Joe Girardi together in terms of not negotiating extensions.
WEEI's Rob Bradford explains why Josh Beckett's shoulder will be a critical factor in whether the Red Sox re-sign the righty.
Comparing 2008 to 2009, FanGraphs' Matthew Carruth lists the pitchers with the biggest gains and losses on their fastballs.
The Brewers agreed to sign Dominican righties Eduard Reyes, Carlos Sosa, and Elvis Mora, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
McCalvy points us to this entertaining interview the blog Right Field Bleachers did with Marlins reliever Seth McClung.
The blog Monozygotic compiled a list of non-roster Spring Training invitees for all 30 teams.

Brewers Sign Scott Schoeneweis

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 9, 2010 at 1:36pm CDT

The Brewers signed Scott Schoeneweis to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, tweets MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The lefthander will earn $800K if he makes the Brewers' roster. The D'Backs, who traded for Schoeneweis last winter, decided not to offer him arbitration after the season.

Schoeneweis struggled through the 2009 campaign, dealing with the death of his wife and pitching just 24 innings. His stats (5.3 K/9, 4.9 BB/9, 7.12 ERA) were not good, but the Brewers will likely give the 36-year-old the chance to become their second lefty reliever, tweets McCalvy.

As McCalvy noted last week, 24-year-old Rule 5 draft pick Chuck Lofgren could make the Brewers as a left-handed reliever. The Brewers will have to offer Lofgren back to the Indians if he doesn't make the team. He pitched 98.1 innings at AAA last year, striking out 5.7 K/9 and walking 3.0 K/9.

Odds & Ends: Brewers, Cubs, Looper, Baer, Wigginton

By Tim Dierkes | February 8, 2010 at 5:23pm CDT

Links for Monday…

MLB.com's Adam McCalvy posts an unofficial list of Brewers' players who are out of options. Joe Inglett and George Kottaras appear to be the players most on the bubble.
In a mailbag, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat says that the Cubs are still looking for righthanded relief help.
MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince explains that Grady Sizemore's 2012 club option becomes a player option if traded. He also notes that the Indians are not in on Felipe Lopez.
Braden Looper will not settle for a low base salary or a minor league deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
The Biz of Baseball now has Opening Day and year-end payroll data by team.
Giants president Larry Baer mentioned MLBTR in a recent KNBR interview with Ralph Barbieri and Tom Tolbert.
Roch Kubatko of MASN believes it's possible the Orioles will trade Ty Wigginton. Wiggy has $3.5MM coming in 2010.
Benjamin Kabak of River Ave. Blues ponders the benefits of the Yankees bringing Gary Sheffield back on a minor league deal.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs would like the Mariners to spend a few million on Jarrod Washburn, provided he'd be willing to pitch out of the bullpen when Erik Bedard is ready.
ESPN's Tim Kurkjian explains why the Reds should sign Johnny Damon.

Discussion: Braden Looper

By Zachary Links | February 7, 2010 at 6:18pm CDT

While the most attractive free agent starting pitchers are now off of the market, there are still some notable names searching for a home in 2010. One such pitcher is Braden Looper.

For the Brewers in 2009, Looper posted a 5.22 ERA with 4.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 while eating 194.2 innings. While standard pitching metrics were less than kind to the 35-year-old, xFIP portrayed him in a better light as he recorded a 4.90 – his best since becoming a starter in 2007.

In September of last year it appeared as though Milwaukee would exercise their side of Looper's $6.5MM mutual option for 2010. Instead, GM Doug Melvin went in a different direction, choosing to buy out the option for $1MM. Although he did not rule out a return at the time, Melvin filled the void by inking Randy Wolf and Doug Davis to help augment the rotation.

In December, Looper made it known that he would like to pitch for the Cubs as his three children attend Chicago-area schools. The Dodgers seemed like a possible fit for the righty until financial troubles limited their spending this offseason. We're now one week into February, and Looper is still without a job.

What teams should look into signing Looper? In a market where an effective (yet, injury prone) Erik Bedard just received $1.5MM guaranteed for 2010, what kind of a deal will Looper be able to land?

Odds & Ends: Jays, V-Mart, Jeter, Gonzalez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 5, 2010 at 1:29pm CDT

Links for Friday…

Tim Dillard, who was designated for assignment earlier in the week, cleared waivers, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter).
Don't expect the Twins to add much to their 2010 payroll. GM Bill Smith tells Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the team is nearing the "upper extremes" of what it can spend (Twitter link).
The Blue Jays are no longer in on Carlos Delgado, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says the Twins had one of the best offseasons in baseball.
Alex Anthopoulos doesn't expect to trade any of his relievers before the season starts, tweets MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. However, the Jays GM points out that things can change.
WEEI.com's Alex Speier compares Victor Martinez to similar catchers to hit free agency in recent years. Speier writes that after this season V-Mart could be in line for a four-year $40MM deal like the ones Ivan Rodriguez and Jason Varitek signed. Some consider Martinez a first baseman going forward, which would make him a "completely different animal" in the eyes of interested teams.
Those small market Twins will open the season with a payroll of about $96MM, writes Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Derek Jeter hits free agency after the season and Hank Steinbrenner says we can "pretty much assume" what will happen at that point given Jeter's place in Yankee history (link from the Philadelphia Daily News).
Padres GM Jed Hoyer tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that he hasn't ruled out signing Adrian Gonzalez long-term. That seems unlikely given the offers Gonzalez could demand as a free agent.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that Adam Kennedy will be the Nats' everday second baseman, which likely leaves Cristian Guzman at short.
Now the Nats will look for a veteran starter, tweets Ladson.
Jesus Guzman cleared waivers and will receive an invitation to Giants Spring Training, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Giants designated the infielder for assignment in late January.
Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star tweets that Jarrod Washburn may be too expensive for the Royals.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes that some within the Dodgers organization called Orlando Hudson "Slow-Dog" because they were surprised he wasn't faster. Some Dodgers officials believe Hudson's defensive reputation is better than it should be.

Odds & Ends: Nationals, Hudson, Brewers, Guzman

By Zachary Links | February 4, 2010 at 10:35pm CDT

Thursday night linkage..

With Hudson having agreed to a deal with the Twins, Jon Heyman of SI tweets that he anticipates the Nationals considering Adam Kennedy.
Jarrod Washburn is only considering two teams at present – the Twins and the Mariners. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes that if he doesn't receive an offer from either club or expand his list, the 35-year-old hurler may retire.
Orlando Hudson would be a great fit for the Twins, writes Rob Neyer of ESPN. Neyer writes that the extra one or two wins that Hudson's addition represents are worth at least $3MM. However, according to Buster Olney, Hudson has been offered a one-year pact worth $5MM.
Despite Travis Buck's reported dissatisfaction with the organization, A's GM Billy Beane is not looking to move the outfielder writes Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.
Spurred by the recent pickups of Joe Inglett and Marco Estrada, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com takes a look back at the Brewers' best waiver wire moves in recent years. One of the best hidden gems was one of GM Doug Melvin's earliest acquisitions, Scott Podsednik.
The Orioles have signed Joel Guzman to a minor league deal, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The 25-year-old, once one of baseball's top prospects, will not receive an invite to Spring Training. In 108 games with the Nationals' Double-A affiliate last season, Guzman hit .281/.352/.447 with 12 HRs.

Brewers Claim Marco Estrada

By Tim Dierkes | February 3, 2010 at 12:42pm CDT

The Brewers claimed pitcher Marco Estrada off waivers from the Nationals, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. In a corresponding move, Milwaukee designated Tim Dillard for assignment.

Estrada, 26, posted a 3.63 ERA, 6.5 K/9, and 2.2 BB/9 in 136.3 Triple A innings last year. In their new Handbook, Baseball America had him ranked as the Nationals' #18 prospect. They praised his change-up, and suggested he could become a back-end starter despite being undersized. The Nats designated him for assignment recently to make room for Tyler Walker.

Dillard, 26, posted a 4.51 ERA, 3.9 K/9, and 3.2 BB/9 in 147.6 Triple A innings last year. He'd spent the previous year as a reliever. He garnered a mention as the Brewers' #30 prospect in the '09 Handbook, when he profiled as a "resilient middle reliever." It seems clear that the Brewers upgraded going from Dillard to Estrada, and Dillard may be retained anyway if he's not claimed off waivers.

Odds & Ends: Carroll, Wang, Hudson, Fielder

By Zachary Links | January 31, 2010 at 10:21pm CDT

Sunday night linkage..

Despite their budget constraints, Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times expects the Rays to upgrade their roster. Topkin mentions several quality free agents who may have to accept minor league deals such as Jim Edmonds, Rocco Baldelli, and ex-Ray Jonny Gomes as proof that the market is rife with valuable players.
At the Mariners Fan Fest event, pitcher Mark Lowe told the crowd in attendance that he keeps up on all of the latest transactions with MLBTradeRumors (video from MLB.com, :40 mark). Dave Sims – the television voice of the M's – followed that up with his own mention of MLBTR. Thanks guys!
Tim brings us the terms of Jamey Carroll's contract with the Dodgers via Twitter. Carroll will earn $1.35MM in 2010 and $2.5MM in 2011. The 35-year-old could also earn up to $525K per year in plate appearance incentives.
The Dodgers are among the teams that have reviewed Chien-Ming Wang's medical records, according to a tweet from Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. Recently, ESPN's Jayson Stark pegged the Dodgers as a possible destination for the 29-year-old.
Washington GM Mike Rizzo and Orlando's Hudson's representative haven't talked in a couple of days, according to MLB.com's William Ladson (via Twitter). Furthermore, Rizzo says that if Hudson has brought his price down, it's news to him (also via Twitter).
In response to a fan asking how much he thinks Prince Fielder will sign for, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy writes that he doesn't think he will sign at all and will instead opt to hit the open market after the 2011 season (via Twitter).
Jon Weisman of the Los Angeles Times writes that the Dodgers' rumored signing of Reed Johnson likely means that Ronnie Belliard will get the nod over Blake DeWitt at second base. Weisman's reasoning is that the roster, as it stands now, would feature an all right-handed bench without DeWitt's inclusion. Weisman wonders if this overload of righty sluggers means that the Dodgers will pursue another free agent backup outfielder.

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