Rockies To Sign Luis Vizcaino?
Dejan Kovacevic says the Bucs fell "just short" of getting free agent reliever Luis Vizcaino. That may mean the Rockies, the other team pursuing him, reached an agreement. We’ll have to see if the Rockies beat writers check in soon. Vizcaino had been looking for a three or four-year deal.
Rangers Signing Fukumori
UPDATE, 12-13-07 at 10:20am: Rosenthal confirms this signing; it kind of flew under the radar. Pretty cheap at $1.5MM per year.
UPDATE, 12-12-07 at 1:57pm: My Japanese-speaking friend says that this article indicates Fukumori signed with Texas for two years and $3MM. The $1.5MM salary is about twice what he made in ’07. Fukumori also had offers from the Pirates and Rays.
FROM 12-12-07 at 9:08am:
According to Evan Grant, the Rangers are "on the verge" of signing Japanese reliever Kazuo Fukumori. It would be a two-year deal.
As many as 10 teams were said to be interested in Fukumori, including the Yankees, Nationals, Royals, and Red Sox. Ken Davidoff recently spoke to a scout who described Fukumori as "not bad."
Vizcaino Close With Bucs, Rox
Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Luis Vizcaino is close to signing a multi-year deal with either the Pirates or the Rockies. The righty reliever rejected arbitration the Yankees offer of arbitration.
I’m not quite sure why the Pirates are looking to sign a middle reliever to a multi-year deal. He makes far more sense for the Rox, who figure to contend next year. They’re looking to replace LaTroy Hawkins, and could probably get similar production from The Viz.
After posting ERAs under 4.00 from 2004 through 2006, Vizcaino topped that threshold this year. While he was solid for three months of the season, he was absolutely atrocious for the other three.
–Joe
Bay, Pads Talks “Completely Untrue”
We hear rumors earlier in the day that the Padres and Pirates were in "deep talks" regarding Jason Bay. Now, Dejan Kovacevic says that no such talks have occurred. This comes after the revelation that Chase Headley wouldn’t be involved in any deal.
The only talks between the two clubs, according to Kovacevic, have regarded catcher Michael Barrett. According to the source "those talks didn’t expand beyond Barrett."
–Joe
Padres Deep In Talks For Bay
UPDATE, 12-12-07 at 3:56pm: Krasovic jumps in to say that the Padres definitely won’t be trading Headley to the Bucs (and probably not at all). The Pirates and Padres have been talking a lot, and some kind of deal involving some of the players below could definitely happen.
UPDATE, 12-12-07 at 12:01pm: Buster Olney is reporting that the Padres are "deep into discussions" with the Pirates about a multiplayer trade in which Bay would be the centerpiece.
FROM 12-12-07 at 9:30am:
Tom Krasovic checks in with all sorts of fresh Padres rumors, as he often does. Below are the ones that haven’t come up elsewhere on the site today.
- The Padres and Pirates might have mutual ground for some kind of multiplayer deal. Names like Matt Morris, Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, and/or Nate McLouth are possible future Padres. The Bucs could go for Michael Barrett and/or Padres’ top prospect Chase Headley. My challenge to you: create a reasonable multiplayer trade scenario between these two clubs in the comments.
- Krasovic says the Padres "explored a trade" for the Cardinals’ Anthony Reyes. The Indians and Phillies have also been linked to the youngster before.
- As you might expect, Morgan Ensberg will probably be non-tendered today. He made $4.35MM in ’07, and the Friars don’t want to pay him anything like that.
- Akinori Otsuka is another non-tender candidate, and the Padres could seek to bring him back if so. Otsuka has been throwing pain-free since late October, though, so the Rangers will probably retain him.
Indians Rumors: Haren, Blanton, Bedard, Inge
Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer gets the Indians rumor mill churning.
- As we mentioned earlier today, the Indians have spoken to the A’s about Dan Haren and Joe Blanton. They’ve also inquired on Erik Bedard. The Tribe is quietly looking to pair C.C. Sabathia with another ace. Such an acquisition would soften the blow if Sabathia leaves after the ’08 season. Hoynes says a Haren acquisition might require one player from the Indians’ 25-man roster plus at least one near MLB-ready guy.
- The Tribe had brief talks with Detroit about Brandon Inge, but they’ve moved on. Doesn’t seem to be much interest in Inge.
- Cliff Lee and Kelly Shoppach weren’t part of the Jason Bay discussions. Instead, the Pirates were looking for a slew of the Indians’ best prospects. It seems the Bay talks have since cooled.
Odds and Ends: Mench, Kent, Durbin, Wang
Rounding up this morning’s Odds and Ends, to be updated periodically…
- The Pirates are talking to the Tigers about acquiring Chad Durbin. The arbitration-eligible Durbin doesn’t have a place in Detroit’s rotation, but could be useful for the Bucs.
- Chien-Ming Wang would like a three or four-year deal with the Yanks.
- The Phillies will pass on Kevin Mench, though they’ve still got their eye on Nate McLouth. The Royals’ disinterest in Mench was noted yesterday.
- We’ve assumed it for a while, but Jeff Kent playing in 2008 is now official.
- The Twins may have non-tendered Jason Tyner.
Odds and Ends: Inge, Greene, Pavano
A few tidbits this morning as we wait to hear more on Fukudome…
- The Tigers and Pirates have had talks about Brandon Inge. Not sure how he fits in with that club, but OK.
- Yesterday Barry Svrluga wrote of a failed Padres-Nats trade worth noting. The Nats would’ve sent Jon Rauch or Chad Cordero plus Felipe Lopez to the Padres for Khalil Greene. The talks fizzled; it never sounded like something the Padres would be interested in. They usually grow their own relievers. Tom Krasovic over at the San Diego Union-Tribune elaborates a little more on Jim Bowden’s love for Greene.
- Carl Pavano, the American Idle, is deciding whether to take a minor league contract with the Yanks. Peter Abraham says the Yankees are offering this to make sure they can collect on insurance.
- Xavier Nady will be tendered a contract, officially putting the rumors to rest.
- The Brewers inked Eric Munson to be their possible backup catcher.
Padres Rumors: Iguchi, Eckstein, Barrett, Bonds
Aside from the aforementioned Fukudome stuff, Tom Krasovic has some trade rumors to discuss in today’s article.
- It seems the Padres and Rockies are the main competitors for Tadahito Iguchi. The Pads wouldn’t mind getting Matt Antonelli more seasoning at Triple A. Meanwhile the Rockies are offering Iguchi two years. The Padres also like the idea of getting David Eckstein on a one-year deal, not something he’s expecting to go for.
- The Pirates still like Michael Barrett, but expect him to require little in the way of players.
- While the Padres recently met with Barry Bonds‘ agent, Jeff Borris, the team’s CEO said point-blank that they have no interest in him. It might’ve been a less interesting Borris client such as Jeff Cirillo, Tony Graffanino, or Jay Witasick.
- The Padres haven’t been in touch with Aaron Rowand’s people. They seem in agreement on two years for Mike Cameron, but they disagree on the dollars.
Brewers Acquire Torres
UPDATE, 12-10-07 at 10:08pm: No more Torres drama…he’ll join the Brewers for the 2008 season.
UPDATE, 12-8-07 at 12:06pm: Seems this story isn’t over. Torres is contemplating retirement, in which case the Brewers would probably lose the two prospects for nothing. Torres will talk it over with his family and take a few days to decide.
FROM 12-7-07 at 2:16pm:
According to Tom Haudricourt, the Brewers have acquired reliever Salomon Torres for minor league relievers Marino Salas and Kevin Roberts.
Torres turns 36 in March. He threw a monstrous 280 innings in relief over 2004-2006, so it’s no surprise his elbow started barking in 2007. His strikeout rate in ’07 was actually a career high, but his groundball rate decreased and he allowed a lot more home runs and hits than usual. Torres makes $3.2MM in ’08 and has a $3.75MM club option for ’09.
Haudricourt actually wrote the Brewers’ top ten prospect list for Baseball America, so believe him when he says Salas and Roberts are good arms.
Will the Pirates keep dealing? It’s known that relievers Damaso Marte and John Grabow are on the block.