AL East Notes: Burnett, Jays, O’s, Bonifacio, Yankees
It might not be likely that the Blue Jays will sign A.J. Burnett, but in some respects, he would be a very good fit for them, writes Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet.ca. Burnett won't require the team that signs him to forfeit a draft pick and likely wouldn't want a long-term deal, and he arguably performed better in 2013 than all the other remaining free-agent pitchers, like Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez and Bronson Arroyo. A return to Toronto might be a longshot for Burnett, though — he would likely prefer to be closer to his home in Maryland, and had previously said he was deciding between pitching for the Pirates and retiring. Here are more notes from the AL East.
- Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette brushed aside a report that his team was "all-in" on Burnett, saying that he was "not sure where that report came from," MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko reports. The Orioles do, however, remain very interested in signing a veteran starting pitcher. "Some of these young pitchers who we really like should be able to help us later on in the season, but if we could sign a veteran starter, I think that would help fill out our ballclub," he said.
- Emilio Bonifacio, who the Royals designated for assignment in a surprise move today, could make an interesting candidate for the Yankees' open bench infielder job, Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues writes. If they want to acquire him, though, they'll likely need to do so via trade, since the Dodgers also need infield help and could make a trade for him themselves.
Cubs Notes: Samardzija, Hammel
Jeff Samardzija and the Cubs still haven't come to terms on a contract to avoid arbitration for 2014, with the pitcher filing for $6.2MM and the team countering with $4.4MM. That gap is indicative of broader differences between the two parties about how to structure a long-term deal, Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago writes. Rogers notes that it wouldn't be surprising if Samardzija and the Cubs actually did go to arbitration, and suggests that they could be more than $10MM apart on a potential long-term contract. Here are more notes on the Cubs.
- One factor in the market for Jason Hammel was that teams were worried about the possibility that his elbow wouldn't hold up, ESPN's Buster Olney tweets. Hammel recently agreed to a one-year, $6MM deal with the Cubs. He missed time due to elbow issues last season.
- The Cubs' recent pact with Hammel parallels their signing of Scott Feldman last offseason, Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs writes. The best-case scenario for the Cubs is that Hammel pitches well and they trade him to a contender this summer, just as they did last year with Feldman. In order for the Cubs to do so, Hammel will have to stay healthy, but even if he doesn't, the Cubs aren't risking much.
Red Sox Sign Corey Brown
The Red Sox have signed outfielder Corey Brown to a minor-league deal that includes a spring training invite, ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes tweets. The Athletics designated Brown for assignment to clear space for Eric O'Flaherty last week, and Brown opted for free agency after the A's outrighted him.
Brown, 28, hit .254/.326/.473 for Triple-A Syracuse in the Nationals' system in 2013, splitting time between all three outfield positions. He has collected 45 plate appearances in parts of three seasons in the big leagues. He was a first-round pick of the Athletics in the 2007 draft.
Royals Re-Sign Bruce Chen
SATURDAY: The deal is now official, according to a team release.
THURSDAY 2:58pm: Chen will actually get $3MM this year, with the remaining $1.25MM guarantee going to his mutual option buyout, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com.
10:45am: The Royals will bring back free agent swingman Bruce Chen after agreeing to terms on a one-year, $4.25MM deal that includes a $5.5MM mutual option for 2015. The 36-year-old lefty, a client of the Boras Corporation, will earn $3.25MM in 2014 and is also promised a $1MM buyout on the option. He can also make an additional $1.25MM in performance bonuses.
Chen resurrected his career in Kansas City and has spent the last five seasons there. Working mostly as a starter, but also seeing significant time in the pen, Chen has posted a 4.32 ERA in 670 1/3 innings during that time. In the process, he has maintained a 6.1 K/9 strikeout rate and 2.9 BB/9 walk rate. Last year, maintaining roughly that K:BB rate, Chen threw to a 3.27 ERA in 121 innings over 15 starts and 19 relief appearances.
Interestingly, throughout his career, Chen has had as much success against right-handed hitters (.774 OPS against) as against lefties (.798). And he has fared as well when starting a game (.779) as when entering from the pen (.788). Last year, he was actually significantly better against opposite-handed hitters and in a starting role.
Already having over ten years of MLB service, Chen should be in line to achieve ten and five rights — an effective no-trade clause. The MLB Basic Agreement provides: "The contract of a Player with ten or more years of Major League service, the last five of which have been with one Club, shall not be assignable to another Major League Club without the Player’s written consent." Chen originally signed a minor league deal with the Royals in 2009, and was not called up until late June of that year. By my count, he racked up exactly 100 days of service that year. Chen therefore needs an additional 72 days of service to make a full year, which he is on track to reach on May 11, 2014. As a signing free agent, Chen could refuse any trade on or before June 15 anyway, so he should effectively have complete no-trade rights for the coming season.
For the Royals, Chen provides a solid option to slot in at the back of the rotation or serve out of the pen, as the situation dictates over the course of the season. It took only a moderate guarantee to bring back the Panama native, who has not missed significant time due to injury since missing 44 games with a lat strain in early 2011.
It is not clear whether Chen will be expected to battle for a rotation spot during Spring Training. With James Shields, Jeremy Guthrie, and Jason Vargas locks to hold down starting roles (barring injury), Chen could face an uphill battle to break camp as a starter. He would presumably compete with fellow rotation and pen candidates Wade Davis and Luke Hochevar, along with youngsters Danny Duffy, Yordano Ventura, and Kyle Zimmer.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the signing (via Twitter). Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com first tweeted that the deal was for one year, with a mutual option. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the deal's value and a breakdown of the financial terms (Twitter links).
Orioles Notes: Hardy, Wieters, Davis
Here are a few notes from Orioles FanFest this morning.
- Before the start of the season, the O's will try to engage shortstop J.J. Hardy in extension discussions, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. Hardy is in the final year of a three-year, $22.25MM deal.
- The Orioles have tried to extend Chris Davis, but with no success so far, Kubatko tweets. Davis is due to become a free agent after the 2015 season. He will make $10.35MM in his second year of arbitration eligibility after a monster .286/.370/.634 season in 2013.
- Orioles executive Dan Duquette says the O's have not tried to deal catcher Matt Wieters this offseason, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun tweets. Like Davis, Wieters is eligible for free agency following the 2015 season.
A.J. Ellis, Dodgers Avoid Arbitration
The Dodgers have avoided arbitration with catcher A.J. Ellis, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets. Ellis will make $3.55MM, plus $50K each for 110 and 115 games started, and another $50K for reaching 450 plate appearances.
Ellis had filed for $4.6MM, while the Dodgers had countered at $3MM, so the final figure of $3.55MM is a bit below the midpoint of $3.8MM. Ellis, who will be 33 in April, hit .238/.318/.364 in 448 plate appearances last season.
West Notes: Garza, Ortiz, Appel, Capuano
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that back at the Winter Meetings, the Angels offered Matt Garza a four-year contract similar to the deal he eventually he inked with the Brewers last week. However, owner Arte Moreno typically wants a quick response to free agent offers, so the Angels didn't leave the offer on the table for long (Twitter links). The Halos have added Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs this offseason and inked a returning Mark Mulder to a minor league deal. Here's more from the West divisions.
- Rangers southpaw Joe Ortiz will miss three months of the season after he was hit by a motorcycle in Venezuela, tweets Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest. Ortiz, who was a pedestrian at the time of the frightening accident, has a broken bone in his left foot.
- The Astros announced that top prospect and 2013 No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel has had an emergency appendectomy. General manager Jeff Luhnow said in a press release that Appel isn't expected to miss much time: "He will report to camp on time. Once he arrives in Spring Training, we’ll see where he is at health-wise and take it from there. We anticipate that he will either be ready to work out at the start of camp or very close to ready." The Astros also announced that waiver claim Raul Valdes will be out four to six weeks after undergoing knee surgery.
- Former Dodgers starter Chris Capuano figures to be a bargain this offseason, Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan writes. ESPN's Buster Olney recently noted (on Twitter) that Capuano is now only asking for a one-year contract. Sullivan suggests that could make him a better buy than someone like Bronson Arroyo, even though Arroyo is perceived as being more durable. In October, the Dodgers paid Capuano a $1MM buyout rather than picking up an $8MM option, suggesting that they did not believe he was worth $7MM to them. The Steamer projection system, however, projects that Capuano will be approximately as valuable as Arroyo, Tim Hudson or Phil Hughes.
Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.
Padres To Sign Tony Sipp
9:41am: Sipp's deal includes opt-out dates of March 26 and June 1, MLB Daily Dish's Chris Cotillo tweets.
8:31am: The Padres have agreed to terms with lefty reliever Tony Sipp on a minor-league deal. Sipp, 30, posted a 4.78 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 in 37 2/3 innings for the Diamondbacks in 2013. The Diamondbacks designated him for assignment in November. He had pitched the previous four seasons for the Indians before heading to Arizona in the three-team Shin-Soo Choo deal.
In addition to Sipp, the Padres have recently added Alex Torres (via a trade with the Rays) and Patrick Schuster (via the Rule 5 Draft) as potential lefty bullpen options. GM Josh Byrnes said in November that the Padres would attempt to add lefty relievers this offseason.
Doug Fister, Nationals Avoid Arbitration
Pitcher Doug Fister has avoided arbitration with the Nationals, according to a team release. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that Fister will make $7.2MM, plus bonuses for innings pitched. Fister filed for $8.5MM while the Nats offered $5.75MM.
The Nationals, of course, acquired Fister in a trade with the Tigers in December. Fister posted a 3.67 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 208 2/3 innings last season.
The Nats had already agreed to terms with Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Ian Desmond, Drew Storen, Ross Detwiler, Jerry Blevins, Wilson Ramos and Ross Ohlendorf. Fister's signing leaves Tyler Clippard as their only arbitration-eligible player.
Padres Nearing Minor League Deal With Tony Sipp
The Padres are closing on a minor league deal with southpaw reliever Tony Sipp, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter). Yesterday, it was reported that Sipp, a Bledsoe Brothers client, was nearing a deal with an unknown club.
The 30-year-old Sipp has a career 3.84 ERA with 9.3 K/9, 4.6 BB/9 and a 29.9 percent ground-ball rate. After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Indians, Sipp was included in the three-team deal that sent Shin-Soo Choo to the Reds, Trevor Bauer and Drew Stubbs to the Indians and Didi Gregorius to the D-Backs.
In his lone season with the Snakes, he struggled to a career-worst 4.78 ERA in 37 2/3 innings. Sipp averaged more than five walks per nine innings last season and posted a minuscule 26 percent ground-ball rate, but he also whiffed 10 hitters per nine innings. Should Sipp make the team, his fly-ball tendencies would play significantly better in San Diego's Petco Park than they did in Arizona's Chase Field.
Padres GM Josh Byrnes said left-handed relief was a priority back at the GM Meetings in November, and he's since added Alex Torres in a trade with the Rays and Patrick Schuster via the Rule 5 Draft (acquiring him in a trade from the Astros). Sipp would further add to that depth.