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Rays Notes: Pitching, Kotchman, Damon, Friedman

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Andrew Friedman spoke with the media today about the Rays' plans heading into the Winter Meetings.  Here are some highlights, courtesy of Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times…

  • Friedman stuck to only discussing the Rays and declined to comment on his connection to the Astros' open general manager's job.  The Astros have permission to speak to Friedman and he is thought to be their top candidate.
  • The Rays' are looking for help at DH and first base, so free agents Casey Kotchman and Johnny Damon are "very much in the discussion" to be brought back, Friedman said.
  • The club isn't looking to deal one of its eight starting pitchers but if one was dealt, Friedman says it would be for Major League players that could contribute right away.  Topkin writes that there has "been heavy interest" in Tampa Bay's pitching from other teams.
  • Reid Brignac, Elliot Johnson and Sean Rodriguez are expected to handle shortstop, so Tampa Bay isn't looking to bring in another player for the position.
  • Friedman is open to adding catching depth but isn't sure it will be available.  The catching job will be split between the newly-signed Jose Molina and either Robinson Chirinos or Jose Lobaton.
  • Since the Rays want to add to their offense, it doesn't seem likely that B.J. Upton will be traded this winter.

Minor Moves: Nunez, Palmer, Moss, Mock

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The latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Rays signed righty Jhonny Nunez to a minor league deal, tweets Baseball America's Matt Eddy.
  • The Padres signed right-hander Matt Palmer to a minor league deal, reports MLB.com's Corey Brock (Twitter link).
  • The Brewers signed outfielder Miguel Velazquez to a minor league deal, according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (all links go to Twitter).
  • The A’s signed outfielder Brandon Moss to a minor league deal, according to Goldstein.
  • The Padres signed left-hander Alex Hinshaw to a minor league deal, according to Goldstein.
  • The Blue Jays signed former Nationals prospect Garrett Mock to a minor league deal, according to Goldstein.
  • The Royals announced that they signed right-hander Zach Miner, infielders Jamie Romak, Eric Duncan, Sharlon Schoop and Tony Abreu and left-handers Marlon Arias and Tommy Hottovy to minor league contracts. Miner, Abreu and Hottovy have big league experience, though only Hottovy appeared in the Major Leagues this past season. Duncan, once a highly-regarded prospect, posted a .849 OPS at Double-A as a utility player in 2011. Romak posted an .803 OPS for the Royals in 2011 and even pitched on two occasions.

Latest On Astros’ GM Search: Friedman, Picollo

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The Astros will interview Rockies assistant GM Bill Geivett for their general manager job, but Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine withdrew his name from consideration. Here's the latest on Houston's search:

  • Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman declined to address the Astros' interest in him, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (on Twitter). The Astros have obtained permission to speak to Friedman.
  • Royals assistant GM J.J. Picollo is drawing attention from the Astros as a GM candidate, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter).

13 Teams Eligible For First Competitive Balance Lottery

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The new collective bargaining agreement calls for a competitive balance draft pick lottery beginning in 2013, and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has details.  13 teams will be eligible for the first lottery based on their market size and revenue: the Diamondbacks, Orioles, Indians, Royals, Athletics, Pirates, Padres, Rays, Reds, Rockies, Marlins, Brewers, and Cardinals.  The lottery gives each of these teams the chance to win one of six extra picks in the 2013 draft, which will come after the compensation picks for free agents.  The odds of winning a pick will be based on each team's winning percentage in the previous season.

There will be another group of six picks after the draft's second round.  The teams in the mix for these will be the ones that did not win a pick in the first lottery, as well as any other team that receives revenue sharing.

Mayo says lottery picks can be traded, but only once by a team and only during the regular season.  The picks cannot be sold for cash.

A third lottery will be held for picks forfeited by teams that exceeded their bonus pools.  Teams that did not exceed their pools will be eligible, with odds based on a formula of revenue and winning percentage.  Got all that?  There will be a quiz tomorrow.

Royals To Sign Jonathan Broxton

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The Royals announced that they have agreed to sign Jonathan Broxton to a one-year deal, pending a physical. The deal is worth $4MM and includes $1MM in incentives based on games pitched for the 27-year-old right-hander, who will be Kansas City's setup man in 2012.

“We are delighted to add someone as talented as Jonathan to our bullpen,” Royals GM Dayton Moore said. “He will be used in a setup role to closer Joakim Soria and will help solidify what we feel is a young and talented bullpen.”

Broxton’s 2011 season ended in May after just 12 2/3 innings with a 5.68 ERA and nearly as many walks (9) as strikeouts (10). He had arthroscopic elbow surgery in September and was expected to begin an offseason throwing program this month. A dominant reliever for the Dodgers from 2006 to the early part of 2010, Broxton will look to rebuild value on a one-year contract in Kansas City.  

Other than the Royals, the Mets, Rangers and Rays pursued Broxton most intently, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). Overall, at least ten teams expressed interest in Broxton, who's represented by B.B. Abbott of Jet Sports Management.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement (Twitter link) and Jon Heyman of SI.com added the terms of the deal (Twitter links). Dan Mennella explains the fantasy baseball implications of the move at CloserNews.com, the destination for all reliever-related fantasy baseball news and analysis.

Astros Obtain Permission To Interview Friedman

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The Astros obtained permission to interview Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, according to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle. The Astros have asked to interview a handful of candidates, but Friedman, a Houston native, is clearly their top choice, according to Justice. The team dismissed GM Ed Wade less than two weeks after owner Jim Crane completed his purchase of the franchise.

Thad Levine and A.J. Preller of the Rangers are believed to be under consideration for the GM job as well. However, former Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker, who now works with Friedman and the Rays, will not be interviewed. Astros president and CEO George Postolos has explained that he's looking for a GM with a strong commitment to player development who can develop 'one of the top farm systems in baseball.'

It's not the first time a team with a GM opening has expressed interest in Friedman. This offseason alone, the Cubs, Orioles and Angels appeared to have some interest in the 35-year-old. It's "very unlikely" that Friedman will leave Tampa Bay, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.

Rays Sign Jose Molina

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The Rays officially announced the signing of catcher Jose Molina today to a one-year deal with a club option.  The $1.8MM deal pays $1.5MM for Molina's 2012 salary and includes a club option at the same price for '13 with a $300K buyout.  Molina jumps to the top of the Rays' depth chart, as yesterday they traded catcher John Jaso to the Mariners for reliever Josh Lueke and a player to be named later or cash considerations.     

With the Rays, the 36-year-old Molina appears to have a shot at topping his season-bests of 297 plate appearances and 737 innings caught, both set in 2008 with the Yankees.  Molina is known for his defense (especially in framing pitches), but in 2011 he had one of his best offensive years in a limited 191 plate appearance sample.  Molina is "one of the best defensive catchers in baseball over the past decade," in the words of Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. The Blue Jays will receive a supplemental draft pick for their loss.  Molina is represented by ACES.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports broke the story on November 17th, with Jon Heyman, Ken Rosenthal, and Jayson Stark adding details today.

Mariners Acquire John Jaso From Rays

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The Mariners have acquired catcher John Jaso from the Rays in exchange for right-handed pitcher Josh Lueke and a player to be named later or cash considerations, according to a team press release.

“[Jaso] gives us a left-handed hitting catcher with some big league time who is still young,” Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said in the release.  “His left-handed bat will be a nice compliment to our right-handed hitting group. He’s a tough kid with postseason experience and should be a nice fit with us.”

Last season marked Jaso's first full campaign in the Major Leagues and the 28-year-old hit .224/.298/.354 with five homers in 273 plate appearances.  Jaso took over the Rays' catching job in 2010 as a rookie and hit .263/.378/.372 on the year.

Lueke, who turns 27 on December 5th, made 25 appearances for the Mariners last season and posted a 6.06 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.  In 42 career Triple-A games, Lueke owns an ERA of 2.56 with 8.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.

The right-hander was part of the 2010 trade that sent Cliff Lee to the Rangers.  After the trade, it was revealed that Lueke had trouble with the law in 2008 and the M's were not aware of this when they made the deal.

Red Sox, Rays Have Checked In On Luis Ayala

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The Yankees got solid work out of several players they signed to minor league contracts last season, including reliever Luis Ayala. Now, a pair of their division rivals have interest in the right-hander. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter) that the Red Sox and Rays have checked in on Ayala this offseason.

Ayala, 34 in January, posted a 2.09 ERA in 56 innings for the Yankees last year, getting a ground ball 50% of the time. He struck out 6.27 batters for every nine innings pitched and walked 3.21 per nine. Ayala did not appear in the big leagues at all in 2010, and in 2009 he pitched to an ugly 5.63 ERA in 40 innings for the Twins and Marlins. His performance in New York figures to land him a guaranteed Major League contract this winter.

Reds Shopping Yonder Alonso For Pitching

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The Reds are offering Yonder Alonso as trade bait in their search for a closer or a No. 2 starter, reports Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown.  Reds GM Walt Jocketty has spoken to several teams — including the A's, Blue Jays, Indians and Rays — about Alonso, though we heard earlier this week that the Reds thought Alonso was too much to give up for Oakland closer Andrew Bailey.

Alonso is regarded as Cincinnati's top hitting prospect, if one without a Major League position since Joey Votto is cemented at first base.  The 24-year-old has an OPS of .837 in four minor league seasons and hit .330/.398/.545 in 98 plate appearances with the Reds last year. 

If the Reds were willing to move him, you would think Alonso would be too much to deal for any closer, not just Bailey.  Jocketty has said his club's top priority is finding a starting pitcher this offseason, so while the Jays and Indians have some good young arms, they wouldn't be willing to deal a top-of-the-rotation caliber of starter for which the Reds are looking.  The Jays and Tribe also have other options at first base, though Adam Lind, Edwin Encarnacion and Matt LaPorta wouldn't be major obstacles if Toronto or Cleveland had a legitimate shot at Alonso.  The A's and Reds might not be a match on Bailey, but Jocketty might deem possibly-available pitchers like Gio Gonzalez or Trevor Cahill worthy of moving Alonso. 

The most logical match would appear to be Tampa Bay, who has a big hole at first base, lots of pitching and a need for a controllable young talent like Alonso.  The Rays could offer Wade Davis or Jeff Niemann, though the Reds are more likely looking for a pitcher like James Shields.  (Obviously David Price and Jeremy Hellickson are staying put.)

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