MLB Roundup: Rangers draft Seahawks QB Wilson
If Russell Wilson ever decides to give up his NFL career for a return to baseball -- and it's extremely doubtful he will -- the Seattle Seahawks' quarterback could be relocating to Texas.
The Rangers selected Wilson from the Colorado Rockies' organization with the 15th overall selection in the Triple-A phase of what was clearly the oddest move in the Rule 5 Draft that concluded the Winter Meetings on Thursday.
Wilson, 25, spent the 2010-11 seasons as a second baseman in the lower levels of the Rockies' farm system, hitting just .229 in 93 games before turning his attention to college football at Wisconsin as a graduate student after playing three seasons at North Carolina State.
The Seahawks selected Wilson in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft and he doesn't seem headed back to baseball anytime soon. He led Seattle to the playoffs as a rookie last season and the Seahawks lead the NFC with an 11-2 record this season.
"Hey, you never know what might happen," Rangers professional scouting director Josh Boyd told The Sports Xchange. "He's a gifted athlete and it can't hurt to have him on one of our minor-league (reserve lists)."
Meanwhile, nine players, including seven pitchers, were selected in the major-league phase of the draft. Those players must stay on the major-league roster of their new teams throughout the 2014 season or be offered back to their original team for half the $50,000 draft price.
Left-hander Patrick Shuster was the first player selected, taken by the Houston Astros from the Arizona Diamondbacks and then sent to the San Diego Padres as the player to be named to complete an earlier trade. He was 0-1 with a 1.83 ERA in 55 relief appearances with high-Class A Visalia in 2013.
--The Detroit Tigers have agreed to a contract with free agent reliever Joba Chamberlain, multiple media outlets reported Thursday.
The contract is for one year at $2.5 million plus incentives, according to CBSSports.com.
The 28-year-old Chamberlain had a 4.93 ERA in 42 relief innings for the New York Yankees last season. For his career, he owns a 3.51 ERA out of the bullpen.
--Outfielder Justin Ruggiano was traded from the Miami Marlins to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Brian Bogusevic.
Ruggiano, 31, split five seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins since 2007, batting .251 with 49 doubles, 37 home runs and 109 RBI in 317 games.
Bogusevic signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs prior to the 2013 season. He batted .273 with six home runs and 16 RBI in 47 games with the Cubs.
--The San Francisco reached an agreement on a one-year contract with outfielder Michael Morse on Thursday, pending a physical.
According to ESPN's Buster Olney, Morse will get a base salary of about $5 million plus incentives for the 2014 season.
Morse, 31, missed time this past season with both a broken right pinkie and strained right quadriceps before returning from the disabled list in late July. The nine-year veteran, batted .215 with 13 home runs and 27 RBIs in 88 games between the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles.
--The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to terms with right-hander Roberto Hernandez to a one-year contract pending a physical, multiple media outlets reported Thursday.
Hernandez, 33, will be installed in the Phillies' rotation. Hernandez, formerly known as Fausto Carmona, started 24 games for the Tampa Bay Rays last season and had a 6-13 record and 4.89 ERA in 32 appearances. His career ERA is 4.67 in eight seasons.
--The Pittsburgh Pirates re-signed veteran free agent shortstop Clint Barmes on Thursday, according to multiple media reports.
The 34-year-old Barmes, who is mostly valued as an excellent defensive shortstop, hit .211 in 304 at-bats for the Pirates last year, splitting time at shortstop with Jordy Mercer.
