Rangers Prefer To Keep Their Pitching Depth
The Rangers "might prefer" to keep some of the extra arms on their pitching staff rather than make a trade, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Scott Feldman, Koji Uehara and Mark Lowe are cited as Rosenthal as the expendable members of the Rangers staff but they look likely to remain in Texas unless relievers Robert Ross or Tanner Scheppers perform well enough in Spring Training to earn jobs, which could convince the club to deal one of their veterans.
Most of the Rangers' rotation and bullpen jobs are set, and the presence of Alexi Ogando as a swingman gives Texas some backup if one of the starters falters. This leaves Feldman, who has battled both injuries and ineffectiveness since his breakout 2009 campaign. Feldman did pitch well in limited action in 2011 — a 3.94 ERA and 2.20 K/BB ratio in 32 innings. The right-hander will earn $6.5MM this season and the Rangers hold a $9.25MM club option on him for 2013 that looks almost certain to be bought out (at a cost of $600K).
Feldman, Uehara and Lowe all drew trade buzz over the winter, with the Red Sox showing interest in the two relievers, and Uehara using his limited no-trade clause to reject a proposed deal to the Blue Jays. Uehara has posted better numbers than Lowe over the last three seasons but turns 37 in April and is earning $4MM in 2012; Lowe is eight years younger and a cheaper option at just $1.7MM.
Rosenthal notes that the Rangers received calls about Colby Lewis during the offseason as well, but the club preferred to keep the right-hander due to his durability (200+ IP in each of the last two seasons). It's no surprise Texas wanted to keep Lewis since their rotation, while deep and promising, has several question marks — Matt Harrison and Derek Holland aren't yet completely proven entities as reliable starters, Neftali Feliz is transitioning to starting from the bullpen and Yu Darvish is making his debut to North American baseball.
Extension Updates: Aybar, Hamilton, Napoli, Axford
The latest on extension talks around MLB…
- The Angels and Erick Aybar have made a bit of progress toward an extension, but agent Fern Cuza says they are “not close,” Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
- Josh Hamilton told Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio that the Rangers can sign him now for considerably less than he’ll cost as a free agent after the season (Twitter links). Hamilton says his loyalty lies with the Rangers and that they will get the first chance to sign him should he reach free agency.
- Mike Napoli told Bowden he’s letting his agent handle contract talks, but that he would like to sign a long-term deal with the Rangers (Twitter link).
- The Brewers met with John Axford's agent yesterday, but the closer’s in no rush to sign an extension, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. “If conversations keep going [after Opening Day], then they keep going,” Axford said. “I’m not going to be bothered by it.”
Quick Hits: Mariners, Beras, Rockies, Padres, Peavy
Here are some links from the around the league as Saturday turns into Sunday…
- The Mariners could probably afford to trade one of their third base prospects, muses Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Seattle has Kyle Seager, Alex Liddi, Francisco Martinez, and Vinnie Catricala at the hot corner.
- MLB is still investigating the signing of Dominican outfielder Jairo Beras by the Rangers, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. Beras agreed to a $4.5MM deal last month, but there are questions about his age and eligibility to sign.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote about the unique construction of the Rockies' roster. The team added high-character positions players to a largely unproven group of young starters this offseason.
- Dan Hayes of The North County Times reports (on Twitter) that the Padres still expect to have their new television deal with FOX Sports San Diego finalized within the "next few weeks or sooner."
- "If I can't stay healthy for 200 innings, if somebody says something about closing or being a reliever, I can do that, I can be a reliever," said White Sox starter Jake Peavy to MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom. "If it comes down to that, I'll do it because I love this game."
- “I know that I want to make the right decision,” said Yankees closer Mariano Rivera to reporters (including Chad Jennings of The Journal News) today following Andy Pettitte's return. “That’s what I want to do. When I make the right decision, I don’t want to come back or say, ‘I should have done it’ or ‘I should have stayed.’ I want to be 1000% sure that it’s the right decision."Rivera hinted at retirement last month.
Rangers Notes: Feldman, Uehara, Lowe, Webb
On this date in 2000, the Rangers acquired David Segui and cash in a three-team trade. Texas sent Lee Stevens to the Expos, the Expos sent Brad Fullmer to the Blue Jays, and the Jays sent Segui and cash to the Rangers. Here's the latest from the two-time defending AL champs…
- The Rangers have gotten calls about Scott Feldman, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). They have a strong inclination to hang onto the versatile 29-year-old right-hander, however.
- Given their deep cache of right-handed relievers, Heyman says (on Twitter) that Texas could still trade Koji Uehara or Mark Lowe. Uehara invoked his no-trade clause to reject a deal to the Blue Jays in January.
- The Rangers rolled the dice with Brandon Webb last season, and ESPN's Buster Olney says (on Twitter) that the 32-year-old sinkerballer continues to work out with the intention of getting back on the mound for a team at some point.
Rangers Notes: Ogando, Profar, International Signings
The Rangers made a minor trade earlier today, sending Kelvin De La Cruz to the Indians in exchange for cash considerations. De La Cruz was a Ranger for less than a month, as he was originally acquired by Texas in another deal with Cleveland on February 21.
Some more news from the two-time defending AL champions…
- In an interview Ben & Skin of ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM radio, Jon Daniels said that the Rangers are better served by having Alexi Ogando in the bullpen, though the GM admitted that Ogando probably deserves a starting job after his solid performance in the rotation last year. No firm decision has yet been made, however, about Ogando's status. ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett collects some of the notable topics in Daniels' interview.
- Shortstop prospect Jurickson Profar may see some time playing second base, Rangers director of minor league operations Jake Krug tells Bryan Dolgin of the Rangers Magazine radio show. The 19-year-old Profar was ranked as the seventh-best prospect in the game by Baseball America's 2012 minor league rankings. Giving him time at second base would give Texas a possible option if Ian Kinsler can't be signed to an extension, though it seem a waste of Profar's defensive skills to move him away from short.
- The Rangers spent the most on any team on international bonuses last year, according to a report by Baseball America. The Rangers spent an estimated $12.83MM (not counting Japanese professionals or Cuban defectors) on international signings, more than $5MM ahead of the second-place team on the list, the Blue Jays.
- Texas accounts for the top two spots (Nomar Mazara and Ronald Guzman) on another Baseball America list, chronicling the top 30 international bonuses from last year.
- Brad Hawpe and Conor Jackson are both trying to keep their Major League careers going in the Rangers camp, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Hawpe and Jackson are both signed to minor league deals and are fighting for jobs on the Rangers' bench. "It's hard to imagine either player going to Triple-A," Sullivan writes, so Hawpe and/or Jackson could find themselves waived by March 30.
Indians Re-Acquire Kelvin De La Cruz
The Indians announced that they re-acquired left-hander Kelvin De La Cruz from the Rangers for cash considerations. The club placed right-hander Carlos Carrasco on the 60-day disabled list to create roster space for De La Cruz. Cleveland's 40-man roster is full with the addition of De La Cruz, who will be optioned to Double-A Akron.
The 6'5" 23-year-old posted a 4.19 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 in 86 innings as a starter and reliever at Double-A last year. He has typically walked and struck out lots of opponents, as his career rates of 8.9 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 indicate. The Indians originally sent De La Cruz to the Rangers on February 21st. He made one appearance for Texas before being returned to Cleveland.
Quick Hits: Twins, Rangers, Orioles, Mariners, Mitre
Tuesday night linkage..
- Free agent reliever Michael Wuertz says his tryout will be early next week with plans to be finalized in the next day, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Minneapolis. The Twins are expected to attend.
- Signing closer Joe Nathan allowed the Rangers to move Neftali Feliz into the rotation while keeping skipper Ron Washington comfortable by continuing to have an established closer, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Nathan inked a two-year, $14.75MM deal with Texas last November, though the club typically doesn't give multi-year deals to relievers.
- There were at least 40 scouts on hand to watch the Orioles today, tweets Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun.
- The Mariners reported a financial loss for a fiscal year with a $7.3MM deficit for 2011, writes Greg Johns of MLB.com. This marks just the second time since the opening of Safeco Field that the M's find themselves in the red.
- The bidding groups for the Dodgers appear to have been whittled down to five from seven tonight, a person familiar with the meetings tells Mike Ozanian of Forbes.com. The highest bid was $1.6 billion from Magic Johnson and former baseball exec Stan Kasten, whose purchase would be partially financed by private equity. The lowest bid from the five groups was $1.3 billion.
- Looking at at future payroll commitments, major league assets, farm systems, ownership status, and front office strategies, ESPN.com's Keith Law (Insider sub. req'd) tries to hash out when clubs such as the Mets, Cubs, and Astros will be able to contend.
- The biggest area of uncertainty for the Nationals, outside of their surplus of starting pitchers, seems to be their bench, writes Amanda Comak of The Washington Times.
- Free agent Sergio Mitre will work out for teams in March or April and expects to play in the majors this year, according to Tim (via Twitter).
AL West Notes: A’s, Pridie, Napoli, Pauley
Here's the latest from the AL West…
- Two investment groups have expressed interest in buying the Athletics and keeping the team in Oakland, reports Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle. Neither group wanted to be publicly identified, though one also showed interest in buying the Dodgers before dropping out due to the expected $1.5 billion price tag. Lew Wolff, the A's managing partner, reiterated that he and partner John Fisher aren't looking to sell the team.
- Athletics outfielder Jason Pridie's 50-game suspension for drug use was officially announced today by Major League Baseball. As John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Friday, this was Pridie's second violation (hence the 50-game penalty) and it was for a "drug of abuse," not a performance-enhancing drug.
- Now that the Tigers have released David Pauley, John Hickey of CSNNW.com speculates that the Mariners might be interested in re-acquiring the right-hander. Pauley appeared in 58 games for the M's from 2010-11 before being traded to Detroit last July as part of the Doug Fister deal.
- Mike Napoli is in a similar situation to that of C.J. Wilson a year ago, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan as part of a Rangers mailbag. Napoli and Wilson were both looking for career-best contracts following their breakout seasons, while Sullivan notes the Rangers are wary of making that kind of commitment after just one season of top-tier performance. Wilson, of course, signed a free agent deal with the Angels this winter.
- In case you missed it earlier today, here's a wrap-up of Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine's interview with Bryan Dolgin of ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM radio.
Rangers Notes: Cotts, Perez, Hamilton
Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine joined Bryan Dolgin on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and addressed trade talks, extensions and the composition of the team's roster. Here are the details (audio here):
- Levine explained that relatively innocent conversations with scouts can turn into full-blown trade talks because they highlight needs and surpluses.
- The Rangers don’t have an established left-handed reliever after losing Darren Oliver and Mike Gonzalez in free agency, but they’re pleased with the increased velocity non-roster invitee Neal Cotts is showing early on in camp.
- Young pitchers such as Martin Perez have impressed the Rangers' front office and Levine expects contributions at the MLB level in the 'not-so-distant future.'
- The Rangers consider Josh Hamilton an elite center fielder, but they continue to play him in left field since they generally believe he's more likely to stay in the lineup as a corner outfielder.
- Though Levine didn't comment in detail on extension talks with Hamilton, he did say the club intends to keep as many of its core position players in place for as long as possible. Hamilton is eligible for free agency after the season, but the Rangers haven't ruled out in-season talks for their top position players.
Quick Hits: Dodgers, Rangers, Nats, Gregg, Ordonez
On this day in 2002, the Yankees released outfielder Ruben Rivera, who allegedly stole teammate Derek Jeter‘s glove from his locker at the club’s Spring Training complex and proceeded to sell it. On with some links …
- Veteran Mark Ellis is excited to be with a big market club such as the Dodgers and sounds excited about the team spending competitively in the future, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Ellis also wants to see his former club, the A’s, get the new stadium that they’re pushing for.
- Mike Bauman of MLB.com believes that the Rangers‘ rotation will be just as solid as it was last year even following the departure of C.J. Wilson.
- It wouldn’t surprise MLB.com’s Bill Ladson if Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo traded for a center fielder for the long term before the season started. Ladson also sees John Lannan being dealt before Opening Day.
- Orioles reliever Kevin Gregg would like to remain with Baltimore despite rumors of a possible trade, writes Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com: “I wasn’t blind to the fact that this team was a work in progress, and that’s part of what drew me here. [I wanted] to be a part of it,” Gregg said. Gregg signed a two-year deal with the O’s prior to 2011 that includes a $6MM vesting option for 2013 based on appearances.
- Free agent outfielder/DH Magglio Ordonez would like to play in 2012 but isn’t close to signing and is currently in his native Venezuela, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. Maggs, 38, batted just .255/.303/.331 in 357 plate appearances last season, though he posted respectable offensive numbers as recently as 2010.
- The Mariners could boast a terrific rotation right now had they retained the likes of Cliff Lee, Brandon Morrow, Doug Fister and Michael Pineda, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, but GM Jack Zduriencik instead opted to trade off those arms in an attempt to replenish a thin farm system. Now, the M’s are pinning their hopes on young, cost-controlled hurlers Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen and James Paxton, as well as a few other prospects.