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Archives for January 2013

Justin Upton Rumors: Wednesday

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Here's a look at the latest Justin Upton rumors with all links going to Twitter..

  • Arizona GM Kevin Towers is going on vacation this Friday, Rosenthal reports. While Towers would prefer to trade Upton or Kubel by then, it's not a deadline.
  • The Braves are now waiting to hear back from the Diamondbacks about their offer, Rosenthal reports. It's a "sensitive" time in the trade talks. For much of the offseason, the Braves had trouble getting the Diamondbacks to return their calls, Rosenthal reports. Things have evidently changed.

Earlier Updates

  • The Rangers haven't talked to the Diamondbacks about Upton in weeks, Heyman reports.
  • The Diamondbacks could make a trade involving Upton or Kubel with the next few days, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports.  Heyman notes that the Braves seem seriously interested in Upton and adds on Twitter that they're trying hard for him and have offered a "strong" package of players.  The Rangers, Rays and Padres have also shown interest, Heyman writes.
  • The Diamondbacks have an offer on the table for Upton, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports.  The offer is believed to be from the Braves, Rosenthal writes.  Arizona likes Evan Gattis' power, but the team continues weighing various options.  For example, Diamomdbacks executives discussed Kubel with the Orioles today.
  • The Diamondbacks want to make a decision on trading Jason Kubel or Upton by Friday, people involved in the process tell ESPN.com's Buster Olney.  Arizona had an agreement with the Mariners on an Upton deal earlier this offseason but the 25-year-old used his limited veto power to shoot the trade down.
  • Meanwhile, Arizona's talks with the Braves on Upton have resumed (Twitter link).  Atlanta is said to be aggressive about acquiring Upton and they're likely the frontrunner for the outfielder if he is dealt.  The D'Backs have been reviewing the Braves' offer and some folks involved believe that it's a strong proposal, according to Olney.
  • The asking price for Kubel is dropping and Baltimore would be a logical landing spot for him, Olney tweets.  Earlier today it was reported that the O's are pursuing Kubel but talks are not yet at an advanced stage.

Rockies, Herrera Avoid Arbitration

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We'll track the day's arbitration settlements under $2MM here. Be sure to use MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker for all the details related to this year's cases…

NL East Notes: Bourn, Hairston, Marlins

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The Phillies made headlines yesterday, signing Delmon Young to a one-year deal. Here’s the latest on some of Philadelphia’s NL East rivals…

  • A person with knowledge of the Mets’ plans wouldn’t rule out the possibility that the team could sign free agent center fielder Michael Bourn, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. This would be a surprise, especially since signing the Scott Boras client would lead to the forfeiture of the Mets’ top draft pick this year, the 11th overall selection. GM Sandy Alderson told Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger earlier this month that he had strong reservations about surrendering that selection.
  • David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears that Scott Hairston probably isn’t an option for the Braves anymore (Twitter link). By the way, MLBTR extends a hello to Jerry Hairston Sr., who gets information about his son's free agency from this website (via McCullough on Twitter). Hairston Sr. played at the MLB level for 14 seasons, but he pre-dates MLBTR. There are still lots of Hairston rumors thanks to Scott and Jerry Jr.
  • Recent trades have improved depth throughout the Marlins' organization, vice president of player development Marty Scott told Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. "It continues to give us more depth," Scott said. "We do not have a need to rush everybody."

Orioles Pursuing Jason Kubel

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12:21pm: It's unlikely the Orioles would acquire both Kubel and Porcello, Rosenthal writes in an expanded piece at FOXSports.com. Free agent left-hander Joe Saunders and trade candidate Alfonso Soriano are also possibilities, according to Rosenthal. Saunders seeks a three-year contract, but Soriano is the least likely option for Baltimore.

10:17am: The Orioles are pursuing a trade for Diamondbacks outfielder Jason Kubel, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). However, talks are not at an advanced stage. The Diamondbacks were looking to obtain young pitching from the Orioles for Kubel earlier in the month.

If the Orioles were to acquire Kubel, he'd be in the running for playing time at left field and DH along with Nate McLouth, Nolan Reimold and Wilson Betemit. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks would no longer have surplus outfielders if they send Kubel to Baltimore.

The Diamondbacks continue to weigh offers for Kubel and Justin Upton, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported yesterday. The Diamondbacks want to deal one of the outfielders sooner rather than later and they feel as though there’s a good chance of getting “suitable value” for Kubel if they decide to deal him, Olney reported. Rival executives view the Orioles as a possible match for Kubel.

Rosenthal notes that the Orioles also like Tigers starter Rick Porcello. However, the Tigers don't appear to be in a rush to trade the right-hander Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reported yesterday. The Diamondbacks are also among the teams that have been linked to Porcello this winter.

Marlins Sign Matt Downs

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The Marlins have signed second baseman Matt Downs to a minor league deal, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter).  MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reported late last week that Downs was close to a deal with Miami and that it would include an invite to Spring Training.

Downs, 28, hit .202/.253/.371 with eight homers in 191 plate appearances for Houston in 2012.  The year prior, he posted a .276/.347/.518 slash line with ten homers in 222 plate appearances for the Astros.  Downs also has experience playing first base, shortstop, third base, and the corner outfield spots.

Baseball Trade Rumors App Now Supports iPhone 5

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I'm pleased to announce our popular Baseball Trade Rumors app now supports the larger screen of the iPhone 5.  The app, which costs $2.99, also supports older iPhones as well as iPads.  It's a great way to read MLBTR posts on your phone ad-free, and also allows you to set up custom push notifications for players and/or teams.  Check out the Baseball Trade Rumors app today! 

If you're more of an Android type of person, check out that app here.

Braves Nearing Deal For Justin Upton

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The Braves are close to acquiring Justin Upton from the Diamondbacks, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). The teams are still working through the final details of the deal, which will send Randall Delgado to Arizona.

If the Braves complete a deal for Upton, they'll have a new-look outfield that will also feature B.J. Upton and Jason Heyward. Justin's older brother signed with Atlanta as a free agent earlier in the offseason, agreeing to a five-year, $75.2MM contract. Both Upton brothers bat right-handed and would add balance to what had previously been a lefty-heavy lineup.

This post was first published on January 24th, 2013.

Indians Considering Thome, Hafner

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The Indians are looking to add a hitter and could spend modestly to supplement their offense, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The team is considering a reunion with several former Indians, including Jim Thome and Travis Hafner, Heyman reports. Though there’s been “a hint of buzz” about a reunion with Manny Ramirez, he’s not a consideration. 

The Indians don't have an obvious internal DH option at this point, assuming Mark Reynolds plays first base. GM Chris Antonetti recently acknowledged that Hafner remains an option in Cleveland. Thome, 42, played for the Phillies and Orioles in 2012. He has said he's not retired and would consider playing because he still feels good physically.

Heyman identified former Indians such as Johnny Damon, Casey Kotchman and Grady Sizemore as other potential options for Antonetti. Free agents Aubrey Huff, Luke Scott, Carlos Lee, Jason Giambi and Juan Rivera are also available. Indians designated hitters ranked 11th in the American League with a .226/.317/.385 batting line in 2012.

Mutual Interest For Rays, Luke Scott

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The Rays and Luke Scott continue to express mutual interest in signing a new contract, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Scott has been a free agent since the end of October, when the Rays declined his $6MM option for 2013.

Scott made two trips to the disabled list as a result of oblique and back injuries in 2012. When healthy he hit 14 home runs and posted a .229/.285/.439 batting line in 344 plate appearances. However, there’s been limited buzz surrounding the 34-year-old PSI Sports Management client to this point in the offseason. He indicated in the fall that he hoped to return to Tampa Bay. “It's just a great place to play,” he told Bill Chastain of MLB.com. “I really enjoyed my time here. I hope they'll have me back."

Topkin suggests the Rays could consider alternatives such as free agents Travis Hafner, Aubrey Huff, Dan Johnson, Carlos Lee, Juan Rivera and Jim Thome or trade candidates such as Jason Kubel and Mike Carp.

Rosenthal On Posey, Dodgers, Yankees

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Yesterday Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Mariners are at least considering a four-year, $100MM extension offer for Felix Hernandez. Rosenthal has another round of rumors at FOXSports.com today. Here are some highlights…

  • Buster Posey and the Giants have mutual interest in reaching a long-term deal, but there’s no urgency to complete an extension. Rosenthal estimates that a seven-year, $120MM deal on top of Posey’s $8MM salary for 2013 could work for both sides.
  • Though the Dodgers denied Don Mattingly’s request for increased job security, team officials rave about the manager privately and dispute that he’s a ‘lame duck.’ However, Rosenthal guesses that the team will address the matter before too long to preserve Mattingly’s authority. This time, they probably won’t announce the length of their agreement in an attempt to avoid future scrutiny.
  • The Yankees intend to lower their payroll below $189MM by 2014, but the financial incentives in place for doing so might not be as strong as initially anticipated. The team could end up obtaining less than expected from the new market-disqualification revenue-sharing program, as Rosenthal explains. However, Yankees officials say the team’s offseason strategy has been influenced by available players rather than maneuverings based on the sport’s collective bargaining agreement.

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