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Archives for January 2011

White Sox Considering Freddy Garcia

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4:27pm: White Sox GM Ken Williams said he talked to Garcia but not recently, tweets Scott Merkin of MLB.com. No formal offer was made, according to Merkin, nor did Garcia reject one.

12:09pm: The White Sox are considering Freddy Garcia, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). The White Sox will have starting options even if they don't sign the right-hander, since Chris Sale could join the rotation and Jake Peavy is recovering from July shoulder surgery and should return midseason.

Garcia logged 157 innings for the White Sox last year, posting a 4.64 ERA with 5.1 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. He was a key member of the 2005 White Sox team that won the World Series and started 33 games for the club the following season.

Chicago expressed interest in re-signing Garcia back in September, but the sides haven't been publicly linked since. The Yankees and Orioles were interested in Garcia earlier in the month and both clubs could still have interest. Over 14% of 18,293 MLBTR voters say Garcia is the best free agent starter remaining at this point in the offseason.

AL West Notes: Moyer, Webb, Young, Angels

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The Mariners, Rangers and Angels could all make moves between now and Opening Day, though the A's appear to have completed the bulk of their offseason shopping. Some updates on the AL West…

  • Longtime Mariner Jamie Moyer told Seattle fans that he would consider returning to the Mariners in 2012, according to MLB.com's Greg Johns. The lefty is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2011 season.
  • Mariners assistant GM Jeff Kingston says the team could still add a veteran pitcher or two as non-roster invitees, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).
  • Brandon Webb told the Ben and Skin radio show that he has made "dramatic strides," and that he has been pleased with "awesome" results so far this offseason. The Dallas Morning News passes along the quotes from Webb, who is recovering from shoulder injuries.
  • Rangers president Nolan Ryan says he expects Michael Young to be on the team as the regular DH on Opening Day, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
  • Scott Boras told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that he has had "great," discussions with the Angels this offseason. Team owner Arte Moreno said yesterday that he had no interest in meeting with Boras and suggested he doesn't have "anything nice" to say about the agent.

Orioles Make Guerrero An Offer

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2:48pm: Guerrero is not excited about the Orioles' offer, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (on Twitter). The offer was for about $2MM and now the Rangers "return to the race" for Vlad.

12:23pm: The Orioles have made Vladimir Guerrero an offer, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The team hopes he accepts their offer, which could be for one year and $3-5MM, but they’re prepared for him to turn it down.

Earlier today, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported that the Orioles could have interest in Guerrero on a one-year deal worth $2MM or so. At this point, Vlad wants a two-year deal, according to Olney (Twitter link). Guerrero is not going to sit out the season, according to Rosenthal, who suggests that a deal with the Orioles makes sense for both sides.

Guerrero’s suitors are limited, as I explained this morning. The Rangers, Angels and Blue Jays are the only logical destinations outside of Baltimore, but Guerrero isn’t a perfect fit for those clubs. Rosenthal reports that Toronto would prefer a DH who can play the field to provide insurance for Adam Lind, who is transitioning to first base.

AL East Notes: Beimel, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Jennings

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We've already caught up on the Yankees, but it's now time to check in on a few of the Bronx Bombers' AL East rivals. Here's the latest:

  • Joe Beimel is deciding between three teams, according to MLB.com's Evan Drellich. The Red Sox, Orioles and one National League club are the finalists for the lefty's services, agent Joe Sroba says. 
  • Could Michael Young be a fit in Toronto? Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star thinks so. Nobody asked me, but I don't see the Blue Jays as a possible destination for Young, who happens to be a close friend of Vernon Wells'.
  • An MLB executive tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney the Blue Jays “have a chance to be a real power for years to come,” and believes that Alex Anthopoulos & Co. will do a lot with their upcoming draft picks and newfound payroll flexibility.
  • A lot of rival executives tell Olney that they consider the Red Sox the best team in baseball on paper, but wonder how much Jason Varitek and Jarrod Saltalamacchia will produce behind the plate.
  • Some people around the league question whether Rays prospect Desmond Jennings will reach the potential he showed a couple seasons ago.

Indians Rumors: Kotchman, Carmona, Sizemore

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On this date five years ago, the Indians sent Arthur Rhodes to the Phillies for Jason Michaels and traded Josh Bard, Coco Crisp, David Riske and a player to be named later to the Red Sox for Andy Marte, Guillermo Mota, Kelly Shoppach and cash. January 27th 2011 doesn't figure to be quite as eventful for the Tribe, but you never know. Here are some Indians links…

  • The Indians are interested in Casey Kotchman on a minor league deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
  • The Nationals reportedly inquired on Fausto Carmona and Grady Sizemore, but ESPN.com's Buster Olney and Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer both hear that the Nationals have not discussed such a trade with the Indians (Twitter links). Olney says the Nationals haven't called the Indians 'at all' about such a move.
  • The Indians are looking for bargains and would like to upgrade their rotation and infield, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The team inquired on Kevin Millwood earlier in the month.
  • MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports that some free agent relievers were hesitant to join the Indians this offseason because the Tribe has a number of promising young relievers.

Nationals Designate Justin Maxwell For Assignment

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The Nationals announced that they designated Justin Maxwell for assignment (Twitter link). The 27-year-old outfielder has showed promise throughout his pro career, but has yet to enjoy sustained success in the major leagues. Back in September, Nats manager Jim Riggleman told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he still had high hopes for Maxwell.

"Hopefully, it all comes together and he has a good spring for us and he's part of the ballclub next year," Riggleman said. "There's no reason to give up on him. I think it's all going to click. There's no last-chance situation."

Maxwell has a .201/.319/.379 line in 260 big league plate appearances and a .261/.357/.442 line in 1778 minor league plate appearances. He has shown speed on the basepaths and the ability to play all three outfield positions.

Guerrero’s Four Potential Landing Spots

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If you're a DH, you're not going to have more than 14 suitors, no matter how well you hit. Vladimir Guerrero hit well last year, posting a .300/.345/.496 line with 29 homers, but even at the beginning of the offseason, his list of possible destinations wasn't a long one. As Spring Training approaches, that list has shrunk to four. Here are the possible destinations for Vlad:

  • Orioles – The sides continue to talk, but there's "nothing on the horizon," according to Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail. The Orioles don't necessarily have the money to afford Guerrero, but they would likely move Luke Scott to left field if they do sign Vlad, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Felix Pie and Nolan Reimold would probably be out of luck in that situation. ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that the Orioles could have interest in Guerrero on a one-year deal worth $2MM or so. At this point, Vlad wants a two-year deal (Twitter link).
  • Blue Jays – The Blue Jays are open to bolstering their bench, but they intend to provide Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion with regular playing time. Adding Guerrero would likely reduce Lind's exposure to left-handed pitchers, which would be a plus given Lind's struggles against southpaws.
  • Rangers – They don't have roster space for him now, since Mike Napoli and Michael Young will likely be the team's primary DHs. But Young could theoretically be traded before the season begins and the Rangers expressed at least some interest in re-signing Guerrero earlier in the week.
  • Angels - The Angels could combine Guerrero with Bobby Abreu, partly to ensure that Abreu's 2012 option doesn't vest, as Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explains. Angels GM Tony Reagins told Jim Bowden of FOX Sports Radio that the door is still open for Guerrero to return to the Halos.

Yankees Notes: Jeter, Colon, Pettitte, Girardi

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The latest on the Yankees, who signed Bartolo Colon to a minor league deal yesterday…

  • GM Brian Cashman told John Harper of the New York Daily News that he talked to Derek Jeter's agent, Casey Close, to clarify comments he made earlier in the week about a potential move to the outfield for the captain.
  • As Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out, both the Yankees and the Rangers pursued Cliff Lee aggressively, then "gambled on a former Cy Young winner who has been devastated by shoulder injuries in recent years." But Colon is a back-of-the-rotation arm, not a true alternative to Lee. Brandon Webb, the Rangers' new addition, is no sure thing either.
  • The Yankees are upbeat about the chances that Andy Pettitte returns for another season, according to Sherman. They're still considering free agents like Justin Duchscherer and Jeremy Bonderman, though.
  • The Yankees believe history is a 'pull' for Pettitte, Sherman writes. He can progress through Yankees records and add to his Hall of Fame case if he plays more.
  • Manager Joe Girardi showed the kind of sway he has with the Yankees when he voted in favor of adding Rafael Soriano, according to Sherman.

Multiple Teams Interested In Aaron Miles

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11:04pm: Renck confirmed that the Rockies are out on Miles after signing Amezaga (Twitter link). Yesterday's workout sold them on his ability to help the club.

8:16pm: Utility infielder Aaron Miles is drawing interest from multiple AL and NL teams according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter). The Rockies were rumored to be one such team, but they signed Alfredo Amezaga to a minor-league contract earlier today. The Nationals had interest in Miles earlier this offseason as well.

The 34-year-old hit .281/.311/.317 in 151 plate appearances for the Cardinals last season, not all that far off from his .282/.321/.354 career batting line. He has plenty of experience at both middle infield spots and has dabbled at third base and in left field in his career. Miles also has five career pitching appearances (3.60 ERA) to his credit, so he can always do that in an emergency as well.

Quick Hits: Maine, Minaya, Meche, Maroth, Kim

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The Yankees signed Andy Pettitte on this date in 2009. The Bronx Bombers added an accomplished pitcher today, but it wasn't Pettitte; they're still waiting to hear from the left-hander. Here are some links for Wednesday…

  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that free agent starter John Maine is throwing bullpen sessions and is auditioning for teams (Twitter link). The 29-year-old right-hander had his shoulder cleaned up last summer.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson has not had any contact with former GM Omar Minaya since early January according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. Alderson indicated that there was a position available for his predecessor, assuming he wants it. 
  • Tyler Kepner of The New York Times wrote about the legacy of Gil Meche.
  • Former Tiger Mike Maroth told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he's retiring. Maroth started 100 games for the Tigers from 2003-05, but the left-hander's elbow has caused problems since. He last pitched in 2007 for the Cardinals and Tigers.
  • The Rakuten Golden Eagles have announced the signing of Byung-Hyun Kim, according to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. The 32-year-old spent nine seasons with the D'Backs, Rockies, Red Sox and Marlins, posting a 4.42 ERA with 8.6 K/9 as a starter, closer and reliever. He allowed memorable home runs to Paul O'Neill and Tino Martinez in the 2001 World Series.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com hears that the Red Sox aren't likely to sign any more pitchers to major league deals this offseason.
  • The Royals edged out the Rays, Braves, Blue Jays and Phillies in Keith Law's organizational rankings at ESPN.com.
  • Royals GM Dayton Moore explains to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he intends to turn the Royals into a "consistent, solid, thriving organization" by continuing to develop young players.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson told ESPN.com's Adam Rubin that he would like to avoid arbitration with R.A. Dickey and remains open to a multiyear deal with the knuckleballer.

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