Eight Teams Interested In Grady Sizemore
TUESDAY, 11:27am: The Rockies have examined Sizemore's medical records and believe he's worth the risk on a one-year deal, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies expect to watch Sizemore work out in the coming days.
The A's have no interest in pursuing Sizemore, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
MONDAY, 7:38pm: There's no shortage of interest in Grady Sizemore this offseason. The free agent outfielder has drawn interest from eight teams, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. The Cubs, Rangers, Giants and Yankees are potential suitors for Sizemore, along with the Phillies, Rockies, Red Sox and Indians.
The Giants are interested, even after acquiring Melky Cabrera, and the Cubs view Sizemore as a possible fit in right field. The A's, who saw their entire outfield hit free agency after the season, have also been linked to Sizemore.
Sizemore's knees have limited him to 104 total games in the past two seasons, so the Indians declined their $9MM club option after the season, making the 29-year-old a free agent. He hit 10 homers and posted a .224/.285/.422 line in 2011, but Sizemore combined power, speed and on-base skills as one of baseball's premier center fielders from 2005-08.
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Tigers Notes: Ellis, Hill, Molina, Laird
The Tigers had already locked up Brandon Inge, Jhonny Peralta, Joaquin Benoit and Victor Martinez by November 23rd of last year. Here’s the latest on the team as they start the current offseason more quietly…
- The Tigers seem to believe they can find help via trades, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. The club has given up a lot in the past but they are willing to deal anyone but their top minor league prospects.
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press that the Tigers didn’t offer contracts to Mark Ellis, Jamey Carroll or Aaron Hill, three middle infielders who recently signed two-year deals. Should the Tigers pursue free agent middle infielders such as Clint Barmes or Kelly Johnson, they’d likely be looking at a two-year commitment given the deals we’ve seen so far and the number of teams with openings at second or short.
- The Tigers are considering Jose Molina, Matt Treanor, Ramon Castro and former Tiger Gerald Laird as possible backup catchers, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). All four backstops are free agents who could give Alex Avila an occasional breather while keeping Martinez’s knees fresh so he can contribute on offense.
Angels Have Serious Interest In C.J. Wilson
11:11pm: It doesn't appear that Wilson will sign very soon, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets. There are eight or nine teams interested in the left-hander and they plan to narrow that list down to four or five favorites. The soon-to-be 31-year-old could fetch a six-year deal.
10:09pm: After meeting with the Angels for three hours, Wilson's agent Bob Garber disclosed that the interest is mutual, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. "C.J. is extremely interested [in the Angels]. We're going to talk some more," said the agent.
Meanwhile, GM Jerry Dipoto isn't sure if Wilson's ties to Southern California will help their pursuit, tweets ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.
8:14pm: The Angels have "serious" interest in free agent left-hander C.J. Wilson, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times (on Twitter). Angels GM Jerry Dipoto is meeting with Wilson's agent in Milwaukee tonight.
Dipoto has publicly expressed his interest in Wilson, who appears to have serious interest in joining the Angels. Several teams are already showing willingness to commit five years to Wilson, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). The southpaw is drawing heavy interest already, despite a lackluster showing in the postseason.
Wilson's a Type A free agent, but there's talk that teams will no longer have to surrender draft picks to sign top free agents under the upcoming collective bargaining agreement.
Hiroyuki Nakajima To Be Posted
The Seibu Lions of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League will post shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Legacy Sports will represent Nakajima in the U.S., according to Rosenthal.
In the summer of 2010, Patrick Newman of FanGraphs called Nakajima Japan's second-best hitter behind Norichika Aoki (who will also be posted). Nakajima asked to be posted last offseason, but the team denied his request. The 29-year-old shortstop hit .297/.354/.433 with 16 home runs and 27 doubles in 633 plate appearances for the Lions in 2011.
Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins headline a top-heavy trade and free agent market for shortstops. Many teams figure to bid for the rights for Nakajima if they're priced out of the market for Reyes and Rollins and intrigued by a possible alternative to the second-tier options.
Boras Talks Drew, Fielder, Andruw, Madson, Pelfrey
Agent Scott Boras says J.D. Drew has not retired and will play in 2012 if the right opportunity emerges, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. Here are more details from Boras’ conversation with reporters (most links go to Twitter)…
- Boras said Prince Fielder will appeal to teams looking to win now and to those that are more than a year away from contending, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. “I do think there are a lot of teams that … look long-term with a younger player that may not be in the market for a player that is four or five years older," Boras said, comparing Fielder to Albert Pujols.
- Boras told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that Fielder is an "amazing athlete" who's just stepping into his prime. "This guy can fly," he said. "He's like Warren Sapp. That man was an athlete. People said he had this square body or he wasn't big enough or whatever, but he was still an All-Pro."
- Boras and the Yankees have discussed the possibility of a new deal for Andruw Jones, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger. The Yankees are in the market for a fourth outfielder and Jones, who hit .247/.356/.495 for New York in 2011, would be a fit, especially because he bats from the right side.
- Boras has not spoken with the Red Sox about free agent closer Ryan Madson, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
- Boras explained that there will be strong interest in Carlos Beltran, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "It's hard to get those players to free-agency and the ones who get there there's a real demand for them," he said.
- Boras will meet with Indians to discuss possible free agent fits, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Hoynes points out that Carlos Pena is a possible fit for the Indians at first base. Matt LaPorta is an option for the 2012 Indians, but he doesn’t appear to have any guarantees.
- Boras will also speak to the Cubs, possibly about Pena, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
- Boras “fully expects” the Mets to tender Mike Pelfrey a contract, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
Kinzer On Ramirez, Capps, Lindsay
Agent Paul Kinzer confirmed to reporters today that Aramis Ramirez won’t re-sign with the Cubs. Here are the details plus more notes from the exchange (all links go to Twitter):
- Kinzer says Ramirez won’t be re-signing in Chicago. “That ship has sailed,” he said, according to MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat.
- Ramirez is looking for a four-year deal or a three-year deal with an option, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Twins GM Terry Ryan expressed interest in re-signing Matt Capps, according to Rosenthal.
- Kinzer has been getting lots of calls on Capps, but the Nationals haven’t called on the reliever, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Kinzer expects the Blue Jays will have interest, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca, and the agent could see the Mets expressing interest, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
- The White Sox and many other teams are interested in Shane Lindsay, the Australian right-hander who elected free agency last month, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
NL Central Notes: Cordero, Cubs, Pirates
The Astros are likely to leave the NL Central after the 2012 season. Here's the latest on some teams that are staying in the division…
- Seven or eight teams, including the Reds, have inquired on free agent closer Francisco Cordero, agent Bean Stringfellow told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Cordero is interested in returning to the Reds on a multiyear deal.
- The Cubs announced that Shiraz Rehman joined their front office as an assistant to GM Jed Hoyer. The 34-year-old spent six seasons with the Diamondbacks after interning with Hoyer, Theo Epstein and the Red Sox in 2005. He'll provide Hoyer with scouting and statistical information for possible acquisitions and coordinate the Cubs' technological efforts.
- Compensation talks between the Cubs and Red Sox for Theo Epstein are progressing amicably, Epstein told Alex Speier of WEEI.com. “I know I’m right, because I know my own faults better than Ben does," Epstein said. "I know my limitations. I’m just not worth that much. But I’m sure it will work out, one way or the other, in a way that satisfies all the parties involved."
- The Cubs will conduct a second round of managerial interviews, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux, Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum, Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. and Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin are the candidates for the position.
- The Pirates checked in on Josh Willingham and Kevin Kouzmanoff, according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. Pittsburgh has Pedro Alvarez at third and Alex Presley in the outfield, but the team appears to be considering depth options at those positions.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington jokes that he has tried to forget the 2008 trade that sent Jason Bay to Boston, according to Speier. The Pirates obtained Brandon Moss, Craig Hansen, Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris in a deal that Huntington considers his worst trade ever.
- Rod Barajas told reporters, including Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that he had offers from other teams before signing with the Pirates. He'll be the primary catcher in Pittsburgh, which figured in to his decision.
Minor Moves: Taylor Buchholz
The latest minor moves…
- Taylor Buchholz cleared waivers, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Though he still appears on the team's official roster, it appears that the Mets outrighted him off of it. He would have earned roughly $1.2MM in 2012 had the Mets retained him through arbitration. GM Sandy Alderson isn't sure if anxiety and depression will prevent Buchholz from pitching in 2012, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
- Assistant GM John Ricco expects Buchholz, Nick Evans and Jason Pridie to elect free agency, according to Rubin.
D’Backs Sell Kam Mickolio To Hiroshima Carp
The Diamondbacks announced that they have sold Kam Mickolio to the Hiroshima Carp of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reported last week that Mickolio was on his way to Japan.
The 27-year-old right-hander has a 4.83 ERA along with a 33K/17BB ratio in 31 2/3 MLB innings over the course of four seasons. Mickolio has also been involved in memorable trades for Erik Bedard and Mark Reynolds.