Mariners Notes: Laffey, Kelley, Lawson, Ackley
Some links pertaining to the Mariners and their newest acquisition..
- The newly acquired Aaron Laffey will have a shot to compete for both a rotation and bullpen job, GM Jack Zduriencik told Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. Jack Z also told Baker that Laffey has a minor league option left, meaning that he can be bumped down to Triple-A in favor of a non-roster player.
- The M's won't have to cut or release anyone to make room for Laffey on the 40-man roster, as they have placed right-hander Shawn Kelley on the 60-day disabled list, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com (via Twitter). Kelley is on the mend from from partial Tommy John surgery and isn't expected back until June.
- A fun fact from MLB.com's Jordan Bastian: Following the Laffey deal, the Indians now have five players who were traded for Cliff Lee. Infielder Matt Lawson was involved in trade that sent Lee from Seattle to Texas last July.
- Larry Stone of The Seattle Times writes that the potential Super Two status of second baseman Dustin Ackley and pitcher Michael Pineda will likely impact when they are called-up to the bigs.
West Notes: Dodgers, Ludwick, Mariners
On this day in 1957, Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley announced that his team could play as many as 10 exhibition games in California in 1958. It ended up being a bit of a lengthier stay, as the Dodgers left Brooklyn for Los Angeles following the 1957 season. Just like O'Malley, we're looking to the west coast (or at least the western divisions) for these news items…
- If the Dodgers aren't satisifed with their Jay Gibbons/Tony Gwynn Jr./Marcus Thames platoon in left field, ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill lists some of the left fielders that could be available in a trade. Of the five players on Churchill's list, only Carlos Quentin would seem to be an everyday option, but if he's playing well enough to attract the Dodgers' attention, it's unlikely the White Sox would want to move him anyway.
- Ryan Ludwick tells Dan Hayes of the North County Times that the two months that followed his trade to the Padres last season were the "worst two months of my big league career." Ludwick hit just .211/.301/.330 in 239 plate appearances in San Diego last year and admitted he struggled with the pressure of trying to take the Padres to the postseason.
- The Mariners are likely to keep Dustin Ackley and Michael Pineda in the minors until at least June, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Both players "have areas of their games that could use further AAA development," but Baker also figures the Mariners want to avoid having either of their prospects qualify for Super Two status.
- Angels right-hander Rich Thompson seemed to turn a corner last season, but since the Australian is out of options, ESPNLosAngeles.com's Mark Saxon says the Halos could lose Thompson unless he makes the team.
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers has acquired six players (Henry Blanco, Geoff Blum, Russell Branyan, Sean Burroughs, Xavier Nady and Brian Sweeney) this offseason that played for the Padres when Towers was that club's general manager, writes Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com. "These are character guys, veterans that I knew would have a strong presence in our clubhouse," Towers said. "I knew what their intangibles are, which I thought was important….When you have history with individuals, you know what they're about as well."
- The Rangers have invited Yhency Brazoban to their Major League Spring Training camp, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Brazoban signed a minor league deal with Texas in December that didn't include an invite to the team's big league camp.
Mariners Not On Justin Upton’s No-Trade List
4:08pm: The A's, Indians, Tigers and Royals are the teams on Upton's no-trade list, according to Rosenthal (on Twitter).
TUESDAY, 3:40pm: The Mariners are not on Upton's no-trade list, according to his representatives at Reynolds Sports (on Twitter).
MONDAY: Justin Upton has four teams on his no-trade list, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports: the Athletics, Mariners, Tigers, and Royals. A previous Rosenthal report had included the Indians instead of the Mariners. Rosenthal tweets that the Mariners indeed have interest, but they'd be very reluctant to meet Arizona's starting point of Dustin Ackley.
The Royals, Blue Jays, Marlins, Orioles, Red Sox, and Yankees are reportedly among the other interested teams. On Friday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the D'Backs were approached by 15-16 teams about Upton at the GM Meetings, five of which "showed a strong inclination to push talks further along." The Yankees are not among the five.
Odds And Ends: Ackley, Reds, Bradley
Some links for the morning…
- Dustin Ackley will arrive in Seattle Monday to work out with the team, meet the media and officially sign his $7.5MM deal, according to MLB.com's Jim Street.
- Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News says the Reds are desperate for starting pitching just a few months after it looked like their rotation was set.
- This is not what the Cubs envisioned when they signed Milton Bradley to a multi-year deal last offseason. Bradley told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that he "never" feels comfortable at Wrigley Field because he gets booed. However, he insists that he'll be all right in spite of the hatred he faces "on a daily basis."
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post says Mets GM Omar Minaya looks clueless at times, but the mess hardly stops with him.
Signing Deadline Roundup: Ackley, Turner
Some more links in the aftermath of yesterday's deadline to sign draft picks…
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star explains in detail that the MLB draft is broken. It certainly seems like things will change after next year, when the CBA expires.
- Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News Tribune reports that Dustin Ackley says he'd like to play outfield.
- Click here to read what Divish did as he awaited word on the Ackley signing last night.
- MLB.com's Jason Beck reports that the Tigers designated minor leaguer Chris Lambert for assignment, presumably to make room for top pick Jacob Turner on the 40-man roster.
- The Astros had a much more relaxing evening than most teams last night, as Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Mariners Sign Dustin Ackley
The Mariners signed second overall pick and Scott Boras client Dustin Ackley, according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. It's a big league deal worth $9.5MM, says SI's Jon Heyman. The five-year contract ties Mark Teixeira's mark for position players, says ESPN's Jason Churchill. Baseball America's Jim Callis says the deal is actually for $7.5MM guaranteed. Click here to see MLB.com's scouting report on the UNC outfielder.
Draft Updates: Ackley, Cards, Tigers, Rangers
Here's a few looks at some clubs who are still working to sign their top picks…
- Ryan Divish reports that the Mariners have requested that first-round pick Dustin Ackley take a physical. Divish speculates that this could signal the two sides becoming closer to a deal.
- The Cardinals are still optimistic that they'll reach a deal with first-rounder Shelby Miller, according to Matthew Leach from MLB.com. The commissioner's recommended slot is $1.386MM for the 19th overall pick, but it's clear that Miller will receive more than that, Leach says. Miller himself was quoted, saying: "Right now, I'm definitely looking to sign a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. It feels good." Sounds like good reason to be optimistic to me. UPDATE: B.J. Rains tweets that Miller is on his way to St. Louis for a physical as well.
- Jason Beck writes that the Tigers have 21 picks that remain unsigned, including first-rounder Jacob Turner and second-rounder Andrew Oliver. Both Turner and Oliver are being advised by Scott Boras, which could complicate the signings. Turner was rumored to be seeking a deal similar to Rick Porcello's $7.285MM deal before even being drafted by the Tigers. Oliver is coming off a rough season which dropped him to the second round. Beck writes that he could raise his stock by returning to Oklahoma State for another season.
- The Rangers are "doing everything they can" to sign first-rounder Matthew Purke, says T.R. Sullivan. Purke passed his physical, and has met with club president Nolan Ryan. According to Sullivan though: "all indications from both sides are there is still a substantial gap to bridge before a deal gets done."
Odds & Ends: Orioles, Angels, Ackley
Some Sunday morning odds and ends from around the league:
- The Orioles received first baseman Rhyne Hughes from the Rays to complete the August 7 deal for Gregg Zaun, says Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The O's also sent more than $300K to the Rays. According to Connolly, the 25-year old Hughes "hit .313 with seven homers and 26 RBIs in 56 games at Triple-A Durham and .252 with 15 homers and 46 RBIs in 58 games at Double-A Montgomery this season. He struck out 149 combined times in 440 at-bats this year."
- Ed Eagle of MLB.com reports the Angels signed University of Washington quarterback Jake Locker, their tenth round pick. Locker wants to pursue a career in pro-football but views the opportunity with the Angels as a backup plan. According to Eagle, "Locker is considered a potential high-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft."
- Larry Stone of the Seattle Times chimes in on the latest with Dustin Ackley and the Seattle Mariners who need to reach an agreement by midnight tomorrow.
- Miguel Tejada is willing to move to third if it keeps him in Houston, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
What To Expect Before The Signing Deadline
ESPN.com's Keith Law reminds us that the Reds seemed unlikely to sign Yonder Alonso until hours before the deadline to sign draft picks last summer. It shouldn't be any different this year; here are the details:
- We'll hear that teams aren't close to signing their picks, but that doesn't mean the two sides won't agree to last-minute deals.
- Don't expect Stephen Strasburg, Dustin Ackley or Donavan Tate (all Scott Boras clients) to sign much before next Monday at midnight.
- Law expects Strasburg to sign for about $18-20MM.
- The commissioner's office will try to limit the number of over-slot signings, but teams can offer whatever they like, so MLB's efforts to hold teams to recommended bonuses may be quixotic in the end.
Mariners Rumors: Felix, Ackley, Branyan
Jack Zduriencik says he hasn't started talking with Felix Hernandez about a new deal, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, who passes on comments the Mariners GM made on Q-13 FOX over the weekend. Here are the details and assorted Mariners rumors:
- The Mariners haven't started talking with Felix Hernandez, who will hit free agency after 2011, about a new deal. Zduriencik says he appreciates Felix's talent, but cautions: "it takes two to tango."
- The Mariners have started talking with Scott Boras about the team's first round pick, Dustin Ackley. The two sides have had a couple conversations recently and Zduriencik expects talks to intensify soon.
- The Mariners want to re-sign Russell Branyan after the season. Something tells me $1.4MM won't be enough this time around!