Results tagged ‘ a's ’

A’s sign Scott Moore

Scott Moore, who hit .259 with nine homers and 26 RBIs in a part-time role with the Astros last season, has signed  a Minor League deal with the A’s with an invitation to Spring Training.

Moore, who was outrighted by the Astros earlier this month, played in 72 games last season for Houston, starting games at five different positions – third base, first base, right field, second base and left field.

“I had quite a few offers and Oakland called me and talked to me and basically there, guys in my situation have been known to get pretty good opportunities to play,” he said. “Also, I’m going into my 12th season and I’ve never really anywhere remotely close to home (southern California) and that was pretty exciting, too.”

– Brian McTaggart

Could Reds deal a SS?

The Reds have two young shortstops on their 40-man roster in regular Zack Cozart and September call-up Didi Gregorius. With the market relatively bare of shortstops, especially ones so far from free agency, they could be in demand according to FoxSports.com.

Reds GM Walt Jocketty seemed to indicate to the web site he was open to dealing one of his shortstops.

“It depends if we get back what we need,” Jocketty said. “If we don’t, then I won’t mind holding onto them.”

The Reds need a leadoff hitter and a closer so they could potentially move Aroldis Chapman to the rotation. Oakland has surplus of relievers and an extra leadoff-hitting outfielder in Coco Crisp.

The Twins, D-backs and Rays are also in the market for a shortstop, according to FoxSports.com.

– Mark Sheldon

Mets considering a K-Rod reunion?

One of the relievers on the Mets’ Trade Deadline wish list, according to a report Tuesday in the New York Post, is former closer Francisco Rodriguez.

From a purely baseball perspective, that makes plenty of sense. Because of Rodriguez’s 4.00 ERA and $8-million salary as Milwaukee’s setup man, the Brewers cannot rightfully ask for a significant haul of prospects in return. But Rodriguez does have a long track record of excellence in late-game situations and holds a 2.66 ERA in 25 outings since May 4, striking out nearly a batter per inning and walking one-third as many.

Rodriguez, for what it’s worth, also has experience pitching in New York. He was mellower last season after taking anger management classes following his 2010 arrest at Citi Field for assault, so that New York experience could make him more valuable than other late-inning options.

Other relievers available include Brett Myers of the Astros, Huston Street of the Padres and Grant Balfour of the A’s.

–Anthony DiComo

Bell headed to Marlins … who closes for the Padres?

The Padres finally got the clarity to the Heath Bell situation that they needed/wanted late Thursday, when reports came out that Bell had agreed to a three-year, $27 million deal with the Marlins.

Bell had until Dec. 7 to accept or decline the Padres arbitration offer (or, of course, sign elsewhere). That he has done so (though not officially) before the Winter Meetings could help the Padres in their pursuit of …

You guessed it, a closer. Not just a closer to replace Bell, but the Padres would love to find an eighth-inning specialist to set-up their to-be-named closer.

Look for the Padres to acquire relief help instead of spending big in free agency. They don’t want to — and with a projected payroll of around $53-55 million — get stuck with a long, hefty contract.

The Padres were linked to A’s closer Andrew Bailey on Friday, though the A’s want offense in return. The Padres don’t have much to move, unless they part with third baseman Chase Headley and/or outfielder Kyle Blanks, who could be moved in the right deal.

Stayed tuned, things could get interesting.

– Corey Brock

 

Reds talking A. Bailey?

This morning, Buster Olney of ESPN noted with a Tweet the following:

“Reds are talking about possible Andrew Bailey deal.”

There is no mention of where this information is coming from.

Former Reds GM and current baseball analyst for SiriusXM and ESPN, Jim Bowden, tweeted his info from an A’s source:

“A’s source confirms their interest in Alonso.”

Of course, that is Reds 1B/LF Yonder Alonso, who is viewed as the club’s top trading chip or part of the long term future depending on who you ask. I would have no doubt that the A’s (or any club) might have interest in getting Alonso.

My view: This is not a match. Giving up Alonso for Bailey is way too much. The Reds have other more pressing needs than for a closer at the moment, namely a starting pitcher. There are a lot of closers available on the open market that might be had for cheap and the door is certainly not closed on Francisco Cordero returning. Bailey is a two-time All-Star and former AL Rookie of the Year but injuries got in the way in late 2010 and early 2011.

But if you want more info on Bailey (no relation to Homer Bailey), click here.

– Mark Sheldon

Roundup: Yankees add Soriano; Pavano still a Twin

It was a throwback in the Bronx on Wednesday, when Rafael Soriano, hefty contract in hand, was introduced as the newest Yankee. The addition was one that Brian Cashman said wasn’t his recommendation, but rather ownership’s; a vestige of the days when the late George Steinbrenner owned the club and famously reserved personnel decisions for himself.
“This certainly will help us try to win a championship, there’s no doubt about that, so that’s in the plus column,” Cashman said of Soriano, who received a three-year, $35 million deal to setup for closer Mariano Rivera. “But I didn’t recommend it, just because I didn’t think it was an efficient way to allocate the remaining resources we have. We had a lot of debate about that.”
Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner and team president Randy Levine instead worked out the deal with Soriano, which includes out clauses after both of the next two seasons.
 
Cashman also revealed some unexpected news on Wednesday regarding a former pinstripes right-hander, Carl Pavano: there was thought he’d be brought back. Pavano signed a four-year, $39 million contract to pitch in New York before the 2005 season, but because of several injuries, including Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2007, Pavano was limited to 26 starts and 145.2 innings for New York.
“I’ve always felt Pav could pitch here,” Cashman said. “I think he’s shown that he can pitch in difficult circumstances. Bottom line, if he’s healthy, he can pitch.”

Later on Wednesday, Pavano finalized a two-year, $16.5 million contract with the Twins, whom he helped lead to the AL Central championship last season.

He went 17-11 with a 3.75 ERA and led the team in wins, along with innings pitched (221). Since being acquired by the Twins in August 2009, Pavano is 22-15 with a 3.97 ERA in 44 starts.

 
Though Pavano decided to re-join the Twins, the Yankees may still have another addition coming: veteran outfielder Andruw Jones. His agent Scott Boras said Wednesday that the Yankees are among several teams that he is speaking with about Jones.
 
The Giants announced the signing of right-hander Santiago Casilla to a one-year contract, avoiding arbitration. Casilla will earn $1.3 million, up from $400,000 last year, when he finished 7-2 with a 1.95 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings. He also stranded 41 of 47 inherited baserunners, the Majors’ second-best ratio.

In other news Wednesday:

  • Entering the last season of a four-year deal, Mets’ shortstop Jose Reyes said he wants to talk an extension as soon as possible. “I don’t want to talk about my contract during the season,” Reyes said Wednesday at a Citi Field Kids charity event. “I want to focus on doing my thing, trying to help this team win a lot of ballgames.”
  • With Jim Thome in Minnesota, the Rangers are still looking for a hitter, Rangers president Nolan Ryan told MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan. “It’s always nice to have a veteran bat off the bench. It gives you an opportunity late in the game if you don’t like the matchups. I’m not sure that person is out there.” Ryan also said an extension for general manager Jon Daniels is a priority.
  • Left-handed reliever Brian Fuentes‘ deal with the A’s is official. According to The Associated Press, the deal is worth a guaranteed $10.5 million over two years, with a $6.5 million club option for 2013. The Nationals’ acquisition of Tom Gorzelanny from the Cubs also became official.
  • The Rockies and Joe Crede agreed on a Minor League deal. Crede sat out the 2010 season with a multitude of injuries. He turns 33 in April.
  • Crede’s one-time team, the White Sox, announced the invitation of 14 to big league camp, including right-hander Brian Bruney and Jordan Danks. The latter is the 24-year-old younger brother of White Sox starter John Danks. Jordan hit .245 with 27 doubles, eight homers and 42 RBIs in his first season at Triple-A in 2010.
  • The mother of Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano has passed away in the Dominican Republic.

Roundup: Torre makes a comeback, sort of

Joe Torre‘s name re-emerged on Saturday, not in candidacy for a position as manager but executive, leading a day of otherwise smaller moves on the hot stove.

MLB.com’s Barry Bloom reported that Torre, who retired as the Dodgers manager after last season, is seriously considering joining Major League Baseball as executive vice president of baseball operations.

The 70-year-old Torre speculated during the 2010 season that he might spend the coming years in an advisory position with the Dodgers, return to broadcasting or focus on his family and charitable foundation. After three-decades worth of managing in the big leagues — and four World Series titles with the Yankees — he was adamant that he was not actively looking for a new on-field managing opportunity.

Torre has never held an executive role before, but he is a part of a committee convened by Commissioner Bud Selig to consider on-field changes.

On-the-field news Saturday carried no names as esteemed as Torre’s, but saw a few American League clubs improve:

  • MLB.com’s Scott Merkin confirmed that the White Sox signed left-hander Will Ohman to a two-year, $4 million deal, bringing the 33-year-old back to the town he began his career with on the Cubs. Ohman split last season between Baltimore and Florida, going 0-2 with a 3.21 ERA in 42 innings over 68 appearances. Left-handed hitters have a career .208 mark against him.
  • The A’s swung a deal that brought over right-hander Guillermo Moscoso from Texas and sent Minor League right-hander Ryan Kelly to the Rangers. According to MLB.com’s Jane Lee, the A’s waived a former third overall draft pick Phil Humber to make room on their 40-man roster. Humber’s tenure with Oakland lasted only a few weeks after he was claimed off waivers in December.
  • MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reported a similar space-clearing move Saturday: the Phillies designated one southpaw, Sergio Escalona, for assignment to make way for another, J.C. Romero. Romero re-signed Thursday.
  • There are some conflicting reports about whether the Yankees are still going after Rafael Soriano. Soriano said this week he’s open to a non-closing role, but general manager Brian Cashman has told the Journal News that the Yankees won’t surrender their first-round draft pick — as is necessary to sign a Type-A free agent like Soriano — for any remaining free agents this offseason. SportsIllustrated’s Jon Heyman, however, reported on Twitter Saturday that the Yankees are still in the mix for the Rays closer.
  • The eight-player Matt Garza deal, Friday’s headliner, became official Saturday afternoon. The Cubs get Garza, outfielder Fernando Perez and left-hander Zachary Rosscup from the Rays for right-handed pitcher Chris Archer, catcher Robinson Chirinos, infielder Hak-Ju Lee and outfielders Sam Fuld and Brandon Guyer. MLB.com’s Peter Gammons reported Friday night that the Rangers were in talks to land Garza as well.

Roundup: Winter Meetings eve edition

On the eve of the Winter Meetings, attention around the league is turning to the big prizes of the free agent market. That’s right, the sweepstakes for Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth and others could be about to kick into high gear. 

It’s no secret that the Rangers and Yankees are two of the major players in the Lee market. It could come down contract years, as the Rangers will likely only go as far as a five-year deal, the Boston Globe reported on Sunday. The Yankees, on the other hand, could offer up a sixth year to seal the deal, the report suggested.

While a large number of free agents could sign during next week’s Meetings, negotiations with Crawford could take time, because of the number of interested parties, The Globe also noted. The Angels and Red Sox have long been seriously interested in acquiring Crawford, while the Yankees’ interest is newer. The Bombers could be touching base with Crawford to drive the price up for the Red Sox, Joel Sherman of the New York Post speculated on Sunday.

Outside of the heavyweights, there are plenty of names that could come off the board soon. Here’s at Sunday’s action around the league: 

- Looking for another catcher to supplement Chris Iannetta, the Rockies have interest in Bengie Molina, Trey Renck of the Denver Post tweeted on Sunday.  Another option for the Rockies is former Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, but he represents more of a long shot, according to Renck.

- The A’s have less than 24 hours to reach an agreement with Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Twitter Sunday. The negotiating window isn’t set to expire at midnight, but the two sides would have to agree by then to allow time for the physical. Not long after the A’s won the rights to negotiate with Iwakuma earlier this offseason, talks reportedly came to an impasse, making a deal appear unlikely. 

–Bailey Stephens

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