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Dodgers Notes: Kershaw, Torres

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After an offseason of aggressive spending, it's time for the Dodgers to start working toward their first postseason appearance since 2009. Here's the latest from Camelback Ranch…

  • Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers haven’t started extension talks, Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports. The left-hander, who’s expected to discuss a long-term deal with the team this spring, said he doesn’t want to negotiate during the season. Kershaw added that he's not distracted by speculation that his next contract could surpass $200MM. “It’s people talking. It really doesn’t bother me."
  • Andres Torres told reporters the Dodgers pursued him during the offseason, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The Mets and Reds also had interest in Torres after New York non-tendered him in November. However, he wanted to return to the Giants if at all possible. “My heart is in San Francisco,” he said.

Giants Notes: Zito, Wilson, Theriot, Romo

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Giants pitcher Barry Zito says that he would be open to a contract extension and wants to stay a Giant until he retires, tweets Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  The left-hander is entering the final year of his seven-year, $126MM deal, which includes a $7MM buyout for his option on the 2014 season.  Zito can have the full $18MM option vest with 200 innings of work in 2013.  He hasn't reached that total since 2006, but he has come within eight innings of 200 in three of his seasons in San Francisco.  Here's more on the Giants, courtesy of Schulman..

  • General Manager Sabean says he and Brian Wilson just aren't on the same page, Schulman tweets.  Wilson wants more guaranteed money in the deal while the Giants want something heavily based on incentives. 
  • Sabean said he "lost contact" with Theriot after a winter meetings overture, according to Schulman (on Twitter).  Sabean also says that he is open to talking about a long-term deal with Buster Posey.  If the Giants start things up with Theriot again, they'll have competition from the Indians, Rangers, and others.
  • If Sergio Romo pitches a true closer's workload, his two-year, $9MM deal could rise to $10.5MM in total with incentives and escalators for games finished, Schulman tweets.

Quick Hits: Thome, Boras, Angels, Villalona, Rolen

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Here's the latest from around the majors…

  • The Indians are no longer pursuing Jim Thome, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link) reports, as the team doesn't want to devote a roster spot to a full-time DH.  Thome is "healthy, working out [and] open to other clubs," Rosenthal notes.  Thome said in December that he was open to continuing his career in 2013.
  • Scott Boras plans to open a sports fitness center for his clients in south Florida next year, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports, in part to prevent players from getting associated with doctors and clinics associated with PEDs.  Boras says his clinic will “bring about a certain level of assurance that the players we represent are certainly given the best information and best professional training…We feel we can best avoid all of the outside resources that are attacking these young men and providing them with false information and less than licensed professional medical assistance.” 
  • The Angels twice chose to focus on their hitters ahead of their pitching rotation this winter, decisions that MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez feels will define their season, for better or worse.
  • Angel Villalona will join the Giants' Spring Training camp after obtaining a work visa to come to the United States, Baseball America's Ben Badler reports.  Villalona couldn't get a visa last year and was on MLB's restricted list in 2010-11 due to complications from being charged with murder in his native Dominican Republic in 2009, charges that were eventually dropped.
  • While Scott Rolen can't contribute on the field as he could in his prime, his veteran leadership can still be a big boost to a contender, MLB.com's Mike Bauman writes.  Rolen has toyed with retirement this winter but may be negotiating a return to the Reds.

Quick Hits: Giants, Bourn, MLBPA, Andrus, Rolen

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The MLBPA announced that Dave Prouty has been promoted to the position of general counsel, replacing executive director Michael Weiner in that role. The 54-year-old Prouty becomes the fourth general counsel in the history of the MLBPA. “I am confident that Dave will excel in his new role and that the players will continue to receive the high level of legal representation they have come to expect from their union,” Weiner said. Here are some links from around MLB…  

  • While emphasizing that GM Brian Sabean decides which players to sign, Giants skipper Bruce Bochy won't rule out a return for Brian Wilson, writes Chris Haft of MLB.com.  "I can't say that [Wilson] will be back." But, Bochy added, "I can't say the door's closed on Brian Wilson. … I don't think that's completely shut."
  • The Mets are still hopeful on Michael Bourn and General Manager Sandy Alderson talking about him publicly is a positive sign, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  However, nothing appears to be imminent between the club and the top remaining free agent left on the open market.
  • In an appearance on ESPN Dallas’ the Ben & Skin Show, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said he hopes to stay in Texas long-term (story via Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com). However, the Scott Boras client said he’s prepared to “see what happens” when his contract expires following the 2014 season. “We’re still talking about it. That’s all I can say. For sure, I would love to stay here.”
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti suggested on MLB Network that free agent third baseman Scott Rolen will "probably end up some other place than Los Angeles,"Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. The Dodgers had “some interest” in bringing Rolen on to provide depth at the corner infielder positions, Colletti acknowledged.
  • Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times has the details on the incentives included in the contracts for Kyle Farnsworth and Kelly Johnson. The Rays announced their deals with both players yesterday.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Giants, Romo Agree To Two-Year Deal

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9:34pm: Romo gets $3.5MM in 2013 and $5.5MM in 2014, good for $9MM in total, according to Dan Plesac of the MLB Network (on Twitter).

6:24pm: The Giants announced that they have avoided arbitration with closer Sergio Romo by agreeing to a two-year deal.  Romo is represented by Meister Sports Management.

This deal takes care of Romo's remaining arbitration seasons and he will still hit the open market following the 2014 season as planned.  With the closer under contract, the Giants now have taken care of all of their arbitration eligible players this winter.  Terms of the deal are not yet known.  The right-hander filed for $4.5MM while the Giants countered with $2.675MM when figures were exchanged in January.

Romo, 29, posted a 1.79 ERA last season with 10.2 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 in 69 relief appearances last season.  The two sides also dodged arbitration last winter when they agreed to a one-year, $1.575MM deal. 

Giants To Sign Ramon Ramirez

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2:06pm: It's a minor league deal, Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com reports (on Twitter).

12:43pm: One year after trading him, the Giants are bringing Ramon Ramirez back. The Giants agreed to sign Ramirez, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).

The right-hander pitched for San Francisco from 2010-11, but was traded to the Mets with Andres Torres in the trade that brought Angel Pagan to San Francisco last offseason. One winter later, all three players signed with the Giants as free agents.

Ramirez appeared in 58 games for the Mets in 2012, posting a 4.24 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 63 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. The 31-year-old had a 46.7% ground ball rate and his fastball averaged 91.1 mph, according to FanGraphs.

Giants Claim Tony Abreu

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The Giants claimed infielder Tony Abreu off of waivers from Kansas City, the Royals announced. The Royals had designated Abreu for assignment on January 25th to create room for another waiver claim, catcher George Kottaras.

Abreu, 28, appeared in 22 games for the Royals last year, playing second base, third base and shortstop. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Omaha and posted a .322/.347/.492 batting line with 36 doubles in 453 plate appearances. Abreu has a .252/.280/.355 batting line in 464 plate appearances over the course of four MLB seasons.

Giants, Arias Avoid Arbitration

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We'll track the day's arbitration settlements under $2MM here. Be sure to use MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker for all the details related to this year's cases…

  • The Giants avoided arbitration with Joaquin Arias by agreeing a one-year deal, MLB.com's Chris Haft reports (on Twitter). The Beverly Hills Sports Council client will earn $925K in 2013. As our Arb Tracker shows, the Giants have one unresolved arbitration case remaining; Sergio Romo's 2013 salary remains undetermined.

Rosenthal On Posey, Dodgers, Yankees

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Yesterday Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Mariners are at least considering a four-year, $100MM extension offer for Felix Hernandez. Rosenthal has another round of rumors at FOXSports.com today. Here are some highlights…

  • Buster Posey and the Giants have mutual interest in reaching a long-term deal, but there’s no urgency to complete an extension. Rosenthal estimates that a seven-year, $120MM deal on top of Posey’s $8MM salary for 2013 could work for both sides.
  • Though the Dodgers denied Don Mattingly’s request for increased job security, team officials rave about the manager privately and dispute that he’s a ‘lame duck.’ However, Rosenthal guesses that the team will address the matter before too long to preserve Mattingly’s authority. This time, they probably won’t announce the length of their agreement in an attempt to avoid future scrutiny.
  • The Yankees intend to lower their payroll below $189MM by 2014, but the financial incentives in place for doing so might not be as strong as initially anticipated. The team could end up obtaining less than expected from the new market-disqualification revenue-sharing program, as Rosenthal explains. However, Yankees officials say the team’s offseason strategy has been influenced by available players rather than maneuverings based on the sport’s collective bargaining agreement.

Quick Hits: Wilson, Giants, Upton, Hill, Red Sox

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Condolences go out to the family and friends of Hall of Famer Stan Musial, who passed away this afternoon according to the Cardinals. He was 92. Stan the Man was a .331/.417/.559 career hitter who slugged 475 homers and was thrice named league MVP during his 22 seasons with St. Louis.

Here's the latest from around the league as Saturday turns into Sunday…

  • “I’m going to be brutally honest as I always am, I don’t [think Brian Wilson will return],” said Giants GM Brian Sabean to Anthony Sulla-Heffinger of The New York Post. Sabean acknowledged talking to Wilson's agent about a low-base salary, incentive-laden contract prior to non-tendering him.
  • Some teams interested in acquiring Justin Upton have been struggling to get a response from the Diamondbacks according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). There's plenty of interest, but offers haven't been easy to make.
  • Rich Hill told reporters (including Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal and Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald) that he is confident he'll find a big league contract on the open market (Twitter links). The lefty reliever has not talked about returning to the Red Sox on a minor league deal.
  • Larry Stone of The Seattle Times took an updated look at the Mariners' payroll, which currently sits just north of $78MM according to his calculations.
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