Odds and Ends: Weathers, Montero, Springer
Links for Friday…
- MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince says the Indians signed Andy Cannizaro and Damaso Espino to minor league deals.
- MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon says the Reds are still talking to David Weathers‘ agent, despite the reliever’s comment about flipping the page.
- RotoAuthority looks at Blue Jays outfielder Travis Snider, from a fantasy baseball point of view.
- Mum’s the word from C.C. Sabathia and his agents.
- Rany Jazayerli likes the Royals’ acquisition of Coco Crisp and respects Dayton Moore’s bullpen-building skills.
- Click here to download an mp3 of me chatting with Greg Schaum of KCSP 610 about the Royals last night.
- Nick Piecoro says the Diamondbacks haven’t been able to find a match on a trade for Miguel Montero, despite discussions with the Red Sox and other teams.
- The Cardinals spoke to Russ Springer‘s agent recently, but he’s drawing interest from several clubs.
- The Phillies won’t make a move in response to the Chase Utley injury, but one blog believes Jerry Hairston Jr. now makes more sense.
- John Van Benschoten, the 8th overall pick in the 2001 draft, chose minor league free agency over re-signing with the Pirates.
- Sidney Ponson‘s grievance against the Orioles will finally be heard next month.
Reds Hope To Add Lefty Reliever
According to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, Reds GM Walt Jocketty wants to add a lefty to the Reds bullpen. Jocketty says the Reds considered Trever Miller before it became apparent that he was close to a deal with the Cardinals.
To build the bullpen back up, Jocketty said the Reds would consider Arthur Rhodes, Will Ohman, Darren Oliver, Dennys Reyes and Joe Beimel. Cincinnati could use a reliever since ex-Red Jeremy Affeldt signed with the Giants earlier in the week.
The Reds have talked about bringing back two of their own free agents, David Weathers and Mike Lincoln.
Teams are more interested in talking about trades now that some free agent price tags seem so high, according to Jocketty.
Crisp Almost A Red, Says Jocketty
Reds GM Walt Jocketty says that his team nearly settled on a deal for Coco Crisp, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "We were close," Jocketty said, although specific pieces aren’t mentioned in the article. It’d be interesting to know what the Reds were offering considering the Red Sox received pitching help in exchange for Crisp.
The same article lists upgrading the bullpen as a focus of the Reds’ offseason plans. Jocketty has been in touch with the agents of David Weathers and Mike Lincoln, but doesn’t expect to sign anyone soon.
Jocketty also talks about being surprised by how quickly reliever Jeremy Affeldt signed a deal. However, the article also points out that Affeldt wasn’t signed until January 23rd this past offseason.
Crisp-Ramirez Trade Reactions
The Red Sox traded center fielder Coco Crisp to the Royals for reliever Ramon Ramirez today; tip of the cap to Brian McRae for the scoop. Let’s round up the reactions and consequences.
- MLB.com’s Dick Kaegel says Royals GM Dayton Moore will now attempt to rebuild his bullpen, perhaps by trading an outfielder or first baseman. Kaegel says "word from Chicago downplays the Cubs’ reputed interest" in Mark Teahen.
- MLB.com’s Ian Browne says Red Sox GM Theo Epstein will bring in a fourth outfielder to replace Crisp. Browne suggests free agents Gabe Kapler or Rocco Baldelli.
- Ken Davidoff says the Sox now have the flexibility to move Justin Masterson into the rotation, reducing the leverage of the agents for Derek Lowe and A.J. Burnett.
- Craig Brown of Royals Authority expects the Royals to trade Teahen now.
- Dave Cameron gives the slight edge to the Royals in the trade.
- According to ESPN’s Peter Gammons, the Reds were also part of the "surprisingly small market for Crisp."
- Matt Porter of the Boston Globe profiles Ramirez.
- ESPN’s Keith Law says both teams may be disappointed, and 2008 may have been Ramirez’s career year.
Odds and Ends: Mussina, Proefrock, Cuban
Links for Monday…
- Pitcher Kelvin Jimenez was claimed off waivers by the White Sox. The Blue Jays had claimed him from the Cardinals previously.
- The Yankees hope Mike Mussina decides whether he’s retiring soon. He says it might be this week.
- Aaron Gleeman runs through the more affordable middle relief options.
- Roch Kubatko had the scoop yesterday – Scott Proefrock, formerly of the Orioles, is the new assistant GM for the Phillies.
- Trey Hillman is familiar with Kenshin Kawakami, but it’s not known whether the Royals are interested.
- Peter Abraham is wary of five free agents the Yankees might consider.
- Mark Cuban is in hot water for alleged insider trading.
- Ben Davis is apparently pitching these days, and he’ll try to crack the Reds’ Double A rotation.
Stark’s Latest: Abreu, Arroyo, Hudson
ESPN’s Jayson Stark is back with a look at needs and plans for all 30 teams. I highly recommend you read the article, but here are a few highlights. He’s also got a fresh blog post here.
- The Phillies are eyeing Doug Brocail and Russ Springer.
- The Mets like Bobby Abreu, but not his three year, $45MM asking price.
- The Reds are quietly listening on Bronson Arroyo, and the Rangers may be interested.
- Contrary to previous reports, Stark believes the Mets’ first order of business is getting a starting pitcher.
- Here’s a new one – the Marlins are interested in Orlando Hudson?
- The Astros may be trying to move money, and Stark implies trading Miguel Tejada or Jose Valverde could be one path.
- The Rockies have "actively explored" signing Jeremy Affeldt, who could also wind up back home with the Mariners. A few more interesting names for Seattle: Joe Crede (if Adrian Beltre is traded), Jason Giambi, and Ken Griffey Jr.
Rockies Rumors: Fuentes, Street, Rusch, Podsednik
MLB.com’s Thomas Harding has the latest on the Rockies, here and here.
- The Rockies will offer arbitration to Brian Fuentes, who is a Type A free agent. Obviously it’s all about the two draft picks, as Fuentes will decline. He’ll probably sign with a team with an unprotected first-round pick, too.
- Harding says the Rockies are already receiving calls on Huston Street. ESPN’s Buster Olney says Dan O’Dowd is telling other GMs he won’t trade Street, but some believe it’s posturing.
- O’Dowd backed off a bit on the idea of re-signing Glendon Rusch and Scott Podsednik, saying he wants to make sure there’s a role for them in Colorado.
- The Rockies won’t be diving in on any big-name free agent pitchers. They’ll either stand pat or pursue trades.
- O’Dowd called the Reds trade rumors "comical." The Rockies, by the way, are apparently not interested in Homer Bailey.
Montero Drawing Interest
According to Jack Magruder of the East Valley Tribune, D’Backs catcher Miguel Montero is a popular name in trade discussions. He may be traded to address the team’s second base vacancy. Mark Loretta and Adam Kennedy, who are in the $4MM or less range, were deemed too expensive.
Montero, 25, hit .255/.330/.435 in 207 plate appearances this year. He’s under team control through 2012. Magruder suggests the Red Sox, Tigers, Reds, Astros, and Brewers as possible matches. Some of those clubs do have decent second base prospects.
Magruder adds that the D’Backs have received inquiries on Eric Byrnes, but don’t see a contract swap that’d make sense.
Hairston, Weathers To Test Market
MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon has the latest on free agents Jerry Hairston Jr. and David Weathers.
- Hairston expressed gratitude toward the Reds for giving him a shot this year. The Reds made progress with his agent on contract talks, but don’t expect an agreement with Hairston or any of their other free agents to be reached by Friday. Based on his quotes, it sounds like Hairston will at least listen to offers from other teams. He posted a career-best .326/.384/.487 line in 297 plate appearances this year.
- Weathers says he’s "flipped the page" on the Reds. Talks never became serious, and the Reds never made an offer. He’s looking forward to testing the market, and doesn’t expect to return to Cincinnati. Walt Jocketty says he still wants to talk.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Hardy, Flowers, Wolf
Another day, another column from Ken Rosenthal.
- With multiple vacancies in the rotation and bullpen, the Brewers may need to see what kind of pitching Mike Cameron and/or J.J. Hardy can bring in return. GM Doug Melvin is not ready to shop Hardy. He’s received interest, but most teams have not given names (one team suggested swapping him for a pitcher Melvin termed, "a fifth starter.")
- The Padres have asked the Braves to substitute catcher Tyler Flowers for center fielder Gorkys Hernandez in their Jake Peavy offer. Dave O’Brien sees this as unlikely.
- If they can’t sign Mark Teixeira, the Angels are ready to shift gears to C.C. Sabathia, Francisco Rodriguez, or other players. The idea of a Manny Ramirez pursuit was "tabled rather quickly."
- The Cardinals plan to add one or two lefthanded relievers, probably free agents.
- In his quest for righthanded power, Reds GM Walt Jocketty inquired on Matt Holliday and Josh Willingham before they were traded. Purely speculative – Jermaine Dye could be a nice fit.
- At least half a dozen teams have expressed interest in free agent starter Randy Wolf.