Rangers Would Consider Dealing For Bradley
More teams are calling the Cubs about Milton Bradley and, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Rangers might be one of them. Team officials told Sherman they would consider bringing Bradley back if the Cubs were willing to take on a considerable chunk of the $21MM he'll make over the course of the next two seasons. Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune says that's unlikely.
Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Cubs have to deal the outfielder – some of Bradley's teammates won't even speak with him. We heard about a potential three-way deal yesterday, but Toronto does not appear to have interest in Bradley. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports that the Jays have serious doubts about adding Bradley to their clubhouse.
The Rangers, who are considering moving Josh Hamilton to a corner outfield spot, may lose Marlon Byrd to free agency this offseason.
Jays Looking For Quality Over Quantity In Any Halladay Deal
The Blue Jays will look for quality over quantity if they deal Roy Halladay this winter, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. As one Blue Jays official says, the team will obtain two draft picks if they let Doc walk after 2010, so top young talent is a must in any trade.
"We would rather have one above-average impact guy than eight ordinary guys," the official said.
That's hardly a surprise, given that the Jays were demanding multiple top prospects for Halladay this summer, when names like Clay Buchholz, Derek Holland, Justin Smoak and Kyle Drabek popped up in trade talks. Executives tell Sherman that the Jays aren't likely to obtain as much for their ace now as they could have this summer.
Halladay, who will earn a base salary of $15.75MM next year, will hit free agency after the season, so Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos can't demand as much as his predecessor, J.P. Ricciardi.
However, this year's class of starting pitchers falls off after John Lackey, so executives expect the Jays to field strong offers for the 2003 Cy Young Award winner. And Anthopoulos has committed "unprecedented" resources to scouting, so it may make sense for the club to deal Halladay and spend in other areas.
2010 Top 50 Free Agents
It's time for the fourth annual MLB Trade Rumors Top 50 Free Agents list! The entire list of available free agents can be found here.
A note before we begin – this is a complicated puzzle, and I'll be satisfied if I'm correct on a quarter of these guesses. If your favorite team seems under-represented, keep in mind that the list doesn't account for trades or every single free agent.
1. Matt Holliday – Mets. The Mets could grab headlines by signing Holliday to a six or seven-year deal for more than $100MM.
2. John Lackey – Yankees. Last winter's strategy of signing the best two starters and the best hitter available contributed to the Yankees' World Series title. With rotation question marks after C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, it makes sense that the Yanks will pursue the best available starter in Lackey.
3. Jason Bay – Red Sox. It's been rumored the Red Sox are willing to offer four years and $60MM to Bay. That seems to be a fair opening bid, given his defensive struggles.
4. Chone Figgins – Angels. The Angels have internal options at third base, but he'd be hard to let go after a career-high .395 OBP and excellent defense at the hot corner.
5. Randy Wolf – Mets. The Mets regrettably chose Oliver Perez over Wolf a year ago. As the best available starter aside from Lackey, Wolf is primed to get a three-year deal worth more than $30MM.
6. Andy Pettitte – Yankees. With all the good vibes surrounding Pettitte's work this year, it's hard to see him anywhere else. The Yankees might have to guarantee more than $5.5MM this time though.
7. Jose Valverde – Phillies. One way to shore up a shaky bullpen: sign the best closer available. Few teams are seeking closers, and even fewer have money, so the Phillies should be able to get a relative bargain.
8. Marco Scutaro – Red Sox. It's difficult to place Scutaro, because not many teams with shortstop vacacies will be willing to pay the three years and $18MM+ he'll likely demand. The Sox would be getting the best available shortstop here, but they could instead choose Jed Lowrie and/or Alex Gonzalez.
9. Adrian Beltre – Twins. The Twins made a large upgrade at shortstop by acquiring J.J. Hardy. Beltre would give them fantastic left-side infield defense and another possible 20 home run bat. The Twins had interest in trading for Beltre a year ago, though the Scott Boras client added them to his no-trade clause.
10. Rich Harden – Red Sox. A one-year deal with a $7MM base salary would be difficult for Harden to resist. His injuries are maddening, but he leads free agent starters with a 10.9 K/9.
11. Mike Cameron – Padres. The Padres are tight on cash, but bringing back Cameron to play center field makes sense on a one-year deal worth $7MM or so.
12. Johnny Damon – Yankees. Most believe the Yankees will re-sign one of Damon and Hideki Matsui. Despite Matsui's World Series MVP award, Damon probably fits better given his ability to play the field more regularly.
13. Orlando Hudson – Nationals. The Nats coveted Hudson last year. Adding him now would help with their stated goal of improving up the middle.
14. Miguel Tejada – Athletics. A one-year deal to bring Tejada back would give the A's security on the left side of the infield, where they have Cliff Pennington at shortstop and Brett Wallace not quite ready at third base.
15. Joel Pineiro – Cardinals. He'd be a big loss for the Cardinals, who have rotation openings after Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, and Kyle Lohse. Pineiro walked just 27 in 214 innings posted a 60.5% groundball rate due to a newfound sinker.
16. Nick Johnson – Giants. A jolt of OBP at first base would do the Giants good. They were involved in talks for Johnson around the trade deadline.
17. Aroldis Chapman - Red Sox. They've been heavily involved with Chapman from the start, and may consider him a long-term investment worth more than $20MM.
18. Marlon Byrd – Rangers. Byrd is one of the better center fielders available, but not too many clubs are in the hunt at the position. The Cubs could be in the mix here after they trade Milton Bradley.
19. Vladimir Guerrero – White Sox. The White Sox would generate attention by signing Vlad as a DH and occasional right fielder. Landing Guerrero would also be a solid baseball move on a reasonable one-year deal.
20. Felipe Lopez – Dodgers. They seem ready to part ways with Orlando Hudson, and Lopez might be a bit cheaper. Lopez's 2009 season ranked fourth among all free agents in WAR.
21. Adam LaRoche – Braves. Did LaRoche's scorching stint with the Braves last year price him out of their range? The Mets, Orioles, A's, Mariners, Giants, D'Backs, and Rangers might also be in the market for a first baseman.
22. Rafael Soriano – Angels. Will the failure of Brian Fuentes prompt the Angels to add another late-inning arm? After missing most of '08, Soriano bounced back with 102 strikeouts in 75.6 innings this year.
23. Jon Garland, Dodgers. Bringing back Garland would be a safe move, though the Dodgers already declined his $10MM option. Garland required a $7.25MM guarantee a year ago, and he had a better season, so this is an iffy prediction. The Twins, Nationals, Mets, and Brewers may be among the other teams seeking an innings-eater.
24. Carl Pavano – Nationals. Pavano debuted with the Expos in '98 after being acquired in the Pedro Martinez deal. Eleven years later, Pavano surprisingly managed 33 starts. His 4.16 xFIP reveals his 5.10 ERA was misleading.
25. Brad Penny – Mets. Penny is just one of many different arms the Mets might consider as they attempt to bolster their rotation depth. No other free agent starter throws harder, so Penny's upside is still tantalizing.
26. Erik Bedard – Dodgers. If the Dodgers don't want to pony up the cash or prospects for a true ace, they could buy a Bedard lottery ticket instead.
27. Hideki Matsui – Mariners. Matsui joining the Mariners in a DH/left field role will become more likely if Ken Griffey Jr. retires.
28. Bengie Molina – Nationals. Molina is difficult to place, especially if he demands more than $5MM. With Jesus Flores coming off shoulder surgery, the Nats will probably add a veteran on a one-year deal. The Mets also may sign a catcher.
29. Mike Gonzalez – Braves. Gonzalez should be cheaper than Soriano, and the Braves need some kind of relief signing or acquisition. With available closers plentiful, the Braves could wait around until March in hopes of a bargain.
30. Jason Marquis – Diamondbacks. The D'Backs are known to crave a mid-tier veteran starter, and Marquis is one of many options. Many have speculated Marquis would like to play for the Mets, and they are a reasonable match as well.
31. Placido Polanco – Diamondbacks. Second base is another area of need for Arizona. As with the Marquis situation above, Polanco is one of several palatable free agent choices.
32. Tim Wakefield – Red Sox. Wakefield had back surgery in October, but the Red Sox will probably still view him as a bargain at $4MM.
33. Ben Sheets – Rangers. The Brewers and Rangers seem to be the most likely landing spots for Sheets, who had flexor tendon surgery in February and missed the '09 season. That injury caused a two-year deal with the Rangers to fall apart.
34. Doug Davis – Brewers. Davis was claimed off waivers by the Brewers in August, but they couldn't work out a deal with the D'Backs. At the time, Davis liked the idea of returning to Milwaukee. He'll probably have to back off his three-year demand to make it happen.
35. Jarrod Washburn – Brewers. Perhaps the Brewers won't sign these two mid-tier lefties, but they do figure to acquire a pair of starters somehow. Washburn could make it easier on the Brewers by providing a hometown discount. Otherwise, trading Mat Gamel could net an arm.
36. Russell Branyan – Mariners. Interest in a new contract is mutual. There are enough mitigating factors to make another one-year deal likely.
37. Billy Wagner – Cubs. The Cubs don't have much payroll space, and they may prefer to go with Carlos Marmol as their closer. Then again, they wouldn't do so a year ago when Marmol was coming off a good season. The Cubs could offer Wagner a chance to close, as could the Orioles, Rays, Tigers, Angels, and Braves. Even Wagner's old teams, the Phillies and Astros, have back-end bullpen concerns.
38. Juan Uribe – Mariners. Uribe was quietly very valuable in 2009, playing all around the infield for the Giants. Uribe's shortstop-third base flexibility could fit for Seattle.
39. John Smoltz – Tigers. Smoltz of course came up with the Tigers, and they considered him a year ago. They could sign him and keep an open mind as to his role.
40. Jermaine Dye – Rangers. The Rangers signing both Byrd and Dye might be a stretch, though Dye should be used strictly at DH. Given his second half decline he should be affordable.
41. Mark DeRosa – Phillies. I debated flipping the DeRosa-Beltre predictions, as both the Phillies and Twins have a need at third base. DeRosa, a former Penn quarterback, has been linked to the Phils for years.
42. Coco Crisp – Royals. The Royals already declined his $8MM option. But Crisp likes Kansas City and the Royals still need a center fielder, so an incentive-based deal could happen.
43. Carlos Delgado – Orioles. In Delgado, the Orioles could add a possible 30-home run bat with little risk. And Delgado could benefit from some time at DH.
44. Orlando Cabrera – Blue Jays. O-Cab might find a small market for his services this winter, even without a draft pick cost attached.
45. Gregg Zaun – Rays. Zaun can void his $2MM club option if the Rays exercise it, but he might be swayed by the chance to start.
46. Jim Thome – Athletics. The A's should have their pick of affordable free agent DHs. Thome's not done; he hit .249/.366/.481 this year.
47. Fernando Rodney – Tigers. I have no idea where Rodney will sign. No one will want to pay a premium for his 37 saves. He might be best-served returning to Detroit on a one-year deal worth $6MM or so.
48. Xavier Nady – Diamondbacks. The D'Backs will probably tender a contract to Conor Jackson, but Nady could still be helpful at first base and left field. He's a Scott Boras client, but he missed most of the season due to Tommy John surgery.
49. Kiko Calero - Rays. Calero's a health risk, so he might be cheap despite a 1.95 ERA and 10.4 K/9 in 60 innings this year. He's the type of reliever the Rays figure to add.
50. Rafael Betancourt – Rockies. I think the Rockies will work out a two-year deal to retain Betancourt as their setup man. It could include incentives for closing, should Huston Street depart after '10 or struggle before then.
Honorable mentions: Justin Duchscherer, Troy Glaus, Alex Gonzalez, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Brett Myers, Vicente Padilla, Chan Ho Park, J.J. Putz, Takashi Saito, Jack Wilson
Discussion: Phillies And Roy Halladay
Despite Philadelphia GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. describing his needs this winter as "Third base, bullpen, bench," many people within baseball think the Phillies will make a run at Roy Halladay, reports Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Salisbury quotes a rival front office member as saying, "Philadelphia is into winning now, and Halladay fits that."
Toronto's asking price this past July – pitchers Kyle Drabek and J.A. Happ and outfielders Dominic Brown and Anthony Gose – was too high for Philadelphia. But with Halladay moving closer to free agency, will that price come down?
If you are the Phillies, do you trade a significant package to bring Halladay in? If you are the Blue Jays, what do you need to get this done?
Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Phillies, Nationals
As the immortal Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe puts it, "Standing around an airport hotel lobby at night just in case Scott Boras walks by was not covered in journalism school." Meanwhile, you get to keep up with the latest rumors in the comfort of your own home!
- As expected, the Dodgers declined their $2.2MM option on Will Ohman.
- Randy Miller of the Bucks County Courier Times says that the Phillies "are expected to try and sign free agent Mark DeRosa." DeRosa went to University of Pennsylvania, so this would be a homecoming.
- Nationals' interim manager Jim Riggleman believes a decision on who will be the 2010 skipper in Washington could come as early as this week.
- Carl Pavano is unlikely to receive an overwhelming offer from the Twins during their exclusive signing window, says Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Braves Discussing Extension for Vazquez
David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that "Someone here at the meetings who would probably know, told me the Braves have at least discussed trying to sign [Javier] Vazquez to a contract extension."
Vazquez was quietly an elite pitcher for Atlanta in 2009, posting a 2.87 ERA in 219 1/3 innings, striking out 238 and walking just 44. He's signed to an $11.5MM deal for 2010, after which he will be a free agent.
There has been speculation that Atlanta will deal Vazquez, since with the return of Tim Hudson, they appear to have six starting pitchers for five spots. Meanwhile, a deal for the underachieving Derek Lowe, who was far worse than Vazquez and has $45MM left on his contract, would presumably yield far less than Vazquez.
Bradley Being Discussed In Three-Way Deal
9:01pm: The Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan is reporting that Toronto "wants no part of Milton Bradley." Meanwhile, Cubs GM Jim Hendry said that Chicago hasn't given up on Bradley, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin. Of course, Hendry has to say that until the moment Bradley is traded.
5:55pm: A very interesting idea is being reported by Ken Rosenthal: a three-way deal, with Milton Bradley going to the Blue Jays, Luis Castillo to the Cubs, and Lyle Overbay to the Mets. Rosenthal said "The teams indeed have discussed the framework of such a deal, though not in direct fashion, according to major-league sources."
Breaking it down, the trade makes the most sense for the Mets, who would clear second base for long-coveted Orlando Hudson, a free agent. Overbay has also mashed righties for his entire career – .847 OPS career, .905 in 2009 – and could be paired with Daniel Murphy or Nick Evans for a high-reward platoon.
Castillo does block the movement of Ryan Theriot to second base when Starlin Castro arrives, but adding Castillo's on-base percentage would be a boon to the top of Chicago's lineup.
As for the Blue Jays, the deal would open up first base for Adam Lind, with Bradley slotting in as designated hitter. The question is: Overbay slugged .466 in 2009, while Bradley slugged just .397 – so is this an upgrade?
Figgins Too Expensive For White Sox; Podsednik Talks Heat Up
Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that White Sox GM Kenny Williams flatly denied that Chicago would have enough money to spend on free agent leadoff hitter Chone Figgins.
''We don't have that kind of money," Williams said. "Sometimes the minor [free-agent deals] are the major ones, in my mind. How many Novembers have you heard that line?"
De Luca does report, however, that "talks between the Sox and incumbent leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik have heated up in recent days." Podsednik obviously wouldn't command the kind of money Figgins will be seeking.
New York Roundup: Mets Sour, Yankees Sweet On Lackey
It wouldn't be the hot stove season without the two New York teams:
- Jon Heyman of SI.com is reporting that the Mets are "concerned about" John Lackey's past injury problems to the point that they won't pursue him. The Yankees, however, are "definitely interested."
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff believes the Mets will "check in on Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, John Lackey; they have to engage, for public relations' sake."
- Barry Bloom of MLB.com reports that Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn't plan to sign any of his own free agents during his period of exclusive bargaining rights.
Rockies Rumors: Hawpe, Betancourt, Torrealba
8:34pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman is reporting that Torrealba declined a Colorado offer of two years, $4.5MM.
3:57pm: Joel Sherman of The NY Post has a slew of Rockies' rumors from the GM meetings, so let's recap…
- The Rockies are willing to listen to trade offers for outfielder Brad Hawpe. Just last month, GM Dan O'Dowd said "We have no desire to move [Hawpe] at all."
- The team's top priority at the moment is to retain reliever Rafael Betancourt, who they've already approached about a multi-year deal.
- Yorvit Torrealba turned down an offer to return to the team after they declined his option. They'll look elsewhere for a backup catcher.
- The Rockies do not plan to tender Garrett Atkins a contract, and intend to use Ian Stewart at third base.
- They'd like to add a righty bat to be a reserve outfielder or first baseman.
- The team has received "glowing reports" about Jeff Francis, who is battling back from shoulder surgery and missed all of 2009.