Rumors for November, 2010
Dodgers sign INF Juan Uribe to a three-year deal
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Dominican infielder Juan Uribe has agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according sources close to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports. The deal is now official according to the Los Angeles Times’ Dylan Hernandez.
Uribe, a Type-B free agent was offered salary arbitration by the San Francisco Giants last week. Because of his Type-B status, he will not cost the Dodgers any draft picks, but the Giants will benefit a free supplemental pick since they offered him arbitration.
The $7 million a year average for Uribe is similar to the two-year, $11.25 million deal that Jhonny Peralta signed with the Detroit Tigers earlier this month.
The Giants may turn to the Tampa Bay Rays’ Jason Bartlett or the Boston Red Sox’s Marco Scutaro as their shortstop for 2011.
Last Sunday, FOXSports’ Ken Rosenthal outlined the reasons for the Dodgers to sign Uribe:
Rosenthal’s reasoning for the Dodgers to go after Uribe included:
– Uribe’s ability to play third base and give Casey Blake a chance to platoon in left field.
– Uribe can play shortstop when Rafael Furcal is unavailable.
– Uribe could play second base ahead of Ryan Theriot.
Uribe, 31, hit .248/.310/.440 with 24 home runs and 85 RBI’s in 148 games for the Giants in 2010.
Troy Tulowitzki signs seven-year extension – $157.75 million guaranteed
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Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has signed a seven-year contract extension with the Colorado Rockies, according to the Denver Posts’ Troy E. Renck.
ESPN’s Buster Olney breaks down the $157.75 million guaranteed contract:
| Year | Money |
| 2011 | $5.5 million (previous contract) |
| 2012 | $8.25 million (previous contract) |
| 2013 | $10 million (previous contract) |
| 2014 | $15 million (option picked up) |
| 2015 | $20 million |
| 2016 | $20 million |
| 2017 | $20 million |
| 2018 | $20 million |
| 2019 | $20 million |
| 2020 | $14 million + $6 million in esc. |
| 2021 | $14 million + $6MM in esc. (team option with $4MM buyout) |
Renck says the deal will be announced on Tuesday at a press conference.
Tulowitzki is currently under contract through 2013. He is already set to make $5.5 million in 2011, $8.25 million in 2012 and $10 million in 2013. MLB.com’s Thomas Harding says the extension will pick up Tulowitzki’s 2014 team option which is valued at $15 million.
ESPN Insider’s Keith Law was the first to report that that the Rockies are nearing a ten-year contract extension with Tulowitzki.
Tulowitzki, 26, hit .315/.381/.568 with 27 HR’s, and 95 RBI’s. On top of that, says Churchill, the former first-round draft pick posted an UZR/150 of 8.1, a well above-average mark for shortstop defense.
Scott Downs will decline arbitration from Blue Jays
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According to a source close to FOXSports’ Jon Paul Morosi, Scott Downs will decline arbitration from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Downs, 34, was 5-5 with a 2.64 ERA in 67 relief appearances for the Jays. The left-hander is a a Type-A free agent who was offered arbitration by his old team, so his new employer will have to surrender a draft pick when they sign him.
Twins are not trying to negotiate extension with J.J. Hardy
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Looks like shortstop J.J. Hardy will not return to the Minnesota Twins. According to a source close to FOXSports’ Jon Paul Morosi, Minnestoa is not currently trying ot negotiate a contract with Hardy.
Hardy is under team control through 2011, so the Twins could trade him or tender him a one-year deal.
The shortstop could land with a team that is in need of a shortstop such as the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates. However, there’s likely competition with Marco Scutaro, Miguel Tejada and Orlando Cabrera as possible infield solutions.
In his only year with the Twins, Hardy hit .268/.320/.394.
St. Louis Cardinals sign Brian Tallet to 1 year deal
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According to FOXSports’ Jon Paul Morosi, the St. Louis Cardinals have signed left-handed pitcher Brian Tallet to a one-year deal.
Tallet, 33, was 2-6 with a 6.40 ERA in 34 appearances (5 starts) for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010. He spent the last five seasons with the Jays and made $2 million in 2010.
Cardinals acquire Ryan Theriot from Dodgers in exchange for Hawksworth
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According to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ official Twitter feed, the Dodgers have traded Ryan Theriot to the St. Louis Cardinals for right-handed pitcher Blake Hawksworth.
Theriot was acquired by the Dodgers from the Chicago Cubs in July 31st deal.
The 30-year-old infielder hit .270/.321/.312 with the Dodgers and the Cubs in 2010.
Hawksworth, 27, was 4-8 with a 4.998 ERA in 45 appearances (8 starts) for the Cardinals in 2010.
Johnny Damon and Jason Varitek on Dodgers radar
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According to FOXSports’ Ken Rosenthal, Johnny Damon and Jason Varitek are on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ radar.
Rosenthal adds that virtually every free agent catcher is on their radar due to the uncertainty with Russell Martin. Those catchers include Rod Barajas, A.J. Pierzynski and Miguel Olivo.
Martin earned $5.05 million last season and could earn more than $6 million if he enters an arbitration process. The Dodgers appear weary of giving Martin a raise partly because of his poor performance over the last couple of years and his season-ending hip injury in 2010. The Dodgers have until Thursday to tender a contract to Martin, otherwise the catcher will become a free agent.
Jamie Moyer plans to pitch in 2012
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Yesterday, we heard through Jamie Moyer’s Facebook page that he will have surgery on Wednesday, and he was optimistic they would make a comeback. Today, Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports says that Moyer plans to pitch in 2012. He told Moises Alue, GM of a Dominican Republic Winter League team, to save him a spot on his team for next year.
Moyer will be 49-years-old by Spring Training of 2012.
The oldest active Major League player at 47-years-old, Moyer was set to make a few starts in the Dominican Winter League. During one game, he injured himself in his same troubled elbow that plagued him earlier this year. It was thought at the time that his career may be over.
Earlier this month, he said that he didn’t want to be a “comedy act” if he came back to the Major Leagues.
“If I’m going to pitch, I’m going to go somewhere, whether it is here [Philadelphia] or another team, and compete for a job.”
Rafael Soriano will decline arbitration from Tampa Bay Rays
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In an expected decision, Tampa Bay Rays closer Rafael Soriano will decline the arbitration offer from the Tampa Bay Rays, according to Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman.
No way Texas Rangers will go 6 years, $140MM for Cliff Lee?
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Cliff Lee’s next employer may be decided next week at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Orlando, and the said going price as of yesterday is around $23 million per season. If it demands reach that high, the only team in play may be the New York Yankees.
The Yankees reportedly offered Lee nearly $140 million over six years last week, but indications are that Lee is holding out for a seventh year. Lee nor the Yankees have confirmed the numbers.
