AL East Notes: Yankees, Rivera, Blue Jays, Rays, Molina
Let's take a look at some items out of the American League East..
- Mariano Rivera says that he isn't sure if he wants to return in 2013, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) cautions that it may just be part of negotiations with the Yankees. The closer is coming off of a deal which paid him $15MM in each of the last two seasons and the Bombers will likely try to shave that number down on a new contract. Rivera and the Yankees have a history of tough negotiations, including a couple of years ago when he threatened that he would sign with the Red Sox.
- The Blue Jays are not considering Brad Ausmus, Jim Tracy, or Manny Acta for their managerial vacancy, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach is in the mix along with DeMarlo Hale, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Blue Jays third base coach Brian Butterfield. Along with Butterfield, bench coach Don Wakamatsu is another internal possibility.
- Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times believes that the Rays will wind up extending a qualifying offer to B.J. Upton as he will most likely turn it down, putting the club in position to net a compensatory pick. Last month, more than 61% of MLBTR readers polled said that the Rays should extend Upton a qualifying offer.
- Meanwhile, the Rays also have a decision to make on Jose Molina's $1.8MM option, which can be bought out for $300K. While the catcher hit just .223/.286/.355 last season, Topkin notes that his work with the pitchers was strong and he could be worth keeping.
Sherman on Mets, Phillies, Cabrera, Olivo, Shoppach
Even in the middle of the World Series, baseball people continue to talk about embattled Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. News on Cabrera and other notes from today’s column..
- Sherman spoke with a group of baseball executives about where Cabrera will sign and the Mets and Phillies both came up regularly. The Mets could look to Cabrera as corner outfield insurance against Jason Bay and Lucas Duda if he is affordable. Such a move would make even more sense if they are unable to retain Scott Hairston.
- The majority of the execs see Cabrera winding up with a one-year deal in the $2-$5MM range to audition himself. One exec could see him getting $10-$12MM while another said he could possibly get one year at $8-10MM.
- The Mets are unlikely to obtain catcher Kelly Shoppach and they are instead eyeing free agent Miguel Olivo. When the Mets were combing the trade market for catchers this summer, the Mets had Olivo as a secondary candidate to the Rockies‘ Ramon Hernandez before ultimately trading for Shoppach. The Mariners announced on Wednesday that they would not pick up Olivo’s $3MM option for 2013.
- Yankees officials never saw Cabrera as a negative influence on Robinson Cano the way that people outside of the organization did, but he doesn’t look to be a great fit regardless. The Yankees might not be able to offer the certainty of playing time that Cabrera will need to rebuild his value.
Cafardo On Dodgers, Hamilton, Brewers, Otani
For most of his eight-year tenure with the Dodgers, General Manager Ned Colletti had to mindful of the budget and the bottom line. Now, Colletti has the financial freedom to make bold moves, such as the trade with the Red Sox which brought Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Nick Punto, and Carl Crawford aboard. Colletti has no doubt that Crawford is ready to regain his old form. "He’s still a dynamic player," Colletti said. "A couple of years ago, he was one of the most sought-after free agents in the game for good reason. People in Tampa saw it a lot. People in the AL East saw it a lot — a combination of abilities not many players have. In this league, the ability to hit and steal, doubles and triples — this is a tough park for home runs sometimes — his ability to create things offensively with speed and ability to hit." Here's more from today's column..
- There’s mounting evidence that the Brewers could be one of the teams that emerges in the market for Josh Hamilton. Milwaukee is at least looking into the possibility, though their top priorities are still finding a starting pitcher and revamping their bullpen.
- The Cubs appear to be players for 18-year-old pitcher Shohei Otani, but Theo Epstein recently expressed trepidation about plunging back into the Japanese market. Otani was recently taken with the first-overall pick in the NPB draft and the Nippon Ham Fighters have until March to try and sign him. A major league club can still sign him at any time, but it would likely irritate Japanese baseball officials.
- Bobby Valentine declined to say whether he'd like to be considered for the managerial openings with the Rockies, Marlins, and Blue Jays. The manager also clarified some of his recent remarks on the Red Sox and noted that his line about leaving a note for incoming manager John Farrell was merely an old-time baseball joke.
- After removing himself from the interview process with the Astros and declining to meet with the Marlins, it's possible that Brad Ausmus only had his eye on the Red Sox job. However, teams will still try to lure the former catcher who quickly found himself in high demand.
- Terry Francona did speak with the Marlins earlier this year, but he wanted to be with the Indians all along.
Quick Hits: White Sox, Orioles, Pierzynski, Dodgers
Links for Saturday evening…
- Chris Kamka of CSNChicago.com looked at the best and worst trades Kenny Williams made as GM of the White Sox. Williams was recently promoted to vice president with Rick Hahn taking over as GM.
- CSNBaltimore.com's Rich Dubroff listed the five best top draft picks in Orioles' history, meaning 1978 second rounder Cal Ripken Jr. was ineligible.
- White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski says that he hasn't heard from the club as he is set to hit the open market, but a club source says Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf had lunch with Pierzynski after the season, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, GM Rick Hahn says that he is going to take his time in talks with Pierzynski, Jake Peavy, or Kevin Youkilis.
- The Orioles are set to cut ties with former first-round pick Billy Rowell as he approaches minor league free agency, an industry source tells Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. Rowell, the ninth-overall selection in the 2006 draft, signed for a $2.1MM bonus but failed to advance beyond Double-A in his time with the O's.
- The Dodgers have hired Patrick Guerrero as their Latin American coordinator, a baseball source tells Ben Badler of Baseball America. Guerrero was let go by the Mariners earlier this month along with vice president of international scouting Bob Engle.
- Giants president Larry Baer isn't threatened by the prospect of the Dodgers spending wildly this winter, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
- The Orioles are still waiting for Cuban defector Henry Urrutia to be able to report to Sarasota, Florida after signing with the club in July, writes Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com. The O's gave the 25-year-old outfielder a $778K signing bonus and he could begin his professional career at Double-A.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Dodgers Notes: League, Fujikawa, Otani
Yesterday, Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti ran down a number of topics during the club's formal introductory press conference for Carl Crawford. During the presser, Colletti said that the Dodgers would target both starting and relief pitching this winter, plus outfield depth. Here's more out of Los Angeles from Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times..
- Colletti reiterated that Brandon League has interest in returning to the Dodgers and the club would like to keep him. League's representatives told Hernandez that the two sides are currently discussing a three-year pact. The 29-year-old is able to hit the open market for the first time after earning $5MM in his final season as an arbitration eligible player.
- People familiar with the Dodgers' thinking say they are interested in Japanese free-agent reliever Kyuji Fujikawa. The right-hander boasts a mid-90s fastball and has been considered the Japanese league's top closer in recent years. Fujikawa is expected to pitch in the major leagues next season after recently completing his contract with the Hanshin Tigers.
- The Dodgers are also known to be in on 18-year-old Shohei Otani along with the Red Sox and Rangers. Hernandez notes that the Dodgers may have to approach the situation carefully as they have a longstanding relationship with Japanese baseball. The Nippon Ham Fighters, who selected Otani first overall in the NPB draft, have until the end of March to negotiate with him. Any team that signs him before then could hurt MLB's relationship with the top league in Japan.
- The Dodgers are still looking for a hitting coach and Mickey Hatcher, who assisted Dave Hansen late this year, is not in the mix.
Quick Hits: Verlander, Hamilton, Rangers, Lincecum
It’s not a huge surprise, but Tigers president and General Manager Dave Dombrowski said that he would like to make Justin Verlander a Tiger for life, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The right-hander still has two years remaining on his five-year, $80MM deal and extending him won’t be cheap. However, the Tigers made a similar move when they inked Miguel Cabrera to his eight-year, $152.3MM deal two years before he was set to hit the open market. Here’s more from around baseball as the Giants celebrate their Game 2 victory..
- People familiar with the Brewers‘ thinking told Heyman that the club is seriously considering a run at Josh Hamilton this winter. Owner Mark Attanasio declined comment on the possibility, but the team is said to believe that Milwaukee is a viable market for the slugger. The Brewers would obviously have a hard time competing with major market teams for Hamilton, but it helps that the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers likely won’t be in the mix.
- Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels said that he sees some similarities between what his club did in 2007 and the Red Sox‘s blockbuster deal this year, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Texas traded star first baseman Mark Teixeira to the Braves in the summer of 2007, netting the club Elvis Andrus and freedom to build the roster. Daniels, who was a guest on WEEI’s Red Sox Hot Stove show, also said that he doesn’t expect to trade Andrus or Kinsler despite having Jurickson Profar close to being major league-ready.
- Despite his struggles in 2012, General Manager Brian Sabean ruled out the possibility of Tim Lincecum moving to the bullpen next season, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Lincecum is entering his walk year in the 2013 season and will earn $22MM.
- One person connected to the Giants told Heyman that there’s no way that Lincecum will be traded, in part because of how the fans in San Francisco respond to him.
- Commissioner Bud Selig told reporters before tonight’s game that he has spoken with Blue Jays president Paul Beeston and has yet to hear a complaint from the organization regarding possible tampering with manager John Farrell, tweets Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.
Austin Jackson To Be Represented By Scott Boras
Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson signed on to be represented by agent Scott Boras, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com (via Twitter). Jackson was previously represented by Hendricks Sports.
Jackson, 25, is set to be arbitration eligible for the first time this winter and can hit the open market after the 2015 season. The centerfielder joined the club in the winter of 2009 in a three-way deal that sent Curtis Granderson to the Yankees. Jackson has had a strong season in his third year with Detroit, hitting .300/.377/.479 with 16 homers in 617 plate appearances. For other Boras clients and clients of other agents, check out MLBTR's Agency Database.
Cardinals Notes: Lohse, Berkman, Kozma, Mozeliak
Cardinals pitcher Kyle Lohse is widely expected to be in for some massive offers when he hits the open market this winter and some agents and executives see him netting a C.J. Wilson-type deal in the $75MM range, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Cards General Manager John Mozeliak spoke to reporters about Lohse and more earlier today. Let's check out some highlights, courtesy of Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch..
- Mozeliak said that "it's hard to imagine finding a fit" for Lance Berkman on the roster in 2013. The veteran is considering retirement after undergoing knee surgery but says he may also like to hook on with a contender for next season.
- Former first-round pick Pete Kozma was considered for removal from the 40-man roster several times throughout the season, Goold writes. However, after starting the final 29 games of the regular season and all 13 playoff games, St. Louis won't face that same quandary this winter.
- The Cardinals will be looking for a new bullpen coach after notifying Dyar Miller that his contract won't be renewed for next season. All of the other coaches – including hitting coach Mark McGwire, pitching coach Derek Lilliquist, and third-base coach Jose Oquendo – will be offered the chance to return.
NL East Notes: Mets, Wright, Dickey, Marlins
The Mets‘ contract talks with David Wright and R.A. Dickey have not advanced to the point of discussing years or dollars, a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. General Manager Sandy Alderson has remained in touch with representatives for both players but the sides are “still talking about when to really get talking,” according to the source. Martino writes that some in the organization believe that the Mets will sign Wright but ultimately trade Dickey. Here’s more on the Mets and other items out of the NL East..
- Alderson disclosed that manager Wally Backman will return to the Mets‘ Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas next season, tweets Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger. The 53-year-old has managed in the organization’s minor league system for the past three seasons.
- The Phillies had some interest in bringing Backman aboard as their Triple-A manager in Lehigh Valley to replace Ryne Sandberg, Martino tweets. Sandberg was bumped up to third base coach for the Phillies earlier this month.
- The Marlins are said to have interest in Reds pitching coach Bryan Price for their managerial vacancy, but Price has recently agreed to a new deal with the club, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. However, Price won’t comment on whether the club has asked for permission to talk to him, writes Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel.
AL East Notes: Rivera, Farrell, Blue Jays, Red Sox
After tearing his ACL in a freak injury back in May, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera vowed to reporters that he would return. “I am coming back. Write it down in big letters. … I’m not going out like this,” said the 42-year-old. Now, General Manager Brian Cashman says that Rivera’s future is less-than-certain, writes Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com. Marchand notes that a new contract could also be tricky for Rivera as his two-year, $30MM contract has expired. Here’s more out of the American League East..
- The John Farrell compensation talks came down to Mike Aviles or Andrew Bailey, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Blue Jays of course wound up with Aviles, who gives the club flexibility with Yunel Escobar.
- Rather than hire one of the many experienced managers available, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star would rather see the Blue Jays hire a fresh face. Griffin suggests that Alex Anthopoulos & Co. should speak with Sandy Alomar Jr., Sal Fasano, Dave Martinez, Paul Molitor, and others.
- The Red Sox‘s uncertain contender status will impact the way that they build their roster this winter, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Speier writes that the Red Sox will likely treat trade opportunities similar to how they did leading up to the July 31st deadline. That means holding on to key prospects unless its for worthwhile players that are under control for multiple years.