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Dodgers Notes: Haren, Shields, Santana, Peavy

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There has been much speculation about Dan Haren’s role in the impending six-player trade between the Dodgers and Marlins, as Haren has openly said that he’d rather retire than pitch anywhere but for one of the two Los Angeles teams.  Angels GM Jerry Dipoto shot down speculation that the Marlins could flip Haren to his team, telling reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) that his team wasn’t trading for Haren.

As we wait for either of today’s two blockbuster Dodgers trades to be finalized, here’s some more news from Chavez Ravine…

  • There are rumors around the Winter Meetings that the Dodgers are making these big moves to position themselves to sign James Shields, ESPN Los Angeles’ Mark Saxon reports (Twitter link).
  • The rumored Andre Ethier-for-Miguel Montero swap with the Diamondbacks fell apart because of how much money the Dodgers would have had to pay, Saxon reports (via Twitter).  Arizona ended up dealing Montero to the Cubs yesterday.
  • Also from Saxon, the Dodgers haven’t made any inquiries about Ervin Santana.
  • The Dodgers have been talking to other free agent pitchers, however, including Jake Peavy, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets.
  • Rumors of a Matt Kemp deal to the Padres “has legs,” a source tells Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  The two sides have made some progress but nothing is official yet.  Yasmani Grandal would be the main piece coming back from San Diego and Heyman hears the Dodgers have also asked for pitchers Joe Ross and Zach Eflin (though Heyman isn’t sure if both would be included if the deal happened.)

Marketing Everth Cabrera

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28-year-old shortstop Everth Cabrera became a free agent earlier this month, as the Padres elected not to tender him a contract for 2015.  Cabrera had been arrested in September for suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana.  In November, the San Diego County district attorney’s office charged him with resisting arrest during that traffic stop.  He plead not guilty on that charge last week, and a readiness hearing will happen in mid-January.

How does agent Scott Boras market Cabrera to MLB teams, given the looming situation?  “With every negotiation you have complete disclosure, you walk through the factual situations,” Boras told me today at the Winter Meetings in San Diego.  Boras explained, “I think we all know that players get involved in situations where they might have made a mistake and done things.  You talk to teams about the player’s history, his character, where he’s going in the future.  So it’s really a due diligence dynamic with Everth.”  Boras feels that the public’s perception of the incident differs from reality.

Certainly, there’s great risk in signing a free agent who could potentially face jail time if found guilty.  A team will have to buy into Cabrera’s upside despite that concern.  Boras made his pitch: “Everth Cabrera is a very talented player, so there’s that tweak in there [that makes you say] ’Hey, if this guy could give you All-Star talent and I’m able to get him at a shorter term and a very young age, this guy could really have a big season.'”
Cabrera made the All-Star team with a strong first half in 2013.

Since Cabrera has four years and 144 days of Major League service time, a team that signs him this winter could potentially control him for 2016 through the arbitration process.  The teams currently showing interest may have some kind of familiarity with Cabrera, as Boras said, “The people that are coming after him know him well, so they have to have the comfort level.  They know this is an isolated issue, and they know his talent too.”

Cabrera was initially signed out of Nicaragua by Rockies scouts Rolando Fernandez and Francisco Cartaya.  Fernandez is still employed by the Rockies, while Cartaya is with the Dodgers.  The Dodgers also employ Josh Byrnes, who was in charge when Cabrera earned his All-Star nod.  Kevin Towers, now with the Reds, was Padres GM when the team signed Cabrera, while current Cubs GM Jed Hoyer succeeded Towers.

Cabrera may not be in a position to demand more than $2-4MM, nor a starting shortstop job.  He’s spent little time outside of shortstop in the Majors, but did log some games at second early in his pro career.  Of the teams linked above, the Rockies could consider Cabrera to back up Troy Tulowitzki and DJ LeMahieu if they trade Josh Rutledge.  The Dodgers turned over their middle infield today, acquiring shortstop Jimmy Rollins and sending starting second baseman Dee Gordon to the Marlins.  The Cubs aren’t hurting for middle infield options, while the Reds have Zack Cozart, Brandon Phillips, and Kristopher Negron and could do some middle infield shuffling.

Cabrera has not actually been linked to any teams so far, except for Adam Rubin’s note for ESPNNewYork.com ruling out the Mets.  It should be noted, too, that Cabrera missed significant time with hamstring injuries in the last few years and missed significant time prior to 2012 with other injuries.  On top of that, he served a 50-game PED suspension in 2013.  Clearly the teams that mine this well for talent have many issues to consider, but that’s also what will keep Cabrera’s price down.

Latest On Wade Miley

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7:30pm: Stewart discussed the Miley rumors with reporters, including MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert (Twitter links).  Arizona did indeed talk to the Red Sox, Rangers and Marlins about a possible deal, though none of the teams offered what the D’Backs wanted in return.  Nothing is currently happening involving Miley, Stewart said.

4:23pm: D’Backs GM Dave Stewart said “We are not talking to Boston” about a Miley deal, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets.  Officials from both Arizona and Boston tell Nightengale (Twitter link) that there aren’t any active trade talks about Miley.  The Marlins thought they were close to acquiring Miley before the Diamondbacks pulled out, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

3:46pm: The Red Sox are actually not involved at all in discussions on Miley, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. Miami is still in the picture, Nightengale tweets.

3:40pm: The Red Sox are indeed nearing a deal to acquire Miley, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter.

3:21pm: The Marlins and Rangers are out on Miley, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, leaving the Red Sox as the likely suitor unless another team has jumped in.

3:02pm: One team that had been in discussions on Miley has dropped out, believing a deal to be nearing between the Diamondbacks and Red Sox, Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com tweets.

2:37pm: The D’Backs are nearing a deal involving Miley, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets.

12:26pm: Arizona appears to be after young pitching in return, Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports.

9:14am: The Diamondbacks are listening to offers for starter Wade Miley, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. Arizona appears to have at least some inclination to move him, as the club is attempting to drop its payroll under the $90MM threshold.

Miley, 28, is in his first of three seasons of arbitratration eligibility. The lefty has been a sturdy presence in the D’Backs rotation over the past three seasons, posting a total of 598 2/3 innings at a 3.74 ERA clip over that stretch. Though his results took a step backward last year, ERA estimators suggested he was much the same pitcher, if not better. Indeed, Miley also managed a career-best 8.2 K/9.

Of course, with that kind of volume of productive innings, Miley’s arbitration earnings will not be low. MLBTR and Matt Swartz project that he will take home $4.3MM this year, and that number will only rise in future seasons.

Nevertheless, Miley is a durable, controllable starter who figures to draw plenty of suitors. The Red Sox, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Rangers are already said to have some interest. Of course, the same things that make him attractive to other clubs presumably make him a nice commodity to the D’Backs, so it remains to be seen how serious the club is about striking a deal.

Dodgers, Phillies Discussed Chase Utley

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While negotiating the Jimmy Rollins trade, the Dodgers and Phillies also discussed Chase Utley, Yahoo’s Tim Brown reports (Twitter link).  As Brown notes, L.A. could now have a more pressing need for a second baseman with Dee Gordon on his way to the Marlins.

Utley has full trade protection as a 10-and-5 veteran (like Rollins) and he has been steadfast in saying that he wants to finish his career in Philadelphia.  That said, it’s fair to speculate if Utley would be interested in playing alongside his longtime double-play partner Rollins for a contending team.

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro told reporters (including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki) today that he had received “a lot” of interest in both Utley and Rollins and that he hasn’t talked to Utley today.

Mets Confident They Will Trade Dillon Gee

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6:04pm: Rex Brothers’ name isn’t currently part of the trade talks between the Mets and Rockies, Newsday’s Marc Carig tweets.

4:02pm: At present, there is no traction between the Royals and Mets regarding Gee, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News tweets.

3:31pm: Another set of reports links the Rockies to Gee, with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) and Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reporting that there is present interest from Colorado. Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reported last night that the Rockies had expressed interest in Gee.

2:38pm: The Mets do not expect to land a shortstop in a deal involving Gee, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Instead, the team is looking to add a left-handed reliever, right-handed bench bat, prospects, or some combination of the above.

2:05pm: GM Sandy Alderson says the Mets are not confident they will make a deal involving a starter in San Diego, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. But the club does expect to strike a deal of some kind soon.

1:20pm: The Mets are confident they will find a deal to move starter Dillon Gee this week, Jack Curry of the YES Network reports on Twitter. There has been a lot of chatter on Gee with multiple teams, he notes, reflecting other recent reports.

We have already heard several teams mentioned in relation to Gee, among them the Twins. But Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter) says a deal between those teams looks unlikely, with New York not terribly interested in shortstop Eduardo Escobar. The Royals, Padres, Rockies, Rangers, and Giants have also been noted as having interest.

Dodgers, Marlins Talking Dee Gordon Deal

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The Dodgers and Marlins are having serious talks about a trade involving Dee Gordon and Andrew Heaney, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports (Twitter links).  Other teams could be involved in the deal and Dan Haren’s name has been mentioned.  Olney describes the trade as being “close to done” (Twitter link).

Pirates Acquire Antonio Bastardo

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The Pirates have acquired southpaw reliever Antonio Bastardo from the Phillies in exchange for minor league left-hander Joely Rodriguez. After adding Francisco Liriano and A.J. Burnett to the rotation, Pittsburgh was thought to now be turning its attention to acquiring relief pitching, and now the Bucs have added a solid bullpen arm from their in-state rivals.

Bastardo has a 3.36 ERA, 2.61 K/BB and an impressive 11.6 K/9 over 216 2/3 IP with Philadelphia since 2011.  The lefty is solid against both right-handed and left-handed batters, though control is something of an issue, as Bastardo has posted a 4.6 BB/9 over the last three seasons.  Tony Watson was the only other established lefty in the Pittsburgh bullpen, so Bastardo’s addition gives the Bucs another solid late-game option against left-handed hitters.

Rodriguez posted a 4.84 ERA, 4.9 K/9 and 1.70 K/BB rate over 134 Double-A innings last season. The 23-year-old has mostly been used as a starter over his six pro seasons and has a career 4.02 ERA over 441 1/3 minor league innings.

Robert Murray was the first to report the deal, with FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal confirming that the two sides were close to an agreement. CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported the trade had been finalized, with Joel Sherman of the New York Post reporting Rodriguez’s involvement. (all links to Twitter) CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury initially reported Pittsburgh’s interest in Bastardo earlier today.

White Sox Sign David Robertson

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WEDNESDAY: The deal is official. Robertson receives $10MM next year and a $1MM raise in each successive season, per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribne (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 11:44am: Robertson has a limited no-trade clause with the White Sox that will allow him to block trades to five teams, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).

MONDAY, 11:59pm: Robertson’s deal is worth $46MM over four years, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). He will receive limited no-trade protection, according to Mark Feinsand of New York Daily News (on Twitter).

USATSI_8120293_154513410_lowres11:39pm: The White Sox have agreed to sign David Robertson to a four-year deal worth more than $40MM, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).  Robertson has been zeroed in on landing a four-year deal this winter and he found a team happy to give him one with a solid average annual value. Robertson is represented by All Bases Covered, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database.

Robertson just missed the ~$50MM Jonathan Papelbon-type deal that he was said to be looking for, but he did out-earn fellow free agent Andrew Miller, who will be pitching late in games for Robertson’s former club.  The incumbent Yankees were reportedly open to going to a fourth year, but it’s not clear if they ever presented him with an offer of that length.

The White Sox are making a massive splash at this year’s Winter Meetings.  In addition to adding Robertson, the White Sox appear to be on the verge of acquiring Jeff Samardzija from the Athletics.  Some observers felt that the White Sox were in need of a rebuild this winter, but they apparently believe very strongly that they can win in 2015.

Last month it was reported that Robertson had serious interest from at least six clubs and the Astros and Yankees were among the teams known to be in the mix.  Robertson entered this offseason as the 13th ranked player on Tim Dierkes’ Top 50 Free Agents list, making him the highest ranked reliever of the winter.

Robertson rejected the Yankees’ qualifying offer, so New York will get an extra pick at the end of the first round of next year’s draft as compensation. The White Sox’ top pick, No. 8 overall, is protected, but they’ll sacrifice their second-round pick, No. 45 overall, once the Robertson signing becomes official.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL East Rumors: Mets, Coke, Breslow, Detwiler

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The latest batch of rumors out of the National League East..

  • The Mets have had preliminary contact with free agent reliever Phil Coke, but there have been no substantive discussions yet, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • The Mets have cast a wide net on lefty relievers but at this time nothing is close and no one in that group stands out, according to Marc Carig of Newsday (via Twitter).  He also hears that the Mets are not engaged with Coke.
  • The Mets met with the reps for Neal Cotts and Craig Breslow, but neither appear to be likely options, according to Carig (via Twitter).
  • The Nationals are also open to moving Ross Detwiler to teams that value him as a starter and, therefore, would give them more in return, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Quick Hits: Lowrie, Santana, Moncada

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Face-to-face communication is downright passé at the winter meetings with most deals being discussed via text or email rather than in person.  Meanwhile, executives and agents are keeping up with every rumor and rumbling right here on MLBTradeRumors.  “I definitely wasn’t picturing being a resource for any kind of executive or agent when I started it in 2005,” MLBTradeRumors.com founder Tim Dierkes said to Joe Lemire of Medium.com. “The whole idea that we’ve affected how deals are made — that’s almost scary to me.”  More from around baseball..

  • Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (via Twitter) hears that Jed Lowrie wants a three-year deal.  The Mets have an eye on Lowrie and the Marlins and Giants are said to be considering him as well.
  • Free agent left-hander Johan Santana is preparing to pitch in January for the Navegantes del Magallanes, his agent Edward Greenberg tells Ken Davidoff of Newsday (via Twitter).
  • Yasmany Tomas is no longer available, but Cuban prospects remain a popular topic of discussion at the winter meetings, writes Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.  Switch-hitting middle infielder Yoan Moncada, 19, and right-handed pitcher Yoan Lopez, 21, are among the players generating the most buzz in international circles this week.  Both are expected to sign with a team sometime next year.

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