Odds & Ends: Rauch, Rays, Jenks, Rockies, Rangers
On this date in 1997, the Red Sox traded Tony Armas Jr. and Carl Pavano to the Expos for reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez. A case can be made that Pedro's 1999 and 2000 seasons were the two best pitching seasons in baseball history, in which he held batters to a .186/.231/.274 batting line with 597 strikeouts in 430.1 innings.
It's highly unlikely that we'll see a pitcher of Pedro's caliber traded anytime soon, but that Zack Greinke kid is pretty good in his own right. Here are today's links…
- Two days ago we heard that the Rockies had interest in David Aardsma, Grant Balfour, and Todd Coffey, and now Troy Renck of The Denver post throws Jon Rauch's name into the mix.
- Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times has some quotes from Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg, who called the size of free agent contracts being handed out this winter "discouraging." He also commented (briefly) on the team's 2011 payroll.
- Bobby Jenks will take his physical on Monday, tweets Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. It was originally scheduled for today but was pushed back, and it's necessary to finalize his contract with the Red Sox.
- Renck also has the goods (Twitter links) on two recent Rockies signings. Ty Wigginton took less money to sign in Colorado, earning $3.5MM in 2011, $4MM in '12, and a club option for $4MM in '13 ($500k buyout). Meanwhile, pitcher Eric Stults has an out in his $435k minor league deal that will allow him to sign with the Hiroshima Carp if he does not make the big league roster.
- Richard Durrett of ESPN.com applauds the Rangers' efforts to bolster their starting depth.
- Dan Wheeler is happy to be a member of Boston's improved bullpen, writes MLB.com's Ian Browne.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that Seth McClung's deal with the Rangers will pay him $700K if he makes the team. There are another $700K available in bonuses tied to the number of starts he makes.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a report (via Twitter) indicating that Hideki Matsui's contract with the A's has a limited no-trade clause preventing trades to the Mariners, Orioles, Twins, Blue Jays, Indians, and Royals.
- Mariano Rivera told Erik Boland of Newsday that he plans to give long-time teammate Andy Pettitte a call to try to convince the lefty to come back for another season.
- Finding a left-handed bat off the bench is one of the last remaining items on the Marlins offseason agenda, but MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says they might already have that guy on their roster. Catcher John Baker, who is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, said he would be up for the job until he's cleared to catch again.
- Former Mets GM Omar Minaya told Ian Begley of ESPN New York that he plans to sit down with new GM Sandy Alderson after the holidays to discuss a potential new role with the team. Minaya said he has several offers on the table, including interest from the Diamondbacks.
- Hey iPhone users, do you have the MLBTR app yet? Jason Bartlett does, and that's how he found out his trade to the Padres was in the works.
Minor Deals: Chavez, Barden, Jacobs
We'll be keeping track of today's minor deals in this post..
- Endy Chavez has signed a minor league deal with the Rangers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The outfielder spent the 2010 season with the club as he rehabbed from knee surgery.
- The Rangers will also bring infielder Brian Barden in on a minor league deal, reports Anthony Andro of the Star-Telegram.
- The Rockies have signed first baseman Mike Jacobs, a source tells Troy Renck of The Denver Post (via Twitter). The 30-year-old spent time with the Triple-A affiliates of the Mets and Blue Jays last season, hitting .273/.335/.482 with 21 homers in 528 plate appearances. He'll make $14K per month in the minors and $700K if he reaches the majors, Renck tweets.
Olney’s Latest: Greinke, Cabrera, Astros
In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney says that the first day of Spring Training acts as an artificial deadline for the Royals to trade Zack Greinke. At that point he will show up to the clubhouse and dominate the team's storyline. Olney likens it to the Johan Santana situation from a few years ago, when the Twins felt pressure to move him before pitchers and catchers reported. He adds that Greinke's performance would then be under intense scrutiny, even during Spring Training, and if he pitches poorly his trade value will plummet.
Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…
- The Rangers made what was considered an aggressive offer for Greinke at the winter meetings only to learn that they fell way short of Kansas City's demands.
- The Nationals were informed that in order to land Greinke, they would have to part with Jordan Zimmermann, Drew Storen, and Danny Espinosa. Rival executives expect the asking price to come down in the weeks ahead.
- Orlando Cabrera is open to returning to the Twins. Minnesota just finalized a contract with Tsuyoshi Nishioka, but right now Alexi Casilla is penciled in as their everyday shortstop.
- The Astros were very much in on Orlando Hudson before he chose San Diego and they signed Bill Hall.
Rangers Sign Seth McClung
The Rangers have signed Seth McClung to a split contract, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The 6'6" right-hander will be looked at as a starter in Spring Training.
McClung, who turns 30-years-old in February, hooked on with the Marlins last winter but was cut loose just prior to Opening Day. He last appeared in the majors in 2009 with the Brewers, registering a 4.94 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9.
The veteran pitcher recently switched his representation from the Boras Corporation to Sosnick Cobbe Sports. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that he'll earn $700K if he makes the team, with another $700K available in bonuses tied to the number of starts he makes.
Minor Transactions: Morales, Harvey, Red Sox
On a busy day of moves around baseball, here are a few lower-profile transactions…
- The Rockies have acquired catcher Jose Morales from the Twins in exchange for minor league left-hander Paul Bargas, according to a Minnesota team release. Morales hit .297/.370/.354 in 181 plate appearances over parts of three seasons with the Twins, only seeing significant playing time while filling in for an injured Joe Mauer in April 2009. Bargas, taken in the 13th round of the 2009 amateur draft, posted a 3.59 ERA in 58 relief appearances for Colorado's Single-A Asheville affiliate last season.
- Ryan Harvey, picked sixth overall by the Cubs in the 2003 amateur draft, has signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. Harvey is trying to convert to pitching after posting a career .749 OPS as an outfielder in eight minor league seasons in the Cubs and Rockies' systems.
- In addition to Harvey, Boston has also signed left-handers Rich Hill and Randy Williams to minor league deals, as per a team release. Hill signed a minor league contract with Boston last summer and made six relief appearances for the Red Sox after spending the previous five years as a starter with the Cubs and Orioles. Williams spent the last two seasons with the White Sox, where he posted a 5.06 ERA in 52 games out of the bullpen. The two southpaws received invitations to spring training.
- The Rangers have signed right-hander Yhency Brazoban to a minor league contract, according to the Associated Press. Brazoban made 116 appearances for the Dodgers between 2004 and 2008, and last year pitched in the Mexican League and for the Mets' Triple-A team.
- Texas also signed 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Alberto Triunfel to a contract worth $300K, reports Baseball America's Ben Badler. Trifunel, a Scott Boras client, was ranked eighth on Blake Bentley's list of top prospects heading into the opening of the international signing period.
Greinke Can’t Block Trades To Angels, Rangers, Tigers
Zack Greinke can block trades to 15 teams and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that the Yankees, Red Sox and Nationals are among them. The Tigers, Angels and Rangers, however, could acquire the right-hander without his permission.
The Yankees reportedly have limited interest in Greinke, but the Nationals have shown interest in acquiring Greinke or Matt Garza. Though the Tigers and Angels haven't been linked to Greinke much this offseason, the Rangers are often mentioned as a possible destination for the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner. They prefer him to Fausto Carmona, according to Morosi (on Twitter). Greinke has two years and $27MM remaining on his contract.
Olney On Vlad, Zambrano, Yankees, Fuentes
The latest from ESPN.com's Buster Olney on potential contracts and trades:
- The Rangers and Vladimir Guerrero are now "on the same page" and are discussing the parameters of a one-year deal. Vlad originally sought a multiyear contract.
- Though there's been speculation that the Yankees could inquire on Carlos Zambrano, Olney reports that they will not attempt to acquire him.
- Now that the Red Sox have agreed to sign Bobby Jenks, their payroll is higher than the Yankees' (Twitter link).
- Brian Fuentes is looking for a deal that resembles the three-year $15MM contract Scott Downs signed, according to Olney (on Twitter).
Odds & Ends: Nady, Rangers, Felix, Gregg
Eight years ago today, the Twins released David Ortiz. He has since hit 291 regular season homers and 12 more in the playoffs, all for the Red Sox. Here are today's links…
- The D'Backs chose Xavier Nady over Austin Kearns, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). Arizona agreed to a one-year, $1.75MM deal with Nady last night.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels told Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com that he would welcome Vladimir Guerrero back under the right circumstances, but isn't sure when he'll have the team's DH situation resolved.
- The Rangers signed Japanese outfielder Hirotoshi Onaka, according to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (on Twitter). He was not selected in the NPB draft.
- The Yankees called the Mariners about Felix Hernandez and heard that he is absolutely not available, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
- Russell Martin needs knee surgery, but the Yankees don't consider the injury serious, so they signed him anyway, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link).
- The Orioles continue to negotiate with Kevin Gregg, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
Odds & Ends: Lee, Zambrano, Werth, Mets, Uehara
Baseball lost one of its all-time greats tonight; Bob Feller passed away at 92. Rapid Robert won 266 games in his career, every single one of them with the Cleveland Indians. He probably would have cleared the 300 win plateau if he hadn't served in World War II from ages 23-25. Our condolences go out to the Hall of Famer's family…
- Baseball America's Matt Eddy posted this week's edition of minor league transactions. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports adds (via Twitter) that the Twins have signed infielder Mike Hollimon to a minor league deal. He missed all of 2010 recovering from shoulder surgery.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman says (via Twitter) that Derrek Lee is telling teams he'd consider a one-year deal. At least six teams are interested in the free agent first baseman.
- Carlos Zambrano has not yet given the Cubs his consent to trade him, reports MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. The right-hander has a full no-trade clause.
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson looks at the impact the Jayson Werth signing will have on 2010 first overall pick (and right fielder) Bryce Harper. The Nationals plan to play Werth in center at least part of the time going forward.
- ESPN New York's Adam Rubin provides the contract details for D.J. Carrasco, Ronny Paulino, and Boof Bonser, while Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun does the same for Koji Uehara.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports spoke to Phillies' general partner, president, and CEO David Montgomery about a variety of topics, including the Lee signing.
- Agent Scott Boras said Werth has a full no-trade clause, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
- Not surprisingly, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has no interest in trading Felix Hernandez, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
- Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond has heard the trade rumors, but wants to stay in Washington, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Josh Hamilton told Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com that he hasn't thought much about a contract extension.
- MLB's minimum salary will rise to $414K next year, according to the AP (on ESPN.com).
- The A's acquired Jose Rivero, a 20-year-old outfielder selected by the D'Backs in this year's Rule 5 draft, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter).
Phillies Sign Cliff Lee
The wait is over. In a surprising development that leaves two top American League teams empty-handed, Cliff Lee has signed a five-year, $120MM deal with the Phillies, the team announced today. The contract includes a $27.5MM vesting option for 2016 with a $12.5MM buyout, plus partial no-trade clause.
MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan first reported the deal, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reported on the terms and vesting option (on Twitter). Agent Darek Braunecker represents the left-hander.
After months of rumors that suggested he'd sign with the highest bidder, Lee turned down tens of millions in guaranteed money to sign in Philadelphia. Crasnick hears the Yankees offered a deal that guaranteed Lee $132MM over six years, plus a $16MM player option for a seventh year (Twitter link). At $148MM guaranteed, that was the highest bid. The Rangers offered $138MM over six years, and their proposal included a vesting option that could have brought the value of the deal to $161MM, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (Twitter links). That offer included huge deferrals, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.
Almost exactly a year after they traded Lee for Roy Halladay, the lefty is back in Philadelphia. Like Halladay, who signed an extension that delayed his free agency, Lee opted to play for the Phillies instead of looking for the biggest contract possible. The Phils could have a historically good rotation if Lee, Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels stay healthy.
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. proves once again that he has a knack for acquiring ace pitchers. He has traded for Lee, Halladay and Oswalt and signed Lee since becoming the team's GM after its 2008 World Series title.
Another Philadelphia pitcher, Joe Blanton, is on the trading block, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). Amaro could deal Blanton, who earns $17MM through 2012, and/or left fielder Raul Ibanez, who will earn $11.5MM in 2011 before his contract expires.
The Rangers get the Phillies' 33rd overall pick, plus a supplementary first round selection in next year's draft, but they lose out on their primary offseason target. Though the Rangers have been linked to Zack Greinke and other possible trade targets, this is undeniably a blow for the team, which is in the midst of its first offseason under new ownership.
But it's the Yankees who might be the biggest losers of all. They miss out on a pitcher they coveted just days after the division rival Red Sox acquired Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. Now that Crawford and Jayson Werth have signed, the Yankees will try to convince Andy Pettitte to return and determine whether to make a run at Greinke.
Their projected rotation still includes Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre, so it's fair to expect GM Brian Cashman to acquire an arm. The next best free agent starter available is Carl Pavano, but it would be a shock to see the Yankees express interest in him.
It appeared for most of the offseason that the Yankees or Rangers would sign Lee, but rumblings of a mystery team persisted until it became apparent that the Phillies were also bidding on the left-hander. The Red Sox, Nationals and Angels were among the other teams to show some interest in Lee.
Phillies fans are surely thrilled to have Lee back in Philadelphia, but the MLB Players Association won't necessarily like his decision to leave so much money on the table instead of setting a precedent for other pitchers. However, this offseason has seen two free agents (Werth and Crawford) sign nine-figure contracts, so players are doing well in general.
Lee becomes the sixth pitcher in baseball history to sign for more than $100MM. He signed for more than Kevin Brown, the first pitcher to sign a $100MM deal, but less than C.C. Sabathia, Johan Santana, Barry Zito or Mike Hampton. Bargain or not, Lee's new contract is the 23rd most lucrative in baseball history.