Red Sox Acquire Anthony Varvaro
The Red Sox have reached a deal to acquire right-handed reliever Anthony Varvaro from the Braves, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported on Twitter. Righty Aaron Kurcz and cash make up the return for the Braves, according to the official announcement.
Varvaro, 30, was designated for assignment two days ago. A deal to move him was widely said to be in the works after the Braves removed him from the 40-man roster.
He produced an attractive 2.63 ERA over 54 2/3 frames last year on the back of 8.2 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, and a 49.7% groundball rate. ERA estimators generally viewed him as an above-average arm, with FIP (3.21), xFIP (3.15), and SIERA (2.86) all coming in above his ERA but at solid rates.
Kurcz, 23, threw 42 innings of 2.14 ERA ball last year at the Double-A level, with 11.6 K/9 against 4.7 BB/9. He missed the previous season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
Orioles To Sign Wesley Wright
TODAY: Wright is set to receive a guarantee of about $1.7MM, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com tweets.
YESTERDAY: The Orioles have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with left-handed reliever Wesley Wright, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). Wright, a client of Reynolds Sports Management, was non-tendered by the Cubs at the beginning of the month.
Wright, who turns 30 next month, posted a 3.17 ERA with 6.9 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a 52.1 percent ground-ball rate in 48 1/3 innings with the Cubs this past season. In 85 plate appearances, opposing left-handed hitters batter just .273/.321/.273 against Wright. He’s been reasonably effective against left-handed hitters throughout his career, as they’ve batted .238/.315/.331 against him. Right-handed hitters, on the other hand, own a .264/.354/.479 batting line against Wright, indicating that he’s best suited for a role as a lefty specialist.
Left-handed relief wasn’t necessarily a clear area of need for the O’s, who already have a southpaw closer in Zach Britton and a pair of left-handed relief options in Brian Matusz and T.J. McFarland. However, Matusz’s struggles against right-handed hitters were more pronounced, and he’s projected to earn a presumably more expensive $2.7MM. Matusz’s name has come up in trade talks recently, and it stands to reason that Wright could present an alternative if the former first-rounder Matusz is dealt to another club.
Royals Sign Kendrys Morales
The Royals have officially agreed to a two-year, $17MM deal with free agent DH Kendrys Morales. Morales can earn an additional $750K per year through performance incentives. The contract includes a mutual option for a third year.
Morales will earn $6.5MM in 2015 and $9MM in 2016, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). He also has a $1.5MM buyout on a $11MM mutual option, the inclusion of which was first reported by Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (on Twitter).
Morales becomes the replacement for long-time DH Billy Butler, who went to the A’s for $30MM over three years earlier in the offseason. Morales, a switch-hitter, is 31 years of age.
After sitting out a good chunk of the season last year, having declined a qualifying offer before entering free agency, Morales ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Twins. But he struggled there and was dealt to the Mariners, where he continued to fall shy of his typical standards at the plate.
Between 2009 and 2013 — not including a 2011 campaign lost to injury — Morales owned a cumulative .286/.339/.494 line while averaging over twenty home runs per season. That was good for a 128 OPS+, plenty above average even for a bat-only player. Last year, however, he slashed just .218/.274/.338 over 401 plate appearances.
Kansas City has placed a bet on a return to form for Morales, whose ability to hit pitching of both hands (but especially righties) is also attractive. The Royals ranked dead last in baseball with 95 deep flies last year, and Morales should provide a jolt of pop if he can get back on track with a full spring.
SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reported the sides were close (Twitter links). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweeted that the deal was done. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweeted the financial terms, while Cotillo reported the option on Twitter.
Indians Designate Nick Maronde For Assignment
The Indians announced that they have designated left-hander Nick Maronde for assignment in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Gavin Floyd.
The 25-year-old Maronde was acquired from the Angels in July for cash considerations after suddenly and surprisingly losing his control and walking more than a batter per inning across four levels. Cleveland bought low on the former third rounder with the hopes of helping him to rediscover his control, and they did just that in a small sample. Across three minor league levels with Cleveland, Maronde walked just four batters in 23 frames.
Overall, Maronde possesses solid minor league numbers that are somewhat skewed by his 2014 control woes: a 3.37 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 243 1/3 innings. He began his career as a starter after being drafted but has worked primarily out of the ‘pen over the past two seasons.
Cubs Sign Jon Lester
DEC. 16: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets the breakdown of the deal: $15MM of the signing bonus is payable on April 1 of the coming year, with the other $15MM apparently being spread out over the life of the deal. Lester will then earn $15MM in 2015, $20MM in 2016-17, $22.5MM in 2018-19 and $15MM in 2020.
DEC. 13: The Cubs have announced that they’ve signed former Red Sox and Athletics ace Jon Lester, with a press conference scheduled for Monday. Lester will receive six years and $155MM. The deal also includes a $25MM option for a seventh year with a $10MM buyout, with the option vesting if Lester pitches 200 innings in 2020 or 400 total innings in 2019 and 2020. The deal includes a $30MM bonus, of which Lester will receive $20MM up front and another $10MM spread over the life of the contract. Lester will receive a full no-trade clause. The annual salary breakdown of the deal remains unreported.
The Red Sox’ final bid for the ACES client was six years and $135MM, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan (on Twitter). It emerged last week that the Giants and Dodgers were no longer contenders to sign Lester.
“It feels like we’ve definitely won the baseball lottery,” said new Cubs manager Joe Maddon upon learning of the Lester news, according to New York Daily News’ Andy Martino (via Twitter).
Lester’s free agent status seemed to be holding up a congested pitching market, but for as long as it took for Lester to agree to terms, the six years and $155MM he will receive is about what should have been expected — MLBTR’s Steve Adams predicted last month that Lester would receive a six-year, $153MM deal. The contract will make Lester one of baseball’s richest pitchers, with an AAV of $25.8MM that ranks just ahead of Justin Verlander‘s $25.7MM and behind only Clayton Kershaw‘s $30.7MM.
In Chicago, Lester will front the rotation of an emerging Cubs team that was on the lookout for top-level pitching to complement their outstanding core of young hitting. The Cubs had agreed to terms with fellow starting pitcher Jason Hammel earlier this week, and they’ve also added Maddon and catcher Miguel Montero this offseason.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, will likely continue to look for top pitching (perhaps turning to another top free agent hurler like James Shields, or to a trade target like Cole Hamels or Jordan Zimmermann) after losing out on their former ace. If they don’t, they could become a target of second-guessing after reportedly proposing a $70MM extension offer to Lester last spring.
Lester, 30, bolstered his free-agent status with an exceptional 2014 season, posting a 2.46 ERA, 9.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 219 2/3 innings. He was strong in 21 starts for Boston and didn’t miss a beat after the Red Sox traded him and Jonny Gomes to Oakland for Yoenis Cespedes and a competitive balance pick. Since Lester was traded in-season, he could not be extended a qualifying offer and thus will not cost the Cubs a draft pick.
FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal was the first to tweet that the two sides had agreed to terms. Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reported that the deal was for six years and $155MM. Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reported various aspects of the terms of the contract (links to Twitter), and CSN Chicago’s David Kaplan reported that the deal contained a $15MM vesting option. Passan added detail on the terms of Lester’s bonus.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rangers Designate Scott Barnes, Ben Rowen For Assignment
The Rangers have designated left-hander Scott Barnes and right-hander Ben Rowen for assignment in order to clear room on the 40-man roster for Kyuji Fujikawa and Colby Lewis, tweets team executive VP of communications John Blake.
Barnes, claimed off waivers from the Orioles just over a week ago, appears headed for his fourth organization in less than a month’s time. The Orioles acquired him after he was designated for assignment by the Indians, only to lose him on waivers to Texas. The 27-year-old didn’t pitch in the Majors last season but he did in 2012-13, combining to compile a 5.20 ERA in 27 2/3 innings of work. Barnes spent the past season at Triple-A, where he averaged 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings against 4.2 walks per nine with a 3.69 ERA. He held opposing lefties to a rather minuscule .191/.296/.255 batting line this year.
The 26-year-old Rowen made his big league debut this year and allowed four runs on 10 hits and four walks (three intentional) with seven strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings. Rowen has an exceptional minor league track record with a 1.72 career ERA, including a 2.39 mark with 6.9 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 79 frames at the Triple-A level. All 262 of his minor league innings have come out of the bullpen.
Padres Designate Juan Oramas For Assignment
The Padres have designated lefty Juan Oramas for assignment in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Brandon Morrow, whose deal is now official, the team announced.
The 24-year-old Oramas spent last season with the Friars’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, posting a combined 4.75 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 134 1/3 innings pitched. Oramas has appeared among San Diego’s Top 30 prospects, according to Baseball America, in each of the past four offseasons. In last offseason’s scouting report, BA noted that Oramas has the potential for three Major League pitches “with a feel to deploy them for maximum impact,” while also praising the southpaw for hiding the ball well. Oramas is still just 24 years of age and could seemingly have some appeal to other clubs if they’re also of the belief that he could eventually sport three average or better offerings.
Royals Designate Moises Sierra For Assignment
The Royals announced today that they have designated outfielder Moises Sierra for assignment in order to clear space on the 40-man roster for new designated hitter Kendrys Morales.
Sierra was claimed by the Royals in the midst of the World Series after the White Sox placed him on waivers. In 135 plate appearances with Chicago this past season, the 26-year-old batted .276/.311/.417 with two home runs. Defensive metrics were never kind to Sierra while he was with the Blue Jays (from whom the White Sox claimed him), but he did post passable grades in both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating in a small sample of work with the Sox this past year.
The Royals have plenty of outfield depth on the Major League roster it is following the club’s reported agreement with Alex Rios, so it’s not particularly surprising to see Sierra cut loose. Kansas City still has Rios, Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson on board to soak up most of the team’s playing time in the outfield.
Rockies Acquire Noel Cuevas To Complete Juan Nicasio Trade
The Rockies announced that they have acquired 23-year-old center fielder Noel Cuevas from the Dodgers to complete last month’s Juan Nicasio trade.
Cuevas spent the entire 2014 season in Double-A at age 22 and struggled after an excellent year at Class-A Advanced in 2013. The Puerto Rican outfielder followed up a .284/.341/.454 season with a disappointing .231/.285/.351 campaign. Cuevas went from 12 homers in 2013 to seven in 2014, which isn’t too troublesome, but it’s surprising to see his stolen base total drop from 38 at High-A to six at Double-A. Presumably, he will open the 2015 season at Double-A with the hope of better results.
Blue Jays Sign Daric Barton
The Blue Jays have added first baseman Daric Barton on a minor league deal, the team announced via press release. Barton joins a mix of secondary first base and bench bats that includes Justin Smoak and Chris Colabello.
Barton, 29, saw only 64 plate appearances for the Athletics last year, his lowest tally in eight big league seasons. He struggled badly at the plate in the bigs, though his numbers at Triple-A (.261/.371/.411 over 375 plate appearances) were better. Since a big 2010 season as a regular, Barton has managed only a .216/.323/.284 slash over 600 trips to the plate at the MLB level.