Four Teams Checked In On Mark DeRosa
MONDAY: The Giants have expressed interest in re-signing DeRosa, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.
FRIDAY: Mark DeRosa doesn't expect any team to guarantee him an everyday job, but he does want the chance to prove that his left wrist is healthy. The free agent utility player told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Nationals, Rangers, Indians and Pirates have all spoken with his surgeon and that the Giants have some interest in re-signing him despite his recent injury.
“I definitely understand the concerns," DeRosa told Rosenthal. "If it wasn’t for my wrist getting banged up two years ago, I wouldn’t be in this position.”
DeRosa played in just 47 games in 2011 because of a strained left wrist. The versatile 36-year-old was productive in 2009, posting a .250/.319/.433 line and appearing at five different positions for the Indians and Cardinals. However, he has struggled to stay on the field since signing a two-year deal with the Giants two Decembers ago. When he did play for the Giants, DeRosa posted a forgettable .235/.313/.279 line.
DeRosa, who would like to be closer to his Atlanta home, may have to sign a minor league deal and play his way onto a roster next spring.
Morosi’s Winter Meetings Preview
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports covers some of the major headlines that we'll be seeing over the next four days during baseball's Winter Meetings. Here's a late night look at the highlights:
- Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder are still the headliners, and Morosi thinks that Pujols will sign first (although not necessarily this week). Once Pujols signs — Morosi predicts he'll remain in St. Louis — it's possible that his the increased number of suitors for Fielder will land him more money than Pujols. Fielder, of course, is also four years younger than Pujols.
- Fielder prefers teams east of the Mississippi River and teams that can win the World Series in the near future. The list of known interested parties includes the Brewers, Mariners, Cubs, Rangers, Blue Jays, and Nationals. Seattle's rebuilding status and geographic location may remove them from the mix, while the uncertainty around how much Chicago's new front office is willing to spend may remove them as well.
- Morosi doesn't think Angels GM Jerry Dipoto would've moved Tyler Chatwood without knowing the acquisition of another starting pitcher was close at hand.
- The Twins remain interested in Edwin Jackson, according to Morosi's sources, but the Scott Boras client isn't likely to sign before fellow free agents C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle.
- The availability of Andrew Bailey, Huston Street, and Brandon League slows down the market for free agent closers, and Morosi speculates that a few wise teams in search of closers will be able to wait out veteran bargains as potential closing gigs dwindle.
- The Yankees, Tigers, Marlins, and Nationals have been the most active in scouting Yoenis Cespedes. While he's not a free agent yet, his market will be dictated by whether or not teams like Miami and Washington land their other targets at the Winter Meetings and in the coming weeks. Detroit would be most interested if they decide that Cespedes can bat leadoff for them right away.
- Robert Whiting, an expert on Japanese baseball, told Morosi over the weekend that there's still no word on whether or not Yu Darvish will be posted.
- Whiting told Morosi that Darvish became disillusioned with the posting process, partly because of the failure of Hisashi Iwakuma and the A's to work out a deal last year. He is also wary of the struggles and ridicule that other NPB stars have incurred in their transition to MLB, Whiting told Morosi.
Latest On Mark Buehrle
Earlier today, we heard that three teams have offers to Mark Buehrle. All three teams are offering the years and dollars that Buehrle is seeking, but he's yet to receive an offer that contains a no-trade clause. More on Buehrle as the rumors pile up:
- The Nationals have made it clear that Buehrle is their top target, writes ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.
- The Nationals made an offer to Buehrle, MLB.com's Bill Ladson has confirmed (via Twitter). Roy Oswalt is still in the mix as well.
- The Marlins' offer to Buehrle is considered "a very strong one," and likely makes the club the current frontrunner, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Chuck Garfien of CSNChicago.com. The White Sox remain in a quiet holding pattern but it should be noted that they would be willing to give the veteran a no-trade clause, as that's something they've done in the past.
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the Miami Sun-Sentinel examines the Marlins' team policy of not including no-trade clauses in their contracts and wonders if an exception should be made for Buehrle (or other top free agents).
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Rangers, Nationals, and Marlins are being the most aggressive on Buehrle. Washington prefers a shorter deal with Buehrle to a longer contract with C.J. Wilson.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that Buehrle is seeking $14MM annually. There are indeed 14 teams interested in Buehrle according to Heyman, and he calls the Twins and Diamondbacks "surprise entrants" while noting that the asking price is prohibitive for them.
Quick Hits: Damon, Wilson, Wakefield, Dodgers
A few odds and ends to pass along …
- Free agent outfielder/DH Johnny Damon prefers to re-sign with the Rays but said he hasn't had discussions with Tampa because EVP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is a "free agent," according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Friedman isn't under contract and is expected to be courted by the Astros to be their next GM, but Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times reiterates that it's unlikely Friedman will leave the Rays.
- The Rangers are making "no progress" in talks with free agent starter C.J. Wilson, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com, who suggests Texas may look elsewhere — perhaps at Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols.
- Tim Wakefield would like to pitch one more year with the Red Sox, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. The free agent knuckleballer, 45, has also mentioned the possibility of pitching in the National League.
- NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson plans to bid on the Dodgers as part of a potential ownership group with former Braves and Nationals president Stan Kasten and Mark Walter of Guggenheim Partners, a financial services firm, according to Bill Shaikin and Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times. Johnson is a former minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, selling his 4.5 percent stake in the team in 2010, according to the report.
Quick Hits: Nakajima, Wilson, Pena, Mariners, A’s
Some late night links from around the league…
- According to a report passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (on Twitter), at least one MLB team has bid on Hiroyuki Nakajima since the posting process started on Monday. The Seibu Lions are expected to accept the highest bid, regardless of amount.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels has spoken to C.J. Wilson's agent as recently as today reports Jeff Wilson of The Fort Worth Star Telegram (on Twitter), and MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the two sides are expected to meet again at the winter meetings.
- Before signing with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks for $5MM over two years, Wily Mo Pena had drawn interest from the Indians, Giants, Brewers, and Mariners according to SI.com's Jon Heyman (on Twitter).
- Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times wonders if the Darren Ford signing clears the way for the Mariners to trade some of the outfielders on their 40-man roster, like Trayvon Robinson, Michael Saunders, or Franklin Gutierrez.
- “We’re very open,” said Athletics assistant GM David Forst to John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle when asked if any of the club's pitchers were untradeable. “If we didn’t have the (pitching) depth, we wouldn’t have this option.” Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey have been popular names, but Forst's statement suggests Trevor Cahill and Brandon McCarthy could be had as well.
Latest On Astros’ GM Search: Friedman, Geivett
Former Astros GM Tim Purpura will be named the Rangers' farm director, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. For details on who might be the Astros' next GM, keep reading…
- Cardinals vice president of player procurement Jeff Luhnow has interviewed for the job, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (on Twitter).
- White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn and Kim Ng of MLB turned down the opportunity to interview for the Astros GM job, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- The Astros will do "whatever it takes" to obtain Andrew Friedman of the Rays, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. However, Friedman's friends don't expect him to leave Tampa Bay.
- Rockies assistant GM Bill Geivett is interviewing for the Astros' GM job today, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports. “I’m very excited to be here and it’s a great organization and a great city and everybody knows a great state,” Geivett said. “I’m very excited and we’ll see how it goes today.”
Minor Moves: Ford, Hernandez, Pagnozzi, Brown
The most recent minor moves from around MLB…
- The Mariners signed Darren Ford to a minor league deal, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times (on Twitter). The Giants had designated him for assignment last month.
- The Astros announced that they signed infielder Diory Hernandez to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training. The 27-year-old, who has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Braves, posted a .201/.229/.308 line in 289 Triple-A plate appearances this past season.
- The Rangers signed catcher Dusty Brown, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America, who has details on the week's minor moves. Brown, 29, has big league experience with the Red Sox and Pirates. He posted a .285/.367/.506 line in 199 Triple-A plate appearances in 2011.
- The Indians announced that they signed catcher Matt Pagnozzi to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training. Pagnozzi, who has appeared in the big leagues in each of the past three seasons, posted a .275/.337/.421 line for the Rockies' top affiliate in 2011.
Quick Hits: Pena, Zumaya, Soler, Peterson
Some news items to wrap up the evening as we inch closer to the Winter Meetings….
- Carlos Pena would be a fit with the Blue Jays, Brewers, Cubs, Mariners, Nationals, Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees, opines SBNation's Rob Neyer. The Yankees tried to claim Pena on waivers last August but the Cubs pulled him back.
- Joel Zumaya said the Red Sox expressed an interest in him as soon as he hit free agency, reports MLB.com's Jason Beck. Boston will be one of the 10 or more teams present when Zumaya throws a mound session in two weeks. The right-hander underwent elbow surgery in March and didn't pitch last season.
- Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (via Twitter) lists, in order, the Yankees, Rangers and Phillies as the top candidates to sign Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler.
- The Orioles interviewed Rick Peterson for their open minor league pitching coordinator's position, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Peterson (former pitching coach of the Brewers, Mets and Athletics) is also a candidate to be Bobby Valentine's new pitching coach with the Red Sox.
- Also from Rosenthal, the Royals "backed off" pursuing free agent starters due to their large number of minor league pitching prospects and also because the club wants to remain flexible since they know not every young arm will properly develop. The Royals re-signed Bruce Chen and their other major starting acquistion this winter (Jonathan Sanchez) came via a trade.
- The Cardinals could make an acquisition or look internally to fill their middle infield needs, writes MLB.com's Matthew Leach, but the team won't know how much they have to spend until Albert Pujols makes his decision.
AL West Notes: Iannetta, Kawasaki, Chavez, Rangers
Here's the latest from the AL West…
- The Angels are considering a contract extension for the newly-acquired Chris Iannetta, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Iannetta is signed through 2012 and the Halos have a $5MM club option for 2013 that Iannetta can now void due to being traded before the start of the 2013 season.
- Also from Renck, the Rockies tried to acquire Angels right-hander John Hellweg in the Iannetta trade. Hellweg, 23, has a 3.83 ERA, an 11.4 K/9 rate and 7.6 BB/9 in four minor league seasons. He spent last season pitching for the Halos' Class A+ affiliate.
- Japanese shortstop Munenori Kawasaki wants to play in the Major Leagues, but only for the Mariners, reports MLB.com's Matt Weber. Kawasaki, 30, is a free agent so he can sign without a posting fee and he said he's willing to sign a minor league deal and play a different position if necessary.
- MLB.com's Greg Johns has more details on Kawasaki, who has a career .294 average but just hit .267/.310/.327 last season with Fukuoka. Johns says the Mariners have scouted Kawasaki in Japan so he is "at least on the Mariners' radar."
- The Athletics aren't one of the teams interested in Eric Chavez, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). "He wouldn't be a fit for them and vice versa," Slusser writes.
- In a mailbag piece, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan looks at the obstacles preventing the Rangers from making a move for Prince Fielder and Matt Garza. Sullivan also notes that it's only a matter of time before Ron Washington gets another contract extension from the club.
- The Mariners' deep minor league system seems to give them an advantage under the new collective bargaining agreement, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
Rangers Hopeful Of Multiyear Extension With Napoli
The Rangers are "optimistic" about signing Mike Napoli to a long-term contract this winter, a source tells FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi (Twitter link). Napoli is under control through just 2012, and he projects to earn $9.2MM in his third trip through the arbitration process, according to Matt Swartz's arbitration-calculating model.
Napoli was one of baseball's breakout stars last year, posting a .320/.414/.631 line and 30 homers in 432 plate appearances for Texas, plus a big postseason performance that likely would've included a World Series MVP trophy had the Rangers won the Fall Classic. He played mostly catcher last season, though also saw significant time at first base and DH as the Rangers tried to find enough playing time for Napoli, Michael Young, Yorvit Torrealba and Mitch Moreland.
The book on Napoli going into 2011 was that he was a defensive liability behind the plate and that he couldn't hit right-handed pitching. Napoli ended up being a decent defensive catcher (much to Mike Scioscia's chagrin) and posted virtually equal numbers against both righties and lefties last year, so while his bat obviously plays best at catcher, he is also a solid fit at both first and DH in case he needs to be moved in the later years of a multiyear contract.
An extension would easily net Napoli an average annual value of more than $10MM per season, so something like a four-year, $48MM contract (with maybe a club option or two) would be a great fit for the Rangers while still providing some flexibility should Napoli not be able to repeat his breakout campaign.
From Napoli's perspective, a long-term deal would give him security and since Texas was where he was embraced and delivered his best season, it seems natural he would want to stay put. If Napoli didn't sign an extension and had another big year in 2012, however, he would be in line for a huge contract as (by far) the best-hitting catcher on the market and one of the best free agent hitters overall.