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Ryan Freel

Ryan Freel Retires

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Ryan Freel has retired, according to Mike Ashmore of the Hunterdon County Democrat (via Twitter). Freel signed with the Atlantic League's Somerset Patriots in April, but played just nine games for the club, hitting .265 with one steal according to Ashmore (via Twitter).

Freel, 34, played with the Reds, Royals, Cubs, Orioles and Blue Jays in his eight-year MLB career. The utilityman posted a career line of .268/.354/.369 and stole 143 bases in 191 career attempts. Freel made a name for himself in Cincinnati, where he spent six seasons and averaged 37 steals and a .370 on base percentage between 2004-06. He has earned about $11.5MM in his career.

Ryan Freel Signs With Somerset Patriots

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Utility man Ryan Freel has signed with the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League, reports Ryan Dunleavy of The Courier News. Unable to land even a minor league deal this winter, Freel joins Sidney Ponson as former big leaguers who've headed to the indy ranks this offseason.

The 34-year-old Freel played for three teams in 2009, hitting .193/.290/.216 in 101 plate appearances. He's been going downhill ever since hitting .274/.368/.384 for the Reds from 2003-2006, but at least he can play all three outfield spots plus second and third bases. 

Odds & Ends: Nelson Cruz, Tejada, White Sox, Ankiel

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Some links to browse through on your Sunday afternoon…

  • Besides sifting through the remaining free agents, the Yankees are exploring the trade market for left field, writes Frankie Piliere of Fanhouse (via Twitter).  Piliere heard unconfirmed whispers that one of those inquiries was made on Nelson Cruz. 
  • Oregon State left-hander Josh Osich will miss the 2010 season due to Tommy John surgery, writes Jason Churchill. The 20-year-old southpaw had been described as a "lock for the mid- to late first round" by Keith Law.
  • Steve Melewski takes a look at the arguments for and against Miguel Tejada's return to Baltimore, and also suggests slotting Miggy into the cleanup spot to start the season.
  • White Sox VP Scott Reifert passes along a quote (via Twitter) from scouting director Doug Laumann, saying the south-siders will likely focus on pitching in the next draft.
  • Rany Jazayerli has mixed feelings about the Royals' acquisition of Rick Ankiel, but says the outfielder is a better fit than Mike Jacobs was a year ago.
  • Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski repeated that he's not going to sign a hitter who can't play the field, writes John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press. 
  • Tyler Kepner of the New York Times doesn't expect Johnny Damon to return to the Yankees in 2010. 
  • Fernando Tatis and Ryan Freel are options for the Rockies, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. 
  • Derrick Turnbow is still on the Rockies' radar, writes Renck.
  • Tom Robson heads Bob Elliott's list of Canadians eligible for the 2010 draft at the Canadian Baseball Network. 

Rangers Release Ryan Freel

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The Rangers released Ryan Freel after just two games at Triple A Oklahoma City, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. The Rangers just signed Freel on Friday. As Mike pointed out at the time of the signing, Freel has now played for five organizations in the last year.

Freel picked up limited at bats for the Orioles, Cubs and Royals this year without posting an OPS over .600 for any of the three teams. He remains as versatile as ever, though; Freel has played every outfield position, second and third this year.

Rangers Sign Ryan Freel

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MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers have signed veteran utility player Ryan Freel to a minor league contract, and have assigned him to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Royals designated him for assignment last week, and he's hit just .217-.319-.250 in 101 plate appearances this year.

Freel is joining his fifth organization in the last ten months.

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Kouzmanoff, Marlins

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A tasty handful of Monday evening links…

  • Chris DeLuca of the Chicago Sun-Times gathered a quote from Cubs GM Jim Hendry on the possibility of his club making a move: "We have a pretty good team,and if our guys all play like their capable … you don’t have to do a whole lot."
  • MLB.com's Corey Brock reports the Padres aren't "getting many hits" from other teams on Kevin Kouzmanoff, but believes that might change soon.
  • According to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon, the Reds have signed four Venezuelan amateurs.
  • Baseball America's Matt Eddy has a rundown of team-by-team minor league transactions from late June.  It's interesting reading for prospect buffs.
  • Will the Marlins be leaving their payroll issues behind when they move into their spanking new facility in 2012?  Carl Hiaasen of the Miami Herald doesn't seem to think so.  He questions whether the club will be able to fill their $634MM, 37,000-seat stadium once the luster wears off.
  • Tommy Rancel of DRaysBay.com has more on Venezuelan third baseman Cesar Perez, who was signed this afternoon by Tampa Bay for $1MM.
  • Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reviews the Ryan Freel trade, noting that the Royals must be labeled as "buyers" as of July 6.  Of course, that could change by the time the July 31 trade deadline rolls around.
  • Remember to tune in for the weekly MLBTR live chat tomorrow at 2pm CST.

Cubs Acquire Jeff Baker, DFA Ryan Freel

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12:07pm: In a corresponding move, the Cubs designated Ryan Freel for assignment, according to a team press release. Freel, 33, put up an OPS of .369 in 14 games for the Cubs. 

11:27am: ESPN.com's Bruce Levine reports that the Rockies receive right-hander Alberto Alburquerque, who was pitching in A ball for the Cubs. The 23-year-old has struck out 44 and allowed 40 baserunners in nearly 35 innings pitched this year.

8:41am: The Cubs acquired Jeff Baker from the Rockies, according to Yahoo Sports. It's unclear what the Rockies will receive in exchange for the infielder. Baker, 28, has played in just 12 games this year for Colorado, but he posted a respectable .791 OPS in over 100 games last year. He's played all four corner positions in his five-year career, but he's played mostly at second base.

Ryan Freel Traded For Joey Gathright

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6:14pm: MASN's Roch Kubatko has more from Orioles president of basball operations Andy MacPhail.  Apparently the trade took about four days to complete.  

"We know the tool he has," MacPhail said of the newly acquired Gathright.  "He's 28 years old and he's got great speed.  A career .260 hitter without much power.  I think people have a pretty good understanding.  But he really creates more of an inventory for us at a position that is still somewhat up in the air."

4:44pm: According to Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald the Orioles will pay the difference between the two players' salaries. Basically the teams are paying the same amount as they would have had they not made the deal.

4:22pm: Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Orioles will continue to pay part of the $3.3MM Freel will make before the end of the season.

3:38pm: The Orioles have traded Freel to the Cubs for Gathright, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Gathright has already cleared waivers and will be assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

12:54pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Cubs are talking to the Orioles about a trade for Ryan Freel. As Rosenthal points out, the Cubs have more oufield depth than expected, thanks to Micah Hoffpauir and Kosuke Fukudome. Joey Gathright, who has batted only 14 times this year, is expendable. The Orioles are talking to other clubs about Freel, who has about $3.3MM remaining on this year's contract.

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