Signed C-R Gerald Laird to a minor-league deal. [2/2]
Mike Petriello addressed the Diamondbacks' catching situation on Tuesday, ranking it the 31st-best in the majors. Laird's addition won't change that perception. Now 35, Laird is coming off the worst offensive season of his career—which is saying something for a fella with a career .232 True Average. To make matters worse, Laird doesn't excel at any of the quantifiable defensive areas. His most marketable attribute then doubles as prefix: veteran catcher. There's value in being one and in having one around—especially in a camp where a 21-year-old Rule-5 selection is the odds-on favorite to serve as the backup—but not enough to stick on a roster beyond March. If Laird makes the roster, Arizona is in trouble behind the plate; of course, as Petriello suggested, they probably are anyway.
Signed RHP Kyle Kendrick to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million. [2/3]
Signed RHP John Axford to a minor-league deal worth $2.6 million if he makes the majors. [2/2]
The Rockies add two more logs to the pitching staff fire.
Kendrick is a thoroughbred no. 5 starter. He doesn't miss bats, throw an unimaginable rate of strikes, keep the ball glued to the ground, or any other neat trick that adds value. All he does, in a positive sense, is eat innings for teams with no competitive aspirations. Kendrick has thrown more than 180 innings in the past two seasons and ... let's be honest, this is an uninspiring signing. It's one thing to sign down-market starters to fill slots, it's another to pay those starters more than their market's going rate (seemingly $4 million). Obviously $1.5 million makes little difference, but the only reasonable explanation for the gap involves a sin tax against Coors Field. Either way, Rockies fans will be begging for Jonathan Gray and Eddie Butler by June.
Axford joins his fifth team since the 2013 season, a nomadic lifestyle necessitated by his meager results (3.99 ERA, 2.06 strikeout-to-walk rate) and wavering command. His stuff remains quality, led by a mid-to-upper-90s fastball, and his groundball tendencies make him an acceptable fit in Coors (to a degree). This being Axford, there's a decent chance he winds up on his sixth team before the season ends.
Acquired INF-S Steve Lombardozzi from the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations. [2/3]
Lombardozzi gets dealt for the third time in a year and a half, and further validates the law of diminishing returns: first he was part of a package for Doug Fister, then the lone piece in a deal for Alex Gonzalez, and now he's swapped for money. Rough. Lombardozzi is a high-contact hitter without a great hit tool who doesn't hit for power or walk (he went 74 plate appearances without one in his latest big-league stint). There aren't any positives on defense, either. Lombardozzi has played all over, yet second base is his natural and best position. He's a depth piece with a semi-famous name, no more.
Signed C-R Wil Nieves to a minor-league deal. [2/2]
Having acquired Derek Norris and the option-less Tim Federowicz this winter, the Padres seem like a peculiar fit for another catcher. But few teams sign Nieves intending to use him as the backup; rather, they sign Nieves with an eye on shuffling him to the minors until injury strikes. He is the consummate spare catcher, if such a thing exists, complete with an eight-year streak of appearing in at least 20 big-league games (during which he's topped 200 plate appearances twice). Consider the likelihood of Nieves exercising his spring opt-out dependent on the status of the league's competent defensive backups; should one go down, Nieves could sneak his way onto an Opening Day roster.
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Transaction Analysis: ... (02/02)
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2 comments have been left for this article. 
Oh the February lull...