Eight Teams Express Interest In Billy Wagner
Eight clubs have expressed interest in free agent closer Billy Wagner, according to his agent Bean Stringfellow (Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reporting). Stringfellow generously named five of the suitors: the Red Sox, Braves, Nationals, Astros, and Orioles. The agent says Wagner's Type A status hasn't scared teams off, and that of these five only the Red Sox spoke about a non-closing role. Stringfellow expects multiyear offers, though Wagner turns 39 in July.
The FOX authors speculate on possibilities for the remaining three teams by mentioning the Tigers, Cubs, Mariners, Rangers, White Sox, Rays and Marlins.
Washington's interest in Wagner and Mike Gonzalez makes you wonder if they'll tender a contract to their current closer, Mike MacDougal. MacDougal is due a raise on this year's $2.65MM salary. Perhaps they just like him more for a setup role.
Certainly nothing will happen with Wagner until after December 1st, when we learn definitively whether the Red Sox will offer arbitration.
Odds & Ends: Butler, Holliday, Counsell
A batch of links to kick off the work week…
- Newly minted Royals Player of the Year Billy Butler has not held long-term extension talks with the team, MLBTR learned on a conference call today. Butler will not be arbitration-eligible until after the 2010 season.
- Desipio on the Cubs-Curtis Granderson idea: "In the end, this smells like a winter of Brian Roberts and Jake Peavy trade rumors. One that ends with us talking ourselves into how Marlon Byrd isn’t so bad after all."
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports believes it's a three-horse race for Matt Holliday: the Red Sox, Yankees, and Angels.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick writes about Jed Hoyer and the Adrian Gonzalez situation.
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that a dozen teams have expressed interest in free agent infielder Craig Counsell. He'd like a multiyear deal.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan sums up the Rangers' hot stove storylines.
- Evan Grant wonders what it would take for the Rangers to acquire Edwin Jackson.
- ESPN's Keith Law believes it'd be unwise for a team to acquire Dan Uggla and move him off second base.
- Sean Smith's 2010 CHONE projections for hitters are now available, so take a peek into his crystal ball.
- Jeremy Greenhouse of The Hardball Times cautions against misuses of the WAR statistic.
- Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail thinks the Blue Jays "will be all over" Brandon Phillips to play third base if the Reds make him available.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post suggests Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd will hold Type A free agent reliever Rafael Betancourt hostage with an arbitration offer. In my opinion, Betancourt has a decent chance of accepting.
- Tommy Rancel of DRays Bay talked to Rays VP of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman.
Odds & Ends: Pirates, Jeter, Marlins
Let's take a look at some Sunday morning links….
- Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says that the Pirates may be able to add one or two low-cost free agents this winter, but, as usual, they won't be making any big splashes.
- The Boston Globe's Chad Finn thinks that the Red Sox should be doing whatever it takes to acquire Adrian Gonzalez.
- When it comes to Derek Jeter, the Yankees ought to rethink their rule about not discussing early contract extensions, according to Bob Klapisch of FOX Sports.
- Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press writes that all of the Curtis Granderson trade rumors could be much ado about nothing.
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff has a few tidbits of info from around the league. He mentions that he doesn't see the Yankees taking care of their outfield/DH situation until after the winter meetings.
- The latest Marlins mailbag from MLB.com's Joe Frisaro includes a few hot stove inquiries from readers.
- Roch Kubatko looks back at some of the names that were bounced around Orioles hot stove talks a year ago and wonders if the Orioles will again be linked to Braden Looper, Jon Garland, and Matt Treanor now that they're all back on the market.
- Joe Pawlikowski at River Ave. Blues hopes to see the Yankees stay internal to solve fill the eighth inning role, rather than venture to the free agent market and spend on a name like Rafael Betancourt, LaTroy Hawkins, or Octavio Dotel.
- Adam McCalvy at MLB.com examines some of the rumored discussions that obviously fell through when the Brewers and Pirates were talking JJ Hardy.
- El Lefty Malo crunches some numbers to try to predict how many additional runs the Giants will need to score to approach 90 wins and make a postseason run.
Cafardo On Cabrera, Penny, Upton
In his latest column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe examines the differing opinions on this year's free agent market and passes on some info from around the majors. The highlights:
- One National League GM on the top players in this year's free agent class: "[Matt Holliday] won’t get what Mark Teixeira got. No chance. [John] Lackey may get A.J. Burnett money, but I’m not even sure anyone would go that high."
- A separate source tells Cafardo that many teams will wait out the market this winter, potentially resulting in a few bargains for thrifty teams later in the offseason.
- Cafardo wonders if the Detroit Tigers would entertain trade offers for Miguel Cabrera, who will make $20MM next season. If so, Cafardo thinks the Red Sox would get involved.
- The Seattle Mariners believe they're very close to contending, which will mean hanging on to Felix Hernandez and pursuing players like Lackey and Jason Bay this offseason.
- The San Francisco Giants are interested in bringing back Brad Penny.
- Cafardo says it "isn't far-fetched" that the Rays could deal B.J. Upton. He suggests Upton's availability will depend on Carl Crawford's future with the team, or lack thereof.
Olney On Lackey, Astros, Rangers, Doumit, Carroll
In today's blog post at ESPN.com, Buster Olney writes about Michael Bourn, and how he went from hitting .218 with a .273 OBP in the first half of 2008 to hitting .285 with a .354 OBP in 2009 thanks to a suggestion from Astros' coach Dave Clark.
Here's a roundup of Olney's rumors…
- The Angels last offer to John Lackey was a $72MM package, made earlier this year.
- Olney's educated guess is that the Mariners are the best bet to sign Lackey, followed in order by the Angels, Brewers, Mets, Red Sox, and Yankees.
- Olney hears that the Astros "are cutting payroll, and will have the flexibility to make only minor moves, such as getting a right-handed hitting third baseman, to platoon with Geoff Blum."
- Tom Hicks is still trying to find a way to hold onto the Rangers, but bids from prospective buyers are due next week.
- The Pirates "first made it clear" they were willing to deal Ryan Doumit before the trade deadline, while the Dodgers have been having "internal conversations" about bringing Jamey Carroll aboard as a utility infielder.
Odds & Ends: Lackey, Bay, Matsui, Wilson
Some links to start off your weekend…
- Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe says the Red Sox are just doing their due diligence by touching base with John Lackey's agent, reminding us that they also spoke to CC Sabathia's and A.J. Burnett's representatives last offseason.
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier breaks down Joe Urbon's pitch for his client, free agent outfielder Jason Bay.
- Hideki Matsui acknowledged that he'd be disappointed if he didn't return to the Yankees, according to Anthony McCarron of The NY Daily News. Godzilla says that his agent Arn Tellem is taking care of the situation, but he doesn't think the two sides have had any discussions yet.
- ESPN's Rob Neyer says that Jack Wilson's defense is definitely worth the $10MM the Mariners gave him yesterday.
- Steve Slowinski at DRays Bay goes back and evaluates the deal that brought Mitch Talbot and Ben Zobrist to Tampa in exchange for Aubrey Huff.
- Edgardo Alfonzo still thinks he could be valuable utility player and has two or three years of baseball left, according to The NY Post's Kevin Kernan. The 36-year-old hasn't played in the big leagues since 2006.
Odds & Ends: Lackey, Upton, De La Rosa, Wood
Some more links to check out as you celebrate the end of the work week…
- MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez confirms that the Red Sox did indeed meet with John Lackey's agent. This morning we learned that Boston expressed preliminary interest in the free agent hurler.
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Rangers asked the Rays about outfielder B.J. Upton as part of their offseason routine, but no talks are ongoing.
- Rockies' GM Dan O'Dowd said that they will only look at a one year deal for the arbitration eligible Jorge De La Rosa, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
- ESPN's Keith Law writes that Indians' closer Kerry Wood could be a "nice pickup on the cheap for a team unwilling to go multiple years" on some of the free agent closers. Wood is owed $10.5MM in 2010, with an $11MM club option for 2011 that could vest based on games finished.
- The Pirates intend to be more aggressive in Japan, says MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. Picking up Akinori Iwamura will help put the team on the radar of Japanese players looking to come to the U.S.
- ESPN's Peter Gammons writes about the impact of the economy on the free agent market, among other things.
- Giants' prospect Angel Villalona had his visa revoked by the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Villalona was charged with killing a man in the Dominican back in September.
- Ben Kabak at River Ave. Blues takes a look at each of the Yankees' five arbitration eligible players.
Odds & Ends: Bonds, Bay, Astros, Mulder
Another stash of links for the afternoon…
- FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal says Red Sox GM Theo Epstein will have to be creative to keep the team competitive in both the short and long-term.
- Contrary to a report last month, Yahoo's Tim Brown says former Mets executive Tony Bernazard is not working for Scott Boras.
- Brown talked to Barry Bonds' agent Jeff Borris, who said he has not filed retirement papers because Bonds is "not retired – he was run out of the game."
- WEEI's Alex Speier talked to Jason Bay's agent Joe Urbon, who said "interest has been well distributed between the two leagues."
- Astros GM Ed Wade spoke to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart about his unsettled bullpen situation.
- Dialogue has continued between the Brewers and Mark Mulder's agent Gregg Clifton, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman passes along a report indicating the Braves are interested in 36 year-old Japanese righty Hidetaka Kawagoe.
Red Sox, Mets Express Interest In John Lackey
The Red Sox expressed preliminary interest in free agent starter John Lackey this week at the GM Meetings, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. Additionally, David Lennon of Newsday says Mets GM Omar Minaya spoke to Lackey's agent on the phone. There's no cost to express interest, so why not?
The Mariners, Rangers, Brewers, and Yankees have been linked to Lackey in various reports. Earlier this week, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick polled 20 baseball people, and the Yankees, Mets, and Angels were seen as the most likely to sign him. Lackey's agent told Brewers GM Doug Melvin that his client is open to any club.
Giants, Orioles Pursuing Dan Uggla
THURSDAY, 9:10pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports say that while the Orioles and Marlins are discussing Uggla, it might not be a match. The Orioles aren't sure how Uggla would produce in the American League, and may be reluctant to give up young talent for two years of his services. Indeed, check out Andy MacPhail's general comments to Jeff Zrebiec:
"I just don't see us giving up a young and talented player for a short-term fix. If we give up a young and talented player and fill a different position that we thought was a greater need going forward, that would be something we'd consider. But I don't see us giving up somebody we see as a core guy for a one- or two-year guy."
Of course, the Marlins didn't get a ton for Josh Willingham and Scott Olsen a year ago, so maybe the price for Uggla will be acceptable.
WEDNESDAY, 3:04pm: MLB.com's Joe Frisaro believes the Nationals will also show interest in Uggla.
1:19pm: The Giants and Orioles are showing the most interest in Dan Uggla, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Those clubs would move Uggla to third base, a position he hasn't played since 2005 in the minors. The writers add that the Red Sox have inquired, with an eye on using Uggla in left field. Uggla played 20 games in the outfield in Double A in '04. Rosenthal and Morosi add that an Uggla trade would compel the Marlins to retain Jorge Cantu.
Uggla, 30 in March, hit .243/.354/.459 in 668 plate appearances this season as the Marlins' second baseman. He's under team control for two more years, but is due a raise on his $5.35MM salary of '09.