Results tagged ‘ Brewers ’

Roundup: Many teams interested in Fuentes?

Relief pitching remained at the forefront of the free agent arena on Tuesday as discussion of the market for left-hander Brian Fuentes occupied an otherwise slow news day.
There’s still a large contingent of teams that have at least some interest in Fuentes, including the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rays, Rockies, Mariners, Twins, Pirates, Phillies, Brewers, Yankees and Mets, SI.com’s Jon Heyman tweeted Tuesday.
Many of those teams could have filled their need in recent days, however, including the Yankees (Pedro Feliciano), Brewers (Takashi Saito) and Rockies (Matt Lindstrom). In addition, the price tag for Fuentes could be prohibitive for some of those teams, if he indeed is seeking a deal comparable to Scott Downs’s three-year, $15 million pact with the Angels as Ken Rosenthal suggested last week.
Here’s a look at other happenings around the league on Tuesday: 
- After adding Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke to their rotation, the Brewers have ended negotiations with Chris Capuano, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Tuesday. Capuano reportedly wanted to stay in the starting rotation, a role the Brewers simply didn’t have open for next season. 
- Free Agent left-hander Jeff Francis acknowledged to the Vancouver Province that teams have shown interest in him, but suggested it hadn’t gone much farther than that. The Mets, Yankees, Nationals and Pirates have all been mentioned as possible fits for Francis so far. 
- Brandon Webb did get at least $3 million guaranteed and “at least that in incentives” in his pact with the Rangers, Heyman confirmed on Twitter.
– Bailey Stephens

Roundup: Phils, Crew lock up relievers

Relievers continue to be a valuable commodity on the Hot Stove market, as two more free agents found a home on Monday to highlight an otherwise quiet day. 

Left-hander J.C. Romero agreed to a one-year deal with the Phillies, while veteran right-hander Takashi Saito agreed to a one-year pact with the Brewers. 

Saito’s deal, expected to be announced next week, gives the Crew another established arm in the back end of the ‘pen and continues their offseason pitching staff overhaul. 

Saito, who will be 41 on Opening Day, carried a 2.83 ERA while serving as Atlanta’s primary set-up man to closer Billy Wager. The Japanese-born hurler did suffer shoulder injuries as the season wore on, but he proved mostly effective when healthy. 

Elsewhere in the National League, the Phillies elected to bring back Romero after declining his $4.5 million option earlier this offseason. After a potential deal with Romero’s would-be replacement, left-hander Dennys Reyes, fell through, the club looked back to a familiar face. 

After injuries limited Romero to just 21 games in 2009, Romero registered a 3.68 ERA last season while struggling at times with his control. 

Here’s a look at Monday’s other happenings around the league: 

- The Blue Jays continue to “move closer” to an agreement with Octavio Dotel, Fox Sports.com’s Ken Rosenthal tweeted on Monday. In agreement with earlier reports, Rosenthal concurred that the deal will be in the $3.5 million range.

- Brandon Webb, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Rangers on Sunday, will earn $3 million plus incentives, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweeted Monday. Jerry Crasnick, also of ESPN.com, added that with incentives, Webb could earn between $8-10 million when all is said and done.


– Bailey Stephens

Roundup: Garcia, Pavano, Webb still on market

Several big-name arms have already been spoken for in the Hot Stove market, but there are still plenty of starting pitching options left including Carl Pavano, Freddy Garcia and Brandon Webb.
With the Brewers now out on Pavano, the market for the veteran is seemingly down to the Twins and Nationals at this point. 
Garcia, who went 12-6 with a 4.64 ERA for the White Sox last season, is coming off a season in which he suffered back pain. The Yankees and Mets have asked for the 35-year-olds medical records, SI.com’s Jon Heyman tweeted. The White Sox also have reportedly have checked in Garcia. 
Garcia’s situation isn’t altogether different from Webb, who is trying to prove he is healthy and can still be effective on a Major League mound. While several teams have expressed interest in the 30-year-old, including the Cubs, Rangers and Nationals, Chicago doesn’t appear to be a good fit for the right-hander, according to MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat. For a deal to be struck, Webb would likely have to take a Kerry Wood-type discount, Muskat suggested.
Here’s a look at Monday’s other happenings around the league: 
- The Nats added some outfield depth on Monday by adding veteran Rick Ankiel with a one-year deal, pending a physical. Ankiel will likely compete with Roger Bernadina for playing time in left field, a source confirmed to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson.
-Infielder Craig Counsell agreed to a one-year deal with his hometown Brewers on Monday.  The deal, which has not been made official as of yet, essentially was a win for both sides as Counsell remains close to home while the Brewers retain a veteran presence in their clubhouse who also is a strong utility player off the bench. Counsell batted .250 in 2010, but put up a .333 (13-39) mark as a pinch-hitter.  
- Royals GM Dayton Moore has no plans to part with his closer Joakim Soria, even after sending ace Zack Greinke to Milwaukee, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.com tweeted on Monday. The club has been getting calls on the closer, but for many reasons isn’t intersted in moving him, according to the report.
-One of the bigger bats still left on the free agent market, first baseman Derrek Lee, is looking for a deal in the neighborhood of $8-$10 million, Rosenthal tweeted Monday. At that price, he notes, the Padres are probably priced out, but it might not be too high for the Nats.
- The Indians added two free agent outfielders to the fold on Monday, in Austin Kearns and Travis Buck. While Buck agreed to a one-year Minor League deal with a Spring Training invite, Kears accepted a one-year big league deal. Buck, whose deal has not been made official as of yet, has appeared as an Opening Day outfielder for the Athletics in each of the last three seasons. For Kearns, the deal brings him back to Cleveland where he began last season before a midseason trade sent him to the Yankees. 
“We think [Kearns is] a great fit for our team,” Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said. “We recognized the makeup and composition of our team would be predominently left-handed, especially in the outfield. Austin provides great balance to that with his ability to play all three outfield spots and the fact that he’s a right-handed hitter.
–Bailey Stephens

Roundup: Pavano next chip to fall?

As the Brewers added an ace to their deck with the acquisition of Zack Greinke on an otherwise quiet Sunday, attention turned to the next top-tier pitcher on the market: free agent Carl Pavano.
While the Twins have been seen as the favorite to land Pavano this offseason, the addition of Greinke to the Brewers may have only increased that possibility, as FoxSports.com suggested on Sunday. 
Milwaukee was another team that had reportedly been in contention for Pavano’s services, but with their No. 1 starter taken care of, the Brewers are likely out of the fray.
The Nationals and Rangers, who had been seriously working to land Greinke, haven’t seriously pursued the 34-year-old starter, sources told Fox Sports.com.
Here’s a look at other moves from around the league: 
- Greinke’s disappearance from the trade market could have boosted interest in Marlins right-hander Ricky Nolasco, who is arbitration eligible this offseason and next, but the Marlins put the kibosh on that. Nolasco is near to signing a three-year extension worth $27 million, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reported Sunday night. The deal, which runs through 2012, is pending a physical.
- Guillermo Mota is returning to the Giants for a second season, ESPN Deportes reported. Mota, who won a World Series ring with San Francisco in 2010, did not receive a Major League deal, but will have an invite to big league Spring Training.
- ESPN Deportes reported that the Braves have signed 25-year-old southpaw Yohan Flande and invited him to Spring Training. Flande went 10-8 with a 4.38 ERA in 27 starts at Double-A for the Phillies last season. 
- The Blue Jays have signed catcher Ryan Budde to a Minor League deal, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com tweeted on Sunday. Budde, who has seen limited Major League action with the Angels over the last several years, owns a career average of .212.
- Right-hander Anthony Lerew has signed a one-year deal with the Softbank Hawks of Japan’s Pacific League according to the NPB tracker. Lerew struggled in six starts with the Royals last season. 
- The Yankees have given right-hander Luis Vizcaino a Minor League deal and an invite to big league camp, The Star-Ledger reported. Vizcaino, 36, has been out of pro ball since 2009, but pitched well this offseason in the Dominican Winter League.
- The Nationals had reached a deal with the Royals for Greinke, before the right-hander exercised his no-trade clause to veto the deal, a source confirmed to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson. No reason was given for Greinke’s decision, but the ace had previously expressed a desire to play for a title contending team.
– Bailey Stephens

Roundup: Reds locking up their players

The Reds haven’t brought in much outside help this offseason, but they’ve still been among the busiest teams in baseball. Their mission is keeping guys in-house. The club had already inked starter Bronson Arroyo to a three-year, $35 million extension. Then, late Thursday night, the club agreed on a six-year, $51 million contract with Jay Bruce, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon.

Now, they’re apparently turning their attention to Joey Votto and Johnny Cueto.

The Reds have been wanting to sign Votto, the reigning National League MVP, to some sort of extension, but ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick believes it won’t be for the six years that Bruce got. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Reds have also had preliminary discussions with Cueto about a long-term deal.

Here’s more from around the league on Friday …

* All was quiet on the Cliff Lee front as of Friday afternoon. The Rangers on Thursday presented Lee with a wide array of complex offers, and now, they wait. The Yankees had recently upped their proposal to seven years, but good friend CC Sabathia will give Lee his space, too. Is the ballyhooed left-hander agonizing over his decision right now? C.J. Wilson doesn’t think so. He thinks Lee is deer hunting.

* Young, non-tendered catcher Russell Martin could be close to making his decision. The Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays have been reported to have serious interest, with New York taking “an aggressive approach,” ESPN.com’s Buster Olney wrote via Twitter. He is said to be deciding between those three American League East teams.

* The Orioles made potential closer Kevin Gregg a two-year offer worth $8 to $10 million, according to the Baltimore Sun. Gregg seems to be negotiating with several teams right now. The question is whether the O’s would give him a chance to be their ninth-inning man.

* A few signings made today: The Royals got Melky Cabrera to be their center fielder; the Orioles resigned veteran infielder Cesar Izturis; the Brewers picked up catcher Wil Nieves; and the Braves officially signed lefty reliever George Sherrill.

* According to Olney, Jorge Cantu is one of the first basemen “seriously being considered” by the Diamondbacks. Cantu was a solid run-producer in the middle of the Marlins’ lineup the last two-plus years, but struggled while playing sparingly with the Rangers towards the end of the 2010 season.

– Alden Gonzalez 

Roundup: 1B locked up in Windy City

Day 3 of the Winter Meetings saw a couple of slugging first
basemen land in Chicago, as the White Sox resigned
their captain, Paul Konerko, and the Cubs took
a chance on Carlos Pena.

The Konerko deal was somewhat surprising, considering talks between the two
sides seemed to be on life support just a day ago. But even after signing Adam
Dunn, Chicago was able to give Konerko a three-year, $37.5 million to form what looks like one of the best lineups in baseball for 2011.

With the Cubs, Pena is reunited with his old esteemed hitting coach, Rudy
Jaramillo, and receives what super-agent Scott Boras referred to as
a “pillow contract” — because, as Boras said, it’s comfortable for both
sides. That deal is for one year and $10 million, as Pena will try to rebuild
his worth after hitting 28 homers but batting below .200 in 2010.

Here’s more from around the league on Wednesday …

* No more fooling around for the Yankees. They’re ready to make ballyhooed
free-agent starter Cliff Lee a
preliminary offer of six years and between $140 and $150 million, MLB.com’s
Bryan Hoch confirmed. Will that be enough, considering reports of mystery teams
offering seven years?

* The Rangers met with Carl Crawford‘s agent, according to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan.

* Adrian Beltre is still open to signing with the Athletics, according
to Boras. Boras also said negotiations for his third-base client are moving
quickly, and that the Angels are a very possible suitor.  

* There had been several reports that the Red Sox would be interested in
trading for Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran. But Boras, who represents
him, says Beltran plans
to be a Met in 2011. That’s significant, considering he has a no-trade clause.

* Five teams are seriously pursuing Zack Greinke while another three are
“on the periphery,” according to FOXSports.com. It still seems like
he’d be tough
to move, however. The Royals are specific with what they want: pitching and
up-the-middle help.

* The Red Sox, according to CBS Sports, are zeroing in on Magglio Ordonez
to fill their outfield void, which would not be good news for Crawford. The Tigers are also checking.

* The Twins continue their
interest in resigning Carl Pavano, but they have competition. The
Brewers, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, have
also met with Pavano. The Nationals are another club known to have
interest. 

* In less-heralded one-year deals on Wednesday, the Mariners signed
non-tendered designated hitter Jack Cust; the Royals brought
in outfielder Jeff Francoeur; the D-backs were reportedly on the verge of signing catcher Henry
Blanco and veteran lefty Mike Hampton (Minor League deal); the
Braves acquired non-tendered lefty reliever George Sherrill; and the Dodgers were close to bringing back Russell Martin. 
 

– Alden Gonzalez 

Rays Reported to Be Among Those Interested in Harden

Fox Sports is reporting that the Rays are among seven clubs interested in right-hander Rich Harden.

Harden, 29, had a 5.58 ERA for Texas in 2010, but he has a 3.63 career ERA. According to the report, several teams are interested in Harden as a starter while others believe he can become an effective reliever.

Given the fact the Rays have six solid starters, they are likely interested in him as a reliever.

The other teams identified as being interested in Harden are the Yankees, Twins, Diamondbacks, Brewers, Mariners, and Rockies.

–Bill Chastain

Brewers-Jays trade official

The scouts may be right, and 20-year-old infield prospect Brett Lawrie may indeed turn out to be the next Jeff Kent. But the Brewers need pitching today, and that’s why they pulled the trigger on their first trade of these Winter Meetings. 
The Brewers and Blue Jays on Monday announced the swap they set in place Sunday night, sending Toronto’s 2010 Opening Day starter Shaun Marcum to Milwaukee for Lawrie, a talented hitter who was widely considered the Brewers’ top prospect. 
The deal was met with some surprise in the lobby of the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin resort by a handful of rival executives who didn’t know Lawrie was available. The Langley, British Columbia native is coming off a solid season at Double-A Huntsville in which he batted .285 with eight home runs, 63 RBIs and 30 stolen bases. Sixty of Lawrie’s 158 hits went for extra-bases including 16 triples. 
In Marcum, the Brewers have a right-hander who, barring future deals, figures to join right-hander Yovani Gallardo and left-hander Randy Wolf in the top three slots of Milwaukee’s starting rotation. Marcum is arbitration-eligible again after earning $850,000 in 2010, and won’t reach free agency for two more seasons. 
“Shaun is an excellent strike-thrower and one of the better competitors we saw pitch last season,” Brewers GM Doug Melvin said in a statement.  ”He has the ability to pitch at the top of the rotation along with Yovani Gallardo and Randy Wolf.  He fills a hole in our staff that we needed to fill.”
– Adam McCalvy

Dodgers shoot down Fielder rumor

The Dodgers were quick to shoot down a report from ESPN Los Angeles that they were considering trading closer Jonathan Broxton and first baseman James Loney to the Brewers for slugging first baseman Prince Fielder. 
The initial report said the sides were “actively involved in discussions,” but Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said that was not so. 
Other reports reinforced Colleti’s denial. FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal spoke to a source from one of the teams who said the teams had not even discussed such a swap. Steve Henson of Yahoo! Sports cited a source saying the Dodgers had “zero interest” in Fielder. 
It’s not surprising to see Fielder’s name pop up in a Winter Meetings rumor. The Brewers have not had any success in talks with agent Scott Boras about an extension for the 26-year-old, who is arbitration-eligible for the last time and due a raise from his $10.5 million salary in 2010. Fielder is on track to reach free agency after the 2011 season. 
The  Brewers’ previous talks with other teams have all centered around starting pitching, but general manager Doug Melvin has found that other teams are unwilling to offer what Milwaukee officials consider fair value for Fielder. 
- Ken Gurnick and Adam McCalvy

Brewers nearing deal with Jays for Marcum

On Sunday night the Brewers were putting the finishing touches on a trade for Blue Jays right-hander Shaun Marcum.

 

Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin did not immediately respond to a telephone message, but two sources confirmed that the deal was in the works. The Brewers would send multiple prospects to Toronto, one of the sources said, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that one of them was 20-year-old, Canadian-born infielder Brett Lawrie, considered Milwaukee’s top offensive prospect.

Melvin did talk to the Journal Sentinel, but only said that, “I can’t say anything about it, really. It’s not completed yet.”

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