Diamondbacks Notes: Upton, Kubel, Ross
Just before holidays, Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM that the club has had nothing but great conversations with the Diamondbacks about outfielder Justin Upton. However, despite talking for the bulk of the winter, the two sides have yet to hammer out a deal. Could Upton have a new home in the New Year? Here's more on that and other links on the Diamondbacks..
- It appears that a possible trade of Upton has become a reality again following the surprise signing of Cody Ross, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. General Manager Kevin Towers will almost certainly be entertaining offers and one person familiar with their thinking says that "someone will go.''
- Some have speculated that Jason Kubel could be the odd man out in Arizona, but one exec told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter) that he doesn't see the D'Backs getting much for him. Kubel posted a .910 OPS at home in 2012 but had a .757 OPS elsewhere. Advanced metrics, such as his career -12.7 UZR/150, also indicate that he plays a below-average left field.
- The Diamondbacks' offseason cannot truly be judged until we know what the club does to follow up on the Ross signing, writes Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.
AL West Notes: Mariners, Ibanez, Rangers, Pierzynski
The latest out of the AL West..
- Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik says that he is "wide open" to making other moves, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. In a perfect world, Seattle would like to obtain a leadoff man and a middle-of-the-order bat.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times implores Mariners fans not to rush to judgement on an offseason in which they signed Raul Ibanez while missing out on Josh Hamilton, Nick Swisher, and others. Baker opines that the opportunity to sign Michael Bourn is practically staring them in the face and it's the kind of big splash that the club needs to make.
- ESPNDallas.com's Richard Durrett checked in with ESPNChicago's Bruce Levine to get the skinny on the newest member of the Rangers, catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Levine doesn't see the 36-year-old logging 100 games behind the plate in the Texas heat, but believes that he will prove to be a good value with 90 games at catcher and the rest at DH.
Napoli Has Interest From Another Team
At least one team has been in communication with Mike Napoli's representatives since negotiations with the Red Sox hit a snag, multiple baseball sources tell Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. However, one source says it is believed that no contract offer has been extended by a team other than the Sox since the two sides reached agreement on a deal earlier this month.
The Red Sox and Napoli have yet to finalize their agreement on a three-year, $39MM deal due to concerns over the 31-year-old's hip. Earlier today, we learned that Boston has been in talks with free agent Adam LaRoche as a possible alternative. Signing LaRoche would cost Boston their second-round pick and the veteran says that he is looking for a three-year deal.
Red Sox Notes: Napoli, Upton, LaRoche
Here's a look at the latest on the Red Sox following their introductory conference call for shortstop Stephen Drew..
- The Red Sox continue to work on language in Mike Napoli's deal concerning his hip issue, but they haven't gotten to whether they will alter the terms of the agreement, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, the club continues to talk with free agent Adam LaRoche as a possible alternative.
- Bowden suggested five deals that would change the fortune of contending teams, including a swap for the Red Sox with the Diamondbacks. In the proposed deal, the Red Sox would acquire Justin Upton in exchange for Xander Bogaerts, Matt Barnes, and Brandon Jacobs. The deal would give Boston an outfield of Upton, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Shane Victorino and give them adequate reinforcements if Ellsbury goes elsewhere in free agency.
- The continued interest by the Red Sox in LaRoche puts pressure on the Nationals, writes James Wagner of the Washington Post. The Nationals have so far refused to go to three years for LaRoche while the Red Sox are exploring multi-year possibilities with the first baseman.
Pedroia Influenced Stephen Drew To Pick Boston
Stephen Drew stood as the top available shortstop this winter, despite missing the bulk of the last two seasons with a severe ankle injury. Some speculated that it would take a multi-year deal to sign the 29-year-old, but the Red Sox wound up inking up Drew to a one-year pact worth $9.5MM and $500K in performance bonuses. Drew says that there were potential opportunities for multi-year deals and contracts with player options, but he ultimately felt that the Red Sox were the best fit for him.
"There were some teams out there that me and [agent Scott Boras] said could have been thinking that. I think at the end of the day we said that there were teams that needed a shortstop and we looked at who is playing second and the rest of the field and we looked at what would benefit me. I think Boston was the best fit for us," the shortstop said on a conference call with reporters.
Drew explained that part of Boston's appeal was the chance to form a strong middle infield with second baseman Dustin Pedroia. The shortstop believes that despite all of the time missed in 2011 and '12, his defensive play in Oakland was some of the best of his career. Drew will celebrate the new year on January 1st by taking ground balls and ramping up his prep for 2013.
One might think that the shortstop's opinion of Boston would be shaped by his brother J.D. Drew, who played for the Red Sox from 2007-2011. However, the younger Drew said that his conversations with the former outfielder only center on baseball "here and there". Drew is aware of the difference between the markets in Arizona and Oakland versus Boston, but isn't overly concerned with having to adjust.
Boras believes that Drew's setbacks over the last couple of years have led to fans forgetting exactly how talented he is. In the three years prior to his injury-shortened '11 campaign, Drew posted a .277/.335/.465 batting line and provided the kind of power that isn't easy to find at his position.
"The need for shortstops is so great. And then when you add in Stephen’s swing plane and his metrics, where he hits the ball, in Fenway, we really felt like that was kind of the match made for what strengths Stephen has as a hitter and what the ballpark in Boston provides," the agent explained.
Ultimately, Drew's one-year deal is an opportunity to prove that he can once again produce at a high level while staying on the field. While the Red Sox are still working on finalizing Mike Napoli's deal amongst questions about his hip, Drew says that he is as healthy as ever. If Drew can show that his right ankle is back to 100%, Boras knows that he will boost his value even further.
"I think after this year, everyone is going to think a lot differently about what kind of player Stephen is and the impact he can have on a division-contending team."
Hideki Matsui To Retire
After ten years in the major leagues and another ten playing for Japan's Yomiuri Giants, outfielder Hideki Matsui is set to announce his retirement in press conference this afternoon, according to a report from Sanspo (Japanese link). The 38-year-old hooked on with the Rays last season and appeared in 34 games before being released in August.
Matsui made a major splash stateside in December 2002 when he signed a three-year deal worth $21MM with the Yankees. He would then re-up in 2005 on a four-year, $52MM deal which made him the highest paid Japanese player in baseball at the time, surpassing the Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki. Matsui stayed with the Bombers through 2009, posting a slash line of .292/.370/.482 with 140 home runs over that span.
The slugger is fondly remembered by Yankees fans for his MVP award-winning performance in the 2009 World Series, specifically in the decisive Game 6. Matsui captured the award despite starting only three of the six games, as there was no DH spot in the games played in Philadelphia. Matsui would parlay that momentum into a one-year, $6.5MM deal with the Angels over the offseason.
Despite his less-than-stellar 2012 stint in Tampa Bay, Matsui still drew some interest this winter from clubs looking for a DH. Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow told the Japanese press in November that he the team had internal discussions about signing Matsui. For his career, Matsui has earned an estimated $83.3MM in the major leagues, not counting his earnings in Japan.
Special thanks to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker for his translation.
Mets Sign Aaron Laffey
The Mets announced that they have signed left-hander Aaron Laffey to a minor league contract with an invite to major league spring training. The Kohm/Pasti client elected free agency from the Blue Jays in October.
Laffey, 27, pitched to a 4.56 ERA with 4.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 16 starts and six relief appearances for Toronto last season. The veteran also made eleven starts for Triple-A Las Vegas, posting a 4.52 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. Laffey signed a split contract with the Blue Jays right around this time last year that paid him $800K for making the big league roster.
This Date In Transactions History: Mo Vaughn
On this date in 2001, the Mets acquired first baseman Mo Vaughn from the Angels in exchange for right-hander Kevin Appier. Vaughn had missed the entire 2001 season with the Angels due to a ruptured tendon in his left arm, but General Manager Steve Phillips & Co. opted to roll the dice on the slugger anyway. The trade was meant to bring some power to the Mets' lineup, but Vaughn's injuries wound up making the deal one of the worst moves of Phillips' tenure in New York.
The media got wind of the trade almost a week prior to its completion when sources told Tyler Kepner of the New York Times that Phillips, manager Bobby Valentine, and Assistant General Manager Omar Minaya traveled up to Massachusetts to watch Vaughn work out, which was unusual given that Vaughn was under contract with Anaheim. ''I understand it was very positive. I heard that they really liked what they saw," said one source. That would presumably include Vaughn's physical shape, despite the slugger's reported increase from 245 pounds to 275 pounds in his first two seasons with the Halos.
Less than a week later, the Mets agreed to take on Vaughn and the roughly $50MM owed to him over the next three seasons. As part of the deal, the Mets got to defer some of the money paid to the first baseman while the Angels covered the $8MM he was still owed as part of his signing bonus. Meanwhile, they would also part with Appier, who was coming off of an impressive season in his first (and only) campaign in blue and orange. The right-hander posted a 3.57 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9, his best numbers since his time in Kansas City.
Vaughn wasn't able to mash the ball as well as he had in years past by the time he got to Shea, but the veteran still managed to hit .259/.349/.456 with 26 homers in 139 games in 2002. The 2003 season was an entirely different story, however, as a knee injury in early May would bring his career to a close. Meanwhile, Appier pitched to a 3.92 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 32 starts for the Halos in 2002, helping to propel the Halos to their first World Series title. The Angels wound up releasing Appier the following year as he struggled with a flexor tendon injury, but one has to imagine that they were pretty happy to get out from under the money owed to Vaughn.
Red Sox Talking To Adam LaRoche
The Red Sox are talking with free agent Adam LaRoche, two sources tell Jen Royle of SB Nation Boston (via Twitter). LaRoche is seeking a three-year deal and a third source tells Royle that he's still not willing to compromise on contract length.
LaRoche would be the alternative to signing Mike Napoli, but major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Boston would prefer to complete their deal with the backstop. The Red Sox haven't given any official word on why the deal with Napoli hasn't been completed, but sources say that an issue with one of Napoli's hips has given the club pause. There's an agreement in place for a three-year, $39MM deal, but the Red Sox could simply walk from it since it has not been finalized.
If the Red Sox did sign LaRoche, Rosenthal writes that Napoli would go back into the market and likely accept a shorter, cheaper deal, possibly from the Rangers. The Nationals would fill the void internally by moving Michael Morse to first base and go with an outfield of Bryce Harper in left, Denard Span in center, and Jayson Werth in right. However, Napoli remains Boston's preference in part because signing LaRoche would cost a second-round pick.
The Napoli problem is familiar territory for Boston as they put language in the contracts of right fielder J.D. Drew and right-hander John Lackey to protect from pre-existing medical conditions. According to sources, the Red Sox are working to get Napoli to agree to similar protection in his deal.
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Yankees, Diaz
Links on the Yankees and Red Sox as Wednesday becomes Thursday..
- Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (on Twitter) sees several tradeable pieces on the Red Sox roster. Among them are the club's spare catchers (Ryan Lavarnway or Jarrod Saltalamacchia), Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Bailey, or one of their left-handed relievers. Abraham isn't sure what those pieces could net Boston in return, however.
- The Yankees' signing of Matt Diaz to a minor league deal likely won't end their search for a right-handed hitting outfield option, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Diaz's deal will be worth $1.2MM if he reaches the majors with the chance to earn an additional $800K in incentives.
- Diaz could be primed for a bounce-back year as his agents at Reynolds Sports Management (on Twitter) point out that the outfielder's recurring thumb issues are behind him. Diaz's slash line over the last two years has been .251/.295/.326 versus .301/.350/.456 in the previous eight seasons.