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Fujikawa Meets With Five MLB Clubs

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Monday: According to Japanese media reports, Fujikawa met with the Angels, Dodgers and Orioles over the weekend (per Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times). DiGiovanna adds that Angels GM Jerry Dipoto wouldn't comment on contract negotiations, nor would he divulge whether or not he envisions Fujikawa as a setup man or closer.

Not surprisingly, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that Fujikawa is looking for a multiyear commitment wherever he signs (Twitter link).

Saturday: Right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa started meeting with MLB clubs and touring their facilities this past week, reports Gerry Fraley of The Dallas Morning News. He's already visited the Diamondbacks and Cubs and is expected to meet with both the Dodgers and Angels as well. It's unclear if he'll meet with the Rangers on this trip.

Fujikawa, 32, has been the top closer in Japan for nearly a decade and is a true free agent, meaning he won't have to go through the posting process. The Red Sox have expressed some interest in the right-hander in addition to those five clubs above. Tim Dierkes ranked Fujikawa as the 34th best free agent available on his Top 50 Free Agents List, predicting he would sign with the Angels.

MLBTR's Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Cubs To Sign Shawn Camp

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The Cubs agreed to sign Shawn Camp to a one-year contract, the team announced. Agent Dave Meier represents Camp, who will earn a base salary of $1.35MM plus up to $200K in performance bonuses, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter).

Camp, who turned 37 yesterday, pitched out of the Cubs’ bullpen in 2012, appearing in a career-high 80 games. He tied for the MLB lead in appearances and posted a 3.59 ERA with 6.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 47.4% ground ball rate in 77 2/3 innings. The Mariners signed Camp in February, but released him toward the end of Spring Training at which point the Cubs signed him to a minor league deal.

Cubs Sign Dioner Navarro

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The Cubs announced that they have signed catcher Dioner Navarro to a one-year contract. Navarro will earn a base salary of $1.75MM, reports CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman (on Twitter). The deal includes $250K in performance bonuses, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat reports (on Twitter).

Navarro, 28, hit .290/.306/.449 with two homers in 73 plate appearances for the Reds this year. He also hit .319/.382/.449 in 240 Triple-A plate appearances before being recalled. Cincinnati had some interest in re-signing Navarro, who did not crack Tim Dierkes' Top 50 Free Agents List. Navarro's agency, MDR Sports Management, first announced the agreement (on Twitter).

Cubs Agree To Sign Scott Baker

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The Cubs have agreed to terms with Scott Baker on a one-year contract, the team announced. The deal includes a $5.5MM base salary with $1.5MM in incentives, reports Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune and MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith (Twitter links). The right-hander is represented by Octagon, as our Agency Database shows.

Uspw_5443920Baker, 31, did not pitch at all in 2012 due to Tommy John surgery, prompting the Twins to decline his $9.25MM option after the season. The two sides had been discussing a new contract before the right-hander hooked on with the Cubbies. Chicago is reportedly looking to add pitching on short-term deals this winter, and this contract accomplishes that.

Baker has spent his entire career with Minnesota, pitching to a 4.15 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in nearly 1,000 career innings. He posted a career-low 3.14 ERA with a career-high 8.3 K/9 in 134 2/3 innings last season while missing time with elbow problems. Although he has cracked the 200-inning plateau just once in his career, Baker has thrown at least 170 innings three times in the last five years.

Tim Dierkes ranked Baker 46th on his Top 50 Free Agents List, predicting he would re-sign with the Twins. Check out our Free Agent Prediction Contest Leaderboard to see where you rank among MLBTR's readers.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Presswire.

Chicago Notes: Youkilis, Pierzynski, Samardzija, Haren

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Here's the latest out of the Windy City from both the White Sox and the Cubs…

  • The Sox are talking to Kevin Youkilis about returning to fill their hole at third base, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  The Phillies and Indians are also in the mix for Youkilis, who had his $13MM option for 2013 bought out by the White Sox for $1MM.
  • Four rival executives name Gordon Beckham, Alejandro De Aza, Gavin Floyd and Dayan Viciedo as players the White Sox would be open to trading, reports Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com.  If the Sox were looking for salary relief, two executives say that trading Alex Rios and the $26MM remaining on his contract will be much easier after Rios' strong 2012 season, though neither exec is certain that Rios is available. 
  • A.J. Pierzynski tells Dan Hayes that he is much more prepared for free agency now than he was in 2010.  Pierzynski said he would like to return to the White Sox or possibly play for the Rays in his home state of Florida, though his childhood dream of playing for the Braves is unlikely with Brian McCann on board.
  • The Cubs have reached out to Jeff Samardzija about a multiyear extension, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  Samardzija, who enjoyed a breakout year in 2012 in his first season as a starting pitcher, is arb-eligible for the first time this winter and is under team control through 2015.
  • The proposed trade between the Angels and Cubs and would've brought Dan Haren to Chicago indeed fell through due to the Cubs' concerns about Haren's recent injury history, reports CSNChicago.com's David Kaplan.
  • Haren denied that he was injured in an e-mail to Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times.  “I’ve never missed any time because of injury other than the three weeks this year because of my back," Haren said.  "When I came back, I had to be cleared by doctors, so obviously, I was healthy." 

Quick Hits: Jurrjens, Dickey, Blue Jays, Dodgers

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Wednesday night linkage..

  • Braves pitcher Jair Jurrjens is drawing some trade interest, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Jurrjens earned $5.5MM last season and could be a non-tender candidate for next season.  While he finished the year healthy, he may not have a spot in Atlanta's deep rotation next year.
  • Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey now sounds very optimistic about his future with the Mets, a marked change from his tone just a couple of months ago, tweets Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger.
  • Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (via Twitter) hears that the Blue Jays may sign a second baseman in the next few days, though it's not clear who it might be.
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says that he is “probably unlikely” to trade for a starting pitcher this winter and might instead address that need in the free agent market, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.  The Dodgers are looking to add a No. 2 or 3 pitcher to put alongside ace Clayton Kershaw.
  • Earlier today, the Dodgers formally announced that they have hired Mark McGwire as their hitting coach.  McGwire previously served as the Cardinals' hitting coach but hooked on with the Dodgers as he can now work closer to his home in Irvine, California.
  • Shortstop Alex Gonzalez has hired Praver Shapiro Sports Management to represent him, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  You can keep track of every player's representation with MLBTR's Agency Database.
  • Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson interests the Cubs, but they don't have the trade chips to land him, Heyman tweets.
  • The Red Sox announced that they have named Juan Nieves as their new pitching coach.  Nieves spent the last 14 seasons in the White Sox organization and most recently served as their bullpen coach.
  • Agent Joe Urbon told Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer (via Twitter) that outfielder Grady Sizemore plans to play in 2013.  Indians GM Chris Antonetti has said that he is open to bringing Sizemore back, but for less than the $5MM he received last year.
  • Mets assistant GM John Ricco says that the club won't rush to fill their void in the outfield, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.  Instead, the Mets plan to let the market define itself first.

D’Backs In “Active Discussions” About Justin Upton

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It's that time of the year again. The Diamondbacks are engaged in "active discussions" about a trade involving Justin Upton, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Multiple teams are looking into his background, makeup, etc. (Twitter link), and one executive put the outfielder's chances of playing elsewhere next season at 80-20.

Upton, 25, hit .280/.355/.430 with 17 homers this season while battling hand issues. He hit .289/.369/.529 with 31 homers just a year ago, earning him a fourth place finish in the MVP voting. Upton is signed through 2015 for a total of $38.5MM. Rosenthal says his limited no-trade clause included the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, and Cubs this year, though the list has since changed.

The Diamondbacks seems to be involved in trade discussions involving Upon every offseason and every trade deadline, though the most serious talks occurred back in 2010. Arizona has already traded Chris Young and still has plenty of outfield depth with Gerardo Parra, Adam Eaton, and Jason Kubel.

Cubs Interested In McCarthy & Marcum

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The Cubs are seeking starting pitching this winter and are targeting buy-low candidates poised for rebound seasons, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of The Chicago Sun-Times. They've already expressed some interest in Brandon McCarthy and Shaun Marcum.

"I think the contracts we signed last winter are a good model," said GM Jed Hoyer. "I think we have a chance to maybe sign more of those this year with a little bit more money to spend … We might be able to sign more contracts like that or maybe even a little larger than last year, but I think it’s a good model of contract that really served us well."

The Cubs signed Paul Maholm to a one-year, $4.75MM contract with club option last winter before flipping him for prospects at the trade deadline. David DeJesus signed a two-year, $10MM deal last offseason and could be moved for more prospects at some point either this offseason or prior to the trade deadline.

Both McCarthy, 29, and Marcum, 30, have battled injuries these last two seasons but have otherwise pitched well. McCarthy owns a 3.29 ERA in 281 2/3 innings since the start of last year while Marcum is at a 3.60 ERA in 324 2/3 innings during the same time. Both right-handers could seek one-year contracts to rebuild value in hopes of landing a bigger payday next winter, which would suit Chicago well.

The Cubs tried to acquire Dan Haren last week, only to have the deal fall apart at the last minute. The Angels declined his option and made him a free agent, so the right-hander could still be a target for the Cubbies if the price is right. Last night Haren's agent declared his client healthy following speculation that the trade fell apart due to concerns about his back.

Central Links: Cubs, Chapman, Madson, Asdrubal

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Some late-night reading surrounding baseball's two Central divisions…

Cafardo On Shields, Twins, Wells, Red Sox, Aceves

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After 25 years as a General Manager and president of the Twins, Cubs, and Orioles, Andy MacPhail stepped away from baseball last season to take care of his ailing father.  Now, MacPhail tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he wants to return to baseball in some capacity.  The executive was often viewed as a future commissioner and it would make sense for him to get involved with the league office.  He also won’t rule out working as a GM again, but he has yet do discuss that with any team and most clubs already have their front office leadership in place.  Here’s more from Cafardo..

  • The Twins have already inquired on Rays pitcher James Shields.  Tampa Bay will field plenty of other calls on Shields in the coming weeks but whether they pull the trigger to obtain offense remains to be seen.  The Dodgers say they’re not shopping Andre Ethier, but it may make sense to use him to get Shields if they have their eye on Josh Hamilton.  The problem there is that the Rays may not be able to carry Ethier’s contract.
  • The Angels are shopping Vernon Wells in an effort to clear some of the $42MM still owed to him.  The Halos have tried to start talks with the Red Sox and would like to get John Lackey back, but the Sox are curious to see what Lackey looks like after Tommy John surgery.
  • There was speculation that the Red Sox were trying to include Alfredo Aceves in a deal for Dan Haren.  The Red Sox love Aceves’ arm and stuff, but could do without the high maintenance. Aceves is very much available, but they won’t give him away for nothing.  The pitcher can fill different roles, but he still prefers to start.
  • The Dodgers would love to reunite with free agent Hiroki Kuroda.  The hurler could have more suitors than any other pitcher this winter if the Yankees don’t tie him up quickly.
  • Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is taking a wait-and-see approach on his agents, the Levinson brothers.  A few clients have already jumped ship but Pedroia noted that they have been good to him and his family.
  • The Red Sox would like to re-sign Vicente Padilla, but he is on the radar of a few teams, including the Angels, who are desperately looking to retool their bullpen.  Padilla ran out of gas late in the year but turned in a decent year in total.
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