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Chris Iannetta

Angels Acquire Iannetta From Rockies For Chatwood

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The Angels announced that they obtained catcher Chris Iannetta from the Rockies for starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood. In a related move, the Rockies are close to signing Ramon Hernandez to a two-year, $6.5MM contract. 

The trade provides the Angels with additional offense behind the plate and rounds out the team's offense with the kind of high-OBP hitter Dipoto expressed interest in earlier in the offseason. Iannetta posted a .238/.370/.414 line in 2011 and given his career line of .235/.357/.430 the Angels are likely expecting similar production in 2012. 

Non-tender candidate Jeff Mathis is probably expendable now, whether that means the Angels trade him before the December deadline to tender arbitration eligible players contracts or cut him loose.

Chatwood, 21, posted a 4.75 ERA with 4.7 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 and a 47% ground ball rate in 142 innings as a rookie for the Angels this past season. The 2008 second round pick entered the season as the 76th ranked prospect in MLB, according to Baseball America. He has a 3.40 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in parts of four minor league seasons.

The deal is Dipoto's first since being named the Angels' GM about a month ago. It's worth noting that he made the move with Dan O'Dowd, who was Dipoto's GM at the end of his playing career in Colorado. Dipoto made other significant trades as Arizona's interim GM in the summer of 2010.

Rockies Close To Signing Hernandez, Trading Iannetta

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The Rockies are close to signing Ramon Hernandez to a two-year deal and trading Chris Iannetta to the Angels, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Tyler Chatwood should be going from the Angels to the Rockies in the deal, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). Teams are now examining medicals. 

The Rockies' deal with Hernandez will be worth $6.5MM over two years, Rosenthal tweets. Though Hernandez is a Type A free agent, the Rockies won't surrender a draft pick to sign him, since he's a modified free agent under baseball's new collective bargaining agreement. The Reds will obtain a compensatory pick for losing Hernandez, however.

The move should provide the Angels with additional offense behind the plate and round out the team's offense with the kind of high-OBP hitter Dipoto expressed interest in earlier in the offseason. Iannetta posted a .238/.370/.414 line in 2011 and given his career line of .235/.357/.430 the Angels are likely expecting similar production in 2012. Non-tender candidate Jeff Mathis is probably expendable now, whether that means the Angels trade him before Friday's deadline to tender arbitration eligilbe players contracts or cut him loose.

Assuming the deal goes through, it will be Dipoto's first trade as the Angels' GM. It's worth noting that he's making the move with Dan O'Dowd, who was Dipoto's GM at the end of his playing career in Colorado. Dipoto made other significant trades as Arizona's interim GM in the summer of 2010.

Angels, Rockies Have Talked About Chris Iannetta

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The Angels have been aggressively looking for a catcher according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com (Twitter links), and Troy Renck of The Denver Post reports that they've spoken to the Rockies about Chris Iannetta. Colorado asked about the availability of pitcher Tyler Chatwood.

Just yesterday we heard that the Rockies are interested in free agent backstop Ramon Hernandez, and Renck says (on Twitter) that they'd want him signed before going forward with any Iannetta trade. The Angels are also said to have interest in Ryan Hanigan of the Reds. The 21-year-old Chatwood pitched to a 4.74 ERA with nearly as many walks (71) as strikeouts (74) in 142 IP this past season.

Rockies Inquired On Navarro, Hawkins, Broxton

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We learned earlier today that the Rockies are considering free agent catcher Ramon Hernandez. Here’s more on the team’s free agent options, via Troy Renck of the Denver Post:

  • The Rockies are exploring trades for Ian Stewart and the Cubs have at least some interest, according to Renck (on Twitter).
  • The Rockies have also inquired on free agent backstop Dioner Navarro as a potential backup (Twitter link). Navarro, 27, posted a .193/.276/.324 line in 202 plate appearances for the Dodgers in 2011. He hasn't posted an OPS over .600 since making the All-Star team as a member of the 2008 Rays.
  • If the Rockies sign Hernandez, they would look to trade Chris Iannetta, according to Renck. Iannetta interests the Angels and other clubs have called about him in the past.
  • The Rockies have called to inquire on free agents LaTroy Hawkins and Jonathan Broxton, Renck writes. Broxton will likely decide on his next team soon and Hawkins is drawing interest from multiple teams, according to Renck. Rafael Betancourt is set to become the closer if the Rockies trade Huston Street. Be sure to visit CloserNews.com for reliever-related fantasy news and analysis.

Rockies Considering Ramon Hernandez; Angels Like Iannetta

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The Rockies are exploring signing catcher Ramon Hernandez and the Angels like Chris Iannetta, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  However, a Rosenthal source describes the discussion between the two teams involving Iannetta as "just conversation (that) never got real far."  Iannetta, 28, has more value to the Rockies than any other team, because he can void his 2013 club option if traded.

The Reds' Ryan Hanigan is also on Jerry Dipoto's wish list for the Angels, as Rosenthal told us six days ago.  Meanwhile the Rockies are not considered close to signing Hernandez, who had the good fortune of being reclassified as a Type B free agent.  The Rockies are the first team to be linked to Hernandez this winter.

NL West Notes: Padres, Kershaw, Iannetta

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On this date 15 years ago, Barry Bonds stole his 40th base of the season to become the second member of the 40-40 club. Matt Kemp is now two homers away from joining the elite club himself. Here's the latest from Bonds' former division, starting with an update on Kemp's current club…

  • Padres GM Jed Hoyer told Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune that the 2011 season was an instructive one for him. "I missed on some guys we signed after they had off years and that helped lead to a disappointing 2011,” he said. Hoyer's also looking to improve his bench dramatically this offseason, when the Padres' payroll could climb over $50MM.
  • Clayton Kershaw told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that he has started to think about next year's contract. The Dodgers left-hander, who earned $500K this year says he's looking forward to the arbitration process and isn't overly concerned about obtaining a long-term deal. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explained earlier today that Kershaw could earn a record $7.7MM as a first-time arbitration eligible starter if he wins the Cy Young Award. 
  • The MLB Players Association intends to monitor the Dodgers' offseason spending very carefully, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner sent team's players a memo explaining that all Dodgers have been paid what they're owed so far. The memo acknowledged that it's not clear how the financial issues surrounding Frank McCourt and his team will ultimately be resolved.
  • Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports says Chris Iannetta will open the 2012 season with the Rockies (Twitter link). The catcher is no stranger to these pages, but his .370 on-base percentage and powerful right-handed swing give the Rockies lots of reasons to want him around, despite the presence of Jordan Pacheco and Wilin Rosario.

Rockies Notes: Smith, Iannetta, Wigginton, Offseason

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Let's round up the latest updates on the Rockies, courtesy a pair of Denver Post scribes….

  • The deepest part of the Rockies' roster is the bullpen, writes Troy Renck. The team figures to try to take advantage of that depth, and deal from a position of strength when they discuss trades this winter.
  • Within the same piece, Renck adds that, while Colorado will listen to inquiries on Seth Smith and Chris Iannetta, Ty Wigginton is the position player most likely to be traded. There are "strong indiciations" that the Rox would pay a chunk of Wigginton's salary if it would help facilitate a deal.
  • GM Dan O'Dowd discussed the team's outlook with Renck's colleague Jim Armstrong, saying that his approach in the offseason will depend on what's available on the trade market: "In reality, to be a championship club, we probably need a front-of-the-rotation starter, and we also need another middle-of-the-lineup bat."
  • More O'Dowd: "I'm telling you we absolutely will (spend), but it's got to be something we really like. We're not going to spend money for the sake of spending money. If we don't find that piece, it will be more finding the Mark Ellises and complementary pieces that bridge the gap until the (prospects) are ready to come."

Rockies Notes: Iannetta, Lefty Reliever, CarGo

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The Rockies are sending Jason Hammel to the mound for his final start of 2011 tonight, as they run out the clock on the remainder of their season. Let's round up some Rox links, courtesy of Troy Renck of The Denver Post…

  • "Nothing is impossible, but I would say Chris would be our catcher next year," said GM Dan O'Dowd to Renck, referring to Chris Iannetta. The team does not want to rush prospect Wilin Rosario, but Renck notes that the situation is subject to change if Iannetta draws interest on the trade market. The Blue Jays, Padres, and Red Sox have had interest in the backstop at various points this season.
  • Yesterday we heard that the Rockies have interest in re-signing J.C. Romero, and Renck says a versatile lefty reliever is one of the team's needs. He mentions that Romero joined Colorado on the recommendation of good friend LaTroy Hawkins, who pitched for the Rockies during their run to the 2007 World Series.
  • Carlos Gonzalez told Renck that he believes the team is not far away from contention in the NL West (Twitter link).

Stark On CBA, Rays, Lidge, Rockies

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ESPN.com's Jayson Stark makes the case that Justin Verlander is the MVP of the American League before providing a new set of rumblings from around baseball. Here they are…

  • MLB and the players' association hope to announce the details of a new labor deal before the World Series ends, but they have some major issues to work out before then. Stark hears that the draft, including spending and compensation, could be an ongoing source of tension this month.
  • The sides have discussed a reverse luxury tax that would penalize teams that spend well under the average payroll.
  • MLB executives are impressed by the way the Rays have resisted rushing young pitchers to the Major Leagues to ensure they're prepared for a full season of work once they arrive. Tampa Bay executive Gerry Hunsicker says it's "not rocket science."
  • One rival executive thinks James Shields is staying put this winter. It won't be surprising if the Rays listen on Shields, since he would have through-the-roof value as a trade chip.
  • Brad Lidge, who has pitched well since returning from the disabled list, will listen to offers from teams that are interested in him as a setup man this offseason, according to agent Rex Gary. There's no indication that the Phillies have discussed a new deal with Lidge, though he is open to returning to Philadelphia (the team will decline its $12.5MM option for 2012). 
  • The Rockies will try to lower payroll by $4MM or so to the $83-84MM range this offseason and they may get partway there by dealing Chris Iannetta.
  • Stark heard from rival executives who expect Albert Pujols to stay in St. Louis, Prince Fielder to join the Nationals and Jose Reyes to sign in San Francisco.

Quick Hits: Indians, Iannetta, Mariners

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The Tigers extended their winning streak to ten games tonight with a 14-4 victory over the White Sox. Here's the latest from around MLB…

  • Deadline deals played a significant role in this year's AL Central race, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. The Tigers and Indians were both aggressive on the trade market in July and August, as our Transaction Tracker shows.
  • Chris Iannetta told Thomas Harding of MLB.com that he hopes to remain with the Rockies, though he has lost playing time to rookie backstop Wilin Rosario in recent weeks.
  • The Mariners announced that they promoted Roger Hansen, who is now a special assistant to GM Jack Zduriencik. The 50-year-old Hansen spent 18 years working for the Mariners in player development, most recently as the organization's minor league catching coordinator.
  • As Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal shows, Jose Reyes of the Mets has raised his on-base percentage to .375 with a counter-intuitive method.
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