Orioles Rumors

Odds & Ends: Vazquez, A’s, Orioles, Marlins

By Mike Axisa | December 22, 2009 at 9:55pm CDT

A few links…

ESPN's Keith Law rated David Ortiz signing with Boston as the best free agent pickup of the decade. Darren Dreifort's deal with the Dodgers was the worst, and he called the Erik Bedard trade the biggest of the decade. That last one is certainly debatable; I prefer the Bartolo Colon for Grady Sizemore (plus others) deal.
Interestingly, Yankees' GM Brian Cashman noted today that the club tried to acquire Javier Vazquez from Arizona after 2005 and the White Sox after 2008, “but we just didn’t match up," reports Chad Jennings of The Journal News.
Bruce Jenkins of The SF Chronicle says that the A's are winning the battle of the Bay Area this offseason. Of course, the regular season is the battle you really want to win.
Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports that Orioles' president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said "My guess is I wouldn't think we'll be doing anything anytime soon, which is not to be interpreted as not doing anything between now and Sarasota." The O's finalized the Garrett Atkins deal today.
MLB.com's Joe Frisaro writes about the Marlins' first base situation, noting that there's certainly no shortage of in-house options.
Bill Ladson of MLB.com tweets that the Nationals continue to show interest in righty John Smoltz, "but they are not willing to break the bank to get him."
Coco Crisp's physical with the A's was delayed because of travel issues, so the announcement of his signing will have to wait says Susan Slusser of The SF Chronicle.
Maury Brown at The Biz of Baseball takes a look at the growth of player salaries over the last decade.
Here's some news on a different kind of contract negotiation: According to the AP (via ESPN) MLB and the umpires hope to have a new agreement in place tomorrow, which will allow for greater flexibility with postseason assignments.

Orioles Sign Garrett Atkins

By Mark Polishuk | December 22, 2009 at 2:22pm CDT

The Orioles signed corner infielder Garrett Atkins to a one-year, $4.5MM deal today. He has an $8.5MM club option for 2011 with a $500K buyout. Atkins can earn up to $500K in incentives in 2010. Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun broke news of the agreement on December 16th, while Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post and MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (via Twitter) followed with contract details.

Atkins was non-tendered by Colorado on December 12th after hitting .226/.308/.342 in 399 plate appearances in 2009. Atkins spent his entire seven-year major league career with the Rockies, posting a career .811 OPS. He's logged time at first and third base in recent years, and his versatility gives the O's the ability to sign another corner infielder if they choose.

My expectations for Atkins are pretty low, but there's little harm in the Orioles giving him a shot.

This post was rewritten by Tim Dierkes.

Odds & Ends: Gonzalez, Bradley, Hamels

By Luke Adams 2 | December 20, 2009 at 3:56pm CDT

Let's have a look at some miscellaneous Sunday links….

The Tigers purchased the contract of catcher Andy Bouchie from the Long Beach Armada. Bouchie, 24, was a seventh round pick by the Brewers after his junior season at Oral Roberts University, but was released due to catching depth in the Milwaukee system. He hit .290 with 7 home runs and 45 RBI in 59 games in the Golden Baseball League this year.
Jon Paul Morosi explains why the Padres should wait until July 31 to trade Adrian Gonzalez.
Larry Stone offers some optimism for Seattle fans with concerns about newly-acquired Milton Bradley in a nice article, reminding us that Bradley has had non-problematic stops over the course of his career. Stone quotes Eddie Guardado, Bud Black, and Ken Macha, all of whom support Bradley.
Scott Lauber writes that amidst the Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee pandemonium, it's easy to forget about Cole Hamels, but the Phillies haven't. They still see Hamels as a top-of-the-rotation arm and are confident in his ability to rebound from a forgettable 2009.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes that Oakland's potential deal with Coco Crisp reflects the value the A's place on defense.
In his usual lengthy Sunday column, the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo focuses primarily on the Red Sox' moves, past, present, and future. He provides at least one interesting hot stove note though: Mark DeRosa's asking price has come down, and Cafardo wonders if the Mets could sign the infielder and play him at first base.
Cafardo also mentions that, while plenty of teams are interested in Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankees hope to match any final offer the right-hander receives.
Newsday's Ken Davidoff can't see any other teams taking a chance on Mike Lowell unless he exhibits good health in Spring Training.
In a separate article, Davidoff examines the next move for Johnny Damon. Davidoff lists the Braves, Rays, Cubs, and Mets as possible destinations, but concedes there are roadblocks in each case.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports looks at the remaining names on the closing market, concluding that there are too many arms and not enough teams in need of a closer.
Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun says there's nothing wrong with any of the Orioles' recent signings, but that they aren't the big splashes fans may have hoped to see.

Odds & Ends: Rollins, Orioles, Anthopoulos

By Mike Axisa | December 19, 2009 at 1:49pm CDT

Saturday morning links. Not quite as good as cartoons, but we'll do our best…

Paul Hagen of The Philadelphia Daily News says that Phillies' management "tacitly acknowledged that [Jimmy Rollins' next contract] could turn into a contentious issue." The club picked up J-Roll's 2011 option yesterday
Orioles' president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said he'll probably "let the market percolate" from now on, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. In English, that means he'll let the hot stove play out and see what arises.
Blue Jays' GM Alex Anthopoulos chatted with fans yesterday, discussing everything from the Roy Halladay trade to Travis Snider trade rumors to what it's like being a GM. I highly recommend checking it out.
Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post Dispatch says that Matt Holliday should learn from Johnny Damon, who essentially priced his way out of New York with his contract demands.
Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News writes that Marlon Byrd signing with the Cubs appears "to be the next domino to fall."
Curious about what the current 2010 draft order currently looks like? Well here it is. There's only three Type-A free agents left unsigned: Holliday, Jason Bay, and Jose Valverde.
Earlier today we heard that the Nationals are going after Jon Garland. Now, free agent outfielder Randy Winn is on their radar as well, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.

Olney On Gonzalez, LaRoche, Holliday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 18, 2009 at 4:57pm CDT

ESPN.com's Buster Olney asked an "independent evaluator" to guess what the Red Sox would have to give up to obtain Adrian Gonzalez. Olney's source says the Padres need to acquire Ryan Westmoreland and Casey Kelly, plus other highly-touted prospects. Gonzalez is under control for two more years at $10.25MM. He'd probably be worth $40MM-plus over two years on the open market, so the Padres have some serious bargaining power. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:

The A's are interested in Adrian Beltre, but "only in an Oakland economy size financial package."
Some teams bristle at the idea of paying eight figures for Beltre.
Some teams have been put off by Adam LaRoche's asking price.
The Orioles checked out of the Matt Holliday derby when they learned that he's asking for considerably more than $75MM.

Orioles Sign Mike Gonzalez

By Tim Dierkes | December 18, 2009 at 3:12pm CDT

The Orioles signed lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez to a two-year deal worth $12MM guaranteed, as first reported by Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Gonzalez is likely to close for the O's, and Yahoo's Tim Brown tweeted that he can earn another $4MM in incentives. Since the Braves offered arbitration to Gonzalez, a Type A free agent, the Orioles will surrender their second-round pick (currently #44) to them.

Gonzalez, 32 in May, attracted strong interest this winter (at least according to Scott Boras). For the Braves this year he posted a 2.42 ERA, 10.9 K/9, and 4.0 BB/9 in a career-high 74.3 innings. He saved ten games, with Rafael Soriano getting the Braves' other chances. Gonzalez had Tommy John surgery in May of '07 and made it back to the Majors about a year later. He missed some time in July of this year with elbow tendinitis, but says the injuries are completely behind him.

Dan Connolly's Baltimore Sun article has quotes from Gonzalez, Orioles president Andy MacPhail, and manager Dave Trembley. So far this winter the Orioles have added Gonzalez, Kevin Millwood, and Garrett Atkins (at a total cost of $25MM), but Trembley said he doesn't think MacPhail is done yet.

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Vazquez, Matthews

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 18, 2009 at 12:23pm CDT

Some links for Friday…

Jayson Stark and Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com expect the Cubs to go after free agent center fielders now that they've dealt Milton Bradley.
John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer doesn't expect the Reds to deal Aaron Harang in the near future.
The Chiba Lotte Marines signed Bryan Corey, according to NPB Tracker.
A source close to Javier Vazquez tells MLB.com's Mark Bowman that it's highly unlikely the pitcher would approve a trade to a west coast team like the Angels. The Braves are still interested in trading Derek Lowe.
USA Today's Bob Nightengale says it would be an upset to see anyone but the Cardinals sign Matt Holliday.
Now that the Dodgers have traded Juan Pierre, the Angels are optimistic about unloading Gary Matthews Jr. and his contract, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. The Angels will have to eat some of the $23MM owed to Matthews if they hope to deal him.
O's reliever Jim Johnson tells Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that he's glad to have new acquisition Mike Gonzalez around.
Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News says the Yankees still need another arm. Brian Cashman says the Yankees aren't done.
Tyler Kepner of the New York Times expects the Yanks to spend big on next year's free agent class.
New Blue Jay Kyle Drabek tells the Toronto Sun that he doesn't plan on changing his approach, though he does feel some pressure as a major piece of the Roy Halladay trade.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the Pirates evaluate players and then stand by the figures they decide on almost all the time. This approach prevents the Pirates from over-spending and sometimes prevents them from signing their targets (like Miguel Angel Sano).
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that the Brewers expect Claudio Vargas to take his physical today and finalize his deal.
Yahoo's Jeff Passan examines Scott Boras' relationship with mystery teams.

Odds & Ends: Orioles, Dodgers, Beltre, Pujols

By Luke Adams 2 | December 17, 2009 at 9:28pm CDT

Let's round up some Thursday evening links….

The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly hears from Orioles officials that the team isn't serious about Matt Holliday or Adrian Gonzalez. This probably means that, despite their flurry of recent activity, Baltimore is done spending for now.
Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts takes a look at the Dodgers' salary obligations for 2010.
Todd Zolecki of MLB.com follows up on the Roy Halladay–Cliff Lee blockbuster by breaking down Halladay's extension and relaying Lee's reaction to the trade.
While the Cardinals wait on Holliday, Mark DeRosa is exploring his other options, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Yahoo's Tim Brown adds a surprising team to a list of otherwise predictable suitors for Adrian Beltre: the Oakland Athletics. ESPN.com's Buster Olney follows up on this point, noting that the A's do have interest, but not at $10MM a year.
The Marlins still could retain Dan Uggla, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. However, the team hasn't been in contact with his agent since the Winter Meetings, so a trade looks more likely. We heard some details earlier today about discussions the Marlins and Giants have had regarding Uggla.
Albert Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, tells Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Cardinals' negotiations with Holliday won't affect a possible Pujols extension: "Albert respects Matt and would love to have him as a teammate and hopes he gets his money, but Matt’s situation must be seen as independent of Albert’s."
A source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Adam Dunn "is not going anywhere for now."
Newsday's Ken Davidoff thinks that Johnny Damon's run in New York is about to come to an end.
Jeff Wilson of the Dallas Morning News says that if the Mike Lowell trade falls through because of Lowell's health, the Rangers have other targets, including Vladimir Guerrero, Jermaine Dye, and Jim Thome. Morosi says we should know about the Lowell deal "one way or the other" by the end of the weekend.
Pirates GM Neal Huntington answers fans' questions about his team's future in an MLB.com mailbag.

Orioles Join Holliday Bidding?

By Tim Dierkes | December 17, 2009 at 3:11pm CDT

3:11pm: We have a pair of Holliday tweets from earlier this afternoon. ESPN's Buster Olney says the Orioles had brief talks for Holliday ten days ago, talks that are now dormant. Meanwhile Yahoo's Tim Brown believes Holliday has a legitimate offer from an East Coast team, not the Orioles.

12:20pm: Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun says that privately, the Orioles "have no expectations whatsoever that Holliday will be with the team next year."

12:05am: The Orioles have "jumped into" the bidding for outfielder Matt Holliday, write Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Despite the leap, the writers question the team's seriousness and Holliday's inclination to play in Baltimore, labeling the O's a longshot.

The majority of the article explains why signing Holliday could make sense for the Orioles, in the vein that signing Mark Teixeira a year ago made sense for them in some people's minds. You tell us, Orioles fans – would signing Holliday energize you? Would you want the O's to subsequently deal from their outfield depth to add pitching?

Market For Mike MacDougal

By Tim Dierkes | December 17, 2009 at 2:22pm CDT

ESPN's Jayson Stark looks at the market for recently non-tendered reliever Mike MacDougal in a Rumor Central post today. Stark says eight to ten teams are "actively pursuing" MacDougal, with the Phillies most interested. Stark names the Orioles, Pirates, Cardinals, Mets, and A's as other suitors.

The Nationals had the worst bullpen ERA in baseball in 2009 (5.09), so their decision to non-tender MacDougal isn't a good sign. The righty, 33 in March, struck out only 34 while walking 38 in 54.3 innings this year. Despite a 96 mph fastball and a strong groundball rate, MacDougal would be a risky late-inning bullpen addition if he costs several million.

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