Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for October 2010

Heyman On Girardi, Nunez, Alderson, Beltre

By | at

Cliff Lee and Cody Ross lead Jon Heyman’s list of players who have stepped up this postseason. Lee’s performance will only help his free agent stock and Heyman guesses the bidding for the left-hander will start at $120MM and go up from there. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors, which you can find in full at SI.com:

  • The Yankees plan to bring Joe Girardi back and give him a raise. Team executives like Girardi, whose contract expires after the season.
  • The Braves have expressed interest in Eduardo Nunez, a shortstop prospect in the Yankees system.
  • Sandy Alderson, a candidate for the Mets GM job, is team owner Fred Wilpon's first choice. Heyman and Joel Sherman reported earlier in the week that Alderson is the favorite for the position.
  • The Rangers like Adrian Beltre, but don’t have room for him since they have Michael Young at third base.

John Farrell Favorite To Manage Blue Jays

By | at

GM Alex Anthopoulos says he has yet to decide on the next manager of the Blue Jays, but John Farrell is emerging as the favorite to win the job. A source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that it will be a surprise if the Blue Jays do not name Farrell manager within a week or so. The club was apparently impressed by the Red Sox pitching coach in his interviews. 

DeMarlo Hale, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Brian Butterfield are reportedly the others to make it this far in the Blue Jays’ exhaustive hunt for a successor to Cito Gaston. Morosi’s report comes a day after Peter Gammons heard that three GMs expect Farrell to get the job.  Alex Anthopoulos, the one GM whose opinion really matters, told Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star that he is still deciding.

“No decision has yet been made,” Anthopoulos said. “I still have not made up my own mind on the candidates.”

Farrell, a former major league pitcher, was the director of player development for the Indians before becoming Boston’s pitching coach. The Blue Jays, Marlins, Pirates, Brewers and Mets are the five clubs that still have managerial openings.

Sosnick On Bruce, Willingham, Nolasco, Dunn

By | at

Agent Matt Sosnick appeared on the Diamond Hoggers' Baseball Show today, and spoke at length about how he became involved in baseball, his experiences in the sport, and a few of his clients. Here are the highlights from the discussion, which you can listen to here:

  • Jay Bruce is open to signing a long-term contract with the Reds. "If the Reds felt the same way," Sosnick said. "We'd be open to doing something that was five or six years."
  • Sosnick acknowledged that locking up Joey Votto would likely be a higher priority for the club, but cited deals signed by Justin Upton and Troy Tulowitzki as potential starting points for a Bruce extension.
  • As we heard earlier today, Josh Willingham is interested in signing an extension with the Nationals. Sosnick feels that if Willingham were hitting the open market this winter, the 31-year-old could land a multi-year deal worth $10MM annually.
  • According to Sosnick, when the Giants made a push for Willingham, the Nats asked for either Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner in return.
  • Regarding a possible Ricky Nolasco extension, Sosnick says he and the Marlins agreed on the years, but were off by "about 20%" on salary. The two sides will resume extension talks in November or December, working on a one-year deal in the meantime.
  • Adam Dunn is not a Sosnick client, but the agent predicts that Dunn will receive about $40MM for three years this offseason.

Odds & Ends: Beimel, Angels, Mets, Peralta, Dunn

By | at

On this date 27 years ago, the Padres signed Sandy Alomar Jr. as an amateur free agent. Now, the former catcher is one of four finalists for the Blue Jays managerial opening. Here are today's links, as the Phillies send the NLCS back to Philadelphia…

Five FA Pitchers Who Could Benefit From The NL

By | at

While the relative strength of the National League compared to the American League is debatable, it's hard to deny that the Senior Circuit is more appealing to pitchers. Replacing the pitcher in the lineup with a designated hitter makes AL lineups more potent, as this year's offensive statistics showed – five of baseball's top six run-scoring teams in 2010 play in the Junior Circuit.

The difference may be negligible for certain players, but each year there are usually a few pitchers who switch leagues and immediately see their numbers rise or fall accordingly. After being dealt from the Indians to the Cardinals this season, for instance, Jake Westbrook posted a 3.48 ERA and 6.6 K/9, compared to his Cleveland marks of 4.65 and 5.1.

So although there's no guarantee that starting pitchers will enjoy more success playing in the National League, here are five potential free agents who may benefit from signing with an NL club:

  • Javier Vazquez: Of all the pitchers who switched to the American League last offseason, Vazquez suffered perhaps the most drastic setback. After finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2009, the 34-year-old pitched so poorly this season that he lost his spot in the Yankees' starting rotation. Even taking into account his first two up-and-down years with the Expos, Vazquez's career NL numbers (4.02 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 2.3 BB/9) are better across the board than his AL totals (4.65, 7.9, 2.7). Vazquez won't be back in the Bronx, and his best shot at decreasing his 2010 longball rate (1.8 HR/9) and returning to form might come in the NL.
  • Kevin Millwood: We heard earlier this year that Millwood could seek a pitcher-friendly environment for 2011, after years of pitching in Baltimore and Texas. The move makes sense for the right-hander; he still has some value as a veteran innings eater, but could potentially be much more than that in a park like Petco in San Diego. We don't know what kind of contract the 35-year-old will be seeking, so it's possible he could be too expensive for a team like the Padres. For what it's worth though, San Diego was thought to have interest in Milwood in August.
  • Jeremy Bonderman: One of the youngest arms on the open market, Bonderman could be an interesting fourth or fifth starter for a team willing to take a flier on him. Though his 4.89 career ERA is uninspiring, he's a former first-round pick and will turn 28 next week. His career peripherals suggest that he still has potential, and he strikes me as the type of pitcher who would benefit from the tutelage of a pitching coach like the Cardinals' Dave Duncan. The Cards may re-sign Jake Westbrook or look elsewhere for starting pitching, but St. Louis isn't the only possible landing spot for the long-time Tiger, who could benefit from a change of scenery.
  • Bruce Chen: The 33-year-old journeyman has experienced an unusual major league career, playing for six National League teams before arriving in Boston in 2003. Since then, he has played for four different American League clubs. Chen's career numbers are relatively similar in both leagues, but coming off a successful season in Kansas City, perhaps a return to the NL could be in the cards. While the left-hander has lost some velocity on his fastball since he last played in the Senior Circuit, he's gotten by relying more on flyball outs and less on strikeouts. For a team in a pitcher's park, Chen could be a worthwhile back-of-the-rotation addition.
  • Rich Harden: Although a healthy season would help Harden's stock more than changing leagues would, moving to the National League certainly wouldn't hurt. While the right-hander excelled in Oakland when he was healthy, his second stint in the AL wasn't as impressive; his 5.58 ERA for the Rangers this year was by far a career-worst. Still, like Bonderman, Harden is relatively young, turning just 29 next month. He also had stretches of dominance in his time with the Cubs in 2008 and 2009, striking out 11 batters per nine innings and posting a 3.31 ERA in 212 innings over the two years. Again, health is the big concern with Harden, but an NL team may feel more comfortable taking the risk than an AL one would.

Manager Roundup: Blue Jays, Brewers, Pirates

By | at

A few managerial openings have been filled since baseball's regular season ended, but there are still a handful of clubs looking for skippers. Here's the latest on some of the searches, with any new updates added to the top of the page throughout the evening:

Blue Jays

We know that DeMarlo Hale, John Farrell, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Brian Butterfield are considered finalists for the Blue Jays job. MLB Network's Peter Gammons spoke to multiple GMs who believe that it's only a matter of time until Toronto hires Farrell (Twitter link). Shi Davidi of the Canadian Press (via Twitter) is also hearing that Farrell could be the Jays' man, though nothing is certain yet.

Butterfield could be a leading candidate to become the Orioles' third base coach if he's not hired by the Jays, writes MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli.

Brewers

The Brewers have interviewed eight candidates so far, and will cut the list of contenders down to four, GM Doug Melvin tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Reports have suggested the team has interviewed Tim Wallach, Ron Roenicke, Pat Listach, Joey Cora, and Bob Melvin, whom Haudricourt thinks is the frontrunner (Twitter link). According to the club's GM, however, "some of the names (reported) are right and some aren't right."

The Brewers will conduct second interviews with the four finalists, and they expect the process to last another week to ten days.

Pirates

The Pirates haven't interviewed any managerial candidates in a week and GM Neal Huntington tells Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he's considering additional interviews. Biertempfel suggests the Pirates may be waiting to interview Yankees coach Tony Pena.

Meanwhile, John Gibbons has removed himself from the Pirates' search, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). ESPN.com's Buster Olney heard earlier today that the former Blue Jays manager was a serious candidate for the job.

Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.

Multiple Japanese Teams Interested In Kawakami

By | at

A Japanese team has shown a "strong interest" in acquiring Kenshin Kawakami from the Braves, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Bowman writes that a Japanese reporter indicated that the Yomiuri Giants and Nippon Ham Fighters are interested in Kawakami. But there may be an even more attractive Japanese suitor making a play for the Atlanta right-hander.

Kawakami is entering the final season of a three-year, $23MM deal he signed with the Braves prior to the 2009 campaign. The unknown Japanese club interested in Kawakami is reportedly willing to pay Atlanta approximately $3MM of the righty's $6.67MM salary for 2011.

The 35-year-old played for the Chunichi Dragons prior to signing with the Braves. In two big league seasons, he has appeared in 50 games for Atlanta, recording a 4.32 ERA over 243.2 innings. While his ERA ballooned to 5.15 this season, his peripherals (6.1 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 1.0 HR/9) were nearly identical to his 2009 numbers.

Josh Willingham Hopes For Extension

By | at

Josh Willingham isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2011 season and if it were up to him, he’d push that date back a couple years. Agent Matt Sosnick told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that Willingham would like to sign a multi-year contract this offseason.

“If he had his druthers, he'd sign a deal that took him through this year and into the next couple years,” Sosnick said, adding that no discussions have taken place so far. 

Willingham, who earned $4.6MM this year, would be happy to accept a one-year deal. He’d get a raise through arbitration, so his 2011 salary could approach $7MM. Willingham missed the last six weeks of the season to undergo surgery on the meniscus in his left knee. He ranked 5th among MLB outfielders (min. 400 PAs) in on base percentage (.389) and tenth in OPS (.848). The 30-year-old can hit, but injuries have limited Willingham in each of the past few seasons. 

Though he didn’t play anywhere but left field in 2010, Willingham has experience in right field and at first base. Sosnick says his client’s flexible.

"He'd be open to doing anything he could for the team," Sosnick said. "They could use him out of the bullpen."

Tigers, Inge Agree To Two-Year Extension

By | at

The longest tenured Tiger is staying in Detroit. The Tigers announced that they signed Brandon Inge to a two-year extension with a club option for 2013. Inge's deal is worth $11.5MM, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (on Twitter). The third baseman earns $5.5MM in 2011 and 2012 and will either earn $6MM or a $500K buyout in 2013. Inge's four-year $24MM deal expired after the season, and he soon began discussing a multi-year extension with the Tigers.

Inge, 33, batted .247/.321/.397 last year with 13 homers. As usual, the ten-year veteran showed some power, struck out frequently and hit for a low average. According to UZR, Inge also played above-average defense for the sixth consecutive season. Though he no longer contributes behind the plate or in the outfield, Inge gives the Tigers excellent defense at the hot corner.

Early in the season, I suggested the 2009 All-Star was headed for a $4-6MM guarantee, but Inge did considerably better than that. The extension gives Scott Boras one less potential destination for Adrian Beltre, the best player on this year's free agent third base market.

Reds To Increase Payroll Slightly

By | at

Don't expect a major offseason spending spree from the reigning NL Central champs, but the Reds are boosting payroll for the 2011 season. Cincinnati opened the 2010 season with a $76MM payroll and GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon to expect the team to spend more next year.

"It's going to increase a little bit," Jocketty said.

The Reds are expected to pick up the options for Jonny Gomes ($1.75MM) and Bronson Arroyo ($11MM), but they're expected to decline their half of the $4MM option for Orlando Cabrera. The club also has interest in re-signing Ramon Hernandez and Arthur Rhodes and will see key players such as Jay Bruce and Joey Votto head to arbitration.

Carl Crawford would fit on the Reds, who could use a leadoff hitter, but it appears that they'll stick with Gomes and within their budget.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top