Phillies Rumors

Mike Sweeney Wants To Play In 2011

By Mike Axisa | January 22, 2011 at 4:46pm CDT

Mike Sweeney has been telling former teammates that he would like to play in 2011, but only if he can find a contending team willing to give him a Major League contract according to ESPN's Jayson Stark (Insider req'd). The Phillies told Sweeney that they would have interest in bringing him back on a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.

The 37-year-old Sweeney hit .231/.310/.385 in a reserve role for the Phillies after coming over from the Mariners in a midseason trade. He finally got his first taste of postseason play in 2010, the 15th full season of a career that features a .297/.366/.486 batting line.

Stark speculates that the Padres could have interest in Sweeney as a bat off the bench and possible platoon partner for Brad Hawpe at first.

East Notes: Jones, Buchholz, Papelbon, Rizzo, Jays

By Mark Polishuk | January 19, 2011 at 9:27pm CDT

Some news about the various beasts of the eastern baseball world…

Adam Jones doesn't believe the Orioles discussed a multi-year extension with his CAA representation before the two sides agreed to a 2011 contract, the outfielder tells MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli.
The Red Sox haven't discussed a long-term extension with Clay Buchholz this offseason, reports Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. Last September, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith explored what a Buchholz extension might cost Boston.
Also from MacPherson, he points out that the Red Sox could wind up letting Jonathan Papelbon leave for nothing next winter. Papelbon would have to turn down an arbitration offer from Boston in order for the Sox to receive compensatory draft picks if he signed elsewhere as a free agent. However, by offering arbitration, the Red Sox would be making "a $14-$15MM gamble" that Papelbon wouldn't accept, since he's unlikely to find that much salary elsewhere.
GM Mike Rizzo discussed several Nationals-related topics during a conference call with reporters today. Mark Zuckerman of the Nats Insider blog has a partial transcript.
Alex Anthopoulos tells MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm his philosophy about not publicly disclosing whether or not the Jays are negotiating multi-year contracts, be they with Jose Bautista or any player.
Brett Lawrie tells MinorLeagueBaseball.com's Robert Emrich that he has been working out at third base and believes he will play the position during Spring Training. When Toronto acquired Lawrie in the Shaun Marcum deal, there was speculation to whether Lawrie would stay at second base or be moved to third or even a corner outfield spot. The Jays are, obviously, set at second (at least in the short term) with Aaron Hill.
In an interview with Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio (Twitter link), Phillies assistant GM Scott Proefrock says his club does not have to deal Joe Blanton or Kyle Kendrick. Proefrock also said the Phillies will look within the organization for right-handed hitting help.
The Orioles are lacking in Major League third base depth, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.

Players To Avoid Arbitration: Tuesday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 18, 2011 at 5:20pm CDT

Today is the deadline for players and teams to submit arbitration figures. The sides will then settle on a salary between the team's proposed number and the player's proposed number or go to an arbitration hearing. Arbitration eligible players are under team control, so the clubs don't risk losing them – it's a question of how much the players will earn.

Yesterday, 11 players avoided arbitration. We could see just as many agreements trickle in today and we'll keep you posted on them right here and with our Arb Tracker. The latest updates will be at the top of the post:

The Angels have agreed to terms with Reggie Willits and Howie Kendrick, tweets Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times. Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register tweets that Kendrick will earn $3.3MM, Willits $775K (on Twitter).
The Giants agreed to terms with Santiago Casilla on a one-year deal worth $1.3MM with incentives, according to ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas (on Twitter). The team also announced that they avoided arb with Jonathan Sanchez and Ramon Ramirez (on Twitter). Sanchez will earn $4.8MM with incentives tweets Hank Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle while Ramirez will earn $1.65MM according to Janie McCauley of The Canadian Press.
The Braves agreed to terms with Peter Moylan and Eric O'Flaherty, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman (on Twitter). Moylan gets $2MM, O'Flaherty gets $895K according to Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter).
The Mariners agreed to terms with Brandon League, David Aardsma and Jason Vargas, the team announced. Aardsma will earn $4.5MM with plenty of incentives, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times (plus Twitter link).
The Rangers agreed to terms with C.J. Wilson and Nelson Cruz, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan (Twitter links). Cruz gets $3.65MM, and Wilson gets $7.05MM with a chance to earn another $100K according to his agent Bob Garber, via email.

The Padres avoided arbitration with Chase Headley (2.535MM) and Tim Stauffer ($1.075MM), according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter).
The Phillies and Kyle Kendrick avoided arbitration with a $2.45MM deal, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). The team has confirmed the deal.
The Pirates announced that they agreed to terms with Joel Hanrahan. It's a $1.4MM deal, according to Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter).
The Cubs agreed to a one-year deal with Tom Gorzelanny, despite reports that a trade to Washington is imminent. Gorzelanny will earn $2.1MM next year, according to Mark Zuckerman of NatsInsider.com (on Twitter). They also announced a two-year, $4.7MM deal with Sean Marshall.
The Diamondbacks agreed to a one-year deal with Joe Saunders.
The Padres agreed to a $2.535MM deal with Mike Adams, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links).
The Angels agreed to a $3MM deal with Erick Aybar and a $2.975MM deal with Kendry Morales.
The White Sox agreed to a $5.05MM deal with Carlos Quentin, according to Rosenthal.
The Braves agreed to a $3.1MM deal with Martin Prado and a $3.25MM deal with Jair Jurrjens according to Rosenthal.
The Orioles agreed to a $5.85MM deal with J.J. Hardy, according to Rosenthal.
The Athletics agreed to a $4.75MM deal with Kevin Kouzmanoff, according to Slusser (Twitter link).
The Giants avoided arbitration with Cody Ross, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Ross will earn $6.3MM in 2011.
The Red Sox avoided arbitration with Jonathan Papelbon ($12MM) and Jacoby Ellsbury ($2.4MM).
The Yankees avoided arbitration with Joba Chamberlain ($1.4MM), Phil Hughes ($2.7MM) and Boone Logan ($1.2MM), according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (all Twitter links).
The Dodgers agreed to a $6.275MM deal with Chad Billingsley, according to Heyman (on Twitter).
The White Sox agreed to a $6MM deal with John Danks, according to Heyman (on Twitter).The Cubs avoided arbitration with Matt Garza and agreed to a $5.95MM deal, according to Heyman (on Twitter).
The Indians avoided arbitration with Shin-Soo Choo, the team announced. The deal is worth $3.975MM, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter).
The Twins avoided arbitration with Matt Capps ($7.15MM) and Glen Perkins ($700K), according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (on Twitter).
The Rays avoided arbitration with Andy Sonnanstine, agreeing to a deal worth $913K plus incentives, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (on Twitter).
The Mets avoided arbitration with Mike Pelfrey, agreeing on a deal worth close to $4MM, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
The Brewers avoided arbitration with Prince Fielder and Manny Parra, signing the players to one-year deals, the team announced. Parra will earn $1.2MM, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (on Twitter).
The Athletics avoided arbitration with Dallas Braden ($3.35MM) and Conor Jackson ($3.32MM), according to MLB.com's Jane Lee (on Twitter).
The Blue Jays agreed to a one-year, $2.3MM deal with Brandon Morrow, the team announced.
The Indians announced that they agreed to a one-year deal with Rafael Perez (Twitter link). It's worth $1.33MM, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter).
The Athletics avoided arbitration with Josh Willingham, agreeing to a $6MM deal, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
The Astros signed Michael Bourn to a one-year, $4.4MM deal, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (on Twitter).
The Nationals announced (on Twitter) that they avoided arbitration with Michael Morse.
The Marlins avoided arbitration with Anibal Sanchez, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (on Twitter). They agreed to a $3.7MM deal, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (Twitter link).
The Orioles avoided arbitration with Felix Pie, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). The deal is for $985K.
The Blue Jays avoided arbitration with Rajai Davis, agreeing to a two-year, $5.25MM deal with the outfielder.
The Marlins avoided arbitration with Clay Hensley and agreed to a $1.4MM deal, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (on Twitter).
The Astros agreed to a one-year, $2.3MM deal with Jeff Keppinger, avoiding arbitration, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The Astros confirmed the deal.
The White Sox agreed to a one-year, $1.6MM deal with Tony Pena, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
The Padres avoided arbitration with Ryan Ludwick with a $6.775MM deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
The Astros avoided arbitration with Clint Barmes, signing the infielder to a one-year, $3.925MM deal, according to Rosenthal. The Astros confirmed the deal.
The Rockies avoided arb with Felipe Paulino and agreed to a one-year, $790K deal, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
The Blue Jays announced that they have agreed to terms with Yunel Escobar on a $2.9MM deal for 2011.
The Indians signed Chris Perez for 2011, avoiding arbitration, the team announced (on Twitter). It's a $2.225MM deal, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter).
The Royals announced that they agreed to terms with Kyle Davies on a one-year deal, avoiding arbitration. It's a $3.2MM deal, according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel (on Twitter).
The Reds avoided arbitration will Bill Bray, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter). The AP says the deal is for $645K.
The Nationals avoided arbitration with Doug Slaten, and agreed to a one-year, $695K deal according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
The Padres avoided arbitration with Heath Bell and agreed to a one-year, $7.5MM deal.

Amaro Not Comfortable Trading Blanton

By Mike Axisa | January 18, 2011 at 4:55pm CDT

It's been widely assumed that the Phillies would trade Joe Blanton after signing Cliff Lee, if for no other reason than to shed the $8.5MM he's owed in each of the next two seasons to create some salary relief. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that might not be the case, however.

"I don’t feel comfortable doing it," said Amaro. "He’s going to pitch for the Phillies, probably for the entire season … We do not need to trade the man."

The number of teams looking for starting pitching is plentiful, but one rival GM told Rosenthal there was "not a chance" that his team would want Blanton unless the Phillies ate a significant portion of his salary.

The 30-year-old right-hander pitched to a 4.82 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 175.2 innings last season. It was the first time he failed to throw at least 194 innings in a full season in his career, but you can blame that on an oblique strain that robbed him of all of April.

Quick Hits: Francisco, Manny, Rays, Athletics

By Mike Axisa | January 16, 2011 at 3:23pm CDT

On this date two years ago, the Dodgers signed Ronald Belisario as a minor league free agent after he had spent the previous eight years in the Marlins' and Pirates' systems. Belisario made the team's Opening Day roster in 2009 and has pitched to a 3.36 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and a 58.5% ground ball rate in 126 innings since.

Here are Sunday's links…

Paul Hagen of The Philadelphia Daily News has the breakdown of the incentives included in Ben Francisco's contract with the Phillies. The outfielder can earn another $100K in bonuses tied to plate appearances, plus more for various awards.
Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News sees just one reason why the Rangers should consider signing Manny Ramirez. Texas is one of five teams that have recently expressed interest in Manny.
Some estimates say the Rays should budget upwards of $15MM for the 2011 draft because of all the extra picks they have, according to Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times. Once the Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, and Chad Qualls signings become official, Tampa will own a dozen of the first 90 or so picks.
The Athletics are optimistic about their offseason moves says Joe Stiglich of The Oakland Tribune, and rightfully so.

Phillies Avoid Arbitration With Ben Francisco

By Zachary Links | January 15, 2011 at 1:53pm CDT

The Phillies have agreed to a one-year, $1.175MM deal with Ben Francisco, tweets Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The 29-year-old outfielder is represented by John Boggs.

This offseason was Francisco's very first as an arbitration eligible player. In 2010, Francisco turned in a .268/.327/.441 slash line with six homers in 197 plate appearances. Philadelphia acquired the right-handed batter from Cleveland in the deal that brought them Cliff Lee in 2009. To keep up with the status of every arbitration eligible player, bookmark our handy Arb Tracker.

Paul Hagen of The Philadelphia Daily News has the breakdown of the incentives in Francisco's contract.

Phillies Sign Matt Anderson

By Zachary Links | January 14, 2011 at 11:35am CDT

The Phillies have signed Matt Anderson to a minor league deal, a source tells Jerry Crasnick of ESPN (via Twitter). Anderson was taken with the top pick in the 1997 draft by the Tigers.

Anderson, 34, appeared in 245 games for the Tigers from 1998 to 2003. The right-hander registered a 4.89 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 during that span. He last pitched in the majors in 2005 for the Rockies where he was called on in 12 games. Anderson's last stint in affiliated baseball came in 2008 when he saw limited action with the White Sox's Triple-A affiliate.

Quick Hits: Soriano, Manuel, Galarraga, Angels

By Mark Polishuk | January 12, 2011 at 11:16pm CDT

Some items from around the majors…

The Angels aren't one of the teams reportedly still interested in Rafael Soriano, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. The Yankees are "still trying," in spite of their earlier statements to the contrary.
Charlie Manuel's agent tells Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that Manuel and the Phillies have a mutual interest in working out a contract extension before Opening Day. Manuel has one year left on his current deal, and Salisbury speculates that he's looking for a two-year extension worth roughly $4MM per season.
Armando Galarraga is out of options, eligible for arbitration and has probably been squeezed out of the Detroit rotation by Brad Penny, reports Jason Beck of MLB.com. If Galarraga gets too large of a salary bump in arbitration, the Tigers could choose to trade or just release him before Opening Day.
The Angels' quiet offseason has been heavily criticized, but Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com reminds us that the Halos still have a very solid team.
If the Twins don't re-sign Jim Thome, Kelly Thesier of MLB.com says the team could return to what it was looking for last winter: a right-handed hitting backup option in the outfield or at first base. Thesier cites Jorge Cantu and Troy Glaus as possibilities, and we've heard the Padres were considering the same two players. The Twins could also dip into the rest of the DH market, or look to upgrade their bullpen.
There isn't much historial evidence to suggest that Josh Beckett will return to his ace form over the long run, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald.

Phillies Interested In John Maine

By Zachary Links | January 12, 2011 at 2:16pm CDT

The Phillies have had discussions with John Maine's representation, agent Rex Gary confirmed to Andrew Marchand and Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The right-hander made just 24 starts in 2009 and 2010 and was non-tendered by the Mets this winter.

Philadelphia already has five starters with Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and Joe Blanton. Ideally though, the Phillies would like to move Blanton and the $17MM he is owed over the next two seasons.

Maine, who turns 30 in May, would likely have to accept a minor league deal. The right-hander underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in July and his agent says that he has recovered very well.

Phillies Notes: Blanton, Durbin, Manuel

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 11, 2011 at 3:23pm CDT

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki that right field, the bullpen and the bench are areas his team could potentially improve upon before the season starts. “I'm looking forward to seeing some competition in all three of those areas," Amaro said. Here are more Phillies-related notes from Zolecki:

The Phillies don’t have to clear payroll, but they could explore deals that create flexibility for later on in the season. The team is still open to moving Joe Blanton, who will earn a total of $17MM in 2011-12. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently listed some potential destinations for the right-hander.
Philadelphia hasn’t ruled out a reunion with Chad Durbin. The sides exchanged offers last week.
The Phils would “obviously” like to extend their relationship with manager Charlie Manuel, Amaro said. Manuel is in the final year of his contract, but the sides won’t necessarily reach an agreement before the regular season begins. For a comprehensive look at 'lame duck' managers and GMs, check out this piece by MLBTR's Mark Polishuk.

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