A’s Acquire Josh Willingham
The A's have acquired Josh Willingham from the Nationals for right-hander Henry Rodriguez and minor league outfielder Corey Brown, the teams announced.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported that a deal was in place (on Twitter) after Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the sides were in serious discussions about a trade.
The A's will now feature Willingham, Coco Crisp and David DeJesus in their outfield with Ryan Sweeney and Conor Jackson available off the bench. Willingham, DeJesus and Hideki Matsui should provide the A's offense with some extra thump. Oakland ranked 11th in the American League in runs scored and 13th in the league in home runs in 2010.
Willingham earned $4.6MM in 2010 and will go to arbitration one last time this winter before hitting free agency after the 2011 season. The 31-year-old batted .268/.389/.459 in 450 plate appearances last year before he went on the disabled list and underwent left knee surgery.
Though Willingham is less than a year away from free agency, he would be open to an extension with the A's, according to Rosenthal (on Twitter).
Rodriguez, 23, pitched 27 2/3 innings for the A's this year, posting a 4.55 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9. He has posted exceptional strikeout numbers (11.6 K/9) and an alarming walk rate (6.6 BB/9) throughout his minor league career, but started walking fewer batters in 2010. According to Baseball America's preseason report, Rodriguez can hit 100 mph and could become a major league closer.
Brown, a supplementary first round pick in 2007, batted .283/.370/.466 in the upper minors this year. The 25-year-old had 15 homers, 11 triples, 18 doubles and 22 steals. Baseball America noted before the season that Brown has five-tool potential and gap-to-gap power. Baseball America didn't rank Brown among Oakland's top ten prospects earlier in the month, but he placed 12th when BA ranked the Athletics' prospects heading into the 2010 season.
Odds & Ends: Lee, Zambrano, Werth, Mets, Uehara
Baseball lost one of its all-time greats tonight; Bob Feller passed away at 92. Rapid Robert won 266 games in his career, every single one of them with the Cleveland Indians. He probably would have cleared the 300 win plateau if he hadn't served in World War II from ages 23-25. Our condolences go out to the Hall of Famer's family…
- Baseball America's Matt Eddy posted this week's edition of minor league transactions. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports adds (via Twitter) that the Twins have signed infielder Mike Hollimon to a minor league deal. He missed all of 2010 recovering from shoulder surgery.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman says (via Twitter) that Derrek Lee is telling teams he'd consider a one-year deal. At least six teams are interested in the free agent first baseman.
- Carlos Zambrano has not yet given the Cubs his consent to trade him, reports MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. The right-hander has a full no-trade clause.
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson looks at the impact the Jayson Werth signing will have on 2010 first overall pick (and right fielder) Bryce Harper. The Nationals plan to play Werth in center at least part of the time going forward.
- ESPN New York's Adam Rubin provides the contract details for D.J. Carrasco, Ronny Paulino, and Boof Bonser, while Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun does the same for Koji Uehara.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports spoke to Phillies' general partner, president, and CEO David Montgomery about a variety of topics, including the Lee signing.
- Agent Scott Boras said Werth has a full no-trade clause, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
- Not surprisingly, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has no interest in trading Felix Hernandez, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
- Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond has heard the trade rumors, but wants to stay in Washington, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Josh Hamilton told Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com that he hasn't thought much about a contract extension.
- MLB's minimum salary will rise to $414K next year, according to the AP (on ESPN.com).
- The A's acquired Jose Rivero, a 20-year-old outfielder selected by the D'Backs in this year's Rule 5 draft, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter).
A’s, Nationals In Serious Talks About Willingham
The A's and Nationals are in serious discussions about a trade that would send Josh Willingham to Oakland, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Nationals would receive two minor leaguers from the A's, according to Rosenthal
The Red Sox, Tigers and Mariners also checked in on Willingham during the Winter Meetings, but Rosenthal said at the time that the Nationals' asking price was absurd. However, it seemed earlier in the month that the Nationals were likely to move the left fielder.
Willingham earned $4.6MM in 2010 and will go to arbitration one last time this winter before hitting free agency after the 2011 season. The 31-year-old batted .268/.389/.459 in 450 plate appearances last year before he went on the disabled list and underwent left knee surgery.
Rosenthal suggests that the Nationals could potentially use the money they save to acquire a starting pitcher, sign a first baseman or sign a closer.
Relievers On Boston’s Radar
4:23pm: The Red Sox are having ongoing discussions with Dan Wheeler about a possible deal, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. One of Speier's sources is optimistic about the negotiations.
1:16pm: The Red Sox liked Matt Guerrier well enough to offer him a two-year deal, but the Dodgers offered a third guaranteed year and the right-hander has agreed to play for Los Angeles. The Red Sox will have to move on to other targets as they look to round out their 'pen. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has the details on what he says is the biggest challenge of the offseason for GM Theo Epstein.
Two former Twins, right-hander Jesse Crain and left-hander Brian Fuentes are the team’s priorities now. The Red Sox are also considering trades and would “love” to reacquire Justin Masterson, according to Cafardo. The Indians have been reluctant to part with Masterson, whom they acquired in the 2009 Victor Martinez trade.
There are a number of alternatives for Epstein to pursue, including Indians relievers Joe Smith and Rafael Perez, who “could be on Boston’s radar.” The A’s are likely willing to listen on their relievers and the Mariners would listen on David Aardsma, Cafardo writes.
Minor Deals: Yankees, Chulk, Van Every, Coats
Let's take a look at today's notable minor league deals, with the most recent updates at the top:
- The Yankees signed Doug Bernier, Buddy Carlyle, Neal Cotts and Gustavo Molina to minor league deals, the team announced. The club officially announced its deals with Andy Sisco and outfielder-turned-pitcher Brian Anderson.
- The Pirates have welcomed back Donald Veal just two weeks after non-tendering him, Eddy tweets. Veal underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year.
- The Rays picked up right-handed reliever Jonah Bayliss, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). Bayliss turned in a 3.58 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 for Houston's Triple-A club last season.
- The Athletics signed right-handed reliever Vinnie Chulk, tweets Eddy. Chulk appeared in 28 games for Pittsburgh's Triple-A affiliate in 2010 and spent the other half of the year with the Hiroshima Carp. His numbers overseas left much to be desired but the righty carries more than 250 games of big league experience.
- First baseman Andy Tracy has hooked on with the Diamondbacks, tweets Baseball America's Matt Eddy. The left-handed hitter, who turned 37-years-old on Saturday, has spent the last three years with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate. In 2010 he hit .275/.373/.492, numbers that are slightly better than his career averages.
- The Nationals signed outfielder Jonathan Van Every, according to Eddy (via Twitter). The 31-year-old boasts a career .471 slugging percentage in Triple-A and can play all three outfield positions. Van Every played in 39 games for Boston's varsity squad across the last three years.
- Washington picked up another versatile, left-handed hitting outfielder in Buck Coats, Eddy tweets. Coats, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Cubs, has a lifetime slash line of .294/.352/.407 at the Triple-A level.
- The Cubs invited first baseman Bryan LaHair and outfielder Brad Snyder to Spring Training, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter).
A’s Interested In Rich Harden
5:57pm: Renck reports the Harden-A's agreement is unconfirmed (Twitter link). The Rockies are out on Harden. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the A's have talked to Harden, who appears to have better offers elsewhere (Twitter links). Slusser notes that the A's are still talking to Justin Duchscherer.
5:09pm: The A's will sign Rich Harden, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports (Twitter link). Harden spent the first five and a half seasons of his career in Oakland, where he posted lofty strikeout numbers and a 3.42 ERA between trips to the DL.
The 29-year-old continued to encounter health issues in 2010, but the low ERA and remarkable strikeout numbers were nowhere to be found. Harden battled glute and shoulder injuries this year and posted a 5.58 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 in 92 innings for the Rangers.
Seven teams other than Oakland reportedly had some interest in Harden: the Yankees, Twins, Rays, Diamondbacks, Brewers, Mariners, and Rockies.
Athletics Sign Hideki Matsui
The Athletics have officially signed Hideki Matsui to a one-year deal, $4.25MM deal. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle broke the news yesterday and ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted the amount today. Agent Arn Tellem of WMG represents Matsui.
The 36-year-old Matsui arrived in the AL West last year and batted .274/.361/.459 in 554 plate appearances, mostly while serving as the Angels' designated hitter. Matsui hit 21 homers and 24 doubles in his first MLB season on a team other than the Yankees.
NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman passes along a report (via Twitter) indicating that Matsui's contract with the A's has a limited no-trade clause preventing trades to the Mariners, Orioles, Twins, Blue Jays, Indians, and Royals.
A’s Agree To Sign Brandon McCarthy
The A's agreed to sign Brandon McCarthy to a one-year deal, the team announced. The contract guarantees McCarthy $1MM, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) and the deal includes $1.6MM in incentives, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). LSW baseball represents the right-hander.
McCarthy, 27, could be valuable in 2011 if he's healthy. He tossed 97 1/3 of 4.62 ERA ball for the 2009 Rangers, but the shoulder injuries have continued to slow the former top prospect's progress. McCarthy made three trips to the disabled list at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, as he battled shoulder problems. When healthy, he was effective, posting a 3.36 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 56 1/3 innings (nine starts). He then made four starts in the Dominican Winter League, so his arm appears to be responding well.
McCarthy became a free agent after the Rangers outrighted him off of their 40-man roster last month. The Astros, Diamondbacks, Brewers, Padres, Mariners, and Tigers also had interest after he became a free agent. Since McCarthy will have less than six years of service time after 2011, Oakland will be able to retain him for 2012.
A’s, Joey Devine Avoid Arbitration
The A's announced that they agreed to a one-year contract with Joey Devine, avoiding arbitration. The 27-year-old right-hander missed each of the last two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery last April.
Devine posted a 0.59 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 45 2/3 innings in 2008, when he finished sixth in AL Rookie of the Year balloting. In 65 1/3 career innings, he has a 2.48 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9. He earned $558K in 2010 and is set to earn $560K next year, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
The A's now have five remaining arbitration eligible players: Dallas Braden, Craig Breslow, Conor Jackson, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Brad Ziegler.
Athletics Close To Deal With Brandon McCarthy
The Athletics are close to a deal with righty Brandon McCarthy, reports ESPN's Buster Olney. On Tuesday, Olney reported that McCarthy was considering a serious offer from Oakland. Olney also notes that the A's are close with Hideki Matsui, which we've read previously.
McCarthy, 27, posted a 3.36 ERA, 7.0 K/9, 1.8 BB/9, and 1.3 HR/9 in 56 1/3 Triple-A innings this year. He tossed 119 innings between the Majors and minors in 2009. He has a history of shoulder injuries, but the A's, Astros, Diamondbacks, Brewers, Padres, Mariners, and Tigers showed interest after he became a free agent. McCarthy was reportedly scouted heavily in the Dominican Winter League.