Mets, Red Sox Complete Billy Wagner Trade
The Mets and Red Sox completed the Billy Wagner trade today, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Hubbuch says the Mets acquired outfielder Chris Carter and first baseman Eddie Lora to finish the deal. The Red Sox had to wait until the offseason to send Carter to the Mets because of a waiver claim made by the Yankees in August.
Wagner pitched well in his time with Boston, posting a 1.72 ERA, 26 strikeouts, and 8 walks in 15.6 innings. He could also have an impact in the playoffs. The Red Sox agreed to decline Wagner's $8MM option for 2010, but the pitcher expects the team to offer arbitration. He told WEEI's Rob Bradford he'll probably turn it down, which would mean a new team will have to surrender a draft pick to sign him.
Discussion: Takashi Saito
Let's talk about Red Sox reliever Takashi Saito, who is a sleeper closer candidate for 2010 after bouncing back well (2.43 ERA, 52 strikeouts, 25 walks in 55.6 innings) from an interesting elbow procedure. WEEI's Alex Speier has the details - the Red Sox have a $6MM option on Saito for 2010. If the option is declined as expected, Saito will be an unfettered free agent. Through an interpreter, Saito told Speier he'd like to return to the Red Sox. Speier speculates that the two sides could negotiate a new deal.
If Saito doesn't re-sign, which clubs might be interested? Last winter, the Cardinals and Twins were in on him before he signed with Boston. This year, if Saito wants to return to a closer role, the 39-year-old might find opportunities with the Orioles, Rays, Tigers, Braves, Marlins, and Astros.
Heyman On Padres, Rockies, Abreu
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- Heyman talked to Padres CEO Jeff Moorad, who is looking for a disciplined and strategic general manager rather than an intuitive exec like Kevin Towers. Heyman says the new GM will be hired within weeks. Boston's Jed Hoyer is in the mix, and Oakland's David Forst fits the profile.
- The Rockies will offer new contracts to GM Dan O'Dowd and manager Jim Tracy.
- The Angels made an offer to Bobby Abreu, who is finishing up a one-year deal that will pay him at least $6MM. Heyman says "no progress has been reported thus far." Abreu said in September that he wants to return.
Odds & Ends: Kikuchi, Dye, Varitek
Links for Monday…
- Yakyu Baka translated a recent Yusei Kikuchi press conference. Kikuchi has yet to decide between the U.S. and Japan. The Mets and Tigers attended the conference.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis has the 2010 draft order, and he also explains which picks are protected from Type A free agent signings.
- Jermaine Dye talking to Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald on possibly finishing his White Sox career: "I don't really have a feeling."
- Talking to WEEI's Alex Speier, Jason Varitek would not address next season (he has a $5MM team option and $3MM player option). Manager Terry Francona made sure Varitek received an ovation yesterday.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan gives one-liners on 35 Rangers players.
- Tyler Bleszinski of Athletics Nation talked to A's GM Billy Beane. Beane chatted about Matt Holliday, stolen bases, and the first base depth chart, among other things.
- Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star tells us about new Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times explains how advanced defensive metrics influenced the team's acquisition of Franklin Gutierrez.
- Outfielder So Taguchi hopes to play in 2010, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Indians Manager, Johnson, Padres GM, Crawford, Mauer
Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has a new Full Count video up this afternoon, so let's see what he's got for us…
- The Indians plan to conduct 8-10 phone interviews for their managerial vacancy, then bring in 3-5 finalists by the third week of October, presumably for formal interviews. Bobby Valentine will be "on the short list," and will almost certainly get an interview. Buck Showalter will not be a candidate.
- Cleveland is proceeding with the search as if Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell will not be a candidate, however that could change quickly if Farrell expresses interest in the job. At that point, the three parties involved would need to discuss a way around the clause in the Farrell's contract that prohibits him from seeking a managerial job elsewhere.
- Signing Josh Johnson long-term is the Marlins' top priority this offseason. In order to get a deal done, Florida will need to "exceed significantly" the four year, $38MM deal the Royals gave Zack Greinke, who was at a similar service time level last offseason.
- If a deal doesn't get done, Johnson will almost certainly not sign an extension next offseason, when he'd be just one year away from free agency. At that point, the Fish would need to trade him.
- Who will replace Kevin Towers as Padres GM? Paul DePodesta, a special assistant to Towers and former GM of the Dodgers, is not interested in the job. Pat Gillick doesn't figure to be a candidate either.
- The leading candidate might be Diamondbacks' exec Jerry DiPoto, but the Padres would need approval from the commissioner's office to get him. CEO Jeff Moorad left the D-Backs just last December, and the league frowns upon executives raiding their former teams for front office talent.
- However, DiPoto has already interviewed for openings with the Nationals and Mariners, so it would be difficult for the D-Backs to make much of a fuss.
- Carl Crawford is "well intentioned" when he says he wants to sign a long-term extension with Tampa Bay. The problem is that the team probably won't offer him enough to keep him from becoming a free agent at the end of 2010.
- The bigger question is Joe Mauer, who can also hit free agency next winter. Mauer told The NY Times earlier this week that he is not interested in becoming the highest paid player in the game, even though he probably deserves to be. He is represented by Ron Shapiro, the same agent that kept Cal Ripken Jr. in Baltimore and Kirby Puckett in Minnesota. Shapiro clearly understands the value of a player staying with one team his entire career.
- Shapiro, father of Indians GM Mark Shapiro, would be "sticking it to his son" a bit by keeping Mauer in the AL Central. That's my phrase, not Rosenthal's.
Bidding On Jason Bay
WEEI.com's Alex Speier hears from multiple sources that the bidding for Jason Bay will reach at least four years at $14-15MM per season. The 31-year-old outfielder has been "pleasantly surprised" by his first contract year. Bay didn't know what to expect at the beginning of the season, but he's produced, as usual.
He has 36 homers and a .266/.385/.538 line that overshadows his 159 strikeouts and below average defense (according to UZR/150). A return to Boston appears to be a "legitimate possibility," but other teams will have interest if the two sides can't agree to a deal.
As Speier notes, the Angels, Cardinals, Giants, Mariners, Mets, White Sox and Yankees could all have interest in Bay and the resources to sign him.
Yahoo's Gordon Edes and MLBTR's Mike Axisa each compared Bay to Matt Holliday last month, so check out their articles to see how Bay fits in to the rest of the free agent market.
Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Indians, Braves
Who says October is just for postseason?
- Victor Martinez will face his former team, the Indians, this weekend. How's that trade working out for Boston so far? V-Mart is .332/.402/.492 as a member of the Red Sox, so pretty well.
- Speaking of Red Sox-Indians, with Cleveland manager Eric Wedge now former Cleveland manager Eric Wedge, speculation is focused on Boston's pitching coach John Farrell as a possible replacement. Farrell has a clause in his contract that doesn't allow him to become a manager until 2011, but as a league official told the Boston Globe, “All it does is create a compensation opportunity for the Red Sox."
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that the Braves are serious about acquiring a right-handed power bat.
Odds & Ends: Pirates, Drew, Red Sox, Valentine
Some more links to read as we ready ourselves for another Tigers-Twins game…
- The Pirates just added Anthony Claggett to their roster, so he could make his debut with the club tonight, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- The Pirates won't bring back coach Rich Donnelly, but pitching coach Joe Kerrigan will return.
- On the weekend, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported (via Twitter) that the D'Backs will listen to offers for Stephen Drew. Nightengale says the club wants pitching and suggests the Red Sox will likely have interest in Drew.
- Rob Neyer of ESPN.com says it wouldn't make sense for the Red Sox to trade Clay Buchholz to the D'Backs to acquire Stephen Drew. Buchholz, after all, has shown that he can pitch in the AL East. The Red Sox need a shortstop, but Neyer doesn't consider Drew a proven player.
- Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post reports that Bobby Valentine is "totally committed" to his new job as an ESPN analyst, though the former MLB manager acknowledged that he could manage in the bigs again at some point.
Miguel Angel Sano Lowers Asking Price
Dominican shortstop Miguel Angel Sano has lowered his asking price in recent weeks, according to MASN's Steve Melewski. The Orioles admitted "things have stepped up" in their talks with Sano, but a gap remains. (Just a week ago, Orioles president Andy MacPhail characterized the talks as on the backburner.) Melewski heard eight to ten teams are in on Sano, perhaps large-market clubs like the Yankees and Red Sox included. Melewski believes Sano may sign in October. The player's age remains unconfirmed, but he's saying he's 16.
The Pirates were the frontrunner for Sano a few months ago, but Sano's agent turned down their $2.6MM offer (ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. reporting). Since then, Wagner Mateo's $3.1MM deal with the Cardinals was voided.
Chris Carter Designated For Assignment
The Boston Red Sox have designated Chris Carter for assignment, according to a press release. The 27-year-old outfielder played in 13 games for the Red Sox in 2008 and 2009, and was hitless in five plate appearances this season. The New York Yankees claimed him off waivers a month ago in an attempt to complicate Boston's roster moves, as Carter was thought to be the player to be named later in the deal that sent Billy Wagner to the Sox.
The Red Sox designated Carter for assignment to make room on their active roster for left-handed pitcher Dustin Richardson, who Boston selected in the fifth round of the 2006 draft.