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NL Notes: Reds, CarGo, Torres, Phillies, Pirates

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Reds president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty indicated that it’s “less likely” that team will add an arm now that Bronson Arroyo has signed with the Nationals, writes C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Per Rosecrans, the Reds considered Arroyo to be somewhat of a special case because of his familiarity with the team and his eagerness to work as a mentor for young pitchers. Jocketty did confirm that the Reds made an offer to Arroyo, but in the end, “it just wasn’t good enough,” the longtime exec added. However, first-year GM Dick Williams painted a bit of a different picture when discussing the remainder of the Reds’ offseason, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. “There are still a handful of guys out there that might make sense to bring into camp with a similar profile as Bronson,” said Williams. “Just veteran guys, but not high-profile, big-dollar guys. I wouldn’t be surprised if we add maybe a little bit to our depth there.” Speaking speculatively, Arroyo wasn’t the only former Reds pitcher on the free agent market that could theoretically serve as a mentor to a young staff; right-handers Aaron Harang, Kyle Lohse and Alfredo Simon are all still unsigned.

Here are some more notes from the National League…

  • The Rockies have discussed seeing how Carlos Gonzalez looks at first base in Spring Training, manager Walt Weiss tells MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. “CarGo at first base is something we’ve talked about introducing a little bit this spring, but it’s more of a potential longterm outlook,” Weiss explains. “We’re not really looking to circulate him at first base — just starting to introduce it in a practice setting.” As Harding notes, the Rockies never indicated that it was a possibility for the since-traded Corey Dickerson to play some first when such questions arose in regards to the team’s outfield logjam. While playing Gonzalez full-time at first base could theoretically allow the Rockies to make a run at a defensive upgrade in center field (e.g. Austin Jackson), it seems unlikely that the team would simply bank on Gonzalez learning the position in a few weeks’ time in Spring Training. From a long-term perspective, however, slowly acclimating Gonzalez with first base could help to create room for top prospect David Dahl, who has the potential to debut at some point in 2016.
  • The Mets are in trade talks with multiple clubs about right-hander Carlos Torres, who was recent designated for assignment when New York signed left-hander Antonio Bastardo to a two-year deal, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. Previously, the New York Post’s Mike Puma noted that the Twins may have some interest in the right-hander, who had somewhat of a down year in 2015 but has been a solid ’pen arm for the Mets over the past few seasons. Dating back to 2013, Torres has a 3.59 ERA with 8.2 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 46 percent ground-ball rate in 241 innings.
  • The Phillies announced on Thursday that they’ve hired former Google quantitative analyst Andy Galdi as their new director of baseball research and development. GM Matt Klentak spoke excitedly about the fresh perspective that Galdi can bring to the research and decision-making processes in Philadelphia based on his recent experience, writes MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, although it should also be noted that Galdi has a background in sports as well. Galdi served as a baseball operations intern for the Mets in 2009, Zolecki notes, and he also spent two years serving as a statistical analyst in the NBA commissioner’s office. Within Zolecki’s column, Klentak speaks at length about the improvements made to the Phillies’ analytics department in his first offseason as the club’s general manager.
  • Sticking with front office changes, earlier this week the Pirates announced some promotions in their baseball operations department. Kevan Graves will move from director of baseball operations to the role of assistant general manager, while Will Lawton has been promoted from baseball operations assistant to assistant director of baseball operations.
  • For Brewers fans (or fans of any club, for that matter) that missed today’s MLBTR Podcast, Milwaukee GM David Stearns joined host Jeff Todd and discussed his team’s continued pursuit of cost-controlled young talent, the club’s farm system and young pieces for the 2016 rotation, as well as the recent comments from catcher Jonathan Lucroy implying that he’d be open to a trade.

Free Agent Notes: Nats, Lazarito, Bell, O’s, Hunter, Mets

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The Nationals have filed an interesting affidavit in their litigation against the Orioles (via MASN) relating to the arbitration on the value of their television rights fees, as James Wagner of the Washington Post notes. Seeking to help convince the judge to order the O’s back to a league-run arbitration panel, Washington owner Ed Cohen said of the lack of market-rate revenue: “[W]ithout this added and steady income, the Nationals cannot bring full economic confidence to investments in multi-year player contracts to keep up with the fierce competition for top players — especially when such control over finances is in the hands of a neighboring club.” It’s interesting to see some insight, however vague, into the team’s thinking on the matter, although it’s hard to know just how much impact there’s been in actuality on the team’s willingness and ability to offer contracts to free agents.

Here are some notes on a few free agents (or those who’ll soon formally join the open market):

  • Intriguing young Cuban talent Lazaro Armenteros (aka “Lazarito”) expects to have a deal in place within the next two weeks, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. He’s in negotiations with some teams even as he finishes up workouts with others, says Rosenthal. The 16-year-old is seen as an intriguing athlete, though there have also been some less-than-sterling reviews.
  • The showcase for Cuban outfielder Alexei Bell will now take place on February 15th in Mexico City, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports on Twitter. The veteran star is hoping to catch on with a major league organization.
  • Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun takes a look at the Orioles’ current possibilities for adding an outfielder. Dexter Fowler doesn’t seem to be an option, given the need to punt the club’s top draft pick, but he wonders whether Austin Jackson or a left-handed-hitting platoon option such as David Murphy or Will Venable could be in the cards. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com does the same with regard to starting pitching, providing an excellent breakdown of the internal possibilities and potential targets.
  • Free agent reliever Tommy Hunter is still looking for a second guaranteed year, Rich Dubroff of CSNmidatlantic.com tweets. He’s certainly one of the better names left on a slowing relief market, though it might still be a tall order to reach a multi-year pact. Hunter has largely posted solid results since moving to the pen full-time, but struggled badly with the long ball late last year.
  • At this point, the Mets are realistically only looking at relievers on minor league deals, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. That makes sense, as the club already had to push a solid pitcher in Carlos Torres off of the roster after signing Antonio Bastardo.

AL Central Notes: Gordon, Perez, Torres, Sox

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Alex Gordon explained his decision to return to the Royals in an appearance today on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter links via host Casey Stern). Interestingly, he noted that “it was a difficult offseason being a free agent,” perhaps referencing the large number of high-quality players that joined him on the market. Ultimately, while other organizations “definitely showed interest,” Gordon said his “number one goal” from the start was to return to Kansas City.

Here are a few more notes from the AL Central:

  • We’ve heard previously of some mutual interest between the Royals and catcher Salvador Perez in a new contract, and Jon Heyman tweets that the club is “quietly trying to re-work/extend” his contract with the club. Perez can be controlled already through 2019, via successive options, for a grand total of just $13.75MM (including this coming season). That obviously leaves ample leverage with the club, particularly since Perez has been worked hard through his age-25 season. It’s not clear what kind of arrangement might work for the team, but I’d speculate that it could involve the introduction of some guaranteed money in exchange for additional option years.
  • The Twins may be interested in Mets reliever Carlos Torres, who currently sits in DFA limbo, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). He’s only owed $1.05MM through arbitration this year and his peripherals suggest that last year’s 4.68 ERA may have been a bit unlucky, so it’s not difficult to see the appeal for a Minnesota club that could stand to deepen its pen.
  • The White Sox seem to have allowed the outfield market to pass by without striking, Jim Margalus of SB Nation opines. He wonders whether the Adam LaRoche contract may be a larger obstacle than had been presumed. Of course, it is fair to note that Dexter Fowler, Austin Jackson, and a variety of platoon players remain available — to say nothing of the possibility of a trade — so there’s time yet for GM Rick Hahn to pursue upgrades.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: Friday

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The deadline for teams to exchange arbitration figures with eligible players is 1pm ET today. Dozens of arb agreements figure to flow in over the next few hours, and we’ll keep track of the smaller arb agreements in this post. All projections referenced are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz and can be viewed on the full list of 156 players that filed for arbitration this year. Remember also that you can keep track of everyone that has avoided arbitration by checking out MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.

Onto the agreements…

  • Shortstop Zack Cozart is in agreement with the Reds for an undisclosed sum, per a team announcement. He projected at $2.9MM in his second year of eligibility after a promising start to the 2015 season was cut short by a serious knee injury.
  • The Diamondbacks announced that they have avoided arbitration with righty Rubby De La Rosa for an undisclosed sum. He was projected at $3.2MM but, per Jack Magruder of Fanragsports.com (on Twitter), will earn only $2.35MM.
  • Reliever Fernando Rodriguez settled with the Athletics for $1.05MM — beneath his projected $1.3MM — per the Associated Press.
  • Dodgers infielder Justin Turner will earn $5.1MM next season, Jon Heyman reports on Twitter. That’s just a shade under his $5.3MM projection.
  • The Braves settled with reliever Arodys Vizcaino for $897,500, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets. He had a $1.1MM projection entering the fall.
  • Both Zach Putnam will earn a $975K salary next year after agreeing with the White Sox, per a club announcement. That’s $175K over the projected arb value of the Super Two.
  • The Cardinals settled with first baseman Matt Adams for $1.65MM, Heyman tweets. That’s a small bump over his $1.5MM projections. The team is also in agreement with right-hander Seth Maness, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Super Two reliever projected at $1.2MM but will receive $1.4MM, per MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch (via Twitter).
  • Righty Tom Koehler receives a $3.5MM payday from the Marlins, per Jon Heyman (via Twitter). The team gets a break on the $3.9MM that had been projected. The team also has an agreement with righties David Phelps and Carter Capps, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets. Heyman adds (via Twitter) that Phelps will earn exactly his projected amount of $2.5MM. Capps was predicted to earn $800K, but his salary is yet to be reported.
  • The Diamondbacks agreed to a $4.35MM rate with first-year-eligible starter Shelby Miller, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports on Twitter. He had projected at $4.9MM. Notably, Miller comes in just ahead of fellow 3+ service-class pitcher Harvey (who is covered below). Fellow Arizona hurler Patrick Corbin will earn $2.525MM next year, Passan also tweets.
  • The Nationals have agreed with infielder Danny Espinosa for $2.875MM, Jon Heyman tweets. He gets a slight bump over his $2.7MM projection in his second season of arb eligibility.
  • Nolan Arenado will receive a $5MM salary from the Rockies in his first season of eligibility, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets. That’s exactly what fellow star young third baseman Manny Machado settled for as well, though Arenado was a Super Two. As Swartz explained recently, those two players’ cases may well have been tied together despite some important distinctions. He also explained why Arenado might not reach his sky-high $6.6MM projection in actuality.
  • The Orioles have agreed with starter Miguel Gonzalez for $5.1MM, Eduardo Rodriguez of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. Gonzalez projected for $4.9MM.
  • Outfielder Chris Coghlan agreed at $4.8MM with the Cubs, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat tweets. That’s quite a nice increase over his projected $3.9MM. Also agreeing with Chicago was reliever Pedro Strop, who gets $4.4MM, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). He had been projected at $4.7MM.
  • Both righty Michael Pineda (for $4.3MM) and infielder/outfielder Dustin Ackley ($3.2MM), according to Passan (via Twitter) and Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Those numbers largely track the projected amounts of $4.6MM and $3.1MM, respectively.
  • Danny Duffy will play at $4.225MM next year after reaching terms with the Royals, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports (Twitter links). Catcher Drew Butera, meanwhile, will get $1,162,500 from Kansas City. Both represented small bumps over their projected values of $4MM and $1.1MM.
  • Marlins closer A.J. Ramos will get $3.4MM in 2016, Heyman reports (Twitter links). Teammate Adeiny Hechavarria, meanwhile, will take down $2.625MM. Both first-year-eligible players went over their projections ($2.8MM and $2.3MM, respectively).
  • The Mets will pay $4.325MM to Matt Harvey and $3MM to shortstop Ruben Tejada for 2016, ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin reports (Twitter links). Harvey approaches, but doesn’t quite reach, his $4.7MM projection. Though he’s still recovering from an unfortunate leg injury suffered during the post-season, Tejada will take home a cool half-million more than had been projected.
  • Righty Joe Kelly has agreed with the Red Sox at $2.6MM, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. He falls a fair sight shy of the $3.2MM that MLBTR projected. Though he reached ten wins on the year, Kelly scuffled to a 4.82 ERA over his 134 1/3 innings.
  • Righty Drew Hutchison agreed with the Blue Jays for $2.2MM, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports on Twitter. He falls short of a $2.6MM projection after a tough 2015 campaign.
  • The Tigers have reached terms with shortstop Jose Iglesias for $2.1MM, per another Heyman tweet. The deal also includes some incentives, per the report. That’s a healthy jump up over the $1.5MM projection for the slick-fielding infielder, who did have a strong 2015 season.
  • The Mariners announced that they reached agreement with lefty Charlie Furbush and righty Evan Scribner. Furbush will receive $1.7MM, while Scribner will get $807.5K, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.
  • Both shortstop Jean Segura and righty Wily Peralta are under contract with the Brewers, per a team announcement. Segura gets $2.6MM after being projected at $3.2MM, per Heyman (Twitter link). Matt Swartz’s system pegged Peralta at $2.8MM, and that’s exactly what he’ll earn, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter).

There are plenty more after the jump:

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Mets Notes: Hawkins, Wheeler, Collins, Torres

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LaTroy Hawkins notched his 100th career save over the weekend, and the right-hander sounds intent on returning to the Majors in 2014, writes Mike Puma of the New York Post. Hawkins, who has appeared in 941 Major League contests, has his sights set on 1,000 career appearances, according to Puma. Hawkins has appeared in 70 games this season, posting a 3.01 ERA with 7.2 K/9, 1.3 BB/9 and a 92.5 mph average on his fastball, so another 56 games doesn't seem outlandish at all. Here's more on the Mets to kick off your Monday morning…

  • The Mets shut Zack Wheeler down for the season with shoulder stiffness over the weekend, but one person with direct knowledge of the situation told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that further testing won't be required unless Wheeler suddenly begins to experience more pain.
  • There have yet to be any discussions between the Mets and manager Terry Collins regarding his contract situation beyond the season, but he's still expected to return, and Martino imagines a two-year deal is where they will land. Collins hasn't done enough to merit three seasons, he writes, and one year plus an option for 2015 would just lead to another season of speculation regarding his future status.
  • Prior to Sunday's game, Martino spoke with Collins regarding Carlos Torres and asked if the right-hander had pitched well enough to be penciled into a 2014 roster spot. Collins replied with an unequivocal "Yes," according to Martino (video link).

Mets To Promote Carlos Torres, Won’t Opt Out

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SATURDAY, 4:00pm: The Mets will promote Carlos Torres rather than allow him to opt out and go elsewhere, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).  The move was first reported by Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (Twitter link).  

THURSDAY, 12:43pm: Torres worked out a deal with the Mets where the right-hander will continue to start in Triple-A but can also contact other MLB clubs, MLBTR has learned.  If he finds a 25-man roster spot somewhere, then the Mets have 48 hours to put him on their own active roster or he can declare free agency and sign with that other club.  A couple of NL West teams already have some interest in the 30-year-old.

MONDAY, 10:58pm: The Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week could soon become a free agent.  30-year-old righty Carlos Torres, currently working out of the rotation of the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, has the ability to opt out of his contract Wednesday, MLBTR has learned.  Over his last four starts, Torres has allowed three earned runs in 32 innings.  Overall he has a 3.89 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, and 0.88 HR/9 in a dozen starts this year.

Torres signed a minor league deal with the Mets in November, after tallying 53 innings out of Colorado's bullpen in 2012.  A 15th round pick of the White Sox in 2004, Torres tossed 42 frames with the big club in 2009-10 before spending 2011 in Japan.  As Matt Musico of MetsMinors.net wrote today, Torres has an unclear path to the bigs with the Mets, with top prospect Zack Wheeler soon to bump Jeremy Hefner or Dillon Gee to the bullpen.    

Mets To Sign Carlos Torres

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The Mets announced that they agreed to sign right-hander Carlos Torres to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training. Torres, a veteran of three MLB seasons, hit free agency earlier in November.

Torres made 31 relief appearances for the Rockies in 2012, posting a 5.26 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 53 innings. The 30-year-old also appeared in 13 games with the White Sox from 2009-10.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Ishikawa, Torres, Ford, Nickeas

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Tonight’s outright assignments..

  • The Brewers announced via press release that they have outrighted first baseman Travis Ishikawa to Triple-A Nashville.  Ishikawa, 29, hit .257/.329/.428 with four homers in 94 games last season.
  • The Rockies announced (via Twitter) that they have outrighted right-hander Carlos Torres.  In related moves, the club selected the contracts of right-hander Josh Sullivan, reinstated Todd Helton, Juan Nicasio, and Christian Friedrich from the 60-day DL.  The right-hander appeared in 31 games for the Rockies this season posting a 5.26 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9.
  • The Orioles announced (via Twitter) that they have outrighted Lew Ford, Zach Phillips and Steven Tolleson to Triple-A Norfolk.  Ford turned in another strong Triple-A batting line in 2012, hitting .331/.390/.550 with 11 homers in 62 games.
  • Mets catcher Mike Nickeas cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Las Vegas, tweets Andy McCullough of The Star-Ledger.  Nickeas saw time in 47 big league games for the Mets this season as one of several backstops to pitch in at the position.
  • The Twins announced that right-hander Sam Deduno has been assigned outright to Triple-A Rochester.  The move will help make room for the acquisitions of Thomas Field, Josh Roenicke, and Alexi Casilla off of waivers.
  • The Royals sent catcher Manny Pina to Triple-A Omaha on outright assignment, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.  In related moves, left-hander Danny Duffy and right-hander Felipe Paulino have been reinstated from the 60-day disabled list.  Pina, 25, hit .260/.389/.397 in 162 Double-A plate appearances last year.

Quick Hits: Vlad, Lee, Hunter, Crawford

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Here's the latest from around the majors…

  • Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers thought Vladimir Guerrero performed well in his tryout with the team but will have to consult with team management before deciding whether to offer Guerrero a contract, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.  Towers speculated that Guerrero's only possible role with the club could be as a DH during interleague games, a role that Wily Mo Pena filled for the Snakes last season.
  • The Brewers may check in with Derrek Lee in regards to their hole at first base, GM Doug Melvin told reporters (including Scott Miller of CBS Sports) earlier this week.  Lee said he didn't plan to officially retire despite a lack of interest this offseason, though he seemed to be holding out for "a perfect situation."  The Pirates, Lee's last team, would receive a compensatory draft pick if Lee were to sign a Major League deal, though it's likely that Lee would only be offered a minor league contract, if anything, by the Brewers or another club.
  • Torii Hunter tells Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he would consider returning to the Twins next season if he doesn't re-sign with the Angels.  Given that Hunter's stated goal is to play for a contender in 2013, it's hard to see him returning to Minnesota unless he gets no other offers (and, of course, presuming that the Twins would be interested).
  • Carl Crawford has been moved to the 60-day DL to create a 40-man roster spot for the called-up Aaron Cook, the Red Sox announced tonight.  In a corresponding move, Jose Iglesias was sent down to create space for Cook on the 25-man roster.
  • Right-hander Carlos Torres has been called up by the Rockies and filled the last spot on their 40-man roster, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post.  Jhoulys Chacin has been sent down to Triple-A in a corresponding move that opens a spot for Torres on the 25-man roster.  Torres last pitched in the majors in 2010 as a member of the White Sox.
  • Major League Baseball and the NCAA are in talks regarding increased partnership between the two entities, such as MLB providing funding for scholarships, reports Bryan Fischer of CBS Sports.
  • White Sox starter John Danks told reporters (including MLB.com's Scott Merkin) that he isn't feeling any additional pressure from his offseason contract extension.  After allowing six earned runs in seven innings against Cleveland tonight, Danks' ERA stands at 6.51 through six starts.

Rockies Sign Carlos Torres

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The Rockies have signed right-hander Carlos Torres to a minor league contract, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned.

Torres, who spent 2011 with the Yomiuri Giants organization of NPB, last appeared in the Major Leagues with the White Sox in 2010. The 29-year-old has logged 42 innings in his big league career, fanning 7.5 batters per nine innings but struggling with his control at 5.93 BB/9.

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