Carlos Gonzalez Rumors
Odds & Ends: Gomes, Duchscherer, Chapman
Some links for your Tuesday...
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer says we shouldn't expect Jonny Gomes to sign any time soon.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Giants are looking to add a catcher and a starter, along with a big bat. Matt Holliday and Jason Bay don't seem likely to sign in San Francisco.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Yankees checked in on Carlos Zambrano and Aaron Harang before acquiring Javier Vazquez.
- The Mariners signed Mike Koplove to a minor league deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The righty hasn't pitched in the majors since 2007.
- Stephen Strasburg signed a multi-year deal with Topps, according to Chico Harlan of the Washington Post.
- Harlan writes that the Nationals were hoping to sign Jon Garland, before turning to Jason Marquis.
- The Yankees were the only team to pay the luxury tax this season. Their $226MM payroll cost them nearly $26MM in luxury tax, according to the AP (via the Star Ledger).
- Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News tweets that the Yanks' trade of Melky Cabrera does not mean the club is likely to bring Johnny Damon back.
- The Marlins are not in the mix for Matt Capps, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The Marlins, coming off a year in which their $38MM payroll was the lowest in the game, don't have much to spend on relievers.
- Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post says outfielder Carlos Gonzalez should be the next Rockie to receive an extension. Saunders says there's no need to lock the 24-year-old up this offseason (Gonzalez won't likely be arbitration-eligible until after 2011).
- Marty Noble of MLB.com doesn't see indications that the Mets are all that interested in Joel Pineiro.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the Pirates have yet to make Justin Duchscherer an offer. The righty is now deciding which offer to accept, so we can safely say he won't be signing with the Pirates.
- Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN.com expects Aroldis Chapman to sign where the money is (via Twitter).
Rosenthal On Mets, Cubs, Yankees, Hawkins
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders how Mets GM Omar Minaya and Cubs GM Jim Hendry will untangle themselves from their respective messes. Both execs have overpaid for players in the recent past, but both can point to recent successes. Here are the details:
- The Mets are expected to lower their payroll from the $150MM range next season.
- The Rockies obtained Carlos Gonzalez from the A's in last winter's Matt Holliday trade and, for all of Holliday's heroics in St. Louis, Gonzalez is out-slugging Holliday by 142 points since the A's flipped him to the Cards.
- A Yankees official says it's "very likely" the team will bring Johnny Damon back after the season if he's willing to take a paycut.
- Like their cross-town rivals, the Yanks are expected to be operating on a lower payroll next year.
- The Yankees figure to be in the mix for Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, or both.
- Alex Gonzalez could have vetoed the trade that sent him to Boston.
- The Astros placed LaTroy Hawkins on waivers and Rosenthal expects the Rockies, Cardinals and Dodgers to at least consider him.
Odds & Ends: Moore, Schmidt, Atkins
On this date back in 2003, Johnny Damon hit a single, a double, and a triple in a 14-run first inning against the Marlins. The Red Sox set a league record by scoring ten runs before making an out.
On to the linkage...
- Matthew Pouliot of Circling The Bases says that Dayton Moore's moves over the last season and a half are enough to warrant his dismissal. He notes they have a more than qualified replacement already in-house in senior advisor Mike Arbuckle.
- Ben Bolch of The LA Times notes that Jason Schmidt threw 104 pitches over 7.2 shutout in a rehab start yesterday. We know the Dodgers are looking for pitching, but a healthy and reasonably effective Schmidt could lessen that urgency.
- Tracy Ringolsby writes that Garrett Atkins' recent hot streak creates "more of a possibility of another team having interest in acquiring him." Atkins is hitting .340-.415-.553 in June.
- The Rangers have been getting good production from unexpected sources like Jason Jennings, says Ken Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News.
- Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez says he's happy to be in Colorado, according to Susan Slusser of The SF Chronicle.
- Joe Cowley tweets this Ozzie Guillen quote: "The people that run baseball teams now are soft." I wonder what Kenny Williams thinks about that.
- Marc Carig writes that the Rockies had begun combing through the Yankees' farm system in advance of a potential Huston Street trade back in May.
Rockies DFA Grilli
According to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post the Rockies designated pitcher Jason Grilli for assignment to make room for reliever Matt Daley. Grilli has an unusual line so far this year. In 19.1 innings he has 22 strikeouts, but he's allowing over two baserunners per inning.
Carlos Gonzalez, Ryan Spilborghs Switched To Boras
Two new names for our Scott Boras client list, courtesy of Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies. Ringolsby says Rockies outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Ryan Spilborghs switched to Boras during the offseason. Jeff Baker is the Rockies' third pre-arbitration Boras client. None of the three agreed to terms to 2009 contracts, instead forcing the Rockies to renew them. Says Ringolsby:
The Rockies have a very stringent pay scale for pre-arbitration eligible players, and they are consistent with that approach. Boras does not agree with the philosophy and prefers to have his clients not agree to the contract as a matter of principle.
Rockies Rumors: Redding, Gonzalez, Turnbow, Blanco
8:40pm: Rosenthal says the Rockies and Nats are discussing a Redding for Taveras swap.
4:06pm: Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune says the Rockies have had internal discussions about Henry Blanco. I imagine they'd have to ship out Yorvit Torrealba first.
3:17pm: Troy Renck learned from team sources that the Rockies will not trade Gonzalez this winter.
1:25pm: MLB.com's Bill Ladson says the Nats and Rockies met for a half hour yesterday, talking about Redding and Carlos Gonzalez. At the trade deadline, the Nationals wanted Dexter Fowler for Redding. Really?
1:57am: Rockies rumors for Tuesday...
- According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies have discussed trading for Nationals starter Tim Redding. Redding is under team control for two more years. On one hand the last thing the Nationals can spare is pitching, but on the other Redding is getting pricey and is a back-end guy anyway.
- Renck contends that the Nationals maintain some interest in Willy Taveras. Ken Rosenthal wrote recently that the Nats "aren't terribly enamored" of the speedy outfielder.
- The Rockies are one of three teams confirmed to be in on Derrick Turnbow, who will work out for teams in January. The Pirates and Giants have also expressed interest.
- Sometime in January, the Rockies will look into a long-term extension for starter Ubaldo Jimenez.
Rosenthal's Latest: Burnett, Garland, Aurilia
8:22pm: John Mozeliak said tonight the Cardinals never engaged with Burnett's agent. A commitment of more than two years to a free agent starter is extremely unlikely.
3:40pm: Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says it's "not true" that the Cardinals are players for Burnett.
8:30am: The latest from Ken Rosenthal:
- The Cardinals are a serious bidder for A.J. Burnett. They also pursued him back in 2005. The Blue Jays would get the Cardinals' #19 pick next June if they sign him. However, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently wrote that the Cards "are not expected to pursue the free agent pool's bigger fish: C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe."
- The Mets have Jon Garland on the radar. Jerry Crasnick likes Garland as a fit for the Cards.
- The Brewers haven't decided to increase their offer to C.C. Sabathia at this time, and won't consider it until they meet with the big lefty. A meeting is scheduled; Sabathia may grill the Brewers about their other offseason plans. Rosenthal thinks Kerry Wood might make the most sense among free agent closers.
- The Mets, Indians, and Cardinals are interested in J.J. Putz.
- The Cubs are eyeing Rich Aurilia, but only if they happen to move Ronny Cedeno or Mike Fontenot.
- The Nationals "aren't terribly enamored" of Willy Taveras, contrary to previous reports. The Nats instead have Carlos Gonzalez in their sights.
Rockies Considering Embree, Shouse, Ohman
Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post talked to Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, who said the team has internally discussed lefthanded free agent relievers Alan Embree, Brian Shouse, and Will Ohman. Ken Rosenthal also suggests Embree is a possibility.
Another note from Rosenthal:
The Rockies, at least for the moment, seem content to keep third baseman Garrett Atkins and the three players they acquired in the Matt Holliday trade - left-hander Greg Smith, outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and reliever Huston Street.
Thinking about Street...it makes the most sense to trade him in June or July. Right now the supply for closers outstrips the demand, plus Street did not finish the season as a closer. The Rockies should let him rack up 20 saves, prove he's on top of his game, and then move him during the summer when contenders are desperate for bullpen help.
Nationals Not Pursuing Manny
Yesterday, Yahoo's Tim Brown suggested the Nationals and Jim Bowden were "promising everyone they're going to be players in the Manny bidding." However, Bowden sent an email to MLB.com's Bill Ladson today: "We are not pursuing Manny Ramirez."
Ladson says the Nationals are still in the market for a lefthanded slugger - Mark Teixeira, Adam Dunn, and Prince Fielder remain on the radar. And despite their abundance of outfielders, they've expressed interest in new Rockie Carlos Gonzalez.
Odds and Ends: Holliday, Takahashi, Lincecum
Links for Wednesday...
- Richard Justice says the Astros should offer Andy Pettitte $7-8MM to come back.
- Joe Christensen doesn't see Huston Street landing in Minnesota.
- Larry Beinfest dismissed a "cyberspace rumor" that the Marlins are planning a run at Manny Ramirez.
- Gordon Wittenmyer says the Cubs could fit both Jake Peavy and Ryan Dempster into the payroll, and that the Peavy situation will be resolved first.
- Today is the deadline for MLB.com's Free Agent Frenzy. You have until 4pm CST to submit your picks for 15 free agents. Here are my predictions from November 3rd...I would change the Furcal and Sheets ones for starters.
- Who had the Matt Holliday scoop? SI.com's Jon Heyman broke the story, while Yahoo's Tim Brown was the first to name the players involved.
- Holliday figures to be a three to six month rental for the A's. Over at FanGraphs, Dave Cameron takes a closer look at Carlos Gonzalez and Greg Smith. ESPN's Keith Law says the Rockies received a "fair return" for Holliday.
- Athletics Nation suggests the A's sign Derek Lowe.
- Ken Davidoff looks at the Yankees' seesawing philosophy.
- Japanese southpaw Ken Takahashi intends to sign with an MLB club, and the Mets may be interested. Nikkan Sports says the Cubs, Padres, and Giants are also in on him.
- River Ave. Blues looks ahead to Derek Jeter's next contract.
- Andrew Baggarly reminds us that Tim Lincecum intends to go year to year.
- ESPN's Buster Olney talked to one GM who expects "a whole lot of bargains" in late January, given the nation's economy.
- Rany Jazayerli didn't like the Royals' acquisition of Mike Jacobs, but doesn't think it's the end of the world.
- Braves GM Frank Wren on Jeff Francoeur: "We haven’t talked about him at all. It’s not to say that we wouldn’t."
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