Minor Moves: Ransom
We'll keep track of tonight's minor moves right here..
- The Diamondbacks re-signed veteran Cody Ransom to a minor league deal, writes Tom Singer of MLB.com. In 101 games with Triple-A Reno last season, Ransom hit .317/.405/.629 with 27 homers. The 35-year-old also had 33 at-bats with Arizona's varsity squad.
Quick Hits: Pujols, Lee, Davis, Buehrle
On this day in 2008, the Rays traded Edwin Jackson to the Tigers for Matthew Joyce. In his first full season for Tampa Bay in 2011, Joyce hit .277/.347/.478 with 19 homers and received his first All-Star nomination. Here are some links for Saturday afternoon..
- The personal services clause in Albert Pujols' contract ties him to the Angels for ten years beyond his playing contract, tweets Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. In total, Pujols and the Angels are set to be in business together for 20 years.
- The Angels were the only team to call the Cardinals about a possible trade for Pujols in recent years, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The talks never advanced, however, as the Cards wouldn't consider trading him (via Twitter).
- There's no evidence of any interest in Carlos Lee yet, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Heyman suggests that the 35-year-old might need Prince Fielder to come off the board first before the Astros can trade him. Last year, Lee hit .275/.342/.446 with 18 homers for the Astros. The Indians have reportedly considered the veteran but are wary of his price tag.
- The Athletics’ haul for right-hander Trevor Cahill should be a pretty good indication of what the Rays might expect for righty Wade Davis, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Clubs might not view Davis as highly, but his contract might make him even more appealing to teams such as the Reds and Marlins.
- According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Nationals’ final offer to Mark Buehrle was $39MM over three years, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Ultimately, the right-hander signed with the Marlins for $58MM over four years. Ultimately, the Nats' offer was $19MM less in overall guaranteed money and $1.5MM less in average annual value.
Dodgers Interested In Daniel Murphy
During the Winter Meetings, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti alluded to a near-trade for a position player that fell through. That player was Daniel Murphy of the Mets and they might make another run at him, a source tells Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Colletti addressed the near-trade during the meetings without naming Murphy or the Mets specifically. The GM said he thought the trade might happen until the other club satisfied its need elsewhere. That apparently was a reference to the Mets trading for Giants outfielder Andres Torres.
Murphy, 26, has been plauged by injuries in recent years. The left-handed hitter missed the entire 2010 season with a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee. In 2011, Murphy hit .320/.362/.448 in 109 games before suffering a torn MCL in his left knee.
Cardinals, Furcal Agree To Two-Year Deal
The Cardinals and Rafael Furcal have reached agreement on two-year deal, pending a physical, a source tells Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Furcal's two-year deal will likely come in around $14MM, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
Furcal, 34, hit .255/.316/.418 with seven homers in 217 plate appearances after being traded to St. Louis at the deadline last year. He was said to be seeking a multi-year contract last month. Furcal recently underwent an appendectomy but is expected to be ready for the start of Spring Training.
The signing shrinks the market for Jimmy Rollins even further and could signal his return to the Phillies. The Cardinals were known to have interest in the shortstop and had more money to spend after the departure of Albert Pujols. However, the club wasn't willing to give Rollins the five-year deal that he seeks.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) first reported that the two sides were making progress towards a new deal while Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweeted that a deal was close.
Marlins Sign Jose Reyes
Anyone still wondering if the Miami Marlins are serious about making a splash this offseason? The Marlins officially signed star shortstop Jose Reyes to a six-year, $106MM deal today. Reyes will receive a heavily backloaded $102MM over six guaranteed years, and has a $4MM buyout on a seventh year option worth $22MM. The backloaded nature of the deal could serve as a no-trade clause, something the deal does not include. Reyes is represented by Peter E. Greenberg & Associates.
As a free agent shortstop in his prime, Reyes was a rarity. The 28-year-old had one of the finest seasons of his nine-year Mets career in 2011, winning his first batting title and posting the fourth season in which he was worth about six wins above replacement. Mets owner Fred Wilpon famously told a reporter in April that Reyes wouldn't get Carl Crawford money, and while Reyes fell one year and $36MM short of that benchmark, he did join Crawford as just baseball's second $100MM player without a 20 home run season on his resume. Reyes' contract was depressed by his injury history, as he hasn't played 135 games in a season since '08. I still like the deal for the Marlins, as Reyes doesn't have to be amazing or play 162 games a year to be worth $17.67MM annually.
The signing means that the Marlins will ask Hanley Ramirez to move to third base, an idea that may not thrill him.
The Mets were willing to offer Reyes a five-year deal for $75-85MM with a sixth year option, but felt that they could not push their offer any further, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). At today's press conference, Reyes suggested the Mets never made an offer. GM Sandy Alderson made the decision not to trade Reyes this summer partly because he hoped to re-sign the team's longtime shortstop. The new collective bargaining agreement did not affect Reyes' status as a Type A free agent, and the Mets will receive the Marlins' third-round pick as well as a supplemental pick in the 2012 draft for their loss (unless the Marlins sign C.J. Wilson or Albert Pujols, among others). It appears that although the Marlins did not give their second-round pick to the Padres for Heath Bell, Bell's higher Elias ranking still pushes the Mets' pick to the third round. In addition to the Mets, the Brewers were expected to be in on the 28-year-old and had planned to meet with his agents this week.
Armed with deeper pockets and the appeal of a brand new ballpark, the Marlins have been aggressive in their courtship of top free agents this winter. They signed closer Heath Bell a few days ago, have an offer out to C.J. Wilson, and remain in the mix for Mark Buehrle and even Albert Pujols.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports broke news of the agreement and the absence of a no-trade clause, ESPN's Jayson Stark added contract deals, Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com first reported the length of the offer, and other details were also provided by Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated and Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Tim Dierkes contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
C.J. Wilson Holds Offers From Four Clubs
11:25pm: Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) is getting the sense that the Angels' offer to Wilson won't top the five-year, $85MM deal that Jered Weaver got. Mark Buehrle and Hiroki Kuroda could be attractive alternatives for the Halos.
9:26pm: Wilson has offers from the Angels, Marlins, and two other clubs, sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com (via Twitter).
8:30pm: Marlins still have an offer out to Wilson, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.
7:42pm: Pitcher C.J. Wilson is not a top target for the Nationals, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson. One person told Ladson that the left-hander isn't really on the club's radar screen.
5:41pm: Wilson's suitors include the Nationals, Marlins, Rangers, Angels, and Red Sox as the meetings commence, sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
10:53am: Others teams are viewing the Nationals as the early favorite to land C.J. Wilson, according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter). The Nationals, along with the Marlins and Blue Jays, are seen as probable big spenders at the meetings.
Furthermore, Heyman tweets that he sees Wilson leaving Texas unless the left-hander is willing to cut his $120MM asking price in half as the club seems comfortable with filling out its rotation from within. Yesterday, Heyman reported that the Rangers haven't been making any progress with Wilson.
Mets Notes: Wright, Reyes, Finances
Tonight, the Marlins reached agreement with Jose Reyes on a six-year, $106MM deal. Shortly before that news broke, Mets GM Sandy Alderson spoke to the press and confirmed what was widely assumed: the Mets would not be able to compete with such a deal. Here's more on the Mets..
- The Mets didn't get a final courtesy call before Reyes agreed to the deal with Miami, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Alderson said that the Mets will not trade David Wright, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Roughly three weeks ago, Alderson said that he would have to be blown away by an offer in order to move the third baseman.
- Alderson remarked that the team lost $70MM, not counting any money they may have lost in the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme, Rubin writes. The GM declined to say if that figure was just for the 2011 season or for a longer period of time.
- Alderson also stressed that he doesn't have a hard-and-fast rule for deals that are for five years or more.
Latest On Albert Pujols
Here's the latest on Albert Pujols, with the most recent news up top..
- Though they just committed $106MM to Jose Reyes, the Marlins plan to meet with Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, Monday or Tuesday at the winter meetings, sources tell Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. One source said the club plans to make a major push to sign Pujols over the next two days. Lozano is also tentatively scheduled to meet with the Cardinals about Pujols on Monday, according to sources.
- Other teams believe that the Cubs will try for Albert Pujols by offering him a deal shorter in length than the Cardinals' offer but with a higher average payout per year, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. It was recently reported that Chicago planned to pursue both Pujols and Prince Fielder this offseason.
Central Notes: Royals, Tigers, White Sox, Garza
Here's a look at some items concerning the AL and NL Central..
- Several Royals officials have told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter) that any major roster upgrades will come through trades rather than the free agent market.
- There's nothing serious between the Tigers and Aramis Ramirez at the moment, a source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com (via Twitter).
- In a deal for John Danks, the White Sox told the Yankees that they want Manny Banuelos and Jesus Montero from the Yankees, tweets Jon Heyman of SI. Heyman writes that the Sox are obviously not serious about dealing Danks just yet.
- The Tigers looking harder at the market for No. 5 starters than had been anticipated when the offseason began, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The club is after a reliever as well.
- The Cubs told at least one team that it would take an overwhelming offer to even consider trading Matt Garza, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.
- The Brewers are interested in hearing what it'll take to sign Jimmy Rollins, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- There's lots of skepticism over Albert Pujols' claim that he is 31 years old, tweets Jon Heyman of SI. Heyman writes that the slugger may not be able to top the Cardinals' nine-year, $200MM offer if he cannot produce a birth certificate.
- Jim Riggleman will accept the Reds' offer to manage their Double-A affiliate, writes Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post. Earlier today, Heyman reported that Riggleman was offered the position and was likely to accept.
Reds Notes: Riggleman, Phillips, Cordero, Bell
Here's a look at some Reds news..
- The Reds have made an offer to Jim Riggleman to manage their Double-A affiliate in Pensacola and he's likely to accept, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman.
- It sounds like the Brandon Phillips extension will get done, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. General Manager Walt Jocketty says that it’s a “complicated contract,” which will take time to be ironed out. That leads Fay to believe that the deal likely involves deferred money.
- More from Fay, as he has the impression that the Reds hold little hope of re-signing Francisco Cordero. Fay writes that the Reds might be able to get Cordero back at one-year deal in the $7MM range but would rather see the club turn to an in-house solution instead.
- Fay also writes that David Bell’s promotion to Triple-A manager could be a prelude of things to come. The former major league third baseman is probably the top candidate to replace Dusty Baker if the club decides to go in a different direction.
- Heyman (via Twitter) also hears that the Phillips extension talks are going well with the Reds, but doesn't know if the two sides are close to a deal. Phillips, who is set to make $12MM in 2012, tweeted on Tuesday that talks are moving in the right direction.
- The Reds have talked to Jim Riggleman about a possible job in their organization, Heyman tweets.