Mike Axisa | MLB Trade Rumors

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Farrell, Hamilton, Lohse

By Mike Axisa | October 26, 2012 at 11:57am CDT

On this date in 1998, Mike Piazza signed what was then the most lucrative contract in baseball history. The backstop inked a seven-year, $91MM contract to remain with the Mets just a few weeks before he was scheduled to become a free agent. Had he hit the open market, Piazza could have very well become the first $100MM player in baseball history. Here is the latest from around the baseball blogosphere…

Baseball Nation says Giants GM Brian Sabean is underrated.
Sports of Boston broke down the John Farrell trade/hiring.
Over The Monster wonders why the Red Sox chose Farrell.
The Cornell ILRSBS Blog analyzed the Farrell trade.
Baltimore Sports & Life wonders if the Orioles' coaching staff will remain intact.
Yankees Fans Unite says the Yankees must look into moving Alex Rodriguez.
Disciples of Uecker doesn't buy into the Brewers reported interest in Josh Hamilton.
Royal Revival looked at Kyle Lohse as a free agent target for the Royals.
Wahoo's on First thinks the Indians should look into acquiring Coco Crisp.
Rays Colored Glasses wonders if the Rays will trade for Alfonso Soriano.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness thinks Yunel Escobar could be a fit for the Dodgers.
Phillies Nation says the Phillies should pursue Eric Chavez this winter.
Blogging Mets looked at how the Mets could rebuild.
Climbing Tal's Hill analyzed some of the Astros Rule 5 Draft eligible prospects.
Seedlings to Stars wrote about baseball prospect turned NFL player Russell Wilson.
The Knuckle Blog analyzed nine-figure contracts.
Orioles Nation examined the accuracy of WAR during the 2012 season.

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Quick Hits: Fujinami, Antonetti, Giants, Guillen

By Mike Axisa | October 24, 2012 at 9:42pm CDT

In a subscriber-only piece, Baseball America's Ben Badler wrote about Japanese right-hander Shintaro Fujinami, who may be the country's best high school player. Fellow right-hander Shohei Otani has garnered most of the recent attention, but Badler says talent evaluators are split. It's unclear if Fujinami will try to join an MLB team in the near future, however. Here's the latest from around the league…

Indians president Mark Shapiro sat down for a long and in-depth interview with Pat McManamon of FOX Sports.com. He spoke about the club's economic situation, the CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee trades, and a host of other topics.
John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle says the Giants have found a developmental balance between homegrown pitchers and homegrown hitters. Buster Posey is the only position player from the 2010 World Series club who is still starting for the Giants.
Ozzie Guillen would like to continue managing somewhere according to his former catcher A.J. Pierzynski, reports ESPN Chicago. Pierzynski said Guillen "wants to work again" during a recent radio interview. The Marlins fired Guillen yesterday.

AL East Links: Red Sox, Ortiz, Yankees, Orioles

By Mike Axisa | October 24, 2012 at 7:40pm CDT

We've already had two managerial changes in the AL East this offseason, and a ton of player moves will surely follow this winter. Here's the latest from the only division to house three 90-win teams in 2012…

"I wouldn't be trying to re-sign him if I had any concern about David's commitment to baseball or to the Red Sox," said Red Sox GM Ben Cherington to ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes when asked about former manager Bobby Valentine's recent disparaging comments about David Ortiz's commitment to the team. The Sox and Ortiz are reportedly working on a new two-year contract.
In a recent radio interview, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he would like to make his team younger but will only do it if it makes them better according to Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News. "In theory, I want us to get younger and better, but in reality, that’s not always realistic," he said.
Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun lists ten free agents who could be fits for the Orioles next season, from stars like Josh Hamilton to role players like Jeff Keppinger.

Twins Decline 2013 Option For Matt Capps

By Mike Axisa | October 24, 2012 at 2:36pm CDT

The Twins have declined their 2013 club option for Matt Capps, the team announced. The option was worth $6MM and veteran right-hander will instead receive a $250K buyout.

Capps, 29, pitched to a 3.68 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 1.2 BB/9 in 29 1/3 innings for Minnesota this season after signing a one-year deal worth $4.75MM last winter. He saved 14 games in 15 chances but missed almost the entire second half with rotator cuff inflammation. Glen Perkins took over as closer in Capps' absence.

Minnesota originally acquired Capps from the Nationals for catcher Wilson Ramos at the 2010 trade deadline. He posted a 2.00 ERA in 27 innings down the stretch that year and following up with a 4.25 ERA in 65 2/3 innings last summer. Capps was a Modified Type-A free agent under the new collective bargaining agreement last offseason.

Cubs Claim Carlos Gutierrez, DFA Anthony Recker

By Mike Axisa | October 24, 2012 at 2:35pm CDT

The Cubs have claimed right-hander Carlos Gutierrez off waivers from the Twins, reports ESPN Chicago's Doug Padilla (on Twitter). In a corresponding move, Chicago designated catcher Anthony Recker for assignment to clear 40-man roster space.

Gutierrez, 26, has battled injuries since Minnesota selected him with the 27th overall pick in the 2008 draft. He moved to the bullpen full-time last year and posted a 4.62 ERA in 62 1/3 relief innings for the Twins' Triple-A affiliate. Gutierrez repeated the level this year, but only threw 16 innings (5.06 ERA) due to injury.

Recker, 29, hit .143/.263/.245 in 58 plate appearances for the Athletics and Cubs this season. Chicago originally acquired him from Oakland back in August. Recker is a .277/.359/.474 career hitter in over 1,200 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.

The Latest On The Red Sox & John Farrell

By Mike Axisa | October 20, 2012 at 9:38pm CDT

Yesterday we heard that the Blue Jays and Red Sox were "making progress" in talks about compensation for manager John Farrell. Those talks appear to be the biggest hurdle, as a contract between Farrell and the Sox should be no problem. Here are today's updates on the situation, with the latest up top…

It's likely that Farrell will wind up in Boston, but it's not a certainty that he will be the choice over Brad Ausmus, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB.com. However, it now seems that the determination will be made by General Manager Ben Cherington.
There are indications tonight that the Red Sox are moving closer to a deal that would make Farrell their next manager, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.
The Red Sox have asked to speak directly to Farrell, reports Jimmy Golen of the AP. That could be an indication that talks have progressed far enough that the two sides are talking about a contract.
WEEI.com's Rob Bradford reports that the Sox "hope to have a resolution on the manager in the coming days." The club could be motivated to get a deal done before the start of the World Series on Wednesday.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AL East Links: Cano, Farrell, Blue Jays, Ibanez

By Mike Axisa | October 20, 2012 at 1:44pm CDT

On this date back in 2000, the Blue Jays gave Carlos Delgado the richest contract in baseball history in terms of average annual value, a four-year pact worth $17MM per year. Delgado hit .282/.405/.555 with 146 homers during the life of the deal. Here's the latest from his former division, the AL East…

Joel Sherman of The New York Post hears that Robinson Cano is seeking a ten-year contract at "top-of-the-market dollars." The Yankees will retain Cano for 2013 with their $15MM club option, but it's unclear if they will break team policy to discuss an extension before he hits free agency.
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Farrell didn't always see eye-to-eye, reports Bob Elliott of The Toronto Sun. He says Farrell wanted to release Omar Vizquel in July and wasn't pleased the club didn't acquire starting pitching at the deadline. The Jays and Red Sox are currently making progress in talks to send Farrell to Boston.
Raul Ibanez told reporters (including Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News) that he is "not even thinking about" free agency at the moment. The 40-year-old hit .240/.308/.453 in 425 plate appearances for the Yankees this season, including a number of huge homers in the postseason.
The Red Sox must focus on quality over quantity in their search for starting pitching this offseason, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. Four of the team's five rotation spots already seem to be accounted for, so there is room for a high-end arm.
Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com wrote about the Orioles' second base job, which is up in the air. Brian Roberts is still recovering from hip surgery, and both Robert Andino and Omar Quintanilla are non-tender candidates.
Meanwhile, Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com lists five players the Orioles should look to sign long-term, including Jim Johnson and Matt Wieters.

Diamondbacks Exercise 2013 Option For J.J. Putz

By Mike Axisa | October 20, 2012 at 11:14am CDT

The Diamondbacks have exercised their $6.5MM club option for J.J. Putz, the team announced. The right-hander is represented by LSW Baseball and would have been owed a $1.5MM buyout had Arizona declined to bring him back for 2013.

Putz, 35, has pitched to a 2.48 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in two years with the D'Backs while saving 77 games in 86 chances. Injuries have been a problem for the veteran closer throughout his career, and he missed close to four weeks with elbow inflammation this season. Despite the injury, the net price of just $5MM was far too good to pass up. Arizona signed Putz to a two-year, $10MM contract during the 2010-2011 offseason.

Boras Hints That Soriano Will Opt-Out Of Contract

By Mike Axisa | October 20, 2012 at 8:53am CDT

Scott Boras strongly hinted that Rafael Soriano will opt-out of his contract with the Yankees and become a free agent this offseason, reports Joel Sherman of The New York Post. The agent said he still has to have further conversations with the team before finalizing plans, but the Yankees are unlikely to offer an extension.

“There is a strong chance that he would have tremendous value as a free agent,” said Boras. Sherman notes that big market clubs like the Angels, Dodgers, Nationals, Red Sox, Giants, and Tigers could all be in the market for a high-end closer this winter.

Soriano, 32, pitched to a 2.26 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 67 2/3 innings this season. After Mariano Rivera went down with a season-ending knee injury in mid-May, he stepped in at closer and went 42 for 46 in save chances. Soriano signed a three-year, $35MM contract with the Yankees prior to 2010 and has the right to opt-out of the final year. He would be walking away from a $14MM guarantee in favor of a potential multiyear contract.

Sherman says Soriano and Boras have until three days after the end of the World Series to exercise the opt-out clause, and the Yankees would likely make him a qualifying offer to ensure they receive draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere. We first heard that Soriano was likely to opt-out last month, and team president Randy Levine indicated that they want to keep the reliever in New York.

West Links: Adams, Wilson, A-Rod, D’Backs, Rangers

By Mike Axisa | October 19, 2012 at 10:10pm CDT

Rangers right-hander Mike Adams had successful surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome yesterday, reports Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com (on Twitter). The free agent-to-be reliever should be healthy in time for Spring Training. Here's the latest from baseball's two West divisions…

"They pay me to be me, and I will be," said Giants closer Brian Wilson to reporters (including Hank Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle). He is recovering from Tommy John surgery and hasn't thought about his role going forward (Twitter links). Wilson is a non-tender candidate after earning $8.5MM in the second year of a two-year deal in 2012.
"I think there will certainly be interest," said Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson to Arizona Sport 620's Burns & Gambo when asked if the team has trade interest in Alex Rodriguez. The D'Backs are said to be seeking a third baseman, and GMs Kevin Towers and Brian Cashman worked together in the Yankees' front office in 2010.
The Rangers have hired Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan to be their hitting coach, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Texas has since confirmed the hire.

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