Kyle Lohse Rumors: Tuesday
Now that Michael Bourn has agreed to terms with the Indians, Kyle Lohse is the top free agent available. Lohse, another client of the Boras Corporation, would represent an upgrade for most rotations. However, the market for the right-hander remains difficult to read, partly because he’s linked to draft pick compensation. Here’s the latest with the most recent rumors up top…
- Washington GM Mike Rizzo told Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio that the Nationals don't have interest in Lohse presently (Twitter link).
Earlier Updates:
- The Nationals might try to sign Lohse, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. If Gio Gonzalez faces a suspension for his alleged links to the Miami Biogenesis clinic, the Nationals could look to bolster their rotation by adding Lohse. Though the right-hander would represent a luxury rather than a necessity, the Nationals did like him early in the winter. Now that the Nationals have signed Rafael Soriano, adding Lohse would only require the forfeiture of a second round draft choice. Lohse’s asking price might be prohibitive, however.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said he doesn’t expect to add starting pitching, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). Though Chris Carpenter may not pitch in 2013, the Cardinals have internal candidates such as Joe Kelly, Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal.
- Some general managers have speculated that the Indians would be a fit for Lohse, but ESPN.com's Buster Olney has been told the Indians won't sign him (Twitter link).
Nationals Sign Will Ohman
The Nationals signed left-handed reliever Will Ohman to a minor league deal, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The team confirmed its deal with the Beverly Hills Sports Council client (on Twitter).
Ohman pitched for the White Sox in 2012, the second year of a two-year, $4MM contract. The 35-year-old posted a 6.41 ERA with 4.4 K/0 and 1.7 BB/9 in 26 2/3 innings of relief with Chicago before getting released in July. The Reds signed him later that month, but never called him up from Triple-A Louisville.
NL East Notes: Braves, Zimmermann, Phillies
As the Mets’ pursuit of Michael Bourn continues slowly but surely, let’s check in on the rest of the NL East for the latest news…
- Braves president John Schuerholz told Mark Bowman of MLB.com that the idea of acquiring both Upton brothers “probably would have been a little too much to hope for” at the outset of the offseason. Even so, Braves scouts and executives weren’t discouraged. “Nobody stopped working because we thought it was unrealistic to get it done,” Schuerholz explained. “We just kept working harder to get it done.”
- Jordan Zimmermann's arbitration hearing has been set for February 19th, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The right-hander filed for $5.8MM with the Nationals countering at $4.6MM, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. Zimmermann says he and the Nationals have made "a little progress" toward a one-year deal, Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter). The sides haven't engaged in long-term talks.
- Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News notes that two of the Phillies' offseason additions — Delmon Young and Michael Young — could be defensive liabilities in 2013. It's far from a given that the Phillies will be adequate defensively with Delmon in right field and Michael at third base.
Cafardo On Nationals, Vazquez, Sizemore, Norris
Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Michael Weiner has been an inspiration to everyone that works in his office, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Weiner, who is living with an inoperable brain tumor, handed his role of general counsel to David Prouty last week. “Mike has handled this whole situation with incredible grace and incredible humor, too,” Prouty said. “That’s the way he’s handled everything. So in a way, we’ve all been inspired by him. More generally, Mike is always an inspiration to be around in terms of being a colleague and an executive director who cares about players and about the game.” Here's more from today's column..
- The Nationals and others continue to keep an eye Javier Vazquez, who is recovering from minor knee surgery. Washington’s interest may be piqued by Gio Gonzalez’s alleged link to the Miami PED clinic. The Nationals have faith in Ross Detwiler, but Vazquez would give them depth.
- There was thought that a team would sign Grady Sizemore and wait until he recovers from his latest knee surgery, but so far, they are staying away. “It’s hard to take the risk, even if it’s minimal,” said one exec whose team needs outfield help. “At this point, I think you wait until he feels he’s ready and then you look. If someone beats you to it, so be it.”
- Bud Norris is one of the last remaining assets on the Astros and should become one of the most sought-after pitchers before the season or at the trading deadline. The Astros haven’t said they’d deal him, but they didn't indicate they would move Jed Lowrie either before he was sent to the A's. The Cardinals and Orioles are two teams to watch on Norris.
- The Red Sox were willing to part ways with Kelly Shoppach in part because of his attitude.
- One scout thinks one of the best under-the-radar moves this winter was the Rays obtaining Yunel Escobar, who was traded twice this winter.
Quick Hits: Indians, Mark Prior, Phillies, Mark Lerner
On this day in 1971, Satchel Paige became the first Negro League player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The oldest player to make his Major League debut, Paige took the field for the Indians for the first time at the age of 42. Here's the latest news and stories making headlines across MLB.
- After making a series of deals this offseason in hopes of making a strong push toward the playoffs, the Indians may not be done adding pieces to their roster just yet, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer. Kyle Lohse and Michael Bourn remain on the radar for Cleveland as the organization would only have to give up a third round draft pick in order to sign either player.
- Mark Prior hasn't given up on his goal of returning to the Major Leagues as he's working on strengthening his shoulder in hopes of receiving an invitation to Spring Training, says David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com. Currently in the best shape of his life according to reports, Prior spent the 2012 season at Triple-A Pawtucket as a member of the Red Sox organization before being released in August. For more on Prior, Doug Miller of MLB.com takes an in-depth approach to telling the past and present story of the former sensation's life on both a professional and personal level.
- The contracts for recently-signed members of the Phillies organization are broken down by Todd Zolecki of MLB.com as he provides the financial incentives players would receive based upon meeting specific goals. For example, Delmon Young would be awarded $100K if named NL MVP next season and $250K for reaching 600 plate appearances, among others.
- Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner told college students at a conference directed toward finding a career in sports that he often learns of deals made by his GM Mike Rizzo by visiting MLB Trade Rumors, writes James Wagner of The Washington Post. A special thanks to Mark for publicly recognizing the work done at MLBTR by Tim Dierkes and his staff.
Nationals Sign Micah Owings
We'll track the day's minor signings here…
- The Nationals announced that they signed Micah Owings to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training (Twitter link). Though Owings has six years of big league experience as a pitcher, the Nationals listed him as a first baseman, citing his career .283 average and .502 slugging percentage. The 30-year-old Legacy Sports Group client pitched in just six games for the Padres this past season. He underwent season-ending arthroscopic elbow surgery in July and didn't pitch after April. The Padres released him in October.
Nationals Sign Jeremy Accardo
The Nationals announced that they signed right-hander Jeremy Accardo to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training (Twitter link). Accardo is a client of Lapa/Leventhal.
Accardo, 31, pitched for the Indians and Athletics in 2012. He appeared in 27 total games, posting a 4.82 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 37 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Accardo is an eight-year MLB veteran who saved 30 games for the 2007 Blue Jays.
Nationals To Sign Chris Snyder
The Nationals have agreed to sign catcher Chris Snyder to a minor league deal, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). LSW Baseball represents Snyder.
Snyder, who turns 32 in a week, appeared in 76 games for the Astros this past season. He posted a .176/.295/.308 batting line in 258 plate appearances, adding seven home runs. The Astros declined a $4MM option on Snyder after the regular season, choosing a $500K buyout instead.
The Nationals' roster already includes catchers Kurt Suzuki and Wilson Ramos. Snyder, Jhonatan Solano and Sandy Leon provide the Nationals with additional catching depth. As MLBTR’s Free Agent Tracker shows, the market for catchers looks thin now that teams are bolstering their depth in anticipation of Spring Training. Rod Barajas and Matt Treanor remain unsigned.
Cafardo On Bourn, Red Sox, Morales, Bailey, Okajima
The Yankees will face an uphill battle if they attempt to void Alex Rodriguez's contract due to his alleged ties to a Miami PED clinic. The use of banned substances alone may not be enough to 86 a contract, but a former agent tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that they could try to prove there was fraud prior to the contract being signed. In that situation, the Bombers would try to show that A-Rod lied about taking PEDs and therefore the contract was agreed to under false pretenses. Here's more from today's column, with a heavy dose of news on current and former members of the Red Sox..
- There has been speculation that the Mets are trying to get MLB to allow them to keep their first-round pick if they sign Michael Bourn. According to a Mets source, they are still trying to determine whether they can get him to sign and they'll only go all out on the compensation issue if they determine that they can.
- A few teams contacted the Red Sox about left-hander Franklin Morales this winter and a few others are watching him closely in spring training. Teams are intrigued by Morales’s starting capability and are especially interested to see if he can consistently maintain his 96 mph fastball over a full outing. If Gio Gonzalez winds up being penalized for his alleged link to the PED clinic in Miami, Cafardo believes that the Nationals may be interested in Morales.
- Andrew Bailey is another Red Sox pitcher who will be watched by scouts. There are still teams out there who could use a closer like the Tigers and Mets and Boston might listen for the right return.
- A few teams are interested in signing Hideki Okajima to a minor league deal, but he hasn’t made up his mind yet. The left-hander was recently released by his Japanese team so that he could pursue a return to the majors.
- Teams like the Astros and Mets are kicking around the possibility of bringing Daisuke Matsuzaka to camp to see if he can recapture the form he had in his first two seasons in Boston. He could also head back to Japan if he doesn't feel that he has a good chance of making a big league roster. Last month, a Mets insider told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that he didn't believe the club reached out to Matsuzaka.
- Derek Lowe wants to be a starting pitcher, but it appears that he will have to go settle for being a swingman. The Mets and the Astros are possibilities.
NL East Notes: McCann, Phillies, Oswalt, Mets
Here's the latest from around the NL East…
- Though the Braves and Brian McCann have agreed to put extension talks on hold until the end of the season, GM Frank Wren said the team won't rule out re-opening talks during the season, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. McCann is entering his last contracted year with Atlanta.
- Over 19% of the Phillies' 2012 payroll was lost to time spent the disabled list, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News observes. Murphy notes that the Phils have lost over $100MM to injuries over the last five seasons, with approximately $64.5MM of that total coming from 2011 and 2012.
- We heard last week that the Mets were interested in Roy Oswalt, and the club "flirted with the idea" of using Oswalt as a late-game reliever and possible closer, Metsblog.com's Matthew Cerrone reports. If the Mets are indeed looking for a veteran swingman, Cerrone suggests that Derek Lowe or Daisuke Matsuzaka could be possible fits.
- Shaun Marcum's Mets contract contains up to $4MM in incentive bonuses, which are outlined by the Associated Press (via ESPN New York's Adam Rubin).
- If Gio Gonzalez ends up facing a PED-related suspension, there aren't many optimal left-handed starting options left for the Nationals in free agency, MASNsports.com's Byron Kerr writes. A Gonzalez suspension would put added pressure on Ross Detwiler as Washington's only current left-handed starter, and Kerr lists a few other internal options. Earlier this offseason, the Nats non-tendered southpaw John Lannan, who signed with the Phillies.