Yankees Rumors

Yankees Exercise Options For Aardsma, Cano, Granderson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | October 29, 2012 at 11:30am CDT

The Yankees announced that they have exercised the 2013 options for right-hander David Aardsma, second baseman Robinson Cano and outfielder Curtis Granderson.

Cano, 30, will earn $15MM next season. He hit .313/.379/.550 with a career-high 33 homers this season, his third straight year of MVP-caliber performance. Cano is due to become a free agent after next season and we recently heard that agent Scott Boras is seeking a ten-year contract at "top-of-the-market dollars" for the second baseman.

Granderson, 31, will also earn $15MM next year after triggering escalator clauses in his contract with last season's fourth place finish in the MVP voting. He hit .232/.319/.492 with 43 homers in 2012, his second consecutive season with 40+ dingers. GM Brian Cashman recently said he won't trade the outfielder in a reactionary move following his poor postseason showing.

The Yankees signed Aardsma to a one-year contract last offseason with an eye on 2013 since the right-hander was coming off Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old threw just one inning in September after spending the summer rehabbing. Aardsma will make just $500K next season, with more available in incentives.

AL East Notes: Yankees, Rivera, Blue Jays, Rays, Molina

By Zachary Links | October 28, 2012 at 12:19pm CDT

Let's take a look at some items out of the American League East..

Mariano Rivera says that he isn't sure if he wants to return in 2013, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) cautions that it may just be part of negotiations with the Yankees. The closer is coming off of a deal which paid him $15MM in each of the last two seasons and the Bombers will likely try to shave that number down on a new contract. Rivera and the Yankees have a history of tough negotiations, including a couple of years ago when he threatened that he would sign with the Red Sox.
The Blue Jays are not considering Brad Ausmus, Jim Tracy, or Manny Acta for their managerial vacancy, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach is in the mix along with DeMarlo Hale, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Blue Jays third base coach Brian Butterfield. Along with Butterfield, bench coach Don Wakamatsu is another internal possibility.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times believes that the Rays will wind up extending a qualifying offer to B.J. Upton as he will most likely turn it down, putting the club in position to net a compensatory pick. Last month, more than 61% of MLBTR readers polled said that the Rays should extend Upton a qualifying offer.
Meanwhile, the Rays also have a decision to make on Jose Molina's $1.8MM option, which can be bought out for $300K. While the catcher hit just .223/.286/.355 last season, Topkin notes that his work with the pitchers was strong and he could be worth keeping.

Sherman’s Latest: Wright, Soriano, Tigers, LaRussa

By Mike Axisa | October 27, 2012 at 8:51am CDT

Here's the latest from Joel Sherman of The New York Post…

Sherman has spoken to more than ten executives outside the Mets organization who believe the team will re-sign David Wright and relatively soon. It's a public relations move as much as a baseball move, plus getting him signed quickly will allow them to fine tune their offseason plans.
Officials expect Wright to receive a seven-year, $127MM extension that, when combined with his $16MM club option for next year, would be worth a total of $143MM across eight years. It would make Wright the highest paid Met in history (ahead of Johan Santana) and the second high paid third baseman in history (behind Alex Rodriguez).
“Teams no longer like paying big money for closers, there is a lot of tread on his tires and he is not known as a great guy," said one NL executive about Rafael Soriano, who is expected to opt-out of his contract with the Yankees and become a free agent this offseason.
Sherman wonders if Jose Valverde's late-season collapse will help Soriano on the open market as the Tigers will likely look for a high-end closer. Tigers own Mike Ilitch has a strong working relationship with Soriano's agent Scott Boras.
Former manager Tony LaRussa recently said he would not have offered more than five or six years to Albert Pujols last winter or Josh Hamilton this winter, and Sherman says the players association was not pleased. LaRussa is currently an advisor to the Commissioner and anything resembling talk of collusion from baseball's higher-ups sets off an alarm.

AL East Links: Peterson, A-Rod, Otani, Orioles, Loney

By Mark Polishuk | October 26, 2012 at 10:02pm CDT

The Red Sox will interview Rick Peterson for their pitching coach job, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). The Orioles granted Boston permission to interview Peterson, who is currently Baltimore's director of pitching development and is a former pitching coach with the A's, Mets and Brewers.

Here's the latest from around the AL East…

No teams have yet contacted the Yankees about a possible Alex Rodriguez trade, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
The Orioles have scouted Japanese right-hander Shohei Otani, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, confirming an earlier report from Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News that the O's had interest in the 18-year-old prospect. Since Otani has already been drafted (though not signed) by the NPL's Nippon Ham Fighters, Connolly suspects the O's might not make any quick attempts to sign Otani given the Orioles' issues last season in trying to sign Korean southpaw Seong-Min Kim.
Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton are both too expensive for the Orioles' taste, writes MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko in an analysis of free agents who won't be pursued by the O's this winter. The team doesn't have interest in free agent pitchers Derek Lowe, Jeremy Guthrie, Edwin Jackson or Erik Bedard, while Kevin Youkilis is a longshot based on Baltimore's concerns about his health.
James Loney has a less than 50-50 chance of returning to the Red Sox, reports MLB.com's Evan Drellich, though the Sox see Loney as a "Plan B" if they're still looking for first base help later in the offseason.
The Rays have been denied permission by St. Petersburg mayor Bill Foster to explore new stadium sites in nearby counties in Tampa Bay, reports Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune. The Rays' lease at Tropicana Field runs through the 2027 season.
Mariano Rivera's retirement could help the Yankees avoid a tough decision with the closer's job, opines Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York. If Rivera retired, the Yankees could then pursue a new contract with Rafael Soriano without worrying about committing too much payroll space on closers.
From earlier today, Joel Sherman of the New York Post had more items about the Yankees.

Sherman On Rivera, Granderson, Swisher

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | October 26, 2012 at 10:43am CDT

The Yankees are averaging 96 regular season wins in their first five years under manager Joe Girardi. Here's the latest from the Bronx, via Joel Sherman of the New York Post…

The Yankees would be far better off with Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter contributing in 2013, Sherman writes. Rivera appears to be undecided about whether to continue playing, Pettitte hasn't announced his plans for the '13 season and Jeter’s recovering from ankle surgery. Sherman hears from a friend of Rivera's who expects the closer to return.
The Yankees realize Curtis Granderson adds value and will almost certainly avoid trading him in a reactionary move, Sherman writes. “I will listen on anybody, but you would be hard-pressed to get enough to trade a center fielder who is a perennial 40-homer-plus man,” GM Brian Cashman said of Granderson, whose 2013 option will be exercised in the coming weeks. Rival executives told Sherman that Granderson could draw trade interest from teams aiming to contend in 2013 if the Yankees made him available.
Sherman also notes that Nick Swisher is almost certain to leave in free agent.

AL East Notes: Rivera, Farrell, Blue Jays, Red Sox

By Zachary Links | October 25, 2012 at 6:05pm CDT

After tearing his ACL in a freak injury back in May, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera vowed to reporters that he would return. “I am coming back. Write it down in big letters. … I’m not going out like this,” said the 42-year-old. Now, General Manager Brian Cashman says that Rivera’s future is less-than-certain, writes Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com. Marchand notes that a new contract could also be tricky for Rivera as his two-year, $30MM contract has expired. Here’s more out of the American League East..

The John Farrell compensation talks came down to Mike Aviles or Andrew Bailey, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Blue Jays of course wound up with Aviles, who gives the club flexibility with Yunel Escobar.
Rather than hire one of the many experienced managers available, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star would rather see the Blue Jays hire a fresh face. Griffin suggests that Alex Anthopoulos & Co. should speak with Sandy Alomar Jr., Sal Fasano, Dave Martinez, Paul Molitor, and others.
The Red Sox’s uncertain contender status will impact the way that they build their roster this winter, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Speier writes that the Red Sox will likely treat trade opportunities similar to how they did leading up to the July 31st deadline. That means holding on to key prospects unless its for worthwhile players that are under control for multiple years.

Latest On Ichiro, Yankees

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | October 25, 2012 at 1:30pm CDT

Ichiro Suzuki strongly wants to re-sign with the Yankees, a person close to the free agent outfielder told Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Ichiro enjoyed playing in a winning atmosphere with players in his age range this past season, Sherman reports. It sounds as though Ichiro could be retained for a one-year deal in the $5-8MM range.

The Yankees still intend to build around left-handed power, Sherman reports. This will make it difficult to accommodate both Ichiro and Brett Gardner without shifting Gardner to a reserve role. Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently said the Yankees will have a better sense of how Ichiro fits in their plans when they hold their upcoming pro scouting meetings.

AL East Links: Red Sox, Ortiz, Yankees, Orioles

By Mike Axisa | October 24, 2012 at 7:40pm CDT

We've already had two managerial changes in the AL East this offseason, and a ton of player moves will surely follow this winter. Here's the latest from the only division to house three 90-win teams in 2012…

"I wouldn't be trying to re-sign him if I had any concern about David's commitment to baseball or to the Red Sox," said Red Sox GM Ben Cherington to ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes when asked about former manager Bobby Valentine's recent disparaging comments about David Ortiz's commitment to the team. The Sox and Ortiz are reportedly working on a new two-year contract.
In a recent radio interview, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he would like to make his team younger but will only do it if it makes them better according to Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News. "In theory, I want us to get younger and better, but in reality, that’s not always realistic," he said.
Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun lists ten free agents who could be fits for the Orioles next season, from stars like Josh Hamilton to role players like Jeff Keppinger.

Olney On Braves, Cano, Otani

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | October 23, 2012 at 11:30am CDT

The latest from ESPN.com’s Buster Olney…

Brian McCann’s $12MM option for 2013 no longer seems as appealing as it once did, Olney writes. The Braves are working to address many offseason needs with a modest payroll and McCann's recent shoulder surgery was more extensive than expected. Olney points out that the Braves could attempt to negotiate a deal at a lower salary or exercise the option and trade McCann to a team such as the Rangers or Yankees. Of course the Braves could simply bring the catcher back for another season in the hopes that his shoulder recovers.
Next year’s free agent class might be light on impact talent other than Robinson Cano, Olney writes. In general it probably doesn’t make sense to expect stacked free agent classes at a time that teams are locking up players to extensions that cover their prime years.
Japanese pitching prospect Shohei Otani intends to pursue a career in MLB, and a number of teams are interested in the hard-throwing right-hander. The Red Sox and Rangers “have done the most work in this arena,” according to Olney.

AL East Notes: Lovullo, Rodriguez, Lowe

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | October 22, 2012 at 12:05pm CDT

John Farrell has officially joined the Red Sox after many months of intense speculation. Here are some links, starting in Boston with Farrell’s new team…

Blue Jays first base coach Torey Lovullo is a strong candidate to join Farrell with the Red Sox, perhaps as the team's bench coach, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. We heard lots about the possibilities for Lovullo yesterday.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman acknowledged that Alex Rodriguez is not a superstar, but said he's still an "above-average" player, Peter Botte of the New York Daily News reports. The GM repeated that a deal involving Rodriguez seems "unrealistic." The 37-year-old has five years and $114MM remaining on a contract that includes no-trade protection.
Derek Lowe, who pitched out of the bullpen for the Yankees down the stretch, says he would like to start again in 2013, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. Lowe hits free agency this offseason and probably won't interest the Yankees as a starter in the estimation of Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues.
Andruw Jones, who also hits free agency this offseason, said he intends to play for four more years, according to King.

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