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Tim Wakefield Considering Retirement

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Pitcher Tim Wakefield told John A. Torres of Florida Today that while his preference is to pitch for the Red Sox in 2012, he will consider retirement.  The knuckleballer has also received interest from a number of teams and won't necessarily rule out pitching for another club besides Boston next season.

“There have been a number of clubs who have called, who have an interest in signing me but I’m kind of just weighing my options right now,” the 45-year-old said. “I think I can be a valuable asset to them as an insurance policy, you know a fifth or sixth starter or if something doesn’t pan out for some of the guys they have already penciled in to the rotation. You know that’s kind of been my job these last two years; I don’t have a problem doing that.”

Earlier this month, Red Sox skipper Bobby Valentine said that he "couldn't imagine" Wakefield coming in to Spring Training and competing for a job.  General Manager Ben Cherington has also said that he doesn't expect Wakefield to be with the team in 2012.

Cafardo On Dodgers, Ethier, Red Sox, Cubs, Orioles

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As demonstrated by the Red Sox last year, "winning" December and January doesn’t necessarily translate into winning when it counts, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  With that said, Cafardo takes a look at where all 30 teams rank after making their moves thus far.  Unsurprisingly, the Angels top Cafardo's list, followed by the Yankees and Rangers.  The Tigers, after signing Prince Fielder, occupy the fifth spot in the rankings.  Cafardo writes that a Fielder-Miguel Cabrera middle of the order could be monstrous, but the club could use more bullpen help.  Here's more from today's column..

  • The Dodgers will soon decide whether to lock up Andre Ethier with a long-term deal as they did with Matt Kemp.  Earlier this month, it was reported that the club had yet to discuss extensions with Ethier and Clayton Kershaw.  The right fielder, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, avoided arbitration with the team by agreeing to a one-year, $10.7MM deal.
  • Three West Coast teams are kicking the tires on reliever Hong-Chih Kuo and the veteran seems like a good gamble.  The Dodgers, who non-tendered him earlier this month, are one of those three clubs.  Kuo once had great stuff but has undergone five elbow surgeries, including two Tommy Johns, and has also experienced anxiety issues.  
  • An AL GM who is not associated with the Red Sox or Cubs believes that Commissioner Bud Selig will give Boston a significant player in the compensation agreement:  "I don’t think MLB wants executives leaving their teams before their contracts are up and therefore he will try to deter teams from doing that again."
  • Cafardo credited Orioles VP of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette with doing a solid job of building the club thus far.  The next step for the club might be to add a DH such as Johnny Damon while hoping for the best when it comes to pitching.  By this time next year, Duquette will add a significant piece to the rotation.
  • Teams are now looking for "tack-on" guys, the ones who “can really make you look good," according to one AL assistant GM.  Raul Ibanez and Hideki Matsui could both be reasonably-priced  quality additions and the Yankees could be a fit for either one.  Serviceable relievers Mike Gonzalez, Chad Qualls, and Juan Cruz also remain on the open market.

Latest On Roy Oswalt

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SATURDAY, 9:05pm: Gerry Fraley of The Dallas Morning News reports that the Rangers will meet with Oswalt on Monday, assuming he's still a free agent by then. Fraley reiterates that Texas has not made the right-hander an offer.

2:14pm: The Rangers haven't made an offer to Oswalt either, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Texas is interested in the veteran, but like the Cardinals, he's not an obvious fit for the club.

1:39pm: The Cardinals insist that there's no deal in place with Oswalt, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).  General Manager John Mozeliak also denied that the club is near a deal with Oswalt, writes Matthew Leach of MLB.com. 

8:03am: Oswalt is likely to sign with the Cardinals "soon," reports Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston. His source cautioned that it's "not yet 100 percent," however. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that Oswalt turned down a one-year, $10MM offer from the Tigers, and that being close to his Mississippi home is a major factor in his decision.

FRIDAY, 9:30pm: The Cardinals are close to a deal with veteran right-hander Roy Oswalt, reports Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio (Twitter link). The Red Sox and, surprisingly, the Astros are still contenders for Oswalt's services. Mike Silverman of the Boston Herald (via Twitter) confirms these three teams are in the mix and says it could be "another day or two" before a decision is made.

We heard two days ago that both the Cards and Red Sox had made Oswalt offers, with the St. Louis offer worth roughly $5MM.  Oswalt has long expressed a desire to pitch for the Cards, so this could be why he is considering the club's modest offer. The Astros' involvement is totally out of left field since it was presumed they wouldn't be making any significant money this winter, but they could be looking to sign Oswalt and then flip him at the trade deadline. It's hard to imagine Oswalt turning down several contenders to return to Houston but it's possible Oswalt has a sentimental attachment to his original team.

Oswalt would provide quality depth to a St. Louis rotation that includes Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook. Wainwright is returning from Tommy John surgery, Garcia's durability could be a concern after a major increase in innings pitched (220 1/3 regular season and postseason innings in 2011, up from 163 1/3 IP in 2010) and Westbrook didn't have much value aside from eating innings.

Mike Axisa and Zach Links contributed to this post.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Jackson, Uehara, Red Sox

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Here's a look at some items out of the American League East..

  • Earlier this week, Rangers reliever Koji Uehara rejected a trade that would have sent him to the Blue Jays.  It appears that the 36-year-old would instead prefer a return to Baltimore and Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun writes that the O's have had sporadic conversations with Texas.  
  • Connolly also writes that he is unsure if the Orioles were one of the teams to make a three-year offer to Edwin Jackson, but says that it would make sense if they were.  The club may be hesitant to go to four years for the hurler but hasn't completely dismissed the idea.
  • Commissioner Bud Selig says that there's no timeframe for working out a compensation agreement between the Red Sox and Cubs over Theo Epstein's move, writes Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune.  Selig seemed unhappy with the idea of having to intervene in the talks between the two clubs.

AL East Notes: Kuroda, Blue Jays, Camp, Selig

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Some news from the AL East…

  • Hiroki Kuroda's one-year, $10MM deal with the Yankees includes a full no-trade clause, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link).
  • Kuroda said he received offers from five or six Major League clubs and he eventually narrowed his choices down to the Yankees and the Hiroshima Carp, his former Japanese team, reports Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.  Kuroda's desire to play for a contender led to his Yankee contract, as he turned down some more expensive offers to sign with New York.
  • MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm doesn't think Manny Ramirez is a fit with the Blue Jays, as the Jays weren't interested in Ramirez last year since they want flexibility with the DH spot.  Toronto did send scouts to see Ramirez hit in an indoor cage earlier this month.  
  • Also as part of Chisholm's fan mailbag, he thinks the Jays' bullpen additions spell the end of Shawn Camp's days with the club, though Camp should find Major League work elsewhere.
  • Commissioner Bud Selig told reporters at the Chicago SoxFest event (including CSNChicago.com's Jim Owczarski) that he would like to get the issue of the Theo Epstein compensation package between the Red Sox and Cubs solved "as expeditiously as possible."  Since the two teams weren't able to settle on compensation, it's now up to Selig.  "It’s in my lap and I have information from both clubs and we’ll take it from there," the commissioner said. 
  • The Red Sox would use any extra payroll space on a player later in the season, rather than spend it now in "a bidding war" for Roy Oswalt or Edwin Jackson, a source tells WEEI.com's Rob Bradford.
  • In case you missed it earlier today, the Rays signed Jeff Keppinger and designated Russ Canzler for assignment to create 40-man roster space.

Red Sox Notes: Edwin Jackson, Conor Jackson, Payroll

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Some news items out of Fenway Park…

  • The Red Sox weren't close to a deal with Edwin Jackson as of late Thursday evening, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  It was reported two days ago that the Sox had offered contracts to both Jackson and Roy Oswalt.
  • Oswalt is Boston's "No. 1 target," reports Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston, and if Oswalt signs elsewhere, the Red Sox will then explore a trade for White Sox right-hander Gavin Floyd.  Jackson would be "a long-shot option" to sign.
  • Manager Bobby Valentine is satisfied with his current rotation and admits another starting pitcher is "not at the top of my wish list," reports Joe McDonald of ESPN Boston.
  • "Free agency is not fun these days," Conor Jackson tells WEEI.com's Rob Bradford.  "Obviously at the end of the day you have to be a realist. That’s the big thing. I just want people to be honest with me where I stand with them. I understand nothing is going to be handed to me. I’ve had a couple of bad years so I have to prove I can play everyday again.”  Jackson is looking to find a backup spot and doesn't think it will be in Boston since the Red Sox now have Cody Ross in the fold.
  • The Red Sox are already projected to pass the luxury tax threshold, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier as part of his breakdown of the club's 2012 payroll and what the Sox hope to gain by sticking to their budget.

Red Sox Sign John Maine

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The Red Sox signed right-hander  John Maine to a minor league contract, Steve DeShazo of the Fredericksburg Freelance-Star reports. Agent Rex Gary told DeShazo that the Red Sox will look at Maine as a reliever.

Maine, 30, last pitched in the Majors with the 2010 Mets. He had a strong 2007 season, when he posted a 3.91 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 191 innings, but his performance later dropped off and he missed considerable time with shoulder injuries. Maine posted a 7.43 ERA in 46 innings with the Rockies' top affiliate in 2011.

Minor Moves: Sweeney, Tuiasosopo, Redding, Cabrera

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The latest minor league deals…

  • The Mariners signed former MLB reliever Brian Sweeney to a minor league contract, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports. Sweeney spent the 2011 season with the Mets' top affiliate and last appeared in the Majors with the 2010 Mariners.
  • The Twins signed left-hander Luke French, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports (Twitter links). French owns a 4.99 ERA with 4.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 155 Major League innings.
  • The Mets signed infielder Matt Tuiasosopo, who picked up MLB experience with the Mariners from 2008-10, Eddy reports.
  • The Blue Jays signed right-hander Tim Redding and left-hander Bill Murphy, according to Eddy. Redding has substantial MLB experience as a starter for the Astros, Nationals and Mets.
  • Eddy reports that four catchers signed minor league deals: Mitch Canham joined the Rockies, Orlando Mercado agreed to terms with the Marlins, Kyle Phillips caught on with the Blue Jays and Max St. Pierre signed with the Red Sox. Phillips appeared in 36 games for the 2011 Padres and St. Pierre made his debut with the 2010 Tigers after 14 minor league seasons.
  • Former MLB starter Daniel Cabrera signed a minor league deal with the Pirates, Mario Rojas of CandelaDeportiva reports. Cabrera, 30, was a fixture in Baltimore's rotation from 2004-08, but hasn't pitched in MLB since 2009.
  • The Cubs re-signed infielder Bobby Scales, who started the 2011 season in Chicago before going to Japan, Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweets.
  • The Phillies re-signed former Tigers outfielder Brent Clevlen, Goldstein tweets.
  • The Orioles signed 18-year-old outfielder Andres Aguilar, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. The speedy Guatemala native has a strong throwing arm.

Edwin Jackson Rumors: Thursday

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The Red Sox have offered Edwin Jackson a contract and the Orioles would consider offering a four year deal. The market for Jackson — arguably the top free agent remaining — seems to be picking up. Here are the most recent rumors from around MLB:

  • The Red Sox are believed to be one of a few teams with which Jackson would accept a one-year deal, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets.
  • The Cardinals checked in on Jackson, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. The right-hander, who finished the 2011 season in St. Louis, has a multiyear offer from an unknown team that's not the Red Sox or Cardinals.

Red Sox Designate Scott Atchison For Assignment

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The Red Sox designated right-hander Scott Atchison for assignment, the team announced. The move creates roster space for outfielder Cody Ross, whose contract became official today.

Atchison, 35, posted a 3.26 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 30 1/3 innings for the Red Sox in 2011. He spent post of the season at Triple-A, where he pitched 61 1/3 more innings with a 2.64 ERA, 10.6 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9. He is not yet arbitration eligible.

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