D’Backs Notes: Towers, Tanaka, Garza, Santana
The latest out of Arizona..
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers says that he's been telling free agents he'd rather pay a higher salary on a shorter deal, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Towers says he won't go to five years and probably not even four on a free agent deal. More from the NL West..
- Towers understands that his stance might take him out of the running for some free agent starters, Piecoro tweets. He would go longer to ink Masahiro Tanaka (link), however, as he is the club's No. 1 priority at the moment.
- In addition to talking to Matt Garza, the Diamondbacks met with agents for Ervin Santana, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Of course, signing Santana would cost them first-round pick. Their refusal to go beyond three years for the majority of free agents could also prove to be a road block.
NL East Rumors: Zimmermann, Mets, Blevins, Braves
The Mets made a big splash this afternoon when they inked veteran starter Bartolo Colon to a two-year deal. Here’s the latest out of the NL East..
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter links) asked Nationals GM Mike Rizzo if he’d consider trading Jordan Zimmermann. The Nats have tried to extend Zimmerman twice and, like David Price of the Rays, he has two years of club control remaining. “We’d certainly love to get something done with him. But like any premium guy on your team, if here is something that can’t be done, then you would think about a trade. But that’s the furthest thing from our minds,” Rizzo said.
- Colon’s age and history allowed the Mets to land him at a reasonable price, tweets Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors. In Tim’s view, it’s easy to see him returning $20MM+ of value over the next two years.
- Jerry Blevins found out that he was traded from the Athletics to the Nationals around noon time, according to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson (on Twitter). He was initially shocked because, unlike our readers, he did not pay attention to any of the trade rumors going on.
- The Braves were interested in Roy Halladay before he chose to retire and would like to add a veteran starter on a short-term deal, tweets Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press.
- Mets officials met with Ervin Santana‘s people, but that appears unlikely in the wake of the Colon signing, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- The Phillies didn’t meet with Bronson Arroyo yet and while that doesn’t necessarily preclude a deal, others are more serious about him, tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
AL East Rumors: Santana, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Hardy
A quick look at the AL East..
- GM Ben Cherington says the Red Sox won't pursue Johan Santana, tweets Tim Britton of the Providence Journal.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos says that he's exploring a deal with a "three-team component" that he believes can get done, tweets Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.
- The Orioles have considered a contract extension for shortstop J.J. Hardy, according to Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com (via Twitter).
AL West Notes: Astros, Morse, Rangers, Cruz
A look at the AL West..
- The Mariners' plan for Corey Hart is to see time in the outfield and at DH and he's not necessarily slotted for first base despite his knee troubles, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
- Astros manager Bo Porter is pushing for Michael Morse in Houston, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Morse is said to be willing to do a one-year deal to re-establish his value.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels says that he has had a few conversations with Nelson Cruz's agent and will continue to talk with him, tweets Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com.
- The Angels aren't close to any free agents signings, so if Matt Garza is nearing a deal somewhere, it's not with the Halos, tweets Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.
Raul Ibanez Could Sign With Angels
5:15pm: The Angels are talking with Ibanez but there's no deal yet, tweets Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. GM Jerry Dipoto has said that the Halos aren't closing in on a deal with anyone.
5:01pm: Raul Ibanez appears headed for a deal with the Angels, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It would seem that Ibanez signing with the Halos is a ripple effect of the Corey Hart signing and the Mark Trumbo trade, Stark adds.
Ibanez, 41, has picked up interest from the Yankees, Rockies, Braves, Mariners, and Rangers this offseason. The Bombers didn't see re-signing the veteran as a top priority, however.
The veteran slashed .242/.306/.487 in 496 plate appearances for Seattle last season. Over the course of 18 big league seasons, Ibanez has slashed .276/.338/.471. Ibanez is represented by ACES, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database.
Central Notes: Cubs, Hernandez, Tigers, Hart
The latest out of the AL and NL Central..
- The Cubs are among the teams with interest in Roberto Hernandez, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin says that he'll look for a true first baseman to replace Corey Hart, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter). "I'd like to find a first baseman who can play first. We've had so many guys who haven't played first," said the GM.
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The Brewers topped out around $8MM for Hart, according to Haudricourt (on Twitter).
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Cubs president Theo Epstein says the club has offers out to a free agent starter, a free agent offer, and a trade offer for a hitter, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Theo added that he has other trade talks taking place as well.
- Dombrowski also noted that the Tigers haven't ruled out signing Max Scherzer this offseason, tweets John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.
- After initially being caught off guard by the trade, Adam Eaton says he's confident and ready for a fresh start with the White Sox, writes Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com.
Masahiro Tanaka Is D’Backs Top Priority
Masahiro Tanaka is the Diamondbacks' No. 1 target, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The D'Backs continue to explore trades and free agents as they await the decision on whether Tanaka will be posted.
Arizona has made no secret of their desire to land a frontline starter. Tanaka, who is widely regarded as the top arm on the open market this winter, would certainly fit the bill.
The MLB and NPB are said to be in agreement on a new posting system and it should be ratified by the MLB Executive Council on Monday. MLB fully expects the Golden Eagles ace to be posted.
Tigers Designate Luis Marte For Assignment
Within today's announcement that the club has agreed to terms with Rajai Davis on a two-year pact, the Tigers dislcosed that they have designated pitcher Luis Marte for assignment.
Marte, 27, made 17 combined big league relief appearances for the Tigers in 2011 and 2012. To keep up with all players in DFA limbo, check out MLBTR's DFA Tracker.
Mark Trumbo Trade Reactions/Fallout
With the three-way deal between the Angels, White Sox, and Diamondbacks now completed, here's the latest on what the swap means for all party involved..
- A source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter) that the D'Backs are likely out on Shin-Soo Choo but still discussing him. Their next move will be to land a frontline starting pitcher.
- The Angels save about $4MM with the deal, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
- The D'Backs' acquisition of Mark Trumbo would seem to hurt their chances of trading for a pitcher since they're a lot shorter on trade chips now, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) tips his cap to the Angels for landing two solid rotation pieces in Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs in the three-team deal.
- The Angels save about $3MM in the deal, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (Twitter link).
- With Adam Eaton jointing the White Sox, Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors (on Twitter) notes that Alejandro De Aza could either become a fourth outfielder or a trade candidate.
- A.J. Schugel's dad was a scout for the Angels but left after the season, notes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The right-hander is headed to Arizona in the three-way deal.
- It's a good bet that Howie Kendrick is staying put with the Halos, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (on Twitter).
Rajai Davis Close To Two-Year Deal With Tigers
Rajai Davis is close to signing a two-year deal with the Tigers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. A report from Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith yesterday pegged the Tigers as the frontrunners for Davis, and Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN added that the Twins are also in the mix. Morosi tweets that the Tigers are less likely to sign Shin-Soo Choo if they ink Davis.
Davis, 33, hasn't played in an everyday role for the Blue Jays over the last three seasons, but has seen enough action to rack up nearly 1,200 plate appearances, recording a .252/.299/.369 slash line. The speedster has also added 125 stolen bases over that period.
Since the Jays' season ended, reports on Davis have suggested that he'll likely leave Toronto and that he'll be seeking a starting role. An everyday job seems unlikely given Davis' struggles against right-handed pitching, but he'd make a solid fourth outfielder, a role which should give him the opportunity to earn plenty of at-bats, if his last few years in Toronto have been any indication.