Brewers Exchange Proposals With Aoki’s Agent
Brewers GM Doug Melvin says that he has exchanged proposals with Norichika Aoki's agent but isn't sure how it will go, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Melvin added that the club is looking at other outfield options.
Aoki worked out for the Brewers on Sunday for a little over an hour with Melvin, manager Ron Roenicke, and owner Mark Attanasio present. The Brewers have until 4pm central time on Tuesday to sign Aoki. If they do not reach agreement with the outfielder, the Yakult Swallows must refund the $2.5MM posting fee. The 30-year-old hit .292/.358/.360 for the Swallows in 2011.
Nationals Still In On Fielder, Out On Cespedes
The Nationals continue to be in on the Prince Fielder sweepstakes, although the club is not willing to give him a ten-year deal like Albert Pujols got from the Angels, a baseball source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Ladson also writes that the Nats are out on Yoenis Cespedes.
While the Nationals won't go to a ten-year deal for Fielder it does appear that the club is willing to give the slugger a no-trade clause. An industry source believes that the Nats want to give Fielder a six- or seven-year deal.
Ladson notes that contract length was also a stumbling block when Washington went after left-hander Mark Buehrle. The club offered a three-year deal but Buehrle ended up signing a four-year, $58MM contract with the Marlins instead.
As for Cespedes, the Nats believe that he is best suited for a corner outfield position and they already have Michael Morse, Jayson Werth, and Bryce Harper as viable options for the corner spots.
Red Sox Notes: Wakefield, Varitek, Kuroda, Pineda
Earlier today we learned that Red Sox GM Ben Cherington met with David Ortiz's agent on Friday to discuss Ortiz's 2012 salary. The slugger earned $12.5MM last season and accepted Boston's arbitration offer back in December. Here's more on the BoSox..
- Manager Bobby Valentine told reporters that he "couldn't imagine" pitcher Tim Wakefield coming in and competing for a job, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. That assessment is in line with Cherington's comments last week which insinuated that the knuckleballer wouldn't be with the Red Sox in 2012. Wakefield, 45, posted a 5.12 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 23 starts and 10 relief appearances for Boston last season.
- Valentine also doesn't see catcher Jason Varitek making the Red Sox roster if he chooses to make a go at it in Spring Training, Lauber writes. It was reported yesterday that the Sox offered the veteran a minor league deal, but apparently the club hasn't put anything formal on the table.
- Bobby V also weighed in on the Yankees' most recent acquisitions, Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda, writes Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (quotes from Ian Browne). Valentine seems wary of Kuroda's transition from a great pitcher's ballpark in the National League to a more hitter friendly ballpark in the American League.
Tigers Say Reported Interest In Garza Is Overstated
The Tigers say that their interest in Matt Garza is grossly exaggerated, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Furthermore, the club won't part with its prized prospects to land the Cubs hurler.
Earlier this week, it was reported that the Cubs and Tigers were discussing a trade involving the right-hander. The Tigers, according to the report, were open to dealing top prospects and it has been said that the club would part with pitcher Jacob Turner in the right trade.
Yesterday, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark wrote that rival teams don't believe the Cubs will trade Garza until July, when there are fewer alternatives on the open market. Meanwhile, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein contends that he thinks "very highly" of the 28-year-old.
Athletics Negotiating With Bartolo Colon
The Athletics are in negotiations with Bartolo Colon, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Yesterday we learned that the pitcher has also attracted the interest of the Diamondbacks.
The 38-year-old right-hander turned in a 4.00 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 for the Yankees in 2011. General Manager Brian Cashman expressed interest in bringing the veteran back this offseason, but the club's moves this week might satisfy their need for pitching.
Oswalt Still On Rangers’ Radar
As negotiations with Yu Darvish appear to be going well, the Rangers continue to make inquiries on veteran right-hander Roy Oswalt, a major league official told Gerry Fraley of The Dallas Morning News. Bob Garber, who represents Oswalt, declined to comment.
Earlier today, we learned that the Yankees are in contact with Oswalt as well as Hiroki Kuroda. The Red Sox also remain interested in the 34-year-old but, like the Yankees, are looking to cap their spending. The Cardinals have also been linked to Oswalt but could be eyeing him for a relief role rather than a guaranteed spot in the rotation.
Quick Hits: Jurrjens, Ankiel, Mets, Darvish, Yankees
Thursday night linkage..
- Mark Bowman of MLB.com believes that both Martin Prado and Jair Jurrjens will be with the Braves at the start of the season.
- The Nationals are still talking with Rick Ankiel, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. If he returns, it would be in a platoon/fourth outfielder role, with a chance to earn more playing time.
- As a fan, losing shortsop Jose Reyes to the Marlins was difficult for Mets owner Fred Wilpon, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.
- Rangers president Nolan Ryan told reporters that he expects the club to sign Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish by the 3pm Wednesday deadline, writes Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram. Ryan also believes that the negotiations will go down to the wire.
- Both Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel remain possibilities for the Reds, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. GM Walt Jocketty is familiar with both outfielders from his time in St. Louis.
- A person familiar with the Yankees' thinking told Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger that "January brings shifts" and it's possible that the club will add to their payroll in order to satisfy their pitching need. The Bombers are still in contact with Hiroki Kuroda and Roy Oswalt and are considering Edwin Jackson.
- From a negotiation standpoint, it doesn't make sense for Yoenis Cespedes to play in the Dominican Winter League, opines Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Right-hander Brian Gordon, whose rights were sold by the Yankees to the SK Wyverns of the Korean Professional League over the summer, will remain with in the KBL after signing with the Samsung Lions, tweets Ken Davidoff of Newsday.
Marlins To Make “Aggressive” Run For Cespedes
The Marlins are prepared to make a strong run for Yoenis Cespedes once he gains his Dominican residency and Major League Baseball declares him a free agent, Marlins president David Samson said in his weekly appearance on 790 The Ticket (transcribed by Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel).
“[The club's pursuit will be] aggressive right to the point of stupidity, but not quite there,” Samson said. “We think he’s a perfect fit for us, but it has to be sane. [We've been] expressing interest, going to visit, making it very clear to his representatives and to him and his family that we think he should not be anywhere other than Miami. As a Cuban and someone in the DR, it makes perfect sense. We have a perfect position for him to play. It would be great."
Samson went on to say that the club is prepared for the sizable signing bonus and contract that Cespedes will likely command. However, Miami will back off if another team looks to "make a bigger splash or get irrational."
Rodriguez also writes that the club has not begun pursuing Prince Fielder, according to a source who has spoken with the front office. Earlier today we learned that there are strong indications that the Marlins aren't pursuing the slugger aggressively.
Angels, Kendrick Agree To Four-Year Deal
The Angels have reached an agreement with Howie Kendrick on a four-year contract, the team announced. The deal is worth $33.5MM, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times tweets. It will cover the 28-year-old's final year of arbitration and first three years of free agency.
Kendrick is coming off of his best season to date as he hit .285/.338/.464 with 18 homers in 583 plate appearances. Earlier this week, GM Jerry Dipoto confirmed that he opened up talks with the agents for Kendrick and Erick Aybar. Like Kendrick, Aybar also has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining.
Last night, our own Mark Polishuk examined the second baseman's case for an extension. According to MLBTR's projections, Kendrick was set to earn $5.2MM in 2012 through arbitration.
By signing an extension with the Angels, Kendrick avoids having to contend with fellow second baseman Brandon Phillips on the open market next offseason.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the deal and Bob Nightengale of USA Today added the contract value.
Quick Hits: Braves, Nakajima, Braun, Cespedes
On this date two years ago, the Mariners traded Bill Hall and a player to be named later to the Red Sox for Casey Kotchman. Here's a look at tonight's links..
- Braves GM Frank Wren has a knack for dealing for players with little trade buzz, and Angels infielder Maicer Izturis would fit that bill, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- According to a source familiar with the negotiations, shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima's issue with the Yankees offer was not the dollar figure but rather the length of the contract, according to a report from Sponichi (Japanese link). Nakajima wanted to become a free agent after one year while the club wanted standard control (six years) over him. Special thanks to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker for the translation.
- The Brewers will know before the start of spring training whether Ryan Braun will be in their opening day lineup, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel. Earlier this week, an official familiar with the appeals process told Haudricourt that he didn't like the slugger's chances of avoiding a 50-game suspension.
- There are no fewer than six teams, and perhaps even more, that are seriously in on Yoenis Cespedes, tweets Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel.
- Reliever David Aardsma has started throwing but will wait until he's further along in rehab before pursuing his next contract, agent Jamie Murphy told ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter). Aardsma, 29, underwent Tommy John surgery in July.
- Right-hander Peter Moylan has had discussions with a few teams, including the Braves, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. If all things are equal, Moylan would prefer a return to Atlanta.