Quick Hits: Giants, Hairston, Indians, Ellsbury, Pavano
While we wait to see whether any major moves will be finalized in Nashville today, let's check out a few odds and ends from Wednesday morning….
- After signing Marco Scutaro to a three-year deal, the Giants may have a hard time affording the sort of outfield bat they'd been targeting, tweets Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com. According to Baggarly, the Giants had a two-year offer out to Ryan Ludwick, but both Ludwick and Scott Hairston may be too pricey for them now.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier today that Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera are "very available," but a rival official tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link) that "the price for Choo is high, and for Asdrubal even higher."
- Most baseball people in Nashville believe it will be hard for teams to seriously consider dealing for Jacoby Ellsbury when they have no idea whether they'll be able to keep him long-term, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Olney adds in a tweet that while the Red Sox are listening to offers for Ellsbury and Jon Lester, they aren't motivated to move either player unless a team overpays.
- Although the Marlins spoke to Carl Pavano's agent yesterday, the team doesn't seem overly enthusiastic about a reunion with the right-hander, says Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.
Heyman On Choo, Cabrera, Red Sox, Grilli, Marcum
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has been sharing a few Winter Meetings nuggets on this Twitter feed this morning, so let's dive right in and round them up (all links go to Twitter)….
- Heyman classifies both Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera as very available, as the Indians search for long-term assets.
- The Red Sox are very active this week and are willing to discuss anyone, even Jacoby Ellsbury and Jon Lester.
- Ten teams are in on Jason Grilli, as the market for the right-handed reliever heats up. Grilli tweeted early this morning that he was heading for Nashville and has a "full day" on tap.
- The Royals are "one of many" teams looking at Shaun Marcum, who is a Kansas City product.
Mariners Close To Signing Jason Bay
1:07pm: Bay's deal with the Mariners is close to completion as of this hour, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Arizona's Jason Kubel would remain a trade target for the Ms, adds Morosi.
9:46am: Jason Bay is close to a decision on which team he'll sign with, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). The Indians and Mariners are among the teams still in the mix for the former Met, says Brown.
The Indians may be in the lead for Bay, says Joel Sherman of the New York Post, though he notes that the M's are still a factor and the Cubs are "on the periphery" (Twitter link). Bay is going to get guaranteed money rather than a make-good deal, according to Sherman, since teams are willing to take a little risk to see if he can bounce back in a new environment (Twitter link).
AL Central Rumors: Stewart, Revere, Victorino, Soria
The latest from around the AL Central…
- Despite the fact that the Twins are looking to give Trevor Plouffe some competition at third base, Ian Stewart isn't a match with the team, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune's La Velle E. Neal III (on Twitter).
- Ben Revere's name has surfaced as a possible trade candidate, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Revere became the Twins' projected center field starter with the trade of Denard Span to the Nationals, so Morosi believes Minnesota might need to get a center field back in order to move Revere.
- The Indians offered four years and $44MM to Shane Victorino, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Victorino ultimately chose a three-year, $39MM offer from Boston, but it shows that the Indians have some money to spend.
- The Royals' offer was "not even close to what I was looking for," new Rangers setup man Joakim Soria told reporters including MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez on a conference call today. Soria landed a two-year, $8MM deal with the Rangers.
- The White Sox continue to have dialogue with free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski, writes Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com.
- We had a few Tigers rumors yesterday also.
Mets Not Targeting Vinnie Pestano
11:58pm: Rubin was told by a Mets person there's nothing there regarding the team pursuing Pestano.
10:33am: In search of late-inning relief help, the Mets are targeting Indians right-hander Vinnie Pestano, reports Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Though it's not clear whether the Mets have made an offer to Cleveland, New York has been pursuing Pestano at the Winter Meetings, says Rubin.
The Mets have also attempted to engage the Rays and Royals about bullpen pieces, but haven't made any progress on either front, according to Rubin. New York inquired about Joel Peralta, but found Tampa Bay's asking price too high. The Rays just re-signed Peralta to a multiyear deal a couple weeks ago.
D’Backs Rumors: Barajas, Nakajima, Young Pitchers
The Diamondbacks are all over the news on Day 2 of the Winter Meetings in Nashville, with inquiries fielded on outfielders Justin Upton and Jason Kubel, plus the Eric Hinske signing. More on the club:
- The D'Backs have an offer on the table for Barajas, reports MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.
Earlier updates:
- GM Kevin Towers expects to leave Nashville with a backup catcher, according to the team's Twitter feed. He's got multiple offers out right now to free agents. Keep an eye on Rod Barajas, tweets MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.
- Hiroyuki Nakajima remains on the Diamondbacks' radar, Towers told reporters including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
- Teams are asking the D'Backs about young starters Trevor Bauer and Tyler Skaggs, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Skaggs is believed to be an Indians target in Asdrubal Cabrera trade talks.
Justin Upton Rumors: Tuesday
In yesterday's round of Justin Upton rumors, we heard that the Rangers were still in touch with the Diamondbacks, who also met with the Mariners in the evening. As we wait to see if Tuesday brings further developments on the Upton front, we'll track the latest updates right here:
- The Braves, Mariners, and Indians were all collecting background information and character assessments on Upton to ensure he'd be a good fit, one source told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic today.
Earlier updates:
- Upton has drawn "active interest" from the Mariners, Rangers, and Indians today, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- The D'Backs are looking at three-or-more team deals, tweets MLB.com's Steve Gilbert, as the Rangers are not willing to trade Jurickson Profar or Elvis Andrus and the Mariners are not a match.
- The Braves and Diamondbacks have concluded there's not going to be a fit for an Upton trade, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark. The Braves do not intend to trade shortstop Andrelton Simmons
- Although the D-Backs have been aggressive in shopping Upton in Nashville, no team has stepped up to offer a frontline shortstop, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince notes that Upton trade rumors are becoming an annual tradition, and wonders if this could be the year he's finally moved. "It sounds like they kind of want to," said a rival NL scout. "But it's hard to pull the trigger."
Market For Mark Reynolds
First baseman Mark Reynolds has a nice market, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, including the Cubs, Yankees, Indians, Marlins, Mariners, Orioles, Rays, and more. The Mets were previously linked to Reynolds.
The Orioles have not met with Reynolds' agent since he was non-tendered, however, executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette told reporters today. The Marlins have not met with Reynolds' agent yet either, tweets Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Indians Met With Youkilis’ Agent Today
The Indians met with Kevin Youkilis' agent Joe Bick today, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Indians would like to use him at first base. Earlier today, we learned the Yankees have also spoken with Bick about Youkilis.
Trade Rumors: Harang, Capuano, Phillies
Let's round up a few rumblings from Nashville on players who might be on the trade block…
- The Phillies are dangling pitcher Vance Worley as a trade chip and may be willing to include pitching prospect Trevor May in a deal, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.
- The Dodgers are becoming aggressive in shopping starters Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, in a potential sign of confidence regarding a Zack Greinke signing.
Earlier updates:
- There have been "no conversations" about trading Andre Ethier, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly tells Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
- One rival executive thinks the Royals will eventually make a deal for Rays starter James Shields, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Within his piece, Knobler explains why the Royals are more inclined to trade Wil Myers than Billy Butler.
- The return the Twins received for Denard Span has somewhat hampered the Indians' efforts to trade Shin-Soo Choo, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains in a pair of Twitterlinks.
- Ramon Santiago's name has surfaced at the Winter Meetings as a potential trade candidate, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (via Twitter). While Beck isn't sure if the Tigers would move him, he says the utility infielder could draw interest.
- The Dodgers are "aggressively shopping" Juan Uribe in Nashville, but predictably aren't receiving much interest, writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets that when he asked an MLB official if the Yankees could have interest in Uribe with Alex Rodriguez out, he was met with a chuckle.