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Quick Hits: Mariners, Ryan Lavarnway, Red Sox

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On this day in 2000, the Reds acquired Ken Griffey Jr. from the Mariners in exchange for pitchers Brett Tomko and Jake Meyer, center fielder Mike Cameron and infielder Antonio Perez. Griffey would sign the largest contract in MLB history at the time to the tune of a nine-year, $116.5MM deal. Let's catch up on the latest news and stories making headlines from around the big leagues.

  • The Mariners enter Spring Training with more than just a handful of outfielders competing for four or five spots on the roster, writes Ryan Divish of The News Tribune. Casper Wells, gifted defensively but lacking a consistent bat, may be lost on waivers if he is designated for assignment as he is out of options. 
  • Ryan Lavarnway's chances of making the Opening Day roster for the Red Sox may be beyond his control given the presence of Jarrod Saltalamacchia and David Ross as well as his option, says Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. “For me, I want to win the World Series,” Lavarnway said. "It doesn’t matter if I’m there for however long. We play this game to win and if you’re not playing this game to win then I don’t know why you’re playing. However I can help."
  • The Red Sox made a series of offseason acquisitions which has to raise the question of how will all of the new players fit in to the culture of the clubhouse, wonders Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. Abraham says GM Ben Cherington wants to field a squad that looks new in 2013 and hopes the additions made in the offseason will foster a different vibe in the clubhouse. 

Mariners To Sign Jon Garland

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The Mariners have agreed to a minor league deal with Jon Garland, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).  Jason A. Churchill of Prospect Insider first reported that the two sides were nearing an agreement (Twitter link).  The LSW client will receive an invite to major league spring training.

Garland has not pitched since July 2011 due to shoulder surgery and made it known this fall that he was planning on mounting a comeback.  The veteran started throwing for teams in September but there hasn't been a great deal of news on him since then.

For his career, the 33-year-old owns a 4.32 ERA with 4.9 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 across 12 seasons for the White Sox, Dodgers, D'Backs, Padres, and Angels.

Mariners Agree To Terms With Joe Saunders

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FRIDAY, 5:30pm: Saunders' deal includes a mutual option for 2014 and is worth $6.5MM with an additional $1MM in incentives in year one, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).  

2:21pm: Saunders will obtain about $7MM from the Mariners, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The agreement also includes incentives.

THURSDAY: The Mariners have agreed to a one-year deal with free agent left-hander Joe Saunders, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).  The contract will become official once Saunders passes a physical.  Saunders is represented by Greg Genske.

Several teams (including the Orioles, Padres, Mets, Pirates and Twins) were interested in Saunders this winter, though the veteran southpaw couldn't find his desired three-year deal.  Minnesota offered Saunders a one-year contract and he also reportedly had a two-year, $15MM offer on the table from a mystery team.  The short commitment will allow Saunders to build value at pitcher-friendly Safeco Field and look for a multiyear deal again next winter.

Saunders, 31, posted a 4.07 ERA, a 5.8 K/9, a 2.0 BB/9 and a 43.1% ground ball rate in 28 starts with the Diamondbacks and Orioles in 2012.  Fangraphs' Dave Cameron points out that Saunders' numbers over the last three seasons are very similar to those of left-hander Jason Vargas, who the M's traded to the Angels for Kendrys Morales.  Saunders projects as the No. 3 starter in Seattle's rotation, behind Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma.

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes had Saunders ranked 25th on his list of the top 50 free agents of the 2012-13 offseason.  Presuming Saunders passes his physical, that would leave just three of those 50 players unsigned — Michael Bourn (ranked third), Kyle Lohse (10th) and Jose Valverde (44th).

Quick Hits: Hernandez, MacDougal, Headley

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Links from around MLB on a day that many are still buzzing about Felix Hernandez’s seven-year, $175MM contract extension with the Mariners…

  • The Hernandez extension may seem like an overpay, but the alternative — trading him for prospects and reallocating millions toward free agency — might be less appealing than it initially seems. Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explains that there’s a considerable cost for teams that attempt to rebuild regularly.
  • Buster Olney of ESPN.com explains how the Mariners could be viewed as both winners and losers following their deal with Hernandez. There's no ambiguity about the significance of the deal for Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw and David Price, however; those three pitchers could be positioned for $200MM contracts, as Olney notes.
  • Verlander exclaimed "Holy cow!" after hearing the news of Hernandez's deal with the Mariners, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Verlander will be eligible for free agency after the 2014 season, and Nightengale notes that Verlander could be "baseball's first $200 million pitcher."
  • Mike MacDougal will throw a bullpen for interested teams in Tempe this coming Tuesday, MLBTR has learned. The 35-year-old right-hander appeared in just seven games with Dodgers in 2012, but he posted a 2.05 ERA in 69 appearances with Los Angeles in 2011.
  • The Padres should "seriously think" about trading Chase Headley before the start of the regular season, ESPN.com's Jim Bowden writes (subscription-only). Bowden notes that Headley is a free agent after 2014, and that he and the Padres haven't found common ground on a contract extension. Bowden lists the Reds, Mariners, Pirates, Blue Jays, Angels, Yankees and Tigers as possible trade destinations for Headley.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports lists the Blue Jays, Reds, Nationals and Braves as winners this offseason, while placing the Rangers, Brewers and Yankees among the losers. The Blue Jays top the list of winners after trading for Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey.
  • Last night Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts and I discussed the Hernandez deal and the most improved teams in the league on the latest edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast. 

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Dodgers, Tolbert, Hernandez, Hill

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Here are today's minor league transactions, with the latest at the top of the page…

  • The Dodgers have invited 17 non-roster players to Spring Training, including infielder Brian Barden and catchers Ramon Castro and Eliezer Alfonzo, the club announced.  The trio were signed to minor league contracts within the last two months.
  • The Phillies have signed infielder Matt Tolbert to a minor league contract, Baseball America's Matt Eddy reports (and also recaps the rest of the week's minor league transactions).  Tolbert hit .230/.288/.319 in 680 PA with the Twins from 2008-11 and spent the bulk of his time playing second, third and shortstop.  Tolbert played for the Cubs' Triple-A team in 2012.
  • The Mariners have signed right-hander Moises Hernandez (Felix's older brother) to a new minor league contract, reports Chris Harris, broadcaster for the Mariners' Double-A affiliate (Twitter link).  The elder Hernandez has a 4.83 ERA over eight minor league seasons in the Mariners', Braves' and Orioles' farm systems.
  • The Indians have signed left-hander Rich Hill to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, the club announced.  After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2011, Hill returned to action to post a 1.83 ERA, a 9.6 K/9 and a 5.0 BB/9 in 19 2/3 relief innings for the Red Sox last season but was non-tendered in November.  The 32-year-old southpaw has a career 4.59 ERA over eight Major League seasons with the Red Sox, Orioles and Cubs.

Mariners/Felix Hernandez Links: Analysis & Fallout

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The Mariners' pending seven-year, $175MM extension with Felix Hernandez is expected to be finalized before Spring Training, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported earlier today.  A source tells Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times that the two sides are "still in their final stages" though it seems as if the contract is close to being completed.  Though the extension isn't yet official, it has already drawn a lot of reaction from around the baseball world about how it affects Hernandez, the Mariners and other top pitchers' future contracts…

  • The agreement will become official if Hernandez passes a physical, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports.
  • Also from Baker's item, he notes that the Mariners can afford to keep Hernandez thanks to an upcoming major boost in broadcast revenue.  The M's can opt out of their current TV deal in 2015 or Baker suggests that the club may look to work out a new TV contract sooner in order to avoid marketplace complications if a new NBA or NHL team comes to Seattle.
  • In a separate piece, Baker writes that the Mariners will only benefit from Hernandez's extension if they can build a good roster around their ace.  As Baker notes, the M's have finished in last place in each of the three seasons since Hernandez signed his last multiyear deal with the team.
  • Since the Mariners refused to trade Hernandez, they essentially forced themselves into re-signing Hernandez to a major contract, opines Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Seattle could regret the move if Hernandez struggles in the latter years of the extension "and the Mariners’ choice forever will be weighed against the hypothetical bounty that they could have received for Felix in a trade."
  • While the Mariners are taking a risk in making a seven-year commitment to a pitcher, Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan likes the deal for both sides.  Hernandez's talent and his importance to the franchise made the new contract "something that felt like it had to be done," Sullivan writes.
  • Hernandez's extension sets a bar for negotiations between Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, who opines that Kershaw could become the first pitcher to receive a $200MM deal.  Kershaw is eligible for free agency after the 2014 season and will only be 27 years old on Opening Day 2015.

Mariners Designate Shawn Kelley For Assignment

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The Mariners announced that they designated right-hander Shawn Kelley for assignment. The move creates roster space for Kelly Shoppach, whose one-year deal is now official.

Kelley appeared in 47 games for the Mariners in 2012, posting a 3.25 ERA with 9.1 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 28.8% ground ball rate in 44 1/3 innings. The 28-year-old will earn $935K in 2013 after avoiding arbitration with the Mariners last month.

The Mariners have ten days to outright Kelley to the minor leagues, trade him or release him. It won't be surprising if he's claimed or traded given his 2012 numbers.

Mariners Sign Kelly Shoppach

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The Mariners announced that they have signed free agent catcher Kelly Shoppach to a one-year, Major League contract. The LSW Baseball client will earn $1.5MM in base salary and up to $500K in incentives.

Shoppach split the 2012 season between the Red Sox and Mets, appearing in 76 total games. The right-handed hitter posted a .233/.309/.425 batting line with eight home runs. In eight big league seasons, Shoppach has a .267/.358/.510 batting line against left-handed pitching. He earned $1.135MM last year and wasn't linked to any teams this offseason.

Shoppach joins a Mariners roster that includes catchers Jesus Montero and Ronny Paulino. The Mariners recently traded John Jaso to Oakland in the three-way deal that brought Michael Morse to Seattle.

Greg Johns of MLB.com first reported the agreement and ESPN's Jerry Crasnick first reported the value of the deal (Twitter link).

Kevin Millwood To Retire

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After a 16-year major league career, right-hander Kevin Millwood has decided to call it a career, according to Richard Walker of the Shelby Star.  The 38-year-old spent last season with the Mariners and posted a 4.25 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, and a 44.7% ground ball rate in 28 starts.

Millwood says that he told agent Scott Boras that he only wanted to pitch close to his home in Georgia, indicating the Braves and Rays were really his only two choices.  When neither team showed interest, he decided that he wouldn't pitch in 2013.  The veteran says that there's still plenty in the tank, but he would rather spend more time with his family than be on the road this season.

“I feel like I can still throw it well and going out on a high note is a big deal,” Millwood said. “I just felt it was time to be closer to home and to be around the kids more often.”

Last season was a solid effort for Millwood and was punctuated by his six inning contribution to the Mariners' no-hitter over the Dodgers in June.  For his career, Millwood owns a 4.11 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.  He also earned just under $90MM in his time with the Braves, Phillies, Indians, Rangers, Orioles, Rockies, and Mariners.

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