Molina Talking To Teams, Unsure About 2011
Bengie Molina is talking to “a couple of” teams, but hasn’t decided whether he’ll play in 2011, according to Newsday’s Ken Davidoff. The catcher told Davidoff that he has “no idea” whether he’ll sign with one of the interested teams.
“They're not offering what we want, for sure. I don’t know right now what’s going to happen," Molina said.
Molina is looking for significant playing time and a payday of $4MM or so, according to Davidoff. Last month, Jon Heyman of SI.com reported that Molina could return for a special opportunity. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a team like the Rockies or Royals (my speculation) express interest in Molina as a backup, but it will be a challenge for him to find regular playing time at this point in the offseason.
In 118 games for the Giants and Rangers last year, Molina hit .249/.297/.326. He hit at least 15 homers each season from 2005-09, before hitting just five long balls in 2010. The 36-year-old has played for the Angels, Giants, Rangers and Blue Jays in 13 Major League seasons.
Michael Young Requests Trade
TUESDAY, 12:10am: Young feels a breach of trust occurred with the Rangers in part because they told him they were not trying to trade him when they actually were, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark. Stark adds that Young would be willing to consider expanding his eight-team list on a "case-to-case basis."
MONDAY, 10:34pm: MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan has the list of eight teams Young is willing to accept a trade to: Cardinals, Yankees, Twins, Astros, Rockies, Dodgers, Angels, and Padres. The team has said they are dealing with just those eight teams right now.
9:45pm: Grant passes along some strong words from Young…
"I've kept a low profile out of respect for the team, the coaching staff, my family and the fans because I didn't want to put anybody on an unnecessary roller-coaster. Now, I think it's important to address the inaccurate portrayal that is being painted. The suggestion that I've simply had a change of heart and asked for a trade is a manipulation of the truth."
"I want to be traded because I've been misled and manipulated and I'm sick of it."
Young wouldn't elaborate when asked how he was "misled and manipulated," instead saying it "would be unproductive for everybody, particularly my teammates and coaches. I know the truth and Jon Daniels knows the truth and I will sleep well."
9:16pm: Jeff Wilson of The Star Telegram hears that the Rangers would be willing to trade Young within the AL West as long as it helps improve the team. He reminds us that Texas traded high-end prospects to a division rival for Cliff Lee just last summer.
5:06pm: Michael Young has officially requested a trade according to Rangers GM Jon Daniels, reports Anthony Andro of The Star Telegram (Twitter links). The request came about a week ago, though Daniels said "nothing's imminent" according to SI.com's Jon Heyman (on Twitter).
"It's not our first choice," said Daniels. "We'd like to go to camp with him … If we can accomodate his request and upgrade the club he would like to do that."
Those quotes come courtesy of Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News and Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter links). Team president Nolan Ryan said they're "going to do what’s in the best interest of the ballclub" according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Ryan would not speculate about whether the team would eat some of Young's salary, and he said he expects "proper compensation" for his third baseman according to Andro and Renck (Twitter links).
This is not the first time Young has requested a trade from the Rangers. He did so before the 2009 season, after the club asked him to play third base in deference to Elvis Andrus. Obviously nothing came of that, but Young still had a clearly defined role with the team back then. Now he's expected to be a part-time infielder and part-time DH with Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli on board.
Young, 34, has been mentioned in trade talk all winter, most notably with the Rockies. He was said to have "grown disillusioned about his diminished role" over the weekend, and we heard that Colorado would need Texas to eat about $20MM of the $48MM left on Young's salary to make a deal happen.
Young has a limited no-trade clause that allows him to block deals to all but eight teams, however Colorado is one of the eight. Ryan says that Young will not expand the list of teams he's willing to go to even though some of the clubs on the no-trade list have expressed interest in acquiring him according to Renck and Andro (all Twitter links). Daniels would not specify which teams have inquired about Young.
If Texas was willing to trade within the division, they might find suitors in the Angels and Athletics, though that is speculation on my part. Both clubs whiffed on Beltre and are known to be seeking upgrades at the hot corner. Colorado would use Young at second base full-time.
D’Backs Notes: Johnson, Rodriguez, Stange, Sweeney
Earlier tonight we learned that the Diamondbacks signed Robby Hammock to a minor league contract, but Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has some more news from the desert…
- GM Kevin Towers said there's nothing to report about negotiations with Kelly Johnson, and the two sides still appear headed toward an arbitration hearing. Johnson filed for $6.5MM while the team countered with $4.7MM according to our Arbitration Tracker.
- Right-handed pitchers Rafael Rodriguez, Daniel Stange, and Brian Sweeney all cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Reno. Sweeney will join the Major League team in Spring Training as a non-roster invite. Rodriguez was designated for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster for Armando Galarraga while Stange and Sweeney were cut for Aaron Heilman and Willie Bloomquist.
ESPN Links: Wright, Dodgers, Papelbon
On this date five years ago, the Dodgers signed Japanese veteran Takashi Saito to a minor league contract that paid him just $500K in the big leagues. Saito, then 36, seized the team's closer role by mid-May, and in three years with the Dodgers he pitched to a 1.95 ERA with 11.6 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 189 2/3 innings.
Here's some notes from the worldwide leader…
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick graded the offseason of the five AL Central clubs, giving the Tigers a B+ for their additions of Victor Martinez, Joaquin Benoit, and Brad Penny. Indians' fans, I'm sorry to say your team received a D.
- David Wright told ESPN's Jayson Stark that he believes his Mets teammates will be impacted by a lawsuit seeking $1B from ownership. "When something is going on with them, of course it's going trickle down," said Wright. "You have to understand that unfortunately there's some great parts about this business and there's some situations like this." Make sure you check out Howard Megdal's simple guide to the Madoff/Wilpon mess.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti spoke to Jon Weisman of ESPN Los Angeles about a variety of topics, including closer Jonathan Broxton and the team's outfield situation. I recently identified Broxton as a player entering a make or break year.
- ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes spoke to Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who said he's comfortable with his role on the team. The Sox imported Bobby Jenks this offseason, and it's been speculated that he could replace Papelbon if he struggles.
Poll: Where Will Michael Young End Up?
Michael Young has been a popular man on the trade rumor circuit this offseason, but it wasn’t until this afternoon that we learned the third baseman had officially requested a trade. A number of teams could use a player of Young’s caliber, however only a few can afford the $48MM left on his contract. That’s why Texas will likely eat some of that money to facilitate a deal.
The Rockies have been, by far, the team most connected to Young. Their latest offer includes Jose Lopez but not Aaron Cook, and they’ll reportedly need the Rangers to absord $20MM or more in a deal. Eric Young Jr.‘s name has also come up in talks. Colorado would play Young at second, the position he played when he first broke into the league.
We’ve also heard that the Dodgers have interest in acquiring Young, but their uncertain ownership situation is standing in the way. After missing out on Adrian Beltre, who displaced Young in Texas, it’s possible that both the Athletics and Angels would have interest in Young. Both clubs are seeking help at the hot corner, but it’s unclear if the Rangers would be willing to move him within the division. Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times took a look at what it could take to send Young to Anaheim.
The Cardinals are also in need of a third baseman, however GM John Mozeliak has indicated that the team’s payroll is “leaking” following the Lance Berkman signing. They also need to focus on extending Albert Pujols. The Mets could use Young at second, but they don’t have much room in the budget and ownership is currently being sued for ten figures. It’s important to note that the only thing connecting those two clubs (plus the A’s) is my speculation.
Which team will trade for Michael Young?
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Another team not listed 25% (3,463)
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Rockies 20% (2,773)
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Angels 14% (2,021)
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Cardinals 13% (1,824)
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He won't be traded 13% (1,749)
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Dodgers 10% (1,375)
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Athletics 6% (769)
Total votes: 13,974
Delgado Hopes To Return By Spring Training
MONDAY, 7:41pm: Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports that Delgado has not received any offers yet (on Twitter). He'll likely have to prove he's healthy before teams show interest.
SUNDAY, 9:03pm: Veteran slugger Carlos Delgado is still recovering from surgery on his left hip but hopes to return to the majors this year, writes Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. The 38-year-old has not played in a Major League game since May 10, 2009.
"If I am healthy, I will find a way," said Delgado, who is 27 home runs shy of reaching 500. "I know how to play. I don't want to retire. The reason why I put myself through three surgeries in 18 months is because I want to play. Otherwise, I would have just hung it up."
Delgado went under the knife last September for the third hip surgery of his career. A month prior to that he signed a minor league deal with the BoSox that would have paid him a prorated portion of $3MM upon reaching the majors.
Before he signed with Boston, the White Sox, Rockies, and Mariners were among the clubs known to have interest. The two-time All-Star said last November that he was still waiting for a call from a major league club and had no preference as to where he signs.
Misc. Signings: Coke, Bourgeois, Rodriguez, Hammock
Here are a few miscellaneous signings from around the league…
- The Tigers have agreed to terms with eight pre-arbitration-eligible players according to MLB.com's Jason Beck. The only big leaguer of the bunch is left-hander Phil Coke, who received $425K. The other seven players are minor league prospects.
- Senior Director of Social Media Alyson Footer tweets that the Astros have agreed to terms with a pair of pre-arb players. Outfielder Jason Bourgeois gets $424K, right-hander Aneury Rodriguez $413K. Houston acquired Rodriguez in this offseason's Rule 5 Draft.
- The Diamondbacks have signed Robby Hammock to a minor league contract according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Hammock, 33, spent the 2010 season in the Yankees' minor league system, hitting .233/.341/.370 in 85 plate appearances while battling injury. He played with the D'Backs from 2003 through 2008, and has experience at catcher, first base, third base, and the corner outfield spots.
Dodgers Sign Aaron Miles
6:04pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman reports that Miles will earn $500K if he makes the team (Twitter link).
3:54pm: The Dodgers signed Aaron Miles to a minor league deal and invited him to Spring Training, the team announced (on Twitter). Miles, 34, can provide depth up the middle behind Jamey Carroll, Rafael Furcal and Juan Uribe.
The eight-year MLB veteran drew interest from other clubs, including a former team of his, the Rockies, before heading West. He'll arrive at Dodgers camp with a career .282/.321/.354 line. Last year was a typical one for Miles, who hit .281/.311/.317 for the Cardinals while playing second, third and short and chipping in with two scoreless pitching appearances.
Rangers, Hamilton Talk Two-Year Deal
5:43pm: GM Jon Daniels told reporters that the club has had productive talks with Hamilton and his agent, and the two sides are "moving in [the] direction of a deal" according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports and Anthony Andro of The Star Telegram (Twitter links).
4:52pm: Josh Hamilton and the Rangers have discussed a two-year deal, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). Talks between the Rangers and the reigning AL MVP have been positive, though their submissions for Hamilton's 2011 salary were far apart. Texas offered $8.7MM, while Hamilton countered with a $12MM bid.
That gap means Hamilton's arbitration case is arguably the most interesting one of the year. The Rangers are open to extending Hamilton and if the sides discuss a longer term deal, It's conceivable that Hamilton could demand a nine-figure contract.
Hamilton earned $3.25MM last year in his first season as an arbitration eligible player; a two-year deal would buy out his remaining seasons of arbitration eligibility, but woludn't delay his free agency. Earlier in the offseason, NL MVP Joey Votto signed a three-year extension that covers his arbitration years without delaying his free agency.
Orioles To Sign David Riske
The Orioles agreed to sign David Riske to a minor league deal, CAA, his agency, announced on Twitter. Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, who has already re-signed Koji Uehara and Mark Hendrickson and signed Jeremy Accardo and Kevin Gregg, continues to add relievers.
Last year Riske returned from 2009 Tommy John surgery to appear in 23 games for the Brewers, before Milwaukee released him. The 34-year-old fly ball pitcher struck out 16 batters and walked 8 in 23 1/3 innings, posting a 5.01 ERA.