Orioles Have Discussed Casey Kotchman
The Orioles have discussed free agent first baseman Casey Kotchman, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The soon-to-be 29-year-old hit .306/.378/.422 for the Rays in 563 plate appearances last season.
Kotchman has been linked to the Indians and Rays this offseason though Tampa Bay might not be in the mix any longer after re-signing Carlos Pena. By signing Kotchman, the O's could make Chris Davis the primary DH and use Wilson Betemit as more of a utility player and part-time DH.
Cafardo On Dodgers, Ethier, Red Sox, Cubs, Orioles
As demonstrated by the Red Sox last year, "winning" December and January doesn’t necessarily translate into winning when it counts, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. With that said, Cafardo takes a look at where all 30 teams rank after making their moves thus far. Unsurprisingly, the Angels top Cafardo's list, followed by the Yankees and Rangers. The Tigers, after signing Prince Fielder, occupy the fifth spot in the rankings. Cafardo writes that a Fielder-Miguel Cabrera middle of the order could be monstrous, but the club could use more bullpen help. Here's more from today's column..
- The Dodgers will soon decide whether to lock up Andre Ethier with a long-term deal as they did with Matt Kemp. Earlier this month, it was reported that the club had yet to discuss extensions with Ethier and Clayton Kershaw. The right fielder, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, avoided arbitration with the team by agreeing to a one-year, $10.7MM deal.
- Three West Coast teams are kicking the tires on reliever Hong-Chih Kuo and the veteran seems like a good gamble. The Dodgers, who non-tendered him earlier this month, are one of those three clubs. Kuo once had great stuff but has undergone five elbow surgeries, including two Tommy Johns, and has also experienced anxiety issues.
- An AL GM who is not associated with the Red Sox or Cubs believes that Commissioner Bud Selig will give Boston a significant player in the compensation agreement: "I don’t think MLB wants executives leaving their teams before their contracts are up and therefore he will try to deter teams from doing that again."
- Cafardo credited Orioles VP of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette with doing a solid job of building the club thus far. The next step for the club might be to add a DH such as Johnny Damon while hoping for the best when it comes to pitching. By this time next year, Duquette will add a significant piece to the rotation.
- Teams are now looking for "tack-on" guys, the ones who “can really make you look good," according to one AL assistant GM. Raul Ibanez and Hideki Matsui could both be reasonably-priced quality additions and the Yankees could be a fit for either one. Serviceable relievers Mike Gonzalez, Chad Qualls, and Juan Cruz also remain on the open market.
AL East Notes: Orioles, Jackson, Uehara, Red Sox
Here's a look at some items out of the American League East..
- Earlier this week, Rangers reliever Koji Uehara rejected a trade that would have sent him to the Blue Jays. It appears that the 36-year-old would instead prefer a return to Baltimore and Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun writes that the O's have had sporadic conversations with Texas.
- Connolly also writes that he is unsure if the Orioles were one of the teams to make a three-year offer to Edwin Jackson, but says that it would make sense if they were. The club may be hesitant to go to four years for the hurler but hasn't completely dismissed the idea.
- Commissioner Bud Selig says that there's no timeframe for working out a compensation agreement between the Red Sox and Cubs over Theo Epstein's move, writes Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune. Selig seemed unhappy with the idea of having to intervene in the talks between the two clubs.
Edwin Jackson Has Multiple Three-Year Offers
12:35pm: It doesn't look like the Orioles will offer Jackson a four-year contract, but three years plus an option is possible according to Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). It's all expected to come down to money.
9:33am: Free agent right-hander Edwin Jackson has multiple three-year offers, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Rosenthal says he could also take a one-year pillow contract and re-enter the market next offseason, when he'll still be just 29 years old.
We know the Red Sox have made Jackson an offer, and it's believed that he'll take a one-year deal to pitch in Boston. The Orioles also have interest and the Cardinals checked in on him recently. They're reportedly closing in on a deal for Roy Oswalt, however.
Minor Moves: Sweeney, Tuiasosopo, Redding, Cabrera
The latest minor league deals…
- The Mariners signed former MLB reliever Brian Sweeney to a minor league contract, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports. Sweeney spent the 2011 season with the Mets' top affiliate and last appeared in the Majors with the 2010 Mariners.
- The Twins signed left-hander Luke French, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports (Twitter links). French owns a 4.99 ERA with 4.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 155 Major League innings.
- The Mets signed infielder Matt Tuiasosopo, who picked up MLB experience with the Mariners from 2008-10, Eddy reports.
- The Blue Jays signed right-hander Tim Redding and left-hander Bill Murphy, according to Eddy. Redding has substantial MLB experience as a starter for the Astros, Nationals and Mets.
- Eddy reports that four catchers signed minor league deals: Mitch Canham joined the Rockies, Orlando Mercado agreed to terms with the Marlins, Kyle Phillips caught on with the Blue Jays and Max St. Pierre signed with the Red Sox. Phillips appeared in 36 games for the 2011 Padres and St. Pierre made his debut with the 2010 Tigers after 14 minor league seasons.
- Former MLB starter Daniel Cabrera signed a minor league deal with the Pirates, Mario Rojas of CandelaDeportiva reports. Cabrera, 30, was a fixture in Baltimore's rotation from 2004-08, but hasn't pitched in MLB since 2009.
- The Cubs re-signed infielder Bobby Scales, who started the 2011 season in Chicago before going to Japan, Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweets.
- The Phillies re-signed former Tigers outfielder Brent Clevlen, Goldstein tweets.
- The Orioles signed 18-year-old outfielder Andres Aguilar, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. The speedy Guatemala native has a strong throwing arm.
Quick Hits: Francis, Cespedes, CBA
A few stray items to pass along as the night winds down …
- Jeff Francis, who agreed to terms with the Reds on a minor league deal, can earn a base salary of $1.5MM if he makes the big league club, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. The deal could be worth as much as $3.25MM with incentives and includes a March 28 opt-out clause, reports Crasnick (Twitter links).
- The Orioles remain interested in signing Yoenis Cespedes, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun, and will send a contingent to further scout the Cuban free agent in next week's Carribean Series in the Dominican Republic.
- Several general managers of small- and mid-market clubs are concerned the new labor agreement has furthered the divide between baseballs haves and have-nots, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com. In particular, the greater the number of teams that continue to shell out massive contracts, the more it encourages players on small-market clubs to refrain from signing extensions prior to free agency.
- Brad Lidge told the Phillies he wanted to stay in Philly, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN, but they apparently had no interest in retaining the right-hander. We heard earlier today that the Phils made a "lowball" offer to Lidge, who instead agreed to terms with the Nats.
- MLBTR's Tim Dierkes appeared on Tuesday's BP Podcast with Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. You can download the mp3 or listen through iTunes.
Edwin Jackson Rumors: Thursday
The Red Sox have offered Edwin Jackson a contract and the Orioles would consider offering a four year deal. The market for Jackson — arguably the top free agent remaining — seems to be picking up. Here are the most recent rumors from around MLB:
- The Red Sox are believed to be one of a few teams with which Jackson would accept a one-year deal, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets.
- The Cardinals checked in on Jackson, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. The right-hander, who finished the 2011 season in St. Louis, has a multiyear offer from an unknown team that's not the Red Sox or Cardinals.
Orioles Eyeing Jackson; Damon Unlikely
The Orioles are a long shot to sign Edwin Jackson, but they’d love to have him and would consider offering a four-year deal, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports. The Orioles’ chances of signing the free agent right-hander will likely come down to money, Connolly notes.
Johnny Damon is also an unlikely fit in Baltimore. The Orioles aren’t motivated to sign him, especially after adding another designated hitter option in Wilson Betemit. We can basically cross Damon off of Baltimore’s list for now, Connolly explains. Damon and Jackson are both Scott Boras clients.
The Red Sox appear to have offered Jackson a contract. No unsigned pitcher completed as many 2011 innings as Jackson (199 2/3 regular season innings plus 17 2/3 in the playoffs), and the 28-year-old is probably the top free agent remaining.
Quick Hits: Braves, Fielder, Reds, Cespedes, Dodgers
On this day last year, the Rangers traded Frank Francisco and cash considerations to the Blue Jays for Mike Napoli. Toronto pulled the trigger on the swap just four days after acquiring Napoli from the Halos. Here's a look at tonight's links..
- The Braves have set a player payroll budget of $94MM for this year, leaving them with several million dollars still to spend, chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk told Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. McGuirk also said that Liberty Media has expressed no intention of selling the club in the near future. Also of note is that the club is locked into a 25-year local TV deal that will prevent the franchise from cashing in on MLB’s trend toward higher telecast rights fees.
- The Rangers' bid for Prince Fielder was much shorter than nine years, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
- The Reds are probably done handing out big league deals this offseason, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Earlier tonight, the club reached agreement on a minor league deal with Jeff Francis.
- Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter) ranked Yoenis Cespedes' most probable destinations in the following order: Cubs, Marlins, Orioles, and White Sox.
- Peter Ueberroth says he's heard from several groups bidding on the Dodgers but rebuffed them all, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
- C. Trent Rosecrans of CBSSports.com examined what's left on the open market.
- Free agent Raul Ibanez believes that a three-day session that he had in December with Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo will be key to a bounce back season in 2012. Last season, Ibanez hit .245/.289/.419 in 575 plate appearances for the Phillies.
- Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette is zeroed in on improving the club's on-base percentage this winter, writes Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun.
- Rival executives applaud Fielder for signing on with a winning club rather than signing with a struggling club just for the money, Heyman tweets.
Rosenthal On Fukudome, Uehara, Orioles, Jackson
A look at the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- Kosuke Fukudome wants to remain in the majors, according to a source with knowledge of his thinking. Some executives, however, believe he could end up back in Japan. The Brewers had interest in Fukudome before signing Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki.
- Rangers right-hander Koji Uehara enjoyed his time so much in Baltimore that he recommended the Orioles to the two free-agents the team signed out of the Japanese league, Tsuyoshi Wada and Wei-Yin Chen, according to a major-league source. A trade back to the O's is possible for Uehara, who rejected a deal to the Blue Jays this week.
- The Red Sox are talking to Edwin Jackson, who might be open to a one-year pact. However, one executive points out that the AL East isn't an easy landing spot for a starting pitcher. If Jackson signs for one year, he might be better off in the NL, where he could produce better numbers before trying the open market again.
- The bright side of the Nationals’ failure to sign Prince Fielder is that it allows the club to retain positional flexibility, particularly in center field. A long-term deal for the slugger eventually might have pushed the Nats to use an outfield of Michael Morse in left, Jayson Werth in center and Bryce Harper in right. Now, they can move Morse to first after Adam LaRoche plays out his contract this season and go after a center fielder.