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Heyman On Marlins, Pujols, Wilson, Kershaw

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The Red Sox have yet to hire a manager, so Jon Heyman of SI.com looks at the dynamics between GM Ben Cherington and Boston’s ownership group and how they are affecting the hiring process. Here are Heyman’s hot stove notes…

  • We heard earlier in the week that the Marlins offered Jose Reyes a $90MM deal, but Heyman’s sources say Miami offered $10-20MM less than that.
  • The Marlins made Albert Pujols a “lowball” offer that would only work if the three-time MVP was intent on playing for Miami, according to Heyman. All things being equal Pujols appears to prefer St. Louis.
  • C.J. Wilson is seeking close to $120MM over six years, according to Heyman. Wilson’s former teammate, Cliff Lee, signed for $120MM over five years last offseason and it would be a coup for Wilson’s agents if they find a similar deal for their client.
  • The Dodgers seem inclined to wait on a possible extension for Clayton Kershaw, according to Heyman. They control the NL Cy Young winner through 2014.
  • The Angels opposed the sale of the Astros to Jim Crane, though they voted in favor of it according to Heyman.

NL Central Notes: Furcal, Hanrahan, Astros, Brewers

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I hesitated at first to include the Astros in these NL Central notes. Thankfully, I've got a year to remap the standings on my mind's sports page. On with the linkage …

  • The Pirates are looking at shortstop Rafael Furcal and other options at the position, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com, although not the premium types like Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins. It'll be interesting to see how the Bucs handle shortstop after declining Ronny Cedeno's $3MM 2012 option last month.
  • Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan would be receptive to working out an extension with the team, according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, who reports that there have been no talks but that neither side has ruled it out, either. It's not a regular occurence in Pittsburgh, where Neal Huntington has dished out just one multiyear contract to a reliever, Matt Capps for 2008-09, since taking over in 2007, according to Langosch. Hanrahan is under team control for two more years and is due a sharp raise through arbitration on his $1.4MM 2011 salary coming off a 40-save campaign. The 30-year-old right-hander should earn $4MM in 2012 through arbitration.
  • New Astros owner Jim Crane said it was made clear to him before agreeing to purchase the Astros that the team would be moved to the AL, according to Astros senior director of social media Alyson Footer. Crane also cautioned not to expect the Astros to be big players in free agency this year, as they will instead focus on building the farm, and said payroll will "be in line with" incoming revenue (all Twitter links).
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin said he's interested in extending starters Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, as was reported yesterday, but that the sides haven't had talks yet and aren't in a rush to do so, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
  • Melvin also hasn't ruled out bringing Craig Counsell aboard as the Brewers' hitting coach, tweets McCalvy. Counsell, however, hasn't ruled out remaining in the game as a player.
  • Cardinals CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. said the Redbirds are "going to make every effort" to re-sign first baseman Albert Pujols, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. We heard earlier today and yesterday that the Cards and Pujols' agent have resumed talks.
  • New Cubs manager Dale Sveum may bring in Robin Yount as one of his coaches, writes Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago Sun Times.

At Least Three Teams In On Albert Pujols

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11:20pm: Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets that the dollar amount on the Marlins' nine-year offer to Pujols is believed to be "well below" what the Cardinals offered prior to the season.

7:56pm: We already know that the Marlins have made Albert Pujols a contract offer and that the Cardinals met with his agent today in Milwaukee, but Yahoo's Tim Brown says those are just two of at least three teams "actively jockeying" for Pujols' services. While Brown is unsure of the identity of the third team, he guesses it could be the Rangers or Cubs.

The list of suitors for Pujols figures to grow before the slugger eventually makes a decision. According to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link), the Cards plan to stay under the radar in the bidding, and say that nothing is imminent between the two sides (Twitter link).

Furcal Believed To Be Seeking Multiyear Deal

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3:42pm: There are eight teams chasing Furcal, four of them want Furcal at second base and four are interested in him at shortstop, agent Paul Kinzer told Jim Bowden (via Twitter) on MLB Network Radio.

3:01pm: Interest in Furcal is heavy enough that the veteran should be able to get a deal to play shortstop, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The Tigers, Blue Jays, and Rockies all like him at second base.

9:19am: Rafael Furcal's agent Paul Kinzer is believed to be seeking a three-year deal, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, with two years and an option a possibility.  The Padres aren't inclined to guarantee multiple years to Furcal, and Kinzer indicated yesterday he's open to a shorter term for a higher average annual value.  Furcal did just that six years ago, taking a three-year, $39MM deal from the Dodgers when a longer term was available.

The idea of a multiyear free agent deal for Furcal at the time of his July 31st trade to St. Louis was laughable, given his health issues.  217 decent plate appearances for the Cards may have changed that, in the same way that a short stint after a trade earned Aaron Hill a two-year, $11MM contract.  The Brewers have some level of interest in Furcal for their shortstop opening, and the Rockies, Tigers, and Blue Jays checked in on him as a second baseman.  Regarding Kinzer meeting with the Brewers, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said, "I'm not going to base our reaction on rumors or innuendo.  But if I woke up tomorrow and he was signed I'd be a little disappointed."

Aside the situations with Furcal and Albert Pujols, Strauss says the Cardinals will look into bringing back relievers Octavio Dotel and Arthur Rhodes.  The Cardinals are "apparently willing to exploit" their depth in right-handed relievers.

Thirteen Teams In On Mark Buehrle

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11 teams are playing on Mark Buehrle, tweets Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM and ESPN.com: the Nationals, White Sox, Cubs, Marlins, Twins, Rangers, Yankees, Royals, Cardinals, Red Sox, and Diamondbacks.  These suitors have all been confirmed by club sources, according to Bowden.  The Blue Jays and Angels were named by Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports yesterday, potentially bringing the total to 13.  From Bowden's list, I believe the Twins, Cardinals, and Red Sox are new suitors.  Cards GM John Mozeliak said yesterday he is not seeking to alter the team's rotation, however.

Cardinals, Pujols Re-Engage In Contract Talks

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The Cardinals re-engaged in contract talks with Albert Pujols' agent Dan Lozano for the first time since February, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Yesterday, we heard that the Cardinals have yet to top $200MM in an offer for Pujols.  Another report indicated that the Marlins have offered a nine-year contract to the slugger. 

Marlins’ Offer To Pujols Believed To Be For Nine Years

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The contract the Marlins offered to Albert Pujols "is believed to be for nine years," says Yahoo's Tim Brown. The Marlins pulled out all the stops in an attempt to woo Pujols, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, who hears that part of the team's pitch to Pujols involved bringing in about ten players to assist in recruiting and "make the organization's interest clear." Here are the rest of the latest rumblings on the free agent who ranks atop MLBTR's Top 50….

  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak expects to meet with Dan Lozano, Pujols' agent, this week, according to Crasnick. It will be the first time this offseason that the two have talked in person.
  • Past reports have indicated St. Louis made Pujols an offer of nine years and $210MM before the season, but Crasnick hears that the Cardinals never topped $200MM.
  • While Pujols was "surprised" that the Cardinals named Mike Matheny their new manager, the hiring isn't expected to play a major role one way or the other in Pujols' decision.
  • Mozeliak said Tuesday afternoon that he "wouldn't envision" pursuing Prince Fielder even if Pujols signed elsewhere.

Mozeliak “Wouldn’t Envision” Pursuit Of Fielder

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The Cardinals are going to keep discussions with Albert Pujols between the team, agent Dan Lozano and the three-time MVP himself, GM John Mozeliak said in Milwaukee today. If Pujols signs elsewhere, don't expect the Cardinals to pursue free agent first baseman Prince Fielder. 

"I wouldn't envision that given the composition of our club with [Matt] Holliday, [Lance] Berkman and [Allen] Craig," he said. "Our hope again would be to find a way to keep Albert, but I wouldn't see going out on the market to do something else."

Mozeliak further broke down the Cardinals' roster in a conversation with MLBTR. Here are the details on the 2011 champions:

  • Daniel Descalso, Tyler Greene, Skip Schumaker and Ryan Theriot are middle infield options for the Cardinals and they’d "be okay" entering the 2012 season with that group, Mozeliak said, before explaining that alternatives exist. 
  • "Before we get ahead of ourselves we want to make sure we explore other ways to improve," he said. "It doesn't necessarily mean [internal options] would be the best we can do." MLBTR projects a $3.9MM salary for Theriot and a $3.1MM salary for Schumaker in 2012, if the team offers arbitration. Both are non-tender candidates.
  • The Cardinals like the defense Descalso and Greene offer.
  • The Cardinals want to keep dialogue with Rafael Furcal open and they're also considering other options not currently on the roster.

Reds Will Not Trade Votto This Winter

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Despite rumblings that reigning NL MVP Joey Votto could be available this offseason, Reds GM Walt Jocketty says the team will hold on to the first baseman, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). Jocketty indicated that the Reds will try to lock Votto up to a long-term deal within the next year. Here are a few other items of note from Heyman's Twitter feed:

  • The Reds are among the teams who have contacted the Braves to inquire on Jair Jurrjens.
  • GM John Mozeliak said the Cardinals haven't met face-to-face with Albert Pujols since the season ended, but that they've touched base with Pujols and his agent, and plan to meet.
  • The Mets think Jose Reyes will give them a chance to match his best offer before he signs anywhere, but know that he's not obligated to do so.
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says if he were to pursue an impact first baseman like Pujols or Prince Fielder, he'd need to make a companion move to open up the position.
  • The White Sox aren't closing the door on Mark Buehrle, but GM Ken Williams feels it'll be tough to fit him into their payroll.

Cardinals Name Mike Matheny Manager

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8:09pm: Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets that Matheny received a two-year deal with a club option for 2014.

5:11pm: The Cardinals have named former big league catcher Mike Matheny as their new manager, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The Cardinals will hold a press conference tomorrow morning to officially announce the move.

Matheny, 41, doesn't have managerial experience but is no stranger to the game. His Major League career spanned 13 seasons, including five with the Cardinals from 2000-2004. Several candidates interviewed for the job, with former Red Sox manager Terry Francona presenting Matheny's most notable competition. Others included Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg and Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo.

The move figures to be a popular one for many in the organization, as SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the Cardinals players and pitching coach Dave Duncan "love Matheny" and that they view him as the "ultimate leader." That likely includes pending free agent Albert Pujols, who has "a ton of respect" for Matheny, according to this tweet from Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. It will be interesting to see what kind of impact, if any, this decision has on Pujols' decision. Earlier in the month, former teammate David Eckstein told Morosi he thought Pujols would stay in St. Louis if Oquendo got the managerial nod.

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