Off Season Trades, Free Agent Signings and MGR Hirings

[TheGame]

Any off season MLB news you find. Please post in here.
Thanks

[GreatLaker]

Yankees sign Lee, Crawford, Rollins, V Mart and the entire Blue Jays franchise.  The Blue Jays were designated to AAA Scranton.

[HOVA]

The Chicago White Sox re-signed 43-year-old infielder Omar Vizquel to a one-year, $1.75 million contract on Tuesday.
 

[TheGame]

Reports: Brewers hire Ron Roenicke

The Milwaukee Brewers have hired Ron Roenicke as their new manager, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday.
Roenicke has been the Los Angeles Angels bench coach under manager Mike Scioscia since 2006 and was the team's third base coach from 2000-06.
Earlier Tuesday, sources told ESPNChicago.com that White Sox bench coach Joey Cora was informed by the Brewers that he finished second in the Milwaukee hiring process.
Other candidates for the job were reportedly former Mets manager and current ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine and former Diamondbacks and Mariners manager Bob Melvin.
Roenicke has never been a full-time major league manager, but has subbed for Scioscia on occasion when the Angels manager was away from the team.
Roenicke isn't the first Angels coach to get a managerial job. Former pitching coach Bud Black manages the Padres. Roenicke became bench coach when Joe Maddon left to become Tampa Bay's manager.
Roenicke began his coaching career with the Dodgers and went on to coach in the minor leagues, including five seasons as a manager.
The Brewers finished 77-85 last season, good for third place in the NL Central. Ken Macha was fired after his second season in Milwaukee.
The Chicago Sun-Times first reported Roenicke's hiring.

[TheGame]

Brewers decline 2011 options on Trevor Hoffman, Doug Davis, and Gregg Zaun

[TheGame]

The Braves exercise options on Infante, Gonzalez; sign Scott Proctor to a one-year deal

[TheGame]

Report: Edwin Rodriguez to return as Marlins’ manager

[TheGame]

In the easiest off season move 

The Padres exercise their option on Adrian Gonzalez

[HOVA]

This probably doesn't belong, but thought it was intriguing.  Personally I don't see how Jeter doesn't stay though.   

The San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman says he would "bet a good chunk of change" that Giants GM Brian Sabean is keeping a close eye on the Yankees' negotiations with Derek Jeter.
Schulman admits it's "pure speculation" on his part, but he notes that Sabean was the head of scouting for the Yankees when they drafted Jeter in 1992. The Giants also have a host of former Yankees on staff, including pitching coach Dave Righetti, hitting coach Hensley Meulens and first base coach Roberto Kelly. We fully expect Jeter to wind up back with the Yankees, but perhaps Schulman is right that the Giants might be a backup plan.

[TheGame]

This probably doesn't belong, but thought it was intriguing.  Personally I don't see how Jeter doesn't stay though.   

The San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman says he would "bet a good chunk of change" that Giants GM Brian Sabean is keeping a close eye on the Yankees' negotiations with Derek Jeter.
Schulman admits it's "pure speculation" on his part, but he notes that Sabean was the head of scouting for the Yankees when they drafted Jeter in 1992. The Giants also have a host of former Yankees on staff, including pitching coach Dave Righetti, hitting coach Hensley Meulens and first base coach Roberto Kelly. We fully expect Jeter to wind up back with the Yankees, but perhaps Schulman is right that the Giants might be a backup plan.

I would be stunned to see Jeter in any other uniform next year.
But if he looks at other teams. He might look to play back home with the Tigers.
80% of Jeter is still better than anything we have fielded at SS since Trammel 

[TheGame]

Peralta and the Tigers agreed on an $11.25 million, two-year contract with a club option for 2013

[TheGame]

GMs favor an additional wild card, best of three wild card playoff round

The general managers are all meeting in Florida this week and, as we’ve expected, one of the items on the agenda will be making a proposal to Commissioner Selig about expanding the first round of the playoffs with an additional wild card team.  The news nugget here is that the GMs USA Today’s Bob Nightengale spoke to all prefer that the first round of the playoffs, which would be between each league’s two wild card teams, either be a one-and-done elimination game or, at most, a best of three scenario.

[TheGame]

 Dodgers re-sign Hiroki Kuroda for one-year, $12 million

[TheGame]

Reds re-sign Ramon Hernandez to one-year contract

[TheGame]

Phillies sign Jose Contreras to two-year, $5.5 million extension

[STGUCHI]

Dodgers re-sign Hiroki Kuroda for one-year, $12 million

[TheGame]

The Atlanta Braves acquired All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla from the Florida Marlins for utilityman Omar Infante and pitcher Mike Dunn on Tuesday in the first trade of the general managers meetings.

[TheGame]

Cardinals Re-Sign Jake Westbrook

[TheGame]

The Marlins made an early strike to fill their need for a starting catcher, agreeing to a three-year, $18MM deal with John Buck today.  The three-year term comes as no surprise, given the extra years given to free agent catchers last offseason.

[TheGame]

Tigers Reach Agreement With Joaquin Benoit
By Tim Dierkes [November 17 at 10:26am CST]
Talk about rebuilding value.  The Tigers reached an agreement with righty reliever Joaquin Benoit on a three-year, $16.5MM deal today.  He can also earn another $1MM per year in incentives.  Benoit's last contract had been of the minor league variety with the Rays.

Benoit was one of baseball's best bargains in 2010, as he posted a 1.34 ERA, 11.2 K/9, 1.6 BB/9, 0.9 HR/9, and 38.9% groundball rate in 60 1/3 innings.  Benoit was available cheaply because he was coming off rotator cuff surgery performed in January of 2009.  The Rays will receive a supplemental draft pick for their loss.

[TheGame]

Free-agent catcher Victor Martinez is bolting the Boston Red Sox to sign with the Detroit Tigers, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday.

[HOVA]

Free-agent catcher Victor Martinez is bolting the Boston Red Sox to sign with the Detroit Tigers, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday.

Reportedly turned down a 3 year deal for $48 mil from the White Sox for the Tigers 4 year $50 mil deal.

Though I gotta think one side of these numbers is off. 

[HOVA]

WAITING FOR KENNY TO MAKE A MOVE LETS GO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR 

[HOVA]

Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports that the Dodgers have reached a deal with free agent Jon Garland.

No word yet on the length or total value of the deal. Many thought the Dodgers would be handcuffed this winter by the McCourts' divorce, but they locked up Ted Lilly soon after the end of the season and have now made an aggressive move for one of the top third tier starters on the market. Garland posted a 3.47 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 33 starts this past year with a career-high 6.12 K/9. He will serve as Los Angeles' fourth or fifth starter next season.


I WOULD HAVE LIKE TO SEE GARLAND BACK WITH THE SOX ESPECIALLY WITH PEAVY LIKELY MISSING TIME, BUT I'M SURE THE DOLLARS AND YEARS (WHATEVER THE END UP BEING) WEREN'T FEASIBLE WITH CHICAGO.  NOT TO MENTION HOPES ARE THAT CHRIS SALE WILL BE IN THE ROTATION NEXT YEAR.

[TheGame]

Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports that the Dodgers have reached a deal with free agent Jon Garland.

No word yet on the length or total value of the deal. Many thought the Dodgers would be handcuffed this winter by the McCourts' divorce, but they locked up Ted Lilly soon after the end of the season and have now made an aggressive move for one of the top third tier starters on the market. Garland posted a 3.47 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 33 starts this past year with a career-high 6.12 K/9. He will serve as Los Angeles' fourth or fifth starter next season.


I WOULD HAVE LIKE TO SEE GARLAND BACK WITH THE SOX ESPECIALLY WITH PEAVY LIKELY MISSING TIME, BUT I'M SURE THE DOLLARS AND YEARS (WHATEVER THE END UP BEING) WEREN'T FEASIBLE WITH CHICAGO.  NOT TO MENTION HOPES ARE THAT CHRIS SALE WILL BE IN THE ROTATION NEXT YEAR.

I believe the contract is for 5 mil this year. There is an 8 mil option for a second year.
The option becomes vested with 190 innings pitched