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AL East Notes: Pedroia, LaRoche, Smoak, Thome

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In an appearance on WEEI radio's Red Sox Hot Stove show (partial transcript provided by WEEI.com's Alex Speier), Dustin Pedroia said he hadn't heard anything from his agents about any talks with the Red Sox about a possible contract extension.  It was reported in November that Boston was interested in extending its second baseman, and Pedroia is eager to pursue such negotiations should they arise. "Obviously, I want to be a Red Sox my whole career and play in that city, turn this whole thing around to get back to where we were my first couple years there," Pedroia said.

Here's the latest from the AL East…

  • The Red Sox are not only disinclined to give Adam LaRoche a three-year contract, but the club also doesn't want to surrender a draft pick to sign the free agent first baseman, tweets Peter Gammons.  Boston has interest in LaRoche as a backup option if Mike Napoli can't be signed, and signing LaRoche would cost the Sox their second-round draft pick since LaRoche turned down a qualifying offer from the Nationals. 
  • Speaking of that Red Sox draft pick, WEEI.com's Rob Bradford looks at why Boston is hesitant to give up that selection.
  • The Orioles "kicked the tires" on trading for Mariners first baseman Justin Smoak in each of the last two offseasons and also rated Smoak highly in his draft year, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.  Connolly sees Smoak as a good trade target for the O's and wonders if a Smoak-for-Brian Matusz deal would work for both teams.  We heard earlier this week that the Orioles continued to have interest in Smoak, who could be expendable now that Seattle has Kendrys Morales in the fold.
  • Jim Thome is "not an ideal fit" to return to the Orioles, writes MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli, as manager Buck Showalter would prefer to rotate his regulars through the DH spot.  Earlier this month, Thome said he is open to returning in 2013 for his 23rd Major League season.
  • The Rays' strong recent track record of signing veteran bullpen arms augers well for the Roberto Hernandez signing, writes MLB.com's Bill Chastain.  Hernandez signed a one-year, $3.25MM deal with the Rays earlier this month.

Rays Still Searching For A Bat

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The Rays have already filled several holes this winter, but executive vice president Andrew Friedman says they're still looking for a "bat or two" to add for next season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  However, the choices available are somewhat limited at this stage of the offseason.

The Angels could have been a nice fit as a trading partner following the Josh Hamilton signing, but their trade of Kendrys Morales to Seattle has broken up the glut enough to allow Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo to fit into the lineup.  The Rays also pursued right fielder Nate Schierholtz, but he ended up signing a $2.25MM deal with the Cubs earlier this month.

Lance Berkman said that the Rays were one of four teams to show interest in him this winter and he could be a solid fit, provided that he decides to continue playing in 2013.  Jason Kubel is now expendable in Arizona, but it's hard to envision the Rays taking on his $7.5MM salary (plus $7.5MM mutual option for '14) unless the D'Backs cover part of it.

Rays Sign Roberto Hernandez

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The Rays announced that they haved signed free agent right-hander Roberto Hernandez to a one-year, Major League contract. The deal is worth $3.25MM, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The deal includes $1.85MM in incentives, some of which are based on innings and some of which are based on relief appearances. Topkin reported last week that the Rays were nearing a deal with the 32-year-old, who's represented by Jorge Brito and Charisse Espinosa-Dash.

Hernandez, who was formerly known as Fausto Carmona, made just three appearances at the MLB level this past season because of visa issues related to his identity fraud case. He allowed 15 runs in 14 2/3 innings spread across three late-season starts for the Indians.

Carmona hasn't appeared out of the bullpen since his rookie season, back in 2006. It appears that the Rays are considering him for the rotation and the bullpen based on the incentives in his contract.

Topkin first reported the agreement.

AL East Notes: Drew, Orioles, Blue Jays, Rays

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On this date 21 years ago, the Blue Jays signed free agent starter Jack Morris to a two-year contract. The right-hander had recently led the Twins to a memorable World Series win over the Braves, out-pitching John Smoltz with ten shutout innings in the deciding seventh game. Morris won 21 games for the 1992 Blue Jays, and Toronto captured its first World Series title. Though Morris struggled in 1993, the Blue Jays successfully defended their title. Now 57, Morris is a candidate for Hall of Fame induction. Here are today's AL East links…

  • Stephen Drew will obtain $500K if he reaches 500 plate appearances in 2013, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Drew agreed to terms with the Red Sox on a one-year, $9.5MM deal yesterday.
  • The Orioles have spoken with at least six teams about possible trades, Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com reports. The Orioles are seeking a middle of the order bat, but aren't willing to trade their best prospects to obtain one. While there's some interest in pitchers such as Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Chris Tillman and Zach Britton, there are indications the Orioles wouldn't want to trade more than one of them. Plus, their trade value isn't particularly high.
  • The Blue Jays are prioritizing present gains over future potential, Shi Davidi writes at Sportsnet.ca. But it's not about a one-year gamble for GM Alex Anthopoulos. "This allows us to really put what we feel is a contending team together for an extended run, for a three-to-five year period," Anthopoulos said. An interesting note from Davidi's piece: Zack Greinke will out-earn Dickey's $30MM contract about a month into the 2014 season. The two contracts were signed under different circumstances, of course, but it’s still noteworthy.
  • Curtis Granderson expects to hit free agency after the 2013 season, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. The Yankees have a team policy of waiting until players hit free agency before negotiating extensions, and Granderson doesn’t expect GM Brian Cashman to make an exception for him. “I’m just excited to play this year, and then, once we get to the end, we’ll take it at that point,” he said.
  • In a separate piece, Davidoff suggests that the best-run teams — he cites the Rays as one example — look to contend every year instead of targeting specific windows.

Quick Hits: Phillies, D’Arnaud, Angels, Rays

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The Phillies’ lack of big moves this offseason likely indicate that 2013 will be a transition year, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Soon after trading Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino in July, General Manager Ruben Amaro explained that the moves would allow flexibility to sign at least one major free agent, and possibly even more.  Amaro wound up making his first foray into the open market on Saturday with the signings of Mike Adams and John Lannan.  Here’s more from around baseball..

  • Some have wondered about the condition of Travis d’Arnaud’s knee, but a club source says that the Mets have looked over his medicals and they are fine, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets.  D’Arnaud is believed to be a part of the heavily rumored R.A. Dickey trade along with Noah Syndergaard.
  • The Angels are continuing their search for starting pitching and are considering filling the void with mid-level free agent pitchers rather than make trades, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • Rays manager Joe Maddon will miss James Shields for a number of reasons, but his chief problem will be making up all the innings that Shields provided, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.   Shields gave the club 30 to 40 more innings than any other starter and averaged 220 over the past six seasons.

Yankees, Angels Discussed Vernon Wells

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The Angels have a few too many outfielders after signing Josh Hamilton, though they prefer to trade Kendrys Morales or Vernon Wells rather than Peter Bourjos or Mark Trumbo according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Yankees discussed Wells with Anaheim at the Winter Meetings.

Wells, 34, has hit .222/.258/.409 in 791 plate appearances with the Angels over the last two seasons. He's owed $21MM in each of the next two seasons, and the Halos know they'll have to eat most of that to facilitate a trade. The Yankees are seeking a right-handed bat to complement their all-lefty outfield, though they still have interest in free agent Scott Hairston. Wells has hit .266/.312/.481 against southpaws these last two years.

Rosenthal says the Phillies and Rays are also possible fits for Wells, though the former is ramping up their pursuit of Cody Ross. Wells has a full no-trade clause but would likely waive it for a team offering more playing time.

Minor Moves: Slaten, Manzella, Acosta, Gaudin

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Here are the latest minor transactions from around the league…

  • SK Wyverns of the Korean Baseball Organization announced the signing of left-handed reliever Doug Slaten.  Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net (Twitter link) first reported the deal earlier this week.  Slaten has a 3.52 ERA in 216 games for the Diamondbacks, Nationals and Pirates since 2006, including a 2.16 ERA in 10 games with the Bucs in 2012.
  • The Rockies have signed shortstop Tommy Manzella to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invitation, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  Manzella last appeared in the majors in 2010 with the Astros and has bounced around the minors with four different organizations over the last two seasons.
  • Right-hander Manny Acosta has signed a one-year, $1.65MM contract with the Yomiuri Giants, according to Gene Mato, Acosta's agent (Twitter link).  The deal could be worth another $500K in bonuses.  Acosta, 31, was non-tendered by the Mets following a season that saw him post a 6.46 ERA over relief appearances.
  • The Giants have agreed to a minor league deal with right-hander Chad Gaudin, reports Janie McCauley of the Associated Press (via Twitter).  Gaudin posted a 4.54 ERA in 46 relief appearances for the Marlins last season.
  • The Yankees have signed catcher Bobby Wilson to a minor league deal that contains a Spring Training invite, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link).  Wilson hit .211/.277/.292 batting line in 201 plate appearances with the Angels last season and was both claimed on waivers and non-tendered by the Blue Jays earlier this offseason.
  • The Yankees have also signed infielder Gil Velazquez to a minor league deal, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter).  The 33-year-old Velazquez received 57 PAs with the Marlins last year and also has Major League exerperience with the Angels and Red Sox.
  • The Cardinals have signed 18-year-old Dominican right-hander Alex Reyes to a contract worth $950K, reports MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter).
  • The Nationals signed 16-year-old Dominican third baseman Neivy Pilier to a $225K deal, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America.
  • The Nationals signed infielder Brian Bocock to a minor league contract, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson (Twitter link).  Bocock last played in the majors in 2010 and has spent the last two seasons playing in the Phillies, Pirates and Blue Jays organizations.
  • The Padres acquired left-hander Chris Rearick from the Rays in exchange for infielder Vince Belnome, reports MLB.com's Corey Brock (via Twitter).
  • The Phillies have announced the signings of Andres Blanco, Josh Fields, Cesar Jimenez, Steven Lerud, Michael Martinez, Zach Miner, Jermaine Mitchell, Pete Orr and Humberto Quintero to minor league contracts with invitations to Spring Training.

R.A. Dickey Rumors: Wednesday

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The extension and trade talks continue for the Mets and R.A. Dickey. The Mets recently increased their offer to the two-year, $20MM range on top of Dickey's 2013 salary of $5MM. Previously the team had been offering a total of approximately $16MM for the 2014-15 seasons, but Dickey still seeks $26MM for that two-year period. Meanwhile, at least a couple of teams have offered an elite prospect for the 38-year-old. Here’s the latest…

  • The Red Sox aren't pursuing Dickey for now, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). They won't pursue Dickey until they know if they can sign Ryan Dempster, a serious target for Boston. 

Earlier updates:

  • The Mets aren't expecting anything to happen with the Dodgers and Dickey, Martino reports (on Twitter). There doesn't appear to be a fit, as the Mets didn't like Zach Lee and Dee Gordon as a potential return.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson won't allow drama or emotion to determine the outcome of the Dickey situation, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes (Twitter links). The Mets say there's been more trade interest in Dickey since Zack Greinke signed and James Shields was traded.
  • Dickey spoke up about his extension talks at a Mets holiday function and the organization was "not happy" about it, Joel Sherman and Mike Puma of the New York Post report. There's an "underlying tension between team and player," the Post writers explain. Dickey, the 2012 NL Cy Young winner, continues to draw trade interest. The Rangers have inquired, and so has every AL East team. The Mets want a high-end prospect and at least one other very good prospect, but they'd consider providing the acquiring team with a window for negotiating an extension. 
  • Though the Mets are low-balling Dickey, they should use the leverage they have, Sherman writes. They know Dickey wants security and they know other teams seek top-of-the-rotation starters, so they're not about to compromise. The Mets have some concerns about the knuckleballer both on and off of the field.

Rays, Roberto Hernandez Nearing Deal

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The Rays are nearing a deal with right-hander Roberto Hernandez, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter). The free agent pitcher would provide depth for Tampa Bay's bullpen or rotation. Jorge Brito and Charisse Espinosa-Dash represent the 32-year-old.

As our Transaction Tracker shows, Hernandez would be the first free agent starting pitcher signed to a big league contract by the Rays since Andrew Friedman took over following the 2005 season. The pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona allowed 15 runs in 14 2/3 innings spread across three late-season starts for the Indians this year after missing most of the season with visa issues stemming from his identity fraud case.

Hernandez owns a 5.06 ERA since finishing fourth in the 2007 AL Cy Young voting, the second worst mark in baseball behind Luke Hochevar (min. 600 IP). His 56.6% ground ball rate is the fourth best during that time, however.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Soriano, Astros, Dickey, Grilli

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On the most recent edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast, MLBTR’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts discussed the Rays–Royals trade, Zack Greinke’s deal with the Dodgers and the most recent rumors from around MLB.  Here's more from around baseball to cap off a busy Tuesday evening..

  • The Cubs previously shopped Alfonso Soriano to the Astros as a possible DH, but Houston doesn't have enough money even with Chicago picking up the bulk of what is owed to him, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.  Earlier today we learned that the Phillies have talked with the Cubs about a deal for Soriano.
  • Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner wonders if the Mariners should now make a play for the Mets' R.A. Dickey.  Cameron argues that it's something to think about if Justin Upton stays put in Arizona, Josh Hamilton returns to Texas, and if Nick Swisher passes on Seattle's offer.
  • Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) notes that Jason Grilli's new contract with the Pirates doesn't include performance incentives for games finished.  A bonus for games finished might have given an indication of his role in the bullpen going forward.
  • Kevin Youkilis now joins Johnny Damon, Mark Bellhorn, Doug Mientkiewicz, Derek Lowe, Mike Myers, and Alan Embree as members of the 2004 Red Sox to later play for the Yankees, tweets Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
  • Josh Johnson told Barry Davis of Sportsnet (video link) that he first found out about being traded to the Blue Jays via MLBTradeRumors' mobile app.  If you haven't already, you can pick up the iPhone MLBTR app right here.
  • The Red Sox appointed Gary DiSarcina as manager of Triple-A Pawtucket, according to Maureen Mullen of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).  DiSarcina just recently agreed to serve as a special assistant to Angels GM Jerry Dipoto.
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