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Mets Interested In Jason Marquis

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The Mets have interest in signing Jason Marquis to replace Chris Capuano in their starting rotation, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday. The Mets crossed Capuano off their list of targets due to his desire for a multiyear deal, we heard yesterday.

Marquis, 33, grew up in New York and has long expressed a desire to play for one of his hometown teams. Still, even with an apparent mutual interest between the Mets and the right-hander, there's no guarantee the two sides will work out an agreement. A person "in the know" told Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (Twitter link) that it was way too soon to consider the likelihood of Marquis signing with the Mets.

Over the course of his last deal, a two-year, $15MM pact, Marquis started 36 games, compiling a 5.10 ERA, 5.1 K/9, and 3.2 BB/9 for the Nationals and Diamondbacks.

Minor Moves: Pridie, Budde, Moore

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Today's minor moves…

  • Jason Pridie has signed a minor league deal with the Athletics, according to a tweet from Sosnick Cobbe Sports. The 28-year-old earned his first extended look in the bigs in 2011, hitting .231/.309/.370 in 236 plate appearances with the Mets.
  • The Diamondbacks signed Ryan Budde to a minor league deal, according to the same tweet. Budde, 32, earned 35 Major League plate appearances over the span of four seasons with the Angels from 2007 to 2010. He spent 2011 at the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.
  • The Astros announced they've signed infielder Scott Moore to a minor league deal.  The 27-year-old hit .295/.380/.444 with nine home runs in 425 Triple-A plate appearances this year, playing mostly first base, second base, and third base for the Iowa Cubs.  The Astros have also signed Brad Snyder, Nick Stavinoha, Travis Buck, Brandon Barnes, Alberto Arias, Jose Valdez, and Xavier Cedeno to minor league deals this offseason.  They've added Brian Bixler and Craig Tatum through waiver claims.

Mozeliak “Wouldn’t Envision” Pursuit Of Fielder

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The Cardinals are going to keep discussions with Albert Pujols between the team, agent Dan Lozano and the three-time MVP himself, GM John Mozeliak said in Milwaukee today. If Pujols signs elsewhere, don't expect the Cardinals to pursue free agent first baseman Prince Fielder. 

"I wouldn't envision that given the composition of our club with [Matt] Holliday, [Lance] Berkman and [Allen] Craig," he said. "Our hope again would be to find a way to keep Albert, but I wouldn't see going out on the market to do something else."

Mozeliak further broke down the Cardinals' roster in a conversation with MLBTR. Here are the details on the 2011 champions:

  • Daniel Descalso, Tyler Greene, Skip Schumaker and Ryan Theriot are middle infield options for the Cardinals and they’d "be okay" entering the 2012 season with that group, Mozeliak said, before explaining that alternatives exist. 
  • "Before we get ahead of ourselves we want to make sure we explore other ways to improve," he said. "It doesn't necessarily mean [internal options] would be the best we can do." MLBTR projects a $3.9MM salary for Theriot and a $3.1MM salary for Schumaker in 2012, if the team offers arbitration. Both are non-tender candidates.
  • The Cardinals like the defense Descalso and Greene offer.
  • The Cardinals want to keep dialogue with Rafael Furcal open and they're also considering other options not currently on the roster.

Latest On CBA Talks

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CBA negotiations are temporarily on hold, but once the two sides resume talking, a deal could be reached quickly, reports Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. Stark says that players and owners are "on the precipice" of a new labor deal, with discussions potentially resuming Thursday and moving quickly from there. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports (Twitter link) believes a deal could be announced as soon as Friday.

Two of Stark's sources agree that a deal will be consummated soon, with one saying the two sides are "within striking distance" and the other saying they're "on the verge of an agreement." Specifics on a few issues still need to be worked out, but barring any unexpected setbacks, none of the issues should prevent a new agreement.

Stark also hears that free agent compensation won't be eliminated, but will be modified so that teams only surrender a top draft pick when signing "elite" free agents. Earlier today, we heard that Type B compensation is expected to be eliminated as early as this offseason, and that compensation for Type A free agents might be tweaked as well.

While most of the news concerning a new deal is positive, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that many teams aren't happy about changes that could limit amateur draft spending. One executive called the proposed changes "incredibly short-sighted," saying they'd hurt many clubs.

Diamondbacks Sign Aaron Hill To Two-Year Deal

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TUESDAY, 6:46pm: The D'Backs announced the two-year contract today in a press release. MLB.com's Steve Gilbert tweets that Hill passed his physical, making the deal official.

SUNDAY, 8:30pm: The Diamondbacks may have declined Aaron Hill's option last month, but the second baseman will still be calling Chase Field his home. The two sides have agreed to terms on a new two-year contract that will pay Hill $11MM.

Hill, who will be 30 years old on Opening Day, came to the Diamondbacks along with John McDonald in an August trade that sent Kelly Johnson to the Blue Jays. He flourished in his new surroundings, hitting to the tune of a .315/.386/.492 triple slash line with a pair of round-trippers. In the field, UZR suggests that his defense has been a plus over the course of his career, with a UZR/150 of 4.2. His career 6.2% walk rate is below league average, but he also doesn't strike out very often (12.6% career).

Overall, Hill batted .246/.299/.356 in 2011 and hit just eight home runs after averaging 31 long balls from 2009-2010. He broke out with a monstrous season in 2009, hitting 36 homers and batting .286/.330/.499, but has been unable to recreate that level of success. He doesn't need to return to that form to justify the value of his new deal, but if he continues his Arizona renaissance, he'd be a massive bargain for the Snakes.

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Hill 38th on his list of Top 50 Free Agents. He was one of eight MLBTR writers who correctly predicted the Diamondbacks for Hill's destination in MLBTR's Free Agent prediction contest.

Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio first tweeted that the two sides would complete a deal within the next three days, while Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweeted that an agreement had been reached and SI.com's Jon Heyman tweeted the final details. Hill is represented by the Legacy Sports Group, as MLBTR's Agency Database shows.

Dodgers Sign Matt Treanor

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The Dodgers added a catcher to the fold today, announcing on their Twitter feed that they've signed Matt Treanor to a one-year contract that includes an option for 2013. The deal guarantees Treanor $1MM. He'll earn $850K in 2012, with the option worth $950K ($150K buyout).

Treanor, 35, has spent time with the Marlins, Tigers, Royals, and Rangers since debuting in the bigs in 2004. In 242 plate appearances for Kansas City and Texas last season, the backstop hit .214/.338/.291.

Ken Gurnick of MLB.com first reported that the Dodgers were eyeing Treanor, while Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports indicated that the two sides were making progress toward a deal and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) confirmed the agreement. Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times added contract details (via Twitter).

Reds Will Not Trade Votto This Winter

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Despite rumblings that reigning NL MVP Joey Votto could be available this offseason, Reds GM Walt Jocketty says the team will hold on to the first baseman, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). Jocketty indicated that the Reds will try to lock Votto up to a long-term deal within the next year. Here are a few other items of note from Heyman's Twitter feed:

  • The Reds are among the teams who have contacted the Braves to inquire on Jair Jurrjens.
  • GM John Mozeliak said the Cardinals haven't met face-to-face with Albert Pujols since the season ended, but that they've touched base with Pujols and his agent, and plan to meet.
  • The Mets think Jose Reyes will give them a chance to match his best offer before he signs anywhere, but know that he's not obligated to do so.
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says if he were to pursue an impact first baseman like Pujols or Prince Fielder, he'd need to make a companion move to open up the position.
  • The White Sox aren't closing the door on Mark Buehrle, but GM Ken Williams feels it'll be tough to fit him into their payroll.

Mets Will Tender Contracts To Pagan, Pelfrey

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Their names showed up on our list of non-tender candidates yesterday, but Angel Pagan and Mike Pelfrey will be tendered contracts by the Mets, reports Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). The pair of Mets could earn more than $10MM between them in 2012, according to our projected arbitration salaries. Here are some other notes from the NL East:

  • The Phillies are indicating Cole Hamels would cost "three small countries and two oceans" in a trade, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link). Considering what sort of package it would take to land Hamels, the southpaw likely isn't going anywhere.
  • The Mets have a similarly high asking price for David Wright. GM Sandy Alderson says he'll only considering moving Wright "if someone blows us away," tweets Heyman. Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote earlier today that the Mets would definitely listen on Wright, but probably won't get an offer they like.
  • Mark Buehrle's representatives and the Marlins are meeting today at the GM meetings in Milwaukee, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
  • Yoenis Cespedes isn't the only Cuban outfielder to grab the Nationals' attention – Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post writes of the club's interest in 19-year-old Jorge Soler.
  • Speaking of Cespedes, the Phillies worked out the 26-year-old in the Dominican Republic, with Pat Gillick in attendance, tweets Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.
  • Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com takes a look at which players the Nationals may protect in this year's Rule 5 draft.

Twins Interested In Doumit, Willingham

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The Twins spoke to agent Matt Sosnick today and expressed interest in Ryan Doumit and Josh Willingham, two of his clients, says Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune. Doumit and Willingham are players the Twins could end up aggressively pursuing, particularly if Michael Cuddyer signs elsewhere.

Doumit is reportedly weighing a few contract offers and may make a decision as soon as this week. Christensen indicates that the Twins haven't extended a formal offer, however, meaning they probably weren't among the clubs Doumit was considering over the weekend.

As for Willingham, we heard earlier in the month that at least ten teams had already expressed interest in the outfielder. Given the lack of power-hitting outfielders on the market, Willingham appears poised to do quite well for himself this winter.

Francisco Cordero Drawing Heavy Interest

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At least seven teams have expressed interest in free agent right-hander Francisco Cordero, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Cordero's agent Bean Stringfellow told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon as much yesterday, but Morosi also names many of the clubs who have interest in Cordero: the Red Sox, Reds, Blue Jays, Marlins, Dodgers, Angels, and Mets.

Although Jonathan Papelbon is off the market, Cordero is one of many closers still available, along with Ryan Madson, Heath Bell, and Francisco Rodriguez, among others. The Reds declined their option on the 36-year-old Cordero at season's end, despite a successful 2011 campaign in which he posted a 2.45 ERA and reduced his BB/9 to 2.8.

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