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Indians To Sign Joe Thatcher

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11:58am: Thatcher’s deal calls for him to earn a $1MM base salary if he’s in the majors with an additional $1.2MM available through incentives, Cotillo tweets.

9:53am: It’s a minor league deal with a spring training invite, according to Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter).

8:30am: The Indians and Joe Thatcher have reached agreement on a deal, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets.  The left-hander spent last season with the Astros.  It’s not immediately clear whether the pact is of the minor league or major league variety.

Thatcher, 34, pitched to a 3.18 ERA with 10.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 across 43 appearances last season.  The southpaw was added to Houston’s 40-man roster as an Article XX(B) veteran right before Opening Day.  In July, he was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for another pitcher and subsequently elected free agency.  He circled back to the Astros in August, however, and wound up finishing the year on the varsity squad.  In an admittedly small sample size, Thatcher finished out the season strong.  In seven fall appearances (3.2 IP), Thatcher allowed just two hits, fanned four, and walked only one batter.

The signing of Thatcher marks the Indians’ third free agent signing in 48 hours after they added Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis on Wednesday.

Twins Sign Fernando Abad

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The Twins have signed left-hander Fernando Abad to a minor league deal (Twitter link via team PR man Dustin Morse).  Abad’s deal includes an invite to spring training.

It’s Abad’s 30th birthday today, so it’s dual cause for celebration in his household.  Last season was far from Abad’s best, so he’ll look to rebound and restore his value in 2016.  The left-hander appeared in 62 games for the A’s last season, pitching to a 4.15 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.  In the year prior, however, Abad posted a 1.57 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.

Abad’s 5.50 FIP in 2015 was even gloomier than his ERA, and he was hit exceptionally hard by left-handers, yielding a .277/.315/.545 batting line to same-handed hitters in 2015.  MLBTR projected Abad to earn $1.5MM through arbitration, but Oakland instead decided to designate him for assignment in late November.

As shown in the MLBTR Agency Database, Abad is a client of Magnus Sports.

Cubs Notes: Price, Bullpen, Heyward

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The Cubs made a run at David Price this winter, but they weren’t necessarily close to landing him.  Chicago fell roughly $50MM short of the Red Sox’s offer, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told WEEI this week.  “We ended up a distant third,” Epstein said.

“He’s a great pitcher and we were involved and very interested,” said Epstein, who was apparently also behind the Cardinals in the Price sweepstakes. “We thought, he’s an elite, elite pitcher, the kind that very rarely makes it to the free agent market, he’s got terrific makeup, where he influences a team not just through his performance on the field, but he’s a real culture-changer or a culture-enhancer, at the very least, in the clubhouse.”

Here’s more on the Cubs:

  • The Cubs’ current focus is on trading for relievers, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Chicago isn’t looking for high-end types like Andrew Miller of the Yankees, but they are fishing for middle-inning and setup options who would provide additional depth.  In the outfield, he adds, the Cubs’ plan is to play Jason Heyward in center field rather than add a center fielder and slide Heyward into right field.  The Cubs could also consider a trade for a starting pitcher.
  • After sitting on lower payroll numbers for six years, Cubs ownership has opened up the purse strings, Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago writes.  Epstein & Co. now have a projected $155MM payroll on the 25-man roster for 2016, eclipsing the previous watermark of $145MM in 2010.  The payroll should keep rising from here, thanks to a projected attendance hike this season and a TV contract that will give the Cubs billions of dollars worth of revenue.
  • In his introductory press conference this week, Heyward explained that he was drawn to the Cubs in part because of the roster stability he expects them to have going forward.   “Knowing the core is young and those guys are going to be around for a while is very exciting,” Heyward said, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com. “I don’t want to take the highest dollar amount when my gut is telling me to go somewhere else. Being 26 years old and knowing that my contract would put me in any clubhouse for longer than most people there, you have to look at age, how fast the team is changing and how soon those changes will come about.”

AL Central Notes: Frazier, Indians, Tigers

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After adding Todd Frazier, Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago wonders if the White Sox will grab another big bat off of the free agent market. Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes are potential targets for Chicago, but Alex Gordon makes the most sense for the White Sox, in Levine’s estimation. The club has payroll limitations to deal with, but Levine has some ideas for how it can squeeze in a $20MM/year outfielder with some creative accounting.

Here’s more out of the AL Central:

  • In their talks with the Indians regarding Frazier, the Reds did not waver from their requests for Bradley Zimmer, Clint Frazier, and multiple other pieces from the Tribe’s farm system, according to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com (on Twitter).  As a result, some people in baseball circles are surprised about the Reds’ haul in the trade relative to their asking prices elsewhere (link).  In Wednesday’s three-way trade involving the White Sox, the Reds acquired infielders Jose Peraza and Brandon Dixon plus outfielder Scott Schebler from the Dodgers.
  • Tigers GM Al Avila told 105.1 FM in Detroit that the team’s payroll situation would be “pretty ugly” with another big signing, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter).  Avila ruled out a run at top-of-the-market outfielders like Yoenis Cespedes at last week’s Winter Meetings, but Fenech recently noted that owner Mike Ilitch made no such claim.  In theory, Cespedes’ reps at Roc Nation Sports could try and pitch directly to Ilitch, as Scott Boras reportedly did with Prince Fielder four years ago.
  • Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago (on Twitter) doesn’t see the White Sox winding up with a high-profile free agent.  The White Sox won’t rule anything out, he says, but they would prefer to make a trade or sign a lower-level free agent who does not require draft pick compensation to his former team.

Nationals Interested In Daniel Murphy

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The Nationals have interest in free agent Daniel Murphy, a baseball source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com.  Second base has been one of the Nationals’ biggest needs this offseason so a pursuit of Murphy would make a good deal of sense.

Murphy, 31 in April, boasted the best contact rate in baseball among qualified hitters in 2015.  After hitting a career-high 14 home runs in the regular season, Murphy smashed seven more in the span of seven postseason games against the Dodgers and Cubs. On the flipside, Murphy is a below average defensive second baseman who owns a weak -6.3 UZR/150 rating.  Last year, he managed only a -3.3 UZR/150 rating at second base which actually turned out to be the best of his career.

At the outset of the offseason, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicted that Murphy would land a four-year, $56MM deal with the Angels, Yankees, and White Sox getting involved.  At the time of this writing, it’s not exactly clear who the leading teams are for the infielder, who turns 31 in April.  The incumbent Mets apparently haven’t ruled out a reunion with Murphy, though they would like to sign him to a one- or two-year deal.  Meanwhile, with unprotected first round picks will have to think long and hard before signing Murphy, who rejected the Mets’ QO earlier this offseason.

Earlier this week, the Nationals reportedly had trade discussions with the Reds regarding Brandon Phillips.  While Phillips is intriguing, Washington is said to be gunning for a left-handed hitting second baseman to bring balance to their lineup.  Murphy could do just that, though he cannot offer defense on the level of Danny Espinosa.

Dodgers Notes: Friedman, Frazier, Turner

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Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda has traveled to Los Angeles to start meeting with teams, according to Bill Plunkett of the OC Register (on Twitter).  The Dodgers, he adds, are expected to be among the clubs that place a bid in order to negotiate with the right-hander.

If the Dodgers are serious about making a run at the Hiroshima Carp star, they might find that the market for him isn’t as competitive as it might have been a few weeks ago.  We learned last week that the Red Sox will not submit a bid to negotiate with Maeda thanks to the mammoth deal given to David Price.  At the Winter Meetings, Giants GM Bobby Evans told MLBTR that his club had internal conversations about Maeda, but they’re almost certainly out on him after adding Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto.

Here’s more out of L.A.:

  • Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters, including Shaikin (Twitter link) that he didn’t land Todd Frazier himself because he wanted Justin Turner to remain at third base.  Acquiring Frazier and putting him elsewhere on the diamond would have been “messy,” in Friedman’s estimation.  Frazier, of course, went to the White Sox in Wednesday’s three-way deal involving the Reds and Dodgers.
  • Friedman says that the Dodgers like the newly-acquired Frankie Montas as a starting pitcher and, if not, they see him as an “impact bullpen arm,” Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets.  Many scouts see Montas as a power reliever.     Friedman says that his scouts believe that Montas has one of the best fastball/slider combos in the minors, Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets.
  • Friedman said he knows some teams are interested in the players he acquired today, but he cautioned that one trade is not necessarily precursor to another, Shaikin tweets.  Still, when asked if he’s now more comfortable with the idea of parting with elite pitching prospects, Friedman answered in the affirmative (link).
  • In an interview on KLAC, Friedman did acknowledge that the trade improves the team’s “trade capital to match up with other teams,” according to Bill Plunkett of the OC Register (on Twitter).

AL West Notes: Angels, Cespedes, Upton

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Here’s tonight’s look at the AL West:

  • Angels owner Arte Moreno said the Halos didn’t make any serious offers to any of the big free agents out there this winter, Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register tweets.  More specifically, Moreno indicated that Angels did not make an offer to Jason Heyward and that the club is not in serious talks with Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, or Chris Davis (Twitter link via Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times)
  • Angels GM Billy Eppler told reporters, including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter), that the team is still “engaged in conversations” with other outfielders even after the signing of Daniel Nava.  Nava, it appears, is being counted on to provide the Halos with depth in left field, right field, and at first base.  For his part, Eppler feels that there are still going to be opportunities to improve the club, even without the addition of marquee names, Fletcher tweets.
  • Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) gets the impression that the A’s were among those willing to bid more on Bartolo Colon than the Mets did.  On Wednesday, Colon and the Mets agreed to a one-year, $7.25MM deal and he reportedly received more lucrative offers elsewhere.  Colon enjoyed great success in Oakland, pitching to a 2.99 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 between 2012 and 2013.

Blue Jays Inquire On Cory Luebke

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The Blue Jays have inquired on pitcher Cory Luebke, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).  However, an industry source tells Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet that there have not been substantive discussions between the two sides.  The inquiry, BN-S hears, was primarily health-based.

Luebke, 31 in March, has started 25 MLB games and has 30 relief appearances to his credit.  Therefore, the Blue Jays could be eyeing the 2007 first-round draft pick as a rotation option or as a bullpen piece.  It’s not clear exactly how much interest there is at this time, however.  So far this winter, Toronto has addressed the starting five with deals for J.A. Happ, Marco Estrada, and Jesse Chavez.

Luebke hasn’t pitched since the 2012 season due to a pair of Tommy John surgeries that have derailed his once promising career.  The pitcher’s most recent Tommy John comeback was halted when a flexor strain slowed him in Triple-A, and he eventually had surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow.  In November, the Padres declined their $7.5MM option on Luebke, opting instead to pay him a $1.75MM buyout.

Needless to say, that’s not how the Padres saw things playing out when they inked Luebke to a four-year, $12MM contract following his strong rookie season in 2011.  Luebke logged a 3.29 ERA with 9.9 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 139 2/3 innings that season, and the modest $12MM guarantee on his four-year pact would’ve bought out a pair of pre-arb seasons as well as his first two arbitration years while giving San Diego control of his final arb year at $7.5MM and his first free agent year at $10MM. Had Luebke remained healthy for even a couple of years, he likely could’ve delivered more than $12MM worth of value, but he’s pitched just 31 Major League innings since signing at the end of Spring Training 2012. While the deal seemed club-friendly at the time, it serves as a reminder that even contracts that look to favor the team on the surface can ultimately result in misses.

Angels Sign Daniel Nava

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6:00pm: It’s a one-year, $1.375MM deal for Nava, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

5:32pm: The Angels announced that they have signed outfielder Daniel Nava to a one-year, major league deal.  Nava, 32, was a free agent for the first time in his career this winter.

Nava, 33 in February, suffered through the worst season of his career but has been a regular or semi-regular contributor in each season dating back to 2010 (primarily with Boston). The switch-hitter batted only .194/.315/.245 in 166 plate appearances between the Red Sox and Rays this year but is a career .265/.358/.383 hitter overall and sports an even more impressive .281/.377/.409 batting line against right-handed pitching.  Nava was projected to earn $1.9MM through arbitration in 2016 but the Rays designated him for assignment, prompting the veteran to elect free agency.

Nava’s track record against righties and history of above-average defense in the outfield corners led to interest from multiple teams this offseason.  Nava could form a platoon in left field with the newly-signed Craig Gentry but it’s not immediately clear if that’s the plan.  Gentry inked a one-year deal with the Halos that could be worth up to $1MM.  Gentry is a career .274/.354/.366 hitter against lefties with a less impressive .256/.321/.311 line vs. righties.

The Rays wanted to bring Nava back on a minor league deal but they were rebuffed as he searched for a better opportunity.  The Padres were also believed to have interest in Nava.

Steve Cishek On Signing With Mariners

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On Monday afternoon, the Mariners formally announced that they have reached agreement with reliever Steve Cishek on a two-year deal.  The pact, reportedly worth $10MM combined between 2016 and 2017, will help replenish a bullpen that has lost former temporary closers Tom Wilhelmsen, Carson Smith, and Danny Farquhar.  On a conference call with reporters just minutes ago, GM Jerry Dipoto confirmed that Cishek will be the Mariners’ closer in 2016.  For Cishek, that was pivotal as he shopped the open market.  I asked the veteran if he had other offers to pitch in the ninth inning.

Steve Cishek

“There were a couple other teams [with significant interest], but not too many closing opportunities out there.  For me, Seattle was the No. 1 place I wanted to go when I heard that they wanted me to be their closer,” Cishek said.

Until today, Cishek spent his entire career in the National League, but he has gotten to play at Safeco Field in the past.  His previous time spent in Seattle also played into his interest in signing with the M’s.

“When I was here, I loved the city and the stadium.  It was gorgeous.  I was able to confirm all of that again when I did the physical here a couple of days ago,” Cishek said.  “When my agent called me, he said that there are a couple of offers are on the table, but one in particular is really interesting.  He said the Mariners are looking for a closer and I said, ’Tell me more! Tell me more!’  I wanted to return to the back end of the bullpen and that’s something that I didn’t get to do too much in St. Louis because their bullpen was amazing.”

The addition of Cishek might not mark the end of the Mariners’ bullpen revamp, Dipoto says, but the signing will probably be the end of the team’s “heavy lifting” when it comes to relievers.  Dipoto fully expects Cishek and Charlie Furbush to hold down the back end of the bullpen and that’s cause for excitement from Cishek’s perspective.

Photo courtesy of Seattle Mariners Baseball Information department.

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