Nickeas gets outrighted to Triple-A

The Mets have announced that catcher Mike Nickeas has cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A. 

Nickeas hit .174 in 122 plate appearances with the Mets in 2012.

Analysis: Nickeas was god-awful for the Mets, and I am glad he is gone. The guy can't hit at all, and occasionally makes bonehead defensive plays. Now the Mets should/will go out and get a power catcher that can hit from the right side of the plate. 

Orioles outright Ford, Phillips, Tolleson to Triple-A

The Orioles have announced that they have outrighted outfielder Lew Ford, pitcher Zack Phillips and outfielder Steven Tolleson to Triple-A.

Ford rebounded his career with the Orioles in 2012, and was a spark plug for them down the stretch. He hit .331 with 11 home runs in 62 games for them.

Phillips posted a 3.17 ERA in 42 Triple-A appearances in 2012. Tolleson hit .278 with 21 RBI in 193 plate appearances for Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate in 2012.

Analysis: Ford had a good 2012 season and I am surprised he cleared waivers. He will probably make next year's Orioles club as the fourth outfielder, and hopefully he continues to have success because his story is great for baseball. Phillips is young and still has upside, but cleared waivers probably because he is a bullpen pitcher, and bullpen arms can be found virtually from anywhere. Tolleson is a decent hitter but doesn't really possess any power to his bat, so it is understandable that he cleared waivers.

Torres gets outrighted to Triple-A

The Rockies have announced that pitcher Carlos Torres has cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A.

Torres appeared in 31 games for Colorado in 2012, posting a 5.26 ERA with a 4.4 BB/9 ratio.

Analysis: Torres has good minor league numbers but walks to many batters, therefore I wouldn't even think about claiming him.

Brewers outright Ishikawa to Triple-A

The Brewers have announced that first baseman Travis Ishikawa has cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A.

Ishikawa hit .257 in 94 games for Milwaukee last season. He served mostly as the backup first-baseman, but saw more playing time after Mat Gamel went down with a knee injury.

Analysis: Ishikawa hasn't really taken that step that we've all expected him to take. We thought that he was going to be the starting first baseman for the Giants, but his offensive game held him back. Also the development of Brandon Belt and Brett Pill pushed him out of San Francisco. It isn't surprising that he cleared waivers, because like I said his offensive abilities are really limited right now.

Red Sox, Ortiz, agree to two year deal

The Red Sox and David Ortiz have agreed to a two year contract worth $26 million that will keep the first baseman/designated hitter in Boston through the 2014 season. Bonus incentives can boost the total value of the deal to $30 million if certain requirements are met.

Ortiz hit .318 with 23 home runs and 60 RBI in 383 plate appearances for Boston in 2012. In ten seasons with the Red Sox, Ortiz has a combined .290 batting average, and has netted himself eight All-Star selections.

Analysis: This is a good deal for the Red Sox. Now that they have this payroll flexibility, they can afford to overpay for some players. I don't know if Ortiz is worth $13 million per season at this point in his career, but keeping him around his really important because he is a cornerstone player on that team. I just hope that he can stay healthy enough to live up to his contract.

Padres designate Spence, Tekotte for assignment

The Padres have designated pitcher Josh Spence and outfielder Blake Tekotte for assignment. The moves allow the Padres to add Cory Luebke, Joe Wieland, Nick Hundley, Kyle Blanks and James Darnell to the 40 man roster,  Those players were reinstated from the disabled list.

Spence spent most of the 2012 season in Triple-A, posting a 4.20 ERA in 31 appearances. Tekotte hit .243 with 9 home runs in Triple-A during the 2012 season.

Analysis: Some team might claim Spence and try to use him as a left handed specialist, considering that he is still young and has some upside. Tekotte has had some minor league experience, but I don't expect him to be claimed.

Loe, Morgan elect free agency

The Brewers have announced that pitcher Kameron Loe and outfielder Nyjer Morgan have refused their outright assignments to the minor leagues and will elect free agency. Milwaukee outrighted Morgan off the 40 man roster yesterday.

Both players were eligible for arbitration this coming off-season, but were considered non-tender candidates. Loe posted a 4.61 ERA in 70 appearances in 2012, while Morgan hit just .239 in 322 plate appearances in 2012.

Analysis: This isn't surprising at all. Loe is a power pitcher who I think can be seen as a reclamation project, considering that he has had some success in the past. Morgan's value has taken a huge hit since that magical 2011 season, and it doesn't surprise me that he is refusing his outright assignment because of his attitude problems.

Royals designate Jeffress, Hottovy, Bourgeois for assignment

The Royals have designated pitcher Jeremy Jeffress, pitcher Tommy Hottovy, and outfielder Jason Bourgeois for assignment. The moves create space for the newly acquired waiver claims, and pitcher's Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino, who were reinstated off of the 60 day disabled list today as well.

Jeffress, a former first round pick by the Brewers, posted a 4.97 ERA in 58 Triple-A innings of work. Hottovy spent most of the 2012 season in the Triple-A bullpen, posting a 2.52 ERA with 11.0 K/9 in 50 innings of work. Bourgeois hit .258 in 66 plate appearances with the big league club in 2012.

Analysis: This is very surprising. I am certain that a team will put a claim on Jeffress, who came over to the Royals in the Zack Greinke deal a few years ago. He has high upside and a power arm. He may only be a setup man in the future, but there will definitely be quite a bit of interest in him. Hottovy also might get claimed, but is older than Jeffress so team's may pass on him. Bourgeois is a fourth outfielder who lives off of his speed, and may get claimed as well.

Orioles claim Alexi Casilla

The Orioles have claimed infielder Alexi Casilla off of waivers from the Twins.

Casilla hit .241 in 326 plate appearances with Minnesota in 2012, and was probably going to be non-tendered by the Twins if he had cleared waivers.

Analysis: Casilla is a good player to have because he is very versatile, and can provide a spark off of the bench. His hitting needs some work, but I have a feeling that if/when Brian Roberts lands on the disabled list in 2013, Casilla will come in and get a boatload of playing time.

Cubs claim Putnam off of waivers

The Cubs have claimed pitcher Zack Putnam off of waivers from the Rockies. Putnam was one of four players that the Rockies have let go via waiver claims within the last 24 hours.

Putnam spent most of the season in Triple-A, posting a 4.15 ERA in 60 2/3 innings.

Analysis: Putnam will probably be given the opportunity to earn a spot in that bullpen when Spring Training comes. He is really just bullpen depth-and maybe a decent setup man if he's lucky.

Indians claim Wood off of waivers

The Indians have claimed pitcher Blake Wood off of waivers from the Royals. Wood hasn't pitched since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May.

Wood pitched out of the Royals' bullpen in 2010-2011, posting a combined 4.30 ERA in 119 1/3 innings. He will be arbitration eligible for the first time this off-season, and should see a slight salary increase.

Analysis: Wood is a decent bullpen piece to have, assuming he's healthy. This is a good pickup by the Indians because it is a low risk, moderate reward move.

Royals claim Moscoso, Hayes off of waivers

The Royals have claimed pitcher Guillermo Moscoso off of waivers from the Rockies, and catcher Brett Hayes off of waivers from the Marlins.

Moscoso appeared in 23 games for Colorado in 2012, posting a 6.12 ERA in 50 innings. Hayes hit .202 in 118 plate appearances with the Marlins in 2012.

Analysis: Moscoso had a rough go of it with the Rockies, and I'm assuming that the Coors Field dimensions screwed up his stats. He will probably serve as a spot starter with the Royals, as they look to get younger. Hayes will serve as catching depth behind Salvador Perez and Brayan Pena.

Twins claim Roenicke, Field

The Twins have claimed pitcher Josh Roenicke and infielder Thomas Field off of waivers from the Rockies.

Roenicke posted a 3.25 ERA in 88 2/3 relief innings of work for Colorado in 2012. He also posted a 50.2% ground-ball rate, which is very impressive.

Field spent most of the 2012 season in Triple-A, hitting .246 in 494 plate appearances while serving as the team's starting shortstop.

Analysis: Roenicke had a very strong season in 2012, and I think that he is a great pickup by Minnesota. He was a good fit for Colorado because his ground ball rate would keep his ERA down while pitching in Coors Field. The only reason why the Twins would claim Thomas Field is because their shortstop situation is so bleak right now and they are probably looking to claim anyone so they can serve as depth.

Brewers claim Arcenio Leon

The Brewers have announced that they have claimed pitcher Arcenio Leon off of waivers from the Astros.

Leon spent the entire 2012 season pitching in Double-A, posting a 4.38 ERA in 63 2/3 innings. He has had some control issues in the past, posting a career 5.2 BB/9 ratio.

Analysis: Leon seems like a power bullpen arm, but I doubt that he'll get the call to the big leagues any time soon because he needs to get his control down. This isn't a big move for either side, but it is nice to see the Brewers making moves, regardless of how they small they are, to beef up that bullpen.

Astros claim Demel, Elmore off of waivers

The Astros have claimed pitcher Sam Demel and shortstop Jake Elmore off of waivers from the Diamondbacks.

Demel has posted a combined 4.95 ERA in 72 relief appearances with Arizona since 2010. Elmore made his MLB debut during the 2012 season, hitting .191 in 73 plate appearances.

Analysis: Demel is bullpen depth at best, but I'm surprised that the Diamondbacks let Elmore go. I thought that they were going to give him a longer look at the shortstop position, considering that it was empty when the club traded away Stephen Drew. He is a good pickup by the Astros, and could be used as shortstop depth in case Jed Lowrie is traded away.