Links on an intensely busy Monday for the Rockies…
- Mike Hampton's agent Mark Rodgers told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic he's had "extremely productive conversations" about a 2011 contract with the Diamondbacks. Hampton made 14 relief appearances at Triple-A and in the Majors this year after signing with Arizona in August.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he hasn't yet decided whether to trade Prince Fielder or hold onto him. At this point, the Brewers intend to keep their options open with the Scott Boras client.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak tells MLB.com's Matthew Leach that he'll be hesitant to sign Type A free agents who turned down offers of arbitration. Keep track of all arbitration decisions right here.
- Lance Berkman will meet with the A's tomorrow, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). They're one of his many suitors, though they'd have to convince him to DH regularly.
- There's mutual interest between the Tigers and Zach Miner, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (on Twitter). The Tigers designated Miner for assignment earlier today.
- The Indians announced that they re-signed catcher Luke Carlin to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring Training. The 29-year-old has played for the Padres, D'Backs and Indians since 2008.
- The Braves also signed a catcher to a minor league deal, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Longtime minor leaguer J.C. Boscan signed with the Braves, who also added Brent Clevlen and Wilkin Ramirez.
Well that’s a good sign at least for the A’s. At least he is willing to speak to them
I’m guessing Berk has no interest in Oakland. Probably using them to gain leverage in order to get more years or more money out of his desired suitors.
As an A’s fan, I hope I’m wrong, because he could be a good addition if he admits he can’t play the OF anymore and commits to DH’ing. As a realist, I think I’m right.
i think the atlanta braves should fork up the money and go for a.dunn. then the will have sum power to go with uggla hayward mccann jones. may cost be hell they will have him for four yrs.
Melvin saying that he hasn’t decided means that he plans on trading him in my opinion. If you were really trying to sign him, you’d say in the media that you were going to do everything to keep him. he’s as close to saying he’s trying to trade him as he can be without driving down his value
What is Matthew Leach’s comment saying that isn’t already a given when discussing real St. Louis free agent possibilities. Type B free agents too are rarely considered in the Lou even though no draft pick is actually lost
If that comment is true of what Johnny Mo said, then I just became terrified of STL’s off season. This front office does so many about faces that you can’t believe what they are trying to do anymore!
St. Louis has never been big players in free agency. I don’t know why anyone thought it would be any different this year. The St. Louis way is usually to pick up the player they want via trade, and then lock them up long term. Edmonds, Rolen, Big Mac, Holliday………
tejada: that is all
Good to see JC Boscan back with the Braves. He finally got his Major League call-up this year, and from what I can tell, he’s a wonderful mentor for the guys in the minors. Wouldn’t surprise me to see him take a coaching role with the organization after his playing days are done.
Brent Clevlen is the man. His skills aren’t amazing but he was just another example of this Braves team that cared 10X more about the team than themselves. He made a phenomenal catch but it ended up ending his season due to the injury sustained while pulling it off. Great guy…
It amazing how many former Tigers prospects the Braves pick up or have. Guess they’re hoping we let go of another JJ.
-I truly think that the Brew crew should go ahead and trade Prince now. They have zero reason to think they will compete in 2011 (haven’t made and don’t appear that they are going to make any major signings). They have zero reason to think they can afford to extend Prince. While they CAN get a good package at the trade deadline I think they can probably get a little more now since teams will have the benefit of Prince for a whole year. If he gets off to a great start in 2011 his trade value won’t increase enough to make a difference IMO.
-I can’t see why the A’s are targeting Berkman so much. He’s a switch hitter w/ bad knees who struggled to hit from the left side last year. He’s not very familiar with the AL and he would probably be a DH only type. If you’re cool with a DH only type then why not Vlad (.296/.386/.621), Manny (.316/.419/.527) or Thome (.292/.432/.546) who all have hit well in Oakland and are familair w/ the AL?
When are the A’s not looking for a DH?
Did Mike Hampton blow all his cash? Does he honestly think he can offer anything to a club?
Go away and stay away.
he blew all of his cash on magazines and crossword puzzles to keep himself occupied while he was rehabbing from all of those surgeries. The guy has been under the knife more than he has been under stadium lights.
Honestly, I think it’s more of a pride thing. I highly doubt he is in it for the money anymore, he just wants to prove that even after all the injuries, he can still pitch. To fall from a great pitcher with the best contract in the history of MLB pitchers to a scrub no one wants because he can’t stay healthy has got to do a lot of damage to him mentally. I can’t blame him for trying to come back.
Andy MacPhail needs to have a chat with Doug Melvin at the Winter Meetings. The Orioles can help the Brewers find the pitching they seek and the Orioles can get their cleanup hitter and first baseman.
The problem with all the “trade Prince” talk is that there hasn’t been one team substantively linked to wanting him. The White Sox have been vaguely rumored to be interested (going back to the July deadline), but that’s about it. I really don’t think there is much market for him at all.
Either we’ll start to hear some serious trade rumors at the Winter Meetings, or Melvin will go into 2011 with Prince at first base. May just have to suck it up and take the (hopeful) draft picks as compensation.
He’s obviously not a star at this point, but Hampton would be a nice pickup as a 12th pitcher/pinch hitter type, like Brooks Kieschnick in his last couple of years.
– White sox acquire 1b/DH Prince Fielder from Brewers in exchanged for LHP J.Danks, 1b/3b D.Viciendo, & RHP A.Reed.Sox lineup:C- FLowers(8)1b- Fielder(3)2b- Beckhan(6)SS- Ramirez(7)3b- Morel(9)LF- Pierre(1)CF- Rios(2)RF- Quentin(5)DH- Konerko(4)
Bench:
UTL: M.Teahan
IF: B.Lillibridge
OF: A. De Aza
C: R.Castro
IF: O.Vizqel
Rotation:
LHP M.Buerhle
RHP J.Peavy
RHP G.Floyd
RHP E.Jackson
LHP C.Sale
Brewers Lineup:
C- Lucroy(7)
1b- Viciendo(6)
2b- Weeks(2)
SS- Escobar(8)
3b- McGehee(4)
LF- Braun(3)
CF- Cain(1)
RF- Hart(5)
Bench:
1b/3b M.Gamel
OF C.Gomez
IF/OF J.Inglett
C G.Kottaros
OF C.Dickerson
Rotation:
LHP Wolf
RHP Gallardo
LHP Danks
LHP Narveson
LHP Parra
That sounds like an awful lot to give up for 1 year of Fielder. I’ve been hearing a lot of trade proposals involving young pitchers with mlb success included in trades for 1 year rentals and almost none of them ever really come thru w/ Edwin Jackson being the exception. Whoever is traded for Fielder or Agonz probably won’t be established mlb’ers.
I was listening to Onley today on Sports Center discussing Fielder and his thought was that Fielder won’t be traded until the deadline because right now teams don’t want to give up young pitchers. I can understand the reluctance to trade away blue chip pitchers. That being said they should still trade Fielder for the best package they can get this winter.
a) Teams might be more desperate in July but I doubt any would be desperate enough to do a 180 on their stance on giving up young pitchers.
b) If they can stock pile prospects, regardless of their position, then they might be able to piece together a deal using surplus to acquire mlb pitchers down the road and one can argue that those acquired prospects are going to closer to mlb ready than the 2 comp picks they’ll get if they let Fielder walk as a FA.
I don’t think the A’s will sign Berkman. Unless he is willing to be a DH. I feel like he is meant to be a DH at this point in his career anyways. But thats his decision.
Well, I don’t disagree with you. Melvin seems to have gone more and more to the “loose lips sink ships” type of philosophy with negotiations over the last year or two. I think he’s said he’s felt burned when talk of trades and contract negotiations have gotten out in the past.
That said, you would think with such a big hitter, some talk would be coming out at some point (look at the rumors regarding Justin Upton, for example). I do agree we’ll probably hear more at the winter meetings. I just am not going to hold my breath.