Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Royals Rumors

Odds & Ends: Johnson, Webb, Bedard, Ellsbury

By | at

Links for Friday, as the Yankees and Derek Jeter continue negotiating …

  • If you're curious to see which draft picks are changing hands as free agent compensation, check out the constantly updated 2011 Draft Order page at River Ave. Blues.
  • Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains that the large number of Type-A and B free agents (35 total) could impact how willing teams are to forfeit draft picks to sign free agents.
  • Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star tweets that the Royals have re-signed right-hander Blake Johnson to a minor league deal. The 25-year-old owns a 4.42 minor league ERA, and he originally joined the Royals in a 2006 trade that sent Odalis Perez to KC and Elmer Dessens to the Dodgers.
  • Brandon Webb, Erik Bedard, Jeff Francis, Chris Young and Jeremy Bonderman are intriguing cost-effective pitching options on the free-agent market, writes Chris Toman of the Sports Network (via the Miami Herald). Each pitcher has seen his career derailed by injury to his pitching arm and will likely be seeking short-term, incentive-laden contracts, but there's a steep drop-off in the market from Cliff Lee to the second-tier starters.
  • Jacoby Ellsbury's reportedly strained relationship with the Red Sox and his attractiveness to potential suitors make him a strong trade candidate this offseason, according to Paul White of USA Today. Boston GM Theo Epstein has hinted that the Red Sox roster is in need of a "restocking," according to White, and Ellsbury could be a good fit for the Padres, Diamondbacks, Angels, Braves, Mets and Cubs.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports contrasts Paul Konerko's relatively quiet contract negotiations with those of Derek Jeter. Konerko, is coming off a fine season (.312/.393/.584), and he could accept salary arbitration and earn a raise on the $12MM he earned in 2010, but Morosi writes a three-year deal could be mutually beneficial for both parties. White Sox GM Ken Williams has been quiet about Konerko, who is known to have a good relationship with owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

Odds & Ends: Rasmus, Gilbert, Nishioka, Hoffman

By | at

MLBTR wishes all of its American readers a very happy Thanksgiving.  For those readers not from the USA…uh, happy Thursday!  Onto some news items:

  • "Three contending clubs" have a "persisting interest" in Colby Rasmus, tweets Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Strauss noted in a follow-up tweet that these are teams with a "new interest," so presumably that eliminates past suitors like the Braves, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks and White Sox.  The Rasmus rumor mill seemed to have petered out, with the most recent report stating that there was a 99% chance that Rasmus would still be in St. Louis next season.
  • Dennis Gilbert will not try to buy the Houston Astros, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.  Gilbert led a group bidding for the Rangers earlier this year and has been rumored to be a potential future ownership candidate for the Dodgers.
  • The Twins are "very much in on" Tsuyoshi Nishioka, tweets Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman.  We heard last week that Minnesota had an interest in the Japanese infielder.
  • When Kevin Towers was general manager of the Padres, he planned to eventually bring Trevor Hoffman back to San Diego so the future Hall-of-Fame closer could retire as a Padre, tweets Fanhouse.com's Tom Krasovic.  Though Towers has moved on to Arizona, Krasovic says there's a chance Hoffman could still return to San Diego now that Sandy Alderson and Paul DePodesta are no longer with the organization.
  • Bill James talks to CBSSports.com's Evan Brunell about a variety of topics, including the new Mets front office, the Justin Upton trade rumors and what the Royals should do with Zack Greinke.
  • Joe Pawlikowski of the River Ave Blues blog wishes the Derek Jeter negotiations moved as smoothly as Mike Mussina's contract talks with the Yankees after the 2006 season.

Minor Deals: Parraz, Mattheus, Boggs

By | at

We'll keep track of the latest minor deals right here:

  • The Red Sox claimed outfielder Jordan Parraz off of waivers from the Royals, the teams announced. The 26-year-old has yet to appear in the majors, but he posted solid numbers at Triple-A last year. In his second stint at Omaha, he batted .266/.350/.410 with 27 doubles.
  • The Royals also outrighted right-handers Gaby Hernandez and Victor Marte to Omaha.
  • The Nationals announced on Twitter that they outrighted right-hander Ryan Mattheus to Triple-A.
  • The Brewers signed Brandon Boggs, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). The 27-year-old outfielder hasn't played much in the past two seasons, but he posted a .733 OPS in 334 plate appearances for the 2008 Rangers.
  • The Mariners and Astros also made minor deals today.

Bryan Bullington To Sign With Hiroshima Carp

By | at

The Royals announced that they have released Bryan Bullington so he can sign with the Hiroshima Carp. Kansas City designated the former first overall pick for assignment over the weekend.

The Pirates selected the right-hander first overall in the 2002 draft, but he has not produced at the major league level. Now 30, Bullington has a 5.62 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 81 2/3 innings for the Pirates, Royals, Indians and Blue Jays.

In 102 innings at Triple-A Omaha last year, Bullington showed some of the promise that the Pirates saw earlier in the decade. He posted a 2.82 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9, allowing just eight homers.

Royals Interested In Kevin Millwood

By | at

The Royals are interested in Kevin Millwood, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The right-hander has averaged 31 starts since his first full season in 1998, so GM Dayton Moore likely sees him as a back-of-the-rotation innings eater. 

Millwood has an All-Star appearance and an ERA title to his name, but at this point he's likely to post an ERA near 5.00 with about 6.0 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. In 190 2/3 innings as an Oriole, he posted a 5.10 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.

The Rockies have also expressed interest in Millwood, who could potentially benefit from a move to the NL. Since the Orioles didn't offer the 35-year-old arbitration, they won't obtain a compensatory draft pick if he signs elsewhere.

Rosenthal On Greinke, Reynolds, Rhodes

By | at

The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…

  • Rosenthal wonders if Zack Greinke will change his opinion of the Royals in Spring Training when he sees how close many of their prospects are.  Rosenthal says the Royals have no urgency to deal Greinke, though ESPN's Buster Olney writes that "some rival general managers are convinced the Royals are intent on moving Greinke this winter."
  • Mark Reynolds is a "trade possibility under discussion" for the Orioles, depending on how their offseason unfolds.  We heard from Yahoo's Tim Brown on November 10th that the Diamondbacks are shopping Reynolds and "looking for contact hitters and bullpen help."  You'd have to think the D'Backs would want David Hernandez from the Orioles.
  • Rosenthal feels that a Heath Bell trade would not happen until after free agents like Rafael Soriano and J.J. Putz sign, if at all.
  • The Reds do not want to offer arbitration to Type A free agent Arthur Rhodes, but they could re-sign him this week.  Check out Rhodes' free agent stock watch piece here.     
  • One GM Rosenthal spoke to thought Joaquin Benoit's lucrative contract could discourage teams from offering arbitration to relievers such as Jason Frasor and Grant Balfour, because if they accept they could use Benoit as a comparable for their 2011 salaries.  On the other hand, I think teams could be more inclined to offer arbitration knowing relievers might turn it down in hopes of finding a multiyear deal on the open market.
  • The Rays' payroll is very limited, so they won't be spending much on a free agent closer type.
  • Rosenthal writes, "Suggestions that the Pirates are pursuing major free agents such as outfielder Jayson Werth appear greatly off-base."  I've yet to see any writer make a Pirates-Werth connection, but SI's Jon Heyman has said they've been aggressive in making free agent calls so far.

Cafardo On Crawford, Lee, Upton, Dodgers

By | at

This week's Sunday Baseball Notes piece from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is packed with juicy hot stove tidbits. According to one of Cafardo's major league sources, the Angels have had "serious talks" with Carl Crawford. The team's front office has been mum on the subject, but they've long been viewed as a strong potential suitor for the speedy outfielder. When five MLBTR writers predicted free agent destinations, all five guessed Crawford would sign with the Halos. Here are some of the other highlights from Cafardo's column:

  • "Word is" that the Yankees are currently willing to offer Cliff Lee about $115MM over five years. Cafardo says the Rangers are aiming to match whatever the bidding gets up to, while the Nationals are also still in the hunt. Earlier in the week, Nolan Ryan said he didn't expect Texas to be able to outbid the Yanks for Lee.
  • One National League scout said if he had limited trade chips to put toward a big bat, he'd acquire Adrian Gonzalez over Justin Upton. Gonzo is, as the scout notes, currently a "much better hitter," though he's also five years older than Upton and only under contract through 2011.
  • While Cafardo adds Kansas City to the list of teams who have "considerable interest" in Upton, we learned Friday that the 23-year-old can block a trade to the Royals.
  • The Dodgers would like to add a veteran "who can step up and be vocal when times are tough." Cafardo speculates that A.J. Pierzynski, Juan Uribe, or Johnny Damon could be a good fit.
  • The Dodgers are also considering signing a low-cost starter, and haven't ruled out bringing back Vicente Padilla.
  • "More and more teams" in need of middle infield help are eyeing Uribe.
  • The Nationals and Giants, in addition to the Orioles, have some interest in trading for Jason Bartlett. The Rays are looking for young bullpen help in return.
  • Mark Prior, attempting to make it back to the bigs, has three teams waiting on his decision, according to his agent, John Boggs.
  • Not all of the clubs who are showing interest in acquiring Marco Scutaro would necessarily use him at shortstop. The Dodgers could have interest in Scutaro as a second baseman, Cafardo says.

Minor Deals: Sborz, Huber, Royals, Ruiz

By | at

We'll keep track of all of the day's minor deals right here:

  • Righty reliever Jay Sborz, 26 in January, signed a minor league deal with the Braves with a Spring Training invite, MLBTR has learned.  Sborz was outrighted by the Tigers on November 4th after posting a 4.74 ERA, 8.7 K/9, 4.9 BB/9, and 1.6 HR/9 with 19 saves in 43 2/3 Triple-A innings this year.
  • The Twins signed Justin Huber to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training, tweets Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  Huber last played in the majors with Minnesota in 2009, and has a .580 OPS in 175 career plate appearances.
  • The Royals announced that four players have been designated for assignment: Jordan Parraz, Victor Marte, Gaby Hernandez and former #1 overall pick Bryan Bullington.
  • The Rays released first baseman Jose Ruiz, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (on Twitter).
  • The Tigers announced that they signed Al Alburquerque to a major league deal for 2011. GM Dave Dombrowski says the team has been impressed with the right-hander's winter ball performance and expects him to compete for a bullpen job in Spring Training. The 24-year-old has struck out 191 batters in 174 1/3 minor league innings in the Cubs and Rockies organizations.
  • The Yankees have released Jonathan Albaladejo, who signed with a Japanese team, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
  • The Diamondbacks claimed right-hander Juan Jaime from the Nationals, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (on Twitter). The 23-year-old right-hander didn't pitch in 2010, but he has a 2.42 ERA with 11.8 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9 in 111 2/3 minor league innings.
  • The Blue Jays signed Mike Hinckley, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. The lefty posted a 1.93 ERA in 28 games with the Nationals from 2008-09. Last year he posted 6.8 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 46 2/3 innings in the upper minors.
  • Josh Barfield, Ryan Feierabend and Brandon Moss all got Spring Training invitations from the Phillies according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.

Odds & Ends: Soria, Garland, Abreu, Ramirez

By | at

Here's a round-up of news tidbits from around the majors today…

  • The Royals might as well also trade Joakim Soria if they're going to move Zack Greinke this winter, reasons Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman (Twitter link).  Soria will make $4MM next season and then has team options worth $6MM, $8MM and $8.75MM in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.  Those are big numbers for a closer on a non-contending team, but if Soria is moved to the rotation and keeps producing, those salaries will be bargains.  Interestingly, Soria has a limited no-trade clause that gives him the right to veto deals to the Cardinals, Cubs, Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers and Yankees. 
  • Heyman also tweets that Colorado wants to sign Jon Garland to a one-year contract with an option for 2012, but Garland will probably find a guaranteed multi-year deal elsewhere.
  • Bobby Abreu would be happy to become a full-time DH if the Angels were to sign a left fielder like Carl Crawford, reports MLB.com's Lyle Spencer.
  • Manny Ramirez's 2010 season is compared to the most recent walk years of Vladimir Guerrero and Gary Sheffield by Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci.  We know that Scott Boras sees Ramirez as this year's Guerrero, but Verducci points out that with the glut of DH-types on the market this winter, there's at least a chance that Ramirez could end up without a contract as Sheffield did last offseason.
  • Speaking of Manny, MLB.com's Jane Lee shoots down a reader's query about Ramirez possibly ending up in Oakland.  She says Ramirez is too expensive, would cost the A's a draft pick to sign him and Ramirez "wouldn't exactly fit the veteran-leadership mold the club is looking to also get out of their DH next year."  Bad news for those of us that thought Ramirez would end up in Oakland green in 2011.  Keep in mind that since Manny is highly unlikely to be offered arbitration by the White Sox on Tuesday, draft pick compensation will not be a factor.
  • Doug Melvin might be in "a no-win situation" in his attempts to trade or hold onto Prince Fielder, writes The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Anthony Witrado.
  • Tribe GM Chris Antonetti tells MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that a third baseman and a starting pitcher are his club's offseason priorities.  Antonetti says the Indians are specifically looking for a veteran hurler who can eat innings and provide "certainty" within the otherwise young rotation.
  • Now that Zach Duke has been designated for assignment, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets that the odds of the Pirates signing a free agent starter have risen.  Biertempfel mentions Jorge de la Rosa, though the Bucs will have to out-negotiate several other clubs to sign him.
  • David Waldstein of the New York Times thinks Bob Melvin will be the next Mets manager, though he notes that "if this really were a horse race, I would box Melvin and [Terry] Collins in an exacta."

Justin Upton Rumors: Friday

By | at

Put an affordable 23-year-old with superstar potential on the trade market and you're going to hear some juicy rumors. We found out yesterday that the Diamondbacks are prepared to deal Justin Upton even if the move isn't popular with the team's fan base. The Blue Jays are showing strong interest in the right fielder and the Mariners, Marlins, Orioles and Red Sox are among the other interested teams. Here are today's rumors, with more to come throughout the day:

  • The Athletics, Indians, Royals and Tigers are the four clubs on Upton's no-trade list, tweets FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.  Upton can be dealt to any of the other 25 teams without his approval.
  • At least 15 teams approached the D’Backs about Upton at the GM Meetings and five of those clubs wanted to push talks further along, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who notes that the Yankees were not one of the five clubs in hot pursuit of the outfielder.
  • Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald says the Red Sox need to deal for Upton and Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic says it would be a mistake for the D'Backs to trade him.
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