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Zack Greinke Rumors: Monday

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MLB executives see Zack Greinke obtaining a deal of at least six years for as much as $25MM per season, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. It’s possible the free agent right-hander will obtain a deal worth $150MM and establish a new record for right-handed pitchers. Matt Cain’s deal, worth a total of $127.5MM for six years, now represents the largest contract obtained by a right-hander, and C.C. Sabathia’s seven-year, $161MM contract represents the largest deal ever obtained by a pitcher. Here’s the latest on Greinke…

  • Dodgers people have started asking about Greinke, and their Los Angeles area rivals remain interested, too. Angels executives want to re-sign Greinke and have seen the Dodgers as their biggest threat, Heyman writes. The Angels would consider paying pitchers more per season than Jered Weaver on a “case-by-case” basis. Weaver earns $17MM per season on the deal he signed last summer.
  • While the Rangers and Nationals could also bid on Greinke, the Red Sox appear to be shying away from him. The Royals and Brewers, Greinke’s former teams, would love to have him back, according to Heyman.

Yankees, Eli Whiteside Avoid Arbitration

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1:00pm: The deal is worth $625K, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). This means Matt Swartz's projection was within $25K.

12:27pm: The Yankees announced that they avoided arbitration with catcher Eli Whiteside, agreeing to a one-year contract for 2013. Pro Star Management, Inc. represents the catcher, who was claimed off of waivers from the Giants on November 5th.

Whiteside had been a non-tender candidate with a projected salary of $600K. Be sure to check out MLBTR's Non-Tender Tracker for the status of arbitration eligible players.

Whiteside appeared in 12 games with the Giants this past season and played another 60 contests with San Francisco's Triple-A affiliate. In parts of five seasons at the MLB level, the 33-year-old has a .215/.273/.335 batting line.

Mike Napoli Rumors: Monday

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Free agent catcher Mike Napoli met with Boston executives over the weekend, though the Red Sox don't appear to have extended him a formal offer. Here are today’s Napoli-related rumors, with the most recent updates at the top:

  • Napoli and agent Brian Grieper are scheduled to meet with the Rangers this week, Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com reports. The meeting will likely take place on Wednesday.
  • The Mariners seek offense, experience and leadership and may be the best bet to offer Napoli the four-year deal he wants, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The Mariners, who finished last in the American League in runs scored again, will almost certainly add other hitters, according to Rosenthal. 
  • Napoli appears to be the top target of the Red Sox, ahead of Nick Swisher, Adam LaRoche and others, Rosenthal writes.
  • While the Rangers want Napoli back, “they want him to return on their terms” in the words of one person. Rosenthal suggests this means the Rangers wouldn’t go beyond three years for the right-handed hitter.
  • The Yankees still figure to re-sign Russell Martin, another free agent backstop.

Mets To Sign Tim Byrdak

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The Mets will sign Tim Byrdak to a minor league deal, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. Mike Silva first reported the sides were close to a deal, and the Mets have since confirmed the agreement (Twitter links). Mike Mosa of Only Baseball Players represents Byrdak, who turned 39 last month.

It's unclear whether Byrdak will contribute in 2013. He underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder in September, while also undergoing a minor knee operation. In 30 2/3 innings over the course of 56 appearances this past season, Byrdak posted a 4.40 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9. Those numbers match up with his career 4.30 ERA and his career strikeout (8.7 K/9) and walk (5.4 BB/9) numbers.

Olney On Josh Hamilton

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MLB officials don’t have a clear sense of where Josh Hamilton will sign, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. Hamilton, who is said to be looking for Prince Fielder money, could end up with the Brewers, Rangers, Red Sox, Mariners or Orioles in the view of Olney’s sources. Here are some details from the ESPN.com column:

  • The Brewers could end up signing Hamilton, but probably not if the bidding escalates toward $214MM, the amount Fielder obtained a year ago.
  • Some agents think offering four years could help get a deal done. "Nobody is giving him more than four years," one agent told Olney. 
  • Though some within the Rangers organization grew frustrated with Hamilton this past season, he could return to Texas. They’ll offer him a high annual salary, but probably won’t commit long term, Olney reports. Some speculate Hamilton could cost more than $25MM per season on a relatively short-term deal. 
  • Rival executives view the Mariners as desperate this winter, Olney writes. Hamilton would be a good fit in Seattle’s lineup, but the Mariners might have to outbid others to complete a deal. 
  • Olney doubts the Orioles will get seriously involved in the Hamilton sweepstakes and guesses that the outfielder will ultimately return to the Rangers.

Heyman On Martin, Ichiro, Swisher

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The latest from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com…

  • The Yankees and Russell Martin are discussing a new contract, though Martin appears to be talking to at least one other team. Talks involving the free agent catcher are “heating up,” according to Heyman. The Yankees made progress with Martin over the weekend, though the sides were apart on dollars several days ago. The Rangers have Martin on their list and other teams, such as the Pirates, Mariners and White Sox, are considering catchers.
  • The Yankees are confident they can re-sign Ichiro Suzuki, Heyman reports. The Yankees expect to reach a deal with the free agent outfielder, who has said he hopes to return to New York.
  • The Red Sox, Braves and Giants appear to be looking at Nick Swisher, Heyman reports. The market for Swisher seems strong enough for him to obtain a deal of at least four years and executives see the outfielder signing for $12-14MM per season. The Red Sox like Swisher’s versatility since they have openings at first base and in the outfield. Meanwhile, the Braves and Giants are also looking for corner outfield help.

Reds Sign Todd Redmond

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The Reds re-signed right-hander Todd Redmond to a one-year, Major League contract worth $490K, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports. Acquired from the Braves midseason, Redmond was the lone pitcher outside of Cincinnati's starting five to start a game in 2012.

Redmond has only appeared in one game at the MLB level. The 27-year-old started the second game of an August doubleheader, allowing four earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. He spent most of this past season at Triple-A, where he posted a 3.63 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 148 2/3 innings for the top affiliates of the Braves and Reds.

Rays Extend Evan Longoria

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The Rays have done it again. For the second time in four years, they've signed Evan Longoria to a surprising long-term contract extension that will keep the third baseman in Tampa Bay for the foreseeable future. The Rays announced that they extended Longoria for an additional six seasons by guaranteeing three club options on his previous deal and adding $100MM in new money to the contract. Longoria will now earn $136MM from 2013-22 under his contract, which includes a club option for 2023.

Evan Longoria - Rays (PW)

The contract incorporates the 2013-15 salaries from Longoria's original deal with the Rays and increases his 2016 salary, meaning the third baseman will earn $6MM in 2013, $7.5MM in 2014, $11MM in 2015 and $12.1MM in 2016. Longoria receives a $1MM signing bonus and will earn $13MM in 2017, $13.5MM in 2018, $14.5MM in 2019, $15MM in 2020, $18.5MM in 2021 and $19.5MM in 2022. His 2023 option is for $13MM and carries a $5MM buyout. Additionally, the new contract pays Longoria a $2MM bonus if he's traded to another team. Under his previous deal, the Rays had club options for the 2014-16 seasons. Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said it made sense for the team to sign Longoria for the next decade.

“Evan has all of the attributes we seek in a player,” Friedman said in a statement released by the team. “His determination and work ethic inspire others around him.  He is devoted to his craft and strives to improve himself every year, and he defines success in terms of team performance and achievement.  It’s exciting to know that Evan will be manning third base for the Rays for many years to come.”

TWC Sports represents Longoria, whose previous contract was often cited as one of the most team-friendly deals in the game. The  Rays signed Longoria to a six-year, $17.5MM contract six games into his MLB career. The deal, which included three club options, did establish a new record for guaranteed money obtained by a player with so little service time. In the four years since he signed his deal with the Rays, he has become their best player.

“Evan has clearly become a cornerstone player and a fixture in our organization,” Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said. “We are proud of what we have accomplished these past seven years, and I expect the best is yet to come.”

Longoria played in just 74 games this past season. He suffered a partially torn hamstring in April and spent much of the season on the disabled list. Last week Longoria underwent a minor hamstring procedure that doesn’t affect his timeline for the 2013 campaign.

Longoria was the third overall selection in 2006 and the first player drafted under Sternberg and Friedman. In five seasons at the MLB level, he has a .276/.361/.516 batting line with 130 home runs. Statistically minded readers will note that he has produced nearly 30 wins above replacement in that time (29.3 per FanGraphs and 28.5 per Baseball-Reference). The three-time All-Star has a pair of Gold Gloves that were well-earned according to defensive metrics and traditional observers alike. 

This extension doesn't compare particularly well to other deals since Longoria was so far removed from free agency and had been playing under a unique deal. The deal does resemble the contract signed by Ryan Zimmerman and the Nationals this spring in that both third basemen added six years and $100MM to pre-existing contracts after seasons in which they were limited by injuries.

Longoria will donate more than $1MM to the Rays Baseball Foundation over the life of the contract, the team announced.

Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune and Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times reported the details of Longoria's new contract.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Minor Moves: Ozzie Martinez, Josh Fields

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We’ll track the day’s minor moves right here…

  • The Dodgers signed Osvaldo Martinez to a minor league contract, reports Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.  The infielder was first acquired by the Dodgers from the White Sox last July and Martinez posted a combined .489 OPS in 340 plate appearances for both clubs' Triple-A affiliates in 2012.  Martinez appeared in 34 Major League games with the Marlins during the 2010-11 seasons.
  • The Phillies signed third baseman Josh Fields to a minor league contract, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports (hat tip: Matt Gelb). The 29-year-old last played at the MLB level in 2010, but was once regarded as an up and coming player. He hit 23 home runs and posted a .244/.308/.480 batting line for the White Sox in 2007, though he has not come close to replicating those numbers since. Fields, a right-handed hitter who twice ranked among Baseball America's top 100 prospects, spent this past season with the Dodgers' Triple-A team. He hit 13 homers and posted a .322/.392/.488 batting line in 561 plate appearances as a corner infielder and designated hitter.

Rockies Notes: Pitching, Fowler, Cuddyer

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The Rockies allowed more runs than any other team this past season, so they’ll be looking for starting pitching this offseason. Does that mean they’ll have trade an outfielder? Not necessarily, as Troy Renck of the Denver Post explained earlier today (Sulia links). Here are the details…

  • The Rockies would like to obtain a starter who can provide consistency and stability in the rotation, according to Renck. Starters such as Ricky Nolasco and Gavin Floyd could be available in trades this offseason, and there’s always the free agent market.
  • Now that the Rockies have acquired infielder Ryan Wheeler from Arizona, they could consider parting with an infielder. They could flip Wheeler or keep him and trade another infielder.
  • Outfielders Dexter Fowler and Michael Cuddyer will both draw trade interest in the weeks ahead, Renck writes. While the Rockies will listen to trade offers, they aren’t aggressively shopping either player.

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