West Notes: Rockies, Mariners, Lohse, Saunders
Links out of the Western divisions..
- The Rockies are still looking for pitching but there's nothing brewing on the trade front, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter). Renck believes that the Rockies may look into low-risk free agents like Derek Lowe and Freddy Garcia. We've yet to hear anything about Colorado and Lowe but they have checked in on Garcia.
- The Mariners badly want a hitter but they're also looking at starting pitchers, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. However, sources say that Kyle Lohse is too pricey while the M's aren't willing to give Joe Saunders a three-year deal.
- Ben Rogers of ESPNDallas.com looked at potential trade opportunities for the Rangers involving Jurickson Profar, Elvis Andrus, and Ian Kinsler. However, it would appear that Texas' plan at this stage is to keep all three in the fold to start the 2013 season.
NL Central Notes: Cubs, Bourn, Reds, Rolen
The Cubs had interest in both Edwin Jackson and Anibal Sanchez this winter, but General Manager Jed Hoyer said that signing both was never in the cards, tweets Jordan Bernfield of WGN Radio. Hoyer and Sveum met with Jackson in California while Theo Epstein and owner Tom Ricketts met with Sanchez in Florida. Here’s more on the Cubs and other items out of the NL Central..
- Based on comments Epstein made on WEEI’s Hot Stove Show (audio link), it doesn’t sound like the Cubs will be targeting impact players like Michael Bourn, Rafael Soriano, Kyle Lohse, and Adam LaRoche since they are tied to draft pick compensation. Epstein explained that the changes to the draft and international spending mean that high draft picks are more valuable than ever, writes Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that Reds GM Walt Jocketty expects a decision from Scott Rolen on whether he will play in 2013 in the next seven-to-ten days. Fay personally expects Rolen to call it a career.
- Earlier today, Jocketty said that he is looking to sign Mat Latos and Homer Bailey to multiyear deals.
- The Brewers still haven’t made their signing of left-hander Mike Gonzalez official, but that’s likely to happen on Friday, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Gonzalez agreed to a one-year, $2.25MM deal plus incentives late last week.
AL East Notes: Vazquez, Rays, Price, Red Sox
Earlier today, we learned that the Nationals are interested in free agent starter Javier Vazquez, who is considering a return to MLB. The Red Sox are also set to watch Vazquez pitch in Puerto Rico on Friday, but they're not the only team out of the American League East with an eye on the veteran. More on that and other news from the division..
- Alex Cora, who serves as the GM of Vazquez's team in Puerto Rico, told WEEI's Hot Stove Show that the Blue Jays have also been scouting the 36-year-old, according to Alex Speier on Twitter. It's not clear if the Red Sox or Blue Jays would be willing to give Vazquez a big league contract, but the Nationals aren't believed to be considering it.
- Cy Young winning left-hander David Price was happy to avoid arbitration with the Rays and says that he is open to a contract extension, writes Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. “If it’s right, we’ll do it,” Price said. “If not, I have to understand it’s a business first and foremost. (The Rays) want to win this year but also be able to win in the future as well. They have to do what’s best for the franchise.” Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman won't rule out an extension, but acknowledged that there are a number of variables to consider.
- Also on WEEI's Hot Stove Show, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein opined that the Red Sox's haul of prospects in their blockbuster deal with the Dodgers was more valuable than the financial flexibility they gained in the deal, Speier writes. The former Boston GM spoke very highly of right-handers Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa.
Minor Moves: Dodgers, Moore, Royals, Boyer
We'll keep track of tonight's minor moves right here..
- The Dodgers signed outfielder Jeremy Moore, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Moore ranked as the Angels' No. 11 prospect after the 2011 season but missed all of last year after having hip surgery. Eddy writes that Moore may lack the plate discipline to ever play regularly but could provide a cheap source of power, speed, and defensive versatility in the outfield. Moore hit .298/.331/.545 with 15 homers for the Halos' Triple-A affiliate in 2011.
- The Royals announced that they have signed right-hander pitcher Blaine Boyer to a minor league deal. Boyer, 31, owns a 4.81 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 233 career MLB relief appearances.
- The Royals signed first baseman Chad Tracy, according to Eddy. Tracy, not to be confused with the Nationals' utility man by the same name, is the son of former manager Jim. The 27-year-old hit .269/.324/.432 with 12 homers for the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate in 2012.
- The Orioles released Elvis Duran, their top-paid Latin American signing from 2011, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 18-year-old had just one professional season under his belt and was released due to an elbow injury, according to one source. The 6'7" hurler was signed under the old regime before Dan Duquette took over baseball operations.
Dodgers Moving Towards Deal With J.P. Howell
The Dodgers are moving towards a one-year contract with J.P. Howell, reports Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The deal has not been finalized, however. The left-hander is a Legacy Sports Group client.
Howell, 29, pitched to a 3.04 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 50 1/3 innings for the Rays last season after missing all of 2010 and part of 2011 due to shoulder surgery. He held left-handed batters to a .200/.306/.306 batting line with a 52.4% ground ball rate in 2012. Howell is a soft-tosser, averaging just 87.1 mph with his fastball last year according to PitchFX.
The Dodgers have not been shy about spending over the last eight months or so. They've re-signed Brandon League while adding Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu this offseason, plus they acquired Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and others during the season. Howell would replace the departed Randy Choate, who took a three-year deal with the Cardinals a few weeks ago.
This post was originally published on January 4th.
Diamondbacks “Open” To Discussing Upton
6:52pm: The Braves and Mariners have inquired on Upton along with the Rangers, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. One source said that Atlanta “made strong overtures” for Upton earlier in the offseason but came away thinking that the Diamondbacks were not motivated to trade him.
The Mariners are particularly eager to add a hitter and some have gone so far as to say that they're desperate to do so. They have checked in on the Dodgers’ Andre Ethier and the Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton, according to sources. Upton might be the Mariners' most realistic pursuit, according to one source with knowledge of the team’s thinking. The M's have had “on-and-off” discussions with Arizona throughout the offseason, but Upton is not inclined to remove them from his four-team no-trade list.
3:44pm: Facing a surplus of outfielders following their deal with Cody Ross, the Diamondbacks are once again “very much open” to talking about trading Justin Upton, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (all Twitter links). Their specific demands have changed, Olney notes.
Diamondbacks executives have viewed the Mariners as a possible trade partner for Upton, according to Olney. However, the Mariners are on Upton’s no-trade list, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier in the offseason (Twitter link). The Blue Jays are also on the list, which is partially in place to provide Upton with leverage in talks.
Some officials are now convinced the Diamondbacks will trade Upton rather than Jason Kubel, Olney reports. MLBTR readers disagree. Approximately 34% of nearly 10,000 voters said today that they expect the Diamondbacks to address their outfield depth by trading Upton, but approximately 45% expect Kubel to be moved.
The Rangers, Diamondbacks, Rays and Indians discussed multi-team trade scenarios involving Upton at the 2012 Winter Meetings. Texas, Seattle and the Mets now seem like potential fits in my view.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Indians Designate Thomas Neal For Assignment
The Indians announced that they have designated outfielder Thomas Neal for assignment. The move will allow them to make room for Nick Swisher on the 40-man roster.
Neal, 25, was rated as a top 100 prospect before the 2010 season as a member of the Giants organization. He was then traded to the Indians in July 2011 for Orlando Cabrera in a deal that allowed Cleveland to give their own youngsters more playing time. Neal spent the 2012 season with Double-A Akron and posted a .314/.400/.467 slash line in 470 plate appearances. He also spent nine games on the Tribe's varsity squad last year.
Jocketty: Reds Talking Extensions
The Reds have had preliminary extension talks with some of their arbitration eligible players, Cincinnati general manager Walt Jocketty acknowledged. "Nothing has gotten really serious yet,” the GM said, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. However, the Reds are interested in locking up Mat Latos and Homer Bailey to multiyear contracts.
"We've discussed that," Jocketty said. "We're taking a look to see if it works. If not, we'll go year to year. We'd prefer something long term eventually."
Mike Leake, Logan Ondrusek, Alfredo Simon, Shin-Soo Choo and Chris Heisey of the Reds are also arbitration eligible this offseason, as MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker shows. John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported last month that the Reds had had some extension talks with Bailey and intended to discuss a deal with Latos.
Bailey, a Hendricks Sports client, projects to earn $5.1MM in 2013 as a second time eligible player, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. Meanwhile, Latos projects to earn $4.6MM as a first time eligible player. Bledsoe Brothers represents Latos.
Rays Notes: Price, Offense, Bullpen
Earlier this week the Rays avoided arbitration with David Price, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $10.1125MM for 2013. The left-hander remains under team control through 2015, but as his salary continues to rise, the chances of a long-term deal with the Rays appear to diminish. Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman addressed the possibility of an extension for the left-hander, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times has the details…
- Friedman said there are many variables to consider when assessing a possible extension for Price, but didn’t rule the possibility out. “We could certainly add another larger contract, but … it puts a lot more pressure on our remaining funds, which would be much smaller to fill out 23 guys around [Evan] Longoria and whoever that contract is [for], to be able to win.”
- The Rays continue seeking at least one bat and some bullpen help, according to Topkin. However, Friedman suggested nothing is imminent. "I wouldn't say anything is close," he said.
- As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, the Rays have four remaining arbitration eligible players: Sam Fuld, Matthew Joyce, Jeff Niemann and Ryan Roberts. Friedman said he hopes to resolve the cases relatively soon if possible.
Indians Sign Nick Swisher
The Indians announced that they've signed free agent outfielder Nick Swisher to a four-year contract. The agreement covers the 2013-16 seasons and includes a vesting option for 2017.
Swisher, an MVP Sports Group client, will earn at least $56MM before the contract expires. The $14MM vesting option in year five could boost the deal's overall value to $70MM. He'll make $11MM in 2013, $15MM for each of the 2014-16 seasons, and his $14MM 2017 option will vest if he has 550 plate appearances and passes his physical at the end of the 2016 season, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter links).
The 32-year-old is coming off of yet another solid season in which he posted a .272/.364/.473 batting line with 24 home runs. Swisher has been a consistent force at the plate for the Yankees over the past four seasons, posting a batting line of .268/.367/.483 with 105 homers across that span.
The veteran comes to Cleveland as the club's replacement in right field for Shin-Soo Choo. The Tribe sent Choo to the Reds earlier this winter in a three-team deal that netted them right-handed pitchers Trevor Bauer, Matt Albers, Bryan Shaw, and center fielder Drew Stubbs. The signing also means that Yankees will receive a compensatory draft pick as they extended the one-year, $13.3MM qualifying offer to Swisher earlier this offseason.
Swisher was said to have a four-year, $52MM offer on the table from Cleveland, but he ultimately got a little more out of General Manager Chris Antonetti & Co. The switch-hitting outfielder reportedly preferred to play for the Dodgers, Angels, or Yankees, but he wasn't a fit for any of those teams given their outfield situations. The Yankees also didn't seem to have much interest in working out a new deal with Swisher once he declined their qualifying offer.
One source indicated to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that the Red Sox were interested in signing Swisher but didn't want to give up their high second round pick to the Yankees. It's possible that the draft pick compensation tied to Swisher hurt his value as he looked for a deal on the open market. Swisher ranked sixth on MLBTR's top 50 list of free agents this offseason.
Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News first reported the agreement and its value (via Twitter). Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.