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Quick Hits: Blue Jays, Marlins, Ethier

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Now that we’re midway through the 2012-13 offseason, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com checks in with executives, statistical analysts and oddsmakers to take a look at the teams that have improved themselves the most this winter. Not surprisingly, the Blue Jays are a popular choice for most improved team. Here are some more links from around MLB…

Blue Jays Claim Mickey Storey

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The Blue Jays announced that they claimed right-hander Mickey Storey off of waivers from the Astros. Toronto's 40-man roster is full after claiming Storey, who had been designated for assignment by Houston two days ago.

It's been a busy month for Storey. The Yankees claimed him off of waivers from Houston on November 20th, only to designate him for assignment in early December. Houston then claimed Storey back off of waivers, before removing him from the 40-man roster on Monday.

Storey made 26 relief appearances for the Astros this past season. The 26-year-old posted a 3.86 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 30 1/3 innings at the MLB level. He also spent considerable time at Triple-A in 2012, posting a 3.05 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 65 innings.

Minor Moves: Martinez, Spence, Shirek, Blue Jays

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The latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Brewers have agreed to a $50K contract with Dominican outfielder Geraldy Martinez, according to the Dominican Prospect League.  Martinez, 17, hits from the right side of the plate and "hits the ball hard gap to gap with true power from [his] pull side," according to the DPL website.
  • The Yankees announced that they have outrighted left-hander Josh Spence to Triple-A after Spence cleared waivers.  Spence was claimed off waivers from San Diego earlier this month and designated for assignment by New York earlier this week to create 40-man roster space for Kevin Youkilis.
  • The White Sox announced that they have requested unconditional release waivers on Charlie Shirek so that the right-hander can pursue opportunities in Asia. The 27-year-old spent this past season at Triple-A Charlotte, where he posted a 3.65 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 170 1/3 innings as a starter. Shirek, who does not have any MLB experience, will pitch in Korea, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports (on Twitter). Chicago’s 40-man roster now has 38 players.
  • The Blue Jays announced that they signed right-hander Ramon Ortiz and outfielder Ryan Langerhans to minor league deals that include invitations to MLB Spring Training. The 39-year-old Ortiz spent the 2012 season with the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, posting a 3.45 ERA in 27 starts. Langerhans, 32, spent most of this past season with the Angels' Triple-A affiliate, but he did appear in two games at the MLB level. He posted a .250/.369/.446 batting line in 401 Triple-A plate appearances.
  • The Blue Jays also signed minor league infielder Lance Zawadzki to a minor-league deal, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports (on Twitter).

AL East Links: Orioles, Ellsbury, Ross, Iglesias

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We've already had one batch of AL East Notes on MLBTR today, but here are some more items on a busy day around the division…

  • The Orioles have had a quiet offseason while their division rivals have been spending, writes Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.  While the O's didn't make any major signings en route to a playoff appearance last year and face a payroll increase due to several arbitration-eligible players, Schmuck thinks spending on a big free agent like Adam LaRoche would help the team contend again.
  • A Dodgers official flatly denied that the Dodgers and Red Sox could make an Andre Ethier/Jacoby Ellsbury swap, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Ethier's name has come up in recent rumors but L.A. isn't shopping the outfielder and doesn't appear eager to move him.
  • Also from Cafardo, he hears from an AL general manager that the Red Sox may be trying to deal Ellsbury so they can shift Shane Victorino to center field and then sign Cody Ross.  Several teams are interested in Ross but none have yet met his desired price of a three-year, $21-$31MM contract.

Earlier updates:

  • Jose Iglesias has "always been available, but nobody has knocked down [Boston's] door," writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe about the Red Sox prospect's trade value.  Given that Stephen Drew was signed to just a one-year contract, it's too early to say that the Sox have given up on Iglesias as a long-term solution at shortstop. 
  • Also from Cafardo's piece, he thinks that Rafael Soriano and Matt Garza could both still be targets for the Red Sox.
  • Right-hander Daniel McCutchen has received multiple offers to play in Japan, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes has learned.  McCutchen’s minor league deal with the Orioles permits him to accept an offer from a Japanese team. The 30-year-old appeared in one game for the Pirates this past season, but he spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 2.98 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 63 1/3 innings.
  • The Blue Jays were picked as the 2013 AL East champions by 13 of 20 scouts and executives polled by FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi.  In that same poll, the Orioles were picked to finish last by 10 voters, while the Red Sox received six last-place votes and were the only team that didn't get at least one pick as division winners.  Morosi himself picks Toronto for first place and Boston for last.
  • From earlier today, the Rays signed Roberto Hernandez, the Red Sox finalized the signing of Koji Uehara and I compiled some Yankees-related notes.

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post

AL East Notes: Drew, Orioles, Blue Jays, Rays

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On this date 21 years ago, the Blue Jays signed free agent starter Jack Morris to a two-year contract. The right-hander had recently led the Twins to a memorable World Series win over the Braves, out-pitching John Smoltz with ten shutout innings in the deciding seventh game. Morris won 21 games for the 1992 Blue Jays, and Toronto captured its first World Series title. Though Morris struggled in 1993, the Blue Jays successfully defended their title. Now 57, Morris is a candidate for Hall of Fame induction. Here are today's AL East links…

  • Stephen Drew will obtain $500K if he reaches 500 plate appearances in 2013, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Drew agreed to terms with the Red Sox on a one-year, $9.5MM deal yesterday.
  • The Orioles have spoken with at least six teams about possible trades, Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com reports. The Orioles are seeking a middle of the order bat, but aren't willing to trade their best prospects to obtain one. While there's some interest in pitchers such as Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Chris Tillman and Zach Britton, there are indications the Orioles wouldn't want to trade more than one of them. Plus, their trade value isn't particularly high.
  • The Blue Jays are prioritizing present gains over future potential, Shi Davidi writes at Sportsnet.ca. But it's not about a one-year gamble for GM Alex Anthopoulos. "This allows us to really put what we feel is a contending team together for an extended run, for a three-to-five year period," Anthopoulos said. An interesting note from Davidi's piece: Zack Greinke will out-earn Dickey's $30MM contract about a month into the 2014 season. The two contracts were signed under different circumstances, of course, but it’s still noteworthy.
  • Curtis Granderson expects to hit free agency after the 2013 season, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. The Yankees have a team policy of waiting until players hit free agency before negotiating extensions, and Granderson doesn’t expect GM Brian Cashman to make an exception for him. “I’m just excited to play this year, and then, once we get to the end, we’ll take it at that point,” he said.
  • In a separate piece, Davidoff suggests that the best-run teams — he cites the Rays as one example — look to contend every year instead of targeting specific windows.

Alderson, Anthopoulos Discuss Dickey Trade

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The Mets' trade of R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays became official earlier tonight, and general managers Sandy Alderson and Alex Anthopoulos addressed the media in a conference call (all links go to Twitter)…

  • Anthopoulos "had no idea" he would have this kind of money to spend this offseason (Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reporting).
  • Noah Syndergaard was the last player the Mets insisted on acquiring, according to Anthopoulos (Knobler reporting). By that point, Travis d'Arnaud had been on the table for more than a week.
  • Anthopoulos said that the deal was essentially agreed to by last Thursday (Knobler reporting).
  • The Blue Jays wanted Mike Nickeas in the deal in case of an injury to Josh Thole, so that they can have a backup catcher who has caught Dickey's knuckleball before (via Joel Sherman of the New York Post).
  • The Mets aren't punting 2013 and expect to acquire additional players this offseason, according to Alderson (ESPN New York's Adam Rubin reporting).
  • The Blue Jays initially expressed interest in Dickey about one week prior to the Winter Meetings (via Rubin).
  • Rubin adds that Alderson told d'Arnaud they would "see what happened" following Spring Training, and the GM also noted that d'Arnaud is very close to Major League ready.
  • Alderson stressed that this was a baseball decision rather than a financial decision, and that the team's initial preference was to sign Dickey to an extension (Rubin reporting). Sherman relays that Dickey had several contract offers that would've kept him in New York long-term.
  • Regarding the remainder of the offseason, Alderson says that the team will add a pitcher to whom they can commit a starting role (not just someone to compete with Jenrry Mejia). The team will also look to add catching depth, and is actively pursuing outfielders via free agency and trade (all links to Rubin).
  • Sherman adds that Alderson would like someone with upside similar to their deal with Chris Capuano in 2011. Sherman speculates that Francisco Liriano could match that description.
  • Anthopoulos said he would've walked away from trade negotiations had they thought Dickey's asking price was unreasonable, but they were comfortable with the numbers (via Rubin).
  • John Buck's inclusion and the Mets absorption of his salary came about because the Blue Jays were at their financial limit, according to Anthopoulos (via Rubin).

Blue Jays Acquire R.A. Dickey

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The Mets have sold high on R.A. Dickey after the 38-year-old knuckleballer's Cy Young season, trading him to the Blue Jays as part of a seven-player deal. Toronto will receive Dickey, Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas in exchange for John Buck and prospects Travis d'Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard and Wuilmer Becerra. As part of the deal, Toronto has also agreed to a three-year extension with Dickey. 

D'Arnaud, 24 in February, was rated as Baseball America's No. 17 prospect heading into 2012 and the Blue Jays' top prospect according to MLB.com. The catcher moved up to Triple-A this past season and posted a .333/.380/.595 batting line with 16 home runs in 67 games. While some have speculated that his knee could be trouble, the Mets have reportedly reviewed his medicals and deemed them to be fine.

Syndergaard, Toronto's third-best prospect as ranked by MLB.com, was a supplemental first round selection and the 38th overall pick in the 2010 draft. The 20-year-old spent last season at Class A Lansing posting a 2.60 ERA, 10.6 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 pitching line in 103 2/3 innings covering 27 games including 19 starts. Syndergaard's fastball can easily reach into the upper-90s with a power breaking ball and changeup that can develop into above-average or plus pitches.

Becerra, a native of Venezuela, played the first 11 games of his professional career this past season before turning 18 on October 1st. The right-handed hitter stands 6'4" and played left and right field during his Rookie League debut. Becerra signed for $1.3MM in July of 2011, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. He has athleticism and speed to go along with raw power, and could project as a power/speed corner outfielder, Badler wrote in March.

Nickeas, a Vancouver, British Columbia native, appeared in 47 games for the Mets in 2012. The right-handed hitting 29-year-old posted a .174/.242/.229 batting line in 122 plate appearances with New York. He has MLB experience in parts of three seasons, but is not yet arbitration eligible.

The 26-year-old Thole is a career .261/.331/.333 hitter in 1026 plate appearances for the Mets. The former 13th-round selection has served as New York's primary catcher in each of the past two seasons and is arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $1.2MM salary for Thole.

The Mets signed Dickey as a free agent three winters ago and he immediately became a fixture in the team's rotation. From 2010-11 he averaged 192 innings with a 3.08 ERA, 5.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9. Then, in 2012, Dickey's performance improved substantially. He led the National League with 233 2/3 innings pitched, 230 strikeouts and five complete games, posting a 2.73 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. He made his first All-Star appearance, collected MVP votes and won the NL Cy Young Award. It led to some differences of opinion on Dickey's value and some unique contract negotiations.

The Mets discussed an extension with the knuckleballer, but the sides didn't reach an agreement. The club exercised Dickey's 2013 option in October, which means he'll earn $5MM in 2013, and didn't appear to offer more than $20MM for the 2014-15 seasons. 

Many other teams had interest in trading for Dickey. Every AL East team checked in on him, and the Royals, Rangers, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Nationals and Angels were also interested at various points during the offseason. Ultimately, however, the Blue Jays offered the best package and will add Dickey to a rotation that also includes Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Brandon Morrow and Ricky Romero.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports was the first to report that the trade had been agreed upon. Joel Sherman and Mike Puma of the New York Post first reported that the framework consisted of Dickey, Thole and another player for D'Arnaud, Syndergaard, Buck and a prospect (all Twitter links). Jon Heyman of CBS Sports added that Nickeas and Becerra were the other two names involved in the deal.

Zach Links, Edward Creech and Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Blue Jays, Dickey Agree To Extension

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4:01pm: Dickey obtains a total of $30MM in guaranteed money from 2013-15, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News confirms (Twitter links). The contract also includes a $12MM club option for 2016. Dickey passed his physical, Martino reports (on Twitter).

1:59pm: The deal will be official if and when Dickey passes his physical, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes (on Twitter). It's Martino's understanding that all other medicals have been settled.

10:52am: Dickey landed in Florida to undergo his physical, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (Twitter links). Some of the two-year, $25MM extension will be a signing bonus.

10:42am: The sides are in agreement on a two-year, $25MM deal, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). The agreement is pending a physical, and the trade will be official if and when Dickey passes. The two-year deal would cover the 2014-15 seasons.

10:17am: Contract negotiations between R.A. Dickey and the Blue Jays "have ended successfully at an affordable rate," Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star reports. The Blue Jays will examine the knuckleballer at their Spring Training site before making an announcement, according to Griffin. Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos is believed to have met with Dickey at his home to discuss a deal, Griffin adds.

R.A. Dickey - Mets (PW)

The Blue Jays have until tomorrow at 1pm CDT to reach an agreement on an extension with Dickey, a client of agent Bo McKinnis. Assuming Dickey's physical goes as expected, he'll join the Blue Jays along with Josh Thole and a prospect. In return, the Mets would obtain Travis d'Arnaud,  Noah Syndergaard, John Buck and a prospect.

Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com wrote today that Dickey may have been aiming for more slightly more than $26MM in his negotiations with the Blue Jays. In talks with the Mets Dickey had been asking for $26MM for the 2014-15 seasons, with New York GM Sandy Alderson offering $20MM for that two-year period. The 38-year-old will earn a $5MM salary in 2013, so extension talks concern the 2014 season and beyond.

Dickey joins a new-look Blue Jays rotation that includes Brandon Morrow, Ricky Romero and former NL East starters Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle. Meanwhile, J.A. Happ, who had been Toronto's projected fifth starter, now appears to be a reliever/sixth starter. 

The Mets signed Dickey as a free agent three winters ago and he immediately became a fixture in the team's rotation. From 2010-11 he averaged 192 innings with a 3.08 ERA, 5.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9. Then, in 2012, Dickey's performance improved substantially. He led the National League with 233 2/3 innings pitched, 230 strikeouts and five complete games, posting a 2.73 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. He made his first All-Star appearance, collected MVP votes and won the NL Cy Young Award.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AL East Notes: Ellsbury, Blue Jays, Dickey, Orioles

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It’s been a busy day for AL East teams, with the Red Sox agreeing to sign Stephen Drew and the Blue Jays agreeing to an extension with R.A. Dickey. Here are some more notes from the division…

  • The Red Sox have been rebuffing trade inquiries about Jacoby Ellsbury, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Boston can obtain a compensatory draft pick if Ellsbury declines a qualifying offer to sign elsewhere following the 2013 season, when he’ll become eligible for free agency.
  • As Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes, the value of the Blue Jays' prospects shifted from what they might eventually contribute in Toronto to what they can bring back in trades.
  • The Blue Jays aim to win now, even if it means surrendering multiple top prospects for a 38-year-old, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. The Blue Jays are betting that Dickey's success will continue, and as Rosenthal points out the knuckleballer is no one-year fluke.
  • Though the Orioles have been quiet to this point in the offseason, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun points out that we're still eight weeks away from the start of Spring Training. The trade value on young arms such as Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz and Jake Arrieta remains unclear, Encina writes.

Olney On Blue Jays, Dickey, Drew, Rangers

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Baseball people who have had the Blue Jays decline past trade proposals involving Travis d'Arnaud are “completely shocked” that GM Alex Anthopoulos has agreed to send the catching prospect to the Mets for R.A. Dickey, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. "He's out of his mind," an AL official said of the Blue Jays GM. Here are some more notes from around MLB, starting with Dickey…

  • One longtime agent not involved in the extension talks between the Blue Jays and the knuckleballer said a three-year extension in the $40-45MM range would be fair for both sides, Olney reports. It’d be a surprise of Dickey gets that kind of money, however. The Mets offered him an additional $20MM over two years and he sought an additional $26MM for that two-year period.
  • Rival evaluators believe this could be an extraordinary return for the Mets.
  • The A’s had interest in Stephen Drew, but didn’t want to overpay to keep him. Drew, who recently agreed to sign with the Red Sox, has declining range in the view of some rival scouts.
  • Olney wonders if the Rangers might pursue Jason Kubel if they can’t agree with Arizona on a trade involving Justin Upton. Some MLB executives wonder if the Rangers overvalue their own prospects, according to Olney.
  • Some evaluators say the Angels have an awesome offense but that their pitching staff lacks depth.
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