Rumors for January, 2011
Rockies agree to a contract extension with RHP Rafael Betancourt
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According to a source close to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com, the Colorado Rockies and right-handed pitcher Rafael Betancourt have agreed to a contract extension. The pitcher is already signed for 2011, but the new contract will cover a guaranteed 2012 with a mutual option for 2013.
Betancourt will make $3.77 million in 2011 and $4 million in 2012. There is a 2013 mutual option worth $4.25 million with a $250,000 buyout.
Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post adds that if Betancourt is traded during the contract, the buyout becomes guaranteed.
The 35-year old was 5-1 with a 3.61 ERA in 72 games with the Rockies in 2010.
Brewers making slow but steady progress with Weeks and Marcum
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Infielder Rickie Weeks and right-handed pitcher Shaun Marcum are the only arbitration-eligible players for the Brewers. And according to team officials, they are making slow but steady progress with both of them reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Weeks has said that he does not want to negotiate a contract extension once Spring Training begins in a few weeks according to Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel. “Once I get to spring training, I want to focus on baseball,” he said.
“I think the process creates a deadline, to some degree,” assistant GM Gord Ash said. “We continue to talk about all kinds of different things, ever since the first of December. I don’t see [Weeks' deadline] as an issue at all.
“In fact, I’m glad he said that, because that’s the way it should be. Once you get on the field, that’s where your focus needs to be.”
McCalvy adds that Ash, who is engaged talks with Weeks agent, Greg Genske, nor senior director of business operations Teddy Werner, who is negotiating with agent Rex Gary about Marcum, could report any breakthroughs this week.
“We continue to have dialogue but nothing new to report,” Ash wrote in an e-mail on Thursday.
Weeks camp filed for $7.2 million in arbitration and the Brewers countered at $4.85 million. The midpoint of those figures is $6.025 million.
Marcum and his agent asked for $5 million in arbitration and the Brewers offered $3 million. The middle ground for Marcum’s case is $4 million.
“I would say [talks] have been productive, and I have a very good history with Rex Gary, who also represents Dave Bush,” said Werner. “We’ve been through this process before.”
Weeks earned $2.75 million in 2010 while Marcum earned $850,000 from the Blue Jays in 2010. Weeks in his final year of salary arbitration before he becomes a free agent. Marcum becomes a free agent in the 2013 season.
Reds, Volquez agree to a one-year deal
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According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, the Reds have agreed to a one-year deal with right handed pitcher Edinson Volquez. Yesterday, ESPNDeportes.com’s Enrique Rojas reported that the Reds and Volquez were close to a one-year, $1.6 million deal.
It was reported on January 21 that the sides were working on getting a deal done. Volquez remains the final Red to be in arbitration-limbo. The right-hander asked for $2 million while the Reds countered with $1.3 million.
Volquez was 4-3 with a 4.31 ERA in 62.2 innings throughout 12 starts in 2010.
Rangers sign Dave Bush to a Minor League deal
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The Texas Rangers have signed right handed pitcher Dave Bush to a Minor League deal with an invitation to the Major League Spring Training according to Anthony Andro of the Star-Telegram. The deal is for $1 million base salary and up to $1 million in incentives reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.
Bush, 31, was 8-13 with a 4.54 ERA over 174 1/3 innings pitched with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010.
Russ Springer Retires
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After an 18-year career, Russ Springer has decided to hang the spikes up for the final time. He sat down with Bob Tompkins of the Alexandria Daily Town Talk where he said, “For the first time in my career, it feels right.”
“Last year, I thought I had retired, but I wanted to go back to make sure,” he said about a chance to play after the All-Star break for his favorite boyhood team, the Cincinnati Reds. “It felt good ’til I blew out my back. Just as much as baseball-wise, though, it feels like it’s time for me to be home.”Even last year,” he went on, “when I thought I was going to retire, I had a desire to go to the gym. This year, I’ve had no pull towards going to the gym. I’m totally content to be with the family. There comes a time when you can ask only so much of your body physically, and you’ve got to stop beating it up.”
Springer is also the pitcher who on May 14, 2006, drilled Barry Bonds in the upper back in a game in Houston. This was when Bonds was looking for his 714th career home run to tie Babe Ruth’s total.“I hate that I play 21 years developing a reputation and something like that happens, and it’s what a lot of people connect with your name,” he says of an incident that resulted in his being ejected, suspended for four games and fined an undisclosed amount.
2007 and ‘08 with the St. Louis Cardinals Springer posted his best number when he went 10-2 with an ERA of 2.25 with 111 strikeouts.
Twins focused on getting Liriano and Young signed
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The Minnesota Twins are focused on getting their final 2011 arbitration candidates, Francisco Liriano and Delmon Young, signed as opposed to getting to agree to long-term deals. There has been speculation as to whether the team has considered multi-year contracts for the two players, according to Kelly Thesier of MLB.com. Twins’ general manager, Bill Smith, doesn’t like to comment on contract negotiations, but it doesn’t appear that a long-term deal may happen in the immediate future.
“Right now, we’re focused on trying to get them signed for 2011, and we’ll go from there,” Smith said.
The Twins offered $3.6 million to Liriano while he countered with $5 million. Minnesota submitted a $4.65 million offer to Young while he asked for $6.25 million. Both players are in their second-year of arbitration-eligibility.
“It’s never about whether you like the player or don’t like the player — it’s just about establishing what his salary will be,” Smith said. “We’ll continue to work on these two guys, and if we can reach agreement, we will. If not, then there’s an arbitration panel that will do it.”
Twins have not approached Cuddyer about contract extension
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Minnesota Twins’ outfielder, Michael Cuddyer, is entering the final year of his contract on a one-year, $10.5 million option, and according to MLB.com’s Kelly Thesier, Cuddyer and the team have not spoken this winter about a contract extension. Cuddyer doesn’t seem worried, but rather he’s focused on the upcoming season.
“I don’t play for contracts,” Cuddyer said. “I mean it’s part of the game and I know that, I’m not naive. But at the same time, it’s not No. 1 on my list. No. 1 on my list is winning ballgames. And as of right now, I’m a Minnesota Twin and I want to win as a Minnesota Twin. If it is my last year, I would like to finish the goal that we started back in 1997 when I was drafted.”
The outfielder is open to having a discussion about a contract extension during Spring Training, but once the season opens in April, he would prefer to hold off on negotiations.
“I don’t think anybody wants to talk about contracts while the season is going on,” Cuddyer said. “It’s just not good for anybody. It’s not good for the organization; it’s not good for the player. There hasn’t been any dialogue period now. I don’t know if there will be in Spring Training. But if there’s not, during the season is not a time to have that happen.”
The leverage could be in Cuddyer’s favor since he has 10-and-5 rights (at least 10-years of service time and at least five-years on the same team). This means that he’ll have final say as to whether or not he will get traded this season. In some cases, players will require financial incentives or a contract extension in order to not block a trade. It may be to the Twins’ best interest to lock him up to an extension before he departs Minnesota without any compensation.
Nick Cafardo on Pedro Martinez, Andy Pettitte and Lastings Milledge
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Here’s the latest from the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo:
– Cleveland Indians general manager Chris Antonetti tried his best to squash the rumors regarding Grady Sizemore and Fausto Carmona in a possible deal with the Washington Nationals. Phil Wood of MASNSports.com reported last week that the sides had “conversations”, but other news outlets said there wasn’t much to the rumor. Cafardo says that such a deal between the Indians and Nationals would make sense.
– A couple of Pedro Martinez’s friends say that the right-hander does not have pitching out of his system yet.
– Andy Pettitte seems intent on getting himself a Roger Clemens-type second-half deal.
– Manny Delcarmen’s agent, Jim Masteralexis, is in discussions with four teams about his client. One team is believed to be the Tampa Bay Rays.
– One executive is surprised that Lastings Milledge’s name is among the free agents out there.
– Right-handed free agent pitcher, Jeremy Bonderman, will probably have to go somewhere on a Minor League deal. The Red Sox could be a good candidate.
Glaus to sit at least the start of the 2011 season
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Veteran third baseman Troy Glaus will sit out at least the start of the 2011 season according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.
“Troy had opportunities to sign with more than one club this off-season and each time he was presented with a particular opportunity, he weighed it against spending more time with his wife and family,” Said Glaus’ agent, Mike Nicotera. “After a good deal of thought and discussion in each instance, he decided to pass on playing.”
“At this point, Troy is just looking forward to becoming a dad for the first time (his wife is due at the end of February) and to being able to spend a spring at home for the first time in many years. As for his future in terms of baseball, he hasn’t closed any doors permanently.” (Via Rosenthal)
A source close to Rosenthal says that Glaus received Major League offers, but none of them persuaded him to play.
Glaus, 34, played with the Braves in 2010 where he hit .240 with 16 HR’s and 71 RBI’s in 128 games.
San Diego Padres claim Samuel Deduno
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The San Diego Padres have claimed right-handed pitcher Samuel Deduno off of waivers from the Colorado Rockies, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com. Deduno was designated by the Rockies in order create space on the 40-man roster for the newly acquired Clayton Mortensen.
Deduno, a native of the Domincan Republic, made his Major League debut in 2010. In four games, he threw 2 2/3 innings while giving up 1 earned run and three hits.
