Mark DeRosa Rumors

NL East Notes: DeRosa, Hamels, Martinez, Prado

Ed Wade is heading back to the NL East after four years in Houston. Here are more links from the division, starting with Wade’s longtime team...

• Mark DeRosa says he's interested in playing for the Nationals, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (Twitter links). However, other teams are interested and DeRosa is not close to making a decision.
  
• Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says he's comfortable heading into Spring Training with the team he has, according to Paul Hagen of MLB.com. The Phillies have already made major free agent signings, added complementary players such as Laynce Nix, Jim Thome and Dontrelle Willis and signed players to minor league deals, as our Free Agent Tracker shows.
• Those who know Cole Hamels doubt he would give the Phillies much of a discount on a potential extension, according to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. The 27-year-old John Boggs & Associates client posted a 2.79 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and a 52.3% ground ball rate in 215 innings this past season. He's set to hit free agency after the 2012 season (MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $14MM salary for Hamels in his final season of arbitration eligibility).
• Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com shows that the Mets already have a projected payroll in the $90MM range. GM Sandy Alderson has suggested the team's payroll could be less than $100MM, so the Mets may not have much offseason shopping remaining.
• The Mets are interested in catcher Luis Martinez, who was designated for assignment by the Padres on Sunday, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post (on Twitter). The 26-year-old hit .203/.309/.305 in 68 plate appearances with the Padres this past season.
• The Braves and Rockies have continued discussing a possible deal that would send Seth Smith to Atlanta for Martin Prado, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding. The Braves appear to be seeing what they can get for Jair Jurrjens first, however. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports examined possible suitors for Smith earlier today, including the Braves despite their preference for a right-handed hitter. 

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Quick Hits: Bailey, Reds, Rays, Rhodes, Posada

While we wait for the big free agents to make their decisions, here's a grab bag of links from Day Three at the Winter Meetings:

• The Athletics feel like they're much closer to moving Andrew Bailey than Gio Gonzalez, but even that may not happen until after the Meetings, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
• GM Walt Jocketty finds the lack of action in Dallas for the Reds so far "very frustrating," says MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Jocketty said he was approached with one proposal today that' he's considering, but "nothing is close."
• Candidates for the Royals' utility infielder opening include Edgar Renteria, Mark DeRosa, Orlando Cabrera, and Carlos Guillen, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. No deals are imminent.
• The Rays are still attempting to figure out the best way to bolster their offense, writes Bill Chastain at MLB.com.
• The Mariners are displaying interest in Arthur Rhodes, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
• Jorge Posada would still like to play if he can find the right situation, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
• Former Angels GM Bill Stoneman will return to the team for another year as special advisor to the GM, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

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Nationals Center Field Rumors

The latest Nationals news...

• The Yankees shot down the Nationals' attempts to trade for Brett Gardner, according to Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com.
• Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told reporters today he doesn't think anything has changed on the Upton front.
• The Angels have no interest in trading Peter Bourjos and the Mets plan to keep Angel Pagan, writes Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com.
• The Nationals and Rays discussed center fielder B.J. Upton recently, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Yesterday we heard the Rays would have to be overwhelmed to move Upton.  The Nationals are "fixated" on leaving the Winter Meetings with a new center fielder, a team source told Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com.
• Nationals manager Davey Johnson has talked to free agent Mark DeRosa about joining the team, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  The Nats also have interest in bringing Willie Harris back.
• The Nationals are letting teams know Roger Bernadina is available in trade, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.  The 27-year-old posted a .243/.301/.362 line in 337 plate appearances this year.

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Four Teams Checked In On Mark DeRosa

MONDAY: The Giants have expressed interest in re-signing DeRosa, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.

FRIDAY: Mark DeRosa doesn't expect any team to guarantee him an everyday job, but he does want the chance to prove that his left wrist is healthy. The free agent utility player told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Nationals, Rangers, Indians and Pirates have all spoken with his surgeon and that the Giants have some interest in re-signing him despite his recent injury.

“I definitely understand the concerns," DeRosa told Rosenthal. "If it wasn’t for my wrist getting banged up two years ago, I wouldn’t be in this position.”

DeRosa played in just 47 games in 2011 because of a strained left wrist. The versatile 36-year-old was productive in 2009, posting a .250/.319/.433 line and appearing at five different positions for the Indians and Cardinals. However, he has struggled to stay on the field since signing a two-year deal with the Giants two Decembers ago. When he did play for the Giants, DeRosa posted a forgettable .235/.313/.279 line. 

DeRosa, who would like to be closer to his Atlanta home, may have to sign a minor league deal and play his way onto a roster next spring.

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Nationals Interested In Mark DeRosa

The Nationals are interested in free agent utility player Mark DeRosa, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Chris Marrero's recent hamstring injury leaves the Nationals with less bench help than anticipated.

DeRosa played in just 47 games in 2011 because of a strained left wrist. The versatile 36-year-old was productive in 2009, posting a .250/.319/.433 line and appearing at five different positions for the Indians and Cardinals. However, he has struggled to stay on the field since signing a two-year deal with the Giants two Decembers ago. When he did play for the Giants, DeRosa posted a forgettable .235/.313/.279 line.

DeRosa, who would like to be closer to his Atlanta home, may have to sign a minor league deal and play his way onto a roster next spring. This is the first time this offseason we've seen him linked to a team.

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Quick Hits: MacPhail, White Sox, Nunez, Twins

Congratulations to the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals, who will meet in the NLCS after each club won a superb Game Five tonight.  This is the first all-NL Central NLCS since the Astros topped the Cards in 2005, and this is the first time Milwaukee and St. Louis have met in the postseason since the 1982 World Series.  The NLCS begins on Sunday at Miller Park, with Zack Greinke getting the Game One start for the Brewers. 

Some more news as we head into the weekend....

• There is plenty of reaction to Andy MacPhail's decision to step down as the Orioles' president of baseball operations.  Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun credits MacPhail with leaving the team in better shape than when he arrived, though this wasn't reflected in the win-loss column.  MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli provides a recap of MacPhail's most notable moves in Baltimore.  Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com expects the next O's GM to have "a more aggressive approach [in free agency]...for better or worse" as opposed to MacPhail's practice of "letting the market play out."
• The White Sox seem to be looking to 2012 as a rebuilding year, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.  After a year of seeing how young players develop in the Majors and seeing how rookie manager Robin Ventura adapts to the job, Merkin says Chicago could push for contention in 2013 if all goes well.  
• With this youth movement in mind, Merkin thinks A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko could be approached about waiving their no-trade clauses.  Both players were somewhat open to the idea, though both clearly stated they wanted to end their careers with the White Sox.
• How did Juan Carlos Oviedo (a.k.a. Leo Nunez) keep his identity hidden for years?  Frances Robles of the Miami Herald examines Oviedo's situation and the risks that some Latin American players take to escape poverty and reach the Major Leagues.  Oviedo "was able to keep the secret for long, because he was living the dream that every Dominican boy imagines growing up.  If he lied and succeeded, then the end justified the means,” said Charles Farrell, head of the Dominican Republic Sports and Education Academy. “No one was going to fault him for that, no one was going to blow his cover."
• Farrell also tells Robles that by his estimate, there are at least 30 current Dominican players using false identities.
• Ron Gardenhire says the Twins aren't likely to sign a top free agent pitcher like C.J. Wilson, reports MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger as part of a mailbag piece.  "I think we're all smart enough to figure out that free agents out there, as far as pitchers go, if they're really good they're probably going to require a little bit more money than we're willing to pay them," Gardenhire said. "All the big shooters. And there's going to be a market for the rest of them."
• Mark DeRosa could be a good fit as a versatile bench bat for the Braves, provided he can stay healthy, writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
• With the Astros' possible move to the AL West in mind, Fangraphs' Reed MacPhail analyzes how each of this season's National League teams would've fared playing in the AL West. 

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Giants Notes: Burrell, Ross, Sanchez, Whiteside

The 2011 Giants closely resembled last year’s World Championship team, but change lies ahead for San Francisco. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle explains that health considerations and the rising cost of arbitration eligible players will shape next year’s Giants team. Here are some highlights from Schulman's piece:

• Pat Burrell could again sign a one-year deal when he hits free agency after the season (he earns $1MM this year), but he may have to retire because of a foot injury. Burrell says he’ll play as long as he’s healthy enough to take the field.
• Schulman says it’s hard to imagine the Giants offering Cody Ross a raise from $6.3MM or agreeing to a multiyear deal when the outfielder hits free agency.
• Mark DeRosa is hoping to sign closer to Atlanta, where he makes his home, and realizes he may be in line for a minor league deal.
• The Giants will probably decline Jeremy Affeldt’s $5MM option for 2012, but they’ll “almost certainly” pursue him in free agency, according to Schulman.
• Jonathan Sanchez and Andres Torres are non-tender candidates. When MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes identified Sanchez and Torres as non-tender candidates last month, he pointed out that Sanchez’s salary would rise over $6MM (he now earns $4.8MM) through arbitration. 
• Eli Whiteside is another non-tender candidate, Schulman writes.
• Jeff Keppinger, who’s arbitration eligible, will likely return in 2012 and it’s hard to imagine the Giants cutting Nate Schierholtz after seeing him progress in 2011.
• The Giants may not have room on the roster for both Mike Fontenot and Emmanuel Burriss.

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Quick Hits: Jimenez, Burrell, Ellsbury, Rasmus

A couple items of note as former Red Sock Justin Masterson battles his old team in Boston ...

• Indians right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, acquired from the Rockies in a pre-deadline blockbuster, never asked to be traded out of Colorado, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, although he wanted a resolution on the situation, and he didn't mind having the opportunity to waive his 2014 option with the commencement of the trade (via Twitter).
• The Giants activated Mark DeRosa from the 60-day disabled list today, but they haven't announced a corresponding 40-man roster move yet and "are being evasive about it," according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter). Baggarly speculates that the Lads could activate Pat Burrell from the 15-day DL and release him.
• The Red Sox were willing to discuss a trade with the Cardinals involving center fielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Colby Rasmus in 2010, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), but the talks never gained traction. That would have been a heck of a trade. Rasmus, of course, was traded by St. Louis to the Blue Jays prior to last month's trade deadline.
• The Indians were very close to drafting Ellsbury at No. 14 overall in the 2005 draft but instead opted for Trevor Crowe, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter). So close, in fact, that team officials asked Ellsbury, a Native American, his feelings about the team's logo, the so-called Chief Wahoo. ... Edes' sources didn't provide him with Ellsbury's response, though.

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Quick Hits: Dodgers, DeRosa, LaRoche

Some items of note on Friday night as Danny Espinosa looks to collect a double to complete the cycle in the slugfest between the Nationals and Orioles ...

• Dodgers GM Ned Colletti admitted that he is exploring trade opportunities to help boost his sagging club, but he cautioned that it's tough to complete deals at this time of year without overpaying, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
• Giants utility man Mark DeRosa will see a specialist about his injured left wrist, for which he's already undergone two surgeries, but he's not considering retirement if doctors think he can make a full recovery, writes Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
• Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche said offseason negotiations with the Orioles never got serious enough that his decision to sign with Washington was especially tough, writes Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. Not to pile on the O's, but Mark Teixeira echoed a sentiment similar to LaRoche's a couple days back.

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Stark On Rangers, DeRosa, Phillies, Papelbon

Joey Votto is the player of the month for ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark, who hears from a scout that the Reds’ first baseman is more feared than anybody in the National League, including Albert Pujols. Here are the rest of Stark’s rumors:

• One NL executive thinks the Mariners are so far from winning that they should be listening to offers for Felix Hernandez, who is under team control through 2014. Yesterday, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports heard from a number of executives who expect King Felix to stay put for now.
• An AL official says the Rangers are the most likely candidate to trade for a high-profile reliever this summer. Their bullpen has taken a number of hits, with Neftali Feliz and Darren O’Day on the DL and Alexi Ogando moving to the rotation.
• Stark hears that the only players available now are those with “awful contracts.”
• Despite the buzz about Mark DeRosa and the Marlins, Stark hears that the Giants and Marlins have not had serious discussions about the currently-injured utility player.
• The Phillies will find it hard to add payroll this summer, but they’re eyeing potentially available bats.
• Though Jonathan Papelbon will likely test the free agent market after the season, Stark gets the impression that the reliever could re-sign in Boston after all.

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