Rumors for February, 2011
San Francisco Giants sign RHP Brian Lawrence
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According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Giants have signed Brian Lawrence to a Minor League deal. He will report to the team’s Minor League Spring Training.
The Minor League deal with pitcher Elmer Dessens fell through, so he won’t be reporting to Spring Training with the team.
Lawrence, 34, has a career 50-63 record with a 4.19 ERA in six Major League seasons. He last pitched with the New York Mets in 2007, but spent most of his career with the San Diego Padres.
Dessens originally agreed to a Minor League deal on February 8 and would have made $600,00 had he made the team. The 40-year-old was 4-2 with a 2.30 ERA in 53 games last season with the Mets.
Official: Chicago Cubs and Carlos Marmol agree to 3-year deal
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The Chicago Cubs have officially signed Carlos Marmol to a three-year deal, according to the team. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the deal is for $20 million and Marmol will be paid $3.2 million in 2011, $7 million in 2012 and $9.8 million in 2013.
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports was the first to report the deal this morning.
The sides had been discussing a deal for quite some time. As recently as yesterday, the Cubs and Marmol were exploring avenues on a multi-year deal or a potential one-year deal to avoid arbitration.
The 28-year-old right-hander made $2.13 million in 2010 and is eligible for arbitration in 2011 and 2012. His three-year deal buys out his arbitration-eligible years and his free agent year. Had the sides gone to arbitration, they would be arguing between the $5.65 million that Marmol requested and the $4.1 million the Cubs countered with.
Marmol was 2-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 77 2/3 innings throughout 77 appearances. The right-hander converted 38 of 43 save opportunities in 2010.
Will C.C. Sabathia opt-out of his contract this winter?
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When C.C. Sabathia signed a contract with the New York Yankees before the 2009 season, he had an opt-clause put in the deal that would allow him to walk away from the Big Apple after three seasons. With their rotation in shambles, would Sabathia take the opportunity and leave town?
According to Mark Carig of the Star Ledger, Sabathia has no intention to opt-out and he said that it’s the last time he’ll address it. However, the left-hander told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that there’s a possibility that he could opt-out.
“Anything is possible in a contract.” Sabathia added, “Who knows what is possible, but I am not thinking about anything beyond Opening Day.”
Yankees’ GM, Brian Cashman, agreed. Sabathia opting out is ““certainly a possibility.”
Sabathia is currently in the middle of a seven-year, $161 million deal. Since being with the Yankees, he has posted a 40-15 record with a 3.27 ERA while helping them win the 2009 World Series.
Barry Larkin leaves MLB Network for ESPN
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In a Tweet by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, he reports that Barry Larkin has left his position at MLB Network television as an analyst and has joined ESPN.
Sources close to Nick Diunte of Examiner.com reported at the end of January that Larkin was rumored to be departing MLB Network for ESPN’s Baseball Tonight.
Larkin had been with MLB Network since late 2008, and it’s likely that the 46-year-old will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.
Albert Pujols Rumors: Deadline pushed back to Wednesday
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In a request by the team, the deadline to negotiate a contract extension with Albert Pujols has been pushed back to Wednesday, February 16 at noon, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Pujols has agreed to the request.
The deadline had previously been set for Tuesday, but that would have conflicted with the award ceremony of the Presidential Medal of Freedom given to Cardinal great, Stan Musial. The 90-year-old Musial will join 14 other citizens, including NBA great Bill Russell, to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor.
The delay could be a moot point since Pujols’ agent, Dan Lozano, has told other teams that the Cardinals have “no chance to sign him” before free agency.
Here are the rest of today’s Pujols’ rumors:
– GM John Mozeliak said his understanding of the Pujols’ deadline is this: “You’d like to have a term sheet” completed. (Derrick Goold St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Agent to Cardinals: ‘No chance to sign’ Albert Pujols before free agency
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The chances of the Cardinals extending Albert Pujols‘ contract do not look too good right now.. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Pujol’s agent, Dan Lozano, has told multiple teams that the Cardinals have “no chance to sign him” before free agency.
Pujols has made it known that the negotiation deadline is Tuesday, and if they cannot come to an agreement Pujols will not continue negotiations until after the 2011 season.
Keep in mind that the Cardinals cannot trade their franchise player without his permission, because of his 10-and-5 rights, so should the first baseman leave, the Cardinals may only receive two draft picks as compensation.
Cubs and Carlos Marmol are close to long-term deal
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The Chicago Cubs and closer Carlos Marmol are close to finalizing a long-term deal, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the deal is expected to be announced on Monday and could be worth around $23 million over three-years.
“We’ve been working on avenues on a multi-year deal or a potential one-year deal,” Hendry said Sunday (via Muskat). “I certainly don’t have any anticipation that something won’t be done by the arbitration date, which is Tuesday.”
This is not the first time that we heard that the deal was close. On February 3, sources close to the Chicago Tribune were the first to report that the sides were close to getting the deal done.
Marmol underwent his physical in Arizona on Saturday and the sides are expected to announce the deal this week.
When Marmol was asked if the deal was done, he replied, “Not yet.”
The 28-year-old right-hander made $2.13 million in 2010 and is eligible for arbitration in 2011 and 2012. Should he get a deal from the Cubs, it’s likely that the team will buyout his remaining two years of arbitration and likely get at least one of his free agent years.
If a long-term deal cannot be struck, the sides would head to arbitration. Marmol has asked for $5.65 million while the Cubs countered with $4.1 million.
Marmol was 2-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 77 2/3 innings throughout 77 appearances. The right-hander converted 38 of 43 save opportunities in 2010.
Pujols’ negotiations will end on Tuesday
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With Spring Training just a few hours away, the St. Louis Cardinals haven’t locked-in their franchise player, Albert Pujols, to a long-term deal. Yesterday, we learned that it wasn’t clear when the deadline for contract negotiations would be.
Pujols’ agent, Dan Lozano, informed the club in January that the first baseman had no desire to negotiate a contract extension once he arrives at Spring Training. Pujols is reportedly set to arrive at Roger Dean Stadium on Wednesday. However, John Mozeliak, Cardinals GM, said Saturday that it has not been made clear to him exactly when zero hour would be.
Today, Bob Nightengale of USA Today, said that Pujols has rejected a contract offer from the Cardinals, and unless “a dramatic change is made”, he will announce on Tuesday the cease of contract talks. Buster Olney of ESPN adds that sources told him that Pujols rejected the Cardinals’ offera bout two weeks ago.
Cardinals’ first baseman does not want distractions during the Spring Training or during the season so that’s why he decided not to negotiate after Tuesday. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told reporters Sunday he will also encourage his players to avoid the Pujols’ issue.
“This is a spectacular distraction potentially,” La Russa said. “We won’t allow it to be.”
If Pujols and the Cardinals can’t work out a deal, the team could see their franchise walk away to another team this winter with only two draft picks in compensation (because of his likely Type-A Free Agent status).
Rays sign RHP Chris Bootcheck to Minor League deal
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In a Tweet by the Tampa Tribune, they report that the Rays have signed right-handed pitcher Chris Bootcheck to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training.
The 32-year-old last pitched in the Majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009. He spent most of his career in the Los Angeles Angels system. In his six-year career, he has a record of 3-7 with a 6.54 ERA in 90 appearances (3 starts).
Heath Bell open to discussing multi-year deal now
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Over the last 12 months there have been plenty of trade rumors involving Heath Bell, and the San Diego Padres’ pitcher admits that he’s surprised to still be apart of the team.
“To be honest with you, I am a little surprised I’m here,” Bell said, according to MLB.com’s Corey Brock. “Last year, at the end of the year, I wasn’t sure if I had thrown my last pitch for the Pads. But I’m really glad to be back here.”
Luckily for Heath Bell and Padres’ fan, the right-hander will remain with the team for now, and there’s a possibility that he could be around long-term.
“My understanding is that [talks are] going to blossom during Spring Training,” Bell added. “I’m not going to worry about it. My agents will come here in March and they’ll talk then. I like that we are going to talk. If we can get it done, great. If not, OK. But at least we are trying.”
Bell’s agents, the Levinson brothers of ACES said they would revisit talks for a long-term deal this spring.
“I really don’t want to go anywhere,” Bell said. “I know [changing teams is] the nature of the business … the nature of the beast. But here is like family for me, the players and coaches. It’s hard to move to another family. I want to stay here for a long time.”
