Quick Hits: Phillips, Lannan, Aramis
Saturday afternoon linkage …
- Reds General Manager Walt Jocketty expects to meet with Brandon Phillips’ agents soon, writes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Things have been quiet between the two parties regarding a potential contract extension since the latter part of the offseason. Phillips can hit free agency after this season.
- Bill Ladson and Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com write that with trade rumors surrounding John Lannan, the pitcher has to know he's probably auditioning for more than just the Nationals this spring. One source told Ladson earlier this week that he believes the Nats will trade the hurler before Opening Day.
- Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez found out from Cubs president Theo Epstein in October that the North Siders wouldn't be picking up his 2012 option, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. "[Epstein] said they were going to go young," Ramirez said.
MLBTR's Dan Mennella contributed to this post.
AL East Notes: Blue Jays, Blanton, Yankees, Pineda
On this day in 1966, the Orioles acquired catcher Cam Carreon from the Indians in exchange for leftfielder Lou Piniella. Sweet Lou became an everyday major leaguer in 1969 with the Royals and made his way back to the American League East with the Bombers in 1974. Here's what's happening in the AL East today..
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos scouted today's Phillies game and left after Joe Blanton exited the game, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- Even though Brandon League has blossomed into an All-Star closer for the Mariners, Anthopoulos has no regrets about the trade that shipped League to Seattle and brought Brandon Morrow to Toronto, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. The Blue Jays signed Morrow to three-year, $21MM contract extension this winter with a team option for 2015.
- Red Sox right-hander Michael Bowden is out-of-options and fighting to make the big league roster, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The 25-year-old appeared in 14 games for the BoSox last season.
- There's a great deal of excitement surrounding Michael Pineda as he gets set for his first year in pinstripes, but GM Brian Cashman is looking to pump the brakes on fans' expectations for him, writes Jeff Bradley of the Star-Ledger. Cashman doesn't view Pineda as an "instant number two" but instead as a long-term asset with a great deal of promise.
Levine: Yankees Plan To Keep Cano And Granderson
With the Yankees planning to get under the $189MM luxury tax threshold by 2014, many have wondered if the club will be able to retain both Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson after their contracts expire following the 2013 season. Today, team president Randy Levine flatly stated that the team has a plan in place to retain both stars, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
General Manager Brian Cashman says that the club will not entertain going above the $189MM mark and the front office is committed to getting below that figure. While some wonder if the Yanks can even consider marquee free agents this winter such as Matt Cain or Cole Hamels, Cashman won't rule out making a play for a high-priced player on the open market.
Quick Hits: Yankees, Orioles, Ramirez, Red Sox
Friday night linkage..
- Curtis Granderson might prove to be too pricey for the Yankees down the road, writes John Harper of the New York Daily News. Both the center fielder and Robinson Cano will be eligible for free agency after the 2013 season.
- Things remain quiet between the Angels and shortstop Erick Aybar when it comes to talks on a new deal, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. If they don’t work out a new contract with Aybar, the Halos could re-sign veteran Maicer Izturis after this season or turn the keys over to 22-year-old Jean Segura.
- Orioles General Manager Dan Duquette is grateful to have another shot in MLB, writes Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports. Duquette left Boston with a reputation for being somewhat unapproachable but has returned in Baltimore determined to be more communicative.
- Marlins skipper Ozzie Guillen says that Hanley Ramirez has embraced third base despite early reports to the contrary, writes Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated.
- Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider req’d) runs down seven players who he believes are poised to bounce back in 2012. Among those on the list are Ramirez, Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes, and Indians rightfielder Shin-Soo Choo.
- Reliever Chris Carpenter found his way to the Red Sox through the compensation agreement with the Cubs and one of the few people that can relate is former outfielder Randy Winn. Winn was shipped from the Rays to the Mariners in exchange for manager Lou Piniella and minor leaguer Antonio Perez.
NL Central Notes: Wainwright, Cardinals, Cubs
A few items on the Cubs and Cardinals..
- The Cardinals control Adam Wainwright for the next two seasons for $21MM but the hurler could be up next for a long-term deal with the team once he shows that he's recovered from Tommy John surgery, writes Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While the 30-year-old won’t be immune to future injuries, Gordon writes that his work ethic offers some promise of success as he gets older.
- Former Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez defended the job that Jim Hendry did in Chicago, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. While recognizing Theo Epstein's past success, Ramirez says that it'll take time for the President of Baseball Operations to find success.
- Ramirez also touched on Carlos Zambrano's issues in Chicago and says that his ex-teammate hurt the club with his suspensions, Wittenmyer writes.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com credits the Cardinals for making smart decisions in the months following Albert Pujols' departure.
NL West Notes: Lincecum, Padres, Moores, Jimenez
Here's a look at some items out of the National League West..
- The Giants offered Tim Lincecum at least $100MM over five years a couple months back, but it now it appears that the two sides are at least $75MM apart, with the right-hander looking for a seven- or eight-year deal, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
- Jeff Moorad has withdrawn his application to be the controlling partner of the Padres, meaning that John Moores will own the team for the foreseeable future, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
- Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres runs down the particulars of what this means for the future of the club. Moorad will remain the Vice Chairman and CEO of the Padres while Moores will remain the majority owner of the team as he has since 1994-95. Krasovic also writes that MLB is likely to approve the 20-year TV deal between the Padres and FOX.
- Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez don't exactly see eye-to-eye with former teammate Ubaldo Jimenez on his dissatisfaction with the Rockies, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. The pitcher said that he was upset with the club in part because Tulowitzski and Gonzalez received lucrative new deals following the 2010 season while he did not.
Mets Notes: Pelfrey, Nitkowski, Ownership
Yesterday, MLBPA leader Michael Weiner put his support behind Mets owner Fred Wilpon and family, saying that the group is committed to winning. Here's more on the club's financial situation and other news out of Queens..
- If Mike Pelfrey is hoping to ever to sign a significant long-term deal, he is going to need to show that he can pitch more consistently than he has in the past with the Mets, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The right-hander posted a 3.66 ERA with 3.0 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 2010 but turned in a 4.74 ERA in 2011 with 4.9 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 last season. Pelfrey will be eligible for free agency after the 2013 season.
- C.J. Nitkowski threw a bullpen session with the Mets on Thursday and Sherman tweets that it went well. However, the two sides will have to reach agreement on how much he will make on the major league side of a deal and the Mets will have to find a spot for him in Triple-A if he needs to begin there (Twitter link). The left-hander last appeared in the majors in 2005.
- In a hearing this afternoon it was announced that they will begin seating a nine-person jury in the $386MM lawsuit against Mets owners on March 19, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Rubin (via Twitter) notes that this means that a verdict in the case could come down right around Opening Day.
West Notes: Athletics, Jimenez, Rockies, Hernandez
Items out of the AL and NL West..
- The Athletics released a statement this afternoon regarding recent reports that MLB might not allow the club to move to San Jose due to the Giants' territorial rights. The A's point out that out of "the four two-team markets in MLB, only the Giants and A's do not share the exact same geographic boundaries." The statement also emphasizes that a move to San Jose would benefit other owners when it comes to revenue sharing.
- For the first time, Ubaldo Jimenez openly admitted that he wanted to be traded from the Rockies, writes Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSportsArizona.com. The pitcher watched Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez sign long-term contracts with the club and felt as though he had been put on hold. Jimenez was looking for a trade this time last year but wasn't dealt until July 30th.
- There was some buzz about Felix Hernandez's favorable comments regarding his future in Seattle beyond 2014, but Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times cautions not to read too far into them. Hernandez signed a five-year, $78MM deal prior to the 2010 season and Baker writes that there are no immediate plans to put another deal in front of the ace.
West Notes: Cespedes, Cain, Beras, Murphy, Villalona
On this day in 2009, the Dodgers agreed to re-sign Manny Ramirez to a two-year, $45MM contract. Ramirez's time in Los Angeles came to an end in August of 2010 when he was claimed off of waivers by the White Sox. As a Dodger, the slugger hit .322/.433/.580 with 44 homers in 223 games. Here's a look at some items out of the AL and NL West..
- Yoenis Cespedes was warmly welcomed by Manny, writes Yahoo's Steve Henson. Ramirez discussed hitting extensively with his new friend, and ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that Cespedes says it's an "honor" to play with Ramirez. (Twitter link).
- There was a belief around baseball that Matt Cain was going to be an easy sign for the Giants, but that now seems less certain, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Word was that the hurler might even be prepared to sign back with the Giants for less than $100MM but that seems far less likely.
- If the league upholds Jairo Beras' contract with the Rangers, sources with several teams have said that they will be furious, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. MLB has granted some players leniency in the past if they willingly came forward with a new age or a new identity, but that does not appear to be the case in this situation.
- Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels says that multiple teams have inquired on David Murphy, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Even though Murphy is slated to come off of the bench, Daniels says that the outfielder is a huge part of the club. The Twins inquired on Murphy back in December but Texas was unwilling to compromise their outfield depth.
- Angel Villalona's name plate has been removed from his locker and that's a sign that his visa issue isn't close to being resolved, tweets Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com. The Giants first baseman is facing legal trouble in his native Dominican Republic.
- The Athletics formally introduced Cespedes today and the outfielder said that Miguel Tejada told him that Oakland was a good organization to grow up in, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Minor Moves: Carmona
We'll keep track of today's minor moves in this post..
- Angels right-hander Ysmael Carmona cleared waivers and will be outrighted to minor league camp, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). The move was made to make room for Jason Isringhausen. The Halos' 40-man roster now stands at 39.