Headlines

  • Giants Acquire Rafael Devers
  • Shohei Ohtani To Make Dodgers Pitching Debut On Monday
  • Roki Sasaki No Longer Throwing; No Timetable For Return
  • Nationals To Promote Brady House
  • White Sox, Brewers Swap Aaron Civale, Andrew Vaughn
  • Justin Martínez To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2024-25 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2025
    • Free Agent Contest Leaderboard
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Scott Boras, Rob Manfred Disagree On CBA

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 22, 2013 at 11:15am CDT

Baseball’s most prominent agent says the integrity of the sport has been damaged by its collective bargaining agreement. MLB’s top labor executive says the system works, even though one prominent player remains jobless. Within a telling piece at USA Today, Bob Nightengale reports that agent Scott Boras and MLB executive VP Rob Manfred are at odds over the current CBA. 

Boras argues that the basic agreement encourages teams to finish with poor records. The clubs that finish with the worst records are able to spend more freely on amateur players.

"The integrity of the game has been compromised,'' Boras told Nightengale. "What baseball has done, it has created a dynamic where draft dollars are affecting the Major Leaguers. Teams are constructing clubs to be non-competitive, like Houston and Miami, so they can position themselves where they can get more draft dollars. Clubs are trying to finish last to create more draft dollars. And this dramatically affects the Wild Card and Major League standings.''

Kyle Lohse, the top unsigned free agent, has suggested in recent months that the new draft pick compensation rules have limited his leverage (latest Lohse rumors here). His agent agrees. Boras argues that draft dollars are "the latest currency" for MLB general managers.

“And the best way to earn draft dollars is to sabotage your Major League team and finish last,'' he said.

In the past teams didn’t mind surrendering a first round draft pick to sign a prominent player, Boras said. The clubs could simply spend over-slot on players in later rounds, a practice that is no longer permitted in the same way.

“Now, you've taken away the structure of the scouting and developing,” Boras said. “They have stolen our youth. They have kidnapped our children in this system.''

Manfred explained that the agreement won’t be changed to accommodate one player.

"It is important to focus on all the changes to the system of draft choice compensation,'' Manfred told Nightengale. "A large number of players were freed from the burden of compensation completely, and those players undoubtedly received better contracts as a result. We have not heard anyone raising questions as to whether the system is working for those players.”

Manfred points out that with the exception of Lohse the nine players who declined qualifying offers obtained substantial contracts.

"The fact that one Scott Boras client has not signed does not convince me that the system is broken,'' Manfred said.

Agent Larry Reynolds represents B.J. Upton, another player who hit free agency after declining his former team’s qualifying offer. Reynolds told Nightengale it would be “misleading” to suggest that draft pick compensation is the lone variable that determines a free agent’s value.

Share 4 Retweet 20 Send via email0

Collective Bargaining Agreement Houston Astros Miami Marlins Scott Boras

0 comments

Nationals Sign J.C. Romero

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 22, 2013 at 8:54am CDT

The Nationals announced that they have agreed to sign left-hander J.C. Romero to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training (Twitter link). Praver/Shapiro represents Romero.

Romero, who pitched for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic this month, had brief stints with the Cardinals and Orioles in 2012. The 36-year-old spent much of last year at Triple-A, where he posted a 2.74 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 23 innings for the International League affiliates of the Indians and Orioles. Romero, a veteran of 14 MLB seasons, said last summer that he was considering retirement.

The Nationals have a righty-heavy bullpen figures to include left-hander Zach Duke. Southpaws Fernando Abad and Bill Bray are other options in the organization. Manager Davey Johnson views Romero as "insurance," Amanda Comak of the Washington Times reports (on Twitter).

Share 2 Retweet 40 Send via email0

Transactions Washington Nationals J.C. Romero

0 comments

Offseason In Review: Texas Rangers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 22, 2013 at 7:36am CDT

The Rangers lost significant contributors this past offseason, and while they countered by adding some newcomers, the gap between the Rangers and the rest of the AL West has disappeared.

Major League Signings

  • Lance Berkman, 1B: one year, $10MM. $12MM Club option for 2014.
  • Jason Frasor, RP: one year, $1.5MM.
  • A.J. Pierzynski, C: one year, $7.5MM.
  • Joakim Soria, RP: two years, $8MM. Club option for 2015.
  • Geovany Soto, C: one year, $2.75MM.
  • Total Spend: $29.75MM

International Signings

  • Todd McDonald, OF: $475K.

Notable Minor League Signings

  • Nate Robertson, Jeff Baker, Kyle McClellen, Evan Meek, Randy Wells, Scott Olsen, Neal Cotts, Chih-Hsien Chiang, Derek Lowe, Zach Simons.

Trades and Claims

  • Acquired P Josh Lindblom and P Lisalverto Bonilla from Phillies for IF Michael Young.
  • Acquired P Cory Burns from Padres for P Wilfredo Boscan.
  • Acquired P Jake Brigham from Cubs for P Barret Loux and PTBNL.
  • Acquired P Tommy Hottovy from Royals for PTBNL.
  • Claimed P Jeff Beliveau off waivers from Cubs.
  • Claimed C Eli Whiteside off waivers from Blue Jays.
  • Claimed C Konrad Schmidt off waivers from Diamondbacks.
  • Claimed P Coty Woods from Rockies in Rule five draft.

Notable Losses

  • Mike Napoli, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, Mike Adams, Ryan Dempster, Scott Feldman, Koji Uehara, Tommy Hottovy.

Needs Addressed

It's easy to focus on what the Rangers lost — Josh Hamilton, Mike Napoli, Michael Young and Ryan Dempster, among others — and overlook their offseason additions. In fact, GM Jon Daniels added two prominent free agents. While neither player figures to become a long-term piece for the Rangers, both add value for 2013.

In Lance Berkman, the Rangers obtain an aging but accomplished hitter who projects as their primary designated hitter. The club considered other DH options, including Mike Napoli and David Ortiz before adding the 37-year-old Texan. Though Berkman missed most of the 2012 season with knee problems, he hit 31 home runs with a .301/.412/.547 batting line as recently as 2011. If healthy, he’ll offer power and on-base skills (more on Berkman’s deal later).

If a team had signed Pierzynski to a lucrative, multiyear deal on the basis of his career-best 27 home runs, I would have criticized the move. A repeat performance seems unlikely at the age of 36. However, a one-year, $7.5MM commitment for a catcher as durable as Pierzynski seems more than reasonable. The longtime White Sox backstop has averaged 132 games played since becoming the Twins' full-time catcher in 2001. At that price, Pierzynski will be a worthwhile addition provided he stays healthy and comes reasonably close to matching his career norms.

The Rangers also re-signed Geovany Soto days after non-tendering him. It's a $2.75MM deal, approximately $2MM less than Soto would have made through the arbitration process in the estimation of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. The Rangers are paying Soto more than most backups earn, and getting more upside in return.

Joakim Soria continues rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but that didn't stop the Rangers from signing the 28-year-old to a two-year, $8MM contract that includes a club option for 2015. Soria has successfully limited home runs and walks at the MLB level, while averaging more than one strikeout per inning. Given his pedigree, age and the frequency with which pitchers make full recoveries from ligament replacement surgery, Daniels did well to sign Soria for these terms.

Daniels also signed Jason Frasor to a one-year deal worth $1.5MM. The veteran reliever generates lots of strikeouts and should continue to add value as a middle reliever. Josh Lindblom can also strike out lots of hitters and, unlike Frasor, he's under long-term control. Acquiring Lindblom made sense, even though it meant moving a fomer star in Michael Young. The Rangers didn't have a role for Young, and they got salary relief by sending him to Philadelphia.

Questions Remaining

Early in the offseason, most questions about the Rangers centered around potential acquisitions. Now that Spring Training is well underway, many questions relate to a potential loss. Nolan Ryan, the club’s CEO, could leave the organization as a result of a change in the team's power structure. Should the Rangers let him go, or work to retain him? That’s for others to determine. What’s apparent is that an internal conflict went public and created an unnecessary distraction for the team.

The Rangers appeared to consider major acquisitions this winter. Name a prominent free agent and he was probably connected to the Rangers during the 2012-13 offseason. Outfielders such as Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn and B.J. Upton were viewed as potential fits in Texas. Free agent starters like Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez and Kyle Lohse seemed like possible targets for the rotation. Others, such as Adam LaRoche, negotiated with the team, but none of the players signed in Texas. The Rangers maintained a disciplined approach, choosing not to overpay for players whose asking prices exceeded their own valuations.

Texas had the most prolific offense in the American League last year. After losing Hamilton and Napoli the lineup seems less potent. In particular, center fielders Leonys Martin and Craig Gentry project as below average offensive contributors. In my view it would have made sense to sign a free agent (Bourn, Upton and others were available) or complete a trade (Denard Span was on ther market) at a time that the center field market was unusually flush with options.

The Rangers’ rotation also seems vulnerable. Not only did Dempster and Scott Feldman depart as free agents, Martin Perez will miss the beginning of the season. Trading for a pitcher like James Shields, David Price or R.A. Dickey would no doubt have meant surrendering top prospects. At the same time, teams such as the Cubs, Royals and Blue Jays remade their entire rotations. Surely the Rangers could have managed to add one pitcher as insurance to round out an offseason of relatively modest spending. Instead, they'll await the return of Colby Lewis, who should provide the rotation with a midseason boost once he recovers from flexor tendon surgery.

Some wonder if the Rangers will trade from their enviable shortstop depth sooner, rather than later. Daniels maintains that he’s content to keep Elvis Andrus and Jurickson Profar, and that stance makes sense given that Profar just turned 20. 

Deal of Note

Games played often correlate pretty well with free agent paydays. To play in lots of games, players must be healthy and reasonably productive, which increases their earning potential. Last offseason 22 position players signed for $10MM or more (including club options exercised). All but one of those players had appeared in at least 90 games in 2012. The lone exception obtained a one-year, $11MM contract from the Rangers following a season in which he appeared in just 32 games: Lance Berkman.

The deal stood out at the time, because teams so often pay players based on their most recent performances. Berkman had an unproductive, injury-plagued walk year and obtained a substantial guarantee nonetheless. This doesn’t make the Rangers’ decision a poor one, though. The switch-hitting 37-year-old had a heavyweight offensive season as recently as 2011 and seems capable of reaching base and providing power as he nears his 40th birthday.

Overview

The Rangers are a good team, even though they now seem vulnerable. They lost significant pieces this past offseason, and there’s no doubt that the Athletics and Angels represent serious threats. Expect the Rangers to contend in 2013, but don’t count on them to stand apart from the competition.

Share 0 Retweet 15 Send via email0

Offseason In Review Texas Rangers

0 comments

Chien-Ming Wang Likely To Sign With Yankees

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 21, 2013 at 7:32pm CDT

THURSDAY: The Yankees have invited Wang to "work out for their scouts in Tampa in search of a minor league deal," and "people within the organization said they believe Wang's signing is likely," writes Dan Martin of the New York Post.  Yankees GM Brian Cashman noted that the club has "some vacancies in the rotation at Scranton" and said that if Wang "was going to have to do a minor league deal somewhere, I think he would probably prefer it to be here."

WEDNESDAY: Agent Alan Chang says he’s in contact with multiple teams about a possible contract for Chien-Ming Wang, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports (on Twitter). There’s no timetable for a decision, according to Davidoff, who notes that the Yankees are among the interested teams. Wang is having a tryout in front of some New York scouts at the Yankees’ minor league complex, Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger reports (on Twitter).

Wang, 32, appeared in ten games for the Nationals in 2012, starting five times. He pitched 32 1/3 innings with a 6.68 ERA and as many walks as strikeouts (15) with Washington. However, hamstring and hip issues sidelined Wang for much of the 2012 season.

Share 7 Retweet 32 Send via email0

New York Yankees Chien-Ming Wang

0 comments

Multiple Teams Pursuing Rick Porcello

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 21, 2013 at 6:53pm CDT

6:53pm: Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski vehemently denied that he had proposed any deals involving Porcello, including any offers to the Padres, reports Lynn Henning of The Detroit News. Dombrowski acknowledged that his "phone has been ringing a lot," and added that "this is the best I've ever seen [Porcello] throw the baseball."

12:07pm: The Padres have turned down two offers from the Tigers, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). The Padres declined to take Porcello for Huston Street or Luke Gregerson, a Tigers source told Bowden.

THURSDAY, 8:33am: The Cardinals are checking out Porcello, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (on Twitter).

WEDNESDAY: The Rangers and Padres are the teams most actively discussing potential Rick Porcello trades with the Tigers, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report. The Orioles have also scouted the right-hander.

Despite the strong interest, rival teams wonder if the Tigers will actually trade Porcello. Instead of making a deal, the Tigers could choose to keep Porcello and use Drew Smyly in the bullpen or as a starter at Triple-A Toledo. The FOX writers report that the Tigers will not move Porcello unless they obtain a strong return.

The Padres made an “aggressive” offer last week and the Tigers rejected it, Rosenthal and Morosi report. Talks with the Rangers are not advanced at this point. The Tigers appear to like shortstop prospect Leury Garcia and right-handed pitching prospect Nick Tepesch. Detroit would want a third player added to the package, but the Rangers are reluctant to move even Tepesch. 

The Red Sox could have interest in Porcello, yet they don’t want to reduce their bullpen depth, the FOX duo reports. The Orioles aren’t inclined to pursue Porcello aggressively, as they have many young starting pitchers of their own.

The Tigers also seek a right-handed hitting outfielder. They have talked about re-acquiring Casper Wells from the Mariners, Rosenthal and Morosi report. The Tigers traded Wells to Seattle midway through the 2011 season in the deal that sent Doug Fister to Detroit.

Share 5 Retweet 49 Send via email0

Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Detroit Tigers San Diego Padres Seattle Mariners St. Louis Cardinals Texas Rangers Casper Wells Huston Street Luke Gregerson Rick Porcello

0 comments

Free Agent Retrospective: Randy Johnson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 21, 2013 at 3:41pm CDT

Few pitchers have dominated the opposition for a four-year period the way Randy Johnson did from 1999-2002. He averaged 258 innings, 354 strikeouts and 20 wins per season. He posted a cumulative ERA of 2.48 at a time that offensive numbers were peaking (187 ERA+). He won four Cy Young Awards in as many years.

Johnson accomplished this in a Diamondbacks uniform, helping the franchise capture its first World Series championship in 2001. But as agent Barry Meister recently explained to MLB Trade Rumors, the left-hander could just as easily have ended up in Texas or Los Angeles if Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo hadn’t made Johnson and his family a franchise-altering pitch.

When Johnson hit free agency following the 1998 season, he was sure to draw interest. The 6'10" left-hander posted a 3.28 ERA with 329 strikeouts in 244 1/3 innings in his walk year. Plus, his performance improved dramatically in the second half after the Mariners traded him to the Astros.

As expected, many teams expressed some level of interest in Johnson once the World Series ended. Meister recalls that it soon became clear that five clubs were much more serious than the rest: the Rangers, Astros, Angels, Dodgers and Diamondbacks.

Randy Johnson - Giants (PW)

“The actual odyssey of Randy getting to Arizona was fascinating,” Meister said in a recent conversation with MLBTR. “You’ve got five highly motivated clubs with significant resources, five owners who all want to win and who feel like this is the piece to the puzzle. It was a highly charged time.”

Above all else Johnson wanted the chance to play for a contending West Coast team. Both Texas teams and both Los Angeles area teams seemed poised to contend, but the expansion Diamondbacks had finished 65-97 in their inaugural 1998 season and weren’t viewed as a playoff threat. 

“All five clubs had a completely different approach,” said Meister, who represented Johnson along with agent Alan Nero at the time.

Johnson, who had just turned 35, was not positioned to obtain a long-term deal at his age. Kevin Brown, also a free agent during the 1998-99 offseason, had a better chance at signing a lengthy deal and ultimately became baseball's first $100MM pitcher the same month Johnson signed.

“We knew we weren’t going to get the same number of years because Randy at this point was already in his mid-thirties,” Meister said, noting that Johnson pitched until he was 46. But even at the age of 35 Johnson generated intense interest from around MLB.

The Bidders

Colangelo, the longtime longtime Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns executive, proved to be a persuasive advocate for Arizona. He told Johnson multiple times that the Diamondbacks could win a championship if he signed with them. Johnson also liked also liked manager Bob Brenly and general manager Joe Garagiola Jr., which didn’t hurt. Nevertheless, signing elite free agents requires more than a friendly face or two.

Astros owner Drayton McLane, Johnson’s most recent employer, flew to Arizona, where Johnson and his family lived. Johnson had just posted a 1.28 ERA down the stretch for the Astros, winning ten of his 11 starts. Naturally, the owner wanted to re-sign the star left-hander. Meister recalls McLane saying that he would have "crawled on broken glass across the desert" to get Johnson’s name on a contract. Grand declarations aside, the Astros entered the sweepstakes as a longshot.

Not to be outdone, Rangers owner Tom Hicks sent a 727 to fly Johnson to Texas. It was an impressive show that concluded with a four-year, $48MM offer, yet Johnson preferred cities closer to the West Coast.

He had attended USC before beginning his professional playing career, which meant Los Angeles was familiar territory. Then, as now, the Dodgers had deeper pockets than other teams. They reached out to Johnson with Tommy Lasorda and Eric Karros, expressing serious interest before demonstrating that they were ready to spend big. The Dodgers told Meister and Nero that if they asked for a reasonable number they’d find the money for Johnson. “They were ready to throw money at the issue,” Meister said. The Dodgers seemed prepared to spend $60MM for four years and maybe even $75-90MM for five or six years — massive sums at the time.

“We said ‘Randy you’ll get whatever you want from these guys,’” Meister recalls.

The Disney-owned Angels said they had enough payroll to sign Mo Vaughn, Kevin Brown and Johnson. Other than that, however, they weren’t saying the right things early on. Johnson would attend a Mighty Ducks NHL game and meet star right wing Teemu Selanne and Michael Eisner, the CEO of Disney himself. Early on, Meister recalls, the Dodgers and Angels were the frontrunners for Johnson.

Johnson’s Decision

After hearing the five teams make their respective pitches, Johnson’s camp informed the Rangers and Astros that they had been ruled out. The Angels started to look unlikely, too. After signing Mo Vaughn, Angels personnel said they’d want to sign Johnson for a deal including deferred money, which made their offer less appealing. With that, Johnson, Meister and Nero informed the Angels that they were out and that Johnson would sign with the Dodgers or the Diamondbacks.

Soon afterwards, Colangelo visited Johnson’s family in Phoenix to make his case for the final time. He repeated his promise that the Diamondbacks would win with Johnson and outlined his plan a second time. Meister remembers Colangelo as impressively honest and straightforward. 

His offer was competitive, too. Though the Diamondbacks had limited payroll flexibility, they told Johnson he could have whatever perks he wanted. This appealed to Johnson and his representatives.

“When he leaves we’re stunned,” Meister said. “It’s the most impressive, honest, giving presentation we’ve ever had. It just blows us away.”

Colangelo had outlined a deal that would provide Johnson with courtside seats at Suns games, membership at a prestigious nearby golf club, top treatment for his family and financial contributions toward an expensive insurance policy. The Diamondbacks were starting to separate themselves from their division rival, the Dodgers.

“Every discussion with the Dodgers was ‘what’ll it take?’” Meister recalls. “And every discussion with the Diamondbacks was ‘What can I do for you? What can I do to make this work? How can we make you our partner?’”

The Diamondbacks’ offer was competitive from a financial standpoint, too. Arizona offered $52.4MM over four years with an option for a fifth year. The offer had significant escalators and incentives, plus the aforementioned perks. Arizona’s proposal included a $500K Cy Young bonus that would double with each additional Cy Young. Johnson accepted.

“In the end he probably took a little less money to be where he knew it was the right place to be, and he was right,” Meister said. “It was the right manager. It was the right owner. It was the right general manager. With Curt Schilling there [starting in 2000] it was the right pitching staff.”

At the time it might not have seemed prudent for a 97-loss expansion team to invest so heavily in a 35-year-old pitcher. Few players would have justified the expense. Johnson, ever the exception to prove the rule, did just that, winning four Cy Young awards and leading the Diamondbacks to a World Series title. Colangelo's investment couldn't have worked out any better.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Share 1 Retweet 24 Send via email0

Arizona Diamondbacks Randy Johnson

0 comments

Kyle Lohse Rumors: Thursday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 21, 2013 at 2:59pm CDT

Agent Scott Boras told Peter Gammons of MLB Network that right-hander Kyle Lohse won’t wait until after the upcoming amateur draft to sign with a new team. Here’s the latest on which teams are interested in the free agent…

  • The Rockies have done their due diligence on Lohse, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. However, the club would have to increase payroll to sign Lohse and the sides would only complete a deal “if by a very, very remote chance he just flat-out doesn’t have anything,” in the words of Rosenthal’s source. The right-hander wants to match Ryan Dempster’s two-year, $26.5MM contract, Rosenthal reports. The Rangers and Brewers are maintaining contact with Lohse. 
  • One week after Spring Training began, Lohse was asking for a three-year, $45MM contract, Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reports (on Twitter). That asking price has continued to drop.

Earlier updates:

  • Lohse could be close to contributing at the MLB level, Yahoo's Tim Brown reports (on Twitter). The 34-year-old is throwing 90-pitch simulated games in Arizona.
  • The Angels maintain that they don’t have interest in Lohse, but the door isn’t fully closed, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (Twitterlinks). 
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin doesn't want to surrender the 17th overall draft pick to obtain Lohse, Bowden reports. The Royals aren’t interested, Bowden notes.
  • Despite speculation that the Reds could get involved with Lohse, GM Walt Jocketty told reporters not to expect anything. When asked about the pitcher, Jocketty said, "Who? Why? We couldn't afford him," according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Share 1 Retweet 33 Send via email0

Cincinnati Reds Colorado Rockies Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Angels Milwaukee Brewers Texas Rangers Kyle Lohse

0 comments

Extension Talks Progress For Wainwright, Cardinals

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 21, 2013 at 1:25pm CDT

The Cardinals continue talking to the representative for Adam Wainwright about a long-term extension. Agent Steve Hammond recently met with Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and general manager John Mozeliak to discuss a multiyear deal, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Hammond said he hopes the sides built momentum during a lengthy meeting.

"We want to get something done before Spring Training ends, and that’s our goal," Hammond told Goold. "They have communicated clearly that they want to keep Adam here, and we’ve communicated that he wants to be here. We have to keep working on that."

The sides intend to stay in touch during the coming days. They took a break from extension talks earlier in the offseason, when Wainwright wanted more years than the Cardinals were offering. The Cardinals seem willing to pay Wainwright like a top-of-the-rotation starter, Goold writes.

Wainwright returned from Tommy John surgery to post a 3.94 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 198 2/3 regular season innings in 2012. The 31-year-old will hit free agency next offseason if he doesn’t sign a long-term deal with the Cardinals.

Matt Cain (six years, $127.5MM) and Zack Greinke (six years, $147MM) and are among the right-handed starters whose contracts could provide a framework for Wainwright’s next deal. Earlier this month, Wainwright spoke to MLBTR contributor B.J. Rains about his relationship with Hammond.

Share 0 Retweet 16 Send via email0

St. Louis Cardinals Adam Wainwright

0 comments

Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 21, 2013 at 12:42pm CDT

If you prefer your MLBTR fix limited to only your favorite team, we've got you covered.  Below are links to our team Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds.

AL East

  • Orioles: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Red Sox: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Yankees: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Rays: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Blue Jays: Facebook / Twitter / RSS

AL Central

  • White Sox: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Indians: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Tigers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Royals: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Twins: Facebook / Twitter / RSS

AL West

  • Angels: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Astros: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Athletics: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Mariners: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Rangers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS

NL East

  • Braves: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Marlins: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Mets: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Phillies: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Nationals: Facebook / Twitter / RSS

NL Central

  • Cubs: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Reds: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Brewers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Pirates: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Cardinals: Facebook / Twitter / RSS

NL West

  • Diamondbacks: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Rockies: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Dodgers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Padres: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
  • Giants: Facebook / Twitter / RSS

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Uncategorized

0 comments

Boras: Lohse Won’t Wait For Draft

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 21, 2013 at 7:52am CDT

Kyle Lohse is tied to draft pick compensation, which limits interest from potential suitors to an extent. If the free agent right-hander waits until after the amateur draft takes place in June, teams will no longer have to surrender a draft pick to complete a deal. Even so, we shouldn't expect him to wait that long. Agent Scott Boras insists that Lohse won't be a free agent past the draft, Peter Gammons of MLB Network reports (on Twitter). 

"We have too many teams in play," Boras said.

The Rangers, Brewers and Orioles are among the teams that have recently been mentioned as potential suitors for Lohse. The Yankees and Indians don’t appear to be interested, however. Lohse declined the Cardinals’ qualifying offer after the season, which linked him to draft pick compensation. Teams must now surrender a top pick to complete a deal with the 34-year-old.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Uncategorized Kyle Lohse

0 comments
« Previous Page
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Giants Acquire Rafael Devers

    Shohei Ohtani To Make Dodgers Pitching Debut On Monday

    Roki Sasaki No Longer Throwing; No Timetable For Return

    Nationals To Promote Brady House

    White Sox, Brewers Swap Aaron Civale, Andrew Vaughn

    Justin Martínez To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Brewers’ Aaron Civale Requests Trade

    Angels To Promote Christian Moore

    Brewers Promote Jacob Misiorowski

    Red Sox Acquire Jorge Alcala

    Jackson Jobe To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Shane McClanahan Pauses Rehab, Seeking Further Opinions On Nerve Issue

    Royals Place Cole Ragans On IL With Rotator Cuff Strain

    Red Sox Promote Roman Anthony

    Craig Kimbrel Elects Free Agency

    Marlins Place Ryan Weathers On 60-Day IL With Lat Strain

    White Sox To Promote Grant Taylor

    Mariners Designate Leody Taveras For Assignment, Outright Casey Lawrence

    Angels Acquire LaMonte Wade Jr.

    Corbin Burnes To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Recent

    Devers Trade Fallout: Breslow, Deadline Plans, Clubhouse

    Ron Taylor Passes Away

    Padres Select Bryce Johnson

    Jake Cousins To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Astros Place Lance McCullers Jr. On IL With Foot Sprain

    Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

    Yankees Designate Pablo Reyes For Assignment

    Pirates Designate Brett Sullivan For Assignment

    Tigers Claim Carlos Hernández

    Nationals Designate Juan Yepez For Assignment

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • 2024-25 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • Nolan Arenado Rumors
    • Dylan Cease Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Marcus Stroman Rumors

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2024-25 Offseason Outlook Series
    • 2025 Arbitration Projections
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version