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Cafardo On Nationals, Vazquez, Sizemore, Norris

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Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Michael Weiner has been an inspiration to everyone that works in his office, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Weiner, who is living with an inoperable brain tumor, handed his role of general counsel to David Prouty last week.  “Mike has handled this whole situation with incredible grace and incredible humor, too,” Prouty said. “That’s the way he’s handled everything. So in a way, we’ve all been inspired by him. More generally, Mike is always an inspiration to be around in terms of being a colleague and an executive director who cares about players and about the game.”  Here's more from today's column..

  • The Nationals and others continue to keep an eye Javier Vazquez, who is recovering from minor knee surgery. Washington’s interest may be piqued by Gio Gonzalez’s alleged link to the Miami PED clinic. The Nationals have faith in Ross Detwiler, but Vazquez would give them depth.
  • There was thought that a team would sign Grady Sizemore and wait until he recovers from his latest knee surgery, but so far, they are staying away.  “It’s hard to take the risk, even if it’s minimal,” said one exec whose team needs outfield help. “At this point, I think you wait until he feels he’s ready and then you look. If someone beats you to it, so be it.”
  • Bud Norris is one of the last remaining assets on the Astros and should become one of the most sought-after pitchers before the season or at the trading deadline. The Astros haven’t said they’d deal him, but they didn't indicate they would move Jed Lowrie either before he was sent to the A's.  The Cardinals and Orioles are two teams to watch on Norris.
  • The Red Sox were willing to part ways with Kelly Shoppach in part because of his attitude.
  • One scout thinks one of the best under-the-radar moves this winter was the Rays obtaining Yunel Escobar, who was traded twice this winter. 

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Rays, Jacoby Ellsbury

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The Yankees enter the 2013 season with a sense of uncertainty surrounding its aging roster in a division that could see all five teams make a run at the playoffs. New York does have a handful of minor league pitchers that may be of service to the squad in the near future including Mark Montgomery, a hard-throwing right-hander viewed as a potential successor to Mariano Rivera, according to Bill Madden of the New York Daily News. 

  • A lack of continuity at the shortstop position has been an issue for the Red Sox ever since the team traded away Nomar Garciaparra during the summer of 2004, but that trend may be about to change, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal. Boston will count on Stephen Drew to start at shortstop for the 2013 season, but will look to eventually turn the job over to Jose Iglesias, Xander Bogaerts or Deven Marrero, its top prospects at the position.
  • The Rays will enter the 2013 season with a different look after the team made a series of trades and signings that impacted all aspects of the squad, says Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The moves allowed the Rays to keep their payroll in check as well as reload on young talent that will be able to help the team over the long haul. 
  • Jacoby Ellsbury's tenure with the Red Sox may come to an end next offseason as he is set to become a free agent along with the fact that Scott Boras is his agent, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. “Ellsbury is a very talented player and we know what he can do on the field when he’s feeling good physically,” Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said. “We’re obviously a better team when he’s on the field and we’d love for him to be a Red Sox for a long time."

Red Sox Notes: Cherington, Pedroia, Lavarnway

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There has been a lot of talk this offseason about what John Farrell can do for the Red Sox pitching staff as manager, but GM Ben Cherington reminded reporters today that he is charged with doing a lot more than working with a few hurlers, writes Tim Britton of The Providence Journal.  Here's a look at the highlights from Cherington's chat with the press out of Fort Myers, Florida and other news on the BoSox..

  • Cherington said the team hasn’t started extension talks with any players but it is expected that the Red Sox will open conversations with Dustin Pedroia at some point this spring, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  “I can’t rule it out, but I can’t rule it in, either,” said the GM regarding extensions.
  • As of right now, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and David Ross are being viewed as the major league catchers, leaving Ryan Lavarnway as the odd man out, Speier writes.  With a glut of backstops, Lavarnway will remain a trade candidate as we enter spring training.
  • Cherington accepted the blame for a lack of depth in the starting rotation in 2012, according to Speier.  However, he feels more confident about the team’s pitching heading into this season.  The Red Sox will be stretching out Alfredo Aceves and Franklin Morales as starters in spring training in support of the projected rotation of Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey, Ryan Dempster, and Felix Doubront.

AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Lester, Bailey

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Here's a look at the American League East..

  • Jon Lester knows that after a down year in 2012, teams will likely try to buy low on him, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes.  The Red Sox left-hander is entering the final guaranteed season of his five-year, $30MM deal and Boston holds a $13MM option for 2014.  So far, the two sides have yet to engage in extension talks.
  • In his address to reporters in Tampa, Florida, Yankees co-owner Hal Steinbrenner explained that the club's much talked about plan to get under $189MM by 2014 isn't set in stone, writes Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger.  “Everybody keeps talking about the $189MM…Is that our goal next year? Yes, to be at that number, that’s our goal. But as I’ve said from the beginning, that depends on some of our young players stepping up and getting the job done. That has to happen. Or it’s going to be difficult," Steinbrenner said.
  • Andrew Bailey is happy to have Joel Hanrahan in the mix, but he says that he eventually wants to return to being a closer and he wants to make it happen with the Red Sox, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal.

No Extension Talks For Red Sox, Lester

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Left-hander Jon Lester could hit free agency less than a year from now, but the Red Sox don’t seem anxious to negotiate a new contract at this time. Lester said the team has not approached him about a contract extension, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports (on Twitter).

Lester will earn $11.625MM this coming season in the last guaranteed year of the five-year, $30MM contract he signed in the spring of 2009. The deal includes a $13MM team option for 2014, which means Lester will only hit the open market if the Red Sox decline the option. ACES represents Lester, who drew some trade interest earlier in the offseason.

Though Lester started 33 games and completed 205 1/3 innings last year, he didn't pitch as well as usual, posting a 4.82 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 49.2% ground ball rate. His fastball averaged 92.6 mph — right around his career mark.

Red Sox Unlikely To Make Serious Play For Kyle Lohse

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While some might see Kyle Lohse as a fit for the Red Sox given their financial flexibility, it is “highly unlikely” that Red Sox will be the team to sign him, a major league source tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.  Boston had some interest in Lohse earlier in the offseason, but that was before they signed Ryan Dempster.

Predictably, the Red Sox aren't keen on Lohse in part because of the draft pick compensation tied to him.  Besides that, they already have a starting five in place with Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey, Felix Doubront, and Dempster.

Last month, we learned that the Angels aren't expected to pursue the right-hander either. 

East Notes: Red Sox, Kazmir, Dice-K, Cashman

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Economist Andrew Zimbalist says Terry Francona's portrayal of the Red Sox ownership group in his new book gives an unfair representation of John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino's level of investment in the team, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. “I think they’re all really smart. And I think they all really do love baseball, and I think they understand the intricacies of baseball,” said Zimbalist. “John Henry is a stats guy. John Henry brought Bill James to Boston — along with some other very good sabermetricians, by the way."

Here's the latest stories and headlines making news out of the AL and NL East Divisions…

  • Former Mets prospect Scott Kazmir will attempt to make a return to the big leagues this season and believes he can regain the form that made him an All-Star with the Rays, writes Mark Hale of the New York Post.“If his velocity’s back and his confidence is back,” Kazmir’s former pitching coach with the Angels, Mike Butcher, said, “this guy still could be an impact in the major leagues.”
  • Daisuke Matsuzaka remains on the Mets' radar as he could be an option for either the starting rotation or in the bullpen, write Matthew Cerrone and Michael Baron of MetsBlog.com. Matsuzaka, 32, just completed a six-year, $52MM contract with the Red Sox. 
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman celebrates 15 years in his current post with New York today, writes Richard Justice of MLB.com. The hiring of the former Catholic University second baseman in 1998 marked owner George Steinbrenner's 14th general manager in 25 years.

Cafardo On Bourn, Red Sox, Morales, Bailey, Okajima

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The Yankees will face an uphill battle if they attempt to void Alex Rodriguez's contract due to his alleged ties to a Miami PED clinic.  The use of banned substances alone may not be enough to 86 a contract, but a former agent tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that they could try to prove there was fraud prior to the contract being signed.  In that situation, the Bombers would try to show that A-Rod lied about taking PEDs and therefore the contract was agreed to under false pretenses.  Here's more from today's column, with a heavy dose of news on current and former members of the Red Sox..

  • There has been speculation that the Mets are trying to get MLB to allow them to keep their first-round pick if they sign Michael Bourn.  According to a Mets source, they are still trying to determine whether they can get him to sign and they'll only go all out on the compensation issue if they determine that they can. 
  • A few teams contacted the Red Sox about left-hander Franklin Morales this winter and a few others are watching him closely in spring training.  Teams are intrigued by Morales’s starting capability and are especially interested to see if he can consistently maintain his 96 mph fastball over a full outing.  If Gio Gonzalez winds up being penalized for his alleged link to the PED clinic in Miami, Cafardo believes that the Nationals may be interested in Morales.
  • Andrew Bailey is another Red Sox pitcher who will be watched by scouts.  There are still teams out there who could use a closer like the Tigers and Mets and Boston might listen for the right return.
  • A few teams are interested in signing Hideki Okajima to a minor league deal, but he hasn’t made up his mind yet.  The left-hander was recently released by his Japanese team so that he could pursue a return to the majors.
  • Teams like the Astros and Mets are kicking around the possibility of bringing Daisuke Matsuzaka to camp to see if he can recapture the form he had in his first two seasons in Boston.  He could also head back to Japan if he doesn't feel that he has a good chance of making a big league roster.  Last month, a Mets insider told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that he didn't believe the club reached out to Matsuzaka.
  • Derek Lowe wants to be a starting pitcher, but it appears that he will have to go settle for being a swingman.  The Mets and the Astros are possibilities.

Quick Hits: Marlins, Reds, Bourn, Lohse, Hendrickson

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As February gets underway, Michael Bourn still stands as the best available free agent on the open market.  Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (on Twitter) opines that the Mets, Mariners, and Rays are the teams that make the most sense for the center fielder.  As for the best starter left on the free agent pile, Bowden sees the Red Sox, Rangers, Angels, Brewers, and Orioles as the best fits for Kyle Lohse.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • Don't look for the Marlins to make any major moves the remainder of the offseason, says Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter). The team will enter spring training with the roster it currently has in place.
  • Regardless of whether or not Scott Rolen joins the Reds, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the club is facing a serious roster crunch.  It seems that the veteran wants to play in 2013 but money will be a determining factor in his decision.  Recently, the Dodgers reached out to Rolen to express interest.
  • The Orioles expect to announce the signing of veteran left-handerMark Hendrickson to a minor league contract with a spring training invite early next week, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.  The O's also hope to announce their deal with Jair Jurrjens and remain interested in bringing Joe Saunders back despite the depth that they've added.
  • Torii Hunter says that enjoyed his time with the Angels, but he also felt misled when the club told him they didn't have enough money to keep him before signing Josh Hamilton to a five-year, $125MM deal, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.  The veteran hooked on with the Tigers this winter in pursuit of a World Series ring.
  • The Tigers had a tough time trying to find organizational depth this winter as many players figured that their path to the majors would be blocked, writes George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press.  Regardless, assistant General Manager Al Avila says that the club is done signing minor league players and is ready for spring training.

Daniel Seco contributed to this post.

AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Teixeira

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Here's a look at some items on the Yankees and Red Sox..

  • The Yankees' bullpen in 2012 featured only two left-handers, but that figure may change in 2013, says Chad Jennings of the Journal News. Look for Boone Logan to reprise his role as Joe Girardi's go-to left-handed reliever as the veteran made 80 appearances last season.
  • With a lack of appealing first basemen left on the free agent market, the Red Sox figure to look internally for Mike Napoli insurance, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal.  Boston recently inked Lyle Overbay to a minor league deal and the veteran can opt out of his contract if he isn't on the big league roster by the end of spring training.
  • Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira knows that fans see his eight-year, $180MM contract as an overpay, and he doesn't disagree, writes Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal.  "Agents are probably going to hate me for saying it," the 33-year-old said. "You're not very valuable when you're making $20MM. When you're Mike Trout, making the minimum, you are crazy valuable. My first six years, before I was a free agent, I was very valuable. But there's nothing you can do that can justify a $20MM contract."
  • In an interview with Drew Voros of Index Universe, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman explained that he tends to be conservative when pursuing pitching talent from Japan due to differences in pitching routines and the size of the mounds.  The interview also covers Cashman's approach to statistical analysis and his affinity for low-risk, high-reward type acquisitions.

Daniel Seco contributed to this post.

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