Week In Review

We're a week into the MLB season and there's been tons of action on and off the field. Let's take a look back at the week that was…

• The Red Sox signed Josh Beckett to a four-year $68MM extension. The righty was set to join Brandon Webb, Jorge de la Rosa and Ted Lilly as one of the top free agent pitchers after the season. Intsead, he'll anchor Boston's rotation with Jon Lester, John Lackey and Clay Buchholz, who are all under team control through 2014.
• The Brewers signed Yovani Gallardo to a five-year $30.1MM extension apparently based on the one the Red Sox signed Lester to. It's the biggest deal signed by a pitcher with less than three years of service time.
• We heard that Pedro Martinez plans to pitch again this year. Pedro would like to pitch in the NL for an East coast contender, so it sounds as though the Phillies could be a fit for the second consecutive year. The Mariners, Twins and Dodgers were also linked to the three-time Cy Young Award winner.
• Another free agent pitcher, Jarrod Washburn, has drawn interest from as many as five clubs according to agent Scott Boras. The D'Backs and Indians were linked to Washburn this week.
• Pedro could fit in Philly eventually, but the NL Champs went after a less recognizable pitcher for the time being, claiming Nelson Figueroa from the Mets.
• Not to be outdone, the AL Champs made a waiver claim of their own. The Yankees grabbed Chad Huffman from the Padres.
• We heard that there have not been extension talks for free agents-to-be Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski.
• The Pirates released Ramon Vazquez after designating him for assignment.
• Jack Cust cleared waivers and accepted a minor league assignment.
• The Reds designated a couple noteworthy players for assignment themselves: Aaron Miles and Wladimir Balentien.
• A couple outfielders inked new deals: the Twins signed Jason Repko and the Somerset Patriots signed Ryan Freel.
• We heard that Mike Lowell plans to retire after the season.
• Tim previewed contract issues the Angels, Braves, A's, Blue Jays, Braves and Brewers will face leading up to the 2011 season.
• Check out Tim's offseason questions for the NL Central and NL West.
• Mike broke down the largest contracts by service time and position and took stock of the best trade chips in the NL West and NL Central.

As the first game of the 2010 season winds down, let's take a look back at the week that was..

• The Marlins made a splash when they acquired lefty Nate Robertson and cash for minor league reliever Jay Voss.  Detroit is picking up $9.6MM of the $10MM owed to Robertson.
• Matt Cain agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Giants on Sunday.  The deal will cover Cain through the 2012 campaign, buying out one year of free agency.  The 25-year-old is set to earn $4.5MM in 2010, $8MM in 2011, and $15MM in 2012.
• The Blue Jays signed Adam Lind to a four-year, $18MM contract extension.  The pact also includes club options for 2014, 2015, and 2016.  If Toronto picks up all three options, Lind will earn $38.5MM over seven years.
• Baltimore acquired Julio Lugo from the Cardinals for a player to be named later.  The O's will pay Lugo the league minimum while Boston is on the hook for the remaining $8.6MM.  The move led to Robert Andino getting DFA'd by the club.
• On Saturday, Jack Cust was DFA'd by the Athletics.  There was no room on the roster for the 31-year-old with both Travis Buck and Jake Fox making the team.  Cust inked a one-year, $2.65MM deal with the A's in January.
• The Red Sox made a four-year offer to Josh Beckett.  The pitcher's agent was reportedly seeking a five-year pact.
• Texas extended righthander Scott Feldman through the 2012 season.  The pact guarantees the 27-year-old nearly $14MM and includes a club option for 2013.  The deal buys out all three of his arbitration years and allows the Rangers to retain him through his first year of free agency if they so choose.
• Chad Gaudin hooked on with the A's for one year at $700K.  The 27-year-old is known mostly for his work as a starter but will be slotted into Oakland's bullpen.
• More Rangers goodness as they claimed Ryan Garko off of waivers from the Mariners.  The acquisition ends the Mike Lowell trade talk – for now. 
• Speaking of Lowell, there hasn't been a whole lot of trade activity surrounding him as of late.
• The Rockies released righty reliever Justin Speier.  The 36-year-old will reportedly retire if he is unable to land a big league job.
• We learned that Victor Martinez doesn't want to get into contract talks with Boston during the season.  The 31-year-old catcher maintains that he wants to remain with the BoSox beyond 2010.
• The Giants completed a small deal with the Rangers, landing Edwin Escobar in exchange for Ben Snyder.
• Pitcher Jarrod Washburn reportedly turned down a "small offer" from the Mariners.  The Royals are said to have offered more money than the M's, but the lefty prefers Seattle.
• In other M's news, Corey Patterson opted out of his deal with the club.  Patterson signed a minor league deal with Seattle last December.
• Milwaukee made a run at outfielder Jermaine Dye, but the talks reached an impasse.  The Brewers are said to be less-than-thrilled with Corey Hart and might have tried trading him if they inked Dye.
• The Yankees signed catcher Chad Moeller and utility man Robby Hammock to minor league deals.  Moeller was cut by the Orioles just days earlier.
• Toronto cut outfielder Joey Gathright but he found work with the Orioles soon after.
• Doug Mientkiewicz was finally granted his release by the Dodgers.  Meanwhile, the club freed up two more roster spots by selling Eric Stults to the Hiroshima Carp and cutting Jason Repko.
• The Phillies reached agreements with a pair of pitchers – Josh Fogg and Ty Taubenheim.
• Tim gave us his ten worst free agent signings of the offseason.
• Need a baseball refresher course?  Ben ran down all the stats MLBTR readers need to know.

It's time to take a look back at the week that was..

• The biggest news of the week was, of course, Joe Mauer's eight-year extension with the Twins.  The Minnesota native will make $184MM over the course of the deal, which averages out to $23MM per season.  It's the fourth largest deal in MLB history and it will keep the face of the franchise in Minnesota through the 2018 season.
• We learned that the Red Sox are not willing to give Josh Beckett an extension beyond four years.  Beckett is set to earn $12.1MM this season.
• Andres Blanco was shipped to Texas for a player to be named later.  The 26-year-old posted a line of .252/.303/.341 in 138 plate appearances for the Cubs last season.
• The Orioles acquired Steven Lerud from the Royals in exchange for a player to be named later.
• Boston is still willing to move Mike Lowell, and the Rangers could be a match – again.  Despite rumors to the contrary, the Marlins say that they are uninterested in a reunion with the third baseman.
• The Giants agreed to extensions with two of their pitchers.  Closer Brian Wilson agreed to a two-year pact worth $15MM that will buy out two of his arbitration years.  Meanwhile, Jeremy Affeldt's deal is worth $9MM over the next two seasons, though the 2011 year is a club option.
• The Rangers acquired catcher Matt Treanor in exchange for infielder Ray Olmedo.  The 34-year-old Treanor missed most of 2009 with a hip injury.
• A day after his 27th birthday, the Yankees released pitcher Chad Gaudin.  The Yankees will owe Gaudin one-quarter of his $2.95MM salary for 2010.
• Joe Beimel found a home with the Rockies, agreeing to a minor league deal with a base salary of $850K if he makes the squad.  The soon-to-be 33-year-old can also earn up to $300K in incentives.
• MLBTR contributor Blake Bentley learned that 17-year-old Dominican righty Rafael DePaula may sign soon.  Bentley sees a two-horse race between the Yankees and Mariners for his services.
• The Red Sox signed reliever Alan Embree to a minor league deal that could pay him $1.1MM if he makes the big league roster.  This signing marks the lefty's second stint with the team.
• Detroit is reportedly shopping pitcher Nate Robertson.  Robertson is entering the final year of a three-year, $21.25MM contract.
• The Dodgers are reportedly shopping pitcher Eric Stults and outfielder Jason Repko, as they are overloaded in both areas.  Infielder Chin-lung Hu was also rumored to be on the block, but that was shot down by MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.
• After being let go by Milwaukee, reliever Scott Schoeneweis agreed to a minor league deal with the Red Sox.  The 36-year-old will earn $500K if he makes the big league squad.
• The Twins agreed to terms with lefty Ron Mahay.  The 38-year-old did well against lefties last season.
• The Mets are said to be shopping outfielder Gary Matthews Jr., though they are unlikely to find a taker for him.  The 35-year-old costs the Mets just $2MM over the next two seasons as the Angels picked up the tab on the majority of his contract.
• The A's acquired reliever Edwar Ramirez from the Rangers for infielder Gregorio Petit.  Ramirez, who turned 29 today, posted 10.6 K/9 in 98.3 big league innings with the Yankees.
• The Giants finally found a taker for Kevin Frandsen as he was sent to the Red Sox for a player to be named later.  The 27-year-old infielder has a .240/.304/.341 line in 453 major league appearances, all of which have been with the Giants.
• Lefty Brian Shouse was cut loose by the BoSox.  The 41-year-old was set to earn $800K if he were to make the major league roster.
• On Wednesday, the Nats agreed to terms on a deal with reliever Mike MacDougal, who was waived by the Marlins earlier in the week.  MacDougal posted a 4.31 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 6.3 BB/9 last season.
• Angel Berroa asked for and was granted his release by the Dodgers.  Ditto for reliever Eric Gagne.
• Extension talks between Albert Pujols and the Cardinals have been tabled until this winter.  Pujols is under team control through the 2011 season.
• Tim compiled a list of all of the key free agents in the 2012 offseason.  Shortly afterwords, he followed it up with his take on the free agent class.

It's Sunday night, and that means it's time to take a look back at the week that was..

• Arizona signed third baseman Mark Reynolds to a three-year, $14.5MM deal.  The 26-year-old, who narrowly missed Super Two status, belted 44 homers in 2009.
• Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechevarria agreed to a four-year, $10MM contract with the Blue Jays.  Hechevarria allegedly chose Toronto over the Yankees because he wanted the opportunity to play his natural position.
• While Adam Dunn has not set a deadline for extension talks with the Nats, he says that he doesn't want discussions to drag on for too long.  Meanwhile, GM Mike Rizzo is optimistic that the two parties will reach agreement.
• The Marlins had scouts on hand Monday night to watch Mike Lowell play first base.  It's currently unknown how interested Florida is in a reunion with the now 36-year-old.
• Adrian Gonzalez would reportedly accept deferred money from San Diego, provided that the offer was at market value.
• In a surprising move, the Nationals released Elijah Dukes.  The move reportedly had nothing to do with off-the-field issues.  Dukes was expected to start in right field for the Nats and still had an option remaining.
• Washington also released 40-year-old reliever Ron Villone.
• The Minnesota Twins are reportedly scouting Padres closer Heath Bell.  Ben gave us his thoughts on the veteran's trade value.
• At least two teams are interested in Boston pitcher Boof Bonser.  The 28-year-old, who is out of options, is reportedly being looked at by the Cubs and D'Backs.
• The Rockies and Mets have both expressed interest in free agent lefty reliever Joe Beimel.  Colorado is also said to be interested in Royals reliever Juan Cruz.
• On Thursday night, Dmitri Young announced his retirement from baseball.  The two-time former All-Star last played in the majors in 2008 as a member of the Nationals.
• This also might be the end of the line for Derrick Turnbow, as he was released by the Marlins following a shoulder injury.  Turnbow was attempting to get back to the big leagues for the first time since 2008.
• The Diamondbacks reached agreement with Kris Benson on a minor league deal.  The 35-year-old will earn at least $650K if he makes the big league squad.
• It appears that Toronto lefty David Purcey is drawing attention from clubs.
• Tim surveyed MLB executives to get their thoughts on the best and worst moves of this offseason.
• There's no crying in baseball, but there are backsies following the Rule 5 draft.  The Cardinals returned Ben Jukich to the Reds.  Washington welcomed back Zech Zinicola after he was returned by Toronto.  Steve Johnson was shipped back to Baltimore by the Giants.  Armando Zerpa was sent back to Boston after a cup of coffee with the Dodgers.  The A's sent Bobby Cassevah southward, back to the Angels.
• Casey Fien had to pack his bags once more, as he was released by the Blue Jays and subsequently reunited with the Tigers.  Detroit DFA'd Fien in late February.
• Boston acquired minor league righty Miguel Celestino to complete the January Bill Hall–Casey Kotchman trade with Seattle.
• The White Sox said au revoir to Daniel Cabrera and Jason Botts.
• Tim's Offseason In Review series rolled on with looks at the Cubs, Reds, Astros, and Brewers.
• Attention fantasy baseballers: If you're not following @closernews on Twitter, then you're missing out.
• Finally, we all learned some fun facts about MLBTR's staff.

We're just a few short weeks away from Opening Day!  Let's take a look back at the week that was..

• The Twins and Denard Span agreed to a five-year deal worth $16.5MM, including a team option for a sixth year.  The deal covers both of his remaining pre-arbitration years, plus all three arbitration years. 
• Hernan Iribarren was picked up by the Rangers after he was placed on waivers by the Brewers.  Iribarren fills a need for the club as they voided Khalil Greene's deal in late February.
• John Lackey's five-year, $85MM could set the market for Josh Beckett as he discusses an extension, but Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that he is looking for a "longer term deal."  However, baseball sources tell Heyman that they believe a deal will still get done.
• The Rockies inked Todd Helton to a two-year extension.  The 36-year-old will earn $4.9MM in 2012 and $5MM in 2013. 
• Scouts from several teams (including the Rockies, Pirates, and Blue Jays) were said to be watching Minnesota's Glen Perkins pitch on Tuesday night.  The presence of representation from Toronto is particularly interesting, as the Twins reportedly like reliever Jason Frasor.  The Cubs are also interested as they inquired on the 32-year-old.
• On Wednesday, Nomar Garciaparra officially announced his retirement from baseball.  The 36-year-old had a career line of .313/.361/.521 in 6,116 plate appearances.
• In other retirement news, Brian Giles announced that he's calling it quits.  The 39-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in February.
• Hank Blalock and the Rays came to terms on a one-year minor league deal worth $925K plus $350K in incentives.  Blalock his .234/.277/.459 last season with Texas.
• The Rangers acquired reliever Edwar Ramirez from the Yankees for cash considerations.  Ramirez, who turns 29 this month, notched 10.6 K/9 in 98.3 innings with the Bombers.
• Ben got us brought us up to speed on the remaining free agent starters and relievers.
• And, finally, MLBTR introduced a sharp new site design!

Here's your weekly recap of the past seven days here at MLBTR:

• The Diamondbacks locked up one of the game's most promising young players to a six-year deal worth $51.25MM this week when they agreed to an extension with Justin Upton. Upton, still just 22, should be a tremendous value at that price tag, but that's no guarantee. One point of interest: Upton's stellar line of .300/.366/.532 (with 26 HR and 20 SB) is frighteningly similar to his brother B.J. Upton's line of .300/.386/.508 (with 24 HR and 22 SB) from his breakout in 2007. I'm guessing the D'Backs are hoping Justin can maintain more consistency than his older brother has shown thus far.
• Arizona also has an offer to Mark Reynolds on the table for two years and $13.5MM, but it looks like that situation may take longer to play out. Reynolds reportedly would like $18MM for those two seasons.
• The Adrian Gonzalez rumors never cease. This week, after hearing that Jake Peavy has been campaigning to bring his former teammate to the White Sox, we learned that Gonzalez will ask for a mammoth contract when he hits free agency. The White Sox trade seems like a long shot, as Ozzie Guillen says the club won't be moving Gordon Beckham anytime soon. Still, it's tough to see Adrian in San Diego long-term; Ken Rosenthal shared his thoughts on why that is.
• Another story that keeps coming up is the Joe Mauer saga. This week, we learned that the reigning AL MVP's agent, Ron Shapiro, arrived in Fort Myers, FL where the Twins make their home for Spring Training. It's believed that Shapiro and the Twins' front office will hold face-to-face discussions about an extension for the superstar catcher.
• Another franchise cornerstone discussing an extension is Prince Fielder. We learned this week that Scott Boras met with Brewers' GM Doug Melvin to discuss an extension for the king-sized slugger. Prince is under team control for two more seasons, but Brewers fans would like to see him with the Crew long beyond that mark, I'm sure.
• Is a Hank Blalock signing on the horizon? He's reportedly deciding between the Rays and the Marlins, though it looks right now like the Rays are the frontrunners.
• The Cubs signed 22-year-old Cuban pitcher Juan Yasser Serrano for $250K. Yasser defected in 2009 and will begin the season with the Cubs' Single-A affiliate in Dayton, most likely.
• Some notable minor league signings this week, including Garret Anderson agreeing to terms with the Dodgers, and the Athletics signing both Jason Jennings and Brett Tomko. For more minor league deals, check out the Transactions section.
• Updates to the Offseason In Review series this week included the Royals, Twins, Rangers, Angels, and Mariners.

There's understandably a lot of people focused on hockey today, but let's not forget that March starts tomorrow and Spring Training games kick off this week! Here's a look back at the past seven days as baseball is just around the corner:

• A couple weeks back, I asked why Felipe Lopez didn't have a job yet after a fantastic 2009 season. That question is no longer up for debate. Lopez signed with the Cardinals on a one-year, $1MM deal with an additional $1.2MM in easily-reachable incentives. It's a tremendous deal for a player of Lopez's versatility. The Cards did well to wait it out an ink him at their price.
• Another free agent struggling to find work after a productive 2009 was Jonny Gomes, but he too found a home this week. Gomes re-signed with the Reds on a one-year, major league deal with an option for 2011.
• Another signing of note was righty Chan Ho Park agreeing to a one-year, $1.2MM deal with the Yankees. Park struggled in the Philly rotation last season but was terrific out of the bullpen. He'll need to continue to keep his flyball numbers down as he has the past two seasons, but it's a low-risk move that helps the Yankees on paper.
• The Braves signed 18-year-old Dominican shortstop Edward Salcedo for $1.6MM this week. Salcedo's a big kid, at 6'3", which leads to some doubts about his future at shortstop, but he's considered to have tremendous offensive upside. As Tim points out in the article, landing Salcedo takes off some of the sting felt by Atlanta from surrendering their first round pick for Billy Wagner and not receiving a pick for Rafael Soriano.
• Brad Wilkerson must've been kidding when he retired the first time. He's back on a minor league deal with Philadelphia. Another minor league deal of note was Livan Hernandez re-signing with the Nationals. He should have a good shot at helping to fill out the back-end of their rotation.
• With this offseason winding down, it's never too early to start looking at the next one! Some of the big storylines could include Aramis Ramirez and his 2011 player option, Carl Crawford and his future in Tampa Bay now that his extension talks are on hold until after the season, and (if he's still there), Adrian Gonzalez, whom we heard won't be taking a discount for his hometown Padres.
• Sad news this week as the Rangers were forced to void Khalil Greene's contract when it was learned that he would not report to camp due to his continuing battle with social anxiety disorder. Best of luck to you, Khalil.
• Baseball America posted their annual list of the game's Top 100 Prospects; check it out, and of course, voice your opinion.
• Updates to the Offseason In Review series this week included the Tigers, White Sox, Indians, and Blue Jays.

Time to get excited for Spring Training! For the time being though, let's take a look back at the past week here on MLBTR:

• The Johnny Damon saga has come to an end at last. The 36-year-old reached an agreement with the Tigers on a one-year deal worth $8MM. It's a surprise to me to see the Tigers give $8MM to Damon when they were supposedly strapped for cash and had already signed Jose Valverde, but one year of Damon at $8MM is more than reasonable.
• After months of searching Russell Branyan's finally found himself a team as well. The slugger signed with the Indians at one year and $2MM, with another $1MM in incentives. Branyan's deal has a mutual $5MM option for 2011. Branyan had turned down an offer to return to Seattle earlier this offseason that was also one year with an option. He'll end up making about 10% of what he was reportedly seeking.
• The Mets signed Rod Barajas to a one-year deal worth $1MM with another $1MM in incentives. That it's a major league deal is a relief to the Blue Jays, who land a supplemental draft pick this year as a result of Barajas' Type B status.
• The Nationals had a busy week, highlighted by the signing of Chien-Ming Wang at one year and $2MM. Wang can earn an additional $3MM through incentives. If he's healthy and returns to form, the Nats have a steal on their hands.
• Washington also won two arbitration hearings this week, the first being against Brian Bruney and the second coming against Sean Burnett. Washington saved $500K in total between the two cases. The Nats added Willy Taveras on a minor league deal as well.
• Sticking with the arbitration hearing theme, Cody Ross won his case against the Marlins; he'll earn $4.45MM this year instead of the $4.2MM Florida offered.
• Jeff Mathis also won his case against the Angels, netting himself a salary of $1.3MM as opposed to the $700K the Angels had offered. The Halos avoided arbitration with Erick Aybar, signing him to a one-year deal worth $2.05MM.
• Ryan Theriot can't add himself to the list of this week's victors in arbitration cases; the Cubs won their hearing, saving them $800K. Theriot will earn $2.6MM instead of the $3.4MM he was seeking.
• Edwin Jackson avoided arbitration with his new club altogether, signing a two-year, $13.35MM contract with Arizona. Barring an injury or catastrophic collapse from Jackson, the D'Backs likely saved a little money on this one. Even with a rough second half in 2009, Jackson demonstrated that he's worth the money.
• A couple of front office notes this week: The Astros extended GM Ed Wade through the 2012 season, and Indians GM Mark Shaprio will serve as team president following the 2010 season, with assistant GM Chris Antonetti taking over the GM duties.
• Notable minor league signings this week include Eric Gagne attempting a comeback with the Dodgers, Endy Chavez signing in Texas, and Mike MacDougal signing in Florida. For more minor league signings, check out the Transactions section.
• Tim started up his newest series, giving a look at the Offseason In Review for each club. This week's installments include the Yankees, Orioles, Red Sox, and Rays.

Happy Valentine's Day, baseball lovers. Let's take a look back at the past week:

• With a $5MM gap to settle, Tim Lincecum's arbitration hearing with the Giants loomed on the horizon, but was avoided last minute on Friday. "The Freak" signed a two-year, $23MM deal, so Giants fans can rest easy for now anyway. Earlier in the week we also heard that a three-year, $37MM offer was on the table.
• Not all arbitration cases were avoided, however, as Corey Hart won his case against the Brewers, while B.J. Upton lost his with the Rays.
• One of the most feared hitters of the 1990s and 2000s hung it up this week, when Frank Thomas officially announced his retirement. The Big Hurt will finish up with 521 home runs and a .301/.419/.555 line to his credit. I don't know about you, but a career .974 OPS is pretty good in my book. Congrats on a phenomenal career, Frank.
• Thomas wasn't the only big name from in recent history to officially retire. Tom Glavine also announced his retirement this week. For his career, Glavine notched 305 wins, a 3.54 ERA, two Cy Young Awards and four other Top 3 finishes in the voting. Glavine will take a job as a special assistant to Braves team president John Schuerholz.
• He may be getting up there in the years as well, but Carlos Delgado's not calling it quits just yet. The free agent slugger won't retire, and may sign somewhere midseason. It looks like Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz might take similar routes. Hey, it worked pretty well for Pedro last year.
• Earlier in the week, we looked at whether or not Scott Boras had failed some of his clients, such as Johnny Damon, Jarrod Washburn, or Felipe Lopez. Apparently Lopez thinks the answer is "yes," because he fired everyone's favorite super-agent this week. Lopez is still without work, despite great offense and defense in 2009. Maybe Boras will have better luck with his newest client, Kendry Morales.
• Anyone looking for an all-speed fourth outfielder? The A's released Willy Taveras this week just days after taking on the veteran center fielder in a trade with the Reds in order to get Adam Rosales as well.
• Chien-Ming Wang has offers and will make a decision in the near future. It's looking like the Nationals are the clear front-runner for the right-hander's services. Wang would join Jason Marquis and provide a clear upgrade and some stability to the Nats' rotation if healthy.
• Adeiny Hechevarria, a 19-year-old Cuban shortstop that ESPN's Jorge Arangure has dubbed "the next big thing out of Cuba," is generating a lot of interest. Six teams recently watched Hechevarria, who could receive an offer in excess of $10MM.
• The Orioles have been active this offseason, and may not be done yet. They have some interest in free agent lefty Jarrod Washburn, who is said to be content to wait for the right offer. Tough to say if Washburn presents a clear upgrade over a youngster like Chris Tillman, but at this point, you have to figure the price tag would be pretty minimal.
• Minor league deals were handed out like candy this week. Just to name a few: Marcus Thames with the Yankees, Will Ohman in Baltimore, Hisanori Takahashi with the Mets, and Jacque Jones is back with Minnesota. To see the rest of the deals, check out our Transactions section.

Slow day here as the Super Bowl rapidly approaches. Let's take a look back at the top stories from the previous week:

• Tigers fans can rejoice, knowing that their ace is locked up for the next five years. Justin Verlander agreed to an extension that will pay him $80MM through the 2014 season. Verlander received slightly more than Felix Hernandez on what will be a backloaded contract that pays him $20MM per season over the final three years of the deal.
• Extension talks are in the works for perhaps the game's two best players; Albert Pujols and Joe Mauer are in the midst of trying to work out long-term deals of their own. The Cardinals aren't acknowledging their talks with the media, while the Mauer talks are said to be progressing well. We heard rumors of a possible ten-year contract for Mauer this week, though they were refuted soon after. Mark Reynolds is another player that's said to be discussing a multi-year deal.
• Reynolds' former teammate, Orlando Hudson, found a home this week when he signed a one-year, $5MM deal with the Twins. This will be the third team in three years for the O-Dog, who should solidify Minnesota's lineup nicely. Hudson turned down a one-year deal for less money with Washington, and a reported two-year deal with Cleveland for a chance to contend with the Twins. I was a little surprised to hear that Hudson turned down two years, but hey, who wouldn't want to bat in the middle of Denard Span, Joe Mauer, and Justin Morneau?
• As expected, it didn't take the Nationals long to react after missing out on Hudson. They'd been linked to Adam Kennedy previously, and the veteran infielder inked a one-year, $1.25MM contract with the club the next day.
• The Reds signed Orlando Cabrera to a one-year, $3.02MM deal this week. O-Cab will serve as an offensive upgrade to Paul Janish, but he'll need a bounceback year with the glove after posting a UZR/150 of -13.7 last season.
• Erik Bedard's two-year tenure in Seattle was injury-riddled and disappointing, but he'll have a chance to make up for it in 2010. The lefty signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Mariners, which includes incentives that could add another $7MM or so to the total. Bedard won't be ready to open the season, but figures to be able to go in May. The M's also added Ryan Garko during the week.
• The Jays signed Kevin Gregg to a one-year, $2.75MM deal with two club options that could take the deal to $11.5MM total over three seasons. Gregg allowed 1.7 home runs per nine innings in 2009, second among all relievers with 60+ innings to Jensen Lewis. He'll likely need to improve that mark for Toronto to pick up the options. Unfortunately for Gregg, moving to the AL East isn't exactly the best place to go to achieve that goal.
• The Rockies signed Melvin Mora to a one-year deal worth $1.3MM. He'll fill a utility role for Colorado after playing third base exclusively for the past several seasons.
• The Padres are set to sign Yorvit Torrealba to a one-year, $1.25MM deal. Torrealba's deal has a mutual $3.5MM option for the 2011 campaign.
• The Reds and A's swapped some small, but still bad contracts at the beginning of the week, when Willy Taveras was sent to Oakland along with Adam Rosales in exchange for Aaron Miles and a PTBNL or cash. Miles never played a game for the A's, and Taveras was designated for assignment just hours after being acquired.
• Last but not least, talks on a two-year deal are not going well between the Giants and Tim Lincecum. It looks like the case will go to an arbitration hearing, and you've gotta figure that Lincecum has a pretty strong case. One way or the other, he seems likely to break the $10MM record for a first-year arbitration player, currently held by Ryan Howard.