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Contract Details: Tejeda, Blue Jays, Phillies, Pirates

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MLB.com's beat reporters have been digging up details on some recent minor league deals. Here are the latest updates:

Blue Jays Sign Darren Oliver

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10:51am: Oliver is guaranteed a total of $4.5MM, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned.  He'll earn a $4MM salary in 2012 and the 2013 option has a $500K buyout.

9:43am: Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos made his biggest free agent signing in two-plus years at the helm, inking lefty reliever Darren Oliver to a one-year, $4MM deal.  The contract includes a $3MM club option for 2013, announced the team.  Oliver is represented by Jeff Frye.

Oliver

Oliver, 41, was a modified Type B free agent per the new collective bargaining agreement, meaning the Rangers will receive a supplemental first round draft pick as compensation (tentatively #51 overall). The Jays will not forfeit a pick. Oliver pitched to a 2.40 ERA in 112 1/3 innings for Texas the last two years, holding lefty batters to a .212/.250/.306 line during that time.  The Blue Jays have added Sergio Santos, Jason Frasor, and Oliver to their bullpen this offseason.

The Rangers and Angels expressed some interest in Oliver this offseason. The market for free agent lefty relievers is dwindling, with Mike Gonzalez and Arthur Rhodes representing the best of the remaining bunch.

T.R. Sullivan and Jon Heyman broke the story.  Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.  Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Blue Jays Designate Mark Teahen For Assignment

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The Blue Jays designated third baseman Mark Teahen for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot for Darren Oliver, announced the team.

The Jays acquired Teahen from the White Sox as part of a salary dump, and they'll be assuming the $5.5MM left on his contract for 2012.  The 30-year-old hit .200/.273/.300 in 177 plate appearances last year, playing the infield and outfield corners.

Teahen was a big component of the 2004 trade that sent Carlos Beltran to the Astros.  He couldn't sustain a strong partial season in 2006 for the Royals, and was traded to the White Sox in November of '09.  A few months later the Sox signed him to a surprising three-year, $14MM extension.

Kevin Cash Retires

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Former backstop Kevin Cash has decided to retire, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. While Cash will end his playing career, he'll remain involved in the game, having been hired by the Blue Jays as a Major League advance scout.

Cash, 34, spent the majority of his career playing for AL East clubs, including stints with the Jays, Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees. He also appeared in the bigs for the Astros in 2010. In parts of eight Major League seasons, Cash posted a .526 OPS in 714 plate appearances. Most recently, Tim Wakefield's former catcher hit .244/.350/.371 in 2011 at the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock.

In his new scouting role for Toronto, Cash will return to the organization that signed him as an amateur free agent in 1999. His first non-playing MLB job likely won't be his last — according to Cafardo, Cash is "one of those guys you always thought would wind up being a Major League manager."

AL East Notes: Damon, Ramirez, Scott, Oliver, Theriot

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Here are some items out of the American League East..

  • Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman continues to comb the market for a pair of bats but is confident that the right deals will present themselves, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  Friedman says that both Johnny Damon and Casey Kotchman are candidates to return, but Topkin writes that they would only look to bring one back if they wanted to improve at either spot.
  • Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette wouldn't say much when asked about the club's interest in Manny Ramirez, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.  However, Duquette did confirm that the club still has interest in Luke Scott, who they non-tendered last month.  At least eleven teams have expressed some level of interest in the 33-year-old.
  • Blue Jays skipper John Farrell won't comment on what's holding up the official announcement of the club's deal with Darren Oliver, but it's likely related to finding spot on the 40-man roster, tweets Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.  Toronto agreed to sign the reliever to a one-year deal with a club option for 2013 earlier this week.
  • The Rays wanted Brooks Conrad on a minor-league deal but Conrad ultimately chose the Brewers because they offered greater potential for at-bats, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Rosenthal adds (via Twitter) that the Rays also like Ryan Theriot as they seek out a utility infielder.

Orioles Notes: Soriano, Pitching, Ramirez, Miller

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Yesterday, we heard that the Orioles and Cubs talked about a deal involving Alfonso Soriano.  In order to ship the outfielder elsewhere, the Cubs would have to eat a substantial portion of the $54MM remaining on his contract.  Here's more on Soriano and the Orioles..

  • Talks between the Orioles and Cubs were probably not very serious, sources told Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com.  Dan Duquette doesn't want to spend heavily on a designated hitter and even if the Cubs ate about 80% of the $54MM owed to Soriano, the O's would still be on the hook for $3-4MM for each of the next three seasons.
  • Dubroff adds that if Duquette shells out a big contract this winter, it'll be for a pitcher, not for a one-dimensional DH.  Former O's reliever Mike Gonzalez is still on the open market, but it's not likely that he'll get the chance to redeem himself in Baltimore.
  • The Orioles and Blue Jays have both evaluated Manny Ramirez, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (Spanish link).  According to a source, both clubs sent scouts to watch Ramirez hit in an indoor cage in Miami.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter) writes that executive director of international recruiting Fred Ferreira and manager Buck Showalter watched Ramirez take batting practice shortly after the Winter Meetings.
  • The Orioles didn't trade for Jai Miller because of concerns over Nick Markakis' health, writes Kubatko.  Miller is seen as an upgrade over former first-round pick Brandon Snyder, and a better overall player than Matt Angle.  The O's acquired Miller for $45K from the Athletics on Tuesday.
  • The Orioles signed Korean right-hander Eun Chul Choi to a minor league deal, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun.  Not much is known about the 6-foot-5 hurler, but based on comments from Duquette, it seems that his signing marks the beginning of a serious push into Korea by the organization.

AL West Notes: Dipoto, Hamilton, Mariners, Beane

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Here's the latest news and notes out of the AL West…

  • The Angels have reached their payroll limit and any further moves will have to come via the trade market, GM Jerry Dipoto tells Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles.  Dipoto says the club would need "a fairly compelling reason" to trade either Kendrys Morales or Mark Trumbo, but "there are scenarios you could envision."
  • Dipoto tells Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times that the Angels' signing of infielder Jorge Cantu isn't a sign that the Halos have new concerns about the health of either Morales or Trumbo.
  • Josh Hamilton's hard-nosed style of play (and subsequent injuries) will make it hard for the outfielder to earn top dollar either in free agency or from an extension with the Rangers, writes MLB.com's Lyle Spencer.
  • The Mariners recently turned down inquiries about Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda from Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  This doesn't really represent a failed attempt for Anthopoulos since, as Rosenthal explains, the Toronto GM "routinely asks about the best players on every team. He almost always is told no."
  • The Mariners have addressed most of their offseason wish list, notes MLB.com's Greg Johns, except their biggest need: an impact bat.  Johns says there has been no indication that the biggest name the M's have been connected to this winter, Prince Fielder, has any interest in coming to Seattle.
  • Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle finds it "astounding" that Billy Beane is remaining with the Athletics through this latest rebuilding period, but the A's GM isn't just looking ahead to the club's potential move to San Jose.  "I'm too competitive to 'punt' anything," Beane said. "It's not part of my DNA. I've got an emotional investment in this team, and if we're playing in Oakland, then let's make the best of the situation. I don't leave for clear skies as soon as I start seeing the clouds. I keep thinking something will get better."

Heyman On Rizzo, Rangers, Webb, Jackson

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The Cubs acquired Anthony Rizzo from the Padres today, but they weren’t the only team with interest in the first base prospect. The Indians, Blue Jays and Rays also had some interest in Rizzo, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Here are more notes from Heyman (they all go to Twitter):

Minor Moves: Jacobs, Gaudin, Delaney, Fields, Mather

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We'll keep track of today's minor moves right here..

  • The Pirates announced that they signed right-hander Logan Kensing to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training.  The 29-year-old spent the 2011 campaign with the Yankees' top affiliate after recovering from elbow surgery in 2010.
  • The Reds signed catchers Brian Esposito and Brian Peacock to minor league deals, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America.
  • The Tigers signed utility player Eric Patterson to a minor league deal, tweets Eddy.
  • The Mets signed right-hander Jeff Stevens and utility player Corey Wimberly to minor league deals, tweets Eddy.
  • The A's signed right-handers Travis Schlichting and Merkin Valdez and left-hander Fabio Castro to minor league deals, Eddy tweets.
  • The Yankees signed right-hander Adam Miller and outfielders Cole Garner and Dewayne Wise to minor league deals, Eddy tweets.
  • The Diamondbacks signed first baseman Mike Jacobs to a minor league deal, tweets Eddy.  Before playing, Jacobs still must serve a 50-game suspension for positive a HGH test in August.  He was cut by the Rockies following the test.
  • The Marlins picked up right-handers Chad Gaudin and Rob Delaney on minor league deals, Eddy tweets.  In nine big league seasons, Gaudin has a 4.63 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9.  Delaney spent most of 2011 with the Rays' Triple-A affiliate, posting a 1.86 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.
  • The Dodgers signed third baseman Josh Fields, according to Goldstein (via Twitter).
  • The Cubs signed Joe Mather as Triple-A outfield insurance, according to Goldstein (via Twitter).  Mather spent 36 games on the Braves' major league roster in 2011.
  • The Nationals have signed right-hander Dan Cortes, according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (via Twitter).
  • Speaking of the Braves, Atlanta released former Rangers draftee Marcus Lemon, Goldstein tweets.  Lemon was acquired in a March trade for a PTBNL.
  • P.J. Phillips, the younger brother of Brandon Phillips, agreed to a deal with the Reds, tweets Goldstein.  The younger Phillips' career never got going due to plate discipline issues.
  • The Blue Jays signed former Angels/Braves relief prospect Stephen Marek, Goldstein tweets.  The right-hander was outrighted by Atlanta in November and underwent Tommy John surgery in May.
  • The White Sox signed 2000 first-round pick Corey Smith, Goldstein tweets.  The 29-year-old has never reached the Majors.

Starting Pitching Options For The Blue Jays

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Alex Anthopoulos hasn't committed more than $3.75MM to any free agent since becoming the Blue Jays' general manager more than two years ago. He has downplayed the likelihood of a substantial increase in payroll this offseason and the Blue Jays don’t appear to be especially interested in free agent right-handers Hiroki Kuroda, Roy Oswalt and Edwin Jackson, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. In other words, it’ll be a surprise if the Jays sign one of the top available free agent starters before Opening Day.

It’s not clear how the Blue Jays intend to bolster their starting corps, but it’s no secret they could use rotation help heading into the 2012 season. Ricky Romero leads a rotation that will likely include Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil and Henderson Alvarez. To compete in the stacked American League East, they’ll probably need reinforcements.

As MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes explained earlier today, there are many lower-tier free agents who represent buy-low opportunities for teams like the Blue Jays. It’s not clear whether the Blue Jays believe free agents such as Paul Maholm, Joe Saunders and Jeff Francis could thrive in a division that includes two of the game's most potent offenses. None of the three left-handers averaged a 90 mph fastball or struck out more than 5.4 batters per nine innings in 2011, though they all pitched at least 160 innings.

Free agent right-hander Bartolo Colon could appeal to the Blue Jays on a one-year deal, but only if the front office is willing to overlook a pedestrian second half that included two ugly starts in Toronto. There’s also Rich Harden, the British Columbia native who posted 9.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 15 starts for the Athletics. It appears unlikely either Colon or Harden would require a major financial commitment, but both have histories of health issues that could reduce Toronto’s interest. 

Anthopoulos has averaged roughly one trade per month since becoming the team’s GM in 2009, so it’s safe to say he’s eyeing the trade market and it's likely he's looking beyond highly publicized trade targets like Matt Garza (he’s not likely to join Toronto’s rotation, according to Rosenthal). Since 2010, the Blue Jays have orchestrated deals involving Sergio Santos, Vernon Wells and Yunel Escobar without much advance notice, giving Toronto fans reason to expect the unexpected.

It appears that Jair Jurrjens, Gavin Floyd, Jon Niese, Chris Volstad, Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers could be obtained for the right combination of prospects and salary relief. Should Mike Minor, Brandon Beachy, Matt Harrison, Colby Lewis or Brandon McCarthy become available, the Blue Jays may inquire. The same goes for Tampa Bay starters such as James Shields, not that obtaining a top pitcher from a division rival is ever easy.

There’s also the possibility that the Blue Jays will open Spring Training without having added a high-profile arm to the rotation. Kyle Drabek could start in the Majors if he regains his command. Dustin McGowan and Aaron Laffey could compete for rotation spots in Spring Training. Prospects such as Drew Hutchison, Deck McGuire and Chad Jenkins could get looks in the rotation at some point. Relievers Carlos Villanueva, Luis Perez and Jesse Litsch started games last year and could re-emerge as rotation candidates.

Recent history suggests Anthopoulos prefers the trade market to the free agent market, the Blue Jays could use a starting pitcher and they have a deep farm system. It's tempting to assume the Blue Jays will trade for a starter in the coming weeks, but after a winter's worth of Gio Gonzalez and Yu Darvish rumors, Blue Jays fans know that predicting their team's next move remains as difficult as ever.

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