MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Outrighted To Triple-A: Mitchell

2012-02-10T17:13:05-06:00

We'll keep track of today's outrights in this post ...

The Dodgers outrighted infielder Russ Mitchell to Triple-A Albuquerque, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. Mitchell had a cup of coffee with the Dodgers in each of the past two seasons, slugging four homers in 101 career plate appearances in that time.

Quick Hits: Oswalt, Renteria, Pirates, Indians

2012-02-10T16:45:00-06:00

Links for Friday...

ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says Roy Oswalt is not going to sign with the Rangers or Phillies. The right-hander could end up in Boston, where he doesn't seem to want to play, or with the Cardinals, who are interested if Oswalt agrees to their terms.
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com suggests the Brewers, Cubs and Astros are all fits for Edgar Renteria, who intends to play in 2012 (Twitter link).
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review discusses the difficulty of luring free agents to Pittsburgh and points out that the Pirates have never signed a free agent for more than $10.5MM, which is what Clint Barmes obtained earlier in the offseason.
The Indians don't have any guaranteed contracts on the books beyond 2012, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian points out (on Twitter).
Keith Law lists sleeper prospects for all 30 teams at ESPN.com.
Matt Eddy of Baseball America has the complete minor league transactions for February 2nd-7th.

Cardinals Sign Scott Linebrink

2012-02-10T16:41:42-06:00

The Cardinals have signed Scott Linebrink to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training, B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest tweets. SFX represents the right-hander.

Linebrink posted a 3.64 ERA with 7.0 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a 38.8% ground ball rate in 54 1/3 innings for the Braves in 2011. The 35-year-old owns a 3.51 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 12 MLB seasons. The Angels were the one team that was publicly linked to Linebrink this offseason. Given their interest in Luis Ayala and others, it appears that GM Jerry Dipoto still seeks relief help.

The Cardinals have also added J.C. Romero and R.J. Swindle to the bullpen mix since winning the 2011 World Series.

Yankees, Pirates Talking A.J. Burnett Trade

2012-02-10T16:14:00-06:00

4:14pm: The Yankees are telling the Pirates that absorbing $10MM isn't enough, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets.

3:47pm: The Pirates appear to be willing to absorb $10MM in a trade, Heyman tweets. The Yankees have been pushing for an even split and seek an OK prospect in return. Heyman tweets that the chances of a deal remain "decent." The clubs are talking, but aren't close to a deal, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The Pirates are also looking at other starters.

12:34pm: There seems to be a fair amount of optimism about a deal, Heyman tweets.

10:28am: The Pirates haven't yet offered to pay $10MM of the $33MM remaining on Burnett's contract, Heyman tweets.

7:57am: The Yankees and Pirates continue discussing a possible A.J. Burnett trade, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Yankees are willing to pay a substantial portion of the $33MM remaining on the right-hander’s contract through 2013, but the teams are still a few million apart. The Yankees first asked the Pirates to pay well over $11MM, Heyman writes.

The Yankees want to create payroll room for a designated hitter and appear to be leaning toward Raul Ibanez, perhaps because they prefer his ability to play the outfield. Johnny Damon and Eric Chavez also intrigue the Yankees as possible free agent additions, according to Heyman. The Pirates rejected the Yankees’ request for Garrett Jones, Heyman writes.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Burnett’s no-trade list includes all of the teams on the West Coast (Twitter links). Sherman expects the Yankees to trade Burnett before Spring Training and suggests the team is waiting to see if the Pirates or another club offers to absorb more money.

Latest At RotoAuthority.com

2012-02-10T16:00:00-06:00

There's lots of fantasy baseball content at MLBTR's sister site, RotoAuthority.com. Here are some recent highlights...

Steve Adams is now chatting about all things fantasy baseball, so head over to RotoAuthority and send him your questions.
Tom Warman suggests Matt Wieters, Adam Lind, Aaron Hill, Alexei Ramirez and Jason Heyward are among the underrated hitters who could help you win your league in 2012.
Mike Axisa ranks this year's shortstops and Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes lead the way. Mike's fourth-ranked shortstop might surprise some people.
Edwin Van Bibber-Orr explains why Michael Morse will be a valuable fantasy pickup in 2012.
Dan Mennella explains why Jhonny Peralta is a buy-low option and why it might be worth resisting the urge to draft Johnny Cueto early on.

Orioles Designate Matt Angle For Assignment

2012-02-10T15:38:07-06:00

The Orioles announced that they have designated Matt Angle for assignment. The move creates 40-man roster space for Luis Ayala, whose signing is now official.

Angle debuted with the 2011 Orioles, playing all three outfield positions, and posting a .559 OPS in 95 plate appearances. The 26-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .271/.347/.344 line in 489 plate appearances.

AL East Notes: Uehara, Reyes, Red Sox

2012-02-10T15:23:38-06:00

The Yankees are discussing a possible A.J. Burnett trade with Pittsburgh and the Orioles agreed to terms with Luis Ayala on a one-year deal earlier today. Here are some more AL East updates...

The Orioles maintain interest in Koji Uehara of the Rangers, even after adding Matt Lindstrom and Ayala this week, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.
Ayala and Dennys Reyes grew up together in a small town in Mexico, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets. Both Paragon Sports International clients signed with the Orioles this offseason.
The Red Sox have not avoided arbitration with David Ortiz, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney clarified this morning (Twitter link).
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark suggests the Red Sox are still in play for Roy Oswalt, even though the right-hander doesn’t seem to want to sign in Boston.

A's Notes: Ramirez, Ordonez, Matsui, Uehara

2012-02-10T15:20:00-06:00

The A's agreed to extend GM Billy Beane through 2019 this week, but the offseason hasn't quite ended, so it's time to look ahead to Beane's next move. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle and others have the details on the team's plans...

Beane said he's looking to sign a DH for the middle of the lineup, Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group tweets. The GM added that it's not easy to find a cleanup hitter right now.
A's scouts saw Ramirez work out recently and they're interested, ESPN.com's Buster Olney confirms (Twitter link). A final decision on whether to try to sign him is expected within the next week.
The A's continue pursuing Manny Ramirez and they're much more interested in him than Magglio Ordonez. Ordonez's health is more of a concern, Slusser writes. Signing Ramirez would be the last thing the A's do before starting Spring Training, and a deal could be reached after camp opens.
People in the A's organization are intrigued by Kila Ka'aihue's power and if the A's sign Ramirez, Ka'aihue would likely get the chance to DH while Ramirez sits out his 50-game suspension.
The A's have some interest in free agent DH Hideki Matsui, but he's a "real long-shot," Slusser reports. They've had some talks about Johnny Damon, who might be out of the team's price range.
The A's are considering Koji Uehara, Slusser confirms. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney says “nothing is close” regarding Uehara and that the Rangers are looking to obtain a good return in talks with Baltimore (Twitter link). Ken Rosenthal reported Oakland's interest over the weekend.

NL West Notes: Rockies, Padres, Ayala

2012-02-10T14:24:57-06:00

Matt Kemp's $160MM extension stands out as the largest financial commitment made by any NL West team so far this offseason and Michael Cuddyer's three-year, $31.5MM contract with the Rockies checks in as the biggest free agent deal signed by one of the NL West teams. Here are the latest links from the division...

Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd told Troy Renck of the Denver Post that he expects his club to improve in 2012, but doesn’t expect any one player to radically alter the team’s chances of winning. “Overall, we don't think anyone we signed or traded for is going to sprinkle pixie dust on our issues or make them go away,” O’Dowd said. “That has to happen internally with us doing things the right way consistently."
Padres president Tom Garfinkel said on XX1090 in San Diego that the reported terms of the team’s upcoming TV deal are too high, MLB.com’s Corey Brock tweets. USA Today reported yesterday that the Padres are poised to sign a 20-year deal worth $75MM annually.
Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com adds the Giants and Rangers to the list of teams that had interest in Luis Ayala before the right-hander agreed to terms with the Orioles (Twitter link).

Extensions That Don't Extend Team Control

2012-02-10T13:34:16-06:00

Major League teams have agreed to 20 offseason extensions so far this winter, as MLBTR's Extension Tracker shows. Nine of those extensions -- almost half of them -- didn't extend the teams' control over the players with options or additional guaranteed years. Here's a closer look (click on team names for MLBTR's post on each extension):

Deals Covering Two Remaining Seasons Of Arbitration Eligibility

Deals Covering First Two Seasons Of Arbitration Eligibility

Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
Jose Arredondo, Reds

Deals Covering Three Arbitration Seasons

Pablo Sandoval, Giants
Elvis Andrus, Rangers - more on Andrus' deal here

Teams generally covet club options, and some teams, such as the Rays, have made a habit of obtaining multiple options on most or all extensions. Other clubs, such as the Red Sox, have insisted that extensions buy out at least one season of free agent eligibility.

Four teams -- the Giants, Dodgers, Reds and Rangers -- are responsible for eight of the nine offseason extensions that don't extend team control over the player. Those clubs accepted the risk that the players will suffer injuries or perform poorly in exchange for the possibility that they'll meet or exceed expectations on the field and turn out to be bargains.

Deals that don't buy out free agent years and don't include club options can turn out well for the teams, of course. They cap costs and avoid the rarely-pleasant arbitration process. For elite players like Lincecum and Kershaw, the savings could be substantial in 2013. However, the upside is generally limited for teams that commit to multiyear deals without extending club control.

Indians, Asdrubal Cabrera Avoid Arbitration

2012-02-10T13:00:18-06:00

The Indians announced that they avoided arbitration with Asdrubal Cabrera, agreeing to terms on a one-year deal for 2012. Octagon represents the shortstop, who will earn $4.55MM in 2012, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (Twitter link).

Cabrera had filed for $5.2MM, while the Indians had countered with a $3.75MM submission, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. The Indians have discussed a multiyear extension with Cabrera, who will remain under team control through 2013. Earlier in the offseason, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested a four-year, $27MM deal could work for both sides.

The Indians have now signed all arbitration eligible players for 2012, so their streak of avoiding arbitration hearings continues. The club's last hearing took place in 1991.

Orioles To Sign Luis Ayala

2012-02-10T12:53:00-06:00

The Orioles have agreed to sign Luis Ayala to a one-year, $925K deal that is pending a physical. The deal includes a $1MM team option for 2013 ($100K buyout). Ayala has a base salary of $825K in 2012 and could earn more by reaching incentives. The Orioles have announced their deal with the Paragon Sports International client.

Ayala, 34, posted a 2.09 ERA with 6.3 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 50% ground ball rate in 56 innings for the Yankees last year. The Red Sox, Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays, Angels, Mets and Tigers were all linked to him earlier in the offseason.

Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com first reported the agreement and Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun added the terms. Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and MLBTR added detail (Twitter links).

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Hamilton, Tigers, Guthrie

2012-02-10T11:55:00-06:00

Six years ago today, the Nationals beat Alfonso Soriano in their arbitration hearing after acquiring him from the Rangers. Despite the loss, his $10MM payout set a record for the largest salary ever awarded via arbitration, surpassing the $8.2MM Andruw Jones received in 2001. Soriano had filed for $12MM, and his record has since been broken a few times over. Here's the latest from around the baseball blogosphere...

Padres Prospects interviewed Joe Wieland, who was part of the Mike Adams trade.
Giants Nirvana published a collection of interviews from Giants media day.
Yankees Fans Unite interviewed Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball.
Baseball Time In Arlington doesn't think Josh Hamilton's relapse will impact his leverage in contract extension talks.
Bless You Boys looked at how Prince Fielder could lead to Yoenis Cespedes in Detroit.
Why Won't The Tigers Hire Me? wonders if the Tigers are America's team.
Camden Crazies says the Jeremy Guthrie trade is a mild win for the Orioles.
The Nats Blog broke down Gio Gonzalez's performance away from Oakland.
Marlin Maniac believes Anibal Sanchez deserves a contract extension.
More Mariners thinks either Jesus Montero or Dustin Ackley should get an extension.
Brotherly Glove doesn't think the Phillies should swap Joe Blanton with Roy Oswalt.
BoSox Injection wonders if the Red Sox really need Oswalt.
Redbird Rants says the Cardinals and Oswalt need each other.
I-70 Baseball says infield depth is a problem for the Cardinals.
Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? analyzed Charlie Morton's approaches.
Did The Tribe Win Last Night? looked at what could land Lonnie Chisenhall in Triple-A.
Indians Prospect Insider says not to worry about Cleveland's lefty heavy lineup.
Talkin' Sox with Dan explains why Bobby Valentine was the right guy for the Red Sox.
The Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan wrote about the Athletics first base and DH situation.
Baseball Reality Tour looked at some questions the Braves have to answer.
Steel World Order posted an eight-part preview of the Pirates season.
Lasorda's Lair revisited the Blake Hawksworth-Ryan Theriot trade.
MLB Draft Insider conducted a 2006 redraft.
Infield Shift tells you why you should start following college baseball.
Pinstripes Alley played a game of prospect roulette.
Seedlings to Stars listed the Twins top prospects.
A's Farm compiled a consensus top ten Athletics prospects list.
MLB Reports wonders if rosters should be expanded to 26 players.

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

Regular MLBTR Features

2012-02-10T11:00:00-06:00

If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, our Week In Review posts and Mike Axisa's Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature. Here's some more detail on when you'll see our weekly features and exactly what to expect from them:

MLBTR Chats - Come by every Wednesday at 2pm CDT to chat about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the Major Leagues.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In - Every Friday morning, Mike Axisa directs you to some of the best writing on baseball blogs around the web. Whether it's opinion, stats or something else entirely, you can connect to the best of the blogosphere once a week on MLBTR. If you want to send Mike a post of yours, reach him at: mike@riveraveblues.com.
Week In Review - It's remarkable how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, we summarize the week's biggest stories in our Week In Review posts.
MLBTR Originals - We gather all our original analysis and reporting in one place every Sunday night.

Cardinals Sign Dominican Prospect Serrano

2012-02-10T09:41:10-06:00

The Cardinals signed Dominican right-hander Andres Serrano for $750K, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The agreement, which dates back to October, is still pending an MLB investigation into the prospect’s age and identity.

The 17-year-old Serrano stands 6’3” and has a fastball that clocks in from 90-95 mph. He also has a curveball and change-up, Badler reports. The bonus would be the highest of 2011 for a pitcher from the Dominican, assuming MLB approves the deal.

West Links: Cruz, Mota, Padres, Abreu, Angels

2012-02-09T22:17:07-06:00

We've already rounded up notes from the east and central divisions, now let's head out west...

The Rangers and Nelson Cruz avoided arbitration by agreeing to a two-year, $16MM deal earlier today, and the outfielder told Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthWest.com that a long-term deal is still possible (Twitter link).
The AP (via ESPN) reports that the Giants and Guillermo Mota have finalized their one-year, $1MM agreement. The two sides agreed to the contract in December. San Francisco's 40-man roster is now full.
The Padres are poised to sign a new television contract with FOX Sports that will guarantee them $75MM annually for the next 20 years, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The deal is pending MLB's approval.
ESPN's Jayson Stark listed five players that could get traded in Spring Training, including Bobby Abreu of the Angels. One executive told Stark: "There's no team in baseball more likely to make a deal this spring than the Angels."

Central Links: Gordon, Molina, Astros, Braun

2012-02-09T20:55:09-06:00

Seven years ago today, the Cubs traded Kyle Farnsworth to the Tigers for Scott Moore, Roberto Novoa, and Bo Flowers. Farnsworth spent half-a-season in Detroit before being traded to the Braves at the deadline. Here's the latest on baseball's two central divisions...

Alex Gordon told Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star that he and his agent wanted to work out a one-year deal for 2012 before discussing a longer contract (Twitter link). He also confirmed that the Royals have offered him a long-term deal. Gordon avoided arbitration with a one-year pact earlier today.
"I love the city. I love the fans, I love the park. But it's out of my hands," said Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch when asked about a new contract (Twitter links). "Whatever they like to do is how it is ... They let Albert [Pujols] go. It's business for the team, too. It's out of my hands." Molina can become a free agent after the season.
"We're very active in terms of looking at transactions that are happening out there," said Astros GM Jeff Luhnow to Examiner.com's Stephen Goff. "Right now, most of the free agents have signed. Roy Oswalt is probably the last guy out there. We've got our fingers in everything. Are we actively looking to move a player or sign somebody at this point? No. We have got 61 guys coming to camp. From that group of 61, we believe we can get a real good 25-man roster to start the season."
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter) that the arbitrator in Ryan Braun's case won't be limited to the usual 25-day window, so a decision isn't necessarily expected by this Sunday. The Brewers slugger is appealing his failed banned substance test.

Hoyer Talks Alfonso Soriano, Matt Garza

2012-02-09T19:58:17-06:00

Cubs GM Jed Hoyer appeared on "The Carmen, Jurko & Harry Show" on ESPN 1000 today to discuss a number of topics, and ESPN Chicago provided a transcript of the hot stove related items. Unsurprisingly, Hoyer acknowledged that the team is unlikely to trade Alfonso Soriano before the season...

"I think that's unlikely [that Soriano will start the season with another team]," said the GM. "We don't want to do anything to hurt our pitchers (with his defense), but we do believe there's something left in Sori."

As many as eight clubs inquired about Soriano earlier this offseason (including the Orioles), and chairman Tom Ricketts has made it clear that they're willing to eat most of $54MM left on his contract to facilitate a trade. The 36-year-old outfielder hit .244/.289/.469 with 26 homers last season.

Hoyer also spoke briefly about Matt Garza, specifically the team's interest in keeping him around beyond his final two years of team control...

"It was a long (arbitration) process, but we talked to Matt a number of times since and we're happy we didn't have to go into a hearing room with him," Hoyer said. "He's a great pitcher and a guy we're going to talk to him about being part of our future, for sure. We need more guys like Matt, not less, and if we can work something out we'll certainly have those discussions."

The Cubs and Garza avoided arbitration with a one-year deal worth $9.5MM last week, though he's been a popular name on the trade rumor circuit this winter. He won't become a free agent until after the 2013 season, and the Cubbies can certainly afford to keep him around long-term. There's no urgency to trade him or extend him right at this moment, though.

East Links: Yankees, Jones, Cespedes, Rays, O's

2012-02-09T18:46:18-06:00

Mets GM Sandy Alderson joined Twitter with the handle @MetsGM today, opening with a joke about the team's financial situation. He told Newday's David Lennon (Twitter link) that he'll "probably keep doing it for a while ... or at least until [I run] out of material." Here's the latest from baseball's two east divisions...

The Yankees want Garrett Jones from the Pirates in any trade involving A.J. Burnett reports ESPN's Buster Olney, but Pittsburgh isn't interested in moving him and talks haven't progressed (Twitter links). Yesterday we learned that the Pirates are not on Burnett's no-trade list.
Yoenis Cespedes met with the Marlins and toured their new ballpark on Wednesday, but he could head back to the Dominican Republic as soon as today according to ESPN's Jayson Stark. Agent Adam Katz said "nothing is scheduled for now" when asked about meetings with other clubs.
Rays GM Andrew Friedman said it was a "dream scenario" to make the upgrades they did without sacrificing depth during an interview with 620AM radio, says Marc Topkin of The Tampa Times (Twitter link). Tampa added free agents Carlos Pena, Luke Scott, and Jose Molina this offseason.
The Orioles merged their pro and amateur scouting departments under new GM Dan Duquette, but the club will now have two more scouts covering the minor leagues according Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.

Minor Moves: Mitch Atkins, Steve Holm

2012-02-09T17:36:00-06:00

Let's keep track of the day's minor league signings right here...

The Nationals have signed right-hander Mitch Atkins, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). Atkins, 26, allowed ten runs in 10 2/3 innings for the Orioles last season, and has thrown a handful of big league innings in each of the last three years.
The Rockies have signed catcher Steve Holm, tweets Eddy. The 32-year-old had two hits and a walk in 18 plate appearances for the Twins last year, his first big league action since 2009. Eddy notes that Holm is the sixth catcher Colorado has signed to a minor league deal this offseason.

Royals Avoid Arbitration With Alex Gordon

2012-02-09T16:16:28-06:00

The Royals and Alex Gordon have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract, the team announced. Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star reports that the deal is worth $4.775MM while Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says he can earn another $25K in bonuses (Twitter links). Gordon is represented by Casey Close.

As our Arbitration Tracker shows, Gordon filed for $5.45MM while the team countered with $4.15MM, so they settled just below the midpoint in terms of guaranteed money. The two sides are said to be exploring a long-term contract, but for now they've only addressed the upcoming season. Gordon can become a free agent after 2013. All of Kansas City's arbitration-eligible players are now under contract for 2012.

Gordon, who will turn 28 tomorrow, enjoyed a long-awaited breakout season in 2011, hitting .303/.376/.502 with 23 homers and 17 steals. He earned his first All-Star selection and drew some MVP votes as well, which is what the Royals hope he'll do on an annual basis after making him the second overall pick in the 2005 draft.

Twins Designate Esmerling Vasquez For Assignment

2012-02-09T16:00:09-06:00

The Twins have designated Esmerling Vasquez for assignment, reports Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune. The move creates room on the 40-man roster for the recently claimed Darin Mastroianni.

Vasquez, 28, was claimed off waivers from the Diamondbacks back in September. He appeared in 31 games for Arizona last year, posting a 4.15 ERA with 5.9 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 35.5% ground ball rate in 30 1/3 innings. The right-hander appeared in 50-plus games for the D'Backs in 2009 and 2010, when he posted higher strikeout rates, walk rates and ERAs than he did in 2011.

Quick Hits: Prospects, Rogers, Tigers

2012-02-09T15:40:00-06:00

Today we've heard that Rich Harden is out for the year and that Nelson Cruz agreed to a two-year deal with the Rangers. Here are some more notes from around MLB...

Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Matt Moore are the top prospects in baseball, Keith Law writes. Law unveiled his annual top 100 list at ESPN.com this morning and Manny Machado of the Orioles and Shelby Miller of the Cardinals round out the early portion of Law's list, and the entire piece is worth reading.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney lists ten prospects who have a chance to make an impact from Opening Day on and names a handful of pitchers who could be traded during Spring Training.
Mark Rodgers, the agent who negotiated Mike Hampton's $121MM contract 11 years ago, told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that “not every player is equipped to handle the burden" of a nine-figure deal. Morosi hears from Dan O'Dowd, Dave Dombrowski, Jon Daniels, Scott Boras and Pat Gillick and puts together a piece that's well worth your time. Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Jose Reyes and Yu Darvish required $100MM commitments this offseason.
Esmil Rogers of the Rockies has attracted some mild trade interest, Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets. The 26-year-old is out of options and has yet to put it together at the Major League level.
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski acknowledges that defense is not his team's strength, but insists the Tigers can field a strong defensive lineup if necessary, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Orioles To Sign Nick Johnson

2012-02-09T15:02:52-06:00

The Orioles have agreed to sign Nick Johnson to a minor league deal, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. Turner Gary Sports represents the first baseman/DH.

Johnson last played in the Major Leagues with the 2010 Yankees, and though he has had trouble staying on the field, he owns a .401 career on-base percentage. A wrist injury limited Johnson to 24 MLB games in 2010 and he spent the 2011 season in the Indians' minor league system. Johnson posted a .201/.326/.328 line in 225 plate appearances in the upper minors last year.

Taking Stock Of Recent Early-Career Extensions

2012-02-09T14:20:00-06:00

Some franchises have had tremendous success locking up star players to team-friendly extensions early on in their careers. The deals are an integral part of the current Rays teams, and they figured prominently into John Hart’s model for the 1990s Indians.

But not all early-career extensions are team friendly, even if they first seem shrewd. Teams couldn’t make Mo Vaughn-sized mistakes on players with one or two years of service time if they tried to, but the moves can and do backfire on a more modest scale.

MLBTR's Extension Tracker lists all the extensions signed by players with less than two years of service time since 2009. I’ve compared these contracts to how the players' earnings might look if they had gone year to year instead of signing long-term (click on the team names for MLBTR posts for each extension):

Ubaldo Jimenez, Rockies - Even though Jimenez is coming off of an up-and-down 2011 season, his deal is a team-friendly one. If he hadn't signed, Jimenez would have been arbitration eligible for the first time following the 2010 season. The combination of his sparkling platform season and strong career numbers would have set Jimenez up for a potentially record-setting 2011 salary of $4.4MM or more followed by a raise for the 2012 season. Instead, he earned $2.8MM last year and will earn just $4.2MM in 2012. There's no denying Jimenez struggled last year, but this extension saved his teams money.

Denard Span, Twins - Before signing his deal, Span had a career OPS of .811 in 1087 plate appearances. Since the contract, he has a .682 OPS in 1016 plate appearances. I estimate he'd be in line for a salary in the $2-2.5MM range if he had gone to arbitration as a first-time eligible player this offseason. Instead, he'll earn $3MM in 2012 with generous raises on the way for 2013-14.

Brett Anderson, Athletics - Anderson (pictured) would have been arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason if he hadn't signed his extension. The lefty missed the second half of the 2011 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and will earn $3.25MM in 2012. If he hadn't signed an extension, his salary would have been lower, likely in the $2-3MM range. This deal could pay off later, since the A's have a club option for one of Anderson's free agent seasons.

Ricky Romero, Blue Jays - Romero would have been arbitration eligible this offseason and his numbers would likely have placed his 2012 salary in the $4MM range if he hadn’t signed an extension. Romero will earn $5MM in 2012, so the Blue Jays’ savings will start in 2013 or 2014, when the left-hander earns $7.5MM per year. The deal couldn't be going much better for either side at this point.

Wade Davis, Rays - Davis wouldn't yet be arbitration eligible even if he hadn't signed his contract last offseason. So far the Rays' investment looks fair, but unspectacular. Davis pitched 184 solid innings last year and would be well on his way to a 2013 salary in the $3MM range. Instead, he'll earn $2.8MM next year.

Jose Tabata, Pirates - Tabata has only played a partial season since signing his deal, so it’s too early to assess its success.

Matt Moore, Rays - Moore has thrown all of 304 pitches at the Major League level (postseason included). We’ll have a better sense of how his deal is going a year from now.

Extensions are about risk management for both the player and the team. It’s understandable for players like Evan Longoria to seek guaranteed money early in their careers, just as it’s understandable for teams to cap costs on players who seem headed for certain stardom. Some deals work out considerably better than others, though, and the lesson here is that early-career extensions are far from a sure thing for teams.

Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

Twins Claim Darin Mastroianni

2012-02-09T13:50:15-06:00

The Twins announced that they claimed Darin Mastroianni from the Blue Jays, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets. The Blue Jays designated the outfielder for assignment last week to create roster space for Francisco Cordero.

Mastroianni made his MLB debut with the 2011 Blue Jays after spending most of the season at Double-A and Triple-A. The 26-year-old posted a .268/.353/.377 line with 34 stolen bases (44 attempts) in the upper minors last year. He has minor league experience at all three outfield positions and has mostly played center field.

Rangers, Nelson Cruz Agree To Two-Year Deal

2012-02-09T12:50:05-06:00

Nelson Cruz passed his physical, and his two-year deal with the Rangers is worth $16MM plus incentives, MLBTR has learned. The ACES client had an arbitration hearing scheduled for next week.

Cruz, 31, hit .263/.312/.509 with 29 home runs in 513 plate appearances last year, adding eight more homers in 70 postseason PAs. The right fielder's arbitration case seemingly had some bearing on those of Adam Jones and Alex Gordon, who remain unsigned.

Cruz will be eligible for free agency upon the completion of his two-year deal. His .540 slugging percentage since 2008 ranks sixth in MLB among those with at least 1500 plate appearances. Health has been the only obstacle for the late-blooming Cruz, who has averaged 120 regular season games over the past three years.

The Rangers extended shortstop Elvis Andrus yesterday, so Mike Napoli is their only remaining unsigned arbitration eligible player. Napoli's hearing is scheduled for Wednesday of next week, with a $3.2MM salary spread.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Orioles Notes: Jones, Kim, Davis

2012-02-09T12:48:18-06:00

The Orioles won their arbitration hearing against Brad Bergesen, so the right-hander will earn $800K in 2012. Center fielder Adam Jones is the team’s lone unsigned arbitration eligible player and his hearing is scheduled for February 17th. Here’s the latest on the Orioles...

The sense is Jones and the Orioles could settle before next Friday, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets. The Orioles offered $5MM, and Jones asked for $7.4MM. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes discussed Jones, Nelson Cruz and Alex Gordon yesterday.
The Orioles haven't lost an arbitration hearing since Ben McDonald and Scott Boras defeated them in 1995, Connolly tweets.
The Korean Baseball Association has banned Orioles scouts from attending its games in response to Baltimore's deal with 17-year-old left-hander Kim Seong-min, Yonhap News reports. The KBA told MLB that any team that repeats the Orioles' deal will also be banned.
First baseman Chris Davis shouldn't worry that his job is on the line, even if the Orioles complete a deal with free agent first baseman/DH Nick Johnson, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes.

Orioles Beat Brad Bergesen In Arbitration

2012-02-09T12:02:20-06:00

The Orioles beat Brad Bergesen in arbitration, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. The Paragon Sports International client will earn $800K in 2012, instead of $1.2MM. The Orioles have confirmed the arbitrators' decision.

The 26-year-old Bergesen was arbitration eligible for the first time as a super two player this offseason and will remain under team control through 2015. As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, Adam Jones is now the Orioles’ lone unsigned arbitration eligible player. His hearing is scheduled for February 17th. Teams are now 3-2 against MLB players in hearings this offseason. Emilio Bonifacio and Anibal Sanchez of the Marlins are the only players to win arbitration hearings so far in 2012.

Wakefield To Decide On Future Soon

2012-02-09T10:48:15-06:00

Tim Wakefield may decide whether to pitch in 2012 by the weekend, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports. Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has said he expects to know soon whether there's a fit between his club and the 45-year-old knuckleballer.

“We’re discussing the options — and he has some options — and over the next few days, we’re going to try to figure it out,” agent Barry Meister told Lauber.

Wakefield posted a 5.12 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 154 2/3 innings as a swingman for the 2011 Red Sox. 186 of his 200 career wins have been with the Red Sox, which means he's six victories away from tying Cy Young and Roger Clemens on Boston's all-time wins list.

Alderson: Mets’ Roster “Pretty Much There”

2012-02-09T08:44:42-06:00

Don’t expect the Mets to make substantial changes to their roster before Spring Training begins. GM Sandy Alderson told Dan Martin of the New York Post that he doesn’t intend to make major additions in the near future.

“We’re pretty much there,” Alderson said. “I don’t see what’s out there filling our specific needs.”

The Mets have postponed the search for a left-handed outfielder and are prepared to open the season with an outfield of Jason Bay, Andres Torres, Lucas Duda and Scott Hairston. Back in January, the Mets were linked to Jason Isringhausen and Alderson said Chris Young is “the kind of guy we might re-sign under the right circumstances." It’s not known whether the Mets are still considering bringing the pitchers back to New York.

Rich Harden To Miss 2012 Season

2012-02-09T07:27:01-06:00

Rich Harden will miss the 2012 season while he recovers from a shoulder operation, Peter Gammons of MLB Network reports on Twitter. Dr. James Andrews repaired a torn capsule in Harden's shoulder last week and the free agent right-hander aims to come back healthy in 2013.

Harden started 15 games for the 2011 Athletics, but he's no stranger to serious injuries, having spent much of the 2006 and 2007 seasons on the disabled list. The 30-year-old posted a 5.12 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 82 2/3 innings for the A's in 2011. He drew interest as a starter and as a reliever this offseason from teams such as the Rockies.

NL Central Notes: Greinke, Cardinals, Rodriguez

2012-02-08T22:30:00-06:00

All three of the National League's unsigned arbitration eligible players play in the NL Central, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. Here are the latest links from the division...

Brewers GM Doug Melvin joined Todd Hollandsworth and Jim Memolo on MLB Network Radio and said that he and Zack Greinke have had some conversations about the right-hander's future in Milwaukee. Greinke told Melvin that he likes pitching for the Brewers and wants them to remain competitive going forward. Greinke is one of the top starting pitchers scheduled to hit free agency after the 2012 season.
The Cardinals are waiting to see if Roy Oswalt will sign on their terms and at their price, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes.
Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said Wandy Rodriguez is "definitely an important part" of the team's plan at this point, Stephen Goff of the Houston Astros Examiner reports. Rodriguez has been involved his share of trade rumors in the past year, but Luhnow says the left-hander is an important part of Houston's roster.
Jose Veras of the Brewers and Casey McGehee and Garrett Jones of the Pirates are the NL's remaining unsigned arbitration eligible players.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Padres, Cespedes, Ramirez

2012-02-08T21:53:00-06:00

The Dodgers signed 26-year-old right-hander Hideo Nomo on this date 17 years ago. Armed with an exceptionally deceptive delivery, Nomo struck out 236 batters and was named NL Rookie of the Year in 1995. Here are tonight's links, starting in L.A...

Michael Heisley, a billionaire who owns the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, is bidding on the Dodgers, Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reports. The 75-year-old led one of the 11 bids that made it through the first round of cuts, Shaikin writes.
The Padres have the top farm system in baseball even though they don’t have a top-25 prospect, ESPN.com’s Keith Law writes. The Rays and Blue Jays round out Law’s top three and the White Sox rank 30th.
Jonathan Papelbon, Prince Fielder and Heath Bell make appearances on Dave Cameron’s list of the ten worst offseason moves at FanGraphs.
Free agent left-hander Horacio Ramirez will throw in front of scouts in Arizona tomorrow, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets. The 32-year-old appeared in 12 games for the Angels last year, spending most of the season with their Triple-A affiliate.
Marlins officials met with Yoenis Cespedes in Miami today, showing him around the city and providing him with a tour of their new park, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com writes. Cespedes is currently blocked by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, though MLB has declared him a free agent.

Minor Moves: Crisotomo, Sardinha

2012-02-08T21:43:00-06:00

The latest minor moves from around MLB...

The Royals agreed to sign right-hander Branly Crisotomo for $98.5K, the Dominican Prospect League announced. Crisotomo's fastball generally sits in the 88-92 mph range and he throws a curve and change-up, according to the league press release.
The Orioles agreed to sign catcher Dane Sardinha to a minor league deal, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets. The 32-year-old appeared in 15 games for the Phillies last year and also has big league experience with the Tigers and Reds. Sardinha has a .216/.262/.328 line in 11 minor league seasons.

Contract Details: Pierre, Belisle, Andrus

2012-02-08T20:30:00-06:00

Juan Pierre, Matt Belisle and Elvis Andrus recently agreed to new deals; here are details on their respective contracts:

Pierre would earn $800K on the Major League roster and he could earn additional incentives based on plate appearances, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. The outfielder signed a minor league deal with the Phillies last week.
Belisle will earn $4.1MM in 2013 and his extension includes a mutual option worth $4.25MM for 2014, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. If Belisle accepts his half of the option, the Rockies can still decline for $250K. The deal includes $450K in incentives for games finished.
Andrus gets a signing bonus of $750K, $2.375MM in 2012, $4.8MM in 2013, and $6.475MM in 2014, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets.

AL West Links: Beane, Athletics, Andrus

2012-02-08T19:44:21-06:00

Four years ago today, the Mariners acquired Erik Bedard from the Orioles in exchange for five players: Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Kameron Mickolio, and Tony Butler. The deal was one of our Trades of the Decade. Here's the latest from the AL West...

Athletics GM Billy Beane recently signed a lengthy contract extension, though ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider req'd) opines that losing may wear on him if the team doesn't get back into contention. He wonders if a potential new Dodgers owners could come calling in the near future.
If the Athletics do move to San Jose, owner Lew Wolff says they would be labeled the San Jose A's, reports Joe Stiglich of The Bay Area News (on Twitter).
The Rangers bought out Elvis Andrus' three arbitration years, but assistant GM Thad Levine told Richard Durrett of ESPN Texas that the club does want to keep him beyond that.

Diamondbacks Avoid Arbitration With Craig Breslow

2012-02-08T18:41:33-06:00

The Diamondbacks and Craig Breslow have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $1.795MM reports Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). The Baratta Partners client filed for $2.1MM while the team countered with $1.5MM as our Arbitration Tracker shows.

Breslow, 31, came to Arizona in the Trevor Cahill trade. The lefty reliever pitched to a 3.79 ERA in 59 1/3 innings last season with the Athletics, though left-handed hitters tagged him for a .352/.394/.473 batting line in exactly 100 plate appearances. All of the Diamondbacks' arbitration-eligible players are now under contract for 2012.

Astros, Lowrie Avoid Arbitration

2012-02-08T18:01:26-06:00

The Astros announced that they avoided arbitration with infielder Jed Lowrie, signing him to a one-year contract for 2012. CAA represents Lowrie, who joined the Astros in the December trade that sent Mark Melancon to Boston. Lowrie's deal is worth $1.15MM plus performance bonuses, CAA tweets.

As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, first-year GM Jeff Luhnow has now avoided arbitration with all of the team's eligible players. Lowrie filed for $1.5MM and the Astros countered with an offer of $900K for a midpoint of $1.2MM.

Lowrie posted a .252/.303/.382 line with six home runs as a shortstop/third baseman in Boston last year. Mike Aviles, Robert Andino and Blake DeWitt were relevant to his case, as I explained this afternoon.

Red Sox Notes: Oswalt, Wakefield, Varitek, Ortiz

2012-02-08T17:30:35-06:00

Last year this time considerable hype surrounded the Red Sox, who had just traded for Adrian Gonzalez and signed Carl Crawford. Gonzalez and Crawford are still around, but the hype has disappeared. Here’s the latest on the Red Sox as they prepare for Spring Training 2012...

There's "no sense of progress" in talks between the Red Sox and Roy Oswalt, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports.
The Red Sox still appear to be in the running for Oswalt, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote earlier today. The Red Sox could be an alternative if Oswalt can't work out a deal with the Cardinals or Rangers. The right-hander's back issues haven't scared the Red Sox away.
GM Ben Cherington expects definitive resolution on free agents Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield by next week, Cafardo writes.
Alex Speier of WEEI.com examines David Ortiz’s upcoming arbitration case and explains that players such as Adam Dunn, Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner could be relevant in a hearing. Agent Fern Cuza could also compare Ortiz to higher salaried position players like Prince Fielder. The hearing is scheduled to take place Monday, according to Cafardo.