Orioles Have Some Interest In Nishioka, De La Rosa
The Orioles aren’t as interested in Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Jorge de la Rosa as it may seem. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun hears that the O’s have not decided whether to bid on Nishioka, since the posting fee and contract could make the infielder prohibitively expensive. Earlier today, a Japanese report suggested the Orioles had decided to place a bid on Nishioka.
The Denver Post reported this week that the Nationals, Pirates and Orioles have pursued De La Rosa most aggressively, but Zrebiec says the O’s have just “tepid” interest in the lefty.
The Orioles have had multiple conversations with Koji Uehara’s representatives and, according to MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli, are active in trade discussions, too (Twitter link). Baltimore appears to be considering potential deals for a shortstop.
New York Notes: Jeter, Minaya, Rivera
The Yankees are about to offer their captain a three-year deal worth $45MM. Here's the latest on Derek Jeter, the Yankees and the Mets:
- Bill Madden of the New York Daily News says Jeter is about to learn that more often than not the Yankees are willing to pay more for someone else's free agent than for their own.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post says Jeter and the Yankees "are a married couple that knows the soft spots with which to hurt each other. Yet they know the marriage must go on."
- The D'Backs have offered a front office job to former Mets GM Omar Minaya, according to Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal (on Twitter).
- Mariano Rivera has told friends he'd like a two-year deal from the Yankees, but the sides have not yet discussed contract terms, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- The Yankees announced the hiring of Larry Rothschild as their new pitching coach today. Rothschild has been the pitching coach for the Cubs and Marlins, and was also Tampa Bay's first-ever manager.
Yankees To Offer Jeter $45MM For Three Years
The Yankees are about to offer Derek Jeter a three-year deal worth $45MM, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported yesterday that the Yankees would likely make such an offer to their captain.
Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork reported earlier in the week that Jeter wants at least a four-year deal and would prefer a five or six-year contract. He also reported that the Yankees would be happy to agree to a three-year $63MM deal. Some have suggested that the Yankees could play hardball with Jeter if he doesn't like their offer and tell him to test the open market and see if he does better.
Yankees Interested In J.C. Romero
The Yankees are interested in left-hander J.C. Romero, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The longtime Phillie has also drawn interest from the Tigers, though they don't necessarily need to add a left-handed reliever.
Romero, 34, kept his ERA under 4.00 for a fourth consecutive season in 2010, pitching to a 3.68 mark in 36 2/3 innings. He gets lots of groundballs and is effective against left-handed hitters, but his free agent value will likely be limited. Romero struggles against right-handed hitters, he walked more batters (29) than he struck out (28) in 2010 and he dealt with elbow and back soreness.
The Yankees are also interested in Pedro Feliciano and, potentially, Scott Downs. Teams will not have to surrender 2011 draft choices to sign Feliciano or Romero, but Downs may cost a pick.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Uggla, Rollins, Giants, Upton
On this date 20 years ago, a 26-year-old Barry Bonds took home his first National League MVP Award thanks to a .301/.406/.565 season with the Pirates. He went on to win the award again in 1992, his final season in Pittsburgh, and then five more times with the Giants. The latter part of Bonds' career was clouded by PED allegations, but he did hit .301/.424/.566 in his final three seasons with the Pirates and .305/.438/.600 with far more unintentional walks (825) than strikeouts (685) from 1990-1998, age 26-34. Barry could have retired at that point and waltzed into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
Here's a look at the best the baseball blogosphere had to offer this week…
- We Should Be GMs celebrates Omar Vizquel, the last remaining active player from the 1980's.
- Capitol Avenue Club wonders what's next for the Braves following the Dan Uggla trade.
- Pittsburgh Lumber Co. contemplates Jorge de la Rosa.
- Meanwhile, Pine Tar And Pocket Protectors pieces together Pittsburgh's 2011 rotation.
- Baseball Analysts looks at Japanese pitchers and the hot stove.
- Crashburn Alley says that right now is a prime opportunity for the Phillies to sign Jimmy Rollins to a contract extension.
- Fenway Faithful Reports thinks that Victor Martinez is destined to sign with the Tigers.
- Splashing Pumpkins breaks down some shortstop options for the Giants.
- Baseball Time In Arlington explains the regression that the Rangers could experience.
- FanSpeak believes the Nationals should go all-in to acquire Justin Upton.
- Boston Sports Pulse provides a blueprint for the Red Sox offseason.
- Phoul Ballz looks at Matt Rizzotti, a Phillies' farmhand that will be eligible for this year's Rule 5 Draft.
- The Sports Banter finds some interesting minor league free agents.
- Cubs Billy Goat Blog lists some minor moves that could have a big impact on the Cubs.
- SPANdemonium muses about why teams have to wait a year before trading drafted players.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Dombrowski: Tigers Had To Be Aggressive
The Tigers spent $16.5MM on Joaquin Benoit because they considered him one of the best available relievers. And because a couple other clubs also made three-year offers, anything less would have fallen short. Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski says the Tigers did not like the idea of losing Benoit to one of his other suitors.
"When you want to get the best players at certain positions, you have to be aggressive and prepared to do things," Dombrowski said on a conference call this morning.
The Tigers will use Benoit as a setup man to closer Jose Valverde in 2011. They have considered adding another left-handed reliever to a bullpen that could include southpaws Daniel Schlereth and Brad Thomas, but Dombrowski says it's not a priority because Valverde and Benoit are effective against hitters from both sides of the plate.
The Tigers are not expecting Benoit to post a 1.34 ERA again, but they believe he'll be a top setup man as long as he's healthy. The 33-year-old passed his physical and says his 2010 production shows he's just fine.
"For me last year it was just to see how my arm was going to respond," Benoit said. "Obviously it came back really good."
Dombrowski says the Tigers have been signing players aggressively since they had a number of free agents and were prepared to make offers right away. But they're not done yet.
"We're still in a position where we think we can make a move and solidify the middle of our lineup with someone," Dombrowski said.
Orioles To Bid On Nishioka
The Orioles' search for a shortstop has led them to Japan and to the trade market. They are going to bid on Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka according to a Sports Hochi report relayed by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. The Mariners and Padres also seem likely to bid, but the Giants will not bid and the D'Backs probably won't either.
The Dodgers and Cardinals have some interest in Nishioka and we should know the high bidder by early next week. The 26-year-old switch hitter batted .346 with 22 steals and 206 hits last year. ESPN.com's Keith Law and Newman recently offered more analysis of his game.
The Orioles have also discussed deals for J.J. Hardy and Jason Bartlett and have dangled David Hernandez. Dan Connolly of the Sun says he's not sure he would give up Hernandez for either shortstop, since he's a big believer in the right-hander's upside, particularly as a reliever.
Choo Likely Exempt From Military Service
Shin-Soo Choo will likely be exempt from military service since he helped South Korea beat Taiwan for gold at the Asian games yesterday, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (on Twitter). As Bastian explained yesterday, able-bodied South Korean men must spend two years in the military by the end of their 30th year. There's a way out, though; athletes receive an exemption if they win gold at the Asian games.
The 28-year-old Scott Boras client would have lost some prime seasons if he had been required to serve. Choo has been remarkably consistent for the past two campaigns, following up a .300/.394/.489 line with a .300/.401/.484 line. His well-balanced play makes him an offseason extension candidate.
Poll: Will Arizona Deal Justin Upton?
Recently, Justin Upton's name has popped up in trade talks as GM Kevin Towers seems willing to part ways with the 23-year-old – for the right price, of course. Several teams have been linked to the up-and-coming star, including the Red Sox, Yankees, and even the division rival Rockies. There's no shortage of interest in the slugger, but one has to wonder if the asking price will be too rich for everyone's blood.
Yesterday, an American League executive told Jon Heyman of SI that Arizona's asking price is "ridiculous." The D'Backs are said to be looking for at least four or five players in return that can help them in the short-term and long-term. Today, it was reported that half of the teams in baseball have shown interest in Upton but Towers will only ship the up-and-coming star if he comes away the clear victor in a trade. It makes one wonder if Arizona's recently-crowned GM is looking to trade Upton or if he is simply keeping an open mind to potential offers.
Will the D'Backs trade Upton?
Red Sox Notes: Scutaro, Papelbon
Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has been rather busy at the winter GM meetings, writes Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. While the club has yet to make a move, Epstein is hopeful that something will soon come out of the trade talks that he has had.
- Yesterday, we learned that teams are showing interest in shortstop Marco Scutaro and the club is willing to move him for the right return. The market for Scutaro is rapidly heating up as McAdam writes that six teams are in on the 35-year-old. Potential landing spots include St. Louis, Cincinnati, San Diego, and San Francisco if the Giants are unable to re-sign Juan Uribe. The Red Sox are seeking bullpen help in return for Scutaro, according to McAdam.
- Closer Jonathan Papelbon will seek $11.5MM in arbitration, $2.15MM more than he earned in 2010, a major league source tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Papelbon is coming off of a down season in which he turned in career-highs in ERA (3.90) and BB/9 (3.8), though his 10.2 K/9 is consistent with his career average.