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Cafardo On Stanton, Swisher, Red Sox, Sizemore

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe opines that the Red Sox should go after a Josh Hamilton or Joe Mauer.  Boston has made it clear that they are focused on being fiscally responsible and only targeting good value deals, but a strong bat would help elevate the club's lineup and energize the fan base.  Here's more from today's column..

  • The Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles, Cubs, and many more are inquiring on rightfielder Giancarlo Stanton, a major league source tells Cafardo.  However, commissioner Bud Selig is watching the situation closely after the club's colossal salary dump in the Blue Jays deal.  He didn't move to block that trade, but he may not be fond of a deal for the Marlins’ biggest draw. 
  • The Red Sox have had ongoing negotiations with Nick Swisher and his agents.  The outfielder, who has at least seven teams interested in him this winter, would serve as a more than adequate replacement for Cody Ross.
  • Agent Joe Urbon tells Cafardo that all is quiet on Grady Sizemore.  The 30-year-old has bad knees  but there is hope that he can turn the corner.  The agent says his client will play again, but it seems he would have to come in on a minor league/major league deal with incentives, similar to Jason Bay.
  • Carlos Pena may have to accept being a platoon player for a team like the Red Sox after a weak offensive campaign.  The Sox still haven't closed the door on fellow first baseman James Loney, who offers strong defense but lacks the big bat potential of a player like Pena.

This Date In Transactions History: Marlins Fire Sale

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Two weeks ago, the Marlins agreed to send basically every player making decent money on their roster to the Blue Jays for a package of prospects. The 12-player blockbuster became official a week ago, leaving Miami with just three players scheduled to make $2MM+ in 2013. Ricky Nolasco ($11.5MM) and Yunel Escobar ($5MM) could both still be moved before the end of the winter as well.

This isn't the first time the Marlins have torn things down and rebuilt from scratch, of course. They did it immediately following their 1997 World Series win, then again a few years after bringing home the 2003 World Championship. On this date in 2005, the team officially swung a pair of trades sending three of their highest paid players elsewhere.

Trade #1: Boston Red Sox
Josh Beckett, then just 25, was coming off a 3.38 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 178 2/3 innings for Florida. He earned $2.4MM in 2005 and was due a significant raise in his second trip through arbitration, plus the team was unlikely to re-sign him long-term when he hit free agency after 2007.

Beckett had significant trade value, so the Marlins took advantage by attaching then-31-year-old Mike Lowell to him in talks. If a team wanted Beckett, they had to take Lowell as well. The third baseman slipped to .236/.298/.360 with eight homers in 558 plate appearances that year, but more importantly he was scheduled to earn $18MM total from 2006-2007.

Few teams could meet Florida's demand for a young shortstop, but the Red Sox were one of them. The two sides worked out a seven-player trade that sent Beckett, Lowell, and Guillermo Mota to Boston in exchange for prospects Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Harvey Garcia, and Jesus Delgado. The Marlins saved all $18MM owed to Lowell in addition to second- and third-year arbitration salaries for Beckett and a third-year arbitration salary for Mota. The trade worked out well for both teams as Beckett and Lowell helped the Red Sox to the 2007 World Championship while Ramirez developed into an MVP candidate and Sanchez became a rock solid innings-eater for the Marlins.

Trade #2: New York Mets
During the 2004-2005 offseason, Florida landed the top free agent slugger by signing Carlos Delgado to a four-year, $52MM contract with a fifth-year vesting option. The then-33-year-old hit .301/.399/.582 with 33 homers in the first year of the contract, good enough to earn him a sixth-place finish in the MVP voting. However, like the contracts of Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle, Delgado's deal with the Marlins was heavily backloaded. He earned just $4MM in 2005, then his salary was scheduled to jump to $13.5MM in 2006, $14.5MM in 2007, $16MM in 2008, and potentially $12MM in 2009 if the option vested ($4MM buyout).

Rather than pay him that huge salary over the next three years, the Marlins traded Delgado to the Mets for three minor leaguers: Yusmeiro Petit, Mike Jacobs, and Grant Psomas. The Mets also received $7MM from Florida in the trade, but it was a drop in the bucket compared to the $48MM left on the contract. Delgado hit .265/.349/.505 with 100 homers during his first three years with New York, which was enough for the team to exercise his option even though it didn't vest. Jacobs had three decent years with the Marlins while Petit and Psomas flamed out, but the real get for the club was the $41MM in payroll savings. Combined with the Red Sox swap, the Marlins shed more than $59MM in contract obligations with these two moves seven years ago today.

The Latest On Mike Napoli

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Free agent catcher/first baseman/DH Mike Napoli has drawn interest from the Mariners, Rangers, Red Sox, and Yankees so far this offseason. The Brian Grieper client is reportedly holding out for a four-year contract, however. Here's the latest on the 2012 All-Star…

  • Napoli is meeting with the Red Sox in Boston this weekend, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Yesterday we learned that he's already met with the Mariners.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney says (on Twitter) evaluators view Napoli as a part-time catcher only, not someone who can play 120+ games behind the plate.

AL East Notes: Hale, Swisher, Kuroda, Orioles

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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…

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