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Nationals Avoid Arbitration With Drew Storen

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The Nationals have avoided arbitration with Drew Storen by reaching agreement on a one-year, $2.5MM contract, according to his representatives at CAA Sports (on Twitter).  The contract also includes $1MM in performance bonuses.

Storen, 25, was eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter thanks to his Super Two status.  The former tenth-overall pick of the 2009 draft posted a 2.37 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 37 appearances last season.  The newly-acquired Rafael Soriano will close for the Nats in 2013 but GM Mike Rizzo made it known today that he is still confident in Storen's abilities.

Swartz projected that Storen would earn $1.7MM through the arbitration process.  The reliever will be eligible for free agency after the 2016 season.

The Nationals have six remaining unsigned arbitration eligible players: Roger Bernadina, Tyler Clippard, Ian Desmond, Ross Detwiler, Craig Stammen, and Jordan Zimmermann.  They're currently regarded as a file and trial team by case, and past history shows the team is certainly willing to go to a hearing.

NL East Notes: Soriano, Nationals, Mets

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Rafael Soriano recently agreed to a two-year, $28MM contract with the Nationals, obtaining the second-largest deal signed by an NL East team this winter. Within the division B.J. Upton’s $75MM guarantee with the Braves remains the only deal that surpasses Soriano’s $28MM agreement. Here are some links from the NL East, starting in Washington…

  • Agents and GMs are assessing the present day value of Soriano’s deal at $11MM per season, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Half of Soriano’s $14MM salary will be deferred each year.
  • Washington has drafted well under GM Mike Rizzo, but trades have also played a vital role in transforming the Nationals into one of baseball's best teams, as Zachary Levine of Baseball Prospectus explains.
  • One Mets insider told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork that he doesn’t believe the team has spoken to free agent starter Daisuke Matsuzaka “at all.” New York executives are looking to round out the team’s rotation, but not necessarily with the Japanese right-hander. Matsuzaka, 32, has interest in pitching for the Padres.

Zduriencik Happy To Add “Big-Time Power” To M’s

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It's no secret that the Mariners have been desperate for solutions to their league-worst hitting in recent years.  From moving in the fences at Safeco Field to aggressively pursuing top free agent batters, the M's have been determined to add pop and M's general manager Jack Zduriencik feels the team's latest addition of Michael Morse has helped solidify the lineup, amongst other offseason moves.  Zduriencik told reporters during a conference call today that Morse's big bat was worth giving up a solid catcher like John Jaso.

"[Jaso] added a lot to our club last year but I think when you are in the position to acquire an everyday guy who has a chance to hit the ball hard and hit the ball far, I think it does change your game," Zduriencik said.  "One of the things we have seen since I have been here is our lack of raw power; in Michael we have got a guy who has got big-time power.

"We've added to what we think could be a pretty good middle of the lineup there with Michael, Kendrys Morales, and Raul [Ibanez] and Jason Bay."

Between Morse and the other additions, the Mariners suddenly have several options at DH, first base and the corner outfield spots, as young incumbents like Justin Smoak, Michael Saunders and Jesus Montero still need to find at-bats.  In Montero's case, he will be expected to become the team's everyday catcher, though Zduriencik said he is looking for some veteran depth at the position.

"We're going to be shopping, there's no doubt," Zduriencik said.  "We've already talked to some people and had some discussions with people….We like our catching in the organization and we've got some pretty good kids right on the horizon."

The foundation of the trade was developed when Zduriencik touched base with Nationals GM Mike Rizzo after the season and told him that he was interested in some of Washington's hitters.  The two general managers reconvened recently since the Nats now had some hitting to spare with Adam LaRoche re-signed, and the A's were brought into the mix since Oakland GM Billy Beane had recently spoken to Zduriencik about Jaso's availability.

"It just became a three-team conversation," Zduriencik said.  "So at the end we were able to satisfy what we wanted and I think Oakland was able to satisfy what they wanted and [Rizzo] got back prospects that he was seeking."

Morse, for his part, said he was very excited about returning to Seattle, where he spent the first four years of his Major League career before being dealt to the Nats before the 2009 season.  With just a year left on his current contract, Morse just said "that's why I've got those agents" in regards to the possibility of talking about an extension, but he was clearly happy that the Mariners were the trade suitor that emerged to make the deal.

"I knew there were teams involved, I knew Seattle was one of them.  That was one of the teams I was hoping for," Morse said.  "I love it out there and I always felt…I had unfinished business in Seattle.  I never got to prove myself as the player I could be or who I am.  This is another opportunity for me to show Jack and help his ballclub be the World Series champion ballclub that it should be."

Morse said he was fully recovered from the back injury that forced him to spend the first two months of the 2012 season on the DL, even joking that he was feeling good enough to play shortstop for the first time since 2007.  It was reported earlier this month that Morse wasn't keen on being a designated hitter but said that he was willing to play whenever the M's wanted him to play.

"I feel very comfortable at first base or in the outfield and it doesn't hurt to get a breather sometimes at DH," Morse said.  "My main goal is to play every single game.  I'm so excited, words can't describe what me and my family are going through right now."

Mariners Acquire Morse In Three-Team Deal With Nationals, A’s

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The Mariners, Nationals and Athletics have combined on a three-team trade that will send Michael Morse to the Mariners, John Jaso to the A's and a three-player package to the Nationals that includes minor league right-handers A.J. Cole, Blake Treinen and a player to be named from the Athletics. 

The Mariners have been searching for hitters all winter long and now add Morse, who has hit 64 homers over the last three seasons and posted a .291/.321/.470 line in 430 PAs for Washington in 2012.  It's a bit of a homecoming for Morse, who spent the first four years of his career in Seattle before being swapped to the Nats for Ryan Langerhans.  The right-handed hitter could see time in either corner outfield spot or at first base, possibly sharing time with Justin Smoak and other newly-acquired veteran bats as Raul Ibanez and Jason Bay.  Jaso's departure also clears the way for Jesus Montero to catch everyday, and the M's also have top prospect Mike Zunino waiting in the wings.

Morse has been a strong trade commodity ever since the Nationals re-signed Adam LaRoche.  At least five or six teams had shown interest in Morse, with the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox among those linked to the first baseman/outfielder.  Morse turns 31 in March and is scheduled to hit free agency next winter.

Cole is on his way back to the Nationals organization after being dealt to the A's last winter as part of the trade package for Gio Gonzalez.  Cole, 21, was drafted by the Nats in the fourth round of the 2010 draft and was rated as the 57th-best prospect in the game by Baseball America prior to the season.  In 27 starts for two of Oakland's A-ball affiliates, Cole posted a 3.70 ERA, 133 strikeouts and 29 walks over 133 2/3 innings, though the major bulk of that success took place at low A-ball.

Treinen, 24, was the Athletics' seventh-round pick in the 2011 draft.  The righty has a 4.13 ERA, 8.7 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and 10.1 H/9 in 133 innings over two pro seasons and made 15 starts last year.

The left-handed hitting Jaso enjoyed a breakout season in 2012, hitting .276/.394/.456 in 361 PAs, the large majority of which came against right-handed pitching.  He will likely step right in as Oakland's regular catcher against righties, with the right-handed hitting Derek Norris in line for at-bats against southpaws.  Jaso, 29, is arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter and is under Oakland's control through the 2015 season.

Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post first reported the trade and the major teams and players involved.  Earlier this evening, Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the M's were close to acquiring Morse.  Morosi, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times and the Nationals' Twitter feed also added more details about the package going back to Washington.

Nationals To Sign Rafael Soriano

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The Nationals agreed to sign free agent closer Rafael Soriano to a two-year, $28MM contract, Yahoo's Jeff Passan reports (Twitter links). Soriano will receive $7MM in 2013, $7MM in 2014 and the remaining $14MM in deferred payments from 2018-2025, reports Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The deal includes a 2015 option valued at $14MM that will vest if Soriano finishes 120 games over the course of the next two seasons. Agent Scott Boras represents Soriano.

Rafael Soriano - Yankees (PW)

Soriano posted a 2.26 ERA with 9.2 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 35.9% ground ball rate for the Yankees this past season. The 33-year-old saved 42 games, reaching the 40-save plateau for the second time in three seasons.

He ranked 17th on MLBTR’s list of top 50 free agents entering the offseason, and passed on two contracts that were available to him earlier in the winter. He opted out of his existing contract with the Yankees then declined New York’s qualifying offer.

The decision to decline the Yankees’ qualifying offer linked Soriano to draft pick compensation. The Nationals will lose a draft pick for signing Soriano, and the Yankees will obtain a compensatory selection for their loss. The Nationals stand to lose the 29th overall selection, while the Yankees are now poised to gain the 32nd overall selection, Jim Callis of Baseball America notes (on Twitter). Throughout the process Boras insisted he’d find a favorable deal for his client.

Soriano's deal resembles the two-year, $30MM contract Mariano Rivera signed with the Yankees before the 2011 season. Non-relievers such as Ryan Dempster, David Ortiz and Torii Hunter signed two-year deals worth a comparable amount earlier this offseason, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows.

Soriano joins a Nationals bullpen that includes right-handers Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard, Craig Stammen, Ryan Mattheus and Henry Rodriguez. Washington doesn't boast much established left-handed relief after losing Sean Burnett, Tom Gorzelanny and Mike Gonzalez to free agency.

Boras represents a number of Nationals players, as MLBTR's Agency Database shows. Bryce Harper, Danny Espinosa, Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg and Jayson Werth are also clients of the Boras Corporation. 

Nationals owner Ted Lerner was "heavily involved" in bringing Soriano to Washington, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. The Dodgers were also in the mix for Soriano, MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reports (on Twitter). The Yankees never engaged Soriano after he declined their qualifying offer, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Morosi that Detroit "did not seriously pursue" the reliever either.

Michael Bourn and Kyle Lohse, two other Boras clients, are now the lone remaining free agents still linked to draft pick compensation. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Quick Hits: Wuertz, Webb, Wheeler

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Rafael Soriano’s two-year, $28MM agreement with the Nationals dominated headlines this afternoon, but let’s not let the news overshadow some other notes from around MLB. Here are Tuesday’s links…

  • Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN in Minneapolis suggests reliever Michael Wuertz will soon sign a minor league deal with a National League team (Twitter link).
  • NL East teams such as the Phillies, Marlins, Nationals and Mets are keeping tabs on free agent right-hander Brandon Webb, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
  • The Mets won’t trade Zack Wheeler to acquire Justin Upton from Arizona, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter link). The Mets and Diamondbacks don’t see a fit for a deal involving Upton at this point, Heyman adds. New York does have interest in high-profile outfielders such as Upton.
  • The Red Sox have seen all of Javier Vazquez's starts in Puerto Rico, Peter Gammons of MLB Network reports (on Twitter). Many clubs will be watching the free agent right-hander pitch today, Gammons notes. Vazquez, 36, has said he's not in a hurry to sign.

Minor Moves: Young, Loewen

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The latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Nationals have signed Delwyn Young to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (on Twitter). Young has a career line of .258/.317/.393 in 779 plate appearances for the Dodgers and Pirates. He posted just a .569 OPS for the Camden Riversharks of the Atlantic League last season. The second baseman/outfielder did not receive an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
  • The Blue Jays signed outfielder Adam Loewen to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training, the team announced. The 28-year-old native of Surrey, British Columbia returns to the Blue Jays organization following a season with the Mets’ top affiliate. Loewen played at Triple-A Buffalo (now Toronto's International League affiliate) last year and posted a .227/.328/.391 batting line with eight home runs in 238 plate appearances. The former pitching prospect spent the 2009-11 seasons in the Blue Jays organization.

Javier Vazquez “Not In A Hurry” To Sign

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Javier Vazquez told Ruben Rodriguez of El Nuevo Dia (translation courtesy of Nick Collias) that he has not started negotiating with any team.

"We’re not evaluating any offers. Not yet," Vazquez said. "I’m not in a hurry or under pressure. If it comes, great. There’s a desire in me that there wasn’t last year. I’ve got the itch to pitch again. I didn’t have it before; but, now, I’m considering returning to pitch in the big leagues. I’m ready to pitch now; but, to make the decision, I need to be 100 percent."

The Nationals are showing "heavy interest" in signing the 36-year-old right-hander. In fact, GM Mike Rizzo traveled to Puerto Rico Wednesday to see Vazquez throw six innings with 10 strikeouts and his fastball reportedly touching 95 mph. Vazquez says he spoke with Rizzo afterwards, but the conversation was strictly informal.

"We just said, 'Hi,' to each other and he asked me how I felt," said Vazquez.

Vazquez sat out the 2012 season after pitching to a 3.69 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 192 2/3 innings for the Marlins in 2011. The ACES client has been scouted by the Red Sox, White Sox, Phillies, Royals, Rays, and Mets in recent weeks and has been contacted by 15 teams to express their interest.

Cafardo On Napoli, Lohse, Upton, Bourn, Soriano

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It has been six weeks since the Red Sox and Mike Napoli agreed to terms on a three-year, $39MM contract. The holdup in finalizing the deal is concern with one of Napoli's hips and the team's desire to write protective language into the contract. Recently, we learned the Red Sox are continuing negotiations with Napoli, but would like to shorten the deal to just one year and have been in contact with the Nationals about Mike Morse. A major league source told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe this about Napoli's hip, "It’s one of those things where it could go anytime or five years from now. Nobody really knows, which is why the Red Sox want strong language after putting $40 million on the table for him.” Cafardo believes it's starting to make sense for the Red Sox to trade for Justin Morneau or to make Daniel Nava a first baseman/left fielder. More from Cafardo:

  • That Kyle Lohse is still available at this late date is somewhat of a stunner to Cafardo. Lohse's market has been stunted with him being tied to draft pick compensation and that no one seems willing to go beyond two years, although several teams needs starting pitching and his stuff translates to both leagues. 
  • Draft pick compensation has also shrunk the market for Michael Bourn. Another factor, according to a NL GM, has been the Twins trading both Denard Span and Ben Revere and the Braves signing B.J. Upton.
  • Cafardo thought it was strange for Justin Upton to reject his trade to Seattle since it's one of the nicest cities in the country and the fences at Safeco Field have been moved in.
  • Cubs President Theo Epstein has come to realize Alfonso Soriano is an excellent clubhouse presence because of his willingness to help younger players. With that and his excellent 2012 season, Epstein wants a player of note in any deal where the Cubs eat a majority of the $36MM left on Soriano's contract.
  • Discussions to include Garrett Jones in the Joel Hanrahan trade never progressed very far because "the Pirates really valued Jones highly," a major league source told Cafardo.   
  • One NL GM told Cafardo Roy Oswalt may still want to pitch, but on his terms and perhaps for only a half a season. Many teams have given up trying to persuade the 35-year-old to pitch, feeling the vibe is that he just doesn’t want it bad enough. Cafardo also notes Oswalt suffered a forearm strain at the end of his time with the Rangers last season. 
  • Bobby Valentine has turned down some opportunities to serve as an advisor for teams. Valentine has instead decided to focus on expanding his restaurant business, growing his film company, and working for NBC Sports since being fired as manager of the Red Sox.
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