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| The Brewers and pitcher Claudio Vargas agreed to a one-year $3.6 million contract on Wednesday. Vargas went 11-6 with a 5.09 ERA for the Brewers last season, and was available for salary arbitration. |
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| Marlon Byrd, CF, Texas Rangers | Wednesday 1/16, 6:04 PM CT |
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| The Rangers signed Marlon Byrd to a one-year contract Wednesday, avoiding arbitration. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Byrd had a nice year for Texas in '07, hitting .307 with 10 homers and 70 RBI, and he should get some playing time against lefties this season. |
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| Jason Schmidt is making good progress in his recovery from shoulder surgery. "If he continues to progress, there's a great chance he'll be ready to go (when next season begins)," GM Ned Colletti said to the AP. "We've had nothing to discourage us. He's been throwing for a while now. He'll continue to build his arm strength. Everything's where it's supposed to be right now after what he's gone through." Trainer Stan Conte said Schmidt has been throwing on flat ground several times a week for a while now, and he began throwing off a mound last week. Since starting to throw off a mound, Schmidt has thrown some 10-15 pitches per session, and without much velocity. "Where he is right now is a great place," Conte said. "There have not been any setbacks at this point. He's thrown off the mound, starting last week. We like where he is right now." |
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| Juan Cruz, P, Arizona Diamondbacks | Wednesday 1/16, 5:28 PM CT |
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| The Diamondbacks inked Juan Cruz Wednesday to a one-year deal worth slightly less than $2 million. Cruz had a nice year pitching exclusively out of the bullpen last year for Arizona, holding a 3.10 ERA with 87 Ks over 61 innings. |
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| The eye injury that Juan Encarnacion suffered in late August last year will likely keep the outfielder from playing in 2008, and the Cardinals aren't sure if he'll ever play again. Encarnacion was standing in the on-deck circle on Aug. 31 when a foul ball struck him in the left eye, fracturing the orbital bone and causing damage to his vision that he may never regain. "As far as an update on whether he'll play or not I would say it's probably likely he will not," GM John Mozeliak told the AP. "But until we actually see him in St. Louis and get our own doctors to deal with that, it will be hard for me to answer that firmly." |
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| The Marlins signed Mark Hendrickson to a one-year, $1.5 million deal Wednesday. "Mark gives us another quality left-handed arm in our rotation and his experience and veteran leadership should benefit our clubhouse," said Fredi Gonzalez in the AP. Hendrickson posted a 5.21 ERA in 39 games (15 starts) for the Dodgers last year. Based on Gonzalez's comments, it sounds like he'll at least initially be used as a starter. |
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| FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal has reported the Tigers have signed Nate Robertson to a three-year, $21.25 contract. He will earn $4.25 million next season, $7 million in 2009 and $10 million in '10. The salary in his final year will increase to $11 million if he pitches 400 innings combined in '08 and '09 or 200 innings in '09. Robertson posted a 4.76 ERA in 30 starts last year. |
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| Jon Lieber, P, Chicago Cubs | Wednesday 1/16, 10:58 AM CT |
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| The Cubs have signed Jon Lieber to a one-year, $3.5 million deal. Lieber will compete for the last spot in the rotation, with Ryan Dempster and Sean Marshall representing his main competition. He held a 4.73 ERA in 14 games (12 starts) last year with the Phillies in the first half but missed the second half after suffering a ruptured tendon in his right foot. |
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| The Brewers designated Drew Anderson for assignment Tuesday to make room on the roster for Mike Cameron. Anderson spent most of the year at Triple-A Nashville, where he hit .273 with four home runs and 36 RBI in 108 games. He had one hit in nine at-bats with the Brewers. |
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| Erick Aybar is the favorite to come away with the starting shortstop job this spring, but GM Tony Reagins has made it clear that Maicer Izturis will also receive consideration for the job this spring, according to the LA Times. "It's an open competition for the starting position," Reagins said. Even if he came away with the job, Izturis, who batted .289 with six homers and seven steals in 102 games last year, would have little value outside of AL-only play. |
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| Rickie Weeks, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers | Wednesday 1/16, 10:42 AM CT |
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| Rickie Weeks feels like he's finally fully recovered from his wrist injury. He had surgery on the wrist in August of 2006, and it bothered him throughout the 2007 season, but Weeks thinks he's now completely healthy. "I think it's pretty much good to go right now," Weeks told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "I've been able to do everything I need to do this winter. I'm working out, staying in shape, getting ready for spring training. I feel I can do more now than in the past. (Going through physical therapy) wears on you a little bit mentally. You want to go to spring training injury-free and work on some things you couldn't do in the past." |
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| George Sherrill avoided arbitration by signing a one-year contract with the Mariners on Tuesday, according to the Seattle Times. The contract is for $980,000 with $60,000 in performance bonuses. Assuming Sherrill isn't dealt to Baltimore in a possible Erik-Bedard deal, he will once again provide stability in the back of Seattle's bullpen. |
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| The Mets re-signed Jose Valentin to a minor-league deal Tuesday. The veteran played in only 51 games last year due to a partially torn ACL and a broken tibia, according to the NY Post. Valentin is currently rehabbing his ACL and is unlikely to be doing baseball activities until mid-March. He'll have to earn a roster spot and would make $1 million if he does so. |
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| Kirk Saarloos signed a minor-league deal with the A's Tuesday with an invitation to spring training, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "We need as many bodies as we can get and Kirk is looking for a place to get himself back on the map," A's assistant general manager David Forst said. "It's good risk/reward from our standpoint and Kirk is a good guy to have around." Saarloos, who held an ugly 7.17 ERA in 34 appearances with the Reds in 2007, will look to win a job in the bullpen. |
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| Ervin Santana will compete with Joe Saunders for the No. 5 starter spot this spring, according to the LA Times. Should Santana lose the competition, he'll likely begin the season in the bullpen. It's also possible the Angels could deal him before the season begins. |
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| Joe Saunders, P, Los Angeles Angels | Wednesday 1/16, 10:22 AM CT |
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| Joe Saunders will compete with Ervin Santana for the No. 5 starter job this spring, according to the LA Times. Should Santana come away with the starting gig, Saunders, who held a 4.44 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 18 starts last season, will likely start the year in the minors. |
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| Dan Wheeler, P, Tampa Bay Rays | Wednesday 1/16, 10:21 AM CT |
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| The Rays avoided arbitration with Dan Wheeler by signing the right-hander to a one-year, $2.875 million contract. Wheeler was 0-5 with a 5.76 ERA in 25 games for the Rays after going 1-4 with a 5.07 ERA in 45 games with the Astros. |
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| The Dodgers inked Yhency Brazoban to a one-year, $540,000 contract Tuesday, avoiding arbitration. He can earn an additional $120,000 in performance bonuses. Brazoban has pitched in just nine games since 2005 because of elbow and shoulder surgeries, but he's expected to be recovered in time for spring training and will try to win a bullpen spot. |
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| Clay Buchholz put on 10 pounds over the offseason to help prevent him from wearing down at the end of the season, according to the Boston Herald. He was shut down late last season due to shoulder fatigue. "I believe my shoulder's ready to go. It doesn’t feel fatigued anymore," he said. "I've actually been throwing a lot since the first of the year." Buchholz, who held a 1.59 ERA in four games (three starts) last season, will likely begin the 2008 season in the starting rotation. |
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| The Mariners signed Arthur Rhodes to a minor-league deal Tuesday. Rhodes missed all of the 2007 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He'll compete for a bullpen job in spring training. |
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