Heyman On Trumbo, Ellsbury, Davis, Santana
2013/11/heyman-on-trumbo-ellsbury-davis-santana.htmlWe learned last week that Ervin Santana's asking price was $100MM and today Heyman hears that agents Bean Stringfellow, Joe White, and Jay Alou are seeking a five-year, $112MM pact. … In the case of Milwaukee, however, they may prefer re-signing Corey Hart instead.
AL East Notes: Wieters, Johnson, Drew, Cano, Nava
2013/11/al-east-notes-wieters-johnson-drew-cano-nava.htmlVan Wagenen, the CAA agent who is partnering with Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports, said that Jay-Z will be "intimately involved…… In yesterday's Insider-only column, ESPN's Buster Olney broke down the budget problems facing the Orioles this offseason.
Coaching Links: Nats, Padres, Vizquel, Pirates
2013/11/coaching-links-vizquel-pirates-nats.htmlIn 2013, he worked with hitting coach Jay Bell on the Major League staff and assisted in the implementation of the team's hitting program. … It's tough to imagine the Tigers finding a better mentor for Rookie of the Year runner-up Jose Iglesias.
Yankees Notes: Cano, Tanaka, A-Rod, Ibanez
2013/11/yankees-notes-cano-tanaka-a-rod-ibanez.htmlJay Z may claim that he "made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can," but the rap icon's…… But any value that’s added with Jay Z isn’t added to the equation,” a source tells Martin
Free Agent Profile: Robinson Cano
2013/11/free-agent-profile-robinson-cano.htmlRobinson Cano made headlines early in the regular season by leaving super-agent Scott Boras to become the first client to be represented by rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z's startup sports agency -- Roc Nation Sports. … Jay-Z is partnering with CAA in the Roc Nation Sports effort, and CAA's Brodie Van Wagenen will be handling much of the negotiation process this offseason, though Jay-Z himself is now officially an MLBPA-certified player representative as well.
Cano’s Agents Called Meeting With Mets
2013/11/canos-agents-called-meeting-with-mets.htmlESPN's Adam Rubin tweets that the Mets took the meeting primarily as a means of getting to know a new agent, Jay-Z. … According to Martino, the meeting contained a "Boras-like" presentation, in that it relied on multiple printed reports, visual elements and other tools.
Yankees Won’t Wait For Cano Before Pursuing Other Free Agents
2013/11/yankees-wont-wait-for-cano-before-pursuing-other-free-agents.htmlThe Mets had a meeting with Van Wagenen and Jay-Z last night, but reports have indicated that they won't be serious players for his services. … "If guys start to come off the board, we're going to sign them, which will affect the amount of money we have left for other players including [Cano]." The Yankees have been connected to Jhonny Peralta, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Stephen Drew recently, and Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger quotes Levine as saying that the team is engaged in talks with some of its own free agents as well.
Quick Hits: Giants, Arroyo, De La Cruz, Cano, Blanco
2013/11/quick-hits-giants-arroyo-de-la-cruz-cano.htmlThe Mets met with Cano's agents, Brodie Van Wagenen and Jay-Z, last night, but all indications are that they won't be in the mix for his services. … The Giants made a two-year, $23MM commitment to Hudson yesterday.
Minor Moves: Twins, Pirates, Cabrera, Ely, Alfaro
2013/11/minor-moves-john-ely-gabriel-alfaro.htmlThe others -- right-handers Jay Jackson and Jake Brigham -- each split last season between Double-A and Triple-A. … The Yankees announced that they traded right-hander Ben Paullus to the Padres for utility man Dean Anna.
Reactions To The Kinsler/Fielder Blockbuster
2013/11/reactions-to-the-kinslerfielder-blockbuster.htmlKinsler's agent, Jay Franklin, told Rosenthal that news of the trade was like "getting smoked on the left side of the head" but in a good way. … There's been an overwhelming amount written on last night's blockbuster trade that sent Prince Fielder and $30MM to the Rangers in exchange for second baseman Ian Kinsler and the remaining $62MM on his contract, and we'll round up reactions and ripple effects from the trade here with one more post on the mega-deal...
Cardinals, Angels Swap Freese For Bourjos In Four-Player Deal
2013/11/cardinals-acquire-peter-bourjos.htmlThe Angels had a clear need at third base after trading Alberto Callaspo to the A's last July, and the Cardinals were in the market for a defensive upgrade from Jon Jay, whose center field defense has graded out as a negative over the course of his career. … He slashed .274/.333/.377 in an injury-shortened season after being hit by a pitch on the wrist and requiring surgery.
NL Central Notes: Aybar, Peralta, Beltran, Brewers
2013/11/nl-central-notes-aybar-peralta-beltran-brewers.htmlThis is my speculation, but with top prospect Oscar Taveras knocking on the door, Allen Craig warranting time in right field to give Matt Adams at-bats at first, and Jon Jay still in the fold, a return for Beltran might require another trade to make sense at this point. … Louis Post-Dispatch reports via Twitter, that does not mean that a second deal is on the horizon.
AL Notes: Royals, Kinsler, Napoli, Rangers, Angels
2013/11/intro-the-royals-have-had-no-talks-about-billy-butler-with-any-team-a-source-tells-bob-dutton-of-the-kansas-city-star-v.htmlFOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal tweets that Kinsler's agent, Jay Franklin, says the Tigers are indicating they'll play Kinsler at second base. … A recent end-of-season MRI showed that the avascular necrosis in Napoli's hips isn't an issue at the time, according to the article.
Cafardo On Cano, Saltalamacchia, Nolasco, Navarro
2013/11/cafardo-on-cano-saltalamacchia-nolasco-navarro.htmlThe switch from Scott Boras to Jay-Z doesn't look like it's panning out and the $310MM figure that was floated out has done him a world of harm. … Now positioned as the best available catcher, Salty could get a three-year deal in the $30MM range.
Red Sox Notes: Short/Third, Starters, Catchers, Napoli
2013/11/red-sox-notes-shortthird-starters-catcher-market-napoli.htmlOpining that a reasonable projected value for Napoli (using various WAR projections and dollars-per-win figures) could reach as high as $80MM total over the next four years, SI.com's Jay Jaffe ultimately settles on predicting an eye-popping four-year, $68MM deal for the slugger. … Boston feels confident improved production from the left side of its infield with in-house options like Will Middlebrooks and Xander Bogaerts, says Cherington.
Cano Asking Yankees For Nine Years, $250-$260MM
2013/11/cano-asking-yankees-for-nine-year-250-260mm-deal.htmlThe Yankees are scheduled to meet again with Cano, who is represented by Jay-Z and CAA's Brodie Van Wagenen, on Monday. … 11:00pm: Cano asked for a nine-year deal at $28MM per year, reports ESPN's Buster Olney, a $252MM total that would match Alex Rodriguez's first free agent contract.
Cardinals To Non-Tender John Axford
2013/12/cardinals-to-non-tender-john-axford.htmlLouis will, however, tender contracts to Jon Jay, Peter Bourjos, and Daniel Descalso. … The Cardinals will non-tender reliever John Axford, tweets Derrick Goold of the St.
Mariners Could Offer Cano $225MM
2013/12/mariners-willing-to-pay-cano-230-240mm.htmlCano and agents Jay-Z of Roc Nation Sports and Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA are said to be seeking something in the neighborhood of $252MM. … 6:45pm: The Mariners are "about to offer" Cano a nine-year, $225MM deal, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports.
Mariners Talks With Cano Still Alive After Hitting Snag
2013/12/mariners-talks-with-cano-fall-through.htmlHowever, a late change by agent Jay-Z in which he once again demanded $252MM over 10 years caused Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln to "explode," prompting the meeting to end. … According to the New York Daily News team, Cano and his representatives from CAA and Roc Nation Sports arrived in Seattle with an eight-year, $200MM offer in hand from the Mariners and eventually received assurances that the Mariners would go to nine years and $225MM.
Mariners Close To Deal With Robinson Cano
2013/12/mariners-close-to-deal-with-robinson-cano.htmlReports earlier this morning indicated that a last-minute hike in demands from agent Jay-Z enraged Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln and caused talks to fall apart.
Reaction & Analysis To Robinson Cano’s Signing
2013/12/reaction-analysis-of-robinson-canos-contract.html"For everybody to say this is an A-plus for Jay Z, I just don't buy it. … This is why we have been trying to cushion the blow with alternatives [Brian McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury, so far]." Writing for Grantland, Jonah Keri covers a number of topics about the signing, such as Cano's projected production over the next 10 seasons or how the signing is the best example yet of how MLB's national TV deal has been a windfall for mid-to-small market teams.
Stark Previews Winter Meetings
2013/12/winter-meetings.htmlESPN.com's Jayson Stark is out with a Winter Meetings preview, noting that the frenzy of signings and trades this week threatens to overshadow an event that's traditionally one of the hot stove's busiest periods. … Here's a run-through of his Winter Meetings preview, which includes a survey of 17 big league executives (conducted before the Carlos Beltran and Robinson Cano signings): Some believe Scott Boras will bide his time with Shin-Soo Choo following how quickly a deal for Jacoby Ellsbury came together with the Yankees, but there's another group that believes the superagent wants to show new rival Jay Z that he can be decisive.
Roy Halladay To Retire
2013/12/roy-halladay-to-retire.htmlHalladay will sign a one-day contract with the Blue Jays today so that he can announce his retirement from the game as a member of the Jays, adds Heyman (Twitter links). … He returned to the mound for the Phillies in late August and made six more starts but still wound up posting an uncharacteristic 6.82 ERA in his final, injury-riddled campaign.
Mariners Sign Robinson Cano
2013/12/mariners-to-sign-robinson-cano.htmlNegotiated by CAA's Brodie Van Wagenen and Jay-Z of Roc Nation Sports, Cano's contract ties Albert Pujols for the third-largest deal in Major League history. … The contract is reportedly a ten-year, $240MM contract that will pay Cano $24MM annually with no deferrals.
Orioles & Yankees Notes: Tanaka, Rodney, Igawa
2013/12/orioles-yankees-notes-tanaka-rodney-igawa.htmlIf the Yankees sign Tanaka, he won't be the first Japanese ace they've acquired, Jay Schreiber and David Waldstein of the New York Times point out. … Orioles fans are upset over the team's trade of closer Jim Johnson, and they want the team to become more active in the free-agent market, CSN Baltimore's Rich Dubroff writes.