Nationals Favorite For Chien-Ming Wang
5:49pm: Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweets that the Nationals will guarantee Wang $2MM, with a chance to more than double that through incentives.
12:37pm: Heyman now tweets that the Dodgers have "pulled out of the Wang derby."
10:32am: SI's Jon Heyman tweets that Dodgers execs Ned Colletti and Logan White are watching Wang throw today. Heyman presumes the Dodgers are the second finalist for the righty. Still, one Chico Harlan Nationals source seems to believe they're the favorite.
8:59am: MASN's Ben Goessling reports that Wang is still seven to ten days from a decision, and nothing has changed since yesterday. MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that nothing is close between the Nationals and Wang, though they remain a finalist. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Nationals and one other team have made offers.
7:52am: Righty Chien-Ming Wang has chosen the Nationals and is close to a deal, tweets Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
Wang, 30 in March, had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right shoulder capsule on July 29th of last year. On January 28th, Wang's agent Alan Nero told ESPN's Jayson Stark that his client is expected to "make a major-league start sometime in the first two weeks of May." Wang will join Jason Marquis and John Lannan in Washington's rotation, with the remaining spots to be determined during Spring Training.
The Dodgers, Phillies, Cardinals, and Mets were also linked to Wang this winter.
Mets Have Not Contacted Sheffield
George A. King III of The New York Post spoke to free agent Gary Sheffield, who said he has not heard from the Mets but did seem to indicate that teams are interested in bringing him aboard.
“There are things on the table that I have to accept or not accept," the former Mets and Yankees slugger told The Post on Wednesday. “Right now I have not made up my mind."
“I have a few things to weigh," said Sheffield.
There hasn't been much interest in the 41-year-old this offseason, and last we heard was that Sheff was considering two unidentified teams but still waiting for offers.
The Tigers released the nine-time All Star last March, eating basically all of his $14MM salary in the process. The Mets picked him up for the league minimum, and gave him 312 plate appearances during which he hit .276/.372/.451 with ten homers.
Mets Sign Mike Jacobs
The Mets signed first baseman Mike Jacobs to a minor league deal. The contract pays $900K if he's in the Majors and has another $1.15MM in incentives. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick first reported the near-agreement last night, with SI's Jon Heyman tweeting contract details today.
Jacobs, 29, hit just .228/.297/.401 with 19 homers in 478 plate appearances for the Royals last season, which led to the team declining to tender him a contract. He's the lefty power threat the Mets currently lack, though his .313 career OBP and poor defense are big negatives. He also struggles immensely against southpaws.
Jacobs broke in with the Mets back in 2005, though he was included in the Carlos Delgado trade after that season.
Red Sox Claim Gaby Hernandez; Designate Manuel
The Red Sox claimed righty Gaby Hernandez off waivers from the Mariners, according to a team press release. He'd had been designated for assignment when the Ms signed Ryan Garko. Hernandez, 24 in May, posted a 6.0 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, and 5.23 ERA in 146.3 Triple A innings last year. The Red Sox claiming Hernandez means all but a handful of MLB clubs passed on him.
To make room for Hernandez, the Red Sox designated pitcher Robert Manuel for assignment. They'd claimed him from the Mariners off waivers in November. Manuel, 26, posted a 2.88 ERA, 6.7 K/9, and 2.2 BB/9 in Triple A last year.
Yusmeiro Petit, designated to make room for Erik Bedard, cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Mariners' Triple A Tacoma club.
Washburn Waiting For Right Offer
Free agent lefty Jarrod Washburn spoke to MLB.com's Jim Street, telling Street he's waiting for the right offer. Washburn quipped, "I never liked Spring Training anyway."
Washburn told Street that he rejected some offers (reportedly $5MM from the Twins among them) because he wasn't ready to make a decision at the time. Washburn says "it's not about money." He'd love to return to the Mariners, but has not received an offer. The southpaw would be happy to keep playing, but happy to retire as well.
Washburn's 2009 season was tricky – he wasn't as good as the 2.64 ERA he posted over the first four months, but a knee injury contributed to his 7.33 ERA over the last two. Instead try CHONE's projection for 2010: a 4.63 ERA in 167 innings.
Disappointing Offseason For Russell Branyan
Russell Branyan ranked second among all free agents this offseason with 31 home runs in 2009. The slugger, represented by Dan Lozano, entered free agency seeking a three-year deal in the $20-30MM range according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Branyan rejected a one-year offer with a club option to return to the Mariners, and they moved on to Casey Kotchman and Ryan Garko.
Rumors of the Marlins' interest in Branyan were shot down, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote yesterday that the Blue Jays and Indians are considering him. A back problem hampered Branyan in the second half last year, but he says he feels great now. Rosenthal reported that Branyan has been working out with Dan Uggla and Khalil Greene at Vanderbilt.
Five Teams Eyeing Endy Chavez
Five teams are eyeing free agent outfielder Endy Chavez, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports: the Mets, Mariners, Blue Jays, Astros, and Royals. Chavez had surgery for a torn ACL in July, and Morosi says he could be ready in April or May.
Chavez, 32, doesn't offer much offensively. His calling card is his defense, which has historically been strong at all three outfield positions. The question is whether his defense will still be an asset post-knee surgery.
Delgado Not Ruling Out Retirement
Continuing our review of available free agent first basemen, let's discuss Carlos Delgado. Delgado, 37, is represented by David Sloane. He tallied only 112 plate appearances last year before succumbing to May hip surgery. The year prior, Delgado mashed 38 homers for the Mets despite an awful April.
He attempted to prove his health in the Puerto Rican Winter League a month ago. However, one scout told ESPN's Jayson Stark that Delgado "can't play first on a day-to-day basis." Delgado appeared in 15 games, but played first base in only two of them.
Delgado told Primera Hora's Carlos Gonzalez, "If there's not work, I'll retire. That's not Plan A." He says teams in both leagues are interested (thanks to Nick Collias for the translation). However, the Blue Jays appear to be out while the Mets are close to signing Mike Jacobs and already re-signed Fernando Tatis. The Royals and Orioles reportedly observed Delgado in Puerto Rico, but both clubs are full at the first base/DH spots.
Hank Blalock Looking For Work
Hank Blalock, Carlos Delgado, and Russell Branyan comprise the remaining free agent market for potential starting first baseman/designated hitters. Let's review all three, starting with Blalock.
Blalock, 29, is represented by Scott Boras. He hit .234/.277/.459 in 495 plate appearances for the Rangers last year. It was his first healthy season since '06, but he posted the lowest batting average and on-base percentage of his career.
Blalock came up as a third baseman, but played only nine innings there in '09. He logged 567.6 innings at first base, spending the rest of his time as a designated hitter. In recent years Blalock had a rib removed due to thoracic outlet syndrome and also had shoulder and wrist surgeries. The Indians are the only known Blalock suitor, as the Orioles, Braves, and Pirates have gone in different directions.
Mariners Sign Jesus Colome
The Mariners signed righty Jesus Colome to a minor league deal, according to a team press release. Colome, 32, posted a 7.59 ERA, 6.3 K/9, and 2.5 BB/9 in 21.3 innings for the Nationals and Brewers last year. Additionally, he logged 17.3 strong innings in Triple A.
With a 94.7 mph average fastball, Colome is an intriguing risk-free pickup. Poor control had been a major flaw until last year, when he posted an overall BB/9 of 2.33 in 38.6 innings. The Mariners' other non-roster invitees can be viewed here.