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Quick Hits: Francis, Phillies, Athletics, Torre, Mets

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Lance Berkman told ESPN's Jerry Crasnick that he thinks Bud Selig extorted new Astros owner Jim Crane into moving the team to the AL next season. "I think that's exactly what it was," said the former 'Stro. "To tell [Crane], 'We're going to hold the sale of the team up until you guys agreed to switch?' It just happened that the Astros were being sold at an optimal time for that to happen."

Conspiracy theories aside, here's the latest from around the league…

  • Jeff Francis can opt out of his minor league contract with the Reds on March 28th, but he told reporters (including John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer) that he will report to Triple-A if he doesn't make the team.
  • MLB.com's Todd Zolecki hears that the Phillies have been looking for infield help lately, but no one seems to be a clear upgrade over Freddy Galvis. The Phightin's lost utility man Michael Martinez due to a broken bone in his foot today.
  • Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com wrote about all of the Athletics roster turnover. "You do know your time is limited here," said Brandon McCarthy. "You're not looking to put down roots."
  • Joe Torre is waiting to see what happens with the Dodgers' ownership situation before returning to his old job at MLB, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Torre's group bowed out of the bidding because of the parking situation at Dodger Stadium.
  • “I think that we as a franchise have a chance to go through sort of an evolutionary process to get us back to where we want to be,” said Mets GM Sandy Alderson to Andrew Keh of The New York Times in the wake of the team's recent financial moves. "From just an overall, organization standpoint, the landscape today is a lot brighter than it was two or three days ago, going into a potential three-week trial."

NL East Notes: Vizcaino, Phillies, Mets, Lannan

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Earlier today MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reviewed the Marlins' busy offseason. Here are some more links from the NL East…

  • Braves GM Frank Wren told reporters that reliever Arodys Vizcaino will miss the 2012 season after undergoing Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. The 21-year-old right-hander appeared in 17 games with the Braves last year and entered the season as the 40th-best prospect in MLB, according to Baseball America.
  • The Phillies could start the season with prospect Freddy Galvis at second base, or explore the trade market for alternatives. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney hears from rival executives that there’s a short list of veteran middle infielders available in trades. Maicer Izturis, Alberto Callaspo, Chris Getz and Blake DeWitt appear to be options for teams seeking infield depth. 
  • Even though they're short on left-handed relief, the Mets are unlikely to sign C.J. Nitkowski, Hong-Chih Kuo or Dontrelle Willis, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports.
  • Jayson Stark of ESPN.com hears the Nationals "still have a lot of motivation" to trade John Lannan and his $5MM salary (Twitter link).

NL East Notes: Utley, Harper, Mets

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The Mets' owners reached a $162MM settlement with the trustee for the victims of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme earlier today. Here are some more notes from the NL East…

  • The Phillies announced that second baseman Chase Utley “has come to a bit of a plateau” in his rehab. He’ll travel out of town for a few days to see a specialist for his knees, the team added. Utley's chance of playing on Opening Day seem slim and prospect Freddy Galvis may get his chance at the MLB level.
  • The Nationals optioned Bryce Harper to the minor leagues over the weekend, and outsiders aren’t the only ones praising the move. "He is going to be special, but he isn't ready,'' one Nationals veteran told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
  • The Mets' owners hope to recover approximately $125MM on loser funds, Heyman tweets. This would reduce their losses to $37MM or so.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports believes commissioner Bud Selig should step in if the Mets don't start operating like a high-revenue team by next winter (Twitter link).

Phillies Release Joel Pineiro

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The Phillies announced that they released right-hander Joel Pineiro. The Wasserman Media Group client signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in January and would have earned $1.5MM on the MLB roster.

Pineiro started 24 games for the Angels in 2011, posting a 5.13 ERA with 3.8 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 145 2/3 innings. There wasn't room for the 33-year-old on the Phillies' staff, however. As a veteran player who had a Major League deal in 2011, Pineiro would have obtained $100K if the Phillies had assigned him to the minor leagues.

NL East Notes: Phillies, Harper, Martinez

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Earlier today, we learned the Nationals signed outfielder/first baseman Xavier Nady to a minor league contract, adding insurance for Michael Morse and Adam LaRoche, who are both battling injuries. Here's more on the Nats and a couple other items of note …

  • Phillies manager Charlie Manuel implied that his team may look for infield help outside of camp now that Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Placido Polanco are all dealing with injuries, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. We heard earlier today that the Phils could be interested in someone like utility man Mike Aviles of the Red Sox, although Aviles is tentatively slated to be Boston's starting shortstop as of now.
  • The Nationals optioned prized prospect Bryce Harper to minor league camp, the team announced. The Nats will go with an in-house option such as Roger Bernadina and/or Rick Ankiel in center field, a source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com, with Jayson Werth playing right field. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, for one, doesn't think Harper's demotion was related to his arbitration or free-agent clocks (via Twitter).
  • Mets manager Terry Collins said Fernando Martinez, now with the Astros, was waived this offseason because the outfielder was unable to stay healthy, writes Paul Hagen of MLB.com. "I know his talent. I know he's got great talent. Unfortunately, he's been one of those guys who's had a tough time getting the amount of games that I think you have to have to get ready." Martinez, for his part, said he was surprised that the Mets chose to waive him, thinking instead that he thought at times that a trade was possible.

Cafardo On Red Sox, Aybar, Lannan, Cecil

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While Larry Lucchino may not have officially signed a new deal with the Red Sox, the team’s president/CEO told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he expects to be with the organization for years to come.  It's widely known that Lucchino has a greater role in baseball operations than he did in years past when he worked with GM Theo Epstein.  The CEO also told Cafardo that while ownership long considered Cherington to be Epstein's heir, there were brief discussions about going outside for a GM.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • The Angels are working on a multiyear extension with shortstop Erick Aybar, who can become a free agent next winter.  Agent Fernando Cuza is looking for a five-year deal and Aybar could land a big contract on the open market. If Jose Iglesias doesn't look like the Red Sox's long-term solution, Aybar may become an option.
  • Interest in Nationals left-hander John Lannan has diminished with some teams that feel what they have is just as good.  Boston, for example, feels equally comfortable with Felix Doubront and Andrew Miller.  However, the Nats still have a pitching surplus and it appears that teams are more interested in lefty Ross Detwiler’s upside.  It's also possible that Washington will want to keep all of their starters as insurance because of Chien-Ming Wang's hamstring injury.
  • As the Blue Jays create more room for their top young pitchers, left-hander Brett Cecil could be made available in a deal.  The former top prospect hasn’t lived up to expectations and hasn’t had an especially good spring.  Last week we learned that Cecil and Kyle Drabek are drawing attention from scouts.
  • Mike Aviles is the Red Sox's starting shortstop, but the Phillies are one team that would be interested in dealing for him as they look for an experienced backup infielder.  If Boston committed to Iglesias, Aviles could be made available.
  • The Indians are wading through left fielders to find a fit, and they could wind up with Johnny Damon.  One Tribe exec shot down that idea yesterday, saying that Damon's lackluster defense kills any interest they might have. While the Orioles keep indicating they won’t sign Damon, the veteran would be a great fit for their lineup.
  • Cafardo wonders if Ivan Rodriguez could land somewhere soon.  The Orioles feel protected with Ronny Paulino if Taylor Teagarden’s back issues persist, but Cafardo writes that Paulino never seems to endear himself wherever he goes.  The Royals are on the lookout for catching help due to Salvador Perez’s injury but rather solve that problem from within.  Yesterday we heard that the Royals extended a camp invite to Pudge which was not accepted but the club later denied the report.
6. Johnny Damon, LF/DH, free agent – Cleveland is wading through left fielders to find a fit, and they could wind up with Damon. While the Orioles keep indicating they won’t sign Damon, their lineup keeps screaming his name.

Quick Hits: Madson, Axford, Mets, Indians, Damon

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On this day in 1969, the Braves traded infielder Joe Torre to the Cardinals for Orlando Cepeda.  Here's a look at what's happening today..

  • Reds closer Ryan Madson still believes that the Phillies offered him a $44MM contract in November, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.   Phillies GM Ruben Amaro denies that any sort of proposal was offered while agent Scott Boras has a different story.
  • Brewers closer John Axford expects extension talks to begin soon as his agent, Dan Horwits, is in town to meet with the club, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel.  Axford also says that he won't set a deadline for the talks as he doesn't believe that they would be a distraction to him during the season.
  • Multiple scouts told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter) that the Mets haven't been looking for a backup lefty hitting outfielder as of late.  Right now it looks like the club will turn to Adam Loewen or Mike Baxter rather than add someone from the outside.
  • The Indians are looking for a leftfielder but have no interest in Johnny Damon because of his lackluster defense, a Cleveland front office executive told Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Twitter link).  In an interview with Bowden on MLB Network Radio this week, the veteran said that he plans to take his time in choosing a team as he looks for an everyday job.
  • The Red Sox's signing of Simon Mercedes marks a change in the club's approach to the international amateur market under new director of international scouting Eddie Romero, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  Speier writes that former VP of International Scouting Craig Shipley would never have signed Mercedes because the right-hander lied about his documentation.

Spanish Links: Sanchez, Hanley, Contreras

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Links are, you guessed it, in Spanish…

  • Anibal Sanchez has looked strong this preseason, but the 29-year-old told Wilmer Reina at the Venezuelan daily La Verdad that his history of shoulder problems is more than just a memory. "I've never pitched without pain. There's always a small problem with something," Sanchez said. "I have five scars inside my shoulder, and some nerve has to be touching those." Sanchez has bounced back from three injury-shortened campaigns to log 190-plus solid innings in 2010 and 2011, but he said last month the team has yet to approach him about keeping him off the the free agent market next winter. Back in January, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith analyzed Sanchez as an extension candidate.
  • Despite an offseason of predictions to the contrary, Hanley Ramirez says he is confident and, yes, even content at third base. "I feel really happy. If I had known that, I would have changed before. I really feel comfortable here," Ramirez told Juan Mercado at the Dominican paper El Día. "I like playing third base, because I'm more relaxed and it makes me focus more, because I have to be prepared for every pitch." 
  • Jose Contreras told Luis Rangel at the El Nuevo Herald that he feared the worst when he learned he needed surgery on his pitching arm last summer. "When they told me that, I said, 'Wow! My career is done,'" Contreras recalled. "I'm not a young man. I'm 40 years old, and an operation is difficult." However, the Cuban swingman has worked his way back and says he's nearly ready to fulfill the second year of the two-year deal he signed with the Phillies in 2010. "At the moment I can say that I feel good, and if everything goes well in Spring Training, with a couple more good outings this spring, I'll be ready for the season," Contreras said.

Phillies Release Dontrelle Willis

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The Phillies announced that they released left-hander Dontrelle Willis. The Sosnick Cobbe client signed a one-year, $1MM contract with Philadelphia in December and had been expected to contribute out of the bullpen.

Willis pitched 75 2/3 innings for the Reds in 2011 — his highest total since 2007. The 30-year-old southpaw posted a 5.00 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 54.5% ground ball rate in 13 second half starts with Cincinnati this past season. The Mariners, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Reds reportedly had interest in Willis as a reliever before he signed with the Phillies.

Quick Hits: Cain, Hamels, Aybar, K-Rod, Escobar

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Happy birthday to Kevin Youkilis (33), Jon Jay (27) and Leo Nun…er, make that Juan Oviedo (30).  This is the first time Oviedo has been able to publicly celebrate his actual birthday in several years, as he kept a listed birthday of August 14, 1983 while living under the Leo Nunez identity.

Here's some news from around the major leagues as we head into Friday…

  • Matt Cain's agent Rick Landrum tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that "we'll never give up hope" that Cain and the Giants can work out a contract extension before Opening Day.  There hasn't been much progress in recent negotiations but the two sides "remain open for business," as Shea writes.
  • In addition to Cain, there have been no new developments over the last week in Cole Hamels' extension talks with the Phillies, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
  • Also from Olney (via Twitter), he hears from evaluators that there isn't much trade talk overall around the majors.  Olney predicts things will probably pick up in 10 days or so, once teams start to sort out their needs for their Opening Day rosters.
  • Angels GM Jerry Dipoto has had at least two face-to-face meetings since Monday with Erick Aybar's representatives, reports Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles.  Aybar is believed to be looking for an extension of at least five years.  Dipoto recently said that he thought an extension with Aybar was possible, if not necessarily by Opening Day.
  • The Padres were discussing a one-year, $9MM contract with Francisco Rodriguez over the winter before the club saw an opportunity to acquire Huston Street, reports Scott Miller of CBS Sports. San Diego also talked to free agent Frank Francisco and asked the Athletics about Andrew Bailey.
  • The Royals' extension with Alcides Escobar is the team's latest step in locking up its young talent, reports MLB.com's Dick Kaegel.  "[Owners] Dan and David Glass are determined to keep as many of these young players together as we can, knowing full well that it has to fit within our salary structure and our payroll going forward," Moore said. "It's going to get a little sticky for us, it's going to get a little hairy as we get into 2014-15-16."  Moore declined to comment on the progress of contract talks with another of Kansas City's young stars, Alex Gordon. 
  • The well-traveled Octavio Dotel shares some of his road stories with ESPN's Jayson Stark.  Dotel will set a new Major League record once he plays his first game for the Tigers this season by becoming the first player to suit up for 13 different teams.
  • "I feel comfortable we finally got to a level [where we] can be competitive every single year," Tigers owner Mike Ilitch told media (including MLB.com's Jason Beck) during a visit to Spring Training today.  "That's always been my goal. I feel good about that. It would be hard to screw that up once you get there. You tell yourself you want to stay there now."
  • The Orioles could be looking for backup catching help if Taylor Teagarden's back injury lingers into the season, reports CSN Baltimore's Rich Dubroff.  Veteran Ronny Paulino is Matt Wieters' backup for now, but Paulino only just arrived in camp due to a visa issue.
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