Quick Hits: Rowand, Cabrera, Simon, Loans
Here are some items of note for Friday night, including an interesting question posed by Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com on the Mets' and Dodgers' messy financial situations:
- Giants outfielder Aaron Rowand will be under a lot of scrutiny this spring, writes Chris Haft of MLB.com, as he looks to be the odd man out in San Francisco's crowded outfield. It won't be easy to flip him though, Haft notes, because two years and $24MM remain on his contract, and he's coming off a down year in 2010. If the Giants do move Rowand, according to Haft, their trade partner will probably ask them to eat some salary or take on a similar financial commitment in return.
- Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera made his on-field debut at Spring Training on Friday, writes Jason Beck of MLB.com. His arrival, of course, was delayed by last week's arrest for allegedly driving under the influence and resisting arrest. Cabrera is facing the proverbial two-strike count with respect to his off-field travails, writes Steve Henson of Yahoo! Sports: If Cabrera slips up again, he will likely face serious repercussions from Major League Baseball.
- Orioles right-hander Alfredo Simon is no longer facing a civil suit after he was a suspect in a fatal shooting in his native Dominican Republic on New Year's Eve, but, per a Santo Domingo prosecutor, an investigation is ongoing and Simon has been denied bail, according to the Baltimore Sun. Prosecutors have till April 9 to file formal charges that could lead to a trial.
- The Mets' $25MM loan from MLB may be the most damning indication of their financial woes, says Rosenthal in an audio clip. Rosenthal also finds it curious that MLB loaned the cash to the Mets but denied the Dodgers' request to borrow $200MM from FOX, as was reported by Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. "It's a simple question of fairness," says Rosenthal.
NL West Notes: Giants, Gonzalez, Diamondbacks
It's still early in Arizona, where the five NL West teams train, but that won't stop us from providing updates on some of those clubs. Here's the latest…
- Giants manager Bruce Bochy repeated that he's open-minded about who ends up playing left field in 2011, according to MLB.com's Chris Haft. Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, Mark DeRosa and Nate Schierholtz are all candidates to play left for San Francisco.
- Edgar Renteria told Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that he called the Giants' $1MM offer "a total disrespect" because of pride, not money. The 2010 World Series MVP went on to sign a $2.1MM deal with Cincinnati.
- Carlos Gonzalez told Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post that he doesn't expect to be overwhelmed by the attention that comes with national endorsement deals and his new $80MM contract with the Rockies.
- D'Backs GM Kevin Towers explained to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he intends "to build [the Arizona] organization around young pitching." Pitchers like Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy and Jarrod Parker figure to be important contributors for the D'Backs' staff going forward. Kennedy, who was often grouped with Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes while playing in the Yankees' system, cautions against lumping pitchers together, though.
Quick Hits: Young, Bautista, Prado, Jorge
Happy Bobby Valentine day everybody! Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week. Try the roast beef and be sure to tip your staff writers. Here are some links for Monday night..
- Melissa Segura of SI (via Twitter) reminds us that some of baseball's elite international free agents will be playing in Tuesday's Dominican International League All-Star Game.
- From all indications, Michael Young isn't a fit for the Marlins, writes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
- Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star (via Twitter) is "99-percent sure" that the postponement of Jose Bautista's arbitration hearing will result in a multiyear deal. The session, originally scheduled for Monday, has been pushed back until Friday.
- It's not yet known why Elmer Dessens' deal with the Giants fell through but Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that when a team is tightlipped on such matters, it could mean they did not like something in the physical.
- Braves infielder Martin Prado was hesitant about changing positions to accommodate the arrival of Dan Uggla but is now comfortable with the move to left field, writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
- The Twins have been impressed by Felix Jorge's development over the last few months, writes Kelly Thesier of MLB.com.
Dessens Deal Falls Through; Giants To Sign Lawrence
Elmer Dessens' minor league deal with the Giants fell through and the Giants agreed to a minor league deal with Brian Lawrence, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links). Lawrence, who last pitched in the majors in 2007, will report to minor league camp.
Dessens, who would have earned $600K at the major league level, posted a 2.30 ERA and a career-low strikeout rate in 53 appearances for the Mets last year. He drew interest from teams in both leagues before agreeing to sign with the Giants, so it's possible that another club will sign him this spring.
Lawrence, 34, spent last season in the Marlins organization at Triple-A New Orleans. He started 25 games and logged 142 2/3 innings with a 4.42 ERA, 7.3 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. The longtime Padres starter averaged over 200 innings from 2002-05 and has a 4.19 ERA in 963 career innings.
East Notes: Millwood, Bartlett, Manuel, Jenks
Pitchers and catchers are reporting in Arizona and Florida, but up in the northeast, it doesn't feel like spring has arrived quite yet. Here are a few AL and NL East-related links while we wait for the snow to melt….
- Although the Yankees and Kevin Millwood are still talking, they have "a ways to go," tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman. Yesterday, nearly 43% of over 6,300 MLBTR readers voted that Millwood would eventually sign with the Yanks.
- The Rays were close to sending Jason Bartlett to San Francisco before they worked out a trade with another NL West club, Giants GM Brian Sabean tells Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
- John Gonzalez of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders why it's taking so long for the Phillies and Charlie Manuel to work out a contract extension.
- The Red Sox topped baseball's list of spenders this offseason, as ESPN.com's Katie Sharp writes. Since the turn of the century, the piece notes, only the 2009 Yankees have won a World Series after having outspent the rest of the league the previous winter.
- Bobby Jenks spoke to the media in Fort Myers today, discussing his decision to sign with the Red Sox. The right-hander said he had offers elsewhere to close, but wanted to play in Boston, adding that he knows his role as a setup man and "didn’t come here to step on anybody’s toes." Alex Speier of WEEI.com has those quotes and more from Jenks.
- Mike Puma of the New York Post and Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun each pose 10 questions that could shape the Mets' and Orioles' seasons, respectively. In addition to discussing how new arrivals will fit in, each article addresses the back of the bullpen. Will the Mets let Francisco Rodriguez finish 55 games to trigger his 2012 option? And will it be Kevin Gregg, Koji Uehara, Mike Gonzalez, or someone else closing in Baltimore?
- For updates all year long on the closing situations in Boston, New York, Baltimore, and everywhere else, be sure to follow @closernews on Twitter. A great resource for fantasy players, @closernews will keep tabs on injuries, ineffectiveness, overuse, and anything else that could affect which relievers are getting save opps.
Giants Sign Edgar Gonzalez
The Giants have signed infielder Edgar Gonzalez to a minor league contract, reports Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). He did not receive an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
Gonzalez, 32, appeared in 193 games with the Padres between 2008 and 2009, hitting .255/.312/.381 in 522 plate appearances while playing all four infield positions and the corner outfield spots. He spent the 2010 season with the Yomiuri Giants, and is the older brother of former Padres teammate Adrian Gonzalez.
Giants Sign Elmer Dessens
11:40pm: Dessens will earn $600K if he spends the entire season in the Major Leagues, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.
9:46pm: The Giants signed reliever Elmer Dessens to a minor-league contract, Dessens' agent told Fernando Ballesteros at Puro Beísbol (link in Spanish).
Last season, Dessens was a middle-to-late-inning fixture for the Mets, pitching to a 2.30 ERA in 53 appearances despite posting the lowest strikeout rate of his 14-season career. His resurgence reportedly brought offers from teams in both leagues after the Mets cut ties with him, and Ballesteros named the Mariners and Orioles among Dessens' most recent suitors.
In Dessens and recent minor league signing Jeff Suppan, the Giants now have a pair of seasoned sinkerballers in the mix for relief innings alongside high-strikeout righties like Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla. The two elder statesman could also provide a few restaurant tips along the way, as they have played for a combined 15 teams across 30 seasons. Also of note, Dessens is trying to become the first Mexican pitcher to pitch into his 40s, a line which he crossed in January.
Giants Sign Justin Christian To Minor League Deal
The Giants have agreed to sign outfielder Justin Christian to a minor league contract according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, but they did not give him an invitation to Spring Training.
Christian, 31 in April, spent last year playing in the Yankees' minor league system, hitting .289/.366/.435 with 22 steals and nearly as many walks (48) as strikeouts (56) in 468 plate appearances, mostly at Double-A. He was brilliant in the Mexican Pacific League this winter, hitting .356/.452/.561 with 22 doubles, ten homers, 24 steals (one caught stealing), 44 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 253 at-bats.
Christian's lone big league action came in 2008, when he hit .250/.302/.325 with seven steals in 43 plate appearances for New York. He's spent the majority of his career in the outfield (all three spots), but he's seen work at second base and shortstop.
Giants To Sign Mercedes
The Giants have reached an agreement with pitcher Simon Mercedes of the Dominican Prospect League, according to Spencer Fordin of MLB.com. The 18-year-old, who pitched in the DPL All-Star game earlier today, will receive $400K.
The right-handed pitcheris the second player from the DPL to sign with a major league club this month. Pitcher Darwin Castillo signed with the Royals last week for $300K.
Mercedes reaches the low 90's with his fastball and will begin his career with the Giants low in the team's farm system.
Giants Exercise 2012 Options For Sabean, Bochy
The Giants won the 2010 World Series under GM Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy, so they aren't about to let them go. The team announced today that it exercised its 2012 options for Sabean and Bochy.
“Brian and Bruce’s proven leadership and strategic moves throughout the course of their baseball careers, culminating in last year’s World Series Championship, distinguishes them as two of the best minds in all of baseball," managing general partner and CEO Bill Neukom said in a statement.
Sabean is the longest-tenured GM in baseball and is in the midst of the longest run by a GM in Giants history. He has led the Giants to five postseason appearances, two NL pennants and a World Championship in 14 seasons.
Bochy, the winningest manager in Padres history, is fourth among active big league managers with 1274 wins and is 33rd on the all-time list. He has led the Giants to a 323-325 record in four seasons in San Francisco.