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Japanese Team Interested In Kawakami

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The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks are exploring their options regarding Kenshin Kawakami, according to reports passed along by Jason Coskrey of the Japan Times (on Twitter). Last month it appeared that the Yomiuri Giants and Nippon Ham Fighters had interest in the right-hander, but that was before the Braves demoted him to the minor leagues.

Braves GM Frank Wren said this weekend that he has had "a number of discussions" about the right-hander's future. Last month it seemed possible that the Braves could get a Japanese team to pay as much as $3MM of Kawakami's $6.67MM salary. 

The 35-year-old lost his rotation spot last year and even spent some time in the minor leagues. His ERA rose from 3.86 to 5.15, though he posted similar strikeout (6.1 K/9) and walk (3.3 BB/9) ratios to the ones he had in his 2009 rookie season. 

Rosenthal On Brewers, Doubront, Marlins, Barmes

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In case there was any doubt, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Brewers aren't going to trade Ryan Braun. However, the Brewers are open to trading any of their other top hitters for rotation help. That means Rickie Weeks, Casey McGehee and, of course, Prince Fielder would be available in the right deal. Here are the details and the rest of Rosenthal's rumors:

  • The Brewers don't want to trade top players for back-of-the-rotation starters, but teams are reluctant to include top young pitchers in potential deals.
  • The Padres have spoken repeatedly to the Brewers about minor league infielder Brett Lawrie, who could be obtained for young pitching.
  • Adrian Gonzalez is still drawing trade interest, even though he won't be ready to swing a bat until the end of Spring Training.
  • Two GMs tell Rosenthal that the Red Sox are open to trading Felix Doubront. One says Boston would part with the left-hander "in a heartbeat" and the other guaranteed the Red Sox will trade him by mid-summer. Red Sox GM Theo Epstein told Rosenthal that the Red Sox "value Felix tremendously" and that the report "couldn't be further from the truth."
  • Every young Orioles pitcher "could be in play for the right bat," Rosenthal reports. 
  • If the Marlins trade Dan Uggla, they would use the savings to sign at least one free agent. John Buck is a target for the Marlins regardless of whether they trade or extend Uggla.
  • The A's don't have interest in Mark Reynolds.
  • The Rockies are drawing lots of interest in Clint Barmes. They could trade or non-tender the infielder if they aren't able to sign him to a multi-year contract.
  • Cody Ross and Javier Lopez are strong candidates to receive extensions from the Giants.

Odds & Ends: Headley, D’Backs, Angels, Cardinals

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Links for Sunday….

  • Dan Hayes of The North County Times says that Chase Headley's impending raise as a Super Two player is giving the Padres some payroll-related headaches. He adds that GM Jed Hoyer mentioned that this offseason will be similar to last, in that most of the team's signings will occur in January and February.
  • MLB.com's John Schlegel looks ahead to some of the big trades we might see this winter.
  • Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets that the Diamondbacks are expected to hire Billy Ryan from the commissioner's office to be Kevin Towers' second in command.
  • The Angels' catching depth will likely be a hot topic at the upcoming GM meetings, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • While the Cardinals have a few positions that could be addressed, John Mozeliak will likely prioritize a shortstop upgrade this winter, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • In his latest ESPN.com blog entry (Insider required), Buster Olney explains why Scott Downs' Type A status shouldn't limit his opportunities.
  • Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe provides an extensive list of possible trade candidates in his preview of the offseason market.
  • There are a few red flags to consider when weighing the Mets' managerial candidates, says Bill Madden of the New York Daily News.
  • DEA agents intercepted a package containing "nearly 50" pre-loaded syringes of HGH that was sent to Jose Guillen's San Francisco address in September, according to a New York Daily News report. The writers' sources say that MLB is "actively pursuing information about the shipment," since a violation of the league's drug policy could result in discipline for Guillen.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Victor Martinez

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Quality catching is extremely hard to come by these days, and Victor Martinez is the best backstop available on the free agent market by a wide margin. Let's review his stock…

The Good

  • Martinez is as consistent with the bat as they come. He's posted an OPS between .844 and .879 in six of the last seven years. 
  • A true switch hitter, Martinez is a .301/.379/.482 hitter from the right side and .298/.363/.462 from the left, so the drop-off is minimal.
  • Despite the rigors of catching regularly, V-Mart has only been on the disabled list twice in the last seven years. He had surgery to remove bone chips in his right elbow in 2008, and fractured his thumb on a foul tip this year.
  • He's also versatile, capable of both catching and playing first base. DH is always an option as well.

The Bad

  • Martinez's defense behind the plate leaves plenty to be desired. He's thrown out just 24% of attempted base stealers in his career, and over the last two seasons that mark is just 18.8%. 
  • At 31 years old (32 next month), his days behind the plate are probably numbered.
  • Martinez is a Type-A free agent and will certainly be offered arbitration, so it'll cost a high draft pick to sign him.

The Verdict

Martinez rejected Boston's two-year contract extension offer over the summer, so he's clearly looking to land a big payday while he can. Aside from the Red Sox, the Tigers, Orioles, and Rockies are all said to have interest in the switch hitting catcher, so competition will be steep. He's one of the few true impact bats in this free agent class and will be paid accordingly, though the smart money is on V-Mart ending a potential four-year contract as a full-time first baseman or DH.

Amateur Signing Bonuses: Blue Jays

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Let's take our series looking at each club's spending on amateur players north of the border…

  1. Adeiny Hechavarria, $4MM (2010)
  2. Adonis Cardona, $2.8MM (2010)
  3. Ricky Romero, $2.4MM (2005)
  4. Felipe Lopez, $2MM (1998)
  5. Deck McGuire, $2MM (2010)

When Alex Anthopoulos replaced J.P. Ricciardi as Toronto's GM last October, one of the first things he did was considerably increase the size of the team's scouting department. The fruits of that labor are seen above, as three of the five largest signing bonuses the team has ever given to amateur players came this year.

Hechavarria defected from Cuba in 2009 and signed with the Jays this March. His bonus was part of a four-year big league contract worth $10MM, and he reportedly passed on signing with the Yankees because he didn't want to get stuck behind Derek Jeter. The 21-year-old shortstop hit .242/.272/.333 in 440 plate appearances this season, most of which came at Double-A.

Cardona was the team's other big international signing this year, receiving the largest bonus ever given to a Venezuelan-born player and the second largest ever given to a Latin American pitcher. The 16-year-old signed in July and will begin his career next season. McGuire was the tenth overall selection in this year's draft, though he did not pitch after signing and like Cardona he will start his career in 2011.

Toronto selected Romero with the sixth overall pick in 2005 and expected him to climb the ladder quickly as a polished college left-hander, but he didn't make it to the show until four seasons after being drafted. He's certainly proven to be worth the wait though; Romero has posted a 3.99 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 61 starts (388 innings) over the last two years.

Lopez was the eighth overall pick back in 1998, and after a little more than three years in the minors he made his big league debut. Lopez hit just .240/.293/.399 in 501 plate appearances for the Blue Jays before being traded to the Reds in a four-team swap that included Erubiel Durazo, Elmer Dessens, and a player to be named later (Jason Arnold).

Phillies, Contreras Close To Two-Year Deal

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The Phillies and reliever Jose Contreras are close to reaching an agreement on a two-year deal worth $5MM, reports ESPNDeportes.com's Enrique Rojas. The deal also includes an option for a third year plus performance based incentives.

Contreras, 39 next month, was very good for the Phillies in 2010, pitching to a 3.34 ERA in 56.2 innings. He struck out 9.1 and walked just 2.5 batters for every nine innings pitched. Earlier this week we heard that the Phillies were "working aggressively" to re-sign him.

Tim Dierkes broke down Contreras' free agent stock back in May, saying that he could be in line for a two-year deal if his strong work as a reliever held up.

Phillies Interested In Hisanori Takahashi

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The Phillies are showing interest in Hisanori Takahashi, reports ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin. Philadelphia declined J.C. Romero's option a few weeks ago, so they're in the market for a left-handed reliever.

The Mets were unable to work out a new contract with Takahashi despite numerous deadline extensions earlier this month, and they were contractually obligated to release him. The 35-year-old is reportedly seeking a three-year deal worth upwards of $15MM coming off his first season in MLB. In 122 innings with New York, he struck out 8.4 men per nine innings and walked 3.2, resulting in a 3.61 ERA. Takahashi made a dozen starts and 41 relief appearances, filling in as closer when Francisco Rodriguez was injured late in the season.

Tim Dierkes examined Takahashi's free agent stock in-depth back in September.

MLBTR Originals: 11/7/10 – 11/14/10

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The GM Meetings are upon us this week, but let's review the original content featured at MLBTR over the last seven days…

Braves’ Pursuit Of A Hitter Could Heat Up Next Week

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The annual GM Meetings will be held this Tuesday and Wednesday in Orlando, and although most of the items on the agenda involve off-the-field issues, the Braves' pursuit of a middle-of-the-order hitter could gain momentum according to Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. GM Frank Wren declined to comment on the team's rumored interest in Dan Uggla, but he did offer this…

"There's a number of things we'd like to do, but with the realization that there's 29 other clubs that want to do things as well," said Wren. "We're hesitant to trade from our base, which we think is getting stronger all the time. That's what is going to sustain us for a long time, and we need to be mindful of that."

O'Brien says Wren made it clear that a right-handed power hitter is a priority, and that said hitter is likely to come through trade rather than free agency. He also acknowledged a desire to add a veteran reliever, unsurprising given Billy Wagner's retirement and the likely departure of Takashi Saito. O'Brien speculates that Colby Rasmus might be the most attractive trade target, though he's a lefty hitter and Wren will certainly have to part with some pieces of his young core to acquire him. 

Week In Review: 11/7/2010 – 11/13/2010

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I doubt that the Marlins were thinking they'd flip the two centerpieces to the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis trade for three relievers just three years after making the trade, but sometimes trades don't go as planned, and that's just what we saw this week. Here's your rundown of the last seven days here at MLBTR:

  • The Marlins sent Cameron Maybin to the Padres in exchange for relievers Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica. Maybin, the former centerpiece to their blockbuster deal with the Tigers in 2007, was out of options and would have had to clear waivers to be sent to the minors. He'll likely receive every chance to be San Diego's everyday center fielder.
  • The other centerpiece to that same deal, Andrew Miller, was flipped to Boston in exchange for reliever Dustin Richardson. As I said before, hardly the outcome the Fish had envisioned.
  • Busy week for Oakland! The A's acquired David DeJesus from Kansas City in exchange for Vin Mazzaro and minor leaguer Justin Marks. DeJesus presents an upgrade to Oakland's offense, but isn't exactly an impact bat. The Royals receive a young pitcher they can control for years to come, although Mazzaro's peripherals aren't particularly dazzling.
  • Oakland was able to comfortably move Mazzaro because they'd won the bidding on Hisashi Iwakuma earlier in the week. The A's bid about $17MM for Iwakuma and now must negotiate his contract.
  • The A's also signed Dominican outfielder Vicmal de la Cruz for $800K. The 16-year-old topped Blake Bentley's list of Dominican prospects for MLBTR this past July. Baseball America's Ben Badler had high praise for the center fielder as well. The A's also claimed Edwin Encarnacion from the Blue Jays this week and are rumored to have interest in Lance Berkman.
  • The Dodgers are closing in on a one-year deal with Hiroki Kuroda worth $12MM. I'm surprised to see Kuroda signing for just one year, as he's one of the best names available on the free agent market. If the deal gets done, it'll be a nice bargain for the club and provide them with a strong 1-4 in its rotation.
  • The D'Backs are nearing a two-year deal with Geoff Blum that's reportedly worth just over $2MM. I'm not sure why Arizona felt they needed to guarantee Blum two years, or sign him this early, but it's not a move that will cripple them even if it flops.
  • Iwakuma wasn't the only Japanese name in the news this week. The Braves outrighted Kenshin Kawakami to Double-A, removing him from their 40-man roster. We also learned that Japanese batting champ Tsuyoshi Nishioka is hoping to be posted. The 26-year-old can play either middle infield position and would draw plenty of interest. Akinori Iwamura reached a deal with Iwakuma's former team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles, this week as well.
  • The Marlins broke off extension talks with Dan Uggla this week and are now measuring trade interest in the slugger. Earlier today, Buster Olney reported that the Jays would be the favorites to land Uggla's services in a trade. The Tigers are also interested.
  • The Tigers are also interested in Victor Martinez, though they're not the only team. The Red Sox are prioritizing V-Mart, along with Adrian Beltre. If they miss out on Martinez, Boston may turn to John Buck.
  • Both Jeff Francoeur and Brian Bannister elected free agency this week; they both were locks to be non-tendered anyway.
  • The Yankees' main target may be Cliff Lee, but they're also interested in Jorge de la Rosa. We also heard they're planning on offering Derek Jeter $45-$60MM.
  • We've heard that there's a good chance Aubrey Huff winds up back with the Giants, but he'll at least have a decision on his hands. He's received offers from several clubs.
  • The Phillies signed both Eddie Bonine and Erik Kratz to minor league deals this week, but there were far more minor transactions than that. Be sure to check out our Transactions section for all of this week's minor moves!

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