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Quick Hits: Boesch, Mets, Red Sox, Catching Market

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Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details the latest from Major League Baseball Players Association chief Michael Weiner on the union's views on drug testing.  Weiner also discussed the qualifying offer system, expressing that he is "pleased that the number of players that carried compensation dropped way down, from in the thirties to nine," while noting that neither the league nor the union "expected that a player the caliber of Kyle Lohse would have the difficulty he's having," an issue which he "would like to find a way out of … sooner rather than later, before 2016."  Elsewhere around the league:

  • Brennan Boesch detailed the series of events that led to him joining the Yankees yesterday, as Andy McCullough of The Star-Ledger reports.  Boesch was told "earlier this week" that he would be released by the Tigers despite still having multiple minor league options, which the outfielder viewed as "a favor" despite being surprised at the news.  When Boesch learned from agent Scott Boras of the Yankees' interest, he instructed Boras to just "get it done" because New York was his top choice.  
  • The Mets, unlike their New York neighbors, "weren't enthused" about Boesch because they saw him "as another Lucas Duda" and feel comfortable with their in-house options, tweets Jon Heyman.  Meanwhile, the club may need to fill in for star third-baseman David Wright to start the season, and Michael Baron of MetsBlog breaks down the internal options.  
  • Left-handed reliever Franklin Morales is out indefinitely as he deals with a bulging disk in his back, which potentially opens a spot in the Red Sox bullpen for Clayton Mortensen, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.  Morales' injury situation also makes it is less likely that Boston will deal Alfredo Aceves, Lauber explains, because "manager John Farrell has identified Aceves [as] the primary long man in the Red Sox' bullpen and their best option to provide a spot start in the event of injuries in the rotation."
  • As the Angels look over the market for available backstops, they are joined by the Phillies, Pirates, and Rays in looking for "experienced catching," tweets Peter Gammons of MLB Network.

Rule 5 Report: McGuiness, Kobernus, Rosenbaum, Inciarte, Fields

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To get the weekend started with some fascinating insight into the use of analytics by agents, look for the audio link at the 2013 SABR Analytics Conference Player Agent Panel page.  Let's take a look at a few updates on some Rule 5 draftees who are hoping to stick with their new clubs:

  • Chris McGuiness has impressed the Indians at first and in the outfield, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer, and the team is loath to return him to the Rangers.  According to manager Terry Francona, "in a perfect world, I wish he wasn't a Rule 5 pick and he was in our minor league system."  If the Indians are unable to keep McGuiness on the big league roster, Francona "hope[s]" that a trade can be worked out to keep him in the system, adds Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
  • Jeff Kobernus, primarily an infielder in the Nationals system, continues to battle with Quintin Berry for a spot in the Tigers outfield, writes Jim Hawkins of MLB.com.  While it is "possible" that both players could make the roster, according to manager Jim Leyland, that scenario is a "longshot."
  • Another player plucked from the Nationals, left-handed pitcher Danny Rosenbaum, "has put up a nice argument for himself in the competition for a middle-relief spot" with the Rockies, writes Thomas Harding of MLB.com.  Rosenbaum, who never saw a big league camp while in the Washington organization, spoke with Nats' reliever Craig Stammen to learn how to transition from the rotation to the bullpen.
  • Outfielder Ender Inciarte is in the midst of a solid spring and is making a play for the Phillies' fifth outfielder role, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.  Just 22 years old, Inciarte never played above High-A ball in the Diamondbacks organization.
  • Josh Fields came to the Astros from the Red Sox with the first pick in the Rule 5 draft, and acknowledges being "really, really excited when Houston picked me up."  As Adam Berry of MLB.com writes, the rebuilding Houston franchise hopes that the 27-year-old, righthanded reliever is ready for the big leagues after he posted a solid 2012 season in Triple-A Pawtucket.

Minor Moves: Blanco, Hawkins, Tanner, Smith

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Here are today's minor transactions, with the latest moves at the top of the page…

  • The Phillies re-signed infielder Andres Blanco to a minor league contract, Baseball America's Matt Eddy reports.  The club released Blanco a few weeks ago.  Blanco last played in the majors in 2011 and he has a career .634 OPS in 654 PA over six seasons with the Rangers, Cubs and Royals.  He spent last year with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate.
  • The Mets recently released and quickly re-signed right-hander LaTroy Hawkins, Eddy reports. The move was just "procedural," according to ESPN New York's Adam Rubin (via Twitter), as the Mets needed to "correct something in [Hawkins'] contract."  Hawkins, 40, signed his original minor league deal with the Mets in January.
  • The Athletics signed middle infielder Antonio Lamas to a minor league deal, Eddy reports.  John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group reported the A's were close to signing Lamas last month.  Lamas, 23, has a .307/.350/.437 line over 1504 PA for Monclova of the Mexican League since 2008.  He was primarily used as a shortstop but he played 100 games at second base in 2012.
  • The Orioles signed left-hander Clayton Tanner to a minor league deal, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports.  Tanner, a third-round pick of the Giants in the 2006 draft, has a career 3.85 ERA, 2.11 K/BB and 6.6 K/9 in 182 games (123 starts) over seven seasons in the Giants' and Reds' minor league systems.  O's executive VP Dan Duquette tells Kubatko that the team scouted Tanner when he pitched for Australia during the World Baseball Classic.
  • The Twins have signed first baseman/outfielder Curt Smith to a minor league deal, Netherlands manager Hensley Meulens tells Tyler Kepner of the New York Times (Twitter links).  Smith has a 1.008 OPS in 24 ABs for the Netherlands in WBC play, helping lead the Dutch to the tournament semi-finals.  Smith was originally a 39th-round draft pick of the Cardinals in 2008 and he has a .301/.341/.461 line in 1703 career minor league PA in the Cards' and Marlins' systems.

NL East Links: Hamels, Young, Owings, Marlins

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Here's the latest from around the NL East…

  • Cole Hamels wouldn't have signed an extension with the Phillies unless he thought the team would continue to contend, the southpaw tells CBS Sports' Scott Miller.  "I was very comfortable with making the decision [to re-sign] because I do know what they're going to do and what it takes to win," Hamels said.  "I've experienced it first hand.”
  • Chris Young and Micah Owings have both had impressive springs for the Nationals but will be hard-pressed to win jobs on the largely-settled Nats roster, Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com writes.  Owings needs regular at-bats to help in his transition from pitching to first base but the Nationals are deep at both first and in the outfield at both the Major League and Triple-A levels.  As for Young, he can opt out of his minor league deal with Washington if he isn't on the big league roster by March 24.
  • The Nationals' depth is also explored in the latest mailbag piece from MLB.com's Bill Ladson, as he notes that the club wants to hold onto Steve Lombardozzi and Danny Espinosa as backup options. 
  • Ladson also says the Nationals have no interest in Kyle Lohse unless one of their starting pitchers gets injured, and even then, they would only sign Lohse to a one-year deal.  As I noted in my recent examination of the Lohse market, the Nats are a real longshot to sign the veteran righty, and probably wouldn't be considered candidates at all were it not for the club's relationship with Scott Boras, Lohse's agent.  
  • The Marlins still have a lot of decisions to make about the composition of their 25- and 40-man rosters, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro writes.
  • Earlier today on MLBTR, Ben Nicholson-Smith compiled some Phillies notes and Tim Dierkes continued the Offseason In Review series with a look at the Mets.

Phillies Notes: Manuel, Halladay, Howard

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The Phillies were a .500 team in 2012 after winning five consecutive NL East titles. They enter the 2013 season with a payroll in excess of $150MM and new additions such as Michael Young, Delmon Young, John Lannan and Mike Adams. Here's the latest on the Phillies…

  • Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told the Associated Press that he wants to continue managing the Phillies after the 2013 season (link via ESPN.com). Manuel, who's entering the final year of his contract with the team, said he has no plans to retire. "I'm not ready for somebody to tell me to go home. I'm not ready to quit managing." Ryne Sandberg looms as a possible replacement for Manuel.
  • Phillies second baseman Chase Utley has drawn positive reviews from scouts this spring, but there are some questions surrounding Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes. Halladay, a potential 2014 free agent, hasn’t looked good in recent outings. “I’ve got to believe he’s just working to get ready at this point,” one scout told Martino.
  • Howard "was hobbling around a little and struggled versus good stuff" in the words of a scout. This could become a long-term problem for the Phillies, who owe Howard $105MM through 2017.

NL East Notes: Santana, Marlins, Phillies

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The Nationals won the NL East in 2012, displacing the Phillies atop the division after Philadelphia's five-year run. As impressive as the Phillies' streak of consecutive division titles was, it doesn't compare to the Braves' record of 14 in a row. Here’s the latest from the NL East as the Nationals look to prolong their stay atop the division instead of becoming a one-and-done winner like the 2006 Mets…

  • The Mets' relationship with Johan Santana is deteriorating and some liken the situation to the relationship between the Mets and one of their former stars. “This is Carlos Beltran all over again,” one longtime Mets official told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
  • Jose Reyes said he has "unbelievable memories" from his one year in Miami, Newsday’s David Lennon reports (on Twitter). But the Blue Jays’ leadoff hitter and shortstop doesn’t seem to mind that he’s now playing elsewhere. "I know I don't want to play for the Marlins no more," he said.
  • GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com that the bullpen could be a team strength for the Phillies after some offseason changes. "We've got to hope that we're better. We designed our bullpen to be better this year, and hopefully it will be," Amaro said. The Phillies signed Mike Adams to a two-year deal to improve their setup relief options.

Cafardo On Yankees, Headley, Red Sox, Lohse

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that some league executives feel that the new-and-improved PED testing will have a drastic effect on the power numbers of players.  That feeling has given some owners pause about committing long-term deals until they know how it will all play out.  “We’re all anxious to see what the result of the testing will be, but we’re anticipating that it will have a significant effect on the numbers, which will impact the game in general,” said an American League owner. “I think a few owners feel the way we do, that we’re going to see noticeable physical changes in players and their stamina in getting through a 162-game schedule.”  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • The Yankees have explored temporary options to fill-in for the injured Mark Teixeira but they have also looked into more significant moves.  The Bombers have inquired on the Padres' Chase Headley, though we learned recently that he's not available at this time.  However, Headley could be on the market this summer.
  • If shortstop Jose Iglesias continues to hit in spring training, Cafardo wonders if the Red Sox might be open to dealing Stephen Drew down the line.  The Cardinals pursued Drew this offseason and they are looking for help with Rafael Furcal sidelined. Drew cannot be traded until June 15 without his approval.
  • Teams have a number of reasons why they say they are not interested in Kyle Lohse, but Cafardo isn't buying any of them.  He feels that some team will happily give him a one-year, $10MM contract.  He would be a great fit in tfhe National League and Cafardo suggests the Brewers as a good fit.
  • There is more interest in Dodgers lefty Ted Lilly than fellow surplus starters Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano.  The Dodgers are holding on to all of them until they know that Chad Billingsley is fully recovered after undergoing treatments to his elbow this offseason.
  • A National League scout suggested that Phillies outfielder John Mayberry might be a good fit for the Yankees at first base, with a switch back to the outfield after Teixeira returns. Mayberry is a former first baseman and was used there last season when Ryan Howard was out of action.

Minor Moves: Mather, Ohman

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Today's minor moves..

  • The Phillies announced that they have released outfielder Joe Mather.  The 30-year-old, who hooked on with the club in January, hit just .209/.256/.324 across 103 games for the Cubs last season.  Mather has also played for the Cardinals and Braves and owns a career .219/.271/.357 slash line.
  • The Nationals have released reliever Will Ohman, MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports. Ohman did not have an out clause, but the Nationals were unable to find Spring Training innings for him and had already cut him from major-league camp. Ohman pitched in 32 games for the White Sox in 2012, posting a 6.41 ERA with 4.39 K/9 and 1.69 BB/9 in 26 2/3 innings.

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Stewart, Young, Bray, Athletics

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About 40% of MLBTR readers that participated in tonight's poll believe that the Angels should have paid Mike Trout $1MM or more to avoid any sort of conflict with their budding superstar.  Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (on Twitter) sees that as being too steep of a price as the Halos held all of the leverage and gain virtually nothing from a pay bump.  Here are some links from around baseball as Friday turns to Saturday..

  • Cubs third baseman Ian Stewart is anxious to get back on the field and show that he can stay healthy, writes Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com.  Stewart inked a non-guaranteed $2MM deal with Chicago this winter and could be cut loose for a small termination fee.
  • The Phillies' Michael Young knows that people are critical of his range but the third baseman believes that he has made the necessary adjustments to settle into the position, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The veteran is looking to make a smooth transition to his new role following the December trade that brought him over from the Rangers.
  • The Nationals sent Bill Bray down to minor league camp last week to work on his mechanics and the club will have until the middle of the season to evaluate him in the minors, writes James Wagner of the Washington Post.  A person familiar with Bray’s contract told Wagner that his opt-out date isn’t until June, giving the Nats plenty of time to try and get the left-hander up to speed.
  • David Laurila of Fangraphs spoke with A's director of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference about the club's use of statistical analysis.

East Notes: Cashman, Ohman, Kendrick, Yanks

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The Yankees announced today that general manager Brian Cashman broke his right fibula and dislocated his right ankle on the landing of a tandem skydive. Cashman was skydiving with the U.S. Army Golden Knights to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project.

“I’m in great spirits, and it was an awesome experience," Cashman was quoted as saying in the press release. "The Golden Knights are first class. While I certainly didn’t intend to raise awareness in exactly this fashion, I’m extremely happy that the Wounded Warrior Project is getting the well-deserved additional attention.” He is scheduled for surgery today. Here's more out of baseball's Eastern divisions…

  • Will Ohman does not have an out clause in his contract, but the Nationals would likely grant him his release if he asked for it, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (on Twitter). Ohman signed a minor league deal with the reigning NL East champs last month.
  • Phillies righty Kyle Kendrick was roughed up in his start Sunday, but he told David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he appreciates knowing the poor outing doesn't jeopardize his rotation spot. As Murphy notes, Kendrick hasn't experienced that type of security in recent years, as he's typically been on the fringe of Philadelphia's rotation.
  • Peter Botte of the New York Daily News writes that Robinson Cano's father, Jose, hopes his son will sign an extension that will make him a Yankee for life. Jose will be a bench coach for the Dominican Republic's WBC team on which Robinson will play. The Bombers' second baseman didn't get into contract talks, but did admit how important his father's advice is to him.
  • The Yankees are very likely to receive their worst offensive output from the catcher position since before Jorge Posada emerged in the late-90s, writes Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues. The Bombers decided against acquiring a standout backstop this offseason and will pull from a group consisting of Chris Stewart, Francisco Cervelli, and Austin Romine.
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