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Rays, Phillies, Astros, Red Sox Interested In Berkman

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The Rays, Astros, Phillies and Red Sox are all in "tire-kicking" mode on Lance Berkman, tweets Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle (hat tip: Alex Speier of WEEI.com).

Until this point, the Astros are the only team that has been largely connected to Berkman this offseason. Astros owner Jim Crane had a "get-acquainted" meeting with Berkman recently, and Big Puma expressed interest in returning to Houston where his career began. In that interview, Berkman said he wanted to be paid like a Major League three-hole hitter, though he'd take a bit of a discount for the Astros.

The Phillies presumably have visions of Berkman seeing some time on the field as a first baseman or outfielder. The same could be said for the Red Sox, who recently re-signed David Ortiz to a two-year contract. The Rays and Astros could both elect to use Berkman as their primary DH, with no concrete incumbent in place for either organization.

Berkman hit .259/.381/.444 in 97 plate appearances for the Cardinals in 2012 but was hobbled by a pair of knee surgeries. He's a career .296/.409/.544 hitter with 360 homers between the Astros, Yankees and Cardinals.

Lance Berkman Open To Playing For Astros

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Lance Berkman is interested in returning to his hometown Astros, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 Sports Houston.  If Berkman does decide to keep playing in the wake of recurring knee problems, regular playing time and money seem to be Berkman's primary concerns for not just the Astros, but any team looking for his services.

"It just depends on what kind of money they are talking about," Berkman said.  "Am I going to come back for a couple of million bucks, no.  If they want to pay me close to what I feel like my value is in terms of what I bring to the table…if they're going to ask me to be there and hit third and play every day and DH every day, I want to be compensated like a guy who is a Major League three-hole hitter.

"Obviously I would be willing to take a little bit less because it's my hometown and for the opportunity to get back to the Astros organization.  I'm just waiting for them to make some sort [of] offer and go from there."

Berkman has hinted at retirement following a tough 2012 season that saw him undergo two surgeries on his right knee and limited him to just 97 plate appearances for the Cardinals.  Berkman will be 37 on Opening Day but isn't far removed from a 2011 season that saw him hit 31 homers and post a .959 OPS in 587 PAs for St. Louis. 

If healthy, Berkman would give the Astros lineup some sorely-needed pop from the DH spot as the club moves to the American League for 2013.  A healthy Berkman, however, would draw interest from a number of clubs, and the lure of playing for a contender might be stronger than the attraction of returning to the site of his first 12 Major League seasons.

Astros owner Jim Crane met with Berkman last week for what Crane described as "a get-acquainted meeting."  There was no talk of a contract as Crane said that all decisions about Berkman and the team would be made by general manager Jeff Luhnow.  The GM said that he planned to talk to Berkman later this winter and see if bringing Berkman back to Houston would work as a "baseball decision."  

Berkman already has post-retirement plans in place as an assistant baseball coach at Rice University, plus Crane said he wanted to hire Berkman to work for the Astros in some capacity once the slugger's career is officially over.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Royals, Butler, Myers, Rays, Astros

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that Royals GM Dayton Moore is "feeling the heat," in the sense that many want the team to use their prospect base to acquire veterans who can help them win now like the Blue Jays did with their recent blockbuster. Here's more from Rosenthal on Kansas City…

  • Even after acquiring Ervin Santana, the Royals can still fit a free agent like Jeremy Guthrie into their payroll on a back-loaded, multiyear contract.
  • The Mariners covet Billy Butler and would conceivably part with young, high-end pitching to acquire him. Butler is under contract through 2014 with a club option for 2015, though the Royals are unsure if they have enough offense to move him right now.
  • The Rays like top prospect Wil Myers, though the Royals are conflicted about moving him even for a pitcher like Jeremy Hellickson or Matt Moore.
  • The Astros could be another trade partner for Kansas City since the price to acquire Bud Norris or Lucas Harrell would be lower than it would be for Hellickson or Moore. The impact would be less too, however.
  • Moore is under contract through 2014 and does not appear to be in danger of losing his job, says Rosenthal.

Jed Lowrie Drawing Interest

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Several teams have expressed interest in acquiring Jed Lowrie, but the Astros are intent on keeping him unless they are overwhelmed with an offer according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). With few free agent shortstops available, Lowrie figured to be a hot commodity this winter.

The 28-year-old switch-hitter came to Houston in a trade with the Red Sox last offseason. Lowrie hit .244/.331/.438 with 16 homers in 387 plate appearances during his first season with the Astros, but he missed time with thumb and ankle injuries. He's been on the disabled list six times since 2009. Lowrie has experience at all four infield spots and is a career .292/.362/.486 hitter against lefties.

Matt Swartz projects Lowrie to earn $1.9MM in his second trip through arbitration this winter. He'll be eligible for free agency after 2014.

Central Notes: Matsui, Astros, Reds, Indians, Victorino

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News and notes out of the Central divisions..

  • The Astros, who will join the AL West in 2013, have had internal discussions about Hideki Matsui, General Manager Jeff Luhnow told Daily Sports (Japanese link, passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker on Twitter).  Matsui signed a minor league deal with the Rays in April and was later DFA'd and released over the summer.
  • Free agent Shane Victorino is on the radar for the Reds and Indians, tweets ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.  The Rangers and Red Sox are also among the clubs looking into Victorino as they look to improve their outfield situation.
  • Not surprisingly, the Indians have been targeted young starters as they begin the process of taking offers for Asdrubal Cabrera and others, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.  It has been speculated that Cleveland could also dangle Shin-Soo Choo, Chris Perez, Justin Masterson, and possibly Carlos Santana.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) notes that the Reds are looking into two relievers coming off of Tommy John surgery in Joakim Soria and Ryan Madson.  Soria will be out until May while Madson should be set to open the season.

AL West Notes: Hamilton, Fujikawa, Soria, Ryu

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Josh Hamilton's asking price of seven years and $175MM is too rich for the Mariners' blood, but if that price drops to $80-85MM over four or five years, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times feels the M's should make a play for the outfielder.  We heard yesterday that the Mariners were interested in Hamilton, as the club continues to pursue free agent hitters for the less pitcher-friendly Safeco Field.

Some more news from around the AL West…

  • Angels GM Jerry DiPoto said that his team is interested in Japanese right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa and that the feeling is apparently mutual, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times.  Fujikawa has been considered to be Japan's top closer for the better part of a decade and is available to be signed without a posting fee.  The Dodgers and Red Sox have also been rumored to be interested in Fujikawa.
  • The Rangers apparently made a posting bid on Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu, reports Evan P. Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter), though he doesn't have full confirmation.  Teams had until 4PM CT today to place a bid on Ryu, and if the KBO's Hanwha Eagles accepted the highest bid, Ryu and agent Scott Boras could then negotiate a contract with that MLB team.
  • The Rangers are interested in right-hander Joakim Soria, reports FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi (Twitter link).  At least eight teams have checked in on the former Royals closer thus far, and Soria has also said he would be happy to pitch for the Yankees as Mariano Rivera's set-up man.
  • The Astros project to have a very low payroll in 2013, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Houston's payroll could be around $30MM, a big drop from the Padres' $55.2MM league-low payroll on Opening Day 2012, though Rosenthal notes that the MLBPA and Commissioner's Office aren't likely to object given that the Astros are in the first stages of a major rebuild.

Luhnow Talks Pitching, Trades, Lowrie

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The Astros will play with a designated hitter next year, when they move to the American League, so a significant part of their offseason involves acquiring a DH. That’s not the only challenge they face as a result of the league change.

“The hidden element of it is more on the pitching side,” general manager Jeff Luhnow told MLBTR. “It exposes any weaknesses that you might have either in your rotation or in your bullpen because there is no breathing room.”

The Astros will focus on adding depth throughout the pitching staff this offseason. That said, Luhnow doesn’t want to impede the development of players already in the organization who project as long-term contributors. Trades are in play, but the Astros are hesitant to surrender significant players.

“We’ve got some assets that other clubs are interested in, but they’re valuable for us because they help us win games in the short term and they’re cost controlled,” Luhnow said. “So the return would have to be significant to go down that path.”

Jed Lowrie, the 28-year-old shortstop who’s under team control through 2014, could be seen as a trade candidate, especially at a time that the market for free agent shortstops isn’t deep. However, Lowrie remains an important part of the Astros’ vision. 

“We expect him to be our everyday shortstop and put up some pretty big numbers for us assuming he can make it through a whole season,” Luhnow said, noting that the Astros expect the shortstop to remain healthy in 2013.

Until the team completes the move to the AL, it'll be difficult to project its future revenues. While the Astros aren’t expected to bid for the market’s top few free agents, they could spend on select players. Multiyear free agent deals are an option for the Astros under the right circumstances, Luhnow said.

Quick Hits: Red Sox, League, Astros

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The GM Meetings could be busier than usual this year, Jon Paul Morosi writes at FOX Sports. Morosi suggests the Red Sox and Indians line up as potential trade partners given each team’s needs. The meetings take place in Indian Wells, California beginning tomorrow. In the meantime here are today’s links…

  • Jim Bowden estimates the cost of the offseason’s top free agents in an ESPN piece that’s worth checking out.
  • ESPN.com’s Keith Law provides a guide to available and potentially available outfielders. Law believes Melky Cabrera will be a good value signing, but he doubts Cody Ross has value outside of Boston on a multiyear deal.
  • Tom Verducci of SI.com ranks this year free agent outfielders starting with Josh Hamilton. Verducci suggests we shouldn't expect Hamilton to end up signing a bargain deal given his skills.
  • Brandon League's $22.5MM contract with the Dodgers could be worth as much as $33.5MM, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports. Incentives based on games finished could push the value of the 2016 option as high as $9MM, according to Hernandez.
  • The Astros announced the hiring of David Stearns as their new assistant GM. Stearns, 27, spent the 2011 season with the Indians and has also worked in the front offices of the Mets and Pirates.

Bogusevic, Shuck, De Leon Elect Free Agency

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Earlier today we learned that Travis Ishikawa elected free agency, so now here is the latest round of players to hit the free agent market…

  • Brian Bogusevic, Jorge De Leon, and J.B. Shuck all elected free agency after being outrighted by the Astros, the team announced. Bogusevic, 28, hit .203/.297/.299 in 404 plate appearances this year while neither De Leon nor Shuck saw time in the show.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Cardinals, Solis, Fick

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Here are today's outright assignments…

  • The Cardinals have outrighted Steven Hill, Bryan Anderson, and Adam Reifer to Triple-A, reports Brian Walton of Scout.com. Catchers Hill, 27, and Anderson, 25, have made brief cameos with St. Louis in recent years while Reifer, a 26-year-old right-hander, has never played in the show.
  • The Pirates have outrighted Ali Solis to Triple-A according to the MLB.com transactions page. Pittsburgh claimed the 25-year-old backstop from the Padres late last month, after he hit .283/.307/.419 with San Diego's Double-A affiliate and earned a September call-up.
  • The Astros outrighted Chuckie Fick to Triple-A, the team announced. Houston claimed the 26-year-old right-hander from the Cardinals in July, and he pitched to a 4.30 ERA in 23 innings for Houston down the stretch.
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