Trachsel Signs with O's

At Rotoworld they write about the Orioles signing Steve Trachsel to a 1 year contract:

Steve Trachsel and the Orioles have agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.1 million contract with a $4.75 million option for 2008, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

That didn't take long. Trachsel will replace Kris Benson in the rotation, putting Jeremy Guthrie back in the bullpen mix and making it likely that Hayden Penn and Garrett Olson will open the season in Triple-A. It's unlikely that he'll have any fantasy value.

Orioles Are Talking To Trachsel

At Rotoworld they write about the Orioles interest in Steve Trachsel since Kris Benson will be out for the entire season with shoulder surgery:

SI.com's Jon Heyman confirms that the Orioles are talking to free agent Steve Trachsel as they look for a replacement for Kris Benson.

Trachsel had a higher ERA than Benson while pitching in the National League last year, but it wouldn't necessarily a big downgrade if the Orioles plugged him into their rotation. Still, Mark Redman would probably be a slightly better pickup.

Astros Close To Signing Trachsel

At MLB Rumors they write about the Astros and how close they are at signing Steve Trachsel:

According to Sports Radio 610 in Houston, the Astros are in the final stages of a one year deal with free agent pitcher Steve Trachsel.

Trachsel's agents, the Levinson brothers, met with Astros GM Tim Purpura on Febuary 7th, and according to a source close to negotiations, the meeting went well. Trachsel was 15-8 with a 4.97 ERA and 79 K with the Mets last season. Trachsel had his break out year with the Cubs in 1998, going 15-8 with a 4.46 ERA. Since 1993, Trachsel has gone 134-143 with a 4.28 ERA with the Cubs, Blue Jays, Devil Rays, and Mets. When the deal is reached, Trachsel will be the fifth starter behind Oswalt, Jennings, Williams, and Rodriguez.

Trachsel update

At Rotoworld they give an update on Steve Trachsel:

The Nationals aren't one of the three teams in the running for free agent Steve Trachsel, according to MLB.com.

While the Nationals made Trachsel an offer last month, the two sides broke off negotiations long ago. The Astros are the only team known to be interested in Trachsel.

I guess you shouldn't have walked out on the Mets during the NLCS, HUH?

Minimal interest in Trachsel

John Delcos at Lo Hud writes about Steve Trachsel and why he thinks there is hardly any interest in him from any team:

Here we are, inside of two weeks before pitchers and catchers report, and Steve Trachsel doesn’t have a new baseball home. He did win 15 games last season, but there’s been no offers. Maybe it’s because teams remember how he spit the bit in the playoffs, and seemingly mailed in his last start. That’s why the Mets couldn’t say goodbye fast enough.

Word is, he’d like to stay in the National League, and there’s been reported interest from St. Louis, Houston, Washington and LA.

Astros could sign Trachsel

At MLB Trade Rumors, they write about Steve Trachsel and how he might be signing with the Astros:

According to Tim Purpura, the Astros are flirting with free agent Steve Trachsel, but no heavy petting has taken place. Or something like that. Ken Rosenthal, for one, thinks the Astros should stop fretting about the $2-3MM price tag and sign him already for some depth.

Personally, I don't know. I see what Trax has done this decade, and it's respectable. But the man is in serious decline. PECOTA says Chris Sampson, Fernando Nieve, or Troy Patton could do pretty much the same thing for the league minimum. This smacks of the Ramon Ortiz signing. It's just not a good way to spend three million bucks. So what if Trachsel's a known quantity? At least one of the kids has a chance at taking a leap forward.

Trachsel update

At Rotoworld, they write about Steve Trachsel and who is interested in him:

The Nationals have submitted offers to free agents Steve Trachsel, Tony Armas Jr., Ramon Ortiz, Jorge Sosa and Jerome Williams, MLB.com reports.

And it's known they've also offered Tomo Ohka a contract. The newer proposals range from a minor league deal (likely Williams) to a $3 million salary (probably Trachsel and/or Armas). We're surprised Bruce Chen's name is nowhere to be found, as he'd make a lot of sense in RFK Stadium.

Which free agent should the Mets sign?

Mike Vat at Transplanted Mets Fan, writes up a nice little article about who he feels the Mets should sign:

Consider these still available free agents, with their 2007 ages and their 2006 regular season stats:

Pitcher A (RHP, 30 years old) 8-14, 5.76 ERA, 107 K's in 172 innings

Pitcher B (RHP 31 years old) 4-5, 4.82 ERA, 50 K's in 97 innings

Pitcher C (RHP 29 years old) 9-12, 5.03 ERA, 97 K's in 154 innings

Pitcher D (RHP 36 years old) 15-8, 4.97 ERA, 79 Ks in 164 innings

Pretty much a no-brainer to try and sign Pitcher D, huh? Problem his, Pitcher D is one Stephen Christopher Trachsel. Of course, there's hardly a chance of the Mets re-signing him. And can you believe with the contracts handed out to pitchers this offseason that we haven't heard a rumor of him signing anywhere?

Now, I'm not advocating re-signing Trachsel. But, if we don't think much of Trachsel, why should the Mets sign any of the other guys. If they are worse than the guy they'd replace, then why bother? I've got a lot more faith in Perez, Maine, Pelfrey or Humber.

Trachsel's status

At Rotoworld, they write about Steve Trachsel:

The agents for free agents Steve Trachsel and Jason Marquis have tried to interest the Twins in their clients, but GM Terry Ryan isn't going there.

There was a bogus rumor last month that the Dodgers might sign Trachsel to a three-year contract. If there's legitimate interest in the right-hander, it hasn't come to light yet. Teams will likely begin calling once the second-tier starters disappear from the market.