Yankees Rumors

Yankees Near Deal With Nick Johnson

By Tim Dierkes | December 18, 2009 at 1:14pm CDT

FRIDAY, 1:14pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney says Johnson will make $5.5MM next year, plus incentives based on plate appearances. The deal includes a mutual option for 2011 worth $5.5MM.

THURSDAY, 6:13pm: The deal is now near completion, says Davidoff. Pending a physical, Johnson will agree to a one-year deal with the Yankees worth about $5.5MM.

5:14pm: Newsday's Ken Davidoff agrees that the Yankees and Johnson are engaged in "serious discussions," but notes that Johnson has yet to take a physical.

4:24pm: King now says the Yankees are "moving toward" a one-year deal with Johnson, which could be announced tomorrow.

3:17pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Giants increased their offer to Johnson to the $5.5-6MM range. Johnson earned $5.5MM this year to finish a Jim Bowden-authored contract signed in March of '06. The Mariners remain in the mix as well.

9:00am: We've known of the Yankees' interest in Nick Johnson since at least December 7th, when ESPN's Jayson Stark put them among seven teams to inquire. Today, George King of the New York Post has a little more detail on the Yankees' interest.

King says the sides are discussing a one-year deal, which is important to note since Johnson was said to be seeking two years. Said Johnson's agent Rex Gary of the talks:

"We have had dialogue, things are moving forward. Something could happen to speed things up, but it’s hard to predict."

Given Mark Teixeira's presence, Johnson would spend most of his time at DH. King suggests a Johnson signing might eliminate the chances of Johnny Damon returning. Johnson would be coming home if he signed with the Yankees – he was drafted by them in '96 but traded to the Expos in '03 with Randy Choate and Juan Rivera for Javier Vazquez. Interestingly, all four players involved in that six-year-old deal were productive in 2009.

Johnson, whose .426 OBP this year leads all free agents, is also known to have interest from at least the Mariners, Giants, and Red Sox.

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Vazquez, Matthews

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 18, 2009 at 12:23pm CDT

Some links for Friday…

Jayson Stark and Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com expect the Cubs to go after free agent center fielders now that they've dealt Milton Bradley.
John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer doesn't expect the Reds to deal Aaron Harang in the near future.
The Chiba Lotte Marines signed Bryan Corey, according to NPB Tracker.
A source close to Javier Vazquez tells MLB.com's Mark Bowman that it's highly unlikely the pitcher would approve a trade to a west coast team like the Angels. The Braves are still interested in trading Derek Lowe.
USA Today's Bob Nightengale says it would be an upset to see anyone but the Cardinals sign Matt Holliday.
Now that the Dodgers have traded Juan Pierre, the Angels are optimistic about unloading Gary Matthews Jr. and his contract, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. The Angels will have to eat some of the $23MM owed to Matthews if they hope to deal him.
O's reliever Jim Johnson tells Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that he's glad to have new acquisition Mike Gonzalez around.
Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News says the Yankees still need another arm. Brian Cashman says the Yankees aren't done.
Tyler Kepner of the New York Times expects the Yanks to spend big on next year's free agent class.
New Blue Jay Kyle Drabek tells the Toronto Sun that he doesn't plan on changing his approach, though he does feel some pressure as a major piece of the Roy Halladay trade.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the Pirates evaluate players and then stand by the figures they decide on almost all the time. This approach prevents the Pirates from over-spending and sometimes prevents them from signing their targets (like Miguel Angel Sano).
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that the Brewers expect Claudio Vargas to take his physical today and finalize his deal.
Yahoo's Jeff Passan examines Scott Boras' relationship with mystery teams.

Odds & Ends: Orioles, Dodgers, Beltre, Pujols

By Luke Adams 2 | December 17, 2009 at 9:28pm CDT

Let's round up some Thursday evening links….

The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly hears from Orioles officials that the team isn't serious about Matt Holliday or Adrian Gonzalez. This probably means that, despite their flurry of recent activity, Baltimore is done spending for now.
Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts takes a look at the Dodgers' salary obligations for 2010.
Todd Zolecki of MLB.com follows up on the Roy Halladay–Cliff Lee blockbuster by breaking down Halladay's extension and relaying Lee's reaction to the trade.
While the Cardinals wait on Holliday, Mark DeRosa is exploring his other options, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Yahoo's Tim Brown adds a surprising team to a list of otherwise predictable suitors for Adrian Beltre: the Oakland Athletics. ESPN.com's Buster Olney follows up on this point, noting that the A's do have interest, but not at $10MM a year.
The Marlins still could retain Dan Uggla, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. However, the team hasn't been in contact with his agent since the Winter Meetings, so a trade looks more likely. We heard some details earlier today about discussions the Marlins and Giants have had regarding Uggla.
Albert Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, tells Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Cardinals' negotiations with Holliday won't affect a possible Pujols extension: "Albert respects Matt and would love to have him as a teammate and hopes he gets his money, but Matt’s situation must be seen as independent of Albert’s."
A source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Adam Dunn "is not going anywhere for now."
Newsday's Ken Davidoff thinks that Johnny Damon's run in New York is about to come to an end.
Jeff Wilson of the Dallas Morning News says that if the Mike Lowell trade falls through because of Lowell's health, the Rangers have other targets, including Vladimir Guerrero, Jermaine Dye, and Jim Thome. Morosi says we should know about the Lowell deal "one way or the other" by the end of the weekend.
Pirates GM Neal Huntington answers fans' questions about his team's future in an MLB.com mailbag.

New York Rumors: Sheets, Bay, Molina

By Luke Adams 2 | December 17, 2009 at 8:13pm CDT

After reporting earlier tonight that Nick Johnson and the Yankees are on the verge of an agreement, Newsday's Ken Davidoff looks at what that means for the Yankees, and brings us some Mets tidbits as well….

Davidoff acknowledges skepticism about the Yanks entering the season with Melky Cabrera manning left field every day, but points out that the team will be getting above-average production from enough other positions to make it work. As Davidoff speculated earlier tonight, it looks likely that the signing of Johnson will signal the end of Johnny Damon's stint as a Yankee.
A starting pitcher is the Yankees' next priority. Although they have interest in Ben Sheets, they probably won't get involved in a bidding war over the righty.
The Mets, meanwhile, are hoping Jason Bay responds to their contract offer tomorrow, either with an acceptance or, more realistically, with a counter-proposal. The team's current offer is $65MM over four years. It sounds like they'd be willing to add a fifth year, at a slightly lesser annual salary. SI.com's Jon Heyman wonders, via Twitter, who else could be in on the Bay bidding.
The Mets' pursuit of Bengie Molina could still take some time. Davidoff indicates that, with other catchers still in play, the club can afford to wait for Molina's demands to lower a little.

Mariners Interested In Johnny Damon

By Tim Dierkes | December 17, 2009 at 3:32pm CDT

The Yankees prefer Johnny Damon to Nick Johnson, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post, but Damon's current asking price of three years at perhaps $11MM per does not work for them. We've also seen Damon mostly dismissed as an option for the Giants. If he doesn't re-sign with the Yankees, where might Damon land?

Earlier today Sherman tweeted that the Mariners have interest in Damon. Larry Stone of the Seattle Times looks more deeply at the Mariners-Damon connections over the years. He also provides this nugget, which he has never confirmed with Damon:

I heard from someone who works around the Mariners that after Bill Bavasi was fired in 2008, and the Mariners were searching for a new general manager, Damon actually was telling people he would be interested in the job. This person insisted that Damon seemed dead serious, even though he was still an active player.

We haven't heard much else about possible destinations for Damon. Perhaps the Mets or Cardinals would consider him, but I'm just speculating.

Odds & Ends: Mike Gonzalez, Second Base, Penny

By Tim Dierkes | December 17, 2009 at 11:41am CDT

Links for Thursday…

One official who spoke to MASN's Roch Kubatko called yesterday's Gordon Edes tweet about the Orioles making a run at Adrian Gonzalez "complete fiction."
ESPN's Keith Law doesn't mind the Orioles' Mike Gonzalez signing, but finds the loss of a decent draft pick to be the "real negative." Law does not expect much from Garrett Atkins.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says there's a surplus of available second basemen this year. He suggests some free agents will have to switch positions to find jobs.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes about the "longstanding mutual interest" between the Cardinals and Brad Penny.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe does not think the Red Sox should include Jacoby Ellsbury in a trade for Gonzalez.
Talking to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said he'd like the team to acquire one more starter to allow Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain to work in relief. Also, Posada expects Johnny Damon to return.

Multiple Teams Watching Kelvim Escobar

By Tim Dierkes | December 16, 2009 at 10:53pm CDT

WEDNESDAY, 10:52pm: Peter Greenberg, Escobar's agent, informed FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi that representatives from the Yankees and Twins were also at the throwing session (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 2:54pm: Zavarce tweets that the Rays, Cubs, Brewers, Giants, Pirates, Tigers, Mariners, and A's are on hand to watch Escobar throw. Several of those clubs are new additions to the list of suitors.

TUESDAY, 10:17am: If you speak Spanish and would like to read Zavarce's full article about Escobar, click here to download a PDF.

MONDAY, 1:08pm: The Mets offered a minor league deal to pitcher Kelvim Escobar, reports Efrain Zavarce for Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional. According to Zavarce, the Rays are also interested. We cannot find Zavarce's article online, but follow him on Twitter if you speak Spanish. Hat tip to ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr., who pointed followers to Zavarce's article and provided translation.

We learned during the Winter Meetings last week that the Mariners, Brewers, Orioles, Mets, and Yankees are other suitors for Escobar, who will pitch as a reliever in 2010 in hopes of preserving his shoulder.

Chapman Works Out In Front Of 15 Teams

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 16, 2009 at 9:03pm CDT

WEDNESDAY, 9:03pm: That workout session must've really turned some heads. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweets that "an insider" predicted Chapman's eventual contract may be worth as much as $30MM.

WEDNESDAY, 3:18pm: Arangure Jr.'s latest blog post is a must-read; it contains learnings from the Chapman throwing session yesterday. Among them: Chapman is in good shape, he's made some mechanical adjustments, and he doesn't come off as someone with makeup issues. Chapman is now up for bidding.

TUESDAY, 1:38pm: Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman worked out in front of about 15 teams in Houston today, according to Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN.com. The Astros and Pirates were there, along with the Angels, Marlins, Pirates, Orioles, Yankees, Red Sox, Nationals and others.

The Dodgers weren't there because they don't have the money, according to Arangure Jr.'s Twitter. We shouldn't expect the Pirates to sign Chapman, either. They're not serious players for him according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The teams saw the 21-year-old throw for five minutes two different times. Chapman's fastball topped out at 96 mph and he also threw his slider and change-up. Arangure Jr. expects several teams to meet with him today.

Another note, again from Arangure Jr.: Chapman's previous agency, API, is suing the pitcher's current agency, the Hendricks brothers. The lawsuit alleges that the Hendricks brothers interfered with API.

Johnny Damon Will “Start Looking Around”

By Tim Dierkes | December 16, 2009 at 1:41pm CDT

1:41pm: Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News had even more quotes from Damon today. Damon noted that reports about his demands are hearsay, although he indicated he expects a multiyear deal.

10:42am: Talking to George King of the New York Post, free agent outfielder Johnny Damon said:

"I am going to start looking around. Teams are getting better and there are teams interested. I can’t wait forever and I am sure [the Yankees] are trying to figure things out. I have to be ready."

Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues breaks down the situation, explaining why he expects Damon to eventually re-sign on a two-year deal. Chances are no team in baseball will see Damon as a good three-year risk, especially at $10MM+ per year.

Multiple Teams Eyeing Matt Capps

By Tim Dierkes | December 15, 2009 at 6:47pm CDT

6:46pm: Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic doesn't think the Diamondbacks will give Capps the two-year deal he is seeking.

2:30pm: The Mets are interested, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Kinzer tells Crasnick that 16 teams have inquired on Capps and four of them see him as a closer. The Cards aren't interested, but the Pirates still are.

TUESDAY, 10:40am: Kovacevic hears that the Yankees are interested. Agent Paul Kinzer told Kovacevic that the interest in his client is "enormous."

MONDAY, 3:42pm: ESPN's Bruce Levine adds the Nationals, and notes that Capps would like a multiyear deal.

2:33pm: Kovacevic adds the Rangers, Rockies, Marlins, and Cardinals to the list of known suitors.

12:20pm: Kinzer's estimated number of suitors for Capps has risen to nine or ten, and he confirmed to Roch Kubatko of MASN that the Orioles expressed interest. Kinzer noted that the opportunity to close "will be a major factor" in Capps' decision.

10:37am: The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro talked to Matt Capps' agent Paul Kinzer, who said the recently non-tendered reliever has already drawn interest from seven or eight teams. Piecoro says the Diamondbacks are one, and we learned yesterday from Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that the Cubs and Capps have mutual interest. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote today that Kinzer told the Pirates they were planning on submitting an arbitration figure around $3.4MM for Capps' 2010 salary. The free agent market is a different beast, but that amount could still be a jumping-off point for discussions.

The Cubs and D'Backs both have closers for 2010 in Chad Qualls and Carlos Marmol, but Capps could be slotted in for eighth-inning duty with incentives for games finished. Other possible suitors? The Orioles, Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers, Angels, Mets, Phillies, and Cardinals would make sense.

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