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NL East Rumors: Soler, Bay, Chavez, Jones, Braves

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The latest from the NL East:

  • Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel hears that bidding for Jorge Soler could end up over $20MM and doesn't expect the Marlins to be involved at that price (Twitter link).
  • The Mets have asked around and not received "even minor interest" for Jason Bay, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • A reunion of Endy Chavez and the Mets seems less likely following the club's acquisition of Andres Torres, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. The Mariners, Rangers, or Orioles could be landing spots for Chavez, says MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.
  • ESPN's Adam Rubin tweets a similar notion, stating that a reunion between Chavez and the Mets is "not impossible" but that he's also not forecasting it (Twitter link).
  • GM Mike Rizzo told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that the Nationals are "definitely" interested in Adam Jones and have done their homework on him (Twitter link). Orioles GM Dan Duquette has said he doesn't plan to deal Jones, however.
  • The Nationals did add one outfielder today, according to Amanda Comak of the Washington Times, who says the Nats signed Brett Carroll to a minor league deal (Twitter link).
  • While the Winter Meetings have been quiet for the Braves, GM Frank Wren points out that there will still be plenty of time left in the offseason to make deals after this week. David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution has the quotes.
  • O'Brien also shares a Q&A with Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez that touches on trade rumors, Jason Heyward, and a few other topics.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

C.J. Wilson Decision Expected Soon

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1:01am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports echoes Bowden's sentiment (via Twitter), while Scott Miller of CBS Sports tweets that sources tell him the Marlins think they may be fighting a losing battle.

12:28am: Bowden has a source who expects Wilson to sign with the Angels tomorrow morning, though the terms of the supposedly upcoming agreement aren't available (Twitter link).

11:58pm: A decision isn't expected until the morning, a source tells Morosi (Twitter link). Of course, technically, "morning" officially arrives in two minutes in Dallas, but Morosi isn't interpreting it literally. MLBTR's 24-hour coverage will continue through the night, just in case Wilson's decision comes before dawn.

10:24pm: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears from a source close to the Wilson negotiations that he expects the lefty to sign with the Angels for five years. The Marlins are offering an extra year, but Wilson is being swayed by the chance to pitch near his California home (Twitter links).

9:55pm: C.J. Wilson has meetings with the Marlins and Angels tonight, and is expected to make a decision tonight or tomorrow, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio.

Earlier today, we heard that the Marlins' offer to Wilson is for six years, while the Angels probably aren't willing to go higher than five. The Rangers haven't been told they're out of the running, but are thought to have offered just four years and are resigned to the possiblity that Wilson will sign elsewhere.

For the full recap of today's Wilson rumors, click here.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Yu Darvish To Be Posted Thursday

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Nippon-Ham Fighters ace Yu Darvish will be posted tomorrow, tweets agent Don Nomura. Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets confirmation from Darvish himself, while NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman provides a translation of Darvish's message to fans.

We've heard in recent weeks that Darvish may be posted following the Winter Meetings, and that appears to be his case. His father had told reporters that there was a "50-50" chance he'd be posted at all, and in Jon Paul Morosi's Winter Meetings preview, we heard that Darvish may have become "disillusioned" with the posting system, at least in part due to Hisashi Iwakuma's 2010 situation with the Athletics.

All of that seems to be moot now, as the 25-year-old Darvish is set to get the opportunity to take his oustanding credentials to Major League Baseball. Darvish hasn't posted an ERA above 2.00 since 2007. HIs 2011 resume included 232 innings of 1.44 ERA ball with a whopping 10.7 K/9 and a 1.4 BB/9 that contributed to his microscopic 0.83 WHIP. He allowed only five home runs in those 232 innings.

To this point, Darvish has been linked to a number of Major League teams. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports speculates (on Twitter) that the Rangers, Yankees, and Blue Jays could be Darvish's most likely suitors.

He will be viewed as an alternative to C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle, the market's two most sought after pitchers prior to his posting. When Tim Dierkes conducted a poll of five agents and one MLB executive in October, the consensus was that Darvish's posting fee could rival that of Daisuke Matsuzaka and that a $100MM commitmement was likely. In addition to Nomura, Darvish is represented by Arn Tellem.

 

What K-Rod’s Decision Means For Brewers

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Earlier tonight, Francisco Rodriguez accepted arbitration from the Brewers, making him one of three free agents to do so (David Ortiz and Kelly Johnson being the others). Rodriguez now stands to earn approximately $13MM via salary arbitration, a decision which isn't without impact on the dealings of his team.

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes that GM Doug Melvin says the club did not make a miscalculation in offering Rodriguez arbitration. According to Melvin, he and owner Mark Attanasio were prepared for the possibility that he would accept the offer and considered it a "no-lose situation."

Melvin confirmed that the Brewers had a potential deal with LaTroy Hawkins agreed upon, but that Hawkins signed with the Angels for one year and $3MM rather than waiting for Rodriguez's decision, a move which Melvin "didn't blame him" for. According to Melvin, his offer to Hawkins was worth less than the $3MM that Hawkins signed for.

Beyond that, Melvin added that the Brewers are likely withdrawing their pursuit of Takashi Saito "for now," and that it's "possible" that this will have an impact on the club's ability to pursue Aramis Ramirez, for whom they were a reported favorite.

Haudricourt also points out (via Twitter) the irony of the fact that the decision of Rodriguez, a Scott Boras client, essentially further guarantees that the club cannot afford a reunion with Prince Fielder.

Astros Hire Jeff Luhnow As General Manager

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The Astros have hired Jeff Luhnow as their new general manager, tweets MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The Astros have confirmed the hiring in a team release, with a press conference scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Luhnow was previously employed as the vice president of player procurement for the Cardinals. He will take over the Astros job that was held by Ed Wade until he was dismissed a week and a half ago. Dave Gottfried served as the interim GM while the Astros conducted interviews searching for Wade's replacement.

Boras On Fielder, Rays, Dodgers, Damon

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Agent Scott Boras held court in Dallas tonight, providing updates on his many free agent clients and entertaining reporters with quips along the way. Here are the details:

  • Boras made it clear that Prince Fielder has drawn lots of interest this offseason. The agent explained that Fielder compares favorably to all-time greats such as Jimmie Foxx and suggested teams will look to lock Fielder up for as long as possible if they recognize his potential as someone who can produce at the plate for the better part of a decade while boosting TV ratings and attendance (Boras' arguments, not mine). He played down concerns about Fielder's body, suggested he's just entering his prime and argued that comparable free agent power hitters won't be available any time soon.
  • Fielder doesn't have any geographical preference as to where he signs, tweets Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star. Boras quipped that the distance from home plate to the outfield fence is the only geography concerning Fielder. For more on Fielder, click here.
  • Generally speaking, Boras explained that Seattle and Milwaukee are desirable places to play because they have the potential to draw substantial crowds. He also said "the city [of Los Angeles] is waiting for the return of the Dodgers" and praised the Dodgers as a storied franchise in American sports.
  • Johnny Damon played "very well" in 2011, according to Boras. He joked that 38-year-old is in line for a five-year deal, though a one-year contract is probable in reality. Boras half-jokingly suggested the Rays "have lots of money" despite their perennially low payrolls. 
  • Carlos Pena will likely have multiyear offers, Boras said.
  • Asked if Kyle Lohse could waive his no-trade clause, Boras replied that he thinks Lohse is happy in St. Louis, tweets B.J. Rains of Fox Sports Midwest.
  • The market for Ivan Rodriguez is narrowing, tweets Amanda Comak of the Washington Times. The Nationals aren't in on Pudge, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
  • The Nats have some interest in bringing back Rick Ankiel, tweets Comak.
  • Boras expects Daisuke Matsuzaka to be healthy and return "sometime this summer," tweets Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.
  • J.D. Drew is undecided on whether he'll play in 2012. It would have to be the right situation.
  • Andruw Jones would've liked more playing time in 2011, but understands he won't be a full-time player, tweets MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. A deal with the Yankees is likely in the coming weeks, tweets Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
  • The Braves haven't progressed toward an extension for Michael Bourn, tweets Stephen Goff of Examiner.com.

MLBTR's Luke Adams co-wrote this post.

Ortiz, Kelly Johnson, Francisco Rodriguez Accept Arbitration

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Three free agents accepted arbitration at tonight's deadline: David Ortiz of the Red Sox, Kelly Johnson of the Blue Jays, and Francisco Rodriguez of the Brewers.  The trio is now off the market and under team control for 2012 at a salary to potentially be determined by the arbitration process.  For further details, check out MLBTR's free agent arbitration offer tracker, which allows you to filter by team, type, whether the player was offered, and whether he accepted.  

Ortiz, Johnson, and Rodriguez all probably could have found two-year deals on the open market, but they'll receive raises for 2012 by accepting arbitration.  Of the three, only Ortiz was inhibited by having a draft pick cost attached.

Pirates Release Ross Ohlendorf

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The Pirates have released Ross Ohlendorf, tweets MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. The 29-year-old had been a Pirate since the Yankees traded him to Pittsburgh in 2008's Xavier Nady/Jose Tabata deal. As Langosch writes, releasing Ohlendorf today will give the Pirates roster space to make a selection in tomorrow's Rule 5 draft.

Ohlendorf was coming off a dismal 2011 campaign in which he posted an 8.15 ERA in nine starts for the Pirates. He was arbitration eligible, and MLBTR's projected a salary of about $2.1MM if the Pirates retained him.

Free Agent Arbitration Offer Decisions

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37 free agents were offered arbitration in November, but Jonathan Papelbon, Jose Reyes, Heath Bell, Rod Barajas, Clint Barmes, Matt Capps, Bruce Chen, David DeJesus, Ryan Doumit, Mark Ellis, Frank Francisco, Freddy Garcia, Aaron Harang, Ramon Hernandez, Jose Molina, Jon Rauch, and Mark Buehrle have already reached agreements.  The deadline is tonight at 11pm central time.  For MLBTR's handy chart that can be filtered by team, type, and whether the player was offered and/or accepted, click here.

Kelly Johnson Accepts Arbitration

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11:08pm: Johnson has accepted arbitration, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

3:28pm: It sounds very likely Johnson will accept arbitration, tweets MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm.

2:31pm: There's a "good chance" Kelly Johnson returns, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca.  The second baseman could accept Toronto's arbitration offer, or perhaps sign a multiyear deal.

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