Archives for December 16, 2011

Tigers Interested In Joe Saunders

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 16, 2011 at 1:49pm CDT

The Tigers are interested in free agent left-hander Joe Saunders, according to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Reds and Red Sox also have some interest in Saunders, who was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks earlier in the week.

Saunders, 30, posted a 3.69 ERA with 4.6 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 44.5% ground ball rate in 212 innings this past season. He has averaged 200 innings per season since 2008 without striking out more than five batters per nine innings in any of the past four seasons. The former 12th overall pick had an average fastball velocity of 89.6 mph in 2011.

The Tigers’ projected rotation features Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello at this point. Adding Saunders would provide the team with a left-handed presence capable of contributing 200 innings at the back of the rotation.

Twins Increase Efforts To Re-Sign Jason Kubel

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 16, 2011 at 12:13pm CDT

Now that Josh Willingham signed with the Twins and Michael Cuddyer agreed to terms with the Rockies, The Twins’ outfield is taking shape. Terry Ryan’s next target is Jason Kubel, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The Twins increased their efforts to re-sign Kubel late this week, according to Christensen.

Kubel, 29, posted a .273/.332/.434 line for the Twins in 2011, adding 12 homers and 21 doubles. He's a Type B free agent who declined Minnesota’s offer of arbitration and won’t cost a draft pick. The Twins would obtain a supplementary first round selection if the left-handed hitter signs elsewhere.

It appears that Kubel’s representatives at Wasserman Media Group are getting lots of calls today, Christensen reports. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported the Indians’ interest in Kubel a month ago.

Nationals Sign Jeff Fulchino

By Mike Axisa | December 16, 2011 at 11:44am CDT

The Nationals have signed right-hander reliever Jeff Fulchino to a split contract according to his agent Lisa Pierce, reports Zachary Levine of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). He elected free agency back in October.

Fulchino, 32, spent last season with the Astros and Padres. He pitched to a 5.71 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 34 2/3 innings, getting a ground ball 38.1% of the time. In five big league seasons, Fulchino has pitched to a 4.84 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 163 relief appearances.

Prince Fielder Rumors: Friday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 16, 2011 at 11:18am CDT

The Cubs are the early front-runners to sign Prince Fielder, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. But in the words of one executive, agent Scott Boras can usually “pull a rabbit out of his hat” for his top free agent clients, so other teams are very much in the mix for the 27-year-old free agent. Here’s the latest:

Cubs manager Dale Sveum says the team hasn't had conversations with Fielder, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Sveum says the Cubs "haven't initiated any contact at all," according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (on Twitter).
It looks like the Cubs and Mariners are Fielder’s most serious suitors, Rosenthal reports.
The Cubs don’t want to give Fielder a ten-year deal and would be more comfortable with a six or seven-year term, according to Rosenthal.
The Rangers and Marlins won’t bid on Fielder, according to Rosenthal’s sources. The Orioles may only be a viable suitor for Fielder if he lacks other options.
Boras wants an opt-out clause for Fielder, Rosenthal reports.

Marlins & Red Sox Have Discussed Hanley Ramirez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 16, 2011 at 11:10am CDT

The Red Sox are among the teams that have had cursory trade dialogue with the Marlins about Hanley Ramirez, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). However, the talks have no traction.

The Marlins don't intend to trade Ramirez, even after signing shortstop Jose Reyes. However, Olney reported Sunday that at least four teams have talked to the Marlins about a possible deal involving Ramirez. At this point he projects as the team's everyday third baseman, though he appears to prefer playing shortstop.

Ramirez, who signed with the Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 2000, appeared in just 92 games this past season due to a sprained left shoulder. He posted a .243/.333/.379 line in 385 plate appearances — far from his career .306/.380/.506 line.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Braun, Felix, Hanley

By Mike Axisa | December 16, 2011 at 10:37am CDT

Eight years ago today, the Orioles signed Miguel Tejada to a six-year contract worth $72MM, the richest deal in franchise history. The 2002 AL MVP had the three best seasons of his career (in terms of wins over replacement, or WAR) during his first three years in Baltimore, and hit .305/.354/.481 with 109 homers during his five years with the Orioles. Tejada spent the last year of the contract with the Astros after being traded for Luke Scott, Matt Albers, Dennis Sarfate, Troy Patton, and Mike Costanzo.

Here is the latest batch of links from around the web, now that the dust from the winter meetings has settled…

Rum Bunter interviewed Pirates GM Neal Huntington about the roster, the budget, etc.
Phoul Ballz spoke to Phillies prospect Tyson Gillies, who's focused on a rebound year.
The Baseball Nerds wrote about the fallout of Ryan Braun's failed drug test.
Pro Ball NW entertains the idea of trading Felix Hernandez.
Redbird Rants walks down memory lane with Albert Pujols.
Ranger Rap looked at the Rangers' side of C.J. Wilson signing with the Angels.
Chicken Friars imagines a world where the Padres sign Prince Fielder.
Brotherly Glove thinks Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has done a good job dealing with Jimmy Rollins.
That Ball's Outta Here is curious to see how Dontrelle Willis fares with the Phillies.
Rant Sports Marlins wonders if the Marlins left the winter meetings as losers.
Sports of Boston explores the possibility of Hanley Ramirez returning to the Red Sox.
River Ave. Blues thinks the Yankees may be repeating their Johan Santana trick with Yu Darvish.
Over The Baggy explains why Josh Willingham was built for Target Field.
Puckett's Pond plays devil's advocate with the Willingham signing.
Jays Journal isn't sure that Carlos Beltran is on the Blue Jays' radar.
North and South of Royal Brougham compares Michael Cuddyer to Luke Scott.
Through The Fence Baseball says to bank on Bryce Harper starting next season with the Nationals.
Cubbies Crib wrote about Aramis Ramirez joining the Brewers from the Cubs' perspective.
Breaking Wisconsin covered all of the recent moves made by the Brewers.
Drays Bay looks at Jeremy Hellickson and David Price as extension candidates.
U.S.S. Mariner wonders if the Mariners should sign Michael Pineda long-term.
Rising Apple thinks Travis Snider would be a good fit for the Mets.
Bay City Ball wonders if Brandon Crawford's glove is good enough to carry his bat.
Blog Red Machine put together a pitching wish list for the Reds.
Wahoo's on First thinks the Reds might be overestimating Yonder Alonso's trade value.
Motor City Bengals asks if teams are overvaluing their prospects.
District on Deck believes the Nationals should inquire about Eric Young Jr.
The Hottest Stove plays "If I Were GM" with the NL East teams.
Baseball Reality Tour looks back at the remains of the trade that sent Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

Sign-And-Trade Involving Nakajima Possible

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 16, 2011 at 10:36am CDT

FRIDAY: The Yankees have not discussed a sign-and-trade with Nakajima since winning the bidding for him, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter).

WEDNESDAY: The Yankees won the bidding for Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be wearing pinstripes in 2012. Agent Greg Genske has approached the Yankees about the possibility of a sign-and-trade, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Giants and Cubs like Nakajima, according to Rosenthal.

The Yankees won the rights to Nakajima with a bid in the $2MM range last week. They now have 30 days to reach an agreement with the 29-year-old, who will return to the Seibu Lions for another year if he doesn’t sign. Nakajima would like to play every day, but he’s not ruling anything out — even a backup role with the Yankees.

Rockies To Sign Michael Cuddyer

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 16, 2011 at 9:24am CDT

Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd continued a busy offseason today by making his biggest move yet. The Rockies have agreed to sign Michael Cuddyer to a three-year, $31.5MM deal.

Cuddyer, 32, hit 20 homers and posted a .284/.346/.459 line in 584 plate appearances for the Twins this past season. After 11 seasons in Minnesota, the Excel Sports Management client has a career line of .272/.343/.451. Cuddyer spent considerable time at three positions in 2011: right field, first base and second base. He has also played third base and left field at the Major League level, so Rockies manager Jim Tracy will have lots of places to pencil his new player into the lineup.

This isn't the beginning of a Marlins or Angels-like free agent shopping spree for O'Dowd. The Rockies cleared payroll for Cuddyer earlier this month, sending Huston Street and Ian Stewart to National League rivals in trades.

One suitor for Carlos Beltran likely disappears now that the Rockies have Cuddyer. As Troy Renck of the Denver Post points out, Seth Smith's role becomes uncertain with the addition of Cuddyer. He would become a bench bat or a trade candidate if the Rockies use Cuddyer in the outfield.

The Twins, who signed Josh Willingham for $21MM over three years this week, will obtain two top draft picks for losing Cuddyer, since they offered the Type A free agent arbitration. However, it will not cost the Rockies a draft pick to sign Cuddyer under modified rules for ranked free agents.

Cuddyer ranked 11th on MLBTR's list of the offseason's top free agents. When Tim Dierkes looked at Cuddyer's free agent stock in September, he anticipated that his market would be in the three-year, $30MM range.

Mark Buehrle, Jonathan Papelbon, Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes and C.J. Wilson are the only free agents to sign for more guaranteed money this offseason. This is first time O'Dowd has lured a major free agent to Colorado since 2000, as Renck notes and our Transaction Tracker confirms (minimum $10MM deal).

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the agreement and the terms (Twitter links). Renck reported growing momentum toward a deal Thursday night. Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

Bill Smith To Remain With Twins

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 16, 2011 at 9:01am CDT

FRIDAY: Smith is officially back as an assistant to the president and GM, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

WEDNESDAY: Former Twins general manager Bill Smith is in the process of finalizing a new role in the Minnesota organization, according to Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN.com. Smith will likely become a special assistant to the president and GM. In that role, he would oversee Latin America development and plans for the team's Spring Training facility.

Twins owner Jim Pohlad let Smith go last month after the team lost 99 games. Longtime Twins GM Terry Ryan accepted the challenge of fielding a respectable team again. "Bill was equally motivated to achieve that goal,” Pohlad explained at the time. “But we differed in the scope and approach that was required." The Twins won two division titles in Smith's four years as GM.

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