Beltway Links: Nationals, Morse, McLouth, Orioles
Mike Morse remains a prime piece of trade bait and earlier this afternoon we learned Adam LaRoche sought a no-trade clause as part of his new two-year deal with the Nationals. He did not receive one, however. Here's the latest on the Nats and Orioles…
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) doesn't see the Nationals getting much for Morse. The 30-year-old is eligible for free agency next fall and GMs aren't eager to give up good prospects for a player in that situation. Some GMs have told Olney privately that while they like Morse, they can't see surrendering much for him due to his defensive shortcomings and lengthy injury history.
- Meanwhile, MLB.com's Matthew Leach says Morse is a very intriguing trade chip for the Nationals. He lists the Orioles, Yankees, Giants, Mariners, Rays, and Rangers as clubs who could have interest in the slugger.
- Nate McLouth says he re-signed with the Orioles in large part because of the team chemistry in Baltimore, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The outfielder inked a one-year, $2MM deal with the O's in December.
- Jonathan Bernhardt of Sports on Earth argues that the Orioles' lack of activity this offseason was the best of several bad options.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Tigers, Cubs, Orioles Discussed Three-Way Deal
The Tigers and Cubs are discussing a potential three-way trade that would send Rick Porcello to Chicago with the Orioles as the third party, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The Tigers want Baltimore involved because they want shortstop J.J. Hardy and they don't feel that the Cubs have the necessary components to make it a two-team trade.
For the O's to part ways with Hardy in a deal, the Cubs would have to send pitching to the Orioles. However, Kubatko thinks that the O's will have to be overwhelmed by an offer in order to part with Hardy. Dan Duquette & Co. are happy with the left side of their infield and they don't intend on moving Manny Machado to shortstop this year.
The Orioles are also one of the teams that are interested in Porcello and it's logical to think that they could just hammer out a two-team swap with the Tigers instead. The Padres, Mariners, and Pirates have also expressed interest in the right-hander recently. The 24-year-old posted a 4.59 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 53.2% ground ball rate last season and is under team control through 2015.
Rosenthal On Padres, Orioles, Rockies, Phillies
The Orioles showed serious interest in Justin Upton before talks with the Diamondbacks sputtered, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported last night. Here are some more of Rosenthal’s notes from around MLB…
- Rosenthal hears from one executive who expects the Padres to make another significant move. However, the Padres like their group of young starting pitchers and aren’t inclined to make a strong play for one of the remaining free agent starters. San Diego could still trade for a pitcher such as Rick Porcello, Luke Hochevar or Aaron Harang.
- Talks about a deal involving Upton and Chase Headley didn’t progress, Rosenthal reports.
- The Orioles continue seeking starting pitching and Joe Saunders remains a target. The Orioles also checked in on Porcello, according to Rosenthal.
- Though the Orioles spoke with Lance Berkman before he signed with the Rangers, they weren’t interested in spending big for the switch-hitting DH.
- Jeff Karstens, Derek Lowe, Aaron Cook and Jair Jurrjens are among the possibilities the Rockies are considering. The Rockies wouldn’t offer all of those pitchers Major League deals, however.
- Rosenthal suggests free agent reliever Rafael Soriano could be a longshot for the Rockies. Colorado would have to surrender its second round draft pick to sign the Scott Boras client.
- The Phillies continue seeking a right-handed hitting outfielder, Rosenthal reports. They’re still considering free agent Scott Hairston and trade candidates Alfonso Soriano and Vernon Wells. It’s possible the Phillies will go with platoons in both corner outfield positions.
D’Backs, Orioles Discussed Kubel, Upton
Monday: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds (via Twitter) that the Orioles have also shown serious interest in Justin Upton over the past few weeks, but talks between the two sides have sputtered. The Orioles are shifting their focus to starting pitching. They've expressed interest in bringing Joe Saunders back recently.
Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun adds (via Twitter) that the Orioles find Arizona's asking price for Upton too high.
Saturday: The Diamondbacks are looking to get young pitching from the Orioles in a trade for outfielder Jason Kubel, but Baltimore has been disinclined to do that to this point, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Arizona has a surplus of outfielders and some believe that they would prefer to trade Kubel than Justin Upton at this stage.
Kubel hit .253/.327/.506 with a career-high 30 home runs in 141 games with Arizona last year. The 30-year-old is due to earn $7.5MM in 2013 with a mutual option for the same amount in 2014.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Orioles, Showalter Progressing Toward Extension
Monday: Showalter's extension isn't expected to be completed until next week, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports (on Twitter). There are no snags in the negotiations, the two sides are simply moving slowly and both have busy schedules.
Friday: 9:38pm: The new deal would be for three years and would keep Showalter in Baltimore through 2016, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
7:45am: The Orioles could announce a contract extension for manager Buck Showalter as soon as early next week, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. Owner Peter Angelos will meet with Showalter again today to discuss the manager’s next contract.
Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reported last month that the sides were close to a deal. Showalter and Angelos met several times last month, Kubatko reports. If everything goes according to plan, they’ll agree to a multiyear deal within a few days.
The Orioles made their first postseason appearance in 15 years this past season after finishing the regular season with a 93-69 record. Showalter, 56, finished second to A's manager Bob Melvin in the 2012 American League Manager of the Year voting. Now entering his fourth season with Baltimore, Showalter has a record of 1078-1018 in 14 seasons managing at the MLB level.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Orioles Notes: Martinez, Exposito, Urrutia
It's been a quiet offseason for the Orioles, as MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows. Executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette re-signed Nate McLouth, traded for Danny Valencia and Trayvon Robinson, and completed a number of waiver claims and minor league signings. Here's the latest from Baltimore…
- The Orioles have four catchers on their 40-man roster after claiming Luis Martinez, as Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun points out. Baltimore executives have been looking to improve organizational catching depth, and they now have Martinez, Taylor Teagarden and Luis Exposito behind Matt Wieters. Both Exposito and Martinez could begin the 2013 season in Triple-A, since they both have minor league options, Encina writes.
- Henry Urrutia, a Cuban defector who signed with the Orioles this past summer, remains in Haiti, Encina reports. He hasn’t been able to obtain a visa, so it’s not clear whether he’ll be able to participate in Spring Training.
- While some expect the Orioles to regress in 2013, it's possible they'll continue playing at the level that led them to the playoffs this past season in the view of Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.
Reactions To The Lance Berkman Signing
The Rangers and Lance Berkman agreed to a one-year contract with a vesting option earlier today, plugging the team's DH hole. Berkman will receive $10MM in 2013 with a $1MM buyout of the option. Here is a collection of news and reactions to the deal…
- "It never really got past the tire-kicking phase," said Berkman to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart when asked about talks with the Astros (all Twitter links). Houston never made an offer and the two sides only discussed contract parameters. "I have nothing but good things to say about the Astros organization and the way our negotiations went," added Berkman.
- The Red Sox showed interest in Berkman before he signed with Texas, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Talks never gained momentum due to his geographical preferences, however.
- The Orioles also kicked the tires on Berkman according to Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com (on Twitter). They moved on due to his asking price.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Berkman is the type of hitter the Rangers have rarely had, meaning he's patient and willing to use the entire field (all Twitter links).
- Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is "stunned" at the size of Berkman's contract (Twitter link). He assumes the Rangers thoroughly reviewed the medicals.
East Notes: Nationals, Yankees, Orioles, Victorino
The Nationals had their eye on left-hander J.P. Howell for quite some time but the Dodgers swooped in on him earlier today. After losing three lefties in Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Burnett, and Michael Gonzalez, the Nats could still add a southpaw, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Here’s more out of the AL and NL East..
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters, including Anthony Rieber of Newsday, that he isn’t interested in signing a reliever. “I cannot talk about players on the free-agent market,” Cashman said. “But I am not looking for bullpen help, I can tell you that.“
- Free agent Joe Saunders says that he wants to return to the Orioles in 2013 but is ultimately leaving the process in the hands of his agent, writes Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. Saunders also has interest from the Angels, Mets, Twins, and Mariners and says that he wants to play for a contender.
- Shane Victorino, who signed a three-year, $39MM deal with the Red Sox this winter, says that a return to the Phillies was his first choice, writes Matt Gelb of the Phildelphia Inquirer.
Yankees, Astros, Rangers, O’s Interested In Berkman
7:18pm: The Yankees also have interest in Berkman, reports Ken Davidoff of The New York Post (on Twitter). Berkman spent time with New York in 2011, but Davidoff says it's unclear if he would consider a reunion since the two Texas teams are involved.
4:17pm: Nolan Ryan confirmed to Berman that the Rangers have an offer out to Berkman (Twitter link). "We are looking for a designated hitter," Ryan said. "We feel like he would fill that bill."
3:27pm: Houston GM Jeff Luhnow told Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston that he has been in contact with Berkman (Twitter link). The sides spoke yesterday and today and talks are ongoing.
2:23pm: The Rangers are trying to talk Berkman into playing next year, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Team president Nolan Ryan is said to be leading the Rangers' pursuit of Berkman, Heyman writes. Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com confirms the Orioles’ interest, noting that they have reached out “informally” (Twitter link).
9:01am: Lance Berkman said he’s “still a little bit in limbo” as he considers his options for 2013, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The switch hitting first baseman/designated hitter received two offers before Christmas and hopes to resume discussions with interested teams.
The Rangers have reached out, and the Rays and Red Sox are also interested. Goold adds a third AL East team to the list of Berkman’s suitors: the Baltimore Orioles. It's clear that Berkman has opportunities, but he suggested he’d have to be well-compensated to return for another season.
“If I’m going to play, I’m going to give my heart and soul to the team,” he told the Post-Dispatch. “But if the carrot’s not big enough, the mule isn’t going to want to go.”
Berkman, a Texas native, added that the Rangers have a geographic advantage. His first MLB team, the Astros, could also have interest. But now that the Astros have added Carlos Pena, Houston’s not an ideal fit.
Berkman missed most of the 2012 season because of knee injuries. When healthy he hit .259/.381/.444 in 97 plate appearances for the Cardinals. Moye Sports Associates represents the 14-year MLB veteran, who turns 37 next month.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Upton, Liriano, Orioles, Headley
Rob Manfred, MLB’s executive VP of labor relations, told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he’s not ready to say baseball’s collective bargaining agreement needs changes. While the CBA appears to have limited the market for certain players who declined qualifying offers, Manfred says it’s still early. “I’m not inclined to get into a discussion about changing an agreement when it hasn’t even operated for a full year.” As Rosenthal points out, draft pick compensation places an artificial burden on free agents. Here are some more links from around MLB…
- The Rangers aren’t a perfect fit for Justin Upton, because their lineup already includes many right-handed hitters, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney notes (Twitter links). The Braves could be a better fit, and could deal from a surplus of pitching. Olney reported yesterday that the Diamondbacks are open to dealing the right fielder.
- The Pirates haven’t announced their two-year, $12.75MM agreement with Francisco Liriano, but MLB.com’s Tom Singer still expects the deal to go through (Twitter link). The Pirates have been trying to get the left-hander to Pittsburgh for a physical.
- The Orioles have not watched free agent right-hander Javier Vazquez work out and they have no current plans to attend any of his scheduled sessions, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports (on Twitter). That said, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun suggested today that the Orioles could have some interest (Twitter link).
- Within an in-depth piece about third baseman Chase Headley, Padres GM Josh Byrnes revealed to MLB.com's Corey Brock that he pushed for the Red Sox to draft Headley back in 2005 when he was in the Boston front office. Headley, 28, is arbitration eligible for the third time this offseason.