Rangers Claim Ramon Aguero
The Rangers claimed Ramon Aguero off of waivers from the Pirates, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). Texas optioned the right-hander to Triple-A and moved Omar Beltre to its 60-day DL.
Pittsburgh designated Aguero for assignment last week after optioning him to Double-A earlier in March. Aguero posted a 6.14 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 29 1/3 innings at Class A and Double-A last year. The 26-year-old Dominican has a 4.14 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in parts of five pro seasons.
Minor League Transactions
There was a slew of minor league transactions from March 30 to April 5, and Matt Eddy of Baseball America has written them up and included info on some noteworthy names. Here's more on those …
- The Cubs released righty Chris Huseby, an 11th-round draft pick in 2006 who signed for a hefty $1.3MM. Huseby wasn't panning out as a pitcher and saw action in the outfield in recent seasons.
- The Indians released third baseman Matt Cusick, one of the two players they received from the Yankees in last season's swap for Kerry Wood. The other player – Andrew Shive – had been previously released.
- The Rockies released reliever Craig Baker, who led the Minors in saves in 2009 with 33. A fourth-round pick 2006, Baker's 2010 was derailed by the injuries that haunted him earlier in his career.
- The Astros released reliever Bubbie Buzachero, who is among the active career leaders in minor league saves.
- The Royals released speedy outfielder Hilton Richardson, a seventh-round pick in 2007 who has 77 steals in the minors in 100 attempts. The Braves then signed Richardson.
- The Dodgers released lefty reliever James Adkins, a sandwich-round pick in 2007 out of Tennessee. The southpaw is the Volunteers' career leader in strikeouts but has struggled with control and against righties in the minors.
- The Brewers released hard-throwing lefty Evan Frederickson, the 35th overall pick in 2008. Frederickson has been excessively wild in his minors career, never walking fewer than 7.6 batters per nine, according to Eddy.
- Twins righty Chris Province, acquired from the Red Sox in the Boof Bonser trade in 2009, voluntarily retired. Province surrendered a lot of hits in 2010, but seeing as he posted solid groundball rates for two poor teams, Eddy wonders whether he might have fared better with a better defense behind him.
- The Padres released catcher Mitch Canham, the 57th overall pick in 2007. The Friars hoped Canham would develop into an offense-first backstop, but he was abused by basestealers, and his production with the bat didn't hold up at other positions.
- The Giants released righty Craig Whitaker, a supplemental-round pick in 2003. Whitaker, as Eddy notes, is something of a rarity as an unsuccessful power arm drafted by San Francisco. Outfielder Ben Copeland, the Giants' first pick (fourth round) in 2005, was also released.
- The Rangers released righty Danny Gutierrez, formerly one of their top-10 prospects. Gutierrez had been acquired from the Royals, but his stuff has diminished and was suspended 50 games for amphetamines prior to the 2010 season.
- The Blue Jays released speedy outfielder Eric Eiland, a second-round pick in 2007. Eiland has been an efficient basestealer but has struggled overall offensively.
Offseason In Review: Texas Rangers
The Rangers are next in our Offseason In Review series.
Major League Signings
- Adrian Beltre, 3B: five years, $80MM. Includes $16MM voidable option for 2016. Rangers gave #26 overall draft pick to Red Sox as compensation.
- Yorvit Torrealba, C: two years, $6.25MM.
- Arthur Rhodes, RP: one year, $3.9MM. Includes $4MM vesting option for 2012.
- Brandon Webb, SP: one year, $3MM.
- Total spend: $93.15MM.
International Signings
- Rougned Odor, Alberto Triunfel
Notable Minor League Signings
- Barret Loux, Esteban German, Yhency Brazoban, Brian Barden, Endy Chavez, Omar Quintanilla, Robinzon Diaz, David Bush, Brett Tomko, Luis Cruz, Seth McClung, Yoshinori Tateyama
Extensions
Trades and Claims
- Claimed P Ryan Tucker off waivers from Marlins
- Acquired SP Mason Tobin from Cubs after taken in Rule 5 draft from Angels
- Acquired RP Ryan Kelly from Athletics for SP Guillermo Moscoso
- Acquired C/1B Mike Napoli from Blue Jays for RP Frank Francisco and cash
- Acquired a player to be named later from Royals for 1B/3B John Whittleman
- Acquired cash considerations from Royals for C Matt Treanor
- Acquired a player to be named later from Braves for IF/OF Marcus Lemon
Notable Losses
- Cliff Lee (Rangers received #33 pick from Phillies and also get #37 pick), Vladimir Guerrero, Matt Treanor, Bengie Molina, Max Ramirez, Jeff Francoeur, Cristian Guzman, Rich Harden, Dustin Nippert, Frank Francisco, Doug Mathis, John Whittleman, Marcus Lemon, Guillermo Moscoso
Summary
The Rangers didn't sign Cliff Lee, Jim Thome, or Vladimir Guerrero, trade Michael Young, acquire Zack Greinke or Matt Garza, or move Neftali Feliz to the rotation, though those topics provided plenty of fodder for MLBTR this offseason. Instead, GM Jon Daniels gave Beltre a huge contract and tinkered at a few positions, capping his winter by signing an extension himself. For an added dose of drama, managing partner and CEO Chuck Greenberg was ousted for reasons unknown.
The Rangers were Lee's second choice, and they extended themselves to a reported six-year, $138MM offer that included major deferrals. Lee's eventual contract with the Phillies includes big-time deferrals in its own right, with a low first-year salary and a $12.5MM buyout at the end. Based on the information we have, the Rangers' offer appears better, and it was fair for Texas to balk at a seventh year.
Regarding alternatives to Lee, Daniels continued big-game hunting. We didn't hear about the Rangers bidding on the Carl Pavanos of the world; instead, they inquired on Greinke, Garza, Francisco Liriano, and even Bobby Jenks as a starter. We don't know the prices for Greinke and Garza exactly, though Derek Holland and Engel Beltre would have been involved. Holland might be close enough to his own big league success that abstaining was the right move. The Rangers ultimately signed a pitcher with ace potential in Webb, but I liked the move more when I thought 30 starts was a possibility. Now we're left wondering if he can provide half that, a reminder that Webb is nothing more than a $3MM wild card for Texas.
The Rangers seriously considered putting Feliz in the rotation, a move I supported. Better foresight might have involved signing Jenks or J.J. Putz to close early in the offseason, protecting against the possible need to use Feliz as a starter. Daniels shipped out a closer candidate in Frank Francisco, but betting against his health seems like the right move for the team that knows his medical records best.
After failing to sign Lee, Daniels shifted to another top free agent in Adrian Beltre. Beltre (pictured) and Young are both solid hitters, though Beltre has a touch more power. The bigger upgrade is defensively, where replacing Young with Beltre should net the team at least a couple of additional wins. The contract for Beltre was bigger than I expected, especially since signing him came with the significant cost of a first-round draft pick. The argument is that the Rangers received two good picks when Lee signed with the Phillies, but that doesn't nullify giving up #26 for Beltre. Daniels' other free agent touches – Torrealba and Rhodes – just filled a couple of needs at market prices.
Young must have an amazing P.R. team, having twice created a distraction in recent years by demanding a trade but still being generally regarded as the ultimate professional. This time he was "misled and manipulated" by Daniels, perhaps because the Rangers tried to trade him after telling him they wouldn't. The Rangers seemingly did their due diligence after Young's request, but the attempt to move him was half-hearted if their reported demand for top prospects was accurate. Young is paid about double what he'd get on the open market, and the Rangers are best-served using him at DH and other spots rather than agreeing to a lopsided trade favoring the other team.
The Rangers pondered multiple DH options aside from Young, making the best offer to Jim Thome but getting turned down. Once Napoli was acquired, further improvement of the offense became a luxury. If healthy, this team can hit.
The Rangers' rotation remains questionable on paper, though it was a year ago as well. If C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis can approximate last year's performance and Holland takes a step forward, they'll have enough to win the division. If the rotation looks suspect in June, expect the Rangers to once again battle the Yankees to acquire anything resembling a front-end starter.
Photo courtesy Icon SMI.
Rangers Close To Signing Leon’ys Martin
12:57pm: However, Peter Gammons hears that the Red Sox offered less than $2MM for Martin (Twitter link).
THURSDAY, 12:44pm: The Red Sox offered Martin over $12MM and the Rangers topped that offer, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Knobler hears good things about Martin from a scout whose team dropped out of the bidding.
WEDNESDAY: The Rangers are close to signing Cuban center fielder Leon'ys Martin to a Major League deal, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The 23-year-old defected from Cuba last year and hit free agency last month. If the Rangers complete the signing, Martin will start his career in the minor leagues.
Baseball America's John Manuel described Martin as a speedy outfielder who plays strong defense. He was a bench player for Cuba in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and is "considered an elite prospect," according to ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr.
Heyman On Orioles, Young, Thome, Red Sox
Orioles president Andy MacPhail told Jon Heyman of SI.com that Baltimore can contend if their young rotation continues pitching well. "If our starting pitchers pitch the way they did the last two months [of 2010] and the first four games [of 2011], of course we'll be a contender.'' The O’s are eyeing back-of-the-rotation help, just in case. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors:
- The Rangers may have enough hitting to be able to afford trading Michael Young for a starting pitcher. With three starters on the DL, the Rangers may already have some of the pitching they need. Rangers GM Jon Daniels said this week that the club is not discussing possible deals involving Young or anyone else.
- The Marlins will likely need a third baseman, as Donnie Murphy has not proven he’s more than a part-time player.
- Jim Thome does not assume that he’ll retire after 2011. "Why not keep going as long as you can do it?'' Thome asked.
- The Red Sox say they aren’t concerned about Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Heyman hears that the catcher has until June to prove he belongs in Boston.
Daniels On Feliz, Ogando, Young
Rangers GM Jon Daniels told Jim Bowden and Casey Stern that he expects the development of the Rangers’ young starters to have a major say in the organization’s 2011 success. Here are the other highlights from Daniels’ conversation on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM:
- The Rangers definitely believe Neftali Feliz, the team’s current closer, has the stuff to start in the Major Leagues. Daniels points out that the industry values starters more than relievers, since starters log more innings and can shut down the opposition for an entire game. The Rangers remain open to inserting Feliz into the rotation in 2012.
- Alexi Ogando “really wanted” to start and the Rangers are happy to have a free look at him in the rotation while other, more experienced starters like Tommy Hunter, Scott Feldman and Brandon Webb recover from injuries.
- The Rangers aren't discussing Michael Young trades and don't have any plans to reignite talks. “It’s really not even a topic of conversation as far as we’re concerned right now,” Daniels said. “We have no conversations going about trading any of our players right now, Michael included, and I don't see any coming up.”
Quick Hits: Zito, Orioles, Meyer, Cardinals
Links for Sunday, as Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler become the first set of teammates in MLB history to homer in each of their team's first three games…
- Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) knows that the point has been made before, but he finds it unfathomable that the Giants thought it smart to give $126MM to Barry Zito.
- The Orioles released minor league outfielder Danny Figueroa, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
- The Phillies have released Dan Meyer from their minor league camp, tweets Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.
- Within his Sunday Baseball Notes, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that the Rangers "haven't closed the door" on a Michael Young trade. Cafardo says not to rule out the Phillies, though the Phils are a little more optimistic about Chase Utley's health than they were a couple weeks ago.
- Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. says his club has room to add payroll this season "if the right situation develops," according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier discusses former first round pick Jason Place, who the Red Sox released yesterday.
- In an article for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Terry Pluto takes a look at the Indians' future infield.
Jon Daniels Discusses Adrian Gonzalez Trade
Rangers GM Jon Daniels was in his first offseason on the job five years ago, though he made what is arguably his second most memorable trade to date. In December 2005, Daniels agreed to trade Adrian Gonzalez to the Padres as part of a three-player package for Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka. Gonzalez was only 23 at the time, but he had just completed his third year in Triple-A, hitting .338/.399/.561. Mark Teixeira, then 25, was coming off an All-Star season that saw him hit .301/.379/.575 with 43 homers. There didn't appear to be room for both.
Daniels spoke to WEEI.com's Alex Speier about the trade, admitting that they made the move to bolster their short-term playoff chances.
"Our error in that was not so much our evaluation of Adrian," Daniels said. "Our biggest miss in that situation was really our evaluation of our club, where we were competitively and in the division. We thought that there was a window there in ’05-’06 to really push. We won 89 games [in 2004], were a .500 club in ’05, hadn’t made too many changes. Our [front office] group came in in ’05. We probably tried to step on the gas before we were ready. Not probably – we did.”
Daniels added that other teams had inquired about Gonzalez before the trade went down, but Texas didn't project him to be the star-caliber player he's become. As funny as it sounds now, Daniels said the question then "was how much power" Adrian would provide. In the five years since the trade, only eight players have hit more homers than Gonzalez, who's been stuck in Petco Park. "Clearly, had we known [how good he'd become], we would have found a way to make it work," said Daniels.
Every GM that's been on the job long enough has horror stories. Brian Cashman traded a young Mike Lowell for three pitching prospects that contributed next to nothing at the big league level. Theo Epstein acquired an awful half-season of Eric Gagne for three young players, including David Murphy, who drove in the game-winning run against Epstein's Red Sox yesterday. Shin-Soo Choo was traded for Ben Broussard. The list goes on and on. Daniels made up for it less than two years later, when he made his best deal to date by acquiring five young players for Teixeira and Ron Mahay. That deal netted closer Neftali Feliz, shortstop Elvis Andrus, starting pitcher Matt Harrison, and catcher turned trade chip Jarrod Saltalamacchia. No one can win them all, but you'd like the losses to not include a player of Gonzalez's caliber.
Minor Deals: Rangers, Padres, Marlins
The Braves made a pair of minor deals yesterday; here are today's minor moves…
- The Rangers released several minor leaguers including former major leaguer Ty Taubenheim, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- The Padres released right fielder Kellen Kulbacki, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). The 40th overall selection in 2007, Kulbacki has a .273/.357/.448 line in four pro seasons.
- The Marlins released right-handed reliever Brett Sinkbeil, according to Eddy (on Twitter). Sinkbeil, the 19th overall selection in 2006, spent 2010 on the Marlins' 40-man roster and boosted his strikeout rate to 8.0 K/9 as a reliever at Triple-A.
Minor Moves: Braves, Red Sox, White Sox
A few minor league moves of note as organizations continue to shuffle their affiliates' rosters…
- The Braves released left-hander Brett DeVall, a sandwich-round pick in 2008 (40th overall), tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America. DeVall is still only 21, but elbow troubles limited him to just 160 innings at Class A Rome the past two seasons, according to Eddy. For his career, DeVall has a 3.92 ERA, 6.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9. Atlanta selected DeVall with the pick it received for the loss of Ron Mahay – whom it acquired with Mark Teixeira from Texas – to free agency following the 2007 campaign.
- The Braves have acquired utilityman Marcus Lemon from the Rangers for a player to be named, tweets Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. Lemon, 23 in June, was a fourth-round pick of Texas in 2006, and has a career .274/.348/.372 line in five minor league campaigns, topping out at Double-A Frisco the past two seasons. He was drafted as a shortstop but began moving around the diamond in 2009.
- The Red Sox released right-handed reliever Bryce Cox, tweets Eddy. Bryce was a third-round pick out of Rice in 2006, and he was ultimately felled by a 5.7 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 in 96 career outings with Double-A Portland, according to Eddy.
- The Red Sox also released first baseman Aaron Bates, utility man Ryan Khoury and right-hander Adam Mills, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Bates (who had a cup of coffee with Boston in 2009) and Khoury were selected in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, in the third and 12th rounds, respectively, while Mills went in the ninth round in 2007.
- The White Sox released infielder C.J. Retherford, tweets Eddy. Retherford, 25, was a fairly promising prospect at Class A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham in 2008 and '09, respectively, but he struggled at two stops last season, notes Eddy. For his four-year minor league career, he has a .273/.327/.442 line.