So Far At The GM Meetings…
If you've had a busy couple days, you're probably overwhelmed by the number of rumors that have surfaced. But worry not – here's a summary of what's happened at the Chicago GM Meetings so far:
- The Twins are considering verteran starters, including Carl Pavano.
- Nick Green and Joey Gathright became free agents. The Red Sox prevented Victor Martinez from reaching free agency, when they picked up his 2010 option, and they reached a two-year deal with the ageless Tim Wakefield. Jason Varitek's future with the Red Sox is still uncertain. If he hits the open market, the Mets won't pursue him.
- Meanwhile, the Rays made some option decisions of their own. They picked up Carl Crawford's option, but declined their options for Gregg Zaun and Brian Shouse.
- The Yankees are likely to check in on Jason Bay, Matt Holliday and John Lackey, but they're focusing on Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Andy Pettitte for now.
- Holliday and Bay may be too pricey for the Mets.
- The Dodgers aren't pursuing Aroldis Chapman.
- The Mariners have offered Russell Branyan and Jack Wilson contracts, but Branyan has rejected their offer.
- Randy Winn won't be back with the Giants, but there's still a chance Bengie Molina will return.
- The Cardinals would like to re-sign Matt Holliday, but they're prepared in case he signs elsewhere.
- The Cubs are looking to unload Milton Bradley, and the Rangers would consider re-acquiring him. Texas should be active on the trade market, but won't pursue top free agents.
- The Blue Jays won't settle for anything less than elite talent if they deal Roy Halladay.
- The Phillies are looking for a third baseman, but don't seem likely to pursue Halladay aggressively. Their division rivals, the Mets, will at least inquire about Doc's availability.
- John Smoltz will pitch again next year.
- Don't forget to check out MLBTR's list of free agents and Tim's list of the top 50 players to hit the open market.
Phillies Seek A Third Baseman
4:57pm: The Phils are seriously considering Chone Figgins, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com.
2:45pm: Here's the latest on the NL Champs' hunt for a third baseman:
- Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Phils are interested in bringing Pedro Feliz back if he's up for a deal worth less than $5.5MM. The club turned down an option worth that much this week.
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. tells David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News that other options are out there, even if he can't sign Feliz. "There are more third basemen available than there are third base positions to be filled," the GM said.
- Amaro Jr. expects to find a third baseman on the open market. He's open to offering multi-year deals and would consider signing Type A free agents, which is good news for Chone Figgins and Miguel Tejada.
- Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News says the Phils are more likely to pursue Mark DeRosa than Adrian Beltre.
Giants Rumors: Molina, Pudge, Bay, Holliday
Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports that the Giants are open to bringing Bengie Molina back, but prepared in case the catcher signs elsewhere. Here are the details:
- The Giants won't likely offer Molina much more than the $6MM he made this year.
- Molina wants a two-year deal, so Baggarly says the 35-year-old is unlikely to re-sign with the Giants.
- The Mets could have interest, and Baggarly says an unnamed AL team expects to get involved, too.
- Baggarly expects the Giants to offer Molina arbitration, but would be surprised to see the team extend similar offers to Bob Howry, Randy Johnson or Randy Winn.
- The Giants have tried to acquire Ivan Rodriguez before, so they could bring him in to mentor Buster Posey and provide the club with insurance in case the top prospect struggles.
- The Giants believe Matt Holliday's defense regressed a shocking amount last year.
- Jason Bay seems like a better fit for the Giants.
Mets Won’t Pursue Varitek
The Mets won't pursue Jason Varitek if he turns down his player option and becomes a free agent, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Two Mets officials tell Sherman that the club wants a catcher who can catch more than 100 games.
They had interest in the veteran catcher last offseason, but now the Mets covet more durable catchers - Bengie Molina may be a consideration. Molina has caught more games than Varitek over the course of the last three seasons, but Varitek hasn't caught fewer than 100 games since 2001, so it's surprising to see a club question his durability.
As Sherman points out, the Mariners and Nationals could have interest in Varitek if he opts to explore free agency.
Varitek To Discuss Player Option
3:37pm: Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that Varitek will discuss his option with agent Scott Boras today.
TUESDAY, 12:14pm: We haven't heard the official word on Varitek's decision, but the news could still come later today. To clear up any confusion, MLBTR's story yesterday that Varitek had exercised his option was a misinterpretation of Adam Hirshfield's NESN.com report. There has been no official report that Varitek will return to Boston.
MONDAY, 9:43pm: Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe writes on his Twitter feed, "Contrary to a report, Theo Epstein just said that Jason Varitek has not yet picked up his option. That could come tomorrow, however."
9:28pm: Or has he? Ken Rosenthal at Foxsports.com acknowledges the NESN report, but adds "one source said that Varitek has yet to make a final decision."
7:23pm: Jason Varitek is expected to exercise his $3MM player option and return to Boston in 2010, according to Adam Hirshfield of NESN.com. This news comes shortly after the Red Sox declined Varitek's $5MM team option.
The news comes after the Red Sox made it clear that they plan on using Victor Martinez as their everday catcher in 2010, and speaks also to the expected difficulties many players may have getting a bigger payday.
For Varitek, more importantly, the days where he is an asset as a starting catcher may be gone. He posted a .703 OPS in 2009, and really wore down after a strong start. His first-half OPS was .826, while his second-half OPS was .489, or 161 points lower than the career mark of Mike Hampton.
1:36pm: According to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford, the Red Sox will not pick up Jason Varitek's $5MM option for 2010. Varitek now has five days to decide on the $3MM player option portion of the contract. He could also earn another $2MM in incentives based on games started next season.
The 37-year-old team captain hit just .209/.313/.390 in 425 plate appearances in 2009, losing his starting catcher's job to Victor Martinez late in the season and in the playoffs.
Rosenthal And Morosi On Harden, Putz, Wagner
3:35pm: More from Rosenthal and Morosi:
- The White Sox are expected to add a leadoff man, but Chone Figgins still seems too expensive.
- John Smoltz is open to starting or relieving next year. He figures to end up in the NL after his failed stint with the Red Sox.
- Phillies officials "strongly downplayed" the idea that they could trade for Roy Halladay. The NL Champs will focus instead on third base and the bullpen.
12:38pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi are constantly updating their blog at FOX Sports with more info from the GM meetings. Here are some highlights from today:
- Rich Harden could be a good fit for the Seattle Mariners, especially given his past success in the American League West and the close proximity of his hometown (Victoria, British Columbia) to Seattle.
- Given their need for some offensive punch, the Mariners will also "kick the tires" on Jason Bay, says one major league source. As ESPN.com's Jason Grey points out, the Mariners have Dustin Ackley and Michael Saunders coming up through the system, so signing an outfielder like Bay to a long-term deal may not appeal to Jack Zduriencik.
- J.J. Putz's agent Craig Landis says that his client wouldn't mind accepting a setup role. "He has a preference to be a closer, but absolutely will not rule out an eighth-inning job depending upon many factors," says Landis. The factors Landis mentions include location, coaching staff, team strength, and, of course, money.
- Bean Stringfellow, Billy Wagner's agent, claims that six teams have called about the left-hander, and that all of them are interested in Wagner as a closer. We heard earlier today that Wagner's value could be hurt by his Type A status, but if you believe Stringfellow, it's not looking like a problem so far.
- The Yankees are "taking it slow" in their discussions with Hideki Matsui.
Odds & Ends: Smoltz, Holliday, Varitek, Tejada
Let's round up a few more links in a busy day of rumors….
- John Smoltz wants to pitch next year, according to this tweet from ESPN.com's Peter Gammons.
- The Mets will ask the Blue Jays about the price for Roy Halladay, as they did this summer, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
- As Chad Jennings of the Journal News reports, Andy Pettitte isn't likely to return to the Astros.
- We knew Matt Capps could be a trade chip for the Pittsburgh Pirates this offseason. According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates offered Capps to the Milwaukee Brewers for J.J. Hardy.
- Many expect Matt Holliday to end up in New York in 2010, but both the Mets and Yankees are downplaying their interest in the outfielder, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Sherman also writes that if Jason Varitek doesn't exercise his player option, the Mets could be interested in the 37-year-old.
- MLB.com's Mychael Urban agrees with Tim: Miguel Tejada fits in Oakland.
- Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star notes (via Twitter) that the Royals' payroll reached $82MM this past season.
Red Sox Rumors: Bay, Wagner, Beckett, V-Mart
Theo Epstein says talks between the Red Sox and Jason Bay are still in their early stages, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. Here are the details and the rest of Silverman's rumors:
- Epstein expects Bay to explore free agency, but the Red Sox are willing to wait for the left fielder to do so, at least to an extent.
- The Red Sox may bring Alex Gonzalez back. They turned down his $6MM option earlier in the week, but the sides could agree on a deal that guarantees the 32-year-old less money.
- The Red Sox are open to signing Victor Martinez and Josh Beckett to long-term deals, but any such extensions aren't likely to be finalized until much later in the offseason.
- Epstein expects Billy Wagner to look for a closer's job. He'll have to find a team willing to give up a draft pick if the Red Sox offer him arbitration, since he's a Type A free agent.
- The Red Sox may bring Rocco Baldelli back.
Yankees Could Keep Pettitte, Damon, Matsui
2:15pm: Just because the Yankees would prefer to keep Damon on a one-year deal doesn't mean that's possible. Speaking to Jon Heyman, Scott Boras compared Damon to Jorge Posada, who got a four-year deal and Derek Jeter, who is expected to receive one, too.
11:49am: Lohud.com's Chad Jennings notes that the October and November performances by Pettitte, Damon, and Matsui won't affect the team's decisions on whether to bring the players back. The quote from Cashman: “What they were when they went into October, that’s what they still are regardless of how well or how poorly they played in October."
11:10am: Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News also reports that the Yankees have interest in retaining both Damon and Matsui on one-year deals. In another article, Feinsand writes that the Yankees are "intrigued" by John Lackey.
9:20am: After months of talk that the Yankees would only keep one of Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the World Champions will try to re-sign both players, plus Andy Pettitte. The Yankees are more intent on retaining their own free agents than they are on acquiring Matt Holliday, Jason Bay or John Lackey.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman would prefer to bring all three back on one-year deals to minimize risk. Teams might be reluctant to sign Damon – a Type A free agent – if the Yanks offer arbitration, because they'd lose a draft pick. The Yankees would have to be prepared to pay Damon $15MM or so if they offer arbitration, so they may try to work out a deal in the $10MM range instead.
Heyman On Bradley, Gonzalez, Halladay
Jon Heyman has the latest on Milton Bradley, Roy Halladay, Adrian Gonzalez, and plenty of other big names in his new column. Let's check out some of the highlights….
- Although Texas and Tampa Bay seem like the most likely destinations for Bradley, one GM says the outfielder needs to play in a small market like Kansas City or San Diego.
- If the Rangers were to acquire Bradley, they would probably want the Cubs to pick up about $16MM of the remaining $21MM on his contract.
- People around baseball figure that Halladay is more likely than Gonzalez to be traded this winter. But a rival GM wouldn't be surprised to see both players get traded, since "sometimes new GMs like to put their stamp on a team."
- If the Boston Red Sox are in the Halladay hunt again, don't expect them to give up as much as they would have this summer. One executive believes they offered too much.
- Should the New York Yankees offer John Lackey a deal similar to the one they gave A.J. Burnett last winter, a competing GM thinks it would be enough to land Lackey, given teams' increasing reluctance to hand out long-term contracts.
- The New York Mets are a little wary of Lackey's "alleged arm issues" but could be interested in second-tier free agent starters like Joel Pineiro and Randy Wolf.
- Chone Figgins is a top priority for the Angels early in the offseason. They could attempt to re-sign Vladimir Guerrero later in the winter, but he's not a priority for now.
- The Philadelphia Phillies would like to lock up Cliff Lee to a long-term extension that costs them less than $100MM.