AROUND the MLB Thread

Diamondbacks To Sign Nick Punto
By Steve Adams [January 7, 2015 at 12:10pm CST]

12:10pm: Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that it’s a minor league contract with an invite to big league camp (Twitter link).

11:49am: The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with veteran utilityman Nick Punto, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter link). He is represented by agent Jeff Caulfield.

Punto, who turned 37 in November, hit just .207/.296/.293 in 224 plate appearances for the Athletics last season after signing a one-year, $2.75MM contract. Nonetheless, Punto received enough playing time in Oakland and stayed healthy enough that he had a $2.75MM option vest for the 2015 season. However, Oakland ultimately elected to release Punto in December when they needed to clear a 40-man roster spot. He’ll still be paid the $2.75MM from the A’s, but it’s unclear at this time if his contract is a Major League or minor legaue deal.

Though Punto has never hit much outside of a solid 2006 season with Minnesota and a small sample of 166 plate appearances with the 2011 Cardinals, he’s historically been a very capable defender at second base, third base and shortstop. His defense has slipped a bit as he’s aged, but the switch-hitter is likely still capable of backing up the D-Backs at three infield spots. Of course, the same could be said about the much younger Cliff Pennington. It’s possible that the D-Backs will look to flip Pennington and his $3.275MM salary to a team with an infield need, but Punto could also merely be a depth piece that will come to camp and compete for a job.

 

• Free-agent pitcher Chad Billingsley is starting to receive multiple offers from various teams, reports FOXSports.com. Billingsley last played for the Dodgers in 2013 and missed the 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal
Source: Market for free-agent RHP Chad Billingsley gaining momentum. Multiple offers.
10:23 AM - 8 Jan 2015​

 

The Cardinals are reportedly looking to add another ace
By Mike Oz | Yahoo Sports Big League Stew -- 38 minutes ago


Getty Images

Jon Lester might not be the only new ace in the NL Central next season, if a report about the St. Louis Cardinals' interest in three top-flight starting pitchers turns out to be true.

The Cards, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi, are said to be eyeing David Price, Cole Hamels or Max Scherzer. They've already got an ace in Adam Wainwright, but like any poker player will tell you, a pair of aces is better.

As it stands right now, the Cardinals' rotation starts with Wainwright, then includes Lance Lynn, John Lackey, Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez. The Cardinals like that, according to Rosenthal and Morosi, but they're still eyeing upgrades:

No deal appears close on any front, and it’s possible that the Cardinals will simply decide that the acquisition cost in each case is too high. However, the Cardinals’ interest in adding another starter reflects, at least in part, concern about their rotation beyond right-hander Lance Lynn.

Staff ace Adam Wainwright is coming off surgery last October in which he had cartilage trimmed from his right elbow. Michael Wacha pitched only 107 innings last season due to a stress reaction in his right shoulder.

John Lackey is entering his free-agent year, while Carlos Martinez and Marco Gonzales are unproven as starters. Jaime Garcia, the sole veteran left-hander, underwent surgery in July to correct thoracic outlet syndrome in his shoulder and has pitched only 99 innings the past two seasons.

The Cardinals’ preference, according to sources, is to add another left-hander; hence, their interest in Hamels and Price. Scherzer holds a different appeal — he is a native of St. Louis and the best pitcher on the free-agent market. However, sources say he is seeking $200 million, and his agent, Scott Boras, generally is not inclined to grant hometown discounts.​

As you know, the MLB rumor mill never stops spinning this time of the year. Not every rumor comes true, obviously, but this one is quite juicy. For starters, because it would make the Cardinals even more daunting.

They're a dangerous team without any more upgrades, considering their roster is deep and their younger players have already performed well on big stages. Add Jason Heyward to the mix, who they grabbed early in the offseason, via trade with the Atlanta Braves, and the Cardinals already looked like a tough team to beat in 2015.

Give them another top-flight pitcher and watch out, NL Central.

 

part of me wants to say... meh, they're still the cubs. talk to me when they win a world series...
but then i remember saying/thinking pretty much the same thing about the giants
and it really wasn't all that long ago...

 

Hector Olivera To Hold Showcase In Two Weeks
By Steve Adams [January 9, 2015 at 12:48pm CST]

Cuban second baseman Hector Olivera is set to host an open showcase at the Giants’ facility in the Dominican Republic on Jan. 21-22, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 29-year-old second baseman is one of the top international prospects on the market but is not yet eligible to sign with clubs due to the fact that he has not been cleared by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) or by Major League Baseball.

Representatives from the majority of Major League clubs should likely be expected to attend, as this will be many scouts’ first opportunity to see Olivera in-person in several years. Olivera missed the entire 2012-13 season in Cuba with what his club said was a blood disorder, and he also sat out from many international tournaments in that span. He returned to Cuba’s Serie Nacional in 2013-14 and batted .316/.412/.474 in 273 plate appearances, although as Badler cautions, Olivera played second base in just 29 of his 90 games, appearing at DH in all of the others.

Olivera’s age and experience as a professional in Serie Nacional will make him exempt from international spending limitations once he is ultimately declared a free agent by the league and OFAC. It’s not clear at this time, however, exactly what type of contract the soon-to-be 30-year-old will command.

Badler notes that earlier in the offseason, he heard both the Padres and A’s mentioned as possible fits for Olivera. San Diego may not be as strong a fit for Olivera as it was a few weeks ago, however, as the Padres have added Will Middlebrooks to the mix at third base,. One would assume that Jedd Gyorko would have slid over to the hot corner eventually if Olivera were to play second base for the Friars.

From a purely speculative standpoint, I can also see the Nationals, Angels, Blue Jays and White Sox as fits based on team need, as each has some uncertainty surrounding their second base incumbent. The Sox are admittedly an imperfect fit, as they just signed Emilio Bonifacio and have the well-regarded Micah Johnson waiting in the wings, but from a 2015 standpoint, Bonifacio could simply be used in a super utility capacity.

 

Johan Santana plans comeback
By Jerry Crasnick | ESPN.com
Updated: January 9, 2015, 5:31 PM ET


Johan Santana, 35, who tore an Achilles tendon in June, wants to go out on his own terms, per his agent.

Left-hander Johan Santana, whose career appeared to be in serious jeopardy after he tore his left Achilles tendon in June, is making a comeback in the Venezuelan Winter League and expects to return to the major leagues in 2015, his agent said Friday.

Santana, 35, has a 139-78 career record with two Cy Young Awards and four All-Star appearances over 12 seasons with the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets. He was one of the most dominant starters in baseball during an eight-year stretch from 2003 to '10, and the Mets rewarded him with a six-year, $137.5 million contract in February 2008.

Shoulder injuries have limited Santana to 21 big league appearances since 2010. He was on the verge of joining the Baltimore Orioles' roster last summer when he tore his Achilles during an extended spring training start, casting a cloud over his future.

But Santana reportedly threw his fastball between 86 and 89 mph in a simulated game this week, and he is scheduled to make his Venezuelan winter ball debut Tuesday for Magallanes against the Tigres de Aragua. His agent, Peter Greenberg of the Legacy Agency, said Santana expects to sign with a team before spring training.

"Johan wants to go out on his own terms," Greenberg said. "He doesn't want to go out because an injury put him out. He's worked very hard and kept himself in shape, and he's never thought about retiring.

"It's not about the money or anything like that. He's said he wants to draw his own ending. He wants to go out on his own terms. He's told me, 'I want to add to my legacy.' I think anybody who knows him is going to bet on him."

Although it's unclear which MLB teams have been scouting Santana, the Blue Jays, Phillies, Yankees and Twins reportedly were among the clubs that expressed interest in him before Baltimore signed him to a minor league contract last March.

Santana is expected to throw three innings or 40 pitches in his first start Tuesday, then gradually ramp up his workload as the winter league progresses. Greenberg said he plans to compare notes with interested MLB teams as the pitcher's comeback progresses.

"Johan is not in a rush," Greenberg said. "He's not anxious or anything. We're just going to let the teams that have expressed interest scout him, and we'll take it a step at a time."