Rangers Notes: Hamilton, Arb Dates, Fielder
Here's the latest on the two-time defending American League champs…
- Josh Hamilton said he hasn't heard any new information from his agent about a possible long-term extension with Texas. Hamilton spoke to media (including ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett) at a Rangers winter caravan event and said he was holding to his deadline of cutting off contract talks at the start of Spring Training. Hamilton is eligible for free agency after this season but said he wanted to remain with the team. "We‘ve already told the Rangers that if it doesn’t happen before the season that they are the first ones we’ll come to after the season is over," Hamilton said.
- The Rangers' arbitration hearings with Elvis Andrus, Mike Napoli and Nelson Cruz have seen respectively set for February 9, 15 and 17, reports Durrett. The Rangers were known to be discussing a multiyear deal with Napoli, though the two sides had apparently focused on settling Napoli's 2012 contract first.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com describes the Rangers as "in, but not [a] favorite" for Prince Fielder (Twitter link). Fielder and the Rangers "love" each other but Heyman believes Texas doesn't have the payroll left to sign Fielder after the club signed Yu Darvish. For the full roundup of today's Fielder news, click here.
- In case you missed the news from earlier tonight, the Rangers have been discussing Koji Uehara's availability with several other teams, including the Blue Jays.
NL East Notes: Musser, Young, Marlins, Upton
Long-time Phillies broadcast Andy Musser passed away today at age 74. Throughout his distinguished, 45-year broadcasting career, Musser covered several college and pro sporting events and teams including the NBA's 76ers, the NFL's Eagles and over 25 years calling Phillies games. All of us at MLBTR send our condolences to Musser's family, friends and listeners.
Some items from around the NL East…
- Sandy Alderson tells ESPN's Jerry Crasnick that the Mets are open to bringing back right-hander Chris Young, likely on a minor league contract. Young made just four starts for the Mets last year before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery, but he tells Crasnick that he hopes to be pitching by April and his "arm feels the best it has felt in quite some time" (both Twitter links).
- The Marlins aren't interested in Prince Fielder in part because they feel his large contract would prevent the team from making other moves, writes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro as part of a reader mailbag. To wit, signing Fielder could make it hard for Miami to sign Mike Stanton to a multiyear extension.
- The Marlins' arbitration hearings with Anibal Sanchez and Emilio Bonifacio have been set for February 3 and 7, respectively, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. You can keep track of those and all other cases and potential signings on the MLBTR Arbtracker.
- In regards to a recent Nick Cafardo item about how the Rays could again pursue a B.J. Upton trade, Pete Kerzel of MASNsports.com thinks the Nationals may still be interested in Upton but as a free agent next winter, not via a trade that would create another roster hole.
- Nationals manager Davey Johnson tells Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that his roster is basically settled going into Spring Training. Kilgore thinks if the Nats make another move, it will be for a bench bat (barring a major signing like Fielder, of course).
- The Phillies have the resources to be perpetual contenders, and "should never stink again," writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- The Braves had to wait until recently to re-sign Jack Wilson since many of the club's offseason trade talks involved a starting or backup shortstop, writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
Rangers Talking Uehara Deal; Jays, Others Interested
The Rangers are discussing reliever Koji Uehara with several teams, one of whom are the Blue Jays, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The Red Sox and Orioles were both involved in talks regarding Uehara earlier this winter, with Uehara himself saying he wished to return to Baltimore.
Uehara posted a 2.35 ERA, an 11.8 K/9 rate and a phenomenal 9.44 K/BB ratio in 65 games last season with the Orioles and Rangers. Despite his great regular season numbers, he struggled for Texas in the playoffs and was left off the Rangers' World Series roster, leading to speculation that he would be made available by the team in the offseason.
Uehara, who turns 37 in April, pitched well enough to cause his $4MM option for 2012 to vest. He also has a limited no-trade clause in his contract that allows him to block deals to six teams, so Uehara has some control over where he would be dealt, if anywhere.
The Jays have already added Sergio Santos, Darren Oliver, Jason Frasor and Aaron Laffey to their bullpen this winter. In Uehara, Toronto would add to this depth with a right-hander who has enjoyed success in the AL East and some experience (13-of-15 in save opportunities with the O's in 2010) as a closer should Santos struggle.
Reds Notes: Oswalt, Theriot, Bench Help, Dusty
Here's the latest on the Reds, from John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer…
- Roy Oswalt's representatives contacted the Reds, according to Walt Jocketty, though the GM doesn't "think it’s something we’d able to do. We’re pretty tapped out (as far as payroll).” Jocketty said that to sign Oswalt, the Reds would have to be "very creative" and probably make another move to create payroll space. The club was able to sign Ryan Madson earlier this month since some money had already been set aside to pursue Francisco Cordero. Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, Mike Leake, Homer Bailey and Bronson Arroyo project as Cincinnati's current rotation.
- Despite signing Willie Harris earlier today, Jocketty says the Reds are still looking for bench help. The club has had no recent contact with Ryan Theriot, after talking to Theriot's representatives in December.
- Dusty Baker talked to Fay about the Reds' offseason acquisitions. The manager noted that the Madson signing "came up at the last minute" since the team was still targeting Cordero, and that Chris Heisey will receive plenty of time in left field despite the presence of Ryan Ludwick.
Cody Ross Decision Expected Today
6:56pm: The Red Sox have "made some progress" with Ross, a team source tells Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
4:33pm: It sounds like Ross will probably end up with the Red Sox, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. Rubin suggests the Mets didn't want to spend more than $1MM.
3:59pm: The Braves aren't among the finalists for Ross, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets.
2:56pm: Free agent outfielder Cody Ross is expected to pick a team by the end of the day, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News tweets. The Red Sox are having an ongoing dialogue with Ross, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets.
The Mets also have some interest in the free agent outfielder, but the Red Sox can offer more money and a hitter-friendly home park, according to Baggarly. The Mets aren't sure Ross fits for them, so the Red Sox and others are more likely fits, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
Ross, 31, posted a .240/.325/.405 line with 14 home runs in 461 plate appearances for the Giants in 2011, while playing all three outfield positions. The SFX client has a career .282/.349/.563 line against left-handed pitching. Ross won the NLCS MVP in 2010, when he hit three homers against the Phillies. The Braves and Rockies have also been linked to Ross this winter.
Angels, Jays, Orioles, Phillies Are Pursuing Cordero
6:54pm: Bean Stringfellow, Cordero's agent, wouldn't comment on whether the Angels were looking at Cordero as a closer or as Jordan Walden's setup man, reports DiGiovanna. Stringfellow called it "a delicate situation."
6:21pm: The Angels, Blue Jays, Orioles and Phillies are all pursuing Cordero, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). These could well be the four finalists Gonzalez referenced.
5:29pm: Free agent reliever Francisco Cordero expects to sign with a new team by the end of the week, reports MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. Four clubs are finalists for Cordero; Gonzalez's source identifies the Angels as one of the four, but the Rays are not in the mix. One of the unknown teams "is a championship-contending team looking to slot [Cordero] in the eighth inning," and Gonzalez speculates this could be the Phillies, looking at Cordero as Jonathan Papelbon's setup man.
The Angels, Red Sox, Reds and Orioles have all been linked to Cordero this winter, though Boston's acquisitions of Andrew Bailey and Mark Melancon probably eliminate them from the hunt. The Reds are probably also out due to their signing of Ryan Madson, though they fit Gonzalez's description of a title contender and Cordero could be open to remaining in a familiar environment to chase a World Series.
Blue Jays Sign Omar Vizquel
The Blue Jays have signed 44-year-old infielder Omar Vizquel to a minor league contract that contains an invitation to the Major League Spring Training camp, the team announced. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link) had the scoop first, hearing the news from Adam Katz, Vizquel's agent. The infielder would earn $750K if he makes the Blue Jays, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet Radio FAN 590 tweets.
An 11-time Gold Glove winner at shortstop, Vizquel has played mostly second and third base over the last few seasons and provides the Jays with depth at both positions behind starters Brett Lawrie and Kelly Johnson. The Blue Jays are Vizquel's sixth different club over his long career, which would reach 24 seasons if he plays in 2012. Vizquel still has an outside chance at the 3000-hit club (he has 2841 career hits) if he can keep playing through 2013, judging by his recent offensive output.
Blue Jays Close To Extension With Brandon Morrow
The Blue Jays are close to a three-year, $20MM contract extension with Brandon Morrow, reports Shi Davidi of Rogers Sportsnet (Twitter link). The deal also contains a $10MM option for 2015 (with a $1MM buyout) and the contract could be announced as soon as tomorrow.
The extension would cover Morrow's remaining two arbitration years and at least his first year of free agency. Morrow has a 4.62 ERA, a 10.5 K/9 rate and a 2.82 K/BB ratio in two seasons and 56 starts with Toronto, pitching a career-high 179 1/3 innings in 2011. I examined Morrow as an extension candidate last August and my prediction (a three-year, $19MM deal with an $11MM option) came quite close to the actual numbers.
Prince Fielder Rumors: Monday
It's hard to imagine that anything's holding back the market for Prince Fielder at this point. Albert Pujols signed more than a month ago, Yu Darvish and the Rangers worked out a deal, and agent Scott Boras has taken the time to introduce Fielder to some MLB owners. It doesn't seem likely that a new suitor for the powerful free agent first baseman will emerge if Boras continues waiting, since the sale of the Dodgers won't be completed on time to convince the new ownership group of Fielder's value. We're left with rumors linking Fielder to the Nationals, Rangers, Mariners, Dodgers, Cubs and Orioles, but not much certainty. Here are the latest updates on Fielder, with the most recent notes up top:
- A Nationals source says he would be "stunned" to see the Nats give Fielder a contract for longer than seven years, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Kilgore also looks at some other recent contracts for slugging first basemen and predicts Fielder will receive a seven-year, $170MM deal with whatever team signs him.
- The Orioles haven't met with Boras and don't have a meeting scheduled, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. There's some interest, depending on Boras' asking price, but Kubatko doesn't expect the Orioles to chase Fielder. "They're nowhere near being in position to sign him," he writes.
- One GM told Rosenthal that the Rangers are in on Fielder "hard," though others say the Rangers won't go heavy on years (Twitter link).
- The Orioles are "definitely in on" Fielder and there's plenty of motivation to sign him, Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio and MLB.com tweets. Duquette is a former Orioles GM who's the cousin of current GM Dan Duquette. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out that interest from the Orioles and Nationals gives Boras leverage (Twitter link).
- The Nationals are a finalist for Fielder, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. The Rangers and at least one other club are still in the running for him.
- There's now "something close to a final four" for Fielder, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
- The Rangers' management team is in the Dominican Republic for the next week, so it's doubtful the team will sign Fielder in the near future, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
- The Nationals continue to work on a deal for Fielder, but there was no agreement as of last night, tweets Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel repeats (on Twitter) that there's no deal at the moment.
Padres, Clayton Richard Avoid Arbitration
The Padres have avoided arbitration with left-hander Clayton Richard, as MLB.com's Corey Brock tweets the two sides have agreed to a new one-year contract. Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press (Twitter link) reports the deal is worth $2.705MM, which was just under the midpoint of two figures submitted by both sides — Brock reported last week that Richard was looking for a $3.1MM contract and the Padres countered with a $2.35MM offer. Richard is represented by SFX.
Richard, 28, came in San Diego in 2009 as part of the Jake Peavy trade package from the White Sox, and has posted a 3.84 ERA and a 1.69 K/BB ratio in 63 starts with the Padres. He was limited to 18 starts last season after undergoing season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder in July.
The Padres entered the offseason with 11 arb-eligible players (second only to the Giants' 13), but have come to terms with all of them except right-hander Dustin Moseley. Check out MLBTR's Arbtracker for all the latest on arbitration-related signings and negotiations.