Mariners Rumors

Olney On Mets, Young, Figgins

By Dan Mennella | January 29, 2011 at 9:59am CDT

The fallout continues from the Mets' announcement on Friday that a portion of the team is up for sale, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Here's Olney's take, as well as some other items of note …

The Madoff scandal could prove to be a turning point in Mets history if it leads to a change in the team's ownership. The financial implications go a long way toward explaining why the Mets' baseball-operations staff has been on a shorter payroll leash since the signing of Jason Bay, and one has to wonder how long the Mets will be operating in that mode as the legal process plays out. To that end, signing a big-ticket free agent like Albert Pujols in the near future would be difficult. Finally, was new GM Sandy Alderson aware of the Mets' financial standing when he took the job?
Rangers president Nolan Ryan and manager Ron Washington are on record as saying that Michael Young will be with Texas on Opening Day, as Young is well-liked by the organization and will be useful in the super utility role. Both the Rangers and Rockies say that trade talks regarding Young have not been rekindled.
The Athletics' rumored pursuit of Chone Figgins makes sense if you consider that he fits Oakland's preference for acquiring players who are fast and defensively sound. To boot, Figgins would cost the A's only about 60 percent of what they were willing to spend on free-agent Adrian Beltre, who signed with the rival Rangers. Olney interprets Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik's comment that Figgins is the Mariners' third baseman as a, "no comment."

Chone Figgins Rumors: Friday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 28, 2011 at 6:29pm CDT

6:29pm: Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told MLB.com's Jane Lee and Greg Johns that the team's plan is to have Figgins at third base on Opening Day. "I'm looking forward to Figgins being our starting third baseman … He'll be here tomorrow [for the Mariners' FanFest]. He's been agreeable to moving back to third base and that's our plan, to have Chone be our Opening Day third baseman."

1:17pm: The A's are on Figgins' limited no-trade list and he hasn't yet been asked to waive it, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).

12:50pm: There could be a third team involved in trade talks, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link). Olney suggests the Blue Jays could be the third team. Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos acknowledged last night that the team has toyed with the idea of adding a third baseman, so the Blue Jays could have interest in Kouzmanoff.

8:47am: The A’s are trying to acquire Chone Figgins for Kevin Kouzmanoff and perhaps a pitcher, according to Joe Stiglich of the Contra Costa Times. Figgins, 33, could play third base for the A's, who missed out on free agent Adrian Beltre.

The Mariners owe Figgins $26MM through 2013 and the infielder's contract includes a vesting option for 2014. Figgins hit .259/.340/.306 last year with 42 stolen bases and 74 walks. He led the league with 101 walks in 2009, stealing 42 bases and posting a .298/.395/.393 line for another AL West team, the Angels.

The Braves inquired on Figgins last July, but there hasn't been reported interest in him since.

Mariners Retaining Milton Bradley

By Dan Mennella | January 27, 2011 at 7:31pm CDT

The Mariners plan to keep Milton Bradley and have him compete for a starting job in Spring Training, writes Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.

Bradley was arrested earlier this month after allegedly threatening a woman in southern California — the latest in a long line of off-field troubles — leading some to wonder whether the M's would cut bait with the embattled outfielder/DH.

Bradley is entering the final year of a three-year contract he originally signed with the Cubs prior to the 2009 season. He was dealt to Seattle before last season.

As for whether the outcome of Bradley's court date could change the Mariners' decision to keep him, GM Jack Zduriencik declined comment, Stone writes.

Bradley, 33, played in just 73 games in 2010.

Spanish Links: Garcia, Belaguer, Rangers

By Nick Collias | January 27, 2011 at 6:19pm CDT

Links in Spanish as the 2011 Caribbean Series inches closer…

The White Sox may be considering Freddy Garcia, but Garcia had a different team in his sights when he spoke yesterday with Israel Pacheco Velásquez from the Venezuelan paper Meridiano. "My preference is to be with the New York Yankees, and it's not unreasonable to have that in mind, because I've demonstrated that I can be useful," Garcia said. "A team like New York would be ideal for my age, [as would ] playing in a successful, media-heavy, demanding division. Without doubt it would be an inspiration." Garcia's only previous sojourn to New York came in January 2009, when he signed with the Mets, only to be released in April after a disastrous spring. Garcia insists the team simply never gave him a chance, but his successful 2010 campaign should guarantee a longer leash. Garcia said he plans to sign soon, no matter the team.
The Marlins have had discussions internally about signing Cuban outfielder Yasiel Balaguer, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The 18-year-old has worked out for the Cubs and had a recent tryout for the Mariners rained out, reported Michael Miller at the Miami New Times yesterday. However, lest we get ahead of ourselves, Balaguer's agent Carlos Perez at Miami Sports Consulting informed El Nuevo Herald's Jorge Ebro that Balaguer has yet to be unblocked by the State Department after defecting in November.
The high percentage of Latino players on the Rangers' roster helps the team to maximize on the potential of its prosects, general manager Jon Daniels told Julio E. Castro at the Dominican paper El Caribe. "[Latino players] are the ones that are in charge of advising our prospects, especially those from the Dominican Republic," Daniels said. "Thanks to them, we were able to advance to the World Series last season, and this year, they're key to our goals once again." The Rangers' current 40-man roster includes eight Latino players, down from 12 on last season's roster. Vladimir Guerrero noted last year that the Latino "heart and soul" of the team and its Spanish-friendly clubhouse were key attractions to him as a free agent.

AL West Notes: Moyer, Webb, Young, Angels

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 27, 2011 at 2:50pm CDT

The Mariners, Rangers and Angels could all make moves between now and Opening Day, though the A's appear to have completed the bulk of their offseason shopping. Some updates on the AL West…

Longtime Mariner Jamie Moyer told Seattle fans that he would consider returning to the Mariners in 2012, according to MLB.com's Greg Johns. The lefty is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2011 season.
Mariners assistant GM Jeff Kingston says the team could still add a veteran pitcher or two as non-roster invitees, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).
Brandon Webb told the Ben and Skin radio show that he has made "dramatic strides," and that he has been pleased with "awesome" results so far this offseason. The Dallas Morning News passes along the quotes from Webb, who is recovering from shoulder injuries.
Rangers president Nolan Ryan says he expects Michael Young to be on the team as the regular DH on Opening Day, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
Scott Boras told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that he has had "great," discussions with the Angels this offseason. Team owner Arte Moreno said yesterday that he had no interest in meeting with Boras and suggested he doesn't have "anything nice" to say about the agent.

Mariners Sign Chris Ray

By Mark Polishuk | January 25, 2011 at 6:52pm CDT

The Mariners have signed Chris Ray to a minor league contract with an invitation to their Major League Spring Training camp, reports the team's official Twitter feed.

Ray, 29, had a 3.72 ERA and a 1.24 K/BB ratio in 63 relief appearances with the Rangers and Giants last season. He came to San Francisco in the Bengie Molina deal last July but didn't make the club's postseason roster and was non-tendered in December. Ray looked to be one of the more promising young closers in the game after he racked up 33 saves for Baltimore in 2006, but he has been plagued by injuries since. He underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2007 and missed the entire 2008 season.

AL West Notes: Guerrero, Wells, Mariners

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 24, 2011 at 10:39am CDT

Some notes on the AL West with an update on a potential Hall of Famer and another take on the Vernon Wells trade…

Rangers president Nolan Ryan told the Dallas Morning News that he hasn't ruled out bringing Vladimir Guerrero back. Ryan likes the idea of adding another powerful bat, but suggests Vlad may seek more playing time elsewhere.
Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com examines this prediction of Ryan's: Texas will win 90-95 regular season games in 2011.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders if the Vernon Wells trade is, at least from the Angels' perspective, the most inexplicable deal in recent history.
The Mariners, who select second in this June's draft, will consider amateur players including Anthony Rendon, Gerrit Cole, Matt Purke and George Springer, according to MLB.com's Greg Johns.

Quick Hits: Yankees, Bradley, Padres, Teheran

By Mark Polishuk | January 21, 2011 at 11:15pm CDT

What a day for outfielders. Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez went to the Rays, Vernon Wells went to the Angels, Vladimir Guerrero could be going to the Orioles and maybe the greatest outfielder of all time went to a New York City public school.

Some news items on a busy Friday in the majors…

Yankee fans, be warned: SI's Tom Verducci looks at how Mark Teixeira could be headed for a decline.
The Yankees could probably afford to sign Albert Pujols as a free agent next winter, but Mike Axisa of the River Avenue Blues blog points to Teixeira's presence and the albatross of Alex Rodriguez's giant contract as reasons why Pujols just doesn't fit in the Bronx.
Geoff Baker and Larry Stone of the Seattle Times agree that a split between Milton Bradley and the Mariners would be beneficial to both the player and the team.
Jed Hoyer and Bud Black predict the Padres' offense won't suffer much of a dropoff without Adrian Gonzalez, reports MLB.com's Corey Brock. "I think our offense has the potential to be as good as last year," Hoyer said. "We lost our clear best player [Gonzalez], but we have better balance. The positions we were weak last year, we're better at now."
MLB.com's Mark Bowman profiles Julio Teheran, a 19-year-old right-hander and non-roster invitee to the Braves' Spring Training camp who has drawn comparisons to Pedro Martinez.
The Reds wanted to bring back Arthur Rhodes, but the Rangers' willingness to give Rhodes a vesting option for 2012 was an offer Cincinnati just couldn't match, says MLB.com's Mark Sheldon as part of a reader mailbag.

Mariners Reduce Peguero’s Bonus By $1.8MM

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 21, 2011 at 11:56am CDT

The Mariners have reduced Esteilon Peguero's bonus by $1.8MM, from $2.9MM to $1.1MM, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The Dominican shortstop prospect signed a landmark deal with the Mariners last month.

Peguero signed for what would have been the largest bonus for an international amateur free agent in 2010, but that distinction now belongs to Blue Jays prospect Adonis Cardona. A $2.9 million bonus would have been a Mariners record for an international amateur prospect, but Phillips Castillo, who signed a $2.2MM deal last summer, now owns that record.

It’s not clear why the Mariners reduced Peguero's bonus. Rival international scouting directors told Badler that there was an issue with the 17-year-old’s shoulder, but another source denied that the player is injured.

Mariners Sign Jody Gerut, Nate Robertson

By Dan Mennella | January 20, 2011 at 6:52pm CDT

The Mariners have signed outfielder Jody Gerut and left-handed pitcher Nate Robertson to minor-league deals and invited them to Spring Training, according to the team's official Twitter feed.

Gerut was a touted prospect coming out of Stanford and has enjoyed intermittent but fleeting periods of success in the Majors, chiefly as a rookie with the Indians in 2003 (.279/.336/.494) and with the Padres in 2008 (.296/.351/.494).

Robertson was a key cog during the Tigers' run to the World Series in 2006 but has not been able to capture that form since then. After spending parts of seven seasons with Detroit, he pitched primarily for the Marlins in 2010 but was released in July and made a two-outing cameo with the Phillies in September. For his career, he has 6.1 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 5.01 ERA.

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