Red Sox Rumors

AL East Notes: Hale, Swisher, Kuroda, Orioles

By Mark Polishuk | November 23, 2012 at 8:21pm CDT

It was on this day in 1977 that Rich "Goose" Gossage signed a six-year, $2.75MM free agent contract with the Yankees. The Goose lived up to that then-exorbitant deal, posting a 2.10 ERA and saving 150 games over those six seasons, notching three top-five finishes in Cy Young Award voting and helping New York win the 1978 World Series. Gossage went into the Hall Of Fame as a Yankee in 2008.

Here's the latest from New York and elsewhere in the AL East…

DeMarlo Hale is "likely" going to be the Blue Jays' next bench coach, a source tells MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (Twitter link). Hale served as the Orioles' third base coach in 2012 and was interviewed as a managerial candidate by the Jays two years ago before Toronto hired John Farrell. Hale's contract may be for three years, reports MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko.
The Red Sox have Nick Swisher "on their radar," a source tells George A. King III of the New York Post. At least seven teams are known to be interested in Swisher, whose ability to switch-hit and play both first base and right field is a boon to many clubs. King hears from an industry source who believes Swisher could find a four-year, $60MM contract, though with that many teams and big markets in the running, it wouldn't surprise me to see that number jump to between $65-$70MM in guaranteed money.
Other teams were offering Hiroki Kuroda more expensive and longer-term deals with player options than the one-year, $15MM contract he signed with the Yankees, reports Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York. Kuroda took the relatively smaller deal with New York due to his familiarity with the city and his desire to keep his options open next winter for a possible return to Japan. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link) notes that Kuroda has left money on the table for each of the four contracts he's signed in his Major League career.
The Orioles were interested in Jonny Gomes but are "not too heartbroken" that Gomes has signed with Boston, reports Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. The O's prefer to use the money earmarked for Gomes to re-sign Nate McLouth instead.
In AL East news from earlier today, Josh Johnson's agent Matt Sosnick discussed the possibility of his client signing an extension with the Blue Jays.

Red Sox, Mariners, Rangers In On Napoli

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 23, 2012 at 2:29pm CDT

FRIDAY: The Mariners are definitely in on Napoli and the Rangers and Red Sox are also involved, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).

THURSDAY: The Red Sox and Mariners continue pursuing free agent catcher Mike Napoli, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). Napoli is holding out for a fourth guaranteed year from Boston, and he's meeting with the Mariners, who might be willing to commit for the extra year.

The Mariners, Red Sox and Yankees are among the teams that have already been linked to Napoli this offseason. The 31-year-old ranked 14th on MLBTR’s top 50 free agent list earlier in the month. He did not obtain a qualifying offer from the Rangers, which means he won’t be linked to draft pick compensation. In 417 plate appearances as a catcher, first baseman and designated hitter, Napoli posted a .227/.343/.469 line with 24 home runs this past season. He is a client of Paragon Sports International.

WEEI’s Latest: Anthopoulos, Ross, Butterfield

By Mike Axisa | November 23, 2012 at 12:55pm CDT

Here's the latest from WEEI's Hot Stove Show with Rob Bradford, Alex Speier and Kirk Minihane…

Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said the blockbuster with the Marlins came together in about 5-6 days. Talks between the two sides started with Josh Johnson, but obviously expanded. Anthopoulos also discussed the competitive advantage of keeping talks under wraps.
Red Sox manager John Farrell said David Ross was a priority signing because of his leadership skills as well as his throwing ability. He's thrown out 37.5% of attempted base stealers over the last eight years, second only to Yadier Molina.
Red Sox third base coach Brian Butterfield told Bradford he was a candidate for the Blue Jays' managerial job until the "11th-hour." Butterfield added there "were certain things (Anthopoulos) wanted in his next manager … he really had to have a guy who had previous major league managing experience."

Olney On Giants, Angels, Hamilton, Soriano

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 23, 2012 at 10:30am CDT

Buster Olney outlines the most pressing offseason needs for ten teams viewed as contenders in his latest column at ESPN.com. Here are more of Olney’s notes from around MLB…

Some GMs and agents say they sense that others are still waiting at this stage in the offseason. There’s a sense that asking prices could drop and opportunities could emerge a little later on.
The Giants aren’t sure they’re willing to commit to Angel Pagan for as many years as he’s seeking, Olney reports. But the Giants do believe they’ll find a way to re-sign second baseman Marco Scutaro.
Rival executives say the Angels have a thin farm system, Olney writes. This puts pressure on GM Jerry Dipoto to address his rotation through free agency, which gives Zack Greinke considerable leverage.
Some general managers believe the secondary starting pitching options are incredibly overpriced, Olney reports. MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker offers a complete list of the unsigned starting pitchers available in free agency.
Some executives say they’d be comfortable offering Josh Hamilton a three-year deal that includes protective language for the team. I expect Hamilton can do far better than a three-year deal.
The A’s seem like a possible fit for Asdrubal Cabrera, but they probably wouldn’t want to part with the kind of starting pitching the Indians would want in a trade for their shortstop.
Rival executives expect Scott Boras to try to engage the Tigers on Rafael Soriano, according to Olney. However, the Tigers have suggested they’d prefer to rely on internal options instead of spending big on a closer.
Some agents presume the Phillies will be particularly aggressive in addressing their center field need. Acquiring a center fielder remains the club's priority.
The Red Sox are open to signing Cody Ross, even after agreeing to terms with Jonny Gomes, according to Olney.

Olney On Orioles, Red Sox, Kazmir, Heisey

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 22, 2012 at 10:03am CDT

Agents and players have considerably more interest in Baltimore as a potential destination now that the Orioles are viewed as a contender, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. "It's winning," one agent told Olney. "Period.” Some free agents now list the Orioles as a team they’d like to join. Here are more notes from Olney, starting in Baltimore…

The Orioles are looking for starting pitching and hope to bring Joe Saunders back. Jeremy Guthrie’s three-year, $25MM contract could affect Saunders’ asking price, as Olney points out.
While the Orioles have talked about adding a bat, they’re not expected to be particularly aggressive about free agent outfielder Josh Hamilton.
The Marlins, Indians and Pirates are among the teams that could have trouble luring free agents even if they’re offering competitive salaries.
One AL GM credits the Red Sox for building a team that plays well in Fenway Park.
Earlier in the offseason there had been talk that the SoftBank Hawks, the Japanese team that recently agreed to sign Bryan LaHair, could pursue veteran free agents such as Mike Napoli or Kevin Youkilis.
A number of teams, including the Indians, are scouting left-hander Scott Kazmir, Olney writes. The Astros had some interest in Kazmir during the regular season.
Olney suggests arbitration eligible players such as Chris Heisey and A.J. Ellis could be candidates for two or three-year extensions this winter.

Red Sox To Sign Jonny Gomes

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 21, 2012 at 7:21pm CDT

7:21pm: It's a two-year contract worth $10MM according to Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. She says it's about double what the Athletics offered Gomes in September.

4:18pm: The Red Sox agreed to a two-year contract with free agent outfielder Jonny Gomes, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). MVP Sports Group represents Gomes, whose deal is pending a physical.

Gomes, 31, spent this past season with the Athletics as a corner outfielder and designated hitter. He posted a .262/.377/.491 batting line with 18 home runs and 44 walks in 333 plate appearances. Gomes, a career .284/.382/.512 hitter against left-handed pitching, continued hitting southpaws well in 2012. He posted a .974 OPS against lefties and hit 11 homers.

The Orioles had also been linked to Gomes, who was not ranked among MLBTR's top 50 free agents.

Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald first reported that the sides were nearing a deal. Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com first reported that the sides were building momentum and had discussed a two-year deal.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Figgins, Lohse, Hamilton, Kuroda

By Mark Polishuk | November 20, 2012 at 11:48pm CDT

It was on this day in 1995 that Joe Girardi first became a Yankee, as the Bronx Bombers acquired the catcher from the Rockies in exchange for right-hander Mike DeJean. Girardi won three World Series titles in his four seasons with the team as a player and won another championship as the team's manager in 2009. Here are some items from around the majors…

Chone Figgins is "not likely to be a fit" for the Angels, a team source tells MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. Figgins spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Angels before signing with the Mariners as a free agent and badly struggling for the last three seasons. Seattle designated Figgins for assignment earlier today.
The Red Sox have called about Kyle Lohse, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe as part of a reader mailbag. Cafardo says Boston is trying to sign a first baseman or starting pitcher in free agency, and is looking to add a starter, shortstop or outfielder on the trade market.
The Red Sox are still interested in Josh Hamilton, with GM Ben Cherington calling the outfielder "a terrific talent" in an interview with Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (via Bowden's Twitter page).
The Red Sox "made a really strong push" to sign Hiroki Kuroda before the right-hander re-signed with the Yankees, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford (Twitter link).
Brandon McCarthy is a singular free agent case and it's hard to predict his next contract given the unique circumstances of his season-ending brain injury, writes Jeff Sullivan for Fangraphs.
The price tags for free agent outfielders are rising, so ESPN's Buster Olney (ESPN Insider subscription required) lists a few outfield options that could provide better value in trades: Shin-Soo Choo, Dexter Fowler, Curtis Granderson, Alfonso Soriano and Justin Upton.

Red Sox Designate Five Players For Assignment

By Mark Polishuk | November 20, 2012 at 10:21pm CDT

The Red Sox have designated third baseman Danny Valencia, infielder Ivan De Jesus and right-handed pitchers Sandy Rosario, David Carpenter and Zach Stewart for assginment, according to a team press release.

All five players were acquired by the Red Sox within the last year and De Jesus, Carpenter and Stewart were small pieces of some of Boston's biggest trades of the season. De Jesus was picked up as part of the blockbuster deal with the Dodgers in August, Carpenter came from the Blue Jays as part of the John Farrell trade package, and Stewart as part of the deal that sent Kevin Youkilis to the White Sox in June. Valencia, meanwhile, was picked up in a trade with the Twins in August while Rosario was picked up off waivers from the Marlins last month.

Red Sox, Jonny Gomes Nearing Two-Year Deal

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 20, 2012 at 8:00pm CDT

2:10pm: The Orioles are out on Gomes, reports Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says (on Twitter) that the outfielder is looking for $3-4MM annually.

12:23pm: The Red Sox are closing in on a two-year contract with free agent outfielder Jonny Gomes, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports. MVP Sports Group represents Gomes.

The Red Sox narrowed their search for outfielders to focus on Gomes and Cody Ross in recent days, Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com reported earlier today. McAdam first reported that the Red Sox had discussed a two-year deal with Gomes.

The Orioles have also been linked to Gomes, who was not ranked among MLBTR's top 50 free agents.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post, which was first published on November 21st.

Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees Interested In Stephen Drew

By Mark Polishuk | November 20, 2012 at 6:56pm CDT

Shortstop Stephen Drew is drawing interest from such clubs as the Tigers, Red Sox and Yankees, reports CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. Drew became a free agent after the A's declined their half of a $10MM mutual option in October, though Oakland is still interested in re-signing the Scott Boras client at a lower price.

Drew could start in Boston or at least provide veteran backup behind Jose Iglesias, while Heyman writes that the Yankees saw Drew as a "super sub" who could provide depth around the infield. New York didn't see Drew as a short-term fill-in for Derek Jeter at short since Brian Cashman is confident that Jeter will be recovered from ankle surgery by Opening Day.

The Tigers already have a shortstop in Jhonny Peralta, though ESPN's Jim Bowden reports (Twitter link) that the Tigers look to sign Drew and then deal Peralta to either the Red Sox or the Diamondbacks. We heard earlier today that Peralta was drawing interest from Arizona.

Peralta hit .239/.305/.384 batting line in 585 plate appearances for the Tigers last season and the Tigers picked up his $6MM club option for 2013 last month. Peralta's 2012 performance wasn't much better than Drew's .223/.309/.348 line in 327 PAs with Arizona and Oakland, though Drew was returning in July after being sidelined for almost a full year with a severe ankle injury.

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