Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Tigers Rumors

Tigers Unlikely To Deal Cabrera Anytime Soon

By | at

Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com reports that two people “with knowledge of the Tigers’ plans heading into the winter meetings downplayed the possibility that Miguel Cabrera will be traded in the coming week,” with one going so far as to say the chances of a deal were “pretty remote.”

Morosi’s sources say the team is more likely to move Edwin Jackson and/or Curtis Granderson, and that even though Justin Verlander isn’t on the trade block, his future is “indirectly” tied to what happens in the next few weeks.

Cabrera is owed $126MM over the next six years, and given the team’s financial situation, the case can be made that they’d be better off using that money to fill multiple holes.

Tigers Interested In Bobby Crosby, Adam Everett

By | at

The Tigers and Bobby Crosby have mutual interest, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck.  Crosby might find a nice opportunity with the Tigers, who could give him a chance to start.  The Rangers, Rockies, and Pirates also have an eye on Crosby, who hit just .223/.295/.357 in 272 plate appearances this year.

Beck also notes that the Tigers maintain interest in Adam Everett, who had been mentioned as a Red Sox target before they signed Marco Scutaro.

Odds & Ends: Oeltjen, Hensley, Gload, Halladay

By | at

Links for Friday, as team execs and media folk pack their bags for Monday's Winter Meetings in Indianapolis…

  • The Brewers signed Trent Oeltjen to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.  Oeltjen, 27 in February, hit .303/.362/.500 in his third Triple A tour, playing the outfield corners.
  • Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash spells out why his team won't be acquiring Roy Halladay, talking to McCalvy.
  • MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets six minor league free agents signed by the Marlins, including Jesse Foppert, Vinny Rottino, and Hector Luna.
  • The Pirates expressed "mild interest" in free agent pitcher Clay Hensley, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Hensley, 30, spent the year at Triple A in the Astros and Marlins organizations, posting a 3.56 ERA in 124 innings.
  • Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post feels there's "still a good chance [Ross] Gload returns [to the Marlins] with a two-year deal."
  • Darren Dreifort's five-year, $55MM deal tops Jeff Passan's list of the ten worst contracts of the 2000s for Yahoo.
  • Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues explains why the Yankees probably won't sign Rafael Soriano.
  • In his Winter Meetings preview for AOL FanHouse, Ed Price says there was some discussion about a Tigers-Diamondbacks trade involving Edwin Jackson and Max Scherzer.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney talked to rival executives who say the Tigers have not aggressively shopped Curtis Granderson.
  • Olney doesn't think the Mariners will pay up for Jason Bay.  He believes the Red Sox are "controlling the market" for Bay and Matt Holliday.
  • Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals are "increasingly weighing spreading what it would cost to retain Holliday over several players."  Bernie Miklasz of the P-D feels the Cards are "enacting their exit strategy from the Holliday sweepstakes."  I would not be surprised to see the Cardinals make their best offer soon - let's say $110MM over six years – and entirely move on if Scott Boras rejects it.
  • SI's Jon Heyman tweets that Nick Johnson is "drawing interest from the Giants, maybe Braves, and a half-dozen more."
  • MLB.com's Corey Brock talked to former Padres GM Kevin Towers, who will meet with the Mets, Yankees, Mariners, and Red Sox at the Winter Meetings.
  • ESPN's Keith Law isn't impressed with the Phillies' Placido Polanco signing.  My initial impression upon hearing about the signing is that no other team would've valued Polanco that highly.
  • MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets that other teams have been more aggressive on Jamey Carroll than the Marlins.  Other Carroll suitors include the Rockies, Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers, A's, Rangers, Pirates, Reds and Indians.

Odds & Ends: Hudson, Pujols, Gonzalez, D-Backs

By | at

Some Thursday night links…

  • Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports note that the Phillies had a creative idea for third base before signing Placido Polanco – they asked Orlando Hudson if he'd make the position change.  He passed.
  • Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III spoke openly about the club's limitations in retaining Albert Pujols beyond his current deal, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Signing Pujols and free agent Matt Holliday to new contracts would almost definitely mean committing upwards of 40% of the team's payroll to two players.
  • If the Tigers cannot re-sign free agent relievers Brandon Lyon or Fernando Rodney, they may have to look into a pair of Type A free agents, writes James Schmehl of MLive.com.  Atlanta's Mike Gonzalez or Rafael Soriano could appeal to Detroit, but they would require the forfeiture of a first-round pick.
  • Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes conducted a live chat today on MLB.com.  It sounds as though Byrnes would be content to more or less stand pat this offseason, telling one fan that most of the club's impact players evolve within their system rather than "arrive via offseason splash."  Don't expect Arizona to go after a second baseman this winter either as Byrnes says he looks forward to competition over the spot this season, featuring late-season acquisition Tony Abreu.
  • More from Arizona as the club outrighted a pair of prospects to their Triple-A affiliate – pitcher Kyler Newby and catcher Luke Carlin, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.  Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic writes that the move was not made in anticipation of a free agent signing or trade.
  • Matt Stairs told Larry Mahoney of the Bangor Daily News that he would like to play next season.  Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer says not to expect Stairs back in Philadelphia next season, as Phils GM Ruben Amaro offered him the opportunity to audition for other teams at Spring Training.
  • Jacque Jones also wants back in baseball, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding.  The 34-year-old last played in 2008, seeing time in 42 games in which he recorded an OPS of .446.  However, his agent insists that teams will be impressed with his physical conditioning and desire to continue his career.

Cubs Rumors: Bradley, Granderson, Castro

By | at

The Chicago Cubs are interested in Curtis Granderson, but would prefer to move Milton Bradley before aggressively pursuing Granderson, according to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune.

Earlier today, we heard rumblings that talks of a Bradley-Pat Burrell swap are still alive. If the Cubs were to deal Bradley and acquire Granderson, it would allow them to play Granderson in center field and move Kosuke Fukudome to right (Bradley's position).

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Rogers indicates that the Tigers are seeking multiple major-league-ready players in any trade for Granderson or right-hander Edwin Jackson. The Cubs also seem unwilling to part with top prospect Starlin Castro in order to acquire Granderson, so it remains to be seen if they have the chips to complete a deal.

Rogers expects Bradley and Granderson discussions to heat up during or before next week's winter meetings.

Odds & Ends: Crawford, Hernandez, Tigers

By | at

Some news tidbits that aren't arbitration-related on this busy day in the majors…

  • Rays general manager and executive VP Andrew Friedman told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that the team has no plans to deal Carl Crawford, and said that the "mutual goal" of both Crawford and the Rays was to work out a long-term contract.
  • From Topkin's same post, he notes that Tampa Bay won't go after an established free agent closer this winter but relief pitching is still the club's top need.
  • Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi use the Marlins' negotiations with Josh Johnson as a springboard to speculate about how much it would cost Seattle to sign Felix Hernandez to an extension.
  • CBS Sports' Danny Knobler discusses how the Tigers aren't acting very desperate for a team that's allegedly having a fire sale.
  • MLB.com's Bill Ladson says that Ron Villone might be the only Nationals free agent who the team would want back in 2010.
  • Marc Carig of the New Jersey Star-Ledger reports that if any free agents are curious about playing for the Yankees, Derek Jeter says they're welcome to call and ask him any questions they might have.  Jeter could save himself some time by simply mailing every prospective free agent a picture of his hand wearing five World Series rings.

Tigers Offer Arb To Rodney, Lyon, Not Polanco

By | at

5:13pm: GM Dave Dombrowski told Beck that he would be "very surprised" if Rodney or Lyon accepts arbitration.

1:16pm: The Tigers offered arbitration to Type B free agent relievers Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon, but not Type A second baseman Placido Polanco, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.  These decisions fit with our predictions from yesterday.

The Tigers most likely want to go in a cheaper direction at second base, and Polanco benefits because his new team will not have to surrender a draft pick.  I am guessing they do not expect Rodney or Lyon to accept the arbitration offers, but wouldn't mind if either one does.

D’Backs Attempting To Trade For A Starter

By | at

The Diamondbacks "are more focused on trades than free agents" in their search for a starting pitcher, according to a source of Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The writers suggest the D'Backs will look for a cheap back-end rotation type, speculating on non-tender candidates Dave Bush, Brian Tallet, and Tim Redding.  It sounds like the D'Backs don't want to give up a ton in trade, as they're reluctant to meet the asking price for Edwin Jackson and haven't inquired on Pirates starters Paul Maholm and Zach Duke.

Back on November 12th, we named about 30 potentially available starters, including Tallet and Bush.

Odds & Ends: Matsui, Cardinals, Arb Offers

By | at

Links for Monday…

Heyman On Tigers’ Edwin Jackson Demands

By | at

SI's Jon Heyman tweets a rumor of the Tigers' demands from the Mariners in an Edwin Jackson trade:

"Hearing Tigers sought young pitchers Brandon Morrow and Shawn Kelley for Jackson.  Mariners apparently said no."

So the Tigers offered two years of Jackson for four years of Morrow and five of Kelley.  Were the Mariners right to turn it down?

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top