Indians, Others Have Inquired On Nick Swisher
The Indians are one of several clubs that has called the Yankees about Nick Swisher, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Cleveland GM Chris Antonetti, a finalist for free agent Carlos Beltran, is also considering trades to improve his club’s offense.
However, Swisher doesn’t appear to be a realistic option for the Indians, since the Yankees don’t have an obvious replacement for Swisher and it wouldn’t be easy to match his production through free agency. The Yankees value Swisher as one of the game’s better right fielders and one of Rosenthal’s sources says they’re “up against their payroll [limit],” for what it’s worth.
Swisher, 31, posted a .260/.374/.449 line with 23 home runs in 635 plate appearances this past season. The Yankees exercised their $10.25M club option for the switch-hitter after the 2011 season and he's set to hit free agency after the 2012 campaign.
Carlos Beltran Rumors: Thursday
Carlos Beltran may choose his next team by the weekend and he has many suitors to consider. The Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Rays and Indians are all "seriously in the mix" for Beltran, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. Here’s the latest on Beltran, who’s open to DHing part-time…
- Though the Indians are in the mix for Beltran, they're more likely to obtain a first baseman, tweets Heyman.
- The Cardinals view Beltran as the best, most cost-efficient option, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Cardinals are believed to have offered a two-year deal worth at least $8MM per season at one point, Heyman writes.
- Beltran is down to the Cardinals, Indians and Blue Jays, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Miller names the same three teams and says the Beltran talks appear to be coming to a head. (Twitter link).
- The Red Sox are out on Beltran, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- The Cardinals intensified their talks with Beltran last night and into this morning, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. One of Goold's sources says the Cardinals are the "leading candidate" to sign Beltran.
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian hears nothing has changed regarding the Indians' projected 2012 payroll (Twitter links). This means adding someone like Beltran would likely require the club to shed payroll elsewhere, but Cleveland’s interest in Beltran is legitimate.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains how Beltran would fit on the Indians' roster. Cleveland jumped into the bidding for the switch-hitting free agent yesterday.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reminds us that Beltran declined to be traded to the Indians in July, when he said he’d only join the Phillies or Giants (Twitter link).
Indians In On Carlos Beltran
11:17pm: The Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Rays and Indians are all "seriously in the mix" for Beltran, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. There could be another team involved.
10:40pm: The Indians have jumped into the Carlos Beltran negotiations, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Though GM Chris Antonetti has been on the lookout for offense this offseason, this is the first time the Indians have been publicly linked to Beltran.
Beltran has two and three-year offers and hopes to decide on a new team this week, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links). The Blue Jays and Cardinals are among Beltran’s most aggressive suitors, Miller reports. The switch-hitter appears to be weighing a more substantial contract offer against a city he prefers. He is open to DHing on a part-time basis.
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported tonight that Indians people are considering “everyone but Prince [Fielder]” as they hunt for upgrades at first base and in the outfield. The Indians now have Michael Brantley, Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo, Ezequiel Carrera, Shelley Duncan and the newly-acquired Aaron Cunningham in the outfield mix. Beltran would be a welcome addition to an offense that ranked 16th in MLB in runs scored in 2011.
Indians Sign Andy LaRoche
The Indians have signed Andy LaRoche to a minor league contract, the team announced (via Twitter). The deal includes an invitation to big league camp.
Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported over the weekend that the Indians were in talks with both LaRoche and Mike Cameron. While the Tribe missed out on Cameron, who agreed to sign a contract with the Nationals, they'll bring LaRoche into the fold to provide depth and injury insurance. GM Chris Antonetti said LaRoche will compete for a spot on the Major League roster, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (Twitter link).
LaRoche, 28, has posted a career slash line of just .226/.305/.337 in parts of five Major League seasons, including a .654 OPS in 104 plate appearances for Oakland in 2011. However, he was long considered a top prospect, having ranked among Baseball America's top 20 prior to both the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
Indians Have Not Ruled Out Pitching Upgrades
Earlier today we heard that the Indians are in "serious talks" with Mike Cameron and Andy LaRoche as they seek bench help, but MLB.com's Jordan Bastian says (on Twitter) the team still hasn't ruled out adding pitching yet. He wouldn't be surprised to see them add a reliever before Spring Training.
Cleveland's rotation is pretty well set with the ground ball heavy quartet of Ubaldo Jimenez, Derek Lowe, Fausto Carmona, and Justin Masterson, plus they have Josh Tomlin, Jeanmar Gomez, and David Huff to battle it out for the fifth spot. A free agent like Andy Sonnanstine or Clay Hensley could provide both rotation and bullpen insurance on a minor league contract, though that is just my speculation.
Quick Hits: Mariners, Rockies, Indians, Rangers
Two years ago, the White Sox acquired Juan Pierre from the Dodgers in what was only the second-most memorable trade of the day. The day's other deal saw the Mariners and Cubs swap bad contracts, with Carlos Silva heading to Chicago in exchange for Milton Bradley. We can only hope this year's December 18th will be as eventful. For now, here are a few links from around the league…
- In an Insider-only piece at ESPN.com, Jim Bowden breaks down the five most undervalued free agents left on the market, with Carlos Beltran and Hiroki Kuroda topping his list.
- Two court-ordered appraisals suggest the value of the Mariners' franchise is much higher than what Forbes reported earlier this year, as Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times writes.
- Noting that Michael Cuddyer is a "heck of a stocking stuffer," Troy Renck of the Denver Post details the rest of the Rockies' Christmas wish list.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer fields Indians-related questions in a mailbag. Among the topics discussed: Kendrys Morales, Manny Ramirez, and the so-called "surprising" trade GM Chris Antonetti discussed at the Winter Meetings.
- Jamey Newberg of the Newberg Report examines what a Rangers package for Mat Latos might have looked like.
Indians In Talks With Mike Cameron, Andy LaRoche
The Indians have had "serious talks" with Mike Cameron and have also talked to Andy LaRoche, according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. MLB.com's Jordan Bastian confirms (via Twitter) that the Tribe have had discussions with both players and could sign them to minor league contracts.
Cameron, 38, saw a dip in production in 2011 with the Red Sox and Marlins, hitting .203/.285/.359 in 269 overall plate appearances. However, the Indians view him as an insurance policy for center field if Grady Sizemore continues to be plagued by health problems, according to Pluto.
The 28-year-old LaRoche, meanwhile, would likely just provide the organization depth at the Triple-A level. The former top prospect spent the past season with the Athletics, splitting time between the big league club and Triple-A Sacramento.
The Indians have made a handful of depth moves already this week, acquiring Aaron Cunningham from the Padres, and signing both Jose Lopez and Felix Pie to minor league deals.
Quick Hits: Kubel, Chapman, Aoki, Cuddyer
On this day last year, the Padres traded Brandon Gomes, Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, and Cole Figueroa to the Rays for Jason Bartlett and a player to be named later (though Tampa would eventually send cash instead). Here's some notes from around the league…
- The Reds have had conversations with Jason Kubel, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). GM Walt Jocketty told Fay (Twitter link) that the club does not have the type of money to sign someone to a Josh Willingham-type deal.
- Even after trading for Mat Latos, Reds GM Walt Jocketty still plans on using Aroldis Chapman as a starter, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnatti Enquirer. Jocketty did leave room for a change of heart, however, noting that things could change later on.
- We should soon find out which team won the bidding for Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- ESPN's Keith Law feels that the Rockies overpaid for Michael Cuddyer, who he considers to be a part-time player (ESPN Insider link). In Law's opinion, Colorado is receiving perhaps a one win upgrade over Seth Smith, but paying $7-8MM more than Smith would earn.
- In that same piece, Law says that he likes the Twins' gamble on Josh Willingham better, but notes that he should be a DH rather than an outfielder and that the contract is still a gamble because Willingham showed signs of decline in 2011.
- Willingham told MLB.com's Jane Lee that leaving the Athletics wasn't an easy decision, but GM Billy Beane was honest and up front about the fact that he could probably only offer a one-year deal through arbitration.
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the Miami Sun-Sentinel provides some details on the heavily backloaded contracts that Heath Bell, Jose Reyes, and Mark Buehrle received from the Marlins. Bell's vesting option triggers if he finishes 55 games in 2014, or a combined 100 between 2013-14. He and Buehrle both took signing bonuses deferred withiout interest, and all three have contractual obligations to donate to charity each season.
- Law (via Twitter) prefers Aaron Cunningham to Cory Burns. The Indians acquired Cunningham from the Padres in exchange for Burns yesterday.
Indians Designate Josh Judy For Assignment
The Indians have announced that right-hander Josh Judy has been designated for assignment. The move creates a 40-man roster spot for the newly-acquired Aaron Cunningham.
Judy, 25, was a 34th-round draft pick for the Tribe in 2007. He made his Major League debut last season, posting a 7.07 ERA in 14 innings out of the Cleveland bullpen. Judy has some impressive numbers (a career 2.81 ERA, 10.4 K/9 rate, 2.4 K/BB ratio) over five seasons in the minors, so it wouldn't be surprising if another team put in a claim on the righty.
Indians Acquire Aaron Cunningham
The Indians have acquired outfielder Aaron Cunningham from the Padres for minor leaguer Cory Burns, the teams announced. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick first tweeted news of the deal.
Cunningham, who is out of options, posted a .178/.257/.367 line in 101 plate appearances for the Padres in 2011, playing right and left field. The 25-year-old also posted a .931 OPS in 384 plate appearances for the Padres' top affiliate this past season. He has a .231/.290/.375 career line in four seasons with the Padres and A's as a corner outfielder.
Burns, 24, posted a 2.11 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 59 2/3 innings of relief at Double-A in 2011. He has saved 88 of the 130 minor league games he's appeared in since being selected in the 2009 draft. Sosnick Cobbe Sports represents both Cunningham and Burns.