Week In Review

Happy Mother's Day! Let's take a look back at the week that was:

• The Rangers officially signed Cuban defector Leonys Martin to a five-year, $15.5MM contract that includes a $5MM signing bonus. We'd been hearing a deal was close with the speedy outfielder for weeks. Martin, 23, will likely begin his pro career at Double-A.
• Kevin Millwood opted out of his contract with the Yankees and said he hoped to sign elsewhere this week, but hasn't done so as of yet.
• We've seen Justin Upton, Jay Bruce, and Carlos Gonzalez all locked up in the past year, and the Pirates may be looking to extend another of the game's best young outfielders. They're currently in talks with Andrew McCutchen about a long-term deal.
• The Giants have discussed attempting to acquire Jose Reyes internally, following Miguel Tejada's struggles at shortstop. Mike Fontenot is currently manning short on an everyday basis for the defending World Champs.
• Despite a dreadful start to the season, the White Sox aren't looking to make big changes yet. If they remain out of contention though, they'd have plenty of appealing pieces to sell off at the deadline.
• The Mets received terrible news this week when they learned that top prospect Jenrry Mejia has a complete tear of the MCL in his elbow and will undergo Tommy John surgery.
• Both Todd Wellemeyer and former first rounder Russ Adams officially retired this week. Best of luck to both in their lives after baseball.
• Ken Rosenthal's Full Count video provided updates on the job status of Dodgers GM Ned Colletti and Cubs GM Jim Hendry, and told us that the Royals could buy and sell this July if they remain in contention.
• Jason Heyward found himself a new agent this week. He'll now be represented by Casey Close, who also represents Derek Jeter and Ryan Howard.
• The Cubs released former top prospect Max Ramirez. Ramirez was claimed off waivers twice this offseason, but Chicago passed him through waivers to send him to Triple-A at the end of Spring Training. Given the number of teams who need catching depth, he should catch on elsewhere.
• Other moves this week included the Brewers acquiring minor leaguer Jordan Brown from the Indians, the Yankees claiming Jess Todd from Cleveland and subsquently designating Kevin Russo for assignment, and Felipe Lopez being DFA'ed by the Rays and clearing waivers. For all of the week's minor moves, check our Transactions tag or use MLBTR's Transaction Tracker.

April is officially in the books! Let's take a look back at the week that was:

• Major League Baseball appointed former Rangers president Tom Schieffer as MLB's Dodgers trustee. Schieffer served as Rangers' president from 1991-1999.
• Frank McCourt snapped back, calling the move "un-American" on MLB's behalf, and vowed to remain in control of the team. McCourt claimed to have a deal with FOX worth nearly $300MM, but says that MLB vetoed it.
• The Orioles acquired catcher John Hester from the D'Backs to complete the Mark Reynolds trade. Baltimore sent David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio to Arizona in exchange for Reynolds and a player to be named later.
• The Pirates returned Josh Rodriguez, the #1 overall pick in this year's Rule 5 Draft, back to the Indians. Rodriguez saw only 14 PAs with Pittsburgh, and will report to Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate. The Buccos also claimed Xavier Paul from the Dodgers this week.
• The Red Sox continue to eye catching help in the wake of the struggles of Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jason Varitek. Bengie Molina, Chris Snyder, and Ivan Rodriguez are on their radar.
• The Giants have made Nate Schierholtz available to other clubs for the right price. Schierholtz hasn't done much offensively yet in the Major Leagues, but is a plus defender and has seen minor league success with the bat.
• In need of help at the hot corner, the Marlins considered making a run at Mark DeRosa. DeRosa hit the disabled list this week, though, so that idea will be tabled for the time being.
• Several bullpen transactions this week, including the Indians designating right-hander Jess Todd for assignment, the Rangers signing Justin Miller, the Astros releasing Cesar Carillo, and the Rockies DFA'ing Alan Johnson. For all of the week's minor moves and transactions, check out our Transactions tag or use MLBTR's Transaction Tracker.
• One week after signing a minor league deal with the Marlins, Gabe Gross decided his heart was no longer in it and officially retired. He'll take a career line of .239/.330/.385 with him. Best of luck after baseball.

It's time to take a look back at the week that was..

• The story of the week, of course, was Major League Baseball's decision to take over the Dodgers' financial operations.  ESPN's Buster Olney summed up Bud Selig's takeover as "a two-handed shove out the door."  Dodgers owner Frank McCourt intends to fight to keep control of his club.
• The Brewers surprised everyone this week when they announced Ryan Braun's monster extension.  The Brewers locked up their star left fielder through 2020 with an extension for five years and $105MM.  The deal includes a mutual option for 2021 worth up to $20MM with a $4MM buyout.  Braun was already under contract through 2015 on a precedent-setting deal.  The newest extension drew quite a bit of criticism.
• The Athletics acquired lefty David Purcey from the Blue Jays for minor league reliever Danny Farquhar.  Purcey, 29, was designated for assignment by the Jays last week.  The former first-rounder is out of options, so the A's must keep him in the majors or attempt to pass him through waivers.
• Where in the world is Brad Emaus?  The Mets returned the Rule 5 pick to the Blue Jays on Thursday.  On Friday, Toronto shipped Emaus to the Rockies in exchange for right-hander Chris Malone.
• The Pirates claimed Brandon Wood shortly after the shortstop was DFA'd by the Angels.  Pittsburgh was first in line in the waiver order and jumped at the chance to add the 26-year-old.  Infielder Josh Rodriguez was subsequently designated for assignment.
• The Dodgers designated Xavier Paul for assignment to create roster space for Jerry Sands.  The 26-year-old appeared in seven games as a corner outfielder and pinch hitter his year, picking up three hits in his 11 trips to the plate.
• After trading Nyjer Morgan to the Brewers and plugging Rick Ankiel into the starting lineup, the Nationals are on the lookout for a center fielder.
• The Giants optioned first baseman Brandon Belt to Triple-A Fresno.
• The Mets would like to wait on an Ike Davis extension.
• The Blue Jays acquired righty Yohan Pino from the Indians for cash considerations.
• The Marlins agreed to sign reliever Chris Sampson.  The soon-to-be 32-year-old was in camp with the Rockies before being released on April 1st.
• Ben Swaggerty signed with the Braves, MLBTR reported.  The former Royals' Double-A Pitcher of the Year asked for and was granted his release out of Spring Training by Kansas City.
• The Yankees DFA'd Jose Ortegano on Saturday.

Time for our weekly look back at the highlights here on MLBTR:

• After months of hearing about it, we finally saw the Red Sox sign Adrian Gonzalez to an extension. Boston's newest slugger will receive $154MM guaranteed over a seven year span. Gonzo can block trades to two teams, and acquiring teams aren't allowed to flip him to the Yankees. Here's some media reactions to Gonzalez's deal.
• Elsewhere in Boston, Daisuke Matsuzaka's tumultuous start has led some fans to call for a change. The Red Sox are unlikely to be trading or releasing Dice-K anytime soon, though. Boston's patience is dwindling, however, and they could eventually look to swap him for another bad contract.
• The Rangers are expected to sign Leonys Martin for a bonus in the $15MM range soon. Martin, a Cuban outfielder, has been labeled an "elite prospect" by ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. and features plus speed and a good arm in the outfield.
• The Mets haven't gotten what they were hoping for out of Brad Emaus when they tabbed the Rule 5 Draft pick their Opening Day second baseman. Still, the club isn't ready to give up on Emaus yet, and while Daniel Murphy has been getting more playing time lately, Terry Collins says the Mets will give Emaus the chance to develop into an everyday player.
• A few potential trade scenarios involving middle infield help could be beginning to surface. The Brewers are looking outside their organization for depth at the shortstop position, and the Twins may prioritize middle infield help over bullpen help after an injury to Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Alexi Casilla's struggles. Kevin Slowey's name has been the subject of trade talks in recent months, but he's currently on the DL.
• ESPN's Buster Olney took a look at the bullpen market and suggested that unless Heath Bell takes a huge discount to stay in San Diego, the Padres will deal him. Olney names the White Sox as the early favorites for Bell. He names Francisco Rodriguez, Jonathan Broxton, the Blue Jays' relievers, and the Rays' relievers as other trade candidates.
• The Blue Jays designated David Purcey for assigment early this week, and expect to trade the left-hander. The Astros are one team that has interest in the 28-year-old southpaw.
• Michael Young says that a trade is "the furthest thing from [his] mind" at the moment. He's completely committed to the Rangers. The Dodgers recently checked in on Young following a broken thumb for Rafael Furcal.
• Furcal was hot-headed after that injury, even hinting at retirement. That all proved to be emotional frustration, though, as Furcal's agent debunked that rumor the next day.
• Carlos Delgado, on the other hand, did officially retire this week. The slugger will finish his career with a .280/.383/.546 line and 473 home runs.
• The Cubs signed Doug Davis to a minor league deal that will pay him the prorated portion of a $900K base salary. Davis, signed as depth following injuries to Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner, will be able to earn another $2MM in incentives.
• Other minor moves around the league this week included the White Sox designating Lastings Milledge for assignment (he later cleared waivers), the Pirates DFA'ing Garrett Olsen, the Marlins signing Oscar Salazar, and the Blue Jays signing Dewayne Wise. For all of the week's minor moves, check out our Transactions tag or use MLBTR's Transaction Tracker.

Time to take a look back at what happened off-the-field during the first full week of the 2011 season…

• The biggest story of the week was the sudden retirement of Manny Ramirez. The Rays' DH called it quits after being informed that he tested positive for a banned substance for the second time in his career, choosing to walk away from the game rather than face a potential 100-game suspension. The overwhelming belief is that the second positive test will keep Manny out of the Hall of Fame.
• Two young right-handers agreed to long-term contracts this weekend. The Red Sox signed Clay Buchholz to a four-year deal worth $30MM with two club options while the Athletics agreed to terms on an extension with Trevor Cahill. It's unknown how many years and how much money Cahill will receive at this time. David Price said he'd be open to a long-term deal with the Rays.
• Pedro Martinez didn't pitch at all last year, but he recently said he's looking to return to help a team get to the World Series. The Red Sox have a leg up on other teams if they choose to pursue their former ace. Ian Snell may return as well.
• The Orioles are among the teams looking to add rotation depth. They're without Brian Matusz and Justin Duchscherer due to injury, and currently have prospect Zach Britton pitching well every fifth day.
• Dennys Reyes' tenure with the Red Sox lasted barely a week; he was designated for assignment on Friday. The White Sox designated Lastings Milledge for assignment after just two games played, and the Brewers DFA'd Dan Merklinger.
• The Yankees added some pitching depth by signing Carlos Silva to a minor league contract. The Cubs brought Ramon Ortiz aboard, and the Rangers did the same with Manny Corpas, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
• The other minor league contracts signed this week: Ron Mahay to the Diamondbacks, Doug Mathis to the Giants, Dan Meyer to the Pirates, and Jeff Suppan to the Royals. The Dodgers may guarantee Tim Redding's contract.
• The Rangers are close to adding 23-year-old Cuban outfielder Loen'ys Martin on a contract that could exceed $12MM. The Angels added 20-year-old pitching prospect Nataneal Rodriguez for $180K.
• The Pirates released Craig Hansen, a former first round pick that was part of the Manny trade in 2008. The Rockies cut ties with Greg Smith, who was part of the first Matt Holliday trade.
• Among the players that cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A last week: Manny Acosta (Mets), Mike Ekstrom (Rays), Mark Wagner (Red Sox), Jon Link (Dodgers), John Lindsey (Dodgers), Travis Ishikawa (Giants), Lucas May (Royals), Ryan Rowland-Smith (Astros), and Merklinger. Texas claimed Ramon Aguero off waivers from the Pirates.

The regular season is upon us at last! Let's take a look back at the week that was:

• A pair of notable extensions were signed this week in the NL West. The Dodgers agreed to a three-year extension with Chad Billingsley worth $35MM, while the Giants tacked on an additional year and another $6MM to Freddy Sanchez's deal.
• On the opposite coast, the Rays signed Wade Davis to a team-friendly four-year deal that guarantees the young righty $12.6MM and comes with three club options.
• C.J. Wilson revealed that the Rangers made him a multiyear offer but the proposition came too late in the offseason for a deal to materialize.
• Giants GM Brian Sabean doesn't expect extension discussions with Tim Lincecum to take place during the season.
• Ichiro Suzuki hinted at wanting to continue his career with the Mariners beyond his current contract.
• The Blue Jays declined their 2012-2014 options on Aaron Hill. While the team forfeited the rights to his $10MM option in 2014, they can still exercise his 2012-2013 options after the season if they choose.
• Several trades occured this week, starting with the Brewers' acquisition of troubled Nationals center fielder Nyjer Morgan. Washington received minor leaguer Cutter Dykstra in exchange.
• Toronto acquired Jayson Nix from the Indians in exchange for cash considerations.
• The Rockies acquired yet another utility-type player when they traded for Josh Fields. Colorado will send a player to be named later or cash to Pittsburgh in exchange.
• The Royals acquired Matt Treanor from Texas for cash considerations, and designated 26-year-old catcher Lucas May for assignment in a corresponding move.
• The Twins made a move to retain their Rule 5 pick, Scott Diamond, by sending hard-throwing righty Billy Bullock to Atlanta. It's a curious move, as Diamond could've been retained for nothing by keeping him on the 25-man roster.
• A lot of players were handed their walking papers as well. Luis Castillo was released from Philadelphia (as was Matt Anderson), Carlos Silva was released from the Cubs, the Giants released Jeff Suppan, the Yankees released Ronnie Belliard. Belliard later signed with the Phillies.
• Several more players were designated for assignment; the Giants DFA'ed Travis Ishikawa, the Yankees DFA'ed Romulo Sanchez, the Astros plan to designate Ryan Rowland-Smith, the Mets designated Manny Acosta, and the Dodgers designated a pair of players for assignment. For the rest of the week's minor moves, check MLBTR's Transaction Tracker or use our Transactions tag.
• It seems like every week another handful of players is filing their retirement papers. This week, we saw Jermaine Dye officially retire and Randy Winn join him.

Let's take a look back at the last seven days in what will be our final review befor Opening Day 2011:

• Kevin Millwood finally found a home, as the veteran innings eater signed a late minor league deal with the Yankees. Millwood's base salary will be the pro-rated portion of $1.5MM once he is added to the roster. His contract also includes incentives.
• New York also traded Sergio Mitre to the Brewers in exchange for outfielder Chris Dickerson.
• Elsewhere in New York, the Mets finally released Oliver Perez. The lefty hooked on with the Nationals on a minor league deal later in the week. The other oft-criticized Met who was recently released, Luis Castillo, signed a minor league deal with the Phillies as insurance for Chase Utley's injury.
• The Twins may be willing to trade Kevin Slowey for late inning bullpen help after tabbing Scott Baker as their fifth starter.
• The Twins also placed Pat Neshek on waivers this week, and saw the sidearm reliever immediately claimed by the Padres. In other Padre-related news, the club officially began discussing an extesnsion with Heath Bell.
• The Red Sox purchased the Major League contract of Dennys Reyes.
• Drayton McClane is close to selling the Astros to Jim Crane, possibly for more than the $523MM the Rangers sold for last summer.
• The Athletics could extend Daric Barton, and are also interested in discussing a long-term deal with Trevor Cahill.
• The Rangers announced this week that Neftali Feliz will remain in the bullpen, likely ending, or at least temporarily halting the team's trade efforts for a reliever.
• The Angels, Mets, Orioles, Rangers, and Rockies were just five of the eight teams for whom Doug Davis auditioned this past week.
• The Mariners, Brewers, and Orioles all returned their Rule 5 Draft picks to their original clubs.
• The Braves are looking to trade Rodrigo Lopez, and are also still hoping to move Kenshin Kawakami.
• Brandon Wood's time as an Angel may be running out. The former top prospect would almost certainly latch on with another club.
• Mike Hampton officially retired this week. He was joined by Mike Sweeney and Braden Looper as well.
• With roster cuts coming fast and furious, several players were released this week. The Dodgers cut Ron Mahay, the Mariners released Gabe Gross, the Pirates cut ties with Garrett Atkins, and the Padres released Kevin Frandsen. Frandsen signed with the Diamondbacks later that same day. To monitor all of the week's minor moves, check our transactions section or use MLBTR's Transcation Tracker.

With less than two weeks until Opening Day, let's run down the past seven days here at MLBTR…

• Luis Castillo's time with the Mets finally came to a close this week, when New York released him with one year remaining on his contract. Castillo hopes to latch on with another team.
• The Reds agreed on an extension for backup catcher Ryan Hanigan this week. The three-year deal will guarantee Hanigan, 30, a total of $4MM.
• Other extensions could follow soon, particularly one for Adrian Gonzalez in Boston. The two sides may resume extension talks soon. C.J. Wilson is another extension candidate, though he and the Rangers put their talks on hold for now.
• Neftali Feliz has been back and forth between starter and closer this Spring, but he appears likely to close for the time being. Texas may pursue relievers later, as manager Ron Washington prefers a veteran closer. If it comes to that, Texas can likely cross Joakim Soria off their list; Kansas City is planning to hang onto him.
• Early in the week we heard that the Rangers were still seeking top prospects for Michael Young, but as Opening Day draws near, we learned that they're willing to eat as much as half of his contract to make that happen.
• Doug Davis will audition for teams in the coming week. He's not the only one trying to showcase his stuff; the Yankees watched Kevin Millwood throw last week as well.
• Leon'ys Martin, an elite 22-year-old Cuban prospect, became a free agent and is talking with Major League teams.
• We saw three different players call it quits this week: Jason Davis ended his comeback attempt, Ian Snell officially retired, and Scot Shields called it a career as well. Best of luck to all three in life after baseball.
• One player whose retirement status remains uncertain is Bengie Molina; the oldest Molina has said he's retired for now, but his brother Jose said this week that Bengie was still looking to play.
• Teams looking for catching help that don't have interest in Molina may turn to the Nationals. We've heard they're looking to shop catchers, and Ivan Rodriguez's name is the latest to hit the rumor mill.
• Several teams have called the Rangers about the availability of Chris Davis.
• We learned some of the details around Felix Hernandez's no-trade clause this week. The Mariners ace can block trades to ten teams, including the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Angels, Dodgers, Rangers, and Phillies.
• The Pirates claimed lefty Garrett Olson from the Mariners, and the Blue Jays signed Chris Woodward to a minor league deal. For the rest of the week's minor moves, check our transactions section.

As we continue to follow the spring's positional battles and injury reports, let's recap the major hot stove headlines from the past seven days….

• The Phillies negotiated deals to keep both Charlie Manuel and Ruben Amaro Jr. around for a few more years. Manuel signed a two-year extension and Amaro Jr. finalized a four-year contract with the club. In other front office news, Dodgers VP and assistant GM Kim Ng left the team for a job with Major League Baseball, while Chuck Greenberg will no longer be a part of the Rangers' organization.
• Two playoff contenders agreed to multiyear extensions with players this week – Matt Thornton signed a two-year guarantee with the White Sox, and Ryan Hanigan and the Reds agreed to a three-year deal.
• Jason Castro's season-ending injury has the Astros searching for catching help. Signing Robinson Cancel was a start, but Houston still seems willing to stretch its payroll to add another backstop. Jesus Flores and Drew Butera were two potential options the Astros looked into.
• The Astros' NL Central rivals in Milwaukee will also have to replace an injured player (Zack Greinke), though the Brewers appear to have enough internal depth to wait out Greinke's return. Speaking of the former Cy Young winner, we heard this week that it would've taken the Rangers five young players to acquire Greinke from the Royals.
• Teams have called the Royals about Alex Gordon and the Red Sox about Mike Cameron.
• Adds and drops this week included the Royals claiming Robert Fish, the Blue Jays claiming Cesar Cabral, the Phillies releasing Robb Quinlan, the Nationals releasing Cla Meredith, and the Rockies parting ways with Chad Moeller.
• The Blue Jays, Brewers, Athletics, and Yankees signed international players to six- or, in the Yankees' case, seven-figure contracts.
• It appears safe to invest in Felix Hernandez and David Wright jerseys. Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said, unsurprisingly, that King Felix is unavailable, while Wright said he can't imagine ever asking the Mets to trade him.
• Trade rumors continued to swirl around Michael Young, with the Diamondbacks among the teams linked to the Rangers infielder this week.
• Oliver Perez's time in New York could be nearing an end. The Mets are evaluating the lefty's spring outings before deciding whether or not to waive him.
• The Twins seem open to trade offers for Kevin Slowey, and the Blue Jays may be interested.
• Finally, a fond farewell to Brendan Donnelly and Gregg Zaun; both players announced their plans to retire. Bengie Molina wasn't quite as decisive, but said he's also retired, "for now."

Let's take a look at the last week as we continue to creep up on the 2011 season…

• The Cardinals may have lost Adam Wainwright for the year, but they'll wait two weeks before making a big push for a replacement starter. Wainwright's teammate, Chris Carpenter, clarified his comments that he'd accept a trade. He said that while he wouldn't hold the Cardinals back from such a move, he's not looking to be traded and expects his team to contend, even without his fellow ace.
• Cards' GM John Mozeliak may have difficulty finding any help, though. Just ask Yankees' GM Brian Cashman. According to Cashman, "nobody's available" on the trade market. The Yankees have been connected to Francisco Liriano on and off, and we heard a report this week the the Twins turned down an offer of Ramiro Pena and Ivan Nova.
• The Mariners acquired Aaron Laffey from the Indians in exchange for 25-year-old minor league infielder Matt Lawson. Seattle also signed its 2010 fourth-round pick James Paxton, who wasn't restricted by the August signing deadline because he played in the independent leagues in 2010.
• The Laffey trade was likely made in order to open a spot on Indians' 40-man-roster for Chad Durbin, who the Tribe signed for $800K on a Major League deal this week. Cleveland also signed Nick Johnson to a minor league deal this week.
• The Rangers agreed to a four-year extension with general manager Jon Daniels. Under Daniels, the Rangers have seen their win total increase for three straight seasons, culminating in their 2010 World Series berth.
• While no official extension was agreed, Orioles owner Peter Angelos said that Baltimore's president of baseball operations, Andy MacPhail, will likely be around beyond the 2011 season.
• Cody Ross may have spent less than half a season with the Giants, but he's already got a ring there and he wants to stay in San Francisco longterm. He and his agent approached the club about an extension at the onset of Spring Training.
• Scott Boras' client profile is constantly expanding, it seems. However, he lost one of his marquee names this week when Mark Teixeira dropped his services, saying their relationship had "run its course."
• Spring Training is hardly as active as the Winter Meetings or July trade deadline, but the Angels will still be looking to make something happen. They're on the lookout for a left-handed bat to add to their club.
• J.D. Drew is considering retirement following the 2011 season, but he was far from the only retirement news that surfaced this week. Garret Anderson officially called it a career, and Bob Howry filed his papers as well.