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Twitter Rumors: Capps, Felix, Harden, Pierre

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A fresh batch of Twitter rumors, for those of you with extra-short attention spans…

  • MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch learned that the Pirates plan to tender a contract to Matt Capps.
  • Stubborn Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says he has no regrets about not offering arbitration to Randy Wolf, reports Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.  Hernandez also notes that the Dodgers are considering Ronnie Belliard, Craig Counsell, Juan Uribe, and Jamey Carroll as second base options.  The Reds also like Carroll, says MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
  • Yahoo's Steve Henson says the Rockies are open to re-signing Jason Marquis at a reduced number (less than the $9.875MM he made in '09).
  • SI's Jon Heyman believes Felix Hernandez is seeking six years and $100MM, while the Mariners are thinking four years plus an option at less than $50MM.  That phrasing makes a possible divide seem larger than it is, since those last two years of the deal would be the most expensive (more than $15MM per year).  At any rate, Shannon Drayer and Mike Salk learned that no numbers have been exchanged on Felix yet.
  • La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen wants Mike Redmond to back up A.J. Pierzynski.
  • MLB.com's Steve Gilbert says the Rangers may have interest in arbitration-eligible D'Backs infielder Augie Ojeda.  The Rangers added Joe Inglett off waivers, but were said to still be looking at utility infield candidates.
  • Morosi tweets that Rich Harden is "willing to sign a one-year deal with a lot of incentives."  Will he exceed Brad Penny's $7.5MM base salary?  Morosi names the Red Sox, Yankees, and Mariners as the most serious suitors. 
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Tigers have interest in Juan Pierre, and are "looking for a third team to supply the pitcher L.A. needs."  Odd, since the Tigers have more bad pitching contracts than anyone.  The Tigers apparently prefer to unload Carlos Guillen.
  • Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the Pirates are not interested in bringing back Brian Giles.
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Red Sox "have two or three teams they could trade Mike Lowell to right now" if they'd take a similar contract back.  Looking at our Bad Contract Swap Meet I don't see any obvious matches for one year and $12MM.
  • There's been some tire-kicking with the Phillies and Ron Mahay, writes Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Red Sox were linked to Mahay by Michael Silverman on Monday.  Martino also says the Phillies met with John Smoltz's agent this morning, "but discussions remain informal."
  • Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star characterizes the White Sox and Red Sox interest in Coco Crisp as "low-level," but says that's still more than the Royals have shown.  Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the White Sox would consider Crisp, Mike Cameron, and Marlon Byrd. ESPN's Mike Salk notes that the Mariners spoke to Byrd's agent.
  • Dutton also has the Red Sox eyeing Ryan Shealy on a minor league deal.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports names the most asked-about Padres: Heath Bell, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Adrian Gonzalez (in that order).  He says the Padres are "not hearing anything compelling on Bell."  MLB.com's Corey Brock says about eight teams inquired on Kouzmanoff.  Surprised not to see Kevin Correia mentioned by Rosenthal.  He'd be a great affordable option for a team like the Brewers.  ESPN's Buster Olney heard from rival execs who expect the Padres to get second-line prospects for Kouzmanoff and Correia.
  • The Mets appear to find a Luis Castillo deal unlikely, says Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Yankees are shopping their #1 pick in tomorrow's Rule 5 draft, which they acquired for Brian Bruney.  If they don't trade the pick, Yahoo's Steve Henson says the Yankees could use it on pitcher Arquimedes Caminero.

Blockbuster Reactions

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WEDNESDAY, 9:03am: Let's add Nick Piecoro's take from the Arizona Republic.  I'm with him – I don't hate it for Arizona as much as most people.  – Tim Dierkes

TUESDAY, 8:27pm: Dave Dombrowski and Brian Cashman might not be commenting on today's big trade, but lots of other people sure are:

  • Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press says it's a "damn shame" the Tigers had to trade Curtis Granderson.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Tigers had to make the move because they're overpaying a group of underperforming veterans. 
  • MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo breaks down the minor leaguers in the deal. For those of you wondering about Austin Jackson's defense, Mayo offers the following: "Many feel he has the skills to be an everyday center fielder at the Major League level, with above-average range and a solid arm." But will he have Granderson's knack for the spectacular play?
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says the deal is very good for the Yankees, okay for the Tigers and bad for the D'Backs.
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law says he has "no idea" why the D'Backs would make this deal. Law considers the Tigers and Yankees winners.
  • Frankie Piliere of AOL FanHouse says the Tigers are "clear winners" in this deal.

What do you think about the deal?

Tigers Expanding Search For Veteran Reliever

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The Tigers' acquisition of young bullpen arms in Tuesday's blockbuster trade won't stop them from adding a veteran reliever, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com. Beck writes that the Tigers have expanded their search for a potential veteran closer after Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon declined arbitration.

The team added Daniel Schlereth and Phil Coke on Tuesday and is still open to bringing back either Lyon or Rodney. In the meantime, however, they're going to take their time looking at other options on the market.

"It doesn't have to be now," team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "We didn't sign Brandon Lyon [last winter] until late January, but ideally we'd like to have somebody [experienced] out there, yes."

The Tigers will presumably be looking to add a right-handed arm since, as MLive.com's Steve Kornacki points out, they're facing a lefty overload in their bullpen. The club has been linked to J.J. Putz and to Kevin Gregg so far this week.

Twitter Rumors: Mets, Granderson, Matsui

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More links from Twitter. Be sure to follow MLBTR on Twitter for all your updates.

Rangers Discussing Millwood Trades

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3:10pm: MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan believes the Orioles have cooled on Millwood.  He says the Rangers were interested in Chris Tillman (which is crazy) while the O's offered David Hernandez and Brandon Erbe (Erbe alone seems fair).

9:00am: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says no deal is imminent and the Rangers are in serious talks with multiple teams about Millwood.  As you know, the Rangers allowed Millwood to record "The $12 Million Out" last September, letting his $12MM option vest for 2010.  Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic guesses that the D'Backs could be in the mix for Millwood if talks for Edwin Jackson fail, and Morosi agrees.

6:56am: The Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck reports that while it may have started as speculation, the rumors of Kevin Millwood going to Baltimore are starting to become more of a reality.

Schmuck reports that the Orioles are getting closer to acquiring Millwood for one of their second-tier pitching prospects. The Rangers are likely to eat some of Millwood's contract no matter what, I assume, but Schmuck writes that the number is dependent on which prospect the Orioles surrender.

Schmuck also adds that the Orioles have "at least a passing interest" in Joel Pineiro.  Pineiro's agent Adam Katz tells MASN's Roch Kubatko that Baltimore's interest in Pineiro and Rich Harden has just been "preliminary tire-kicking," however.

Granderson To Yanks, Edwin Jackson To D’Backs, Scherzer To Tigers

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WEDNESDAY, 2:35pm: This deal is official, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

TUESDAY, 1:24pm: As chronicled here, a three-team blockbuster trade has been agreed upon between the Yankees, Diamondbacks, and Tigers.  The players:

  • The Yankees receive center fielder Curtis Granderson, who turns 29 in March.  Granderson is owed $5.5MM in 2010, $8.25MM in '11, and $10MM in '12, with a $13MM club option/$2MM buyout for '13.  That's $25.75MM guaranteed over the next three years.  Melky Cabrera could now be expendable for the Yankees, and the Cubs are one possible suitor.
  • The Diamondbacks receive a pair of starting pitchers: Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy. Jackson, 26, is under team control for '10 and '11 and is owed an arbitration raise on this year's $2.2MM salary.  Kennedy, 25 this month, missed most of the '09 season due to surgery to remove an aneurysm near his shoulder.  As far as I can tell he is under team control for another six seasons.  This is the second year in a row Jackson has been traded at the Winter Meetings.
  • The Tigers receive four players: starter Max Scherzer, relievers Daniel Schlereth and Phil Coke, and center fielder Austin Jackson.  The Tigers get five years of Scherzer, six of Schlereth, five of Coke, and six of Jackson, potentially 22 years of control in total.  Scherzer, 25, and Jackson, 23 in February, are probably considered the prizes of the haul.

Tigers Sign Robinzon Diaz

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The Tigers signed catcher Robinzon Diaz, tweets Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Diaz, 26, was released by the Pirates in November after hitting .279/.307/.357 in 138 plate appearances and catching 283 innings.  He didn't hit much better in the minors this year.  If the Tigers are happy with Diaz, they'll be able to retain him in future seasons since he's not close to six years service time.

Agreement Reached In Yanks, Tigers, D’Backs Blockbuster

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12:48pm: Heyman tweets that an agreement has been reached, with only medicals pending.  We'll do a fresh post once this trade is official.  To reiterate: the Yankees get Curtis Granderson, the D'Backs get Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy, and the Tigers get Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth, Austin Jackson, and Phil Coke.

Sherman notes that the Yankees managed to pull off the Granderson acquisition without giving up Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, or Mike Dunn.

12:35pm: Olney now says this deal is close.  Sherman says medical records are being exchanged on Granderson.  In another tweet Sherman says there's no deadline on the deal, but one source says it's "on the goal line."  He adds that removing Dunn from the deal was key for the Yanks. 

Tyler Kepner of the New York Times says the deal is "very close," and would be Austin Jackson, Coke, Scherzer, and Schlereth to the Tigers, Edwin Jackson and Kennedy to the D'Backs, and Granderson to the Yankees.

12:19pm: Rosenthal says the revised deal has the Tigers getting two players from the Yanks rather than three, with Coke or Dunn out.  AOL FanHouse's Ed Price tweets that the D'Backs and Tigers are awaiting signoff from the Yankees, and expect an answer within 40 minutes.

11:51am: Morosi sees progress being made, while MLB.com's Steve Gilbert thinks this thing is close; the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro agrees.

11:24am: More from Olney – the D'Backs are aiming to get Edwin Jackson and Kennedy in the deal.  Olney speaks of "growing confidence on at least two of the sides" involved, and his sources have the odds of a deal in the 20-30% range.  One Heyman source said 50%.

11:15am: Rosenthal and Morosi note that the Yankees and Tigers are open to making a Granderson deal and leaving the D'Backs out of the discussion.  Still, the three-team talks are ongoing and fluid, with the Tigers requiring a "high-ceiling, close-to-the-majors center fielder" as part of the Granderson package.  Austin Jackson could be that player.

ESPN's Buster Olney says it's the Tigers that re-ignited the three-way talks, and they've lowered their asking price.

10:33am: Heyman tweets that this deal is "back with a chance." Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News agrees, noting that the Tigers "may be caving" on the price for Granderson.  He says the Yanks would likely downgrade one of the pitchers, most likely Dunn.  Wouldn't be the Winter Meetings without three-team trade scenarios and the constant back-and-forth.

10:30am: Just to add a little intrigue, ESPN's Buster Olney says "one idea raised" was the Yankees getting both Granderson and Jackson.  Regardless, two of the teams involved backed out of this three-team mess.

8:29am: SI's Jon Heyman tweets that this one "looks very unlikely."  In his scenario Heyman had Daniel Schlereth, Scherzer, and more going to Detroit.  He adds that the Yankees are saying no to the deal, which would've cost them the four prospects named below.  Similarly, Morosi now finds the chances of this one to be "not good" because the Yankees balked at the price.

7:35am: Buster Olney adds that the talks progressed to the point where only one team liked the deal; he's not sure whether talks can resume or not.

TUESDAY, 7:00am: Morosi tweets that the deal is still a possibility as of this morning, according to one source.

MONDAY, 11:23pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the Tigers were never satisfied with the blockbuster talks. 

10:05pm: The D'Backs pushed for a blockbuster three-way deal with the Yankees and Tigers today, only to see one of those two teams veto it, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. However, the teams are discussing the following scenario.

The deal would send Curtis Granderson to the Yanks, along with a prospect or two from the D'Backs. Arizona would obtain Edwin Jackson from the Tigers and Ian Kennedy from the Yankees. The Tigers would obtain Max Scherzer from the D'Backs and Austin Jackson, Phil Coke and Michael Dunn from the Yanks.

Talks are apparently at an "impasse" now, though the D'Backs continue to push for a trade.

Curtis Granderson Rumors: Tuesday

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Time for a fresh round of Curtis Granderson rumors.  Yesterday we heard rumors about the Cubs and Yankees, and then learned of a possible three-team blockbuster involving the Yankees and D'Backs.

The latest from ESPN's Buster Olney: "Two of the teams involved in the Granderson discussions have moved on to other things."  It's unclear which teams Olney is referring to.

Sherman’s Latest: Mets, Molina, Damon, Granderson

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Here's a quick look into Joel Sherman's latest column:

  • The Mets need to add a starting pitcher, and given all of the already-volatile options in their rotation, they're likely to pursue someone more "vanilla" as Sherman describes. He names Kevin Millwood, Doug Davis, Jon Garland, and Jason Marquis. We've already seen that the O's may be closing in on Millwood today.
  • While acquiring Roy Halladay is a pipe dream, a full-on pursuit for John Lackey isn't quite as far-fetched, and Lackey would be every bit the No. 2 starter to complement Johan Santana that the previously mentioned options simply are not.
  • Minaya will meet with Lackey's representation but isn't confident; he'd prefer to wait for the price to come down, so as not to spend most of the Mets' available funds on one resource. If that price drops, though, suitors for Lackey will abound.
  • The Mets are confident that they can improve their pitching staff by improving their catching core; they're confident they can land Bengie Molina and believe he and Henry Blanco can help stabilize the staff.
  • If the Yankees acquire Curtis Granderson, they can use him as leverage against Johnny Damon. Adding Granderson will allow the Yanks to pose a "take it or leave it" offer to Damon, and remove some of the leverage Damon and Scott Boras may have. Sherman lists free agent alternatives to bring in should Damon leave in that scenario, including Mike Cameron or re-signing Xavier Nady.
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