Bengie Molina Rumors

Looking Beyond Varitek

According to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, a slew of catchers are being shopped to the Red Sox. Among them: Jeff Mathis, Mike Napoli, Brian Schneider, Miguel Montero, John Buck, Ramon Hernandez, Bengie Molina, Carlos Santana, Kelly Shoppach, Victor Martinez, Jesus Flores, Kenji Johjima, Jeff Clement, Yorvit Torrealba, and the Rangers' guys. Silverman says the Braves, Cardinals, and Rays also have catchers available. It seems that teams are asking for players like Justin Masterson, Clay Buchholz, or Lars Anderson in some cases. On the Jason Varitek front, Scott Boras told the AP yesterday that he's had no financial discussions...   Continue Reading

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Red Sox Rumors: Crisp, Lugo, Burnett, Baldelli

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has the latest on the Red Sox. GM Theo Epstein says there's one deal he might be able to do before the winter meetings, possibly involving Coco Crisp or Julio Lugo. The free agent market for center fielders and shortstops is weak this year. Cafardo doesn't believe the Sox are in on C.C. Sabathia or A.J. Burnett, and he says they're unsure about Derek Lowe. However, Buster Olney says "there is an expectation within other quarters of the AL East that the Red Sox will get in on the Burnett bidding." Cafardo does see...   Continue Reading

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Latest Red Sox Rumors

A few notes on the Red Sox... From Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe Scott Boras met with Theo Epstein about Jason Varitek. Boras is still seeking a deal similar to the one signed by Jorge Posada (four years/$52.4MM). Epstein continues to look at other catchers including Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Taylor Teagarden. Cafardo also notes that the Red Sox could go after a veteran through the trade market like Bengie Molina. Other teams have expressed interest in both Coco Crisp and Julio Lugo, but noted that Lugo would not be part of a deal to the White Sox. Cafardo says...   Continue Reading

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Giants Rumors: Burrell, Rollins, Rowand

THURSDAY: More Giants info, courtesy of John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. GM Brian Sabean is looking for offense in the infield, but he considers Cain untouchable. Jonathan Sanchez or various pitching prospects could be trade bait instead. Sabean also met with the agents for various free agent hitters and relievers, including Orlando Hudson and Bob Howry. WEDNESDAY: Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News has some interesting rumors this evening. Baggarly believes the rumor of the Giants' interest in Rafael Furcal makes sense, as it'd solidify their middle infield situation. He doesn't see the Giants signing Pat...   Continue Reading

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Rangers Want Pitcher For Catcher

The Rangers are seeking to deal one of their three catchers - Gerald Laird, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, or Max Ramirez - for pitching, says Evan Grant of the Dallas News. Grant notes that they would still have Taylor Teagarden, who they're also open to dealing if "the return is great enough." Grant discusses potential matches in the Giants, Red Sox, Brewers, Reds, and Tigers: "San Francisco has pitching depth, and the Rangers love the Giants' arms, but San Francisco has a more pressing need for a corner infielder than a catcher because Bengie Molina is signed for 2009. Getting a pitcher...   Continue Reading

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Heyman's Latest: Sabathia, Holliday, Griffey

SI.com's Jon Heyman has a new column up; let's take a look. "The prevailing opinion around baseball" is that C.C. Sabathia will sign with the Yankees, and C.C.'s friend Jimmy Rollins agrees. Matt Holliday "definitely intrigues" the Yankees. But they'd have to give up a lot to get him for one year, and they seem full at the outfield corners. Heyman, perhaps sensing a divide that does not exist, says Pat Gillick has relied on scouts rather than stats to make his decisions. Heyman also speaks of "a new hesitancy on the part of some to go for another young...   Continue Reading

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Cafardo's Latest: Lowe, Maddux, Peavy

Here's a look at the latest column from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Interestingly, the Red Sox are reportedly Derek Lowe's preferred destination. It's unknown whether the Sox intend to add a starter this winter, but they may lose free agent Paul Byrd (and will have to decide on Tim Wakefield's $4MM option). Cafardo names a dozen other clubs interested in Lowe: the Yankees, Mets, Tigers, Indians, Cardinals, Cubs, Angels, Braves, Phillies, Rangers, Astros, and Blue Jays. Bill Mueller, 38 in March, admits he'd like to play again. Medically, it's a long shot because he'd need to regrow cartilage...   Continue Reading

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Giants Rumors: Aurilia, Vizquel, Cain

Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News did some quick blogging from Brian Sabean's press conference today. Here's a full transcript. Hot stove notes: Rich Aurilia could be re-signed, but Omar Vizquel won't be back. The Giants will buy Vizquel out for $300K. With Pablo Sandoval penciled in at first base, the Giants may be reluctant to trade catcher Bengie Molina (my own speculation on the Molina part). Matt Cain is said to be "untouchable" in a trade. So we'll stop with the Cain trade scenarios for now. Possible offseason needs include bullpen help and a run-producer. The relief...   Continue Reading

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Molina Hopes For Extension With Giants

According to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, Giants catcher Bengie Molina hopes to sit down with team officials to discuss a contract extension. Molina is set to earn $6MM in '09 before reaching free agency. The 34 year-old is hitting .287/.316/.429 in 522 plate appearances, mainly as the Giants' cleanup hitter. Molina knows the Giants can afford to let him go, given the presence of Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey. If the Giants decide to use Sandoval at third base, perhaps they'll add one more year to Molina's contract.   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Sabathia, Pavano, Penny, Burnett

Random links to start the morning... Ben Shpigel says Billy Wagner's $10.5MM for '09 is not covered by insurance, making the Mets unlikely suitors for K-Rod (hat tip to MetsBlog). The Padres claimed knuckleballer Charlie Haeger. You have to like the move; he's only 24. Ken Davidoff writes about Nationals pitcher Tim Redding, who dreams about returning to the Yankees one day. Davidoff also says that contrary to popular belief, C.C. Sabathia did not buy a home in Southern California. In another post, Davidoff lists the worst trades of '08. Nats GM Jim Bowden will probably bring in a veteran...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Kendall, Laird, Giles, Manny

Today's linkage... A friend pointed out to me how strange it is that the Twins were willing to take on Jarrod Washburn's salary and give up Boof Bonser but chose to trade Johan Santana before the season. If Bill Smith could go back in time, would he still make that deal? A Gary Sheffield acquisition by the Rays is "unlikely but not impossible," according to one Buster Olney source. As expected, Jason Kendall's option for '09 vested. He's off the list! The Rangers were willing to trade Gerald Laird and a solid prospect to the Marlins for Chris Volstad. The...   Continue Reading

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Marlins Pushing For Laird

12:09pm: ESPN's Jerry Crasnick sees Laird staying put, at least until the offseason. 11:22am: Rosenthal says the Fish are pushing for Laird, but won't give up an MLB-ready starter for him. Mike Hindman wonders if the Rangers are demanding Ryan Tucker, putting a wrinkle into the Manny talks. 10:02am: The Marlins can cross Ivan Rodriguez off their list of catching targets, though they did make a concerted effort according to ESPN's Jayson Stark. They obviously couldn't part with a veteran reliever; in fact they just acquired one in Arthur Rhodes. Stark says the Marlins are still looking for catching help....   Continue Reading

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Mike Jacobs Pulled From Lineup

9:56pm: The early pull raised a few eyebrows, amid the Bengie Molina speculation. It remains speculation for now though. 9:18pm: Just heard from Will Carroll that the Marlins' Mike Jacobs was pulled from the lineup this evening. Could just be a defensive substitution though.   Continue Reading

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Rangers Rumors: Laird, Greinke, Bonser, Masset

Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has Rangers rumors for us today. Wilson sums up the suitors for catcher Gerald Laird: Yankees, Reds, Marlins, and Brewers. The Giants could also jump in if they trade Bengie Molina. Wilson heard that the Rangers are not shopping Laird, though. The Rangers inquired on three pitchers recently: Zack Greinke of the Royals, Boof Bonser of the Twins, and Nick Masset of the White Sox. Greinke would be near-impossible to pry loose, though Chris Davis would be an interesting offer.   Continue Reading

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Giants Like Adrian Beltre

According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle: The Giants like Adrian Beltre, believing he would thrive in the more fastball-oriented National League, but a source said they have not exchanged names with the Mariners. Schulman explains that Giants GM Brian Sabean is open to acquiring players who can help in 2009. Hank Blalock was also on the radar, but now he's back on the DL. The Rangers told a white lie to the public regarding Blalock's injury earlier this week. The Rangers had their eye on Jonathan Sanchez, but I doubt the Giants would've entertained a one-for-one swap...   Continue Reading

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Marlins Looking For Catcher, Reliever

The NL East is a three-team race, with the Mets, Phillies, and Marlins all within a game of each other. Who'd have thought the Marlins would be contending after trading Miguel Cabrera? According to Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Marlins have intensified their search for a catcher. The targets: Bengie Molina, Ramon Hernandez, Gerald Laird, and Ryan Doumit. Molina and Hernandez are the pricey options. Doumit would be especially tough to pry loose; he has a .937 OPS this year as a 27 year-old. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro wonders if Miguel Olivo, Gregg Zaun, and Paul Lo Duca...   Continue Reading

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Marlins Inquire On Bengie Molina

According to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, the Marlins recently inquired on Giants catcher Bengie Molina. Frisaro believes the asking price may be too high, but the situation is worth watching. Molina, 34, is hitting .282/.313/.421 in 368 plate appearances this year. Molina rarely draws a walk or strikes out. Behind the dish, he's thrown out a third of attempted basestealers, fifth in baseball. Jason Kendall leads that stat by a wide margin, which is surprising to me. Molina is owed another $2.2MM this year and $6MM in '09, plus performance bonuses for games started as a catcher. He has some...   Continue Reading

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Sabean Explains Giants' Trade Strategy

Giants GM Brian Sabean explained his trade deadline strategy to the San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman. As you might expect, starters Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez are off-limits. The trio has 331 Ks already. The Giants aren't interested in a rental, even though they are in the race at five games out. Sabean is likely to keep Bengie Molina and Randy Winn, but Ray Durham, Omar Vizquel, and Rich Aurilia are available.   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Flurry of DFAs And GM Contract Talks

Tying lose ends on a very slow Saturday indeed. In a series of moves, the Jay's have activated Vernon Wells with less than a month after he broke his wrist in Cleveland and DFA'd Armando Benitez. I guess they're not going after Bonds. Steinbrenner: "There are no plans to sit down and talk with general manager Brian Cashman about his contract status." The G.M.'s contract expires after the 2008 season. By activating Jayson Werth from the DL, the Phillies were forced to DFA Chris Snelling, but the young outfielder is out of options. He has three days to accept the...   Continue Reading

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Sabean: Giants Will Not Be Sellers In '08

Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle has some telling quotes from Giants GM Brian Sabean. Despite a 17-24 record and being 8.5 games behind the D-Backs in 3rd place of the NL West, Sabean says the Giants are not going to give up on the '08 season and will not be trading off their veteran players. "As long as we've got a chance to stay in and around third place, why not?" Sabean said as he stood along the dugout rail and watched his players take batting practice. "Why wouldn't you want to think that way? These guys think...   Continue Reading

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Giants Like Kotchman And Mathis

Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News writes that the Giants recently inquired with the Angels about first baseman Casey Kotchman and catcher Jeff Mathis. Baggarly speculates that the Halos might like the idea of a reunion with Bengie Molina (owed $12MM over the next two seasons). Of course, the value of the two Angels players far exceeds that of Molina. No deal is close; Angels GM Tony Reagins was frank about that. The Giants don't have much in the way of valuable trade chips. They've got overpriced, undesirable veterans plus a strong core of young pitching that they...   Continue Reading

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Giants Rumors: Lincecum, Tejada, Sexson

Andrew Baggarly gives his take on the Giants hot stove buzz. One Reds official think the Giants almost have to trade Tim Lincecum to build an offensive core. It seems the Mariners and Reds in particular are pushing for Lincecum. The Ms could offer Adam Jones; the Reds have Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, and Josh Hamilton. The Mariners could've had Lincecum with the fifth overall pick in 2006, but opted for Brandon Morrow instead. The Reds could've had him too but went for Drew Stubbs. The Giants and Orioles discussed Miguel Tejada, and the O's like players such as Jonathan..   Continue Reading

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Giants Rumors: Lincecum, Tejada, Molina, Fukudome

Another MLB.com article for you, this time about the Giants from Chris Haft. Brian Sabean is getting a bit annoyed with teams thinking Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are available. They're pretty much not, but since the door is open a crack it may be inhibiting other deals. Sabean did admit that one team made an "interesting" offer for Lincecum. Any guesses? The Giants had talks with the Orioles about Miguel Tejada, as has been reported elsewhere. The Giants aren't thrilled with Miggy though because of his age, salary, and the position switch thing. A team asked about Bengie Molina...   Continue Reading

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Heyman's Latest: Santana, Haren, Estrada

Jon Heyman checks in with a couple of notable points. Heyman sets odds for Johan Santana, going with the Yankees and then Red Sox. I'll let you click through for the rest. While we'd recently heard from Ken Rosenthal that the A's had cooled on certain young Mets, perhaps Omar Minaya and Billy Beane can still work something out. Heyman indicates that Beane still covets Lastings Milledge and Mike Pelfrey. He also likes Kevin Mulvey, Carlos Gomez, and Fernando Martinez. So maybe Keith Law was right today in his chat - the Mets can pull off a deal with the..   Continue Reading

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More Odds and Ends: Kuroda, Pena, Wolf, Percival, Molina

Tim sent me a couple of items, so let's create another bullet list: Mariners GM Bill Bavasi and manager John McLaren have met with Hiroki Kuroda yesterday. There is no report of an offer, but it's believed that four years and $45 million are expected. Kuroda hopes to make his decision on the 29th. Impacto Deportivo, the same site that had first news of the Mets deal with Luis Castillo, reports that Carlos Pena has rejected a three-year, $30 million deal from the Rays. Pena, however, calls the report "a straight lie." Randy Wolf is generating interest from the Padres,..   Continue Reading

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Giants Sign Molina For Three Years

According to Tim Brown of Yahoo, the Giants have signed catcher Bengie Molina to a three-year deal. Last year, Molina was left out in the cold in the free agent market. Another strong season got him his deal   Continue Reading

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Giants Talking To Bengie Molina

Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants are in "serious negotiations" with free agent catcher Bengie Molina. Molina will be 33 next season; he posted a career high .467 SLG for Toronto in 2006. Beyond Molina, the catcher market consists of Mike Piazza, Mike Lieberthal, Rod Barajas, and Javy Lopez. Other clubs that could be shopping for a starting catcher include the Phillies, Angels, Padres, and Rockies   Continue Reading

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Red Sox Need A Catcher

Jason Varitek needs knee surgery, and WEEI in Boston is saying he may be out 4-6 weeks. I'm sure Will Carroll will have the definitive word on this Wednesday morning. In the meantime, the Red Sox are scrambling for a catcher who can hit above the Mendoza line. They're going to have to shop for the high-salary, waiver-passing guys. Who's available? Javy Lopez is the first name that comes to mind. Lopez wants a flat-out release, but the Orioles won't do that. According to the Baltimore Sun, the team would like to pass him through waivers and cover some, but..   Continue Reading

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Jays Close To Signing Molina

Ken Rosenthal reports that the Blue Jays are nearing a $5MM deal with Bengie Molina. There will be a $7.5MM option for 2007. I'm just not sure this does much to improve the club. The Jays forced Gregg Zaun to full-time catching duty last season, and he was worth 3.3 wins for his $950,000 salary. Molina, while several years younger, is coming off a season in which he was worth 3.5 wins. Molina will cost $4MM more than Zaun does and should net the team one additional win at most. The Jays still have huge question marks in their corner..   Continue Reading

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The Bengie Molina Sweepstakes

Bengie Molina has strangely emerged as neglected free agent, facing very little interest from teams and a possible one year deal. Coming off a career best .295/.336/.446 line, this is a curious situation. Molina will be entering his age 32 season in 2006, and I've projected him at .289 with 17 HR next season. While his defense is no great shakes, one would think a few clubs would come out ahead in offering him a reasonable two-year pact. However, once you factor in defense, Molina ranked 15th among catchers in 2005 despite his solid showing at the plate. He presents..   Continue Reading

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