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East Notes: Nationals, Yankees, Orioles, Victorino

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The Nationals had their eye on left-hander J.P. Howell for quite some time but the Dodgers swooped in on him earlier today.  After losing three lefties in Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Burnett, and Michael Gonzalez, the Nats could still add a southpaw, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Here’s more out of the AL and NL East..

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters, including Anthony Rieber of Newsday, that he isn’t interested in signing a reliever.  “I cannot talk about players on the free-agent market,” Cashman said. “But I am not looking for bullpen help, I can tell you that.“
  • Free agent Joe Saunders says that he wants to return to the Orioles in 2013 but is ultimately leaving the process in the hands of his agent, writes Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.  Saunders also has interest from the Angels, Mets, Twins, and Mariners and says that he wants to play for a contender.
  • Shane Victorino, who signed a three-year, $39MM deal with the Red Sox this winter, says that a return to the Phillies was his first choice, writes Matt Gelb of the Phildelphia Inquirer.

Yankees, Astros, Rangers, O’s Interested In Berkman

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7:18pm: The Yankees also have interest in Berkman, reports Ken Davidoff of The New York Post (on Twitter). Berkman spent time with New York in 2011, but Davidoff says it's unclear if he would consider a reunion since the two Texas teams are involved.

4:17pm: Nolan Ryan confirmed to Berman that the Rangers have an offer out to Berkman (Twitter link). "We are looking for a designated hitter," Ryan said. "We feel like he would fill that bill."

3:27pm: Houston GM Jeff Luhnow told Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston that he has been in contact with Berkman (Twitter link). The sides spoke yesterday and today and talks are ongoing.

2:23pm: The Rangers are trying to talk Berkman into playing next year, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Team president Nolan Ryan is said to be leading the Rangers' pursuit of Berkman, Heyman writes. Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com confirms the Orioles’ interest, noting that they have reached out “informally” (Twitter link).

9:01am: Lance Berkman said he’s “still a little bit in limbo” as he considers his options for 2013, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The switch hitting first baseman/designated hitter received two offers before Christmas and hopes to resume discussions with interested teams.

The Rangers have reached out, and the Rays and Red Sox are also interested. Goold adds a third AL East team to the list of Berkman’s suitors: the Baltimore Orioles. It's clear that Berkman has opportunities, but he suggested he’d have to be well-compensated to return for another season.

“If I’m going to play, I’m going to give my heart and soul to the team,” he told the Post-Dispatch. “But if the carrot’s not big enough, the mule isn’t going to want to go.”

Berkman, a Texas native, added that the Rangers have a geographic advantage. His first MLB team, the Astros, could also have interest. But now that the Astros have added Carlos Pena, Houston’s not an ideal fit.

Berkman missed most of the 2012 season because of knee injuries. When healthy he hit .259/.381/.444 in 97 plate appearances for the Cardinals. Moye Sports Associates represents the 14-year MLB veteran, who turns 37 next month.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Yankees Designate Chris Dickerson For Assignment

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The Yankees have designated outfielder Chris Dickerson for assignment, Chad Jennings of the Journal News reports. The move creates 40-man roster space for Russ Canzler, who was claimed off of waivers from the Indians.

Dickerson appeared in 25 games for the Yankees this past season, playing all three outfield positions. The 30-year-old hit two home runs in his 17 trips to the plate with New York. A left-handed hitter, Dickerson posted a .316/.417/.515 batting line in 321 plate appearances at Triple-A in 2012.

Yankees Claim Russ Canzler

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The Yankees have claimed Russ Canzler off of waivers from the Indians, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). This marks the third time this winter that the first baseman/designated hitter has been claimed. The Blue Jays claimed him on December 21st before Cleveland claimed him back on January 2nd.

Canzler will provide the Yankees with another right-handed bat, assuming he remains on New York's roster. The 26-year-old appeared in 26 games for the Indians this past season. He posted a .269/.299/.398 batting line in 97 MLB plate appearances while playing first base and left field. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .265/.328/.487 batting line with 22 home runs and 36 doubles in 539 plate appearances.

Yankees Notes: Young, Cashman, Stanton

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The Yankees inked Matt Diaz to a one-year, $1.2MM minor league deal just before the New Year.  Here's a look at what could be next on the list for the Bombers..

  • Even after signing Diaz, the Yankees are looking for a right-handed hitting punch versus left-handed pitchers, but they don't have interest in Delmon Young, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).  The Mariners had interest in Young during the Winter Meetings but have since picked up a pair of veteran outfielders in Jason Bay and Raul Ibanez.  Late last month we learned that the Braves aren't interested either.
  • General Manager Brian Cashman is prepared to be patient as he looks to make further upgrades to the roster, writes MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.  Last year, the Yankees didn't bring Ibanez aboard until February.
  • The talk of the Yankees swinging a trade for Giancarlo Stanton was inevitable, but it's not likely for a number of reasons, writes Chad Jennings of The Journal News.  For starters, the Marlins' willingness to talk doesn't signal that they're looking to give Stanton away for chump change.  The Yankees also might not be able to afford the kind of prospect dump that such a deal would require.

Quick Hits: Saunders, Reds, Yankees, Hamilton

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Congratulations to our own Ben Nicholson-Smith on being named one of the 100 most influential Canadians in baseball by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun for the second year in a row.  In addition to BN-S, fellow MLBTR writers Luke Adams (also of HoopsRumors) and Mark Polishuk earned honorable mention for their stellar work.  Here’s tonight’s look around baseball..

  • Even though many seem to feel getting a hitter is the bigger priority for the Orioles right now, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com would like to see the O’s continue their pursuit of Joe Saunders and get involved with Shaun Marcum.
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) looked at the biggest risks taken by MLB teams this offseason.  The Reds made the list for their decision to put the newly-acquired Shin-Soo Choo in center field and so did the Yankees for letting Russell Martin and Nick Swisher go elsewhere while signing Ichiro Suzuki and Kevin Youkilis who are well past their primes.  Bowden also suggests that the Tigers should get a closer with experience like Brian Wilson to support rookie Bruce Rondon.
  • Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com looks at ten questions facing the Angels in 2013, including the issue of whether Josh Hamilton is worth the $125MM contract he received this winter.  It’ll take longer than one year to fully answer that question, but in the short-term the Halos would like to see the slugger stay healthy.
  • The Dodgers are full of promise in 2013 but an awful lot happened in the last year and change to put them in that position, notes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com.  The ball started rolling in November of 2011 when Frank McCourt finally agreed to sell the team.

AL East Notes: Yankees, Pimentel, Santos, Orioles

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It was on this day in 1974 that the first real "free agent" signing in modern baseball history was made by (who else?) the Yankees when they inked Catfish Hunter to a five-year, $3.75MM deal.  Hunter was freed from his previous contract with the A's after an arbitrator ruled that the club has breached the terms of the right-hander's deal, thus paving the way for Hunter to sign with New York.  The deal was a record for its time, as Hunter was earning three times as much money as any other Major League player.

Here are some items from around the AL East…

  • The Yankees have learned several lessons in 2012 including Alex Rodriguez is less dependable than ever and their fiscal cliff is real, according to LoHud.com's Chad Jennings.
  • Right-hander Stolmy Pimentel was part of the trade package the Red Sox sent to the Pirates in the Joel Hanrahan deal.  WEEI.com's Alex Speier looks at Pimentel's career arc and wonders if his departure could signal a change in how the Sox value their prospects in terms of their trade value.
  • Sergio Santos spent almost all of the 2012 season on the DL but his ability to provide depth at closer will be a major factor in the Blue Jays' playoff drive in 2013, writes Richard Griffin of The Toronto Star.  Santos was expected to be the Jays' closer last year but Casey Janssen stepped into the job and performed well, making him the incumbent late-game choice heading into next season.  Griffin thinks Santos will be the choice to take over the job if he stays healthy, though I don't see the Jays making a switch unless Janssen struggles.  Just a reminder that you can keep track of all the closer news on MLBTR's sister Twitter feed @CloserNews.
  • If the Nationals re-sign first baseman Adam LaRoche but miss out on free agent southpaw J.P. Howell, MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko suggests that the Nats and Orioles could match up on a trade.  In Kolko's proposed deal, the O's would send one of their several left-handed relief options to Washington as part of a package in exchange for Michael Morse, who would be expendable for the Nats if LaRoche was back in the fold.
  • In other AL East news from earlier today, we learned the Rays are in the market for more relief pitching.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Yankees Links: Hairston, Hughes, Wakamatsu

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Hideki Matsui announced his retirement from baseball after ten years in MLB today, seven of which were spent in New York with the Yankees. Here's the latest from the Bronx…

  • Even after signing Matt Diaz to a minor league contract, the Yankees remain interested in Scott Hairston according to Kevin Kernan of The New York Post. The club is seeking a right-handed bat to complement their all-lefty hitting outfield.
  • Phil Hughes could price himself out of New York with a strong season in 2013, opines Joel Sherman of The New York Post. The right-hander is due to become a free agent next winter and the Yankees are looking to get under the $189MM luxury tax threshold in 2014.
  • Within the same piece, Sherman notes the Yankees will own three of the top 35 and four of the top 65 or so picks in next June's amateur draft. They're slated to receive compensation picks for Nick Swisher and Rafael Soriano.
  • The Yankees have added former Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu to their pro scouting staff, reports Ken Davidoff of The New York Post (on Twitter).

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Yankees, Diaz

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Links on the Yankees and Red Sox as Wednesday becomes Thursday..

  • Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (on Twitter) sees several tradeable pieces on the Red Sox roster.  Among them are the club's spare catchers (Ryan Lavarnway or Jarrod Saltalamacchia), Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Bailey, or one of their left-handed relievers.  Abraham isn't sure what those pieces could net Boston in return, however.
  • The Yankees' signing of Matt Diaz to a minor league deal likely won't end their search for a right-handed hitting outfield option, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.  Diaz's deal will be worth $1.2MM if he reaches the majors with the chance to earn an additional $800K in incentives.
  • Diaz could be primed for a bounce-back year as his agents at Reynolds Sports Management (on Twitter) point out that the outfielder's recurring thumb issues are behind him.  Diaz's slash line over the last two years has been .251/.295/.326 versus .301/.350/.456 in the previous eight seasons.

Yankees To Sign Matt Diaz

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6:04pm: The outfielder can earn as much as $800K in incentives, sources tell Marc Carig of Newsday (Twitter link).

5:44pm: Diaz will earn $1.2MM plus incentives if he makes the big league club, sources tell Feinsand (on Twitter).

5:05pm: The Yankees have agreed to terms with Matt Diaz on a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).  Feinsand tipped the signing earlier this week when he noted that the outfielder would be a potential fit for the Bombers.

Diaz spent last season with the Braves and posted a .222/.280/.333 batting line in 51 big league games.  The Reynolds Sports Management client boasts a career .324/.364/.498 slash line against lefties.

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