CASH
Pretty much a regular
Marlins sending prospects Anthony DeSclafini and Chad Wallach to Reds for Latos, reports @Ken_Rosenthal
also masterson in agreement with red sox
also masterson in agreement with red sox
2015 Opening Day Player Tracker - Free Agent Signings, Trades, Imports, etc
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T
tipyerbartender1
Guest
I didn't know there was even a trade market for Simon.
guaranteeed
Pretty much a regular
I do not like that Latos trade for the Reds at all
T
tipyerbartender1
Guest
Masterson returning to Boston. I've always been a believer, but … pretty bad last year, all year. He says he had a bad knee. Lot of moving parts on that guy.
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
horrible return for latos...makes me worried whoever is signing him after next year...he's been hurt alot..that's a huge red flag...reds just dumped him
and why a catcher?
and why a catcher?
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
think your gm just said he was
guaranteeed
Pretty much a regular
pre-planning not paying Meso?
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
they wasted two years of him worrying about catcher ERA and playing hanigan so prolly right
guaranteeed
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they need to find someone to take on Votto's deal I think
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tipyerbartender1
Guest
Even by today's standards, the rate the news is breaking the last 12 hours or so is amazing. Little winter feast.
JumpOnBoard
CTG Partner
could prolly pay 50 mill of it and nobody would take it, even tor
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tipyerbartender1
Guest
Reds should save on the buffet, they just got rid of some tonnage.
orangemonk
Creep - Dee oh double gee
Tigers were #2 in runs last year. their hitting is fine. guess what? There's no such thing as clutch. no one has ever been able to statistically identify clutch. so don't give that argument. you're looking at a small cluster of losing against the best teams and attributing every tigers issue to that. they had great teams that were completely capable of winning in previous years, that just didn't because guess what.. not every good team can win it every year.
we got worse today, no question about it. sports radio calling fans will like cespedes because he's cuban and hit a lot of HRs in the derby, but we did not get better.
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tipyerbartender1
Guest
monk has me convinced that no one won the Cespedes trade ... gun to head, I'd rather have Cespedes. Age and contract don't really matter much because neither team has a budget and both players walk after this year.
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The Tigers weren't in a position of strength in the rotation, so perhaps dealing Porcello heralds a free-agent signing for them. They did need another corner bat, however, and with Porcello headed for free agency next winter, it made sense to use him to acquire that thumper in Yoenis Cespedes, a plus-power/low-OBP outfielder with average defense and a plus arm. Cespedes' difficulty getting on base isn't new for the Tigers, but his power and defense will present a huge upgrade over the cipher they had in right field last year. The trade itself doesn't directly make the club better, since Cespedes and Porcello are roughly equal in production value, but it's easier to replace Porcello in free agency right now than it is to find Cespedes.
orangemonk
Creep - Dee oh double gee
torii hunter was better with the bat than cespedes the last two years....
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and he was a gong show in the field
whereas Cespedes is good in the field and has a great arm
whereas Cespedes is good in the field and has a great arm
orangemonk
Creep - Dee oh double gee
yea he was the worst fielder in baseball. cespedes is average in the field but yes does have a great arm.
so we flipped a 26 year old rapidly improving pitcher for some defense in right.
I told you to watch out for the Royals last summer and you laughed.
We will see. I am optimistic..low risk, high reward.
I'm probably the most pessimistic Tigers fan on this forum and most of people I talk to but I believe this is a world series contending team now.
Cespedes is a huge get for variety of reasons. Take out the stats and think about it. How it will affect pitchers approach to lineup. He is a feared hitter.
We will see. I am optimistic..low risk, high reward.
I'm probably the most pessimistic Tigers fan on this forum and most of people I talk to but I believe this is a world series contending team now.
Cespedes is a huge get for variety of reasons. Take out the stats and think about it. How it will affect pitchers approach to lineup. He is a feared hitter.
orangemonk
Creep - Dee oh double gee
Dec 5th 2013 11:05 am: the royals are gonna be pretty damn good this year -orangemonk via Twitter
orangemonk
Creep - Dee oh double gee
torii hunter and him were equal the past two years at the plate. The lineup is no better.
Then em throw in Iglesias (who I love when healthy) who hasnt played in a year and couldn't hit a lick anyway, and dump Suarez who had some bat potential
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rapidly is a bit optimistic, he's been within 0.2 WAR each of his last 3 years and at 26 he probably is what he is
more importantly like the article says, you can recover a Porcello as a SP in free agency easier than a 3 WAR OF with above average defense
orangemonk
Creep - Dee oh double gee
Rapidly was a poor choice of word. Steadily.
orangemonk
Creep - Dee oh double gee
I did not think they would be World Series good, or win the division good, but up there solid
guaranteeed
Pretty much a regular
I would like the Tigers day a lot more if they just asked for Latos instead of Simon, they did give up more so they should have had a choice
but I think they are better now anyway right now then yesterday
but I think they are better now anyway right now then yesterday
You still have Price, Sanchez, and maybe a reformed Jv? If simon a 4th or 5th starter who cares. Most teams would kill to have Detroit rotation.
How pitchers pitch to miggy and both Martinez will change a lot with Cespedes. Castellanos bats what now? 7th? That's a solid bottom of order. Last year 7,8,9 were auto outs.
No more Don Kelly, Dirks bullshit.
Defense is solid up the middle which is where foundation is laid.
Castellanos must get better at 3rd. And Rf, Lf are problems but it is what it is.
The bullpen will play itself out. Especially with Rondon back.
How pitchers pitch to miggy and both Martinez will change a lot with Cespedes. Castellanos bats what now? 7th? That's a solid bottom of order. Last year 7,8,9 were auto outs.
No more Don Kelly, Dirks bullshit.
Defense is solid up the middle which is where foundation is laid.
Castellanos must get better at 3rd. And Rf, Lf are problems but it is what it is.
The bullpen will play itself out. Especially with Rondon back.
orangemonk
Creep - Dee oh double gee
I would've given up Moya in a heartbeat if it meant leake or latos
It will be interesting to see how this shakes out with pitching or if dd is done.
Nice prediction last winter monk.
Sorry, I just feel strong about having another hitter pitchers fear. They didn't have that much last year that's why miggy numbers went down plus his injuries.
Nice prediction last winter monk.
Sorry, I just feel strong about having another hitter pitchers fear. They didn't have that much last year that's why miggy numbers went down plus his injuries.
Royals sign Kendrys Morales
The Kansas City Royals have their new DH now that Billy Butler is gone, agreeing to a two-year deal with Kendrys Morales.
Source: Royals agree with Kendrys Morales on a two-year deal worth $17M. Performance bonuses could take it up to $18.5M.
BLS Take: Morales never could get right in 2014 after sitting out part of the year, but in 2013 he had a .785 OPS with 23 homers and 80 RBIs. He seems like he's been around forever, but Morales is still just 31, so there's a good chance he'll be productive again for Kansas City, surrounded by the younger hitters in their lineup.
Nationals trade Ross Detwiler to Rangers
The Washington Nationals have been in the middle of multiple interesting rumors at the Winter Meetings, but had yet to make a deal. According to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, that changed on Thursday afternoon when they agreed to trade left-hander Ross Detwiler to the Texas Rangers for a pair of minor leaguers.
BLS Take: The Rangers view Detwiler as a starter, which will reportedly make him very happy. The 29-year-old lefty spent 2014 in the Nationals bullpen, posting a 4.00 ERA in 47 appearances. Prior to that, Detwiler made 69 starts between 2009-2013, posting a 4.02 in 375.2 innings. As it stands now, he'll compete for a spot behind Yu Darvish and Derek Holland in a Rangers rotation that obviously needs more retooling.
Ervin Santana finalizing four-year contract with the Twins
As Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan reports, the Twins are giving free-agent pitcher Ervin Santana a four-year deal worth around $54 million.
BLS Take: Oh, Minnesota, home of the mid-range starting pitcher. They got Phil Hughes and Ricky Nolasco last winter (Hughes worked out well, Nolasco meh) and now they're getting Santana. If he's more Hughes than Nolasco, the Twins will be happy. But there's a chance, given Santana's inconsistency, that this is the 2014 Ubaldo Jimenez deal. And that's not a good thing.
Dodgers (finally) trade Matt Kemp to the Padres
Matt Kemp's finally on the move, but he's not going too far. The Dodgers reportedly swung a trade with the Padres that sends Kemp and catcher Tim Federowicz to San Diego and returns Yasmani Grandal, Joe Wieland and Zach Eflin.
BLS Take: You can find our full rundown of the trade here.
WEDNESDAY
Angels trade for Josh Rutledge from Rockies
Needing to replace Howie Kendrick, the Los Angeles Angels struck a deal with the Colorado Rockies to acquire infielder Josh Rutledge. The Rockies gets prospect Jairo Diaz, a right-handed pitcher who last threw in Double-A.
BLS Take: Rutledge has shown promise at various points in his young career, but hasn't put together a stellar season yet for the Rockies. He hit .269 in 2014, which was up from .235 the year prior. Rutledge, 25, hit four homers with 33 RBIs, and that's with the bonus of playing Colorado. He's not a direct replacement for what the Angels got from Kendrick, but they didn't too much to get him either. Diaz, meanwhile, is the big loser here, because he faces a future of pitching at Coors Field. He had a 3.48 ERA in 2014 between Single-A and Double-A as a relief pitcher.
Astros add Gregerson, Neshek for bullpen relief
We'd heard for a couple weeks now that the Houston Astros were prioritizing their bullpen, they started Wednesday by landing two relievers that should them tremendously. According to multiple reports, Houston has signed Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek.
Gregerson pitched with the A's last year, with a 2.12 ERA in 72.1 innings. He's getting $18.5 million over three years from Houston, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Neshek, meanwhile, thrived in St. Louis last year, becoming an All-Star. He had a 1.87 ERA in 67.1 innings. Neshek isgetting $12.5 million for two years, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
BLS Take: Two strong moves for Houston, who had the worst bullpen ERA in baseball in 2014. They were undoubtedly watching what the Royals did on their World Series run, and learned just how valuable a top-notch bullpen can be. Chad Qualls was their closer in 2014, and he's still around, so he could keep the job, or the Astros could give Gregerson a chance there. He's primarily been a setup man. The Astros had offered Andrew Miller $40 million, but he chose to do with the Yankees instead. Getting two good relievers and saving $9 million leaves the Astros looking good.
TUESDAY
Angels acquire Drew Butera in trade with Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels hadn't made a trade in 38 years, but they did Tuesday, forever rattling the L.A. baseball landscape by sending backup catcher Drew Butera to Anaheim. OK, so maybe it's not rattling any landscape. In return, the Dodgers are getting a player to be named later or cash.
BLS Take: Unless the PTBN is Mike Trout, this is mostly a snoozer. Butera had been designated for assignment by the Dodgers recently, so he was on his way out. He's only caught 65 games for them the past two season. For the Angels, Butera will fill the spot vacated by second catcher Hank Conger, who was traded to Houston.
Diamondbacks trade Miguel Montero to the Cubs
The Chicago Cubs got the catcher they've been looking for, getting Miguel Montero from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for two prospects.
#Dbacks acquire right-handed pitchers Zack Godley and Jeferson Mejia from the Cubs for catcher Miguel Montero.
The Kansas City Royals have their new DH now that Billy Butler is gone, agreeing to a two-year deal with Kendrys Morales.
Source: Royals agree with Kendrys Morales on a two-year deal worth $17M. Performance bonuses could take it up to $18.5M.
BLS Take: Morales never could get right in 2014 after sitting out part of the year, but in 2013 he had a .785 OPS with 23 homers and 80 RBIs. He seems like he's been around forever, but Morales is still just 31, so there's a good chance he'll be productive again for Kansas City, surrounded by the younger hitters in their lineup.
Nationals trade Ross Detwiler to Rangers
The Washington Nationals have been in the middle of multiple interesting rumors at the Winter Meetings, but had yet to make a deal. According to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, that changed on Thursday afternoon when they agreed to trade left-hander Ross Detwiler to the Texas Rangers for a pair of minor leaguers.
BLS Take: The Rangers view Detwiler as a starter, which will reportedly make him very happy. The 29-year-old lefty spent 2014 in the Nationals bullpen, posting a 4.00 ERA in 47 appearances. Prior to that, Detwiler made 69 starts between 2009-2013, posting a 4.02 in 375.2 innings. As it stands now, he'll compete for a spot behind Yu Darvish and Derek Holland in a Rangers rotation that obviously needs more retooling.
Ervin Santana finalizing four-year contract with the Twins
As Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan reports, the Twins are giving free-agent pitcher Ervin Santana a four-year deal worth around $54 million.
BLS Take: Oh, Minnesota, home of the mid-range starting pitcher. They got Phil Hughes and Ricky Nolasco last winter (Hughes worked out well, Nolasco meh) and now they're getting Santana. If he's more Hughes than Nolasco, the Twins will be happy. But there's a chance, given Santana's inconsistency, that this is the 2014 Ubaldo Jimenez deal. And that's not a good thing.
Dodgers (finally) trade Matt Kemp to the Padres
Matt Kemp's finally on the move, but he's not going too far. The Dodgers reportedly swung a trade with the Padres that sends Kemp and catcher Tim Federowicz to San Diego and returns Yasmani Grandal, Joe Wieland and Zach Eflin.
BLS Take: You can find our full rundown of the trade here.
WEDNESDAY
Angels trade for Josh Rutledge from Rockies
Needing to replace Howie Kendrick, the Los Angeles Angels struck a deal with the Colorado Rockies to acquire infielder Josh Rutledge. The Rockies gets prospect Jairo Diaz, a right-handed pitcher who last threw in Double-A.
BLS Take: Rutledge has shown promise at various points in his young career, but hasn't put together a stellar season yet for the Rockies. He hit .269 in 2014, which was up from .235 the year prior. Rutledge, 25, hit four homers with 33 RBIs, and that's with the bonus of playing Colorado. He's not a direct replacement for what the Angels got from Kendrick, but they didn't too much to get him either. Diaz, meanwhile, is the big loser here, because he faces a future of pitching at Coors Field. He had a 3.48 ERA in 2014 between Single-A and Double-A as a relief pitcher.
Astros add Gregerson, Neshek for bullpen relief
We'd heard for a couple weeks now that the Houston Astros were prioritizing their bullpen, they started Wednesday by landing two relievers that should them tremendously. According to multiple reports, Houston has signed Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek.
Gregerson pitched with the A's last year, with a 2.12 ERA in 72.1 innings. He's getting $18.5 million over three years from Houston, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Neshek, meanwhile, thrived in St. Louis last year, becoming an All-Star. He had a 1.87 ERA in 67.1 innings. Neshek isgetting $12.5 million for two years, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
BLS Take: Two strong moves for Houston, who had the worst bullpen ERA in baseball in 2014. They were undoubtedly watching what the Royals did on their World Series run, and learned just how valuable a top-notch bullpen can be. Chad Qualls was their closer in 2014, and he's still around, so he could keep the job, or the Astros could give Gregerson a chance there. He's primarily been a setup man. The Astros had offered Andrew Miller $40 million, but he chose to do with the Yankees instead. Getting two good relievers and saving $9 million leaves the Astros looking good.
TUESDAY
Angels acquire Drew Butera in trade with Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels hadn't made a trade in 38 years, but they did Tuesday, forever rattling the L.A. baseball landscape by sending backup catcher Drew Butera to Anaheim. OK, so maybe it's not rattling any landscape. In return, the Dodgers are getting a player to be named later or cash.
BLS Take: Unless the PTBN is Mike Trout, this is mostly a snoozer. Butera had been designated for assignment by the Dodgers recently, so he was on his way out. He's only caught 65 games for them the past two season. For the Angels, Butera will fill the spot vacated by second catcher Hank Conger, who was traded to Houston.
Diamondbacks trade Miguel Montero to the Cubs
The Chicago Cubs got the catcher they've been looking for, getting Miguel Montero from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for two prospects.
#Dbacks acquire right-handed pitchers Zack Godley and Jeferson Mejia from the Cubs for catcher Miguel Montero.
orangemonk
Creep - Dee oh double gee
much love, sorry i was heated in the opposite direction
hope I'm wrong, lord knows I have been before
guaranteeed
Pretty much a regular
Florida got Latos for a guy with the ceiling of a backup Catcher and a 1 pitch reliever
much love, sorry i was heated in the opposite direction
All good bro. Let's win a fucking ring.
L
Lareux
Guest
Doesn't look like Scherzer is going to be a Tiger.
It appears the chances of the Tigers re-signing starting pitcher Max Scherzer are dwindling, as general manager Dave Dombrowski revealed Thursday at the Winter Meetings the right-handed hurler is not on the team's radar at the current time.
"I guess anything can happen, but we're not in active pursuit of that situation at this time," Dombrowksi said of re-signing Scherzer, per the Detroit Free Press.
The 30-year-old Scherzer has won 10-plus games in five straight seasons for Detroit. He has won 39 games over the last two seasons. He is 91-50 with a 3.58 ERA in seven MLB seasons.
orangemonk
Creep - Dee oh double gee
Illitch should offer scherzer a 1 year deal worth 35-38 million. seriously. our window is so small with price gone after next year, miggy, Vmart and verlander getting old... no reason to lock scherzer up, but 1 year worth that much could be enticing for him and worth it for the tigers probably.
T
tipyerbartender1
Guest
As crazy as it sounds, 35 million for one year isn't going to cut it. Max rolled the dice on himself and won big. I wouldn't pay him, but I'm not a 100-year-old pizza baron.
guaranteeed
Pretty much a regular
35 for one year would be insane
he's only making an extra 10m on 1 year most likely, and he's taking a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge risk on blowing out a ________ and missing out on that extra 100m
he's only making an extra 10m on 1 year most likely, and he's taking a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge risk on blowing out a ________ and missing out on that extra 100m
CASH
Pretty much a regular
Cespedas is an average fielder at best (takes bad angles, etc)- he makes up for it with his arm....he wouldn't have to make "that" throw if he caught the ball or took a better angle....
I think his addition to the lineup is going to be helpful as mentioned above. and if Iglesias is healthy all he needs to do is play the field (which he could be one the top 3 fielders in the elague) and not worry about hitting -
This is basically the idea of the 2004 red sox (except working the count and walks)
I think his addition to the lineup is going to be helpful as mentioned above. and if Iglesias is healthy all he needs to do is play the field (which he could be one the top 3 fielders in the elague) and not worry about hitting -
This is basically the idea of the 2004 red sox (except working the count and walks)
I am not sure if this was posted...
Yasmany Tomas reportedly signs with Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks and free-agent outfielder Yasmany Tomas have agreed on a six-year $68.5 million deal, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
The 24-year-old hit .290 and slugged .504 over the past five seasons in Cuba, exhibiting power that is better than that of White Sox phenom and American League Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu, Tomas' agent recently said. The Phillies, Athletics, Giants,Royals, Dodgers, Padres, Orioles and Mariners were all in on Tomas to some degree,per reports.
"I have expectations of myself and what I want to do in my career," Tomas told Sanchez in September. "I've played in Cuba, around the world and in the World Baseball Classic against tough competition. This is a new challenge, but I look forward to that. I might be a little nervous in my first at-bat, but it's still baseball. I'll do the best and I plan on showing the scouts who I am."
Because he is older than 23 and has five years experience in a professional league, the Serie Nacional in Cuba, Tomas is not subject to international bonus pool limits, making him more like a true free agent.
Tomas' contract compares favorably to those signed by recent Cuban stars - $68 million over six years for Abreu, $72.5 million over seven years for Red Sox outfielder Rusney Castillo, and $42 million for seven years for Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig.
Tomas previously turned down an eight-year deal from an unknown team in an effort to re-test the free agent market before he reaches his 30s, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
<iframe width="480" height="270" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" src="http://hub.video.msn.com/embed/800ca796-a472-a3e9-683e-b2765f8553dc/?vars=bGlua292ZXJyaWRlMj1odHRwJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJpbmcuY29tJTJGdmlkZW9zJTJGYnJvd3NlJTNGbWt0JTNEZW4tdXMlMjZ2aWQlM0QlN0IwJTdEJTI2ZnJvbSUzRCZjb25maWdDc2lkPU1TTlZpZGVvJm1rdD1lbi11cyZsaW5rYmFjaz1odHRwJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJpbmcuY29tJTJGdmlkZW9zJTJGYnJvd3NlJmJyYW5kPXY1JTVFNTQ0eDMwNiZjb25maWdOYW1lPXN5bmRpY2F0aW9ucGxheWVyJmZyPXNoYXJlZW1iZWQtc3luZGljYXRpb24mc3luZGljYXRpb249dGFn"><br /> <A href="http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&vid=800ca796-a472-a3e9-683e-b2765f8553dc&from=shareembed-syndication&src=v5:embed:syndication:" target="_new" title="Could Yasmany Tomas be the next Yasiel Puig?">Video: Could Yasmany Tomas be the next Yasiel Puig?</A><br /></iframe>
Yasmany Tomas reportedly signs with Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks and free-agent outfielder Yasmany Tomas have agreed on a six-year $68.5 million deal, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
The 24-year-old hit .290 and slugged .504 over the past five seasons in Cuba, exhibiting power that is better than that of White Sox phenom and American League Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu, Tomas' agent recently said. The Phillies, Athletics, Giants,Royals, Dodgers, Padres, Orioles and Mariners were all in on Tomas to some degree,per reports.
"I have expectations of myself and what I want to do in my career," Tomas told Sanchez in September. "I've played in Cuba, around the world and in the World Baseball Classic against tough competition. This is a new challenge, but I look forward to that. I might be a little nervous in my first at-bat, but it's still baseball. I'll do the best and I plan on showing the scouts who I am."
Because he is older than 23 and has five years experience in a professional league, the Serie Nacional in Cuba, Tomas is not subject to international bonus pool limits, making him more like a true free agent.
Tomas' contract compares favorably to those signed by recent Cuban stars - $68 million over six years for Abreu, $72.5 million over seven years for Red Sox outfielder Rusney Castillo, and $42 million for seven years for Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig.
Tomas previously turned down an eight-year deal from an unknown team in an effort to re-test the free agent market before he reaches his 30s, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
<iframe width="480" height="270" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" src="http://hub.video.msn.com/embed/800ca796-a472-a3e9-683e-b2765f8553dc/?vars=bGlua292ZXJyaWRlMj1odHRwJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJpbmcuY29tJTJGdmlkZW9zJTJGYnJvd3NlJTNGbWt0JTNEZW4tdXMlMjZ2aWQlM0QlN0IwJTdEJTI2ZnJvbSUzRCZjb25maWdDc2lkPU1TTlZpZGVvJm1rdD1lbi11cyZsaW5rYmFjaz1odHRwJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJpbmcuY29tJTJGdmlkZW9zJTJGYnJvd3NlJmJyYW5kPXY1JTVFNTQ0eDMwNiZjb25maWdOYW1lPXN5bmRpY2F0aW9ucGxheWVyJmZyPXNoYXJlZW1iZWQtc3luZGljYXRpb24mc3luZGljYXRpb249dGFn"><br /> <A href="http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&vid=800ca796-a472-a3e9-683e-b2765f8553dc&from=shareembed-syndication&src=v5:embed:syndication:" target="_new" title="Could Yasmany Tomas be the next Yasiel Puig?">Video: Could Yasmany Tomas be the next Yasiel Puig?</A><br /></iframe>
Cardinals sign Mark Reynolds
The St. Louis Cardinals added some veteran depth to their Major League roster on Thursday, signing Mark Reynolds to a one-year deal. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports he'll earn a $2 million base salary and there are incentives included.
Reynolds' base salary with the #Cardinals on his one-year deal is $2 million, and there are incentives based on playing time, per source.
BLS Take: Reynolds, 31, is still a good source for power. He hit 22 home runs for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2014, but coupled that with an ugly .196/.287/.394 batting line. He should serve as the right-handed compliment to every day first baseman Matt Adams, while giving Mike Matheny a good choice off the bench when the team needs a big swing.
Pirates acquire Antonio Bastardo in trade with Phillies
The Pittsburgh Pirates accomplished one big goal at the Winter Meetings by re-signing Francisco Liriano to a three-year deal. Now they can check left-handed reliever off the to-do list as well after acquiring Antonio Bastardo from the Philadephia Phillies. Robert Murray of MLB Daily Rumors was the first to report a deal was done. According to multiple reports, the Phillies will receive minor league left-hander Joely Rodriguez.
BLS Take: Essentially a nuts-and-bolts deal as the Pirtates fill a need without having to give up a notable prospect or spend a lot of money. Bastardo has been up and down over the past four seasons, alternating sub 2.64 ERAs in 2011 and 2013 with ERAs near 4.00 in 2012 and 2014. Bastardo did hold all batters to a .188/.295/.319 line in 2014, so he's not a guy manager Clint Hurdle has to shy away from in any situation. Rodriguez, 22, posted a 4.84 ERA in 30 games at Double-A this season. He doesn't look like he'll be a factor in the near future.
Braves add Alberto Callaspo for infield depth
The Atlanta Braves dipped into the free-agent pool and are close to signing versatile veteran Alberto Callaspo, who last played with the Oakland Athletics. Callaspo, 31, played 127 games last season for Oakland at first, second and third bases. The deal is all but done. It's just awaiting a physical, per David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that Callaspo is getting $3 million on a one-year deal, plus incentives.
BLS Take: Callaspo hit .223 with four homers and 39 RBIs, so he's not anybody's long-term solution in the infield. But he's a nice plug-and-play guy who can help your team in many places on the diamond when you need him. The Braves have struggled finding a second baseman in recent years, He'll bridge the gap for Atlanta until second-base prospect Jose Peraza is ready to play.
MONDAY
Braves sign Cuban outfielder Dian Toscano
The Atlanta Braves added another outfielder to their roster in Dian Toscano, a 25-year-old international free agent from Cuba who could be a left field option down the road. Toscano isn't one of the big-name Cuban imports — i.e., he's not the Yasmany Tomas consolulation prize.
Ben Badler at Baseball America has more on Toscano:
The St. Louis Cardinals added some veteran depth to their Major League roster on Thursday, signing Mark Reynolds to a one-year deal. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports he'll earn a $2 million base salary and there are incentives included.
Reynolds' base salary with the #Cardinals on his one-year deal is $2 million, and there are incentives based on playing time, per source.
BLS Take: Reynolds, 31, is still a good source for power. He hit 22 home runs for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2014, but coupled that with an ugly .196/.287/.394 batting line. He should serve as the right-handed compliment to every day first baseman Matt Adams, while giving Mike Matheny a good choice off the bench when the team needs a big swing.
Pirates acquire Antonio Bastardo in trade with Phillies
The Pittsburgh Pirates accomplished one big goal at the Winter Meetings by re-signing Francisco Liriano to a three-year deal. Now they can check left-handed reliever off the to-do list as well after acquiring Antonio Bastardo from the Philadephia Phillies. Robert Murray of MLB Daily Rumors was the first to report a deal was done. According to multiple reports, the Phillies will receive minor league left-hander Joely Rodriguez.
BLS Take: Essentially a nuts-and-bolts deal as the Pirtates fill a need without having to give up a notable prospect or spend a lot of money. Bastardo has been up and down over the past four seasons, alternating sub 2.64 ERAs in 2011 and 2013 with ERAs near 4.00 in 2012 and 2014. Bastardo did hold all batters to a .188/.295/.319 line in 2014, so he's not a guy manager Clint Hurdle has to shy away from in any situation. Rodriguez, 22, posted a 4.84 ERA in 30 games at Double-A this season. He doesn't look like he'll be a factor in the near future.
Braves add Alberto Callaspo for infield depth
The Atlanta Braves dipped into the free-agent pool and are close to signing versatile veteran Alberto Callaspo, who last played with the Oakland Athletics. Callaspo, 31, played 127 games last season for Oakland at first, second and third bases. The deal is all but done. It's just awaiting a physical, per David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that Callaspo is getting $3 million on a one-year deal, plus incentives.
BLS Take: Callaspo hit .223 with four homers and 39 RBIs, so he's not anybody's long-term solution in the infield. But he's a nice plug-and-play guy who can help your team in many places on the diamond when you need him. The Braves have struggled finding a second baseman in recent years, He'll bridge the gap for Atlanta until second-base prospect Jose Peraza is ready to play.
MONDAY
Braves sign Cuban outfielder Dian Toscano
The Atlanta Braves added another outfielder to their roster in Dian Toscano, a 25-year-old international free agent from Cuba who could be a left field option down the road. Toscano isn't one of the big-name Cuban imports — i.e., he's not the Yasmany Tomas consolulation prize.
Ben Badler at Baseball America has more on Toscano:
Toscano, who is around 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, is a lefthanded hitter with good bat control and strike-zone awareness. He never played on the Cuban national team, so he wasn’t a player scouts saw much of before he left the island.
Playing for Villa Clara in Serie Nacional, Toscano batted .356/.400/.452 in 86 plate appearances with eight walks and eight strikeouts in 2012-13, his last season in Cuba. The year before, Toscano hit .287/.438/.380 with 35 walks and 16 strikeouts. He hit just three home runs that year and never showed much power in Cuba, though he’s in significantly better shape and has increased his strength since leaving Cuba.
BLS Take: Naturally, when you hear "Cuban outfielder" these days, excitement and intrigue are not reactions, but Toscano doesn't have nearly as much hype as the high-profile Cubans we've seen land in MLB the last few years. As Badler writes, less is known about Toscano because he didn't play on the Cuban national team, so there's a chance the Braves found a diamond in the rough. But based on what we know, you shouldn't expect Toscano to be an Opening Day starter or anything.
