Quick Hits: Mariners, Red Sox, Cabrera, Greinke
The Mariners are looking for offense and are "in on everybody", a rival GM tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. That includes big fish like Josh Hamilton and Justin Upton and they're also considering Mike Napoli and Nick Swisher. Cody Ross, Ryan Ludwick, and Mark Reynolds may also be fits in Seattle. More from around baseball..
- Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino confirmed to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (via Twitter) that the club hopes to sign Mike Napoli, though it has to be on a three-year deal, not a four-year deal. Lucchino added that the club is in on Hamilton (Twitter link) but they won't go to six, seven, or eight years to make it happen. It has been well documented that the Red Sox are leery of long-term deals as they look to spend responsibly going forward.
- Asdrubal Cabrera has a six-team no-trade clause allowing him to block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Nationals, Giants, Mets, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The Indians have reportedly set the bar high in their demands for Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo.
- Zack Greinke's agent Casey Close told Heyman (via Twitter) that he'll know in the next 24-48 hours if a deal can get done in Nashville. Close added that nothing is close for his client just yet. Meanwhile, Braves GM Frank Wren says that it's "probably unlikely" that he will sign Greinke (Twitter link).
- The market for Ryan Dempster may develop more this week with the Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Twins in the mix, Morosi tweets. Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter) classifies Dempster as the Brewers' top free agent target.
- One source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com that he wouldn't rule out the Nationals trading for a pitcher like James Shields of the Rays. The Nats could potentially use Mike Morse in a deal for Shields as the Rays are in need of offense.
Tigers Notes: Drew, Cabrera, Hairston
The latest on the Tigers from Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports..
- There has been a great deal of talk about the Tigers pursuing a shortstop but that may have been overstated. Detroit has cooled on Stephen Drew due to his desire for a multi-year deal and they have not discussed a trade for the Indians’ Asdrubal Cabrera, according to a source with knowledge of the club’s thinking.
- Rosenthal and Morosi note that Drew still could re-emerge as a possibility if his market fails to develop, but Cabrera appears out of the question. The Tigers are a part of Cabrera's six-team no-trade clause along with the Yankees, Red Sox, Nationals, Giants, and Mets.
- Instead, the Tigers are looking to add a left-handed reliever and a right-handed platoon partner for Andy Dirks in left field. One right-handed outfielder with Tigers interest is free agent Scott Hairston, according to a second source. The Mets and Yankees also have interest in Hairston.
- The Tigers have an opening for a closer, but club officials are high on rookie right-hander Bruce Rondon.
- For now, the shortstop job still belongs to Jhonny Peralta. Peralta was drawing interest from the Diamondbacks recently but that no longer seems like a possibility if the TIgers are unable or unwilling to upgrade at the position.
Mariners Interested In Garrett Jones
The Mariners have talked with the Pirates about first baseman/right fielder Garrett Jones in recent weeks, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Baker stresses that it was just one of the many conversations the M's have had with clubs, but the discussion went beyond just one phone call and names were batted back-and-forth.
One proposal had Jones and Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan and possibly another player going to the Mariners in exchange for first baseman Justin Smoak, catcher John Jaso, and starting pitcher Hector Noesi. The Bucs have let other teams know that Hanrahan is available and were said to be seeking rotation help in return.
Jones, 31, had a .274/.317/.516 batting line with 27 home runs in 515 plate appearances for the Pirates last year. We saw the first baseman/right fielder on the pages of MLBTR last offseason as the Yankees reportedly had interest in trading for him.
Hanrahan, also 31, posted a 2.72 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 last season in Pittsburgh. The closer earned $4.1MM last season and is in line to earn $6.9MM for 2013 in his final year of arbitration. Jones earned $2.25MM in 2012 after heading to arbitration in his first year of eligibility and is projected to make $4.4MM. Baker writes that the Pirates may be motivated to make a deal like this in order to ease their payroll burden.
Brad Lidge To Retire
Brad Lidge has informed his agents that he plans to retire from baseball, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The former closer underwent surgery in late April and appeared in just 9.1 innings for the Nationals last season.
The 35-year-old signed a $1MM deal with the Nats in January but was sidelined by sports hernia surgery in late April and struggled in his June return. “Lights Out” had a 9.64 ERA with ten strikeouts and eleven walks in 11 appearances for Washington in 2012. In eleven big league seasons, the right-hander had an ERA of 3.54 with 11.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 for the Astros, Phillies, and Nats.
Rich Harden, Brandon Webb To Pitch In 2013
Pitchers Rich Harden and Brandon Webb both plan to return to pitching in 2013, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Harden missed the 2012 season after undergoing shoulder surgery while Webb has not thrown a pitch in the majors since 2009.
Harden's agent agent Brett Laurvick told Morosi that there is "a lot of interest" from clubs in his client. The right-hander spent the 2011 season with the Athletics and posted a 5.12 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 15 starts. The 31-year-old has struggled with injuries in the past, having missed the bulk of the 2006 and '07 seasons.
Webb, 33, has dealt with multiple shoulder injuries over the last few years. The 2006 NL Cy Young Award winner signed a one-year, $3MM contract with the Rangers prior to the 2011 season but never made it to the mound. For his career, Webb owns a 3.27 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.
NL East Notes: Nationals, Mets, Morse, Span
Items on the Nationals and Mets..
- One industry source tells Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com that it's more likely the Nationals land another starting pitcher via a trade involving Michael Morse than by picking someone off the free agent market. The first baseman/left fielder is a valuable trade chip and will make $6.75MM in 2013, the final year of his deal.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson confirmed that he met with R.A. Dickey for about ten minutes today, but said that the talk was purely social, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Alderson said that he wouldn't negotiate without the knuckleballer's agent present. Alderson also stressed that a resolution on Dickey doesn't have to come during the meetings, tweets Marc Carig of Newsday.
- No big surprise, but Alderson expects to focus on the trade market as he doubts there are sufficient free agents at Mets' spending capacity to meet all of their needs, Rubin tweets.
- Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter) overheard at the meetings that the Nationals had Denard Span rated above Michael Bourn and B.J. Upton, without even considering their contracts.
Week In Review: 11/25/12 – 12/1/12
Let's take a look back at everything that went down on MLBTradeRumors last week as we get set for the Winter Meetings..
- The Mets and David Wright reached agreement on the largest contract in franchise history. The ACES client got seven years and $122MM in new money, which makes the deal worth $138MM over eight years when factoring in his 2013 club option. With that included, Wright passes Johan Santana's $137.5MM deal from February 2008.
- The Braves signed B.J. Upton to a five-year, $75.25MM contract. The 28-year-old ranked fifth on MLBTR’s list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents. Upton hit 28 home runs and posted a .246/.298/.454 batting line for the Rays this past season and should add balance to the Braves' lefty-heavy lineup. The Phillies were the runners up in the bidding for Upton.
- For the second time in four years, the Rays signed Evan Longoria to a long-term contract extension that will keep the third baseman in Tampa Bay for the foreseeable future. Longoria was signed for an additional six seasons by guaranteeing three club options on his previous deal and adding $100MM in new money to the contract. Longoria will now earn $136MM from 2013-22 under his contract, which includes a club option for 2023.
- We kept track of all of the non-tenders in the National League and the American League. You can also look at all the players to avoid arbitration here.
- The Cubs reached agreement with Japanese closer Kyuji Fujikawa on a two-year deal with a vesting option for year three. Including the buyout on that third year, Fuijkawa will get a guaranteed $9.5MM with the opportunity to earn $2MM each year through incentives.
- Marvin Miller, the first executive director of the MLB Players Association, died at the age of 95.
- The Pirates signed free agent catcher Russell Martin to a two-year, $17MM contract. Martin will get a $2MM signing bonus, a $6.5MM salary in 2013, and an $8.5MM salary in 2014.
- The Yankees agreed with closer Mariano Rivera on a one-year, $10MM contract for 2013. The for Rivera, who celebrated his 43rd birthday this week, includes extra performance and awards incentives.
- More from the Yankees who also re-signed Andy Pettitte to a one-year, major league deal. The pact is worth $12MM with $2.5MM in awards bonuses. Pettitte made 12 regular season starts and had two quality starts in the postseason. In those regular season outings he posted a 2.87 ERA with 8.2 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, and a 56.3% ground ball rate in 75 1/3 regular season innings in 2012.
- The Nationals acquired center fielder Denard Span from the Twins for minor league right-hander Alex Meyer. Span, 28, will earn $4.75MM in 2013 and $6.5MM in 2014. The deal could affect the Nats in a number of ways and it may prompt them to trade Michael Morse.
- The Angels acquired Tommy Hanson from the Braves in exchange for Jordan Walden in a one-for-one trade. Hanson, 26, pitched to a 4.48 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 174 2/3 innings this year and missed time with shoulder tendinitis last season. Walden, 25, also missed time with a biceps strain and pitched to 3.46 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 39 innings.
- The Angels signed Ryan Madson to a one-year deal with $3.5MM in guaranteed money. The Boras client can also earn $2.5MM in roster bonuses and $1MM in incentives for games finished.
- The Reds and Jonathan Broxton have reached agreement on a three-year deal worth $21MM. If the Reds trade Broxton, the guarantee increases to $22MM, with the 2016 option becoming a mutual option with a $2MM buyout.
- Dodgers execs met with Zack Greinke in Los Angeles on Thursday but they'll have to contend with the likes of the Nationals, Angels, and Rangers to land him. If the Halos can't retain Greinke, they may instead look to spend that money on the bullpen.
- The Dodgers have interest in Kyle Lohse.
- The Cubs have interest in Michael Bourn but the Nationals may also jump back into the mix. Don't expect the Giants to be in on the outfielder.
- The Marlins won't move Giancarlo Stanton and will focus on acquiring power.
- The Brewers, Red Sox, and Angels are showing interest in Ryan Dempster.
- Mike Napoli met with the Red Sox over the weekend and appears to be at the top of their wish list.
- The Cubs agreed to sign right-hander Scott Feldman to a one-year contract. Feldman, a client of agent Matt Brown, obtains a base salary of $6MM with $1MM in incentives.
- The Indians, Rangers, Yankees, Giants, Rays, Red Sox, and Reds all have interest in free agent center fielder Shane Victorino.
- The Pirates announced that they acquired right-hander Vin Mazzaro and first baseman Clint Robinson from the Royals for minor league pitchers Luis Rico and Luis Santos. They also acquired Zach Stewart from the Red Sox.
- The Mariners officially released Chone Figgins.
- The Phillies are pursuing Angel Pagan after missing out on Upton.
- The Orioles acquired infielder Danny Valencia from the Red Sox for cash considerations. The Red Sox also shipped right-hander Sandy Rosario to the A's for a PTBNL or cash.
- Ichiro Suzuki isn't waiting on the Yankees.
- Reliever Sean Burnett says that he isn't seeking a four-year deal, despite rumblings to the contrary.
- The Royals have talked to the Mets about R.A. Dickey as they look to bolster their rotation. Meanwhile, KC is "calling everyone" to find a partner to take Luke Hochevar and Bruce Chen.
- The Phillies appeared to have a trade with the Astros for Wilton Lopez but it was called off.
- The Dodgers could potentially make a play for free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski.
- The Rockies aren't likely to move Dexter Fowler.
- The Reds re-signed Todd Redmond.
- The Yankees DFA'd Jayson Nix.
- The Pirates want to retain Jason Grilli but they'll have competition for him.
- The Orioles acquired Yamaico Navarro from the Pirates in a trade for Jhondaniel Medina. To make room on the 40-man roster, Stuart Pomeranz was designated for assignment.
- The Diamondbacks released right-hander Brad Bergesen.
- The Astros claimed Phil Humber off waivers.
West Notes: Dodgers, Giants, Angels, Padres
Here's a look at some news out of the AL and NL West..
- The Dodgers are letting teams know that shortstop Dee Gordon is available, tweets Bob Nightengale of the USA Today. Gordon could represent a fallback option for teams who lose out on Stephen Drew. Earlier today, we learned five teams are in on Drew.
- The Giants are looking for a center fielder and are talking to Michael Bourn, Angel Pagan, and Shane Victorino, tweets CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman.
- The Angels are aren't acting like they're confident of landing Zack Greinke, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The Angels seem to be trolling for much cheaper starting pitching options like Ryan Dempster and Shaun Marcum, as opposed to Anibal Sanchez and Kyle Lohse.
- The Dodgers' shopping list includes Greinke, a fourth outfielder that can play center, and a backup corner infielder, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Gurnick also says negotiations continue with lefty reliever Randy Choate.
- Padres GM Josh Byrnes doesn't expect to be very busy during the Winter Meetings, reports Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I expect to do one thing, maybe two," said Byrnes. "I’m not expecting to do a lot. We’re filling the holes, not roster reshaping." The Padres are looking for starting pitching and have depth at the corner outfield slots, in the bullpen, and at middle infield. The names most often mentioned as possible trade chips, according to Center, are Luke Gregerson, Joe Thatcher, and Jesus Guzman.
- The Rangers are interested in talking with the Mets about R.A. Dickey at the Winter Meetings this week, a source tells T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. The Rangers aren't alone in having interest in the knuckleballer as the Mets have taken calls from six or seven teams looking to swing a trade. The Mets are expected to look for outfield help and catching in a deal.
- The Rockies are considering a run at left-hander Daniel Schlereth as they look to improve their bullpen, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The 26-year-old became a free agent this week when he was non-tendered by the Tigers.
- The Rockies are looking to restore their rotation, but not rebuild it entirely, writes Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. The club will look to bolster their starting five with a veteran presence and they are known to have interest in free agent right-hander Kevin Correia.
Edward Creech contributed to this post.
Stark On Hamilton, Greinke, Swisher, Shields
Jayson Stark of ESPN.com surveyed 17 prominent executives, agents and scouts about the biggest storylines that figure to dominate in Nashville, Tennessee. On average, those surveyed see Zack Greinke and Nick Swisher signing mid-month, Josh Hamilton and Michael Bourn signing in the last week of December, and Rafael Soriano taking until mid-January to find a landing spot. Here's more from Stark..
- Most of the people surveyed see Hamilton winding back up with the Rangers when all is said and done. Outside of Texas, there were predictions for the Orioles, Red Sox, Brewers, and Phillies.
- Fifteen of the 17 surveyed weighed in on where they think Greinke will land and 14 predict that he will sign with the Dodgers. The one dissenter, an agent, sees the Angels avoiding a bidding war with the Dodgers only to top their offer in the end.
- Almost everyone sees Swisher signing in the next couple of weeks but there is no consensus when it comes to destination. The Red Sox, Orioles, and Mariners all got multiple votes.
- While there have been rumors about a James Shields trade for two years, one AL exec says that this will finally be the time for the Rays to pull the trigger. "Just look at the contract. He's got this year and next year left. So he's got more value now than he'll have a year from now. They're very analytical about everything they do. It just makes sense that now's the time," said the exec.
- No surprise here but the Dodgers were picked as the most likely team to outspend everyone and dominate the headlines.
Quick Hits: Figgins, Pelfrey, Twins, Willingham
The Phillies, who have openings at third base and in the outfield, checked in with the recently released Chone Figgins, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. However, the extent of the club's interest is unclear at this time. More from around baseball..
- No less than seven teams have interest in right-hander Mike Pelfrey, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Mets non-tendered Pelfrey last week but they still have interest in re-signing him for less than the $5.875MM he earned last season.
- The Twins don't want to trade Josh Willingham but there are multiple teams interested in the leftfielder, according to Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). An AL executive recently told Mackey that the club might not get much more than a No. 4 starter for Willingham, despite his team-friendly contract. Willingham is owed $14MM through 2014.
- Rays GM Andrew Friedman figures to be a popular man during the meetings as he may dangle James Shields or Jeremy Hellickson to acquire offense, Morosi writes.
- The Mariners need to increase their risk tolerance if they hope to take a major step forward at this week's meetings, opines Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. For the M's, that could mean spending a lot more money on payroll or trading away young prospects for proven players.
- One exec tells Morosi (via Twitter) that this year's Rule 5 draft class is one of the best that he has seen. The draft will take place on Thursday.