Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

New York Notes: Lee, Backman, Garland, Balfour

By | at

Let's check out the latest rumblings out of the Big Apple….

  • Like Bill Madden of the New York Daily News did yesterday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post examines the Yankees' backup plan if they're unable to land Cliff Lee.
  • When Sherman polled eight executives about Lee's destination, six predicted the left-hander would end up in a Yankees uniform – the Rangers got the other two votes. One AL exec's thoughts: "Lee is all about the money. His agent is all about the money. And the Yanks have the most money."
  • ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link) expects the Red Sox to get involved in the Lee sweepstakes, perhaps in an attempt to drive the price up for the Yankees.
  • Wally Backman told Peter Botte of the New York Daily News that his three-hour interview with Sandy Alderson for the Mets' managerial opening "went very well."
  • Dan Martin of the New York Post names Jon Garland and Grant Balfour as a couple possible free agent targets for the Mets.
  • A pair of Star-Ledger writers, Marc Carig and Andy McCullough, preview the offseason for the Yankees and Mets respectively.

Nationals Offered Dunn Three-Year Deal

By | at

The Nationals have had a three-year contract offer on the table to Adam Dunn for the last three months, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Now that the Nats' exclusivity window has closed, Dunn is free to negotiate with any club, but it doesn't appear that the Nats will add the fourth year that the slugger is seeking. A person "familiar with Dunn's thinking" tells Ladson that there's less than a 50/50 chance the first baseman returns to Washington.

Reports throughout the year have gone back and forth on the likelihood of Dunn playing for the Nats in 2011. In August, it appeared certain he was headed for the open market, while in September, Dunn seemed optimistic about working something out with the team. Now, it appears that the length of the deal is the primary sticking point.

Ladson says not to expect the Nationals to wait too long on Dunn now that they're allowed to negotiate with other free agents. There are other first base options that interest the club, including Carlos Pena, Aubrey Huff, and Adam LaRoche, so they won't want to miss out on the opportunity to pursue those players.

Odds & Ends: Werth, A’s, Yankees, Berkman, D’Backs

By | at

A few more Saturday night links….

MacPhail Discusses Orioles’ Offseason Goals

By | at

We heard a few Orioles-related tidbits earlier today, and now MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli provides another handful. Ghiroli discussed the Orioles' offseason with president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, and MacPhail shared some thoughts on how the O's intend to approach free agency and trades this winter.

  • The team's primary goal will be obtaining a middle-of-the-order hitter, with no specific position in mind. MacPhail suggests that adding an impact bat would benefit the rest of the lineup, by taking some pressure off the Orioles' current hitters.
  • MacPhail sounds skeptical about acquiring pitching through free agency or trades, calling that approach "fragile and expensive" compared to developing young arms. However, he acknowledged that the club could once again look into acquiring a Kevin Millwood-esque veteran: "You want to have an innings eater because you never know what to expect from the youngsters. So someone like that would certainly be attractive to us."
  • When approaching the free agent market for hitters, the Orioles would rather not take a flier on a Garrett Atkins type again. They are hoping to add players who are less risky than Atkins was, though MacPhail concedes that sometimes the way the market develops makes it necessary to take a gamble.
  • Ghiroli speculates that, while the O's may not be able to attract the very best free agents like Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford, they will likely look hard at the group of players in the tier or two below: Victor Martinez, Paul Konerko, Derrek Lee, Jon Garland, and Brandon Webb, to name a few.
  • Ghiroli predicts that the Orioles will stay in contact with most of their impending free agents, especially Ty Wigginton, Cesar Izturis, and Koji Uehara.
  • The O's also made a minor roster move today, adding reliever Jim Hoey to their 40-man roster, reports Ghiroli.

Edgar Renteria Will Play In 2011

By | at

The last couple months have been rather eventful for Edgar Renteria. In September, the 34-year-old was battling injuries and admitted that he was considering retiring at the end of the season. Just over a month later, he was helping lead the Giants to a World Series victory, earning MVP honors in the process. Earlier this week, the Giants declined Renteria's $10.5MM option for 2011, but the two-time Gold Glover tells Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes that he'll continue to play next year after all.

"I'm staying, I feel that I still have a lot of baseball in my body," Renteria said. "[On] Monday I have a very important meeting with my agents to talk about my future, but I have already decided I will keep playing. That's all I can say until I meet with them."

Although Renteria was moderately productive when he was on the field for the Giants this year, hitting .276/.332/.374 in 267 plate appearances, he isn't the offensive threat he once was. Since posting a .332/.390/.470 slash line for the Braves in 2007, the veteran has an OPS of just .676 in three seasons with Detroit and San Francisco. Still, the free agent market for shortstops is thin, so Renteria's postseason heroics should help garner some interest this winter.

Jamie Moyer Facing Retirement After Elbow Injury?

By | at

Jamie Moyer has pitched in the majors since 1986, but it may be an injury sustained outside of MLB that forces him to hang up his cleats. Dionisio Soldevila of Tiempo de Juego reports that Moyer left a game in the Dominican winter league today after two innings with an injury to his throwing elbow. Moises Alou, the general manager of Moyer's Escogido club, tells Soldevila that Moyer "probably" won't pitch again in his career (Twitter links).

As Soldevila notes in a separate tweet, the injured elbow is the same one that forced Moyer to miss most of the second half of the 2010 season. The left-hander, who turns 48 later this month, was pitching in the Dominican league in an attempt to showcase the health of his left arm and earn a major league contract for 2011.

If the injury does derail Moyer's comeback for good, it would be an unfortunate end to an incredibly long and impressive career. The lefty has won 267 games and pitched more than 4000 innings for seven teams over the course of the quarter-century he has spent in the bigs.

Odds & Ends: K-Rod, Gibbons, Ricciardi, Uehara

By | at

Links for Halloween Sunday, as we prepare to take in our last October baseball game of 2010….

  • SI.com's Jon Heyman says (via Twitter) the early feeling is that Francisco Rodriguez will be back with the Mets this year. There has been speculation that they would try to trade the closer following his late-season arrest, but that would have proven difficult with his contract. 
  • John Gibbons has informed the Mets that he's not a candidate for their managerial opening, tweets Bob Klapisch of The Bergen Record. The former Blue Jays' manager is happy with his role as Kansas City's bench coach.
  • The Mets are still trying to lure J.P. Ricciardi to their new front office, reports ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin.
  • Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com notes that it doesn't appear as if the Orioles have made much of an attempt to keep Koji Uehara. Uehara finished 2010 as the team's closer, but he is scheduled to be a free agent in the not-too-distant future.
  • Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun recaps the Orioles' coaching situation, and tells us that if Don Wakamatsu doesn't land a managerial job, he'll likely be Buck Showalter's bench coach. Showalter would like the coaching staff to be finalized by mid-week.
  • Dave Eiland, who was fired as the Yankees' pitching coach last week, told Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger that a reported falling out between he and Joe Girardi was "totally, absolutely false," and "ridiculous."
  • How potential free agents have been performing, and continue to perform, in the postseason will have an impact on the Giants' offseason decisions, Brian Sabean tells Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, and Pat Burrell are a few Giants who are facing possible free agency.
  • Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer reminds Phillies fans that if Jayson Werth signs elsewhere, it wouldn't be the first time the club has lost a star outfielder to free agency. As Brookover notes, things turned out pretty well for the Phils in 2007, when Aaron Rowand signed with the Giants after having a career year in Philadelphia.
  • In a piece for the Detroit Free Press, Josh Huebner explains why signing Carl Crawford should be the Tigers' number one priority this winter.
  • Derek Jeter will likely still be playing shortstop in New York in 2011, but as Bill Madden of the New York Daily News writes, the Yankees view Eduardo Nunez as Jeter's eventual successor.

Cafardo’s Latest: Bautista, Varitek, Montero

By | at

Let's check out the latest from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe….

  • It's still up in the air whether Jose Bautista will go to arbitration this winter, or whether he'll sign either a one-year or multi-year deal with the Blue Jays. "Right now, there are no talks about a multiyear contract," said Bautista. "But I suppose we may hear something about that in December." MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith took an in-depth look at Bautista's arbitration case earlier this month.
  • Cafardo speculates that the Brewers and Jason Varitek could be a good fit, since Milwaukee could use a veteran to mentor Jonathan Lucroy. Of course, the Brewers are probably hoping that the recently-signed Mike Rivera will fill that role.
  • There is some doubt about whether Yankees prospect Jesus Montero will be able to handle a major league pitching staff. A "Yankee insider" tells Cafardo that he thinks Montero could be used in a big trade this winter, with Austin Romine waiting in the wings as a potential long-term backstop.
  • Cafardo names a few candidates to replace Dave Eiland as the Yankees' pitching coach, noting that Scott Aldred appears to be the front-runner.
  • Meanwhile, Curt Young looks like the favorite to become the Red Sox' next pitching coach. The Diamondbacks were "very interested" in Young, but ultimately ended up hiring Charles Nagy instead.

New York Notes: Wright, Ricciardi, Eiland

By | at

One New York team hired a new general manager this week, while the other locked up its on-field manager for three more years. Here are a few other Mets- and Yankees-related items of interest….

  • David Wright is enthusiastic about the Mets' new GM, as he tells Dan Martin of the New York Post. "I'm really looking forward to working with him," Wright said. "And I'm excited for what he brings to the table." One of the major decisions Sandy Alderson will face this winter will involve whether or not to shop Wright, who hopes to remain a Met.
  • Many people around baseball think J.P. Ricciardi would be a good fit as the Mets' scouting director, writes John Harper of the New York Daily News. A source tells Harper that Ricciardi expressed interest in such a position during talks with Alderson.
  • Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger discusses how the Yankees plan to balance their desire to get younger with their desire to retain their veteran stars.
  • After an ESPNNewYork.com story suggested a rift between Joe Girardi and Dave Eiland led to the pitching coach's dismissal, Eiland told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that the report was "ridiculous and simply not true."
  • Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweets that Carl Willis will return to the Mariners as Seattle's pitching coach, meaning he's not a candidate for the Yankees' vacancy.

Takahashi, Mets Discussing Extension

By | at

FRIDAY: The Mets have extended their deadline with Hisanori Takahashi to November 5th, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (via Twitter).  If the two sides don't come to an agreement by then, the left-hander will become a free agent.

Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reported yesterday that the two parties were considering an extension of the deadline.

SUNDAY: Even amidst their search for a general manager, the Mets have been discussing a deal that would keep Hisanori Takahashi in New York, writes David Waldstein of the New York Times. Waldstein reminds us that the Mets have just one more week to re-sign Takahashi; due to a loophole in his contract, the left-hander can become a free agent if he and the Mets don't agree on a contract by October 31st.

According to Takahashi's agent, Peter Greenberg, the two sides have had discussions about an extension, though it's not clear how far along the talks have progressed. With the Mets' GM situation still up in the air, assistant GM John Ricco has been handling the negotiations.

"We have been talking," Greenberg said. "Hisa loved his time in New York, and hopefully, something can be worked out. If not, then he will have to look elsewhere."

If the Mets don't reach an agreement with Takahashi by next Sunday, his time in New York is almost certainly over. Because of the nature of his contract, the 35-year-old wouldn't be able to sign a major league deal with the Mets until May 15th. After a successful rookie season in which he posted a 3.61 ERA in 122 IP, Takahashi likely wouldn't have any trouble securing a major league contract this winter on the open market.

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