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Reds Notes: Phillips, Cordero

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The latest from The Queen City, courtesy of MLB.com's Mark Sheldon …

  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty said the team and second baseman Brandon Phillips have "made progress, but we're not close" in negotiations for a contract extension. The Reds have already exercised Phillips' 2012 option, so he's in the fold for next season, but he has been vocal about wanting a multiyear extension beyond that for a while now. John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer speculated recently that the Reds are probably hoping to extend Phillips, 30, for something like four years and $48MM, while Sheldon points out that the Dan Uggla's five-year, $62MM pact with the Braves last offseason is a recent high-water mark for second basemen.
  • As well, there have been "no new developments" between the Reds and free agent closer Francisco Cordero, according to Sheldon. Jocketty did not meet with Cordero's agent during the General Manager Meetings earlier this week in Milwaukee. "If we did not sign Coco, we'd first look outside of the organization," Jocketty said.

Marlins To Meet With Pujols

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11:29am: The Marlins are meeting with Pujols and agent Dan Lozano this afternoon, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).

FRIDAY, 10:32am: Pujols is in Miami today and will likely meet with the Marlins and tour their new ballpark tomorrow, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (on Twitter). ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick hears that the Marlins are trying to set the meeting up today, but may give Pujols the tour tomorrow (Twitter link).

THURSDAY: The Marlins are scheduled to meet with free agent first baseman Albert Pujols in Miami within the next few days, possibly as soon as Saturday, a source tells Matthew Leach of MLB.com.

It's tough to gauge how serious the Marlins might be about signing Pujols, who figures to command a contract comfortably north of $200MM, but they have already been linked, to varying degrees, to a handful of free agents, such as Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle and Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, throughout the early goings of the offseason. It has been widely reported that the Marlins will increase their payroll substantially in 2012 as they head into a new ballpark at the site of now-demolished Orange Bowl.

It's not yet known whether the Cardinals and Pujols have had any discussions regarding a new contract, according to Leach.

Quick Hits: Twins, Burrell, Willis, Mariners

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As Ryan Madson's agreement with the Phillies falls through, we learn that one of his former Phillies teammates may be hanging 'em up …

  • Twins GM Terry Ryan said he remains interested in re-signing Michael Cuddyer, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Ryan said he spoke with Cuddyer earlier this week and added that the Twins should have the flexibility in their projected $100MM 2012 payroll to make Cuddyer a fair offer. So far, the Phillies have been aggressively pursuing Cuddyer this offseason.
  • Free agent outfielder/DH Pat Burrell, 35, said his career is likely over due to a nagging right foot injury, according to Janie McCauley of the Associated Press (via NBCSports.com). The former Phillie, Ray and Giant, however, has yet to make a final decision. The Phils made Burrell the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1998.
  • Left-hander Dontrelle Willis is drawing a lot of interest on the free agent market, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). Willis pitched to a 5.00 ERA/4.10 FIP in 75 2/3 innings with the Reds in 2011.
  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said on MLB Network Radio that he is motivated to acquire an impact bat either through trade or free agency, tweets Jim Bowden.
  • A pair of veteran scouts who follow the international free agent market predicted that Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes would sign a bigger contract than the one fellow defector Aroldis Chapman signed with the Reds two offseasons ago, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Chapman signed for six years and $30.5MM.

Chicago Notes: Sox’s Payroll, Buehrle, Cubs’ Manager

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A few odds and ends from the Windy City as Thursday winds down …

  • White Sox GM Ken Williams said today that the South Siders' 2012 payroll would be "a little bit less" than 2011's $127MM figure, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. 
  • Williams also added that he has had dialogue with free agent starter Mark Buehrle but didn't offer much in regards to whether the lefty might re-sign with the only team for which he's pitched: "All we can do is wait until we get to the winter meetings and then have a better idea of where we sit and where he sits and see if there’s a match,” Williams said.
  • Cubs president Theo Epstein said the North Siders are in the "sixth inning" of their search for a new manager, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. So far, Pete Mackanin, Dale Sveum and Mike Maddux have interviewed for the position, and Sandy Alomar Jr. is slated to interview on Friday.
  • Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona badly wants to manage the Cubs, a source very close to Francona tells Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune. Epstein has said that Francona probably wouldn't have to go through a formal interview if the Cubs wanted to award him the job, but right now it is unknown whether Francona is being seriously considered for the position.

No Madson Deal Yet; Phils May Pursue Papelbon

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10:19pm: Officials around the league are suggesting the Phillies' pact with Madson may have fallen through because the first big deal of the offseason "may harm the ongoing CBA negotiations, suggesting the owners believe an agreement is a formality," according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports. 

Another possibility is that MLB didn't like the terms of the deal, one that would set a relatively high bar for a free-agent class flush with closers, reports Brown.

4:18pm: Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said that the club never agreed to terms on a contract with closer Ryan Madson, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN. Amaro categorized the rumored four-year, $44MM contract as "unequivocally false," reports Stark (Twitter links).

The Phils are interested in Jonathan Papelbon, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com, so if talks with Madson don't work out, Pap may be their new target.

The Phils' reported near-deal with Madson has unfolded curiously since the story broke on Tuesday afternoon. The holdup in it becoming official was apparently that Phillies president David Montgomery had not approved the terms. Heyman tweeted earlier this afternoon that there was little optimism that Montgomery would sign off on the pact, which had become a hot topic of discussion. There was a split among executives and agents regarding whether it would have been a good deal.

We've not yet heard rumors strongly tying Papelbon to any club, although we heard Tuesday that his name has come up during the Blue Jays' internal discussions. The right-hander, who has spent his entire career to date with the Red Sox, figures to command one of the two biggest free agent contracts for closers, along with Madson.

East Notes: Sizemore, Mets, Phillies

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Some notes to pass along from the AL and NL East …

  • The Red Sox have contacted free agent outfielder Grady Sizemore, tweets Mike Silverman of the Boston Herald, and they are not thought to have spoken to free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran. Both players remain a long shot for Boston, according to Silverman, until the Red Sox figure out whether they want to re-sign David Ortiz.
  • The Mets will likely seek an affordable closer this offseason, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, who spoke to three stoppers who might fit that bill: Jonathan Broxton, Brad Lidge and Joe Nathan. Broxton's agent told Martino that Brox is seeking an incentive-laden one-year deal with perhaps a vesting option, and he's willing to pitch as a setup man or a closer. Lidge's agent said Lidge, too, is flexible with respect to his role, and Nathan said he is receptive to either a short- or long-term contract.
  • Now that the Phillies' agreement on a four-year contract with Ryan Madson has either fallen through or never actually materialized in the first place, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald opines that Jonathan Papelbon, like Madson, is unlikely to secure a contract of four or more years from Philly. Just reading the tea leaves, it looks like the fourth year will be the primary haggling point for Madson and Papelbon in their respective negotiations.

NL Central Links: Wandy, Reds, Cards’ Manager

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Some NL Central linkage …

  • Astros GM Ed Wade said today on MLB Network Radio that he is open to all offers on left-hander Wandy Rodriguez, tweets Jim Bowden. The Astros tried to move Rodriguez in a post-deadline transaction in August, but they were unable to reach agreement on trade with the Rockies when Colorado was awarded a waiver claim on the southpaw. We heard a couple weeks ago, though, that some expect the Rockies to again pursue Rodriguez this offseason.
  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty said that Cincinnati is more likelty to pursue players via trades than free agency this offseason, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The club's most pressing needs, according to Fay, are a top-of-the-rotation starter and a right-handed-hitting power bat.
  • The Cardinals' won't expand their candidate list beyond Mike Matheny, Terry Francona, Ryne Sandberg, Jose Oquendo, Joe McEwing and Chris Maloney, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com, who's hearing great things about Matheny and wouldn't be surprised if Matheny were named the next skipper in an upset (Twitter links).

Dodgers Links: Sale, Offseason, Infielders, Rivera

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On this day in 1988, Los Angeles right-hander Orel Hershiser won the NL Cy Young Award by a unanimous vote after going 23-8 with a 2.31 ERA. Here are a few items of note regarding the Dodgers …

  • Tom Golisano, the former owner of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, is preparing a bid to purchase the Dodgers, according to Craig Karmin and Matthew Futterman of the Wall Street Journal. Golisano is "one of the first to declare an interest in buying the franchise who actually has the money to pull off the transaction," according to the report.
  • Outgoing owner Frank McCourt hasn't told GM Ned Colletti not to spend on free agents — even ones of Prince Fielder's caliber — this offseason, a source tells Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
  • The Dodgers are "aggressively pursuing" infielders and are also interested in acquiring a catcher and starting pitchers, Major League sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Los Angeles is targeting Clint Barmes, Aaron Hill and Mark Ellis to play second base and/or a utility position.
  • Juan Rivera's new contract with the Dodgers could be worth as much as $9MM over the next two seasons, according to Hernandez. The outfielder is guaranteed $4MM in 2012, with a $4MM option or $500K buyout for 2013, and he can earn as much as $500K in each of the next two seasons depending on his number of at-bats.

Quick Hits: Braves, Selig, Indians

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A few stray items to pass along on this Saturday evening …

  • The Braves plan to increase their payroll over 2011's $87MM Opening Day figure, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Atlanta could bring back arbitration eligibles Jair Jurrjens, Martin Prado, Michael Bourn, Tommy Hanson and Eric O'Flaherty, and still be able to increase payroll, but "trading one or more of those players would enable them to spend more," according to Rosenthal. We've already seen the Braves try to trade Jurrjens and Prado, but a potential deal with the Royals fell through.
  • The sale of the Dodgers was one of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig's final big chores before likely retirement after 2012, according to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune. Next on Selig's to-do list, per Rogers: Deciding on whether to approve Jim Crane's purchase of the Astros; getting the Mets back in solid financial standing; and resolving the untenable stadium situations of the Athletics and Rays.
  • The Indians have signed 17-year-old Venezuelan catcher Henry Lunar, according to ElTiempo.com.ve (Spanish link, translated by MLBTR's Nick Collias).
  • Cubs president Theo Epstein will be the front man in the North Siders' efforts to secure funding for a $300MM proposal to improve the conditions of Wrigley Field, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.

East Notes: Oswalt, Wilson, Garcia, Madson, Cuddyer

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A few items of note from around the Northeast Corridor …

  • The Yankees have contacted the agent for free agent starters Roy Oswalt and C.J. Wilson, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger. Bombers GM Brian Cashman, however, cautioned that he's "in the process of talking to everybody." Oswalt and Wilson are both represented by Bob Garber of Select Sports Group, as our Agency Database shows.
  • As well, Cashman has already communicated with free agent starter Freddy Garcia's representatives, according to Carig, and the parties are mutually interested in seeing the veteran right-hander in the Bronx again in 2012. Cashman also expressed interest in bringing back reserve infield Eric Chavez, backup outfielder Andruw Jones and right-hander Bartolo Colon.
  • The Phillies have had discussions with free agent closer Ryan Madson, Madson's agent Scott Boras tells Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Boras termed the talks with the Phillies as "good dialogue" and said Madson is receiving a lot of interest – even from clubs that weren't thought to be in need of a closer.
  • Newest Phillie Jim Thome is good friends with former Twins teammate Michael Cuddyer, whom the Phillies are seriously pursuing, so Thome could help recruit Cuddyer to Philly, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. "We've texted a little bit," Thome said. "We've talked." … "I'm sure we will talk going forward."
  • The Mets will refrain from doling out potentially crippling contracts under GM Sandy Alderson, but they shouldn't draw that line in dealing with their homegrown star Jose Reyes, opines Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Writes Rubin: "If the ultimate verdict with Reyes is a calculated baseball decision, so be it. But shame on the Mets if he departs and it is primarily payroll-constraint induced."

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