AL West Notes: Kinsler, Ramirez, Abreu
We've already looked at the NL West tonight, so let's stay on the left side of the map to check in on the latest from the AL West…
- Ian Kinsler and the Rangers had "one serious conversation" about a contract extension this offseason but that was "about it," reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Kinsler expects the club to re-open talks during Spring Training and said he wants to stay in Texas, noting that a possible switch from second base would be "open for discussion." The Rangers will pay Kinsler $7MM this season and they hold a $10MM option on him for 2013.
- Manny Ramirez's deal with the A's has led to some "mixed results" in the Athletics' clubhouse, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Ramirez's ex-teammates Coco Crisp and Bartolo Colon are in favor of the move, while one unnamed player "expressed concern" that if Ramirez makes the team, he'll be taking away at-bats from younger players who will be a bigger part of Oakland's future.
- Angels manager Mike Scioscia talked to Bobby Abreu last month to discuss his role on the team, reports Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles. "In talking to Bobby, he does want to play every day, but he's tempered that with an understanding of the potential of this team to win and he understands the situation," Scioscia said. Abreu is expected to split time with Kendrys Morales and/or Mark Trumbo at DH this season and last week the Halos explored a deal that would've sent Abreu to the Yankees in exchange for A.J. Burnett. I recently looked at the fantasy implications of the Halos' DH situation in a post for MLBTR's sister site Roto Authority.
Quick Hits: Appel, Angels, Uehara, Garland, Oswalt
On this day in 1982, the Padres traded Ozzie Smith, Steve Mura, and Al Olmsted to the Cardinals for Luis DeLeon, Sixto Lezcano and Garry Templeton. The trade was sparked by both Smith and Templeton having issues with their respective teams. Here's a look at today's links..
- Stanford righty Mark Appel isn't a lock for the No. 1 pick in the draft, writes ESPN's Keith Law (Insider req'd). Appel touched 97mph in the first inning of his first start, but sat 91-95mph for the next six innings and doesn't command his fastball well enough in the zone to miss as many bats as he should, says Law. Law also looks at some Stanford hitters who should go high in the draft and notes some impressive velocity from around the country yesterday.
- The Angels have hired former big leaguers Gary Varsho and Jeff Cirillo as scouts, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
- Rangers reliever Koji Uehara wants to get his situation settled and know where he's playing this season, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Texas has been talking with clubs about a possible deal, including the Athletics.
- The Indians are still working through details in their talks with Jon Garland, tweets Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. The pitcher was originally set to undergo a physical on Monday but that now seems unlikely.
- When asked about adding Roy Oswalt or anyone else, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told reporters, "We're always open for business here," tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
- Dusty Baker only has one year remaining on his contract, but the Reds skipper says that he isn't concerned about it, writes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
- Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner told Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter) that he hasn't heard from the team about a long-term contract yet.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) has the contract figures on two minor league signings from earlier this offseason. Joel Pineiro will earn $1.5MM if he makes the big league roster with the Phillies while Ryan Spilborghs will receive a $1MM base salary if he's in the majors with the Indians.
Quick Hits: Athletics, Phillies, Burnett, Drew, D’Backs
Here's a look at today's links as players settle in for Spring Training..
- Athletics skipper Bob Melvin expects to see roster additions on pitching and position player sides before the full camp opens, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The Phillies were exploring a three-way trade to land A.J. Burnett, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. A third team would have been brought in to allow the club to unload Joe Blanton.
- The Diamondbacks might have to find a more permanent solution at shortstop if Stephen Drew doesn't fully recover from his ankle injury, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Arizona holds a $10MM mutual option on Drew for 2013.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) be surprised to see the Angels make two trades before the end of Spring Training due to the amount of redundancy on their roster.
- Manny Ramirez worked out for the Athletics and the club could sign the slugger within the next week, writes Jane Lee of MLB.com.
A.J. Burnett Rumors: Thursday
Multiple teams are discussing right-hander A.J. Burnett with the Yankees, according to yesterday's rumors. The right-hander vetoed a trade to the Angels, so it's down to the Pirates and at least one unknown club. Burnett will earn $33MM between now and the end of the 2013 season, and the question of how much money the Yankees absorb figures to shape trade talks. Here are the latest rumors as we await resolution on a deal:
- The Yankees and Pirates are nearing a deal that would send Burnett to Pittsburgh for two marginal prospects and $13-15MM in salary relief, reports George A. King III of The New York Post. "It will happen this weekend,'' said King's source. "Probably Saturday.''
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Yankees have countered the Pirates offer with a sliding scale, meaning they'd have to surrender lesser prospects the closer they get to eating $15MM of the $33MM left on Burnett's contract. He says it would be an upset if he's not traded before the Yankees open camp on Sunday (all Twitter links).
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday reminds us (on Twitter) that MLB will need to approve any trade because of the large amount of cash changing hands.
- The Yankees and Pirates know which players would go from Pittsburgh to New York if the Pirates take on $13MM in salary, Davidoff tweets.
- The Yankees and Pirates should complete a deal within 24 hours, according to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- A team other than the Pirates and Indians made a proposal for Burnett yesterday and the Yankees appear to be approaching a decision, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (Twitter links). Burnett told the Yankees three weeks ago that he would block a trade to Anaheim.
- Considerable optimism exists that the Yankees and Pirates will work out a deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. Heyman adds that the Yankees will pay $20MM of Burnett's contract.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
A.J. Burnett Rumors: Wednesday
The Pirates and Yankees are discussing an A.J. Burnett trade, as the Yankees look to unload some of the $33MM owed to him for 2012-13. The latest:
- Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger hears four teams are in the mix for Burnett and that "a deal will get done with somebody.“
- The Yankees are engaging the Pirates and one other team about Burnett and a deal seems increasingly likely, David Waldstein of the New York Times reports. It doesn't appear that Burnett would block a trade to either one of the two possible destinations.
- The Yankees tried to convince the Angels that Burnett could be their fifth starter, according to Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com. The Yankees would have obtained Bobby Abreu in the proposed trade, but Burnett rejected the deal because he'd prefer to play on the East Coast.
- The two clubs remain at an impasse, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. As the day before Yankees pitchers and catchers report to spring training, Saturday represents a soft deadline for the trade talks. A trade is not likely with any of the three other teams interested in Burnett, as the Indians never got serious, Burnett will not approve a deal to the Angels, and the mystery team has lukewarm interest.
A.J. Burnett Rumors: Tuesday
There’s a feeling the Yankees and Pirates will complete a deal involving A.J. Burnett and judging by the most recent rumors, Pittsburgh would take on $10-15MM of the $33MM remaining on Burnett’s salary if the trade goes through. Here are today’s rumors:
- A fourth team has checked in on Burnett, Heyman reports.
- The Hafner for Burnett deal is no longer on the table, MLB.com's Bryan Hoch tweets.
- The Indians have checked in, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). Talk between the Yankees and Indians has revolved around Burnett and Travis Hafner, though the Indians aren't sure they'd make that trade.
- The Angels are interested in Burnett, but they're on his no-trade list, Rosenthal tweets.
- Momentum for a deal stayed strong last night, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Yankees continue to engage two other teams, but the Pirates are the favorites to land Burnett. Pittsburgh has offered to pay $10MM and if they raise their bid to $13MM, the Yankees would be more inclined to accept lesser prospects in return. The Pirates view the Derek Lowe deal as a relevant point of reference for their discussions with the Yankees.
- The teams are still trying to decide which players would head from Pittsburgh to New York, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (all Twitter links). Some Yankees people oppose trading Burnett now, and believe they could obtain more in return at the trade deadline.
Dipoto: Abreu In DH Mix, Hasn’t Requested Trade
When the Angels signed Albert Pujols earlier in the offseason, first basemen Mark Trumbo and Kendrys Morales joined the designated hitter mix, and Bobby Abreu’s grip on his everyday role seemed to weaken. However, health issues persist for Morales (left ankle) and Trumbo (right foot). GM Jerry Dipoto told Abreu that he will have the chance to earn regular playing time by swinging the bat well this spring, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times.
“Bobby is an Angel,” Dipoto said. “Right now, he fits on our 25-man roster, in our clubhouse, on our team. Where he is in eight weeks is predicated on how he’s playing and everyone’s health.”
Dipoto has maintained throughout the winter that Abreu is valuable to the Angels, though Ken Rosenthal heard in December that the veteran would welcome a change of scenery. Dipoto told DiGiovanna that Abreu, who turns 38 in March, has not requested a trade.
The left-handed hitter posted a .253/.353/.365 line with 21 stolen bases in 585 plate appearances as the Angels' primary DH last year. He posted the lowest full-season slugging percentage and OPS of his 16-year career. Abreu will earn $9MM in 2012 before becoming a free agent.
Quick Hits: Kershaw, Moreno, Cespedes, Joyce
Here are a few items from around the Majors as we head into Sunday…
- The first priority for the new Dodgers owner should be to sign Clayton Kershaw to a long-term extension, says ESPN's Buster Olney in a video blog. Kershaw's recent two-year contract only covers his first two arbitration years, putting him on track for free agency (at age 26) after the 2014 season. "The entire landscape of baseball would be all over Kershaw as a free agent," says Olney, who believes the Dodgers should offer Kershaw something akin to a five-year, $100-120MM deal to lock him up.
- Arte Moreno expects the Angels to be "a highly competitive team" and discussed several other topics about the upcoming season with MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez.
- As part of a piece about the risks of signing Yoenis Cespedes, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald explores how other heavily-hyped Cuban stars have been the victim of high expectations in the Major Leagues.
- Rays outfielder Matt Joyce has changed agents and is now represented by the ACES firm, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Joyce, a possible extension candidate, will be arbitration-eligible for the first time next winter and is under team control through 2015.
- Asdrubal Cabrera's arbitration-avoiding deal with the Indians prompted Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer to examine the possibility of signing Cabrera to a multiyear deal. Last month, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at what a Cabrera extension could cost the Tribe.
- From that same piece, Hoynes says that the Indians' lack of guaranteed contracts past 2012 is probably not a sign that the Dolan family is "streamlining the franchise" as a prelude to a possible sale of the club.
- Four of top seven prospects in the Athletics' system came via the Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez trades, writes MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo.
Angels Unlikely To Extend Erick Aybar Before Season
Angels GM Jerry Dipoto will continue extension talks with the representatives for Erick Aybar but doesn't foresee completing a deal before the start of the season, writes Alden Gonzalez in MLB.com. Working out an extension at some point is still "very much a possibility" but Dipoto doesn't see it happening before Opening Day.
The shortstop, who avoided arbitration with the Halos by agreeing to a one-year, $5.075MM deal, is set to hit the open market after this season. The Angels worked out a four-year, $33.5MM deal with Howie Kendrick last month to cover the 28-year-old's final year of arbitration and first three years of free agency.
Cafardo On Lannan, Bourjos, Cespedes, Vazquez
Jason Varitek is facing a very difficult decision, and the catcher has been considering the very difficult reality of retirement, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Varitek, who turns 40 in April, would seem to be a good fit in Minnesota. The Twins will likely carry three catchers as Joe Mauer will need time to DH and rest and Ryan Doumit will mostly DH while also backing up Mauer.
Varitek isn't the only veteran wondering about his baseball future. Ivan Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, Magglio Ordonez, and Vladimir Guerrero also hope to continue playing in 2012. Here's more from Cafardo..
- There is a lot of speculation that the Nationals will deal John Lannan to the Angels for Peter Bourjos, with the Halos putting Mike Trout in center field. The Nats beat Lannan in arbitration last week and were said to be aggressively shopping the left-hander.
- Alternatively, the Nats could move Jayson Werth to center and sign a right fielder. Cafardo adds that it now appears that Yoenis Cespedes is not in their plans and they have cooled on B.J. Upton.
- Javier Vazquez is retired for now, but Cafardo wonders if a team could convince him to play. An AL GM remarked that Vazquez would be a perfect fourth or fifth starter on a contending team and believes that the pitcher looks as good as he's ever been.
- Scott Boras is no longer representing Manny Ramirez. Ramirez signed on with Boras in early 2008 and the agent negotiated the slugger's two-year, $45MM contract with the Dodgers the following year.
- Boras wound up receiving eight offers in total for Prince Fielder, including the winning bid from the Tigers.
- A couple of agents are frustrated after dealing with the Red Sox front office/ownership lately as compared to what they were used to in the past. However, there has been quite a bit of praise for GM Ben Cherington.
- Right-hander Brandon Webb hasn't given up on pitching and according to one American League executive, the plan is for the 32-year-old to throw for teams sometime in March.
- Mark Prior is also looking to attempt one more comeback. The right-hander, who spent some of last season with the Yankees, had surgery for a sports hernia and the problem isn't completely corrected. Like Webb, Prior could work out for teams as early as March.
- Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger was supposed to be in Red Sox minor league camp but instead ripped up his elbow long-tossing over the winter. The veteran will unfortunately miss the season.
- Cafardo feels that the Red Sox missed an opportunity to sign Edwin Jackson to a good value deal at one year, $10MM and shouldn’t let Roy Oswalt slip away now.