Blue Jays Rumors: Johnson, Callaspo, Anthopoulos
Let's round up the newest Blue Jays notes from the Winter Meetings….
- The Blue Jays are unlikely to make a move for a second baseman until they learn whether Kelly Johnson will accept their arbitration offer on Wednesday, tweets MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm. Chisholm says the Jays remain open to the idea of a multiyear deal should Johnson accept. Since Johnson won't cost another team a draft pick to sign, he'll probably turn down arbitration.
- The Jays really like Angels infielder Alberto Callaspo, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times.
- GM Alex Anthopoulos reiterated that his club isn't interested in seven- or eight-year contracts and that if any free agents require that sort of committment, the Jays "probably won't be a factor" for them (Chisholm Twitter links).
- Anthopoulos said he'd love to make some moves at this week's meetings, but expects it may not be until afterward that things get done, tweets Chisholm. The GM added that this year's meetings are moving much slower than last year's, tweets Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590.
AL West Rumors: Rangers, Gonzalez, Wilson
The latest updates out of the AL West:
- The Rangers are searching for a utility infielder that can play shortstop, but competition is fierce at the Winter Meetings, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Sullivan says at least ten teams are looking for a player that fits that description.
- An AL West source told Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston (Twitter link) that he expects the Athletics to move Gio Gonzalez.
- Both the Angels and Rangers have plans to meet with C.J. Wilson's agent Bob Garber at the Winter Meetings. The southpaw is said to have received a six-year offer from a team that is not the Rangers.
Angels In The Market For A Closer
8:21am: The Angels have inquired on A's closer Andrew Bailey, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He clarifies that the interest was early and has not intensified.
7:41am: The Angels are "definitely" in the market for a closer, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman. Los Angeles would apparently like a veteran presence to help Jordan Walden along. Heyman feels that Ryan Madson makes the most sense for Los Angeles to pursue.
Walden, 23, doesn't seem to need too much help. The flamethrowing rookie posted a 2.98 ERA in 60 1/3 innings this season while striking out 10.0 per nine innings and recording 32 saves for the second place Halos. His fastball averaged 97.5mph, while strong FIP (2.79) and SIERA (3.01) marks back up his success.
The Angels are also in on Aramis Ramirez and have an offer out to C.J. Wilson. Late last night, we heard GM Jerry Dipoto has budget limitations that will limit his spending to $15-$20MM, barring any moves to free up some more payroll.
Morosi’s Winter Meetings Preview
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports covers some of the major headlines that we'll be seeing over the next four days during baseball's Winter Meetings. Here's a late night look at the highlights:
- Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder are still the headliners, and Morosi thinks that Pujols will sign first (although not necessarily this week). Once Pujols signs — Morosi predicts he'll remain in St. Louis — it's possible that his the increased number of suitors for Fielder will land him more money than Pujols. Fielder, of course, is also four years younger than Pujols.
- Fielder prefers teams east of the Mississippi River and teams that can win the World Series in the near future. The list of known interested parties includes the Brewers, Mariners, Cubs, Rangers, Blue Jays, and Nationals. Seattle's rebuilding status and geographic location may remove them from the mix, while the uncertainty around how much Chicago's new front office is willing to spend may remove them as well.
- Morosi doesn't think Angels GM Jerry Dipoto would've moved Tyler Chatwood without knowing the acquisition of another starting pitcher was close at hand.
- The Twins remain interested in Edwin Jackson, according to Morosi's sources, but the Scott Boras client isn't likely to sign before fellow free agents C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle.
- The availability of Andrew Bailey, Huston Street, and Brandon League slows down the market for free agent closers, and Morosi speculates that a few wise teams in search of closers will be able to wait out veteran bargains as potential closing gigs dwindle.
- The Yankees, Tigers, Marlins, and Nationals have been the most active in scouting Yoenis Cespedes. While he's not a free agent yet, his market will be dictated by whether or not teams like Miami and Washington land their other targets at the Winter Meetings and in the coming weeks. Detroit would be most interested if they decide that Cespedes can bat leadoff for them right away.
- Robert Whiting, an expert on Japanese baseball, told Morosi over the weekend that there's still no word on whether or not Yu Darvish will be posted.
- Whiting told Morosi that Darvish became disillusioned with the posting process, partly because of the failure of Hisashi Iwakuma and the A's to work out a deal last year. He is also wary of the struggles and ridicule that other NPB stars have incurred in their transition to MLB, Whiting told Morosi.
Angels Have $15-$20MM To Spend
As new Angels GM Jerry Dipoto prepares for his first Winter Meetings as a general manager, Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times writes that he'll be under budgetary limitations. The Angels would like to keep their payroll around $140MM, meaning that Dipoto will have $15-$20MM to spend on shoring up three areas of need: a starting pitcher, a big bat, and a short reliever.
The Halos currently have an offer out to C.J. Wilson, and have also been linked to both Aramis Ramirez and Ryan Madson at various points in the past few weeks. DiGiovanna says that the rest of the Angels' offseason will likely hinge on the next move that is made.
Whichever hole (if any) Dipoto decides to fill via free agency, he also made it very clear that he's comfortable trading in this quote, relayed from DiGiovanna:
"Free agency is not foreign to me, but you're constantly exploring opportunities for trades…
the only other 2 1/2 -month period of time I did this job was right in the middle of trade deadline, so I'm very comfortable in it."
DiGiovanna speculates that Ervin Santana, Maicer Izturis, and Alberto Callaspo could become trade chips that would allow the Angels to pursue Ramirez even if they land Wilson. Santana will earn $11.2MM in 2012, while Izturis is under contract for $3.8MM and MLBTR's projections (courtesy of Matt Swartz) have Callaspo at $3.1MM.
East Links: Damon, Reyes, Nats, Orioles, Manny
Some links pertaining to baseball's Eastern division teams as the Winter Meetings draw near…
- Don't rule out Johnny Damon for the Orioles, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- Marlins people are saying it's still possible Hanley Ramirez could move to center field but a source close to Ramirez says he's already agreed to play third base, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.
- Ramirez's agent will not comment on the Marlins' signing of Jose Reyes, writes Tim Brown of Yahoo. The Fish are expected to ask Ramirez to shift from shortstop to third base to accommodate Reyes.
- The Orioles are looking for a left-handed hitting outfielder who can back up in center field and possibly platoon in left field, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.
- The Nationals center field targets include Peter Bourjos, B.J. Upton, and maybe Angel Pagan if he is non-tendered, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn't think he'll have any interest in Manny Ramirez if he makes a comeback, tweets Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal.
- The Nationals are one team that is maintaining interest in Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes despite his increasing price tag, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Their pursuit of the center fielder may hinge on their negotiations with Mark Buehrle, C.J. Wilson, and Prince Fielder though.
- Former Red Sox first base coach Ron Johnson will manage the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk, according to the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo (on Twitter).
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out (via Twitter) that it was new Orioles GM Dan Duquette who signed Manny Ramirez to his eight-year, $160MM contract with the Red Sox and wonders if he might sign Ramirez once more.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that Duquette called Ramirez's attempted comeback an "interesting development." The Orioles are in the market for a designated hitter.
C.J. Wilson Holds Offers From Four Clubs
11:25pm: Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) is getting the sense that the Angels' offer to Wilson won't top the five-year, $85MM deal that Jered Weaver got. Mark Buehrle and Hiroki Kuroda could be attractive alternatives for the Halos.
9:26pm: Wilson has offers from the Angels, Marlins, and two other clubs, sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com (via Twitter).
8:30pm: Marlins still have an offer out to Wilson, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.
7:42pm: Pitcher C.J. Wilson is not a top target for the Nationals, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson. One person told Ladson that the left-hander isn't really on the club's radar screen.
5:41pm: Wilson's suitors include the Nationals, Marlins, Rangers, Angels, and Red Sox as the meetings commence, sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
10:53am: Others teams are viewing the Nationals as the early favorite to land C.J. Wilson, according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter). The Nationals, along with the Marlins and Blue Jays, are seen as probable big spenders at the meetings.
Furthermore, Heyman tweets that he sees Wilson leaving Texas unless the left-hander is willing to cut his $120MM asking price in half as the club seems comfortable with filling out its rotation from within. Yesterday, Heyman reported that the Rangers haven't been making any progress with Wilson.
Cubs, Diamondbacks Interested In Stewart
SUNDAY: The Orioles, Mariners, Pirates, and Angels have also inquired on Ian Stewart, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
6:13pm: In addition to the Cubs, the Diamondbacks are also interested in Stewart, tweets Jon Heyman of SI. The 26-year-old is very likely to go somewhere, according to Heyman.
FRIDAY: The Rockies think highly enough of Stewart that they would not consider trading him for DeWitt, according to Renck.
11:39am: The Rockies have already moved Ty Wigginton and Chris Iannetta this offseason, and they're reportedly open to dealing Ian Stewart and Huston Street as well. Troy Renck of The Denver Post reports that Colorado has asked the Cubs for Blake DeWitt in exchange for Stewart, but talks between the two clubs have since cooled.
DeWitt, 26, is a left-handed bat with experience at second, third, and in left field. He's hit .258/.309/.396 with nine homers in 447 plate appearances for the Cubbies after coming over in the deal that sent Ted Lilly to the Dodgers at the 2010 trade deadline. Renck says the Rockies would prefer to get a pitcher in any deal involving Stewart as well.
Six Teams Pursuing Luis Ayala
There are six teams in on free agent reliever Luis Ayala, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN XM radio, including the Mets, Yankees, Rays, Blue Jays, Angels and Red Sox.
Ayala was an excellent value signing for the Yankees in 2011 after inking a minor league contract in February. The right-hander, who did not appear in the Majors in 2010, posted a 2.09 ERA in 56 innings last season and could land a Major League contract this trip through free agency.
Of the clubs listed here, the Mets, Jays and Rays, in particular, have several openings in their respective bullpens, while Ayala could simply provide depth for a team like the Yankees or Red Sox.
Angels, Blue Jays Swap Jeff Mathis For Brad Mills
The Angels have acquired left-hander Brad Mills from the Blue Jays for Jeff Mathis, reports Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported that the two sides were on the verge of a deal (all Twitter links).
Mills, 26, was the Jays' fourth round pick in 2007. He's seen time in the big leagues in each of the last three seasons, pitching to a 8.57 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 48 1/3 innings spread across nine starts and five relief appearances. In 354 innings at the Triple-A level, he's posted a much more respectable 4.32 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.
Mathis, 28, is a non-tender candidate, especially after the Halos acquired Chris Iannetta from the Rockies. He's hit a miserable .193/.245/.282 in 771 plate appearances over the last three seasons while throwing out 24.7% of attempted basestealers. Our projections have him earning $1.8MM next season if does survive the non-tender deadline.