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NL West Notes: Napoli, Giants, Johnson, Puig

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Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Sulia link) says that Mike Napoli would be a strong fit for the Rockies. Renck believes that the Rockies could land Napoli by doling out big dollars on a medium-term deal and suggests last year’s ill-fated three-year, $39MM pact as a starting point. Meanwhile, Colorado also likes cheaper alternative Michael Morse.  More from the NL West..

  • Giants GM Brian Sabean told Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) that nothing is imminent pitching-wise.  Right now he’s only discussing concepts of dollars and years with agents.  Sabean added that he would go to three years for the right guy.
  • Schulman (link) also spoke with Josh Johnson’s agent who said that he only discussed a deal for his client with the Giants “in passing.”
  • The Dodgers have made outfielders Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford available, but they’re also getting inquiries on Cuban sensation Yasiel Puig, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.  Of course, of the four,  the Dodgers are most reluctant to trade Puig.

Heyman On Trumbo, Ellsbury, Davis, Santana

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Mark Trumbo is the Angels' most wanted player via trade, but the Halos are very reluctant to trade him, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. "He fits us," said someone connected to the Angels. Meanwhile, Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Peter Bourjos and Chris Iannetta also are getting a fair number of trade inquiries, and they could move one of them.  Here's more of Heyman's latest..

  • One club with interest in Jacoby Ellsbury says that agent Scott Boras has set Carl Crawford's $142MM contract as a benchmark in discussions, Heyman writes.  One rival GM who isn't in on Ellsbury argued that Crawford was better and more durable at the time of his deal.
  • The Astros, Orioles, Rays, Brewers and Rockies all have checked in on Mets first baseman Ike Davis, despite his awful 2013 campaign, according to Heyman. In the case of Milwaukee, however, they may prefer re-signing Corey Hart instead.
  • Heyman suggests that the Marlins and Cubs could discuss a swap of top prospects and officials from both sides agree that they could have something to discuss.  The Cubs have high-end position prospects such as Kris Bryant (who may be untouchable), Javier Baez, and Albert Almora, while Miami has a stockpile of strong young arms.
  • We learned last week that Ervin Santana's asking price was $100MM and today Heyman hears that agents Bean Stringfellow, Joe White, and Jay Alou are seeking a five-year, $112MM pact.  The agents are going around with a book of arguments to support their case, including some comparisons to Dodgers star pitcher Zack Greinke.
  • The A's have joined the fray for free agent Nelson Cruz, but the small-market club could run into problems when it comes to dollars and years, Heyman writes.  Oakland has been looking for a right-handed-hitting outfielder after declining to pick up the option on Chris Young, but Cruz would be a much bigger splash than anyone anticipated.

AL West Rumors: Castro, Astros, Rangers

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The Astros are receiving significant interest in catcher Jason Castro, and interest could pick up once big free agents like Brian McCann and Jarrod Saltalamacchia go off the board, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Their interest in trading Castro isn't known, but Houston is said to like catching prospect Max Stassi very much.  Heyman sees the Yankees, Rangers, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Angels, Rockies, and Twins as teams that could possibly have interest if Castro is on the block.  Here's more out of the AL West..

  • The Mariners are more immersed in the Carlos Beltran–Jhonny Peralta–Kendrys Morales market than Jacoby Ellsbury at this point, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
  • Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (Twitter link) doesn't see the Astros trading Castro.  Even though Castro is starting to make some money – the catcher is projected to earn $2.2MM in arbitration this year – they're not deep enough at catcher to lose him and the club needs to take a step forward.
  • Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com examined Carlos Ruiz as a possible fit for the Rangers if they don't land top catcher Brian McCann.
  • More from Durrett, who believes that Jurickson Profar's trade value hasn't decreased much despite a down year in 2013.
  • The Angels' best bet for acquiring quality pitching via trade would be to part with Mark Trumbo, even though losing him would hurt, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.

West Notes: Mariners, Cruz, Rockies, Fowler

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A quick look at the latest from the AL and NL West..

NL West Rumors: Giants, Garza, Tulowitzki, D’Backs

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The Giants are fans of free agent catcher Brian McCann, but they won't move former MVP Buster Posey to a new position to make room for him, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  However, they could shift center fielder Angel Pagan to one of the corners and look into outside options like Jacoby Ellsbury.  Meantime, their emphasis is on the rotation and they have already shown interest in Matt Garza, Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez, and many other free agent starters.  Here's more out of the NL West..

  • Right now, there's no evidence that the Rockies will consider trading stars Carlos Gonzalez or Troy Tulowitzki, one GM tells Heyman.  That GM said he has been told Gonzalez is "definitely" not available and was left with the impression that Tulowitzki isn't being traded either.  Rockies Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer & General Counsel Bill Geivett said of Tulowitzki today, "He's not going anywhere," tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Geivett suggested the same of CarGo.  Morosi adds that Geivett indicated he'd need to be overwhelmed to trade center fielder Dexter Fowler, but he did not explicitly rule that out.
  • Along the same lines, Geivett shot down rumblings connecting Tulowitzki to the Cardinals, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post.  Geivett believes that with the right additions, the Rockies can put themselves in position to contend.  "We like our core group of guys. We feel like we have a good crew to build around. I know some people disagree, but we don't feel that we are that far away," Geivett said. "We have to be healthy. We can't have our two main guys missing too much."
  • Starting pitching and a power outfield bat are among the items on the Diamondbacks' wish list, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.  General Manager Kevin Towers believes that he is poised to be active in trade talks with depth in the middle infield and center field.

Cardinals, Rockies To Discuss Troy Tulowitzki Trade

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The Cardinals and Rockies will discuss a potential Troy Tulowitzki trade at this week's GM/owner meetings, Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports. The Cardinals have also asked the Rangers about the possibility of trading for Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar, Passan writes.

The Cardinals' troubles at the shortstop position are well-known, as is the depth of their young talent, so potential Tulowitzki or Profar deals have long been the subjects of fan speculation. The Rockies have said they aren't interested in dealing Tulowitzki, but Passan suggests that Rockies ownership may be coming around to the idea of being out from under the $134MM remaining on Tulowitzki's contract, which carries through 2020 (with a club option for 2021).

Passan writes that one potential piece the Rockies might receive in return is first baseman Matt Adams, who so far has been blocked by Allen Craig in St. Louis. Adams hit .284/.335/.503 in part-time duty for the Cardinals this year. The Rockies would also like a pitcher — the Cardinals will not trade Michael Wacha, but Shelby Miller appears to be a possibility. Adams and Miller would highlight a package of three or four players that the Rockies might receive in return for Tulowitzki.

Tulowitzki's contract stipulates that he receive a $2MM bonus if he is traded. Tulowitzki, 29, hit .312/.391/.540 and produced 5.6 wins above replacement in 2013, making him the best shortstop in baseball. His injury history may be a concern, however, given the length of his contract.

NL West Notes: Padres, Giants, Dodgers, Hudson, Ruiz

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On this date 25 years ago, the Dodgers' Orel Hershiser was an unanimous selection as the National League Cy Young Award winner becoming the only player to be named the Cy Young, NLCS MVP, and World Series MVP in the same season. 1988 was the benchmark in Hershiser's career highlighted by his still-standing MLB record of pitching 59 consecutive scoreless innings. The "Bulldog" also set career-highs in wins (23), strikeouts (190), innings pitched (267.0), complete games (15), and shutouts (8). Here are today's news and notes from the NL West:

  • The Padres appear to be set in terms of rotation depth, Corey Brock of MLB.com writes. They aren't likely to target a starter this offseason unless it's a player that could sit at the top of a rotation or provide long-term value. Such a move would likely be via trade, Brock says, adding that the club's main focus will be on finding left-handed offense.
  • Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle profiles Giants pitching prospect Kyle Crick, who has drawn comparisons to Matt Cain. While the 20-year-old Crick may have the highest ceiling among Giants pitching prospects, he's not likely to help the major league club in 2014, as he finished the year at High-A San Jose. 
  • The Los Angeles Times' Steve Dilbeck comments on a report from Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal that the Dodgers are listening on Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford. Shopping the veteran outfielders is the right move as the club explores extensions for Hanley Ramirez and Clayton Kershaw, Dilbeck says. However, he adds that the salaries and injury histories of the three make a deal unlikely.
  • The Rockies have reached out to Tim Hudson, but they will have to overpay in either dollars or years to pique his interest, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. MLBTR's Steve Adams predicts a one-year, $9MM contract for Hudson (#31 on MLBTR's 2014 Top 50 Free Agents list), but Renck believes the right-hander may be able to secure a two-year deal with as many as 15 teams in pursuit.
  • Within the same article, Renck reports the Rockies will make an offer to free agent catcher Carlos Ruiz, but it's unclear whether they are willing to go beyond two years.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Mets, McCann, Phillies, Rockies

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Few front offices have more pressure to deliver this offseason than the Mets, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  After all, this has been the winter they have been targeting to catapult themselves into contention.  Unfortunately, with Matt Harvey sidelined, spending $30-$40MM on new acquisitions might not get them there.  Here's more out of the AL and NL East..

  • The Yankees need an injection of youth on their roster, opines Barry Federovitch of the Star-Ledger.  Brian McCann, who turns 30 in February, seems like an ideal candidate to man the catcher position with a swing that is seemingly built for Yankee Stadium, but signing him doesn't address the overall lack of youth the Bombers have in the infield.
  • Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com looks at outfield bench bats that the Phillies might target this winter.  Options include Rajai Davis and Chris Young.  Young is more accomplished and sound defensively, but he bottomed out after being traded by Arizona.
  • The Rockies can turn around their bullpen if they're willing to spend serious money this winter, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post.  That seems to be the gameplan in Colorado as they're chasing all kinds of power arms from Brian Wilson and Grant Balfour to Joe Smith and LaTroy Hawkins.  

Rockies Notes: Tulo, Hudson, Beltran, Johnson

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The Rockies only won 74 games in 2013 but senior VP of baseball operations Bill Geivett believes his club is close to contending.  "We like our core group of guys. We feel like we have a good crew to build around. I know some people disagree, but we don't feel that we are that far away," Geivett tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post, though he noted that the Rockies need Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki to be healthy to make this happen.  Here's the latest out of Denver…

  • Geivett again stressed that the Rockies aren't interested in trading Tulowitzki or Gonzalez.  Renck agrees, saying "a dramatic shift would have to occur in their thinking this offseason for trade talks to get going" (Twitter link). 
  • That said, Renck believes the Cardinals will at least "make the call" to gauge interest in Tulowitzki.  Renck notes that it would take several of St. Louis' top prospects to make such a trade plausible.  Earlier today, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal proposed an Allen Craig/Shelby Miller/Trevor Rosenthal package plus a lesser prospect and Colorado paying some of the $130MM remaining on Tulowitzki's salary, though Rosenthal admitted that a Tulowitzki trade is a "longshot."
  • The Rockies are interested in free agent starter Tim Hudson, Renck reports (via Twitter).  This makes Colorado the ninth team known to have an interest in the righty and Renck says "roughly 15 teams" comprise Hudson's market.
  • Carlos Beltran has been a Rockies target in the past and MLB.com's Thomas Harding wouldn't be surprised to see the team attempt to sign the veteran slugger this winter.  Beltran would take over in right while Michael Cuddyer would move to first.
  • Also from Harding, the Rockies are expected to inquire about Josh Johnson.  It doesn't seem like Johnson would be a fit, as since the right-hander is looking for a one-year deal to rebuild his value, he isn't likely to take such a contract at Coors Field.

LaTroy Hawkins Drawing Early Interest

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Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com writes that the Rockies are interested in free agent LaTroy Hawkins, and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports (via Twitter) that Hawkins has received interest from as many as seven teams. The Mets are also known to have interest in Hawkins, who served as their closer in the season's final motnhs after Bobby Parnell was lost for the season due to injury.

Hawkins will turn 41 in December, but he showed no signs of his age in 2013. After signing a minor league deal that guaranteed him $1MM upon making the Mets' roster, Hawkins turned in a stellar 2.93 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 in 70 2/3 innings — his highest total since 2004 with the Cubs. Hawkins saved 13 games down the stretch, boosting his career total to 101 in the process.

A one-year deal again seems likely for Hawkins, but he should have no problems securing a Major League deal this time around — likely one that will pay him significantly more than his $1MM base salary with the Mets.

The Rockies' reported interest is no surprise, as Hawkins enjoyed a successful season there in 2007, and the team is known to be looking for relief help. Other bullpen targets for the Rockies include Brian Wilson, Jose Veras and Joe Smith.

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