Hot Stove roundup: AL West teams gear up
Seattle tabs McClendon to manage; Rangers re-sign Soto; Yanks inquire about Phillips
The majority of free agents remain on the open market after the first full day in which they were eligible to sign with a new team. Here are a few other notes from around the Majors on Tuesday:
• The Seattle Mariners have found their new manager. Lloyd McClendon became the fourth Major League skipper hired this offseason, but the first with any big league managerial experience. McClendon led the Pirates from 2001-05, going 336-446, though Pittsburgh was in the middle of a 20-year run of losing seasons. The 54-year-old spent the past eight years as a coach on Jim Leyland's staff in Detroit.
• The Rangers have a new No. 1 catcher: Geovany Soto. Soto was signed to a one-year, $3.05 million deal and is expected to be the team's starting catcher. General manager Jon Daniels said this doesn't necessarily take the Rangers out of the market for free-agent catcher Brian McCann, but the team is happy going forward with Soto as its everyday backstop. Soto hit nine home runs in just 163 at-bats while posting a .245 average and .794 OPS in 2013.
• A.J. Burnett, 36, remains unsure of whether or not he'll come back for another season, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Pirates did not present Burnett with a qualifying offer, and he is considering retirement. Burnett had 209 strikeouts in 191 innings in 2013, posting a 3.30 ERA.
• Should Robinson Cano not re-sign with the Yankees, they are already working on a backup plan at second base. According to CBS Sports, New York placed a call to the Reds to inquire about Brandon Phillips. Phillips is owed $50 million over the final four years of his contract, but CBS Sports reports the asking price is too steep for the Yankees' liking.
• Rafael Furcal is 36-years-old and coming off Tommy John surgery, but the three-time All-Star shortstop is already receiving plenty of interest this offseason, according to The Star-Ledger. The Mets are one team that has reportedly reached out to Furcal.
• The Halos signed former Angels infielder Gary DiSarcina to be their third-base coach. DiSarcina was the well-regarded manager of Triple-A Pawtucket in Boston's farm system.