Rumors for February, 2011
Seattle Mariners interested in RHP Chad Durbin
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In an article by Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports, sources tell him that the Seattle Mariners are interested in right-handed pitcher Chad Durbin.
Durbin, however, said last week that he wants to play for a competitive team and the Mariners will not be in that category this season. The 33-year-old is said to be holding out for a contending club to make an offer, but Rosenthal says that Durbin my not have that choice.
Rosenthal previously suggested that the Rays, Marlins, Brewers and Twins were among the projected contending teams looking for bullpen help, although he didn’t know if they had interest in Durbin.
Durbin was 4-1 with a 3.80 ERA in 68.2 innings throughout 64 games with the Phillies in 2010.
Arizona and Johnson scheduled for arbitration on Wednesday
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Arizona Diamondbacks’ GM Kevin Towers confirmed to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com that the team and Kelly Johnson have an arbitration hearing scheduled for Wednesday, February 16. However, the two sides are talking today with the hopes of avoiding the arbitration process.
Earlier this month, Tower said, “This case may be a little tougher. It’s a pretty tough case.” At the time the sides had not talked since the numbers were filed at the end of January.
Johnson is seeking $6.5 million, while Arizona countered with $4.7 million. The infielder made $2.35 million in 2010.
Johnson hit .284 with 26 home runs and 71 RBIs in his first season with the Diamondbacks in 2010.
American League Offseason Rankings 1-4
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Baseball season has finally arrived and that means that the offseason is almost officially over. So we at PRO Rumors decided to take a look back at the offseason that each AL team had and how they compared to other clubs in the league. Some clubs had an offseason to remember because of who they signed or traded for and others are trying to forget the winter. Others succeeded because they were able to get rid of a bad contract. Check out the rankings below!
1. Red Sox-When a team is able to acquire both Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford in the same month/week, they’re going to win most off season awards. Gonzalez came to Boston via-trade form San Diego. Though Boston did give up some of their top prospects for Gonzalez, they received a left handed hitting first basemen who they have coveted for many seasons. Just days later, Theo Epstein swooped in and snatched up Carl Crawford from both of their rivals, the Angels and the Yankees. Epstein didn’t stop there as he also signed ex- White Sox closer Bobby Jenks to a two-year deal to become Papelbon’s set-up guy. He also becomes insurance in case Papelbon starts off the season ineffective or is injured. The Sox also re-signed left handed reliever Hideki Okajima who prior to last season had three season where he posted an era of 3.39 or lower.
2. Athletics- The offseason got off to a rough start for the A’s as they were turned down by the higher profile free agents. But that didn’t stop Billy Beane from rebounding nicely. Beane brought in David DeJesus and Josh Willingham via-trades to help shore up the offense. Hideki Matsui was also brought in on a one-year deal to take over the DH role and maybe to help attendance? Grant Balfour and Brian Fuentes were both brought in on multi-year deals to help an already deep bullpen. Rich Harden was also brought back on a one year-deal to compete for a spot in the rotation or to help out the bullpen. With the many moves the A’s made, the AL West could come down to a three team race come September.
3. Rays- How could the Rays be ranked as having the 3rd best offseason in the AL? Easy they now have 10 of the first 60 picks in the upcoming draft which will be one of the deepest in years. The Rays have won two of three AL east titles with the nucleus of Carl Crawford, Jason Bartlett, Matt Garza, Grant Balfour and last season Rafael Soriano, But they all left via free agency or were now priced out of the Rays price range. But the Rays knew their budget and were able to turn these players into draft picks. The Rays didn’t stop with just draft picks as they also brought in the likes of Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez for about $7mm combined. Kyle Farnsworth was also brought in as well as Juan Cruz to help out the back end of the bullpen.
4. White Sox- The White Sox could have been in a world of hurt had things not gone their way. They were faced with losing their biggest power threat in Paul Konerko as well as their catcher A.J. Pierzynski and they lost their closer Bobby Jenks. There were rumors that they were looking at trading their manager Ozzie Guillen to the Marlins for Mike Stanton. In the end, they resigned Konerko for what I consider a discount at three-years $37.5mm. They also brought back AJ Pierzynski on a one year deal and brought in the biggest slugger of the offseason in Adam Dunn on a four-year $56mm deal. They also brought in AL east veteran Jesse Crain on a three-year deal (yes they may have over paid) as well as Will Ohman on a two-year deal.
Click here for team rankings 5-9.
Click here for team rankings 10-14.
American League Offseason Rankings 5-9
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5. Rangers- Yes the Rangers are in the top 5 in my eyes. And yes I know they lost out on Cliff Lee. But take away that and the fact they overpaid a bit for Adrian Beltre and they had a decent offseason. They brought in catcher Yorvit Torrealba as well as Mike Napoli via-trade who could also catch and play first. They brought in veteran reliever Arthur Rhodes to help the back end of the bullpen. What could end up being the biggest signing of the offseason for the Rangers is the one-year deal that brought former Cy Young winner Brandon Webb to Texas. Webb is coming off back-to-back injury plagued season where he last saw game action on opening day 2009 but I am guessing that he comes around and will be able to be a productive pitcher for them down the stretch.
6. Blue Jays- The Blue Jays went from having an average offseason to having one of the best in a matter of one trade. Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos pulled the blankets over Angels GM Tony Reagins’ eyes when he was able to trade Vernon Wells and his huge contract to the Angels. Over the last two seasons, Wells has posted a .266 avg with 23 home runs and 77 RBI’s. These are far from the numbers he put up in 2006 when he signed his mega seven-year $126mm deal when he averaged 303 avg ,32 home runs and 106 RBI’s. By moving Wells, the Blue Jays have dropped their payroll obligations by over $20mm for the next 3 seasons (not counting this season as they gave money to Angels and took back contracts). The Blue Jays acquired Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera in the Wells trade and then flipped Napoli to the Rangers in exchange for Frank Francisco. The Jays also added Octavio Dotel and Jon Rauch to a bullpen that saw their closer Kevin Gregg leave as well as Downs and . The Jays also traded away Shaun Marcum to the Brewers for Minor League prospect Brett Lawrie.
7. Twins- The offseason for the Twins was bitter sweat. They were able to resign Carl Pavano to a two-year $16.5mm deal and Jim Thome to a one year deal which was on the top of their offseason list. On the flip side, they saw Crain, Fuentes, Rauch and Matt Guerrier all leave from their bullpen. They also brought in Tsuyoshi Nishioka from Japan to replace the out going Orlando Hudson. The big question is how well will Nishioka hit major league pitching.
8. Royals- The Royals big offseason moves were signing Jeff Francis to an incentive filled deal and Jeff Francoeur to a one-year deal plus an option year. These were moves to help fill the gaps as the deepest farm system in baseball awaits the arrival of many highly talked about prospects. The Royals did lock up Billy Butler to a four-year $30mm extension. But what will mark the winter for the Royals will be the trade of Zack Greinke to the Brewers. In return for Greinke, the Royals received Alcides Escobar, center fielder Lorenzo Cain, pitcher Jake Odorizzi and right-handed pitcher Jeremy Jeffress which will only make the Royals farm system that much stronger. They also traded fan favorite David DeJesus to the A’s in exchange for Vin Mazzaro and Justin Marks. Mazzaro had an up and down career, but look for him to have a solid 2011 campaign.
9. Tigers- The Tigers started the offseason off on the right foot as they signed Victor Martinez to a four-year deal. They also resigned Jhonny Peralta to a two-year deal and Magglio Ordonez to a one-year deal. The only questionable signing that they had belongs to Jaoquin Benoit and the three-year $16.5mm deal he received. Yes Benoit was a stud last season, but he was also just one season removed from an injury plagued year. Being 1-2 with a 1.34 ERA in 63 appearances is no joke, but paying a reliever $5.5mm is. A move that could have a big impact on the Tigers season is the signing of Brad Penny to a one-year deal. Penny is coming off of an injury filled season where he made only 9 starts. Penny is supposedly in great shape heading into spring training thanks to his “Dancing with the Stars” wife and could be prime for a great year as he looks to cash in one last time on a big payday.
Click here for team rankings 1-4.
Click here for team rankings 10-14.
American League Offseason Rankings 10-14
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10. Orioles- The Orioles hit many speed bumps this off-season as they were turned down by many free agents but in the end, were able to together a decent offseason. They traded for J.J. Hardy and also traded for Mark Reynolds. The Orioles didn’t stop their as they also signed Derek Lee who is looking to rebound from a down year to a one-year deal. To shore up the pen, they brought in Keving Gregg to a multi-year deal to help the back end of the bullpen. These moves that they have made unfortunately still mean a below .500 club. Though Buck Showalter can work magic. They also added Valdimir Guerrero on a one year deal. Guerrero in my opinion, becomes a trade chip that the Orioles will probably trade come the trade deadline when they are 15 games back. The deal that I like the most that the Orioles made is bringing in Justin Duchscherer on a one-year incentive filled deal. When healthy, Duchscherer is dominant enough to be able to succeed in the ultra competitive AL east.
11. Angels- The Angels missed the playoffs this year which caused owner Arte Moreno to announce that they would spend whatever amount of money needed to get the team back to the playoffs. They announced that their target was Carl Crawford but were outbid by the Red Sox for his services. They then moved onto Adrian Beltre but refused to raise their offer to the asking price Beltre and agent Scott Boras were seeking. The Angels then traded Juan Rivera and Mike Napoli to the Blue Jays for Vernon Wells. Many feel that Wells’ contract was baggage that the Jays were happy to get rid of. Wells has averaged a .266 avg with 23 home runs and 77 RBI’s over the last two seasons. But is that output worth $20+ million for the next four years? In the end Wells will produce at a much higher level this year than last year, but the questions remains why didn’t the Angels try and throw in a bad contract like Bobby Abreu instead of Napoli. They then could have traded Napoli for a much need prospect or possibly more bullpen help.
A big weakness for the Angels last season was their all right-handed bullpen. To address that, GM Tony Reagins brought in Hisanori Takahashi on a two-year deal and also brought in Scott Downs on a three-year deal. Downs will more than likely start the season off as the 8th inning guy but will see plenty of time as the closer, especially if Fernando Rodney falters at the beginning of the season.
12.Yankees- Yes I ranked the Yankees down here. You may be wondering why so I will tell you. No Cliff Lee and no back up plan (Carl Crawford). Though the Yankees did move on to plan C and sign Rafael Soriano. With that addition, the Yankees will now have the best 8th and 9th inning guys in the game. But besides that move, the Yankees next best free agents that they brought in were Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon both on minor league deals. Since Pettitte decided to retire, it puts more pressure on Colon and Garcia to preform. They did bring in Andruw Jones as a fourth outfielder which is an improvement over last year. O yeah and they resigned some guy named Derek Jeter to a three-year deal and Mariano Rivera on a two-year deal. They also brought Pedro Feliciano and Russell Martin to help in the bullpen and the catching duties.
13.Mariners- No need to drag this posting out any longer. The Mariners had a bad offseason as they dealt with Mr Bradley getting arrested. They signed Miguel Olvio and Brendan Ryan both to two-year deals and brought back Erik Bedard on a minor league deal. If Bedard ever gets healthy he could help out the Mariners rotation but the health part with him is a big if.
14.Indians-When Adam Everett is the only noticeable addition to a team that struggled in every aspect of the game, it means you’re in trouble. The big trade rumors for the Indians had them discussing with the Nationals about a deal that involved Fausto Carmona and possibly Grady Sizemore. Sorry Indian fans better luck next time. Orlando Cabrera also joined the infield late in the offseason and he will compete for time at 2nd and possibly shortstop.
Click here for team rankings 1-4.
Click here for team rankings 10-14.
Nick Cafardo on Pujols, Pedro Martinez and Jarrod Washburn
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Here the latest from Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe:
– Mark Prior is optimistic about his comeback with the New York Yankees. “I have no idea where this is going or what will happen,’’ said Prior. “I just know that I feel I’m ready to give this a try again. I’m excited again. I’m nervous. I have every emotion rolled into one.”
– One GM says that the Cardinals should stick to a number when negotiating with Albert Pujols. “They should stick to a number that makes sense for them, and if it’s not good enough, then you walk away,’’ said the GM. “He may be the brand in St. Louis, but you have to do what’s best for your organization.”
– Those close to Pedro Martinez think that the right-handed free agent will pitch in the final couple months of the season “if it’s the right fit.”
– If Adrian Gonzalez is not ready by Opening Day, the Red Sox may explore the free agent market for available first baseman.
– If Nick Swisher has a good year in 2011, he may be able to get a contract that could top his current five-year, $26.75 million that is set to expire after the season.
– Free agent left-handed pitcher Jarrod Washburn could return if he receives a sizable Major League contract.
Albert Pujols exact negotiation deadline is unknown
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Over the past few weeks, we’ve been hearing that the negotiations between the St. Louis Cardinals and Albert Pujols have not been progressing too well. With that said, both sides may be coming up on a deadline to wrap up the negotiations, but according to Matthew Leach MLB.com, it’s not entirely clear exactly when that deadline is.
Pujols’ agent, Dan Lozano, informed the club in January that the first baseman has 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.
It could be upon Pujols’ arrival in Florida, or when he first begins to work out, or at midnight on a particular day. “Honestly I don’t know at the moment,” he said. “I’ll know when I need to know.”
There’s no indication that any momentum has built up, and previous reports indicate that the negotiations are so far apart that there is virtually no chance of a deal happening before the supposed February 16 deadline.
Justin Upton talks about winter trade rumors
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One of the biggest moves that didn’t happen early in the off season involved Arizona Diamondbacks’ right fielder Justin Upton. In an article at AZcentral.com, The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro asks Upton about his thoughts regarding the trade rumors:
“At the time, I was prepared to deal with whatever happened,” Upton said. “I want to be here. I’m here, I want to play for the D-Backs. I’m not ready to leave. I’m going to be a part of this team this year and hopefully we can turn this thing around.”
“Obviously I was surprised but at the same time it happens to people every year. You’ve just got to kind of go with it and see what happens.”
When Upton was asked if his feelings were hurt or he wondered about his future with the team, Upton said, “No, I didn’t think that at all. For me, whatever they had to do to get better. If they thought they could get players to make the team better by trading me, then that’s what they had to do. It’s all about how your team performs and we hadn’t performed well the last couple of years. If they had to trade me to get better, I would have to move on. But at the same time, no, it didn’t hurt my feelings. They were doing what they had to do.”
In mid-November, the Arizona Diamondbacks reported made Upton available and teams such as the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves were ready to pounce on him.
“I’m open to listening on anybody,” GM Kevin Towers said in November. “We got more hits on Upton and [Stephen] Drew. They’re difficult to move, but sometimes to make your club better, you have to move good players. You never know when a deal might present itself.”
Nationals sign Dominicans Raudy Read and Randy Novas
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The Washington Nationals have signed a pair of Dominican prospects according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. They signed 17-year-old catcher Raudy Read for $130,000 and 16-year old outfielder Randy Novas for $150,000.
Read could easily be an “everyday catcher”, Moises De La Mota, the team’s Latin American scouting coordinator, said. While Johnny DiPuglia, the man chosen by GM Mike Rizzo to re-establish the Nationals’ presence in the Dominican, says that Novas has “a body like Devon White“.
The Nationals spent roughly $1 million on signing bonuses for prospects in Latin America last year, one of the smallest budgets in the majors. Teams at the top of the list spent around $14 million.
Indians still interested in Kevin Millwood
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The Cleveland Indians are still interested in free agent pitcher Kevin Millwood, but only on a Minor League deal, according to Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.
It seems that the former pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles may have to choose between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians and hope that one of them gives him Major League contract. Yesterday, Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, reported that the Yankees are still considering the addition of Millwood considering that they have many questions with the No. 4 and No. 5 spots in their rotation.
The free-agent could help the back-end of any team’s rotation. He had 31 starts and ate up 190 2/3 innings with Baltimore last season, but was a dismal 4-16 with a 5.10 ERA.
