AL East Notes: Rays, Price, Orioles, Red Sox
The latest out of the AL East..
- One GM theorized to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter links) that the Dodgers are in a favorable position to land Rays ace David Price. He believes that the Mariners won't give up Taijuan Walker and the D'Backs will say no to including Archie Bradley in a deal. L.A. can't offer a prospect as good as those two, but they can offer some combination of Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, and pitching. Based on yesterday's comments, Rangers GM Jon Daniels doesn't sound as though he's going to make a big play for Price.
- Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette remarked yesterday that he expected Rajai Davis to sign a deal "within the next day or two," leaving some to wonder if the O's are among the teams in the mix for his services. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com looked into it, however, and found that Baltimore isn't in on him. The Twins and Tigers are interested, however, with one report calling Detroit the "frontrunners" for him.
- Red Sox skipper John Farrell doesn't sound too upset about seeing Robinson Cano go to Seattle, writes Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger. "He’s a guy that keeps you up at night trying to find ways to attack him." Farrell said. "But I’m glad he’s out of the East."
Winter Meetings Review: Day 1
With one full day of the WInter Meetings in the books, let's get caught up on everything that went down..
Transactions:
- Roy Halladay is retiring from baseball.
- The Marlins inked Garrett Jones to a two-year, $7.75MM deal.
- The White Sox signed right-hander Felipe Paulino.
- The Indians signed David Cooper to a big league deal.
- The Mets made their signing of Curtis Granderson official.
- Mark Prior officially retired and he may join the Padres' front office.
- The Marlins officially announced the signing of catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
- The Astros released Eric Thames so that he can pursue an opportunity in Korea.
Rumors:
- The Marlins are telling teams they will trade Logan Morrison shortly. A number of clubs have been connected to the 26-year-old.
- The Yankees and Braves are among the teams that have shown interest in Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija. One report indicates that it's unlikely that he'll end up in Atlanta, however.
- A possible deal between the Blue Jays and Rangers hit a snag.
- The Mariners, Rangers, and Dodgers are the three most serious suitors for Rays ace David Price at this time. The M's believe that they could land Price if they were willing to include Taijuan Walker, but they're not willing to part with him at this time.
- The Mets are exploring trades involving Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy.
- The Twins are making a push for Bronson Arroyo. The Pirates also scheduled a meeting with Arroyo's agent.
- Chances of a Mark Trumbo trade are increasing and a dozen teams are in on the Angels slugger.
- The Nationals are eyeing J.P. Howell and Scott Downs.
- The Twins are in on Rajai Davis but the Orioles are out. He's nearing a deal with someone, but we don't know who just yet.
- If Masahiro Tanaka wants to make the jump to MLB, the Rakuten Golden Eagles may simply honor his wishes.
- The Indians are open to fielding Justin Masterson trade pitches.
- The Mets have kicked the tires on Chris Perez.
- The Orioles checked in on the availability of Ethier and fellow Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, but there were issues with the amount of salary that the Dodgers were willing to absorb.
- Shin-Soo Choo talks are reaching a critical stage with the Rangers and D'Backs among the clubs in the mix.
- The Pirates approached the Jays about Adam Lind, but talks quickly fizzled when Toronto countered by asking about Neil Walker.
- Astros starter Lucas Harrell is drawing some trade interest.
- The Red Sox feel like they have a good chance of retaining Stephen Drew since his market hasn't developed as he might have hoped.
- The Padres have interest in Scott Downs, among other southpaw relievers.
- Jamey Wright is choosing between the Rays and Dodgers.
- The Phillies are actively shopping Domonic Brown.
- The Orioles aren't expected to go after a high-priced starter.
- The Mets have had internal discussions regarding Cesar Izturis and plan to meet with his agent in the coming days. They're also unlikely to sign Bartolo Colon or Bronson Arroyo.
- The Orioles met with Nelson Cruz, who is also a possible fit for the Mariners and Rangers. The Rangers are comfortable with having Cruz back on a two-year deal, he wants three.
- The Tigers are talking to free agents but GM Dave Dombrowski says they aren't in on the "big, big ones:.
- The Nationals may or may not be shopping Danny Espinosa, depending on who you ask.
- The Giants like Brett Gardner of the Yankees but a deal doesn't seem likely.
- The Indians, who are in the market for a closer, have spoken to Grant Balfour.
- The Cubs are looking to the trade market in their search for relievers and have eyed both Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen of the Nationals.
- The Indians and Orioles have interest in Jason Hammel. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes learned that a dozen teams are in the mix.
- The Brewers are making Corey Hart a priority.
- The Rangers are still open to dealing Elvis Andrus even after trading Ian Kinsler, but it's a longshot.
- The White Sox are looking to move a starter.
- The Orioles are one of many teams with some interest in Johan Santana.
- Matt Kemp probably won't be headed to the Red Sox, the Dodgers remain in discussions with four teams on trade possibilities involving him or Andre Ethier,
- The Rockies want a reliever and they've shifted their focus from the free agent market to the trade market.
Overnight Links: Braves, Uribe, Red Sox, Nationals
As we gear up for Day Two of the Winter Meetings, let's take a look at the latest from around baseball..
- There are mixed opinions in the Mariners' front office when it comes to Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Mariners have been heavily linked to the 29-year-old who boasts great talent but also comes with injury concerns.
- Braves GM Frank Wren doesn't expect to make a blockbuster trade or a massive signing, writes David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “But in the case of our club, I don’t see necessarily a frontline move," Wren said. "I see more support moves, where you’re adding a bat that can give you power off the bench, or adding to our bullpen, or adding to the depth of our rotation. I see more of those kind of moves than a big frontline move.”
- MLB.com's Scott Merkin (on Twitter) hasn't heard much regarding a rumor that the White Sox are in the process of trying to bring third baseman Juan Uribe back to Chicago.
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington was noncommittal when asked about the possibility of the team going into luxury tax territory, suggesting that to even consider that option, the club would need to have a "really compelling reason." Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com has the details.
- A lot of teams have asked the Nationals about set-up men Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen, a baseball source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com. As of right now, however, talks have not heated up. Yesterday we heard that the Cubs have interest in the duo.
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post that his club has the prospects to get any player that is available (Twitter link).
- Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that the Giants aren't a fit as trade partners for teams looking to deal an outfielder in exchange for Major League ready talent.
Luke Adams and Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Nationals Notes: Left-Handed Relievers, Buck
After acquiring starter Doug Fister via trade and signing Nate McLouth for outfield depth, the Nationals figure to turn to the next two items on their list of possible additions: left-handed reliever and backup catcher. Here are a few notes on the club's most recent efforts in those areas:
- The Nationals are in contract talks with southpaw Eric O'Flaherty, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Discussions between Washington and O'Flaherty's representatives at MVP Sports Group appear to have gained steam since Kilgore reported on Thursday that the sides had maintained an ongoing dialogue.
- J.P. Howell stood atop of the club's list of left-handed targets at the start of the offseason, tweets Kilgore, but he and the team have "differed" on contract length. Boone Logan and Scott Downs are also among the top available guys on the Nats' wish list, Kilgore notes.
- A baseball source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com that the Nationals have interest in John Buck as a backup catcher. The Nationals hope to add a catcher that can log significant innings in the event of an injury to starter Wilson Ramos, says Ladson, and Buck would fit the bill. The 33-year-old has also recently been linked with the Twins. Buck played in 110 games last year for the Mets and Pirates, posting a combined .219/.285/.362 line in 431 plate appearances.
Jeff Todd contributed to this post.
Orioles Rumors: Ibanez, Ethier, Kemp, Roberts
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed to Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (on Twitter) that he has interest in Raul Ibanez and Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier, but says that he won't be in the mix for Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka or Kendrys Morales. The O's will be out looking for a left-handed hitting left fielder or DH as well as pitching (link). Here's more out of Baltimore..
- The Orioles checked on the availability of Ethier and fellow Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, but there were issues with the amount of salary that the Dodgers were willing to absorb, an industry source told Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.
- While he didn't shut the door on re-signing second baseman Brian Roberts, Duquette told reporters, including Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun, he is pleased with his options at the position, especially Ryan Flaherty.
- The O's will announce their signing of Ryan Webb today, but they're still in the hunt for a closer, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Webb agreed to a two-year, $4.5MM deal with Baltimore last week.
Reds Notes: Phillips, Choo, Chapman, Bailey
The latest on the Reds..
- At a fan event today, Reds GM Walt Jocketty said that he felt the rumor about Brandon Phillips being availble via trade and of interest to the Yankees was a ploy to put pressure on Robinson Cano, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com (on Twitter). "It didn't work," the GM said.
- Jocketty also admitted that it would be "very difficult" to re-sign Shin-Soo Choo with the dollar figures that are being floated around, Sheldon tweets. Choo now stands as the top available free agent on Tim Dierkes' Top 50 list for the offseason.
- Prospect Billy Hamilton is Choo's likely replacement, Sheldon writes in an MLB.com article. While Choo's 116 walks will be difficult to replace, Hamilton should bring more speed to the top of the Reds' lineup, as he stole 88 bases between Triple-A and the majors in 2013.
- The Reds have toyed with the idea of moving Aroldis Chapman into the starting rotation and some felt that he might be persuaded to make the move this winter, but he now says that he's not interested in a move, writes C. Trent Rosencrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I’m tired of every year the same thing about me either starting or closing,” Chapman said. “What I have in mind is closing games and that’s it.”
- An AL evaluator tells Andy McCullough of The Star-Ledger (Twitter link) that the Reds should consider dealing Homer Bailey to the Yankees for Brett Gardner and a lower-level prospect. Both players will become free agents following the 2014 season.
Aaron Steen contributed to this post.
NL West Notes: Dodgers, Kemp, D’Backs, Uribe
Matt Kemp's agent, Dave Stewart, has never attended the Winter Meetings, but he will this winter as he has a "strong feeling" that his client could get moved, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. "This is the first time we've experienced this," Stewart said. "This is the first time we've heard it this much, and the first time we really believe something could happen." The Dodgers, of course, have a surplus of outfielders and Kemp is drawing interest from mutliple clubs. More from the NL West..
- The Diamondbacks still want a corner outfielder after missing out on Carlos Beltran and have their sights set on the Angels' Mark Trumbo, among others, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). The D'Backs have plenty of pitching depth to get a power outfield bat with the likes of Tyler Skaggs, Trevor Cahill, Brandon McCarthy, and Wade Miley (link).
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says he has made a few different offers to free agent third baseman Juan Uribe but hasn't had much dialogue lately because they're waiting for his answer, tweets Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- Meanwhile, Colletti says that he won't "sell off an outfielder" just for the sake of doing it, especially with the list of free agent outfielders over the next couple of winters being a little underwhelming, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
- Free agent outfielder Michael Morse is still on the Giants' radar, but the club believes its best route to landing a left fielder is via trade, tweets Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. While GM Brian Sabean is actively trying to lower expectations for a trade to take place, Schulman hears he has been active on the phones (link). Even though Sabean isn't the type to make a trade just for the heck of it, Schulman wouldn't be surprised to see a deal take place at the meetings (link).
NL East Rumors: Marlins, Morrison, Rodriguez
Marlins first baseman Logan Morrison is drawing serious interest from clubs around baseball and a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter) that roughly ten teams have checked in. Miami is reportedly willing to listen and the Red Sox and Braves are among the clubs that have called. Here's more out of the NL East..
- The Marlins are fans of Rays third baseman Sean Rodriguez and have discussed him internally, a league source tells Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Frisaro wonders aloud if Morrison for Rodriguez and a pitcher could be enough to get a deal done. Miami may be looking for a stop gap solution at third base until Colin Moran, the sixth overall pick in last year's draft, is ready, which could be in 2015.
- Braves GM Frank Wren says he has had plenty of talks with agents and teams so far this winter, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "[We're] putting ourselves in position to add pieces we feel like would help us best," the GM said.
- Wren added that he's targeting starting pitching, bullpen help, and some bench upgrades, but wont' look past anything that can help the team, O'Brien tweets.
- The Braves might be willing to trade some prospects in right deal, but not their premium prospects such as Lucas Sims and Jason Hursh, O'Brien tweets.
- Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News wonders if there's a realistic chance of the Phillies trading Jonathan Papelbon.
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Frisaro runs down multiple reasons why the Marlins are likely to trade Morrison.
Yankees Agree To Sign Jacoby Ellsbury
SATURDAY, 4:17pm: The Yankees confirmed the signing via press release. The seven-year contract takes the outfielder through 2020 with a club option for 2021.
WEDNESDAY: Ellsbury is guaranteed $148MM over the first seven years of the contract, and there is a $21MM option for an eighth year that comes with a $5MM buyout, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that an option year has not yet been agreed upon.
TUESDAY, 11:45pm: Ellsbury's deal includes a no-trade clause, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
8:00pm: The deal includes an eighth-year option that could boost the total value to $169MM, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (on Twitter).
7:41pm: Ellsbury's deal is worth $153MM over seven years, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). That tops Carl Crawford's deal by $11MM.
MLBTR's Tim Dierkes predicted that Ellsbury would get a seven-year, $150MM deal in his free agent profile earlier this offseason.
7:31pm: The Yankees have agreed to sign Jacoby Ellsbury, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported that the two sides were closing in on a seven-year pact. It is believed the deal will top Carl Crawford's $142MM, seven-year deal with one estimate pegging the deal at about $150MM, according to Heyman.
The Yankees have been in simultaneous talks with Shin-Soo Choo, Carlos Beltran, and many other top free agents, including their own Robinson Cano. Things have stalled somewhat with Cano, however, as the Yanks don't want to go far beyond $170MM over seven years and Cano's team looking for about $260MM. Heyman spoke with sources who didn't rule out the Yankees continuing their purusit of Choo or Beltran, but it would seem unlikely at this point. One source told Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) that a deal with Ellsbury or another top outfielder won't preclude the Yanks from re-signing their star second baseman.
ESPN's Jayson Stark reported on Monday that talks were moving faster than expected for the Scott Boras client. Boras is notorious for waiting out the market to find the right deal as he did with Prince Fielder (signed in late January) and Michael Bourn (February).
Ellsbury offers more pop than the typical center fielder, with a career slugging percentage of .439 and isolated power of .141. While his power is more of the doubles and triples variety, which is aided by his speed, he did hit 32 home runs in his stellar 2011 campaign. In that year, Ellsbury led all of baseball with 9.1 wins above replacement, finished second in the AL MVP voting, won a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove, and made the All-Star team. However, the left-handed batter wasn't much of a threat against southpaws this year, posting a .246/.323/.318 line in 237 plate appearances.
The 30-year-old has also consistently posted above average UZR and DRS numbers in center field. While he has come back to earth somewhat since '11, he checked in with 5.8 wins above replacement in 2013, which is second only to Robinson Cano among free agents.
Of course, much of Ellsbury's game is predicated on speed. Now, the Yankees have to hope that Ellsbury can stay fleet-footed for some time and will be able to adjust when his motor eventually wears down.
The Yankees have been vocal about their desire to get under the $189MM luxury tax threshold this winter, but it remains to be seen where they'll stand after the Ellsbury deal and Brian McCann's five-year, $85MM pact. Now more than ever, one has to imagine that the Yankees are rooting for MLB's side in the Alex Rodriguez saga.
The market for Ellsbury has been somewhat cloudy, but the Mariners and Giants were both believed to have interest.
Yankees people envision Ellsbury in center with Brett Gardner moving to left, Heyman writes. The 30-year-old was ranked No. 2 on Tim Dierkes' Top 50 Free Agent Power Rankings. With Ellsbury and McCann in the fold, the Yankees have now forfeited their first and second round picks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor Moves: Wily Mo Pena, Corky Miller
Today's minor moves..
- Former MLB slugger Wily Mo Pena has signed in Japan with the Orix Buffaloes of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. The 31-year-old drew interest from Japan and in the states before agreeing to the $1.5MM pact. Pena spent parts of eight seasons playing for the Reds, Nationals, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, and Seattle Mariners before signing a two-year, $5MM contract with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks following the 2011 season.
- The Reds Triple-A affiliate announced that they have re-signed catcher Corky Miller. Miller saw 17 games of action for Cincinnati last season but spent the bulk of the year in Louisville where he slashed .200/.295/.333 in 157 PAs.