Mike Axisa | MLB Trade Rumors

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Lowe, Hanley, Frasor

By Mike Axisa | November 4, 2011 at 5:24pm CDT

On this date last year, the Rockies traded Miguel Olivo to the Blue Jays for cash. Toronto declined Olivo's $2.5MM option later than day, instead paying him a $500K buyout. After offering him arbitration later in the month, they received a supplemental first round pick when the backstop signed with the Mariners. The Jays essentially bought the 57th overall pick in this summer's draft for $500K, which they used on high school right-handed Kevin Comer.

Here are this week's links, the first official week of the offseason…

Through The Fence Baseball chatted with Rockies owner Dick Monfort.
Jays Prospects interviewed Steve Springer, a scout and performance coach with the Blue Jays.
Sports of Boston analyzed Theo Epstein's legacy with the Red Sox.
The Friarhood doesn't blame Jed Hoyer for moving on from the Padres.
Wahoo's on First calls the Derek Lowe trade Chris Antonetti's best move since being promoted to Indians GM.
Camden Depot compares the outlook of long-term contracts for Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols.
Crashburn Alley prefers Jonathan Papelbon to Heath Bell.
We Should Be GMs analyzed the value of Jimmy Rollins' defense.
Cracked Bell Sports lists five things the Phillies should do this offseason.
Capitol Avenue Club looked at Josh Willingham as a potential outfield target for the Braves.
Why Won't The Tigers Hire Me? mused about the Tigers trading for Hanley Ramirez.
Baseball Time In Arlington projected the Rangers' 2012 payroll.
Royals Review looked at the financial implications of Alex Gordon's Gold Glove Award.
Yankees Fans Unite believes the Yankees should target Matt Cain in a trade.
House of the Bluebird made a case for the Blue Jays signing David Ortiz.
Lookout Landing has some concerns about Grady Sizemore.
Nats GM put together an offseason plan for the Nationals (part one, part two)
McCovey Chronicles called the Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt moves "a bizarre allocation of limited funds."
South Side Sox wonders why the White Sox picked up Jason Frasor's option.
Rant Sports Mets thinks the Mets should take a flier on Andrew Brackman.
1 Blue Jays Way lists some potential replacements for Kelly Johnson.
Call to the Pen put together a list of the top free agents by position.
Puckett's Pond lists the best free agent signings in Twins history.
MLB Reports compiled a list of candidates to replace Bud Selig after he retires next offseason.

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Brian Cashman On Wilson, Pujols, Sabathia

By Mike Axisa | November 4, 2011 at 12:17pm CDT

Yankees GM Brian Cashman made an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show this morning, and Chad Jennings of The Journal News provided a recap. Let's round up the hot stove news…

"I'd say it's fair to say C.J. Wilson is probably the best pitcher on the marketplace right now since CC Sabathia's been taken out and retained here," said Cashman. "I don’t think it's a stretch to tell anybody that he’s the most attractive candidate."
Cashman cautioned that he's talking about Wilson in terms of talent and performance, not necessarily cost. "You have your priority list and how it looks," said Cashman. "But then it gets rearranged by cost analysis."
"I think he would be on anybody's wish list," said Cashman when asked about Albert Pujols. "In our circumstances, our roster, he doesn't fit. It's not an efficient way to try to allocate your resources."
Cashman said re-signing Sabathia "was not a layup," and admitted there were some nervous moments leading up to the deadline for his ace left-hander to opt-out. "That’s never a fun process, but the resolution we’re really happy with, and we know he is."
When asked if he sees himself getting fired or retiring, Cashman joked "I would say that normally you get fired. I think it’s a healthy way to look at it. I think at some point, they usually tell you to go."

NL East Links: Sizemore, Vazquez, Nationals

By Mike Axisa | November 3, 2011 at 1:50pm CDT

Three years ago today, the Marlins claimed Dan Meyer off waivers from the Athletics. The left-hander went on to enjoy a strong season out of Florida's bullpen in 2009 (3.09 ERA with 8.6 K/9 in 58 1/3 innings) before struggling in 2010. Here's the lastest from the NL East…

The Mets are unlikely to target Grady Sizemore as a center field solution according to Andy McCullough of The Star Ledger (on Twitter). He says it's not much of a surprise given Sizemore's injury problems over the last three seasons.
It's "50-50" as to whether former Expos and Marlins hurler Javier Vazquez will play in 2012, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The right-hander strongly prefers the east coast, and his return would depend on the team and its competitive environment.
Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post broke down the Nationals' current payroll commitments. Tim Dierkes did the same and more in his Offseason Outlook post.

NL East Links: Wright, Phillies, Braves

By Mike Axisa | November 2, 2011 at 8:25pm CDT

The Nationals are close to bringing back Chien-Ming Wang. Let's now round up some other links from the NL East…

“[Mets GM Sandy Alderson] would have to totally be bowled over [to trade David Wright this offseason],” a source told Andy Martino if The New York Daily News. Martino also hears that Wright's representatives have not reached out to the team about a contract extension.
ESPN New York's Adam Rubin wonders why the Mets would consider trading Wright this summer rather than wait until 2013 (Twitter links). Wright can opt out of his contract after next season if traded, and keeping him until the following year gives the team another season of their homegrown star while still dealing only a half-season of him.
The Phillies believe they need a closer more than they need a shortstop, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Philadelphia has interest in re-signing free agents Ryan Madson and Jimmy Rollins.
MLB.com's Mark Bowman looks back at the 2008-2009 offseason, when Braves GM Frank Wren added Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez rather than Jake Peavy and A.J. Burnett.
A second lawsuit against Mets owner Fred Wilpon and family related to Bernie Madoff is nearing a settlement, reports Rubin.

Red Sox Notes: Mike Maddux, Dale Sveum, Ortiz

By Mike Axisa | November 1, 2011 at 9:00pm CDT

Here are some links from New England while we wait for the Red Sox and Cubs to finally decide on compensation for Theo Epstein…

SI.com's Jon Heyman reports (on Twitter) that the Red Sox have not yet asked the Rangers for permission to interview pitching coach Mike Maddux, but he's seen as a likely candidate for their pitching coach job.
In another tweet, Heyman says that Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum has a good chance at the Red Sox's and the Cubs' managerial jobs. Sveum served as Boston's third base coach from 2004-2005.
In a Twitter chat with fans, GM Ben Cherington confirmed that Sveum will be in for an interview tomorrow. The full chat transcript can be found here.
The Red Sox haven't made David Ortiz an offer, according to the Boston Herald. The DH is seeking a three-year deal.

AL West Notes: Oliver, Angels, Mariners

By Mike Axisa | November 1, 2011 at 7:34pm CDT

Let's round up some links from baseball's only four-team division…

Darren Oliver is leaning strongly towards returning in 2012, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. "After what happened this year, that leaves a bad taste in my mouth," said Oliver. "I don't think I want it to end like that." The Rangers lefty is a Type-A free agent.
The Angels have signed Dominican outfielders Ayendi Perez and Ranyemi Alberto Mendoza according to a press release from the Dominican Prospect League. Perez signed for $25K while Mendoza signed for $70K.
The Mariners officially announced the hiring of Chris Gwynn as director of player development in a press release. Gwynn is Tony's brother, and he had previously been working in the Padres front office.

Rangers Notes: C.J. Wilson, Mike Gonzalez

By Mike Axisa | October 29, 2011 at 2:25pm CDT

The Rangers fell short of their ultimate goal but still had an extremely successful season in 2011. They'll look to improve this winter, then try to become the first AL team to win three straight pennants since the Yankees from 1998-2001. Here's the latest from Texas…

C.J. Wilson spoke to Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas about his upcoming free agency following last night's loss. He feels the Rangers have treated him with a lot of respect, but the free agency process is foreign to him and he doesn't know what will be out there for him.
"I'm definitely interested in coming back," said soon-to-be free agent Mike Gonzalez to Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas. "Whatever we can do, I'm willing to do what I need to do." Gonzalez will have his knee scoped next week, but will be ready in time for Spring Training.
“We’ve got to find ways to get better," said Rangers GM Jon Daniels to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports after last night's game. Rosenthal says Daniels is likely to let "some other club overpay" for Wilson.

Astros Unlikely To Be Major Players In Free Agency

By Mike Axisa | October 29, 2011 at 1:19pm CDT

The Astros went into full blown rebuilding mode by trading Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt, Hunter Pence, and Michael Bourn over the last 15 months, and the team is now focused on youth and building from within. As part of that process, GM Ed Wade told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that Houston is unlikely to be a major player in free agency this offseason…

"We'll do all the legwork we normally do and be prepared to read and react as opportunities present themselves, but I don't see us being major players in the free-agent market," said Wade. "I think the course we set out on actually a year ago with the Oswalt and Berkman trades, it's a course we have to continue to follow.

"We'll try to infuse as many young players into our situation as we possibly can and that being the case, we're committed to trying to stay young and build that core nucleus from within. I just don't see a scenario where we're major players in the market, but there could be opportunities to present themselves along the way that we have to be prepared for."

Wade also reiterated that he would like to re-sign Clint Barmes, but the team's "economic environment" probably will not allow them to do so. There is only one-year and $18.5MM left on Carlos Lee's contract, though the team still owes Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers a combined $39.5MM over the next two seasons. Jim Crane is awaiting approval from the other owners before he can finalize his purchase of the team from Drayton McLane, and he'll likely be faced with the opportunity of moving the team to the American League.

In our Offseason Outlook, Tim Dierkes mentioned that the Astros could import some relievers on one-year contracts with an eye towards flipping them at the trade deadline or recouping compensatory draft picks next winter. Houston will pick first overall in the 2012 draft after finishing with the worst record in the game this season.

Ryan Dempster Exercises 2012 Option

By Mike Axisa | October 29, 2011 at 12:34pm CDT

Ryan Dempster has exercised his $14MM player option for 2012, the Cubs were informed today according to Gordon Wittenmyer of The Chicago Sun-Times (on Twitter). Dempster hinted at wanting to remain in Chicago beyond next season a few weeks ago. The team confirmed the move on their Twitter feed.

The 34-year-old right-hander just finished his worst season as a full-time starter with the Cubs, pitching to a 4.80 ERA in 202 1/3 innings. His underlying performance was no different than previous years, however. He struck out 8.5 and walked 3.6 batters per nine innings, getting a ground ball 44.1% of the time. Dempster eclipsed the 200 IP plateau for the fourth straight year, every season since he moved back into the rotation in 2008.

Given the underwhelming class of free agent starters, there's a good chance that Dempster could have secured a multi-year contract on the open market this offseason. Instead, he'll join Matt Garza, Randy Wells, and possibly Carlos Zambrano in the Cubs' rotation next summer.

Yankees Rumors: Sabathia, Posada, Free Agents

By Mike Axisa | October 29, 2011 at 11:30am CDT

One year ago this weekend, the Yankees re-signed manager Joe Girardi to a three-year contract. GM Brian Cashman got a new three-year deal of his own this week, and now the team will move forward with its offseason plans. Here's the latest from the Bronx…

Although Cashman will meet with CC Sabathia's agent this weekend, George A. King III and Joel Sherman of The New York Post report that the team is not overly optimistic about reaching an agreement about a new contract before their ace can opt out of the final four years and $92MM of his deal on Monday night.
"You hope he thinks long and hard about coming back and why he likes it here so much," said Girardi when asked by reporters (including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch) about the future of Jorge Posada. Earlier this month, more than 10,000 MLBTR readers said they expect Posada to retire.
Because so many big name free agents play positions that are already occupied on the roster, King says it's possible the Yankees will stay relatively quiet during free agency. They don't figure to chase Carlos Beltran or Michael Cuddyer because they will command multi-year contracts.
For more about what could in store for the Yankees this offseason, check out Ben Nicholson-Smith's Offseason Outlook. Tim Dierkes broke down the team's six arbitration cases in his Arbitration Eligibles series.

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