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Astros Acquire Sergio Escalona

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The Astros acquired left-hander Sergio Escalona from the Phillies for minor league second baseman Albert Cartwright, according to the teams. The Phillies designated Escalona for assignment over the weekend to make room for J.C. Romero. Escalona, who will be added to Houston's 40-man roster, appealed to the Astros because of his ability to retire left-handed hitters.

“Sergio adds depth to the competition for lefthanders in our bullpen,” GM Ed Wade said in a statement. “Our scouts have liked his stuff and believe he’s got a chance to be very effective in left-on-left situations.”

Wade was Philadelphia's GM when the Phillies signed Escalona out of Venezuela in May of 2004. The 26-year-old posted a 4.61 ERA in 14 appearances for the 2009 Phillies, but most of his pro experience has come in the minor leagues. Escalona posted a 3.81 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 50 relief appearances at Double-A Reading last year.

Lefties Wesley Wright, Fernando Abad and Gustavo Chacin will also be contenders for jobs in manager Brad Mills' 'pen this spring.

Cartwright, 23, split last season between Class A and Double-A, batting .294/.355/.472 in 547 plate appearances. As MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows, this isn't the first time Wade and Ruben Amaro Jr. have made deals together; the Roy Oswalt trade is their most memorable swap.

Phillies Designate Sergio Escalona For Assignment

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The Phillies have designated Sergio Escalona for assignment, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com (via Twitter).  The left-hander was DFA'd to make room on the 40-man roster for J.C. Romero, who was officially re-signed on Thursday.

Escalona spent 2010 with the Phillies' Double-A affiliate, turning in a 3.81 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 across 54.1 innings of work.  The 26-year-old has 14 major league appearances to his credit, all of which came in 2009 for the Phillies.

Phillies Re-Sign J.C. Romero

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Two months after declining his $4.5MM option for 2011, the Phillies have re-signed lefty J.C. Romero according to the team. The one-year deal will pay the reliever $1.35MM plus performance bonuses. He is represented by Praver/Shapiro.

Romero, 34, has battled elbow and forearm issues over the last two seasons, hampering his already shaky control. He's thrown just 53.1 innings since the start of the 2009 campaign, walking more batters (42) than he's struck out (40). Romero is still effective against left-handed batters however, holding them to a .174/.278/.251 batting line over the last three seasons.

Philadelphia had a one-year, $1.1MM deal in place with southpaw Dennys Reyes earlier this month, but it fell apart because the team's medical staff didn't like what they found in his physical according to Randy Miller of The Bucks County Courier Times. That left the club in need of a left-handed reliever. Romero has been with the Phillies since the middle of the 2007 season, when they signed him as a free agent after the Red Sox cut him loose. 

Leslie Gudel of CSNPhilly.com first reported the agreement.

Phillies Invite Delwyn Young To Spring Training

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The Phillies announced that Delwyn Young is one of seven players they have invited to Spring Training. The Phillies and Brewers pursued Young after he elected free agency last fall.

Philadelphia also invited Brian Bass, Tuffy Gosewisch, Joel Naughton, Robb Quinlan, Michael Schwimer and Michael Stutes to Spring Training as non-roster invitees.

Young spent the past two seasons in Pittsburgh, where he hit. 236/.286/.414 in 207 plate appearances last year. The 28-year-old played right field, second base and third base for the Pirates and he played left field as a member of the Dodgers. The switch hitter has a .710 OPS against right-handed pitching in his career and a .708 OPS against southpaws.

Phillies, Durbin Exchange Offers

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The Phillies have made Chad Durbin a formal offer and the pitcher and his representatives at Beverly Hills Sports Council have made a counter-offer, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The reliever is negotiating with the Phillies and several other interested teams, but Durbin would prefer to return to Philadelphia, according to Gelb.

Durbin, who made $2.125MM in 2010, “is believed to be seeking a raise,” Gelb writes. The 33-year-old right-hander posted a 3.80 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 68 2/3 innings last season, his third in Philadelphia.

Odds & Ends: Greinke, Young, Rangers, MacLane

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Links for Sunday….

  • SI.com's Jon Heyman says the "word is" that the Nationals offered Zack Greinke a big contract extension in an effort to entice him to join their team (Twitter links). He simply didn't believe the Nats could win, so he instead waived his no-trade clause to go to the Brewers. 
  • A source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Rangers and Rockies have not had any serious talks about Michael Young in the last week, so if he does get traded, it will likely be to a team that did not show much interest in him at the Winter Meetings (Twitter links). 
  • Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News offers a "semi-educated guess" that if the Rangers do sign Adrian Beltre, they'll shift Young to a DH/utility role rather than trade him (Twitter link).
  • NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman passes along a Japanese report that has the Orix Buffaloes set to acquire Evan MacLane from the Cardinals. An official announcement is expected soon.
  • Cole Hamels and the Phillies haven't yet begun discussions for a multiyear extension, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes noted when he examined the Phillies' four aces, Hamels is arbitration eligible after next season and can become a free agent after 2012.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider required) shares a list of 36 potential MLB storylines for 2011. Olney's list includes the Albert Pujols negotiations, Heath Bell trade talks, and C.C. Sabathia's out clause.
  • The Jason Bartlett trade potentially opened up a spot on the 25-man roster for long-time Rays' farmhand Elliot Johnson, according to Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times.
  • WEEI's Rob Bradford and Alex Speier attempt to determine whether Hideki Okajima is likely to rebound for the Red Sox in 2011.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASN can't see the Orioles signing a full-time DH now that Derrek Lee is on board.
  • Police say Alfredo Simon is the primary suspect in a fatal shooting in the Dominican Republic, reports the Associated Press (via the Miami Herald). Simon insists he was not involved in the incident, according to Orioles Dominican representative Felipe Alou Jr.

Cafardo On Blanton, Beltre, Indians, LaRoche

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe names ten teams who might reap the benefits of bargain shopping as the winter winds down. The Rays, Mets, Yankees, and Angels top the list of clubs Cafardo thinks could make discounted moves in the coming weeks. Here are the rest of his hot stove notes:

  • While the Mets will be hunting for affordable starting pitching options, don't expect the Phillies to trade Joe Blanton within the division.
  • The Angels are making sure they don't bid against themselves on Adrian Beltre, and could eventually land the third baseman for a lesser price than Scott Boras is seeking.
  • The Indians could make some more moves if they want to continue stockpiling prospects. Other teams would have interest in players like Chris Perez, Rafael Perez, Joe Smith, and Fausto Carmona, while Cleveland would "love to trade" Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner.
  • The Nationals "know it’s tough to get players to buy into the future of the team," writes Cafardo. As such, they may eventually commit to Adam LaRoche for the three years he's looking for.
  • Jim Masteralexis, Manny Delcarmen's agent, says several teams are interested in his client, and Cafardo warns not to bet against the Rays.
  • Carl Pavano may make a decision this week, and it appears that while he'd prefer to return to Minnesota, the Nationals will offer the better contract. Of course, we already saw one top free agent pitcher choose comfort over more guaranteed money, when Cliff Lee signed with the Phillies.

Several Teams Interested In Brian Fuentes

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SATURDAY: Having added Hideki Okajima, the Red Sox appear out of the running for Fuentes, tweets Heyman. However, the Rays, Yankees, and a handful of other teams are still showing interest.

THURSDAY: The Rays appear to be very interested in Fuentes and are pursuing him, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.

TUESDAY: SI's Jon Heyman pegs the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rays, Rockies, Mariners, Twins, Pirates, Phillies, Brewers, Yankees, and Mets as teams with some interest in free agent lefty reliever Brian Fuentes.

If Fuentes is still looking for Scott Downs money, as ESPN's Buster Olney suggested 12 days ago, many of those eleven teams will drop out.  I'm skeptical the Red Sox would sign Fuentes, as he'd be a luxury and they'd be hit with a 30% added tax.  The Blue Jays appear close with Octavio Dotel, the Rockies just added Matt Lindstrom, the Brewers signed Takashi Saito, the Yankees added Pedro Feliciano, the Twins have big commitments to Joe Nathan and Matt Capps, and the Phillies and Mets appear nearly tapped out on payroll.

The Blue Jays, Rays, Mariners, Twins, Pirates, Yankees, and Mets do seem destined to add relievers, though I can see a shift toward a buyer's market a few weeks from now.

Odds & Ends: Morse, Pettitte, Miller, Durbin

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Links for Wednesday, four years after the Giants signed Barry Zito to a seven-year, $126MM deal…

How Long Will Phillies’ Four Aces Stay Together?

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The Phillies have assembled an amazing quartet to front their 2011 rotation: Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt.  How long can we expect this group to stay together?

  • Halladay is signed through 2013, with an option for '14.  It's possible the option will vest if Halladay tosses 225 innings in '13, 415 innings in '12-13, and avoids the disabled list at the end of the '13 season.
  • Lee is signed through 2015, with a $27.5MM club option for '16.  This option can vest more easily than Doc's, if Lee has 200 innings in '15 or 400 in '14-15 and does not finish the '15 season with a left shoulder or elbow injury.  Plus, the massive $12.5MM buyout on that option gives it a $15MM net price, which might be worth exercising if Lee is good but not great in his age 36 season.
  • Hamels is signed through 2011 and is arbitration eligible for the '12 season.  Will he test the free agent waters after '12?  The Phillies were able to sign Hamels to his current deal two years ago, but were not able to secure his final arbitration year let alone a free agent season or two.
  • Oswalt is signed through 2011.  He has a $16MM mutual option for '12 with a $2MM buyout.  The $14MM net price should be appealing to the Phillies if Oswalt performs anywhere near his 2010 level, though the pitcher does have the ability to opt out.  There are plenty of possibilities after the '11 season: Oswalt could retire, both sides could decide $16MM is a fair salary for another go-round, the Phillies could choose to decline, or the pitcher could decide he wants security for 2013 and seek a multiyear deal.

My guess: the Phillies will work something out with Oswalt for 2012, and we'll enjoy these four pitching together for two seasons.

Thanks to Cot's for the contract info.

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