NL West Rumors: Saunders, Overbay, Headley
One round of NL West notes wasn't enough for today, so let's do it again:
- The Diamondbacks have extended a contract offer to Joe Saunders, and it appears to be for two years, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. GM Kevin Towers says other teams have inquired about Saunders, and that the D'Backs intend to either trade him or sign him to a new deal, rather than go to arbitration (Twitter link).
- Steve Gilbert of MLB.com says (on Twitter) the Diamondbacks expect to hear tonight whether Lyle Overbay will accept their one-year offer.
- The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with Joe Martinez, who will be added to the 40-man roster, tweet Piecoro.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock (Twitter link) says the Padres are asking for "the moon" for Chase Headley. They could move him, but it will cost a lot if they do.
- The Padres are looking at Andrew Bailey and several free agent arms to replace Heath Bell, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (via Twitter). Hayes adds that the team isn't willing to commit more than two years to any free agent arm (Twitter link).
- The Rockies' waiver claim of Jamie Hoffmann increases the probability of Ryan Spilborghs being non-tendered, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
Heyman On Wright, Kuroda, Gonzalez, Marlins
Here's the latest from MLB Network's Jon Heyman's Twitter feed:
- The Mets received a couple unsolicited "bad" trade offers for David Wright, but have no plans to move him.
- The Diamondbacks are known to be targeting Hiroki Kuroda, and a report this morning indicated talks between the two sides were getting more serious. However, Heyman spoke to a source who believed it was a "stretch" that the right-handed would sign with Arizona.
- Athletics GM Billy Beane is telling teams he's not anxious to trade Gio Gonzalez.
- One GM called the reported six-year offer on the table to C.J. Wilson "nuts."
- The Marlins continue to say they're serious about their pursuit of Albert Pujols, even with Jose Reyes and Heath Bell on board.
NL West Rumors: Ludwick, Gillick, Padres, Rockies
The latest on various NL West clubs…
- Heath Bell told MLB.com's Corey Brock he never heard from new Padres GM Josh Byrnes. Bell noted that he passed on offers of a little more money to take a three-year, $27MM deal from the Marlins.
- The Padres' goal is to fix the eighth and ninth innings this offseason, manager Bud Black told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio.
- The Dodgers are closing in on a minor league deal with reliever Alberto Castillo, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. The 36-year-old spent most of the year at Triple-A, posting a 1.91 ERA and 8.1 K/9 in 42 1/3 innings there.
- The Giants are believed to have scheduled a meeting today with Ryan Ludwick's agent Dan Horwits, reports MLB.com's Chris Haft. Ludwick, 33, hit .237/.310/.363 with 13 home runs in 553 plate appearances for the Padres and Pirates this year.
- Phillies senior advisor and former GM Pat Gillick would consider a position as the Dodgers' new president of baseball operations, he told Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.
- The Padres are getting hits on Chase Headley, Jason Bartlett, and Orlando Hudson, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, who expects one of them to be dealt by spring training. Hudson, who is owed $7.5MM through 2012, would be a pure salary dump, tweets Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.
- The Rockies are lukewarm at best on Hudson, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, who wonders if the Giants' Jeff Keppinger could be a fit. Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News says the Giants are looking to get creative on the trade front for outfield and infield help.
- Non-tender candidate Joe Saunders told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert he'd like to return to the Diamondbacks, but the decision is up to the team. About a week ago, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that Saunders has a very good chance of returning to the D'Backs on a two-year deal.
Diamondbacks Targeting Kuroda, Saito
12:16pm: The D'Backs also have reliever Takashi Saito in their sights, tweets Henson. Recently Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweeted that the Brewers and five other teams have shown interest in Saito.
9:18am: We've known for a while now that the Diamondbacks are targeting free agent righty Hiroki Kuroda. According to a tweet from Yahoo's Steve Henson, an official says a deal could get done this week if the 36-year-old drops his demand for a second-year player option.
Reportedly, Kuroda will consider all offers regardless of location, and seeks a $12-13MM salary. In addition to Arizona, the Hiroshima Carp, Rockies, Red Sox, and Angels appear to have varying levels of interest.
D’Backs Prioritizing Montero Extension At Meetings
The Diamondbacks are prioritizing an extension for Miguel Montero, writes Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports. Last month we heard that while there's mutual interest between the two sides, discussions were at an impasse. The 27-year-old backstop played in a career-high 140 games, batting .282/.351/.469 in 2011.
Within the same piece, Ringolsby says the Snakes must also decide whether or not to bring back lefty Joe Saunders. Saunders is in line for a big raise from his $5.5MM salary in 2011, and the D'Backs have the depth to non-tender him and fill the spot internally with names like Jarrod Parker, Tyler Skaggs, and Trevor Bauer.
Latest On Mark Buehrle
Earlier today, we heard that three teams have offers to Mark Buehrle. All three teams are offering the years and dollars that Buehrle is seeking, but he's yet to receive an offer that contains a no-trade clause. More on Buehrle as the rumors pile up:
- The Nationals have made it clear that Buehrle is their top target, writes ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.
- The Nationals made an offer to Buehrle, MLB.com's Bill Ladson has confirmed (via Twitter). Roy Oswalt is still in the mix as well.
- The Marlins' offer to Buehrle is considered "a very strong one," and likely makes the club the current frontrunner, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Chuck Garfien of CSNChicago.com. The White Sox remain in a quiet holding pattern but it should be noted that they would be willing to give the veteran a no-trade clause, as that's something they've done in the past.
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the Miami Sun-Sentinel examines the Marlins' team policy of not including no-trade clauses in their contracts and wonders if an exception should be made for Buehrle (or other top free agents).
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Rangers, Nationals, and Marlins are being the most aggressive on Buehrle. Washington prefers a shorter deal with Buehrle to a longer contract with C.J. Wilson.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that Buehrle is seeking $14MM annually. There are indeed 14 teams interested in Buehrle according to Heyman, and he calls the Twins and Diamondbacks "surprise entrants" while noting that the asking price is prohibitive for them.
D’Backs Have Made Offer To Lyle Overbay
The Diamondbacks have an offer on the table to veteran first baseman Lyle Overbay, reports Jack Magruder of Fox Sports Arizona (Twitter link). It is thought to be a one-year contract and the Snakes expect a response from Overbay's representatives early in the Winter Meetings.
Overbay was thought to be on Arizona's radar when GM Kevin Towers suggested the team wanted a complement to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. (Overbay is a left-handed hitter while Goldschmidt bats from the right side.) Overbay, 34, joined the D'Backs in August after being designated for assignment by the Pirates in July. He hit a combined .234/.310/.360 in 440 plate appearances with Arizona and Pittsburgh last season.
NL West Notes: Saunders, Dodgers, Giants
The Rockies have grabbed the headlines tonight, trading Chris Iannetta to the Angels for Tyler Chatwood and agreeing to terms with Ramon Hernandez on a two-year deal. However, there’s lots more going on in the NL West. Here are the details:
- There’s a “very good” chance Joe Saunders signs a two-year deal with the Diamondbacks, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Saunders, a non-tender candidate, has a projected 2012 salary of $8.7MM.
- The Dodgers are looking for starting pitching and remain in on Hiroki Kuroda, Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark (on Twitter). However, Kuroda may be too pricey for the Dodgers, who also like Jeff Francis.
- The Dodgers will have a new owner before long, so Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times asks baseball people what qualities a good owner has. I recommend DiGiovanna’s piece, which suggests passion and money top the list of traits fans might want in an owner.
- Incoming Giants CEO Larry Baer confirmed that the team will operate with a $130MM payroll in 2012, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. The team followed up its 2010 World Championship season with a $118MM payroll in 2011.
- For more news on the Rockies, click here.
13 Teams Eligible For First Competitive Balance Lottery
The new collective bargaining agreement calls for a competitive balance draft pick lottery beginning in 2013, and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has details. 13 teams will be eligible for the first lottery based on their market size and revenue: the Diamondbacks, Orioles, Indians, Royals, Athletics, Pirates, Padres, Rays, Reds, Rockies, Marlins, Brewers, and Cardinals. The lottery gives each of these teams the chance to win one of six extra picks in the 2013 draft, which will come after the compensation picks for free agents. The odds of winning a pick will be based on each team's winning percentage in the previous season.
There will be another group of six picks after the draft's second round. The teams in the mix for these will be the ones that did not win a pick in the first lottery, as well as any other team that receives revenue sharing.
Mayo says lottery picks can be traded, but only once by a team and only during the regular season. The picks cannot be sold for cash.
A third lottery will be held for picks forfeited by teams that exceeded their bonus pools. Teams that did not exceed their pools will be eligible, with odds based on a formula of revenue and winning percentage. Got all that? There will be a quiz tomorrow.
Minor Moves: Podsednik, Evans, Pena, Astros, Ray
Here's where we'll keep track of today's minor moves…
- The Phillies have signed outfielder Scott Podsednik to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 35-year-old did not appear in the big leagues last year, instead hitting .254/.340/.396 in the Phillies' and Blue Jays' farm systems.
- The Pirates have signed Nick Evans to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, reports Andy Martino of The New York Daily News. The 25-year-old hit .256/.314/.403 line in 194 plate appearances with the Mets last season, playing all four corner positions
- The Red Sox re-signed Tony Pena to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, according to Stark. The converted shortstop would earn $625K if he makes the big league team.
- The Astros signed catcher Carlos Corporan to a minor league deal and invited him to Major League Spring Training, according to Alyson Footer of the Astros (on Twitter).
- The White Sox signed Brian Bruney to a minor league deal, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. The right-hander would earn $600K for making the big league team.
- Robert Ray signed a minor league deal with the Marlins, according to Crasnick.
- The Phillies signed left-hander Pat Misch and infielder Kevin Frandsen to minor league contracts, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (Twitter links). Misch, 30, appeared in six games for the Mets this past season, spending most of the year with Triple-A Buffalo. He posted a 4.00 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 141 2/3 innings as a starter for the Bisons. Frandsen, who last appeared in the Major Leagues in 2010, spent the 2011 season in the Phillies' minor league system and posted a .309/.361/.430 line in 338 plate appearances.
- The Diamondbacks signed right-handed reliever Jensen Lewis to a minor league deal, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned (Stark originally reported the Rangers signed him). Lewis, 27, would earn $675K in the Major Leagues, according to Stark. Lewis spent the 2011 season at Triple-A, but has a career ERA of 3.68 with 8.0 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in parts of four MLB seasons.