Tigers Rumors

Tigers Notes: Drew, Cabrera, Hairston

By Zachary Links | December 2, 2012 at 10:48pm CDT

The latest on the Tigers from Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports..

There has been a great deal of talk about the Tigers pursuing a shortstop but that may have been overstated. Detroit has cooled on Stephen Drew due to his desire for a multi-year deal and they have not discussed a trade for the Indians’ Asdrubal Cabrera, according to a source with knowledge of the club’s thinking.
Rosenthal and Morosi note that Drew still could re-emerge as a possibility if his market fails to develop, but Cabrera appears out of the question. The Tigers are a part of Cabrera's six-team no-trade clause along with the Yankees, Red Sox, Nationals, Giants, and Mets.
Instead, the Tigers are looking to add a left-handed reliever and a right-handed platoon partner for Andy Dirks in left field. One right-handed outfielder with Tigers interest is free agent Scott Hairston, according to a second source. The Mets and Yankees also have interest in Hairston.
The Tigers have an opening for a closer, but club officials are high on rookie right-hander Bruce Rondon.
For now, the shortstop job still belongs to Jhonny Peralta. Peralta was drawing interest from the Diamondbacks recently but that no longer seems like a possibility if the TIgers are unable or unwilling to upgrade at the position.

Bowden On The Winter Meetings, Dickey, Drew

By edcreech | December 2, 2012 at 3:30pm CDT

Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio offered his five bold predictions for the Winter Meetings including the Mets trading R.A. Dickey and the Rangers re-signing Josh Hamilton to a four-year contract. Here are some other notes from Bowden (all Twitter links):

Dickey made an appearance today at the Gaylord Opryland, site of the Winter Meetings, to meet the Mets trainer to follow-up on his recent abdominal surgery. Dickey expressed optimism a contract extension will happen, but a source tells Bowden the sides aren't close to a deal.
The Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Cardinals, and A's are all in on free agent shortstop Stephen Drew.
The Yankees' interest in Drew is based on serious concern about the declining range of both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.
The Red Sox are in pursuit of Drew because they are not sure of Jose Iglesias' bat and Xander Bogaerts is at least a year away.
If the Cardinals sign Drew, look for Rafael Furcal to be traded or moved to second base.

Olney’s Latest: Price, Dickey, Mariners, Kazmir

By Mike Axisa | December 1, 2012 at 10:19am CDT

In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney says David Price is available right now for the right offer. Rival executives are convinced the reigning Cy Young Award winner will be traded in the next 13 months as his salary through arbitration becomes prohibitive for the Rays. Here are the rest of Buster's rumors…

The Rays and Price are not close to working out a long-term contract extension.
The Mets increased their offer to R.A. Dickey, but it's unclear how close the two sides are to a deal.
Olney speculates that the non-tendered Nate Schierholtz could be a fit for the Yankees, who are looking for a right fielder to replace Nick Swisher.
The Mariners have money to spend, but it appears they will have to overpay to land any premium free agents.
Last night we learned the Phillies are pursuing Angel Pagan, and Olney clarifies (on Twitter) that the two sides have been talking for weeks.
If the Giants don't re-sign Pagan, Olney says (on Twitter) they would seriously consider signing Shane Victorino.
Scott Kazmir is pitching in winter ball and teams have already started to show interest in the 28-year-old left-hander, tweets Olney.
The Tigers continue to say they are not in the market for a closer, tweets Olney.

American League Non-Tenders

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 30, 2012 at 11:18pm CDT

Here are today’s American League non-tenders. All decisions must be in by 11pm CT tonight. Be sure to track all tender decisions using MLBTR's Non-Tender Tracker. Related resources include our list of non-tender candidates, our projected arbitration salaries and our arbitration eligibles series.

The Rays have non-tendered Ben Francisco according to Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter).
The Blue Jays have non-tendered Bobby Wilson, the team announced.
The Mariners have non-tendered Robert Andino, the team announced. They acquired him from the Orioles less than two weeks ago.
The Rangers have non-tendered Geovany Soto, Brandon Snyder, and Jacob Brigham according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan (on Twitter).
The Orioles have non-tendered Mark Reynolds in addition to Omar Quintanilla and Stuart Pomeranz, the team announced (on Twitter).
The Athletics have non-tendered Jermaine Mitchell, the team announced. Mitchell was designated for assignment earlier this week.
The Red Sox have non-tendered Rich Hill, Ryan Sweeney, and Scott Atchison, the team announced. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports had the Sweeney news earlier (on Twitter) while Rob Bradford of WEEI.com had the Atchison news.
The Indians announced they non-tendered Jack Hannahan, Rafael Perez and Chris Seddon
The White Sox announced that they've non-tendered right-hander pitcher Anthony Carter and infielder Dan Johnson.
The Royals announced that they won't tender outfielder Derrick Robinson a contract for 2013 (Twitter link). Robinson has no MLB experience so he wasn't arbitration eligible.
The Tigers announced that they will non-tender Daniel Schlereth. The left-hander was limited to six appearances this past season, which he mostly spent on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis. Schlereth was not yet arbitration eligible.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Tigers Notes: Rondon, Sanchez, Boesch

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 29, 2012 at 12:00pm CDT

Here's the latest on the Tigers…

Tigers president and GM Dave Dombrowski told Lynn Henning of the Detroit News that the Tigers are not shopping for a closer (Twitter link). The Tigers will give relief prospect Bruce Rondon the chance to win the closer’s job in Spring Training.
A number of executives recently told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that they expect Anibal Sanchez to sign a deal of five years or more (all Twitter links). The free agent right-hander won’t be linked to draft pick compensation, since he wasn’t eligible to obtain a qualifying offer from the Tigers. The Tigers continue pursuing Sanchez, Morosi reports. It’s possible the 28-year-old will wait for Zack Greinke to sign in an attempt to pull up his own value. Morosi explains that the Tigers might want Greinke to sign in Los Angeles so that the Dodgers aren't bidding for Sanchez.
Keep in mind that while Brennan Boesch might appear to be a non-tender candidate, Dombrowski said earlier in the offseason that he'll be tendered a contract, MLB.com's Jason Beck reported. The outfielder has drawn trade interest.

Olney’s Latest: Kershaw, Wright, Porcello, Soriano

By Mike Axisa | November 28, 2012 at 11:00pm CDT

In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote about the character clause on the Hall of Fame ballot as well as Marvin Miller's legacy. Here are his rumors…

Olney notes that if the Dodgers do sign Zack Greinke to a record contract, it would have a direct impact on the team's inevitable contract extension negotiations with Clayton Kershaw. The left-hander can become a free agent after 2014.
Some evaluators believe David Wright may not be able to find a nine-figure contract as a free agent after next season if he repeats his 2012 effort because he's not an elite power hitter.
The Tigers have let other teams know they're willing to discuss Rick Porcello in trades.
Olney believes the Tigers should target Rafael Soriano and that Brian Wilson could be a good fit for the Red Sox, whom he grew up rooting for.

Contract Details: Madson, Hunter, Longoria

By Mike Axisa | November 28, 2012 at 10:25pm CDT

Here are some details on three recently-signed contracts…

Ryan Madson's one-year contract with Angels will pay him $500k each for 45, 90, 135, and 180 days on the roster as long as he is not on the DL with a right arm injury, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He will also receive $250K each for 35, 40, 45, and 50 games finished.
Torii Hunter's two-year, $26MM contract with the Tigers is slightly backloaded, reports MLB.com's Jason Beck. He'll earn $12MM in 2013 and $14MM in 2014, plus $100K bonuses for each All-Star selection, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, LCS MVP, and World Series MVP he wins.
Evan Longoria's salary for 2013 has been reduced from $6MM to $2MM as part of his new contract with the Rays, reports Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. The remaining $4MM was converted into a signing bonus. Topkin also has information on the deferments and escalator clauses in the deal.
The players' union values Longoria's new contract with the Rays at ten years and $131MM according to Rosenthal (on Twitter). The present day value ($136.6MM) has been reduced due to deferred money.

Boesch Drawing Interest; Tigers Like Drew

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 28, 2012 at 12:03pm CDT

Brennan Boesch has drawn trade interest from multiple teams, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). While one of Morosi’s sources believes a trade could be completed during next week’s Winter Meetings, the Tigers might prefer to trade the non-tender candidate before Friday’s deadline for tendering contracts to arbitration eligible players. With a projected salary of $2.1MM, it’s hard to imagine Boesch has substantial trade value.

The Tigers are interested in free agent shortstop Stephen Drew on a short-term deal, Morosi reports (on Twitter). If the Tigers acquire Drew, they'd be positioned to trade Jhonny Peralta to a team such as the Diamondbacks. Jon Heyman reported eight days ago that the Tigers, Red Sox and Yankees are interested in Drew.

Quick Hits: Keppinger, Soriano, Dodgers, Orioles

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 27, 2012 at 5:08pm CDT

The latest links from around MLB…

The Cubs, Diamondbacks and Rays are bidding for free agent infielder Jeff Keppinger even though he broke his leg, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (Twitter links). The 32-year-old recently broke his right fibula, but hopes to be ready for action by mid-January. Clubs don’t consider the injury serious enough to stop pursuing Keppinger.
MLB Network analyst Peter Gammons said on MLB Network’s Hot Stove show that Tigers owner Mike Ilitch spoke with agent Scott Boras about free agent closer Rafael Soriano yesterday (hat tip: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter).
The Dodgers confirmed the promotions of several front office members, including Logan White and De Jon Watson, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. White and Watson had been assistant GMs and are now vice presidents. They are both considered GM candidates within the industry.
The Orioles aren’t expected to offer Mark Reynolds arbitration, but they’re trying to work out a new deal by Friday’s deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration eligible players, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently examined Reynolds as a non-tender candidate.
Jair Jurrjens is expected to be non-tendered and Peter Moylan’s status as a non-tender candidate remains unclear, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on Twitter).

Yankees Have Interest In Jeff Keppinger

By Mike Axisa | November 24, 2012 at 12:20pm CDT

The Yankees have "renewed (their) longstanding interest" in free agent utility man Jeff Keppinger, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. People within the industry think the team may be laying groundwork to use Alex Rodriguez as the primary DH as soon as 2013, which GM Brian Cashman refuted.

"There is no discussion whatsoever about Alex transitioning from third base to DH, part-time DH, first base or any other position on the field," said Cashman. "As we approach anyone in the free-agent market or anyone in trades, we’re making sure we have insurance policies, (asking) our what-ifs?"

Keppinger, 32, hit .325/.367/.439 in 418 plate appearances for the Rays this season while playing primary second and third bases. The Yankees tried to acquire him from the Astros two winters ago. Rosenthal says New York has not spoken to the Tigers about Jhonny Peralta as they look for utility infield help, though they reportedly have interest in free agent Stephen Drew.

Rodriguez, 37, hit .272/.353/.430 with 18 homers in 529 plate appearances last season. He missed more than a month with a broken bone in his hand after getting hit by a pitch. Derek Jeter is currently rehabbing from a fractured left ankle and the team expects to be ready in time for Opening Day. The Yankees are still seeking infield depth just in case either veteran continues to fight the injury bug.

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