Poll: Which Team Will Sign Roy Oswalt?
During the Winter Meetings, it was reported that Roy Oswalt was looking to sign a three-year deal. However, interest in the veteran has picked up greatly since he began telling teams roughly two weeks ago that he only wants a one-year commitment. The 34-year-old's change of heart will certainly help his case on the open market, but what team will pony up the money that he's looking for?
The Red Sox and Yankees are looking to bolster their respective rotations, but both clubs are wary of the luxury tax threshold. A one-year, eight-digit deal wouldn't be out of the question for either team if it weren't for the 40% penalty they would have to pay on top of it. Both teams have expressed interest in the Cubs' Matt Garza but they're certainly not alone in that. The Marlins and Tigers appear to be the frontrunners to land the right-hander while the Blue Jays have also been connected to him. One has to imagine that the clubs that miss out on Garza will be in the mix for Oswalt.
There are other teams that have been interested in Oswalt this winter but seem unlikely for one reason or another. The Rangers would have liked to bring the veteran back to the state of Texas but they've since won the bidding for Yu Darvish. The Nationals were also in on Oswalt but their rotation is both formidable and deep after the acquisition of Gio Gonzalez.
We may have to wait for the dust to settle on the Garza talks to find out, but where do you see Roy Oswalt signing?
Which Team Will Sign Roy Oswalt?
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Red Sox 21% (3,853)
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Another Team Not Listed 17% (3,079)
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Yankees 15% (2,750)
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Blue Jays 9% (1,680)
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Nationals 8% (1,498)
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Tigers 7% (1,322)
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Rangers 7% (1,248)
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Marlins 6% (1,063)
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Royals 5% (861)
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Twins 4% (783)
Total votes: 18,137
Olney On Rays, Quentin, Polanco, Marlins, Darvish
After ranking MLB's best rotations, bullpens, infields, outfields, and lineups in December, ESPN.com's Buster Olney opened up 2012 with his overall power rankings. The Rays are ranked No. 1 thanks in large part to their outstanding rotation. This year, Matt Moore joins the mix and Olney writes that the left-hander has the numbers and the ability of Stephen Strasburg without the same level of hype behind him. Of course, the club still has some issues to address, such as the identity of their first baseman and designated hitter. However, Olney feels that their pitching makes them the top club in baseball at present. Here are some highlights from today's column..
- It's possible that the Padres could negotiate a very team-friendly two- or three-year deal with the Carlos Quentin before arbitration. However, it's hard to imagine the club investing heavily in the outfielder before gauging how much he can stay on the field and how his power translates to pitcher-friendly Petco Park.
- The Phillies would still like to find an alternative to the oft-injured Placido Polanco. In October, skipper Charlie Manuel said that he would be in favor of an upgrade at third base if possible. The club dangled Polanco in early December when it seemed as if they might lose Jimmy Rollins to free agency and look to sign Aramis Ramirez to play third.
- The Cubs are talking with a number of teams about Matt Garza, including the Marlins. A lot of baseball scouts are not wild about the quality and depth of the prospects in Miami's farm system.
- Yu Darvish is not yet signed with the Rangers, but rival executives don't believe he has much leverage and will eventually work out a deal.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Rodriguez, Rays
Here's a look at some items out of the American League East as the Yankees and Red Sox continue to scour the market for pitching..
- The Red Sox are budget-conscious as they look to add to their rotation and one agent told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe that he believes it will continue. “[GM Ben Cherington] is listening with free agents, but that’s it so far,’’ said the agent. "I don’t think it’s an act, either. They’re hoping somebody falls to them and that may be it."
- In a piece for the New York Times, Rob Neyer takes a look back at the ten-year, $275MM deal Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees in December of 2007. The Yankees have little reason to regret the signing so far but A-Rod remains under contract through 2017 when he'll turn 42.
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday looks at six different approaches that the Yankees can take to solve their rotation issues. Davidoff doesn't like the odds of the club pulling an "old school" move and throwing money at the problem, which would likely mean giving Edwin Jackson a sizeable contract. Instead, it seems likely that the Bombers will look for another lottery ticket and hope they hit it big, much as they did with Bartolo Colon in 2011.
- John Tomase of the Boston Herald suggests that the Rays pair up with the Angels to land either Mark Trumbo or Kendrys Morales. The Halos seem content to keep both sluggers in the mix for now but it seems likely that they'll move at least one of them before the start of the season. Tomase also credits recently-appointed Orioles GM Dan Duquette with prioritizing the rebuild of the front office over the on-field product in 2012.
Reactions To The Carlos Quentin Trade
Earlier today, the Padres bolstered their lineup by acquiring Carlos Quentin from the White Sox for pitching prospects Simon Castro and Pedro Hernandez. Here's a look at some of the fallout and reactions to the New Year's Eve swap..
- The early word from scouts is that Castro and Hernandez don't have much upside, which indicates that this was a payroll move, tweets ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
- Despite the criticism of the two prospects, White Sox GM Ken Williams insists that the club has identified the keys to getting Castro back to where he was a year ago when he was considered to be a strong prospect, according to the White Sox official Twitter. The 23-year-old right-hander was ranked as the Padres third best prospect last year by Baseball America.
- Williams also compared Castro's build and mound mechanics to those of Jose Contreras, according to the ChiSox Twitter. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (via Twitter) notes compared Castro to Contreras in a piece almost two years ago.
- Quentin said that the White Sox's sub-.500 finish in 2011 and his value led him to think he might be traded, tweets Dan Hayes of the North County Times (via Twitter). The outfielder also says that he knew he was on Padres' radar.
- In a piece for ESPN.com, Keith Law writes that Quentin is a mediocre fit for the Padres. Quentin, he writes, is a poor defensive outfielder who has great secondary skills, including above-average power and solid plate discipline. However, his history of injuries indicates that he'll have trouble playing the field 150 games a year.
- GM Josh Byrnes and Ken Williams have swapped Quentin once before. As Diamondbacks GM, Byrnes traded Quentin to Chicago for first baseman Chris Carter in 2007. Byrnes said that trading away Quentin was "pretty high" on his list of regrets as Arizona GM, tweets Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres.
- The trade appears to signal that Kyle Blanks isn't in the team's plans going forward, Krasovic tweets.
- Byrnes says that he and Williams have been discussing the deal for the past ten days and the pace picked up significantly over the past two days, Krasovic tweets. Byrnes also says that he's looking to put together a team that can compete in 2012 while maintaining a long-term plan (via Twitter).
- The two sides agreed to the deal in principle Friday morning before announcing the trade today, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com.
Quick Hits: Theriot, Aoki, Nakajima, Orioles
Links for Saturday night..
- Congratulations to MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith on being named among the 100 most influential Canadians in baseball by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. Luke Adams and Mark Polishuk picked up honorable mentions.
- The Rays' interest in Ryan Theriot, presumably as a backup, has been preliminary to this point, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Mets and Braves are also said to be interested in the infielder's services.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker breaks down the pros and cons of Japanese import Norichika Aoki. Earlier this month, the Brewers won the negotiating rights to the speedy outfielder and have until mid-January to work out a deal. Milwaukee reportedly started negotiations with an offer in the $1-1.5MM range.
- Meanwhile, the Yankees and Hiroyuki Nakajima are said to remain far apart in their talks, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Bombers won the exclusive right to negotiate with the shortstop with a bid around $2MM earlier this month. The deadline to reach a deal is on Tuesday.
- Just as they were at the beginning of 2011, the Marlins will begin 2012 on the prowl for a starter, writes Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com wonders if a new year will mean a new DH for the Orioles. For the time being, it seems like the O's will look for an in-house solution to fill the gap.
Blue Jays Sign Three To Minor League Deals
We'll keep track of today's minor moves right here..
- In a press release, the Blue Jays announced the signings of right-handers Jerry Gil, Robert Coello, and shortstop Brian Bocock to minor league deals. All three players will receive invitations to Major League spring training. Bocock was involved in a minor mid-season swap this year when he was sent from the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate to the Pirates Triple-A squad.
Tigers Willing To Deal Jacob Turner
The Tigers have made it known to other teams that they are willing to trade Jacob Turner in a deal for the right pitcher, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. The Tigers have seemed willing to deal the right-hander in the past but this is the first indication that they are actively advertising Turner's availability.
Turner, 20, had a big fan in A's GM Billy Beane and was discussed as the centerpice for a deal that would have brought Gio Gonzalez to Detroit. Ultimately, Gonzalez was shipped to the Nationals as the Tigers were unwilling to part with prospects Nick Castellanos and Drew Smyly in addition to Turner.
It's hard to say who the "right pitcher" for Detroit might be, but the Tigers are one of the clubs who are in the mix for Cubs right-hander Matt Garza. Last season, Turner spent the bulk of the year with Double-A Erie where he turned in a 3.48 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 17 starts.
Red Sox Notes: Quentin, Madson, Soriano
Here's a look at some Red Sox items courtesy of WEEI.com's Rob Bradford..
- Prior to him being traded to the Padres earlier today, the Red Sox weren't engaged in talks for Carlos Quentin, a major league source tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. One of the major concerns from Boston's perspective, according to the source, was the 29-year-old’s ability to play right field in Fenway Park.
- The Red Sox never got the sense that Ryan Madson's price would drop enough to make him a viable option. Multiple big league execs surmise that Madson’s agent, Scott Boras, is looking for a deal similar to the one he landed for Yankees set-up man Rafael Soriano. Boras managed to get Soriano a three-year, $35MM deal last offseason after the market for closers appeared to have dried up.
- Boston could stand pat and take care of their right field situation with in-house solutions. The newly-acquired Ryan Sweeney could split time Darnell McDonald and converted infielder Mike Aviles could also factor in. Ryan Kalish should be in the mix too upon recovering from shoulder surgery.
Marlins Have Serious Interest In Matt Garza
5:17pm: The Cubs are talking to a number of teams about Garza, but no deal is imminent, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
3:25pm: The Marlins have serious interest in Cubs pitcher Matt Garza, Major League sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Marlins' interest was sparked after they failed to land left-hander Gio Gonzalez from the Athletics.
The two sides are not close to a deal and the Cubs continue to speak to other clubs, including the Tigers, according to sources. The Yankees have also expressed interest in Garza, but the asking price for the 28-year-old is a stumbling block for the Bombers. The Red Sox and Blue Jays are also in on the pitcher but talks have slowed with both teams.
Rosenthal writes that the Tigers might have the upper hand if they are willing to include right-hander Jacob Turner in a deal. Rival executives say the Cubs are desperate for young starting pitching. Meanwhile, the Marlins have more position players to offer.
Marlins' Class-A outfielder Christian Yelich is likely on the Cubs' wish list and was among the players the Athletics were targeting in a possible deal for Gonzalez. Rival clubs say Matt Dominguez, Gaby Sanchez, Chris Coghlan, and Jose Ceda are among the other players Miami is willing to part with.
Quick Hits: Oliver, Cubs, Nationals, Byrd, Aviles
Some Quick Hits for Friday night..
- The Rangers never made a formal offer to Darren Oliver before the reliever agreed to sign with Toronto, writes Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram. The 41-year-old's deal is for one-year with a club option for 2013.
- The Cubs have made a good deal of moves so far this offseason but they've quietly made major changes to their scouting department as well, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. The team hired former Red Sox major league scout Kyle Evans to oversee Chicago's revamped video and advance scouting. President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein also plucked amateur scout Matt Dorey from Boston but subsequently agreed not to hire any other BoSox front office personnel until December 2014.
- Yesterday, ESPN.com's Buster Olney suggested that the Red Sox and Nationals could have interest in Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd. Eric Seidman of Fangraphs believes that Olney was right to link the Nats to the veteran outfielder but argues that the club should be thinking bigger.
- Cuban outfielder Guillermo Aviles is a name to keep in mind down the road, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. Aviles, 19 in January, stands at 6-foot-1 and scouts say he shows a good deal of promise. The left-handed outfielder remains a resident of Cuba and its not known when or if he might look to make the jump to the Majors.