Spanish Links: Garcia, Belaguer, Rangers
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Quick Hits: Bradley, Reds, Perez, Yankees
On this date in 2010, Bengie Molina signed a one-year deal with San Francisco. The Giants sent the backstop to their eventual World Series opponents once Buster Posey forced his way into an everyday role. Now, Molina is the lone noteworthy free agent catcher remaining and he's without an obvious suitor. Here's the latest from around the major leagues…
- Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told MLB.com's Greg Johns that he is aware that Milton Bradley was arrested and is monitoring the situation as he awaits more information.
- A baseball insider tells John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that the Reds can't afford a $20MM player. That could make it difficult for the club to retain Joey Votto and Jay Bruce when their current extensions expire.
- Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com hears that Odalis Perez is nearing a $300K deal with a Korean team (Twitter link). The 32-year-old left-hander last appeared in the majors for the 2008 Nationals, when he posted a 4.34 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 159 2/3 innings.
- The Yankees appear to be focused on Andruw Jones, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggests it's too early to rule them out on another Scott Boras client, Johnny Damon (Twitter link).
Players To Avoid Arbitration: Tuesday
Today is the deadline for players and teams to submit arbitration figures. The sides will then settle on a salary between the team's proposed number and the player's proposed number or go to an arbitration hearing. Arbitration eligible players are under team control, so the clubs don't risk losing them – it's a question of how much the players will earn.
Yesterday, 11 players avoided arbitration. We could see just as many agreements trickle in today and we'll keep you posted on them right here and with our Arb Tracker. The latest updates will be at the top of the post:
- The Angels have agreed to terms with Reggie Willits and Howie Kendrick, tweets Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times. Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register tweets that Kendrick will earn $3.3MM, Willits $775K (on Twitter).
- The Giants agreed to terms with Santiago Casilla on a one-year deal worth $1.3MM with incentives, according to ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas (on Twitter). The team also announced that they avoided arb with Jonathan Sanchez and Ramon Ramirez (on Twitter). Sanchez will earn $4.8MM with incentives tweets Hank Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle while Ramirez will earn $1.65MM according to Janie McCauley of The Canadian Press.
- The Braves agreed to terms with Peter Moylan and Eric O'Flaherty, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman (on Twitter). Moylan gets $2MM, O'Flaherty gets $895K according to Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter).
- The Mariners agreed to terms with Brandon League, David Aardsma and Jason Vargas, the team announced. Aardsma will earn $4.5MM with plenty of incentives, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times (plus Twitter link).
- The Rangers agreed to terms with C.J. Wilson and Nelson Cruz, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan (Twitter links). Cruz gets $3.65MM, and Wilson gets $7.05MM with a chance to earn another $100K according to his agent Bob Garber, via email.
Mariners Notes: Olivo, Kennedy, Bard
Here are the contract details on three of the newest Mariners, courtesy of MLB.com's Greg Johns..
- Catcher Miguel Olivo's two year contract includes a team option for 2013. The veteran will make $2.75 this season, $3.5MM in 2012, and will receive a $750K buyout if his option is not picked up, bringing his guaranteed total to $7MM. If the M's pick up his option in '13, Olivo will earn a base of $3MM that could rise to as much as $3.75MM based on how much he plays in '11 and '12.
- Infielder Adam Kennedy will make $750K if he makes the big league roster. The 35-year-old's contract includes playing-time bonuses that start kicking in at $50K for 350 plate appearances. He could as much as $450K if he reaches 600 plate appearances.
- Catcher Josh Bard will also earn $750K if he makes the major league squad. Bard's bonuses begin at 300 plate appearances and could reach $250K for 500 plate appearances.
- Both Bard and Kennedy can exercise an out clause if they're not on the major league roster by the end of March.