The latest on several Central division clubs…
- The Pirates are not currently engaged in contract extension discussions for Neil Walker, reports Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The second baseman is under team control through 2016, and will be eligible for arbitration after the 2012 season if he qualifies as a Super Two player.
- Roy Oswalt's agent Bob Garber is expected to meet with the Royals today or tomorrow in Milwaukee, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Garber's agency also represents C.J. Wilson. Kansas City's interest in Oswalt is minimal, however, cautions a Royals source (Twitter link).
- SI's Jon Heyman hears scuttlebutt that if Jim Crane is approved as Astros owner this week, he may spend on a free agent or two. Click here to read my offseason outlook for the team.
- The Tigers have scouted Cuban center fielder Yoenis Cespedes several times, assistant GM Al Avila told John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Cubs and White Sox could lose possible supplemental draft picks if Type B compensation is eliminated this winter, explains Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune. Of course, under the current system the player has to receive and turn down an arbitration offer for compensation to be possible. For a look at all the Type B free agents, click here.
Alright DD, trade Young+ for Prado, and sign Cespedes for LF.
Why are Oswalt’s people meeting the KC people in Milwaukee?
Is the Kansas City airport closed for the winter?
Roy, K.C. is ready to welcome you with open arms!
That would be an absolutely horrible signing for the Royals. Roy can’t stay healthy anymore, the royals need 200 innings from someone that is a horse. Roy doesn’t fit that bill anymore, especially with his price tag
Anymore? The guy is one year removed from an elite season and we don’t even know if his back problem is degenerative. It’s an absolutely worthwhile risk if the rumors are true.
and the year before that it was the exact same inconsistencies as this year. Back problems tend to linger. I agree that it would be a good acquisition for the Royals at the right price and if they don’t guarantee more than two years, but with a lower payroll you cannot afford a starter taking a large chunk of it and starting 20 or so games with mixed results
That would be an absolutely horrible signing for the Royals. Roy can’t stay healthy anymore, the royals need 200 innings from someone that is a horse. Roy doesn’t fit that bill anymore, especially with his price tag
Oswalt talking to the royals? rofl. have fun winning there clown, resign here for 2 yrs 16 mill and win a WS
Because that worked out real nice for the Phils this postseason, right?
I don’t know that I agree with you. Minus Rollins, and with Howard, Utley, and Polanco aging worse than expected, I don’t see the Phillies being competitive for much longer. You’re one Halladay/Lee shoulder surgery away from third place in the NL East.
I think the odds are just as good of a Royals WS by 2020 as they are of a Phillies WS.
1.prado
2.Boesch
3.cespedes
4.cabrera
5.vmart
6.avilia
7.peralta
8.jackson
9.figgins
not gonna happen
i dont really want it to happen to be honest i would rather see the tiger sign a coco crisp or grady sizmore for a year or two till our top outfueld prospect is ready
Who’s this “top outfield prospect” you speak of? Tyler Collins is about the only thing I’d call an outfield prospect in the Tigers system and he is no sure thing.
I’m hoping that they git rid of the Type A free agents. If they do that, Dombrowski and Avila could really build up a nice farm.
fields lol
Cespedes is drawing interest from the Tigers, but ultimately Yanks and the Marlins have the fast track to him, plus he won’t be MLB ready until he gets a year of minors in.
Disqus put me up here. Blah
However, if the Brew Crew got Furcal and he stayed healthy all year. Brew Crew Fans should be happy with him, if they don’t get Reyes
They aren’t going to get Reyes. They don’t have the money.
They have the money if Fielder walks.
No they don’t. Weeks gets a $6.5 million raise, Corey
Hart gets a $2.5 million raise, Braun gets a $2 million raise, and Gallardo
gets a $2 million raise. That’s $13 million right there. Not to mention Carlos
Gomez, Nyjer Morgan, Cameron Loe, and Casey McGehee are all arbitration
eligible and will receive raises. So no they do not have the money to sign Jose
Reyes. Clint Barmes is more likely.
If the Brewers are dumb enough to give Furcal a three year commitment, I hope he wears his ring every day
I really like the Oswalt to KC thing..if they get him for a couple of years to mentor the young staff, and I agree with what has been mentioned above, KC is much closer to competing than not..plus then he doesn’t have to worry about batting anymore!!
and besides a the city of KC could probably utilize his bulldozer to clean up some bad neighborhoods 😉
Wouldnt it be funny if crane was waiting to sign free agents till he was officially owner because he doesnt trust wade and wants to fire him to let a competent gm trade wandy and go after a couple of decent free agents. He tells wade there is no money to spend.then once new gm Is there all the sudden goes after bigger fish.
The question is “what type of free agent does Crane have in mind”? Bill Hall? Clint Barmes? Maybe Wade will go out and sign Jason Michaels again.
I think wade is toast.they will go hard aftfreidman or someone else.I think he might go after someone young for the future but also to please the fans for the move.the last thing a new one wants is to be hated straight out of the box.depends how much discount he gets for moving I guess.wouldnt be shocked for another promised all star game, a draft pick or some other compensation to help pease fans.
@verlander:disqus i love you:D
I love you too.
The Royals might shock us all and be kicking the tires around on CJ Wilson not Roy Oswalt…
who cares one pitcher isnt going to make them good! they need 4 pitchers to contend i see them trading for jurgens and siging oswalt as the best situation for them if they do that theyll finish in 2nd place in the central behind the tigers
They have already traded for Sanchez who just had a bad year. If they get Oswalt, they then have their top two guys in the rotation. You can fill in 3-5 with Chen, Hochevar, and Paulino. Not to mention Duffy. Just because the Tigers may have a better player at each position on the field and the rotation does not mean that the Tigers will beat the Royals every time they play each other. According to Baseball Reference. the Royals were 7-11 against the Tigers last year, and although that isn’t the best, if the Royals have 2 more lucky bounces, they spit the season series. The Royals actually scored 9 more runs than the Tigers in 2011. The difference between the two teams isn’t as large as most Tigers fans would like to believe. (BTW, how did our BACKUP third baseman do for you guys last year? Glad to help.)
he did fine lol and thats cool though that you think moustakis is going to be good, he will be but wait 2 more years castellanos will be better! and oh yeah i forgot to mention the tigers #1 prospect and mlb’s #7prospect will be in the rotation next year and hes only 20 years old!
Tigers are so big and bad…..they are mouthing the Royals.
the cars won i give u props but you guys are getting older i would like to see you keep pujols and go after reyes
who cares one pitcher isnt going to make them good! they need 4 pitchers to contend i see them trading for jurgens and siging oswalt as the best situation for them if they do that theyll finish in 2nd place in the central behind the tigers
Why would CJ go to the Royals?
Oh I get it why would anyone want to come to Kansas City… um maybe because they are a young up and coming team… Not all players want to play in big markets…
By the way what part of my post did you not read? I never said he would come here; only that the Royals might be kicking the tires around…
The Royals might shock us all and be kicking the tires around on CJ Wilson not Roy Oswalt…
Alternate headline for Nightengale’s piece: “Brewers Pursuing Two Infielders, Prefer the Younger One Who Is Better at Baseball.”
Furcal is older than Ramirez. Frankly as a Brewer fan, these are the kind of names that depress me. Overpriced. Past their primes. We’ve seen this act before in Milwaukee.
Who are they kidding?
Ah, you’re totally right. I had a brain fart and was thinking Reyes, not Furcal.
Come on MO! Jump on Furcal before the Brewers take him.
(Don’t jump hard though. He’ll end up on the DL.)
” the Brewers have strong reservations about Furcal and may stick with Yuniesky Betancourt.”
i.imgur.com/JY9Z4.gif
I feel just like that file.
I think the Brewers need to think about their replacement in production for Fielder. They need a major upgrade in their offense to be competitive in the central.
They still Have Braun and Hart and Weeks don’t they? They need to replace it sure, but maybe not as much as you think…
Doubt Furcal will go to the Brewers. They will pursue Reyes or Rollins because they have extra cash to pursue bigger FA.
This Walker kid is an instrumental piece for the Pirates future, it would be wise for them to lock him up beyond his arbitration period. Walker, McCutchen and Alvarez seems like a good foundation alongside Heredia, Cole, Taillon, and Allie
I hate baseball fans that blindly mock the Royals. Yes the team has been bad for awhile, but drafting top 10 for a decade sorts it self out eventually, ask the Detroit Lions…