Rockies Rumors: Betancourt, Barajas, Green
Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post has the latest on the Rockies…
- Decision-time for free agents offered arbitration is about nine hours away. Rafael Betancourt will take that decision right down to the wire, says his agent Alan Nero.
- The Rockies have an eye on Rod Barajas in the event they can't re-sign Yorvit Torrealba. Barajas has been linked to the Mets and Giants recently; he too must decide on an arbitration offer tonight. He's expected to decline.
- The Rockies also like Nick Green for a utility role; he's been linked to the Dodgers already.
Adrian Beltre To Decline Arbitration?
MONDAY, 1:26pm: SI's Jon Heyman agrees; he says Beltre plans to decline the arbitration offer today.
SUNDAY, 11:03pm: Word in the Winter Meetings' lobby is that there's "no way" Scott Boras will allow Adrian Beltre to accept the Mariners' offer of arbitration, says Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. Tomorrow is the deadline for the 20 or so free agents that were offered arbitration to either decline or accept.
There was some thought on Friday that the Mariners couldn't finalize their deal with Chone Figgins until Monday because the team first had to make sure Beltre would decline arbitration. The 31-year-old former NL MVP runner-up is said to be looking for at least $10MM per year, and has drawn interest from the Giants.
Red Sox Sign Scott Atchison
1:21pm: ESPN's Gordon Edes says Atchison will be paid $420K in 2010, with club options for $440K and $600K.
11:12am: The Red Sox signed reliever Scott Atchison, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Atchison gets a one-year deal with two club options after spending two seasons in Japan. Atchison, 34 in March, elected free agency in November of 2007 after posting a 4.11 ERA in 30.6 relief innings for the Giants. NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman had more on Atchison in October.
Rangers Acquire Clay Rapada
The Rangers acquired lefty reliever Clay Rapada from the Tigers for a player to be named later or cash considerations, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Rapada, 29 in March, spent most of the year in the minors. He had a 2.76 ERA, 9.3 K/9, and 3.4 BB/9 in 45.6 Triple A innings.
Pirates Sign Vinnie Chulk
The Pirates signed righty Vinnie Chulk to a minor league deal, according to a team press release. Chulk, 31 later this month, tossed 12 innings with the Indians and another 21.6 in Triple A. The Indians designated him for assignment in May and he cleared waivers. MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch notes that the Pirates also signed Wilfredo Ledezma to a minor league deal recently.
Brewers Claim Luis Cruz Off Waivers
The Brewers claimed infielder Luis Cruz off waivers from the Pirates, tweets MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Cruz spent most of the season in Triple A, where he hit .253/.274/.358 while playing all around the diamond. He previously spent time in the San Diego and Boston organizations.
Tigers, Pirates Eyeing Adam Everett
Now that the Red Sox filled their shortstop vacancy with Marco Scutaro, the Tigers were the only known remaining suitor for free agent Adam Everett. Today, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports adds the Pirates to the mix, writing that the Bucs and Tigers are among three clubs with serious interest. He says Everett is seeking one year and about $3MM. The defensive whiz earned just $1MM this year with the Tigers.
The Pirates' recent interest in Bobby Crosby and now Everett indicates they'd like someone to challenge Ronny Cedeno as the starting shortstop in 2010.
Heyman On Mariners, Valverde, Damon
A look at the latest column from SI's Jon Heyman…
- Aside from Jason Bay and John Lackey, Heyman names Marlon Byrd, Rich Harden, Randy Wolf, and Joel Pineiro as Mariners targets. That's the first I've heard of Byrd, Wolf, or a Pineiro reunion. Heyman names the Cubs and Braves as other Byrd suitors.
- Heyman says "execs expect" Jose Valverde to remain in Houston, whether through accepting arbitration today or just re-signing later.
- Heyman expects the Yankees to offer about two years and $20MM to Johnny Damon, and otherwise move on to Mike Cameron, Jermaine Dye, Curtis Granderson, or possibly Byrd.
Mariners Unlikely To Pursue Bay?
12:02pm: ESPN's Buster Olney says the Mariners are "unlikely to get involved" on Bay. He never did seem to fit with Jack Zduriencik's style.
5:12am: Geoff Baker tweeted that the he's heard Jason Bay told his former Pittsburgh teammates he'd "stand on his head and sing" to play for the Mariners.
It makes sense geographically that Bay would like to play in Seattle, as his home province of British Columbia is north of the Emerald City. Additionally, his wife is from Kirkland, just 30 minutes outside of Seattle, and Bay and his family live there in the offseason (Hat tip: Ryan Divish). We've heard several reports that the Mariners are interested in Bay already, which stands to reason as they could use some added punch to the middle of their lineup.
While Bay's defense has been called into question time and time again this offseason, the team that general manager Jack Zduriencik has put together thus far in Seattle figures to be one of the best defensive clubs in baseball in 2010, so sacrificing some glovework to add a legitimate power threat in the middle of the lineup might make sense. A lineup that features Chone Figgins, Ichiro Suzuki, and Bay toward the top is certainly one that should generate some runs.
With their agreement with Figgins in place, talks of extending Felix Hernandez, and interest in Jason Bay, the Mariners are definitely not shy when it comes to spending this offseason. Adding Bay would go a long ways toward making them favorites in the AL West. What type of offer should the Mariners make to land Bay?
Phillies Considering Blanton Trade
We mentioned this last night, but it deserves its own post: AOL FanHouse's Ed Price says the Phillies are exploring interest in arbitration-eligible pitcher Joe Blanton. Blanton is due a decent-sized raise on this year's $5.475MM salary. Price could seek a cheaper starter in return and then allocate the savings to the bullpen.
Blanton, 29 in a few days, made 31 starts in the regular season and another two in the postseason. He posted a solid 7.5 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9, but allowed 30 home runs in 195.3 innings. He was homer-prone on the road as well as at home.