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Tigers And Mariners Notes: Wells, Porcello, Loe

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Former Tiger and current Mariner Casper Wells could be headed back to his old team, MLB.com's Jason Beck posits. "Maybe Casper Wells doesn’t make the Mariners roster," says Beck. "Maybe the Tigers can parlay their depth in another spot, maybe an extra reliever, into an extra outfielder." The Tigers currently have an open spot available for a righty-hitting outfielder. If they don't pursue one from outside the organization, that spot could go to Matt Tuiasosopo. Here are more notes from Detroit and Seattle.

  • The Tigers shouldn't trade pitcher Rick Porcello because doing so would weaken their depth, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman argues. The better move, Heyman suggests, would be to place Porcello in their starting rotation and use Drew Smyly as an insurance policy. That's a viewpoint Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski seems to appreciate: "Really, one of our big needs is starting pitching depth," says Dombrowski. "If we trade one of these guys [either Porcello or Smyly], then we hurt ourselves more in that area."
  • Heyman also notes that Dombrowski isn't nearly as eager as manager Jim Leyland to pursue a closer from outside the organization. "A manager and a general manager are in two different spots," Dombrowski says."I understand from a manager's perspective, he'd rather have one guy he can point to on a daily basis."
  • Jesus Montero's injury could complicate Kameron Loe's bid to be added to the Mariners' roster, Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times writes. Montero was struck in the head on Saturday by Francisco Lindor's backswing, and it's not clear when Montero will be able to return to action. If Montero isn't ready to go to start the season, the Mariners will have to add another catcher to the 40-man roster, perhaps Jesus Sucre. That might make it difficult for the Mariners to find space on their 40-man for Loe, and Loe can trigger an out clause in his contract on Monday.
  • Mariners pitcher Joe Saunders is happy to have the offseason behind him, MLB.com's John Schlegel reports. Saunders signed a one-year deal with the M's as a free agent. "It was nerve-racking, not knowing where you're going," he says. "It was the first real free agency for me, and it was an experience, for sure. It's a good one to be over with. I feel bad for Kyle Lohse."

AL West Notes: Lohse, Garland, Astros

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Here are a few updates from the American League West:

Mariners Release Jon Garland, Mike Jacobs

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The Mariners have granted pitcher Jon Garland and first baseman Mike Jacobs their release, according to a team statement. Both players were in camp on minor-league contracts.

The M's signed Garland in February. He has not pitched in the big leagues since 2011 following a shoulder injury. He appeared likely to opt out of his deal with the Mariners after the team made clear that he would not make the team out of spring training. His name plate was removed from his locker Friday.

Jacobs appeared in 13 games with the Diamondbacks in 2012, which is the most games he's played in any season in the majors since 2009. He hit .279/.362/.486 in 378 plate appearance at Triple-A Reno last year.

Jon Garland Likely To Opt Out Of Mariners’ Contract

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Jon Garland will likely use the opt-out clause in his deal with the Mariners now that GM Jack Zduriencik has said there isn't any room for the veteran right-hander on the team's roster, reports Shannon Drayer of ESPN Radio Seattle (Twitter links).  "At this time we cannot commit a rotation spot to [Garland] or a roster spot," Zduriencik said.

Garland signed a minor league deal with the M's in February that contained an opt-out clause Garland could exercise if he wasn't on Seattle's Major League roster by today.  The 33-year-old pitched well during Spring Training but it appears as if the Mariners will instead go with younger arms (Blake Beavan, Erasmo Ramirez, Brandon Maurer) to fill out their rotation behind Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma and Joe Saunders.

The Rockies have scouted Garland but only have "lukewarm" interest due to concerns about his durability, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports.  Garland has battled shoulder injuries that have kept him out of action since July 2011 but he averaged 205 IP per season from 2002-2010 and has a 4.32 ERA over 2083 1/3 career innings with the White Sox, Angels, Padres, Diamondbacks and Dodgers.

Mariners Face Decision On Garland

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After putting up a solid spring outing, starting pitcher Jon Garland expects to learn on Friday whether he will be a part of the Mariners' 2013 rotation, because that is when his "out clause" becomes effective, reports Shannon Drayer of ESPN Radio Seattle. Garland says that he has "shown them everything I can" and that "if they don't keep me here I am sure there will be a phone call" from another team. 

With fellow rotation hopeful Erasmo Ramirez struggling in his last two outings, and Garland looking sharp during his time in Mariners' camp, Mariners manager Eric Wedge recognized that the team has a difficult decision. "We will get together tonight or maybe tomorrow morning or both and figure out what we are going to do," said Wedge. "Obviously we have got a lot of moving parts when it comes to the starting rotation. It's not just about [Garland], it's about everyone who is involved with this."

Drayer believes it "would be a somewhat big surprise" if the Mariners let Garland walk. While his durability is an obvious concern as he returns from shoulder surgery, she notes that "he appears to be healthy, he can get big leaguers out, his pitches look sharp and he is getting decent sink on the ball." And as "the young pitchers aren't going anywhere" for Seattle, Drayer opines that the team has little to lose and much to gain by awarding the rotation spot to the veteran Garland.

There would be interest from teams like the Rockies if the 33-year-old should hit free agency, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports previewed Garland's comeback attempt back in February.

Multiple Teams Pursuing Rick Porcello

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6:53pm: Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski vehemently denied that he had proposed any deals involving Porcello, including any offers to the Padres, reports Lynn Henning of The Detroit News. Dombrowski acknowledged that his "phone has been ringing a lot," and added that "this is the best I've ever seen [Porcello] throw the baseball."

12:07pm: The Padres have turned down two offers from the Tigers, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). The Padres declined to take Porcello for Huston Street or Luke Gregerson, a Tigers source told Bowden.

THURSDAY, 8:33am: The Cardinals are checking out Porcello, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (on Twitter).

WEDNESDAY: The Rangers and Padres are the teams most actively discussing potential Rick Porcello trades with the Tigers, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report. The Orioles have also scouted the right-hander.

Despite the strong interest, rival teams wonder if the Tigers will actually trade Porcello. Instead of making a deal, the Tigers could choose to keep Porcello and use Drew Smyly in the bullpen or as a starter at Triple-A Toledo. The FOX writers report that the Tigers will not move Porcello unless they obtain a strong return.

The Padres made an “aggressive” offer last week and the Tigers rejected it, Rosenthal and Morosi report. Talks with the Rangers are not advanced at this point. The Tigers appear to like shortstop prospect Leury Garcia and right-handed pitching prospect Nick Tepesch. Detroit would want a third player added to the package, but the Rangers are reluctant to move even Tepesch. 

The Red Sox could have interest in Porcello, yet they don’t want to reduce their bullpen depth, the FOX duo reports. The Orioles aren’t inclined to pursue Porcello aggressively, as they have many young starting pitchers of their own.

The Tigers also seek a right-handed hitting outfielder. They have talked about re-acquiring Casper Wells from the Mariners, Rosenthal and Morosi report. The Tigers traded Wells to Seattle midway through the 2011 season in the deal that sent Doug Fister to Detroit.

Nationals Acquire Ian Krol

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The Nationals announced that they acquired left-hander Ian Krol from the Athletics (Twitter link). The move completes the three-way trade that sent Michael Morse to Seattle in January. The A's acquired John Jaso in the deal and sent minor league right-handers A.J. Cole, Blake Treinen and a player to be named to Washington.

Krol, 21, spent the 2012 season at Class A and Double-A. He spent most of the season with the Stockton Ports of the Class A California League, posting a 5.21 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 86 1/3 innings. The A's initially selected Krol in the seventh round of the 2009 amateur draft.

Quick Hits: Mariners, Steinbrenner, Ricco, Tigers

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Congratulations to the Dominican Republic for capturing its first World Baseball Classic title, gaining a 3-0 victory over Puerto Rico in tonight's championship final.  The DR finished with a perfect 8-0 record in the competition, led by tournament MVP Robinson Cano and seven saves by closer Fernando Rodney.  One downside for the Dominican team (and the Dodgers) is that Hanley Ramirez left in the sixth inning with a jammed thumb and will likely undergo an MRI tomorrow.

Here's the latest from around the majors…

  • The Mariners will likely be one of the trade deadline's busiest teams whether they're in contention or not, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times writes.  The M's could look to deal one of their several short-term veterans if they're out of the race, or could augment their Major League roster if they're in the hunt for a playoff spot.
  • In past years, the Yankees might have responded to Mark Teixeira's injury by simply acquiring a proven everyday bat like Justin Morneau, but Davld Waldstein of the New York Times uses this hypothetical trade to illustrate how the Yankees' philosophy has changed under Hal Steinbrenner.
  • Mets assistant GM John Ricco talks to Alexander Hyacinthe of Metsblog about how the team views the 2013 season and what they expect from their young core players in the coming year.
  • The Tigers could keep Rick Porcello due to dissatisfaction with current trade offers and because they may be forced to use Drew Smyly as a long reliever, Lynn Henning of the Detroit Free Press reports. Smyly projects as the Tigers' fifth starter if Porcello is moved.
  • MLB.com's Jason Beck looks at some of the Tigers' bench options at the back of their roster.  Don Kelly, who signed a minor league deal with the Detroit in January, can opt out of his contract if he doesn't win a roster spot but Beck believes Kelly has won a spot on the team.
  • Catcher Brian Jeroloman became a "phantom ballplayer" when he spent over a month on the Blue Jays' roster in 2011 but never actually appeared in a game due to injuries.  Now in the Indians' minor league camp, Jeroloman talks to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian about his quest to "officially" become a Major Leaguer.
  • We've already heard that the Dodgers may hold onto their surplus of starting pitching, though Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano's trade value may have dropped anyway given their struggles during Spring Training, Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times reports.

AL West Notes: Angels, Ryan, Olt, Garland, Luetge

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The Angels are on the lookout for a backup catcher, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com writes, confirming an earlier report by Danny Knobler of CBS (on Twitter). Hank Conger is currently slated to back up Chris Iannetta, Gonzalez notes, but Conger has struggled with his throwing this spring. Luke Carlin and John Hester are also technically candidates for the backup job, but both are minor-league veterans with limited big-league experience. The Pirates, Phillies and Rays are also reportedly in the market for catching. Here are more notes from around the AL West.

  • The Rangers' Jon Daniels says he doesn't know of Nolan Ryan's plans, but that he "can't eliminate" the possibility that Ryan might leave the organization after its recent front office shakeup clouded his future with the team. Daniels' comments came in an interview with Norm Hitzges on KTCK-AM 1310 The Ticket, transcribed by the Dallas Morning News. Daniels says that the Rangers' baseball operations "have a really good thing going," and that he doesn't want Ryan to leave. Speculation about Ryan's role as CEO of the Rangers began when Daniels was promoted to president of baseball operations/GM and Rick George was promoted to president of business operations.
  • Scouts have been watching Rangers prospect Mike Olt, who doesn't currently have a position with the Rangers, but that doesn't mean Texas is likely to move him, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan writes. Olt has not hit well this spring, but Sullivan notes that manager Ron Washington has been impressed with Olt's defense in right field. Olt hit .288/.398/.579 for Double-A Frisco in 2012 and had a cameo in the big leagues, but has not yet played at the Triple-A level.
  • The Mariners will need to decide what to do with pitcher Jon Garland, who appears to have an out clause in his contract that he can exercise next week, Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times writes. Garland missed much of 2011 and all of 2012 with shoulder trouble.
  • Mariners hurler Lucas Luetge is in a different position than he was in 2012 after spending the year in the majors as a Rule 5 draft pick, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. Unlike last year, when Luetge's Rule 5 status meant he had to stay on the Mariners' 25-man roster the entire season, the Mariners have the option of sending Luetge to the minors. Luetge kept his head above water in 2012 despite having never before pitched above Double-A, posting a 3.98 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 in 40.2 big-league innings.

International Signings: Mariners

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The latest international signings from around MLB…

  • The Mariners signed Dominican right-hander Jose Santiago for $205K, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The 19-year-old is a converted catcher who has been pitching for less than a year. He stands 6’2” and throws a fastball in the 91-93 mph range, according to Badler. In addition to his fastball, Santiago throws a breaking ball and a developing change-up.
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