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Jorge Posada Drawing Interest

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3:34pm: The Rays' interest in Posada isn't strong, says Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. According to Topkin, Posada figures to be, at best, among the club's fallback options if other moves don't go as planned.

11:38am: Recently, we learned that Jorge Posada would like to continue playing in 2012 if he can find the right situation.  There appears to be interest in the veteran as the Rays, Orioles, and Phillies have inquired on Posada, the catcher's father told Javier Maymi of ESPNDeportes.com (Spanish link). 

Sources told Maymi that the Rays are interested in exploring the possibility of signing Posada as a reserve first baseman, designated hitter, and backup to Jose Molina.  The Rays already have Jose Lobaton and Robinson Chirinos to support Molina and even though both catchers suffered injuries over the winter, they are expected to be fine heading into Spring Training.

The Phillies would also be a curious fit for Posada with Jim Thome already providing a power bat against right-handed pitching.  As for the Orioles, they reportedly didn't have much interest in Posada a month ago as they were seeking someone who could catch every day if necessary.

Orioles Notes: Fielder, Second Base, Pitching

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The week between Christmas and New Year's tends to be fairly quiet, but Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette cautions that there's no such thing as a quiet time in baseball today, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.  Here's more on what we can expect from the O's in the coming weeks..

  • Duquette wouldn't divulge much when asked about Prince Fielder, only saying, "We're monitoring the market.  That's a good way to put it."  Because the Orioles are interested in Fielder, but not at his asking price, Kubatko writes that they should not be classified as a favorite to land a slugger.
  • Kubatko asked Duquette if the club will pursue a second baseman.  It doesn't sound as though it's at the top of his list as he cited Matt Antonelli, Robert Andino, and Rule 5 pickup Ryan Flaherty as candidates for the position.  
  • Duquette says that he will continue to look to bolster the team's pitching staff.  Yesterday we heard that the O's are among a handful of teams that are prioritizing pitching.

Quick Hits: Dobbs, Pitching, Floyd, Marshall, NPB

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On this date in 1994, the owners implemented a salary cap and revenue sharing as the players were on strike. Those provisions were never put in place though, as the judge who ended the labor dispute ruled that the next two seasons must be played under the previously existing labor conditions. We do have revenue sharing nowadays, but a salary cap isn't going to happen anytime soon. Here's the latest from around the league…

  • The Nationals are now focused on improving their bench, but MLB.com's Bill Ladson says (on Twitter) that it seems as though they are unlikely to sign Greg Dobbs. Washington expressed interest in Dobbs last week.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com listed (on Twitter) the Rockies, Marlins, Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles, and Blue Jays as clubs looking to add a starting pitcher. Earlier today we heard that both the Yankees and Red Sox are pursuing Hiroki Kuroda.
  • Even after signing John Danks to an extension, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports that the White Sox could look to trade Gavin Floyd this offseason. The Red Sox expressed interest in the righty during the winter meetings. Floyd will make $7MM in 2012, then a $9.5MM club option for 2013 comes into play.
  • In an Insider-only column, ESPN's Keith Law calls the Sean Marshall trade a win for the Cubs. "The Reds, meanwhile, continue what I can only assume is a rapid emptying of their farm system to try to win again in the two years before Joey Votto reaches free agency," he added.
  • With several Japanese players slated to join MLB next season, Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker takes a look at the players who will replace them on their former club in Japan.

AL East Links: Red Sox, Blue Jays, Jones, Beltran

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Two years ago today, the Blue Jays traded Brandon League and Johermyn Chavez to the Mariners for Brandon Morrow. Morrow has pitched to a 4.62 ERA as a starter in his two seasons with Toronto while League became an All-Star closer last season. Here's the latest from the AL East…

  • In an ESPN Insider-only piece, Jim Bowden reports that the Red Sox offered a position player heavy package to the Athletics for Gio Gonzalez before he was traded to the Nationals. Bowden adds that the Blue Jays were only willing to part with risky low-level minor leaguers for the southpaw.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Red Sox's pursuit of both Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey was "very much part of conversation for majority of the time," but they shifted their attention to solely Gio after they learned they were competing with the Nats (Twitter links). The Blue Jays jumped into the bidding late, adds the FOX scribe.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports that the Orioles are not shopping Adam Jones, but GM Dan Duquette will listen to offers and make counter proposals. We recently learned that the Orioles wanted Jair Jurrjens, Martin Prado, and at least two of the Braves' young pitchers in return for their center fielder.
  • The Yankees considered pursuing Carlos Beltran earlier this offseason according to Bob Klapisch of The Bergen Record (on Twitter), but ultimately decided against it because of his balky knees. Beltran agreed to a two-year deal with the Cardinals yesterday.
  • MLB.com's Mike Bauman writes that the Red Sox's makeover – from the front office to the manager to the roster – will be heavily scrutinized this season.

Prince Fielder Rumors: Friday

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Yesterday we heard that Scott Boras is "gunning for" an average annual salary of $25.5MM for free agent Prince Fielder, which would be just above the $25.4MM annual payout Albert Pujols received from the Angels. Fielder also wants a ten-year deal, though a number of clubs are interested in a six-year pact. We'll keep track of any news about the slugger right here today, with the latest up top…

  • The Orioles do indeed have interest in Fielder according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter), just not at his current asking price.

Braves, Orioles Discussed Jones, Pitchers

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The Braves and Orioles discussed a possible Adam Jones trade recently, but talks didn’t progress far, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (all Twitter links). The Orioles wanted Jair Jurrjens, Martin Prado and at least two of Brandon Beachy, Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino and Randall Delgado. The Braves weren’t interested at that price, Crasnick writes.

Conflicting reports about the Braves’ interest level in Jones emerged yesterday, but it appears some preliminary discussions occurred. Orioles GM Dan Duquette joined Jim Bowden and Casey Stern on MLB Network Radio this week and explained that the Orioles are trying to "build around" Jones. "When you have some good players, other teams are interested," he said. "We're not marketing Adam Jones." However, he stopped short of guaranteeing that Jones would stay put.

Pitching Rumors: Red Sox, Felix, Giants, Jurrjens

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The Nationals, Red Sox, Marlins, Blue Jays, Royals, Tigers, Mariners, Yankees and Orioles are among the teams still looking to add one or more starting pitchers this offseason, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Here are more details on the market for starting pitching:

  • The Red Sox are “in on everybody,” Knobler reports. Peter Gammons of MLB Network confirms that the Red Sox are still looking for starters (Twitter link).
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports makes the case that the Mariners should trade Felix Hernandez this offseason, but Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik disagrees. “I still say, as I’ve said all along, we’ve still got the best young pitcher in the game, and that’s pretty darned good,” Zduriencik said. Rosenthal pointed to the prospects the Padres obtained for Mat Latos and the fact that the AL West has become tougher this offseason.
  • The Giants aren’t looking for a free agent to replace Jonathan Sanchez, but are interested in adding pitchers who are willing to accept minor league contracts, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • The Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rockies, Tigers and Rangers are among the teams that have expressed some interest in Jair Jurrjens, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Braves have suggested they won’t trade the right-hander within their division.

O’s Turned Down Braves’ Offer For Adam Jones?

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The Braves made a run at Orioles outfielder Adam Jones earlier this month, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Connolly reports that Atlanta offered Jair Jurrjens, Martin Prado, and a pitching prospect for Jones, but the O's "didn't bite," indicating how much they value their center fielder.

However, a source familiar with the negotiations tells Mark Bowman of MLB.com that the Braves merely expressed interest in Jones and did not offer any particular package. The O's told the Braves that Jones was unavailable, Bowman adds, then got back to the Braves later and asked for Jurrjens, Prado and "two other premium guys," which the Braves declined.

It was reported earlier in the month that the Orioles and Braves talked about Jurrjens and Prado, though it hadn't been confirmed that Jones was also discussed. Here are the rest of this morning's Orioles notes:

  • Connolly and Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com both address a report indicating the Orioles are in on Prince Fielder, concluding that Fielder coming to Baltimore is an extreme long-shot unless his asking price drops significantly.
  • Although the Orioles are looking for starting pitching and Roy Oswalt is reportedly willing to accept a one-year contract, the righty probably isn't a realistic target for Baltimore. The O's play in the wrong ballpark and wrong division for Oswalt to boost his stock on a make-good deal, says Connolly.
  • Connolly adds that the Orioles continue to discuss Wei-Yin Chen internally and externally.

Prince Fielder Rumors: Tuesday

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Seven seasons into his Major League career, Prince Fielder has set a high standard of offensive production. He hits 37 home runs and 32 doubles per 162 games played, while drawing 92 walks and posting a .282/.390/.540 line. Here's the latest on the 27-year-old Scott Boras client as his first appearance on the free agent market continues: 

  • The Mariners made Fielder an offer, or at least told him how much they'd be willing to pay him, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, who adds that the M's "love Fielder" but have financial restrictions.
  • The Cubs have done background work on Fielder and are interested in signing him, but won't come close to approaching a 10-year deal, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
  • The Rangers will not pursue Fielder, even though the division rival Angels signed Albert Pujols, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • The Orioles appear to be in on the Fielder derby, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
  • Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets that the O's will only be in on Fielder if the market for the first baseman collapses, however.
  • Heyman says the Rangers still appear to be eyeing Fielder. The Rangers like Fielder's youth and middle-of-the-order presence. Though they'd like to lock Josh Hamilton up, they aren't offering the long-term security he seeks, Heyman reports.

Blue Jays Bid $50MM For Darvish

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The Blue Jays bid over $50MM for Yu Darvish, falling just short of the Rangers' $51.7MM bid, according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star. Here's the latest on the Blue Jays’ division, starting with a right-hander who spent three up-and-down seasons in Toronto… 

  • Several teams are kicking the tires on acquiring A.J. Burnett, but the Yankees will have to absorb significant salary to make a deal and Burnett can veto trades to ten teams per year, according to George A. King III of the New York Post.
  • The Yankees bid less than $20MM for Darvish, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.
  • Orioles GM Dan Duquette explains the team's shrinking pro scouting department to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. "In an effort to make an impact on the franchise, I can argue that the scouts are most valuable to a team at the amateur level,” Duquette said. “They can have a bigger impact on this organization.”
  • Former Rays catcher Toby Hall has decided to retire, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. The 36-year-old spent seven seasons with the Rays and last played in the Major Leagues in 2008. 
  • Dan Hayes of the North County Times hears the Rays are one of the teams that has asked the Padres about Anthony Rizzo (Twitter link). However, the Padres, who have been flooded with interest, aren't matching up that well with the Rays at this point, according to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • MLB executives expect Gio Gonzalez to be traded relatively soon now that Darvish is no longer available, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The Red Sox are among Gonzalez’s suitors.
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