Doug Davis

Twins, Mariners Are Atop Washburn’s “Wish List”

By Mark Polishuk | January 26, 2010 at 6:29pm CDT

With the likes of Ben Sheets and Jon Garland now signed, FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi provided an update on Jarrod Washburn, one of the few high-profile arms left on the rapidly-dwindling free agent pitching market. Morosi quotes one source who said that Washburn only wants to play in “a limited number of places,” and another source who says he "would be surprised" if the lefty went anywhere besides Minnesota or Seattle.

The Twins have made one attempt to sign Washburn: an offer worth roughly $5MM that was rejected earlier this month. Given Minnesota's signing of Carl Pavano to serve as the veteran anchor of their rotation, Washburn would've been a luxury that the Twins may feel that they can live without.

As for the Mariners, we've heard some whispers that they might be interested in bringing Washburn back to the city where he pitched from 2006 to last year's trade deadline. The M's have already spent a lot of money this offseason, but Washburn might be enticed to return to a familiar situation for a contract akin to the one he turned down from Minnesota. Then again, Washburn is a Scott Boras client, so a bargain could be hard to come by.

Another source tells Morosi that six teams "have inquired" about Washburn. Aside from Minnesota and Seattle, we've heard Washburn linked to such suitors as Milwaukee (who are probably out of the running after signing Randy Wolf and Doug Davis), Kansas City and the Mets. Morosi also points out that the Cubs could join the Washburn sweepstakes in the wake of missing out on Sheets.

Brewers Sign Doug Davis

By Tim Dierkes | January 22, 2010 at 5:42pm CDT

The Brewers officially signed lefty Doug Davis to a one-year deal today worth $5.25MM guaranteed. The contract pays $4.25MM in ’10 and has a $6.5MM mutual option for ’11 with a $1MM buyout. Davis can also earn another another $1MM in incentives each season, broken down into payments of $125K each for 180, 185, 190, and 195 innings pitched and 28, 29, 30, and 32 starts.

This marks Davis’ second stint with Milwaukee, his first being the best stretch of his career. He signed with the Brewers as a free agent in July of ’03, and stayed until a November ’06 trade with Arizona. The 34-year-old posted a 4.12 ERA in ’09, but that didn’t match up with his 1.42 K/BB ratio.

Davis joins Randy Wolf as the second addition to the Brewers’ rotation this winter. Yovani Gallardo will lead the group, with Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan/Manny Parra rounding out the back end.

MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy first reported the agreement.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: League, Bourgeois, Giants, Uggla

By Mike Axisa | January 20, 2010 at 9:54pm CDT

Some links for Wednesday night…

The Mariners signed reliever Brandon League to a 2010 contract, according to a team press release. He'll get $1.08MM, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. That's just below the midpoint.
Matt Eddy at Baseball America has this week's minor league transactions.
Matthew Carruth of FanGraphs wants you to vote on the worst contract in baseball.
Via Twitter, Alyson Footer notes that Jason Bourgeois, who was designated for assignment last week to make room on the 40-man roster for Brett Myers, cleared waivers and accepted a trip to the minors.
Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle tweets that the Giants are unlikely to sign any more players to Major League contracts. The Bengie Molina deal tapped them out.
Marlins' team president David Sampson said that Dan Uggla will be the team's Opening Day second baseman, writes Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald. We also heard that there was no chance of a long-term deal for Josh Johnson this offseason, so take it with a grain of salt.
Tom Haudricourt of The Journal News notes (via Twitter) that Brewers' GM Doug Melvin tried to trade for Doug Davis twice last season. Melvin got his man today.
Anthony McCarron of The New York Daily News heard from a Mets' insider that the team could try to trade for Tim Hudson. That seems highly unlikely for a number of reasons, but mostly because Hudson signed an extension in November, has 10-and-5 no-trade rights, and the Braves already traded one veteran starter in Javier Vazquez this offseason.
Here's the up to the minute 2010 draft order. The only two unsigned free agents left that will bring their former teams compensation are Joel Pineiro and Rod Barajas.

Odds & Ends: Alfaro, Brewers, Byrnes, Giambi

By Tim Dierkes | January 18, 2010 at 3:20pm CDT

Monday links, as we await a flurry of players avoiding arbitration…

The Rangers signed 16-year-old Colombian catcher Jorge Alfaro for $1.3MM, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Click here to watch video, courtesy of Kiley McDaniel.
The Mariners agreed to sign 17-year-old righty Kevin Quintanilla out of El Salvador.
Here's a link to Jon Heyman's latest at SI.com, where he ranks which teams have had the best offseasons so far.
ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees did not make an offer to Jerry Hairston Jr., nor have they had recent contact with Johnny Damon.
Olney also says the Rockies "are staying in contact with Jason Giambi, but they are considering other options first."
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel names the Brewers' arb-eligible seven, while also noting that GM Doug Melvin "remains in touch with the agents for free-agent lefties Doug Davis and Jarrod Washburn."
Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star writes about the Blue Jays' six arb-eligibles, noting that GM Alex Anthopoulos will not negotiate beyond Tuesday's deadline.
Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner believes Eric Byrnes is a fit for the Ms, though he acknowledges that the team already has several injury-prone players. Cameron would be willing to pay about $1MM for Byrnes. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic looks back at the positive side of Byrnes' Arizona tenure.
In a FanGraphs article, Cameron says the WAR stat does value relievers correctly, and teams are just overpaying for closers.
WEEI's Rob Bradford wonders if Jonathan Papelbon's 2010 salary will lead to Theo Epstein's first arbitration hearing.
White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he wants to stay with the team beyond 2010, the last year of his current contract.
Yahoo's Jeff Passan examines the Athletics, who he feels are set up to contend in 2011.
At the Cubs Convention over the weekend, GM Jim Hendry said fans can "expect to have two new faces" before Spring Training. The Cubs seek a reliever and a bench bat.

Odds & Ends: Hairston, Brewers, Reds, Salazar

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 15, 2010 at 9:31pm CDT

Some links for Friday…

In an interview with 619 Sports out of San Diego, Scott Hairston said he found out he got traded back to the Padres by reading MLBTR. Cool!
The Brewers will wait until next month before they consider making an offer to Mark Mulder, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer runs down the Reds' arbitration history.
The Orioles have signed outfielder Jeff Salazar to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, reports Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.
The Brewers are still in touch with Mark Mulder and Doug Davis, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Yankees offered Jesus Montero straight up for Roy Halladay, according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star (Hat Tip: River Ave. Blues).
The Rockies watched Derrick Turnbow throw today, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
The Nationals are still in the mix to sign Orlando Hudson, who hopes to sign soon (MLB.com's Bill Ladson reporting).
Pete Caldera of NorthJersey.com hears of some mutual interest between the Yankees and Rocco Baldelli.
The Rangers avoided arbitration with Brandon McCarthy, agreeing to a $1.32MM deal for 2010, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Rangers GM Jon Daniels tells Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas that he'd like to add a catcher, but he's not about to rush. "We have some time," the GM said.
Ryan Theriot tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that he'd like the Cubs to sign Ben Sheets.
The Mets signed Jolbert Cabrera to a minor league deal, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (via Twitter).
Writing for FanGraphs, Patrick Newman explains what the Rangers can expect from new signing Colby Lewis.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted last night that the Mets contacted Jerry Hairston Jr..
ESPN.com's Buster Olney says some people within the Mets organization believe Omar Minaya will be fired the first time his club slumps badly.
Olney also notes that Adam LaRoche will be up against a crop of free agent first basemen that could include Carlos Pena, Lance Berkman and Derrek Lee after the season.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post says the Giants, Padres, Rangers and Mariners have all called about Yorvit Torrealba.
The Pirates aren't close to agreeing to terms with Zach Duke on his 2010 salary, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Duke made $2.2MM last year in his first season as an arbitration-eligible player.
The Cardinals will watch Derrick Turnbow throw today, according to Rob Rains of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
The Cards signed knuckleballer Charlie Zink to a minor league deal, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. After eight years in the Red Sox organization, the 30-year-old will try to break camp with St. Louis.
Bill James tells Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe that he's curious to see how much better the Red Sox are on defense this season.

Odds & Ends: Standridge, Johnson, Davis, Crede

By Tim Dierkes | January 14, 2010 at 4:36pm CDT

Links for Thursday…

Josh Johnson's agent Matt Sosnick is now "cautiously optimistic" about a potential long-term deal with the Marlins for his client, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. However, the two sides still have differing thoughts on the proper comparables to use for Johnson's 2010 salary. I'd say Ben Sheets, Carlos Zambrano, and Zack Greinke might be used in that discussion, but given Johnson's $1.4MM salary in '09 he probably can't expect much more than $4.2MM.
What do Tupac, Sandra Bullock, and MLBTR have in common? They're all favorites of Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Scott Lauber of The News Journal tweets that the Phillies signed righty Jason Standridge to a minor league deal. The former Rays first-rounder pitched only 12.6 innings for the Marlins' Triple A club this year.
Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports wrote last night that the Twins, Brewers, Mets, and Nationals have interest in free agent lefty Doug Davis. Davis suggested to MLB.com's Bill Ladson that the Nats are more focused on adding a second baseman.
Roch Kubatko of MASN says Joe Crede "appears to top" the Orioles' free agent list.
The Mets signed lefty Bobby Livingston to a minor league deal, tweets MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. The 27-year-old southpaw logged 156 innings of 4.15 ball at various minor league stops in 2009.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says players of Adam LaRoche's caliber should take note of his new deal, because "the offers aren't going to get any better."
Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post runs through Yorvit Torrealba's suitors, while also noting that Miguel Olivo's $2.5MM option for 2011 can become a player option with 110 games in '10.
Catcher Mike Rabelo is a new name among the Tigers' 17 minor league deals announced today, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.

Odds & Ends: Maddux, Valverde, Davis, Felix

By Tim Dierkes | January 11, 2010 at 2:03pm CDT

Links for Monday…

Press release: Greg Maddux has joined the Cubs as an assistant to GM Jim Hendry. He'll work with the coaching staffs as well as baseball operations. Click here for the official story.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Diamondbacks' interest in Jose Valverde has cooled. The Tigers made an offer, the magnitude of which is unknown.
Morosi says the Indians are not engaged in trade talks for Jhonny Peralta.
ESPN's Keith Law praises the Reds for adding a pitcher with huge upside in Aroldis Chapman. He also points out that MLB's current draft setup "screws American-born players."
David Coleman of The Crawfish Boxes says the Astros drew a line when they designated Julio Lugo for assignment in '03 following domestic violence charges, making their Brett Myers signing seem hypocritical.
Free agent lefty Doug Davis is interested in joining the Nationals, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson, but Davis was told the Nats are more focused on adding a second baseman. Davis acknowledged, "Things are kind of going slow for me because I'm fifth or sixth down the line [when it comes to] starting pitching."
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times talks about the Mariners' need to sign Felix Hernandez long-term before the season begins.
Grant Brisbee of McCovey Chronicles evaluates the Giants' Aubrey Huff signing.
MLB.com's Doug Miller discusses new defensive stats with experts and team officials.

Brewers May Not Be Able To Add Another Starter

By Mike Axisa | January 6, 2010 at 6:52pm CDT

The Brewers may be right up against their 2010 payroll limit according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy, however GM Doug Melvin is still looking to upgrade his club.

"If we can [add another starter] we'd like to," Melvin said at the conclusion of the Winter Meetings. "We might not be able to. We're always looking to improve the club.

"We're trying to keep flexibility to do things. The worst thing you can do is lose flexibility. We still want to be aggressive but we can step back and look at the landscape, see what takes place with free agents and trades."

McCalvy notes that the club's free agent signings total a $21MM commitment for 2010, plus there's another $37MM or so tied up in players already on their roster. The team has seven players eligible for salary arbitration, and there's about $18MM budgeted for them. If they fill out their roster with players making close to the minimum, it'll push Melvin's club over their $80MM or so projected payroll.

Given Randy Wolf's price tag, the team may not be able to add the second starter they crave. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com said the Brewers will "almost certainly" sign one of Jon Garland, Doug Davis, or Jarrod Washburn, though they may have to make a move to free up some cash to sign one of them.

Twins Looking To Upgrade Infield, Rotation

By Luke Adams 2 | December 23, 2009 at 2:06pm CDT

The Minnesota Twins are interested in bolstering their infield and their starting rotation, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. For now, they seem to be adopting a wait-and-see approach, in hopes that the asking prices for some free agents will drop. Here are the highlights from Morosi's update:

According to a source, Jarrod Washburn, Jon Garland, Doug Davis, and Brett Myers are among the Twins' pitching targets.
Garland, who is hoping to sign a multi-year deal, may be out of the Twins' price range.
The Twins are interested in Mark DeRosa and Adrian Beltre, but may not be able to afford them either. Their more realistic infield options include Miguel Tejada and Juan Uribe.
The Indians could move Jhonny Peralta, but the Twins "haven't actively pursued a trade" for him yet.

Discussion: Battle Of The Upside Starters

By Howard Megdal | December 21, 2009 at 6:09pm CDT

With the signing of Jason Marquis, the free agent starting pitchers left on the board are all awfully similar in terms of likely value. If you like Doug Davis over Jon Garland, or Joel Pineiro over Davis, you're still not likely to get a frontline starting pitcher, and it is likely to cost a team roughly what Marquis cost the Nationals.

The two remaining starters with the chance to be much better than average- but carrying significant risk- are Ben Sheets and Pedro Martinez. With Martinez, we have a better sense of what he is looking for, contract-wise, thanks to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reporting earlier today that he wants "more than Brad Penny got"- more than $7.5MM base salary, in other words. That's still in line with Marquis and company, however.

As for Sheets, he's reportedly seeking $12MM next year. So the question becomes, is Sheets likely to be more than a third better than Martinez?

The major advantages for Sheets: he's posted an ERA of 3.39 since 2007, while Martinez is actually below average during that time, at 4.66. Sheets has also made at least 30 starts as recently as 2008; Martinez last accomplished the feat in 2005.

But Martinez may be a better bet than that would suggest. For one thing, Sheets didn't pitch at all last season, while Martinez was quite effective- a 3.63 ERA in the regular season, 3.70 ERA in the playoffs. Martinez has also had a better strikeout rate than Sheets since 2007, which is a strong indicator of future performance.

If the price tag is significantly lower for Martinez- and as of right now, it appears to be- he might be the more valuable upside candidate of the two.

And if risk isn't your game, there's always Jon Garland.

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