Orioles Rumors: Hardy, Matsui, Thome, Uehara
The O's are talking about a J.J. Hardy trade with the Twins. Here are some more Orioles updates from Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun…
- The team did not offer Carlos Pena or Paul Konerko contracts before the first basemen signed in Chicago, according to president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail.
- It's likely that the team's shortstop will be Hardy, Jason Bartlett, Brendan Ryan or Cesar Izturis, MacPhail said. The Padres appear to be close to a deal for Bartlett, which would limit the Orioles' options.
- MacPhail says the club has expressed interest in a number of DH types. Vladimir Guerrero, Hideki Matsui and Jim Thome are believed to be among the team's targets.
- The team, which selects fourth in tomorrow's Rule 5 draft, is considering a number of players.
- There are no updates on Kevin Gregg, but Zrebiec reported yesterday that the team has offered the former Blue Jays closer a two-year deal.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post hears (on Twitter) that Nick Green could end up in Baltimore.
Magglio Ordonez Rumors: Wednesday
The latest on Magglio Ordonez…
- Today's workout was only meant for the Tigers and was not an open audition, tweets MLB.com's Ian Browne.
- The Orioles did not watch Ordonez work out today and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail refuted the report that they're interested, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (Twitter link).
- Interestingly, the Red Sox did not have a representative at Ordonez's workout today, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The Tigers were there, GM Dave Dombrowski told MLB.com's Jason Beck.
- It's doubtful that the Red Sox would give Ordonez a two-year deal, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe hears (Twitter link).
- The Red Sox appear to be focusing on Ordonez in their search for an outfielder, reports CBS Sports' Danny Knobler. This would not be good news for Carl Crawford. The Tigers, Phillies, and Orioles are also said to be in the mix for Maggs. Ordonez is coming off a broken ankle, but worked out for teams today. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says Boras is seeking at least two years and $20MM.
Orioles In Serious Talks For J.J. Hardy
7:11pm: The Twins and Orioles are still working on a Hardy deal, tweets Smith.
4:23pm: The teams were never close to a deal today, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (on Twitter). The Pirates are also talking to the Twins about Hardy, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports. Meanwhile, Jason Bartlett's availability will likely shape talks to an extent and the Rays are apparently going to trade their shortstop.
2:28pm: A deal is unlikely to be completed today, tweets Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
12:58pm: The Orioles are in serious trade negotiations with the Twins for J.J. Hardy, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun via his colleague Jeff Zrebiec. Zrebiec believes two Orioles minor league pitchers would be involved, including Brett Jacobson.
Seven Teams Interested In Octavio Dotel
Seven clubs are interested in Octavio Dotel, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes (on Twitter, in Spanish). The Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Orioles, Twins, Pirates and Yankees have inquired on the right-hander, Rojas writes.
The 37-year-old bounced from the Pirates to the Dodgers to the Rockies in 2010 and posted a 4.08 ERA along the way. He picked up 21 saves as the Pirates' closer and struck out over a batter per inning (10.5 K/9) overall. Dotel walked lots of hitters as usual (4.5 BB/9), but limited hits.
Latest On Athletics Designated Hitter Search
5:36pm: The A's are confident they can sign Matsui, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).
2:32pm: This morning, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle posted the latest on the Athletics' search for a designated hitter:
- Vladimir Guerrero is now open to a one-year deal with any AL West team. The Mariners are probably not a match given the Jack Cust signing, and the Angels probably aren't planning a reunion, so this news really only affects the Athletics. Meanwhile, the Rangers still consider Vlad their best DH option and are optimistic about a deal according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
- The A's still have Hideki Matsui atop their list, though he's drawn interest from the Orioles and possibly Rangers.
- Nick Johnson, said to be fully recovered from wrist surgery, is also in the mix for Oakland.
Padres Pushing For Jason Bartlett
The Rays will definitely trade Jason Bartlett, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who suggests a deal could go down tonight (Twitter links). The Orioles aren't involved, so it's down to the Padres and Pirates. We'll keep track of all the rumors right here:
- Bartlett is likely going to San Diego, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (on Twitter).
- The Padres and Rays are discussing a deal that would send pitchers Adam Russell and Cesar Ramos to Tampa Bay for Bartlett, according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union Tribune.
- The Rays are asking the Pirates for Joel Hanrahan, according to Rob Biertempfel (on Twitter).
- It appears that Bartlett wants to sign an extension if traded, according to Sherman.
Ryan Ludwick Drawing Trade Interest
WEDNESDAY, 3:15pm: The Padres would only trade Ludwick for a package that includes two or three pieces, which means he'll likely be in their opening day lineup, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
TUESDAY, 10:46pm: Ryan Ludwick is generating trade interest, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Red Sox, Tigers, Orioles and Dodgers are among the teams that have checked in, according to the reporters. At this point – just 48 hours after trading Adrian Gonzalez – the Padres seem reluctant to part with Ludwick.
The Orioles, Tigers and Red Sox have also been linked to another outfielder who bats from the right side and is a year away from free agency: Josh Willingham.
Ludwick, 32, earned 5.45MM in 2010 and has hit 76 home runs over the course of the past three seasons, so he'll surpass the $6MM mark through arbitration in 2011 and could earn close to $7MM. He batted .251/.325/.418 with 17 homers and 27 doubles in 551 plate appearances last year.
Heyman’s Latest: Vlad, Thome, Molina, Mets
SI.com's Jon Heyman brings us some updates from around the league, via Twitter:
- Vladimir Guerrero's main suitors appear to be the Rangers, Orioles, and Athletics. Only the Orioles have a set option at designated hitter of that bunch, in Luke Scott. He can man first base, however, and his name has popped up in trade rumors from time to time.
- Heyman lists the same suitors for another DH candidate — Jim Thome. In a separate tweet, Heyman agrees with this report that the Twins are a possible landing spot as well.
- Bengie Molina is now "on the fence" about playing in 2011. Heyman says the veteran backstop could sit out for a year and then return in 2012.
- The Mets prefer Chris Young to Jeff Francis, as Young is said to be willing to accept a guaranteed salary of around $2MM. Francis, according to Heyman, is looking for a guarantee between $4MM and $5MM.
Snag In White Sox, Konerko Talks?
10:26pm: White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf still wants the deal to happen and will work to resolve things by tomorrow afternoon, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
10:00pm: White Sox GM Kenny Williams told Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune that he’s prepared to move on without Konerko and address other needs. "There's no deadline, but we're going to make the first best deal we can," Williams said. The White Sox had plans to discuss alternatives this evening.
5:25pm: There's still "pretty decent optimism" for a deal, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Konerko's agent is pushing for more than the White Sox want to commit.
4:14pm: There have been "big changes" in the talks, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter links). The Konerko ship may be sailing, Cowley writes. Even though talks have hit a snag, it does seem that there's a fit here.
4:10pm: Snag or no snag, the Orioles expect Konerko to re-sign with the White Sox, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). The O's will likely be in on Derrek Lee if that's the case.
12:50pm: The White Sox are not the only team to make a multiyear offer to Konerko, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. No deal is expected today.
10:59am: There could be a snag in the Konerko talks, tweets Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, with the player's agent insisting on $15MM per year.
7:11am: We've heard Paul Konerko's name connected to a few teams over the past several days, including the White Sox, Orioles, Rangers, and Diamondbacks. According to this tweet from SI's Jon Heyman, however, the White Sox are "in the driver's seat" for Konerko.
The Rangers will instead be focusing their efforts on signing Cliff Lee, and Heyman quotes a friend of Konerko who says "no way" on the possibility of him going to the Orioles. The Diamondbacks don't have enough money to win the bidding, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Yesterday, we heard that talks between the White Sox and Konerko were going well, and that he could be in line for a $12.5MM annual salary, possibly over three years. The 34-year-old Konerko enjoyed perhaps the best season of his career, hitting .312/.393/.584 with 39 home runs. He finished fifth in the American League MVP voting.
Orioles-Rays Swap ‘Not Happening’
5:13pm: The Orioles are moving on to other targets, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter). Those alternatives include trade candidates Brendan Ryan, J.J. Hardy and free agent Orlando Cabrera.
4:48pm: Reimold is off the table, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). He isn't going to Tampa and he's probably staying put.
4:13pm: The trade is "not happening," a source tells ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter).
3:37pm: There will be no deal today, according to Ghiroli (on Twitter). The sides are close, but a trade now seems less likely than it did earlier.
2:38pm: No deal is imminent and the names vary, tweets MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. The Rays want Reimold and Alfredo Simon for Bartlett, tweets Connolly.
1:26pm: The Rays are talking with the Orioles about Bartlett, and it's for more than Reimold, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
11:49am: A possible deal sending Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett to the Orioles for outfielder/first baseman Nolan Reimold is heating up, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. He has one source who expects the trade to happen today.
The Rays are one of few teams with a shortstop surplus, and Bartlett may earn over $5MM in his last year before free agency. Reimold had a strong rookie season for Baltimore in '09 but had a lost 2010.