We're trudging through January and looking longingly at spring training report dates. Most days are slow, but on this one we got a fair amount of action. No need to drag things out, let's get to it.
Roster moves, hirings, etc.
Dodgers: The Dodgers reportedly agreed to sign Cuban pitcher Yaisel Sierra. Also, they announced the hiring of vice president Alex Anthopolous, giving them six executives with GM experience. See the Mariners and Yankees for some minor moves, too.
Mariners: They traded minor-league infielder Erick Mejia to the Dodgers for right-hander Joe Wieland, both teams announced.
Marlins: They agreed to sign starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen to a five-year deal worth $80 million with an opt-out and without a no-trade clause. Also, the club has agreed to sign infielder Chris Johnson (Barry Jackson).
Rockies: The club agreed to sign Gerardo Parra to a three-year, $27.5 million deal. More on the fallout below.
Yankees: The club announced that it acquired left-handed reliever Tyler Olson and infielder Ronald Torreyes from the Dodgers for minor-league infielder Rob Segedin.
Reports, rumors and speculation
Angels: Throughout the offseason, Angels owner Arte Moreno has let it be known he wants to stay under the luxury tax threshold (and the club is about $5 million away). As far as possibly going over the threshold to sign Chris Davis, Justin Upton or Yoenis Cespedes, new GM Billy Eppler said, "I'm not going to say." (via latimes.com)
More on the Angels: They have settled on pitcher Hector Santiago's arbitration figure early, in case they wish to trade him (Alden Gonzalez).
Cardinals: Might they still make a big splash? GM John Mozeliak says no, noting that he's content with the position players/lineup they currently have (Cardinals.com).
Marlins: Now that Chen has been signed, outfielder Marcell Ozuna is expected to remain with the club (Joe Frisaro). He had previously been on the trade block with the Marlins hoping to grab a starting pitcher in return.
Orioles: See Rockies.
Rockies: With Parra on board -- as has been the speculation for weeks -- the Rockies are now expected to trade one of their three starting-caliber outfielders (Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, Corey Dickerson) for pitching. The Orioles are involved, per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports. The Tigers are also in the mix, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, though he says the "precise target is unclear" and no deal is close.
Starting pitching field: Jon Heyman reports that the Royals, Nationals, Astros and Rockies are possible destinations for free agent starting pitcher Ian Kennedy.
Tigers: See Rockies.
Miscellany
Arbitration: 156 players filed for salary arbitration, the MLBPA announced. This is a formality for players with service time between three and six years (including "Super Two" guys as well). The overwhelming majority will come to a salary agreement before an actual arbitration hearing date. None are free agents. This is simply accounting.
Minor-league lawsuit: More than 1,100 former and current players are taking part in a lawsuit against MLB and 22 major-league teams. The most pertinent detail:
A group of 34 players led by ex-Marlins farmhand Aaron Senne filed suit against Major League Baseball about two years ago, alleging violations of federal and state labor laws that include minimum-wage and overtime states. Major League Baseball has contested the lawsuit in part on the grounds that the Fair Labor Standards Act includes exceptions for “seasonal, amusement or recreational establishments,” and in part on the grounds that minor-league baseball is something of an apprenticeship for the far more lucrative major leagues.
Full story available on ProvidenceJournal.com.
MLB: The league, in conjunction with the player's association, will require each of the 30 teams to have a full-time Spanish interpreter in 2016.
Monte Irvin: The Hall of Famer passed away at age 96.
