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Archives for December 2013

Diamondbacks Sign Eric Chavez

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Eric Chavez will officially be returning to the Diamondbacks for a second season. The team announced today that it has signed the third baseman to a one-year contract. Chavez, a client of All Bases Covered, is reportedly guaranteed $3.5MM and can earn another $1MM via incentives. He will receive $250K for playing in 60, 90, 120 and 150 games.

Chavez batted .281/.341/.488 with 25 homers in 567 plate appearances over the past two seasons between the Diamondbacks and Yankees. Once considered a defensive wizard at the hot corner, Chavez's glove-work has declined in recent years after a slew of back, shoulder and neck injuries have taken their toll on the veteran's body.

The 36-year-old veteran figures to serve as a left-handed bat off the bench and can back up regular third baseman Martin Prado from time to time. Chavez also has experience at first base, so he could see some time there should Paul Goldschmidt be injured or require a day off (though Mark Trumbo could back up that position as well).

Chavez was also connected to the Yankees and Braves this offseason. In the end, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports (via Twitter) that he preferred to stay close to his Phoenix home.

Heyman of CBS Sports was the first to report the agreement and the terms of the contract (Twitter links). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported the incentives structure (also on Twitter).

Giants Designate Eric Surkamp For Assignment

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The Giants have designated left-hander Eric Surkamp for assignment, according to the team's transactions page. The move was likely made to clear a roster spot for the recently signed Mike Morse.

The 26-year-old Surkamp made one start for the Giants in 2013, yielding an unsightly seven runs in 2 2/3 innings of work. His work in the minor league was excellent, however, as he pitched to a 2.80 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 86 1/3 innings. Surkamp split the season between Double-A and Triple-A as he recovered from 2012 Tommy John surgery, spending the bulk of his time in Triple-A Fresno.

In his minor league career, Surkamp has a 2.84 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 484 2/3 innings. The former sixth-round pick made his big league debut for the Giants in 2011 and ranked among Baseball America's Top 30 Giants prospects from 2010-13.

Seeking Part-Time Writers For New NFL Rumors Website

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We're launching a new NFL rumors website early in 2014, in the mold of MLB Trade Rumors and Hoops Rumors. I will be the site's full-time writer and editor, and we're looking to build a team of part-time contributors who will be paid hourly. The criteria:

  • Exceptional knowledge of all 32 NFL teams, with no discernible bias. Knowledge of transaction-related concepts.
  • Extensive writing experience is necessary with professional experience preferred. A background in journalism is a plus.
  • Attention to detail — absolutely no spelling errors, especially for player and journalist names. Ability to follow the site's style and tone.
  • Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news in a few paragraphs. We need the best of both worlds: quick writing with thoughtful analysis. You must be able to add value to breaking news with your own insight, numbers, or links to other relevant articles.
  • Ability to use an RSS feed reader such as Feedly. Ability to use Twitter. Both of these are crucial.
  • Strong evening availability — typically 5-11pm central time shifts. Writers covering Monday through Friday evenings will change week to week, but we'd also like people to regularly take specific weekend daytime shifts.
  • At least some college education is required.
  • If you're interested, email footballapplications@gmail.com and take a couple paragraphs to explain how you qualify and stand out. Many will likely apply, so unfortunately we cannot respond to all applications.

Quick Hits: Santana, Karstens, Mulder, Athletics

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The signing of Omar Infante and Jason Vargas took up the money the Royals had earmarked to re-sign Ervin Santana, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter links), and thus with the club at its payroll limit, there is only a "remote" chance of K.C. bringing Santana back on even a one-year deal at a bargain price.  The Tigers, Diamondbacks and Mariners are a few of the teams that have been linked to Santana this offseason, though we probably won't know the full extent of his market (and the market for other top free agent starters) until Masahiro Tanaka's situation has been settled.

Here's some more from around baseball…

  • Jeff Karstens' agent Damon Lapa tells MLBTR's Zach Links that he expects at least a dozen clubs to be in attendance for Karstens' upcoming showcase.  Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported that Karstens will throw in January and Lapa indicated to MLBTR that he'll be auditioning in the "mid-to-late" portion of next month.  Lapa won't say what kind of deal he's seeking for his client but he did say that the 31-year-old is "100% healthy."
  • The Giants checked in on Mark Mulder “but the short version is he’s looking for more than we could provide, including a Major League contract,” GM Brian Sabean told reporters, including CSNBayArea.com's Andrew Baggarly.  Mulder is attempting a comeback and threw for three teams last month.
  • Athletics owner Lew Wolff told John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group that the A's ownership group hasn't been approached by any interested buyers and Wolff reiterated that the team isn't for sale.  Wolff also said he didn't have any interest in a new ballpark proposal by the city of Oakland that would see a stadium constructed at the Howard Terminal waterfront site.
  • The Cardinals have finished their major offseason work, GM John Mozeliak told reporters (including MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch).  The team will now look to add minor league depth and are prepared to be "opportunistic" if other ways of improving the roster present themselves, Mozeliak said.
  • Scott Boras will face a challenge in finding a big contract for Kendrys Morales considering the slugger's seemingly limited market, FOX Sports' Jon Morosi writes.
  • The Astros probably aren't done making moves and will look for some bargains in January and February, but GM Jeff Luhnow tells Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle that he would already be satisfied with taking his current roster into Spring Training.  Luhnow also commented on his team's recent acquisitions of Jesus Guzman and Collin McHugh, though he didn't comment on rumors tying Houston to Shin-Soo Choo.
  • "The White Sox have quietly had a terrific offseason," ESPN.com's David Schoenfeld writes, praising GM Rick Hahn for adding the likes of Adam Eaton and Matt Davidson for what Schoenfeld feels were expendable pieces in Addison Reed and Hector Santiago.

Minor Moves: Seibu, Below, Maier, McCutchen

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Here's the roundup of today's minor transactions, with the latest moves at the top of the page…

  • The Seibu Lions have announced the signings of infielder Cody Ransom, right-hander Michael Bowden and left-handers Randy Williams and Porfirio Lopez (passed on by NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman).  Seibu also annnounced the signing of righty Greg Reynolds, which we heard about yesterday.
  • The Tigers signed left-hander Duane Below to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, MLive.com's James Schmehl reports (Twitter link).  Below is back in Detroit after being designated for assignment last April, and he also pitched for the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate and for Korea's Kia Tigers in 2013.  Below posted a 4.27 ERA, 2.14 K/BB rate and 5.2 K/9 over 78 Major League innings with the Tigers.
  • The Cubs have signed outfielder Mitch Maier to a minor league contract with a Spring Training invitation, the team announced.  Maier spent 2013 with the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate and posted an .882 OPS, though he only received 137 PA due to a wrist injury.  Maier, 31, was drafted by the Royals with the 30th overall pick of the 2003 draft and he hit .253/.332/.346 over 1043 PA with Kansas City from 2006-11.
  • The Rangers have signed right-hander Daniel McCutchen to a minor league deal, according to the Sosnick/Cobbe Sports' Twitter feed (McCutchen's agents).  McCutchen posted a 3.43 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 3.60 K/BB rate over 60 1/3 combined innings for the Orioles' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, though his season didn't begin untl late May due to a 50-game suspension for a failed PED test.  The 31-year-old Texas native has a career 4.77 ERA over 188 2/3 IP with the Pirates from 2009-12.
  • The Orioles signed righty Fabio Castillo to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, the team announced.  Though Castillo doesn't turn 25 until February, he already has eight years of pro baseball under his belt, posting a 4.63 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 2.01 K/BB rate over 514 2/3 IP over his minor league career.  Castillo pitched in the Giants' system in 2013 after spending the previous seven years with the Rangers.

Rosenthal On Price, Gardner, Morales, Lough

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The Rays' attempts to trade David Price are greatly complicated by the fact that the team is still trying to contend in 2014, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal writes.  Most teams unloading a star player are doing so in order to rebuild and add young talent across the board, but Tampa Bay is trying to add Major League-ready players for another playoff run next season.  Here are some more items from Rosenthal's latest column…

  • The Rays "probably wouldn't be excited" by the prospect of trading Jeremy Hellickson if they couldn't move Price.  Hellickson's name came up in trade rumors last offseason before the Rays moved James Shields, and I agree that if Tampa Bay doesn't trade Price, the team is much more likely to just stand pat with its rotation rather than move another starter.
  • Brett Gardner's career numbers compare to those of Michael Bourn and (somewhat surprisingly) even Jacoby Ellsbury, so Rosenthal wonders if the Yankees could sign Gardner to an extension now and perhaps save themselves some future money if they want to keep the outfielder in the fold.
  • MLBPA officials believe Gardner will earn a "considerably higher" salary in arbitration than the $4MM number projected by MLBTR's Matt Swartz.
  • If the Yankees do abandon their plan to stay under the $189MM luxury tax threshold, then Rosenthal wonders why the team bothered setting that goal for themselves in the first place when it may have cost them several players over the past year.  Rosenthal also suggests Bronson Arroyo as a durable short-term option for New York, noting Arroyo's friendship with Yankees strength and conditioning coach Matthew Krause.
  • Rosenthal wonders if the Mariners would be willing to re-sign Kendrys Morales (provided that they're still willing to spend, that is).  I'd argue that bringing Morales back as the regular DH would create some problems for the M's — they'd have to trade Justin Smoak, plus play Corey Hart and Logan Morrison in the field every day, which could be a risky move given their injury histories.
  • An AL general manager praised the Orioles' trade for David Lough, noting that "he can do everything that [Nate] McLouth does. He might end up being an even better hitter than McLouth.”

AL East Notes: Price, Orioles, Morales, Drew

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David Price's trade market has been somewhat slow to develop, as it may be harder than expected to find a team with both the means and the immediate need to pay the Rays' high asking price for their ace left-hander.  The Dodgers may not have enough Major League-ready prospects to pull off a Price deal, ESPN Los Angeles' Mark Saxon opines, though adding Yasiel Puig to the mix would certainly get Tampa Bay's attention.  The Cubs, meanwhile, have talented youngsters (Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, etc.) that could pry Price from the Rays, but ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers doesn't think it makes sense for the Cubs to short-circuit their rebuilding process just for two years of Price on a team that isn't ready to contend.

Here's some more from around the AL East…

  • The Orioles would have to give up their first round draft pick (17th overall) to sign Kendrys Morales, which FOX Sports Jon Morosi tweets is still "a substantial barrier" to Morales coming to Baltimore.  Still, the O's remain interested in the free agent slugger.  MLBTR's Jeff Todd recently examined the rather slim market for Morales, who is hampered by both the draft pick compensation and his defensive limitations.
  • The Red Sox want Stephen Drew back and hope to still re-sign him, manager John Farrell said during a radio appearance on WEEI's Hot Stove Show (partial transcript from WEEI.com's Alex Speier).  Boston's recent trade for Jonathan Herrera adds needed experience to their young left side of the infield, but Farrell said that there's mutual interest between Drew and the Sox in a reunion.
  • In AL East news from earlier today, the Orioles' deal with Grant Balfour may be held up due to a medical concern about Balfour's shoulder…the Orioles signed Xavier Paul to a minor league contract…we covered a number of Yankees-related items in a Yankees Notes post.

NL East Links: Marlins, Amaro, Betemit

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The Nationals' acquisitions of Doug Fister, Nate McLouth and Jerry Blevins may be enough to make them the NL East favorites for 2014, MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko opines.  Kolko feels the Marlins and Mets are still rebuilding, the Phillies lack depth and the Braves have been weakened by the losses of Brian McCann and Tim Hudson, opening the door for Washington reclaim the NL East crown after their disappointing 2013 campaign.

Here's some more from around the division…

  • The Marlins are still looking for a veteran reliever to add experience to their bullpen, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro writes.
  • Ruben Amaro Jr. sees a lot of risk in the free agent pitching market, the Phillies GM told reporters (including Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com). "With the way the market is set up right now, I’m not real comfortable with going the extra mile for some of the guys that are still out there still that may improve us a little bit, but in the long run may be detrimental to us," he said.  Amaro's statement likely includes top pitchers such as Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Ervin Santana.
  • The Braves and Indians have interest in Wilson Betemit, CSNBaltimore.com's Rich Dubroff reports (Twitter link).  The Marlins were also linked to Betemit earlier this week but their signing of Casey McGehee probably ended that interest.

MLBTR's Zach Links contributed to this post

Multiple Teams Interested In Nick Franklin

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The Mariners have a "strong" trade market for Nick Franklin, as several teams have shown interest in the young second baseman, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi report (Twitter link).  Franklin went from being Seattle's second baseman of the future to an obvious trade candidate following the team's signing of Robinson Cano, and given his pedigree, it's no surprise that teams are looking to acquire a promising, controllable talent.

Franklin, 22, was taken by the Mariners with the 27th overall pick of the 2009 draft and he entered the season ranked as the 47th-best prospect in the game by MLB.com and as the 79th-best by Baseball America.  The 2013 Baseball America Prospect Handbook ranked Franklin as the fifth-best prospect in Seattle's system, saying "he profiles as a solid regular who could play in a few All-Star Games."  Franklin hit .287/.360/.459 with 46 homers and 63 steals (out of 81 chances) over 1756 minor league PA, and then hit .225/.303/.382 with 12 homers in 412 PA with the Mariners in 2013, his first taste of Major League action.

Since Franklin has a lot of minor league experience at shortstop, the M's could also make him Cano's double play partner and shop incumbent shortstop Brad Miller instead.  Miller, however, actually outhit Franklin in both the majors and the minors and (while he isn't a great defender) is better suited to shortstop than Franklin, so Miller could have more value to the Mariners going forward. 

With Cano, Omar Infante and even secondary options like Kelly Johnson, Mark Ellis and Brian Roberts off the board, teams looking for second base help have precious little left on the free agent market.  The Blue Jays stand out as a would-be contender with a hole at second base, while teams like the Braves and Mets could have a need for a promising young second baseman if they move their current keystone position stalwarts (Dan Uggla and Daniel Murphy, respectively) who have been rumored to be on the trade market themselves.

David Price Rumors: Thursday

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There has been much speculation about a David Price trade this winter but very little hard information about interested teams.  CBS Sports' Jon Heyman explores the seemingly quiet Price trade market in his wrap-up of the latest news about the Rays southpaw…

  • "Five or six" teams have made offers involving Price but the Rays haven't seen anything that piques their interest.  The Rays "seem slightly shocked" that they haven't received better offers and people within the organization are now discussing keeping Price through at least the start of the season.
  • Taijuan Walker seems to be an untouchable for the Mariners, with a Mariners source telling Heyman that "Taijuan Walker will be on our roster come Opening Day."  Another M's source says Seattle would prefer to keep both Walker and James Paxton, and instead trade young position players for Price.  A Rays official hinted that Seattle could offer an acceptable trade package without Walker, with Heyman noting that Paxton and Mike Zunino would seem to be logical candidates.
  • "Tampa Bay's position is that they need one huge prospect or at least a trio of very good ones" for Price, so a Mariners offer based around the likes of Dustin Ackley, Nick Franklin and Justin Smoak wouldn't be enough to get it done.
  • The Royals have "had mostly just internal talks on Price" and haven't exchanged any "meaningful dialogue" with the Rays about a possible trade.  That said, Heyman notes that Kansas City has the prospect depth to make a trade possible, though Price's rising salary through arbitration over the next two seasons makes a deal a "tall order," according to one Royals source.
  • Trading Price within the AL East is "not ideal," according to one Rays source, though the idea wasn't dismissed outright.  I'd guess that Tampa Bay would want an even higher premium for Price from a division rival than they would from a non-AL East club.

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