AL Links: Sanchez, Hunter, Yankees, Price, Red Sox
With Torii Hunter joining the club on a two-year deal, the Tigers will now focus on re-signing Anibal Sanchez according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. They're unlikely to pursue another big name pitcher if they can't bring the right-hander back, however. Here's the latest from the American League, starting with some more on Hunter…
- Hunter told teams he wasn't interested in talking to them unless things didn't work out with the Tigers, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The Yankees saw Hunter as a good fit but never made him an offer, reports Erik Boland of Newsday (on Twitter). They don't have any offers out to position players at the moment and are focused on re-signing Hiroki Kuroda and Mariano Rivera.
- Hunter would have taken less than $26MM he received from Detroit to re-sign with the Angels, but a one-year contract was a non-starter at any price according to Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter).
- Knobler listed the pros and cons of trading David Price just a few hours after the left-hander took home the Cy Young Award. Some people with the Rays even identified the Rangers as the ideal trade partner.
- The Red Sox won't alter their rebuilding plan in the wake of the Blue Jays-Marlins blockbuster, said GM Ben Cherington to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. "We know we have a plan this offseason and we're going to see how much we can execute it … We've started that and we'll continue to do that," said Cherington, who mentioned he found out about the blockbuster through MLBTR.
Roberto Hernandez Drawing “Healthy” Interest
Right-hander Roberto Hernandez is drawing "healthy" interest on the open market, reports Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain-Dealer (on Twitter). The pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona became a free agent when the Indians declined his $6MM option.
Hernandez, 32, missed most of this season due to visa issues stemming from his identity fraud case. He allowed 15 runs in 14 2/3 innings across three starts one year after pitching to a 5.25 ERA in 188 2/3 innings. Hoynes says the Indians are still interested in re-signing Hernandez, who did not crack Tim Dierkes' Top 50 Free Agents List and is fully recovered from a late-season ankle injury.
Brewers Sign Blake Lalli
The Brewers have signed Blake Lalli to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, the team announced.
The 29-year-old catcher went 2-for-15 for the Cubs in his big league debut this season, though they later traded him to the Athletics for Anthony Recker. Lalli hit .256/.291/.396 with eight homers in 340 Triple-A plate appearances this season.
Braves Targeting B.J. Upton
B.J. Upton is the Braves' top free agent target, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman (on Twitter). The club had visions of signing both Upton and Torii Hunter this offseason, but the latter agreed to a two-year deal with the Tigers today.
Upton, 28, hit .246/.298/.454 with a career-high 28 homers in 633 plate appearances last season. He also stole 31 bases, his fifth straight season over 30. Upton would replace at least some of the speed and center field defense lost by departing free agent Michael Bourn, plus his right-handed bat would help balance Atlanta's lefty heavy level.
The Braves figure to lose Bourn this winter and Chipper Jones has retired, but Martin Prado's versatility would allow the club to pursue two outfielders rather than an outfielder and a third baseman. MLBTR's Tim Dierked ranked Upton as the fifth best free agent this offseason in his Top 50 Free Agents List, predicting he would sign with the Phillies.
Brian Fuentes Retires
Left-handed reliever Brian Fuentes has retired from baseball, reports Sean Lynch of The Merced Sun-Star. He said he feels fine physically, but the time away from his family was too much.
"Ultimately, I was just having trouble with the time away from my family," said Fuentes. "I've been playing baseball for all of their lives, but I'd never been so far away as when I was in St. Louis … I think at one point I went like two months without seeing them. Coming home and being able to put them to bed at night made me realize what I was missing."
Fuentes, 37, pitched to a 7.20 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 30 innings for the Athletics and Cardinals this year. He had his most success as a closer with the Rockies several years ago, pitching to a 3.04 ERA with 111 saves with Colorado from 2005-2008. He helped the Rockies to the 2007 World Series and led the league with 48 saves while with the Angels in 2009.
Baseball-Reference.com says Fuentes earned just shy of $39MM during his big league career. Despite his poor year, a team surely would have given him a chance next season given his left-handedness and track record.
David Price & R.A. Dickey Win Cy Young Awards
Congratulations go out to David Price and R.A. Dickey, who were named the Cy Young Award winners in their respective leagues by the BBWAA tonight. Price very narrowly beat out reigning winner Justin Verlander while Dickey won by a wide margin over Clayton Kershaw. Here is the full voting for the AL and NL.
Price, 27, went 20-5 with a 2.56 ERA in 211 innings this year. He struck out 205 (8.7 K/9) and walked only 59 (2.5 BB/9). Price finished second in the 2010 Cy Young voting and is projected to earn $9.5MM through arbitration this winter, which would be a record for a second time eligible pitcher.
Dickey, 38, went 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA in a league-high 233 2/3 innings this season. He also led the league with 230 strikeouts (8.9 K/9). The BBWAA says he's the first knuckleballer to win a Cy Young Award. The Mets and Dickey are currently in negotiations about a contract extension, and the price figures to have just gone up a bit.
Coincidentally, both Price and Dickey are represented by agent Bo McKinnis, as our Agency Tracker shows. Kershaw, Craig Kimbrel, Chris Sale, Jim Johnson, and Matt Harrison all received votes as well, which could impact their arbitration salaries in the future.
Red Sox Links: Ross, Reyes, Nolasco, Morrison
Here's the latest out of Boston…
- Former Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross is drawing the most interest from the Phillies, Tigers, Mariners, and, naturally, the Red Sox according to ESPN's Jim Bowden (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox had "preliminary talks" with the Marlins about Jose Reyes prior to last night's blockbuster, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Bradford also looked at why the team might have been interested in the shortstop.
- Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe notes (on Twitter) that while Ricky Nolasco and Logan Morrison of the Marlins are available, the Red Sox should be able find better players to fill their rotation and first base/outfield holes.
Braves Close To Signing Gerald Laird
The Braves are close to reaching an agreement with catcher Gerald Laird, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman (on Twitter). He's a CSE client.
Laird, 33, hit .282/.337/.374 with two homers in 191 plate appearances for the Tigers last season, his best offensive year since 2008. He's a career .244/.303/.359 hitter in the big leagues and has thrown out approximately 27% of attempted basestealers over the last three years.
Atlanta is looking for a new backup catcher behind Brian McCann after David Ross signed with the Red Sox. Laird did not make Tim Dierkes' Top 50 Free Agents List.
This post was originally published on November 15th.
AL East Links: Ibanez, Orioles, Blue Jays, Red Sox
Four years ago today, the Yankees traded a package headlined by Wilson Betemit to the White Sox for Nick Swisher. After helping New York to the 2009 World Series and three other playoff appearances, Swisher is now in line for a big multiyear contract as a free agent this winter. Here's the latest from the AL East…
- Dan Martin of The New York Post reports that the Yankees have had "preliminary discussions" about bringing Raul Ibanez back as a platoon player next season. The 40-year-old played more than the club would have liked this year due to Brett Gardner's injury.
- The Orioles are telling teams that their priorities in the trade market are first base, left field, and DH according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (on Twitter). GM Dan Duquette said several clubs match up well with their needs.
- Rival executives tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is "itching" to make a trade (Twitter link). Toronto is targeting starting pitching.
- Meanwhile, MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm listed the Blue Jays' 12 out of options players (Twitter links): Brett Cecil, Rajai Davis, Jeremy Jeffress, Adam Lind, Jeff Mathis, Mike McCoy, Dustin McGowan, Luis Perez, Esmil Rogers, Sergio Santos, Cory Wade, and Bobby Wilson.
- Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe wonders (on Twitter) how far the Red Sox will extend themselves to sign Mike Napoli now that there is competition from the Yankees. He notes that Boston went the extra mile to sign David Ross.
- Jerry Sands, who was acquired in the blockbuster trade with the Dodgers, could be a platoon answer for the Red Sox at first base or in either corner outfield spot, according to CSNNE.com.
Braves Interested In Cody Ross
The Braves have interest in free agent outfielder Cody Ross, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. He has a good relationship with Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez from their time together with the Marlins.
The 31-year-old Ross posted a .267/.326/.481 line with 22 homers in 528 plate appearances for the Red Sox this season, and the Braves are targeting a right-handed hitting outfielder to balance their lineup. Ross is said to be seeking a three-year deal worth $25MM this winter, and so far he's received interest from the Phillies and Orioles.
MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Ross as the 22nd best free agent in his Top 50 Free Agents List, predicting he would re-sign with the Red Sox. Earlier today WEEI.com's Rob Bradford noted (on Twitter) that Torii Hunter's decision could impact Ross since the same clubs are interested in both players.