free agents and trades and bears oh my!

[Slats]

Trade is official:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/t ... es_ph.html

It took 11 days from the time Jack Zduriencik and Brian Cashman agreed on the players a week ago Friday, but the Mariners' trade with the Yankees, sending Michael Pineda to New York, finally became official this afternoon.

The announcement was held off until catcher Jesus Montero underwent his physical. Montero had extreme difficulty traveling from his home in Venezuela to Seattle, stymied by visa and weather issues. But he finally arrived over the weekend, went through his battery of tests Saturday, and the Mariners signed off on the deal today

[Slats]

I've just highlighted some quotes:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/t ... l_get.html

Just got off an hour of conference calls with Yankees GM Brian Cashman, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik, and Jesus Montero.

"He may very well be the best player I've ever traded, and obviously I've been doing this a long time (Yankees GM since 1998). He's that good -- a middle of the order player, very gifted. I was involved in his signing out of Venezuela (as a 16-year-old). He's a good kid, and he's going to hav a heck of a career, he really is."

Cashman added that the first step of the trade occurred at the winter meetings in Dallas in early December.

"We had a brief conversation. Jack had mentioned to me if there was anyone other than Felix Hernandez here we would consider in a Montero discussion. I said, 'There's really only one guy." We kind of focused from there. I said I'm not even sure I'd do that. We talked through it for a long period of time until it got done, but that's how it got started.

"Both organizations got their interests served here, but it hurt to serve those interests at the same time. It was a tough deal to make, but one that ultimately we were both willing to do."

Zduriencik, similarly, said he he believes this was an old-fashioned trade in which money wasn't a factor and which optimally will help both teams.

"Really, nothing was exchanged except talent,'' he said. "We're very positive about the talent we received, and I'm sure the Yankees are, too. ...As I said to Brian and he said to me as we went through this, neither one is trying to walk away saying, 'I got the upper hand, the better end of the deal.' It was strictly talent for talent. I hope we can look at each other down the road and say, 'It was win-win for both sides.' "

Zduriencik praised Michael Pineda as "a wonderful person. It was very difficult to give up a player like him, an All-Star. ...We felt we really needed a boost in our offense. We identified young players around baseball, and in the end we settled for Jesus. We feel he's a young guy who's going to come in here and be the type of hitter that's going to help us for years to come.''

Asked about Montero's catching tools, which have come under question, Zduriencik said, "I think all that will adjust itself as we go into spring training. We've scouted Jesus for a number of years. I knew him when he was an amateur. We'll give him every opportunity to be all he can be, whatever that might be. He has a chance to be a very good offensive player. He's a smart kid. He'll get every opportunity to catch as well. Things will work themselves out. What we like is the player we acquired."

Cashman said the trade should not be read as a sign that the Yankees don't think Montero can catch in the major leagues.

"It's not an ackowledgement of what we believe Montero's catching abilities are,'' he said. "We do believe he can be an every-day catcher in the big leagues. It was really more about trading from an area of strength to shore up an area of need. We gave up a lot in Montero. We hope we got a lot back as well in Pineda."

Montero said he's still focused on catching in the big leagues.

"That's why I'm here,'' he said. "I'm looking for an opportunity. I'm going to keep working hard behind the plate. I'm going to do my best, help the team, help the pitchers. I'm going to do everything I can to help Seattle win.''

He said he knows fellow Venezuelan Felix Hernandez, who grew up nearby, but they haven't talked much in the last couple of years.

"Everyone knows about him in Venezuela,'' he said. "He's a superstar in Venezuela. I haven't really had a chance to talk to him (lately). Now we have many years.''

The Mariners, Montero said, have a high profile in Venezuela because of Hernandez, Franklin Gutierrez and former Seattle All-Star Jose Lopez

"People know a lot about Seattle,'' he said. "Now it's going to be better because we're going to win."

[Sweezo]

hey, i like it. nice stop-gap starter. last year never really got off the ground for him, but prior to 2011 he's made at least 29 starts every season since 2004. he was borderline terrfic as recently as 2009, his final year with the rangers.

I have way more faith in Kevin Millwood as a starter than Oliver Perez. Agreed, it's a good low risk move.

[Sweezo]

Maybe I'll just post this as is because dammit I have to keeping re-editing as things change. So much for Fielder...

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that the Tigers have signed Prince Fielder to a nine-year, $214 million deal. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports first mentioned the possibility less than 10 minutes ago, and now it has become official: Fielder is going to Detroit, the same place his father Cecil spent seven years of his career. The 27-year-old slugger should shine bright for the Tigers, more than making up for the production lost by Victor Martinez's knee injury in 2012 and helping the team remain in the rung of American League contenders for years to come. Fielder owns a .929 career OPS. He batted .299/.415/.566 with 38 home runs and 120 RBI in 162 games last season for the Brewers.

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/3829/prince-fielder

So Detroit is willing to pay for a man, who weighs nearly 300 lbs., to produce at the same level until his age 37 season? Even though his father was washed up at the age of 33? And they are willing to pay nearly $24 million per year along the way?

Good luck.

I know Fielder would have been fun to see in the lineup everyday as an M's fan, but that type of contract is just asinine.

[TTown]

yeah... i'll pass on that contract.