MLBTR: Phillies to sign Carlos Zambrano to minor league deal

Get ready for WORLD WAR Z.

The Phillies have officially announced the signing of Carlos Zambrano to a minor league deal. He will report to extended Spring Training in Clearwater, Fla. Zambrano is represented by Praver/Shapiro, as shown in MLBTR’s Agency Database.

The 31-year-old Zambrano had previously agreed to a contract with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League but never signed the contract as he continued to look for employment with a Major League team.

After spending parts of 11 seasons with the Cubs from 2001-11, Zambrano was traded to the Marlins (along with quite a bit of cash) for Chris Volstad. Notoriously hot-headed, Zambrano drew negative press in Chicago for fighting with teammates Michael Barrett and Derrek Lee. In his final years with the Cubs, he was suspended once by the league and once by the team for his antics.

Brewers re-sign former reliever Francisco Rodriguez

As a possible alternative should they seek to add an experienced relief pitcher to their roster at some point, the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday re-signed Francisco Rodriguez to a minor-league deal.

The deal is a no-risk move by the Brewers, who have 30 days to summon Rodriguez, 31, to the majors or grant his release. Rodriguez, who pitched the last 1 1/2 seasons for the Brewers, was not offered a job as a free agent over the off-season and has been in his native Venezuela. He did pitch for his country in the World Baseball Classic, but that has been his only competition since last year.

“K-Rod” will report to Maryvale Baseball Park in Phoenix to work out with the extended spring training program until ready to pitch. General manager Doug Melvin said Rodriguez needs to be granted a work visa, also, before he can be assigned to a minor-league team.

Melvin wouldn’t reveal details of the agreement, but CBS Sports reported the deal could net Rodriguez more than $2 million if he makes it to the majors.

Melvin said the move had nothing to do with John Axford being removed as closer a week into the season. Rodriguez was used as a fill-in closer in the middle of last season when Axford struggled.

Tigers release Brennan Boesch

Tigers jump out of the Boesch pit.

Brennan Boesch has been released by the Detroit Tigers.

“This morning, we have given Brennan Boesch his unconditional release from the organization,” Tigers president Dave Dombrowski told reporters today. Manager Jim Leyland “and I just spoke to him and explained the situation to him. As we’ve gone through this, Andy Dirks, we feel, has won the job to be our leftfielder.”

By releasing him today, the Tigers owe him one-sixth of his contract: just under $400,000.

Dombrowski said he had spoken to multiple teams about trading Boesch during the off-season and this spring.

“We could wait, but we just didn’t see a fit with our big-league club,” Dombrowski said. “I think we’re trying to do him a little favor.”

Boesch hit .240 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs last season and was left off the Tigers’ postseason roster.

Yankees Are Said to Pursue Derrek Lee as Replacement for Mark Teixeira

Sure, Richie Sexson would listen if the Yankees called.

With few obvious options available to replace the injured Mark Teixeira at first base, the Yankees are becoming creative in their search. They have asked the retired first baseman Derrek Lee whether he would come out of retirement, according to a person with knowledge of the talks who asked to remain anonymous.

As of Sunday night there was no deal pending, the person said, but Lee was interested and the situation could always be revisited.

Lee, 37, last played in the major leagues in 2011 for the Baltimore Orioles and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Despite being hit by a pitch that broke a bone in his left wrist, Lee had a decent season, batting .267 with 19 home runs in 113 games.

Vladimir Guerrero’s informercial surfaces

Direct link to the video, the password is csm1 .

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Free agent Vladimir Guerrero is trying to duplicate the success of the Cespedes video:

Ken Rosenthal tweeted a link to a video of Guerrero taking some cuts, running, and demonstrating that he can still toss a baseball, and it’s well worth a viewing based on the early 90s infomercial vibe and for a glimpse of Vlad rocking an Expos cap.

Direct link to the video, the password is csm1 .

Motor City Bengals: Kyle Lohse Speculation

Anybody got some Lohse change?

Every signing that [the Indians] have made has surprised folks that they were willing and able to spend the money and come with the certainty that NOW the Indians must be tapped out. Maybe they aren’t… and Lohse is a definite fit for a team that basically pitched itself out of the division race last season. The draft pick wouldn’t matter a bit – if I’m not mistaken, all they would lose would be a fourth rounder. The Kansas City Royals are another team that obviously can’t afford to put more money into payroll – but would probably make a great fit for Lohse.

2014 Free Agent Power Rankings

1.  Robinson Cano.  Cano is the clear number one choice, a corner type bat at a middle infield position.  2014 will be his age 31 season, and agent Scott Boras is surely licking his chops with an eight-year megacontract in the $200MM range within his sights.  Should the Yankees allow Cano to reach the open market, I expect the Dodgers to be players.

Alex Gonzalez agrees to return to Brewers

When you have a chance to pay a million bucks to a 36 year old shortstop coming off ACL surgery you have to take it.

Two days after saying he was still looking to add another infielder, Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin has found one - and a familiar one, at that.

The Brewers agreed to a one-year deal with shortstop Alex Gonzalez on Tuesday. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that the deal is worth $1.5 million and gives Gonzalez the opportunity to earn an additional $1 million in incentives.

The Brewers didn’t announce the deal because Gonzalez has yet to complete his physical - an important step because Gonzalez is coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

They also need to clear a spot on their 40-man roster to make room for Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, who will turn 36 on Feb. 15, was the Brewers’ starting shortstop to begin the 2012 season.

In 24 games, he hit .259 with four home runs and 15 runs batted in. Perhaps even more important, he solidified the defense up the middle before being lost for the season in early May when he injured his knee sliding into second base in San Francisco.

Gonzalez was also a popular player among teammates.

WEEI.com: Speier: Offseason Odyssey of Mike Napoli Comes to an End as Red Sox Deal Becomes Official

An update on why the negotiations between the Red Sox and their new Tower of Power took so long.

When Napoli arrived in Boston for a physical on Dec. 10, he expected the procedure to be routine. Certainly, he had no way of knowing that an MRI on his hips — regions that had never hindered him, and that had come up clean as recently as his physical with the Rangers last March — would lead to a renegotiation, a host of medical consultations and the ultimate revelation that he has avascular necrosis (AVN) in both hips, a degenerative condition in which a lack of blood flow to the region creates the potential for arthritis or even the destruction of the hip joint.

“I didn’t know I had it. It was definitely a shock to me,” said Napoli. “I’m able to put things behind me, and there’s nothing I can really do about that. I put it behind me, and I’m going to do whatever I can to keep myself healthy and move forward. I’m just going to have to deal with it and put it behind me and try to do the best I can to keep myself on the field and help us win in any way.”

[...]

Still, Napoli and his agent, Brian Grieper, suggested that at this stage of the condition, it should not be an impediment to his ability to stay on the field. Given that an MRI of the hips 10 months ago did not reveal evidence of AVN, that the catcher was asymptomatic during the season and even the offseason (he has been unhindered in his offseason workouts) and that Napoli is now being treated by Dr. Joseph Lane of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York (and receiving medication intended to slow the progress of the condition), both had an optimistic outlook while discussing the now-official one-year, $5 million deal with the Red Sox that includes incentives that could increase Napoli’s earnings to $13 million in 2013.

Reports: Shortstop Alexander Guerrero defects from Cuba

Guerrero has been one of Cuba’s best players the last few years, hitting .338/.408/.641 in 2009, .343/.414/.583 in 2010 and .310/.400/.599 in 2011. Between the three seasons, he delivered 60 homers in 886 at-bats.

He sat out the 2012 season due to a reported lack of motivation after being passed over for the national team, but still seems like a very interesting talent.

Bradford: Red Sox, Mike Napoli (finally) reach agreement

Story of extremely mild intrigue ends in mildly intriguing fashion.

According to a major league source, the Red Sox and Mike Napoli have reached an agreement on what is believed to be a one-year deal. The two sides had been renegotiating an agreed upon three-year, $39 million contract since concerns arose regarding the free agent first baseman’s hip after a team-administered physical on Dec. 10. The original deal was agreed upon on Dec. 3.

Passan: Rafael Soriano agrees to two-year, $28M deal with Nationals

Source: Rafael Soriano agrees to two-year, $28M deal with Nationals. Deal contains vesting option for third year.

Rafael Soriano’s $14 million option will vest with 120 games finished over the next two seasons.

Soriano gets the same contract he had guaranteed for 2013 plus another year at the same rate, and a non-worthless vesting option.

Phillies sign John Lannan and Mike Adams

Sources: Phillies have agreement with LHP John Lannan, pending a physical. Busy weekend for Phils, who also have agreement w RHP Mike Adams