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Cafardo On Crawford, Lee, Upton, Dodgers

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This week's Sunday Baseball Notes piece from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is packed with juicy hot stove tidbits. According to one of Cafardo's major league sources, the Angels have had "serious talks" with Carl Crawford. The team's front office has been mum on the subject, but they've long been viewed as a strong potential suitor for the speedy outfielder. When five MLBTR writers predicted free agent destinations, all five guessed Crawford would sign with the Halos. Here are some of the other highlights from Cafardo's column:

  • "Word is" that the Yankees are currently willing to offer Cliff Lee about $115MM over five years. Cafardo says the Rangers are aiming to match whatever the bidding gets up to, while the Nationals are also still in the hunt. Earlier in the week, Nolan Ryan said he didn't expect Texas to be able to outbid the Yanks for Lee.
  • One National League scout said if he had limited trade chips to put toward a big bat, he'd acquire Adrian Gonzalez over Justin Upton. Gonzo is, as the scout notes, currently a "much better hitter," though he's also five years older than Upton and only under contract through 2011.
  • While Cafardo adds Kansas City to the list of teams who have "considerable interest" in Upton, we learned Friday that the 23-year-old can block a trade to the Royals.
  • The Dodgers would like to add a veteran "who can step up and be vocal when times are tough." Cafardo speculates that A.J. Pierzynski, Juan Uribe, or Johnny Damon could be a good fit.
  • The Dodgers are also considering signing a low-cost starter, and haven't ruled out bringing back Vicente Padilla.
  • "More and more teams" in need of middle infield help are eyeing Uribe.
  • The Nationals and Giants, in addition to the Orioles, have some interest in trading for Jason Bartlett. The Rays are looking for young bullpen help in return.
  • Mark Prior, attempting to make it back to the bigs, has three teams waiting on his decision, according to his agent, John Boggs.
  • Not all of the clubs who are showing interest in acquiring Marco Scutaro would necessarily use him at shortstop. The Dodgers could have interest in Scutaro as a second baseman, Cafardo says.

Twins To Extend Ron Gardenhire

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On the heels of being named the 2010 AL Manager of the Year, Ron Gardenhire has agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Twins, reports Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Twins officials tell Christensen that the skipper's entire staff will also be extended for two years, keeping them signed through 2012. Gardenhire, who was already under contract for 2011, will receive an additional two years, meaning he'll be on the Twins' bench through 2013.

Gardenhire has managed the Twins since 2002, leading the team to a 803-656 (.550) record and six division championships. Minnesota has won just a single playoff series during Gardenhire's tenure and never reached the World Series. However, as we heard when the Twins were eliminated this fall, for CEO Jim Pohlad, the club's playoff performance is a "nonissue" when evaluating Gardenhire.

Gardenhire had finished second in AL Manager of the Year voting five times before this year's win. Gardenhire managed the Twins to 94 victories and a division title, despite missing slugger Justin Morneau for half the season.

Odds & Ends: Jones, Mets, Yankees, Guerrero, Greinke

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A few more links for Wednesday night…

Jeter Wants Four-Year Deal From Yankees

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When Joel Sherman of the New York Post discussed Derek Jeter's contract negotiations with the Yankees earlier today, he suggested that the length of an extension may currently be the sticking point. Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork hears the same thing. A source tells Matthews that Jeter and the Yankees disagree about the number of years, with the Yanks willing to offer three years and Jeter hoping for more than that.

According to Matthews' source, the Yankees would "give Jeter more money than his play currently warrants" over three years, but are reluctant to go any longer. The Yankee captain would like a deal that locks him up for four seasons, and maybe more. Matthews indicates, as Sherman did, that the negotiations are unfolding like a "game of chicken."

Matthews reported earlier this month that the value for the Yanks' three-year offer to Jeter would likely fall somewhere between $45MM and $60MM.

Rockies Inquire On Justin Upton, Gavin Floyd

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The Rockies have contacted the Diamondbacks and White Sox to inquire on Justin Upton and Gavin Floyd, respectively, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Both teams are said to be listening to offers for their respective players.

We've rounded up the rest of today's Upton rumors here, with the latest from Jayson Stark indicating that Arizona seems "genuinely open" to moving their young outfielder. According to a team official that spoke to Renck, the D'Backs would be open to dealing Upton within the division, if the return was significant enough.

Meanwhile, we heard today that the White Sox would be willing to discuss trading Floyd, and Renck says the Sox have asked the Rockies about Ian Stewart. Colorado doesn't currently have a third baseman who could replace Stewart, but as Renck reported earlier, the club has interest in a handful of players who could handle the hot corner.

Despite their interest in potential trade candidates, the Rockies may still use free agency to fill their holes, as owner Dick Monfort admits: "We are really (reluctant) about giving up young players (in trades)." According to Renck, the Rockies also have interest in Scott Kazmir and "continue to monitor" the Victor Martinez situation.

Rockies Called On Kevin Millwood

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The Rockies appear to be leaving few stones unturned in their search for starting pitching. They've been linked to Jorge de la Rosa and Jon Garland, and were interested in Jake Westbrook and Hiroki Kuroda before the right-handers were re-signed by their respective clubs. Now, SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that Colorado has been in touch with Kevin Millwood.

Leading up to Millwood's free agency, it was thought that perhaps, following a tough year in the AL East, he would seek a contract with a team that plays in a pitcher-friendly park. Although I named him as a starter who could benefit from a move to the National League, Coors Field hardly qualifies as pitcher-friendly.

Within the same tweet, Heyman notes that while the Rockies like Garland, they'd prefer to stick to one-year deals for pitchers. After declining his side of a mutual option with the Padres, Garland figures to sign a multi-year contract this offseason.

Rangers, White Sox, Blue Jays Interested In Olivo

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Miguel Olivo is drawing "varying levels of interest" from several clubs, including the Rangers, White Sox, and Blue Jays, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi adds that the Red Sox could also be interested if Victor Martinez signs elsewhere.

Olivo is seeking a two-year contract, so it appears likely that he would turn down an arbitration offer from the Jays, who acquired him from the Rockies earlier this month. In that case, perhaps Toronto's interest would dwindle, since they'd earn a supplemental pick if Olivo signed with another team.

With John Buck and Ramon Hernandez already locked up to deals, the catching market behind V-Mart is thinning rapidly. Check out our list of remaining free agent backstops here.

Josh Willingham Drawing Interest; Extension Unlikely

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Although Josh Willingham is hoping to sign a long-term extension to remain in Washington for a few more years, that seems unlikely to happen this winter, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Willingham, who is under contract through 2011, will likely either receive a one-year contract from the Nationals or be traded.

"I think we're going to take him one year at a time, like we've been doing," said Nats GM Mike Rizzo. "That's the short answer. But things are fluid, and they could always change. We'll see what the season brings us."

Rizzo also told Kilgore that several teams have inquired about Willingham's availability, which is to be expected since "there's not a lot of [productive right-handed bats] out there." The Rockies are believed to be one of the clubs with some interest in the 31-year-old, according to Kilgore.

In October, when agent Matt Sosnick discussed the possibility of his client signing in Washington long-term, he opined that Willingham would be worth $10MM annually over multiple years on the open market.

Odds & Ends: Headley, D’Backs, Angels, Cardinals

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Links for Sunday….

  • Dan Hayes of The North County Times says that Chase Headley's impending raise as a Super Two player is giving the Padres some payroll-related headaches. He adds that GM Jed Hoyer mentioned that this offseason will be similar to last, in that most of the team's signings will occur in January and February.
  • MLB.com's John Schlegel looks ahead to some of the big trades we might see this winter.
  • Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets that the Diamondbacks are expected to hire Billy Ryan from the commissioner's office to be Kevin Towers' second in command.
  • The Angels' catching depth will likely be a hot topic at the upcoming GM meetings, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • While the Cardinals have a few positions that could be addressed, John Mozeliak will likely prioritize a shortstop upgrade this winter, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • In his latest ESPN.com blog entry (Insider required), Buster Olney explains why Scott Downs' Type A status shouldn't limit his opportunities.
  • Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe provides an extensive list of possible trade candidates in his preview of the offseason market.
  • There are a few red flags to consider when weighing the Mets' managerial candidates, says Bill Madden of the New York Daily News.
  • DEA agents intercepted a package containing "nearly 50" pre-loaded syringes of HGH that was sent to Jose Guillen's San Francisco address in September, according to a New York Daily News report. The writers' sources say that MLB is "actively pursuing information about the shipment," since a violation of the league's drug policy could result in discipline for Guillen.

Terry Collins Favorite To Manage Mets?

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1:35pm: In this series of tweets, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News tweets that there's no clear favorite between Collins and Melvin, but that Tim Teufel could fit as a first base coach. If Collins is hired as the manager, Melvin could still fit as a bench coach, according to Martino. Chip Hale will likely be retained regardless of the managerial decision, and the Mets may go outside the organization for their hitting coach.

In a second tweet, Rubin seems to agree as he offers up his prediction for the Mets' coaching staff: Collins managing, Melvin as the bench coach, Teufel at first base, Hale at third base, and Dan Warthen as the pitching coach.

12:51pm: When the Pirates hired Clint Hurdle, it left the Mets as baseball's only team without a manager and reduced their list of candidates by one. While the team has yet to finish conducting interviews, Terry Collins has emerged as the favorite to land the job, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.

Collins and Hurdle, along with Bob Melvin, were rumored to be the leading candidates for the Mets' job, with a handful of other names also in the mix. Rubin tweeted yesterday that he keeps hearing Collins mentioned as the team's most likely choice, and today confirmed Collins' front-runner status with a club source. The former Astros and Angels skipper has many supporters in the Mets organization, including Jeff Wilpon and Paul DePodesta.

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