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Free Agent Notes: Utley, Victorino, Cubs, Rangers, Giants, Non-Tenders

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Both the Angels and Dodgers have ongoing interest in free agent Chase Utley, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com tweets. A source tells Stark that the veteran would like to play in his native California, and it seems he’ll have options to do just that. Utley has been consistently linked to the Dodgers since they declined his $15MM option, and agent Joel Wolfe recently went on-record to state that five or six teams have expressed interest in Utley as a “mostly everyday infielder.” From my vantage point, the Angels have a clearer path to regular (or near-regular) at-bats for Utley. The Dodgers have multiple infield options, including Enrique Hernandez and Jose Peraza.

A few more notes on the free-agent market…

  • Another former Phillies stalwart, Shane Victorino, is telling clubs that he intends to return to switch hitting in advance of the 2016 season, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. “I am finding out that not switch-hitting and not doing things from both sides of the plate had lots to do with the way my body has felt,” Victorino told Rosenthal. “Going back and doing things from both sides is such a good thing for my body now that I can physically do it again.”
  • Within that same piece, Rosenthal notes that the Cubs are “busy” looking for a center fielder but are faced with relatively limited options. Dexter Fowler is a possibility for the Cubs but is currently exploring the open market. Signing Jason Heyward to play center field is an option, but the team would then need to address its rotation in a cost-effective manner by trading a young bat such as Jorge Soler or Javier Baez. If Soler ends up being the price to bolster the rotation, then the outfield would, of course, remain an issue.
  • The Rangers still love Mike Napoli, tweets MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, but general manager Jon Daniels indicated today that his club may not have the “right spot” to fit Napoli into the mix next season. Sullivan’s Seattle counterpart, Greg Johns, however, tweets that Napoli could potentially be of interest to the Mariners, who have a need at first base after trading both Logan Morrison and Mark Trumbo this offseason. Napoli struggled for much of the season in Boston but was reinvigorated by a return to the Lone Star State, hitting .295/.396/.513 in 91 plate appearances with the Rangers. His cumulative .278/.391/.563 line against lefties last year indicates that Napoli, at the very least, is still a highly potent platoon option.
  • Sticking with former Rangers, right-hander Colby Lewis tells Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram that Dr. Keith Meister gave him a “thumbs up” on his left knee (links to Twitter). Lewis has been working out and expects to be 100 percent for Spring Training. Many teams have contacted his agents at Octagon, says Lewis, though he remains hopeful that the Rangers will be interested after his latest knee exam. There’s some interest on both sides, according to Wilson.
  • The Giants consider Jeff Samardzija and Mike Leake fallback plans in the event that they’re unable to lure Zack Greinke away from L.A., tweets Rosenthal. John Lackey, too, is a consideration for San Francisco. There’s no word yet on a decision from Greinke, who is said to be choosing between the Dodgers and Giants.
  • In the wake of yesterday’s tender deadline, MLB.com’s Zachary Finkelstein identified five non-tendered players that are still worthy of roster spots and can be potential bargains for clubs in 2016 (and, in some cases, beyond). Henderson Alvarez tops the list and is followed by Pedro Alvarez, Chris Carter, Tyler Flowers and Neftali Feliz. Alvarez’s youth and track record, the power of Alvarez and Carter, the pitch-framing abilities of Flowers and still-strong velocity plus a nice finish for Feliz give some elements of value to each, he writes.

Mariners Sign Nori Aoki

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4:37pm: Aoki will receive a $5.5MM base salary, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter). The contract contains a $6MM mutual option that will automatically vest if Aoki reaches an unspecified but “easily attainable” playing time figure (presumably, plate appearances). Aoki can also earn up to $1.5MM worth of incentives in each season of the contract.

By signing for $5.5MM, Aoki receives the exact same amount he’d have been guaranteed if the Giants had exercised his 2016 option. Of course, Aoki does come out ahead in this scenario, as he’ll pocket the $700K buyout that was already paid to him by the Giants. And, of course, he can surpass the $5.5MM figure via incentives, creating the opportunity to further distance himself from what he’d have earned by returning to San Francisco for a second season.

4:21pm: Jerry Dipoto’s ongoing efforts to create a more athletic outfield and bolster his club’s on-base percentage continued on Thursday, as the Mariners’ GM announced the signing of Nori Aoki to a one-year contract with a vesting/mutual option for the 2017 season. Aoki is represented by CAA Sports.

Aug 21, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; San Francisco Giants left fielder Nori Aoki (23) enters the dugout before playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. The Giants won 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Aoki has spent four years in the majors after coming over from Japan. Now entering his age-34 season, he has consistently delivered average (or slightly better) offensive production with a high-contact, low-K, high-OBP approach. All told, he owns a .287/.353/.386 MLB batting line, and has never wavered much from that mark.

It had seemed for some time that Aoki would be spending this season back with the Giants, but the club paid him a $700K buyout rather than picking up a $5.5MM option. Aoki’s .287/.353/.380 slash last year was a virtually direct match for his career line, though it translates to a 112 wRC+ once the effects of playing in spacious AT&T Park are accounted for. But the veteran was less effective in the second half, and missed significant time with a concussion.

Now, it seems, Aoki is back to health. However, he’s still not without his limitations as a player. As the above-cited offensive numbers show, he’s not much of a power threat and has never again hit double-digit homers since his first season in the majors. Though UZR has consistently rated him as an above-average gloveman in the corner outfield, many have observed that he’s not an efficient or consistent route-taker and the DRS metric has identified a defensive dip in recent seasons. Aoki remains a twenty-steal threat, but Fangraphs’ BsR calculation pegs him as a below-average baserunner.

We heard just recently of Seattle’s interest in the veteran. As I noted at the time, the club’s overall outfield (and first base/DH) mix seemed a bit crowded. Following this week’s trade of Mark Trumbo, though, there’s now one less highly-compensated player in the mix.

By plugging in Aoki, Seattle now has three outfielders at the Major League level that hit from the left side, as he joins center fielder Leonys Martin and corner outfielder Seth Smith. Meanwhile, Nelson Cruz and fellow right-handed hitter Franklin Gutierrez are also under contract. New skipper Scott Servais will have plenty of platoon options available to him.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the signing (links to Twitter).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto On Mark Trumbo Trade

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On Wednesday, Jerry Dipoto traded slugger Mark Trumbo for the second time.  As the GM of the Angels, Dipoto jettisoned Trumbo in December 2013, soon after signing superstar first baseman Albert Pujols.  After dealing Trumbo roughly two months after taking over in Seattle, Dipoto wants it known that it’s nothing personal with Trumbo, just business.

“There’s no particular reason for it.  When I called him, I actually told him not to take this the wrong way,” Dipoto said when asked by MLBTR on a conference call.  “He’s a great guy, he brings a lot of skill to the table and it’s always difficult to trade right-handed power, but there are reasons for everything.  The first time that I moved him, we needed pitching and we tapped into two young upside starters (Tyler Skaggs, Hector Santiago) that we needed at the time.  I felt good about that trade and I feel good about this one, too.  In this case, we’re bringing in a backup left-handed hitting catcher along with payroll and roster flexibility as we move into the hot stove portion of the offseason.  I explained all of this to Mark.  He’s going to an ideal place to hit but it just wasn’t an ideal fit for us on our side.”

As many outsiders picked up on, Dipoto indicated that Trumbo was moved in large part because of his projected $9.1MM salary for 2016.  Unlike the last Trumbo trade, Dipoto isn’t moving Trumbo in order to eliminate redundancy in the lineup, and Dipoto himself isn’t sure how the first base position will be filled.  Still, I asked the GM whether he would be more likely to fill that spot via free agency or trade.

“It’s tough to say.  There’s still a lot of time between now and Opening Day.  We’ve discussed a lot of trade candidates with various teams around the league and we’ve at least surveyed the free agent pool, but have not engaged [any available first basemen] at this point,” Dipoto said.

Of course, this year’s free agent crop includes Chris Davis, the man that Trumbo might wind up replacing in Baltimore.  Dipoto’s comment would indicate that the Mariners have not reached out to Davis, though — as MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted this week — he may not be a logical match for Seattle anyway.  Dipoto has made it known that he prefers the trade market to free agency and, as he revealed, that has been the only avenue explored thus far for first basemen.  Seattle would also have to sacrifice the No. 11 overall pick to sign Davis, a player who could command a six-year, $144MM deal in the estimation of MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes.

Meanwhile, Dipoto seemed genuinely excited about the addition of catcher Steve Clevenger as a complementary piece that can fit in as a catcher, first baseman, or a designated hitter.  Dipoto stopped short of guaranteeing anything for the out-of-options player, but it sounds like he has a role in mind for him.  Clevenger’s versatility coupled with the signing of catcher Chris Iannetta also gives Seattle options when it comes to Mike Zunino.  Seattle can now afford to let Zunino start the year in Triple-A Tacoma, but they could also carry all three players with Clevenger seeing time at first base.  Still, Dipoto’s plan and preference is to have Zunino begin the year in Triple-A for additional seasoning.

Orioles Acquire Mark Trumbo, C.J. Riefenhauser For Steve Clevenger

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The Orioles don’t yet know whether Chris Davis will return to Baltimore, but they have a potential replacement on the roster now in the event that he signs elsewhere, as the team has announced the acquisition of Mark Trumbo and left-hander C.J. Riefenhauser from the Mariners in exchange for catcher Steve Clevenger.

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Trumbo, 30 in January, provides insurance in the event that Davis does not return and can be an option in left field or at DH in the event that Davis is re-signed. Alternatively, the Orioles could deploy Trumbo at first base for his final season of club control and use Davis primarily in the corner outfield in 2016 before shifting him back to first base when Trumbo reaches free agency next winter.

Trumbo averaged 32 homers per season from 2011-13 with the Angels and D-backs, but injuries slowed him in 2014, and his power output declined a bit in 2015. In total, he’s a career .250/.300/.458 hitter with 30-homer power that is coming off a .262/.319/.449 season split between Arizona and Seattle. This marks the second time in the past three years that Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto has traded Trumbo, as he sent him to Arizona in a three-team deal that netted Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago while serving as GM of the Angels.

From a defensive standpoint, Trumbo is limited. While he has experience at third base, in the corner outfield and at first base, he’s below average at the hot corner and in the outfield. While that limitation and his low on-base numbers suppress Trumbo’s value, he’s still a legitimate source of right-handed power that can handle first base. The Mariners don’t value that skill set at Trumbo’s projected $9.1MM salary, but he can certainly help the Orioles next season, and a move out of Safeco Field could benefit his overall production.

Riefenhauser, a 25-year-old southpaw, was acquired earlier in the winter in the trade that also delivered Nate Karns from the Rays, but will apparently never suit up for Seattle. Riefenhauser has yet to do much of use in the big leagues (6.30 ERA in 20 innings), but has put up excellent minor league numbers. In 113 innings at the Triple-A level, Riefenhauser has a 2.15 ERA to go along with averages of 8.7 strikeouts and 3.2 walks per nine innings pitched.

The 29-year-old Clevenger gives the Mariners a left-handed-hitting complement to Chris Iannetta and makes it easier for the club to give Mike Zunino some further development time at Triple-A. Clevenger, who also has experience at first base and third base, batted .287/.314/.426 with a pair of homers in 105 plate appearances in Baltimore last season. He’s been shuffled between the Majors and minors with the Cubs and Orioles over the past four seasons due primarily to questions about his defense, as he doesn’t have much to prove at the plate in Triple-A. The former seventh-round pick has never shown a great deal of power but consistently hits for average and gets on base at the top minor league level, where he’s a lifetime .310/.372/.413 hitter in 1061 plate appearances.

Clevenger is out of minor league options, so he’ll need to stick with the Major League club out of Spring Training in 2016. While he was projected to split time with Caleb Joseph behind the plate for the Orioles in 2016, a wrench was thrown into those plans when Matt Wieters accepted a qualifying offer. With Wieters and Joseph now slated to be the primary catching duo next season, Clevenger’s role with the team is uncertain.

The trade leaves the Mariners without a definitive answer at first base in 2016. With Trumbo now in Baltimore and Logan Morrison having been dealt to Tampa Bay in the aforementioned Riefenhauser trade, Seattle will likely look outside the organization to bring in a new first baseman. While some might speculate on the possibility of Davis — the man that could theoretically be replaced in Baltimore by Trumbo — Dipoto has operated primarily on the trade market to make his biggest additions thus far and has voiced a preference for that route to free agency. Considering the fact that Seattle has the top unprotected draft pick in 2016 (No. 11 overall), adding Davis would be more costly for the Mariners than any other club. None of that, of course, precludes a run at Davis, but it’s hard to envision him as the team’s top priority.

Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune first reported that a Trumbo-for-Clevenger swap was close. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports said an agreement was in place (Twitter link). Dutton and MLB.com’s Greg Johns said a second player was in the deal (Twitter links). Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweeted that Riefenhauser was the second player.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rangers Acquire Patrick Kivlehan To Complete Martin Trade

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The Rangers have acquired corner infielder/outfielder Patrick Kivlehan as the player to be named later in the recent trade that sent Leonys Martin to the Mariners, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News tweets and the teams have announced.

Kivlehan, 25, posted a .256/.313/.453 batting line in 518 plate appearances at Triple-A last year, hitting 22 home runs in the process. He’s hit for a better average and reached base at a better clip in prior seasons, though, and showed enough that MLB.com recently rated him Seattle’s fifth-best prospect. The MLB.com team credits Kivlehan with good athleticism and makeup, noting that he’s still working on his polish after having spent much of his college career playing football.

In sum, then, Texas’s haul for Martin and righty Anthony Bass includes Kivlehan, young outfielder James Jones, and righty Tom Wilhelmsen.

 

Mariners Claim Andy Wilkins, Lose John Hicks To Twins, DFA Edgar Olmos

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The Mariners have announced an interrelated series of transactions on the fringes of the 40-man roster. Seattle claimed first baseman Andy Wilkins off waivers from the Orioles, designating lefty Edgar Olmos to create space. And the team lost catcher John Hicks, who was previously designated, when he was claimed by the Twins.

In Wilkins, the M’s are getting a left-handed bat who could factor into the team’s first base mix. He’s been passed around the league rather frequently of late, and has yet to receive a full audition in the majors (though he did have a brief stint in 2014 with the White Sox). Wilkins owns a sturdy .272/.324/.490 career slash at the Triple-A level.

Olmos, 25, has seen minimal time at the major league level, putting up some rough K:BB rates in a minimal sample. Last year at Triple-A, he tossed 33 innings of 3.55 ERA ball with 9.3 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9.

Seattle moved on from Hicks when it signed Chris Iannetta. The 26-year-old has had a cup of coffee in the majors but has spent most of the past two seasons at Triple-A. He has posted a .253/.295/.366 slash and hit eight home runs in 432 plate appearances there.

Mariners To Sign Justin DeFratus

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The Mariners have reached agreement on a major league deal with reliever Justin De Fratus that will pay him $750K, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reported yesterday on Twitter that the team had interest in the free agent.

De Fratus, 28, was outrighted by the Phillies at the end of the year after putting up a disappointing 5.51 ERA over 80 frames. But De Fratus logged a 2.39 ERA in a 52 2/3-inning 2014 campaign, with 8.4 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9, and Seattle obviously feels he has the capacity to return to that kind of form.

Trumbo Talks Between Mariners, Orioles Heating Up

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6:20pm: Heyman now tweets that talks between the Mariners and Orioles regarding Trumbo are “heating up.”

1:56pm: Baltimore has real interest in Trumbo, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). The club expects Seattle will tender Trumbo a contract, suggesting that the O’s would need to strike a trade to get him.

1:38pm: Colorado is no longer in active talks with Seattle on Trumbo, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports, though he adds that it’s possible a “new and separate round of talks” could be initiated in the future and says the Rockies could have interest in Trumbo as a free agent if he’s non-tendered. The bottom line, it appears, is that Colorado won’t be taking him on in advance of the non-tender deadline.

12:29pm: The Orioles are also “in the mix” for Trumbo, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Presumably, he could fill some of the power void left by departing free agents Chris Davis and Steve Pearce, though of course Baltimore is still said to be pursuing a return with the former.

8:17am: The Mariners are “trying hard” to find a taker for veteran outfielder/first baseman/DH Mark Trumbo with tomorrow’s non-tender deadline looming, according to reports from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter) and Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (Twitter link). It’s previously been reported that many rival executives expect Trumbo to be dealt. The Rockies are among the clubs that have spoken with Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto about the slugger, per Rosenthal.

Trumbo, who’ll turn 30 before the season, is projected by MLBTR to take home a $9.1MM salary in his final season of arbitration eligibility. Though he’s generally continued to produce at better than the league-average rate on offense, and remains a significant power threat in particular, the right-handed hitter has not quite matched his early-career batting levels.

Considering his significant defensive limitations and hefty earning power, Trumbo’s trade value would not appear to be peaking at the moment. (That moment probably came when then-Angels GM Dipoto acquired promising young lefties Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago in exchange for Trumbo before the start of the 2014 season.) Trumbo has never cracked three wins above replacement in his career, whether by measure of Fangraphs or Baseball-Reference, and ended up as about a one to one-and-a-half win player last season.

Of course, teams may still be willing to roll the dice on Trumbo cranking his power output back up over a one-year commitment. He averaged over thirty home runs annually from 2011 through 2013, after all, which represents a fairly rare demonstration of playable pop. While he is roundly considered a sub-par defender in the corner outfield, his ability to play there at least increases his versatility. And Trumbo has rated rather well as a first baseman over the years.

Presumably, the Rockies would be interested in utilizing Trumbo at first. The club recently parted ways with incumbent Justin Morneau and designated another potential option in Wilin Rosario. Adding a veteran right-handed bat would allow Colorado to utilize the lefty-swinging Ben Paulsen in a reserve capacity.

The non-tender deadline represents an important market in any trade talks, if only because the Mariners may be unwilling to commit to paying Trumbo if a trade isn’t arranged. Of course, if interest is strong enough, Seattle could always strike a bargain after tendering him an arb contract. In the worst case, of course, clubs can cut bait on tendered players whil remaining responsible only for one-sixth of their salary, but that’s obviously not the preferred outcome — especially when that would represent such a significant sum.

It’s worth noting, also, that several other major power sources could be available. The Astros’ Chris Carter and Evan Gattis might be trade candidates, and we’ve heard every indication that the Pirates have interest in moving lefty slugger Pedro Alvarez. All of those players project to earn less than Trumbo, though Alvarez isn’t far behind at $8.1MM.

Mariners Have Interest In Nori Aoki

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The Mariners have shown interest in free agent outfielder Nori Aoki, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports. It’s still not clear whether talks will progress to a deal, Dutton’s source noted.

Aoki, 33, had a solid first half last year with the Giants but struggled down the stretch with a fairly significant concussion issue. While we’ve heard indications that he’ll be at full strength, San Francisco declined to pick up his seemingly reasonable $5.5MM option. Of course, it could be that the team simply decided to go in another direction.

He’s hardly an exciting player, but Aoki has been slightly above average at the plate, rather consistently, in his four years since coming to the majors. His .287/.353/.380 slash was good for a 112 wRC+ last year, and both UZR and DRS rated him as an average or better option in the corner outfield. Though Aoki’s overall baserunning numbers weren’t favorable in 2015, he managed to swipe 14 bags in just 93 games.

For Seattle, Aoki would likely slot in as part of an outfield rotation. The club’s possible outfield mix currently features two lefty bats (Seth Smith and Leonys Martin) and three righties (Nelson Cruz, Franklin Gutierrez, and Mark Trumbo). (Of course, some of those players could also factor in at DH and first.) It’s not immediately obvious how things would work out if Aoki were to be added, but it’s worth recalling that new GM Jerry Dioto has already done a lot of asset shifting this winter and could have more in store.

Quick Hits: Cueto, Cano, Park, Tribe, Colon

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Diamondbacks ownership sees Johnny Cueto as a “special case” who is worth a franchise-altering investment, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (links to Twitter).  The team’s six-year, $120MM offer to Cueto would’ve been above the D’Backs stated comfort zone of a $15MM-$18MM average annual salary for a pitcher, yet Rosenthal notes that Arizona has been willing to stretch payroll in recent years.  The D’Backs gave their largest contract in club history to an unproven rookie in Yasmany Tomas, and they were also prepared to give Masahiro Tanaka a huge contract after posting a bid to negotiate with him in the 2013-14 offseason.  Cueto, meanwhile, rejected Arizona’s offer in order to further explore his options.  With Jordan Zimmermann now off the market, it’s indeed possible that Cueto could perhaps surpass that offer from the Snakes.  Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • The Mariners privately acknowledge that Robinson Cano will inevitably be moved from second to first base, according to Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (Twitter link).  The question now may be how many more seasons can Cano remain at the keystone.  Cano just turned 33 last month and his defensive metrics (-7.3 UZR/150, minus-9 Defensive Runs Saved) plummeted.  Since Mark Trumbo could be traded or non-tendered, the M’s may have an opening at first as early as 2016, though I’d guess the club is probably more likely to give Cano at least one more year at second and obtain a short-term first baseman if Trumbo is indeed moved.
  • Byung-ho Park is set to arrive in Minneapolis today to continue negotiating, and perhaps finalize, a contract with the Twins.  Park spoke to Korean media (including Yonhap News) before departing, saying “there are some things we need to go over with the club. I hope to be able to return with a positive result….I am approaching (the upcoming contract talks) with a positive mind.”  Park also discussed transitioning to MLB, speaking to former teammate Jung Ho Kang and his willingness to be a designated hitter in Minnesota if that’s how the club feels he is best used.
  • The reliever market is widely expected to heat up this week, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick explains in a series of tweets.  Part of the logjam has been due to the fact that two star closers (Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon) are on the trade block, so teams are exploring trade options before looking at free agents.  Over a third of league is currently looking for relief pitching help — Crasnick lists the Astros, Athletics, Blue Jays, Braves, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Mets, Nationals, Pirates, Red Sox, Royals and Tigers.
  • Several bits of Indians roster speculation are discussed by Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer in his latest reader mailbag.  Highlights include Hoynes’ belief that Lonnie Chisenhall will still be with the Tribe next season rather than be traded or non-tendered this winter, doubt that Jay Bruce would be a legitimate Indians trade target and the idea that Wilin Rosario might be of some interest to add pop to Cleveland’s lineup.
  • Would a reunion with Bartolo Colon be a good move for the Athletics?  Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com looks at the pros and cons Oakland faces in signing the veteran right-hander.
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