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Quick Hits: Heyward, Marmol, Arroyo, Lohse

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For that special baseball fan in your life, Valentine's Day means dressing up in an Expos throwback jersey and a fake mustache and glasses before hitting the town.  Here's the latest from around the majors as Spring Training is almost in full swing…

  • The Braves haven't talked to Jason Heyward about a long-term extension, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports.  Heyward was arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter and agreed to a one-year, $3.65MM deal for 2013.  Heyward is under team control through the 2015 season.  Bowman thinks the Braves could also talk to Craig Kimbrel and Freddie Freeman about multiyear deals before the season begins.
  • Also from Bowman's story, Braves CEO and chairman Terry McGuirk said the organization is willing to spend to keep the team in contention for years to come.  "Money is not going to stand between us and getting it done at this point because we are that close," McGuirk said.  "I'm talking about [the] long term and short term. I'm talking about talent that is here and talent that isn't here."
  • Carlos Marmol said he "was a little sad" when the Cubs tried to deal him to the Angels earlier this offseason, ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine writes.  Marmol's contract expires after this season and the reliever said he wants to stay with the Cubs.  Levine speculates that the Angels could revisit a Marmol deal since Ryan Madson will likely start the year on the disabled list.
  • Bronson Arroyo is entering the final year of his Reds contract and the veteran realizes it could be his last year in Cincinnati, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports.  "When you have a team as we do, where everyone is coming into their own kind of at the same time, and add the fact we have a couple of monster deals already in place, it's going to be tough for me to stick around here if I have [a] successful season," Arroyo said.
  • Given the time Reds GM Walt Jocketty is spending on Homer Bailey's contract, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer figures Bailey could be in line for a multiyear deal.  The Reds have already signed two other arbitration-eligible pitchers (Mat Latos and Logan Ondrusek) to two-year extensions this offseason.  Bailey is in his second year of arb eligibility.
  • Kyle Lohse's landing spot is debated by Jeff Sullivan and Dave Cameron of Fangraphs.  Lohse is expected to find a contact soon, though a number of teams linked to the right-hander are seemingly distancing themselves.  Sullivan and Cameron suggest the Rangers, Mariners, Padres and Indians could all be fits for Lohse and the two weigh the costs of Lohse's projected value against the value of the draft pick that most teams would have to give up to sign him.
  • Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch lists John Mozeliak's 10 best moves as Cardinals general manager.  Mozeliak signed a new extension with the Cards today that will keep him with the team through the 2016 season.

Cardinals To Extend Matheny, Mozeliak

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8:21am: Mozeliak obtains a three-year deal through 2016, Goold reports (on Twitter). The Cardinals also formally exercised Matheny's 2014 option.

7:19am: The Cardinals will announce extensions for manager Mike Matheny and general manager John Mozeliak today, Derrick Goold and Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch report (Twitter links).

Matheny signed a two-year contract before the 2012 season. That deal included a 2014 club option which will be exercised today. The Cardinals reached the postseason in 2012, Matheny's rookie season. The club won 88 regular season games and advanced to the NLCS as a Wild Card team before losing to the Giants. The 42-year-old Matheny played at the MLB level for 13 seasons, winning four Gold Gloves as a member of the Cardinals, Brewers, Giants and Blue Jays.

Mozeliak had been working under a three-year contract covering the 2011-13 seasons. Since he became the team's GM following the 2007 season, the Cardinals have reached the playoffs three times and won at least 86 games every year. That run includes the 2011 World Series title and last year's NLCS appearance. ESPN.com's Keith Law recently ranked the Cardinals' farm system first in MLB.

Extension Notes: Samardzija, Wainwright, Ventura

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Here's a look at players and a manager who aren't looking to rush into a contract extension just yet…

  • Jeff Samardzija turned down a five-year contract extension from the Cubs this offseason as he hopes to continue prove himself as a pitcher before focusing on financials, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. "We were talking, and we both have the same interest in mind,” Samardzija said. "We both want me to be here and both want me to be part of this team for a long time. When we feel like we’re on the same page with that, we’ll get it done." The 2012 season marked Samardzija's first season in the starting rotation as he pitched to the tune of a 3.81 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9.
  • Adam Wainwright has put contract negotiations on hold after holding court with the Cardinals for the past week, but that doesn't mean talks can't resume in the future, says Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "It doesn’t mean that it’s over," Wainwright said. "The door is still open. It just didn’t work out right now."
  • Robin Ventura turned down a one-year contract extension from the White Sox this offseason as he wants to take managing one year at a time, writes Chuck Garfien of CSNChicago.com. The former third baseman, who guided his squad to 85 wins in his first season as a manager, is entering the second year of a three-year contract.

Kyle Lohse Rumors: Tuesday

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Now that Michael Bourn has agreed to terms with the Indians, Kyle Lohse is the top free agent available. Lohse, another client of the Boras Corporation, would represent an upgrade for most rotations. However, the market for the right-hander remains difficult to read, partly because he’s linked to draft pick compensation. Here’s the latest with the most recent rumors up top…

  • Washington GM Mike Rizzo told Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio that the Nationals don't have interest in Lohse presently (Twitter link).

Earlier Updates:

  • The Nationals might try to sign Lohse, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. If Gio Gonzalez faces a suspension for his alleged links to the Miami Biogenesis clinic, the Nationals could look to bolster their rotation by adding Lohse. Though the right-hander would represent a luxury rather than a necessity, the Nationals did like him early in the winter. Now that the Nationals have signed Rafael Soriano, adding Lohse would only require the forfeiture of a second round draft choice. Lohse’s asking price might be prohibitive, however.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said he doesn’t expect to add starting pitching, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). Though Chris Carpenter may not pitch in 2013, the Cardinals have internal candidates such as Joe Kelly, Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal.
  • Some general managers have speculated that the Indians would be a fit for Lohse, but ESPN.com's Buster Olney has been told the Indians won't sign him (Twitter link).

Cafardo On Nationals, Vazquez, Sizemore, Norris

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Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Michael Weiner has been an inspiration to everyone that works in his office, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Weiner, who is living with an inoperable brain tumor, handed his role of general counsel to David Prouty last week.  “Mike has handled this whole situation with incredible grace and incredible humor, too,” Prouty said. “That’s the way he’s handled everything. So in a way, we’ve all been inspired by him. More generally, Mike is always an inspiration to be around in terms of being a colleague and an executive director who cares about players and about the game.”  Here's more from today's column..

  • The Nationals and others continue to keep an eye Javier Vazquez, who is recovering from minor knee surgery. Washington’s interest may be piqued by Gio Gonzalez’s alleged link to the Miami PED clinic. The Nationals have faith in Ross Detwiler, but Vazquez would give them depth.
  • There was thought that a team would sign Grady Sizemore and wait until he recovers from his latest knee surgery, but so far, they are staying away.  “It’s hard to take the risk, even if it’s minimal,” said one exec whose team needs outfield help. “At this point, I think you wait until he feels he’s ready and then you look. If someone beats you to it, so be it.”
  • Bud Norris is one of the last remaining assets on the Astros and should become one of the most sought-after pitchers before the season or at the trading deadline. The Astros haven’t said they’d deal him, but they didn't indicate they would move Jed Lowrie either before he was sent to the A's.  The Cardinals and Orioles are two teams to watch on Norris.
  • The Red Sox were willing to part ways with Kelly Shoppach in part because of his attitude.
  • One scout thinks one of the best under-the-radar moves this winter was the Rays obtaining Yunel Escobar, who was traded twice this winter. 

Quick Hits: Freese, Podsednik, Jurrjens, Goldschmidt

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Yesterday, the Cardinals avoided arbitration with David Freese on a one-year, $3.15MM deal, which took care of all of their unsigned arbitration eligible players.  However, the third baseman says that he wants to be in St. Louis for life, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  "If a long-term deal is going to happen I know for a fact that I have to do some things. I have to be a leader. I have to do what I do on the field. I have do the things expected of me," Freese said.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • Teams are interested in Scott Podsednik but he likely will need to wait for one that wants more help, suffers an injury, or misses out on a free agent like Michael Bourn, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Earlier today, we learned that the Twins haven't ruled out making a play for the outfielder.
  • Orioles General Manager Dan Duquette says he hopes to have the Jair Jurrjens situation resolved by the start of spring training, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.  The Orioles have yet to finalize their one-year, $1.5MM agreement with the pitcher and are believed to be concerned about his knee.
  • Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers says he approached Paul Goldschmidt about a long-term deal but the 25-year-old wanted to wait before talking about it, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.  Goldschmidt won't be arbitration eligible until after the 2014 season and isn't scheduled to hit free agency until the winter following the 2017 season.

Central Notes: Tigers, Twins, Podsednik, Wainwright

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The Tigers are showing a lot of faith in 22-year-old Bruce Rondon by making him the frontrunner for the closer role, but Detroit would be better served by having legitimate closing options to choose from, opines Dave Cameron of Fangraphs in a piece for ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd).  Developing your own closer rather than paying free agent prices for one is a good idea, but Cameron believes that the Tigers should probably have someone to hold down the fort while Rondon gains some big league experience.  Here's more from the AL and NL Central..

  • The Twins haven't completely ruled out free agent outfielder Scott Podsednik, but nothing is close to being imminent, writes Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.  So far this offseason, the Twins have appeared to be the only club with serious interest in the veteran.
  • A Twins official told Wolfson that there isn't much to the news of 41-year-old free-agent pitcher Jose Contreras was working out at the Twins' Fort Myers facility.  When asked if it was meaningful or random, the official simply said, "Random."
  • Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright says that extension talks won't derail him during spring training as they did five years ago, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  General Manager John Mozeliak hopes to work out a new contract with Wainwright by Opening Day while Wainwright says that he isn't setting a deadline for talks.
  • Edwin Jackson is considered an important piece in the Cubs' rebuilding process, both as an experienced starter under contract through the projected turnaround years and in the short-term as support for the rotation in the event of a likely Matt Garza trade this year, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  

Cardinals, Freese Avoid Arbitration

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6:01pm: Freese's deal is worth $3.15MM, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

2:32pm: The Cardinals have agreed to a one-year deal with David Freese, avoiding arbitration, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (on Twitter). CAA Sports represents the third baseman.

Freese filed for $3.75MM with the Cardinals offering $2.4MM, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. The Cardinals don't have any unsigned arbitration eligible players remaining now that they've agreed to terms with Freese. The 29-year-old remains on track to go to arbitration two more times and hit free agency following the 2015 season.

Check out MLBTR's post on Arbitration Basics for an introduction to the process.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Barret Browning

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We’ll track the day’s outright assignments here…

  • The Cardinals outrighted left-hander Barret Browning to Triple-A, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports. The Cardinals had designated Browning for assignment last month to create roster space for Ronny Cedeno. Browning appeared in 22 MLB games last year, but spent much of the season at Triple-A, posting a 1.73 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 41 2/3 innings.

Quick Hits: Prospects, Yankees, Okajima, Carpenter

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Jurickson Profar of the Rangers, Oscar Taveras of the Cardinals and Dylan Bundy of the Orioles top Keith Law's list of the best 100 prospects in baseball at ESPN.com. Five Cardinals occupy spaces on Law's top 100 list, which focuses on high-impact minor leaguers who could develop into MLB stars. Here are some links from around MLB with Spring Training approaching quickly…

  • There’s lots of talent beyond the top 100, so Law looks at some prospects who just missed his primary list.
  • General manager Brian Cashman said the Yankees are content to let MLB lead the investigation into Alex Rodriguez’s involvement with a Miami-based clinic that distributed performance enhancing drugs to prominent athletes. As Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger reports, the GM hasn’t spoken to Rodriguez about the issue, nor have others in the organization. “The only thing required from our end, right now, is patience and smarts,” Cashman said.
  • Athletics GM Billy Beane said the team’s 25-man roster is now complete, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. However, Slusser reports that the A's are still considering free agent left-hander Hideki Okajima.
  • Though Chris Carpenter is expected to miss the 2013 season, the Cardinals won’t be responsible for all of his $12.5MM salary. Insurance will cover some of that sum in 2013, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). That said, the Cardinals aren’t expecting major savings.
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