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Relief Rumors: Ohman, Durbin, Mariners

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By now you've heard that the White Sox and Yankees are probably not going to pursue Rafael Soriano. But you've come to the right place if you're looking to hear the latest on all the other free agent relievers out there. Here are today's updates…

  • Will Ohman is deciding between three American League teams, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). The Rays, Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Tigers could all use left-handed relief out of the 'pen, so I would not personally be surprised to see Ohman join any of those clubs.
  • Chad Durbin is still talking to the Phillies and others, according to Heyman (on Twitter). The sides exchanged offers earlier this week.
  • The Mariners could use some relief help, but GM Jack Zduriencik doesn't expect to have much payroll flexibility. He told Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times that he'll have to be creative if he makes any additions (Twitter link). That applies to the team in general, not just the 'pen.

Quick Hits: Pettitte, Figgins, Giants, Hoffman

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On this date in 2002, the Diamondbacks signed Carlos Gonzalez as an amateur free agent. Two blockbuster trades and one breakout season later, CarGo has agreed to a seven-year extension with the Rockies. Here are today's links…

  • Andy Pettitte told Brian Costello of the New York Post at his home in Texas that he's just "chilling out, hanging" and still hasn't decided whether he'll play in 2011.
  • The Mariners have officially asked Chone Figgins to move back to third base, reports Kirby Arnold of the Daily Herald. Figgins has played more games at third than at any other position, but he played second base last year.
  • The Giants will likely rely on players already in the organization for infield depth now that Edgar Renteria has agreed to sign with the Reds, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • Trevor Hoffman is leaning toward retirement, according to Heyman (on Twitter). The reliever has drawn some interest this offseason, but he had hoped for the chance to close in 2011.
  • Michael Girsch will replace John Abbamondi as the Cardinals' assistant GM, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

Mariners, Brendan Ryan Working To Reach Deal

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WEDNESDAY, 8:14am: The Mariners and Ryan are working to reach a two-year deal, according to MLB.com's Greg Johns.

TUESDAY, 6:33pm: Jeff Evans, the team's manager of baseball information, confirms via email that the Mariners have not reached an agreement with Ryan.

5:14pm: The Mariners have signed infielder Brendan Ryan to a two-year contract worth $2.75MM according to Stephen Hawkins of the AP. Ryan was arbitration-eligible for the first time heading into 2011. He'll earn $1MM in 2011 and $1.75MM in 2012.

Ryan, 29 in March, was acquired from the Cardinals last month. He's just a .256/.314/.344 career hitter, but his value lies in his top-of-the-line defense at short. His +18.7 UZR at the position is the best in baseball since the start of the 2009 season, close to four runs better than the runner-up.

Mariners Re-Sign Josh Bard

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The Mariners have re-signed catcher Josh Bard, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. MLB.com's Greg Johns says it's a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, and that Bard will compete with Adam Moore for the backup catcher job (Twitter links).

The 32-year-old hit .214/.276/.357 in 126 plate appearances with Seattle in 2010, though he did throw out six of 18 would-be base stealers. He also missed some time with a calf strain. Bard is a .256/.323/.387 career hitter, but the last three years haven't been pretty: .218/.285/.332 in 625 plate appearances split between the M's, Nationals, and Padres. 

Mariners Designate Anthony Varvaro For Assignment

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The Mariners have designated Anthony Varvaro for assignment, tweets Larry Stone of The Seattle Times.  The reliever was DFA'd to make room for Miguel Olivo, whose deal became official this afternoon.

Varvaro, 26, was projected to be a top pick out of St. John's University in 2005 before suffering an elbow injury.   The right-hander would instead be nabbed by the M's in the 12th round of the draft as he required surgery before ever throwing a pitch as a pro.  He threw just four innings for Seattle after making his major league debut in 2010.

Several Teams Interested In Brian Fuentes

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SATURDAY: Having added Hideki Okajima, the Red Sox appear out of the running for Fuentes, tweets Heyman. However, the Rays, Yankees, and a handful of other teams are still showing interest.

THURSDAY: The Rays appear to be very interested in Fuentes and are pursuing him, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.

TUESDAY: SI's Jon Heyman pegs the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rays, Rockies, Mariners, Twins, Pirates, Phillies, Brewers, Yankees, and Mets as teams with some interest in free agent lefty reliever Brian Fuentes.

If Fuentes is still looking for Scott Downs money, as ESPN's Buster Olney suggested 12 days ago, many of those eleven teams will drop out.  I'm skeptical the Red Sox would sign Fuentes, as he'd be a luxury and they'd be hit with a 30% added tax.  The Blue Jays appear close with Octavio Dotel, the Rockies just added Matt Lindstrom, the Brewers signed Takashi Saito, the Yankees added Pedro Feliciano, the Twins have big commitments to Joe Nathan and Matt Capps, and the Phillies and Mets appear nearly tapped out on payroll.

The Blue Jays, Rays, Mariners, Twins, Pirates, Yankees, and Mets do seem destined to add relievers, though I can see a shift toward a buyer's market a few weeks from now.

Aardsma To Undergo Hip Surgery

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You can strike David Aardsma off of your list of winter trade candidates. The Mariners have announced that the reliever will undergo surgery this Monday to repair a torn labrum in his left hip (Twitter link). The Mariners had been seeking an impact bat for him, but they'll presumably have to delay trade talks for now. Larry Stone of the Seattle Times reports that the M's expect Aardsma to be ready by Opening Day (Twitter link).

Aardsma will earn a raise from his 2010 salary of $2.75MM when he and the Mariners determine his upcoming salary through the arbitration process. In 49 2/3 innings last year, he posted a 3.44 ERA with 8.9 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 and 31 saves. The 29-year-old is under team control through 2012.

Examining The Mariners’ Offseason

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Jack Zduriencik’s furiously busy 2009-10 offseason prompted many to pick the Mariners as a breakout candidate for 2010. The Mariners traded for Cliff Lee and Milton Bradley, signed Chone Figgins and extended Felix Hernandez last winter, but the team’s offense sputtered and the M’s won just 61 games. 

One year later, Zduriencik is in the midst of a considerably quieter winter. He signed Erik Bedard, Jack Cust and Miguel Olivo to major league deals worth a combined $10.5MM and added a number of others on minor league contracts (Chris Smith, Luis Rodriguez, Fabio Castro, Charlie Haeger, Chris Seddon, Royce Ring, Chris Gimenez, Denny Bautista and Ryan Langerhans).

The M’s acquired Brendan Ryan from the Cardinals for Maikel Cleto, got something (Chaz Roe) from the Rockies for non-tender candidate Jose Lopez and let Rob Johnson go. Those relatively small moves sum up Seattle's offseason so far (they also signed international prospect Esteilon Peguero to a $2.9MM deal).

The Mariners aren’t done yet. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes suggested this week that the team could still use a starting pitcher, a left fielder, a reliever and a backup infielder. Earlier in the month, Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner explained that he thinks Willy Aybar could be a utility player worth pursuing. The club could proceed with Josh Wilson and Matt Tuiasosopo rounding out its roster, or the M’s may look to build depth by adding a player such as Aybar, Nick Punto or Adam Kennedy.

Though the Mariners will likely consider adding a utility infielder and/or a left fielder, the team’s main need appears to be pitching. The club could use relief help regardless of whether David Aardsma stays put and it seems likely that the team will add a starter to compete with David Pauley at the back of Eric Wedge’s rotation.

Unfinished Business: AL West

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We've examined the unfinished business for the NL East, Central, and West; now it's time to check out the AL West.

  • Angels: Third base, outfielder/DH, leadoff man.  Adrian Beltre remains a great fit for the Angels, but owner Arte Moreno criticized recent huge deals for Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth.  Another possibility could be to add Scott Podsednik or Johnny Damon in what many fans would deem a disappointing offseason.
  • Athletics: Reliever.  GM Billy Beane mentioned 12 days ago that he might be in the market for a reliever after sending Henry Rodriguez to the Nationals in the Josh Willingham deal.  However, that was before the A's inked Rich Harden to improve their pitching depth.  We can't rule out the possibility that the Angels and Rangers remove themselves from the Beltre bidding and Scott Boras has to come crawling back to the A's.
  • Mariners: Starting pitcher, left fielder, reliever, backup infielder.  The Mariners figure to add a back-end starter, and possibly a reliever if they move David Aardsma.  Back around the Winter Meetings, there was talk of finding a left fielder to supplement Michael Saunders.  They could also use a reserve infielder, so the Ms should be active in the shallow end of the free agent pool.
  • Rangers: Designated hitter, possible extensions.  It's a buyer's market for designated hitters, so the Rangers can probably get Vladimir Guerrero back at their price.  Theoretically, they could make a move for Adrian Beltre and shift or trade Michael Young.  Brandon Webb was affordable, so the Rangers could sign another veteran starter if they're so inclined.  The Rangers may also look into extensions for arbitration eligible players like Josh Hamilton and C.J. Wilson in the coming months.

Brewers Break Off Talks With Capuano

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Brewers GM Doug Melvin says the team agreed to stop negotiations with Chris Capuano, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Now that the Brewers have added Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum to a rotation that already included Yovani Gallardo, Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson, they don't have room for Capuano.

The Brewers had made Capuano an offer at the beginning of the offseason and it was on the table earlier this month, but the sides have now decided to move on. Melvin says Capuano wants to be a starter, so the Brewers don't have room for him. However, the GM says he likes the left-hander a lot and has heard other teams have interest. 

Capuano, 32, came back from his second Tommy John surgery in 2010 after missing the 2008-09 seasons. He posted a 3.95 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2/9 BB/9 in 66 innings as a swingman for the Brewers last year. His best seasons came in 2005-06, when he averaged 220 innings per season and posted ERAs near 4.00 with 7.4 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.

It wouldn't be surprising to see the Orioles, Indians, Royals, Tigers, Pirates, Cardinals, Nationals or Mets show interest in Capuano. That's a speculative list that depends on teams' assessments of the lefty's health. Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner hears that the Mariners have interest.

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