Trumbo Swung to Arizona in Three Team Deal

"I'm going that-a-way."

There's been rumors for several days that the Los Angeles Angels were trying to deal first baseman/outfielder Mark Trumbo. Tuesday afternoon one of the rumors came true when Trumbo was sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a three team deal.  The Angels picked up left-handed pitchers Hector Santiago from the Chicago White Sox and Tyler Skaggs from Arizona. The Diamonbacks also sent outfield prospect Adam Eaton to Chicago.

Home runs (29, 32, 34) and RBI (87, 95, 100) increased each of the three years the 27-year old Trumbo played for the Angels, but so did his lack of contact. Trumbo struck out a career worst 184 times in 2013 and had an on-base percentage of .294. The Diamondbacks will look to Trumbo to add power to a lineup that relied heavily on Paul Goldschmidt last season. (The NL MVP runner-up hit 36 of the teams' 130 home runs.)

Eaton was supposed to make a major impact on the Diamondbacks lineup this past season, but an injured left elbow limited him to 66 games and he managed to produced just a .674 OPS. He'll compete with Avisail Garcia, Alejandro De Aza, and Dayan Viciedo for playing time in the White Sox outfield.

Skaggs was originally selected in the first round (40th overall pick) of the 2009 MLB amateur draft by the Angels. He was dealt to Arizona at the 2010 trade deadline as part of a package for veteran starter Dan Haren. The 6'5" left-hander made 13 Major League starts over the last two seasons with an ERA over 5.00, a WHIP of 1.412, and 7.4 strikeouts/9 IP.

Prior to the 2013 season he was named the 12th best prospect in baseball by Baseball American and MLB.com tapped him as the number 10 prospect. But after having success at the Double-A (13 starts) and Triple-A (9 starts) level in 2012, Bauer struggled in his first full year at the Triple-A level. He allowed more than a hit per inning and gave up 4.5 runs per game. A drop in velocity of Skaggs' fastball was considered to be the main reason for the drop in performance.

Santiago started, closed, and pitched middle relief during his three year stint with the White Sox. This past season he started 23 games and came out of the pen another 11 times. The Newark, New Jersey native can strikeout batters with the best of them (8.3/9 innings in '13), but also struggles with his command (72 walks in 149 IP). It's not yet known how the Angels plan to use him.

Rays Want Some More Heath Bell

Bell back in the good old days in San Diego.

Heath Bell was once "top of the world, Ma" (That's Cagney, not Titanic), but after he signed a free agent deal with the Florida Marlins, the one time NL saves leader came crashing back to Earth. Bell will be with his fourth team in four years this coming Spring Training after the Tampa Bay Rays acquired him Tuesday from the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a three team deal.

In addition to Bell, the Rays will also get catcher Ryan Hanigan and cash from the Reds. Cincinnati will receive left-hander David Holmberg from Arizona, while the Dbacks get right-hander Justin Choate from the Rays and a player to be named later.

Bell saved more than 40 games for three straight seasons (2009-2011) while a member of the San Diego Padres. The 36-year old signed a three-year, $27MM deal with the Marlins following the 2011 season, but was part of the mass purge orchestrated by owner/con-man Jeffrey Loria. Bell landed in Arizona in October, 2012 as part of a three team deal that included Oakland.

His one season in Miami was a disaster with a 5+ ERA and 8 blown saves in 27 chances. He eventually lost the closer role to Steve Cishek. Bell started off well in AZ with 13 saves in 15 opportunities, but then blew five of his next seven chances and lost the full-time job.

The Rays are hoping Bell can turn things around just as Fernando Rodney did after he signed with the Rays as a free agent prior to the 2012 season. Once a mediocre set up man and poor closer, Rodney was an All-Star and finished 5th in the 2012 AL Cy Young voting after he saved 48 of 50 games and limited the opposition to a 1.08 ERA. Rodney blew eight of 45 chances in 2013, but is expected to sign a multi-year deal elsewhere. In the meantime, Bell will be among those vying for the vacant closer's role.

Holmberg is a 22-year old that was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 2nd round of the 2009 MLB amateur draft. He made his Major League debut on August 27 in a start against the San Diego Padres and left with no decision after he allowed three earned runs in 3.2 innings pitched. The lefty isn't overpowering and relies on a good curveball. Despite being a starter in the minor leagues, he's likely ticketed to become a lefty specialist if he earns his way on to a Major League roster.

Choate signed a free agent deal with the Rays after being undrafted out of Texarkana (TX) College, which won the JUCO title in 2010. Choate pitched with some success for the Hudson Valley Renegades of the NY-Penn League last season. In 40.2 innings thrown, he struck out 35, walked 9, and pitched to a 2.88 ERA.

Red Sox Snare Peavy in 3 Team Deal

Peavy going from the outhouse to the penthouse

Several reports late tonight have Chicago White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy going to the Boston Red Sox in a three team deal that involves the Detroit Tigers as well.

Peavy is guaranteed $14.5MM next season and has a $15MM option for 2015 if he meets certain goals over the 2013-14 seasons.  The Red Sox sent shortstop Jose Iglesias, who has played third base in a number of games for Boston, to Detroit.  With Jhonny Peralta's name mentioned in the Biogenesis scandal, Iglesias may soon be the Tigers starting shortstop. Iglesias has a great glove, no hit reputation, but batted .330 with an OPS near .800 for Boston.

The Tigers sent highly touted outfielder Avisail Garcia to Chicago. So far Garcia's minor league success has not translated to the Major Leagues in the 53 games he has played.

Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reported that 2-3 lower level prospects will also be heading to Chicago. No word so far if they will all come from Boston.

The move could also mean that Will Middlebrooks will be recalled to play third base for Boston.

Morse Headed to Mariners in 3 Team Deal

I was hoping the Yankees could work out a deal for power hitting outfielder/first baseman Michael Morse, but the 6'5" slugger will call Seattle his new home in 2013.

The Mariners acquired Morse from the Washington Nationals in a deal that also involved the Oakland A's. Mariners catcher John Jaso will be headed to Oakland, while the A's sent A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen to the Nationals. A player to be named later will also be sent from the A's to the Nationals.

Morse was a light hitting utility infielder when he played for the Mariners from 2005-2008. Morse began to show some pop with his bat in his first year in Washington (2009) and followed it up with a break out season a year later when he hit 31 home runs and drove in 95 runs. Injuries limited Morse to 102 games in 2012, but he managed to hit 18 HR and knocked in 62.

Morse and Kendrys Morales, acquired earlier this off-season from the Angels, are expected to help bolster a Mariners lineup that was dead last in runs scored (619) last season. He became expendable in Washington when the Nationals re-signed first baseman Adam LaRoche.

Jaso split his time between catcher and DH last season and set career highs in home runs (10), RBI (50), and OPS (.850).

Cole was drafted by the Nationals in the fourth round of the 2010 amateur draft and dealt to Oakland as part of the package that brought 21-game winner Gio Gonzalez to DC prior to last season. He stood out at Double-A Burlington last year with a 2.07 ERA and struck out 102 in 95.2 innings before a promotion to Triple-A.  .

Treinen was selected by the A's in the 7th round of the 2011 draft and spent last season at high Class 'A' Stockton.