The Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with free-agent infielder Jack Hannahan, according to FoxSports.com.

Hannahan, 32, hit .244/.312/.341 with four homers and 29 RBIs in 105 games with the Cleveland Indians this past season.

Hannahan will serve primarily as a backup to third baseman Todd Frazier next season. And he could have company in that role.

According to CBSSports.com, free-agent third baseman Scott Rolen is contemplating a return to the majors in 2013. The 37-year-old Rolen has been limited to only 157 games in the past two seasons combined because of injuries and was believed to be leaning toward retirement. If Rolen returns to the Reds, it likely would be as reserve.

$2,000,000 for 2013 is quite a nice reward to Jack Hannahan for surviving two seasons with the Tribe. No wonder ballplayers hang around the minors for as long as they do. He is now set for life if he doesn't blow it all at once.

Angels agree to five-year deal with Hamilton

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com | 12/13/12 4:01 PM ET


ANAHEIM -- Josh Hamilton, believe it or not, is headed to the Angels.

MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reported on Thursday that Hamilton has informed the Rangers he's headed to Southern California, signing what Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com and MLB Network first reported to be a five-year, $125 million contract.

"As per team policy and MLB rules, the Angels will not comment on the status of any contract negotiations with players," the club said in a statement. "With that said, we continue to look for ways to improve our team. As soon as we have something formal to announce, we will do so."

It seemed like the Angels were mostly done for the offseason, acquiring two starting pitchers (Tommy Hanson and Joe Blanton) and two back-end relievers (Ryan Madson and Sean Burnett) to push their payroll to about $140 million.

But Angels owner Arte Moreno, one offseason removed from signing Albert Pujols to a $240 million deal, made yet another splash.

Hamilton's deal, which comes with a reported average annual value of $25 million, would push the Angels' payroll to a franchise-record of about $165 million, after finishing at $159 million last year. It also counters the Dodgers' signing of Zack Greinke, whom the Angels wanted to bring back, and greatly cripples the division-rival Rangers.

The 31-year-old Hamilton won the American League MVP Award in 2010 and has long been considered one of baseball's best all-around players, hitting .313 while averaging 33 homers, 107 RBIs the last three seasons.

With the Angels, Hamilton's left-handed bat seemingly fits perfectly behind Pujols in the cleanup spot. His presence also frees up the possibility to acquire another starting pitcher via trade, with the likes of Peter Bourjos, Mark Trumbo and Kendrys Morales suddenly becoming expendable. Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey could be an option.

Bourjos wants to stay in Anaheim, but he also wants an opportunity.

"I'm not sure what's going to happen now," he said when reached by phone Thursday. "But at the end of the day, from my perspective, I just want to play. I really don't want to go through what I went through last year where I wasn't playing. The last two months, I got like three at-bats. So hopefully, if I'm the odd man out, hopefully they're willing to trade me and I'm able to go somewhere and play every day."

C.J. Wilson, Hamilton's former teammate with the Rangers and a current Angels pitcher, said he was thrilled to have Hamilton join him with the club.

"Really excited to dust off the Xbox controllers for the next few years on the road," Wilson wrote on his Twitter account, str8edgeracer. "It's a great day to be an Angel fan!"

ST. PETERSBURG -- Tampa Bay is closing in on a deal to sign right-hander Roberto Hernandez, according to a report in Thursday's St. Petersburg Times. Hernandez, who had been known as Fausto Carmona prior to the discovery that his identity had been falsified, could be used at the back end of the rotation or in the bullpen.

Heh I guess not everyone was happy about Hamilton going to Anaheim:

Torii Hunter ‏@toriihunter48

I was told money was tight but I guess the Arte had money hidden under a Mattress. Business is business but don't lie.
Retweeted by Buster Olney

ST. PETERSBURG --

Tampa Bay bolstered its pitching staff on Tuesday by bringing veteran right-hander Roberto Hernandez into the fold.

Hernandez, formerly known as Fausto Carmona prior to the discovery that his identity had been falsified, signed a one-year deal worth $3.25 million; an additional $1.85 million can be earned in incentives.

Hernandez can be used in the bullpen or in the starting rotation. He's known for being a ground-ball specialist due to a "heavy" sinker.

"Right now we're confident that he's going to help us get meaningful outs and will continue to allow our pitching to be a strength," said Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. "We're not sure exactly what role we'll use him in, but obviously he's got a lot more experience starting than pitching out of the bullpen.

"We feel like there's a lot of upside with him, and that with his ground ball tendencies he'll fit in extremely well with our infield defense and what we're envisioning it to be in 2013."

Losing James Shields in a recent trade with the Royals has put the Rays in a situation where they will have to make up for a lot of innings previously accounted for by the workhorse, who pitched 200-plus innings six straight seasons. Hernandez looks made-to-order for what the Rays need.

"This guy's got experience logging a lot of innings in the rotation," Friedman said. "He's gotten up to 215 and has thrown over 200 a couple of times, a couple of times gotten close to 200. And whether he's in the rotation or not, making our bullpen deeper to account for the lost innings is something that's very much on our mind."

Hernandez, 32, finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2007 -- posting a 19-8 record with a 3.06 ERA, and he was an All-Star in '10. Cleveland did not exercise a $6 million club option to retain him for the '13 season.

Hernandez was arrested on Jan. 19 in the Dominican Republic for using the false name Fausto Carmona, when his real name was reported to be Roberto Hernandez Heredia. He was arrested while leaving the American consulate in Santo Domingo, where he had gone to renew his visa so he could return to the United States for Spring Training.

Hernandez's birth date had been listed as Dec. 7, 1983, which would have made him 17 years old when he signed with the Indians as a non-drafted free agent in 2000. His birth date is now listed as Aug. 30, 1980.

In 2012, he made only three starts, all in August, and went 0-3 with a 7.53 ERA. He began the season on Major League Baseball's Restricted List due to visa issues stemming from his arrest. After returning to the United States, Hernandez served a three-week suspension imposed by Major League Baseball and was then activated. A sprained right ankle sustained on Aug. 27 ended his season.

"This guy's got really good stuff," Friedman said. "The two-seamer, which he gets a lot of ground balls with. The slider, the changeup and we feel like he's got the repertoire to get out right-handed and left-handed hitters.

"Obviously last year was a lost year for him in a lot of respects. But we feel like this is one of those risk-reward stories that make a lot of sense for us, and the up side is really compelling and gives us a chance to add to our pitching depth, which is something that is a focus for us in a way that it hasn't been in previous years."

Hernandez has compiled a career 53-69 record and 4.64 ERA over 184 games, 153 starts, and he has limited right-handed hitters to a .243 batting average over his career.

Already this offseason, the Rays have added first baseman James Loney, shortstop Yunel Escobar and handful of Major League-ready prospects from the Royals in addition to Hernandez. Though a lot of the Rays' work has been done, Friedman said he would like to add "one or two more relievers" and "a bat or two" before camp opens in Port Charlotte in early February.

Obviously last year was a lost year for him in a lot of respects. But we feel like this is one of those risk-reward stories that make a lot of sense for us, and the up side is really compelling and gives us a chance to add to our pitching depth, which is something that is a focus for us in a way that it hasn't been in previous years."

I also think so. I wish we could have given him one more year.

As one who was at Carmona's first minor league game it was time to move on.

I have to agree a change of scenery was needed for him.

One less outfielder available. I thought the Indians might go after Ross if Swisher turned them down.

D-backs agree to deal with outfielder Ross
By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com | 12/22/12 1:53 PM ET

PHOENIX -- The D-backs agreed to a deal with free-agent outfielder Cody Ross on Saturday, a baseball source told MLB.com. The club did not confirm the deal.

The three-year deal, which was first reported by the New York Daily News, is worth $26 million with a club option for a fourth year that includes a $1 million buyout, according to ESPN's Jim Bowden.

Ross made 528 plate appearances for the Red Sox last year and hit .267 with 34 doubles, 22 homers and 81 RBIs.

The soon-to-be 32-year-old seems to be an odd fit with the D-backs given the team's surplus of outfielders. It could mean that the club is preparing to deal one of its current outfielders -- Justin Upton, Jason Kubel, Gerardo Parra or Adam Eaton.

Trade rumors have swirled around Upton throughout the winter, though they have cooled of late and it seemed more likely the D-backs would deal Kubel to make more playing time for Parra.

It is also possible that the team had concerns about turning over the everyday center-field job to Eaton, who has just a few weeks of big league playing time under his belt.

Ross has played for six teams during his nine-year career and played a huge role in the Giants' run to the 2010 World Series title.

ESPN's Jim Bowden reports that Nick Swisher is strongly considering signing with the Indians.
Swisher's preference is to sign in Los Angeles or New York, but the Yankees have all but ruled out bringing him back and there doesn't appear to be any interest from the Dodgers. According to WTAM's Nick Camino, the Indians have a four-year, $52 million standing offer for Swisher. In addition to Cleveland, the Rangers, Mariners, and Red Sox have also been linked as landing spots.


Related: Indians
Source: Jim Bowden on Twitter Dec 22 - 1:21 PM

RED SOX ACQUIRE ALL-STAR CLOSER JOEL HANRAHAN AND INFIELDER BROCK HOLT


The Boston Red Sox today acquired two-time All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan and infielder Brock Holt from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for right-handed pitchers Mark Melancon and Stolmy Pimentel, infielder Ivan De Jesus, and first baseman/outfielder Jerry Sands.

Hanrahan, 31, ranks fourth among National League relievers over the last two seasons with 76 saves and a 2.24 ERA (32 ER/128.1 IP) (min. 100.0 IP) and has recorded 128 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .205 batting average in that time. He and Atlanta’s Craig Kimbrel are the only players to collect at least 35 saves and post an ERA under 3.00 in both 2011 and 2012, and he earned NL All-Star honors in each of those two campaigns.

Holt, 24, was selected by Pittsburgh in the ninth round of the 2009 June Draft and made his Major League debut with the Pirates in September, hitting .292 (19-for-65) in 24 games. He spent the majority of 2012 with Double-A Altoona and led the Eastern League with a .322 average (123-for-382) and was the fifth-hardest player to strike out (8.47 PA/SO). He also saw his first Triple-A action and batted .432 (41-for-95) in 24 games with Indianapolis.

This makes all kinds of sense for the Rangers to help fill the Hamilton hole:

Lance Berkman - 1B - Cardinals

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that free agent Lance Berkman has engaged in talks with the Rangers.
Berkman is known to be considering retirement, but the allure of playing for a contender -- in his home state, nonetheless -- might be enough to sway "Big Puma." The Astros were also interested in Berkman at one point this winter, but they have a crowded depth chart at first base and designated hitter. And they also have no hope of competing in the American League West in 2013.

Speaking of Jody Gerut

Gerut on mission to protect players' finances

Former Major Leaguer turned agent focused on preventing money woes

By Anthony Castrovince | Archive

01/07/13 10:00 AM ET

There was a time when Jody Gerut, despite his Stanford education and professional signing bonus and Major League paycheck, knew absolutely nothing about money.

Oh, sure, he had a financial adviser from a reputable, recognizable firm. He was playing right in the midst of the tech bubble, and he had some stocks and bonds -- from companies like General Motors and AOL/Time Warner -- that seemed secure enough.

But Gerut didn't come from money, wasn't surrounded by people who understood money. He didn't know enough about money to even ask the right people the right questions.

"It was," he says, "paralyzing, debilitating."

Gerut, 35, shakes his head when he looks back at that old portfolio and his own ignorance. Had he not wised up early in his big league career, done his homework and started managing his own money, who knows how much that particular portfolio would have crippled his post-playing funds?

During parts of six seasons, Gerut was an American League Rookie of the Year candidate with the Indians in 2003 and a Comeback Player of the Year candidate with the Padres in 2008. In between and afterward were assorted knee problems, platoon roles, Minor League assignments and bench jobs that kept his career from being particularly lengthy or celebrated.

Gerut, though, was an undeniably interesting player -- probably one of the few who subscribed to The Economist or immersed himself in textbook-sized biographies of political greats. His answers in interviews were always just a little more thoughtful, a little more insightful, and, yes, a little more wordy. When he announced his retirement in early 2011, he did so with a 231-word statement that was refreshingly honest.

Baseball-Reference.com estimates that Gerut made just north of $5 million in his career, plus the $450,000 he received as a signing bonus after the Rockies drafted him in the second round in 1998. Over time, he learned to spend and invest his money wisely, and so today he lives quite comfortably.

But Gerut's story is no longer about his own money. His focus these days, in his newly embraced role as a player agent for Wasserman Media Group, is on other people's money. It's on the remarkable number of professional athletes who don't wise up, don't take care of their future savings while racking up their current earnings.

Maybe it's a difficult topic for average fans to understand or even sympathize with, especially at a time of year when we're routinely hearing about Major League ballplayers signing contracts worth unbelievable amounts of money. But the number of pro athletes who go broke is staggering.

A few years back, Sports Illustrated culled sources -- including athletes, players' associations, agents and financial advisers -- and found that 78 percent of former NFL players had gone bankrupt or were under financial stress within two years of retirement and 60 percent of NBA players were broke within five years of retirement.

The magazine did not report a percentage for MLB, where the bankruptcy issue is not nearly as pandemic, but it did mention ballplayers like Johnny Damon, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Pelfrey and Scott Eyre getting tied up in Texas financier Allen Stanford's $8 billion Ponzi scheme.

Truth is, the majority of us don't know much about money or how to save or invest it. The majority of us also don't make the kind of money that professional athletes do. For them, poor decisions can be crippling, not just because of the sheer amount of money involved but also because of their relatively brief peak-earnings potential.

That was something Gerut picked up on early in his Major League career. He's thankful he did. By the end of his career, which included stints as a union representative, coaches and teammates would approach him for advice about their personal finances.

"I got a chance," he says, "to see some of the crap that was being brought to players."

Shaky real-estate deals. Investments in bogus inventions. Family friends looking for handouts. You name it, and the millionaire athlete sees it. And it can become all too easy to throw good money at bad.

After his retirement, Gerut started to dig deeper into the issue. For one, he studied for and received his investment adviser license from the Securities and Exchange Commission. He also spent six months researching athlete bankruptcy in the four major professional sports, talking at length with agents, players and advisers.

He found that, in MLB in particular, the bankruptcy rate for foreign-born Latino players was significantly higher than that of other ballplayers. He estimates that 70 percent of foreign-born Latino players in MLB endure financial hardship within four years of retirement.

"In a lot of cases, there's a lot of trust being put into people that shouldn't be trusted," Gerut says. "There's a lack of understanding of what power of attorney means and the implications of giving the wrong person power of attorney.

"If there's one consistency through my interviewing with bankrupt or financially distressed guys, it was, 'I couldn't say no to family.' So you've got some really difficult human situations, compassion situations."

Gerut's compassion for this particular issue led him to an industry that, fairly or not, is not always known for compassion. He never set out to become an agent; in fact, his goal was to start a consulting firm. But he quickly discovered that the best way to work with players was to represent them, and he joined Wasserman last fall.

"My life's work," he says, "has become the reduction of athlete bankruptcy down to zero percent. As much as I want to be an agent that pushes the market appropriately, I also want my identity to be the anti-bankruptcy agent."

His goal is to better educate today's athletes, particularly those in Latin America, about life after sports, and this means educating himself as well. He's considering a position on an advisory board for a nonprofit dealing with athlete bankruptcy, and he's also studying up on franchising -- a popular investment for current and former athletes -- so that he'll be able to provide proper counsel to clients considering that course.

Just as Gerut was an atypical Major Leaguer, he is now an atypical agent -- one invested as much in a player's post-playing security as his current earning potential.

Gerut is early in his new career, but it could be an interesting one to follow, focused as it is on an oft-overlooked issue in American sports.

Nice to see that Jody is doing well for himself.