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Roy Oswalt Rumors: Tuesday

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 The latest on free agent righty Roy Oswalt…

Latest On Roy Oswalt

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10:45pm: The Reds continue talking to Oswalt, though he'd prefer to pitch for the Cardinals or Rangers, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report. Cincinnati would have to clear payroll to add Oswalt and Homer Bailey would be the most likely candidate to be dealt.

9:33pm: Cardinals GM John Mozeliak acknowledges he’ll be ‘opportunistic’ about potential deals, but says he’s not expecting significant moves before Spring Training, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Though the Cardinals and Roy Oswalt had mutual interest in a deal, they couldn’t reach an agreement.

Oswalt was asking for a significant guarantee in terms of role and salary, but the Cardinals aren’t looking to add payroll. The Cardinals haven’t spoken to Oswalt’s agent in the past week or so, Goold writes. The Reds appear to be kicking the tires on the right-hander, but the Rangers aren’t likely to sign him.

Quick Hits: Ankiel, Kuo, Oswalt, Reds, Nationals

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On this date in 1983, the Blue Jays traded Leon Roberts to the Royals for a minor leaguer by the name of Cecil Fielder.  Fielder made his Major League debut in 1985 and played for the Blue Jays through 1989 before having his contract sold to the Hanshin Tigers.  Fielder returned to MLB with the Detroit Tigers in 1990 where he made three All-Star appearances in his first four years with the club.  Here's a look at tonight's links..

Latest On Roy Oswalt

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7:09pm: Rosenthal now hears that the Reds are not actively pursuing Oswalt, but they are kicking the tires on the right-hander (Twitter link).

1:53pm: Pitcher Roy Oswalt is without a contract two weeks before the start of spring workouts and a number of suitors remain in the mix for his services.  Because the right-hander's top choices – St. Louis and Texas – are dealing with budget constraints, clubs such as the Reds continue to explore the possibility of signing him, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Walt Jocketty & Co. have spoken with Oswalt’s representatives recently and would probably need to move payroll and stretch their budget in order to afford him, according to a source.  Signing the 34-year-old, the duo writes, would signal that the Reds are going all-in and looking to win before the potential departures of Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips via free agency.  Votto is signed through 2013 while Phillips is set to hit the open market next winter.

Oswalt and the Red Sox continue to have “mutual interest” in one another, according to one source with knowledge of the dialogue.  He also remains interested in returning to the Phillies, according to sources, but they haven’t been aggressive in looking for starters.

NL Central Notes: Garza, McGehee, Greinke, Cordero

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Cardinals legend Red Schoendienst was born on this day in 1923.  Schoendienst spent 15 seasons in St. Louis as a player and 14 more as a manager, winning a World Series in both positions (as well as another Series win as a member of the Milwaukee Braves in 1957).  Schoendienst's career was capped off when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Here's some news from both St. Louis and elsewhere in the NL Central…

  • The Cubs' arbitration hearing with Matt Garza is scheduled to take place tomorrow, reports Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago.  There is a sizable gap between the two sides; Garza is asking for a salary of $12.5MM, while the Cubs are offering $7.95MM.  The result of this hearing could have an impact well beyond Chicago, as if the Cubs win the hearing, Garza's lower price tag could re-ignite trade interest in the right-hander.  
  • The Cubs unveiled plans today for a new baseball academy in the Dominican Republic.  MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez has the details.
  • The Pirates' arbitration hearing with Casey McGehee is set for February 16, reports Bill Brink of the PIttsburgh Post-Gazette.  Brink's source says the two sides are still negotiating to see if the hearing can be avoided.  MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith recently looked at the arb cases for both McGehee and the other side of the Bucs' first base platoon, Garrett Jones.  
  • ESPN's Jerry Crasnick looks at Zack Greinke's decision to act as his own agent and the history of other players who have handled their own contract negotiations.  The Brewers right-hander is entering the last year of his four-year, $38MM contract but is open to the idea of signing an extension with Milwaukee.
  • The Reds "had an offer on the table" for Francisco Cordero since the end of the 2011 season, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon but the team wouldn't give Cordero more than a one-year contract with an option.  Cordero was holding out for a multiyear deal so the Reds signed Ryan Madson instead.  Cordero settled for a one-year, $4.5MM deal with the Blue Jays and Shelton opines that Cordero "can’t be thrilled with how his offseason turned out."
  • Beyond losing Albert Pujols, Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan, the Cardinals' quest to defend their World Series crown could be complicated by their reliance on several players with checkered injury histories, writes FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

Minor Moves: Royals, Rowland-Smith, Hessman

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Some minor transactions from around the majors…

  • The Royals signed Cuban outfielder Roman Hernandez Jorrin, reports Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald (Twitter link).  Hernandez Jorrin, 22, is a right-handed hitter who escaped from Cuba in November 2010.
  • The Cubs have signed Ryan Rowland-Smith to a minor league deal, tweets ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.  The Australian southpaw compiled a 4.57 ERA and a 1.64 K/BB ratio in 362 2/3 innings with the Mariners from 2007-10.  Rowland-Smith spent last season in the Astros' minor league system, posting a 6.19 ERA in 22 games at Triple-A Oklahoma City.
  • The Astros signed Mike Hessman to a minor league contract, reports Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle.  The deal doesn't include an invite to the Astros' big league Spring Training camp.  Hessman has a .694 OPS in 250 career plate appearances with the Mets, Tigers and Braves on the Major League level and also has 335 career minor league homers.  The 33-year-old played for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan last season.
  • The Reds have signed right-hander Wirfin Obispo to a minor league contracts, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  Signed as an 18-year-old shortstop by the Red Sox in 2002, Obispo was converted to pitching by the Reds in 2004 and put up solid numbers for Cincinnati's Dominican summer league team over the next three seasons.  Obispo has since pitched in Japan, posting a 3.25 ERA, a 7.8 K/9 rate and a 3.22 K/BB ratio in 46 games (28 of them starts) with the Yomiuri Giants and the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Quick Hits: Branyan, Reds, Mariners, Astros

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Links for Monday night…

  • Russell Branyan intends to play in 2012, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes tweets. Branyan posted a .197/.295/.370 line with the Diamondbacks and Angels in 2011, but hit 25 home runs in 2010.
  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty said he hopes to lock Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips up long-term, even though doing so would require major commitments, MLB.com youth correspondent Meggie Zahneis reports. "Everyone has to understand that these are expensive deals and there is only so much we can do," Jocketty said. An extension for Votto would likely require one of the largest deals in MLB history.
  • Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner argues that the Mariners should make another move or two, even if they don’t project to contend in 2012. There’s value in staying in the pennant race and the Mariners can maximize their chances of staying competitive by adding to the roster before Opening Day, Cameron writes.
  • Ben Badler of Baseball America offers scouting reports on six intriguing international players not named Yoenis Cespedes. Outfielder Jorge Soler, lefty Gerardo Concepcion and right Armando Rivero are worth watching, Badler writes.
  • Astros owner Jim Crane announced that the team will not be changing its name. “The Houston Astros are here to stay,” he said.

Contract Details: Red Sox, Indians, Reds

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MLB.com’s beat reporters have passed along lots of contract details today. Here they are:

Reds, Arredondo Avoid Arbitration

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11:02pm: The deal is worth $2MM over two years, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

6:57pm: The Reds and reliever Jose Arredondo have avoided arbitration by agreeing to terms on a two-year contract, the team announced via Twitter.

Arredondo, a right-hander, was eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason as a Super Two, so he'll have two remaining years of arbitration eligibility after this deal expires. He's slated to hit free agency after the 2015 season.

Arredondo, 28 in March, rebounded with the Reds in 2011, his first season in Cincinnati, after missing the entire 2010 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. He burst onto the Major League scene in 2008 with the Angels, posting a 1.62 ERA in 61 innings for Anaheim.

For his career, the native Dominican has put up a 3.40 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.5 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 159 innings.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the sides were nearing a two-year deal last week.

Quick Hits: Francis, Cespedes, CBA

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A few stray items to pass along as the night winds down …

  • Jeff Francis, who agreed to terms with the Reds on a minor league deal, can earn a base salary of $1.5MM if he makes the big league club, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. The deal could be worth as much as $3.25MM with incentives and includes a March 28 opt-out clause, reports Crasnick (Twitter links).
  • The Orioles remain interested in signing Yoenis Cespedes, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun, and will send a contingent to further scout the Cuban free agent in next week's Carribean Series in the Dominican Republic.
  • Several general managers of small- and mid-market clubs are concerned the new labor agreement has furthered the divide between baseballs haves and have-nots, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com. In particular, the greater the number of teams that continue to shell out massive contracts, the more it encourages players on small-market clubs to refrain from signing extensions prior to free agency.
  • Brad Lidge told the Phillies he wanted to stay in Philly, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN, but they apparently had no interest in retaining the right-hander. We heard earlier today that the Phils made a "lowball" offer to Lidge, who instead agreed to terms with the Nats.
  • MLBTR's Tim Dierkes appeared on Tuesday's BP Podcast with Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. You can download the mp3 or listen through iTunes.
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