Here's the latest from the AL Central:

• Trade Retrospective: Sabathia to Brewers | FanGraphs Baseball
  "Over three full seasons removed from this blockbuster trade, the Brewers acquired +4.6 wins and the Indians acquired a total (thus far) of -0.6 wins. The Indians still have nine years of control between LaPorta and Brantley, but neither appear destined for full-time roles at the big league level, while Bryson should be nothing more than a middle reliever."
• Carlos Santana's 'rest' from catching could focus on DH duties for Cleveland Indians - Paul Hoynes
  "Hafner and Kotchman hit lefty, Santana is a switch-hitter and Marson hits right-handed. This could be one way for Acta to balance his left-handed heavy lineup against opposing left-handers. It might also be a way to phase Hafner out of the lineup in preparation for 2013 and beyond."

Continue reading this post »

Checking in with the AL West, where the Oakland Athletics shocked the baseball rumor world by signing Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes while word leaked out the club could be signing Manny Ramirez, the Rangers signed Mike Napoli to avoid arbitration and are looking to move Koji Uehara (possibly to the A's) -- which might signal some space-making for still-unsigned Roy Oswalt, and the Angels will be waiting to extend Eric Aybar:

• Oakland Athletics To Sign Yoenis Cespedes - MLB Daily Dish
  According to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, the Oakland Athletics have signed free agent Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes has been the most coveted Cuban player this off season, and the Athletics kind of came out of nowhere to sign him.
• Manny Ramirez Likely to Sign with Oakland Athletics - MLB Daily Dish
  Sussan Slusser from the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Oakland Athletics are very likely to sign Manny Ramirez. She says that they will sign him just before or a little after the start of the 2012 MLB season.

Continue reading this post »

The NL Central is beginning to crystallize into what we'll probably see going into the season, but that doesn't mean we're done. Over the past week, the Cubs have moved closer to settling the Theo Epstein compensation issue with the Red Sox (though I did just see a "no update" tweet scroll past as I'm writing this) as well as showing interest in Cuban Jorge Soler.

Elsewhere in the Central, the Brewers/Veras arbitration case was settled in the club's favor, and the Pirates have traded for A.J. Burnett from the Yankees, pending MLB approval and a physical:

• Red Sox, Cubs, Close to Settling Theo Epstein Compensation - MLB Daily Dish
  The decision has been placed with MLB commissioner Bud Selig after the sides failed to come to agreement. They have been debating since October. Cafardo said that a Red Sox official told him that it will be settled "very soon."
• Jorge Soler Rumors: Cubs, Yankees, Phillies Among Interested Teams - MLB Daily Dish
  Cuban defector Jorge Soler has generated a lot of interest, particularly from the Cubs and Marlins.

Continue reading this post »

Yes, there was more than just the A.J. Burnett trade talk happening this week in the AL East. We covered Okajima's failed physical, the Adam Jones deal, Tim Wakefield's pending retirement, the Red Sox signing Ross Ohlendorf, the Casey Jansen signing, and the Joe Maddon extension:

• A.J. Burnett Trade Completed, Pending Physicals And Approval From MLB - MLB Daily Dish
  The deal is complete, pending physicals and approval from the commissioner's office, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Pirates will be paying $5 million in 2012 and $8 million in 2013 for Burnett's services, for a total commitment of $13 million, as Kovacevic adds.
• Hideki Okajima Fails Physical With Yankees - MLB Daily Dish
  Relief pitcher Hideki Okajima failed his physical with the New York Yankees on Friday and likely won't be joining the team going forward, according to David Waldstein of the New York Times. The Yankees signed Okajima to a minor league deal earlier in the off-season but it appears that his stint with the Yankees will be short lived.
• Orioles Notes: Adam Jones, Young Pitching, Seong-Min Kim Fallout - MLB Daily Dish
  The Baltimore Orioles would be better off trading Adam Jones now, according to Ken Rosenthal. Now is when teams have the most roster and financial flexibility, but the trading deadline might provide another opportunity. Rosenthal notes that it would be more difficult to find a good return if they waited too long (similar to the Guthrie trade) -- and that waiting until next off-season will have been too long.

Continue reading this post »

The latest out of the American League Central has the Royals doing a bit of housekeeping and signing non-arbitration eligible players as well as getting Alex Gordon signed for the season, some Yoenis Cespedes rumors around the Detroit Tigers, and the Twins and Indians making a few minor moves:

• Royals reach agreements with 12 players - KansasCity.com
  The Royals announced one-year agreements Friday with 12 players on their 40-man roster who lack the required service time to qualify for arbitration. That leaves 12 players still unsigned.
• Tigers Rumors: Cespedes, Defense, Another Starter, 2nd Worst Signing of the Year - MLB Daily Dish
  The Detroit Tigers would still like to add another starter, GM Dave Dombrowski doesn't deny involvement in pursuing Yoenis Cespedes and suggests that a defensive alignment is still possible even after ...

Continue reading this post »

Wandy Rodriguez is unlikely to be traded, again, says Stephen Goff. The Houston Astros have never been able to get over that contract hump, which makes him hard to move.

In other NL Central notes, Buster Olney suggests a look at Cardinals' Tyler Greene and Viva El Birdos takes a look at Yadier Molina's impending free agency:

• LHP Wandy Rodriguez likely to stay put with Astros over course of 2012 season - Stephen Goff | Examiner.com
  "The 32-year-old Rodriguez posted an 11-11 record with a 3.49 ERA over 191 innings in 30 starts for the Astros last season. He's been the subject of trade rumors this offseason. However, the Astros have never gotten close to working out a deal with other clubs, especially since the organization never demonstrated a willingness to absorb any of the $25.5 million left on his contract."
• Cardinals' Greene an Intriguing Player - Buster Olney | ESPN (Insider)
  One of the more intriguing players in spring training will be the Cardinals' Tyler Greene, who is getting a strong opportunity from St. Louis to be the team's every-day second baseman. "He's a five-tool player," Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said on the phone the other day. "It's a matter of having success at the big league level. He has everything -- speed, power, range."

Continue reading this post »

Let's check in with the AL Central, where the big question right now remains whether Yoenis Cespedes could end up with either the Cleveland Indians or the Detroit Tigers.

Here's the latest on how Cespedes could end up with the Tigers, why the Tigers aren't as bad off with Cabrera at 3rd as you think, why Royals' owner GM missed a tremendous opportunity to improve his club ($$$), and an interesting take on Travis Hafner avoiding lefties at Let's Go Tribe:

• Signing Fielder could lead the Tigers to Cespedes - Bless You Boys
  This time, however, is different. Not only did the Tigers not offer arbitration to any of their departing free agents this winter, but the rules of the new CBA place strict limits on bonuses that can be given to drafted amateur players. Major league contracts, such as those given to Rick Porcello, Justin Verlander, and Castellanos, are a thing of the past.
• Cespedes arriving in Miami on Tuesday - Joe Frisaro
  For months, the Marlins have made it clear that they are interested in Cespedes, regarded as a five-tool player with blazing speed and immense power. The Marlins, Tigers, Orioles, Cubs, White Sox and Indians have expressed the most interest in Cespedes, who can play all three outfield positions.

Continue reading this post »

The American and National League Central divisions have been rather active of late, let's take a look at some recent happenings.

• Andrew Humphries from Go Tribe Go, the SBNation Cleveland Indians blog, takes a look at some stats with Shelley Duncan and Casey Kotchman.
• Bless You Boys, the SBNation Detroit Tigers blog, says that the signing of Prince Fielder could help the Tigers sign Yoenis Cespedes.
• Charlie Wilmoth from Bucs Dugout, the SBNation Pittsburgh Pirates blog, says that it is not too early to judge third baseman Pedro Alvaraz. He says despite his age, he is able to be judged for his career so far.
• Viva El Birdos, the SBNation St. Louis Cardinals blog, takes a look at pitcher Jamie Garcia and what his FIP means for the future.
• John Fay from the Cincinnati Inquirer talked to GM Walt Jocketty who said that he does not see the Reds clearing enough pay roll to sign Roy Oswalt.