Angels Eyeing Aaron Harang?
The Aaron Harang chatter started with ESPN's Peter Gammons on March 22nd. Gammons wrote:
The Reds have let teams know that they will wait and see whether they need to move Aaron Harang during the season.
But then the next day Reds GM Walt Jocketty said, "I'm not going to comment on something when he doesn't know what he's talking about" and laughed off the rumor, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Harang's name came up again in yesterday's Ken Rosenthal column, in association with a one-sided call from the Angels to the Reds about taking Gary Matthews Jr. off their hands.
Today, ESPN's Buster Olney adds to the rumblings:
Joe Saunders is coping with a dead arm. No wonder the Angels have dispatched a scout to go see the Reds' Aaron Harang make his next spring start.
Saunders' arm is already alive again, but John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, and Ervin Santana are all dealing with injuries.
Gary Matthews Jr. Comments
Yahoo's Tim Brown talked to Gary Matthews Jr., who is unhappy about his projected role as the Angels' fourth or fifth outfielder. Matthews didn't exactly publicly demand a trade, but he said things like "We have a problem" and "It's going to have to get resolved." Problem is, no team seems interested in taking on the $33MM owed to Matthews. The Angels would have to eat money or match up with another bad contract, and they might just prefer to keep Matthews in a reserve role.
Over at his blog, Torii Hunter tries to explain where his teammate is coming from.
Rosenthal On Matthews, Thomas, Hammel, Niemann
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new column…
- The Angels attempted to sell the Reds on Gary Matthews Jr., but it was a one-sided discussion. The Reds have no desire to trade Bronson Arroyo or Aaron Harang for Matthews. Angels GM Tony Reagins told Rosenthal, "We haven't had much discussions with respect to trades and trade possibilities." UPDATE: Reds GM Walt Jocketty told John Fay he hasn't talked to the Angels since the Winter Meetings.
- Free agent DH Frank Thomas is still waiting for an offer. He intends to delay a decision about retirement until at least the All-Star break. My thought – his situation just got a bit tougher with Gary Sheffield becoming available.
- Rosenthal says the Rays could keep both Jason Hammel and Jeff Niemann and cut Lance Cormier, if trade offers for the first two aren't acceptable. Rosenthal adds the Rangers, Nationals, and Indians to the already known suitors (Padres, Pirates, and Rockies). He names the Brewers as "yet another possibility." Rosenthal says the Angels attempted to acquire Niemann a year ago but learned from Reagins that they're not actively looking for pitching.
- The Phillies ate Adam Eaton's contract, but team president David Montgomery is unwilling to do the same to make Geoff Jenkins go away.
- Rosenthal says the offers received for Rockies infielder Jeff Baker "have not been enticing." They may elect to keep him.
Heyman On Strasburg, Lackey, Pedro
SI.com's Jon Heyman has a new column up.
- In talking to club execs who have spoken with Scott Boras about Stephen Strasburg, Heyman believes Boras does have $50MM in mind. Boras allegedly likened Strasburg to fictional pitcher Sidd Finch, with the plan being to shatter previous draft pick bonuses by using Daisuke Matsuzaka's contract as a model. One Nationals person told Heyman, "We'll pay the $10 million, and we'll get him signed." This much is clear: we'll have something off the field to talk about in August. For more Strasburg Mania, check out this article by Steve Henson at Yahoo.
- Heyman learned from Nationals sources that Stan Kasten and team ownership, not Jim Bowden, cut off the Aaron Crow negotiations at $3.3MM. Kasten's had many applicants for Bowden's GM job, but Heyman's sources expect Mike Rizzo to retain the gig.
- A Heyman source estimated that the Angels offered John Lackey four years and around $50MM. Talks are on hold given Lackey's elbow injury. He didn't want to negotiate during the season anyway. The latest report on Lackey's injury is pretty good.
- Pedro Martinez still wants $5MM, and is "willing to wait well into the season." Heyman believes the Dodgers, Indians, Pirates, Astros, and Mets are possibilities now.
Gammons Notes: Angels, Delcarmen
A little hot stove info from ESPN's Peter Gammons:
Word is the Angels are worried enough about their starting pitching to look around, especially at the Reds. And several Arizona teams have expressed interest in Boston reliever Manny Delcarmen. Boston needs a catcher, and could use another infielder and even another outfielder.
The Angels have concerns at the front of their rotation with John Lackey and Ervin Santana. The reasonable Reds target for the Halos would have to be Aaron Harang (my own speculation). A week ago, Gammons wrote about the Reds possibly moving Harang during the season, but GM Walt Jocketty seemed to reject the idea.
As for the teams interested in Delcarmen, here's a reminder of the Arizona Spring Training clubs: the D'Backs, Cubs, White Sox, Indians, Rockies, Royals, Angels, Dodgers, Brewers, A's, Padres, Giants, Mariners, and Rangers.
Matthews Jr. Leaves Camp For A Day
Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times writes that Gary Matthews Jr. was permitted to leave camp for a day, following a closed-door meeting with Mike Scioscia and Tony Reagins. Scioscia and Reagins informed Matthews during the meeting that he will open the season with the Angels as their fifth outfielder.
Matthews is entering the third year of a five-year, $50MM contract with a full no-trade clause. It's believed that he would waive that clause in order to move to a team where he could play every day. Three remaining years and $33MM owed make him nearly impossible to trade, however.
Reagins said that Matthews is in the Angels' Opening Day plans, but had this to say when asked if Matthews would still be an Angel in a week:
Matthews chose not to discuss the meeting with reporters, asking for a day to himself before commenting on the situation.
Mark Teixeira: In His Own Words
Mark Teixeira appeared on New York-based radio station WFAN this morning and spoke, among other things, about why he decided to sign with the Yankees over other interested teams. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times has transcribed a few of the more interesting quotes:
"I always had the Yankees in my sights, and one thing my agent and I had asked every single team is, we're not going to negotiate through the media, and we ask you not to," Teixeira said. "The Yankees were really the only team that did that. The other teams went out and told everybody their offers, told everybody that they talked to me, that they made this call, made that trip. The Yankees kept quiet. We talked all winter. When they were ready to make their final offer, it was a great offer, and my wife and I were excited about going to New York."
Asked specifically about the Red Sox, who made their December 18 visit to his home in Texas public knowledge, Teixeira admitted to being bothered: "I think in the end, it probably worked against them a little bit, because everyone thought the Red Sox were my No. 1 choice. … The Yankees had a leg up all along."
White Sox Likely To Stay In-House For Center Field
On Wednesday Ken Rosenthal said available Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera "would be a perfect fit for the White Sox." Rosenthal originally had the Sox interested in Gary Matthews Jr., but updated his column saying that a source refuted the item.
Manager Ozzie Guillen wants to stay in-house for center field, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune:
"No, we're not going (outside the organization). I don't want that to happen. I don't like that to happen. If we have to go outside the organization right now, gosh, I'm not going to say we're in trouble. But as a ballclub, we have enough guys here to resolve that problem."
Currently the contenders are Jerry Owens, Brian Anderson, and DeWayne Wise.
Lackey Talks On Life Support
According to Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times, talks between John Lackey and the Angels for a contract extension "appear to be on life support." Lackey wants five years and $80-90MM, and doesn't want to negotiate during the season. Complicating matters, Lackey was just shut down with elbow tightness.
Lackey figures to be the best available free agent starter, assuming he doesn't sign and recovers quickly from the injury. Kelvim Escobar's contract will also be up, while Joe Saunders and Jered Weaver will be arbitration-eligible for the first time. The Halos may need to sign a free agent starter or two; here's a look at the possible market.
Odds & Ends: Wieters, Padres, Peavy, Price
LInks for Thursday…
- Chico Harlan of the Washington Post says the Nationals will honor a handshake agreement Dmitri Young made with Jim Bowden, and put the first baseman back on the 40-man roster.
- Catcher Matt Wieters has been told by the Orioles that he'll be optioned to Triple A on Monday, according to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun. Will the Orioles wait until late May to try to avoid Super Two status?
- Reds assistant GM Bob Miller talked to fans in an MLB.com Q&A.
- Check out an entertaining chat transcript with Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times over at Halos Heaven.
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star interviewed Zack Greinke.
- Rangers owner Tom Hicks told Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News that the team has not reduced its budget for 2010. The Rangers have yet to set next year's budget, but it's known that some big salaries will be coming off the books. Meanwhile, MLB.com's Barry Bloom notes that Hicks intends to sell a minority share of the team.
- Rays exec Andrew Friedman said the team's demotion of David Price was entirely for baseball reasons, talking to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. R.J. Anderson of DRays Bay supports the decision. Bart Given agrees.
- Tom Haudricourt and Adam McCalvy write about Brewers GM Doug Melvin's irritation with the bogus Jake Peavy rumor.
- Purely speculative, but Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders if Dontrelle Willis could get his career back on track with the Marlins.
- Rockies infielder Jeff Baker, unaffected by the trade rumors, homered twice yesterday.
- John Moores says the Padres sale to Jeff Moorad is "awfully close," talking to MLB.com's Barry Bloom. As you know, Sandy Alderson will step down as CEO when the deal closes (possibly today).
- Padres pitcher Shawn Hill had offers from six teams, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock.
- The Red Sox signed reliever Rocky Cherry to a minor league deal.
- MLB.com's Alyson Footer says reliever Danny Graves asked for and received his release from the Astros.