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Nationals Have Interest In Alex Colome, Adam Eaton

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The Rays and Nationals have been in contact about a possible trade of Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome, tweets Jon Morosi of the MLB Network. Morosi doesn’t characterize the seriousness of the talks, though Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted recently that the Rays might market Colome once Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman sign, so perhaps this was a bit of ground work. The asking price on Colome, if the Rays do indeed field offers on him, would figure to be exceptionally high. The 27-year-old (28 at the end of the month) had a breakout season in the Tampa Bay bullpen this past year when he took over the ninth inning for the injured Brad Boxberger. In 56 2/3 innings, Colome logged a scintillating 1.91 ERA with 11.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 47.1 percent ground-ball rate with 37 saves. Beyond the dominant numbers, Colome has yet to reach salary arbitration and is controlled for another four years before he’s eligible for free agency.

  • Morosi also tweets that the Nationals are considering center field options beyond rumored top target Andrew McCutchen, and Adam Eaton of the White Sox is among them. Chicago’s willingness to part with Eaton, who is controllable through the 2021 season for a total of $38.4MM (only $18.4MM of which comes in guaranteed years), isn’t exactly clear. While some reports this offseason have indicated that the Sox are only interested in trading players with three or fewer years of club control remaining, FanRag’s Jon Heyman suggested yesterday that they could be open to dealing virtually anyone following the Chris Sale blockbuster. Moving Eaton, who hit .284/.362/.428 with elite corner outfield defense last season, would only make sense for an exceptionally large haul of young talent.

Ian Desmond Focused On One Team, Working To Finalize Deal Today

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9:27am: FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that Desmond won’t be returning to the Rangers, either.

9:17am: Free agent outfielder/infielder Ian Desmond has narrowed his focus to one team, and his representatives are “in the process of finalizing his deal today,” reports ESPN’s Jim Bowden. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears the same (Twitter link), adding that the Cardinals have been been discussing Desmond. However, Goold isn’t sure if St. Louis is the team on which Desmond is focused. Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post also tweets that Desmond is likely to sign today, but he won’t be returning to the Nationals.

[Related: Ian Desmond’s Free Agent Profile]

Desmond, 30, has been connected to the Rangers, Cardinals, Orioles and Nationals over the course of his second trip through free agency, though many teams are likely to be interested in him after he proved a capable outfielder and hit .285/.335/.446 with 22 homers and 21 steals in a rebound campaign with the Rangers.

That production at the plate has led to a notable shift in the demand for Desmond when compared to his market an offseason ago, when he remained available into February and signed a one-year deal with the Rangers. Speculatively speaking, in addition to the above-listed teams, Desmond would be a strong fit for the Blue Jays, Giants, Mariners, Indians and Phillies.

Cubs Close To Trading Jorge Soler To Royals For Wade Davis

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8:41am: If completed, the trade will be Soler for Davis straight up, tweets Rosenthal.

DEC. 7, 12:58am: The teams are reviewing physicals and an official announcement could come in the morning, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets.

DEC. 6, 9:32pm: The Cubs are close to acquiring Davis from the Royals for Soler, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets. The deal is not expected to be done tonight, however, Passan tweets. Soler is still just 24 and retains tremendous power potential, although he has struggled to harness that potential at the big-league level and isn’t likely to get much playing time on a Cubs team loaded with outfielders. Soler hit .238/.333/.436 with 12 home runs in 264 plate appearances with the Cubs last season. Both Baseball America and MLB.com rated him among the top 50 prospects in the game prior to the 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons.

8:07pm: The source of the snag is that the Nationals have made a late bid to acquire Davis, ESPN’s Jayson Stark writes.

7:44pm: There could be a “snag,” and the deal is not a sure thing, Passan tweets.

7:20pm: The Cubs are close to a trade that would land Royals closer Wade Davis, Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan tweets. Passan wrote earlier today that the Royals might soon deal Davis.

Davis, like several other key Royals, is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, and it appears the Royals are getting a jump on potentially big changes to their team by swinging a deal now. They reportedly like Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler, although it’s not clear that he’s involved in a deal at this time. Kelvin Herrera seems likely to take over Royals closing duties next season.

The Cubs, who are losing Aroldis Chapman to free agency, have had interest in top relievers throughout the offseason, and have already been specifically linked to Davis. Davis offers a potentially lower-cost and short-term alternative to big-name free agents to Chapman and Kenley Jansen, while still being plenty dominant himself — he’s had three straight terrific seasons in Kansas City, including a 1.87 ERA, 9.8 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 43 1/3 innings last season.

Nationals Not Interested In Starting Pitching

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Chris Sale was the only starting pitcher that drew the Nationals’ interest, and after missing out on the southpaw, Washington won’t pursue any other rotation options, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports.  That includes Sale’s former teammate Jose Quintana, who was reported yesterday by FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman as a Nats target.

Starting pitching, of course, wasn’t a major need for the Nationals anyway this offseason.  They’ll head into 2017 with a very strong projected rotation of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Tanner Roark, Gio Gonzalez and Joe Ross, plus an enviable amount of young starting depth with the likes of Lucas Giolito, A.J. Cole, Reynaldo Lopez.  Clearly, the Nats saw Sale as a unique case, and they were willing to give up an incredible amount of young talent for a top ace who is controllable through 2019 on a team-friendly contract.

If rotation help is no longer a priority, the question now becomes where the Nationals will go next for roster upgrades.  With Mark Melancon signed by the Giants and Wade Davis perhaps on the verge of becoming a Cub, closer would be the next logical avenue.  Rosenthal reports that the Nationals “consider themselves a longshot” to sign Aroldis Chapman due to a price tag that will likely be out of their comfort zone, and the same will probably be true of Kenley Jansen, the other ace closer remaining on the market.

If the big three free agent closers and Davis are all off the board, the Nats could look to sign one or two lower-tier relievers with closing experience rather than splurge on one star closer (the Marlins and Yankees are exploring similar “backup plans” if they can’t sign Chapman or Jansen).  Washington could then address its other major need in center field, though with Bryce Harper’s ability to handle center, the Nats could also continue to pursue short-term right field options as well.

Aroldis Chapman Reportedly Has $92MM Offer

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One of the top three relievers, Mark Melancon, is off the board after agreeing to a record-setting $62MM deal with the Giants yesterday. But both Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen, the top two relievers of the winter, remain unsigned. Both are likely to make Melancon’s time as the relief contract record holder brief, and we’ll track today’s updates on their market here…

  • The Yankees haven’t gone as high as $92MM in their offers to Chapman, and the Marlins aren’t believed to be willing to spend quite that much, Heyman reports (Twitter links).
  • Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has indeed given his front office the green light to spend on signing Chapman or Jansen, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports, though this “preliminary approval” of funds may still not be enough to outbid other big spenders on either ace closer.

Earlier Updates

  • The Yankees are “determined” to land Chapman, Heyman tweets. It’s not clear, however, that they’re the team that offered Chapman $92MM.
  • One team believes Chapman has a $92MM offer in hand, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets.
  • The Yankees have made offers to both Chapman and Jansen, reports MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (on Twitter).
  • Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times tweets that the Dodgers are remaining “competitive” in the markets for Jansen and Chapman, and they’ve also chatted with the Royals about closer Wade Davis.
  • Chapman has received multiple offers that have passed the $80MM threshold, Heyman tweets. The Yankees still see him as their priority, but the Dodgers and Marlins are in the mix as well. He also suggests that the Nationals could join the fray for Chapman, pointing out that GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dusty Baker (who managed Chapman in Cincinnati) both love Chapman.
  • There’s an expectation that Jansen will sign before Chapman, reports ESPN’s Jim Bowden.
  • The Yankees are more focused on Chapman than Jansen and are willing to offer a five-year deal in the range of $80MM, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. Chapman said yesterday that he’s hoping to receive a six-year deal, but the Yankees won’t go to that level to sign him, according to Heyman. For the Yankees, Jansen is more of a backup plan to Chapman than a prime target.
  • The Marlins are firmly in the mix for both top closers, at owner Jeffrey Loria’s behest, but their preference between the two differs from the Yankees, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Miami has preferred Jansen to Chapman from the start of free agency, despite the fact that he comes with the burden of draft pick compensation after rejecting a qualifying offer. Sherman notes that if the Marlins are able to land Jansen before Chapman signs, that could push the Dodgers to make a strong run at Chapman, potentially throwing a wrench into the Yankees’ winter plans. The Dodgers are trying to retain Jansen, according to Sherman, but they’d seemingly shift course to Chapman if Jansen came off the board.

Nationals Offered Victor Robles, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez In Chris Sale Bid

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The Nationals were outbid by the Red Sox in their attempt to acquire Chris Sale, but that wasn’t for lack of trying, as Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post (Twitter links). Remarkably, the Nationals were willing to deal outfielder Victor Robles and both their top young starting pitching prospects, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez, for Sale. But the White Sox instead opted for the Red Sox’ incredible offer, topped by Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech.

Robles, Giolito and Lopez are the Nationals’ top three prospects, according to MLB.com. All three of them rank among the top 40 in baseball and Robles and Giolito rank among the top ten. Robles has earned praise as a five-tool talent with good hitting ability and exceptional speed. Both Giolito and Lopez could make an immediate impact in a big-league rotation, and all three players have enormous upside once they reach the big leagues for good. That the White Sox were able to get one offer this good is incredible in its own right; that they had to leave it on the table because they found one they liked better is even more so.

Now that Sale is off the table, the Nationals are no longer willing to deal Robles, Chelsea Janes of the Post tweets. But the Nats could very well still pursue Andrew McCutchen, according to Svrluga. What that might take is unclear, as Robles is the name that has most frequently arisen as a possible Pirates acquisition in a potential McCutchen deal. The Pirates could perhaps continue to pursue the trade, hoping to land a package of young pitching headed by a player like Lopez or Joe Ross, whose names have both arisen in reporting about the potential swap.

Nationals Would Have Aimed To Trade Gonzalez If They Had Acquired Sale

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The Nationals failed to land Chris Sale today, and instead have reportedly turned their attention to another White Sox starter, Jose Quintana. If they had acquired Sale, though, they likely would have tried to trade lefty Gio Gonzalez, ESPN’s Jayson Stark writes. As Stark suggests, the 31-year-old Gonzalez would make an attractive trade candidate in his own right — he’ll make a reasonable $12MM in 2017, with a club/vesting option for another $12MM in 2018, and he’s eaten over 1,300 innings over the past seven seasons. His 4.57 ERA in 2016 was among his worst, but his underlying numbers (8.7 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 47.6 GB%) don’t suggest a massive change in ability. Here are more quick notes on potential trades:

Nationals Interested In Jose Quintana

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The Nationals are interested in White Sox lefty Jose Quintana, FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets. The Nationals, of course, came up short in their attempt to trade for ChiSox ace Chris Sale, but it appears the two sides might not be done discussing starting pitchers.

The White Sox have reportedly shown reluctance to move Quintana in the past, perhaps understandably so — he’s pitched at least 200 quality innings in four straight seasons, and he’s under team control through 2020, thanks to the long-term deal he signed prior to the 2014 campaign. For his career, Quintana has a fine 3.41 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9, and at age 27, he could have many good seasons still to come (bearing in mind standard warnings about pitcher health, of course). It appears, though, that none of the White Sox’ assets are off limits, as Heyman wrote earlier today — the White Sox appear set to listen on Todd Frazier and David Robertson as well as Quintana.

Nationals Focusing On Andrew McCutchen

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After missing out on ace Chris Sale, who went to the Red Sox in a blockbuster deal this afternoon, the Nationals are shifting their focus back to Pirates star Andrew McCutchen, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post writes that the Nationals hadn’t shut down talks with the Pirates as of this afternoon, and Byron Kerr of MASNsports.com tweets that the Nats and Bucs are set to have another meeting this afternoon.

At one point, it was reported that the Nationals felt they had the prospect capital to acquire both Sale and McCutchen, so the fact that they didn’t win the Sale sweepstakes technically gives them ample talent to pry McCutchen away from Pittsburgh. However, the Bucs reportedly asked for both Lucas Giolito and Victor Robles when talking with the Nationals, and that level of expenditure would be difficult to stomach, considering McCutchen is coming off his worst full season as a regular. He’s owed a reasonable $28MM over the next two seasons, but if last year was the beginning of a trend, then that figure may not be much of a bargain.

The Nats were said to have a real chance at landing Sale last night before the Red Sox swooped in, but as Janes reports, the Nationals never showed any willingness to part with Trea Turner, which ultimately proved to be the sticking point in negotiations. That’s consistent with everything that’s been reported when it comes to the Nationals’ trade efforts, as GM Mike Rizzo (understandably) seems to be steadfastly averse to trading his blossoming star.

That said, it’s been a frustrating Winter Meetings for the Nats so far, who have also lost out on Mark Melancon, as their now-former closer signed a four-year, $62MM deal with the Giants. Nonetheless, there are plenty of high-profile upgrades to pursue, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post points (on Twitter) out that if the Nats want to engage with the ChiSox on their other top lefty, Jose Quintana (and possibly closer David Robertson), a good deal of groundwork could be accelerated, as the Nats and White Sox are already quite familiar with each others’ organizations after the extensive Sale talks, though that observation seems to be more speculation than anything else. For the time being, it seems that the Nats’ focus is McCutchen, although the two sides have been in talks since last week and also talked this past summer but have seemingly never come close to making a swap.

Nats' Offer To Mark Melancon Was Significantly Lower Than Giants'

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