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Chris Young

Quick Hits: Giambi, Young, Hairston, Wakefield

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While a couple more arbitration hearings were averted Thursday, here's a few tidbits of note:

  • The Rockies have a uniquely structured minor-league deal with Jason Giambi, blogs Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Giambi will earn a salary of $850,000 this season or a $250,000 buyout if he's cut during Spring Training (which is unlikely, according to Renck). There's also a mutual option for 2012 worth $1MM with a $150,000 buyout. Finally, Giambi can request that he be released on two separate dates (March 31 and June 1) if he's not on the 25-man roster at those times.
  • The Mets' incentive-laden, one-year deal with Chris Young is structured such that the right-hander will earn bonuses for a variety of benchmarks, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. On top of his $1.5MM base salary, Young can earn as much as $1,525,000 for starts Nos. 10-31 and $1,875,000 for innings 70-180.
  • The Mets' one-year pact with Scott Hairston is a Major League deal, contrary to some earlier reports, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, and is worth $1.1MM in base salary and $400,000 in incentives.
  • Tim Wakefield, the Red Sox's 44-year-old knuckleballer, says he hasn't ruled out the possibility of pitching beyond 2011, writes Ian Browne of MLB.com. Wakefield, entering his 16th season with Boston, is in the final year of a two-year deal he signed prior to the 2010 campaign. It's far too soon to guess whether Wakefield would pitch for another team or if one would be interested in him after 2011, but because the knuckleball is relatively easy on the arm, it stands to reason someone might take a flier on him to eat innings in a swing role.

Mets Sign Chris Young

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The Mets completed their one-year deal with Chris Young, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork, who first reported the deal (Twitter links). The agreement guarantees the right-hander $1.1MM, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Agent Lon Babby represents Young, who can earn up to $4.5MM if he reaches all the deal's incentives.

Injuries have limited Young to just 36 starts in the past three seasons, but he was durable and effective from 2005-07, when he started 30 or more games per season. He has always been hard to hit (7.4 H/9), but vulnerable to walks (3.5 BB/9). In 135 career starts (751 2/3 innings), the 6'10'' right-hander has a 3.80 ERA. He missed most of last season with a shoulder strain before pitching for the Padres in September.

Young will join Mike Pelfrey, Jon Niese, R.A. Dickey and Chris Capuano in the team's rotation if the pitchers remain healthy this spring. Johan Santana should join the group midway through the season.

The deal reunites Young with two of his former Padres bosses, current Mets execs Sandy Alderson and Paul DePodesta.

Mets Closing In On Deal With Chris Young

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The Mets are closing in on a deal with Chris Young, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The deal is pending a physical. That could be more than a formality for Young, who missed most of last season with a shoulder strain before pitching in September.

Reports earlier in the month suggested Young was nearing a decision and willing to accept less than $2MM in guaranteed money. A deal with the Mets would reunite him with two of his former Padres bosses, current Mets execs Sandy Alderson and Paul DePodesta.

This post was first published January 17th.

Nationals Not Interested In Chris Young

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The Nationals are not pursuing free agent starter Chris Young, reports Bill Ladson of MLB.com.  We heard two days ago that Young was close to a decision, with the Nats mentioned as a team that "may be in play" for his services.  

With Washington out of the picture, that leaves the Mets as Young's primary suitors.  The Amazins have been rumored to be interested in Young all winter and at one point were thought to have offered the right-hander a contract worth more than $1MM in guaranteed money (the Mets denied the report).

Quick Hits: Pedro, Young, Rays, Thome

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On this date nine years ago, Carlos Pena and Ryan Ludwick were traded for each other. Here are some links on a day that has featured a number of signings, but no trades…

Chris Young Nears Decision; Mets, Nats “In Play”

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Free agent starter Chris Young could be close to choosing a new team, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link).  Olney cites the Mets, who have been connected to Young all winter, and also mentions that the Nationals "may be in play" for the right-hander. 

When last we heard of Young, the word was that he was willing to accept a contract worth less than $2MM due to concerns about his health.  The Mets denied they had made an offer worth more than $1MM to Young, but still reported favored Young over other free agent options as Jeff Francis. 

Washington is a new suitor for Young, but like the Mets, the Nats can also offer Young a chance to pitch in a pitcher-friendly ballpark and a shot at rebuilding his value for a long-term offer next winter.  The Nationals were known to be looking for pitching this winter, but haven't done much in that department other than signing Chien-Ming Wang and Chad Gaudin.

Heyman On Yankees, Greinke, Young, Giants

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Just as MLBTR did last week, Jon Heyman of SI.com runs through the items remaining on each team's offseason shopping list. Along the way, he presents some rumors; here they are:

  • The Yankees appear to have at least “a modicum” of interest in Freddy Garcia and Kevin Millwood. 
  • Heyman reports that the Nationals were prepared to offer Zack Greinke an extension worth about $18MM per season for five seasons or so if he accepted a trade to Washington.
  • Word is that Chris Young’s medicals don’t look great and he’s willing to accept a deal that guarantees him less than $2MM. The Mets deny that they have made the right-hander an offer, but they appear interested in his services. ESPN.com's Buster Olney recently reported that the Mets had offered a deal that's likely worth over $1MM.
  • The Giants are saying that they only need a backup infielder at this point in the offseason. They have resumed talks with World Series MVP Edgar Renteria.

Odds & Ends: Pena, Mets, Angels, Soriano

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The Orioles announced a deal they agreed to a month ago. Cesar Izturis is officially an Oriole again and these are officially the day's links…

  • Stop by at 2pm CDT for this week's chat.
  • The Red Sox signed Tony Pena Jr. to a minor league deal and invited him to Spring Training, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter). Pena, who spent parts of four seasons as a big league shortstop, spent the 2010 season in the upper minors with the Giants and posted a 4.13 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 76 1/3 innings.
  • The Mets deny that they offered Chris Young a contract, according to Dan Martin of the New York Post. ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported last night that the Mets had offered the tall right-hander a deal that's likely worth over $1MM.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports argues that the Angels have "holes to fill and explaining to do" after missing out on Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre. 
  • Rafael Soriano told Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes that he has “no preference” between the AL and the NL (link in Spanish). The closer says he isn’t worried even though he’s on the market after most top free agents have signed.

NL Notes: Pavano, Young, Cubs, Brewers

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Some notes from the senior circuit…

  • Carl Pavano is still "entertaining interest" from a handful of teams according to MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling. The Nationals remain very much in that mix, and Goessling's source indicates that there is no timetable for Pavano's decision.
  • Meanwhile, Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post gets the sense from team officials that the Nats are "lukewarm" on Pavano (Twitter link). He says not to expect a deal until Pavano's asking price comes down.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Mets' offer to Chris Young "likely includes guaranteed money over $1 million." A team offical said that yesterday's Chris Capuano pickup will not take the team out of the running for other free agent starters.
  • The Cubs are not planning to upgrade at second base, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). That makes it unlikely that they'll pursue Michael Young.
  • The Brewers have signed right-hander Jesus Sanchez to a minor league deal, reports Baseball America's Matt Eddy (on Twitter). The 23-year-old posted a 2.99 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 129 1/3 Single-A innings for the Phillies last season. They originally acquired him from the Yankees in the Bobby Abreu trade, back when Sanchez was a catcher.
  • Eddy tweets that the Brewers also signed outfielder Brandon Jones to a minor league deal. The 27-year-old hit .231/.333/.325 in the minors last year, bouncing from the Braves to the Pirates to the Tigers.

Mets Sign Capuano And Buchholz, DFA Igarashi

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7:56pm: More from Rubin (via Twitter) as a Mets official says that these additions do not take the Mets out of the running for other free agent starters such as Chris Young and Jeff Francis.  Rubin also tweets that Igarashi, due to his salary, is expected to clear waivers and hook on with the Mets in major league camp as a non-roster invitee.

7:41pm: Capuano's deal has a base of $1.5MM plus incentives while Buchholz will earn a $600K base salary, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter links).  The Brewers all but closed the door on bringing back Capuano when they dealt for Zack Greinke and signed Shaun Marcum as Capuano wants to start.  Meanwhile, Buchholz says that the Mets will use him as a reliever.

6:08pm: The Mets have signed pitchers Chris Capuano and Taylor Buchholz to one-year deals, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post.  In order to make room for the two, the Mets have designated Ryota Igarashi for assignment, Puma tweets.

Capuano, 32, turned in a 3.95 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 66 innings of work last season for the Brewers.  The left-hander missed the 2008 and '09 major league seasons after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in May of 2008.  In 2010 he made nine starts with 15 relief appearances. Capuano was never a flamethrower but his 87.4 mph fastball last season was consistent with his career average.

Buchholz, a 29-year-old right-hander, was originally selected in the sixth-round of the 2006 draft by the Phillies.  Since then, he has spent time with the Astros, Rockies, and had a cup of coffee with the Blue Jays to close out 2010.  In 285 career big league innings, Buchholz has a 4.39 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.  He started a combined 27 games in 2008 and 2009 but has not made a major league start since.

Meanwhile, Igarashi is owed $1.1MM for 2011.  The Japanese right-hander signed a two-year deal with the club in December 2009 but disappointed in 2010, registering a 7.12 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 in 34 appearances.

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