Odds & Ends: Bay, Guardado, Yankees, Marlins
Let's round up some lingering Tuesday links….
- John Tomase of the Boston Herald reports that the Red Sox kept in touch with Jason Bay's representation right up until the outfielder agreed to terms with the Mets. Boston was a longshot destination for Bay though, with the Angels and Mariners also involved.
- Like Brian Bruney, Eddie Guardado hopes to close for the Nationals in 2010, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Doesn't seem too likely, with Bruney and Matt Capps on board, but Guardado could earn a setup role for the Nats.
- Dave Cameron of Fangraphs argues that even if they have the money to sign Matt Holliday, the Yankees don't need him. ESPN.com's Rob Neyer and Joseph Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues respond to Cameron's piece.
- The Florida Marlins haven't been aggressively signing their arbitration-eligible players so far this winter, but they should take care of it soon, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (via Twitter).
- Frisaro also tweets that the Marlins remain "firmly" entrenched in the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes.
Matt Holliday Rumors: Tuesday
8:18pm: In a follow-up story on ESPN.com, Olney reports that the Cardinals are increasingly optimistic that they will be able to sign Holliday.
6:01pm: After the Mets reached an agreement with Jason Bay earlier today, Matt Holliday stands as the only elite hitter remaining on the free agent market. ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets that agent Scott Boras has been doubling back to teams to discuss Holliday, and that his asking price in at least one conversation was $18MM per year.
The Mets' agreement with Bay removes them from the list of possible Holliday suitors, and we've already heard today that neither the Giants or the Yankees are in on the outfielder. Looking around the majors, there are very few teams that have a left field opening and could afford to take on the 29-year-old at anything close to $18MM.
Like Bay with the Mets, it seems that the Cardinals represent the most logical and realistic fit for Holliday. Boras will continue to attempt to get the best possible deal for his client, but at this point it's hard to imagine which club could get involved and outbid the Cards.
Jason Bay Reactions
With an agreement in place between Jason Bay and the New York Mets, reactions to the deal are already starting to pour in….
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post feels that the Mets will regret signing Bay within a few years.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan feels that Bay's money would've been better spent on John Lackey.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law says that Bay's defense will dictate whether the contract is a good one or not, and argues that the Mets will need to make a few more moves to contend.
- It may have taken a while to get done, but "all's well that ends well," writes Rob Neyer of ESPN.com.
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff is on board with the deal, and hopes the Mets continue to stay financially responsible for the rest of the winter. This means going "nowhere near" Joel Pineiro at his current asking price, and not guaranteeing Bengie Molina two years (Davidoff suggests that reports of an imminent two-year deal for Molina are inaccurate).
- Scott Lauber of The News Journal looks at what the move means for the Phillies, both as a division rival and as a club that will have their own free agent outfielder (Jayson Werth) next year.
- Articles from Ian Browne of MLB.com and Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News Tribune examine the signing from Boston's and Seattle's perspectives, respectively.
- R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs explains why, even if it's heavily backloaded, the Mets' offer was more financially appealing than one the Red Sox made earlier.
Red Sox Remain Interested In Adrian Beltre
The Boston Red Sox are still involved in discussions for Adrian Beltre, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.
Edes notes that a couple factors stand in the way of Beltre signing with the Red Sox. The club no longer has as convenient an opening at third base, after the Mike Lowell trade with Texas fell through. On top of that, signing Beltre could put the Sox over the luxury tax threshold. Still, Edes reports that the Red Sox plan to resume talks with Beltre and agent Scott Boras in the new year.
We heard earlier in December that the Red Sox had "significant interest" in Beltre, but that was before the team cut into their budget to sign John Lackey and Mike Cameron. It's possible that the Sox could add another pricey free agent, but it certainly seems less likely now than it did a few weeks ago.
Cubs Interested In Contreras, Spilborghs?
8:30pm: A report from ChicagoBreakingSports.com notes that recent acquisition Carlos Silva will likely fill the role of long reliever for the club, making Contreras an unlikely fit in Chicago. Furthermore, the 38-year-old will likely attract better offers from teams that see him as a starter.
As for Spilborghs, a major league source told Troy Renck of the Denver Post that reports of the Cubs' interest in him are overstated. Renck's gut feeling tells him that the Rockies' asking price will be too high to get a deal done.
3:27pm: With plenty of holes remaining throughout their roster, the Chicago Cubs are looking at free agents and trade options at a variety of positions, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. Let's check out a few highlights from Levine's latest article….
- The Cubs have talked to Jose Contreras' agent, Jaime Torres, about possibly signing the right-hander. Contreras would provide some versatility for the club, who could use him out of the bullpen, or as a possible 4th or 5th starter.
- According to major league sources, the Cubs and Rockies have had discussions about a trade that could send Ryan Spilborghs to Chicago. If such a deal were to occur, Spilborghs would take over as the Cubs' fourth outfielder, a role Reed Johnson held last year.
- Marlon Byrd and Scott Podsednik remain the top two candidates for the Cubs' center field opening.
- Kiko Calero is another bullpen arm the team is considering.
Yankees Search For Left Fielder
The New York Yankees are interested in Mark DeRosa and will be disappointed if the versatile veteran agrees to terms with the Giants, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). Here are a few other recent updates on the Yankees' hunt for a left fielder:
- The Yankees still appear serious about their payroll restrictions. GM Brian Cashman says Xavier Nady's price "is above the Yankees' current budget," according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.
- Hoch adds that Cashman is "throwing ice water" on any ideas of signing a player like Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. Hoch notes that the situation is reminiscent of 2005, when the Yankees insisted Bubba Crosby would start in center field, before they eventually signed Johnny Damon.
- The Yanks also don't appear to be a primary suitor for Jermaine Dye, tweets Heyman. Heyman lists a handful of teams more likely to sign Dye, including the Braves, Giants and Rangers.
Odds & Ends: Yanks, Reds, Orioles, Mets
Another day removed from Christmas, let's hope we see a few more signs of life today from the hot stove. In the meantime, let's check out a handful of links….
- Chad Jennings examines the decision the Yankees are facing, as they decide whether Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain is their fifth starter. Jennings feels that the best decision is for Hughes to start, with Joba being bumped back to the bullpen, for now. He feels both should be starters in the long run.
- The Reds shouldn't trade away any of their starting pitching, writes Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News.
- Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports answers some frequently asked Orioles-related questions in his latest piece.
- The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly writes that the Orioles have made significant strides in scouting and signing international players over the last couple years.
- After parting ways with Curtis Granderson, the Tigers are searching for a player to take over their leadoff spot, according to the Detroit Free Press.
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff (subscription required) tells Mets fans to relax, arguing that the team's offseason hasn't been too bad so far, and that there's still plenty of winter to come.
- Joseph Pawlikowski at River Ave. Blues wonders if Jerry Hairston Jr. will fit into the Yankees' 2010 plans.
Diamondbacks Keeping Eye On Valverde
The Arizona Diamondbacks have been monitoring Jose Valverde's availability and will continue to do so, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The Diamondbacks' agreement with Bob Howry could mean they're done shopping for bullpen help, but if Valverde's cost makes sense for Arizona, the team could stretch their budget a little to accommodate him.
There are a few factors working in the Diamondbacks' favor, including Valverde's history in Arizona. The right-hander spent his first five years in the majors with the D'Backs, saving 47 games for the club in 2007. Additionally, the Diamondbacks' first round draft pick is protected in 2010, meaning the team would have to concede only a second round pick if they were to sign the Type A free agent. Piecoro points out that the money Arizona would save by not signing that draft pick could also be put toward Valverde's price tag.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney noted a few days ago that the remaining teams without a closer probably can't afford the righty, while Piecoro suggested a creative contract idea that might work for both the Diamondbacks and Valverde. However, even though Valverde may have misread the market, he's still the most dominant relief pitcher available. If and when his asking price drops, we should see plenty of teams besides the D'Backs getting involved.
Cafardo On Red Sox, Hudson, Garland
In his latest column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe speculates about where "old hands" such as Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz could land. Here are some of Cafardo's other notes:
- The Red Sox "are debating whether they’ll go for it and pay luxury tax money," as their payroll approaches the $170MM mark.
- If the Sox wanted to sign Jason Bay, they could offer a low, one-year base salary with three heavily backloaded option years. With as much as $48MM coming off their books next winter, they would be better equipped to pay Bay after 2010.
- Baseball executives think that plenty of good values will be available by mid-January, with some established major league players having to sign minor league contracts. One NL GM says "the Pirates will load up" on this type of player.
- The Mets are still the team most interested in Orlando Hudson, but would have to find a way to move Luis Castillo.
- A market is starting to form for Jon Garland, and the Rangers seem to be the early frontrunner.
- Other Rangers notes: The team might prefer Jermaine Dye to Vladimir Guerrero, since Dye can still play the outfield (albeit not particularly well, according to UZR/150). Texas and Minnesota could also be good fits for Miguel Tejada.
- The Indians aren't saying Fausto Carmona is available, but baseball execs feel that the club would have to listen on any offers.
Jason Bay Rumors: Thursday
6:32pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post is critical of how the Mets have handled negotiations with Bay. He said "the Mets are losing their dignity" by spending so much of their offseason time and energy in pursuit of a player "who clearly has major concerns" about coming to New York. Sherman suggests that the Mets should set a 24-hour deadline for Bay to accept their contract offer, and if he doesn't, the club should look at other left field options. Sherman thinks that a player like Jack Cust would be a wiser, lower-cost signing who could provide similar power numbers.
12:00pm: The Jason Bay to Boston rumors aren't exactly gaining momentum. An ESPNBoston.com article classifies the chances of a Bay return as a "long shot," while SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the Red Sox would probably only consider Bay for less ("maybe much less") than the Mets' best offer. Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston adds (via Twitter) that Mike Cameron's agent hasn't heard anything about the Sox pursuing another left fielder.
8:36am: In yesterday's round of Jason Bay rumblings, we heard that there could potentially be a renewed mutual interest between Bay and the Boston Red Sox. Today, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe hears that the pairing would not be inconceivable, but that there are a couple of roadblocks: The Red Sox would have to extend their budget, after committing $15.5MM to Mike Cameron, and a potential contract would probably need to be heavily backloaded.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney agrees with that assessment, since a source tells him that the Red Sox have less than $5MM left in spending money. He writes that signing Bay would mean the Sox either blowing up their budget or having to move a contract or two.
As for the Mets' four-year offer that's still on the table, Olney says that the Mets are feeling more and more like Bay doesn't want to play for them, and are making alternative plans. Newsday's Ken Davidoff thinks it wouldn't be the end of the world if the Mets refused to increase their offer to Bay and he ended up elsewhere.