Angels Have Interest In Cespedes, Linebrink, Madson
Angels GM Jerry Dipoto isn’t shying away from the free agent market in his first offseason on the job. Here’s the latest on the Angels from Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times:
- Dipoto and manager Mike Scioscia will meet with free agent left-hander C.J. Wilson tonight. Another GM will meet with Wilson in L.A. this weekend and the 31-year-old starter will meet with multiple teams on the East Coast next week, according to DiGiovanna.
- Angels international scouting director Mark Russo watched Yoenis Cespedes work out in the Dominican Republic last week, according to DiGiovanna. However, 60-70 other scouts were also in attendance to evaluate the Cuban center fielder. It appears that Cespedes will cost more than $35MM.
- The Angels are believed to be interested in free agent relievers Scott Linebrink and Ryan Madson, according to DiGiovanna. They also appeared to have interest in Joe Nathan, who just agreed to terms with the Rangers. This is the first time we've heard of the Angels' interest in Linebrink and Madson.
- Relievers Francisco Cordero, Heath Bell, Octavio Dotel and Matt Capps also interest the Angels, as do starters Mark Buehrle, Roy Oswalt and Hiroki Kuroda.
Rangers Sign Joe Nathan
The Rangers' 2012 pitching staff just took shape and so did the rest of their offseason. The defending American League champions agreed with Joe Nathan on a two-year deal that includes a team option for 2014. Dave Pepe of Pro Agents, Inc. negotiated a $14.75MM guarantee for the four-time All-Star. Nathan will earn $7MM in 2012 and 2013 and the club holds a $9MM option for 2014 ($750K buyout). Nathan can earn up to $1MM in incentives based on games finished, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, and the 2014 option can vest based on games finished in '13.
The Rangers announced that Neftali Feliz is finally headed to Texas' rotation. After successfully converting C.J. Wilson and Alexi Ogando into starters, the Rangers will attempt to bolster their rotation with a converted reliever for a third consecutive spring. However, the Rangers aren't out on starters, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. There's less pressure for the Rangers to over-spend on Wilson or another free agent arm now that they have an established arm at the back of their bullpen and five starters in Feliz, Ogando, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison.
Nathan, who turns 37 tomorrow, missed the entire 2010 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Houston native posted a 4.84 ERA with 8.7 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 34.9% ground ball rate in 44 2/3 innings this past season, saving 14 games. His average fastball velocity dropped to 92.3 mph in 2011 after sitting in the 93-95 mph range from 2002-09.
Nathan, an unranked free agent, won't cost the Rangers a draft pick and his former team, the Twins, won't obtain a compensatory pick. The Twins declined a $12.5MM option for Nathan after the regular season, but maintained interest in their longtime closer.
MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Nathan 48th on his list of top 50 free agents. Bryan Grosnick breaks the move down from a fantasy baseball perspective at CloserNews.com.
T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com first reported the deal and added specifics. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, Jon Heyman of SI.com and Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram added detail. Photo courtesy Icon SMI.
Latest On Boston’s Managerial Search
Red Sox GM Ben Cherington met with managerial candidate Bobby Valentine today. Here’s the latest on Boston’s search for a new manager:
- The Red Sox ruled out Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. as a managerial candidate, according to multiple reporters, including Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox will bring Tigers third base coach Gene Lamont in for another interview, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (Twitter link). Blue Jays first base coach Torey Lovullo is still under consideration, but the Red Sox haven't scheduled a second interview for him yet.
- Valentine “looks like the sudden favorite” for the position, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com.
- Cherington must have the most say in the decision, Bradford writes at WEEI.com. The ownership group and president and CEO Larry Lucchino will have some say in the decision, but Bradford suggests the Red Sox should give Cherington ample space to make his own call.
- Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com says the Red Sox should not name a new manager until they are completely sure the Blue Jays won’t part with manager John Farrell. The Blue Jays announced less than a month ago that they “will not grant permission for lateral moves,” so there doesn’t appear to be any chance Farrell returns to Boston this offseason.
Heyman On Brewers, Rangers, Wilson
Albert Pujols will sign a nine-year deal for $220MM, Prince Fielder will sign an eight-year deal for $195MM and Jose Reyes will sign a six-year deal for $120MM, according to Jon Heyman's free agent predictions at SI.com. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors…
- Some Brewers people were a little surprised that both the Red Sox and Cubs had strong interest in Dale Sveum, according to Heyman. Sveum, Milwaukee’s former hitting coach, interviewed with the Red Sox before accepting the Cubs’ offer to manage the team for the next three years.
- Rangers people are saying they aren’t expecting to sign any players to nine-figure deals this offseason, according to Heyman. In other words, Rangers fans probably won't be welcoming Fielder or Pujols to Texas in the near future.
- One offseason focus for the Rangers is an extension for Josh Hamilton, Heyman writes. They signed the outfielder to a two-year deal less than a year ago, but he’s up for free agency after the 2012 campaign.
- The Mets, Dodgers and Braves are among six teams that have shown interest in free agent infielder Jack Wilson, according to Heyman (on Twitter). Wilson, 33, hit .243/.274/.285 for the Mariners and Braves in 2011, appearing at second, short and third.
Marlins Express Interest In Gio Gonzalez
The Marlins have expressed interest in left-hander Gio Gonzalez, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The Marlins are willing to part with Major League players and top prospects to upgrade their rotation, but they aren't convinced the Athletics would deal Gonzalez.
Gonzalez is available, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, but the A’s aren’t motivated to move him. They’d like to obtain cheap, young hitters in trades this offseason, according to Knobler (Twitter links). David Villavicencio reported earlier today that the sides are discussing a deal and that Gonzalez is hoping to sign an extension if he's traded. Frisaro reported last week that the Marlins covet Gonzalez and James Shields, suggesting that Miami will likely trade for one starter and sign another.
Gonzalez, 26, posted a 3.12 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 202 innings in 2011. He led the American League in walks and made his first All-Star team. MLBTR projects that Gonzalez will earn approximately $4.2MM through arbitration in 2012, but he's a super two player, so he won't become a free agent until after the 2015 season.
How The Top AL MVP Finishers Were Acquired
None of the top ten finishers in this year’s AL MVP balloting joined their teams via the free agent market. Five were obtained in trades, four others were drafted and one was signed as an international free agent. Here's a look at how teams around the American League originally acquired the top ten finishers in the 2011 AL MVP voting (some have since signed extensions):
- Justin Verlander – Draft – The Tigers selected Verlander with the second overall pick in 2004 and signed him to a five-year extension before the 2010 season.
- Jacoby Ellsbury – Draft – The Red Sox selected Ellsbury with the 23rd overall pick in the 2005 draft and held onto him after a lost 2010 season despite trade interest from other clubs.
- Jose Bautista – Trade -The Blue Jays acquired Bautista from the Pirates for Robinzon Diaz in 2008. Before the Blue Jays acquired him, Bautista suited up for the Pirates, Royals, Devil Rays and Orioles.
- Curtis Granderson – Trade – The Yankees acquired Granderson from the Tigers in the three-team trade that sent Ian Kennedy to Arizona and Austin Jackson and Max Scherzer to Detroit. The Tigers originally selected Granderson in the third round of the 2002 draft.
- Miguel Cabrera – Trade - The Tigers acquired Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins for a group of players led by Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin.
- Robinson Cano – International Signing - The Yankees signed Cano out of the Dominican Republic as an amateur free agent in 2001.
- Adrian Gonzalez – Trade – The Red Sox surrendered a trio of top prospects to obtain Gonzalez from the Padres a year ago.
- Michael Young – Trade – The Rangers, then under GM Doug Melvin, acquired Young from the Blue Jays for Esteban Loaiza in the summer of 2000.
- Dustin Pedroia – Draft – The Red Sox selected Pedroia, the 2008 MVP, in the second round of the 2004 draft.
- Evan Longoria – Draft - Tampa Bay selected Longoria with the third overall pick of the 2006 draft and he's been playing at an elite level since his 2008 rookie season.
Yoenis Cespedes’ Asking Price
MONDAY, 10:28am: The $35-50MM estimate for Cespedes may be light, a GM tells Gammons. Cespedes' people told one club they already have an offer with $10MM up front and eight years.
FRIDAY, 3:46pm: Cespedes may be looking to obtain more than $60MM on an eight-year deal, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The outfielder shoud be declared a free agent soon after he establishes temporary residency in the Dominican Republic in late November, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
12:59pm: The question emerges whenever a star hits the free agent market: ‘how much will he cost?’ Yoenis Cespedes, the 26-year-old Cuban center fielder who is expected to hit free agency this offseason, has already drawn interest from many MLB teams and it sounds as though he expects to be paid like an established star, not a prospect.
Cespedes' agents are positioning him as an impact MLB player, instead of comparing him to other Cubans who have made the leap to the Major Leagues, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Scouts in the Dominican tell Peter Gammons of MLB Network that Cespedes will cost between $35-50MM (Twitter link).
The Cubs will watch Cespedes and others in the Dominican Republic next week, according to MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat (on Twitter). The Red Sox, Phillies, Indians, Blue Jays, Pirates, Rangers, Tigers, Nationals, Athletics, Marlins, and Yankees also appear to have some interest in Cespedes.
Added To 40-Man Roster: Giants, Dodgers, Pirates
Today is the deadline for teams to add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from next month's Rule 5 draft. Here's more on which players need to be protected and here are the details on which players have had their contracts selected to the 40-man roster:
- The Giants added Hector Correa, Charlie Culberson, Tyler Graham, Roger Kieschnick, Dan Otero and Angel Villalona to their 40-man roster, reports Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter links). Baggarly suspects Villalona's inclusion may be a "procedural move," since Villalona still needs a new visa to play in the United States.
- The Dodgers have added Michael Antonini, Alex Castellanos, Stephen Fife, Josh Wall and Chris Withrow to their 40-man roster, according to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times (Twitter link).
- The Pirates have announced the additions of Matt Hague, Starling Marte, Jordy Mercer, Rudy Owens, Duke Welker and Justin Wilson to their 40-man roster. Pittsburgh's 40-man roster is now full.
- The Mariners added Chih-Hsien Chang, Francisco Martinez and Carlos Triunfel to the 40-man roster, reports Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Radio Seattle (via Twitter).
- The Angels added Johnny Hellweg, Fabio Martinez, Ariel Pena and Jean Segura to their 40-man roster, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
- The Red Sox announced that Drake Britton, Che-Hsuan Lin and Will Middlebrooks were added to the club's 40-man roster.
- The Rangers added pitchers Jacob Brigham, Roman Mendez, Justin Miller, Martin Perez, Neil Ramirez and Matt West to their 40-man roster, reports Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest (via Twitter).
- The Indians announced that Scott Barnes, Juan Diaz and Danny Salazar were added to the team's 40-man roster. The Tribe's roster now has a full complement of 40 players.
- The Cubs announced that Jeff Beliveau, Junior Lake, Matt Szczur and Josh Vitters have been added to the club's 40-man roster.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Dodgers, Cubs, Athletics
Teams will be adding minor leaguers to their 40-man rosters today in anticipation of next month's Rule 5 Draft. In order to create roster space, some teams will outright players off of the 40-man. Here are the latest outright assignments from around MLB…
- The Dodgers outrighted John Ely and Carlos Monasterios to Triple-A, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
- The Cubs announced Esmailin Caridad, Lou Montanez and Kyle Smit have been outrighted off their 40-man roster. The Cubs currently have six open spots remaining on their 40-man roster.
- The A's announced that they outrighted right-hander Evan Scribner and outfielder Cedric Hunter to Triple-A.
- The Rockies outrighted infielder Andrew Brown off of their roster, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
- The Twins announced that they outrighted right-hander David Bromberg off the 40-man roster.
- The Pirates announced that they outrighted Matt Pagnozzi to Triple-A.
- The Tigers announced that they outrighted Cale Iorg to Triple-A. The infielder split the 2011 season between Detroit's top two affiliates.
- The Angels outrighted right-handers Francisco Rodriguez and Loek Van Mil to Triple-A yesterday, according to MLB.com's transactions page. Rodriguez, 28, has appeared in 53 games for the Angels since 2010, posting a 4.43 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 61 innings. Van Mil, a 7'1" native of the Netherlands, posted a 2.04 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 66 1/3 innings at Double-A in 2011. The Angels acquired him from the Twins for Brian Fuentes in 2010.
Latest On Boston’s Managerial Search
Yesterday we learned that the Red Sox have spoken with former MLB manager Bobby Valentine about managing again. It doesn’t appear that the Red Sox are close to announcing a new skipper, but here’s the latest on the subject as we await a decision…
- With Ben Cherington in the Dominican Republic on a scouting trip, the Red Sox will hold off any further talks with Valentine, reports Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston.
- "Hiring Valentine would give the appearance of a power play by ownership over" Cherington, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. Cherington was rumored to prefer new Cubs manager Dale Sveum or "a similar low-volume candidate."
- There’s at least one unknown yet serious candidate for the job, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.
- Blue Jays first base coach Torey Lovullo, Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. and Tigers third base coach Gene Lamont all are expected to interview again, according to Silverman.
- The Red Sox have nothing to show for their search, but Joel Sherman can’t remember an offseason “in which a franchise seemed more scattershot and fractured than the Yankees between the 1995-96 seasons.” The Yankees won four of the next five World Series from that point on. More recently, the Red Sox didn’t hire Terry Francona until December of 2003 and won a pair of World Series.
- Earlier today, Jon Heyman of SI.com explained the dynamics between GM Ben Cherington and his bosses.