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Javier Vazquez Rumors: Thursday

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Though he didn't pitch during the 2012 season, veteran right-hander Javier Vazquez has drawn interest from several teams as he toys with the idea of returning to the Major Leagues under the right circumstances.  Here's the latest on some of Vazquez's suitors…

  • The Red Sox have watched each of Vazquez's last two starts in the Puerto Rican Winter League but Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald isn't sure how interested the team is in Vazquez, with one source saying the Sox are "just continuing to scout him" at this point.
  • Beyond the Red Sox and the Nationals, the White Sox also scouted Vazquez's last start, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).  Vazquez pitched for the Pale Hose from 2006-2008.
  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. tells ESPN's Jayson Stark (Twitter links) that the team has scouted Vazquez but their interest is limited "until we know what his plan is…We're flying at about 5,000 feet, just to see what's going on."
  • Despite all this interest, Vazquez reiterated that he hasn't decided yet if he'll return next season, tweets Rosenthal.  Vazquez's fastball reportedly reached 94 mph during his most recent start.

GM Notes: Cherington, Rizzo, Colletti

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Let's catch up on the latest stories and happenings taking place in front offices from around the league…

  • Red Sox GM Ben Cherington spoke to Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio about the status of free agent Mike Napoli and where the slugger stands with the team. Cherington told Bowden (via Twitter) that Boston is still looking to add offense to the first base position as the club still considers Napoli to be a free agent. He added that the Red Sox will continue to work through the issues of signing Napoli but admits there is no deal at this point (on Twitter).
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo faces the task of improving a 98-win team this offseason and recently took a break from the action to chat with MLB.com's Bill Ladson on the state of Nationals baseball. Rizzo points to the young, talented players on his roster taking the proverbial "next step" as one of the factors for the team's continued success in 2013.
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti's major concern for his roster isn't about adding more pieces but rather making sure players are fully recovered from various injuries before Spring Training starts, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. "We're fine right now if we come into camp, we're in a good spot," Colletti said.

Red Sox Hopeful They Can Complete Napoli Deal

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It's been more than a month since the Red Sox and Mike Napoli initially reached an agreement on a three-year, $39MM contract, but that deal has yet to be finalized. The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham writes that the Red Sox are still working on getting a deal finalized, and the team is hopeful it will get done. It's been believed that a hip injury has held up the deal's completion.

Boston has since engaged in discussions with the representatives for Adam LaRoche. Abraham writes that Napoli hasn't talked with other teams in this time, though there were reports to the contrary last month. Back on Dec. 27, Mike Axisa polled MLBTR readers, and 57 percent of respondents thought that the deal would fall through and Napoli would sign elsewhere.

The 31-year-old Napoli is just one year removed from a .320/.414/.631 season in which he belted 30 homers for the Rangers. That production dropped significantly in 2012, though his .227/.343/.469 line and 24 long balls were more than respectable. Boston plans to use Napoli as its primary first baseman, though he'd previously stated his preference was to remain behind the dish.

Quick Hits: Rangers, Red Sox, Mets

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With Justin Verlander on his way to Lakeland, FL to prepare for the start of spring training, the countdown to the 2013 season has begun as we enter the first full week of the new year. Let's catch up on the latest stories and rumors from around the league…

  • The Rangers aren't finished building their roster for next season even after adding Lance Berkman to the mix at designated hitter, tweets CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman. Look for Texas to pursue Kyle Lohse, Justin Upton and Michael Bourn, among others. 
  • While the Red Sox failed to live up to lofty expectations in 2012, the Providence Journal's Tim Britton reflects upon both the lowlights and rare highlights of the team's season. 
  • The Mets have quite a bit more money left to spend this winter, reports Heyman (via Twitter), and will look to upgrade a variety of aspects of the roster. Heyman suggests New York would stand to benefit from adding pieces to the outfield, rotation and bullpen. Chris Young has been mentioned as a viable option for the Mets and could easily find himself playing at Citi Field next season given his experience there.

Cafardo On Cubs, Ellsbury, Morneau, Dodgers

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When Theo Epstein took over the Cubs a year ago, he took the long range view and opted for an all-out gutting and rebuilding.  This winter, however, he surprised some when he entered the bidding for Anibal Sanchez and signed Edwin Jackson to a lucrative four-year deal.  Does that mean that the Cubs are better than he anticipated?  “We’re certainly farther along than we were last year at this time,” said Epstein, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. “When we got here, we identified one core player [Starlin Castro] and now we can look around and see Anthony Rizzo, Darwin Barney, Jeff Samardzija , and others. We do have more positional prospects than pitchers, so we felt Jackson will be with us for many years to come.”  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • If Matt Garza can show teams that his elbow is in solid shape during spring training then the Cubs will consider offers for the right-hander.  It's hard to read the Cubs' intentions though since they are building for the future while also signing veteran pitchers.
  • Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is a hard sell to some teams because he is in his walk year and has struggled with injury, but there are other clubs out there looking to make a splash who may feel that one year of a motivated Ellsbury would be tempting. 
  • The Twins' Justin Morneau is in the final year of his contract at $14MM and Cafardo wonders if they would deal him if they got a nice group of young players.  Teams like the Red Sox, Orioles, and Rays (even with James Loney) could be interested in first base help.
  • Dodgers pitchers Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang are both available thanks to the club's offseason pickups and the expected return of Ted Lilly.  Capuano should draw more interest since he is a lefty and coming off a decent season.
  • The White Sox say they want to hang on to Gavin Floyd, but younger pitchers have made him expendable.  It has been speculated that the White Sox won't look to move Floyd until John Danks is healthy.
  • Andrew Bailey is slated to be the Red Sox set-up man in support of Joel Hanrahan, but Cafardo wonders aloud if they might be willing to deal him to address another need?   Bailey didn't help his trade value after he returned from thumb surgery last year, but at least teams know he’s healthy.
  • Cafardo gets the feeling that Justin Upton will be gone just as soon as D'Backs GM Kevin Towers  hears the right mix of players.  Of course, there has also been a great deal of talk surrounding Jason Kubel.

Reactions To The Lance Berkman Signing

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The Rangers and Lance Berkman agreed to a one-year contract with a vesting option earlier today, plugging the team's DH hole. Berkman will receive $10MM in 2013 with a $1MM buyout of the option. Here is a collection of news and reactions to the deal…

  • "It never really got past the tire-kicking phase," said Berkman to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart when asked about talks with the Astros (all Twitter links). Houston never made an offer and the two sides only discussed contract parameters. "I have nothing but good things to say about the Astros organization and the way our negotiations went," added Berkman.
  • The Red Sox showed interest in Berkman before he signed with Texas, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Talks never gained momentum due to his geographical preferences, however.
  • The Orioles also kicked the tires on Berkman according to Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com (on Twitter). They moved on due to his asking price.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Berkman is the type of hitter the Rangers have rarely had, meaning he's patient and willing to use the entire field (all Twitter links).
  • Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is "stunned" at the size of Berkman's contract (Twitter link). He assumes the Rangers thoroughly reviewed the medicals.

East Notes: Nationals, Yankees, Orioles, Victorino

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The Nationals had their eye on left-hander J.P. Howell for quite some time but the Dodgers swooped in on him earlier today.  After losing three lefties in Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Burnett, and Michael Gonzalez, the Nats could still add a southpaw, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Here’s more out of the AL and NL East..

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters, including Anthony Rieber of Newsday, that he isn’t interested in signing a reliever.  “I cannot talk about players on the free-agent market,” Cashman said. “But I am not looking for bullpen help, I can tell you that.“
  • Free agent Joe Saunders says that he wants to return to the Orioles in 2013 but is ultimately leaving the process in the hands of his agent, writes Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.  Saunders also has interest from the Angels, Mets, Twins, and Mariners and says that he wants to play for a contender.
  • Shane Victorino, who signed a three-year, $39MM deal with the Red Sox this winter, says that a return to the Phillies was his first choice, writes Matt Gelb of the Phildelphia Inquirer.

Quick Hits: Vazquez, Webb, Rockies, Lohse, Kubel

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Here's the latest from around the league as Friday turns into Saturday…

  • The Red Sox, Rays, Nationals, and Royals scouted Javier Vazquez during his Puerto Rican League outing tonight, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The right-hander was said to be pitching at 93 mph with the fastball.
  • The Rockies will scout Brandon Webb's throwing session, which will take place in the coming weeks according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding. The Twins will also be in attendance.
  • "Obviously, it's been a little slow, a little slower than anticipated … It's going to eventually work itself out. It's not like I'm not going to be out of baseball," said Kyle Lohse to MLB.com's Mike Bauman. The right-hander has yet to receive an offer other than the qualifying offer he rejected.
  • "I haven't really thought other than that … If something happens, it happens, but I'm looking forward to getting back to that beautiful facility again and start going," said Jason Kubel to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert when asked about trade rumors. The Diamondbacks are expected to move one of their spare outfielders before Spring Training.
  • The Brewers will probably announce the Mike Gonzalez signing on Monday, reports Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). The holidays delayed the finalization of the contract.

Minor Moves: Diaz, Hamilton, Garner

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Here are Friday's minor moves…

  • The Red Sox have signed infielder Jonathan Diaz to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, reports Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). The 27-year-old hit .221/.339/.284 in 563 plate appearances in the Blue Jays' system last year.
  • The Red Sox have also signed first baseman/outfielder Mark Hamilton to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training according to Abraham. Hamilton, 28, is a .197/.258/.246 career hitter in 66 plate appearances with the Cardinals over the last two seasons.
  • The Brewers signed outfielder Cole Garner to a minor league deal that does not include an invitation to Spring Training, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The 28-year-old hit .258/.311/.398 in 255 Triple-A plate appearances with the Yankees last season.

AL East Notes: Vazquez, Rays, Price, Red Sox

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Earlier today, we learned that the Nationals are interested in free agent starter Javier Vazquez, who is considering a return to MLB.  The Red Sox are also set to watch Vazquez pitch in Puerto Rico on Friday, but they're not the only team out of the American League East with an eye on the veteran.  More on that and other news from the division..

  • Alex Cora, who serves as the GM of Vazquez's team in Puerto Rico, told WEEI's Hot Stove Show that the Blue Jays have also been scouting the 36-year-old, according to Alex Speier on Twitter.  It's not clear if the Red Sox or Blue Jays would be willing to give Vazquez a big league contract, but the Nationals aren't believed to be considering it.
  • Cy Young winning left-hander David Price was happy to avoid arbitration with the Rays and says that he is open to a contract extension, writes Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.  “If it’s right, we’ll do it,” Price said. “If not, I have to understand it’s a business first and foremost. (The Rays) want to win this year but also be able to win in the future as well. They have to do what’s best for the franchise.”  Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman won't rule out an extension, but acknowledged that there are a number of variables to consider.
  • Also on WEEI's Hot Stove Show, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein opined that the Red Sox's haul of prospects in their blockbuster deal with the Dodgers was more valuable than the financial flexibility they gained in the deal, Speier writes.  The former Boston GM spoke very highly of right-handers Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa.
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