MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Okajima Fails Physical, Will Not Join Yankees

2012-02-17T22:22:00-06:00

10:22pm: It was Okajima's left shoulder that raised a red flag for Yankees doctors, tweets David Waldstein of the New York Times.

10:38am: Left-hander Hideki Okajima has failed his physical with the Yankees, reports Waldstein (Twitter link). This means the minor league contract Okajima and the Yankees agreed upon last December is now voided.

Okajima, 36, spent most of last season in the minors after the Red Sox designated him for assignment in May. Okajima struggled the last two years after posting a sterling 2.72 ERA, an 8.3 K/9 rate and a 2.89 K/BB ratio in 198 games for Boston between 2007-09.

AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Wakefield, Orioles

2012-02-17T22:18:00-06:00

Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) points out that with Tim Wakefield and Javier Vazquez retired, the active strikeout leader is now C.C. Sabathia with 2,017. Here's a look at a few items out of the American League East..

It would not be shocking to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) to see Wakefield get a call in June or July if the Red Sox are hit with injuries.
Scouts like the power arm of Diego Moreno, but there are a lot of questions about his maturity, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) had the early reads on the Yankees' imports from the Pirates. Moreno can reach 98 mph on the gun but has command issues while Exicardo Cayones can hit but doesn't have much in the way of power.
Before deciding to call it a career, Tim Wakefield had offers from four clubs, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Agent Barry Meister says that one of the four offers was a guaranteed big league deal.
Wakefield didn't consider any of those offers for long, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Upon hearing of the offers, the pitcher asked his agent, "Do they play for Boston?"
Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun ranked the Orioles' offseason acquisitons by potential impact. At the top of the list is 26-year-old left-hander Wei-Yin Chen.

Quick Hits: Uehara, Burnett, Diamondbacks, Tigers

2012-02-17T21:20:50-06:00

Friday Night Links..

While one source told Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram that a trade of Koji Uehara could free up enough money for the Rangers to sign free agent Roy Oswalt, another source said that any money saved would be pocketed rather than be used on Oswalt or Mike Gonzalez.
The other team involved in the A.J. Burnett talks was the Phillies, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. However, the club would've had to clear Joe Blanton's to make the deal work.
The Diamondbacks will be on the lookout for catching depth through Spring Training, Olney tweets.
In his blog for the Detroit Free Press, Jamie Samuelsen writes that the Tigers should stay in-house when it comes to their fifth starter position rather than scour the open market for an affordable arm. The highly-touted Jacob Turner is among the candidates for the backend of the rotation.

Jason Varitek Leaning Towards Retirement

2012-02-17T17:40:18-06:00

On the heels of Tim Wakefield's retirement, another key member of the Red Sox organization might be close to calling it a career. At Wakefield's press conference earlier today, a friend of Jason Varitek said that the catcher is leaning towards retirement, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).

This morning, Varitek's agent Scott Boras maintained that his client hasn't made any decisions yet about playing in 2012. The veteran has received interest from other clubs, but like Wakefield, it is believed that Varitek will decide between the Red Sox and retirement.

BoSox GM Ben Cherington said that he is leaving the ball in Varitek's court and the catcher is welcome to come to camp without a guaranteed roster spot, tweets Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal.

Yanks Plan To Add Two Bats; Targeting Chavez, Ibanez

2012-02-17T16:46:00-06:00

4:46pm: Heyman says the Yankees won't "finalize" things with Ibanez and Chavez until after Burnett has passed his physical and the league has approved the trade (Twitter link).

8:00am: The Yankees are "intent" on acquiring two hitters and "remain focused" on Eric Chavez and Raul Ibanez, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The team's attention will turn to adding hitting depth once the rumored A.J. Burnett trade with the Pirates is finalized.

New York has long been known to be targeting one left-handed hitter as a part-time DH and bench bat, but moving Burnett would free up the payroll space for the Yankees to add even more depth. Ibanez would be limited to DH, pinch-hitting and only very occasional outfield appearances, but in Chavez, the Yankees would also have an infield option capable of spelling Alex Rodriguez at third base. The Bombers were already in serious talks with Ibanez as of last week.

Quick Hits: Kazmir, McCann, Padres, Athletics

2012-02-17T16:31:50-06:00

Here are some notes from around the majors as we head into Friday evening...

ESPN's Jayson Stark looks back at the offseason, surveying 20 baseball personnel people about which teams made the best and worst moves of the winter. A sample: the Phillies' deal with Jonathan Papelbon was judged to be the offseason's worst free agent signing.
About 10 scouts attended Scott Kazmir's workout session today, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter links). The southpaw threw between 86-89 mph, with his top pitch reportedly hitting 91 mph by one scout's measurements.
The Mets aren't interested in Kazmir "at this time," a source tells Newsday's David Lennon. According to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, the Mets didn't send a scout to see Kazmir throw, though on Wednesday a "high ranking person" with the Mets said they would have someone in attendance (both Twitter links).
The Braves haven't begun extension talks with catcher Brian McCann, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 2012 is McCann's last season under contract, though Atlanta holds a $12MM option on him for 2013 that looks like a strong bet to be exercised. O'Brien thinks the Braves could wait until next winter to begin negotiations.
Padres owner Jeff Moorad and GM Josh Byrnes are both very pleased with the club's offseason, reports Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The Athletics seem focused on acquiring young talent this offseason, but Casey Tefertiller of Baseball America notes that some of these prospects are being blocked by Oakland's veteran signings.

Rangers, Athletics Getting Closer To Uehara Deal

2012-02-17T16:05:00-06:00

4:05pm: A deal between the A's and Rangers is unlikely today, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link), since the Rangers are talking to another team. More progress could be made over the weekend.

2:48pm: Several clubs, including the A's, are talking to the Rangers about Uehara, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.

12:57pm: The Rangers and Athletics are "getting close" to a trade involving reliever Koji Uehara, reports Joe Stiglich of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter). The A's are known to be looking for relief help, with Uehara and free agent Mike Gonzalez the two names most frequently connected to the club. Texas has also been connected to Gonzalez and in fact have been trying to create payroll space for that signing by dealing Uehara.

Uehara has a partial no-trade clause in his contract and has already blocked one deal this winter that would've sent him to Toronto. It's unknown if the A's are one of the other five teams on Uehara's no-trade list.

The two AL West rivals last completed a trade with each other in January 2011, a swap that sent Guillermo Moscoso to Oakland. The Rangers were one of several teams who talked to the A's about Andrew Bailey before Bailey was eventually dealt to the Red Sox earlier this winter.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Carter, Cespedes, Ethier

2012-02-17T15:42:08-06:00

On this date in 2003, the Braves and Greg Maddux agreed to a one-year deal worth $14.75MM. It was the largest one-year contract in baseball history at the time, surpassing David Cone's one-year, $12MM deal with the Yankees in 2000. Here is the latest from around the baseball corner of the web...

I-70 Baseball posted one of Gary Carter's last recorded interviews.
District on Deck wrote about Carter's passing.
Motor City Bengals interviewed Tigers prospect Jay Voss.
Athletics Farm looked at how the Yoenis Cespedes signing impacts the A's roster.
Through The Fence Baseball explains why A's GM Billy Beane signed Cespedes.
Beaneball ran through all the Cespedes permutations.
Full Spectrum Baseball broke down the A's crowded roster.
Swingin' A's graded the Athletics offseason.
Hardball Chat thinks missing out on Cespedes could be a positive for the Marlins.
Blogging from the Bleachers wrote about the Theo Epstein compensation issue.
Wahoo's on First says Asdrubal Cabrera's one-year deal is a steal for the Indians.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness says Andre Ethier has a lot riding on this season.
Red Sox Beacon believes the Red Sox improved through subtraction this winter.
Twins Baseball Clubhouse examined the Twins bullpen (part one, part two).
Call to the Pen says the Phillies shouldn't have signed Jonathan Papelbon.
Crashburn Alley wrote about the Phillies' top storylines in 2012.
Redbird Rants thinks the Cardinals may have too many ifs.
House of the Bluebird took an in-depth look at Adam Lind.
Shutdown Inning looked at the careers of recent Home Run Derby winners.
We Are Baseball GMs tried to predict where the remaining free agents will sign.
Seedlings to Stars says there's no such thing as a first base prospect.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

Rangers Notes: Uehara, Oswalt, Organization

2012-02-17T15:26:34-06:00

Here's the latest from the Lone Star State....

The Rangers may be looking to sign Roy Oswalt with the money they'll save by dealing Koji Uehara, reports Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. We heard earlier today that Texas is talking to several teams about Uehara, with the Athletics possibly being in the lead, and the Rangers could instead be planning to sign Mike Gonzalez once Uehara's salary has been moved. Wilson says the Rangers want prospects for Uehara, but could also look for a middle infielder from Oakland, with the A's preferring to deal Adam Rosales rather than Eric Sogard.
Besides rejecting a trade to the Blue Jays, Uehara has also used his limited no-trade clause to block another potential deal, Wilson reports.
Oswalt's chances of becoming a Ranger are still "slim," tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas looks at the major trades, strategies and management hirings in recent Rangers history that has helped the team become one of the top franchises in baseball.

NL Central Notes: Garza, DeWitt, Jocketty, Brewers

2012-02-17T15:12:56-06:00

The Pirates have agreed to acquire A.J. Burnett from the Yankees in exchange for two minor league prospects and cash, though the trade won't be finalized until Burnett passes a physical and the commissioner's office signs off on the $20MM the Yanks are sending to Pittsburgh to help cover Burnett's salary.

Here's more news from around the NL Central...

Matt Garza was mum about the possibility of a multiyear deal between he and the Cubs. “I don’t talk about that,” Garza told MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. “That’s between my agent and myself, and my agent and the front office. If they want to contact us, whatever way it works, is great. My main focus is getting ready for April 5 and having fun again.”
Also from Muskat, the Cubs are still waiting on Blake DeWitt's status. DeWitt was designated for assignment on February 6, and if he clears waivers, he can either choose free agency or join the Cubs as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training.
Since becoming the Reds' general manager, Walt Jocketty has re-acquired several players that he originally acquired when he was the Cardinals' GM, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Brewers are already over budget for 2012, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Haudricourt discussed several Brewers-related topics as part of this chat with fans.

AL Central Notes: Inge, Royals, Hernandez, Twins

2012-02-17T14:17:40-06:00

Happy birthday to former White Sox farmhand Michael Jordan, who turns 49 years old today. Jordan played one season of Double-A ball with the Birmingham Barons in 1994, hitting .202/.289/.266 in 497 plate appearances. On the strength of those numbers, Jordan was named ESPN's greatest athlete of the 20th century. In hindsight, it's possible ESPN may have also taken Jordan's basketball career into consideration, but you'd have to take that argument up with the gang at MLBTR's new sister site Hoops Rumors.

Here's the latest from around the AL Central...

Brandon Inge will be given a chance at the Tigers' second base job during Spring Training, manager Jim Leyland told reporters (including John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press). Inge joins Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago in battling for playing time at second. With Miguel Cabrera now playing third, Inge finds himself without a position. Inge has been a strong defensive third baseman throughout his career (a +5.6 UZR/150) but he has never played second during his 14-year professional career.
Rany Jazayerli thinks the Royals should have acquired at least one more proven starting pitcher this offseason, arguing that such a move could have possibly given Kansas City a shot at the division title.
Roberto Hernandez (a.k.a. Fausto Carmona) is visiting baseball camps in the Dominican Republic to teach young players not to lie about their identity or true age, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jorge Brito, Hernandez's agent, didn't say whether these visits were necessary for Hernandez to regain his ability to leave the Dominican and rejoin the Indians.
MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger gives his thoughts about what the Twins' Opening Day roster could look like.

Pirates To Acquire A.J. Burnett

2012-02-17T13:51:00-06:00

After more than a week of back-and-forth discussion, the Yankees and Pirates agreed on a deal today that will send A.J. Burnett to Pittsburgh. The deal allows the Bombers to unload $13MM of the $33MM still owed to the veteran pitcher over the next two years. Aside from shedding payroll, the Yanks also receive outfielder Exicardo Cayones and right-hander Diego Moreno in the trade.

As Tim Dierkes noted last week, the Pirates were a solid fit for the 35-year-old as the club has struggled to find a frontline starter on the open market. Burnett held a limited no-trade clause which allowed him to block trades to ten clubs, but it appears that the Bucs were not on that list.

Burnett will take a physical on Sunday and, due to the amount of money changing hands, the trade will be subject to league approval. The Bucs will pay the right-hander $5MM in 2012 and $8MM in '13 as they look to help him return to his pre-2010 form.

The much-maligned Burnett posted a 4.79 ERA, a 1.99 K/BB ratio and a 1.45 WHIP in three seasons with New York after signing a five-year, $82.5MM contract in the 2008-09 offseason. He did, however, play a key role in the Yankees' 2009 World Series title and averaged 195 innings per year during his time in the Bronx. This durability makes the 35-year-old Burnett an attractive quantity to the Pirates, who haven't had a pitcher reach 195 innings since 2009.

The Pirates have been looking for veteran starting pitching this winter but, after signing Erik Bedard, were turned down by free agents Edwin Jackson and Roy Oswalt. Burnett will have a guaranteed spot in a Pittsburgh rotation that will also feature Bedard and James McDonald, with Jeff Karstens, Charlie Morton and Kevin Correia all likely battling for the final two spots.

For the Yankees, getting $13MM of Burnett's salary off the books frees up enough payroll space for the team to pursue some depth needs. We've heard the Yankees are looking at Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez as left-handed bats to fill the part-time DH and backup infield roles, respectively.

The finalization of the deal was first reported by Ken Rosnethal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (via Twitter) reported Cayones' inclusion in the deal while Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted the news of Moreno heading to New York. Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) had the breakdown of how the Bucs will pay Burnett.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Poll: Who Had The Better Offseason, Marlins Or Nats?

2012-02-17T13:28:42-06:00

The NL East was the most improved division in baseball this winter and it was almost entirely due to the efforts of just two teams. The Marlins and Nationals both made big strides towards joining the Phillies and Braves in what could be a spirited pennant race this season. (Sorry, Mets fans.)

With their new ballpark opening this April, the Marlins decided to take the opportunity to overhaul the entire franchise, debuting new uniforms, a new logo and even a new name, as the Florida Marlins made way for the Miami Marlins. The first major move came when Ozzie Guillen was hired as the team's new manager and then the Fish took the free agent market by storm. Miami signed Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell for a combined $191MM --- a stunning outlay for traditional small-payroll club. The starting rotation was further bolstered by trades for Wade LeBlanc and the controversial Carlos Zambrano. Between these moves and Josh Johnson and Hanley Ramirez looking to rebound from injury and a poor season, respectively, it's easy to see why some pundits have picked the Marlins to reach the playoffs this year.

The Nationals are also getting some love from the preseason analysts. Washington's offseason was a bit more low-key to start with, as the club focused on bolstering their minor league depth, re-signing Chien-Ming Wang and adding Ryan Perry to the bullpen. January, however, was much busier, as the Nats dealt four of their best prospects in order to acquire Gio Gonzalez from the A's and then promptly locked the left-hander up in a five-year extension. GM Mike Rizzo then completed his search for starting pitching by signing Edwin Jackson to a one-year contract, thus pairing Jackson and Gonzalez along with Wang, Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann in what could be one of the strongest rotations in baseball.

The Marlins are clearly trying to win now. The Nationals may still be looking to 2013 as their true "go for it" year, but with Strasburg recovered from Tommy John surgery and other impact players like Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse on board, it wouldn't be surprising to see Washington contend right now. With all this in mind, which team's offseason do you think was the most impressive?

Marlins Links: Gaby, Anibal, Reyes, Cespedes, Pudge

2012-02-17T12:51:43-06:00

Here's the latest from South Beach...

Once Albert Pujols was off the market, the Marlins told Gaby Sanchez and his agent that rumors about Miami pursuing Prince Fielder were false and that the club wasn't looking for another first baseman, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Sanchez said he wasn't offended that the Marlins were pursuing Pujols: "He's proven what he can do for 10 straight years. I still have so much time to go."
Anibal Sanchez told reporters (including MLB.com's David Villavicencio) says the Marlins haven't approached him about a contract extension but he'd be open to signing such a deal. MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith recently examined Sanchez as an extension candidate.
Sanchez also didn't mind his recent arbitration hearing with the Marlins, where he won his case and earned an $8MM salary for 2012. "I think everybody thought they were going to say a lot of things that were bad about me. But I didn't think they said anything bad or that I didn't know. It's part of the business," Sanchez said.
Jose Reyes understands that the Mets didn't have the finances to re-sign him, but he wished his former team would've at least made some kind of offer, reports Dan Martin of the New York Post.
The Marlins offered Yoenis Cespedes a six-year, $36MM contract, reports Frisaro. The team wanted a six-year deal since they felt Cespedes would need minor league seasoning and didn't want to pay him a large salary if he'd be spending time in the minors. Cespedes instead agreed to sign with the A's for $36MM over four years.
With Cespedes gone, Frisaro says the Fish aren't expected to add any more players before Spring Training, though they could look for veteran starting pitching later in camp. The Marlins aren't interested in Ivan Rodriguez for the backup catching job.

Red Sox Notes: Varitek, Pitching, Trainers, Melancon

2012-02-17T11:53:00-06:00

It was on this day in 1971 that the Red Sox signed Carl Yastrzemski to a three-year, $500K deal that was (at the time) the richest player contract in baseball history. Fast-forward 40 years and the annual minimum salary for a Major League player in 2011 was $414K.

Here are some items about the modern-day Sox...

The 64-player roster released by the Red Sox yesterday is "most likely" not going to change as their Spring Training camp begins, a source tells WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. This means that it is unlikely that the Sox will add free agents like Roy Oswalt or Jason Varitek to the mix.
Varitek has "not made any decisions yet" about playing in 2012, Varitek's agent Scott Boras tells Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). In case you missed it, another longtime BoSox veteran will announce his retirement today, as Tim Wakefield is hanging up the glove after 19 Major League seasons.
The club's pitching woes have been caused by the lack of homegrown arms delivering over the last two seasons, says WEEI.com's Alex Speier.
Following last season's collapse and all of the subsequent front office changes, the Red Sox are entering their most uncertain Spring Training in years, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
Also from Abraham, he looks at ten pressing questions facing the Red Sox heading into the 2012 campaign.
As part of a larger piece about team's offseason turnover, John Tomase of the Boston Herald notes that the Red Sox parted ways with their team doctor and strength coach from last season and also demoted trainer Mike Reinold. "Tired of watching their multimillion dollar investments break down, the organization cleaned house on the medical and training side of things, with the hope that new blood will reach players who in many cases resisted pleas to improve their conditioning," Tomase writes.
Mark Melancon deserves an open shot at the closer's job, argues ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes. Melancon is currently expected to serve as a set-up man for another new acquisition, Andrew Bailey.

Tim Wakefield To Announce Retirement

2012-02-17T10:41:20-06:00

Tim Wakefield will announce his retirement at a press conference later today, according to a Red Sox media release. The veteran knuckleballer had been considering the decision, saying that while he was interested in pitching in 2012, his first choice would be to return to the Red Sox, who were only offering him a minor league contract.

Wakefield, 45, was an eighth-round pick for the Pirates in the 1988 amateur draft. He burst onto the Major League scene in 1992 by posting a 2.15 ERA in 13 starts to help Pittsburgh win the NL East, and also went 2-0 in his two NLCS starts. Wakefield struggled afterwards, however, and was eventually released by the Bucs during Spring Training in 1995. He signed with the Red Sox six days later and the rest was history, as Wakefield went on to spend the next 17 seasons hurling his knuckler at Fenway Park.

Wakefield retires with a career 200-180 record, a 4.41 ERA and 2156 strikeouts over 3226 1/3 innings pitched. He is Boston's all-time leader in starts and innings pitched, and his 186 wins with the Red Sox ranks him third on the franchise's all-time wins list, just six behind Roger Clemens and Cy Young's shared mark of 192. According to Baseball Reference, Wakefield earned just under $56MM in his 19-year career.

A.J. Burnett Rumors: Friday

2012-02-17T09:39:05-06:00

As we heard yesterday, the reported framework for an A.J. Burnett trade between the Pirates and Yankees was that Burnett would join the Bucs in exchange for two minor prospects and $13-$15MM in salary relief. The trade is expected to be finalized within the next day or two, so here's the latest news...

The trade is "nearing [the] finish line," tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The two prospects the Yankees will receive in the deal are A-level players and "not considered much."
The deal is "a bold, sharp major-league move" for the Pirates, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
The Pirates and Yankees hope to take the proposed deal to the Commissioner's Office today, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. The trade requires league approval due to the large amount of cash involved.

Phillies Notes: Soler, Valdez, Wigginton

2012-02-17T09:01:48-06:00

Here's the latest from the City Of Brotherly Love...

"Industry insiders" consider the Phillies to be a longshot for Jorge Soler, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Though the Phils are known to be one of Soler's top suitors, the team has never been big spenders on the international market and may balk at Soler's price tag. Salisbury hears from one baseball executive who predicts Soler will end up with the Cubs, who are reportedly ready to offer the 19-year-old Cuban outfielder as much as $27.5MM.
The Phillies traded Wilson Valdez to the Reds since GM Ruben Amaro felt his team already had several other utility options in place, reports MLB.com's Todd Zolecki as part of a reader mailbag. Zolecki says he was personally a little surprised by the Valdez deal.
One of those other utility options, Ty Wigginton, is excited to play for a contender, reports Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. In that piece, Amaro mentioned that Wigginton had been highly regarded by several Phillies scouts over the last few years.
David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News looks at five key questions surrounding the Phillies as they open Spring Training.

Quick Hits: Arbitration, Hamilton, Castillo, Kazmir

2012-02-16T22:10:00-06:00

Condolences go out to the family of Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter, who passed away today following a long bout with cancer. He was 57. Carter hit .262/.335/.439 and made eleven All-Star Games in his 19 seasons, 12 of which came with the Expos. He backstopped the Mets to the 1986 World Championship. Here is some news from around the league...

The 142 players who filed for arbitration last month averaged a 112% raise reports the AP (via ESPN). That's down from 123% last offseason and the lowest average raise since 106% in 2007. Check out our Arbitration Tracker for the answers to all of your arbitration questions.
Rangers GM Jon Daniels reiterated that contract extension talks with Josh Hamilton are on hold, reports Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas. "The priority needs to be his recovery and his family and, secondarily, getting ready for the season," said the GM. "We're not going to get in the way of those things with contract talk.
The Diamondbacks have signed 16-year-old Dominican right-hander Luis Castillo for $80K according to a release, which said his fastball sits 84-87 mph. He also throws a curveball and a changeup.
The trade market is likely to heat up as the season progresses, writes MLB.com's Richard Justice. As he explains, most GMs feel confident in their team this time of year and prefer to take their time evaluating needs.
Scott Kazmir, who had been scheduled to pitch in front of scouts yesterday, won’t audition until Friday, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. The left-handed free agent is feeling well, Olney writes.
Brandon Webb is throwing painlessly off of flat ground, agent Jonathan Maurer told Olney. Webb will throw in front of scouts at some point, Olney tweets.
Newsday’s Ken Davidoff adds up teams’ payroll commitments for 2015 and beyond and finds that nine clubs -- the Orioles, Cubs, Indians, Astros, Royals, Mets, Padres, Giants and Mariners -- haven’t committed a thing for ’15 or beyond.
Yahoo’s Jeff Passan examines the market for the top remaining free agents, including Roy Oswalt, Mike Gonzalez and a crowd of designated hitters.
Joe Jordan, the Phillies' new director of player development, breaks down a number of the team's top prospects with Joe Berkery of the Philadelphia Daily News.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

AL East Links: Kazmir, Orioles, Epstein, Wakefield

2012-02-16T21:08:00-06:00

The Red Sox announced minor league deals with Ross Ohlendorf and Mauro Gomez earlier today. Here are the rest of the links from their division...

The Red Sox will not be one of the teams in attendance for Scott Kazmir's workout tomorrow, reports Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). The southpaw's audition was supposed to be today, but it was pushed back.
Korean pitching prospect Seong-Min Kim originally agreed to a $575K deal with the Orioles, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports.
Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun hears that while MLB hasn't approved the contract between the Orioles and the 17-year-old left-hander, MLB didn't technically void it. In any case it seems the deal for Kim will not go through as originally announced.
A Red Sox official expects compensation for Theo Epstein to be finalized "very soon," Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets. The Red Sox and Cubs recently sent briefs to the commissioner's office explaining their perspective on the issue of how to compensate Boston for Epstein's departure to Chicago.
Agent Barry Meister didn't comment on whether Tim Wakefield will accept a minor league deal from the Red Sox, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com tweets. It doesn't appear that Wakefield will accept the offer, Edes writes.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

A.J. Burnett Rumors: Thursday

2012-02-16T20:16:00-06:00

Multiple teams are discussing right-hander A.J. Burnett with the Yankees, according to yesterday's rumors. The right-hander vetoed a trade to the Angels, so it's down to the Pirates and at least one unknown club. Burnett will earn $33MM between now and the end of the 2013 season, and the question of how much money the Yankees absorb figures to shape trade talks. Here are the latest rumors as we await resolution on a deal:

The Yankees and Pirates are nearing a deal that would send Burnett to Pittsburgh for two marginal prospects and $13-15MM in salary relief, reports George A. King III of The New York Post. "It will happen this weekend,'' said King's source. "Probably Saturday.''
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Yankees have countered the Pirates offer with a sliding scale, meaning they'd have to surrender lesser prospects the closer they get to eating $15MM of the $33MM left on Burnett's contract. He says it would be an upset if he's not traded before the Yankees open camp on Sunday (all Twitter links).
Ken Davidoff of Newsday reminds us (on Twitter) that MLB will need to approve any trade because of the large amount of cash changing hands.
The Yankees and Pirates know which players would go from Pittsburgh to New York if the Pirates take on $13MM in salary, Davidoff tweets.
The Yankees and Pirates should complete a deal within 24 hours, according to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com (on Twitter).
A team other than the Pirates and Indians made a proposal for Burnett yesterday and the Yankees appear to be approaching a decision, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (Twitter links). Burnett told the Yankees three weeks ago that he would block a trade to Anaheim.
Considerable optimism exists that the Yankees and Pirates will work out a deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. Heyman adds that the Yankees will pay $20MM of Burnett's contract.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Mariners Sign Shawn Camp

2012-02-16T19:29:00-06:00

FEBRUARY 16: Camp's deal is worth $750K, MLBTR has learned.

FEBRUARY 6: The Mariners signed reliever Shawn Camp to a Major League deal, tweets Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle. The Mariners announced the signings of Camp and Hong-Chih Kuo, noting they've designated catcher Chris Gimenez and outfielder Mike Wilson to open spots on the 40-man roster for the new relievers.

Camp, 36, posted a 4.21 ERA, 4.3 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 0.41 HR/9, and 53.5% groundball rate in 66 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays last year. His agent Dave Meier did well in scoring a Major League deal this late in the offseason. Camp was a Type B free agent this winter, but the Blue Jays did not offer arbitration and will not receive draft pick compensation. The Mariners have added to their bullpen on the cheap this winter with Camp, Kuo, George Sherrill, and Aaron Heilman.

Gimenez, 29, was non-tendered in December but then quickly re-signed to a big league deal. Wilson, 28, hit .331/.418/.555 with 16 home runs in 388 plate appearances in his third pass at the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Reds To Sign Brett Tomko

2012-02-16T18:55:02-06:00

The Reds have agreed to sign right-hander Brett Tomko to a minor league deal, MLBTR has learned. The 14-year veteran split the 2011 season between the Rangers and their Triple-A affiliate.

Tomko appeared in eight games for the Rangers last year, posting a 4.58 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in 17 2/3 innings. The 38-year-old Paragon Sports International client also pitched 108 1/3 innings for Texas' top affiliate, starting 18 games. Tomko broke in with the Reds in 1997, spending three seasons in Cincinnati before being traded to Seattle in the Ken Griffey Jr. deal.

Red Sox Sign Ross Ohlendorf

2012-02-16T18:14:00-06:00

6:14pm: The contract will pay Ohlendorf $900K in the big leagues, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier. Speier also confirmed that Ohlendorf has a minor league option remaining. The Red Sox control the right-hander through the 2014 season.

8:07am: The Red Sox signed Ross Ohlendorf, Peter Gammons of MLB Network tweets. Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe confirms that the right-hander is in Red Sox camp in Fort Myers, Florida and MLBTR has confirmed that the sides agreed to a minor league deal.

Ohlendorf pitched respectably out of the Pirates' rotation in 2009-10, when he posted a 3.98 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 285 innings over the course of 50 starts. However, the 29-year-old Princeton graduate struggled in 2011, posting an 8.15 ERA in nine starts and allowing nine home runs in 38 2/3 innings. The Pirates released him after the season.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Rays Sign Chris Gimenez

2012-02-16T15:48:53-06:00

The Rays signed catcher Chris Gimenez to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training, according to Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link). Gimenez elected free agency earlier in the week, not long after the Mariners designated him for assignment.

The Mariners non-tendered Gimenez in December, re-signing him to a Major League deal soon afterwards. The 29-year-old has a .171/.279/.272 line in 267 career plate appearances from 2009-11. He also has experience at first base and the corner outfield positions.

MLBTR Seeking Comment Moderators

2012-02-16T15:00:00-06:00

MLBTR is now looking for additional moderators to read through comments and make sure that they're not in violation of our commenting policy. We're looking for people to contribute throughout the week, including on weekends.

It's not a paid position, but it will keep you connected to the latest trade and free agent rumors. If you're a frequent MLBTR commenter who can help us keep the comment section clean, send a short e-mail to mlbtrmods@gmail.com with the following: your username, the email (or other) account you use to comment on MLBTR, your availability, and a short explanation as to why you'd be a good fit. If you're responsible, respectful and interested in contributing at MLBTR, we want to hear from you.

Latest On Jorge Soler

2012-02-16T14:34:00-06:00

At least seven teams have interest in 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, according to the most recent rumblings from around MLB. The Yankees and Phillies are said to have serious interest, and the Blue Jays, Orioles, Red Sox, Cubs and White Sox also appear to be in the mix. Soler isn't a fully fledged free agent yet, but that hasn't slowed the rumor mill down. The latest:

GM Ruben Amaro Jr. confirmed the Phillies' interest to Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It may come down to where he wants to play and, of course, the money," Amaro said.The Phillies have stayed in close contact with Soler, taking him to dinner several times, according to Brookover.
The Indians have worked Soler out at their Dominican academy several times, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets.
Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN The Magazine tweets that he would be very surprised if the Yankees sign Soler.

Johnny Damon Talks Free Agency

2012-02-16T13:56:26-06:00

Johnny Damon told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that he considers the Yankees a “perfect fit” for his services given their need for a left-handed hitting DH. The Yankees don’t hold any grudges over the way Damon’s first stint in New York ended, but they haven’t offered him a contract this offseason, and they don’t seem likely to make final decisions on their DH opening until the A.J. Burnett intrigue ends.

Despite rumblings that Damon is altering his offensive approach now that he’s just 277 hits away from the 3,000 hit milestone, he says he's not changing as a player as he nears personal accomplishments.

“It's never been a driving force for me,” he told Heyman. “I always had the intention of being a good teammate."

Damon hit .261/.326/.418 with 16 homers and 29 doubles in 582 plate appearances in 2011. He was Tampa Bay's primary DH last year, but maintains he could still play the field if necessary. I examined Damon's free agent stock in November, concluding that another modest one-year deal is likely. The Scott Boras client appeared to be seeking a $5MM deal about a month ago.

Minor Moves: Blackley, Gomez

2012-02-16T11:05:00-06:00

Keeping track of the day's minor moves...

The Giants signed left-hander Travis Blackley to a minor league deal, MLB.com's Chris Haft reports. The 29-year-old Australia native has MLB experience with the 2004 Mariners and the 2007 Giants. He didn't pitch affiliated baseball in 2011.
The Red Sox announced that they signed first baseman Mauro Gomez to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training. Gomez, 27, spent the 2011 season with the Braves' top affiliate and led the International League with 264 total bases. The Dominican Republic native had 24 homers and 34 doubles at Triple-A last year.

Teams Win Five Of Seven Arbitration Hearings

2012-02-16T10:02:38-06:00

The 142 players who filed for salary arbitration earlier in the offseason have agreed to terms on 2012 contracts, which means the arbitration season is officially over. Most players avoided hearings with one-year deals, 17 signed extensions, and seven went to arbitration hearings. As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, teams out-performed players this month, winning five of seven hearings. The details for the five MLB wins:

The Brewers beat Jose Veras, who will earn $2MM in 2012. Veras is represented by Bryce Dixon.
The Nationals beat John Lannan, who will earn $5MM in 2012. Lannan is represented by Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA Sports.
The Orioles beat Brad Bergesen, who will earn $800K in 2012. Bergesen is represented by Paragon Sports International.
The Pirates beat Garrett Jones, who will earn $2.25MM in 2012. Jones is represented by SFX.
The Rays beat Jeff Niemann, who will earn $2.75MM in 2012. Niemann is represented by Hendricks Sports.

Players won two cases, both of which were against the Marlins:

Emilio Bonifacio, a WMG client, will earn $2.2MM in 2012.
Anibal Sanchez, a Gene Mato client, will earn $8MM in 2012.

Players won two of three hearings in 2011, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows.

Pirates, Casey McGehee Avoid Arbitration

2012-02-16T09:18:06-06:00

The Pirates avoided arbitration with Casey McGehee, agreeing to terms on a 2012 contract, the team announced. He'll earn $2.5375MM in 2012, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter). All arbitration eligible players are now under contract for 2012, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows.

McGehee, a Meister Sports Management client, had asked for $2.725MM, while the Pirates had countered with a $2.35MM offer. His 2012 salary is the midpoint of the two submissions. The infielder was arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason and he'll remain under team control through the 2014 campaign. I examined his case in relation to teammate Garrett Jones last week.

Pirates Beat Garrett Jones In Arbitration

2012-02-16T09:16:19-06:00

The Pirates beat Garrett Jones in yesterday's arbitration hearing, the team announced. Jones will earn $2.25MM in 2012, instead of the $2.5MM salary he and his representatives at SFX had asked for.

Jones posted a .243/.321/.433 line with 16 home runs in 477 plate appearances for the Pirates last year and drew some trade interest from the Yankees this offseason. I examined his case in some detail yesterday. Teams won five of the seven arbitration cases that took place this offseason, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows.

Giants Re-Sign Justin Christian

2012-02-15T23:16:12-06:00

The Giants re-signed outfielder Justin Christian to a minor league deal after he cleared waivers, Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com tweets. The Giants had designated Christian for assignment eight days ago.

Christian appeared in 18 games for the 2011 Giants, playing all three outfield positions. The 31-year-old has just 94 MLB plate appearances to his name, but he owns a .293/.359/.432 line in nine minor league seasons.

A.J. Burnett Rumors: Wednesday

2012-02-15T22:54:00-06:00

The Pirates and Yankees are discussing an A.J. Burnett trade, as the Yankees look to unload some of the $33MM owed to him for 2012-13. The latest:

Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger hears four teams are in the mix for Burnett and that "a deal will get done with somebody.“
The Yankees are engaging the Pirates and one other team about Burnett and a deal seems increasingly likely, David Waldstein of the New York Times reports. It doesn't appear that Burnett would block a trade to either one of the two possible destinations.
The Yankees tried to convince the Angels that Burnett could be their fifth starter, according to Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com. The Yankees would have obtained Bobby Abreu in the proposed trade, but Burnett rejected the deal because he'd prefer to play on the East Coast.
The two clubs remain at an impasse, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. As the day before Yankees pitchers and catchers report to spring training, Saturday represents a soft deadline for the trade talks. A trade is not likely with any of the three other teams interested in Burnett, as the Indians never got serious, Burnett will not approve a deal to the Angels, and the mystery team has lukewarm interest.

Quick Hits: Ordonez, Fukudome, Rizzo

2012-02-15T22:25:00-06:00

The latest links from around MLB...

Free agent outfielder Magglio Ordonez told Los Cronistas that he wants to play, but doesn't plan on accepting a minor league deal (Twitter links, hat tip to Danny Knobler). The Athletics and other clubs have shown some interest, but haven't made concrete offers.
Jim Margalus of South Side Sox explains why the Kosuke Fukudome signing makes sense for the White Sox. They locked the outfielder up for $1MM yesterday.
Cubs first base prospect Anthony Rizzo told Jim Memolo and Todd Hollandsworth on MLB Network Radio that being traded two offseasons ago helped prepare him for the recent deal that sent him from San Diego to Chicago.
In a piece for FanGraphs, Mike Axisa takes a look at MLBTR's list of out of options players and breaks down some trade candidates, including Kila Ka'aihue and Sean West.
Matt Eddy of Baseball America has the complete minor league transactions for February 8th-13th.

Examining Garrett Jones’ Arbitration Case

2012-02-15T21:28:25-06:00

In the context of nine-figure player contracts and billion dollar TV deals, $250K isn’t all that much money, yet the Pirates and Garrett Jones went to an arbitration hearing over that sum earlier today. A panel of arbitrators must decide whether the first-time arbitration eligible outfielder/first baseman will earn $2.25MM or $2.5MM in 2012. Let’s take a look at some players who could have figured into the discussion today.

Recent first-time eligible position players who agreed to one-year deals in the $2.25-2.5MM range would have had the most clout in the hearing room. From the current class of arbitration eligible players, Dexter Fowler ($2.35MM), Nyjer Morgan ($2.35MM) and Seth Smith ($2.415MM) qualify and from last year’s class we have Ian Stewart ($2.29MM), Chase Headley ($2.325MM) and David Murphy ($2.4MM). Those who played long ago, signed at different price points or agreed to extensions as first-time eligible players are generally less relevant.

The midpoint for Jones’ case sits at $2.375MM -- more than Fowler, Morgan, Stewart and Headley obtained their first time through arbitration. The Pirates likely argued that Jones is no better than such players, while SFX would have explained that their client has accomplished more than relevant players below the midpoint.

In terms of career power numbers, which matter a great deal for position players, SFX had a case. Jones has more career homers than any of the six players above had at parallel points in their careers, and more RBI than everyone but Murphy.

Smith recently obtained a salary above the Jones midpoint, just as Murphy did a year ago. The Pirates may have attempted to show that these players are superior to Jones, but SFX could have countered that Jones is at least as accomplished as Smith and Murphy.

There’s ample room for interpretation -- arbitration is both an art and a science. Take Headley, for example. The Pirates could have suggested that Jones’ 2012 salary should stay below the $2.375MM midpoint because he doesn’t measure up to Headley in terms of key stats like average and on-base percentage. SFX could have responded by pointing to Jones’ superior power numbers, both for his career and in his platform season.

In other words, the sides would have highlighted different attributes of the same players in order to make their respective cases. If your head is spinning over the $250K question, you won’t have to wait long for resolution -- the verdict should arrive tomorrow.

Photo courtesy Icon SMI. For a look at Jones in relation to teammate Casey McGehee, click here.

Orioles Release Clay Rapada

2012-02-15T20:15:03-06:00

The Orioles released left-hander Clay Rapada, according to the transactions page on CBSSports.com. Rapada, who was designated for assignment nine days ago, confirms the news on his Twitter account.

Rapada, who turns 31 next month, posted a 6.06 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 16 1/3 innings for the Orioles last year. He had pitched 52 2/3 MLB innings over the course of five seasons for the Tigers, Rangers, Cubs and Orioles and is not yet arbitration eligible.

Latest On Jorge Soler

2012-02-15T19:57:00-06:00

7:57pm: The Yankees and Phillies are in hardest on Soler now, Yahoo's Jeff Passan tweets.

5:21pm: Marlins president David Samson said on 790 the Ticket that the club doesn't have interest in Soler, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets.

2:51pm: The Marlins are interested, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal hears Soler's power is comparable to that of Miami outfielder Mike Stanton -- high praise to say the least.

12:59pm: The Blue Jays watched Soler and others Wednesday at the team's complex in the Dominican Republic, writes MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. The Orioles will be in the D.R. to watch him Sunday. Sanchez lists the Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Phillies, and Cubs as other interested parties.

WEDNESDAY, 8:26am: The Phillies are also interested in Soler, reports Olney.

TUESDAY, 2:18pm: The Yankees have serious interest in Soler, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets.

12:33pm: Many teams remain involved in the bidding for 19-year-old Cuban prospect Jorge Soler, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The Cubs have been extensively linked to the outfielder, but they’re not the only club involved.

The Yankees are in on the bidding, tweets David Kaplan of CSN Chicago, and Heyman suggests the Marlins could be involved. Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald hears that “a good number” of teams have interest (Twitter link). Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus explained yesterday that Soler would rank 38th or 39th on his list of top prospects.

NL West Notes: Byrnes, Moorad, Ethier

2012-02-15T19:37:35-06:00

Every NL West team enters Spring Training with three or more out of options players, as MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes showed earlier today. Here are the latest links from the division...

Padres CEO Jeff Moorad told Tom Krasovic of Inside the Padres that Josh Byrnes' deal as GM is for five years plus an option. Moorad said he and Byrnes tore up the eight-year deal they signed when they were with the Diamondbacks. Byrnes obtained a raise and an extra year of guaranteed salary under his new deal, Krasovic writes.
The Padres are on the verge of signing a 20-year, $1 billion TV deal with FOX, according to Barry Bloom of MLB.com. The club would earn $30MM in 2012 and $70MM by the time the contract expires unless something changes before it's finalized, Bloom explains.
Bloom also reports that the ownership transfer from John Moores to Moorad isn’t about to go through and could take a couple of years to become official.
Steve Dilbeck of the LA Times says the Dodgers should sign Andre Ethier to a three-year contract in the upper-$30MM range if possible. Ethier will earn $10.95MM in 2012 before hitting free agency, and I doubt he'd agree to the terms Dilbeck suggests.

AL East Notes: Bowden, Angelos, Jones

2012-02-15T18:15:00-06:00

Four of the five AL East teams -- the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles -- appear to have some interest in Cuban outfield prospect Jorge Soler. Here are the latest links from the division...

Rob Bradford of WEEI.com explains that the future of out-of-options right-hander Michael Bowden may be closely linked to his Spring Training performance. For MLBTR's complete list of out of options players on the Red Sox and around the league click here.
An Orioles official tells Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun that there's "absolutely no truth" to rumors owner Peter Angelos is considering selling the team.
The Orioles would have to offer Adam Jones an extension of at least five years for him to sign long-term, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Rosenthal explores the timeline for a possible Jones trade, pointing out that the Braves were among the teams that inquired on the center fielder this offseason. Jones avoided arbitration with the Orioles last night, agreeing to a $6.15MM contract for 2012. He’s under team control through 2013.