Kaz Matsui Rumors

Dodgers Scrambling for Infield Help

With veteran infielders Nomar Garciaparra and Jeff Kent both likely to miss opening day, the Dodgers are scrambling to find themselves some backups. Ken Rosenthal says that since the Astros are unlikely to trade Mark Loretta while Kaz Matsui is out, L.A. is considering Ron Belliard of the Nationals and Esteban German of the Royals. Another possibility, Morgan Ensberg, seems unlikely, as the Yankees added him to their 40-man roster yesterday. Joe Crede of the White Sox and Brandon Inge of the Tigers are both probably too expensive. This could impact roster decisions Los Angeles will make on Monday, when...   Continue Reading

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Astros Rumors: Patterson, Loretta

If 30-year old righty John Patterson clears waivers today, Ed Wade will give him a call. Patterson hails from Orange, Texas and was released by the Nationals on Thursday. You can read about Patterson's injury-packed history here. In other Astros news, Wade is not likely to deal infielder Mark Loretta, despite alleged interest from the Dodgers. The Dodgers want Loretta to sub for perennially injured 3B Nomar Garciaparra, who will not be ready to go by opening day. However, there may be wishful thinking going on in Los Angeles, as the Astros are also coping with an unpleasant injury to...   Continue Reading

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Rockies Rumblings: Barmes, Sullivan, Podsednik

While talking to reporters Saturday, Rockies General manager Dan O'Dowd tried to make it clear he has no plans to trade infielder Clint Barmes. His name recently surfaced in rumors with the Angels and Orioles. However, according to the Denver Post, O'Dowd's reaction was decidedly less definitive regarding the possibility of dealing reserve outfielder Cory Sullivan. Why? It's likely due to the torrid spring of Scott Podsednik, who on Saturday made a "full tilt, horizontal to the ground, fully extended" diving catch (this according to manager Clint Hurdle) to rob Rangers' DH Jason Botts of an hit. This spring Podsednik...   Continue Reading

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Rockies Rumors: Iguchi, Grudzielanek, Rusch, Fukumori

UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 12:20am: Troy Renck says that if the Rox do acquire a second baseman, Dan O'Dowd is ready to trade both Clint Barmes and Jamey Carroll. The Cardinals, Marlins, and Indians would be suitors for those two. FROM 12-5-07 at 10:09pm: MLB.com's Thomas Harding checks in with a slew of new Rockies rumors. The Rockies have their eye on Tadahito Iguchi and could offer him a two-year deal. However, Iguchi is craving a contract similar to Kaz Matsui's three-year, $16.5MM pact. Should one bad contract beget another one? Mark Grudzielanek can be had, but the Rox aren't interested...   Continue Reading

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Astros Sign Kaz Matsui

UPDATE, 12-2-07 at 4:30pm: The Matsui signing is official at three years, $16.5MM - even more than we thought. How is a signing like this even possible? Was there actually a group of executives who all agreed that this move was smart? The speed obsession is perplexing. FROM 11-29-07 at 11pm: Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 reports had it first: the Astros have signed second baseman Kaz Matsui to a three year deal worth $15-16MM. Ed Wade saved Jim Hendry from himself. Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald and Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle confirm the signing...   Continue Reading

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MLB Trade Rumors: Astros Sign Kaz Matsui

Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 reports had it first: the Astros have signed second baseman Kaz Matsui to a three year deal worth $15-16MM. Ed Wade saved Jim Hendry from himself. Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald and Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle confirm the signing. Richard Justice speculates that the 'Stros could shop Chris Burke now, and maybe even package him with Luke Scott. Matsui is the early favorite for worst free agent signing of the winter. He is probably not worth half the money, and a three-year commitment for him is insane. Since he joined..   Continue Reading

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Unfounded Rumor: Kaz Matsui

UPDATE, 11-28-07 at 10:45am: Buster Olney says talks for Matsui are indeed picking up, and the Cubs are in the thick of things. He notes that if a team is dead set on acquiring a left-handed hitting middle infielder, its options are limited. It's possible the Astros are still talking to Matsui. FROM 11-28-07 at 8:30am: Since last night, about a dozen people have emailed me about a supposed Denver radio station report. This report purportedly claimed Kaz Matsui had signed with the Cubs for three years and $14MM. However, none of the emailers had actually heard the report with..   Continue Reading

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Rockies Rumors: Herges, Torrealba

Troy E. Renck has the Rockies hot stove buzz, as usual. The Rockies are close with reliever Matt Herges, but other teams remain in the mix. It's known that Herges wants a two-year deal and the Brewers are interested. The Rockies are also making progress on a deal with catcher Yorvit Torrealba. The Mets saw something they didn't like in Torrealba, so he's come back to the Rockies to talk. Renck says the Rockies had previously offered two years and $7MM with a vesting option for 2010 (seems reasonable). Now they might be able to get him without guaranteeing that..   Continue Reading

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Cubs Rumors: Wood, Matsui, Crawford

The Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan has the latest on the Cubs this morning. It's been known for a few days now that the Red Sox like the idea of adding Kerry Wood as their setup man. Sullivan confirms the interest, and quotes Cubs GM Jim Hendry saying Wood is "getting a lot of action around the industry." In a pitching-starved market, teams will convince themselves Wood can stay healthy and dominant. Sullivan speculates that it could take multiple years at $5MM per. To see a team go 3/15 would not shock me. Kaz Matsui is still on the Cubs' radar..   Continue Reading

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Astros Close To Kaz Matsui Deal?

UPDATE: Ken Rosenthal notes that the Astros are close to a deal with Geoff Blum, and believes the Astros are behind both the Rockies and Cubs for Matsui. Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Kaz Matsui "appears headed to the Astros." Maybe Ed Wade will save the Cubs from themselves. The Cubs were reportedly going to offer Matsui a three-year pact. Ringolsby adds an interesting twist: the Astros and Rockies could swap second basemen. The Rockies like Chris Burke, and he will probably be deemed expendable if Matsui is signed. Seems to me there's a decent...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Bonds, Broussard, Hunter, Rowand, More

We missed an installment from good ol' Kenny Rosenthal yesterday. He's back today in full force (unlike another great rumor source, Buster Olney, who posted nothing really new in his blog today). The A's, once considered the best bet for Barry Bonds, are no longer interested in the indicted slugger. Rosenthal thinks it's likely that Bond's trial will start after Opening Day, causing him to miss time regardless of the verdict. And then there's the whole prison issue. The Rangers spoke to the Mariners at the GM meetings regarding the availability of Ben Broussard. Talks didn't really go anywhere, since..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Kendall, Matsui, Fukumori

Here are some non A-Rod/Lowell rumors from today... MLB.com's Adam McCalvy says the Brewers are interested in Jason Kendall. Kendall is somehow seeking a two-year deal. The Rockies are in on him as well. The Brewers still have Johnny Estrada, but they're not happy with him. He could be traded or non-tendered. WGN Radio's Dave Kaplan reported that the Cubs could complete a contract with second baseman Kaz Matsui this week. It'd be a multiyear deal; not sure if the Cubs would have to go three years on it. This would be an indefensible signing. UPDATE: A source of Troy..   Continue Reading

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Rockies Rumors: Helton, Holliday, Matsui

Troy E. Renck is at it again, with another column updating us on the Rockies' hot stove situation. Todd Helton isn't going anywhere, for multiple reasons. His current $16.6MM salary is less frightening due to playoff revenue, and he'd be unlikely to approve a trade since his current team is already a winner. As Renck reported earlier this week, the Rox will offer Matt Holliday a four-year, $60MM deal to buy out two years of free agency. Holliday, a Scott Boras client, seems unlikely to accept anything like that. Why would the Cubs be willing to overpay for Kaz Matsui..   Continue Reading

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Rockies Rumors: Atkins, Barrett, Fukumori

What are the Rockies up to as they plot to defend their NL pennant? Tracy Ringolsby and Troy E. Renck have the latest. Ringolsby says Garrett Atkins is staying put, which should help the third baseman relax a little bit. This echoes Renck's sentiments yesterday. Renck also noted that the Rox won't be offering Atkins a multiyear deal anytime soon. Yesterday Renck said that after Yorvit Torrealba, the Rockies were considering Jose Molina, Paul Lo Duca, Jason Kendall, and Ramon Castro for catcher. However Ringolsby says today that Michael Barrett and Kendall are the main targets. Renck has come on..   Continue Reading

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Astros Contact Cordero, Iguchi, Matsui

As promised, new Astros GM Ed Wade has touched base with a ton of free agents. We already knew about Luis Castillo, Jon Lieber, Scott Linebrink, Torii Hunter, Aaron Rowand, and Tom Glavine (see Astros rumor archive). Today we've got more names to add to the list, courtesy of Jose de Jesus Ortiz. The most interesting one: closer Francisco Cordero. Buster Olney's thinking is that the Astros contacting Cordero indicates a willingness to trade incumbent closer Brad Lidge. Olney spoke to one executive who predicted Cordero would get $40MM this winter. That sounds about right. Cordero's agent, the delightfully named..   Continue Reading

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Latest Rockies Rumors: Matsui, Torrealba, Holliday

As usual, the Denver Post's Troy E. Renck has the scoop on all things Rockies. The Rockies have made a two year offer to Kaz Matsui in the neighborhood of $6MM total. That's fair; we all know his home/road splits. The Cubs and Padres were named as other interested parties yesterday, but the Padres have decided to go with internal options at second base. Why the Cubs would add a second baseman is still beyond me. They already have Ryan Theriot, Mark DeRosa, Mike Fontenot, and Eric Patterson. The Cubs' plan to add speed concerns me. The Rox have also..   Continue Reading

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Latest Cubs Rumors: Crawford, Crisp, Ibanez

Cubs rumors abound today. Some sensible, some not. Let's catch up. According to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs want to re-sign Kerry Wood and possibly give him the closer job. Ryan Dempster could be pushed down the reliever totem pole or traded (he makes $5.5MM in the last year of his deal). Dempster has expressed a desire to start in the past, but the Cubs don't seem keen on it. UPDATE: The Cubs are keen on Dempster as a starter, as Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 reported today that he will be switched to that role in..   Continue Reading

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Heyman's Latest: A-Rod, Atkins, Gagne

SI.com's Jon Heyman has a new column up. Let's discuss. Alex Rodriguez's five possible destinations: Angels, Red Sox, Mets, Giants, Dodgers. That sounds about right. Heyman notes that the Dodgers do not have an advantage because of Joe Torre; he says star players don't consider managers as a criteria when deciding where to sign. Though not mentioned as one of A-Rod's five potential landing spots, Heyman says the buzz is growing that Mike Ilitch and the Tigers could go after him. Heyman says the Rockies will hang on to Garrett Atkins and follow through with the plan to try Ian..   Continue Reading

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Rockies Expect A Quiet Offseason

Nate Silver of Baseball Prospectus recently wrote in reference to the Rockies: Teams that overachieve expectations tend to keep everything in place, and in fact that’s exactly what Charlie Monfort is saying. This is likely to be one of the bigger misplays of the offseason. Indeed, no one is expecting any kind of shake-up or blockbuster. That said, Tracy Ringolsby indicates that teams will inquire on Brian Fuentes and Garrett Atkins over the next few months. The free agent market for closers and third basemen isn't robust. Ringoslby notes that Josh Fogg may seek the Jason Marquis special - three..   Continue Reading

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Fukudome, Kuroda, Kobayashi Rumors

Here's a link chock full of rumors involving Japanese ballplayers who might come over to MLB. It's also loaded with links most of you will not be able to read. Masahide Kobayashi, the 33 year-old righthanded closer, will be represented by SFX. Fellow free agents Kerry Wood and Jorge Julio are also using that agency, as far as I can tell. Hiroki Kuroda is expected to fill for free agency on Monday. Since there's no posting fee involved, some have speculated his salary could exceed Daisuke Matsuzaka's. Matsuzaka will earn an average of $8.66MM per season during his six-year deal,..   Continue Reading

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Astros Hope To Sign Luis Castillo

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Astros are looking to inject some OBP into their leadoff spot by signing second baseman Luis Castillo. He adds that not many teams are looking to fill second base via free agency, so the Mets might be the only team battling for Castillo. Rosenthal rates Kaz Matsui and David Eckstein as the best second base alternatives behind Castillo. The Rockies are prepared to offer a two-year deal to Matsui but will move on if he wants too much. They can't be thinking about offering more than $8MM, wouldn't you say? Rosenthal says Matsui is not..   Continue Reading

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Rockies Could Lose Kaz Matsui

I compiled the 2008 Free Agents list back in March of this year, knowing at the time that a handful of surprisingly valuable players would surface throughout the season. In 2006 it was Gary Matthews Jr. This year, it's Kaz Matsui. (By the way, the list is fully up-to-date now so check it out.) Troy E. Renck and Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post have an article up today discussing Matsui and his impending free agency. To hear Matsui tell it, he actually craved the challenge of a one-year contract. Otherwise, he might get lazy. I guess it was complacency..   Continue Reading

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Kaz Matsui Sent To Rockies

The Mets finally decided to bite the bullet and eat Kaz Matsui's awful contract, sending him to the Rockies. The best they could do for him was Eli Marrero, a 32 year-old journeyman who plays catcher, first base, and outfield. In searching for positives about bringing in Marrero, I must note his solid .467 slugging percentage in 60 at-bats this year. Marrero once hit 18 HR in less than 400 at-bats (2002 Cardinals) so he does provide a little right-handed pop off the bench. Matsui has agreed to the deal and will report to Triple A for a little while...   Continue Reading

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Latest Mets/Soriano Rumor

A source of mine reports some info concerning the Mets' interest in Alfonso Soriano: The Mets do want Soriano, but they'll only make a deal if the Nats will accept Kaz Matsui. The Nats would use Matsui at shortstop and would also receive Victor Diaz. Matsui will be out until mid-April with a sprained knee ligament. He last played shortstop in 2004, appearing in 110 games there. This morning, Soriano plans to announce whether he's willing to play left field for the Nationals. The fact that he's even considering it leads me to believe that he will play out there...   Continue Reading

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Wild Rumor From Gotham Baseball

Gotham Baseball's Mark Healey has heard a massive trade rumor from "multiple independent baseball sources." Of course, it's subject to change, isn't close, and all the usual disclaimers. Here's the Cliff Notes version of it: "Mets would send Heilman and Matsui (and $5 million) to Tampa Bay for Lugo. Then New York would send Lugo, Kris Benson, Brian Bannister and Victor Diaz to Baltimore for Tejada, and then send Tejada to the Red Sox for Manny Ramirez." Let's stop right there. My opinion on each step of this possible deal: Aaron Heilman for Julio Lugo sounds like fair value to..   Continue Reading

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Mets Scoop: Tavarez, Zito, Benson, Baez

A slew of information coming from my Mets source today. Let's see what we've got. My source believes the Mets will give Julian Tavarez the four-year deal he's looking for. The market explosion has necessitated this length, and Omar Minaya will go to great lengths to avoid a subpar bullpen like last year's. The Mets are the current frontrunners for Barry Zito, and Lastings Milledge is still a requirement. As reported earlier, the Mets plan to request a 72 hour contract extension window upon trading for Zito, but would make the trade with just a verbal agreement from the pitcher...   Continue Reading

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