Rosenthal’s Latest: Uptons, Ellsbury, Myers, Garland
Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Mets were discussing R.A. Dickey in trades with other teams. He hears that the club has not made a "substantial (extension) offer" yet, and if they get the right trade offer they may just move on. Here are the rest of Rosenthal's rumors from the GM Meetings…
- The Rays need B.J. Upton to reject his qualifying offer before making a serious run at his brother Justin. The elder Upton is drawing interest and figures to reject the offer by tomorrow's deadline.
- The Tigers are a darkhorse for Justin since they could offer top third base prospect Nick Castellanos and others, including guys like Avisail Garcia, Rick Porcello, and Drew Smyly.
- The Braves do not appear to be in serious pursuit of Upton.
- The Red Sox continue to be disinclined to trade Jacoby Ellsbury and the chances of moving him are slim. GM Ben Cherington is the type to listen on all of his players, however.
- Brett Myers is telling teams he wants to be a starter first, a closer second, and a setup man third.
- Jon Garland, who has not pitched since July 2011 due to shoulder surgery, intends to make a comeback. He threw for 10-15 teams in September.
Sherman’s Latest: Dickey, Wright, Hunter, Upton
Here's the latest from Joel Sherman of The New York Post…
- The Mets are making progress, albeit slowly, in contract talks with David Wright and R.A. Dickey. The impression is that there is still a substantial gap in talks with Dickey, and they've been gauging his trade value during the GM Meetings. They are not doing the same with Wright, however.
- The Yankees would not do a two-year deal worth $20MM or so for Torii Hunter since they want to get under the luxury tax threshold next year. They are fixated on one-year contracts this offseason and could fill their right field hole with a low-cost platoon.
- "The Yankees are not on him," said a source about Justin Upton, in part because they're unsure if he's a good fit for New York (Twitter link). The Rangers and Rays are strongest early players for Upton, and Sherman gets the sense that the D'Backs want to act quickly (Twitter links).
- The Diamondbacks want high-end, MLB ready players in return for Upton and would love to get Jurickson Profar or (more likely) Elvis Andrus from the Rangers. They don't love Mike Olt, however (Twitter links). GM Kevin Towers likes Yankees prospect Mason Williams, but he is several years away from the show and unlikely to be enough to headline a trade package (all Twitter links).
- Next year's crop of free agent starting pitchers is weak, which could benefit Zack Greinke since teams won't be able to find a stopgap and reassess next year. Josh Johnson and Tim Lincecum highlight next winter's pitching crop, and both come with question marks.
- The Mariners, who have young pitching, are said to be talking to the Royals and Twins, who have young hitting. Seattle would love to pry Wil Myers, Aaron Hicks, and/or Ben Revere loose.
- Jason Bay didn't produce with the Mets, but he lived up to his billing as a hard worker and good teammate. Sherman expects the outfielder to take a low-salary, change of scenery deal (Twitter link).
- Mets officials think Scott Hairston will get a two-year deal worth between $8-10MM this winter.
Minor Moves: Mock, Burke, Maier, Slowey, Ford
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves…
- The Diamondbacks have signed Garrett Mock to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 29-year-old right-hander posted a 3.79 ERA in 61 2/3 relief innings in Triple-A this season.
- The Mets have signed right-hander Greg Burke to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training, the team announced (on Twitter). Burke, 30, pitched to a 1.53 ERA in 64 2/3 relief innings in Triple-A this year.
- Indians right-hander Kevin Slowey has elected free agency, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. The 28-year-old spent 2012 with Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate.
- The Red Sox have signed Mitch Maier to a minor league deal, reports Baseball America’s Matt Eddy (on Twitter). The 30-year-old outfielder hit .172/.260/.313 in 74 plate appearances for the Royals this year.
- The Pirates have signed Darren Ford to a minor league pact, reports Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The 27-year-old outfielder hit .273/.326/.385 with 26 steals in 329 Triple-A plate appearances this year.
- The Pirates have signed infielder Jared Goedert to a minor league deal, reports Rosenthal (on Twitter). The 27-year-old hit .311/.373/.502 with 19 homers in 504 plate appearances split between Double-A and Triple-A this season.
- The Royals have agreed to re-sign catcher Manny Pina to a minor league contract, reports Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star (on Twitter). Pina, 25, hit .278/.415/.417 in 183 minor league plate appearances this summer. Dutton notes that he will be exposed in next month’s Rule 5 Draft.
Latest On Justin Upton, Diamondbacks
Justin Upton's no-trade list last year included the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, and Cubs, but Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers now says that the no-trade list is made up of four new teams, tweets Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Towers said that it won't keep him from speaking with those four teams and he has even had talks with one of them already (Twitter link).
Towers also noted that the A's were on Chris Young's no-trade list but he ultimately agreed to go to Oakland last month, Piecoro tweets. Earlier today it was reported that the D'Backs were in active discussions regarding Upton and the Red Sox are expected to join the fray. The 25-year-old was hindered by hand issues in 2012 and posted a .280/.355/.430 batting line with 17 homers.
Diamondbacks Will Listen To Offers For Trevor Bauer
The Diamondbacks are already involved in "active discussions" about Justin Upton, and now ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports that the team will also listen to trade offers for Trevor Bauer (Twitter links). The right-hander has fallen out of favor with some in the organization.
Bauer, 21, was the third overall pick in the 2011 draft. He made his MLB debut this season and surrendered 13 runs in 16 1/3 innings across four starts while also battling a groin problem. Bauer pitched to a 2.42 ERA in 130 1/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A this year as well. Between Upton and Bauer, GM Kevin Towers may be in possession of this offseason's two biggest trade chips.
D’Backs In “Active Discussions” About Justin Upton
It's that time of the year again. The Diamondbacks are engaged in "active discussions" about a trade involving Justin Upton, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Multiple teams are looking into his background, makeup, etc. (Twitter link), and one executive put the outfielder's chances of playing elsewhere next season at 80-20.
Upton, 25, hit .280/.355/.430 with 17 homers this season while battling hand issues. He hit .289/.369/.529 with 31 homers just a year ago, earning him a fourth place finish in the MVP voting. Upton is signed through 2015 for a total of $38.5MM. Rosenthal says his limited no-trade clause included the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, and Cubs this year, though the list has since changed.
The Diamondbacks seems to be involved in trade discussions involving Upon every offseason and every trade deadline, though the most serious talks occurred back in 2010. Arizona has already traded Chris Young and still has plenty of outfield depth with Gerardo Parra, Adam Eaton, and Jason Kubel.
Minor Moves: Nickeas, Lewis, Bonine
Earlier today we linked to a list of all 549 players to become minor league free agents this winter, and now let's recap some other minor moves…
- Catcher Mike Nickeas and outfielder Fred Lewis have both elected free agency after being removed from the 40-man roster by the Mets, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. The 29-year-old Nickeas hit .174/.242/.299 in 122 plate appearances this year while the 31-year-old Lewis hit .150/.320/.150 in just 25 plate appearances.
- The Diamondbacks have signed right-hander Eddie Bonine to a split contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The is coming off Tommy John surgery and will earn $500K in the big leagues. Bonine owns a career 4.74 ERA and was originally drafted by D'Backs GM Kevin Towers during his Padres days.
Managerial Notes: Rockies, Blue Jays
Assuming the Nationals work out a deal to keep Davey Johnson in place, the Rockies and Blue Jays will be the only two teams still seeking managers. Here’s the latest on their respective searches…
- Walt Weiss and Matt Williams are the two remaining candidates for the Rockies' position, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports. Weiss remains the favorite, according to Saunders. Rockies bench coach Tom Runnells and veteran slugger Jason Giambi are no longer in the running for the job.
- Williams, the Diamondbacks third-base coach, told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post that his interview for the Rockies' managerial opening went "very well." Rockies owner Dick Monfort, GM Dan O'Dowd and senior VP Bill Geivett asked Williams about his philosophy on managing in Coors Field.
- The Rockies had some talks with former Rockies player Eric Young Sr. and Steve Buechele, who manages the Rangers' Double-A team, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. There's no indication those two candidates will receive more extensive consideration, Harding writes.
- Former MLB manager and player Art Howe told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that he'd like to manage the Blue Jays. The 65-year-old has some connections in Toronto and says the Blue Jays can compete before long. “They have some nice talent and were very competitive until they fell off with those injuries to their position players," Howe told Elliott.
- Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reported yesterday that the Blue Jays are in no rush to find a manager. They'll resume their search following this week's GM Meetings.
East Notes: Mets, Jays, Shields, Red Sox, Nationals
As it stands now, the Mets don't have a great deal of money to spend in free agency after exercising the options on David Wright and R.A. Dickey for 2013. However, the club could free up cash by opting to trade one or both if they are unable to come to terms on contract extensions. The Mets have a serious need for outfield help and multiple baseball officials told Mike Puma of the New York Post that they see Cody Ross as a possible free agent target for the team. Here's more from the AL and NL East:
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers told MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom that "the Blue Jays have kicked the tires about possibly interviewing" Matt Williams for their managerial vacancy, but have yet to formally ask for permission. Williams is scheduled to meet with top Rockies officials at Coors Field and will be the final candidate to do so, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com.
- James Shields, who is set to become the highest-paid player in Rays' franchise history, is prepared to be a prime subject of the Hot Stove rumor mill this winter, writes the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. "Obviously my name's been thrown around a lot," the right-hander said. "I'm just going to go about my business and not really worry about it. Obviously I want to be a Ray. I've been here 12 years, this is my home. If it does happen, it'll be a sad day."
- Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald suggests that the Red Sox should trade Jacoby Ellsbury as they are unlikely to come to terms with him on a contract extension. The Red Sox could find a partner in the Rangers as they may prefer to give Ellsbury a long-term commitment rather than Josh Hamilton and can afford to part with shortstop Elvis Andrus.
- The Red Sox are bolstering their scouting department in anticipation of having, for the first time since 1993 and just the second time since 1967, a top ten pick in the amateur draft, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier. The team rehired John Booher, the person most directly involved in the scouting process of Ellsbury in 2005 and Nick Hagadone in 2007, and hired former MLB pitcher Brian Moehler as an area scout for Georgia.
- Tom Kotchman, who resigned last week as a manager and scout in the Angels organization, interviewed with the Red Sox on Thursday, tweets Conor Glassey of Baseball America. Glassey points to former Angels scouting director Eddie Bane's position with Boston as the club's new Special Assistant to Player Personnel for the mutual interest.
- The Red Sox wanted to hold on to reliever Michael Olmstead, but their current 40-man roster crunch made it impossible, explains Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The 6'7", 245-pound right-hander signed with the Brewers as a minor league free agent last night.
- For now, people familiar with the Nationals’ thinking expect them to either trade arbitration-eligible John Lannan or allow him to walk, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. The Nats could instead convert Christian Garcia from a reliever to a starter to fill out the rotation, but his history of arm trouble may make that too risky.
Edward Creech contributed to this post.
NL West Links: Giants, Affeldt, Rockies, D’Backs
The Giants don't plan on making qualifying offers to Marco Scutaro, Jeremy Affeldt or Angel Pagan by tomorrow's deadline, reports Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes predicted that Pagan would get a qualifying offer (a one-year, $13.3MM contract) that would ultimately be rejected by the outfielder as he will no doubt receive multiyear offers on the open market. Without a qualifying offer, Pagan can sign elsewhere and the Giants wouldn't receive any draft picks as compensation.
Here's some more news from around the NL West…
- The Giants want to bring back all three players, though Baggarly reports that team officials "are less confident about their ability to" re-sign Pagan given how much interest the outfielder is likely to get from other teams.
- Scutaro, Affeldt and Pagan all want to return to the Giants, though Affeldt specified that he's looking for a multiyear contract, writes Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The Giants are talking to the agents of the three players to see if a deal can be struck before the end of the team's exclusive negotiating period, tweets Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. None of the deals are close and Schulman predicts that Pagan will test the market, while Scutaro is the player with the best chance to re-sign quickly.
- Walt Weiss, Jason Giambi and Matt Williams will all meet with Rockies owner Dick Monfort and GM Dan O'Dowd, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post. These three and Tom Runnells (who has already met with management) appear to be the final candidates to be the next Rockies manager. (Both links are to Twitter).
- The Rockies are unlikely to pick a new manager by the end of the week, writes MLB.com's Thomas Harding, as O'Dowd is currently out of town and will then be attending next week's GM meetings.
- The Astros have claimed right-hander Sam Demel and infielder Jake Elmore off waivers from the Diamondbacks, according to an Astros media release. Demel, who came to Arizona in the 2010 trade that sent Conor Jackson to Oakland, has a 4.95 ERA in 72 relief appearances for the Snakes since 2010, with a 1.85 K/BB ratio and 48 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings. Elmore, 25, was a 34th-round pick of the D'Backs in 2008 who made his Major League debut this season, posting a .497 OPS in 73 plate appearances.
- In news from earlier today, the Giants declined their 2013 option on Aubrey Huff and I posted a collection of Diamondbacks notes.