Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Cliff Lee Rumors: Sunday

By | at

We checked in earlier today on the top free agent hitter, Carl Crawford. Now, let's round up the latest updates on the market's top pitcher….

  • Lee told teammates that he would return to the Rangers if they offer him a sixth year, sources tell Tim Brown of Yahoo (via Twitter).
  • Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter) hears that Texas will not offer six years to Lee but expects the Yankees to do so.
  • The Nats are a longshot to land Lee, GM Mike Rizzo told MLB.com's Bill Ladson (via Twitter).
  • The Yankees have yet to make a formal proposal to Lee and his agent Darek Braunecker is hoping to get a deal done in Orlando, says Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links).
  • It still looks like a two-horse race for Cliff Lee, who has been visited in person twice by the Rangers and once by the Yankees, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "It appears the Rangers will draw the line at five years for the 32-year-old lefthander," Cafardo says. "But the Yankees could put it over the top with a sixth year."
  • An AL exec explains to Joel Sherman of the New York Post why the Yanks are the favorites: "There is no Plan B that is acceptable [when it comes to upgrading a rotation that needs to be upgraded]. They have looked around and know it is worthwhile to spend what they must to fix what is broken."
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports isn't necessarily buying that there are only two clubs seriously in on Lee.
  • Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News breaks down the kind of offer the Rangers could make to keep Lee in Texas.

Odds & Ends: Rivera, Pirates, Beltre, A’s

By | at

Links for Sunday, with winter meetings right around the corner….

Carl Crawford Rumors: Sunday

By | at

In his ESPN.com blog entry today (Insider required), Buster Olney passes along an interesting note: Agents that have spoken to Olney believe "a ton" of free agents will sign within the next week. Of course, while we could see a lot of second- or third-tier names come off the board, it may take a little longer for elite players like Carl Crawford to sign. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that Crawford's representatives have told teams negotiations could take some time, with plenty of suitors emerging. Here are today's other Crawford-related tidbits:

  • Crawford would be a perfect fit for the Angels, says Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. According to DiGiovanna, the Angels, who have long been considered a favorite to land Crawford, would prefer to pay the outfielder a higher annual salary over five or six years rather than guaranteeing seven or eight years.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post discusses the Yankees' interest in Crawford, writing that the team is "staying in touch if, for no other reason, to make sure the Red Sox pay a premium should he go to Boston." Sherman doesn't expect the Yankees to seriously consider Crawford unless they miss out on Cliff Lee and need to use one of their current outfielders to trade for a pitcher.
  • Within Cafardo's aforementioned piece, he notes that Theo Epstein and the Red Sox are reluctant to dish out long-term deals, meaning it's unlikely they'd make Crawford an eight-year offer.

Marlins Sign Javier Vazquez

By | at

After a second disappointing stint with the Yankees, Javier Vazquez is returning to the National League. Vazquez has officially signed a one-year contract worth $7MM with the Marlins. He also receives a full no-trade clause, and the team has agreed not to offer the righty arbitration next offseason.

Since the season ended, the Marlins have appeared to be one of the favorites to sign the 34-year-old; Florida had a little cash to spend on pitching after trading Dan Uggla to the Braves, and Vazquez expressed interest in joining the team, which plays its home games near his native Puerto Rico. The Nationals, Cubs, and Rockies also had varying levels of interest in Vazquez, who passed on two-year offers for the chance to pitch close to home.

Vazquez agreed to turn down an arbitration offer from the Yankees, which means New York will receive a supplementary pick in next year's draft. Because Vazquez is a Type B free agent, the Marlins will not have to surrender a pick in the deal.

Although he struggled to a 5.32 ERA and was eventually removed from the Yankees' rotation in 2010, Vazquez was extremely effective the last time he played in the NL East. In 2009, he finished fourth in Cy Young voting, pitching to a 2.87 ERA and striking out more than a batter per inning for the Braves. I named him as a pitcher who could benefit from a move to the NL this winter, so joining the Marlins makes him a decent bet to bounce back in 2011.

Bill Ladson of MLB.com first wrote that the two sides were closing in on a deal, while Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) reported that an agreement had been reached. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports later tweeted the contract details.

Yankees Notes: Burnett, Jeter, Albaladejo

By | at

When Javier Vazquez's deal with the Marlins becomes official, the Yankees will have earned a sandwich pick in next year's draft in exchange for losing the right-hander. Here are a few other items of interest out of the Bronx….

  • Brian Cashman flew to Maryland this week to meet with A.J. Burnett, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider required). While it's not the first time Cashman has met with one of his veteran players during the offseason, the visit was more noteworthy because of Burnett's disappointing 2010 campaign. The Yanks' GM "made it clear" to the 33-year-old that the team still believes in him going forward.
  • Former Yankee Tino Martinez tells George A. King III of the New York Post that he's bothered by the way Derek Jeter is being perceived this offseason: "It's making it seem like he is greedy. He is not being greedy. He is going through a baseball negotiation like everybody else. It's made him look like he doesn't know what's happening in the real world, and he is not like that."
  • Within the same piece, King says the Yomiuri Giants sent the Yankees $1.2MM for Jonathan Albaladejo, who finalized a one-year deal with the Japanese club yesterday.
  • Chad Jennings of the Journal News considers some potential landing spots for Jeter and shortstop alternatives for the Yankees in the unlikely event that the two sides can't reach an agreement.

Red Sox Interested In Matt Guerrier

By | at

The Red Sox have shown interest in Matt Guerrier, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The reliever is a free agent for the first time this winter, after earning $3.15MM in 2010, his final year of arbitration eligibility.

Guerrier, who has spent his entire big league career in Minnesota, was not offered arbitration by the Twins this week. As a Type A free agent, the right-hander may have had trouble securing a deal with another team if he turned down arbitration. With no arb offer though, the 32-year-old is free to sign with any club without costing them a draft pick.

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith examined Guerrier's free agent stock earlier this week, concluding that the righty may not receive multiyear offers due to some mediocre peripheral numbers and a deep free agent class. However, as a workhorse that has made at least 73 appearances in each of the last four seasons, Guerrier should draw plenty of interest on a short-term deal. For their part, the Red Sox are looking to improve a bullpen that ranked 12th in the AL in ERA (4.24) in 2010.

Cafardo On Gonzalez, V-Mart, Rangers, Nishioka

By | at

Let's take a look at the latest from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe….

  • Cafardo suggests the money the Red Sox could have spent on Victor Martinez may be used to make a bigger splash. He speculates that splash could involve trading for Adrian Gonzalez and signing him to an extension, but ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider-only link) still expects the Padres to begin the 2011 season with Gonzalez on their roster.
  • One National League GM on Boston deciding not to match the Tigers' offer for Martinez: "He really rakes lefthanded pitching. That was the strange thing about the Red Sox for me — that in a division where there are so many good lefthanded pitchers, Martinez hit them at a .400 clip [in 2010]. Big, big loss for the Red Sox."
  • One option the Rangers are discussing internally, in the event they can't sign Cliff Lee, is moving Neftali Feliz to the rotation and signing a closer such as Rafael Soriano.
  • Olney reported earlier this week that rival executives view the Rangers as the team with the best shot at acquiring Zack Greinke. Cafardo hears the same thing, noting that Engel Beltre is "often mentioned as trade bait."
  • As we heard when the Twins won the bidding for Tsuyoshi Nishioka, the Red Sox were also involved. According to Cafardo, Boston's bid was about $2.3MM, and their interest in the Japanese shortstop was "marginal." With Jed Lowrie and Jose Iglesias already in the organization, Nishioka didn't make a ton of sense for the club.
  • Cafardo expects the Padres, Red Sox, or Indians to hire Josh Byrnes in the near future.

Marlins Closing In On Javier Vazquez

By | at

The Marlins and Javier Vazquez are close to agreeing to terms on a contract, a baseball source tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson.

On Tuesday, we heard that Vazquez was seeking a one-year deal and that talks with the Marlins were heating up. Florida's geographical proximity to the right-hander's native Puerto Rico is one factor in Vazquez's interest in the team.

The Nationals were rumored to be preparing an offer for Vazquez at one point, but according to Ladson, they are out of the running for the 34-year-old's services due to the serious nature of Vazquez's discussions with the Marlins.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Grant Balfour

By | at

One member of the Rays' 2010 bullpen has already inked a lucrative three-year deal, but Joaquin Benoit won't be the only Tampa Bay reliever to draw interest this winter. Let's examine the stock of Grant Balfour, another of the team's free agent right-handers.

The Good

  • Balfour posted a 2.98 ERA in three seasons for Tampa Bay, including a 2.28 mark in 2010. In his 181 innings over the last three years, he's struck out 10.3 batters per nine innings, and even closed occasionally, recording eight saves.
  • He has enjoyed that success while playing in the tough AL East, so there shouldn't be any doubt about his ability to play for any team in either league.
  • When MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked the top 50 free agents, he placed Balfour just a few spots behind Benoit. Considering Benoit earned a $16.5MM deal, Balfour's odds of signing for multiple years look good.

The Bad

  • Balfour is a Type A free agent, meaning it'll cost a high draft pick to sign him if he declines arbitration. For teams with protected first round picks or teams who sign two or three Type A players, this won't be as significant an issue, but it could limit his market to some extent.
  • Though the 33-year-old doesn't have a history of health problems, he did spend a month on the disabled list in 2010 with a rib injury.
  • Balfour has only thrown more than 60 innings once in his career, in 2009. It was the worst of his seasons with the Rays (4.81 ERA, 4.4 BB/9).

The Verdict

We haven't heard much yet about the market for Balfour this offseason, but he's coming off an impressive 2010 campaign and should be one of the more appealing non-closers available. MLBTR's writers were split on where the righty will land, with the Diamondbacks, Yankees, and Dodgers receiving votes. I'd imagine the Mets, Angels, Red Sox, and a handful of other teams would have some interest as well.

The Levinson Brothers, who negotiated Benoit's contract, also represent Balfour, and will likely be hunting for a similar offer. While I don't think they'll match the three years and $16.5MM that Benoit received from the Tigers, I expect Balfour to land a two-year, eight-figure deal.

New York Notes: Jeter, Rivera, Mets Manager

By | at

Here are the latest rumblings out of New York, with an emphasis on Derek Jeter's contract discussions and the Mets' managerial opening….

  • Jeter's agent, Casey Close is baffled by the Yankees' negotiating tactics, writes Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News. "There's a reason the Yankees themselves have stated Derek Jeter is their modern-day Babe Ruth," Close said. "Derek's significance to the team is much more than just stats."
  • Jeter "has every right to battle the Yankees," says Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
  • Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork discusses the future of the Yankee captain with Jeter's trainer, Jason Riley, who thinks the 36-year-old could have another seven good years left in him. I can't say I share Riley's optimism, though a bounceback 2011 season from Jeter wouldn't surprise me.
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com reported on Friday that Mariano Rivera has told friends he'd like a two-year deal with the Yanks. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch doesn't expect that to be a problem for the team.
  • Former Mets skipper Davey Johnson tells Mike Puma of the New York Post that, as much as he likes Wally Backman, Terry Collins should be the club's next manager.
  • According to major league executives that spoke to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, the Mets are placing a high value on past major league managerial experience, making either Collins and Bob Melvin the likely choice.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top