Yahoo’s Tim Brown heard yesterday that Hiroki Kuroda was close to agreeing to a new contract. However, it’s not clear which team is nearing a deal with the right-hander. Here are the details and more of Brown’s links from around MLB:
- The Mariners, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees were among the teams that informed Brown they were not the team nearing a deal with Kuroda.
- The Dodgers didn’t scout Yoenis Cespedes in earnest or consider bidding on Yu Darvish, Brown reports. It cost the Rangers $51.7MM for the rights to negotiate with Darvish and Cespedes figures to cost tens of millions as well, so the players are too expensive for the cash-strapped Dodgers to consider.
- Carlos Beltran figures to agree to terms by Sunday. His market includes the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red Sox and a fourth team, possibly the Rays. Beltran is weighing two and three-year offers, Brown reports.
Wish the Sox were involved, but at least the Yankees allegedly aren’t either.
O’s?
I can’t imagine these older players with no rings going to the O’s. These are the types that want a final chance at jewelry.
I can’t imagine the Yanks trading the prospects demanded for Garza or Gio and even harder to understand is why they aren’t in on guys like Oswalt and Kuroda?
If Oswalt wants a 1-year deal in order to get a bigger payday next year, pitching in the AL East isn’t the way to do that. I think he probably ends up out West somewhere.
Rumors have been that the Yankees like Kuroda “a lot”. Probably the fact that he won’t demand a huge contract, won’t cost a draft pick as compensation and won’t stop them from pursuing Hamels/Greinke/Haren/whoever else next off-season. The trick is convincing Kuroda to leave the West Coast.
yes, it almost feel like they are waiting until well into the season to work on trades down the stretch. I know it’s only a couple of years from 2009 but I don’t know how they could feel confident about getting back to the WS with the rotation of one Ace and a bunch of end of rotation pitchers (despite some over-performing last year — and too soon for me to gauge Nova). Bullpen is solid but still…
I still have faith that Hughes will be better than a back end guy and I can absolutely understand not wanting to commit that much money to CJ or Yu but one year deals for #2-#3 caliber guys are what we should be focusing on.
Man, Beltran isn’t signing with Tampa, why do these rumors try to give me false hope?
I don’t care about rumours anymore….thanks for getting my Yu hopes up
Who are you thanking?
The rumours in general and this page to
o_O
The Dodgers would be all-in on Cespedes if he was a 35 year old utility man.
Don’t count the Sox out just yet, Big Ben may just be playing Jedi Mind Tricks with MLBTR.
The Sox are out. You just don’t like it because “these aren’t the rumors you are looking for”.
And how is it you know that?
Beltran’s got a good arm he could possibly be a 1 inning guy. Oh wait? They want more offense on top of more of offense.
Dark Horse: Royals. They were really high on Kuroda when he first came into the league, but got outbid by the Dodgers, and had to settle for Yubota.
How much is Kuroda expected to sign for could the Twins be a player or is he out of their price range
I would not be surprised if the twins had interest. They like to keep things quiet and they might have the money since cuddyer and kubel didn’t resign
Given his stated preference for the west coast I’m thinking Angels or Padres or (gasp) back to LAD. I know LAA has Williams and Richards, but they seem in win-now mode….. and Kuroda in that rotation would be awesome. And another middle finger to TEX.
Blue Jays
Hope not.
Hope not.
Goodbye Hiroki, I love you
Don’t the Detroit Tigers make some sense here? I know they had a lot of salary coming off the books with Guillen, Ordonez and Penny.
They do have salary off the books but it’s already pretty much taken up by a huge raise for Verlander, small bumps for Cabrera, VMart, Valverde, Raburn, and Santiago, and arbitration raises for Scherzer, Porcello and Coke — plus Delmon Young will take $6M, and there’s the Dotel signing. But I think Illitch would greenlight a bigger budget this year for the right case, considering where they finished last year, and Kuroda would make a ton of sense for the Tigers for a year or two.
Everyone wants Kuroda all the sudden. *watches him sign with Japan team*
I can see the Reds going after Oswalt on a year deal, moving Chapman into the closer’s role, and dangling either Arroyo or Wood as trade bait.
Arroyo as trade bait? For what? A bucket of balls?
Doesn’t really make sense to have a closer who can’t pitch consecutive days.
Doesn’t really make sense to have a closer who can’t pitch consecutive days.
Kinda hope the Jays sign Beltran for 2 years to play LF. I feel like he would be a good temporary addition. With that, Snider can take another year to develop (remember, he’s still only 23) and maybe trade Thames.
**DO NOT TRADE SNIDER**ORBeltran can play DH while Snider has another kick at the can. If Beltran has a good year, maybe the Jays trade him at the deadline for something ….. He gives us options.
@McLellan2
Isn’t that like every team with reported interest?
What about a three way trade between Blue Jays, Padres, and Cubs?
Actually would rather see a three way trade between the Tigers, Padres, and Cubs since the Tigers have interest in Headley.
any players in particular?
any players in particular?
Actually would rather see a three way trade between the Tigers, Padres, and Cubs since the Tigers have interest in Headley.
Cubs send Garza, and Soriano to Jays, they send prospects hat San Diego likes to Padres, Padres send Rizzo and Headly to Cubs?
Soriano is of no use to the Jays. Old, overpaid and useless. No thanks. Garza on the other hand……
He could DH and or LF
He could DH and or LF
My guess is the Nats or Marlins, both are looking to upgrade with a veteran pitcher.
My guess is the Nats or Marlins, both are looking to upgrade with a veteran pitcher.
Would Nats take Zambrano?
The only team that might take Zambrano is the Marlins.
For his offense maybe.
Would Nats take Zambrano?
If the O’s step up and sign both Kuroda and Oswalt…. that could make things interesting in the AL East… interesting indeed.
Come on Kuroda do it man!
Let’s Go O’s!
I really hope the Twins are working out a deal with Kuroda. The Twins rotation is lacking an ace, and besides Oswalt, Kuroda is the next best option. Edwin Jackson would be great too though!
I don’t see how adding Kuroda or Oswalt would make the O’s “interesting”. They would have to odd more offense and a better bullpen then just one piece. Plus, I don’t see Oswalt doing too well in the AL East.
That makes sense.
Except for the fact it really doesn’t. Why would a team going into rebuild mode pay a guy in his late thirties the kind of money Kuroda will command?
Are we buying that they’re in rebuilding mode under Theo Epstein? The Cubs haven’t traded off anyone to speak of and they were rumored to be interested in Fielder.
“Are we buying that they’re in rebuilding mode under Theo Epstein?”
Yes, we are, because that team is a few years away from legitimately contending, even in a substantially weakened division. A couple of big moves might put them close to a brief contention window, but I doubt that’s what Epstein signed on for. They haven’t traded anyone off because they have very little to trade off and doing so while the free agent market has multiple options still available would be jumping the gun. Once guys like Kuroda and Oswalt sign, expect to see Garza’s name coming up a lot more.
Nats or Orioles get him. Boras wants Fielder to sign with Cubs. If signed by Orioles at least he’s out of NL, probably for good.
Wait, did you just spell “Pineda” as “Pinata”? Is that an insult because you think he gets hit hard?
I see. But what the hell is a Henedez or Horoda?
Thinking economization.