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Rockies Rumors: Stewart, Wright, Headley, Alvarez

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The Rockies pick tenth in next year's draft, a pick that will be protected if they sign a Type A free agent who turned down arbitration this offseason.  The latest on the team, from Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post:

  • Kevin Kouzmanoff is unlikely to return to the Rockies next year.  MLBTR reported yesterday that the team is in the process of outrighting the third baseman.  Ian Stewart will get another shot at the third base job if he "makes baseball his first priority from the start of the winter until the end of it," GM Dan O'Dowd told Renck.  The Rockies will need to make a decision on Stewart by the December 12th non-tender deadline though.  Tendering him a contract probably means paying him around $2.2MM again.
  • Opposing executives expect O'Dowd to aggressively pursue Mets third baseman David Wright.  Otherwise Renck expects the Rockies to cast a wide net, including the Padres' Chase Headley and the Pirates' Pedro Alvarez but not free agent Aramis Ramirez.  I have a hard time imagining the Padres sending Headley to their division rival; the two teams haven't matched up for an offseason trade since the Rockies' inaugural season.
  • The Rockies are looking to trade Ty Wigginton even it means eating some of the $4.5MM owed to him.
  • Renck reiterates that the Rockies seek an innings eater this offseason.

Quick Hits: Giants, Red Sox, Smith, Dodgers, Orioles

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Here are some items from around baseball to peruse after a great night of October baseball..

  • Giants GM Brian Sabean said that the club's paryoll in 2012 will be around $125MM but he may ask for more money based on a specific player they are targeting, writes Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Schulman believes that if Sabean wants to re-sign Carlos Beltran and needs more payroll room to do it, ownership will be willing to listen.
  • Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona plans to manage next season if offered the opportunity, a source close to Francona told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
  • Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) suggests that Torey Lovullo is a name to consider for the Red Sox managerial vacancy.  Lovullo managed Boston's Triple-A affiliate in 2010 and currently serves as the first base coach of the Blue Jays.
  • There's been a great deal of trade talk surrounding the Rockies' Seth Smith lately but the outfielder says that he's trying not to think about it too much, writes Jim Amstrong of The Denver Post.  If Colorado were to sign an everyday left fielder like Michael Cuddyer, Smith could be flipped for pitching.
  • The Dodgers have asked the judge in their bankruptcy case to reconsider limits he placed on their arguments, write Bill Shaikin and Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.  The team's attorneys want to present Bud Selig's dealings with other teams involving similar transactions.
  • Everybody is still waiting for both shoes to drop in the Orioles front office, writes Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun.
Everybody is still waiting for both shoes to drop in the Orioles front office, where the respective status of president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and manager Buck Showalter remain both intertwined and apparently undecided.

Quick Hits: Mets, Rockies, La Russa, Vizquel

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Links for Sunday..

  • Mets lefties Pat Misch and Mike O'Connor declared minor league free agency, writes Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. O'Connor posted an ugly 5.22 ERA but strong 9.8 K/9 in 60 1/3 innings at Triple-A, while Misch posted a 4.00 ERA, 6.0 K/9, and 2.6 BB/9 in 141 2/3 innings.
  • The Rockies will look to bolster their rotation this winter, writes Jim Armstrong of The Denver Post.  General Manager Dan O'Dowd says that he'll especially be looking for an innings eater.
  • Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) believes that Tony La Russa can have the White Sox job if he really wants it, though that is a big if.  Heyman also tweets that he doesn't see Francona coming to the South Side of Chicago.
  • Shortstop Omar Vizquel talked with Edgar Leal Suarez of La Verdad (Spanish link, translation provided by Nick Collias) about the 2011 campaign and his future plans.  The veteran reiterated that he hopes to continue playing next season and will evaluate his opportunities after the World Series.  
  • David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter) expects the Braves to go target shortstops, corner outfielders, and utility infielders this winter.
  • Yankees left-hander C.C. Sabathia is expected to opt-out of his contract but earlier today he confessed that New York is the best place to play baseball, tweets David Waldstein of the New York Times.

22 Triple-A Players Elect Free Agency

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A total of 22 players that finished the year in Triple-A elected free agency after the end of the regular season according to the transaction pages of the Pacific Coast and International Leagues. All but one of those 22 players (Matt Carson, formerly of the Rays) played in the big leagues this season. Here's the full list:

Dusty Brown (Pirates), Travis Buck (Indians), Armando Galarraga (D'Backs), Jay Gibbons (Dodgers), Edgar Gonzalez (Rockies), Steve Holm (Twins), Wil Ledezma (Blue Jays), Andy LaRoche (Athletics), Felipe Lopez (Brewers), Lastings Milledge (White Sox), Pat Misch (Mets), Pat Neshek (Padres), Mike O'Connor (Mets), Matt Palmer (Angels), Felix Pie (Orioles), Brad Snyder (Cubs), Brett Tomko (Rangers), Wyatt Toregas (Pirates), P.J. Walters (Blue Jays), Randy Williams (Red Sox), and Reggie Willits (Angels).

Athletics Receive Eliezer Mesa From Rockies

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The Athletics have received outfielder Eliezer Mesa from the Rockies to complete the Mark Ellis trade, reports MLB.com's Jane Lee (on Twitter). Colorado acquired Ellis from Oakland for a player to be named later at the end of June.

Mesa, 23 in November, did not rank as one of the Rockies' top 30 prospects in the 2011 edition of Baseball America's Prospect Handbook. He hit .256/.320/.311 with eleven steals in 53 games for Colorado's High Class-A affiliate this summer, missing time with injuries. Mesa is a .287/.336/.389 career hitter in more than 1,100 minor league plate appearances. He's the nephew of former big leaguer Jose Mesa.

Rockies Rumors: Street, Ellis, Wright, Cuddyer

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The Rockies conclude their season this afternoon in San Francisco, with Drew Pomeranz opposing Eric Surkamp.  The latest on the team from Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post:

  • Rafael Betancourt would be fine with closing next year for the Rockies, and the team likes what he's done recently in the role.  Renck reiterates that opposing executives expect the Rockies to shop Huston Street this winter.  Street has $8MM left on his contract for next year, assuming his club declines a 2013 option.  The free agent market offers closers such as Heath Bell, Jonathan Papelbon, and Ryan Madson, but those three will require multiyear deals.
  • The Rockies would like to retain second baseman Mark Ellis on a one-year deal in the $3MM range, writes Renck.  However, Omar Infante's new two-year, $8MM contract could decrease Colorado's chances of pulling off such a deal.
  • David Wright will be a Rockies target this winter if the Mets show an inclination to move him.  Wright is owed $15MM in 2012, and can void a '13 club option if dealt.  Wright, 28, has a .253/.344/.426 line heading into today's action.  He missed two months this year due to a back injury.
  • Michael Cuddyer is a potential outfield target for Colorado, writes Renck, and signing him might mean trading Seth Smith.

NL West Notes: Padres, Kershaw, Iannetta

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On this date 15 years ago, Barry Bonds stole his 40th base of the season to become the second member of the 40-40 club. Matt Kemp is now two homers away from joining the elite club himself. Here's the latest from Bonds' former division, starting with an update on Kemp's current club…

  • Padres GM Jed Hoyer told Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune that the 2011 season was an instructive one for him. "I missed on some guys we signed after they had off years and that helped lead to a disappointing 2011,” he said. Hoyer's also looking to improve his bench dramatically this offseason, when the Padres' payroll could climb over $50MM.
  • Clayton Kershaw told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that he has started to think about next year's contract. The Dodgers left-hander, who earned $500K this year says he's looking forward to the arbitration process and isn't overly concerned about obtaining a long-term deal. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explained earlier today that Kershaw could earn a record $7.7MM as a first-time arbitration eligible starter if he wins the Cy Young Award. 
  • The MLB Players Association intends to monitor the Dodgers' offseason spending very carefully, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner sent team's players a memo explaining that all Dodgers have been paid what they're owed so far. The memo acknowledged that it's not clear how the financial issues surrounding Frank McCourt and his team will ultimately be resolved.
  • Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports says Chris Iannetta will open the 2012 season with the Rockies (Twitter link). The catcher is no stranger to these pages, but his .370 on-base percentage and powerful right-handed swing give the Rockies lots of reasons to want him around, despite the presence of Jordan Pacheco and Wilin Rosario.

Rockies Notes: Smith, Iannetta, Wigginton, Offseason

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Let's round up the latest updates on the Rockies, courtesy a pair of Denver Post scribes….

  • The deepest part of the Rockies' roster is the bullpen, writes Troy Renck. The team figures to try to take advantage of that depth, and deal from a position of strength when they discuss trades this winter.
  • Within the same piece, Renck adds that, while Colorado will listen to inquiries on Seth Smith and Chris Iannetta, Ty Wigginton is the position player most likely to be traded. There are "strong indiciations" that the Rox would pay a chunk of Wigginton's salary if it would help facilitate a deal.
  • GM Dan O'Dowd discussed the team's outlook with Renck's colleague Jim Armstrong, saying that his approach in the offseason will depend on what's available on the trade market: "In reality, to be a championship club, we probably need a front-of-the-rotation starter, and we also need another middle-of-the-lineup bat."
  • More O'Dowd: "I'm telling you we absolutely will (spend), but it's got to be something we really like. We're not going to spend money for the sake of spending money. If we don't find that piece, it will be more finding the Mark Ellises and complementary pieces that bridge the gap until the (prospects) are ready to come."

Rockies Notes: Iannetta, Lefty Reliever, CarGo

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The Rockies are sending Jason Hammel to the mound for his final start of 2011 tonight, as they run out the clock on the remainder of their season. Let's round up some Rox links, courtesy of Troy Renck of The Denver Post…

  • "Nothing is impossible, but I would say Chris would be our catcher next year," said GM Dan O'Dowd to Renck, referring to Chris Iannetta. The team does not want to rush prospect Wilin Rosario, but Renck notes that the situation is subject to change if Iannetta draws interest on the trade market. The Blue Jays, Padres, and Red Sox have had interest in the backstop at various points this season.
  • Yesterday we heard that the Rockies have interest in re-signing J.C. Romero, and Renck says a versatile lefty reliever is one of the team's needs. He mentions that Romero joined Colorado on the recommendation of good friend LaTroy Hawkins, who pitched for the Rockies during their run to the 2007 World Series.
  • Carlos Gonzalez told Renck that he believes the team is not far away from contention in the NL West (Twitter link).

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Haren, Posey, Rockies

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Notes from the NL West as the D'Backs could clinch an improbable division title tonight….

  • Major League Baseball has asked a federal bankruptcy judge to order that the Dodgers be sold, reports Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.  The filing even threatened that the Dodgers could be suspended from the league in order to keep Frank McCourt from being able to keep the team via a new television contract.
  • The Giants will use Buster Posey as a catcher next season, though manager Bruce Bochy said a position change might come "down the road," reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Kevin Millwood will be looking for a Major League contract this winter, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post.  Millwood and the Rockies have a mutual interest in each other, but as noted earlier this month, the Rockies would prefer to bring the veteran starter back on a minor league deal.
  • From that same item, Renck says J.C. Romero's first choice would be to re-sign with the Rockies, and Colorado players are expecting some changes to the coaching staff.
  • You can't blame the Diamondbacks for the Dan Haren trade in 2010, argues Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, since nobody saw the club turning things around as quickly as they did this season.
  • Bobby Borchering, the Diamondbacks' first-round pick in the 2009 draft, is being transitioned to left field, tweets Piecoro.  Borchering has played first and third base in his first three pro seasons.
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