Quick Hits: Pelfrey, Pujols, Livan, Benoit, Astros
The Twins signed Joe Crede two years ago today in the hopes that he could replicate or improve upon the numbers he posted in 2008, when he made the All-Star team. Crede battled injuries and clubbed 15 homers in 90 games for Minnesota that year, but he hasn't played in the majors since. Crede remains a free agent after deciding not to report to Rockies camp. Here are today's links…
- In a piece for ESPN.com, MLBTR's own Howard Megdal points out that Mets starter Mike Pelfrey has been far more consistent than anyone gives him credit for.
- MLBPA leader Michael Weiner said the union would be open to a player owning a share of a team, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). The possibility came up when the Cardinals discussed an extension with Albert Pujols.
- Weiner says he expects to make progress on the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement during Spring Training, according to Tim Reynolds of the AP (via the Miami Herald). Baseball's current agreement expires this offseason.
- Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post explains how Livan Hernandez and Nationals GM Mike Rizzo negotiated the right-hander's current contract.
- Tigers reliever Joaquin Benoit told Dick Scanlon of the Detroit Free Press that he signed early because the Tigers made him a strong offer ($16.5MM) and he couldn't justify waiting around. "I didn't want to make a mistake of being too greedy and trying to wait and wait, get myself in a hole and wait to the last minute," Benoit said.
- Astros GM Ed Wade told Stephen Goff of the Houston Astros Examiner that he expects better things from Carlos Lee in 2011 and that last year was an "aberration" for the outfielder.
Rizzo On Roster Holes, Depth, Pitching, Werth
Both CSNWashington.com's Mark Zuckerman and MLB.com's Bill Ladson conducted Q&A's with Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo on Sunday, so let's round up the news…
- "[We're] always looking to improve," said Rizzo when asked about specific needs before the season begins. "But we think we're pretty set, we're pretty solid in a lot of aspects of the club."
- The Nationals have built up some depth, and there's a chance teams will come calling as they look to fill holes on their roster. "From what I've heard and the phone calls I've gotten, I think we're going to be heavily scouted and heavily watched for that reason," said the GM.
- "Long-term, we want to keep them all in the pipeline," said Rizzo, referring to his catching depth. "We'd have to make a trade that really makes a lot of sense for us and really strengthens us in a position we're weakest at."
- When asked about the team's pursuit of an ace-caliber pitcher, Rizzo said: "We knew going into the offseason, it was a priority for us to improve our rotation. It was probably not the best move to announce to the world that it was our main goal, but that's me. I made the statement because that was what I thought. It was a need of ours. What I found out was, ace pitchers are very difficult to acquire. It's much better and much easier to develop your own. We are always looking and we are still trying to improve ourselves, but they are very difficult to get."
- Rizzo believes the Jayson Werth deal is the beginning of an era when really good players start coming to Washington. "What it did prove is, we are here to win games. We have an organization that is willing to spend money to acquire talent. We showed it, not only in the last two drafts, but in the free-agent market."
Rizzo also provided updates on the health of Stephen Strasburg and Chien-Ming Wang, the plan for Bryce Harper, and the expiring contract of manager Jim Riggleman.
Luis Atilano Clears Waivers
SUNDAY: Atilano has cleared waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Syracuse, tweets Ben Goessling of MASNsports. He will report to Spring Training with the big league camp.
WEDNESDAY: The Nationals announced that they designated right-hander Luis Atilano for assignment to create roster space for Adam LaRoche, whose contract was finally approved (Twitter link).
Atilano started 16 games for the Nationals last year and posted a 5.15 ERA with 4.2 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 85 2/3 innings. The 2003 first rounder has never induced many strikeouts as a pro, but he doesn't walk hitters, either. In 604 1/3 minor league innings, the 25-year-old right-hander has a 3.93 ERA with 4.8 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9.
NL East Notes: Chipper, Zimmerman, Lee, Trump
NL East teams have nearly finished their offseason shopping, but could make a move or two while Spring Training is underway. Here are the details…
- Chipper Jones was thinking about retirement last year, but tells Scott Miller of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) that he wants to play until the end of his current contract, which is guaranteed through the 2012 season. The Braves hold a $7MM option on Jones for 2013 which can also vest if Jones plays a certain number of games over the next two seasons.
- Ryan Zimmerman pushed the Nationals to re-sign his friend Adam Dunn, but Zimmerman said his disappointment over Dunn's depature shouldn't be interpreted as criticism of the the club, writes CSNWashington's Mark Zuckerman. "I was just expressing more frustrations of losing a teammate and a friend than anything," Zimmerman said. "I think a lot of people took it as I was taking a stab at [the Nats] or talking bad about them, which was completely the opposite."
- Michael Weiner said the MLBPA was happy with Cliff Lee's decision to sign with the Phillies, rather than sign for larger contracts in Texas or New York, tweets Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan. "Not only were we not upset Cliff got to go to the Phillies, we applauded him," Weiner said.
- Donald Trump told Alison Leigh Cowan and Ken Belson of the New York Times that he's interested in buying a majority stake in the Mets. Trump says he called Fred Wilpon about two weeks ago to set up a meeting.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson says it's "unlikely" that the Mets discuss an extension with Jose Reyes before Opening Day, according to ESPNNewYork's Adam Rubin. Reyes is set to hit free agency after the season and has said he's open to a long-term deal. The $1 billion lawsuit against the Mets owners won't prevent the Mets from signing Reyes to a multiyear deal, Alderson said.
- Jason Isringhausen auditioned for the Mets today, according to Newsday's David Lennon (on Twitter). Alderson and two of his assistants, J.P. Ricciardi and Paul DePodesta, are familiar with the longtime closer from his time in Oakland. Isringhausen first appeared in the majors as a starter for the Mets in 1995.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Phillies' starters would rather pitch than talk about their place in baseball history.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post
Quick Hits: Duchscherer, Ramirez, Marmol, Broxton
Links for Saturday..
- Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun called the Orioles' signing of pitcher Justin Duchscherer the latest "late-winter Hail Mary" by GM Andy MacPhail.
- C.C. Sabathia told Mark Hale of the New York Post that he isn't concerned about the Yankees' rotation.
- Carlos Marmol took his physical in Mesa, Arizona today, tweets Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. Marmol and the Cubs should finalize a long-term deal this week.
- The Nationals still have loose ends to tie up from the Esmailyn Gonzalez scandal, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- Tom Singer of MLB.com will be keeping a close eye on Jonathan Broxton of the Dodgers as he looks to get his career back on track this season. Recently our own Mike Axisa characterized 2011 as a make or break year for the closer as he approaches free agency.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the Cardinals and outfielder Jim Edmonds have not yet scheduled the physical that he needs to pass in order to finalize his minor league deal with the club. GM John Mozeliak confirmed that the agreement is open-ended in order to allow Edmonds time to recover from foot surgery before taking the physical.
- After signing a one-year, $4MM this winter, Aaron Harang is looking to return to old form with the Padres, writes Don Norcross of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Meanwhile, Eric Chavez is looking for a fresh start with the Yankees, writes Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News.
Nationals Sign Two Dominican Prospects
The Nationals have finalized deals with a pair of Dominican prospects, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Outfielder Randy Novas and catcher Raudy Read will receive $150K and $130K, respectively.
Johnny DiPuglia, the Nats' head of international scouting, said that the 17-year-old Read will "easily be an everyday catcher." As for Novas, DiPuglia compared the 16-year-old's body to that of former big leaguer Devon White.
The club remains hesitant to hand out massive signing bonuses like the one they gave 16-year-old Esmailyn Gonzalez, who really turned out to be 20-year-old Carlos Alvarez, in 2006. Excluding the Yunesky Maya major league deal, the Nationals spent about $1MM on signing bonuses for prospects in Latin America last year, one of the smallest budgets in the majors. Now, DiPuglia tells Kilgore, the club is starting to spend more on international players.
Nationals Sign Alex Cintron
The Nationals have signed infielder Alex Cintron to a minor league deal, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com.
Cintron, 32, last appeared in the Major Leagues with Washington in 2009. The utility infielder spent last season in the Mets organization, playing in 20 games with Triple-A Buffalo.
The Nationals plan to give rookie Danny Espinosa a shot at the second-base job this season, but he is inexperienced and coming off hand surgery, so Cintron was presumably added for the sake of organizational depth in the event Espinosa is not ready to go by Opening Day.
Cintron broke into the big leagues with the Diamondbacks in 2001 and remained with Arizona through 2005. He's bounced around since then, spending time in a handful of organizations.
Nationals Sign Four
The Nationals agreed to sign right-hander J.D. Martin, left-hander Matt Chico, catcher Carlos Maldonado and first baseman Kevin Barker the team announced. Chico gets a Major League deal and the others get minor league deals with invitations to Spring Training. All four players have big league experience and everyone but Barker has suited up for the Nationals before.
The Nationals released Martin last month after he pitched to a 4.32 ERA with 4.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 125 innings from 2009-10. Martin spent most of the last three years at Triple-A, where he posted a 3.21 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 144 innings.
Chico, 27, is a former second rounder who has a 4.95 ERA in 220 big league innings. He spent the 2010 season with Washington's top affiliates, posting a 3.62 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 141 2/3 innings.
Maldonado, 32, has had cups of coffee in three big league seasons. The backstop has a .256/.328/.358 line in parts of 15 minor league seasons.
Barker, 35, has a .249/.328/.354 line in 323 career plate appearances for the Brewers, Padres, Reds and Blue Jays. The 1996 draft pick has 260 minor league homers to his name and an .843 OPS in the minor leagues.
Nationals To Sign Laynce Nix
The Nationals announced that they have agreed to sign Laynce Nix to a minor league deal (Twitter link). The outfielder receives an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
Nix hit .291/.350/.455 in 182 plate appearances for the Reds last year and hit 15 homers the year before that. Though he hit southpaws well in 2010, he has struggled against them over the course of his career so manager Jim Riggleman could choose to limit the 30-year-old's exposure against left-handers. Nix has lots of experience in center field, but has spent most of his time in left since 2007.
Washington traded outfielder Justin Maxwell to the Yankees so this signing helps the team restore depth. Rick Ankiel, Roger Bernadina, Nyjer Morgan, Michael Morse and Jayson Werth are among the Nationals' other outfield options.
NL Notes: Mets, Martis, Loney, D’Backs
Hall-of-Famer and Cardinals legend Red Schoendienst celebrates his 88th birthday today. Let's celebrate by looking at some news from the league where Schoendienst spent his entire 33-year career as a player and manager.
- The Mets want to find a new minority owner by June, reports The Wall Street Journal's Matthew Futterman, Michael Rothfeld and Chad Bray. If the Wilpons can't sell a minority share of just the club, Futterman, Rothfeld and Brian Costa report that the Mets ownership group could look to add a share of the SNY cable network to the sale "if and when it became a necessity." Jeff Wilpon said last week that SNY wasn't for sale.
- Mark Cuban tells Newsday's Barbara Barker that after failed attempts to buy the Cubs and Rangers, he won't pursue another baseball ownership opportunity unless he's approached. Cuban thinks the Mets are "a great opportunity, but I'm not going to call their investment banker." Cuban also said it's "very unlikely" he would settle for a minority share in a franchise unless he was given the first chance at buying a majority share in the future.
- Shairon Martis has cleared waivers and been outrighted to the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate, reports the team's official Twitter feed. Martis was designated for assignment by Washington on January 24.
- James Loney and the Dodgers "don't appear close to a settlement" of Loney's arbitration case, reports ESPNLosAngeles.com's Tony Jackson. Loney is L.A.'s last arb-eligible player, now that Hong-Chih Kuo has come to an agreement with the club. You can keep track of all the outstanding and settled arbitration cases at the MLBTR ArbTracker.
- Joe Pawlikowski of Fangraphs looks at what the Diamondbacks have done to remake their bullpen after last year's disastrous performance.