1:36pm: The Rockies are focused on Cuddyer, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Should they lose out on the long-time Twinkie, they'll turn that focus to Willingham.
1:24pm: MLB Network's Jon Heyman adds the Rockies to the list of teams still eyeing Willingham, but doesn't go as far as calling them a "finalist" as Camino did with the Indians and Twins (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Willingham market hinges on Michael Cuddyer, because the Twins view Willingham as their top alternative. Rosenthal also mentions the Rockies as a player for Willingham.
SUNDAY, 11:57am: The Mariners are out of the running for Willingham, tweets Nick Camino of WTAM 1100. The outfielder's choice is down to the Indians and Twins, according to Camino.
SATURDAY, 10:32pm: The Mariners and Indians appear to be the front-runners for free agent outfielder Josh Willingham, reports Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio (on Twitter). MLB.com's Jordan Bastian says (on Twitter) that other teams remain in the mix though, including the Indians. Cleveland has not yet made an offer though. The Rockies, Twins, Rays were also in the mix at one point.
Willingham, 32, hit .246/.332/.477 with a career-high 29 home runs in 2011. The right-handed hitter tallied 829 1/3 innings in left field, and also has experience in right field in 2009. First base and designated hitter could be options as well. Willingham's agent Matt Sosnick guessed in October that his client would sign a three-year deal.
Also Cardinals may be in the mix.
Brewers might need this guy to fill that hole in LF and potentially 1B.
He’s so bad defensively that would be a terrible move, he only has value being a DH at this point.
I’d love to have him fill in at left for us. Should give the M’s a solid power output.
Reds still in the lead for most disappointing team since the Halladay no-hitter.
I’ll second that
They’ve had it rough since then, but since the Halladay no-hitter, the Twins were swept by the Yankees on the road following a 94 win season, and then had a 99 loss season with the highest payroll in team history in ’11, a season in which their two biggest stars became huge question marks.
Sorry to say, but the Reds are a distance second.
Hope the M’s sign him, and then trade Trayvon Robinson to the Braves.
along with catricala and/or Seager for a stud 3B.
He plays piss poor defense and is right handed. Pass on him, Zduriencik. Especially if his agent wants three years. PASS.
Ahh crap! Seattle dont need this guy. Has Z even looked at his numbers in Safeco? He hit even worse than his season batting line.
What could he bring to the M’s? They already have plenty of OF talent in the minors and some of them showed what they could do in the near future.
First, Willingham by no means can play CF. Second, the Rangers still won’t be any better than they are now. The Rangers already hit better than anyone else. They need some pitchers.
Willingham hit 29 HR playing half his games in cavernous Oakland. Admittedly, Safeco is tougher on righties but he could still provide value in the middle of the M’s lineup for the right price.
His walk rate and k rates were the worst of his career in Oakland too, dude was just hacking away and trying to hit bombs.
Well it was his walk year and it was in Oakland. What do you want him to do?
oh i dunno…NOT K 150 times?
This is going to be our big signing while we see some other team get Fielder lol.
Actually, would love Willingham AND Fielder for the M’s but doubt they have the payroll room. Would also mean the trade of either Carp or Smoak.
I think they could if they wanted to they just are unwilling. I wouldn’t trade Smoak i think id either have him split time with Fielder at 1st or DH him.
AA also stated that he wanted another big bat for the Blue Jays. The Jays are by no means set at LF or DH, and Willingham would be pretty scary hitting in the RC. On the other hand, it would mean giving up a first round pick.
Team don’t have to give up a pick for Willingham. That changed under the new CBA.
The indians have to get him. He’s pretty much everything they are looking for, and his glove translates to a LF/1B platoon defensively. Please, go and make the right choice. He is the kind of player that is unsung, but paramount to a teams success.
no, he really isnt. cleveland would be better off with casey kotchman’s outstanding defense at 1B.
I don’t totally disagree. Paramount was a strong word choice. Cleveland’s looking for a LF and a right-handed bat. I have to imagine Santana is going to log about a third to half of his innings at 1B. Kotchman’s defense hasn’t been as good the past two years, but I’d be okay with signing him.
Since when does Willingham play first base? aka as never…DER
M’s already have a Josh Willingham. His name is Casper Wells and he’s eight years younger and a fraction of the price. Hope there isn’t any truth to this.
rofl Casper Wells and Josh Willingham aren’t comparable
.
I think they are… Willingham has better OBP potential but Wells is a better defender, otherwise I think they’re similar.
so other than having different skillsets, they are similar? Casper Wells hasn’t had the service time or production that Josh Willingham has. If you want to argue defense, I can at least see the argument for that, although LF is generally a place you hide a player.
I think they will both hit for similar averages with the same amount of power. That obviously hasn’t been proven yet but I think Casper will put up similar numbers given the chance.
Wells’ major and minor league K% is almost 25%, with sub-10% walk rates. Excluding last season, they aren’t that similar.
Who is hiding in leftfield?
Casper Wells has played 707.2 MLB innings in the outfield: 425.2 in rightfield, 198 in leftfield and 84 in centerfield.
Josh Willingham has played 5,789 MLB innings in the outfield: 5,524.2 in leftfield and 264.1 in rightfield.
Sounds like you’re taking that comment as an attack on an individual. I’m just pointing out that if you’re a sub-par OF, LF is where they will hide you.
Not in a park like Safeco which has the biggest left-center field in baseball.
Wells is similar in value to Willingham. This would be a bad move for the Mariners unless they’re planning on trading one of Wells, Carp, or Smoak.
Don’t do it!
Last season 32-year-old Josh Willingham was valued at 2.1 WAR in 136 games while 26-year-old Casper Wells was valued at 1.5 WAR in 95 games.
Yeah, and that’s with the fact that Wells barely played in the first half with Detroit.
Willingham would be a nice fit as the Orioles DH/1B. But only on a 2 year deal.
That is an interesting thought. If you sign Willingham do you then trade Luke Scott (who does have some value)?
I picked JW to go to the Royals in that free agent guesser. I guessed the Royals would be trading for pitching but only Melky has been moved.
That is an interesting thought. If you sign Willingham do you then trade Luke Scott (who does have some value)?
I picked JW to go to the Royals in that free agent guesser. I guessed the Royals would be trading for pitching but only Melky has been moved.
That’s what we need coming to the Safe, a 32 year-old, right-handed, crappy-fielding “slugger”, with a sub .250 batting average. I hate this offseason.
Willingham might have been a decent add for Seattle the last couple years.
Especially as a good player to hold down the LF position while prospects develop.
No doubt the Nationals wanted quite a lot whenever the obviously offensively challenged Mariners inquired about him.
But even though the M’s are ready to take some steps up now as a organization, this one only looks like a good one on paper. He provides a “Name” and some good past stats to pacify some fans who can’t see past big names and decent past stats.
Looking at the big picture, Willingham is a step back at this point. A Carp/Wells platoon might be good for 29 home runs next year. They were good for a combined 23 home runs in 554 PA last year counting Wells Tiger stats also. And both could be better next year.
Sign with the Twins Willingham! Cuddyer is too expensive and we desperately need another righty in our lineup! Call me crazy but if the Twins sign Willingham, I would also like to see the Twins consider Manny Ramirez as our primary DH if the price is right, and I mean really right.
Willingham is going to get right around what Cuddyer is wanting, 3 yrs/25-30 mil.
That’s the problem, I think Cuddyer wants more than that.
What makes you think that? Because he hasn’t responded to the Twins offer? His wife just had twins, I don’t think signing with a team with 4 months of offseason left is his top priority right now.
I’m just saying that if a team like the bosox or phils offer him more he’ll most likely take it, meaning it’s too much money for the Twins to try and compete.
I would rather see Willingham in a Twins uni than Kubel. Kubel is too injury prone. A Willingham, Span/Revere, Cuddy outfield might put the Twins back into contention, or close to it.
I think signing Cuddy AND Willingham would be a way too expensive, overloaded outfield. I would rather see them invest some money into a starting pitcher. cough cough Edwin Jackson. I do like Willingham over Cuddy though.
The Mariners are out of the running for Willingham… oh no LOL
Seriously, though when was the last time Running and Willingham were used in the same sentence? Sure, Willingham has power, but speed to cover ground in the Outfield? I don’t think so. To me it should have been said the Mariners are out of the “Light” Jog for Willingham, especially with his achilles!
Ok. Personally if the mariners can’t reel in Prince Fielder (WHICH ISN’T ALL UP TO JACK Z….the player actually has to agree to come…) I think the mariners could do good with a pick up of say, Jason Kubel.
Lefty with some pop, could switch around between DH and LF with Carp (Assuming Carp plays as well as he did last year…people are assuming way to much.) Possibly platoon with Casper Wells, to get some more looks at him.
Don’t get me wrong. I would like for the mariners to sign Fielder, BUT for the RIGHT price. If we overpay for him…I can guarantee all the people saying “I don’t care how much you pay for him, just sign him!” Will be eating a huge slice of humble pie!…err lame poorly executed analogies!
Willingham in Coors would be a pretty nice match, though his defense probably won’t play too well in that large outfield.
I’d like to see the Tribe sign him and play him in LF and use Brantley as 4th Of and then have Cle trade Chris and Rafael Perez to the Angels for Morales. It adds two RH bats with pop to Tribe lineup. Sizemore, Asdrubal, Choo, Morales, Hafner, Willingham, Santana, Kipnis and Chisenhall…much improved batting order
… Twinkie?
Longtime nickname for Twins players.