Outfield Rumors: Giants, Cespedes, Ozuna, Royals, D-Backs, Angels
The Giants are monitoring the market for outfielders, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. San Francisco is prioritizing Jason Heyward, Alex Gordon and Dexter Fowler over Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes for defensive reasons, Morosi adds. That rationale is a bit odd, considering the fact that Cespedes is generally regarded as a stellar defender in left field. Heyward and Fowler, of course, are better fits to see occasional or even regular time in center field than Cespedes would be. But, with Angel Pagan under contract for 2016 and Hunter Pence entrenched in right field, left field would seem to be an area of need.
Here are a few more notes on the outfield market…
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Giants, Angels, Tigers and Royals have been the most interested clubs in Cespedes’ market thus far in the offseason. However, Sherman adds that the Royals quickly came to realize that Cespedes is going to be beyond four years. It should be noted, of course, that Detroit general manager Al Avila said yesterday that his team is not in the mix for either Cespedes or Gordon. (Though that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some earlier talk between the two sides, and, as Sherman notes, the Tigers could circle back if Cespedes’ market doesn’t pick up.)
- Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna has drawn trade interest from “at least seven to 10 teams,” Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. Spencer adds that an eventual trade of Ozuna seems to be likely.
- Royals GM Dayton Moore told reporters today that the club feels Jarrod Dyson will likely get a chance to hold down a regular job in the corner outfield, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan tweets. Filling one corner outfield spot from within would obviously reduce the team’s needs and potentially increase the team’s flexibility to spend on another outfielder.
- Diamondbacks outfield prospect Socrates Brito is “getting some play” at the Winter Meetings, Jack Magruder of FanRag Sports tweets. The 23-year-old reached the majors last year, slashing .303/.324/.455 in just 34 plate appearances, and has shown an intriguing power/speed combo in the minors.
- Angels GM Billy Eppler has spoken to the agents for all of the major free-agent outfielders — including Heyward, Cespedes and Upton — according to Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times (Twitter link). However, DiGiovanna cautions that we shouldn’t expect the Halos to set the market by being the first to agree to a major deal for an outfielder.
- Via, MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli (Twitter link), Orioles GM Dan Duquette said that his club has been “aggressive” in its efforts to add a left-handed hitting corner outfielder.
- The Twins had interest in Rajai Davis two offseasons ago when he signed with the Tigers, and they have some interest again this winter, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link). However, their interest is somewhat limited, he notes, as a fourth outfield type isn’t a high priority for the team right now. Davis is said to be in talks with the Indians.
Infield Notes: Zobrist, Davis, Lind, Moreland, Walker, Angels, Flowers, Reynolds, Matsuda
The Mets are “pretty optimistic” of landing free agent infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. New York expects a decision today or tomorrow, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (Twitter links). While the team has yet to formally offer a fourth year, says Sherman, it would work out a fourth year if Zobrist indicates he’d like to join the club.
Here are some more updates on the market for infielders:
- The Orioles are meeting today with agent Scott Boras regarding free agent first baseman Chris Davis, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports on Twitter. As Kubatko notes, Boras also represents Pedro Alvarez, who could theoretically also represent an option for Baltimore — at least if the team misses on Davis.
- Brewers first baseman Adam Lind appears to have a broad potential market, with Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweeting that at least 12 clubs have “checked in” on him.
- One such team is the Orioles, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter), who says that Baltimore has inquired on both Lind and Mitch Moreland of the Rangers. But the O’s don’t appear to “match up” with Milwaukee on Lind, Haudricourt adds via Twitter.
- There’s no realistic possibility of an extension between Neil Walker and the Pirates, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. GM Neal Huntington says that he feels the team has sufficient internal options — and acquisition possibilities — to “back-fill if Walker is dealt.
- The Pirates‘ talks with the Rangers on Moreland have “cooled” but are still alive, Biertempfel further reports.
- Though there’s continuing interest, the Angels don’t appear likely to land Howie Kendrick in free agency, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. The veteran second baseman is probably going to be too expensive given the team’s other needs, per Fletcher.
- The Angels could look to the Diamondbacks‘ stockpile of young infielders to fill one of the club’s potential openings, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times suggests. Los Angeles could offer starting pitching in return.
- Free agent backstop Tyler Flowers is reportedly deciding between the Yankees, Braves, and Rays, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (Twitter links). He’d potentially serve as Brian McCann‘s backup in New York, says Hoch. That could, in theory at least, make fellow backstops Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine available to utilize in a trade. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported on the Braves interest this morning via Twitter, saying that the club is considering Flowers in an effort to avoid over-exposing free agent addition A.J. Pierzynski. If Flowers goes to Atlanta, it would immediately raise yet more questions about the future of young receiver Christian Bethancourt.
- Free agent slugger Mark Reynolds is drawing interest from the Rockies, Cardinals, Giants, and Pirates, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
- Among the teams with interest in Japanese third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda are the White Sox and Padres, Heyman adds on Twitter.
Pen Notes: O’Day, Cishek, Thornton, Cotts, Miller, Astros, Rockies, A’s, Tigers
Orioles executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette said today that his club is hoping to tie up an agreement with top free agent reliever Darren O’Day in short order, as Rich Dubroff of CSNmidatlantic.com tweets. “We’re continuing to work on that Darren O’Day project,” said Duquette. “We’re going to try to bring that to a head here in the next couple of days.”
Here’s more on an active market for relievers:
- About a dozen teams have “checked in” on free agent righty Steve Cishek, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets. Non-tendered southpaw Cesar Ramos is also drawing wide interest he notes. But the Twins haven’t looked into either of those options. The club is set to meet with the representatives of Fernando Rodney and has some interest in lefty Tony Sipp as well.
- 39-year-old lefty Matt Thornton has drawn interest from six clubs, including the Twins, according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter links). Thornton still brings a big fastball, and agent Adam Hubble says his client still hopes to pitch for another three or four seasons despite his advanced age.
- As has previously been reported, and Twins GM Terry Ryan confirmed today, Minnesota has interest in a reunion with lefty Neal Cotts, Berardino tweets. “We still have interest,” said Ryan.
- The Astros “have remained interested” in Yankees closer Andrew Miller, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports on Twitter. It remains far from clear, of course, whether any team will be willing to offer enough to get New York to part with the outstanding lefty, though Houston certainly has the young starting pitching coveted by the Yanks.
- As has seemed apparent all along, the Astros are continuing to cast a wide net after apparently missing on Aroldis Chapman. Per Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter), Houston is “looking” not only at Miller but also Mark Melancon of the Pirates. And Drew Storen of the Nationals might feature as a “fallback option,” he adds.
- While the prognosis seems promising, it’s worth noting also that Astros set-up man Pat Neshek just underwent foot surgery, as Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports. Neshek was forced to pitch through the injury last year
- While internal options like Scott Oberg and Jairo Diaz will be considered, the Rockies also intend to check the market for a closer, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports on Twitter. Colorado recently non-tendered John Axford, who held down the 9th after Adam Ottavino was lost to Tommy John surgery.
- The Athletics took a shot at signing righty Mark Lowe before he landed in Detroit, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Oakland has already done quite a bit of work in the bullpen, but it seems that the club could still be eyeing further additions.
- The Tigers are now moving down the line to address the team’s need for a left-handed reliever, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports. After already making several pitching additions, Detroit could consider free agents such as Antonio Bastardo, Tony Sipp, and Craig Breslow, says Fenech, though it remains unclear whether the club has specific interest in any of those particular players.
- While the Mets were involved in talks for Chapman over the summer, assistant GM John Ricco said today that the team hasn’t pursued him over the winter, as Tim Rohan of the New York Times reports on Twitter.
- Former Royals minor league lefty Buddy Baumann appears to be quite a hot commodity among minor league free agents, per Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Despite never having thrown an MLB inning, Baumann has already drawn five big league offers this winter. The 27-year-old worked to a 3.04 ERA in 77 frames at Triple-A last year, spending most of his time in the pen, with 9.8 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9.
NL Central Notes: Castro, Montero, Kazmir, Walker, Lucroy
With the Cubs contending and enjoying skyrocketing revenues, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times wonders why these added resources haven’t translated to extra payroll for the baseball operations department. It’s possible payroll won’t truly rise to the level of other big-market teams until the Cubs renegotiate their next TV contract, which is due to expire in four years. With revenues booming, Wittenmyer reports that president of business operations Crane Kenney has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the organization through at least the 2020 season. Here’s some more from around the NL Central…
- Starlin Castro was told after the season that he wouldn’t be traded, Wittenmyer reports, as the Cubs believe him to be a major building block for their 2016 roster. Castro’s name has swirled in trade rumors for the last two years, most recently in discussions with the Yankees for Brett Gardner just a few weeks ago. If the Cubs indeed do plan to keep Castro (barring an unexpectedly great offer, of course), that would seem to make Jorge Soler the team’s top trade chip among position players.
- Miguel Montero could also be a trade candidate, as Wittenmyer hears from a source that the team is now considering the possibility of moving the catcher to free payroll space. Moving the $28MM remaining on Montero’s deal through 2017 could save enough money for the team to make a big-ticket splurge on the likes of a Jason Heyward. The issue with dealing Montero is that it leaves the Cubs very thin at catcher, as the slugging Kyle Schwarber is still very much a work in progress behind the plate.
- While the Pirates have been interested in Scott Kazmir in the past, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link) believes the rising costs of free agent pitching will put the lefty out of the Bucs’ price range.
- In another tweet from Biertempfel, he hears that the Mets and Orioles “still have at least lukewarm interest” in Neil Walker. Pittsburgh and Baltimore have discussed Walker “off and on” during the winter, while New York is a new player in connection with Walker’s services. The Mets are likely to have a hole at second base with Daniel Murphy‘s departure, though Walker’s MLBTR-projected $10.7MM salary in arbitration may be as much of an issue for the budget-conscious Mets as it is for the Pirates.
- The Rangers have shown interest in Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The Brewers are receiving “plenty of action” on Lucroy from several teams but it would take a huge offer to entice Milwaukee to part with the former All-Star.
- From that same piece, Haudricourt opines that it would make sense for the Brewers to trade Jean Segura sooner rather than later. Dealing Segura would open the door for prospect Oswaldo Arcia at the shortstop, and the Crew could use Jonathan Villar and Yadiel Rivera at short until Arcia was ready for the majors. That said, Haudricourt feels Adam Lind is the far more likely Brewer to be dealt during the Winter Meetings.
Duquette On Davis, Matusz, Walker
Orioles executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette spoke to the media (including Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun and MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko) on the eve of the Winter Meetings, and here are some of the highlights…
- Duquette didn’t have much of an update on the Orioles’ talks with Chris Davis, only to say that the team is still involved since “I don’t know what the other teams’ market is for him.” As Kubatko put it, there are several baseball people at the Winter Meetings “wondering if the Orioles are the frontrunners by default.” Baltimore has been the only team clearly linked to Davis thus far, though the Cardinals and Red Sox have both been rumored to have at least some interest.
- The Orioles’ shopping list includes an outfielder and Duquette said the team would prefer to add a left-handed hitter to help balance the lineup. As expected, Duquette didn’t comment on specific free agents, such as when he was asked about Baltimore’s rumored interest in Alex Gordon. “He’s a free agent, right? He’s a left-handed hitter. There’s some good players on that market that are outfielders. There’s some good players there,” Duquette said.
- The bullpen is also a need area, and Duquette didn’t comment on how close the O’s were to any sort of final agreement with Darren O’Day.
- Duquette also said that “ideally” the team would add some lefty balance to both the lineup and the pitching staff, though the Orioles would “be OK with five righties” in the rotation. If the O’s don’t have a left-handed starter by Spring Training, Duquette said the team could consider moving Brian Matusz back to the rotation since the southpaw usually stretches out in the spring in order to work on all of his pitches. Matusz struggled as a starter over his first four MLB seasons before reviving his career as a very effective lefty specialist out of the bullpen since 2013.
- First base prospect Christian Walker is receiving “quite a bit of interest” from other teams. Walker has hit .280/.348/.453 with 57 homers over 1723 PA in the minors, though he has only a .751 OPS at the Triple-A level, something Duquette believed could be due to Triple-A Norfolk’s large ballpark. Baseball America ranked him as the third-best prospect in Baltimore’s system prior to the 2015 season.
Saltalamacchia Had Interest From “6-7 Clubs”
Earlier tonight, the Tigers announced the signing of catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to a one-year deal for the MLB minimum. Before he put pen to paper with Detroit, however, Salty’s camp was in talks with “six or seven clubs,” according to a baseball source who spoke with MLBTR. The backstop drew varying levels of interest from the White Sox, Royals, Rays, Orioles (prior to Matt Wieters accepting his QO), Phillies, Angels, and the incumbent D’Backs.
The Tigers have landed themselves a veteran who can be a reliable presence behind starter James McCann. Saltalamacchia also could get some opportunities as DH and first base as he moves back to the American League. The former first round pick looked strong in his 70 game run for the D’Backs in 2015 and he’ll attempt to build off of that with Detroit in the New Year.
Pitching Notes: Lowe, Red Sox, Marlins, O’s, O’Day, Mets, Miller
Free agent righty Mark Lowe is “in active talks with multiple teams” and could be nearing a decision, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports on Twitter. The Mariners have some interest in a reunion, tweets MLB.com’s Greg Johns, though as he notes it’ll take much more than the minor league pact that brought Lowe to Seattle last winter.
Here’s the latest pitching chatter around the league:
- The Red Sox are receiving interest in starters Wade Miley and Joe Kelly as well as Clay Buchholz, Crasnick reports on Twitter. Boston is prepared to “listen to trade pitches” on their arms. Jon Heyman hears the same and notes that the club is interested in adding relievers. (Twitter link.)
- Miley is among the pitchers that could be pursued by the Marlins, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports on Twitter. In free agency, Miami’s targets include Ian Kennedy — as we heard earlier today — as well as Yusmeiro Petit, who’d presumably be a swingman option.
- The Orioles will likely add another pen arm even if they wrap up a deal with Darren O’Day, Crasnick tweets. One possibility is southpaw Tony Sipp, per the report, who figures to draw rather wide interest.
- Speaking of O’Day, the key point of separation between the Orioles and Nationals has been Baltimore’s willingness to guarantee a fourth year, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. The Nats were offering a better AAV, but only over three years.
- The Mets are “keeping an eye” on the top of the still-available relief market, per assistant GM John Ricco (via ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin, on Twitter).
- Some in the Braves organization believe that the team ought to hold onto Shelby Miller, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports. Atlanta is asking both for a young, “impact bat” as well as a “Major League-ready starting pitcher” in trade talks, per the report.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Alvarez, Red Sox, Rays, Orioles
Yankees GM Brian Cashman is downplaying the team’s interest in free agents, writes George A. King III of the New York Post. The Yankees are shopping veterans Ivan Nova, Brett Gardner, and Andrew Miller, but talks have subsided for the moment. According to Cashman, “I think it’s more likely that we keep them than move them. I say that recognizing that if someone wants to ring a bell that I’ve put out there, that could happen.”
Here’s more from the AL East:
- The Yankees don’t have a spot for recently non-tendered slugger Pedro Alvarez, writes King. Before considering the roster, Alvarez sounds like a decent fit. As a youth, Alvarez attended school in the Bronx and played for the Bayside Bombers – an elite travel team based in the area. Yankee Stadium is also extremely friendly to left-handed power. However, the Yankees are swamped with designated hitters. Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Carlos Beltran, and prospect Greg Bird all overlap to some degree.
- New York could try to upgrade in the middle infield next week, writes Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. Rob Refsnyder and Dustin Ackley are expected to platoon at second base, but Cashman will continue to monitor the market for more reliable alternatives. Feinsand offers Howie Kendrick, Brandon Phillips, and Martin Prado as three players to watch. Kendrick is a free agent while Phillips and Prado would have to be acquired via trade.
- Owner John Henry says the Red Sox could add another starter, writes John Tomase of WEEI.com. Boston inked David Price to a record breaking contract earlier in the week. Per Henry, “I do think there is trade potential. We have a lot of pitching and we have a lot of talent. We’re not going to trade away our core young players, but we might be able to get a core young pitcher.” Henry did mention that the asking price for high quality pitchers is probably out of their range.
- The Rays also aren’t a fit for designated hitters Alvarez or Chris Carter, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Tampa would have to make a trade to open playing time for them. The club is likely looking to trade pitching for young hitters like Jorge Soler or Javier Baez.
- The large contracts signed by Price and Zack Greinke could take the Orioles out of the market for Chris Davis, opines Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun. Schmuck figures the floor for Davis is probably around $150MM – more than double the biggest free agent deal ever inked by the Orioles. The market for hitters has been much slower to establish itself, so there is still a change we’ll be surprised. For now, I agree Davis may wind up outside of Baltimore’s price range.
- The Orioles aren’t usually flashy participants at the Winter Meetings, but they do have a few needs to fill, write Eduardo A. Encina and Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Davis, the rotation, and the outfield are obvious concerns. The bullpen could be a challenge to buoy if Darren O’Day signs elsewhere. The Nationals and Orioles are considered front runners for his services. Baltimore likes to make Rule 5 picks under Dan Duquette. The club already has to roster Dylan Bundy who is out of options – possibly preventing them from keeping a pick.
Orioles Links: Jones, Duquette, Alvarez, Machado, Payroll
Adam Jones described the Orioles’ offseason as “solid” thus far but the outfielder tells MLB.com’s Ian Browne that he hopes Chris Davis and Darren O’Day can be re-signed. He cites those two as the club’s top priorities and he feels the organization is “really going to make an aggressive attempt to sign CD. At the end of the day, you need CD.” Even if neither player returns, Jones still has confidence the O’s can adapt and return to the winning form of the 2012-14 seasons, noting “We’ve had tastes of success the last three or four years. There’s no going back to Walmart steak. We’re a Whole Foods type of organization now. We want to win.” With three years left on his own contract, Jones says it’s up to the team if he’ll spend the rest of his career as an Oriole, and he very much wants to win a World Series in Baltimore.
Here’s more from Charm City…
- Dan Duquette tells MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko that as prices for available pitchers continue to escalate, it’s more important than ever to develop young arms. Kevin Gausman, Mike Wright and David Hess are some of the young pitchers Baltimore needs to develop to keep costs down in the rotation, though Duquette said the O’s are also still searching for an external addition to their staff. The rotation also needs incumbent starters like Chris Tillman and Miguel Gonzalez to bounce back from disappointing 2015 seasons.
- Duquette also discussed scouting Pedro Alvarez early in his career, which adds to the speculation that the Orioles are indeed interested in the newly-available first baseman.
- Kubatko’s piece includes a partial transcript of Manny Machado‘s recent appearance on 105.7 The Fan radio, as the third baseman discusses his career, his bonds with his teammates and Matt Wieters‘ return, among other topics. Kubatko notes that the O’s have yet to discuss a contract extension with Machado this offseason but they’re likely to do so once more pressing winter business is settled.
- Now that Orioles have tendered contracts to arbitration-eligible players, MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski projects that the club’s payroll looks to be in the neighborhood of $103MM for 19 players. It looks like the O’s will indeed have to top last year’s $118MM payroll to address the rest of their needs, including possibly re-signing Davis. Kubatko notes that Baltimore could boost payroll in 2016 and then lower it by about $25MM in 2017 once Wieters and Trumbo are off the books. Jim Duquette (the MLB Network Radio analyst, former Mets GM and Dan Duquette’s cousin) noted to Melewski that the Orioles have financial room to maneuver on long-term deals since Jones is the only player signed beyond the 2017 season.
- The decision to re-sign Nolan Reimold likely means that Steve Pearce won’t be returning, CSNMidAtlantic.com’s Rich Dubroff opines. Between Trumbo, Reimold and L.J. Hoes, Baltimore now has plenty of right-handed hitting options for the outfield, first base and DH spots and the team probably doesn’t need another righty-swinger in Pearce. Any further additions will need to be a left-handed hitter (i.e. Davis or Alvarez) to add balance to what is currently an overwhelming right-handed hitting roster. Pearce hasn’t drawn too much attention in free agency yet, however, so Dubroff speculates that if this continues, he could be a low-cost signing for the O’s later in the winter since he’s a popular figure within the team.
Darren O’Day Close To Decision; Nationals Are Front-Runners
10:54pm: The Nationals and Orioles are the two top contenders for O’Day at this point, Bill Ladson of MLB.com writes.
5:16pm: The Nationals are the “clear front-runner” for O’Day, Connolly tweets. The two sides could soon reach a deal. O’Day has not, however, ruled out Baltimore or Atlanta, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets.
4:14pm: Here’s the latest on free agent righty reliever Darren O’Day.
- The bidding for O’Day is down to the Orioles, Nationals and Braves, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets. Connolly writes that O’Day’s decision could come before the start of next week’s Winter Meetings and certainly should be in the books by the time the Winter Meetings end. The Dodgers have also been connected to O’Day, although, as MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko tweets, it appears O’Day wants to remain on the East Coast.
- The Nationals’ acquisition of Oliver Perez will not impact their pursuit of O’Day, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes (all Twitter links). The Nats do not, however, think they are likely to be the top bidder. Instead, they hope he’ll take less to play in Washington because his wife Elizabeth Prann, a reporter, works there. The Nationals don’t want to go past a certain point in bidding for a reliever, Rosenthal writes, noting that the Nats’ outlook isn’t uncommon around the league.