Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for November 2013

Rockies Aggressively Pursuing Justin Morneau

By | at

After hiring Eric Young Sr. as their first base/baserunning coach and Blake Doyle as their hitting coach yesterday, the Rockies have turned their focus to Justin Morneau and are aggressively pursuing the longtime Twin, according to the Denver Post's Troy Renck.

The Rockies have a vacancy at first base following the retirement of franchise icon Todd Helton. Morneau could replace Helton's left-handed bat, and Coors Field would serve as an ideal platform for the former AL MVP to reestablish his reputation as a feared power hitter. The Rockies would also make sense for Morneau given the fact that Michael Cuddyer, his longtime teammate in Minnesota and close friend, will play out the third and final year of his contract with the Rockies in 2014.

Morneau, 32, batted .259/.323/.411 with 17 home runs between the Twins and Pirates in 2013. However, save for an August explosion in which he drilled nine home runs in a span of 29 games, his power stroke was rarely on display. Morneau has been seeking to rediscover his peak form since a concussion ended his 2010 season (when he was batting .345/.437/.618 on July 7 of that year). Since that time, he's dealt with severe post-concussion symptoms as well as injuries to his wrist and neck, both of which have required surgery.

Orioles Willing To Listen To Offers For Jim Johnson

By | at

The Orioles are willing to listen to trade offers for closer Jim Johnson, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Baltimore is facing a massive payroll crunch this offseason, and Johnson's $10.8MM projected salary (per MLBTR's Matt Swartz) would seem to be a definite roadblock in their pursuit of top free agents to whom they've been linked, such as Carlos Beltran.

Johnson, 30, posted a 2.94 ERA this season with 7.2 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 58 percent ground-ball rate. His 50 saves led the American League and tied Atlanta's Craig Kimbrel for the Major League lead. Over the past two seasons, no pitcher has amassed more saves than Johnson's total of 101. That bloated saves total, however, is actually problematic for Baltimore, as it's the chief reason for his projected payday (as Swartz explained in Johnson's arbitration breakdown).

Olney recently profiled the Orioles' budget situation and spoke with other executives who felt that Johnson would be "the most painless cut" the team could make. The Orioles opened 2013 with a $92MM payroll and figure to be around that mark again in 2014. Spending nearly $11MM on their closer would seem to be a questionable allocation of their funds.

While an additional $11MM in 2014 may not cover the salary of a top free agent like Beltran, it would present the opportunity for a slightly backloaded contract, as Nick Markakis and his $15MM annual commitment will be off the books following the 2014 campaign.

Jose Mijares Elects Free Agency

By | at

WEDNESDAY: Mijares has elected free agency, according to the MLB.com transactions page.

TUESDAY: The Giants have outrighted Jose Mijares to Triple-A Fresno, according to Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).  Mijares was arbitration eligible and was due $2.1MM, making him a non-tender possibility.  The re-signing of Javier Lopez, made official earlier this evening, made him expendable.  Rough outings against right-handed hitters gave the 29-year-old a 4.22 ERA, but he still turned in a solid 9.9 K/9 rate (with 3.7 BB/9).

Quick Hits: Peralta, Saltalamacchia, Molina

By | at

The Cardinals' four-year, $53MM deal with Jhonny Peralta has an interesting twist: it's frontloaded.  The shortstop will earn $15.5MM in 2014, $15MM in '15, $12.5MM in '16, and $10MM in '17, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Here's tonight's look around the majors..

  • Peralta's deal raises the uncomfortable issue of PED usage paying off, writes Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.  Diamondbacks relief pitcher and team union representative Brad Ziegler took his dissatisfaction with the deal to Twitter, but he's far from the only player who has an issue with players linked to PEDs getting major paydays.
  • Heyman looks at the market for Jarrod Saltalamacchia and wonders if the Blue Jays, Twins, or Rockies could steal him away from the Red Sox.  The Rangers look like another possibility to some, but one person connected with the club says a return for Salty isn't too likely at the moment.  Texas has looked at free agent catchers, but they've also suggested that Geovany Soto will be their fulltime backstop.
  • The Rays' are still waiting on results of Jose Molina's physical and therefore won't have an announcement on his signing until early next week, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  Molina is expected to ink a two-year, $4.5MM pact to stay with Tampa Bay.
  • The opportunity to win attracted Skip Schumaker to the Reds, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.  Schumaker said his decision came down to the Reds and one other unspecified playoff-caliber team.
  • In today's inbox, MLB.com's Corey Brock touches on the possibility of star third baseman Chase Headley being moved and other matters surrounding the Padres.

AL West Notes: Athletics, Cespedes, Mariners, Astros

By | at

A look at the latest out of the AL West..

  • The A’s position player most coveted by other clubs is Yoenis Cespedes, but it’s tough to imagine that they would part with him after a down season, unless they were overwhelmed by an offer that includes a big bat in return, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Slusser adds that Oaklad expects to contend in 2014 and isn’t a team looking to dump payroll.
  • Teams have tried to trade for Mariners left-handed reliever Brian Moran and he's a virtual lock to get picked up in the Rule 5 draft, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB Network.  Moran pitched to a 3.45 ERA with an eye-popping 12.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 48 Triple-A outings last season.
  • The Astros have yet to make a big move this offseason, but they say that the winter is unfolding as they expected it to, writes Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle.  Because the Astros aren’t regarded as a “destination” team, they may well benefit from a waiting game more than most.

Reds Interested In Carlos Beltran

By | at

Carlos Beltran already has plenty of suitors, but it sounds like we can add another to his list.  The outfielder told Noel Piñeiro of Primera Hora (Spanish link) that the Reds have reached out to Beltran’s agent, Dan Lozano. Piñeiro told C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer in an e-mail that Beltran told him he expects to make a decision by mid-December.

While the American League would seem to be a better fit for the 36-year-old, he tells Piñeiro that he would prefer to play in the National League.  Beltran has played mostly right field in each of the last two seasons with the Cardinals, but would likely move to left for the Reds.

Teams that have previously been linked to Beltran include the Tigers, Yankees, Rangers, Orioles, Mariners, and Red Sox.  Some regard the Yanks as the favorites to land the veteran outfielder and see him as the club's No. 1 priority at this stage of the offseason.  The switch-hitter posted a .296/.339/.491 slash line for the Cardinals last season and is a career .283/.359/.496 hitter.

NL East Notes: Young, Cano, Nationals, Uggla, Marlins

By | at

The Mets surprised some observers when they gave outfielder Chris Young a one-year, $7.25MM contract to kick off their offseason.  However, they weren't the only club with interest.  Young says that the Cubs, Giants, Royals, and Red Sox all reached out to him, but the Mets were aggressive, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.  Here's a look at the latest out of the NL East..

  • Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post makes the case for the Nationals to go after Robinson Cano.  Some would argue that the Nats should go after a similarly high-impact player that will fill an actual hole for them, but Kilgore says that such a player may not come along for Washington in today's landscape. 
  • In today's inbox, a reader asks Joe Frisaro of MLB.com if there's a possibility that Dan Uggla could return to the Marlins this winter.  Frisaro doesn't see the second baseman coming back to Miami since his cost and declining numbers over past two seasons raise red flags.  Besides that, bringing him back would block Derek Dietrich and/or Donovan Solano from playing second.
  • The Marlins announced two additions to their baseball operations staff.  Mike Berger was named Vice President/Assistant GM while Jeff McAvoy will take over as the new Director of Pro Scouting.

Giants Sign Javier Lopez

By | at

NOVEMBER 26: The Giants confirmed the deal via press release.

NOVEMBER 21: Giants GM Brian Sabean has shown an affinity for retaining his own guys, even if it comes at top-of-the-market value, and he's done so again by agreeing to terms with left-hander Javier Lopez on a three-year deal. Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area tweets that contract that has been in the works is a done deal, pending a physical. Lopez-JavierIt's reported to guarantee Lopez, a client of Meister Sports Management, $13MM for his age 36-38 seasons. An official announcement is expected today.

Lopez, 36, pitched to a 1.83 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 39 1/3 innings in 2013, primarily working as a lefty specialist for the Giants. Lopez was incredibly good in that role, limiting opposing left-handers to a minuscule .156/.208/.222 slash line.

Lopez's previous contract paid him $8.5MM over a two-year term, so in terms of average annual value, his new contract gives him a yearly raise from $4.25MM to $4.33MM. That's not an exorbitant raise, but it's probably fair to question the decision to guarantee three years to a reliever who will turn 37 next July.

Lopez was clearly one of the top lefty relievers on the market, if not the top lefty on the market. Now that he has a new contract in hand — and a lucrative one at that — southpaws Boone Logan, J.P. Howell and Scott Downs stand to benefit from what they hope will be a market-setting deal.

The Giants' relief corps figures to be solid in 2014, with Lopez, Jeremy Affeldt and Santiago Casilla forming a bridge to photo-bombing bullpen anchor Sergio Romo. Sabean has already been highly active in the past few months, agreeing to extensions with Hunter Pence and Tim Lincecum in addition to inking Tim Hudson to bolster the team's rotation.

Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area first tweeted that the Giants were fully engaged in contract talks with Lopez. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports added that it would be a multiyear deal (Twitter link), Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that it'd be a three-year deal (on Twitter), and Steve Berman reported the $13MM value. Rosenthal also tweeted earlier today that the guarantee language was the last remaining aspect needing to be ironed out.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Twins Rumors: Pelfrey, Nolasco, Arroyo, Bailey

By | at

A look at the latest on the Twins..

  • The Twins have made a two-year offer to Mike Pelfrey, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  However, there's still a gap in salary that needs to be bridged.  Pelfrey returned from Tommy John surgery in 2012 to post a 5.19 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a career-low 43.2 percent ground-ball rate in 152 2/3 innings.  Pelfrey's FIP (3.99) and xFIP (4.54) both suggest that his ERA could have been lower were it not for a .337 BABIP and 67.2 percent strand rate.
  • More from Heyman, who writes that the Twins have inquired on top starters like Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez as well as several others lower on the free agent list, including Phil Hughes and Scott Feldman.  The club has been most heavily linked to guys like Bronson Arroyo, Ricky Nolasco, and Matt Garza to date.  Minnesota starting pitchers combined for a league worst 5.26 ERA in 2013.
  • Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN previews the Winter Meetings agenda for the Twins.  Minnesota has Nolasco atop their free agent wish list, but they'll move on if it's not at the right price.  They also like Arroyo and a source says he's seeking a three-year deal in the $27-$30MM range.
  • The Twins have told agents that they don't plan on sacrificing their second-round pick in June's amateur draft to sign a free agent, despite a public declaration stating otherwise, Wolfson writes. That would mean that Santana and Jimenez aren't in their plans. Santana's reps already have meetings set up with teams in Orlando and the Twins, as of this morning, are not on that list.
  • On the trade front, the Twins are fond of Homer Bailey, according to Wolfson. Wayne Krivsky, special assistant to GM, knows Bailey well from his days with the Reds. Krivsky took over as Cincinnati's GM two years after Bailey was drafted and was in that role when Bailey made his big league debut.
  • A Twins official "scoffed at" the idea of trading for Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello but was more receptive to the idea of a Jeremy Hellickson acquisition when asked by Wolfson about both each right-hander.

Nelson Cruz Seeking Four-Year, $75MM Deal

By | at

If Jhonny Peralta's contract proved to be alarming to some, Nelson Cruz's asking price will likely cause some jaws to hit the floor. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that Cruz is seeking a four-year contract worth $75MM.

Cruz, a client of the Wasserman Media Group's Adam Katz, has drawn interest from the Mariners, Mets, Athletics and Rangers, according to Heyman. That the Phillies had some early interest, says Heyman before noting that they'd likely have to trade someone to clear a spot for Cruz in the wake of their Marlon Byrd signing.

The 33-year-old Cruz hit .266/.327/.506 with 27 homers in 109 games (456 plate appearances) before being slapped with a 50-game suspension for PED use that he admitted took place prior to the 2012 season. As we saw in the case of Peralta's four-year, $53MM contract with the Cardinals, teams may be less hesitant to commit large dollars to previously suspended players than most have anticipated. Still, a $75MM contract for Cruz would shatter most pundits' expectations and likely lead to considerable cries for stricter punishment for PED users.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top