Shin-Soo Choo Rumors: Tuesday
The Diamondbacks were reportedly "determined" to leave the Winter Meetings with either Shin-Soo Choo or Mark Trumbo, and they've now landed the latter of the two, calling their role in Choo's market into question. That same report indicated that Choo is seeking something similar to Carl Crawford's seven-year, $142MM contract. Choo is arguably the top remaining free agent on the market, and talks with him were said to be reaching a "critical stage" last night. Here are Tuesday's Choo rumors (Choo-mors? …Sorry):
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Diamondbacks are now likely out of the market on Choo after acquiring Trumbo.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick wonders if the Diamondbacks' reported interest in Choo was ever more than just a ploy to get the Angels moving on Trumbo. As Crasnick notes, there was never a clear fit in terms of budget (Twitter links).
Earlier Updates
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that teams that have spoken with the Rangers in the past 24 hours have gotten the sense that Texas thinks Choo will be be far too expensive for them.
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported late last night that the Rangers met with Scott Boras for a second time last night regarding Choo.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan writes that the Rangers' primary offensive targets are Choo and Nelson Cruz, but Sullivan echoes the sentiment that Choo's price tag could be an issue for Texas. Sullivan cites GM Jon Daniels, who stated yesterday that the addition of Prince Fielder figures to be his biggest move this offseason.
- As Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported earlier (on Twitter), the arrival of Rajai Davis in Detroit makes the Tigers less likely to land Choo.
At Least Seven Teams Interested In Eric Chavez
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that at least seven teams are interested in free agent third baseman Eric Chavez. According to Heyman, the Rangers, Rays, Pirates, Braves, Nationals, Diamondbacks and Yankees have all checked in on Chavez, though New York's recent signing of Kelly Johnson may close that door.
Chavez's agent, Scott Leventhal, told Heyman that Chavez isn't set on any one league or team but has an open mind. Chavez, who recently turned 36, followed up 2012's .281/.348/.496 batting line with the Yankees with a remarkably similar .281/.332/.476 batting line in Arizona this past season.
Chavez has a reputation as a fragile commodity (with good reason) and missed time with a pair of DL stints in 2013: one for an oblique strain and one for a knee strain. He played just 80 games for Arizona in 2013 and 113 games for New York in 2012. Once regarded as an elite defender at third base, Chavez has seen his defensive ratings slip late in his career due to a combination of age and injury.
AL East Notes: Moreland, Joyce, Ibanez, Floyd, Yanks
The latest out of the AL East as today's Winter Meetings news heats up…
- ESPN's Jayson Stark tweets that the Rays are interested in Mitch Moreland of the Rangers and notes that a swap of Moreland and Matt Joyce is a possibility. That scenario hasn't gained much traction to this point, however, according to Stark (Twitter links).
- MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli was among the reporters to speak with Orioles manager Buck Showalter, and she reports that the O's aren't interested in Raul Ibanez but do have some interest in Gavin Floyd (Twitter link).
- Top Yankees prospects such as Tyler Austin, Slade Heathcott and Mason Williams have seen their stock fall precipitously in the past year, diminishing New York's ability to make trades, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. One Cubs official told Sherman, "The Yankees have no upper-level talent," when asked about potential trades between the two clubs.
- Also from Sherman's piece, right-hander Tommy Kahnle and lefty Fred Lewis are candidates to be selected in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft. Kahnle was among the Yankees' most sought-after players in July trade talks but was left off the 40-man roster.
- Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe spoke with A.J. Pierzynski, who told him that the Twins offered him a two-year deal to return to Minnesota, but he couldn't pass up on the opportunity to play for the Red Sox (Twitter link).
- Joh Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle spoke with a high-ranking Yankees official who told him there haven't been any discussions between the Yanks and Giants about New York's outfielders at the Winter Meetings (Twitter link).
AL West Rumors: Rangers, Butler, Mariners, A’s
As Day One of the 2013 winter meetings nears a close, let's round up a few updates from around the AL West….
- The Rangers will "probably not" be involved in a trade for a high-end starting pitcher, GM Jon Daniels conceded on Monday. "We’d love to have some of the guys that are out there, but there doesn’t appear to be a fit for us," Daniels said, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
- Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports (via Twitter) that the Rangers had interest in acquiring Billy Butler earlier in the offseason, but after trading for Prince Fielder, Texas is unlikely to maintain serious interest in the Royals' DH.
- Discussing the possibility of adding a right-handed bat, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik suggested that it "could very well be our main focus," according to Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (Twitter link).
- It was a quiet Monday in Orlando for the Athletics, says Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Nonetheless, assistant GM David Forst says the A's will remain in touch with teams and agents in the hopes of improving the team. Forst also acknowledged that Oakland could use some more prospects in the upper levels of its minor league system (all Twitter links).
David Price Rumors: Monday
Though he may not be traded at this week's Winter Meetings (and may not be traded this offseason at all), Rays ace David Price figures to be one of the most popular topics of discussion over the coming days. Last week, it was reported that the Mariners could push for Price in the wake of their surprising Robinson Cano signing. We'll keep track of today's rumors surrounding Price's availability right here…
- The Mariners believe that they could land Price if they were willing to include Taijuan Walker in their offer, says Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter links). However, the M's have no interest in including either Walker or James Paxton, and believe they made a mistake by including Walker in their bid for Justin Upton nearly a year ago. Seattle would prefer to build an offer for Price around position players, according to Heyman.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post is hearing the same sort of rumblings as Stark (linked below). D-Backs GM Kevin Towers and another exec told Sherman that the Rays have yet to push Price onto the market, and that their plan may involve waiting for teams to miss out on their first or second options, then capitalizing.
Earlier Updates
- Teams that have inquired on Price get the impression that the Rays aren't in any rush to make a deal, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. One rival executive believes GM Andrew Friedman will move deliberately in an attempt to get the price as high as possible, then perhaps pull back and waiting for interested teams to get even more desperate.
- Rays manager Joe Maddon believes it's "probably less likely" that the team would wait until next season to move Price, as Stark writes in a separate ESPN.com piece.
- The Mariners, Rangers and Dodgers are the three most serious suitors for Price at this time, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
- The Dodgers and Rays may be matching up on a Price trade, tweets Bruce Levine of WSCR.
- The Dodgers have made their interest in Price known to the Rays, reports Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. However, Hernandez feels that Price is a "long shot" to end up in Dodger Blue. For one, the Dodgers lack the type of impact, MLB-ready prospects the Rays will covet, as their top chips are teenagers Corey Seager and Julio Urias. Beyond that, dealing names like Seager and Urias would go against their desire to rebuild what has become a depleted farm system.
Shin-Soo Choo Talks Reaching Critical Stage
6:52pm: The Diamondbacks are in the hunt for Choo, according to Rosenthal (Twitter link). As we heard earlier, Arizona is also very much in the mix for Mark Trumbo, so as Rosenthal notes, it appears the club has several options, including trying to sign Choo and trade for a pitcher, or acquiring Trumbo and signing a free agent pitcher.
Rosenthal adds in a second tweet that Texas and Arizona aren't necessarily the only two teams in on Choo. Other clubs are likely involved as well.
6:06pm: Talks for free agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo appear to be reaching a critical stage, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Rosenthal reports that the Rangers and at least one other team are in the mix for one of the top free agents left on the market.
Evan P. Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports (via Twitter) that, after meeting with Nelson Cruz earlier today, Texas still has a meeting lined up with Choo. The Mariners, Tigers, and Reds are among the other clubs who have been linked to Choo during the offseason.
We heard yesterday that Choo's reps will likely use the Jacoby Ellsbury contract as a "guidepost" for their client.
Trade Involving Blue Jays, Rangers Fell Through
The Rangers, Blue Jays, and an unknown third team agreed on a trade about two weeks ago that would have sent Sergio Santos to Texas, reports Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. However, according to the FOX duo, the agreement fell through when another player involved in the swap failed his physical (Twitter links).
It's not clear if Texas and Toronto will attempt to revisit the deal in another form, but as Morosi notes (via Twitter), the news suggests that the Rangers are still looking to bolster their bullpen. The Jays, on the other hand, seem very open to using their crop of relievers as trade bait to improve in other areas.
Santos, 30, has missed a good chunk of the last two season with injuries, but was excellent when he was healthy this past season, recording a 1.75 ERA and 9.8 K/9 in 29 appearances.
Nelson Cruz Rumors: Monday
Nelson Cruz is one of the top power bats remaining on the market. Here are Monday's rumors pertaining to the longtime Ranger…
- The Rangers' comfort level with Cruz has been a two-year deal to this point, according Olney (on Twitter). However, Cruz wants a three-year pact from the Rangers.
Earlier Updates
- The Rangers met with Cruz's agents today, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, who adds that a second meeting could take place tonight. The Rangers want Cruz back in Texas, Olney adds.
- The Orioles met with Cruz's agents at the Wasserman Media Group today, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). According to Rosenthal, the Rangers and Mariners also remain as possibilities for Cruz.
AL West Notes: Zduriencik, Walker, Andrus, Anderson
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik responded to this weekend's Seattle Times report pointing to dysfunction in the Mariners front office. The full response can be seen here, courtesy of MLB.com's Greg Johns. While it's too lengthy to post here in its entirety, Zduriencik was quick to dismiss many of the allegations, specifically refuting that former manager Eric Wedge had no interest in a contract extension. According to Zduriencik, Wedge asked for an extension multiple times and even demanded an extension the day before he quit. Here's more on Robinson Cano's new team…
- Top prospect Taijuan Walker's name has come up recently in David Price trade rumors, but Jack Z told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that he expects Walker to be with the Mariners in 2014 (Twitter link).
- The Rangers are still open to dealing Elvis Andrus even after trading Ian Kinsler, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. However, Rosenthal categorizes the chances as being a huge long shot, noting that Texas would need a significant return (Twitter links).
- An executive that has shown interest in Athletics lefty Brett Anderson said that Brett Anderson is more of a "plan B" than "plan A" type of player (Twitter link). Sherman added in an appearance on the MLB Network that multiple teams are viewing Anderson in that light.
- The Angels are still trying to figure out if there's a fit with the Diamondbacks as a trading partner, tweets Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times. A report earlier today linked the D-Backs to Mark Trumbo.
- Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that the Rangers are considering a $20MM bid for Masahiro Tanaka (assuming he gets posted) but are wary of other teams trying to drive up the price on the contract.
NL West Notes: Uribe, Ibanez, Young, Morse, Ichiro
In an Insider post (subscription required), Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio names eight players who could be traded during the Winter Meetings. The Rays' David Price tops the list with Bowden's possible destinations starting with the Dodgers. The Dodgers also have two of their own on the list: outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Here's more on the Boys in Blue and the rest of the NL West:
- Re-signing Juan Uribe figures to be at or near the top of the Dodgers' to-do list at the Winter Meetings, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
- Uribe is not seeking a three-year contract and the holdup with the Dodgers is either their desire for a one-year deal or money, tweets ESPNLosAngeles.com's Mark Saxon.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweeted confirmation of an earlier report the Rockies are interested in Raul Ibanez, but cautioned nothing is serious at this point. Renck also noted Michael Young is on the club's radar for a bench role.
- The Rockies are also becoming more serious about Michael Morse along with the Giants, Marlins, and Rangers, reports the New York Post's Joel Sherman (Twitter links).
- There's been speculation the Giants could be a fit for Ichiro Suzuki, but Ken Davidoff of the New York Post tweets he doesn't believe that's the case.
- The demands of the trade market will determine what course Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers takes during the Winter Meetings, reports azcentral.com's Nick Piecoro. "Most people are asking for quite a bit right now, I'm not real excited about what I'd have to give up in the trade market," Towers said. "I'm hoping maybe the price starts to come down. If not, then I'll turn to more free agents."
- Left-hander Erick Threets is looking to play in Asia, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. The 32-year-old spent 2013 with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League pitching to a 7.04 ERA, 5.9 K/9, and 7.5 BB/9 in 23 innings covering 27 relief outings. Threets' last MLB affiliation was with the Dodgers' Triple-A team 2012 and his last appearance in a big league game was in 2010 for the White Sox.