Braves Still Pursuing Johnny Damon
The Braves are still pursuing free agent outfielder Johnny Damon, according to a tweet from David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. On Monday, O'Brien shot down a Jon Heyman suggestion that the Braves had made an offer.
The Giants appear to be out for Damon now that they've added Aubrey Huff, and we learned Tuesday that a Yankees reunion is unlikely. Scott Boras is going to have to cook up a mystery team if he's going to get the Braves to overpay for Damon. The Royals and Padres might be looking to add an outfielder, but Damon is an unlikely fit for either club.
Padres, Cubs Eyeing Jermaine Dye
THURSDAY, 8:06am: MLB.com's Corey Brock has a source saying a Dye deal is "low on likelihood" for the Padres. More likely would be Randy Winn or Jerry Hairston Jr., to whom the Padres have made offers. Another mild possibility for Dye is the Cubs. The Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan says they're looking at him for a platoon/backup/DH role.
WEDNESDAY, 11:02am: The Padres are showing interest in free agent outfielder Jermaine Dye, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. However, Morosi believes the Padres would have to trade a veteran to be able to afford him. He names Heath Bell and Kevin Kouzmanoff as trade candidates.
Dye isn't a great fit for a National League club, given his outfield defense. And he's not the type of free agent you make other moves to accomodate. Given the limited interest, I can't see him getting much more than $3MM.
Dodgers Focused On Pineiro, Padilla
WEDNESDAY, 11:22pm: Dylan Hernandez tweets that in addition to Pineiro and Padilla, the Dodgers have recently contacted the agents for Braden Looper and Garland.
WEDNESDAY, 7:06pm: The Dodgers are open to bringing back Padilla if they are unable to land Pineiro, a major league source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
9:55am: It's been a quiet offseason for the Dodgers, as they've unloaded Juan Pierre while adding Jamey Carroll and a cast of minor league signings. With Randy Wolf joining the Brewers, there's still a strong need to add a veteran starting pitcher.
The Dodgers' search is focused on Joel Pineiro and Vicente Padilla, reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Gurnick indicates they've backed off on Jon Garland. The Dodgers are aiming for a one-year deal, which might put Pineiro out of reach. Still, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote today that the Dodgers "are going through the process of getting approval for the funds necessary to make a Pineiro deal." Ed Price of AOL FanHouse tweeted Monday that the Mets were talking to Pineiro about a two-year deal in the $15MM range, so it's probably a two-horse race.
A reunion with Padilla seems likely, especially if his price starts to plummet. Early in the offseason, interest was mutual. The Dodgers' main competition appears to be the Cardinals, who are trying to stretch $6-7MM across several needs.
Tigers In Lead For Jose Valverde
4:21pm: In a chat today, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says he's been told the Cardinals are "not actively involved" on Valverde.
12:53pm: The Tigers are believed to have the biggest offer out to free agent reliever Jose Valverde, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The sides are not close to a deal, however. Morosi adds that the Cubs are not interested, but the Cardinals "could emerge as a suitor." Just depends on if they want to put most of their $6-7MM in one basket, I'd say. Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets that Valverde has offers from the Tigers, Cardinals, and one other team.
Last night on Twitter, Jim Bowden had this to say:
[Tigers GM] Dave Dombrowski told me tonight they are focusing on the back end of the bullpen and did not deny an offer to Valverde and a willingness to lose their #1 pick.
MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith ran through the draft picks that would be at stake in a post Sunday. The Tigers would surrender the #19 overall pick to the Astros, while the Cardinals would have to part with #25. Ben noted that the Red Sox have not been connected to Valverde but they'd only have to give up the #107 overall pick.
Dodgers Close To Two-Year Deal With Kemp
4:09pm: Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times has more comments from Stewart, who expects Kemp to be signed by the Tuesday salary figure exchange date. Meanwhile, Dodgers president Dennis Mannion told Hernandez Ned Colletti is not being limited to two years for Kemp.
11:43am: Back on December 31st, we learned from MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that the Dodgers opened multiyear contract discussions with center fielder Matt Kemp. Kemp's agent, Dave Stewart, said that if he and the Dodgers couldn't find common ground he was comfortable going year to year.
Interviewed on XM MLB Home Plate radio last night, Stewart told host Jim Bowden that he and the Dodgers are close to a two-year deal for Kemp (via Bowden's Twitter account). Stewart indicated he believes the Dodgers' ownership situation limited the number of years they could offer. MLB.com's Ken Gurnick has direct quotes from Stewart.
Nick Markakis and Carlos Beltran are two decent comparables for Kemp, in terms of where their simple career numbers were after three years service time. On a six-year deal, Markakis will be paid $9.75MM for his first two arbitration years. Beltran went year to year in 2002-03 and made $9.5MM. I would guess Kemp would be in the $10MM range for 2010-11.
Dodgers Sign Nick Green, Two Others
WEDNESDAY, 3:48pm: Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times writes that Green will get a $550K base salary if he's on the big league roster, with another $100K in incentives. Hernandez also has contract details for Angel Berroa, Doug Mientkiewicz, and Russ Ortiz.
MONDAY, 1:25pm: The Dodgers signed Nick Green to a minor league deal, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosental says Green would be Rafael Furcal's primary backup at shortstop.
Green, 31, hit .236/.303/.366 in 309 plate appearances for the Red Sox last year, logging 644.3 innings at short. His defense graded as a positive in that insufficient sample. Green had back surgery in November and was outrighted by the Sox shortly thereafter. The Rockies also showed interest this offseason.
MLB.com's Ken Gurnick notes two other Dodgers signings: pitcher Scott Dohmann and infielder Argenis Reyes. Dohmann, 31, was released by the Hiroshima Carp in June and landed in the D'Backs organization. Reyes, 27, hit .282/.336/.377 for the Mets' Triple A club.
Russell Branyan Moving On From Seattle
Russell Branyan is reluctantly moving on from the Mariners, reports MLB.com's Jim Street. After hearing the Ms acquired Casey Kotchman, Branyan called GM Jack Zduriencik to thank him for the opportunity. Street says Branyan has no hard feelings, though the slugger indicated talks with the Mariners ended rather abruptly after the Winter Meetings.
Branyan says he has a couple of interested teams, and he expects a Major League deal. He came into the offseason aiming for two years, but the Mariners would only offer one year and a club option. Branyan says he feels great despite back woes marring the second half of his season. He still managed 31 home runs, second only to Jason Bay among free agents this offseason.
Assuming Branyan is open to a DH job, the White Sox, Tigers, or Royals could be a fit. The Orioles, A's, or Mets could consider him at first base. Branyan, 34, earned $1.75MM in '09.
Rich Hill Ready To Sign?
1:36pm: MASN's Roch Kubatko says Hill expects to sign today or tomorrow, and won't rule out the Orioles. Hill might have one club (not Baltimore) willing to offer a big league deal.
8:26am: Free agent lefty starter Rich Hill "is poised to accept" an offer with a team other than the Orioles, reports Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun. Hill became a free agent after being outrighted by the O's in November.
Acquired from the Cubs in February for cash considerations, Hill was a worthwhile pickup for Andy MacPhail. However, Hill fared poorly in 13 starts last year while dealing with elbow and shoulder injuries. He had labrum surgery in August. For more background on Hill, check out our November 4th discussion post.
Odds & Ends: Giants, Yost, Red Sox, Blue Jays
Wednesday linkage…
- It appears that the Yankees added pitcher Zack Segovia on a minor league deal, writes Chad Jennings of The Journal News.
- Reed Johnson is still in the mix for the Cubs' fourth outfielder job, assistant GM Randy Bush told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
- Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News passes along a comment from Giants GM Brian Sabean: someone will be designated for assignment to make room for Aubrey Huff. CSNBayArea.com's Mychael Urban says it won't be Fred Lewis, but Lewis is probably done with the Giants anyway.
- The Royals named former Brewers manager Ned Yost special advisor to baseball operations, according to a team press release.
- John Dewan of Baseball Info Solutions suggests the Red Sox could add eight or nine wins via their defensive improvements (hat tip to Alex Speier of WEEI). In an article for ESPN, Dave Cameron says the Red Sox "have traded on-base percentage for ultimate zone ratings."
- Rany Jazayerli says the Royals' move for Scott Podsednik "wasn't a good signing, but it's not worth getting worked up over either."
- Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle suggests Drayton McLane's $650MM asking price for the Astros "might make it difficult for him to find a buyer."
- Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues assesses possible Yankees target Xavier Nady.
- Jack Moore of FanGraphs likes the Ryan Church signing for the Pirates.
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian writes that the Blue Jays signed pitcher Willie Collazo, infielder Jesus Merchan, and outfielder Jorge Padilla to minor league deals.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reiterates the Cubs' interest in Kiko Calero, but guesses the team's interest "is probably contingent" on the health of the reliever's shoulder.
- Brett Myers intends to "stick it" to the Phillies, according to the AP. How dare they pay him over $30MM and stick by him through domestic abuse charges.
Mariners Re-Sign Brad Nelson
The Mariners re-signed first baseman/outfielder Brad Nelson to a minor league deal, according to a team press release. Nelson began the '09 season with the Brewers, and joined the Ms as a minor league free agent in May after refusing an outright assignment. Nelson, 27, hit .247/.322/.451 in Triple A – his fifth stint at the level.