Sherman On Mets, Giants, Cardinals, Yankees
Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests, as Adam Rubin did earlier today, that the New York Mets may not be able to sign Matt Holliday or Jason Bay because of payroll restrictions. A Mets official tells Sherman that, if that is the case, the team's Plan B involves trying to "sprinkle power at a variety of positions" rather than adding one elite hitter.
One scenario Sherman outlines for the Mets is adding a catcher like Bengie Molina, an outfielder such as Jermaine Dye or Mark DeRosa, and then moving Luis Castillo to clear second base for someone with more power.
It sounds like the Giants and Mets will be the main competitors for Molina's services. The Giants would like to bring him back, and will look to spend more on their offense this winter, though a "team insider" says that Bay's and Holliday's price tags might be out of San Francisco's range as well.
In another article, Sherman writes that the St. Louis Cardinals don't anticipate Holliday signing anywhere until after Christmas. The team also fears that the New York Yankees could get involved in the bidding. If the Yankees were to retain Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon, as has been rumored, you'd have to think the Cardinals would like their chances of bringing back Holliday a lot more.
However, Damon apparently won't do the Yankees any favors by giving them a hometown discount. In one last article, Sherman outlines Scott Boras's case for Damon earning a long-term deal and big money.
Cubs Rumors: Marmol, Payroll, Theriot
Bruce Miles of The Daily Herald has a few tidbits of information about the Chicago Cubs in his latest blog post.
Miles notes that the Cubs have an unusually high number of arbitration-eligible players this offseason, and singles out Carlos Marmol as an important case. Miles figures that the Cubs and Marmol's agent Barry Praver could disagree about the reliever's value, since his holds total and opponents' average are so strong, while his control is so unpredictable. The Cubs haven't had an arbitration case go to a hearing since early in the 1990s, but this one is a candidate for it.
Miles also writes that the number of raises through arbitration could affect the Cubs' payroll flexibility. GM Jim Hendry points out that since most of the players are in the first year of arbitration eligibility, there shouldn't be many massive raises, but says, "You do have guys that certainly are going to command an increase in salary, and yeah, you have to factor that all in with your total payroll. We'll see what the numbers look like."
Hendry was also asked whether middle infield was a priority this winter, and replies: "Not necessarily. I'm very happy with Ryan [Theriot]." He adds that Mike Fontenot and Aaron Miles had disappointing 2009 seasons, but that he expects them to bounce back next year.
Brewers Unlikely To Be Major Players For Lackey
In their roundup of the talk at the GM meetings, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports report that the Milwaukee Brewers aren't likely to land John Lackey.
While the report notes that the Brewers need starting pitching, it suggests they're much more likely to pursue lesser free agents such as Jarrod Washburn and Doug Davis.
Milwaukee was in the hunt for C.C. Sabathia last offseason, making him a $100MM offer, and could potentially have the money to go after Lackey. Brewers officials, however, think that the top starting pitching prize in this year's free agent class will want to play in a larger market.
Rangers Won’t Pursue Top Free Agents, Will Deal
Rangers GM Jon Daniels tells Jeff Wilson of the Dallas Morning News that he will look to improve his team by remaining active in trade talks. The Rangers are looking for relievers and a right-handed bat, but don't expect them to go after top-tier free agents.
Instead, they expect to be involved in trade talks, though Daniels is in "no hurry" to trade away the pitching depth that kept his club in the pennant race late into this past season.
On another note, the Rangers, who will likely open next season with a payroll under $70MM, do have interest in bringing Milton Bradley back, but only if the Cubs take on a considerable portion of the $21MM remaining on the outfielder's contract.
Odds & Ends: Chapman, Felix, Jays, Valentine
Some links for Tuesday morning…
- Rob Bradford of WEEI.com says there are concerns about Aroldis Chapman's makeup.
- One GM asked Joel Sherman of the New York Post why Felix Hernandez would consider signing long-term with the Mariners when the Yankees could conceivably offer $200MM in two winters when he's a free agent.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Bobby Valentine and Jim Riggleman are the two finalists for the Nats' managerial job.
- The Blue Jays claimed Mike McCoy from the Rockies off waivers, according to the Jays' Twitter.
- Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd was named executive of the year, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.
- Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times suggests that free agent pitcher Jason Marquis may be out of the Dodgers' price range (via Twitter).
- Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe asks himself if the Red Sox are preparing to spend big this offseason.
Cards Interested In Holliday, Have Other Options
The Cardinals maintain interest in Matt Holliday, but they are ready to move on in case they can't re-sign him, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. GM John Mozeliak says the club won't become paralyzed as they negotiate with the star Scott Boras client.
"We have to be prepared if we can't sign him," Mozeliak said. "We need to have other options to pursue. And we do."
The GM knows that it won't be easy to replace Holliday's production if he signs elsewhere. However, the Cards would obtain a pair of draft picks if Holliday turns down arbitration to sign elsewhere. Those picks would help make up for Brett Wallace, who the Cards sent to Oakland to acquire Holliday. If the Cards let their left fielder walk, they would rely on many others to produce.
"I don't think there's one guy who can make that kind of impact," Mozeliak said.
Strauss says assumptions that the Cards will pursue Jason Bay if they fail to re-sign Holliday "may be unfounded."
Olney On Wagner, DeRosa, Betancourt, Wolf
The free agent rankings are out, so ESPN.com's Buster Olney breaks down the winners and losers. Here are the details from his latest blog post:
- Billy Wagner is a Type A free agent, so teams will have to surrender a draft pick to sign him if the Red Sox offer arbitration, as expected. This hurts Wagner's value, since he's coming back from Tommy John surgery and teams will hesitate to give up a top pick for an injury risk.
- Olney wouldn't be surprised to see Mark DeRosa field two and three year offers. The versatile 34-year-old is a Type B free agent, so teams won't have to give up a top pick to sign him.
- Rafael Betancourt, a Type A free agent, has less leverage with the Rockies than he would have had as a Type B free agent, because few teams would be willing to surrender a top pick to sign the reliever.
- Randy Wolf's status as a Type A free agent could chase away some suitors.
- Other GMs believe the Astros should offer Jose Valverde and LaTroy Hawkins arbitration.
- If the Giants offer Bengie Molina arbitration, the market for him would diminish.
Twins Rumors: Pavano, Cabrera, Punto
The Twins and Carl Pavano are both interested in making a deal, but it's unlikely we'll see anything finalized before Pavano hits the open market, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Twins have exclusive negotiating rights for now, but Pavano's likely to test the open market first.
The righty made $4.35MM this season, mostly by reaching performance incentives. This time, Pavano's agent suggests his client deserves more guaranteed money. Pavano has repeated that he enjoyed playing for the Twins after they acquired him from the Indians in August, so a return seems possible.
Pavano is a Type B free agent; the Twins will get a supplementary round pick if they offer arbitration only to see Pavano sign elsewhere.
Another Twins free agent, Orlando Cabrera, won't be playing shortstop next year, but manager Ron Gardenhire wants him back regardless. Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Gardenhire would like Cabrera at second base, J.J. Hardy at short and Nick Punto at third.
Mets Rumors: Bay, Holliday, Cameron, Delgado
A team insider suggests to Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News that Jason Bay and Matt Holliday may be too expensive for the Mets to consider. Rubin hears that the Mets expect to trade for a left fielder or spend on a second-tier free agent, since the top outfielders on the free agent market may be too pricey.
A source close to Mike Cameron tells Rubin that the one-time Met wouldn't likely consider returning, since he wants to play center field (the Mets, of course, have Carlos Beltran in center). Gary Sheffield will not return to the Mets, according to Rubin.
The club intends to use Daniel Murphy at first base in 2010, but they have not ruled out bringing free agent first baseman Carlos Delgado back. The slugger would have to be willing to accept a low-cost, one-year deal, but Delgado won't likely see multi-year offers this winter.
The Mets are interested in signing Bengie Molina, but they may look elsewhere if he demands more years than they're willing to commit to.
Cubs Rumors: Harden, Grabow, Zambrano
It's not all about Milton Bradley. Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune has some more Cubs rumors as the GM Meetings continue…
- Free agent Rich Harden wants to return to the Cubs. His agent is likely to meet with Cubs GM Jim Hendry soon.
- The Cubs are expected to sign lefty reliever John Grabow to a two-year deal with an option for 2012.
- Agent Barry Praver says there's been no talk of waiving Carlos Zambrano's no-trade clause.
- The Cubs are likely to move Kosuke Fukudome to right, so they will be looking for a center fielder.