Mets Bullpen Rumors: Monday
11:56pm: Rodriguez’s agent Paul Kinzer on whether the rumored two-year, $25MM offer with a third-year option is true: "Absolutely not." It will require three guaranteed years at least to sign K-Rod.
8:43pm: K-Rod gave some quotes to the media, nothing interesting.
7:14pm: Stark says the Mets finished their meet with Fuentes; Hoffman is up next. Wood is not in Vegas. Stark adds that the Mets discussed concepts but did not make a formal offer to K-Rod.
6:45pm: Sherman now says the Mets’ offer was for $25MM over two years plus a third year option.
6:03pm: Rodriguez’s agent Paul Kinzer told Sherman he’ll try to be creative with this contract. Sherman asked whether that could mean an opt-out clause, and Kinzer responded in the affirmative. Sherman says the Mets’ offer is in the range of three years, $33MM; no talk of the vesting option Heyman mentioned.
5:26pm: Jon Heyman says the Mets offered K-Rod a two-year deal worth about $12MM per with a third-year vesting option. Doesn’t sound like something he’ll jump at.
2:14pm: Joel Sherman rejects Graziano’s report. Sherman says the Mets have not talked to the Jays about B.J. Ryan.
1:39pm: Gerry Fraley learned from a team official that the Mets made a three-year offer to K-Rod, but they don’t expect him to take it immediately.
12:06pm: Joel Sherman has details on the Mets’ talks for Huston Street. Omar Minaya called the Rox a few weeks ago suggesting Aaron Heilman and Pedro Feliciano for Street. The Rockies took the weekend to think about it, but when they called back Minaya had changed his mind.
In another article, Sherman says Omar Minaya’s approach toward free agent closers is Boras-like. He believes the Mets’ offer to K-Rod last night was three years with an option.
11:16am: Jon Heyman and Ken Davidoff/David Lennon agree that the Mets are meeting with Fuentes and Hoffman shortly. And Heyman believes the Mets’ offer to K-Rod last night was for three years.
10:33am: Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger says the Mets and Blue Jays had discussions about B.J. Ryan. However, the Jays want Fernando Martinez and the Mets don’t want to trade the young outfield prospect.
7:50am: According to David Lennon of Newsday, the Omar Minaya and other Mets officials dined at a steakhouse with Francisco Rodriguez for over four hours Sunday night. Lennon believes the early presence of Mets COO Jeff Wilpon implies that negotiations with K-Rod may have reached a critical stage.
SI.com’s Jon Heyman wrote earlier yesterday evening that the Mets were expected to make an offer to Rodriguez at the meeting. Maybe three years with a vesting option.
The Mets also plan to meet with Brian Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman today, with Kerry Wood also on the radar. Ken Davidoff looks at the options and says, "It’s gotta be K-Rod." The Rangers like Wood as well, by the way.
Rockies Rumors: Taveras, Villone, Marquis
9:48pm: The Rockies are moving forward on a deal for Rusch, according to Tracy Ringolsby. Ringolsby adds that the Rox may explore a long-term deal with Ubaldo Jimenez after the holidays, but aren’t quite ready to do so with Chris Iannetta. Also, the Rockies like Josh Bard but they don’t have room for him.
1:00pm: Joel Sherman adds Eddie Guardado as a lefty of interest for Colorado.
2:07am: Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post sums up the latest hot stove buzz around the Rockies.
- As you know, the Nationals are interested in Rockies outfielder Willy Taveras. Taveras might be just a step above a non-tender, so the price shouldn’t be too high. The real question is whether the Nats are planning on starting four players in the outfield.
- Joe Beimel is dropping out of the picture, but the Rockies still like Alan Embree, Ron Villone, and Glendon Rusch.
- The Mets’ asking price for Aaron Heilman was too high. Jason Marquis could be a trade target, he can at least eat innings at a cost of $6MM to the Rockies. Then again, a lot of guys can do that.
- No chance of multiyear contract talks between the Rockies and Brian Fuentes.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Burnett, Garland, Aurilia
8:22pm: John Mozeliak said tonight the Cardinals never engaged with Burnett’s agent. A commitment of more than two years to a free agent starter is extremely unlikely.
3:40pm: Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says it’s "not true" that the Cardinals are players for Burnett.
8:30am: The latest from Ken Rosenthal:
- The Cardinals are a serious bidder for A.J. Burnett. They also pursued him back in 2005. The Blue Jays would get the Cardinals’ #19 pick next June if they sign him. However, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently wrote that the Cards "are not expected to pursue the free agent pool’s bigger fish: C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe."
- The Mets have Jon Garland on the radar. Jerry Crasnick likes Garland as a fit for the Cards.
- The Brewers haven’t decided to increase their offer to C.C. Sabathia at this time, and won’t consider it until they meet with the big lefty. A meeting is scheduled; Sabathia may grill the Brewers about their other offseason plans. Rosenthal thinks Kerry Wood might make the most sense among free agent closers.
- The Mets, Indians, and Cardinals are interested in J.J. Putz.
- The Cubs are eyeing Rich Aurilia, but only if they happen to move Ronny Cedeno or Mike Fontenot.
- The Nationals "aren’t terribly enamored" of Willy Taveras, contrary to previous reports. The Nats instead have Carlos Gonzalez in their sights.
Marquis Unlikely For Rockies
6:47pm: Troy Renck says the Rockies told the Cubs they didn’t have room in the budget for Marquis. The Rox may attempt to acquire a starter via trade, using Huston Street and Luis Vizcaino as chips.
Other notes from Renck: the Padres and Rangers have interest in free agent outfielder Cory Sullivan. And interest in Willy Taveras is minimal given Friday’s non-tender deadline.
5:13pm: According to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, the Rockies have internally discussed the possibility of acquiring Cubs’ starter Jason Marquis. However, Marquis isn’t exactly the front-rotation type they seek. Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald heard from Cubs people that "nothing of substance is getting done" on the Marquis-Rockies front.
Brewers Sign Todd Coffey
According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Brewers signed reliever Todd Coffey to a one-year, $800K deal with $200K in incentives. He had been arbitration-eligible. Coffey, 28, tossed 7.1 scoreless innings after joining the Brewers after they claimed him off waivers in September. The Brewers added Jorge Julio to their pen a few days ago.
Renck also reports the Rockies signed catcher Paul Phillips to a minor league deal to add depth.
Odds and Ends: Teahen, Mastny, Clement
Sunday evening links…I will add to this post as needed.
- Dejan Kovacevic describes what it’s like for a reporter at the Winter Meetings.
- The Royals do not want to trade Mark Teahen. They’ve received inquiries on Teahen, David DeJesus, Jose Guillen, and Billy Butler. They mainly seem willing to move Guillen, which Jayson Stark reported earlier.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along nuggets on Kenshin Kawakami and Koji Uehara. He says the Angels contacted Kawakami’s agent, while the Tigers and Giants have been in touch with Uehara’s.
- Newman also says the Yokohama BayStars acquired reliever Tom Mastny from the Indians.
- Free agent infielder Nick Punto admitted to LEN3 that it’d be hard to leave the Twins.
- John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus says the Pirates are "willing to take a flyer on free-agent local boy Matt Clement." Clement may also consider Cleveland if they’ll have him.
- Other teams are pulling ahead of the Rockies in the pursuit for free agent lefty Joe Beimel. Nothing against Beimel, but it seems that every year one free agent lefty reliever is elevated beyond his true value. It might be Beimel this year.
- Jon Paul Morosi discusses trading Dontrelle Willis.
- The Marlins figure to hang on to Dan Uggla.
- Roch Kubatko says Orioles exec Mike Flanagan won’t be attending the Meetings, sparking speculation about his future with the team.
Fuentes Rejects Arb Offer
According to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, Brian Fuentes will reject the Rockies’ offer of arbitration as expected. He’s a Type A, so the Rox will get two draft picks if he signs elsewhere.
Winter Meetings Previews
We’ve added a few new Winter Meetings preview to the collection…
- Yahoo’s Tim Brown runs through plans for all of the American and National League teams.
- Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post says the Rockies are all about left-handed relief help. They’ve got several trade chips to work with.
- Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the Phillies covered. You know the plan: starting pitcher, outfielder.
- Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reminds us of the Cardinals’ wish list: starter, closer, lefthanded reliever. Arthur Rhodes would fit, but he’s leaning toward the Reds. Strauss wonders if John Mozeliak can match up with the Blue Jays to find relief help.
- The Twins still want to add a shortstop or third baseman according to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, though several options have already been eliminated. Neal summarizes the players on the radar. The Twins are also looking for bullpen help.
- Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune discusses the Padres. Kevin Towers will keep the Jake Peavy talks going with the Cubs while also searching for a shortstop and veteran catcher.
- Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reminds us that Peavy and a left-handed hitting outfielder are on the Cubs’ wish list. The bat comes first, says Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star says Dayton Moore has already accomplished his main goals, and now looks to replenish his right-handed relief. The Royals would also like to add a proven middle infielder and seem to have a glut of corner/DH types.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic and Jack Magruder of the East Valley Tribune analyze the Diamondbacks. Josh Byrnes seeks a second baseman, left-handed reliever, and pitching in general. Miguel Montero is the top trade chip. They have about $10MM to spend, less if Brandon Lyon accepts arbitration.
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News says the Rangers could trade Gerald Laird, Hank Blalock, Kevin Millwood, or Vicente Padilla.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel talked to Doug Melvin about C.C. Sabathia, who still hasn’t reacted to their offer. If Sabathia and Ben Sheets leave, Melvin could add two starters. Melvin also said it’d be too risky to trade J.J. Hardy and start Alcides Escobar at short. Rickie Weeks has drawn interest, but Melvin would require "a pretty good hitter" in return. Mike Cameron is a more likely trade chip. As for the team’s closer search, Melvin doesn’t expect to be in on the big names.
- Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post says the Marlins probably won’t steal headlines at these Winter Meetings as they did in ’07. Still, Jorge Cantu, Matt Treanor, and Jeremy Hermida may be dealt. The Fish have been "actively shopping" Treanor and Hermida. The Marlins have mild interest in free agents Ivan Rodriguez and Carl Pavano.
- Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune says Ken Williams has asked the Reds about Homer Bailey. Could the Reds match up for Jermaine Dye? The White Sox hope to add more MLB-ready starting pitching and maybe a backup catcher.
- The Orioles need starting pitching, with a slew of names under consideration according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun: A.J. Burnett, Paul Byrd, Jon Garland, Mark Hendrickson, Braden Looper, Randy Wolf, Kenshin Kawakami, Koji Uehara, Bartolo Colon, and Matt Clement. The O’s also hope to extend Brian Roberts, trade Ramon Hernandez, and find a shortstop. They have interest in Adam Everett.
- Roch Kubatko of MASN Online explains what it’s like for a reporter at the Meetings.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Teixeira, Closers, Castillo, Cantu
Ken Rosenthal has a new column up, let’s take a look at the highlights:
- Rosenthal doesn’t see Mark Teixeira signing with the Nationals, even for the rumored ten-year, $200MM contract. He’s got better options in the Angels, Red Sox, and Yankees. Scott Boras managed to get Alex Rodriguez a ten-year deal with a losing team in 2000 when he signed with the Rangers, but Rosenthal doesn’t forsee a repeat.
- The Indians are waiting on the Mets’ closer decision to make a decision of their own. Once New York signs or trades for a closer, the market will likely collapse. The Mets are preparing simultaneous offers to Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes, and Kerry Wood.
- The Brewers could spend big money on a closer once they hear from Ben Sheets and C.C. Sabathia. If the Brewers can somehow retain both, they won’t have money to spend on a closer and would likely have to trade Prince Fielder.
- The Mets are desperately trying to unload Luis Castillo so they can make a run at Orlando Hudson. They’re having no luck though, even in trying to swap him for another bad contract. The Rangers rejected a swap of Castillo for Vicente Padilla.
- Nationals GM Jim Bowden is interested in Willy Taveras. Doesn’t make any sense to me. The Nats already have Lastings Milledge, Josh Willingham, Elijah Dukes, and Austin Kearns.
- The Rockies prefer to keep Garrett Atkins, but the Twins, Dodgers, Giants, and Phillies are all interested. Chase Utley has been a long-time supporter of bringing his former UCLA teammate to the Phils for a reunion.
- The Marlins are getting several inquiries on Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla. They don’t plan to trade either, though if the Giants were to offer Jonathan Sanchez for Cantu, the Marlins would jump at the chance.
- Jermaine Dye, Mike Cameron, Marcus Thames, and Marlon Byrd are all available via the trade market, for teams needing a right-handed hitting outfielder. Rosenthal still feels Cameron could still end up in pinstripes.
Arbitration Decision Rumors
As you know, 24 free agents were offered arbitration – 15 Type As and 9 Type Bs. Their decisions will roll in throughout the day, but SI.com’s Jon Heyman spoils the ending – aside from perhaps a couple of middle relievers (Darren Oliver comes to mind), almost everyone will decline. Nonetheless, let’s gather up some rumors on the topic.
- Heyman analyzes six players: Jon Garland, Oliver Perez, Paul Byrd, Orlando Cabrera, Jason Varitek, and Ben Sheets. He doesn’t really see these guys accepting, but their names have at least been raised in baseball circles.
- Ken Rosenthal has sources saying Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes, Sheets, and Garland will decline. Tracy Ringolsby agrees on Fuentes.
- Brandon Lyon‘s agent Barry Meister admitted that he’ll consider accepting.