NL Notes: Peralta, Cubs, Snider

« AL West Notes: Angels, Ryan, Olt, Garland, Luetge | Main | AL Notes: Royals, Happ, Matsuzaka, Longoria »

The Diamondbacks have returned Rule 5 pick Starlin Peralta to the Cubs, AZCentral.com's Bob McManaman reports. Peralta pitched three innings for the Diamondbacks in spring training, allowing seven runs while walking three batters and striking out none. Peralta, 22, pitched in Class A Peoria in 2012. Here are more notes from the National League.

• Cubs manager Dale Sveum says he's satisfied with his team's position players heading into the season, Carrie Muskat and Owen Perkins of MLB.com report. Sveum hasn't given GM Jed Hoyer a "wish list" of acquisitions, Muskat and Perkins note. The Cubs acquired infielder Luis Valbuena and pitcher Shawn Camp near the end of spring training in 2012, and both played key roles for the team last year.
• The manager of Pirates outfielder Travis Snider's former team says Snider could thrive with his new organization, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. Current Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, who served an earlier stint as the Jays' manager when Snider was among the team's top prospects, compares Snider to Jose Bautista, who became one of baseball's best power hitters after being traded from Pittsburgh to Toronto. "[Bautista] was bouncing around, and it took him a while to get it going. Sometimes what happens is they give up on you too soon," Gibbons says. "But if you're in the perfect spot and they've got time to give you a legitimate shot, that's when guys usually get it going." The Pirates acquired Snider for reliever Brad Lincoln last July.

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AL West Notes: Angels, Ryan, Olt, Garland, Luetge

« Jeff Samardzija Says No Extension Talks Recently | Main | NL Notes: Peralta, Cubs, Snider »

The Angels are on the lookout for a backup catcher, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com writes, confirming an earlier report by Danny Knobler of CBS (on Twitter). Hank Conger is currently slated to back up Chris Iannetta, Gonzalez notes, but Conger has struggled with his throwing this spring. Luke Carlin and John Hester are also technically candidates for the backup job, but both are minor-league veterans with limited big-league experience. The Pirates, Phillies and Rays are also reportedly in the market for catching. Here are more notes from around the AL West.

• The Rangers' Jon Daniels says he doesn't know of Nolan Ryan's plans, but that he "can't eliminate" the possibility that Ryan might leave the organization after its recent front office shakeup clouded his future with the team. Daniels' comments came in an interview with Norm Hitzges on KTCK-AM 1310 The Ticket, transcribed by the Dallas Morning News. Daniels says that the Rangers' baseball operations "have a really good thing going," and that he doesn't want Ryan to leave. Speculation about Ryan's role as CEO of the Rangers began when Daniels was promoted to president of baseball operations/GM and Rick George was promoted to president of business operations.
• Scouts have been watching Rangers prospect Mike Olt, who doesn't currently have a position with the Rangers, but that doesn't mean Texas is likely to move him, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan writes. Olt has not hit well this spring, but Sullivan notes that manager Ron Washington has been impressed with Olt's defense in right field. Olt hit .288/.398/.579 for Double-A Frisco in 2012 and had a cameo in the big leagues, but has not yet played at the Triple-A level.
• The Mariners will need to decide what to do with pitcher Jon Garland, who appears to have an out clause in his contract that he can exercise next week, Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times writes. Garland missed much of 2011 and all of 2012 with shoulder trouble.
• Mariners hurler Lucas Luetge is in a different position than he was in 2012 after spending the year in the majors as a Rule 5 draft pick, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. Unlike last year, when Luetge's Rule 5 status meant he had to stay on the Mariners' 25-man roster the entire season, the Mariners have the option of sending Luetge to the minors. Luetge kept his head above water in 2012 despite having never before pitched above Double-A, posting a 3.98 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 in 40.2 big-league innings.

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AL Notes: Royals, Happ, Matsuzaka, Longoria

« NL Notes: Peralta, Cubs, Snider | Main

The Royals will approach their upcoming roster decisions with the goal of preserving "inventory," Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes. That means keeping as many players in the system as possible, which in turn means that players who are out of options will have a better chance of making the team, so the Royals don't risk losing them. The following players are out of options: Bruce Chen, Jarrod Dyson, Jeremy Guthrie, J.C. Gutierrez, Brett Hayes, Luke Hochevar, Elliot Johnson, George Kottaras, Luis Mendoza and Felipe Paulino. Hayes, Kottaras and Adam Moore are battling to back up Salvador Perez at catcher. Since Moore has an option, he will likely return to the minor leagues, and the Royals will choose between Hayes and Kottaras, keeping one while potentially trading or losing the other. The many teams currently on the lookout for catching help will presumably be watching the Royals' situation closely. Here are more notes from the American League.

• Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ is unhappy with the possibility of beginning the season in the bullpen or at Triple-A Buffalo, and he will "probably" speak to GM Alex Anthopoulos about it, CBSSports.com's Scott Miller reports. Happ got bumped from the Jays' rotation plans when they traded for Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey this offseason.
• Indians pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched three innings in a minor-league game on Saturday, but he's running out of time to make the team, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. Matsuzaka left his previous start after one inning with a calf injury. Matsuzaka is a Type XX(B) free agent, so the Indians have to decide by March 26 whether to add him to their 25-man roster. If they don't, Matsuzaka can ask to be released, or can accept a minor-league assignment with a $100K retention bonus and an opt-out date of June 1. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes that the Indians will likely go with a rotation of Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Brett Myers, Zach McAllister and Scott Kazmir, in which case Matsuzaka wouldn't make the team.
• Evan Longoria is aware of the big expectations associated with the six-year, $100MM contract extension he signed with the Rays in November, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "It's an insane number," says Longoria. "I feel the same way that I felt with the last contract, but there's just, I don't know if there could be more of a desire, but there is still obviously a strong, strong desire to live up to it."

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Quick Hits: Pettitte, Murphy, Soriano, Greinke

« Yankees Sign Brennan Boesch | Main | Angels Looking For Backup Catcher »

Cesar Carrillo, a right-handed pitcher in the Tigers system, became the first player listed in the Biogenesis documents to be suspended, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports (twitter link).  As FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal and others have noted, MLB has "greater jurisdiction over minor leaguers like Carrillo than major leaguers who are protected by the players' union."  Here are some other notes from around the majors:

• Mariano Rivera's retirement plans have fellow Yankee stalwart Andy Pettitte wondering how and when to end his own "long, strange journey," as Daniel Barbarisi of The Wall Street Journal describes it.  Pettitte sees some merit to ending his career around the same time as those of his long-time teammates, but does not want to "stop playing until I know that I'm done."
• Outfielder David Murphy is still waiting to work out a long-term extension with the Rangers after discussing that possibility with the club earlier in the offseason, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.  While Murphy reiterated that he wants to remain a Ranger and has no hard feelings for the lack of progress towards a deal, he added that free agency is a "privilege" and that "waiting another year is not going to kill me."
• While the Cubs "feel the presence of teams watching Alfonso Soriano," nevertheless "no substantive talks have taken place yet," tweets Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.  Cafardo mentions the Phillies and Yankees as teams that are "on [the] radar" for a possible Soriano deal.
• With Zack Greinke still dealing with elbow issues, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly indicated that the right-handed starter is facing an ever-narrowing window to be ready for the start of the regular season, reports Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.  As has previously been noted, Greinke's timeline could impact the availability of the Dodgers' excess starting pitching options, such as Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang.

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Angels Looking For Backup Catcher

« Quick Hits: Pettitte, Murphy, Soriano, Greinke | Main | Minor Moves: Cortes, Reifer, Flacco »

The Angels "have been out looking for a backup catcher," tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.  

The team entered the spring hoping that former high-end prospect Hank Conger would lay claim to the back-up spot behind starter Chris Iannetta.  As Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times explored back in February, the team was also considering two journeymen, John Hester and Luke Carlin.  Still young at 25 and offering a natural compliment to Iannetta's right-handed bat, Conger seemed the obvious choice if he could move past his history of inconsistency and injury.  

Despite Conger's excellent start on the offensive side of the plate this spring, however, he has struggled behind the dish.  While manager Mike Scioscia has previously expressed confidence that Conger would rein in his wildness in the throwing game, Conger made three errors with his arm last Sunday.  Entering his final option year, the Angels could elect to allow Conger to work out his issues back in Triple-A Salt Lake.  For their part, Hester and Carlin have limited track records at the major league level and are sporting anemic batting lines in pre-season action.

If the Halos are unwilling to let Conger test his arm in a real game, the club may be looking at limited options for an upgrade.  A glance at MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker reveals Matt Treanor as the lone unsigned, free agent backstop.  Barring a more significant trade, the Angels could consider dealing (or scouring the waiver wire) for a more established option as teams like the Diamondbacks and Rockies decide which of their veteran catching options will make their opening day rosters.

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Minor Moves: Cortes, Reifer, Flacco

« Angels Looking For Backup Catcher | Main

We'll track the latest minor moves here...

• Righty Dan Cortes has signed with the Diamondbacks, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports on Twitter.  The one-time top-100 prospect last pitched in 2011 for the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate, tossing 39 innings and logging a 5.08 ERA, before he sat out the 2012 season.
• The Cardinals have released right-handed relief pitcher Adam Reifer after previously outrighting him off of the team's 40-man roster, Eddy further tweets.  Reifer, 26, spent the last two seasons at Triple-A Memphis and last year posted a 4.90 ERA over 64 1/3 innings.
• The Red Sox acquired minor league first baseman Mike Flacco from the Orioles for cash considerations, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). The Orioles could get a player to be named instead of cash, Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com reports (on Twitter). Flacco, the brother of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, spent the 2012 season at Class A and Double-A. The 26-year-old posted a .214/.284/.330 batting line with eight home runs in 396 total plate appearances last year. The Orioles originally selected him in the 31st round of the 2009 draft.

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Quick Hits: Pujols, Bradley, PEDs, Front Office

« Central Notes: Gomez, Chapman, Choate, Indians | Main | Why I Chose My Agency: Cody Ross »

The Dominican Republic's exciting 3-1 win over the United States has put the Dominican squad into the semi-finals of the World Baseball Classic and left the USA fighting for its tournament life.  The States will face Puerto Rico on Friday in an elimination game to decide who will take the last semi-final slot.  The Netherlands and two-time defending WBC champion Japan are the other two semi-finalists.

Here is the latest from around baseball tonight...

• Albert Pujols' knee issues this spring could be nothing, but as FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi notes, even the slightest sign of injury is worrisome to the Angels given their remaining $228MM investment in Pujols through the 2021 season.
• Red Sox prospect Jackie Bradley Jr. is enjoying a big Spring Training, though Rob Bradford and Alex Speier of WEEI.com outline the reasons why Bradley may not be on Boston's Opening Day roster.
• Major League Baseball wants a tougher, zero-tolerance drug policy while the Players Association is looking for a "two-tiered penalty system" that would be less harsh on players who took banned substances unintentionally, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports.  The dispute could affect (or prevent) any changes to the drug policy when the terms are re-negotiated next offseason.
• Modern front offices are blending both analytical thinking with traditional scouting techniques, MLB.com's Paul Hagen writes.

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Central Notes: Gomez, Chapman, Choate, Indians

« Minor Moves: Blanco, Hawkins, Tanner, Smith | Main | Quick Hits: Pujols, Bradley, PEDs, Front Office »

It was on this day in 1932 that the Reds and Dodgers swung a very notable trade.  Clyde Sukeforth, Tony Cuccinello and Joe Stripp went to Brooklyn while Cincinnati acquired Babe Herman, Wally Gilbert and a then-23-year-old catcher named Ernie Lombardi.  Needless to say, this deal ended up being a big win for the Reds --- Lombardi spent the bulk (10 years) of his Hall of Fame career in Cincinnati and hit .311/.359/.469 and 120 homers with the club.  Lombardi won two batting titles during his career, and was the last catcher to lead the NL in average until Buster Posey last season.

Here are some items from around both the NL and AL Central...

• Carlos Gomez's three-year, $24MM extension with the Brewers "isn't likely to be a stinker" for the club, Fangraphs' Eno Sarris writes, and it could be a bargain if Gomez's power and ability to hit right-handed pitching continue to develop.
• An opposing NL scout tells FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal that the Reds "are crazy" if they use Aroldis Chapman as a starter.  "It's Joba Chamberlain all over again.  His velocity dropped off in the second inning. He couldn't get his off-speed stuff over the plate consistently. No question in my mind, he's the closer," the scout said.  Meanwhile, Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News talked to several other scouts about Chapman and they were "nearly unanimous" that he is a better fit as a closer.  Keep following @CloserNews on Twitter for all the latest updates on the Reds and other ninth-inning situations from around baseball.
• Randy Choate talks about his career and his development into a left-handed relief specialist with Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Choate signed a three-year, $7.5MM deal with the Cardinals in December.
• Ryan Raburn may have the edge on winning a bench job with the Indians at the expense of Ezequiel Carrera, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian opines.  Bastian thinks the Tribe could try to deal Carrera in such a scenario since he is out of options and would probably be claimed off waivers by another team.  Here is the full list of out of options players who could be facing a roster crunch by the end of Spring Training.
• Earlier today on MLBTR, we heard about the Tigers weighing their trade options, while Ben Nicholson-Smith covered the Tigers' winter moves as part of our Offseason In Review series.

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Why I Chose My Agency: Cody Ross

« Quick Hits: Pujols, Bradley, PEDs, Front Office | Main

Within the latest entry in MLBTR's Why I Chose My Agency series, Arizona outfielder Cody Ross talks about his relationship with SFX and his primary agents Mike Milchin and Mark Pieper. Ross signed a three-year, $26MM deal with the Diamondbacks this past offseason.

How did you come in contact with your agent Mike Milchin?

'I was with an agent right out of high school after I got drafted and I did my own deal but I ended up having to fire him. The guy who drafted me, Jim Olander, was good friends with Mike Milchin and he ended up calling me and Mike and Mark Pieper came out and sat down with me and basically told me what they were all about. I was in low-A ball and going into my second full year of professional baseball. That's a time where you can really get taken in and smoothed by agents promising you equipment deals and wining and dining you and for some reason I had the ability to look past that and go with what was most important and that's what can an agent do for you in arbitration and free agency.

'As a young player obviously you want to hear, 'I'm going to be able to get you this bat deal and be able to get you this glove deal and this equipment deal' but at the end of the day that's not what's important. What's important and what sold me on them is they didn't make any promises like that with me. What they talked about mostly was arbitrations and free agency contracts that they've signed and the way they go about it. They had a very good reputation as far as arbitration goes and I actually ended up going to a hearing with them and we ended up winning so I got to see it first-hand. The work and preparation that they do for each one of their clients, there's a lot of good agents out there, but they put in the time and the work needed to be prepared to go to a hearing and that was huge. A lot of guys don't do that."

What was it that impressed you about SFX?

'I actually sat down and interviewed quite a few agents and ultimately ended up picking SFX and couldn't be happier. I've built a relationship with these guys that's going to last not only through my playing career but throughout the rest of my life. I've built those kinds of friendships and that's what you really want. That's what the game is about, friendships and being able to call somebody your friend when the game is over. Obviously it's a business and you want the best out of your agent. I'm not sitting here saying you should hire your friend as your agent. Not at all. You want to go out as a young player and interview multiple agents and ask them what they do in arbitration and what they do as a free agent and look at their rap sheet and their history and that was big for me.

'Here's my thing. With my agent, Mike is always available, no matter what. I can call him at two in the morning or at noon on a Sunday and he'll always be available and if he's not he gets back to me ASAP. He makes me feel like I'm his only client and at the end of the day that's what you want. You want to feel like your agent is almost like the movie Jerry Maguire, where your agent will do everything for you no matter what. That's the feeling I get from my guy.'

How did SFX and Mike help get you what you wanted in your recent free agent experience this past offseason?

'Free agency is definitely an interesting process because it's finally the time where you put in all that hard work and you get to choose where you want to play but sometimes choosing where you want to play doesn't always end up being where you want to be. Fortunately for me it did and it worked out. A lot of times you go into free agency and teams you would like to play for don't really have that sort of need.

'At the beginning of the offseason you know I was getting calls here and there and some feelers but it was kind of quiet and Mike just kept telling me to be patient and I was, and I believed in him that he was going to get the job done, but I'd be lying if I said there weren't times where we would go a few days without hearing anything. But he always called me every night no matter what to kind of go over everything and some guys like that some guys might not. Some guys might not want to be called until they have an offer but I wanted to be in the process and know what was going on.

'I wasn't picky although I did tell him I definitely wanted to try and get back over to the west coast because my family was from Arizona and I have two kids who are in school so those are things that we talked about, what's important, location, length of contract, the AAV, those were the types of things we went over and like I said, luckily I got the best of both worlds. I basically got what I wanted and to be where I wanted to be. That was a lot to do with him being patient, us both being patient, but him really trying to look at every opportunity that was out there.'

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Royals Have High Asking Price On Luke Hochevar

« West Notes: Dodgers, Mariners, Bonderman, Giants | Main | Quick Hits: Red Sox, Aceves, Hicks, Tigers, Jones »

Teams that have asked about trading for Luke Hochevar have been told by the Royals that they want quite a bit in return, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).  The 29-year-old is set to earn $4.56MM this season after avoiding arbitration in January.

It's surprising to hear that Kansas City is looking for a significant return on the right-hander after he pitched to a 5.73 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 32 starts last season.  In fact, Royals skipper Ned Yost announced today that Hochevar would be slated for the bullpen rather than fight for the fifth spot in the rotation against Bruce Chen, Will Smith, and Luis Mendoza.

Hochevar, the former first-overall pick in the 2006 draft, owns a career 5.39 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.  The right-hander has one more year of arbitration eligibility left and will be free to hit the open market after the 2014 season.

The Royals called the Rockies to discuss Hochevar back in December but nothing came of those talks.

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Quick Hits: Red Sox, Aceves, Hicks, Tigers, Jones

« Royals Have High Asking Price On Luke Hochevar | Main | Offseason In Review: Detroit Tigers »

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com feels that the Red Sox should part ways with the volatile Alfredo Aceves, but it doesn't seem like such a move is in the cards.  General Manager Ben Cherington told Heyman via text not to expect to see Aceves cut while another person connected to the club said that he can't see it happening.  The Red Sox's bullpen is shorthanded at the moment with Franklin Morales and Craig Breslow sidelined, so now would not be a great time to drop Aceves.  Here's more from around baseball..

• All signs point to Twins prospect Aaron Hicks making the leap from Double-A to win the club's center field job, Heyman writes.  Recently, Ben Nicholson-Smith looked at service time considerations for Hicks and other top prospects in baseball.
• Tigers manager Jim Leyland has success with a bullpen by committee in the past and it could work again for him in 2013, writes Tracy Ringolsby of MLB.com.  Detroit has inquired on closing options from other teams in recent weeks but they could instead use rookie Bruce Rondon and other relievers already in-house to close out games.
• Chipper Jones joked that former teammate David Ross should start a rumor that he was coming back to baseball to sign with the Red Sox, but the catcher wanted no part of it, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald.  Ross asked Jones if he's staying retired and the future Hall of Famer said "I ain't going nowhere." 

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Offseason In Review: Detroit Tigers

« Quick Hits: Red Sox, Aceves, Hicks, Tigers, Jones | Main

The Tigers signed two significant free agents to bolster a roster that already included its share of impact players.

Major League Signings

• Anibal Sanchez, SP: five years, $80MM. Club option for 2018.
• Torii Hunter, OF: two years, $26MM.
• Brayan Pena, C: Major league deal.
• Octavio Dotel, RP: one year, $3.5MM. Club option exercised.
• Jhonny Peralta, SS: one year, $6MM. Club option exercised.
• Total Spend: $115.9MM.

Notable Minor League Signings

• Don Kelly, Kevin Russo, Matt Tuiasosopo, Shawn Hill, Carlos Monasterios.

Trades and Claims

• Acquired C Ramon Cabrera from Pirates for P Andrew Oliver.
• Acquired 2B Jeff Kobernus from Red Sox for UT Justin Henry.
• Acquired P Kyle Lobstein from Mets for Cash Considerations.

Notable Losses

• Gerald Laird, Justin Henry, Delmon Young, Andy Oliver, Daniel Schlereth, Marcelo Carreno.

Needs Addressed

When the offseason began, the Tigers needed a starting pitcher and a corner outfielder. Within two months, Dave Dombrowski had addressed those needs, ensuring that the defending AL Central Champions will enter the 2013 season as favorites to defend their division title.

Before the Tigers made any significant player moves, they brought back manager Jim Leyland. The longtime manager obtains another chance to lead the Tigers to their first World Series title since 1984.

The Tigers signed Torii Hunter to a two-year, $26MM contract after the Angels made it clear that the 37-year-old wasn't in their plans. Hunter didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Angels, which made it possible for the Tigers to sign him without surrendering a draft pick.

Victor Martinez isn't a newcomer, but he seems like one after missing the entire 2012 season with a torn ACL. He should provide more offense at designated hitter than Delmon Young did.

Other than Zack Greinke, Sanchez was the top starting pitcher available in free agency. After teams such as the Cubs showed serious interest, the Tigers retained Sanchez with a five-year, $80MM contract. While Sanchez isn't an ace starter, he just turned 29 and has pitched at least 195 innings for three consecutive seasons. He rounds out the Tigers' rotation nicely without costing the team prospects or draft picks.

Questions Remaining

The Tigers are entering the season without a clear sense of how they'll handle high-leverage, late-game innings. Their interest in potential upgrades makes sense, yet this doesn't seem to be an urgent situation for Dombrowski. The Tigers won the American League pennant last year with Jose Valverde, a closer who was average at best (all MLB relievers in 2012: 3.66 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 3.4 BB/9; Valverde in 2012: 3.78 ERA, 6.3 K/9, 3.5 BB/9). Plus, quality relievers are always available at the trade deadline, so the Tigers will have the chance to upgrade their bullpen by June or July. In the meantime, Leyland will face innumerable questions about his closer unless an internal candidate such as Bruce Rondon emerges as a viable stopper.

Justin Verlander's contract won't expire for another two seasons, but it's not too early to start talking about an extension for the 30-year-old right-hander. Verlander would like to become baseball's $200MM pitcher, and why not? His representatives can convincingly argue he's the top pitcher in the game following a four-year stretch during which he leads all MLB pitchers in wins, wins above replacement, and many categories in between. Yet a nine-figure commitment for any pitcher -- even one as durable as Verlander -- must be carefully considered. Even though the Tigers might minimize financial risk by letting Verlander walk following his age-31 season in 2014, owner Mike Ilitch has shown many times that he's willing to spend to retain and acquire elite talent. There's hope for Tigers fans that Verlander will stay in Detroit.

While the Tigers lack elite relievers, they have depth in other areas. Rival teams have inquired on Rick Porcello in the event that the Tigers are comfortable going forward with Drew Smyly in the rotation. A trade seems possible, though there's no indication the Tigers are hoping to make a move.

Deal of Note

Torii Hunter posted a .313/.365/.451 batting line with 16 home runs in 584 plate appearances as the Angels' right fielder last year. It's an impressive line, and advanced metrics valued Hunter's overall performance around five wins above replacement last year. However, it seems highly unlikely that he will replicate his league-best .389 batting average on balls in play in 2013, especially considering his career mark of .307.

In other words Hunter projects as a good player rather than an elite one going forward. That's fine for the Tigers, who aren't paying him like an elite performer and didn't have to surrender a draft pick to sign him. Even as he enters his 21st professional season, Hunter represents an upgrade over Detroit's other options, so this two-year, $26MM contract made sense for the Tigers.

Overview

After adding Hunter and re-signing Sanchez, the Tigers are built for another run at a World Series title. Like every team in baseball, they're vulnerable in some areas, and it'd be easier to envision the Tigers playing deep into October if they had an ace reliever. But with a strong lineup including some of the game's best hitters and a deep rotation featuring arguably the sport's top pitcher, the Tigers are the closest thing to a playoff lock you'll find in the American League.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Poll: The Diamondbacks' Best Offseason Acquisition

« Quick Hits: Giants, Cabrera, Rangers, Rondon, Tigers | Main | Players Reflect On Arbitration Hearings: Dan Uggla »

No one can accuse Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers of taking it easy this winter.  The D'Backs finished with a .500 record in 2012 and made some significant changes in an effort to improve going forward.  Arizona first made headlines with a three-team deal in October, but there was plenty that followed.  Here's a recap of their most significant moves..

• Arizona landed reliever Heath Bell, infielder Cliff Pennington, and cash considerations in a three-team deal with the Marlins and A's.  The D'Backs sent outfielder Chris Young and $500K to the A's in the swap.
• As a part of the three-team Shin-Soo Choo deal, the Diamondbacks acquired shortstop Didi Gregorius, left-handed pitcher Tony Sipp, and first baseman Lars Anderson from the Indians for right-handed pitchers Trevor Bauer, Matt Albers, and Bryan Shaw.
• The Diamondbacks signed right-hander Brandon McCarthy to a two-year, $15.5MM deal. McCarthy missed significant time in 2012 but posted a 3.24 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 111 innings when he was healthy.
• Just before Christmas, the D'Backs signed Cody Ross to a three-year, $26MM deal.  The pact includes a club option for $9.5MM that can be bought out for just $1MM.
• The addition of Ross meant that an outfielder had to go and it wound up being Justin Upton. Towers sent Upton and third baseman Chris Johnson to the Braves for third baseman Martin Prado, right-hander Randall Delgado, shortstop prospect Nick Ahmed, right-handed pitching prospect Zeke Spruill, and minor league first baseman Brandon Drury.

Earlier today we learned that the D'Backs are looking to trade veteran John McDonald, but Arizona has pretty much gotten all of their heavy lifting out of the way this offseason.  It's your turn to weigh in - what was their best acquisition of the winter?

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Players Reflect On Arbitration Hearings: Dan Uggla

« Poll: The Diamondbacks' Best Offseason Acquisition | Main | Tigers Release Brennan Boesch »

Braves second baseman Dan Uggla went to arbitration with the Florida Marlins in 2009 after hitting 90 home runs and accumulating 270 RBI during his first three seasons in the big leagues. The Marlins filed at $4.4MM while Uggla requested $5.35MM. Uggla won his case, earning one of the biggest salary jumps ever for a player going through the arbitration process for the first time. Four years later, the client of Gaylord Sports Management spent a few minutes reflecting on his case with B.J. Rains for MLB Trade Rumors:

'Obviously it's a very long process. Negotiations are usually never quick. We negotiated all the way up until the time we had to give each other the numbers. My case was a little bit different because with the Marlins, once you submit your number, there's no more negotiations. Usually in arbitration you can submit your numbers and still come to an agreement but with the Marlins, if you don't come to an agreement before that then you're going into the room and going to the hearing, so mine was different.

'It made sense for me to go ahead and take that chance and go into the room because there was such a big difference and we were so far apart. I didn't know it until they put their number in, but they put in $4.4MM and they were offering me $4.5MM or something like that, that was their highest offer, so it made sense for me to go into the room. Plus I believed that I was supposed to earn what I put in for.

'When I was as confident as I was in my case, it was worth every penny to go into the hearing. Say if I thought I was worth $5.35MM and they were coming in offering me $5.1MM, then you have to start weighing your options. If they are offering you $5.1MM and then they drop it down and put their number at $4.4MM, you have to weigh your options and say, 'Hey, I don't know if $200K is worth the chance of losing a million,' but we were never close. We were never close. I had a chance to lose $100K from where they offered me because we never got within $800K or $900K.

'Inside the room, it's not them truly trying to put you down. It's a business thing. My side is business and their side is business. They are trying to get me for a certain price and I'm trying to get my salary to a certain price. It's not necessarily them telling you how bad you are, they are just trying to present a case to where they believe you should earn X instead of Y. I knew that going in. It didn't bother me at all. It's just a process, the business side of it. A lot of people would say, 'Man, I didn't know I was that bad' or 'I can't believe they would say that about me,' but you better prepare yourself to hear it because they will say it. It's not to demise your character or not to put you down in any way, it's just for them to present a case to win their case, just like we're presenting a case to say I'm a little better than I actually am.

'I talked to my agents and they've been in many cases before and they prepared me the best they could. They have booklets and stuff and I had a book real thick of comparisons and charts and stuff. My agents did a great job of going over everything. Anything and everything you could find it was documented.

'It's a crapshoot. There's no guarantee. You can present the best case you can and still get beat. I still have a great relationship with the front office of the Marlins to this day. You have to understand as a player, they aren't trying to personally attack you. They are trying to get their payroll at a certain point and that's one of the ways they are trying to do it. It's the business side of baseball.'

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Tigers Release Brennan Boesch

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The Tigers have released outfielder Brennan Boesch, the team announced (on Twitter). The Boras Corporation represents Boesch, who is now a free agent.

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Central Notes: Kazmir, Jackson, Twins

« Transaction Retrospection: The First Greinke Trade | Main | NL West Notes: Dodgers, Hernandez, Rockies, Posey »

Earlier today, the Indians granted Ben Francisco his unconditional release and added Rich Hill to the 40-man roster, meaning Hill is likely to break camp as a member of the Tribe's bullpen in the mind of MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Here's some more on the Indians and other Central division teams...

• Indians non-roster invitee Scott Kazmir feels that he's pitched well enough to earn the team's fifth starter role, according to Cleveland.com's Glenn Moore (link includes video interview with Kazmir). The 29-year-old Kazmir has pitched in just one game since 2010 but told reporters that each time he was released allowed him to step back and examine what he needed to improve on to get back to his previous levels. Bastian tweets that between the Cactus League and "B" games, Kazmir has fired 11 scoreless innings with a 13-to-2 K/BB ratio.
• J.J. Stankevitz of CSNChicago.com writes that the trade to the White Sox was a turning point in the career of Edwin Jackson, who benefited from pitching coach Don Cooper's tutelage. Jackson tells Stankevitz that he isn't fazed by the fact that the Cubs will be his seventh team since 2008. He's likely to keep that uniform for awhile, having signed a four-year, $52MM contract this offseason.
• The money to be saved by delaying Aaron Hicks' service time is the "only justifiable reason" to keep him from opening the season as the Twins' center fielder in the eyes of 1500 ESPN's Phil Mackey. In a separate piece, Mackey notes that Darin Mastroianni is still pushing for the job, and manager Ron Gardenhire says no decision has been reached. Our own Ben Nicholson-Smith examined the service time considerations for Hicks and other members of Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list late last month.

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Yankees Notes: Ben Francisco, Chipper Jones

« NL West Notes: Dodgers, Hernandez, Rockies, Posey | Main

The Yankees acknowledged yesterday that they're interested in Derrek Lee, Chipper Jones and Scott Rolen. However, none of those veteran free agents seem particularly likely to sign with the Bronx Bombers at this point. Here's the latest from New York, starting with a player the Yankees actually did sign...

• GM Brian Cashman said the Yankees signed Ben Francisco to a minor league deal in the hopes that he can compete for an extra outfield role and a spot on the Yankees' bench, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports (via Sulia). 'I think he's definitely worthy for competition, so that's what we're going to take a look at," Cashman said.
• Longtime owner George Steinbrenner would have loved the Yankees' unexpected and public pursuit of Jones, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. As farfetched as the idea of signing Jones was, some long shots have worked out for Cashman over the years.

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NL West Notes: Dodgers, Hernandez, Rockies, Posey

« Central Notes: Kazmir, Jackson, Twins | Main | Yankees Notes: Ben Francisco, Chipper Jones »

Earlier today we heard that the Padres haven't settled on a long-term strategy for third baseman Chase Headley. They'll hold onto him for now, but could trade or extend him later in 2013. Here are more notes from the Padres' division...

• Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports that the Dodgers' pursuit of trades for Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez began as early as last April. The new ownership looked ahead to the free agent market for first basemen and shortstops and knew the upgrades they sought wouldn't be available.
• Yorvit Torrealba could force the Rockies into a decision regarding their catching situation, writes MLB.com's Thomas Harding. The team loves his veteran leadership and handling of young pitchers, and could look to trade Ramon Hernandez before the end of Spring Training.
• The Rockies are scouting out of options pitchers who could appear on waivers later on this month, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. The Rockies' rotation features lots of uncertainty and some optimism at this stage, Renck writes. Here's MLBTR's list of out of options players.
• Buster Posey and the Giants are not close on an extension, but if it happens, the best comparable for a deal would be Joey Votto's 12-year pact and not a three-year one, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
• Prized offseason acquisition left Zack Greinke left his Dodgers teammates this morning to have his right elbow examined by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, but the club insists that it's strictly a precautionary move, writes Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. The Dodgers are reportedly prepared to sit on their pitching surplus for now in part because of minor health issues that Greinke and Chad Billingsley are dealing with.

Zach Links and Steve Adams contributed to this post.

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AL Notes: Lee, Porcello, Red Sox

« Dodgers Notes: Rotation, Uribe, Mattingly | Main | NL Notes: Goldschmidt, McCann, Nationals, Stewart »

The Yankees, who are hunting for a corner infielder to replace the injured Mark Teixeira, have asked Derrek Lee if he would be interested in returning to baseball, David Waldstein of the New York Times reports. Waldstein reports that Lee did show interest, although no deal is in place. Lee last played in 2011 for the Orioles and Pirates, hitting .267/.325/.446. Here are more notes from the American League:

• Fewer scouts watched Rick Porcello's start on Sunday with the Tigers than the dozen or so who watched his last one, MLB.com's Jason Beck reports. Beck notes, however, that scouts generally don't watch the same players over and over in the spring. Porcello has been the subject of trade rumors for the past several weeks, and the Rangers have reportedly shown interest.
• Signing Jim Thome or Bobby Abreu might be options for the Red Sox as they attempt to replace the injured David Ortiz, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe writes. Abraham suggests, however, that the Sox's in-house options, which include using Mauro Gomez, Ryan Lavarnway or J.C. Linares at DH or moving Mike Napoli or Jonny Gomes to DH in order to create a lineup spot for Lyle Overbay or Jackie Bradley Jr., might be more appealing. That makes sense, since it isn't yet certain that Ortiz's injured heels will cause him to miss more than a few weeks of the regular season.

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NL Notes: Goldschmidt, McCann, Nationals, Stewart

« AL Notes: Lee, Porcello, Red Sox | Main | Haren Ready To Prove Himself With Nationals »

Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers says he has discussed a contract extension with first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, according to AZCentral.com's Nick Piecoro. Goldschmidt is represented by Joe Sambito of SFX. Piecoro quotes a source saying that it would be "a surprise" if Goldschmidt and the Diamondbacks were to strike a deal in the near future, however. Last month, the Diamondbacks attempted to initiate talks with Goldschmidt, but Goldschmidt had indicated that he wanted to go year-to-year in an attempt to build up more value.

Goldschmidt, 25, would be eligible for arbitration after the 2014 season and eligible for free agency after the 2017 season. MLBTR's Extension Tracker reveals that, in the past five years, no first basemen with between one and two years of service time have signed long-term deals, so establishing a baseline value for Goldschmidt is difficult. (Goldschmidt himself had told Towers in February that he wanted to build up more service time before discussing an extension in order to get a clearer sense of who is "peer group" was.)

Allen Craig, who recently signed a five-year, $31MM extension with the Cardinals, shares passing similarities with Goldschmidt as a hitter, but also has a year more service time than Goldschmidt. Craig will make $11MM in the final guaranteed year of his contract. Replacing that year with a pre-arbitration salary for the first year of a potential Goldschmidt deal produces a starting point of five years and $20.5MM, which would cover all of Goldschmidt's remaining pre-arbitration seasons. The Diamondbacks would presumably also want to add a team option or two at the end of the deal, giving them the chance to buy out one or more of Goldschmidt's free agent years.

Here are more notes from the National League.

• A return to form by Brian McCann will likely ensure that the he signs with a new team next winter, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. McCann, who is recovering from labrum surgery, will likely return to the Braves' lineup about two weeks into the season. Some of McCann's old teammates tell Rosenthal that McCann was unhappy last season, when he played through injury and hit only .230/.300/.399, down from .270/.351/.466 in 2011. A phone call from GM Frank Wren to McCann after the season may have helped improve the relationship between the team and its star catcher, but that might not matter once he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. If McCann hits well in 2013, the Braves might not be able to afford him, Rosenthal says; if McCann hits poorly, the Braves might not want him, at least not an expensive long-term deal.
• The Nationals added Rafael Soriano this offseason, but not a lefty reliever, despite the departures of Sean Burnett and Tom Gorzelanny, MLB.com's Marty Noble notes. That likely leaves Zach Duke as the only lefty in the Washington bullpen. But manager Davey Johnson, who can count on tough righty relievers like Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and Craig Stammen in addition to Soriano, says it's no problem that the Nats didn't acquire another lefty. "I don't have room for another lefty reliever," he says.
• Cutting Ian Stewart, who is suffering from a quad injury, doesn't make sense for the Cubs, Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago argues, since the savings from cutting Stewart would be insignificant. The Cubs can avoid paying most of Stewart's one-year, non-guaranteed contract if they release him in Spring Training, but the entire cost of the deal is just $2MM.

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