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Tigers Not Looking To Trade Jacob Turner

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The Tigers are not looking to trade top pitching prospect Jacob Turner, GM Dave Dombrowski told Lynn Henning of the Detroit News.  Dombrowski said he did not offer Turner for Matt Garza.  The GM admitted to actively pursuing Gio Gonzalez, but added, "I don't think there is another call we've made in pursuing another starting pitcher."  There are no ongoing trade talks for starting pitching, Dombrowski told MLB.com's Jason Beck.  Instead, the Tigers are open to adding a swingman type of pitcher.

Four days ago, Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote that the Tigers "have quietly pursued starting pitchers throughout the offseason" and were involved on Garza.  The following day, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that the Tigers "have made it known to other teams that they are willing to trade Jacob Turner in a deal for the right pitcher."  Dombrowski told Henning, "There's been a lot of things written in recent weeks that have been totally incorrect," speculating that rumors came "probably from a strategic point of bargaining."

Boras Seeks Five Years For Edwin Jackson

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8:16pm: At the beginning of the offseason, the asking price for Jackson was in the Lackey/Burnett range ($82.5MM), tweets ESPN.com’s Buster Olney.  The Yankees haven’t had talks with Boras about Jackson, tweets Jack Curry of the YES Network. No talks are expected unless his asking price drops.

TUESDAY, 2:53pm: Jackson seeks $15-17MM per year, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Boras' promotional book on Jackson compares him to C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle, John Lackey, A.J. Burnett, and Derek Lowe.  All of those pitchers received at least $14.5MM per year, averaging $15.6MM.  Of course, Wilson and Buehrle just signed and the other three contracts were regrettable.  The Yankees will continue dialogue with Jackson, writes Heyman.  The process is starting to remind Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues of the Yankees' signing of Rafael Soriano last year.

MONDAY, 11:21am: Edwin Jackson's asking price is approximately $60MM over five years, writes ESPNNewYork's Wallace Matthews.  The Yankees like the free agent righty, "but not at that price," writes Matthews.  Matthews' colleague Buster Olney tweeted the same, saying that unless the Yankees' budget grows, there's no room for Jackson.

Ultimately I expect Jackson to settle for something closer to four years and $44MM, which wouldn't be an awful price for a 28-year-old innings eater with a touch of upside.

Additionally, Matthews writes that the Cubs' asking price for Matt Garza is "out of the question" for the Yankees.  He says the Cubs want at least two and possibly all three of Yankees top prospects Jesus Montero, Manny Banuelos, and Dellin Betances.  The Red Sox, Blue Jays, Tigers, and Marlins have also been connected to Garza in recent days.

Marlins Close To Acquiring Carlos Zambrano

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6:25pm: The Cubs will absorb all of Zambrano's $18MM salary less the MLB minimum, tweets Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.

6:15pm: Chris Volstad is joining the Cubs in the deal, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The 6'8" right-hander posted a 4.89 ERA with 6.4 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 52.3% ground ball rate in 165 2/3 innings for the Marlins in 2011. His career numbers (4.59 ERA, 5.8 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 50.4% ground ball rate) show he's a steady if unspectacular back-of-the-rotation option. However, he's homer prone and struggles against left-handers, as MLBTR's Mike Axisa pointed out earlier in the offseason.

The 25-year-old former first rounder projects to earn $2.6MM through arbitration in 2012 and will remain under team control through 2014, which makes him a relatively affordable medium-term option. 

4:42pm: The 2012 Marlins are about to get a little more interesting. In case Ozzie Guillen, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell don’t add enough intrigue to the upcoming season, the team is close to acquiring Carlos Zambrano from the Cubs, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The move would round out Miami’s rotation and provide the Cubs with the chance to part ways with a volatile but talented player who was no longer welcome in Chicago.

Zambrano would need to waive his no-trade clause for the teams to complete the deal, but he would presumably be open to playing for friend and fellow Venezuelan Ozzie Guillen. Zambrano and Guillen reportedly discussed the possibility after the 2011 season.

Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein had a productive meeting with Zambrano after the season, but the right-hander hasn't seemed wanted in Chicago for a while. The Cubs placed Zambrano on the disqualified list last summer following an August outburst and declined to play him in September, after his 30-day suspension ended.

The deal would give the Marlins a projected rotation of Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez, Ricky Nolasco and Zambrano. The deal would presumably take the Marlins out of the running for another Cubs starter: right-hander Matt Garza.

It's not yet clear how the Cubs and Marlins would split Zambrano's salary. He will earn $18MM in 2012 and his contract includes an option for 2013 that could vest depending on his health and performance in 2012. He needs to finish in the top four in next year's Cy Young vote and finish the season healthy for the option to vest. The Cubs will take on much of Zambrano's salary and are "not expecting to receive much back in the way of prospects," David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com writes.

Zambrano, 30, posted a 4.82 ERA with 6.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a 42.4% ground ball rate in 145 2/3 innings for the Cubs in 2011. He has spent his entire 11-year career with the Cubs and earned nearly $100MM in the process. Zambrano, a three-time Silver Slugger, owns a .241/.251/.395 career line as a hitter and has hit 23 home runs. The Cubs signed him out of Venezuela in 1997 under former GM Ed Lynch.

The Marlins have a full 40-man roster and would have to clear space for Zambrano unless they're sending a player from their 40-man to Chicago.

This post was originally published on January 4th.

Matt Garza Rumors: Tuesday

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The Cubs' asking price for Matt Garza is "out of the question" for the Yankees, Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com wrote yesterday. The Cubs want at least two of Jesus Montero, Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances from the Yankees, one of many teams with interest in the right-hander. Here are the latest rumors on Garza:

  • The Yankees weren't willing to meet the Athletics' asking price for Gio Gonzalez, and they preferred Gonzalez to Garza, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Sherman says the Yankees are "essentially not in" on Garza.
  • The Yankees are actively seeking rotation help, but don't like Garza at his current price, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). 
  • David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com hears that the Cubs’ asking price is "tremendously high" and that "interested parties" are seeing how high the bidding will go (Twitter link).
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says Garza would be worth a position player prospect in the #11-50 range or a couple of prospects from the back end of the top 100 in MLB. Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein are evidently hoping for more.

Cubs Reach Agreement With Reed Johnson

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The Cubs and Reed Johnson have agreed to terms on a one-year, Major League contract, the team announced. It's a $1.15MM deal, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement on December 21st (via Twitter).

Johnson, 35, has spent three of the last four seasons with the Cubs, and is coming off one of his best years. In 266 plate appearances, the veteran hit .309/.348/.467 while spending time at all three outfield positions.

Coming off a down year in 2010 (.657 OPS), Johnson signed a minor league deal for $900K with the Cubs, so the Wasserman Media Group client should be in line for a slight salary bump after his solid 2011.

Blue Jays Unlikely To Acquire Matt Garza

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The Blue Jays continue exploring ways of improving their rotation, but they’re unlikely to acquire Matt Garza from the Cubs, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Garza is under team control through 2013 and the Blue Jays are wary of trading top prospects for a relatively short-term addition. There doesn't appear to be a leading suitor for the right-hander at the moment, but the Yankees, Tigers, Red Sox and Marlins appear to be in the mix to acquire him.

The Blue Jays don’t appear to be especially interested in free agent right-handers Hiroki Kuroda and Roy Oswalt and they’re unlikely to pursue Edwin Jackson, Rosenthal reports. Agent Scott Boras seeks a five-year deal for Jackson, but Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has avoided major free agent expenditures since his hiring more than two years ago.

Toronto’s projected rotation includes Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil and Henderson Alvarez. Dustin McGowan, Carlos Villanueva and Aaron Laffey are others who could compete for a rotation spot in Spring Training. The Blue Jays expect to consider prospects Kyle Drabek, Drew Hutchison, Deck McGuire and Chad Jenkins for promotions in 2012, Rosenthal writes.

International Notes: Hanley, Marmol, Padilla

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Links are in Spanish…

  • Hanley Ramirez gave his clearest statement yet on a possible position change, telling the AP's Dionisio Soldevila on Friday, "I've talked with [Ozzie] Guillen, and what we both want is to win with the Marlins. When January arrives, we'll see what happens with the position change and everything else. If it's at third, fine. Wherever they put me, I'll do it in order to win." As for his surgically repaired shoulder, Ramirez described it as responsive and 95 percent healed.
  • Cubs closer Carlos Marmol has heard the rumors of his availability, and he told Julio E. Castro C. at Multimedios del Caribe that he's resigned to whatever the team decides to do with him. "It's their business," he said. "For good or bad, I have to accept it. My job is to pitch, not to handle team business. If I stay with the Cubs, great for me, and the same if not. I repeat: This is a business."
  • Vicente Padilla has been dominating hitters in his native Nicaraguan league over the last month, and the 34-year-old pitcher told Osman Rosales Cruz at El Nuevo Diario that he wants to sign as a starter with a Major League team. Yesterday, Cruz reported that the Marlins were eyeing Padilla, and in today's piece he describes asking the pitcher about the rumor: "'Truthfully, I can't talk about that,' Vicente insisted at first, but later he came up to me without the recorder and told me, 'Maybe.'"

No Leader In Garza Trade Talks

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Matt Garza trade discussions have heated up over the past few days, but there's not yet any favorite to obtain the Cubs right-hander, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, who adds that the Yankees, Blue Jays, Tigers, Red Sox and Marlins are all in the mix.

With the Cubs thought to be seeking young pitchers to replenish their farm system, the Yankees, Blue Jays and Tigers may ultimately hold an edge in pursuing Garza, Heyman speculates, as those clubs have pitching prospects and may be willing to spare them.

The Red Sox previously cited Garza as a compensation target for losing former GM Theo Epstein to the Cubs, according to Heyman, although it's not known whether they would pursue Garza as part of that compensation deal or separately.

Quick Hits: Blue Jays, Pena, Padres, White Sox, Braun

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Presenting the first edition of Quick Hits for 2012..

  • An interesting fact courtesy of Yahoo's Jeff Passan (via Twitter): Of the 23 teams to have spent money on free agents this offseason, the Red Sox rank 18th and the Yankees are tied for 19th.  Each team has spent $4.35MM and $4MM, respectively.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Jason Frasor shortly after the trade that he's now satisfied with the look of his bullpen, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.  Frasor will join the recently-signed Darren Oliver and Sergio Santos, who Anthopoulos traded for in December.
  • The Blue Jays now have 40 men on the 40-man roster after acquiring Frasor, which means that the club will need to make another move in the coming days to create space for Oliver, Chisholm tweets.  The veteran agreed to a one-year deal with a club option for 2013 on Friday.
  • It's possible that Carlos Pena could be an option for the Indians, but the market for first baseman won't truly shake loose until Prince Fielder finds his new home, writes Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer.  Yesterday, just over 7% of MLBTR readers polled picked the Tribe as Pena's most likely destination while the Brewers won out with almost 20% of the vote.
  • The Padres shook things up yesterday when they traded for Carlos Quentin, but you can expect them to open the season with Orlando Hudson and Jason Bartlett in the middle infield, tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com.
  • Speaking of the Quentin deal, Dayan Viciedo is now expected to take over in right field for the White Sox, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.  The 22-year-old is entering the final season of the four-year, $10MM deal he signed in December of 2008.
  • An official familiar with the appeals process for banned substances told Tom Haudricourt of the Journal-Sentinel that he doesn't anticipate Ryan Braun winning his case against a 50-game suspension.  The source said that Braun's only options are to prove an error in the testing or say that the Brewers signed off on a treatment.  However, there are provisions in place to ensure accurate testing and the club never gave Braun the go-ahead to use any substance.
  • Fielder liked the idea of playing in Chicago because it's a reasonable distance from his Florida home and he has had success at Wrigley Field, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday.  However, that no longer appears to be a possibility for the slugger as the Cubs are looking to rebuild.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/insider-albert-pujols-showed-he-s-human-1.3421208

Olney On Rays, Quentin, Polanco, Marlins, Darvish

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After ranking MLB's best rotations, bullpens, infields, outfields, and lineups in December, ESPN.com's Buster Olney opened up 2012 with his overall power rankings.  The Rays are ranked No. 1 thanks in large part to their outstanding rotation.  This year, Matt Moore joins the mix and Olney writes that the left-hander has the numbers and the ability of Stephen Strasburg without the same level of hype behind him.  Of course, the club still has some issues to address, such as the identity of their first baseman and designated hitter.  However, Olney feels that their pitching makes them the top club in baseball at present.  Here are some highlights from today's column..

  • It's possible that the Padres could negotiate a very team-friendly two- or three-year deal with the Carlos Quentin before arbitration.  However, it's hard to imagine the club investing heavily in the outfielder before gauging how much he can stay on the field and how his power translates to pitcher-friendly Petco Park.
  • The Phillies would still like to find an alternative to the oft-injured Placido Polanco.  In October, skipper Charlie Manuel said that he would be in favor of an upgrade at third base if possible.  The club dangled Polanco in early December when it seemed as if they might lose Jimmy Rollins to free agency and look to sign Aramis Ramirez to play third.
  • The Cubs are talking with a number of teams about Matt Garza, including the Marlins.  A lot of baseball scouts are not wild about the quality and depth of the prospects in Miami's farm system.
  • Yu Darvish is not yet signed with the Rangers, but rival executives don't believe he has much leverage and will eventually work out a deal.
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