Cafardo On Red Sox, Cuddyer, Sizemore, Marlins
One of Red Sox GM Ben Cherington's toughest tasks this season will be finding fourth and fifth starters, writes Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. Cherington could do it by pursuing the top free agent hurlers on the open market or try to bolster the rotation via trade. It's widely expected that the White Sox will make either Gavin Floyd or John Danks available and Cafardo wonders if the Red Sox could get Anibal Sanchez back from the Marlins. Free agent Hiroki Kuroda is a likely target but appears to be out of reach. The veteran declined a chance to be traded to the Sox last season as he didn’t want to play anywhere but Los Angeles. Here's more from Cafardo..
- Free agent Michael Cuddyer isn't as high of a priority for the Phillies as portrayed by the media. A major league source characterized him as "a middle priority" and while Philadelphia would love to have him, the club isn't going to "go crazy" to make it happen.
- It's widely believed that Grady Sizemore could be had for a bargain price but the center fielder has a few teams pursuing him, including the Red Sox. However, his talks with Boston are in very preliminary stages, and his injury history and left-handed bat mean that he's an unlikely fit.
- An agent told Cafardo that the Marlins' offers to Albert Pujols, Mark Buehrle, and Jose Reyes should be taken seriously and are not for show.
- If the Marlins land Pujols or Prince Fielder, first baseman Gaby Sanchez will be major trade bait for the club.
- If the Red Sox don't make a lot of pitching moves, we could see Alfredo Aceves moved into the rotation. The right-hander pushed to start in the past but Terry Francona thought Aceves was too valuable to remove from his bullpen role.
- A National League scout says that center fielder Yoenis Cespedes is likely to be moved to one of the corner outfield spots in the majors. Yesterday, we learned that the Cuban defector may not become a free agent for two months.
Players, Owners Close In On Deal
Players and owners are in near-agreement on draft-related issues, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. A deal could be struck as soon as today or Monday but other significant issues remain, making it possible that the negotiations will stretch into the latter part of the week.
The two sides would like to reach an agreement Sunday or Monday as the general managers’ meetings start Tuesday in Milwaukee, the owners meet Thursday, and the union is holding meetings for agents Monday through Wednesday. The new deal is expected to put a lid on the amount of money teams spend on draft picks and overhaul draft-pick compensation for free agents.
The current deal expires on December 11th but it would be a shock if the two sides did not hammer out a new five-year deal before then. Significant progress was made in the talks last week.
Rockies Notes: Carroll, Prado, Sizemore, Street
The Rockies' aggressiveness in their pursuit of Jamey Carroll could indicate that they're ready to make some bold moves this winter, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post. The team even offered the veteran a multi-year deal, according to a source with direct knowledge of the talks, even though they clearly preferred the 37-year-old on a one-year contract. After losing out on Carroll to the Twins, what might come next for the Rockies?..
- Going after Braves' Martin Prado in a trade makes sense for the club and Atlanta likes outfielder Seth Smith. However, the Braves will require another piece, preferably a center fielder. Trade talks could pick up steam at this week's general managers meetings if the Rockies are willing to include Tim Wheeler or Charlie Blackmon.
- Center fielder Grady Sizemore obviously represents a considerable risk but the 29-year-old is looking to restore his value and would likely take a one-year deal. Coors Field would enticing in that scenario for both parties, Renck writes.
- The club has urgency to add a starter this winter but they're not desperate. One big reason for that is the miraculous recovery of Juan Nicasio. Those watching his bullpen sessions in the Dominican Republic say they can't tell he was even injured. This means that the Rockies will focus on an landing an impact starter rather than someone to keep the seat warm for Nicasio and Jorge De La Rosa.
- The Phillies' signing of Jonathan Papelbon unclogs the closers market and Ryan Madson will likely be the next to sign. As more closers find their homes, Huston Street's future should become clearer. Street is a potential one-year fit for a team that doesn't want to shell out a multi-year deal for a closer.
- A name that pops up regarding the Rockies' third base situation is Chase Headley of the Padres. The Rockies tried to acquire him last summer but the Padres weren't interested in moving him. San Diego remains uninterested in dealing the 27-year-old.
Quick Hits: Lee, Cespedes, Indians, Cards, Dodgers
On this date last year, the Red Sox and Marlins swapped Dustin Richardson for Andrew Miller, a deal that didn't really work out for either side. Here are some notes from around the league…
- Sosnick Cobbe Sports will represent Korean left-handed pitcher Seung-ho Lee according to the agency's Twitter feed. The 30-year-old is a free agent and looking to join a team in MLB.
- MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports that the Cubs will hold a private workout session for 26-year-old Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes at some point soon.
- "We're looking to improve the position player side of the roster," said Indians GM Chris Antonetti to Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The team's payroll will jump from $49MM to about $70MM, with much of that going towards arbitration raises.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the team is projecting Daniel Descalso as their Opening Day second baseman (Twitter link). He added that he "wouldn't mind" a double play combination of Descalso and Tyler Greene.
- Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times reports that Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to let him negotiate a sale of the team's television rights, which will increase the sale price of the club. FOX Sports, which holds the clubs television rights, is trying to prevent the move.
Managerial Notes: Red Sox, Lamont, Cubs, Cardinals
The Cubs, Cardinals, and Red Sox still have managerial vacancies to fill, and each club seems to have narrowed its search to a few finalists. Here are the latest links:
- SI.com's Jon Heyman reports (on Twitter) that the Cardinals are very high on Matheny, and the race appears to be down to him and Terry Francona.
- The Red Sox could conduct follow-up interviews with their managerial candidates at the GM meetings in Milwaukee next week, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
- The Sox met with Gene Lamont today, concluding their first round of interviews, as Lauber writes. GM Ben Cherington said of his interviewees: "All five of those guys, I can envision hiring to manage the Red Sox. We’ve got to pick one."
- Tim Britton of the Providence Journal explains how Lamont's past experience is unique among the five Red Sox candidates.
- Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe examines the finalists for the Red Sox and Cubs managerial openings, and predicts the jobs will go to Dale Sveum and Mike Maddux, respectively. Abraham also writes that Cherington has started to compile a list of pitching coach candidates, but will work with the new manager when deciding who to hire.
- Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch breaks down the pros and cons of the Cardinals' candidates, concluding that Mike Matheny looks like the favorite.
“No Evidence” Giants Would Trade Lincecum Or Cain
Despite their desperate need for offense, SI.com's Jon Heyman says (on Twitter) there's no evidence the Giants would trade either Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain this offseason. One GM went so far as to say there's "no point even asking."
Cain, 27, will earn $15MM in 2012 before becoming a free agent next winter. Lincecum, also 27, is in line for a historic arbitration payday and won't hit free agency until after the 2013 season. The two right-handers have thrown at least 200 innings in each of the past four seasons, and only once did they post an ERA higher than 3.45 (Cain in 2008). In terms of wins over replacement, Lincecum (24.7) and Cain (15.9) have been the 5th and 15th most valuable pitchers in baseball since the start of 2008, respectively.
Earlier this month, both Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports and Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explored the possibility of the Giants trading Lincecum for multiple pieces to improve their roster overall.
Diamondbacks Nearing Deal With Hill
The Diamondbacks should have a deal with Aaron Hill completed in the next 72 hours, tweets Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio. SI.com's Jon Heyman adds (via Twitter) that the deal would be worth $5MM-$6MM.
This post was originally published on November 13, 2011.
Cards Don’t Plan To Greatly Increase Offer To Pujols
Albert Pujols is being wooed by the Miami Marlins, but that hasn't forced his former team's hand just yet. SI.com's Jon Heyman reports (on Twitter) that the Cardinals do not plan to greatly increase the nine-year, $210MM contract offer they made to Pujols before the season.
The Marlins are the only team to extend an offer to Pujols so far this offseason, but we have heard that the Angels, Dodgers, Yankees, and Rangers are unlikely to pursue the slugger. It was reported earlier today that Miami's offer "probably isn’t close to being enough" to lure Pujols away from St. Louis. Only a handful of teams can afford to match the Cardinals' original offer, so there's no reason for them to sweeten the pot just yet.
Ortiz Will Affect Red Sox’s Outfield Plans
The Red Sox lost their closer yesterday, and today GM Ben Cherington told reporters (including Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe) that losing their DH would affect what the team does in right field (Twitter link). If they're able to retain David Ortiz, they're unlikely to chase a big bat for the outfield. Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald provides a quote…
“There’s some interesting guys out there that could factor into our right-field mix,” said Cherington. “A lot of that depends again on David. If David’s here, we’re going to go in a certain direction with the outfield. If he’s not here, it sort of opens it up a little bit. There’s alternatives, both in free agency and in a trade market for guys that can play right field.”
Ortiz, 36 next week, hit .309/.398/.554 with 40 doubles and 29 home runs in 2011, his best output since 2007. Boston's right fielders, on the other hand, hit just .233/.299/.353 as J.D. Drew battled injuries and fill-ins like Josh Reddick, Mike Cameron, and Darnell McDonald struggled. Rick Ankiel and David DeJesus could represent low-cost right field solutions, though that is just speculation.
The Red Sox did not offer Ortiz a contract during the exclusive negotiating period, but yesterday we heard that the two sides have been talking.
Minor Moves: Snyder, Fox, Torres
We'll track the latest minor transactions here….
- The Astros have signed outfielder Brad Snyder to a minor league contract, tweets Alyson Footer. The 29-year-old was drafted by the Indians in the first round of the 2003 draft, and spent the last three seasons in the Cubs' organization. He posted an .801 OPS in 407 Triple-A plate appearances for Iowa in 2011.
- Right-hander Matt Fox has agreed to a minor league deal with the Mariners, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America. The 28-year-old turned down more money from the Red Sox in favor of what he feels is a better opportunity to pitch in the bigs, MLBTR has learned. Fox made four Major League appearances for the Red Sox and Twins in 2010, but pitched exclusively for Boston's Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket last season.
- Within the previously linked tweet, Eddy adds that left-hander Joe Torres has re-signed with the Rockies. Torres, a former tenth overall pick by the Angels, spent most of 2011 pitching out of the bullpen at Double-A Tulsa, recording 10.1 K/9 and a 2.28 ERA in 55 1/3 innings.