Cubs, Rangers Swap Jake Brigham For Barret Loux
The Cubs have acquired right-hander Barret Loux and a player to be named later from the Rangers in exchange for right-hander Jake Brigham, the Cubs announced.
Loux was drafted by the Diamondbacks with sixth overall pick of the 2010 amateur draft but failed a physical due to a torn labrum and other elbow injuries. This led the D'Backs to pull out of a contract agreement and made Loux a free agent, whereupon he signed with Texas in November 2010. Loux has a 3.62 ERA, a 8.7 K/9 and a 3.03 K/BB ratio in 46 starts over two years of pro ball, pitching last season at Double-A Frisco.
Brigham returns to the Rangers after being dealt to the Cubs in July as part of the Geovany Soto trade. The 24-year-old has a 4.49 ERA and 8.2 K/9 rate in six minor league seasons and made just two appearances for Chicago's Double-A team before suffering a season-ending elbow strain.
Rangers Interested In Arencibia, Buck
The Rangers are known to be seeking catching help this offseason, and Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com tweets that both J.P. Arencibia and John Buck appear to be on their list of targets.
The Blue Jays have three serviceable catchers on their Major League roster following this past week's blockbuster trade, including top prospect Travis d'Arnaud. With nearly every position on the field accounted for following the Melky Cabrera signing, it's safe to speculate that the Blue Jays would seek more pitching in return for one of their backstops.
Texas' primary catcher for the past two seasons has been Mike Napoli, but it appears there's a good chance that he'll sign elsewhere via free agency. General manager Jon Daniels acquired Geovany Soto from the Cubs over the summer, but the former Rookie of the Year's projected $4.6MM salary and dwindling production make him a non-tender candidate.
Arencibia, who will turn 27 in January, has averaged 29 homers per 162 games to date in his young Major League career, but also has an underwhelming .275 career on-base percentage. He won't be arbitration eligible until after the 2013 season.
Buck, 32, cashed in on his career year in 2010 (.281/.314/.481 with 20 homers) to the tune of a three-year, $18MM contract with the Marlins that offseason. He has one year and $6MM remaining on his contract, but has slumped since signing his deal. In two full seasons with the Marlins, he batted just .213/.308/.358 with a more than half of his walks coming from the eighth spot in the order, ahead of the pitcher.
The Rangers have also been connected to Russell Martin so far this offseason.
Fujikawa Meets With Five MLB Clubs
Monday: According to Japanese media reports, Fujikawa met with the Angels, Dodgers and Orioles over the weekend (per Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times). DiGiovanna adds that Angels GM Jerry Dipoto wouldn't comment on contract negotiations, nor would he divulge whether or not he envisions Fujikawa as a setup man or closer.
Not surprisingly, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that Fujikawa is looking for a multiyear commitment wherever he signs (Twitter link).
Saturday: Right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa started meeting with MLB clubs and touring their facilities this past week, reports Gerry Fraley of The Dallas Morning News. He's already visited the Diamondbacks and Cubs and is expected to meet with both the Dodgers and Angels as well. It's unclear if he'll meet with the Rangers on this trip.
Fujikawa, 32, has been the top closer in Japan for nearly a decade and is a true free agent, meaning he won't have to go through the posting process. The Red Sox have expressed some interest in the right-hander in addition to those five clubs above. Tim Dierkes ranked Fujikawa as the 34th best free agent available on his Top 50 Free Agents List, predicting he would sign with the Angels.
MLBTR's Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Minor Moves: Kevin Russo, Scott Olsen
Here are Sunday's minor moves…
- The Tigers have signed Kevin Russo to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The 28-year-old utility man hit .284/.358/.351 with 15 steals in 456 Triple-A plate appearances while playing second, third, and all three outfield spots. Russo made a brief cameo with the 2010 Yankees.
- The Rangers have signed Scott Olsen according to the MLB.com transactions page. The 28-year-old left-hander appeared in just three minor league games with the White Sox last year, allowing two runs in five innings. He missed most of 2011 with shoulder problems and hasn't appeared in the big leagues since 2010 with the Nationals.
Silverman’s Latest: Greinke, Royals, Rays, Blue Jays
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Michael Silverman of The Boston Herald that he was unsure if he'd be able to acquire Miguel Cabrera (and Dontrelle Willis) in 2007. “A lot of clubs were involved and I didn’t think it was going to work for us for where we were financially,” said Dombrowski. “Once we sat down with the Marlins, it took us just a day to work out that deal. It happened very fast.”
Here are Silverman's rumors…
- The Dodgers are the favorite to sign Zack Greinke according to an insider. Both the Angels and Rangers are said to be "on the outside looking in."
- The Royals are listening to offers for Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, and even Wil Myers. The Rays, meanwhile, are listening on James Shields and Jeremy Hellickson.
- Despite their pending blockbuster, keep an eye on the Blue Jays and the pitching market. Silverman suggests that Anibal Sanchez and Edwin Jackson could be in play for Toronto.
- The Blue Jays are shopping their three catchers (John Buck, J.P. Arencibia, and Travis d'Arnaud) but are leaning towards Arencibia or d'Arnaud.
Quick Hits: Kuroda, Pagan, Reyes, Buehrle
Here's the latest from around baseball as we head into the weekend…
- Hiroki Kuroda has told friends that his preference is to pitch in southern California to be near his daughters' grade school, reports Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles. Saxon speculates this could make the Dodgers and Angels the favorites for Kuroda's services, with the Dodgers having the "presumptive edge" with Kuroda due to their past history.
- Angel Pagan could sign before the start of the Winter Meetings on December 3, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. Pagan's suitors include "many of the same clubs" who are interested in fellow free agent B.J. Upton, a market that includes the Phillies, Braves and Nationals. The Giants are also in the mix to bring Pagan back to San Francisco.
- Also from Rosenthal, the Marlins made verbal promises to Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle that neither would be traded when Miami was courting the two as free agents last winter. The promises were made in place of formal no-trade clauses, which the Marlins don't hand out as a matter of club policy. Reyes and Buehrle, of course, were traded to the Blue Jays on Tuesday as part of the big 12-player deal that has yet to be officially confirmed by the league.
- Right-hander Ramon Ramirez will no longer be represented by the ACES agency, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Ramirez is the latest of several players to recently switch from ACES, which may be due to MLB's ongoing investigation of the agency for its alleged role in the Melky Cabrera fake website scandal, though the players' union cleared ACES earlier this month.
- Dodgers president Stan Kasten discussed such topics as his plans for the club's minor league system, his career history and MLB labor issues with Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels talked with Michael Moye (Josh Hamilton's agent) earlier this week, reports Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, though it seems as if both sides were just checking in on the other.
- The Blue Jays have generated the most headlines of any team this offseason, but FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi notes some of the holes the Jays still have to fill.
Offseason Outlook: Texas Rangers
The Rangers will seek a catcher, pursue outfielders and add pitching in the coming months.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Ian Kinsler, 2B: $75MM through 2017
- Adrian Beltre, 3B: $51MM through 2015
- Yu Darvish, SP: $50.5MM through 2017
- Derek Holland, SP: $24.3MM through 2016
- Michael Young, UT: $16MM through 2013
- Elvis Andrus, SS: $11.3MM through 2014
- Nelson Cruz, OF: $10.5MM through 2013
- Leonys Martin, OF: $8.75MM through 2015
- Joe Nathan, RP: $7.75MM through 2013
- Colby Lewis, SP: $2MM through 2013
Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)
- Geovany Soto, C: $4.6MM (third time eligible, non-tender candidate)
- David Murphy, OF: $5.6MM (third time eligible)
- Matt Harrison, SP: $6.1MM (second time eligible)
- Neftali Feliz, RP: $3.1MM (first time eligible)
Free Agents
- Josh Hamilton (obtained qualifying offer), Mike Napoli, Scott Feldman, Ryan Dempster, Koji Uehara, Mike Adams, Roy Oswalt, Mark Lowe
In the aftermath of a respectable but ultimately disappointing season, the Rangers find themselves on the threshold of a potentially transformative winter. Their franchise player could sign elsewhere and they have a number of significant needs around the diamond. Yet there are enough impact players assembled on this roster for GM Jon Daniels to focus on their few pressing needs and continue winning in 2013.
To say the Rangers' offseason revolves around Josh Hamilton wouldn't be accurate. Now that the Rangers have made him a qualifying offer and he has rejected it, the team's involvement with its former star could be over. The Rangers could pursue Hamilton, but they seem to have reservations about making him a long-term offer. Instead, they're expected to pursue other outfielders.
With corner outfielders David Murphy and Nelson Cruz under team control for another year, the Rangers are a potential match for center fielders. Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton and Angel Pagan are among the center fielders headlining a deep group of free agent outfielders. Perhaps the Rangers will bid on one of these players to replace Hamilton as the club's primary center field option. If the Rangers prefer not to rely on Craig Gentry and Leonys Martin in center field, pursuing free agents at the position makes sense.
The Rangers are also interested in corner outfielders Nick Swisher and Justin Upton. Manager Ron Washington could move Nelson Cruz to DH and make Michael Young a utility player if Daniels acquires a right fielder such as Swisher or Upton. The Rangers attempted to acquire Andrelton Simmons from the Braves for Mike Olt in order to flip Simmons to Arizona in a deal for Upton. However, it doesn't appear that the Rangers will trade Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar to acquire the Arizona right fielder.
Even so, I'm sure this isn't the last time we'll hear the names Andrus and Profar in trade rumors this winter. Teams in need of shortstops figure to call the Rangers about the possibility of making a trade for one of their talented, young infielders. Few players have more trade value than Andrus, an All-Star caliber 24-year-old signed to a reasonable contract through 2014, or Profar, the switch-hitting 19-year-old regarded as one of the top prospects in MLB. Expect the Rangers to keep Andrus and Profar unless they obtain an equally talented player in return.
If anyone could persuade the Rangers to part with Andrus and Profar it's Andrew Friedman. The Rays executive could move David Price or James Shields this winter, and Tampa Bay could use a shortstop. Price will earn a substantial raise through arbitration and the Rays have starting pitching depth, so both sides could be motivated to complete a deal structured around Price and a Texas shortstop.
It's also possible the Rangers could move Andrus or Profar to second base and move Kinsler to another position, likely the outfield. This could push an outfielder such as Murphy or Cruz to DH and shift Young into a reserve role.
Alternatively, the Rangers could continue using Olt as a trade chip to acquire a starting pitcher. As a controllable player who posted excellent numbers throughout the minor leagues, Olt has considerable trade value.
If the Rangers don't like opposing teams' asking prices in trade talks, they could bolster their rotation via free agency. Zack Greinke, MLBTR's top ranked free agent, interests Texas' front office executives. He'd be an excellent fit alongside Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando. The Rangers have expanded payroll in recent years, and if they intend to continue spending $120MM-plus on payroll, Greinke could be a long-term fit. Anibal Sanchez and Edwin Jackson are among the other free agent starters who could interest the Rangers. Expect Ryan Dempster to sign elsewhere.
The Rangers also need to add middle relief at a time that Koji Uehara, Mike Adams and Mark Lowe are hitting free agency. The team could pursue some of its own free agents or look to others such as Joakim Soria, Jason Grilli, Jason Frasor and Octavio Dotel. It'd make sense to stay in touch with right-hander Scott Feldman. The free agent could provide depth at a reasonable salary, as Dave Cameron recently explained at FanGraphs.
Now that Mike Napoli has hit free agency, the Rangers are without a clear solution at catcher. They're expected to non-tender Geovany Soto given the former Rookie of the Year's projected $4.6MM salary, which means it'll soon be time to consider free agents and trade candidates. A.J. Pierzynski could appeal to the Rangers, and they're considering Russell Martin. Those are the most appealing free agents out there unless they circle back to Napoli. They won't find a catcher with more power than Napoli, who missed time with a quad injury this past season. The trade market could include J.P. Arencibia and former Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who has spent the past two and a half seasons with the Red Sox.
The Rangers' class of arbitration eligible players includes just one non-tender candidate — Soto. The club could look to extend Harrison or Murphy later on in the winter.
Losing Hamilton would be a blow, especially in the short term. And Daniels has an extensive to-do list, there’s no question about that. But the Rangers have adapted on the fly before. With their roster and resources, there’s reason for optimism as the offseason begins.
Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
Arbitration Eligibles: Texas Rangers
The Rangers are next in our 2013 Arbitration Eligibles series. Matt Swartz's salary projections are below.
- First time: Neftali Feliz ($3.1MM)
- Second time: Matt Harrison ($6.1MM)
- Third time: David Murphy ($5.6MM), Geovany Soto ($4.6MM)
The Rangers’ class of arbitration eligible players includes three major contributors and one player likely to be non-tendered.
Soto, the club’s lone non-tender candidate, struggled at the plate in Chicago then hit poorly after joining the Rangers. With a projected salary of $4.6MM, he’s expected to be cut loose by the end of the month. Back in August I looked at Soto’s case in detail, suggesting a non-tender was likely.
Feliz's salary is fairly difficult to project because of his recent role change and injury. The 24-year-old right-hander spent most of his career as a reliever, and MLBTR projects a $3.1MM salary based mostly on his relief work. Feliz, who underwent Tommy John surgery in August, will certainly be tendered a contract even though he’s expected to miss most of next season.
Harrison and Murphy both project to earn salaries in the $6MM range. Perhaps the Rangers will explore a possible extension with Harrison in order prolong his stay in Texas beyond 2014. Murphy could also be an extension candidate following a particularly productive season.
Assuming the Rangers tender contracts to Feliz, Harrison and Murphy, they’ll have committed roughly $14.8MM to three players in 2013.
Matt Swartz's arbitration projections are available exclusively at MLB Trade Rumors. To read more about his projection model, check out this series of posts.
Quick Hits: Upton, Hamilton, Kinsler, Hunter, Choo
This was a bit before MLB Trade Rumors' time, but it was on this day in 1886 that the first trade in Major League history took place. The Cincinnati Red Stockings acquired base-stealing outfielder Hugh Nicol and Jamie Moyer from the St. Louis Browns in exchange for rookie catcher Jack Boyle and $400. Here's some modern-day hot stove action from around the majors…
- Free agent outfielder B.J. Upton visited Turner Field today, meeting with Braves general manager Frank Wren and manager Fredi Gonzalez, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman. The Braves see Upton as their top free agent target this winter, as Upton will come at a lower price than Michael Bourn.
- While the Red Sox have checked in with Josh Hamilton's agent, reports of Boston's interest in Hamilton are "overblown," a source tells WEEI.com's Rob Bradford.
- Ian Kinsler is willing to change positions if the Rangers ask, the second baseman tells Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Where I play on the field is not my decision. I’m going to do whatever I can to help the team win regardless of where I am on the field or where I’m hitting in the batting order," Kinsler said. A move from second could open room for both Jurickson Profar and Elvis Andrus in the infield, while Kinsler could replace Hamilton in left or play first base.
- Both the Angels and the Tigers benefited from Torii Hunter signing with Detroit, opines MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian breaks down Shin-Soo Choo's trade value both in terms of what the Indians could get in return and how Choo compares to free agents currently on the market.
- The Indians' thin farm system is due to nearly a decade of poor drafts, writes Baseball America's Ben Badler.
- It seems like the White Sox will look externally to fill their hole at third base, as GM Rick Hahn told reporters (including MLB.com's Scott Merkin) that "we are exploring a lot of options that we rank ahead of moving [Dayan] Viciedo in from the outfield," though he didn't completely rule it out.
- With five notable Marlins on their way to Toronto, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports looks at how players face large tax increases when they're dealt away from Florida, including a past instance of a player (Carlos Delgado) having tax protection written into his contract in lieu of a no-trade clause from the Marlins.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports examines how the Marlins/Blue Jays trade and Hunter's signing will impact other teams and players around baseball.
AL Links: Sanchez, Hunter, Yankees, Price, Red Sox
With Torii Hunter joining the club on a two-year deal, the Tigers will now focus on re-signing Anibal Sanchez according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. They're unlikely to pursue another big name pitcher if they can't bring the right-hander back, however. Here's the latest from the American League, starting with some more on Hunter…
- Hunter told teams he wasn't interested in talking to them unless things didn't work out with the Tigers, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The Yankees saw Hunter as a good fit but never made him an offer, reports Erik Boland of Newsday (on Twitter). They don't have any offers out to position players at the moment and are focused on re-signing Hiroki Kuroda and Mariano Rivera.
- Hunter would have taken less than $26MM he received from Detroit to re-sign with the Angels, but a one-year contract was a non-starter at any price according to Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter).
- Knobler listed the pros and cons of trading David Price just a few hours after the left-hander took home the Cy Young Award. Some people with the Rays even identified the Rangers as the ideal trade partner.
- The Red Sox won't alter their rebuilding plan in the wake of the Blue Jays-Marlins blockbuster, said GM Ben Cherington to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. "We know we have a plan this offseason and we're going to see how much we can execute it … We've started that and we'll continue to do that," said Cherington, who mentioned he found out about the blockbuster through MLBTR.