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Archives for 2011
East Notes: Oswalt, Wilson, Garcia, Madson, Cuddyer
A few items of note from around the Northeast Corridor …
- The Yankees have contacted the agent for free agent starters Roy Oswalt and C.J. Wilson, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger. Bombers GM Brian Cashman, however, cautioned that he's "in the process of talking to everybody." Oswalt and Wilson are both represented by Bob Garber of Select Sports Group, as our Agency Database shows.
- As well, Cashman has already communicated with free agent starter Freddy Garcia's representatives, according to Carig, and the parties are mutually interested in seeing the veteran right-hander in the Bronx again in 2012. Cashman also expressed interest in bringing back reserve infield Eric Chavez, backup outfielder Andruw Jones and right-hander Bartolo Colon.
- The Phillies have had discussions with free agent closer Ryan Madson, Madson's agent Scott Boras tells Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Boras termed the talks with the Phillies as "good dialogue" and said Madson is receiving a lot of interest – even from clubs that weren't thought to be in need of a closer.
- Newest Phillie Jim Thome is good friends with former Twins teammate Michael Cuddyer, whom the Phillies are seriously pursuing, so Thome could help recruit Cuddyer to Philly, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. "We've texted a little bit," Thome said. "We've talked." … "I'm sure we will talk going forward."
- The Mets will refrain from doling out potentially crippling contracts under GM Sandy Alderson, but they shouldn't draw that line in dealing with their homegrown star Jose Reyes, opines Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Writes Rubin: "If the ultimate verdict with Reyes is a calculated baseball decision, so be it. But shame on the Mets if he departs and it is primarily payroll-constraint induced."
Orioles Notes: Duquette, GM Search, Prince
The Orioles are on the verge of naming Dan Duquette their next general manager. Here's the latest on that, courtesy of Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com, as well as a couple other items of note:
- The Orioles won't allow Duquette, who is meeting with owner Peter Angelos tonight, to leave Baltimore without a contract. The O's let Blue Jays exec Tony LaCava return home before making their offer, which LaCava eventually declined.
- Duqette is unlikely to object to retaining some personnel, opines Kubatko, considering he hasn't worked in the Majors since 2002.
- Angelos wanted to avoid hiring a GM who had recently been fired by another team, a source tells Kubatko.
- Former Pirates GM Dave Littlefield, who was relieved of his duties in September 2007, came up in conversation, but his dismissal was deemed too recent, tweets Kubatko.
- If Duquette is hired, he'll have to hire a new scouting director and a minor league pitching coordinator. Both positions are presently vacant.
- The Orioles would be taking a risk in hiring Duquette, opines Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, but he could give them exactly what they need considering his success as the GM of the Expos and Red Sox, and his background in player development.
- Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com wonders whether the O's will sign free agent first baseman Prince Fielder. After 14 consecutive losing seasons, signing Prince would show that the O's are serious about winning again, opines Dubroff.
Quick Hits: Cuddyer, Willingham, Duquette, Mets
Let's take a look at some weekend links from around the league….
- Michael Cuddyer is open to returning to the Twins, but even if Minnesota makes him the best offer, there's no guarantee he'll sign there, says Phil Mackey of ESPN 1500 (Twitter links). Last night we heard that the Phillies are seriously pursuing Cuddyer.
- Approximately ten teams have expressed interest in Josh Willingham so far, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via Twitter). O'Brien adds that the Braves, who could use a power-hitting outfielder, are not one of those clubs.
- With the Orioles close to hiring Dan Duquette, MASN's Roch Kubatko (Twitter link) talks to one O's person who calls Duquette "brilliant" and says no one is more connected in Asian and Latin American markets.
- As Alex Speier of WEEI writes, 60-year-old Pete Mackanin, a managerial candidate for the Cubs and Red Sox, would be an unconventional choice – no one 60 or older has been hired for his first full-time managerial job since Bobby Mattick in 1980 with the Blue Jays.
- Jim Thome doesn't seem to be a great fit in Philadelphia, says ESPN.com's Keith Law (Insider link). The Phillies agreed to sign the 41-year-old slugger to a one-year deal and introduced him at a news conference this afternoon.
- Rick Sofield, who has played and coached with Clint Hurdle in the past, is the latest addition to the Pirates' staff, reports Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- The Mets are attempting to attract potential investors by agreeing to pay an annual interest on minority stakes, according to a New York Post report.
Willie Bloomquist Drawing Interest
According to agent Scott Boras, Willie Bloomquist is drawing "a lot of interest" on the free agent market, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Boras says Bloomquist may sign with a club that considers the 33-year-old more than just a utility player.
Bloomquist's chances of returning to Arizona next season are looking slimmer, however. The two sides experienced a communication breakdown after Bloomquist declined his half of a mutual option. The D'Backs have since inked John McDonald to a two-year deal as a utility infielder and are hoping to retain Aaron Hill as well, meaning there may not be room in the infield for Bloomquist. The D'Backs and Boras talked to Piecoro about the miscommunication:
"I don't think it's up to us to lob a call," GM Kevin Towers said. "We exercised our end [of the mutual option]. We showed we wanted the player back. By exercising the option, we're pretty much saying, 'We'd like to have the player back.' By them declining, it's like, 'We don't want to come back at what you want us at.' Then, well, what do you want?"
Boras, meanwhile, said that when he turned down the option, he sent a letter to the D'Backs conveying his client's desire to return, and had been waiting for a call from the team.
"Is it our duty to be in touch with them every hour on the hour so we know nobody else signed?" Boras said. "When you want someone, you go get them. We're not the employer. They offer the contracts and pay the money. We don't…. It sounds to me like what happened is, they got upset when Willie opted out. They got emotional and they went out and signed a guy who hit .169."
Orioles Close To Naming Dan Duquette GM
The Orioles are close to naming Dan Duquette as their new GM, reports ESPN's Tim Kurkjian. Duquette interviewed yesterday and is traveling to Baltimore today. According to MASN's Roch Kubatko, the Orioles have yet to officially offer Duquette a contract, but the two sides figure to work out a deal this weekend.
Kurkjian says the Orioles officially offered the position to just one other candidate, Tony LaCava, who turned it down. Allard Baird and De Jon Watson are among those that declined to interview for the position or removed themselves from consideration. Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reported earlier this week that Orioles' owner Peter Angelos would not let LaCava get rid of some long-time front office people, which is why he declined the job.
Duquette served as GM of the Expos from 1991-1994, then held the same position with the Red Sox from 1994-2001. The Red Sox fired Duquette shortly after John Henry's group purchased the team in early 2002. He's since worked with the Israeli Baseball League and the New England Collegiate Baseball League. He also interviewed for the Angels GM job before they hired Jerry Dipoto.
As a GM, Duquette twice traded for Pedro Martinez (once with Montreal and once with Boston), acquired Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek in trade, and signed Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon as free agents. Before becoming GM of the Expos, he oversaw the team's farm system, which produced Vladimir Guerrero and Cliff Floyd, among others.
NL West Links: Hoyer, Lidge, Dodgers, Alcantara
Earlier this morning we heard that the Giants are open to trading Jonathan Sanchez, so now let's see what else is going on in the NL West…
- Cubs GM Jed Hoyer told reporters (including Bill Center of The San Diego Union-Tribune) that he wasn't looking to leave the Padres, instead calling it the “perfect storm of opportunities.”
- Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies speculates (on Twitter) that the Rockies could kick the tires on free agent reliever Brad Lidge. Lidge is from Colorado and lives in Denver during the offseason.
- Larry Altman of The Daily Breeze reports that Dennis Gilbert has assembled an ownership group and will attempt to purchase the Dodgers. The former White Sox executive made a push to buy the Rangers two years ago.
- Baseball America's Ben Balder reports that Padres prospect Yoan Alcantara has been caught in an identify fraud investigation. The purported 18-year-old outfielder's real name and age is unknown. Badler says the investigator, who was an outside contractor and not an MLB employee, has been charged with taking a $25K bribe in exchange for helping the player pass the background check.
Giants Open To Trading Jonathan Sanchez
With a need for offensive upgrades pretty much all over the field, the Giants are open to trading Jonathan Sanchez to free up some money according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Our projections forecast a $5.2MM salary for the southpaw in 2012, his third time through arbitration.
Sanchez, 29 later this month, battled injuries and his usual control problems in 2011. He missed more than two months due to biceps tendinitis and an ankle sprain, and also walked 5.9 batters per nine innings. Among the 145 pitchers who threw at least 100 IP this past season, none had a higher walk rate than Sanchez. On the bright side, he did strike out more than a batter per inning for the third straight season and fourth time in five years.
The Giants have enviable pitching depth, with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner fronting a staff that also includes Sanchez, Ryan Vogelsong, Eric Surkamp, and Barry Zito. Their offense will improve next season just because Buster Posey will be back, but they could stand to improve all three outfield spots and the middle infield.
The Mets, Nationals, Blue Jays, and Brewers have all shown varying levels of trade interest in Sanchez in the past. The lefty can become a free agent after next season, but he is a non-tender candidate if the Giants are unable to trade him.
Olney’s Latest: Cuddyer, Thome, O’s, Jurrjens
In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney explained how Michael Cuddyer's versatility makes him a great fit for many teams, including the Phillies. Last night we learned that Philadelphia is seriously pursuing the long-time Twin. Here's the rest of Olney's hot stove talk…
- Jim Thome has told friends that he could use the offseason to prepare himself to play first base once or twice a week next year. Thome agreed to a one-year deal to rejoin the Phillies yesterday, and Ryan Howard could miss the start of the season after rupturing his Achillies.
- Olney knows of about "a dozen assistant-level executives" that have passed on interviewing for the Orioles' still vacant GM job.
- Rival executives have told Olney that Jair Jurrjens' trade value was probably at its highest this past July (Twitter link). The Braves are reportedly open to moving Jurrjens, as well as Martin Prado.
- In another tweet, Olney adds that Jurrjens still has plenty of trade value. He figures the right-hander would be among the most coveted free agent starters if he was on the open market.
Yankees Will Talk To C.J. Wilson
The Yankees have already re-signed CC Sabathia, but GM Brian Cashman has continued to say that pitching will be his top priority this offseason. He told Dan Martin of The New York Post that although they haven't spoken to C.J. Wilson yet, they will at some point.
“We haven’t talked to him yet, but we will,” said Cashman. “[The Rangers] have won a lot and he’s been a big part of that, so we’ll certainly talk to him.”
“I wouldn’t say [it's a factor]," added Cashman when asked about Wilson's poor postseason showing. "He’s a very talented pitcher, who’s shown he can perform in a hitters’ environment in Texas.”
Cashman acknowledged that Wilson is the best pitcher on the free agent market yesterday, though he also said the price might not be right after bringing back Sabathia. Bob Garber, Wilson's agent, said he and his client will remain open-minded during the free agent process and is willing to talk to New York.
"His body of work speaks for itself,” said Garber. “He’s a No. 1 starter and he’s proven himself on a big stage. There’s no reason he couldn’t do that in New York, so we’re open-minded and that would include the Yankees in the process."
Wilson, 31 later this month, highlights an underwhelming crop of free agent starters after posting back-to-back seasons with 200+ IP and a sub-3.40 ERA. The southpaw recently said there's a "great chance" he remains with the Rangers, but in recent weeks we've heard that the Yankees view him as more of a mid-rotation guy rather than a frontline starter.
