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AL West Rumors: Rangers, Gonzalez, Wilson

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The latest updates out of the AL West:

  • The Rangers are searching for a utility infielder that can play shortstop, but competition is fierce at the Winter Meetings, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Sullivan says at least ten teams are looking for a player that fits that description.
  • An AL West source told Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston (Twitter link) that he expects the Athletics to move Gio Gonzalez.
  • Both the Angels and Rangers have plans to meet with C.J. Wilson's agent Bob Garber at the Winter Meetings. The southpaw is said to have received a six-year offer from a team that is not the Rangers.

Marlins Don’t Intend To Trade Hanley Ramirez

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With Jose Reyes in the fold, it appears Hanley Ramirez won't be playing shortstop for the Marlins next season. However, that doesn't mean the club plans to trade him. Owner Jeffrey Loria and president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest both suggested Ramirez would be fine with changing positions and will remain a Marlin.

Danny Knobler of CBS Sports says Loria views Ramirez as "part of the plan, part of the core." The Marlins owner said the team intends to "make everything comfortable" for the 27-year-old. Meanwhile, Beinfest conveyed a similar sentiment, as Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes:

“If something like that happened," said Beinfest, referring to the not-yet-official Reyes signing, "[Ramirez] would change positions. If and when we acquire a shortstop, we’ll address that. Hanley wants to win. We’d like to provide the pieces around him to help him win.”

Dodgers, Hairston Jr. Talking Two-Year Deal

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The Dodgers are in talks with Jerry Hairston Jr. about a multiyear contract, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman. Heyman cautions that nothing is done yet, but says the two sides are discussing a two-year deal for about $6MM (Twitter link).

The Dodgers, Brewers, and Giants were rumored to be interested in Hairston. Earlier this afternoon, we heard that the Giants are no longer pursuing the veteran utility player.

Jose Reyes Signing Reactions

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Before the Winter Meetings officially got underway, the Marlins struck the week's first major blow, agreeing to terms with Jose Reyes on a six-year, $106MM contract. Despite the shortstop's injury history, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes likes the signing for Miami, since Reyes "doesn't have to be amazing or play 162 games a year to be worth $17.67MM annually." Here's a round-up of a few more instant reactions to the deal:

  • While the Marlins took a risk committing over $100MM to Reyes, he has the potential to turn into a genuine bargain, writes Dave Cameron of Fangraphs.
  • Yahoo's Jeff Passan thinks the contract matches up favorably to Carl Crawford's deal, although "the idea of budget-conscious Mets and free-spending Marlins takes a minute to process."
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law (Insider link) views the contract as a big risk for Miami, arguing that, given Reyes' injury history, it seems "wildly optimistic" to assume he'll still be a viable shortstop by the end of the deal.
  • In another Insider piece, ESPN's Jim Bowden writes that Reyes provides the Marlins with a "much-needed dose of star power." Whereas Law saw the Mets as major winners in the process for avoiding a long-term risk, Bowden considers them the big loser in the deal.
  • The Mets have to rebuild their credibility along with their roster after losing Reyes, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • The Mets are justified in letting Reyes go, but their approach made it look like they intended to finish second in the bidding, writes John Harper of the New York Daily News.
  • Adam Rubin of ESPN New York assigns the blame for Reyes' departure from New York on the Wilpons and Bernie Madoff, among others, rather than the player or GM.
  • When Reyes and Hanley Ramirez are both healthy and productive, they'll be perfect fits for the style of play preferred by new manager Ozzie Guillen, says Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider link).
  • Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog respects GM Sandy Alderson's approach on Reyes, but is disappointed to see the Mets star snapped up by a division rival.
  • Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer takes a look at what Reyes' signing means for the new top shortstop on the market, Jimmy Rollins.

Darvish May Be Posted After Winter Meetings

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10:56pm: Darvish's father told Japanese news service Sponichi that his son's decision regarding posting may not come till mid- or late January, according to Rosenthal, which could substantially limit the number of bidders because many Major League teams – chiefly the small- and mid-market clubs – have their budgets set by then.

8:20pm: Darvish and Hokkaido haven't yet agreed on a posting fee, a scout tells Rosenthal.

“The player, I am told, is very quirky with a huge ego. Apparently, he will feel disrespected if the post is less than Matsuzaka’s was with Boston," the scout said.

A different scout who covers Japanese players tells Rosenthal that Hokkaido wants Darvish to depart so that it can collect the posting fee. The scout adds that the team was planning to post Darvish last year and "had to scramble" to work Darvish's $4.2MM salary into its budget.

1:50pm: Yu Darvish will likely be posted by the Nippon-Ham Fighters after next week's Winter Meetings, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. There are still some issues to be worked out, but Darvish's divorce is not a factor, Rosenthal adds.

While Darvish ranked behind only C.J. Wilson among starting pitchers on MLBTR's list of the top 50 free agents, there was no guarantee he would in fact be available this winter. Yahoo's Jeff Passan wrote last month that executives of some clubs were beginning to doubt whether the Japanese right-hander would be posted, and Darvish's father said a few days later that the odds were "about 50-50."

If Darvish is posted, bidding for his services figures to be very competitive. When MLBTR's Tim Dierkes polled agents in October, they predicted an average posting fee of $45MM and a total commitment of over $100MM to obtain the 25-year-old. The Yankees, Blue Jays, Nationals, and Rangers are among the many teams expected to have interest, and according to Rosenthal, new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine "loves" Darvish, having managed against him in Japan.

Reds Notes: Votto, Alonso, Trade Targets, Santiago

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Here are a few links to peruse on your Saturday, as Redsfest continues in Cincinnati:

  • Joey Votto and Yonder Alonso aren't bothered by trade rumors and speculation, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon writes in two separate pieces. Votto concedes "it would be disappointing to get traded," but it doesn't appear he'll have to face that possibility this offseason – GM Walt Jocketty said during the GM meetings that the Reds won't move the 2010 MVP this winter.
  • Jocketty says the Reds have identified six starting pitchers as potential trade targets, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). While the GM didn't name anyone specifically, Fay guesses that James Shields, Gio Gonzalez, and Jair Jurrjens are on the list.
  • The Reds are looking for a veteran infielder who can play shortstop, tweets Sheldon. They were interested in Ramon Santiago before the 32-year-old agreed to return to Detroit.
  • Sheldon also says that manager Dusty Baker hopes the club can give the closer's job to a specific pitcher. Baker's thoughts on the topic: "We're going to look in-house. We're going to look at trades or free agents and try to come up with a guy, a main guy. The one thing we don't want to do is have a closer by committee."

Indians Among Nine Teams Interested In Casey Blake

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The Indians are one of nine teams to have expressed interest in signing Casey Blake, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cleveland likes Blake as a super-utility type, who could back up at the corner infield and corner outfield positions.

The Dodgers turned down their $6MM option on Blake at season's end, electing instead to pay him a $1.25MM buyout and make him a free agent. The decision was unsurprising after injuries limited Blake's playing time and production in 2011. The 38-year-old hit .252/.342/.371 in 239 plate appearances. Agent Jim McDowell told MLBTR that his client expects to be 100% for 2012.

If the Indians were to sign Blake, it would be his second stint in Cleveland. The first ended in July 2008, after five and a half years, when the Tribe shipped him to Los Angeles in the trade that landed them catching prospect Carlos Santana.

Red Sox Notes: Manager, Bard, Sizemore, Lamont

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Boston's lengthy managerial search should be coming to an end this week, as the team is expected to hire either Bobby Valentine or Gene Lamont as its skipper within the next few days. As Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes, Valentine may not be the safe choice, but the club must determine whether or not he's the best choice.  Here's more on the Red Sox..

  • The Red Sox have yet to make an offer to Bobby Valentine, an industry source told Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. 
  • With perception being that ownership wants Valentine while Gene Lamont is championed by GM Ben Cherington, it would take quite a bit of fortitude from Cherington to go against the owners, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.
  • Troy Renck of the Denver Post expects the Red Sox to hire Valentine.
  • Boston should convert Daniel Bard into a starter rather than a closer, argues Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. Former Sox pitching coach Curt Young acknowledges that Bard "does have a starter's repertoire."
  • Within the same piece, Silverman adds that Grady Sizemore's agreement with the Indians caught the Red Sox and some other clubs by surprise, as they thought there would be more time to negotiate with the outfielder.
  • Bronson Arroyo believes that his former manager in PIttsburgh, Gene Lamont, could be a successful manager in Boston, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.  The pitcher added that Lamont has a similar managerial style to Terry Francona.

Olney On Rollins, Fielder, Red Sox

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Between his ESPN.com blog and his Twitter feed, Buster Olney has a few hot stove notes to share this morning. Let's check them out….

  • Jimmy Rollins, who turns 33 today, is seeking a five-year deal this winter, and the Phillies may have to commit that many years if they want to bring their longtime shortstop back. "I'm not sure if Rollins will get five years," said an NL evaluator. "But he's a safer bet for me than any starting pitcher on the free agent market — and some of those (or at least C.J. Wilson) will get five years…. He will get paid. The only question is whether it will be four years or five years."
  • An AL evaluator believes that, "while he's not the force at the plate that he used to be," Rollins is one of the more underrated defensive shortstops in the game.
  • Olney tweets that neither Prince Fielder nor Albert Pujols is an ideal long-term target for the Cubs, noting that Fielder makes the most sense for an AL club that could move him to DH for the back half of a long-term contract.
  • The Red Sox have narrowed their managerial search to two finalists, Bobby Valentine and Gene Lamont. Olney says some of GM Ben Cherington's peers (with other teams) are wondering if Cherington prefers Lamont while his bosses prefer Valentine, and, if so, whether it's worth it for the GM to fight ownership for his choice.

Brewers To Explore Extensions For Greinke, Marcum

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The Brewers expect to discuss potential extensions with starters Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum this winter, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. In a second tweet, Knobler adds that the Brew Crew could also explore a long-term deal for closer John Axford, among others.

Greinke and Marcum, both acquired by the Brewers in trades last offseason, will be eligible for free agency a year from now. Greinke is entering the final season of a four-year, $38MM contract, while Marcum is eligible for arbitration for the last time this winter. Axford, meanwhile, is still a year away from being arbitration-eligible.

If no extensions are worked out before the 2012 campaign begins, Greinke will earn $13.5MM, while MLBTR projects Marcum to earn approximately $6.8MM.

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