2012/13 MLB Off-Season Random Thoughts

[NAHSTE]

‏@OldHossRadbourn

Adding a no-trade clause to a M. Young contract is like putting a Do Not Eat sign above a pile of feces.

:shotsfired:

 

[EmpireWF]

John Harper of the NYDN says he hears the Mets would want in addition to Olt from Texas, OF Leonys Martin.

 

[NAHSTE]

I don't think the Braves will deal him, he's reportedly "in the best shape of his life" and that upside is still too good to pass up given how affordably he came.

again?

Here he is with Fredi and Christian Betancourt from this weekend:

THE FAT FUCK NICKNAME IS NO MORE

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

This. I would say do it if there was a chance Olt could play OF, but I haven't heard whether or not that's doable. Don't think you need another 1B-only type to add to the logjam, and Olt isn't exactly young by prospect standards, but if he can play a passable LF then it makes sense.

Does it matter where they'll play him?

Just get him...worry about the logistics later.

 

[EmpireWF]

Baseball managers in normal clothes are always weird.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Baseball managers in normal clothes are always weird.

I think it was John Gibbons at the winter meeting being interviewed, but he was in a pastel polo as if he didn't give a shit. More power to him I guess, but that was always how he seemed to run his team anyway.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Free agent right-hander Kevin Correia has reached agreement on a two-year, $10 million contract with the Minnesota Twins, a baseball source said Monday night.

Correia, 32, is 60-65 with a 4.54 ERA in 10 seasons with the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates. He went 12-11 with a 4.21 ERA for Pittsburgh last season.

Over the past two weeks, Minnesota general manager Terry Ryan has made several additions to fortify the team's pitching. He picked up prospect Alex Meyer from Washington in a trade for center fielder Denard Span, and added pitchers Vance Worley and Trevor May at the winter meetings in Nashville in a deal for outfielder Ben Revere.

Worley and Correia will join a Minnesota rotation that went 39-75 with a 5.40 ERA in 2012. Only the Colorado Rockies' rotation was worse, with a 29-68 record and an ERA of 5.81.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove12/s...n-correia-signs-two-year-deal-minnesota-twins

 

[Goober]

The Twins' beatwriters aren't even trying to sugar coat the Correia signing, that's how bad it is.

 

[Villain]

Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang sweepstakes!

Who wants 'em?

You can have Dee Gordon, too.

 

[EmpireWF]

:dickey:

 

[MVPete]

Marc Topkin@TBTimes_Rays
#Rays close to signing RHP Roberto Hernandez (former Fausto Carmona). Depth for rotation or pen

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Right-hander Mike Pelfrey has agreed to a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins with a base salary of $4 million and the potential to earn another $1.5 million in incentives, a major league source told ESPNNewYork.com.

The deal is pending a physical.

Pelfrey had been non-tendered by the New York Mets last month after earning $5.7 million during the 2012 season. He made three starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery on May 1 that cost him the remainder of the season.

Despite typically facing a one-year recovery time from the ligament-replacement surgery, Pelfrey, 28, recently expressed confidence he would be ready for a normal workload during spring training. He already has been facing batters at his former college program, Wichita State University.

"I'm on track for Jan. 15. So everything is going well," Pelfrey said. "Tim Hudson came back in seven months (from Tommy John surgery). Joba Chamberlain last year came back in eight before he broke his ankle. And I'll be about eight and a half or so. I'll definitely be ready when spring training rolls around."

Pelfrey, a 2005 first-round pick, went 50-54 with a 4.36 ERA in 153 appearances (149 starts) during seven seasons with the Mets.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/8753301/mike-pelfrey-signs-one-year-deal-minnesota-twins

 

[MVPete]

The most expensive team in sports history spent another $147 million on Saturday night. This came 3½ months after the Los Angeles Dodgers spent $250 million, which came two months after they spent $42 million, which came two weeks after they spent $85 million, which came eight months after they spent $160 million, which came less than 18 months after they filed for bankruptcy.
This is something unlike what the sports world ever has seen: a franchise with seemingly no limits.
--snip--
For these Dodgers, anything short of winning the World Series is an abject failure.
--snip--
The Dodgers' money tree keeps birthing millions, and they keep giving it away, and there's not a thing anyone in baseball can do about it. The Death Star has no limits. It's scary to think, but this is just the beginning.

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/12/12/3759382/los-angeles-dodgers-payroll-signing-zack-greinke

 

[NAHSTE]

Marc Topkin@TBTimes_Rays
#Rays close to signing RHP Roberto Hernandez (former Fausto Carmona). Depth for rotation or pen

Those uniforms make me want to dance.

:boggsamakeherdance:

 

[ThomasTomasz]

LOL at Miguel Tejada. Just retire dude.

The Marlins are looking for an upgrade at third base, and have checked in on Miguel Tejada, Brandon Inge and Placido Polanco, CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler confirms. ESPN's Jayson Stark initially reported the team's interest in the three players.

After dealing away Hanley Ramirez last season, the Marlins were left with a hole at third base. Another Marlins source told Knobler that the team has made "no progress" filling the void at third. That's likely the reason the team is considering Miguel Tejada. Tejada did not play in the majors last season, and is currently playing in the Dominican winter league. The 38-year-old Tejada is hitting .301/.362/.442 in 133 at-bats with the Aguilas Cibaenas this winter.

The Marlins also have checked in on Brandon Inge and Placido Polanco. Inge had shoulder surgery in Septmeber, and might not be ready for the start of the season. Inge, 35, hit just .218/.275/.383 last year. The 37-year-old Polanco is coming off a season in which he hit .257/.302/.327 in 328 plate appearances with the Phillies.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/m...nsidering-miguel-tejada-to-fill-hole-at-third

 

[Slateman]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-b...-hair-no-longer-very-long-182554604--mlb.html

 

[FedEx227]

 

[ThomasTomasz]

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins have signed injury-hampered right-hander Rich Harden to a minor league contract with an invitation to compete for a spot on the staff in spring training.

The move was made Friday. The 31-year-old Harden missed the entire 2012 season after surgery on Jan. 31 to repair the rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder.

Harden has the third-best strikeouts-per-nine-innings ratio in the majors since 2003, when he debuted with Oakland. He pitched seven years for the A's, last in 2011, and also spent time with the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers. Harden has surpassed 150 innings in only one season, in 2004.

The Twins also announced left-hander Scott Diamond had arthroscopic surgery Tuesday to remove a bone chip from his elbow. The team said he'll be ready for spring training.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8769749/minnesota-twins-sign-rich-harden-minor-league-contract

Former All-Star third baseman Placido Polanco on Thursday signed a one-year contract with the Miami Marlins worth $2.75 million.

Polanco can earn an additional $125,000 if he appears in 100 games, and another $125,000 if he appears in 120 games.

The Marlins have been looking for an everyday third baseman since trading Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers in July. According to teams that have spoken with them, the Marlins unsuccessfully explored trades for three young third basemen -- Mike Olt of the Rangers, Nick Castellanos of the Tigers and Jedd Gyorko of the Padres. They also had interest in free agents Brandon Inge and Miguel Tejada.

The deal solidifies the Marlins' lineup following a payroll purge. Other projected starters include Logan Morrison at first, Donovan Solano at second, Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop, Jeff Brantly at catcher, Giancarlo Stanton in right, Justin Ruggiano in center and Juan Pierre in left.

Hanley Ramirez played 90 games at third this year for Miami before being traded in July. That was part of the salary purge by the Marlins, who pared $146.5 million in future payroll when they swung a trade last month that sent former NL batting champion Jose Reyes, former NL ERA leader Josh Johnson and left-hander Mark Buehrle to Toronto.

The Marlins have a projected 2013 payroll of about $45.75 million. Their payroll on opening day this year was $112 million, not including money received in the Carlos Zambrano trade, but the team finished last in the NL East and drew smaller crowds than expected in its new ballpark.

Polanco, 37, missed 72 games last season with the Philadelphia Phillies because of back, knee, ankle and wrist injuries. He hit .294 in the first two months, but batted just .198, with five extra-base hits, in 130 plate appearances after June 4. He started only two games after July 22 because of lower-back inflammation.

In 2011, however, Polanco started at third base for the National League in the All-Star Game and won a Gold Glove. He has a .299 lifetime batting average and is a Gold Glove winner at both second and third base.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8766146/placido-polanco-reaches-agreement-miami-marlins

 

[MVPete]

Any word on the Orioles and Joe Saunders?

 

[Goober]

Any word on the Orioles and Joe Saunders?

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal

Sources: Saunders talking to #Orioles, #Padres, #Mariners. #Pirates also had been in, presumably out with addition of Liriano.