David Aardsma hasn’t seen much action in the Major Leagues over the past two seasons thanks to injury, but could find his way into the Mets bullpen in the coming weeks after joining the team on a minor league deal today. (Image Credit: John Munson/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports)

David Aardsma didn’t have to wait long once he hit the open market last Thursday, as the 31 year old has agreed to a deal to join the New York Mets according to a team release. Aardsma will report to the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.

Having joined the Miami Marlins on a minor league deal in the offseason, Aardsma had been pitching well at Triple-A. In 14.0 IP across 10 appearances he’d posted a 2.57 ERA and 1.214 WHIP. Most importantly he seemed to be healthy again, having missed most of the past two seasons to injury. With it looking increasingly less likely that he’d be called up to the Marlins bullpen, Aardsma exercised an opt-out clause in his contract last week that permitted him to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Reports surfaced quickly that the Hanshin Tigers had expressed some interest in bringing Aardsma to Japan, but it seemed inevitable that he’d find an opportunity somewhere here given the volatility of relievers across baseball. The Mets will give him that opportunity and if he can continue to throw well in the minor leagues then chances are high that he could make his way into the team’s bullpen mix before long. Beyond Bobby Parnell the team hasn’t seen the production from their bullpen that they were hoping for heading into the season and reinforcements will be welcomed.

Jonathan Sanchez has agreed to a deal to join the Los Angeles Dodgers, pending a physical. (Image Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Pitching depth was supposed to be a strength for the Los Angeles Dodgers heading into the season, but injuries have completely erased such plans leaving the organization to look elsewhere for some added depth with Major League experience. That search for added depth has led the team to free agent Jonathan Sanchez, who the team agreed to sign to a minor league deal according to ESPN’s Pedro Gomez. Sanchez will need to pass a physical before the deal is finalized.

Sanchez had joined the Pittsburgh Pirates on a minor league deal over the winter and surprisingly made the team’s Opening Day roster (thanks to the Pirates own injury woes). Sanchez struggled on the hill, however, posting a troubling 11.85 ERA and 2.415 WHIP in five appearances before the team designated him for assignment and subsequently released him.

Assuming Sanchez passes his physical he’ll likely report to the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque. The deal also reportedly contains an opt-out clause, allowing Sanchez to become a free agent if he isn’t promoted to the team’s Major League roster by July 1st.

Carlos Zambrano has signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies and will head to Extended Spring Training. (Image Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)

Last week it appeared as though Carlos Zambrano would be heading to play in the independent Atlanta League, having signed a deal with the Long Island Ducks. While Zambrano did agree to the terms of a deal with the Ducks, he never ended up actually signing the contract as he continued to seek employment with a Major League organization. This afternoon, according to multiple sources, Zambrano instead signed a minor league deal to join the Philadelphia Phillies.

He’ll head to the team’s Spring Training complex in Clearwater, Florida initially and will then join one of the team’s minor league affiliates.

Philadelphia’s need to add to their pitching depth has been widely publicized as the team is already dealing with multiple injuries. Roy Halladay will miss the next three months, if not the remainder of the season, after undergoing shoulder surgery. John Lannan has been sidelined with a knee injury and isn’t expected to return until early June. Both Kyle Kendrick and Cliff Lee have pitched well, but the team has also had to cope with Cole Hamels’ struggles. Thus far they’ve relied on internal options – namely Jonathan Pettibone and more recently, Tyler Cloyd – but there is little experienced depth within the organization.

Shortly after Zambrano’s agreement with the Ducks was first announced there were rumblings that the Phillies might have interest, but GM Ruben Amaro expectedly downplayed much of the rumblings. With this signing, less than a week later, it’s clear that the team is leaving no stone unturned in their search for options. Based on his track record in the clubhouse and recent success (or lack thereof) on the mound, Zambrano is going to need some strong showings in the minor leagues in order to join the Phillies’ pitching staff. His deal contains a July 1st opt-out date, meaning there will need to be a decision made one way or another by then.

Roy Oswalt might not have much left in the tank, but the veteran has signed a minor league deal with the Rockies and will try to pitch his way back to the Majors. (Image Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

Having spent the offseason deflecting questions about his own future in baseball, Roy Oswalt entered the 2013 season without a contract and without any certainty that he’d pitch again. While the possibility remained on the table, it was believed that Oswalt would only sign with a contender if he were to continue his career. The 35 year old has finally put an end to some of those questions, signing a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies late Thursday afternoon, according to the team’s official Twitter account.

He’ll report to the team’s extended spring training facilities initially, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post, and will be monitored closely. There is no certainty that Oswalt will end up seeing any time in Colorado, as a promotion will entirely depend on how he performs in the minor leagues first. Oswalt is slated to make 2-3 starts before potentially heading to the team’s Double-A affiliate for continued work.

Colorado has faced plenty of questions of their own this season on the mound, but appeared to have a number of options already in house. The team’s current rotation consists of Jorge De La Rosa, Jeff Francis, Juan Nicasio, Jon Garland, and Tyler Chatwood. Jhoulys Chacin could return from the DL before the end of the coming weekend and the team still has Drew Pomeranz in the minor leagues. Oswalt has long preferred to start, but it’s unclear if the organization will look to use him in that role should they elect to bring him to the Major Leagues.

A 12 year MLB veteran, Oswalt holds a 163-96 career record and 3.28 ERA in 2,213.0 IP. He spent the first nine and a half seasons of his career with the Houston Astros before spending some time with the Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers.

Infielder Tyler Greene has reached a deal with the Chicago White Sox. He’ll likely begin the season with their Triple-A affiliate. (Image Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)

Free agent infielder Tyler Greene, who was released by the Houston Astros late last month after the team brought aboard veteran shortstop Ronny Cedeno, has signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Greene will report to the team’s Triple-A affiliate in the coming days where he’ll provide some depth across the infield in the event that the team needs him at the Major League level down the road.

Greene, a former 1st Round pick in the 2005 Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, has seen time in the Major Leagues over parts of the past four seasons. He’s a career .224/.292/.356 hitter in 689 PA with the Cardinals and Astros. Houston acquired him from St. Louis last August. 2012 was easily his best season to date, as he batted .230/.274/.400 with 15 2B and 11 HR in 330 PA, though most of that power came in the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park.

With under three years of service time to his credit, the White Sox could potentially retain Green’s services for a while to come if he is able to produce for them.

Jose Valverde seemed destined to leave the Tigers organization this winter, but ended up returning on a minor league deal this morning. (Image Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

One of the last remaining free agents has finally signed a contract and landed with a new team, only in this case that new team is actually the same one he’d spent the past three seasons with. Former Detroit Tigers closer Jose Valverde has signed a minor league deal to return to the organization, after a reunion seemed almost assuredly like it was not going to happen, according to 1500 ESPN’s Patrick Reusse.

Valverde will report to the team’s Spring Training complex in Lakeland initially. Plans beyond that remain unclear, but Tom Gage of the Detroit News reports that Valverde’s deal contains an out clause, allowing him to become a free agent if he’s not on the team’s MLB roster by May 5th.

Over the past three seasons with Detroit, Valverde has been mostly reliable working out of the back of the team’s bullpen. He’s appeared in 206 games for the team over that stretch, saving 110 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.199 WHIP. His 2011 season, in particular, was a standout campaign. He led the league with 75 appearances, going a perfect 49-for-49 in save opportunities. He’d make the All Star team and finish in the Top 5 in Cy Young voting. Valverde’s peripheral stats during his Tigers career aren’t overly impressive – 7.9 K/9, 4.1 BB/9 – but he’s generally been able to get the job done anyways when called upon.

That is until this past postseason, of course. Valverde imploded. He’d allow 9 earned runs in just 2.2 IP. By the time the team reached the World Series he’d been replaced as the team’s closer and his departure from Detroit appeared all but certain.

The Tigers appear to going with a bullpen by committee this season, having spent most of the offseason fighting off questions surrounding the team’s perceived plan to use Bruce Rondon in the closer’s role. Rondon needs more minor league seasoning before taking on such a role, so the opportunities are mostly going to be shared between Phil Coke and Joaquin Benoit initially. Should Valverde throw well in the minor leagues and should the team’s MLB bullpen falter, a return prior to the opt out date could be a real possibility.

Robinson Cano is changing representation. Could this expedite an extension to remain a Yankee? (Image Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports)

New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano’s pending contract situation has been a popular topic of discussion for the past few months. It will likely continue to be until the situation is resolved one way or another, but the picture might have become much clearer with the news that broke this morning, first by ESPN’s Buster Olney. Cano has fired super agent Scott Boras and will now be represented by Roc Nation Sports – a new venture by Jay-Z in partnership with CAA.

Cano will be a free agent at season’s end and historically the Yankees have avoided, as an organizational practice, handing out contract extensions during a player’s final season. They especially don’t like to do so during the regular season. Yet with an aging lineup and despite upcoming self-imposed financial limitations, the best move the Yankees could make would be to lock Cano up before he’s able to reach the open market. With Boras in the fold, there was certainty that would never happen.

Various reports have suggested that the Yankees made a “significant offer” before Spring Training began, which Boras rejected. To my knowledge the terms of such a deal haven’t been made public to date, but it’s safe to assume that we’re talking about a deal of at least 6 years in length and well over $100 Million. Waiting until the free agent market would allow Boras to draw more teams into the mix – the Los Angeles Dodgers have been rumored to be a potential early suitor – and potentially get more. It’s been suggested that Cano wasn’t too happy about that deal being turned down, lending the idea that he prefers to stay in New York.

Roc Nation Sports is an offshoot from Jay-Z’s Roc Nation entertainment company working in conjunction with Creative Arts Agency (CAA), according to some details shared by ESPN’s Darren Rovell. Cano appears to have some aspirations beyond the field, which is where Jay-Z’s experience and network will come into play. He’s believed to be planning on becoming an agent to help represent players himself, potentially with an expansion to include NFL and NBA clients. Brodie Van Wagenan of CAA will handle Cano’s baseball related discussions, including his next contract. Wagenan and CAA also represent Ryan Braun, Matt Cain, Ryan Zimmerman, and Buster Posey – who’ve all recently signed extensions exceeding $100 Million.

A fair amount of the initial reaction jumped to the conclusion that Cano will end up re-signing with the Yankees sooner rather than later. Some details and specifics do still need to be worked out, as of midday Boras still hadn’t actually spoken with Cano, according to what he told ESPN’s T.J. Quinn. Cano is still technically under contract, though it’s unclear what the process entails to void/break such deals.

Removing Boras from the equation does bode well for Brian Cashman and the Yankees’ efforts to get a deal done. The team is determined to find their way under the $189.4 Million luxury tax threshold, so the sooner they knew what part of that amount will need to be available for a commitment to Cano, the better.

Kyle Lohse has reportedly agreed terms with the Brewers – three years and #33 million Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Multiple sources report that Kyle Lohse has agreed terms with the Milwaukee Brewers. Lohse provides stability and innings to the Brewers rotation and makes the NL Central a bit more interesting.

As I suggested Lohse and super Agent Scott Boras had to back off $14-15M target and four to five year contract talk. Bob Nightengale of USA today says the contract is three years and $33M.  That’s an AAV of $11M and about right for Kyle Lohse based on his career.

The Brewers, according to official, will guarantee Lohse $33 million for three years

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 25, 2013

For Boras this is another not great deal. Like Lohse, Michael Bourn signed a four year $12M deal late after asking for five years and $15M a year immediately after last season. Perhaps the Boras hypnosis of GMs and owners is wearing thin as luxury tax starts to bite a bit or perhaps he just misread the market. In either case any way you spin this, for these two clients, Boras misjudged things badly.

Kyle Lohse during spring training for the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. He’s now throwing simulated games waiting for a BIG payday. Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Two days ago I explained that the new CBA rules on draft picks and slot money were not the reason Kyle Lohse was still without a job, but that his contract and salary demands are simply too high for a number three/four starter.  This morning Buster Olney – @Buster_ESPN – confirmed that with this tweet.

Club officials say Scott Boras continues to ask for $14 million-$15 million a year from those interested in FA pitcher Kyle Lohse.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 24, 2013

A quick look around the leagues shows that his requested salary is the same as Jake Peavy and more than C.J. Wilson,  Anibal Sanchez, Dan Haren, and Ryan Dempster. Dan Haren is particularly interesting because in the past three years he’s been about the same but slightly better pitcher.

Haren is 32, Lohse 34.  Haren compiled his numbers in the AL West without a pitcher in the opposing lineup while Lohse was in the weaker hitting NL Central. At the end of last season the Angels let Haren walk without a qualifying offer.  Lohse turned down a better contract than the $13M Haren eventually received; a $13.5M qualifying offer from St Louis.

All Lohse has to do to get a job is accept a reasonable salary and contract length for his age based on his career.  His agent should  stop whining that “The integrity of the game is very damaged. . .” by the new CBA when it’s only the future of his personal fortune that’s affected. No one believes it and right now Kyle Lohse is unemployed because of it.

Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Hilderbrand-USA TODAY Sports

The MLB Network’s inaugural “Next Knuckler” competition concluded tonight with the final elimination show of the series. The competition was comprised of five former division one quarterbacks, and was designed to see which one could be taught to throw a knuckleball best in a short period of time. The former QB who would be able to master the knuckler better than his counterparts would receive a spring training invite to Arizona Diamondbacks camp. Former LSU quarterback Josh Booty outlasted former Georgia quarterback David Greene to win the competition and, as promised, a spring training invite.

Josh Booty, though a quarterback at LSU (and briefly in the NFL as well), was no stranger to the baseball diamond. Before playing football for LSU, Booty played baseball in the Florida Marlins organization, eventually spending a brief period of time in the big leagues. However, Booty was a postion player during that stint, and the stint itself ended in 1998.

With very limited pitching experience under his belt, it will be very interesting to follow Booty’s journey through camp this Spring. He has been there before, but in a completely different capacity. In order to be successful this time around, he is going to have to progress an immense amount as a pitcher in an extremely brief period of time. Though it is very likely the “Josh Booty the Knuckler” experiment will ultimately fail, it should still be a whole lot of fun to watch. I know I’ll be rooting for him.