The signing of Omar Infante and Jason Vargas took up the money the Royals had earmarked to re-sign Ervin Santana, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter links), and thus with the club at its payroll limit, there is only a "remote" chance of K.C. bringing Santana back on even a one-year deal at a bargain price. The Tigers, Diamondbacks and Mariners are a few of the teams that have been linked to Santana this offseason, though we probably won't know the full extent of his market (and the market for other top free agent starters) until Masahiro Tanaka's situation has been settled.
Here's some more from around baseball…
- Jeff Karstens' agent Damon Lapa tells MLBTR's Zach Links that he expects at least a dozen clubs to be in attendance for Karstens' upcoming showcase. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported that Karstens will throw in January and Lapa indicated to MLBTR that he'll be auditioning in the "mid-to-late" portion of next month. Lapa won't say what kind of deal he's seeking for his client but he did say that the 31-year-old is "100% healthy."
- The Giants checked in on Mark Mulder “but the short version is he’s looking for more than we could provide, including a Major League contract,” GM Brian Sabean told reporters, including CSNBayArea.com's Andrew Baggarly. Mulder is attempting a comeback and threw for three teams last month.
- Athletics owner Lew Wolff told John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group that the A's ownership group hasn't been approached by any interested buyers and Wolff reiterated that the team isn't for sale. Wolff also said he didn't have any interest in a new ballpark proposal by the city of Oakland that would see a stadium constructed at the Howard Terminal waterfront site.
- The Cardinals have finished their major offseason work, GM John Mozeliak told reporters (including MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch). The team will now look to add minor league depth and are prepared to be "opportunistic" if other ways of improving the roster present themselves, Mozeliak said.
- Scott Boras will face a challenge in finding a big contract for Kendrys Morales considering the slugger's seemingly limited market, FOX Sports' Jon Morosi writes.
- The Astros probably aren't done making moves and will look for some bargains in January and February, but GM Jeff Luhnow tells Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle that he would already be satisfied with taking his current roster into Spring Training. Luhnow also commented on his team's recent acquisitions of Jesus Guzman and Collin McHugh, though he didn't comment on rumors tying Houston to Shin-Soo Choo.
- "The White Sox have quietly had a terrific offseason," ESPN.com's David Schoenfeld writes, praising GM Rick Hahn for adding the likes of Adam Eaton and Matt Davidson for what Schoenfeld feels were expendable pieces in Addison Reed and Hector Santiago.
So Mulder has fun in his living room by emulating Paco Rodriguez, likes how he felt throwing in that delivery, and believes that warrants a major league contract?
Did you not see Mulder’s reaction to Sabean fraudulent comment?
This is exactly what I was thinking. At best he will get a minor league deal with an out-clause (which I think all minor league deals for veterans have now?)
Hilarious how 36 year olds who haven’t pitched in 5 seasons expect a major league contract.
He already came out and was shocked to find out he had said that. It was nice of the Giants to let him know since he didn’t.
Worst owner in professional sports, Lew Wolff, ladies and gentlemen.
Abuhhhh? Did Loria, Schott, the owners before Wolff, the Sacramento Kings previous owners, and others of their ilk never exist?
Lew Wolff is terrible at public relations, one of the bottom third at that. He just doesn’t know when it’s a good time or bad time to just shut up.
Other than that he’s not a bad owner by any means. He lets Beane spend (within reasonable means) when Beane wants to, Other than the Holliday fiasco he’s let Beane have a ton of autonomy. He’s extremely diligent about staying in the Bay Area which other potential owners may not be as inclined to. It’s obvious he loves the team and wants it to succeed. I mean heck, he’s even softened his stance about Oakland 100% not having a chance to keep the A’s, which was a stance he wouldn’t have needed if Jerry Brown had approved his uptown stadium idea back when he first bought the team and if the Oakland mayors since Brown hadn’t been so inept/non-caring.
There are much much worse owners out there.
Marge Schott was OK at the beginning. She just went too far.
Cough, cough…Jeffrey Loria…cough…choke…
An owner that wants to build the most privately built stadium (even more so than AT&T) in all of the major leagues and keep them in the Bay Area. Yea so horrible.
Lew Wolff is the worst. I get that the Oakland situation may have a lot of logistics to work out, but it is very clear he intends to use the A’s as an avenue to further his land and development interests in San Jose. He is the worst. It pains me, as an A’s fan.
He’s not the worst, maybe towards the bottom at public relations, but not the worst overall, not even close
I am not denying that he is a shrewd businessman, but that also doesn’t mean that is a good owner. He has continually alienated the team’s fan base and makes no effort to ingratiate himself to the people of Oakland.
It’s has a toxic waste problem and according to law needs to be used for maritime use if that’s an option (it is there have been 3 bids for the land) he has no development interests in San Jose to build besides the stadium. That was the Fremont plan and just a way to build a stadium privately and have a way to pay for it.
The “worst” because he is a capitalist like all the other owners? Go back and read the history of the Giants using Tampa Bay as leverage in the early ’90’s to get AT and T built with lots of public funding. Would you want to build a new stadium with your own money on a toxic waste dump site in a crime-riddled, hostile/indifferent city at the cost of $1 billion+.
It’s a shame this historic and proud franchise, dating back to the early 1900’s, is held hostage by MLB in a sewer of stadium/city, when the solution is just 40-miles south (IN THE BAY AREA) in a territory the A’s foolishly ceded to keep the Giants in the Bay Area in the first place.
Wouldn’t mind seeing the Jays pickup Morales if they can get him for 2-3 years at a reasonable rate. Lind has some value and can be moved for some asset(s). Morales would be slightly less powerful, but better against lefties and more consistent I’d say,
They need a 2B and a SP way more than they need Morales. I don’t think they should get a full time DH when Bautista and Encarnacion can use the spot for partial rest days.
I agree 110% that SP and 2B ate greater needs thana DH upgrade. However if the net cost to that upgrade is only 3-4 mil once Lind is moved I think it’s a smart upgrade nonetheless. I don’t see that 3-4 mil greatly improving the SP or 2B. Either AA trades for a quality starter or pays the big bucks for one of the FAs. If the latter is the case, what’s an extra 3-4?
Rick Hahn should send both Danks & Beckham to Toronto (Toronto was/are interested in the pair). The Sox had interest in both Sanchez & Stroman. I’d take Sanchez & a pair of lesser prospects or a bullpen arm (Santos to the Sox again to be their closer?). Then the Sox should be all over Tanaka. That would give the Sox a rotation of basically 25 year old pitchers – Sale, Tanaka, Quintana, Johnson & Rienzo (with Sanchez waiting in the wings in AAA). Johnson or Rienzo could go at the deadline or next off season for a young catcher. Keppinger/Semien/Garcia/Sanchez are all options for 2B.
Astros will sign morales. 4 years 32 million
Doesn’t make sense for them.
Detroit is in on Santana? I still don’t get why they would move Fister just to turn around and over-pay for Santana. Weren’t they moving Fister partly because they want to save money to re-sign Scherzer? Santana would have to cost more than Fister, right?
I seriously doubt they are. IMO, it’s more likely misinformation being floated about to create an artificial market for a pitcher that nobody wants (at the presumed price he will command).
The only way this makes sense is if they approached Max and were given an astronomical number.
My guess, bargaining tactic to try and get maxs price down
As a Royals fan, i’d be so disapointed to see Ervin Santana sign with Detroit…unless he gets a contract similar to his asking price. Then the jokes on the Tigers…
I’m a indians fan and love the moves that Whiite Sox have made they took extra quality pieces and used them to get quality top prospects that have seen just enough time to look ready for the majors at major positions like 3rd and center field and they already added a top quality guy at the trade deadline last year in Garcia for RF and Cuben defector Abreu for 1st base and they already have prospect at catcher so I see them heading in the same direction the indians were heading in 3 years ago.
Just an FYI, the Adam Eaton link is for the pitcher of the last decade not the outfielder of this one.
I have read that there is some kind of software error here that makes that keep happening in a number of cases (ex: OF and P Chris Young).
Seen it as well with BIlly Hamilton HOFer from 1800’s and current Reds’ prospect.
I have read that there is some kind of software error here that makes that keep happening in a number of cases (ex: OF and P Chris Young).
IF Jeff Karstens is actually healthy (always a big IF), he could be a sneaky pickup for someone. The guy flat out knows how to pitch, and how to get the most out of his mediocre stuff, whether at the back end of a rotation or as a swing man. I would not mind at all seeing the Pirates bring him back, but if not, I wish him the best. He is a bulldog of a competitor, and even when he was hurt last year, he was almost always in the clubhouse and with the team rooting them on.
I’d feel 1000% more confident in Karstens than Volquez.