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AL East Notes: Gio, Jones, Buchholz, Garcia

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Here's the latest from the AL East…

  • "Gio Gonzalez has been a name widely discussed internally" by the Red Sox, reports Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston.  The Sox are "extremely high" on the Athletics left-hander.  We've also heard the Yankees and Marlins are interested in Gonzalez, though the A's haven't yet begun seriously discussing possible trades.
  • The Orioles don't have to pursue an extension with Adam Jones this winter, opines MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli.  She believes if Baltimore's young pitchers don't show signs of improvement next season, the O's will have to enter yet another rebuilding process, and only then will the team decide if Jones is a long-term answer.  If the Orioles rebuild, Jones would command a heavy price on the trade market.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at Jones as an extension candidate in August.
  • We recently heard from FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal that the Red Sox asked the Blue Jays about Toronto manager (and former Sox pitching coach) John Farrell.  According to David Waldstein of the New York Times (Twitter link), the Jays asked for Clay Buchholz in return.  As Rosenthal wrote, "the Sox never considered it likely that the Jays would engage in serious discussions about Farrell, and the conversations failed to progress," which isn't at all surprising if Buchholz was the asking price.
  • Freddy Garcia could have found a two-year deal elsewhere but wanted to return to the Yankees, tweets Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.  The Red Sox were the only other team known to have an interest in Garcia, who agreed to terms today on a one-year, $5MM deal with New York.

American League Free Agent Arbitration Offers

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10 American League teams have free agent arbitration offer decisions to make, and we'll update them in this post throughout the day in advance of the 11pm central time deadline.  For a fantastic customizable chart with all 57 Type A/B free agents and their teams' decisions in real-time, click here. 

Updated team decisions:

Teams with decisions still due:

Cesar Izturis Drawing Interest

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Cesar Izturis is looking for a Major League deal and has drawn interest from several teams, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The infielder won’t be re-signing with the Orioles, according to Connolly.

Izturis, 31, has spent the past three seasons in Baltimore, where he has played shortstop, second and third. He missed much of the 2011 season with elbow and groin injuries, but has a .255/.295/.322 line in 11 Major League seasons. UZR suggests the former Gold Glove winner has been an above-average defender in each of the past six seasons. Izturis is a client of Peter E. Greenberg & Associates, the same agency that represents free agent shortstop Jose Reyes.

Matt Klentak Named Angels Assistant GM

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The Angels announced Matt Klentak was hired as an assistant GM, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times.  ESPN's Keith Law first reported the likely move.  Klentak served as director of baseball operations for the Orioles since 2008.  Klentak was named one of our top 20 GM candidates in August, and you can read Ben Nicholson-Smith's interview with him here.  The Halos hired the first person on our list, Jerry Dipoto, as their new GM in October.

Orioles, Chong Tae-Hyon Near Deal

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TUESDAY, 11:01pm: Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun says the two sides are still finalizing some details and could have the deal wrapped up by Wednesday. An announcement is not imminent, and Tae-Hyon's physical will be delayed by Thanksgiving.

MONDAY, 9:13pm: The Orioles are close to a deal with Tae-Hyon, but haven't officially agreed to terms, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The right-hander would get a Major League deal, which means Baltimore will have to clear a 40-man roster spot.

8:22pm: The Orioles agreed to sign Korean right-hander Chong Tae-Hyon, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (on Twitter). The sides had been discussing a deal earlier today.

This 2009 video shows Tae-Hyon facing the Dodgers in a warmup game for the most recent World Baseball Classic .

Six Teams Interested In Huston Street

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TUESDAY: The Marlins, Red Sox, Reds and Mets are also interested in Street, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).

MONDAY: The Orioles and Blue Jays are among the teams to have expressed trade interest in Rockies reliever Huston Street, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Jim Johnson replaced Kevin Gregg as the Orioles' closer late last season, but Rosenthal says the O's prefer Johnson in next year's rotation.  There's no harm in inquiring on Street, but in my opinion an $8MM closer is a luxury the Orioles don't need.  We'll see whether the Rockies are willing to cover a decent chunk of his contract.  Rosenthal suggests Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie as a possible fit for Colorado, though I think Baltimore could trade Guthrie for better long-term assets than Street.

With Rafael Betancourt penciled in to close for the Rockies next year, Street seems widely available.  Rosenthal and colleague Jon Paul Morosi first made the Blue Jays connection last week.

Minor Moves: Spoone, Tolleson, Socolovich

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Here is a recap of today's minor league moves…

  • The Red Sox have signed right-hander Chorye Spoone to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, reports Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com. The deal is pending a physical. The Orioles designated the 26-year-old for assignment in July, and he pitched to a 4.50 ERA in 122 innings this season.
  • The Orioles have signed Steven Tolleson, reports Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The 28-year-old infielder hit .275/.358/.394 in 557 plate appearances in the Athletics' and Padres' farm systems in 2011.
  • Within the same link, Connolly also reports that the Orioles signed Miguel Socolovich. The 25-year-old righty struck out 11.1 batters per nine innings in the White Sox's system this year, posting a 3.44 ERA in 55 relief innings.

Orioles Talking To Chong Tae-Hyon

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4:40pm: The Orioles are trying to sign Tae-Hyon, according to Knobler (on Twitter).  GM Dan Duquette acknowledged the team's interest, but wouldn't say that the sides have completed a deal, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (on Twitter).

12:45pm: The Orioles have been talking to Korean free agent reliever Chong Tae-Hyon, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  According to Korean reports, Tae-Hyon has stopped all talks with his old team, the SK Wyverns, and wants to come to MLB.  Stories of the Orioles' interest first surfaced last week in Korean newspapers, which you can read here and here.  Click here to see a video of Tae-Hyon facing the Dodgers in a pre-World Baseball Classic warmup game in 2009.  

Orioles Sign Matt Antonelli

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The Orioles announced that they have signed Matt Antonelli to a Major League contract.  Antonelli was taken 17th overall by the Padres in the 2006 draft and has 65 Major League plate appearances to his name, all in 2008 with San Diego.  The 26-year-old posted an .847 OPS in the Nationals' system last year, playing almost all his games with Triple-A Syracuse.  Antonelli was originally drafted as a second baseman but spent time at second, third, shortstop and left field last year and is expected to compete for playing time on the infield next season.

“We are pleased to bring Matt to the organization,” GM Dan Duquette said in a statement. “He is a versatile major league player who has a good offensive approach and strong defensive skills at both third and second base.”

MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli was the first to report the signing, with Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun noting that Antonelli had signed a Major League deal (both Twitter links).

Cafardo On Red Sox, Ortiz, Saunders, Oswalt

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The Red Sox need a manager with some backbone, background, and one with plenty of experience, writes Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.  Because the team lacked discipline last season, he writes, Boston isn't the place for a young manager at this time.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • Orioles GM Dan Duquette met with Fern Cuza, David Ortiz’s agent, at the GM meetings.  Duquette and Cuza have been close over the years and worked together on deals for Cuza client Pedro Martinez.  Cafardo writes that Ortiz would be an intriguing figure at Camden Yards but in a radio interview over the weekend, Duquette said that he was wary of signing a high-priced DH.
  • Whether the Diamondbacks tender Joe Saunders a contract or not, he becomes an interesting possibility for the Red Sox as a back-of-the-rotation starter.  MLBTR projects that Saunders is in line for $8.7MM in arbitration this year and readers' opinions were split on whether or not the hurler would be tendered.
  • Cubs GM Theo Epstein will listen to offers on Matt Garza and just about anyone on his team in order to replentish his farm system.
  • Roy Oswalt’s agent, Bob Garber, spoke to Red Sox GM Ben Cherington last Wednesday.  The Sox could use his leadership in the rotation but the veteran's price could be prohibitive.
  • One scout who watched Yoenis Cespedes work out last week said that the Cuban outfielder has great power but has concerns that he could be prone to striking out frequently.
  • As the Red Sox look for a pitching coach, Dave Wallace is an interesting name to keep in mind.  Wallace served as Boston’s pitching coach before John Farrell.  Minor league pitching coordinator Bob McClure could also be an option, depending on who the team's next manager is.
  • Cafardo opines that the Cubs should give up outfielder Tyler Colvin to the Red Sox to wrap up their Theo Epstein compensation talks.
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