Astros, Dodgers Discussing Andrew Miller With Yankees
The Astros and Dodgers are showing interest in Yankees lefty Andrew Miller, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. Those clubs have long seemed like possible fits, but the involvement of the latter is particularly notable given that the Dodgers had been lined up to acquire Aroldis Chapman from the Reds before his disturbing domestic violence allegations emerged.
Both Houston and L.A. were heavily involved in pursuing Miller last winter, with the Astros said to have made him the largest offer. But Miller chose New York, in part for family reasons, and signed a four-year, $36MM pact that includes equal, $9MM annual salaries.
Just one year into that contract, the remaining commitment looks quite appealing. Miller put up another outstanding season, throwing 61 2/3 frames of 2.04 ERA ball and racking up 14.6 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. Those numbers are nearly exact matches for his breakout 2014 campaign, and there’s little question that he’d command an even larger commitment were he back on the open market this winter.
Latest On Cubs’ Search For Outfielders
The Cubs are among the teams with interest in free agent outfielder Denard Span, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Chicago is also continuing to pursue Jason Heyward, Heyman adds, as has been reported previously.
Span comes to the free agent market offering the upside of a high-quality regular at a reduced asking price. He’s nearing 32 years of age and, more importantly, has dealt with fairly significant core muscle and back issues.
But Span has been excellent when healthy, slashing a combined .301/.358/.421 over the past two seasons with 42 stolen bases in 943 plate appearances. He could provide a near-term replacement for fellow free agent Dexter Fowler in center.
It’s not immediately clear whether the team has any inclination to add multiple outfielders. Notably, the addition of Ben Zobrist provides another outfield-capable player to the mix.
If Chicago were to add multiple outfielders, that would certainly seem likely to be done in concert with a trade involving one or more of the team’s current players. Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter), Chicago was second in the bidding for Shelby Miller and was willing to send Jorge Soler to Atlanta. That doesn’t mean that Soler is being shopped around, of course, but does suggest that the club feels comfortable parting with him in the right scenario.
West Notes: Giants, Gordon, Giles, Santiago, Wilson, Rangers, DBacks, Padres
The Giants are seen as the frontrunner for outfielder Alex Gordon by some “rival evaluators,” ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. One other possible target for GM Bobby Evans and co. is Dexter Fowler, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Of course, we’ve also heard San Francisco connected to some of the other top free agent outfielders available, so there still seems to be plenty of uncertainty and opportunity for the organization in that area.
More from out west:
- The Astros are “still trying to pry” young closer Ken Giles away from the Phillies, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter. He’d cost some significant prospects if a deal is struck, Heyman suggests.
- The Angels are receiving the most hits on lefty Hector Santiago, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports on Twitter. He certainly represents an interesting chip after putting up 180 2/3 innings of 3.59 ERA pitching last year. The Orioles are among “many” clubs that have inquired on Santiago, Heyman tweets.
- Teams are not showing much of an appetite for C.J. Wilson, Gonzalez adds. Los Angeles would need to hold onto about $15MM of Wilson’s $20MM salary to get something done, which wouldn’t offer enough salary relief to make sense.
- The Rangers and Diamondbacks have been talking about a possible deal, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports on Twitter. Arizona “may have extra pitching,” suggests Sullivan, in light of its two major recent rotation upgrades. Meanwhile, Heyman says on Twitter that the D’backs might be hunting for relievers, which could be a target area with Texas.
- It does not appear as if the Padres intend to utilize Jon Jay in left field, writes Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, meaning the team will be looking for another option there. GM A.J. Preller discussed the possibility of Hunter Renfroe stepping in there, but it seems as if he won’t be an option until the middle of the season at the earliest. That could leave the organization searching for an outside addition.
Phillies Interested In Doug Fister
The Phillies have some interest in free agent starter Doug Fister, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter. Philadelphia is looking to add a veteran presence to its rotation, he notes.
Fister, who’ll soon turn 32, finished eighth in the Cy Young voting in 2014 after putting up a 2.41 ERA in his 164 frames for the Nationals. But that all evaporated last year, as he struggled with injury, saw his velocity drop, posted his lowest groundball rate (44.6%) and highest home run rate (1.22 HR/9) since his rookie year, and ultimately lost his rotation spot in D.C.
But there’s plenty to like about Fister as a bounceback candidate, too. The towering righty has never been terribly reliant on velocity and maintains outstanding control. He ended last year with a 4.19 ERA in 103 innings, along with a fairly typical 5.5 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9, so it’s not as if the season was a complete disaster. And he was one of the game’s more consistently productive starters over 2012-14, so it’s not like his glory days are well in the rearview.
For the Phillies, there’s no question that the team has the finances to sign Fister or any other pitchers that the team prefers, with the only significant limitation being the organization’s effort to avoid significant future entanglements that might compromise its rebuild. And there’s good reason pursue him for the Phils, who not only need the innings, but could conceivably end up cashing him in via trade if he returns to form. The larger question is whether they can woo a player like Fister, who could well receive strong interest from contenders, to join a club that is not expected to compete in 2016.
Ben Zobrist Choosing Between Mets, Cubs
5:43pm: Zobrist is choosing between the Cubs and Mets, according to Rosenthal (Twitter link). The two have made comparable offers, says Rosenthal, so the decision comes down to which club he’d rather join. The Nationals are now on the periphery of talks, Rosenthal adds.
5:26pm: Heyman tweets that the Mets, Giants and Nationals are all willing to go to four years on Zobrist.
4:36pm: Rosenthal hears the same as Rogers — the Cubs are in on Zobrist, he tweets. However, Chicago would need other moves to come together before signing Zobrist. The Cubs, of course, have reportedly been discussing infielder Javier Baez with other teams. Starlin Castro‘s name, too, has been frequently mentioned in trade rumors over the past several months.
3:39pm: Zobrist has at least one four-year offer in hand and could make his decision within the “next several hours,” Jon Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers adds on Twitter that the Cubs are “not out” of the Zobrist sweepstakes but also don’t seem like the favorite to sign him.
3:34pm: Contrary to prior indications, the Nationals have not met in person with Zobrist and don’t have anything lined up to do so at present, according to reports from Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post (via Twitter) and Mark Zuckerman of CSNmidatlantic.com (Twitter link). But they have met with his representatives and the team has made a “nice, hard push” to acquire Zobrist, per a tweet from the Post’s James Wagner.
Janes provides a full quote from Rizzo, on Twitter: “We have plans, not necessarily to meet him face-to-face, but we’ll keep those to ourselves.”
1:46pm: Zobrist is talking over his decision with his wife and a decision could come as soon as this evening, his agent tells Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
1:03pm: A source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that there’s “no way” Zobrist has received such an offer.
Meanwhile, a source with the Mets says that the team did not make such an offer and wouldn’t match it, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets.
1:02pm: Free agent infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist has been as heavily pursued as expected, but his market is apparently reaching heights not previously anticipated. One unidentified team has made him a four-year, $80MM offer, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. He adds that the Mets remain the favorites to land Zobrist.
Needless to say, that’s an incredible figure to hear connected with Zobrist. Most prior estimates have pegged his anticipated value more in the $15MM annual range, give or take a few million. Despite his consistent excellence, Zobrist is no longer posting quite the numbers he did during his heyday and is entering his age-35 season.
One relevant comp that has previously been discussed is Victor Martinez, another older player who was coming off of a big season at the plate when he inked with the Tigers for four years and $68MM. While Martinez had obvious defensive limitations, whereas Zobrist can play just about everywhere, the latter is also not the offensive force that Martinez was. All said, then, there are some general similarities in their market outlook, and going all the way to eighty million would add an additional $3MM annually to what Martinez achieved.
The latest reports all suggest that Zobrist’s decision is coming soon, with the Nationals and Mets said to be leading the way. The Giants and possibly the Dodgers are also said to be in the mix, too. Of course, late-emerging mystery teams have driven up bidding on plenty of previous occasions, and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com did tweet earlier today that some believe other clubs could still enter the fray.
Jose Fernandez Rumors: 12-8-2015
We’ve heard persistent rumors that the Marlins could still be willing to listen to trade offers for star righty Jose Fernandez, even if the asking price is incredibly steep. Though president of baseball operations Michael Hill said yesterday that Fernandez is “not available,” the rumors have carried over into the second day of the Winter Meetings.
Here’s the latest:
- The Dodgers have discussed trying to involve a third team in trade talks for Fernandez, according to Rosenthal (Twitter link).
Earlier Updates
- Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria says there’s “nothing I am thinking about doing at the moment” with Fernandez, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.
- Yankees sources tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links) that the team never offered Severino and isn’t interested in doing so. The club has not held “substantive talks” on Fernandez, per the report.
- About a dozen clubs have inquired on Fernandez, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports (Twitter links). The Dodgers appear to be the best match, he says, if they’d part with Seager, Urias, and more. Needless to say, that’s a big “if.” The Yankees were willing to give up their best young arm, Luis Severino, per the report, but Frisaro adds that it doesn’t seem New York has enough to give for Fernandez even if it included first baseman Greg Bird.
- The Giants have also had conversations with Miami about Fernandez, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Meanwhile, the Dodgers appear unwilling to involve Corey Seager in any deal but could consider including top pitching prospect Julio Urias in a package.
- Miami appears to be engaging in discussions on Fernandez more to gauge his future value than to structure a deal right now, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald writes.
- A rival executive tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that Miami still does not seem terribly willing to part with Fernandez. “They haven’t proposed anything reasonable enough to make people think they want to deal,” said the anonymous source.
- A source tells Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter) that the Astros aren’t the “mystery team” pursuing Fernandez.
- There’s a mystery team entering the picture on Fernandez with a “very strong” bid, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. Sources with “other clubs” tell Stark that the Astros are believed to be the shadowy pursuer. Stark also adds that a deal increasingly seems plausible, with Miami possibly holding off on pursing a Marcell Ozuna deal while the team explores the addition of an outfielder through a trade of Fernandez.
- As Stark notes in the story, he previously reported that the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Yankees have at least contacted the Marlins regarding Fernandez, though Arizona is said to have dropped out of the picture.
Latest On Rangers And Prince Fielder
3:01pm: Texas is not “shopping” Fielder, GM Jon Daniels says, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter links). And a source tells Wilson that the club hasn’t had “any conversations” regarding the veteran slugger.
12:25pm: The Rangers are “surveying” rival teams to gauge the market’s interest in “picking up [the] bulk” of the contract of first baseman Prince Fielder, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports on Twitter. But Texas does not appear to be receiving much indication that there’s much likelihood of finding a match.
With the Tigers carrying $30MM of the remaining burden on Fielder, he’s owed an additional $90MM by the Rangers through 2020. That’s not a monumental obligation for a player of his ability, and there seem to be plenty of teams looking for bats, but it’s not clear what Texas would be looking for in structuring a deal.
Fielder, 31, had a bounceback season for the Rangers last year. He ended the campaign with a .305/.378/.463 slash and 24 home runs after dealing with back issues in 2014. But that’s still a far cry from the huge stats he put up earlier in his career, and Fielder fell off rather noticeably in the second half.
Latest On Angels’ Search For Outfielder
The Angels have engaged in “ongoing conversations” with the representatives of free agent outfielder Justin Upton, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, meanwhile, hears that there’s “nothing happening” at present between those sides. (Twitter links.)
Los Angeles has long been said to be pursuing a new left fielder, and Upton would represent one of the best options available for that role. Of course, there are many others, and Morosi adds on Twitter that the club is still considering the idea of signing Jason Heyward and moving Kole Calhoun to right field. That possibility has long been talked about as an option, though there’s still little indication that talks have progressed (if they’ve taken place at all).
Pitching Notes: Rangers, Giants, Maeda, Chapman, Stammen, Jays, Pirates, Okajima
It appears the Rangers are at least looking into an impactful pitching addition. MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan says (Twitter links) that the club has pursued Jose Fernandez, Shelby Miller, and Drew Smyly on the trade market, but “couldn’t make headway” on any of those players. The club is, however, holding a line of dialogue with the Indians on their rotation arms. Meanwhile, Texas has “neither funds nor interest level” to take a run at Japanese righty Kenta Maeda, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports on Twitter.
Here’s more on the pitching market:
- The Giants have some interest in Maeda, skipper Bruce Bochy told reporters including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). And the team has scouted him previously in Japan, colleague Henry Schulman adds on Twitter. Of course, Bochy also added that the club expects Maeda to draw wide interest, and didn’t make clear just how strong of a draw he represents.
- With uncertainty abounding, the Dodgers are holding internal discussions on what to do about the team’s prospective trade for Reds lefty Aroldis Chapman, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports via Twitter. It’s possible that the club could “pivot” to some other acquisition targets or that it might allow the situation to play out before committing in either direction, he adds.
- Recently non-tendered righty Craig Stammen is “100% recovered” from his arm surgery, a source tells MLBTR’s Zach Links (via) Twitter. Stammen, a stalwart of the Nationals pen for several years, was non-tendered recently. He’ll be entering his age-32 season after producing a 2.88 ERA with 8.2 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 in 246 2/3 innings over 2012-15.
- The Blue Jays are considering an array of options as they look at pen additions, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets. Toronto is considering everything from the best remaining free agent relievers to “bounce-back types,” he says.
- While a lefty reliever isn’t the Pirates‘ top priority, the team has reached to free agent Matt Thornton, Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on Twitter.
- The Pirates have shown interest in free agenty righty Kyle Kendrick, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (via Twitter). Kendrick struggled last year for the Rockies, but he’s still just 31 years old and has had success at times in a swingman capacity. Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review broke down the Bucs’ efforts to find starters in a piece yesterday.
- Japanese reliever Hideki Okajima is eyeing a return to the majors for his age-40 campaign, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com tweets. The long-time Red Sox southpaw last appeared in the bigs in 2013 with the Athletics and has played in Japan for the last two years.
Diamondbacks Designate A.J. Schugel
The Diamondbacks have designated righty A.J. Schugel for assignment, the club announced today. His roster spot was needed for the signing of Zack Greinke.
Schugel, 26, went to Arizona in the 2013 Mark Trumbo deal, which doesn’t look any better for the club after today’s move. He reached the majors briefly last year but spent most of the season at Triple-A, working to a 4.84 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 115 1/3 frames.