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Central Notes: Inge, Porcello, Tigers, Stewart

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The Pirates inked Brandon Inge to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp earlier this week.  The third baseman obviously hopes to make the varsity squad but if it doesn't happen by late march, his contract includes an opt-out clause that will allow him to try elsewhere, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Post-Tribune.  Here's more out of the Central divisions..

  • There's been quite a bit of trade talk surrounding Rick Porcello this offseason but the pitcher says that he's not letting the speculation bother him, writes John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.  Some believe that Porcello could be slotted in the bullpen if Drew Smyly beats him out for the fifth rotation spot, but he's not open to that possibility.  "I believe that I'm an established starter, and I believe that I belong in the starting rotation, and that's what I'm thinking about. I'm preparing to start for the Detroit Tigers. I'm not even considering the bullpen as an option," said Porcello.
  • Torii Hunter is on board with the projections that have the reloaded Tigers pegged as the best team in the AL Central despite the upgrades made by Indians and others, writes James Schmehl of the MLive.com.
  • Ian Stewart is ready to reestablish himself after a broken bone in his wrist hampered his play across the last two years, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  The Cubs non-tendered Stewart this offseason before signing him to a non-guaranteed deal.

Pirates Sign Brandon Inge

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The Pirates have officially signed Brandon Inge to a minor league deal with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, reports Tom Singer of MLB.com (via Twitter). ACES represents Inge. 

Inge elected to sign with the Pirates after it was reported there were two teams vying for the third baseman's services. The 35-year-old will provide Pittsburgh with a veteran bat off the bench.

CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler first reported that a deal was imminent. 

Pirates, Brandon Inge Close To Deal

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The Pirates are close to reaching an agreement with infielder Brandon Inge on a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Inge, 35, spent the majority of the 2012 season with the Athletics after being released by the Tigers.

The veteran posted a .218/.275/.383 batting line last season before an injury to his throwing shoulder led to arthroscopic surgery in September. Beyond spending time at third base and providing an experienced bat at the plate, Inge's greatest value to the A's may have been the leadership he demonstrated in the clubhouse.

Pirates Sign Francisco Liriano

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10:52pm: If Liriano's option year vests at $5MM or $6MM, he can earn the difference between that and the full $8MM based on games started in 2014, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.

10:13pm: The Pirates confirmed the signing via press release.  Liriano will be guaranteed just $1MM in 2013 and can earn up to $4.75MM through incentives in 2013 based on time spent on the DL due to his right arm injury, a source tells Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter).  The left-hander can still make the original $12.75MM, however, if he stays healthy and has his option vest at $8MM (Twitter link).  That option's value could be worth just $5MM or $6MM based on missed time.

12:27pm: Long after initially agreeing to terms, the Pirates have finalized their two-year agreement with free agent left-hander Francisco Liriano. Liriano passed his physical and his deal with the Pirates is now official, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). 

The deal now includes language that protects the Pirates in case Liriano misses time due to an injury to his non-throwing arm, Rosenthal reports. Liriano will still earn $12.75MM if he misses no time due to the right arm injury, but his 2013 salary would be reduced if he does miss time because of the injury, which occurred last month.

Francisco Liriano - White Sox (PW)

Liriano, a client of the Legacy Agency, pitched for the Twins and White Sox this past season. He posted a 5.34 ERA with 9.6 K/9, 5.0 BB/9 and a 43.8% ground ball rate in 156 2/3 innings. It marked the second consecutive season that Liriano pitched to an ERA above 5.00 while walking 5.0 batters per nine innings. His last standout season came in 2010, when he posted a 3.62 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9, generating some Cy Young votes.

However, as a hard-throwing 29-year-old left-hander (his fastball averaged 93 mph in 2012) with a history of success at the MLB level, Liriano was definitely going to draw interest as a free agent. The Mets and Twins were also linked to him this offseason.

As MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows, Liriano's contract resembles recent deals signed by free agents Hisashi Iwakuma ($14MM for two years), Joe Blanton ($15MM for two years) and Brandon McCarthy ($15.5MM for two years).

Liriano joins A.J. Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez and James McDonald in Pittsburgh's rotation. It's unclear whether GM Neal Huntington will continue seeking pitching depth at this stage in the offseason.

Liriano ranked 28th on MLBTR's list of top 50 free agents. Kyle Lohse remains the top free agent starter available.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Mike Axisa and Zach Links contributed to this post. La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune first reported the agreement, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported its value, and Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review first reported the right arm injury.

Pirates Sign Jonathan Sanchez

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The Pirates announced that they signed left-hander Jonathan Sanchez to a minor league contract. The McNamara Baseball Group client obtains an invitation to MLB Spring Training.

Sanchez spent the 2012 season with the Rockies and Royals, struggling with both teams. He posted a 8.07 ERA with more walks (53) than strikeouts (45) and a 39.7% ground ball rate in 64 2/3 total innings pitched. He also spent time on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis this past season.

However, the 30-year-old is not so far removed from the 2010 season that saw him post a 3.07 ERA with 205 strikeouts in 193 1/3 innings for the Giants. Limiting walks has always been a problem for Sanchez, who pitched a no-hitter in 2009. 

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports first reported the Pirates were nearing a deal with Sanchez.

Quick Hits: Johnson, Boras, Givens, Reds, Lowe

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The newest member of the Rays organization, Kelly Johnson, spoke with reporters on a conference call earlier today about his signing with Tampa Bay. The veteran second baseman/outfielder said he respected the Rays way of playing baseball under manager Joe Maddon, which made joining the franchise an easy decision. "I wasn't surprised they were interested. I knew if I wanted to go to Tampa I had to be willing to move around. They called and I was happy hear from them."

Here is what's happening around the league…

  • Scott Boras denied his involvement with the planting of a rumor about his client Jose Valverde and an imminent deal with the Marlins, reports Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. 
  • Mychal Givens will no longer play shortstop in the minors for the Orioles, but rather try his hand at pitching, writes Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com. 
  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty has yet to hear any updates from Scott Rolen while he remains at a stalemate with his four remaining arbitration-eligible players, says Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
  • Francisco Liriano's deal with the Pirates remains on track to become official, but will not do so until his non-throwing arm heals so the veteran can take a physical, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
  • Derek Lowe will wait to see what other offers come his way after passing on a minor league deal from the Rockies, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). 

Pirates Nearing Deal With Jonathan Sanchez

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8:54pm: Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review confirms that the deal is close and adds that it would be a minor league contract (Twitter link).

5:13pm: The Pirates are close to a deal with Jonathan Sanchez, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter).

Sanchez, 30, was traded from the Giants to the Royals for Melky Cabrera last offseason, but the trade wound up being a lopsided one. Sanchez pitched to a 7.76 ERA and walked 44 batters in 53 1/3 innings for the Royals before being designated for assignment. The Royals flipped him to the Rockies for Jeremy Guthrie, who had endured similar struggles in Colorado. He didn't fare much better there, however, as he allowed 12 earned runs and walked nine in just 11 1/3 innings.

Sanchez makes sense as a low-risk investment, however, given his success from 2009-11. The southpaw compiled a 3.75 ERA, 9.5 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 458 innings during that time. Sanchez isn't entirely dissimilar from Francisco Liriano, with whom the Pirates are still attempting to finalize a deal. Both lefties have swing-and-miss stuff but struggle due to erratic command.

Quick Hits: Pirates, Liriano, Indians, Aviles, Rockies

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Links from around baseball as Friday turns into Saturday..

  • Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington is non-committal about the likelihood of finalizing a deal with Francisco Liriano before the start of spring training, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  “The process continues,” Huntington said. “We have ongoing conversations. I'm not an oddsmaker, so I don't know if it is likely or unlikely that we will add another pitcher.”
  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti says that it's hard to quantify the odds of the team working out a deal with Mike Aviles to avoid arbitration, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.  As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, Aviles filed for a $3.4MM contract while Cleveland is offering $2.4MM.
  • The Rockies' biggest offseason addition has been the acquisition of reliever Wilton Lopez from the Astros, but they shouldn't be overlooked in 2013, writes Tracy Ringolsby of MLB.com. 

Pirates Avoid Arbitration With McDonald, Walker

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8:38pm: McDonald will earn $3.025MM while Walker's deal is worth $3.3MM, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (Twitter link).

5:58pm: The Pirates have agreed to new contracts with right-hander James McDonald and second baseman Neil Walker, avoiding arbitration with the two players, MLB.com's Tom Singer reports (Twitter link).  Both players were arb-eligible for the first time and are both are represented by Hendricks Sports. 

McDonald, 28, held a 2.37 ERA through his first 17 starts in 2012 but a 7.52 ERA in his 13 outings and was even sent to the bullpen by season's end.  Since coming to the Pirates from the Dodgers in July 2010, McDonald has a 4.10 ERA, 2.07 K/BB ratio and a 7.8 K/9 rate in 72 games, all but one a start.  McDonald was looking for a $3.4MM salary while the Bucs countered with a $2.65MM offer.

Walker's contract will pay him in the neighborhood of $3.25MM in 2013, as Singer reports (Twitter link) that Walker will get around $300K more than what other arb-eligible second baseman like Daniel Murphy, Gordon Beckham and Ryan Roberts received from their teams.  Walker wanted a $3.6MM deal while the Pirates offered him a $3MM contract, so he should end up with around the midpoint between the two figures.

Like McDonald, Walker also had a roller-coaster of a season, posting a .648 OPS through May, then a .933 OPS over his next 52 games that included a whopping 1.097 OPS in July.  The Pittsburgh native fell off again down the stretch, due in part to a herniated disc in his back.  The Pirates discussed a long-term extension with Walker last offseason and could revisit the subject during Spring Training.  Walker, 27, has three more arb-eligible years left as a Super Two player. 

As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, the Pirates have now come to terms with all of their arbitration-eligible players.

Minor Moves: Lopez, Waldrop, Zagurski, Dickerson

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We'll track the day's minor moves here…

  • The Padres have signed left-hander Arturo Lopez to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, MLB.com's Corey Brock reports (Twitter link).  Lopez made four relief appearances for the Padres in 2009 and has also pitched in the Mets' and Dodgers' farm systems.  The 29-year-old southpaw has spent the last two seasons pitching in the Mexican League.
  • The Pirates signed right-hander Kyle Waldrop to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (via Twitter).  Waldrop appeared in 24 games as a reliever for the Twins over the last two seasons and posted a 3.62 ERA over 32 1/3 career innings.  Waldrop was outrighted off Minnesota's 40-man roster in October.
  • The Pirates also signed left-hander Mike Zagurski to a minor league deal that contains an invite to Spring Training.  The deal was announced by the team in December.  Zagurski made 45 appearances out of the bullpen for the Diamondbacks in 2012, posting a 5.54 ERA, an 8.2 K/9 and a 1.79 K/BB over 37 1/3 innings.
  • The Orioles announced that they signed outfielder Chris Dickerson to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training (Twitter link). The 30-year-old appeared in 25 games for the Yankees in 2012, playing all three outfield positions. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .316/.417/.515 batting line in 321 plate appearances.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post

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