The Yankees, Mets and Dodgers are among several teams who have inquired about the availability of White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez, according to CBS Chicago's Bruce Levine.
MLB trade rumors: Alexei Ramirez, Howie Kendrick drawing interest
Ramirez is a durable, low-cost alternative to some of the more widely discussed shortstops on the trade and free-agent markets, while Kendrick is coming off of his best season as a big leaguer.
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Ramirez, 33, earned his second career Silver Slugger award on Thursday after hitting .273/.305/.408 with 15 home runs in 2014. The seven-year MLB veteran’s contract situation is desirable for interested teams, notes Levine. Ramirez will make $10 million in 2015 and has a $10 million club option for the following year.
Despite the offensive hardware, Ramirez has been a below-average hitter in his big league career, posting a 92 OPS+ in more than 4,000 plate appearances. He was one of the better fielding shortstops in the American League for a three-year stretch at the turn of the decade but has been a combined 10 runs below average over the past two seasons, according to Baseball-Reference.
The Mets might be the best possible fit among the three main suitors as a result of their surplus of pitching prospects, writes Levine. The White Sox are reportedly in the market for cost-controlled young pitching to plug into a rotation that already features a pair of solid 25-year-old starters in Chris Sale and Jose Quintana.
Jays interested in Kendrick
Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick is a potential target for the Blue Jays, per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith.
The Halos are open to offers on the 31-year-old veteran, who will make $9.5 million in his final season before free agency. Kendrick can block trades to four teams, according to Nicholson-Smith, though it’s not known if the Jays are one of them.
Kendrick is a career .292/.332/.424 hitter and is coming off of his best big league season, accumulating 5.4 rWAR as a result of strong defense combined with a 115 OPS+.
Lincecum likely returning to Giants rotation
Tim Lincecum could find himself back in the Giants' starting five next season, manager Bruce Bochy told CSN Bay Area's Andrew Baggarly.
After posting a 4.67 ERA in 26 starts during the first five months of 2014, Lincecum finished the year in San Francisco's bullpen. The 30-year-old right-hander allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits in 10⅓ innings of relief from Aug. 31 through the end of the season. He made only one appearance in October during the Giants' championship run, striking out two Royals in 1⅔ perfect innings in Game 2.
Putz joins D-backs’ front office
The Diamondbacks hired longtime MLB reliever J.J. Putz to serve as a special assistant to team president and CEO Derrick Hall, according to a club announcement Thursday.
Putz ended his career in Arizona in 2014 with his worst season as a big leaguer, but the 37-year-old right-hander managed a combined 2.45 ERA in his previous three campaigns in the desert. Putz struck out more than a batter per inning and posted a 3.08 ERA with 189 saves in 12 major league seasons.
In his new role, Putz will serve as a pitching coach during spring training before transitioning into more traditional front office functions, according to a team press release.
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