AL East Notes: Red Sox, Orioles, Choo, Yankees, Rays
Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has acknowledged teams are inquiring about their rotation depth, but the Boston Herald's Michael Silverman notes there's an element missing from the starters' equation: a potential ace in his mid-20s. Silverman believes it will be close to impossible to acquire such a pitcher through trade or free agency, so the best bet is an internal option. Henry Owens, the 36th overall selection in the 2011 amateur draft, tops Silverman's list of future homegrown aces, as the 21-year-old left-hander posted a 2.67 ERA, 11.3 K/9, and 4.5 BB/9 in 135 innings (26 starts) across Boston's Class A Advanced and Double-A levels. Here's more from the AL East:
- Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com wonders if the Orioles should make a play for free agent pitcher Bartolo Colon. On one hand, Colon pitched to a 2.65 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 30 starts and could possibly be signed for just one year. Of course, Colon will turn 41 early on in the 2014 season and missed a good chunk of 2012 thanks to having elevated testosterone levels.
- Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com looked back at ten moves by former GM Andy MacPhail that helped shape the Orioles. The list starts with MacPhail's signing of first-round pick Matt Wieters in 2007. The O's didn't have the best history with agent Scott Boras at that point, but MacPhail worked out a deal that included a $6MM signing bonus for the player who turned out to be the best catcher in club history.
- Shin-Soo Choo would bring more than just a solid on-base percentage to the Yankees or their crosstown rivals, writes David Lennon of Newsday. Lennon wonders if Choo's marketability overseas could give him extra value to one of the New York teams given that they have the second-largest Korean population in the U.S and offer more exposure than anyone else.
- Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times runs down possible targets for the Rays this winter at their different areas of need. The list starts with Mets first baseman Ike Davis, who could be an interesting buy-low fit.
- The Rays were interested in Mark Lowe last offseason before he was scooped up by the Dodgers, Topkin writes. Tampa Bay signed the 30-year-old reliever to a minor league deal yesterday.
Edward Creech contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Rangers, Phillies, Andrus, Ruiz
Here's a quick look around the majors..
- Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News surveys the Rangers' options when it comes to their crowded infield. Trading Elvis Andrus or Ian Kinsler would give Texas some financial flexibility. Andrus is due $6.75MM in 2014 and $120MM guaranteed from 2015 through 2022. Kinsler, meanwhile, is due $62MM over the next four seasons.
- The Phillies would like to retain free agent catcher Carlos Ruiz, but what happens if he signs elsewhere? Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com sizes up some of the possibie alternatives, including Dioner Navarro and Ryan Hanigan. The switch-hitting Navarro isn't in the same stratosphere as Brian McCann or in that second tier with Ruiz, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and A.J. Pierzynski, but he resides all by himself in that third tier of available catchers this winter.
- In an interview with Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (Twitter link), Rangers manager Ron Washington confirmed that the club has been discussing all of the big name free agents including Robinson Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury.
Cafardo On Bautista, Sandoval, Ellsbury, Wieters
The posting system standoff between MLB and Japan's NPB could temporarily benefit the Red Sox if Masahiro Tanaka is kept away from the Yankees, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The dispute over the posting system could drag on long enough for Tanaka to not make it over to the U.S. in 2014. The Bombers are going to improve one way or another and upgrade their rotation, but Tanaka is the one potential addition they consider to be an elite pitcher. Here's more from today's column..
- The Blue Jays need at least two starting pitchers and dealing Jose Bautista could land them one. “It’s a name we’re hearing through backchannels right now, but wouldn’t be surprised if he’s available,” said an NL general manager. Red Sox skipper John Farrell is a fan of Bautista from his days in Toronto, but it’s doubtful the Blue Jays would deal within the division, even though Boston has pitching to spare.
- Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval can be had in a deal, but his weight issues are of concern to clubs. The Giants have tried everything to get Sandoval to slim down and it's worked at some points, but not last season. Cafardo notes that Sandoval can also play first base and may have a market at either position.
- For Jacoby Ellsbury to re-sign with the Red Sox, he would have to be willing to accept a five-year deal that likely would not surpass $100MM. The Mariners, Rangers, Yankees, Tigers, Giants, and Phillies seem to have some level of interest, but whether they dive into the 6-8 year range at $20MM plus per year remains to be seen.
- The Orioles likely won’t deal Matt Wieters unless it’s in a blockbuster that would improve their pitching.
- Even though there’s been talk about an extension, there's growing sentiment that the Padres will trade Chase Headley this offseason to improve in a couple of different areas. New CEO Mike Dee says that he's willing to spend in order to strengthen the club long-term.
- Alfredo Aceves re-hired agent Tom O'Connell to represent him recently, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database. According to O'Connell, the pitcher called and apologized for firing him in the first place. There's now a "good possibility" that the pitcher will land with the Mets.
NL East Notes: Mets, Phillies, Howard, Maholm
Here's today's look at the National League East..
- Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson insisted in a pair of interviews that he fully intends on making a notable move this offseason and isn't just sticking his toe in the water, writes Marc Carig of Newsday. Alderson said next season will be "a new day" for the franchise, but questions persist about whether the Mets can afford meaningful upgrades, either through free agency or the trade market.
- Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that the $125MM deal signed with Ryan Howard in 2010 is making the Phillies cautious this winter. GM Ruben Amaro has spent on a big-ticket item in each of the last three seasons but he does not sound like a man willing to splurge this winter. With that said, Gelb notes that Amaro's public face tends to differ from his true intentions.
- Jordan Hall of CSNPhilly.com sizes up Paul Maholm and Jason Vargas as possible targets for the Phillies.
AL East Notes: Napoli, Cano, Bogaerts, Orioles
The Red Sox have options besides re-signing free agent Mike Napoli, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). Boston would like to retain him, but he is drawing interest from other clubs and some execs feel that the Rangers and Rockies will be particularly spirited in their pursuits. However, if Napoli goes elsewhere, the BoSox will net a compensatory draft pick and there are options out there on the open market. Olney wonders if they might go for someone like Michael Young, Mark Reynolds (.881 career OPS in Fenway Park), or Corey Hart, who will be in line for a one-year deal after missing all of 2013. Here's more out of the AL East..
- Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano is prepared to wait things out in order to get the deal he wants, a person close to Cano tells John Harper of the New York Daily News. “He’s ready for this to go past Christmas, into January if necessary,” the person said. “He’s been told all along that it could take time for a market to develop for him, and he’s fine with that.”
- There are no talks of a long-term deal yet between the Red Sox and Xander Bogaerts, but things could change with an impressive 2014 campaign, writes Jason Mastrodonato of MLB.com.
- Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com wonders if the Orioles' week of talks at the GM Meetings will lead to anything happening. The O's have limitations, but Dubroff says that they'll go out and get a piece or two if it takes them to the next level.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Johnson, Tigers, Nats, Price
On this date in 2010, Roy Halladay joined Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and Gaylord Perry as the fifth pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues. Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..
- Wahoo’s On First examines Josh Johnson as a possible target for the Tribe.
- B Sports takes a look at the Tigers’ defense.
- NatsGM has some ideas for Washington GM Mike Rizzo this winter.
- World Series Dreaming wonders if the Price is right for the Cubs.
- Inside The Zona wants the D’Backs to go younger in the bullpen.
- Rays Colored Glasses talks Jurickson Profar and why some top prospects get moved.
- Talkin Sox With Dan says one game in April told us a lot about the Red Sox.
- Replacement Level Red Sox discusses the cost of wins and whether Boston should re-sign Ellsbury.
- Lasorda’s Lair argues that Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher of this generation.
- Baseball Hot Corner says the Blue Jays should ink Masahiro Tanaka.
- Kingdome Of Seattle Sports wants the Mariners to go out and get Matt Kemp.
- Scout has an aggressive plan for the M’s.
- The Giants Cove has three players San Francisco should go for and three they should avoid.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
East Notes: Murphy, Cano, Perez, Rays
The Mets are looking for players to buy into their offensive philosophy, and that means finding guys with discipline at the plate, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. That might help to explain why the free-swinging Daniel Murphy has found himself on the pages of MLBTR over the last week or so. Marlon Byrd, who signed a lucrative two-year deal with the Philies, didn't show up on the Mets radar because he also doesn't fit the bill for what the Mets are looking for. Possible target Curtis Granderson, however, boasts a solid walk rate. Here's more out of the AL and NL East..
- It was hard to find an executive at the GM Meetings who didn't expect to see Robinson Cano back with the Yankees, but almost everyone expects a leverage battle between the two sides, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman suggests that the Bombers could invoke a similar strategy to what they did with Andy Pettitte after the 2008 season. The Yanks offered the hurler a pay cut from $16MM to $10MM and when he declined, they cautioned that the offer would go down if they signed someone else. After they spent megabucks on Mark Teixeira, Pettitte (reluctantly) accepted a $5.5MM deal.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson told Mike Francesa of WFAN Radio that he wouldn’t trade Noah Syndergaard under virtually any circumstances, according to Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog.
- The Nationals have interest in free agent Oliver Perez, a person familiar with the situation tells Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Left-handed batters hit .238/.358/.288 against the 32-year-old reliever last season.
- After numerous conversations with player agents and other teams, Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman headed home from the GM Meetings with a better sense of potential moves, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays are looking for a first baseman, catcher, and one or two late-inning relievers. Friedman isn't sure if their next move is a trade or signing, but he "would be surprised" if nothing happened between now and the winter meetings on December 8th.
Mets Notes: Aceves, Collins, Alderson, Peralta
Is Ike Davis on his way out of New York? Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote that a deal involving Davis appears likely while Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported yesterday that the Orioles, Astros, Rays, Rockies, and Brewers are all interested. More on the Mets..
- There is "a good possibility" the Mets will sign Alfredo Aceves, ESPN's Buster Olney tweets. We heard yesterday that the Mets were amongst the team interested in the reliever.
- Terry Collins said the club's top offseason priority is to find a middle-of-the-order bat to protect David Wright, ESPN New York's Adam Rubin reports. The manager expects his team to also look at adding some starting pitching and adopt "the Red Sox model" of signing multiple mid-tier free agents
- No one will take the Mets seriously until they spend money and sign a free agent, writes David Lennon of Newsday. Despite that, GM Sandy Alderson says that he doesn't feel any undue pressure. "Do I sense it? Yeah, to some extent," Alderson said. "Do I tune it out? Yes, to the largest extent possible. Because for us this is a day-to-day proposition and it's not that predictable, so I sort of have to take it out of the equation. I sense it, but work through it."
- In the face of Scott Boras' job comparing the Mets to NASA – an outfit that has big rockets but few astronauts – signing Jhonny Peralta would be a great way for them to launch their offseason, writes Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. The Mets met with the free agent shortstop yesterday.
- Alderson isn't looking to tie up big bucks in just a few players, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.
AL East Rumors: Ryan, Drew, Freese, Wieters
This morning's news out of the American League East..
- A deal that would bring Brendan Ryan back to the Yankees was set weeks ago, pending a physical following minor surgery, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network (via Twitter). There's reportedly mutual interest in a new deal.
- Stephen Drew won't be back with the Red Sox, a source tells Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. There are a number of teams out there that are willing to make multi-year deals beyond what the BoSox are willing to do.
- A report yesterday indicated that the Yankees are in pursuit of Cardinals third baseman David Freese, but someone involved with the club tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post that it won't happen. The Yankees still won't know what will happen with Alex Rodriguez for at least another month, so if the club does anything at third base, it will be with a left-handed complement, such as Eric Chavez, or a free agent like Jhonny Peralta or Drew who could play shortstop or third and provide insurance for both Jeter and A-Rod. Sherman also notes the possibility that the Yanks could wait and see if the Cards non-tender Freese ($4.4MM projected), but as Tim Dierkes wrote earlier this month, that seems like a drastic measure.
- Sherman also writes that Marlon Byrd apparently wasn't on the Yankees radar. When asked about the outfielder, GM Brian Cashman said, "I didn't even know who his agent was." As shown in the MLBTR Agency Database, his agent is Seth Levinson, who has a long, strong relationship with Cashman.
- Free agent outfielder Chris Young is on the Red Sox's list of fallback options if they don't re-sign Jacoby Ellsbury, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
- Both Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy have been mentioned in trade rumors over the last couple of days, but Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette didn't sound eager to move either one in a conversation with Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.
Rosenthal On Wieters, Butler, Choo, Davis
Here's a look at the latest news from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- Major league sources say it's not a surprise that the Orioles are willing to deal Matt Wieters. The bigger question is how Baltimore would reshape the roster if they made such a move. The O's don't have much breathing room to spend, but Rosenthal suggests the Orioles could gain flexibility by moving the catcher and also closer Jim Johnson, who projects to earn $10.8MM through arbitration. The O's could then find cheaper alternatives at both positions and be aggressive on the open market.
- If the Royals sign Carlos Beltran or another right-handed slugger, they could afford to trade designated hitter Billy Butler, who is signed for $8MM in 2014 with a $12.5MM club option for ’15. The Mariners are among the teams that covet Butler, a major league source tells Rosenthal.
- The Reds haven’t given up on re-signing Shin-Soo Choo, but they probably would need to trade Brandon Phillips and possibly Homer Bailey to create the necessary room, sources say. We've heard that Phillips is a likely a goner, but Bailey a more difficult call since losing him would require the Reds to move Aroldis Chapman to the rotation, unless they acquired another starter. All that might be too much to ask to accommodate the signing of a $100MM+ free agent, but they'd ideally like to have Choo back to give them another year before putting Billy Hamilton in center field. If they lose Choo, they likely would go with Hamilton and seek out a veteran complement in center.
- The Mets appear likely to trade Ike Davis, who is drawing interest from a number of clubs. Rosenthal also cautions not to be surprised if they move Daniel Murphy as well.
- Opinions are split on Jacoby Ellsbury's value. One rival exec's statistical analysis rated Ellsbury as the top Red Sox player last season, ahead of Dustin Pedroia. Others in the industry, however, are wary of Ellsbury’s diminished power since he has hit only 13 home runs over the past two seasons.
- One rival exec described the Rangers' infield logjam as an untenable situation.