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Players Avoiding Arbitration: Monday

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We'll keep tabs of any players that avoid arbitration here…

  • MLB.com's Matthew Leach tweets that the Cardinals and Skip Schumaker have agreed to a two-year deal, avoiding arbitration. The AP (via SI.com) reports that Schumaker will earn $2MM in 2010 and $2.7MM in 2011, with another $300K in performance bonuses. He had filed for $2.75MM, the team $1.45MM.

Mets, Rockies, Giants Interested In Wellemeyer

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2:36pm: Troy Renck of The Denver Post says that the Giants are the favorite to land Wellemeyer, followed by the Rockies.

2:01pm: Todd Wellemeyer told the Team 1380 in St. Louis that he could sign with the Mets, Rockies or Giants. Tim McKernan of the Team tweets that Wellemeyer hasn't talked to the Cardinals and doesn't expect to return to St. Louis (Hat Tip: Bart Hubbuch).

MLBTR reported earlier this week that the Phillies and D'Backs expressed interest in Wellemeyer, along with the Rockies. The 31-year-old pitched to a 5.89 ERA in 122.1 innings last year, with sub-par rate stats: 5.7 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9.

Cardinals, Pujols Talking Contract Extension?

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In a chat with readers today, Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said that the Cardinals are currently negotiating with Albert Pujols about a contract extension, though the team won't acknowledge the talks.

Pujols is under contract for $16MM in 2010, and the team holds a no-brainer option worth the same amount for 2011. He has previously stated that he wanted to see how the front office was going to build the team around him before beginning talks, though I'm guessing that giving $120MM to Matt Holliday confirms the club's desire to remain competitive for the long haul.

The National League's two-time defending MVP just turned 30-years-old last month, and you can be sure he and his agent will be looking for something similar to the ten-year, $275MM contract Alex Rodriguez received when he was 32. Pujols' career 172 OPS+ is tied for sixth best all-time with Mickey Mantle, and he's still got plenty of time to improve on that mark.

Lowry Audition Pushed Back

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MONDAY, 4:13pm: Lowry's scheduled throwing session has been pushed back, according to the AP.  His agent says the lefty has not had a setback; he just wants to throw a few more bullpen sessions before auditioning.

THURSDAY, 1:35pm: Scott Lauber of the News Journal tweets that the Phillies will be there.

WEDNESDAY, 4:29pm: The Rangers will watch Lowry throw, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.

8:27am: Lefty Noah Lowry is set to throw for teams Tuesday, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.  The 29-year-old seeks a one-year contract after battling thoracic outlet syndrome the last few years.  His last truly effective season was 2005.

Crasnick expects about 15 teams to attend the session, including the Reds, Red Sox, Cardinals, Braves, Astros, Dodgers, Mariners, Cubs, Nationals and Mets.  Back in December, a Crasnick report linked the Padres, A's, Rockies, and Pirates to Lowry as well.

Odds & Ends: Indians, Mets, Verlander

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As Tommy John's long-lost brother Elton once said, Saturday night's alright for fighting…and also for posting news links.

  • The Tribe's quiet offseason is recapped by Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, who also looks at how busy the other AL Central teams have been in comparison.
  • MLB.com's Marty Noble outlines how he would have handled the Mets' offseason if he had been the GM, both if the team's goal was to contend or to rebuild (Noble's preference).
  • Steve Kornacki of MLive.com thinks Justin Verlander's reported five-year, $75MM offer from the Tigers "is too sweet a contract for Verlander to pass on," even without the sixth year that the pitcher wants.
  • Mark Sheldon of MLB.com passes along some tidbits from Dusty Baker on the Reds Winter Caravan.  Baker said that reliever Mike Lincoln (who last started a major league game in 2000) was a contender for the No. 5 spot in the Reds' rotation, and that the club had considered moving top prospect Yonder Alonso to catcher.  John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer sums these ideas up as candidates for the "sometimes-managers-say-the-darnedest-things file."
  • MLB.com's Bryan Hoch believes the Yankees have finished their roster tinkering before spring training, and talks to Yankees manager Joe Girardi about New York's offseason moves.
  • Chuck Greenberg, the incoming general managing partner of the Texas Rangers, is profiled by Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. 
  • MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch was all over the Q&A sessions with Pirates management during the team's PirateFest event.  Here is her latest transcript of a similar sessions with various Pittsburgh players.
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets his guesses about the destinations of some of the free agent infielders left on the market.  He sees Orlando Hudson in Washington, Orlando Cabrera in Cincinnati and Felipe Lopez in St. Louis.
  • Count the White Sox out of the running for Johnny Damon or Hank Blalock, says Scott Merkin of MLB.com, since both are too costly for the limited space left in the team's budget.  When asked about the possibility of Damon in Chicago, Sox GM Kenny Williams rhetorically asked, "Who is his agent?"

Odds & Ends: Mora, Edmonds, Nelson

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Saturday linkage…

  • With Orlando Cabrera "leaning towards" accepting an offer from Cincinnati, Troy Renck of the Denver Post says the Rockies are "a finalist" in the hunt for Melvin Mora.  Renck reports that Colorado, Texas and Seattle are the most interested parties.
  • Jim Edmonds tells MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Edmonds on Wednesday that "he didn't see a fit" for the outfielder in St. Louis.  Edmonds signed with Milwaukee a day later.
  • Righty Joe Nelson is attracting interest from the Dodgers, Nationals, and Red Sox, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The journeyman reliever broke through with the Marlins in 2008, posting a 2.00 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 54 innings.  His 2009 with the Rays was less than spectacular, but the 35-year-old points to his performance outside May, as he had a 2.38 ERA in the 10 games prior and a 1.40 ERA in 20 games after.
  • Jonny Gomes and the Reds are close to agreeing to a deal, according to ESPN.  Yesterday, GM Walt Jocketty confirmed that the club offered a minor league deal to the 29-year-old outfielder.  Gomes proved to be one of the best minor league signings of 2009, hitting .267/.338/.541 with 20 HRs in 98 games.
  • The Padres have set an arbitration date with outfielder Scott Hairston, though they hope to reach an agreement beforehand, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter).  Brock writes that the two sides could come to terms next week.
  • ESPN's Jorge Arangure (via Twitter) gets the feeling that Cuban prospect Jose Julio Ruiz may sign this week or shortly thereafter.  Ruiz – who has reportedly garnered interest from the Red Sox and Tigers – was "unblocked" by the Office of Foreign Asset Control yesterday, allowing him to sign with a major league club.

Odds & Ends: Hart, Yankees, Baldelli, Ruiz

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A few Friday night links…

Infield Market Hinging On Hudson?

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FRIDAY, 8:32pm: MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that Hudson is looking for $9MM, but the Nationals are only willing to pay him a third of that. GM Mike Rizzo has spoken to Hudson recently, however they talked about how he would fit with the team, rather than dollars and years.

THURSDAY, 3:15pm: Chico Harlan of the Washington Post hears that the Nationals are waiting on Hudson's decision.

10:32am: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggested yesterday three teams are in on free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson.  Today, Rosenthal says six teams are "showing varying degrees of interest."

The Nationals are one of those clubs, though MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that Hudson's price is still too high and they're considering either going internal or signing Adam Kennedy or Orlando Cabrera.

Rosenthal indicates Hudson is the "linchpin" of the free agent infield market, with the fates of Kennedy, Cabrera, Felipe Lopez, and Melvin Mora tied to Hudson.  Regarding Mora, a Rosenthal tweet has the Rangers, Rockies, Mariners, and Reds in the mix.

Rosenthal's list of teams that are or could be looking for infield help includes the Nats, Twins, Reds, Tigers, Rockies, Mariners, Rays, and Cardinals.  Morosi likes Kennedy as a match for Detroit.

Could John Smoltz Land With Mets?

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THURSDAY, 6:12pm: There has been "increased momentum" towards an agreement between the Mets and John Smoltz, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday. It's believed that the 42-year-old is seeking $4MM guaranteed, plus performance bonuses.

Though the Mets have yet to make Smoltz a formal offer, they have expressed enthusiasm about bringing him aboard.  Likewise, the righty is encouraged by their level of interest.

8:44am:  Smoltz could take the Pedro Martinez path and sign mid-season, believes a source of Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News.  Pedro signed with the Phillies in July and made his debut a month later.

WEDNESDAY, 9:58am: John Smoltz will fit with almost any club, assuming he comes cheaply.  It's unknown whether he can provide significant innings in 2010 as a 43-year-old, but there's something left in the tank given his 73 strikeouts and 18 walks in 78 innings last year.  He's a potential weapon in the back end of a rotation or a bullpen.

Mike Puma of the New York Post says that with Ben Sheets and Jon Garland off the board, Smoltz could be the "last man standing" for the Mets.  While they've been in contact, Puma believes the Mets aren't willing to spend much.  Meanwhile, David Waldstein of the New York Times believes Jarrod Washburn is a possibility for the Mets.

Bob Klapisch of The Bergen Record wrote today that Smoltz is "believed to be leaning toward the Cardinals," but Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cards "appear unlikely to engage" Smoltz given their Rich Hill signing yesterday.

The Phillies and Nationals have been linked to Smoltz this winter, though the Phils may be set after reaching an agreement with Jose Contreras.

Odds & Ends: Prospects, Livan, Cardinals, Damon

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Some links for Wednesday night…

  • MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo released his list of the top 50 prospects in the game. Jason Heyward and Stephen Strasburg rank one-two.
  • Livan Hernandez sent a contract proposal to Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo back in December, but he never received a response according to a tweet from MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
  • MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports that Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak confirmed that any pickups from here on out would be on the offensive side of the roster.
  • Scott Boras said that "The Yankees never even made an offer to me regarding Johnny Damon during the entire process," according to a tweet from Tyler Kepner of The New York Times. In a second tweet, Kepner says Boras indicated that the two-year, $14MM offer the team reportedly made was conditional on whether or not Nick Johnson would sign. 
  • ESPN's Jorge Arangure reports that 17-year-old righty Rafael DePaula is back on the market after being suspended for a year by MLB after lying about his age. His agent hopes to have him signed within the next 15-20 days, and Arangure mentions that both the Yankees and Red Sox are interested.
  • Pirate relievers Anthony Claggett and Steven Jackson both cleared waivers according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch, and have been outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis. Claggett was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Octavio Dotel, Jackson for Ryan Church.  
  • Astros' GM Ed Wade said that signing Wandy Rodriguez to a long-term deal would become a "front-burner discussion for us" if he repeats his 2009 success in 2010, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. Wandy had a 3.02 ERA with an 8.4 K/9 in 205.2 innings last season.
  • Craig Calcaterra of NBCSports.com says that the Braves have discussed Johnny Damon recently, but came up with three reasons why he wasn't a fit.
  • David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News lays out the Phillies' payroll commitments for the next four years. As of right now, the team stands to shed almost $70MM off the books following the 2011 season.
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