Yankees manager Aaron Boone suggested Sunday that they won’t sign either Lance Lynn or Alex Cobb, yet the team has “maintained contact with Lynn throughout the offseason,” Jon Morosi of MLB.com writes. The Yankees are monitoring the top available starters in general, according to Morosi, who hears that the Brewers, Phillies, Rangers, Orioles and Nationals are doing the same. The Angels, meanwhile, are open to signing the best free agent reliever, Greg Holland, if the price is right, per Morosi. The Halos’ bullpen has seemingly taken a step back since last year ended, having lost Yusmeiro Petit and Bud Norris to free agency and added only Jim Johnson. While Holland would help make up for those exits, he’s presumably not going to sign for cheap, and inking the qualifying offer recipient would cost the Angels their second-highest draft pick this year and $500K in international spending room.
More from around baseball:
- The NL Central rival Cubs were among the suitors the Cardinals beat out over the winter for the services of right-hander Miles Mikolas, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Mikolas, a former Padre and Ranger, joined the Redbirds on a two-year, $15.5MM deal after a tremendous run in Japan from 2015-17. The fact that the Cardinals’ spring training base is in Jupiter, Fla., Mikolas’ hometown, helped them win the derby, according to Goold. The 29-year-old Mikolas is now all but guaranteed a spot in the Cards’ rotation, along with Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha Adam Wainwright and Luke Weaver. The Cubs, on the other hand, made out well anyway, ending up with Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood to replace the departed Jake Arrieta and John Lackey.
- It seems we’re finally about to get a glimpse inside the secretive free agent camp in Bradenton, Fla., per Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston. The unsigned players at the camp will play a game against a Japanese minor league team on Tuesday, and the media may be allowed in, Drellich reports (Twitter link).
- Free agent outfielder Andre Ethier told MLB Network Radio on Sunday that he’s not ready to call it a career at the age of 35. “You fight so hard to keep this uniform on,” Ethier said (via Twitter). “You don’t know when the last day is going to be. I really feel it, I believe it, I can still step in and have a productive major league at-bat.” Ethier hasn’t drawn any reported interest since the Dodgers declined his option in November, which came on the heels of a second straight injury-plagued season. The last time he was healthy, in 2015, Ethier slashed an excellent .294/.366/.486 over 445 plate appearances. He has collected just 64 PAs since then, though.
- The right foot injury Mariners first baseman Dan Vogelbach suffered Friday isn’t serious, Greg Johns of MLB.com relays (Twitter link). An MRI revealed “a bad bruise” that will shelve Vogelbach for three to four days, which will temporarily leave Mike Ford as the only healthy first baseman on the M’s 40-man roster.
well Andre, we’re going to need more than just “a” productive major league at bat out of you.
What is the Yankees’ budget? “Monitoring”? Lol
Somebody take a guess, at NYY offers to the Lynn’s, Arrieta’s of this FA Class.
Lol evidently. I am sure they would pounce on Lynn if he took 2/20 or a make good 1 year pillow contract for 10 or 12.
I seriously doubt he could be had for that. St Louis offered a QO and would still probably pay the 17 + mill for 2018.
29 other teams would also pounce on that lol.
Xabial this is fake news. I’ve read not just the earlier article on here about the Yankees not being really interested but also CBS.com. Pinstripe Alley also had a take quoting Boone feeling it’s not thought of much…
Perhaps, but the reality of the sitution is they’re currently sitting $16m-22m under the luxury tax.
The belief is their budget is currently at $15m, which they’re saving for in-season improvement, in trades.
If NYY breaks free from this strict, shrewd tax policy, I hope it’s Lynn, if he takes a team friendly, one-year deal $10M range. Yes, I know that chance is non-existent.
Yankees are fine going into the season with their current staff and don’t need the expenditure at this time. There will be better options available at the deadline then any of these.
How is a website quoting a manager “fake news”? Do you even know what fake news is?
Here is an example: if you were to pull up an article on this site and its headline said “Yankees trade Severino, Sanchez and Torres to the Red Sox for David Price plus his entire contract” you would be able to safely call that fake news.
Aaron Boone might be giving out a little false information but how is it the author’s fault when he simply quotes him? Also, who are any of us to say its not true? He is a green manager and I doubt Cashman was very happy with his statement.
Very glad the Cubs lost the “Mikolas derby.”
Yeah I’m not sure why he was so highly sought after.
Hopefully we can see why.
He had solid #’s overseas, if he was born over there and pug up those #’s no one would wonder.
Because he’s deceptive and he’ll show Chicago A.. Cubs why they should have signed him.
Perhaps you’re right on that, but it’s waaaaaaaaaaaay to early to assess a pitcher until well into March. Or June.
Thought he was gonna be a bullpen arm anyway.
Mikolas got lit up today in 2 innings for 6 runs! Of course it was only spring training, but he didn’t look good at all !
It is a little early for that don’t you think? But, as a Cards fan I’m glad y’all won the Jason Heyward derby.
Me too, since I’m a Cards fan of over 50 years! I was just making a statement about Mikolas & his first start!
Will the Saws break $250 million payroll and miss the playoffs?
They are only a few million away from that $235 million super penalty threshold..
I can see the Orioles signing Either. Couple years back they were close to getting him in a trade that would have sent Hardy to the Dodgers. They are looking for a left handed bat for the OF. I know they signed Rasmus but come on that guy is a joke
Rasmus has more left in the tank than ethier. Rasmus can play a decent outfield.
I’ve been wondering this whole time why the Angels aren’t part of the Holland conversation. Nice to know they are at least considering it.
Many teams would consider it for the right price. He turned down 52m from the Rockies. He turned down being paid the highest AAV in history for a reliever for the next 3 years.
He and Scott Boras demanded 4 years. Plus you lose a draft pick on this guy with insane demands and had a bad second half
Did anyone else feel like Dock Ellis when they looked at the cover picture for this article?
Forget Lynn or Cobb, The Yanks should monitor Holland and see if they can add him to whats already a stacked bullpen.
Imagine Chapman, Betances, Robertson, Greene, Kanle, Holland in the same pen….oh lawd
How does that help thier rotation? That is thier weakest link.
Yeah, I’m sure it was their spring training home, and not money, that sealed it….
15.5 seems beatable. Cubs gave chatwood double that.
The Cubs dealing with Mikolas was probably only as a hedge for not landing either Darvish, Arrieta or Cobb and most likely was only for a one-year deal to tide them over to next season’s FA class. It was likely even for more than the Cards offered per year. It’s understandable why Mikolas would take a two-year deal elsewhere instead, near Florida home (for one month a year) or not.
It probably was, a lot of the Cardinals have homes in that area so they can use the facility in the offseason and enjoy the weather. He is from there and has been overseas the last few years, I could see that being a major factor.
The problem with Ethier is his health. He’s essentially an AL player now. But in a market so flooded with corner bats that are flawed I don’t really see a fit. He’s a platoon bat who isn’t an every day player anymore. I’m not sure anyone knows what he looks like defensively at this point. In general, he’s just a hard player to roster at this point.
With guys like Seth smith and cargo stillborn out there it’s hard to make a case to sign ethier. Defensively limited guy don’t have bench spots anymore. Don’t think ethier hits well enough to bridge the gap.
He deserves an invite to somebody’s camp. It surely be would be worth that much to some team to find out what he’s got.
Agreed. Seth smith deserves a job too though. There’s no shortages of guys out there that do. He’s at least as intriguing as Pedro Alvarez that managed to get himself another minor league deal.
I don’t understand the Orioles. They sign Seth Smith last year and he gives them exactly what they wanted. A .340 OBP with 13 HR in only 373 AB. Instead of resigning him they give incentive contracts up to 3 million to junk Colby Rasmus and Danny Valencia. Why not just resign Smith? They are one of the worst ran teams in baseball. The opening days looks to be Adam Jones, Trey Mancini, Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo, Colby Rasmus, Tim Beckham, and Chance Sisco. They are all either going to strike out or hit a HR.
I could the rangers signing Alex Cobb
See*
Orioles monitoring the top SP’s left? Well, Arrieta is obviously not on the table and apparently we haven’t had any real contact with Cobb. That leaves Lynn or bust.
I think the Cubs are happier they ended up with Chatwood over Mikolas to fill their fifth starting pitcher position and will be pleased if Tyler has an over .500 record. The Cubs first four starters (Darvish, Hendricks, Lester and Quintana) will all probably vie for the team’s top slot. The Cards, on the other hand, are most likely hoping Mikolas fares better than fourth or fifth in their own rotation rankings for their team to keep pace in the league.
If the angels can get holland for right price, he might be the final piece to their puzzle they have needed.
Amen brother! Why not spend for a reliable badass?! My blood pressure can’t take another “closer by committee” season!
The Angels definitely need a closer.
I hope Vogelbach has a speedy recovery. Hope he succeeds. He helped the cubs win the world series with the acquisition of Mike Montgomery.
Ethier -> ChiSox. If they’re going anywhere this season, it’s by luck. Let him provide some veteran presence to the team while he keeps a spot warm for someone ready to seriously contribute in ‘19.