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AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Rodriguez, Rays

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Here's a look at some items out of the American League East as the Yankees and Red Sox continue to scour the market for pitching..

  • The Red Sox are budget-conscious as they look to add to their rotation and one agent told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe that he believes it will continue.  “[GM Ben Cherington] is listening with free agents, but that’s it so far,’’ said the agent.  "I don’t think it’s an act, either. They’re hoping somebody falls to them and that may be it."
  • In a piece for the New York Times, Rob Neyer takes a look back at the ten-year, $275MM deal Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees in December of 2007.  The Yankees have little reason to regret the signing so far but A-Rod remains under contract through 2017 when he'll turn 42.
  • Ken Davidoff of Newsday looks at six different approaches that the Yankees can take to solve their rotation issues.  Davidoff doesn't like the odds of the club pulling an "old school" move and throwing money at the problem, which would likely mean giving Edwin Jackson a sizeable contract.  Instead, it seems likely that the Bombers will look for another lottery ticket and hope they hit it big, much as they did with Bartolo Colon in 2011.
  • John Tomase of the Boston Herald suggests that the Rays pair up with the Angels to land either Mark Trumbo or Kendrys Morales.  The Halos seem content to keep both sluggers in the mix for now but it seems likely that they'll move at least one of them before the start of the season.  Tomase also credits recently-appointed Orioles GM Dan Duquette with prioritizing the rebuild of the front office over the on-field product in 2012.

Red Sox Notes: Quentin, Madson, Soriano

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Here's a look at some Red Sox items courtesy of WEEI.com's Rob Bradford..

  • Prior to him being traded to the Padres earlier today, the Red Sox weren't engaged in talks for Carlos Quentin, a major league source tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.  One of the major concerns from Boston's perspective, according to the source, was the 29-year-old’s ability to play right field in Fenway Park.
  • The Red Sox never got the sense that Ryan Madson's price would drop enough to make him a viable option.  Multiple big league execs surmise that Madson’s agent, Scott Boras, is looking for a deal similar to the one he landed for Yankees set-up man Rafael Soriano.  Boras managed to get Soriano a three-year, $35MM deal last offseason after the market for closers appeared to have dried up.
  • Boston could stand pat and take care of their right field situation with in-house solutions.  The newly-acquired Ryan Sweeney could split time Darnell McDonald and converted infielder Mike Aviles could also factor in.  Ryan Kalish should be in the mix too upon recovering from shoulder surgery. 

Quick Hits: Oliver, Cubs, Nationals, Byrd, Aviles

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Some Quick Hits for Friday night..

  • The Rangers never made a formal offer to Darren Oliver before the reliever agreed to sign with Toronto, writes Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram.  The 41-year-old's deal is for one-year with a club option for 2013.
  • The Cubs have made a good deal of moves so far this offseason but they've quietly made major changes to their scouting department as well, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.  The team hired former Red Sox major league scout Kyle Evans to oversee Chicago's revamped video and advance scouting.  President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein also plucked amateur scout Matt Dorey from Boston but subsequently agreed not to hire any other BoSox front office personnel until December 2014.
  • Yesterday, ESPN.com's Buster Olney suggested that the Red Sox and Nationals could have interest in Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd.  Eric Seidman of Fangraphs believes that Olney was right to link the Nats to the veteran outfielder but argues that the club should be thinking bigger.
  • Cuban outfielder Guillermo Aviles is a name to keep in mind down the road, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America.  Aviles, 19 in January, stands at 6-foot-1 and scouts say he shows a good deal of promise.  The left-handed outfielder remains a resident of Cuba and its not known when or if he might look to make the jump to the Majors.

AL East Links: Yankees, Red Sox, Hill, Madson, O’s

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The Yankees agreed to re-sign Andruw Jones and the Blue Jays agreed to sign Darren Oliver earlier today, and now let's round up some more news from the AL East…

Minor Moves: Rich Hill

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Let's keep track of the day's minor league signings right here…

  • The Red Sox have re-signed Rich Hill to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, reports John Tomase of The Boston Herald (on Twitter). The 31-year-old left-hander struck out a dozen in eight scoreless innings with the Sox last year before blowing out his elbow. He's currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

AL East Notes: Jurrjens, Chen, Longoria, Yankees

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Here's the latest from the AL East….

  • The Red Sox are not in on Jair Jurrjens, but the Orioles, Blue Jays, Rockies and Tigers remain in on the Braves right-hander, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
  • The Orioles are still interested in Chunichi Dragons left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, and the team has scouted Chen several times in Japan.  The O's were linked to Chen earlier this offseason and we've also heard that the PIrates had an interest in the free agent southpaw.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes predicted Chen could be signed for a contract in the neighborhood of four years and under $20MM.
  • Rays third baseman Evan Longoria texted the St. Petersburg Times (reported by The Times' Marc Topkin) to deny recent internet rumors that he wanted to leave Tampa Bay.  "I don't have any idea where that rumor came from! It's completely false,'' Longoria said.  "I've said from the start I love Tampa, I love the direction we are heading as a franchise and there is no better place for me to continue to grow as a player and person.''
  • The Yankees have been quiet this winter seemingly in an attempt to avoid a hefty luxury tax penalty next season, but one AL executive doesn't think this strategy will last.  "I think they can sit back right now," the anonymous exec told The Star-Ledger's Jeff Bradley, "because on paper they have a very strong team. But do I think the Yankees won't spend aggressively if they start to dip in the win column? Not a chance. I think they'll do what they have to do to win."
  • The Athletics wanted right-hander Noah Syndergaard from the Blue Jays as part of any trade for Gio Gonzalez, reported Jeff Blair on the Fan590's Prime Time Sports radio show (passed on by Andrew Stoeten of the Drunk Jays Fans blog.)  Syndergaard was drafted 38th overall by Toronto in the 2010 draft and has posted impressive numbers in his first two years of pro ball.
  • Earlier today, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith posted a collection of Red Sox notes.

Red Sox Notes: Kalish, Bailey, Reddick

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The Red Sox obtained Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney from the Athletics yesterday, sending Josh Reddick, Miles Head and Raul Alcantara to Oakland. Here's the latest on the Red Sox as reaction to and analysis of the trade continues…

  • Ryan Kalish says he had left shoulder surgery in November in addition to his September neck operation, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Kalish may be ready for game action by May or June, but he doesn’t have a clear timetable. The Red Sox have Sweeney and Darnell McDonald in right, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them pursue other options.
  • The Red Sox never got the sense that Ryan Madson’s price was going to drop enough to make him a viable option, tweets Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.
  • Bailey would have been traded to Texas if the Red Sox hadn't included Reddick in the deal, Peter Gammons of MLB Network tweets.
  • The Red Sox are now shooting for a starter, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Heyman lists Hiroki Kuroda, Matt Garza, Roy Oswalt, Joe Saunders and Edwin Jackson as possibilities.
  • Red Sox director of player development Ben Crockett told FanGraphs' David Laurila that Head can hit despite the fact that "he's not going to win any beauty contests." Jim Callis of Baseball America told Laurila that Head's stocky frame makes him difficult to project. "I do think he can hit, but he’s limited to playing first base and you just don’t see that many 5'10", 5'11" first basemen in the big leagues," he said.
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law says Oakland got fair value for Bailey, whose health is an unknown, and Sweeney, whose raw power hasn't translated during games. Reddick provides the Athletics with additional years of control and Head and Alcantara could also prove useful. However, the Red Sox aren't likely to miss the trio of players they gave up and they obtained a proven closer.

Red Sox Links: Bailey, Sweeney, Starting Pitchers

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The Red Sox officially replaced Jonathan Papelbon earlier today, acquiring Andrew Bailey (and Ryan Sweeney) from the Athletics for Josh Reddick and two prospects. Let's round up the latest from Boston, starting with GM Ben Cherington's conference call following today's trade, courtesy of WEEI.com's Rob Bradford…

  • "We’re going to continue to work," said Cherington about the team's pursuit of starting pitching. "We’re actively considering and looking at starting pitching options also, but we haven’t found one yet where we feel like the acquisition cost is the right one. That doesn’t mean that it won’t come. It just hasn’t come yet."
  • Cherington said they are comfortable with Bailey's injury history, which includes Tommy John surgery several years ago and another minor elbow procedure in 2010. Talks about the right-hander started way back during the season, when they were looking for bullpen help during the summer.
  • Sweeney will be in the right field mix, as will Mike Aviles and Darnell McDonald. Cherington said they've tried to acquire Sweeney in the past.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says the trade "looks like a steal" for the Red Sox, calling it the finest moment in Cherington's young career as GM.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports echoes what Cherington said in the conference call, that the Sox are exploring all avenues for rotation help (Twitter link)

Matt Garza Talks Heating Up

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5:12pm: The Cubs and Blue Jays continue to discuss a Garza deal, Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com tweets.  The Cubs seem to be prioritizing young starting pitching in talks about Garza, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. One executive told Heyman that the Yankees and Blue Jays have what it takes to acquire Garza.

12:53pm: Trade talks for Cubs starter Matt Garza are heating up, writes David Kaplan of Comcast Sportsnet Chicago.  Kaplan says the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Red Sox are involved, but the Cubs' asking price is "incredibly high."

Yesterday, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith took an in-depth look at Garza's contract situation; he's under team control through 2013.  Cubs president Theo Epstein said on Friday that Garza is "exactly type of pitcher we want to build around," but he'll listen on everybody.  So far this winter trade values have been established for Gio Gonzalez, Mat Latos, and Trevor Cahill, but all of them came with at least four years of team control.

Red Sox Acquire Andrew Bailey

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The Red Sox have acquired Andrew Bailey from the Athletics in a trade that will send Josh Reddick to Oakland and Ryan Sweeney to Boston, the teams announced. First base prospect Miles Head and right-handed pitching prospect Raul Alcantara are going to Oakland in the deal.

Andrew Bailey - A's

Bailey (pictured) figures to replace longtime closer Jonathan Papelbon at the back of Boston's bullpen in 2012. The 27-year-old right-hander posted a 3.24 ERA with 8.9 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 37.1% ground ball rate in 41 2/3 innings in 2011 after recovering a forearm strain that sidelined him early on in the season. MLBTR projects a $3.5MM salary for Bailey in 2012. The two-time All-Star and 2009 AL Rookie of the Year is under team control through 2014.

Reddick, 24, posted a .280/.327/.457 line in 278 plate appearances for the Red Sox this past season. The left-handed hitter got his first extended shot at Major League pitching in 2011, after posting a .278/.332/.500 line in parts of five minor leagues seasons. Reddick has big league experience at all three outfield positions and figures to get the chance to play every day in Oakland. He's under team control through 2016 and won't be arbitration eligible until after the 2013 campaign.

Sweeney, 27 in February, played all three outfield positions for the Athletics in 2011, posting a .265/.346/.341 line in 299 plate appearances. He has experience in parts of six big league seasons and will remain under team control through 2013. Sweeney's career UZR/150 of 9.2 suggests he's an above-average defender, and his numbers in right field are particularly impressive. MLBTR projects a 2012 salary of $1.6MM for Sweeney through arbitration.

Sweeney's a left-handed hitter who has a solid career line of .296/.352/.402 against right-handed pitching. However, GM Ben Cherington may want to pair him with someone who can hit left-handers given his career .233/.306/.289 line against southpaws. Ryan Kalish and Darnell McDonald (.285/.348/.451 career line against lefties) are internal candidates for the Red Sox to consider and right-handed hitting free agents Ryan Spilborghs and Cody Ross could also be fits.

The Red Sox selected Head, now 20, in the 26th round of the 2009 draft. He has posted a .274/.351/.446 line in 861 minor league plate appearances over the course of the past three seasons, but has yet to reach Double-A. Alcantara, who recently turned 19, has a 2.72 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 as a starter in 125 2/3 minor league innings. However, he has just four appearances above Rookie Ball.

Bailey will join the recently-acquired Mark Melancon in a new-look Red Sox bullpen. Boston may move  Daniel Bard to the rotation and Alfredo Aceves might also start, but Matt Albers, Scott Atchison, Bobby Jenks and Franklin Morales are candidates to contribute out of the bullpen in 2012.

ESPN.com's Buster Olney first reported the move (all Twitter links). Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

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