Quick Hits: CBA, Fielder, Francis, Rollins
Ryan Madson appeared to have a deal with the Phillies this time last night, but the sides haven't completed anything to date. Here are the details and here are your links for Wednesday night…
- We heard last night that the players and owners made significant progress toward a new collective bargaining agreement. The sides could complete a CBA this week, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.
- ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick polled MLB executives on some fun baseball questions and the results are worth checking out. The executives preferred Prince Fielder to Albert Pujols over the life of a long-term contract and their response suggests Rays left-hander Matt Moore is every bit as coveted as Stephen Strasburg.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law explains that Aramis Ramirez is the top free agent third baseman of the offseason, but cautions that Ramirez's new team "will either have to live with below-average defense at third or contemplate moving him to first or to DH." I examined the trade and free agent market for third base late last month.
- Orioles executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette says he expects to add people to his front office before the Winter Meetings take place in early December, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Duquette has been impressed by director of baseball operations Matt Klentak.
- The Royals are open-minded regarding a possible return for free agent left-hander Jeff Francis, GM Dayton Moore told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. The Royals would prefer to sign Bruce Chen, according to Dutton.
- Jimmy Rollins and the Phillies have had preliminary contract talks, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link). The shortstop continues to seek a five-year deal.
NL Central Notes: Cubs, Marte, Brewers
On this date in 2004, 42-year-old Roger Clemens won his seventh and final Cy Young Award. The Astros right-hander became the oldest pitcher to win the award and the first to win it with four different teams. Here are some links from Houston's division…
- Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux told reporters, including MLB.com's Carrie Muskat, that he likes Chicago and is honored to be considered for the Cubs' managerial opening. As for Chicago executives Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, Maddux says they're young and bright like Jon Daniels and others in the Rangers' front office. "Highly educated, very motivated, but very true and very honest and that's about all you can really ask for," Maddux said.
- If the Pirates decide to address needs at first, catcher and shortstop via trade, Starling Marte's name could come up, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
- At this stage in the offseason, "everybody has interest in everybody," Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Until teams and agents start exchanging figures, it's hard to say which players fit in which payrolls. Jose Reyes is a possible fit for the Brewers, who declined their club option on Yuniesky Betancourt last week.
NL West Notes: D’Backs, Barmes, Darvish, Dodgers
The Diamondbacks finalized a new deal with Willie Bloomquist today and the move has had an impact for at least two NL West teams. Here are the details.
- The Giants offered Bloomquist a two-year deal worth more than $3.8MM before he re-signed in Arizona, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter). San Francisco’s offer was worth $4.6MM over two years, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown. The D’Backs remain interested in Aaron Hill.
- The Giants are looking for a shortstop as a fallback for Brandon Crawford, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (on Twitter). Baggarly notes that some Giants coaches are big fans of free agent Clint Barmes.
- Brad Lefton of the New York Times explains the origins of the posting system MLB teams use to bid on Japanese players. Within the piece, Lefton reports that the Diamondbacks scouted Yu Darvish this past season.
- Not surprisingly, the Dodgers won't be able to bid on free agents such as Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols until the team is sold, according to ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- The Rockies will consider pursuing Roy Oswalt, according to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding.
Rockies Inquired On Martin Prado
The Rockies contacted the Braves about Martin Prado, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies, who haven't yet exchanged named with the Braves, view Prado as a starting second baseman who can produce runs.
Prado projects to earn approximately $4.4MM next season as a second-time arbitration eligible player and the Braves seem willing to move him in the right deal. Rockies outfielder Seth Smith appeals to the Braves, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter).
Second baseman Mark Ellis is a free agent, so the Rockies are exploring multiple options at second base, including Jamey Carroll. Like Michael Cuddyer, another Rockies target, Prado is versatile enough to handle the outfield and multiple infield positions. Prado posted a .260/.302/.385 line in 2011, while playing first, third and left field. He made the NL All-Star team in 2010 and had a .307/.350/.459 line in 651 plate appearances.
Yankees Notes: Sanchez, Catchers, Pitching, Posada
Yankees GM Brian Cashman spoke to reporters while at a charity function earlier today, and Marc Carig of The Star Ledger provided a recap. Here are the highlights…
- The Yankees were aware that Jonathan Sanchez was on the trade block, but Cashman said the team did not have discussions about acquiring him. The Giants traded Sanchez to the Royals for former Yankee Melky Cabrera earlier this week.
- Clubs have already inquired about the Yankees' young catchers, such as Jesus Montero, Austin Romine, and Francisco Cervelli. "I've had a lot of teams express 'Hey, if you're ever going to do something there, mark us down,' that type of things," said Cashman.
- Cashman said it's too early to know if the best pitching options are available via trade or free agency. "I haven't talked to every team and I haven't talked to every agent yet," said the GM. "And I certainly haven't had any agent tell me what they want financially. So, no one's made any demands to me, no one's made me an offer, so I don't know what these current free agents are looking for yet in terms of years and dollars."
- The Yankees have requested the medical information for some players, which Cashman said is standard procedure.
- Cashman has not had any talks with Jorge Posada or Eric Chavez yet, and he doesn't know if either will continue playing or retire. Posada told Carig that he's undecided about playing in 2012, but he's resigned to the fact that it would not be with the Yankees. He believes he can still serve as a backup catcher and DH, and he told Newsday's Erik Boland that he's been contacted by five or six teams (all Twitter links).
- Posada's wife hinted that the Marlins could be a fit, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). "We live in Miami, so… We love Miami. Nice transition," she said.
- The Yankees have the flexibility to stretch the budget, if needed. "There's no set number where you can't exceed it that obviously exists in other environments," said Cashman.
- The team has a ton of scouts in the Dominican Republic this week, and they are there to see more players than just Yoenis Cespedes.
Minor Moves: Stavinoha, Jones, Mickolio
Here's where we'll keep track of the latest minor moves…
- The Astros signed Nick Stavinoha to a minor league deal and invited him to Spring Training, according to Alyson Footer of the Astros (on Twitter). The 29-year-old played for the Cardinals from 2008-10 and has a .234/.256/.325 line in 278 career plate appearances.
- Eddy has all of the latest minor league transactions at Baseball America.
- The Reds signed outfielder Daryl Jones, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). The 24-year-old former third round selection posted a .260/.360/.400 line for the Cardinals' top affiliates in 2011.
- Kameron Mickolio, who appeared in six games for the 2011 Diamondbacks, is on his way to play in Japan, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). The 27-year-old right-hander has a 4.83 ERA along with a 33K/17BB ratio in 31 2/3 MLB innings over the course of four seasons. Mickolio has also been involved in memorable trades for Erik Bedard and Mark Reynolds.
Marlins Interested In Carlos Beltran
The Marlins have "jumped early on" a number of players, including Carlos Beltran, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown. This is the first time this offseason we’ve seen the Marlins linked to Beltran, but it's not the first time we've seen them linked to the offseason's top free agents. Prince Fielder, Jose Reyes, C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle, and Yoenis Cespedes are among the many players who have been linked to the Marlins so far this offseason.
Beltran, 34, hit .300/.385/.525 with 22 homers for the Mets and Giants in 2011. The Marlins have Logan Morrison in left and Mike Stanton in right so they appear to view Beltran as a possible solution in center field. The Giants cannot offer Beltran arbitration, so he won't cost a draft pick.
Red Sox Notes: Manager, Varitek, Ortiz, Papelbon
Red Sox GM Ben Cherington suggested today that the Red Sox don't need wholesale changes. "This offseason is more about fixing what's under the hood than buying a new car," he told reporters. Here’s the latest on the team, starting with a note on their ongoing managerial search…
- Cherington doesn't expect to interview additional managerial candidates after he meets with Blue Jays first base coach Torey Lovullo and Tigers third base coach Gene Lamont, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (all Twitter links).
- The Red Sox have asked the Brewers to extend their window to talk with hitting coach Dale Sveum, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
- Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr., a candidate for Boston's managerial opening, is "going to be a Major League manager, whether that's in 2012 or sometime after that," Cherington said, according to Speier.
- Cherington has exchanged messages with free agents David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald (Twitter links). However, he hasn't spoken with the representatives for Jonathan Papelbon recently.
- There's no resolution on compensation between the Cubs and Red Sox for Theo Epstein, but the commissioner's office has given the sides more leeway, according to Lauber.
- Speier explains how Ryan Madson's possible deal with the Phillies affects Papelbon and suggests the likelihood that Papelbon has thrown his last pitch for the Red Sox would increase "if Papelbon wants to dig in for a contract that clears the bar set by Madson."
AL West Notes: Fielder, Walker, Athletics
The Rangers are expressing early interest in available starters and relievers. Here’s an update on two of Texas’ division rivals…
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times doesn't endorse the argument that the Mariners should ignore Prince Fielder simply because they aren't positioned to contend in 2012.
- Taijuan Walker and Danny Hultzen are the best of the best Mariners prospects, Kevin Goldstein explains at Baseball Prospectus.
- The Mariners are hopeful that they'll only need to acquire one starting pitcher this offseason, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Felix Hernandez, Michael Pineda and Jason Vargas will start for Seattle and Blake Beavan could prove useful at the back of the rotation. Hultzen, James Paxton and Forrest Snow may be ready for the rotation at some point in 2012 and Seattle could sign 49-year-old free agent Jamie Moyer.
- San Jose city council approved the extension of a land-purchase option for the Athletics, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The A's have two years to decide whether to buy approximately five acres of downtown land for $7MM. First, however, MLB would have to approve a move from Oakland to San Jose.
D’Backs Remain Interested In Aaron Hill
The Diamondbacks have already signed two infielders, but they remain interested in free agent second baseman Aaron Hill, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The presence of utility players John McDonald and Willie Bloomquist won’t prevent GM Kevin Towers from adding Hill and adjusting the roster accordingly.
If Arizona re-signs Hill and Stephen Drew’s fractured ankle heals by Opening Day, Bloomquist could become the team’s fourth outfielder. If Hill signs elsewhere, Ryan Roberts would likely play second and the Diamondbacks would pursue a third baseman, according to Rosenthal.
The Diamondbacks may pursue starting pitching and Hiroki Kuroda is a likely target, according to Rosenthal. It’s hard to get a read on Kuroda’s 2012 plans, but he has drawn interest from Japanese teams and MLB teams. For more on the Diamondbacks, check out Tim Dierkes’ offseason outlook.