Joel Pineiro Seeks Four-Year Deal
ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears from club executives that Joel Pineiro is looking for a four-year deal. The Angels and Cubs could look to sign the righty, who wants a higher annual salary than Randy Wolf, according to Jayson Stark. Wolf will make just shy of $10MM for each of the three guaranteed years on his deal with the Brewers.
The Mets, Dodgers, Yankees and Nationals are all looking for starters. We shouldn't rule out a return to Seattle either, though that's speculation for now. The Cardinals will obtain a supplementary rounder in next year's draft if and when Pineiro signs elsewhere.
Yankees “Very Interested” In Ben Sheets
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that the Yankees are "very interested" in Ben Sheets, though they don't believe the righty is in a hurry to sign. When the Yanks met with agent Casey Close at the Winter Meetings, it became apparent that they had some interest in Sheets, in spite of suggestions that he could seek $12MM per season (quite an ambitious target, in my opinion).
Now that the Red Sox have agreed to terms with John Lackey, it may be the Yankees' turn to add a former All Star of their own.
Odds & Ends: Torrealba, Rangers, Damon
Some evening links…
- Yorvit Torrealba's pending grievance hearing against the Mets will take place Wednesday, writes Jon Heyman of SI.com. Torrealba contends that back when he was a free agent in 2007, the club falsely created the impression that he was an injury risk. Interestingly, the article notes that despite this, the Mets could still sign Torrealba this time around if they are unable to sign Bengie Molina.
- The Texas Rangers could sell for as much as $530MM, according to Maury Brown of BizOfBaseball. Brown indicates that the group led by Jim Crane holds the highest bid at the moment.
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweeted earlier today that the signings of Mike Cameron and Hideki Matsui could improve the chances of Johnny Damon returning to the Bronx. Not just a good point but one that many of us have probably overlooked in the chaos of today.
- All of the player movement of today puts a great deal of pressure on Mets GM Omar Minaya, writes Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post.
- With Lackey and Halladay seemingly off the market, the Yankees can now focus on whittling down a list of available second-tier starters, writes Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger. Carig suggests that Ben Sheets and Justin Duchscherer are possibilities.
- Steve Gilbert of MLB.com has a list of possible non-tenders who could land with the D'Backs. We've heard the other names already, but Gilbert suggests Ryan Church as a fit, noting that Arizona has an uncertain interest level.
- A person familiar with the Mets' thinking tells Marty Noble of MLB.com that the team has interest in two pitchers: starter Chien-Ming Wang and a lower-profile name in reliever Mike MacDougal.
Odds & Ends: Glaus, Carroll, Capps, Fossum
Links to kick off the work week….
- Free agent Troy Glaus prefers a full-time infield corner job over a DH role, and has made his medical records available to all 30 teams reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has Randy Wolf's contract details, courtesy of the AP.
- ESPN's Keith Law provides his take on recent non-tenders Capps, Wang, Ryan Langerhans, Gabe Gross, and Kelly Johnson.
- Jamey Carroll is deciding between multiple two-year offers, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He notes that the Angels, Dodgers, and A's have shown interest. Perhaps today's Craig Counsell signing will lead to a deal for Carroll.
- Chien-Ming Wang might not sign for months, his agent Alan Nero told ESPN's Buster Olney. Speaking to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cards pitching coach Dave Duncan said Wang would interest him.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington explained to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette yesterday that Kovacevic's December 8th report of a non-tender threat caused Matt Capps to lose all trade value. As if the possibility couldn't have crossed the minds of Capps' suitors otherwise. But note that Huntington took issue with the leak itself rather than Kovacevic printing it.
- The Blue Jays announced on their official Twitter page that they've agreed to terms with Jose Bautista ($2.4MM) and Dustin McGowan ($500K). McGowan gets a raise of about $80K after missing all of '09 with a shoulder injury. Bautista will receive no raise. Perhaps the Jays had told him that they'd only tender him if he took the same salary.
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff explains that "the whole notion of an 'offer' is overblown," mainly a publicity move.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times wrote about the emergence of Twitter in baseball coverage, and I contributed a few thoughts.
- The Hanshin Tigers inked lefty Casey Fossum to a one-year deal worth $600K, reports Kyodo News. Fossum, 32 in January, pitched at Triple A for three organizations this year, compiling a 3.55 ERA in 129.3 innings.
- NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman reports that pitcher Colby Lewis will return to MLB after a couple of very effective years starting in Japan.
Odds & Ends: Wang, Yankees, White Sox
Some Sunday links…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) says that three AL teams and three NL teams have shown interest in Chien-Ming Wang. However, the Dodgers are not one of those teams "yet." Rosenthal notes that Wang is a favorite of Joe Torre and his staff.
- In his running blog, Rosenthal says that Kevin Youkilis' versatility gives the Red Sox a number of options this winter. Boston could sign Adrian Beltre to play third or, for a much lower price, Nick Johnson to play first.
- Regardless of where Wang signs, we can safely assume that it will not be for a split contract. The Yankees made the 29-year-old a minor-league offer that would become a major-league deal once his shoulder was healthy. Wang's agent demanded guaranteed money, according to Bill Madden of the New York Daily News.
- Earlier today, Buster Olney mentioned the Yanks as a possible destination for free agent outfielder Brian Giles. Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger hears that the club is just doing its "due diligence" by checking in on the soon-to-be 39-year-old.
- The White Sox have signed Freddie Bynum and T.J. Bohn to minor league deals, according to the FutureSox twitter page.
- Kevin Correia's agent Barry Axelrod told Dan Hayes of the North County Times that the Brewers and Rays both showed interested in trading for his client. While GM Jed Hoyer gave him no guarantees that the one-year deal won't be a sign-and-trade, Axelrod is confident that the 29-year-old will pitch for San Diego in 2010.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel spoke to Mike Rivera, who was non-tendered by the Brewers yesterday. Rivera says he was caught off guard by the decision but was told by GM Doug Melvin that the organization might reach out to him again at some point.
Yankees Yet To Make Offer To Johnny Damon
Johnny Damon told George A. King III of the New York Post that he has yet to receive a proposal from the Yankees. On top of that, Damon has yet to tell the club what he wants out of a contract.
It seems as though his agent, Scott Boras, is focused on securing a three or four-year deal for his client. Most recently, we heard that the Giants have thrown themselves in the mix for the 36-year-old slugger. In 2009, Damon delivered a slash line of .282/.365/.489 with 24 HRs.
Despite his advanced age, Damon has played in upwards of 140 games every season of his career, excluding his rookie campaign. With that in mind, would you be willing to give Damon more than two years? Does it make sense to match his $13MM salary in '09? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments section.
Odds & Ends: Balfour, Orioles, Chapman, Lowe
Rounding up the first batch of miscellaneous Sunday links….
- The Rays agreed to terms with reliever Grant Balfour, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Balfour signed a one-year, $2.05MM deal, avoiding arbitration.
- The Baltimore Orioles are still searching for a closer, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Zrebiec suggests that Fernando Rodney and Kevin Gregg could be atop the O's list of targets.
- MASN's Roch Kubatko runs down the Orioles' closing options too, adding new free agent Matt Capps to the mix.
- Meanwhile, Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reaction from GM Neal Huntington, who says that media reports of the 26-year-old being non-tendered hurt his trade value. Huntington also said that the Bucs would "love" to have him back in the bullpen – at the right price. Capps isn't on the Yankees radar, says Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger (via Twitter).
- John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Tigers' closer search also continues. The team was looking at J.J. Putz, but backed off because of health questions, not money concerns.
- Tuesday could be "Judgment Day" for Aroldis Chapman, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. Chapman will throw a session with a slew of teams expected to be in attendance.
- Within a piece which focuses on yesterday's non-tender decisions, ESPN.com's Buster Olney mentions that a handful of clubs are interested in Brian Giles, including the Yankees and Reds. It's still up in the air whether teams will be willing to offer Giles more than a minor league contract.
- One interesting tidbit from the latest article by Newsday's Ken Davidoff: An AL West official tells Davidoff that he'd like to see Jered Weaver, rather than Joe Saunders, leaving the division in a potential Roy Halladay trade offer. I have to think Jays fans would agree. Both pitchers were selected 12th overall in their respective drafts: Saunders in 2002 and Weaver in 2004.
- Speaking of the AL West, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports thinks it's the most intriguing division for hot stove news this winter.
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter) says that the Angels are a possible destination for Derek Lowe if they cannot re-sign John Lackey. Other possibilities include the Mariners, Red Sox and Yanks. O'Brien also suggests the Mets, provided that the Braves are willing to trade within their division.
Non-Tender Reactions: Buck, Wang, Capps, Cust
Yesterday, MLBTR recapped some of the more interesting names not to receive contracts at baseball's non-tender deadline. Those players, along with the rest of the non-tender list, have inspired plenty of discussion and speculation. Let's check out some links….
- ESPNDallas's Richard Durrett and MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan are in agreement: John Buck should be of interest to the Rangers.
- MLB.com's Bryan Hoch wonders if the Dodgers have some interest in Chien-Ming Wang. The Cardinals could also be interested, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- The Pirates' decision to non-tender Matt Capps shocked Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who has some reaction quotes from the right-hander. Capps makes sense for the Rays, writes Tommy Rancel at DRays Bay. Meanwhile, the Cubs are interested, says Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney was less surprised about the Capps decision, and gives his opinion on a few of the other big moves.
- Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says that, despite not tendering him a contract, the Athletics could still potentially retain Jack Cust. ESPN.com's Rob Neyer, however, says that the A's handled Cust well, avoiding paying a higher price for declining numbers.
- Chad Jennings of LoHud.com lists some new free agents that might intrigue the Yankees, while Scott Lauber of the News Journal mentions some possible options for the Phillies.
Yankees Non-Tender Chien-Ming Wang
10:04pm: The Yankees have confirmed that Wang has been non-tendered, writes Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). However, GM Brian Cashman says that he hopes the club's relationship with Wang can continue (also, via Twitter).
3:34pm: The Yankees have yet to confirm this, tweets Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger.
1:55pm: The Yankees have non-tendered Chien-Ming Wang, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
The right-hander was clearly less than 100% to start the year and had season-ending shoulder surgery in July. Wang's last truly healthy season was in 2007, when he turned in an ERA of 3.70 over 199.1 innings of work.
What teams do you expect to show interest in the 29-year-old?
Odds & Ends: Jacobs, Bradley, Lackey, Lyon
Some links to start the weekend…
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says that Mike Jacobs isn't a fit to return to the Marlins. The team's second best prospect is first baseman Logan Morrison, who is on the cusp of the big leagues after spending most of 2009 in Double-A.
- Milton Bradley continues to hamstring the Cubs this offseason, writes Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune.
- Tommy Bennett at Beyond The Box Score compared John Lackey to A.J. Burnett, and doesn't think he deserves a bigger contract than the Yanks' hurler.
- The Astros will make the Brandon Lyon signing official today, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
- Curious about what the 2010 draft order looks like following the recent signings? Check it out.