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Angels Pursuing Javier Vazquez?

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The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are focusing on acquiring Javier Vazquez from the Atlanta Braves, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Stark (who credits angelswin.com's Chuck Richter with the initial story) hears from rival executives that, in the wake of missing out on John Lackey, the Angels have turned their attention to the Braves and Vazquez.

The Angels will have an uphill battle, however, attempting to deal for Vazquez, as opposed to his teammate Derek Lowe. In addition to coming off a stronger season and having a more favorable contract than Lowe, Vazquez also has a no-trade clause that allows him to veto a deal to a west-coast club. A trade to the Angels would mean the right-hander would have to waive that clause, which he negotiated in order to stay closer to his family in Puerto Rico.

With Lackey, Roy Halladay, and Randy Wolf all off the market, Vazquez is one of the more interesting names still potentially available. The Braves have maintained all along that once Lackey signed, Lowe would become a more attractive commodity, and the same could be said about Vazquez. I don't expect the Braves to move him, but they could demand a significant return if they did.

Chapman Works Out In Front Of 15 Teams

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WEDNESDAY, 9:03pm: That workout session must've really turned some heads.  Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweets that "an insider" predicted Chapman's eventual contract may be worth as much as $30MM.

WEDNESDAY, 3:18pm: Arangure Jr.'s latest blog post is a must-read; it contains learnings from the Chapman throwing session yesterday.  Among them: Chapman is in good shape, he's made some mechanical adjustments, and he doesn't come off as someone with makeup issues.  Chapman is now up for bidding.

TUESDAY, 1:38pm: Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman worked out in front of about 15 teams in Houston today, according to Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN.com. The Astros and Pirates were there, along with the Angels, Marlins, Pirates, Orioles, Yankees, Red Sox, Nationals and others.

The Dodgers weren't there because they don't have the money, according to Arangure Jr.'s Twitter. We shouldn't expect the Pirates to sign Chapman, either. They're not serious players for him according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The teams saw the 21-year-old throw for five minutes two different times. Chapman's fastball topped out at 96 mph and he also threw his slider and change-up. Arangure Jr. expects several teams to meet with him today.

Another note, again from Arangure Jr.: Chapman's previous agency, API, is suing the pitcher's current agency, the Hendricks brothers. The lawsuit alleges that the Hendricks brothers interfered with API.

Odds & Ends: Carroll, Crisp, Cameron, Hermida

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Links for Wednesday…

  • The Tigers signed lefty Brad Thomas out of Korea, and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that they paid $1MM.
  • Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirmed our report of the Pirates' interest in Kelly Johnson, explaining that the Pirates view him as a corner outfield option.
  • FanGraphs' Dave Cameron wonders why teams seem to undervalue Cliff Lee.  In a related story, Lee's agent Darek Braunecker believes their position has been mischaracterized. 
  • ESPN's Buster Olney expects Jamey Carroll to choose between two-year offers from the A's and Dodgers, probably today (I mistakenly wrote the Angels earlier).
  • Mentioned first on Twitter: I've heard that Coco Crisp would prefer a one-year deal with the Padres or A's.
  • Boston's Mike Cameron signing was officially announced today.  Michael Silverman and John Tomase of the Boston Herald have details on the two-year, $15.5MM contract.  John Lackey's deal was also announced.
  • WEEI's Alex Speier says the Red Sox told Jeremy Hermida they'd trade him if they re-signed Jason Bay.  Speier wonders if the Cameron signing will prompt a Hermida deal.
  • The Angels' one-year, $6.5MM deal with Hideki Matsui was also announced, as was John Buck's one-year, $2MM deal with Toronto and Ross Gload's two-year, $2.6MM deal with the Phillies.
  • The Royals put out word they've re-signed outfielder Shane Costa to a minor league deal.  Costa, 28, missed almost the entire '09 season with a leg injury.
  • USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets details on LaTroy Hawkins' two-year, $7.5MM deal with the Brewers.
  • Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker examines the reports about reliever Ryota Igarashi, who might be headed to the Red Sox or Mets.
  • The Mariners signed 19-year-old shortstop Pedro Okuda to a minor league deal, according to a team press release.  Okuda was born and raised in Brazil but attended high school in Japan.

Jason Bay Rumors: Tuesday

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2:35pm: Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News hears that the Yankees have no interest in signing Bay long-term. They don't have confidence in his ability to play the outfield in a few years. Another source tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney that there's no chance the Yankees bid on Bay or Matt Holliday.

12:42pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Yankees did contact Bay's representatives. However, one source says the team isn't seriously interested in Bay right now.

Across town, the Mets are willing to offer a fifth year or increase their initial four-year offer. The Giants, Mariners and Angels have also shown interest in Bay according to FOX's sources.

8:38am: The Red Sox "officially" cut ties with Bay yesterday, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.

12:44am: The Yankees have reached out to Jason Bay's representatives, a source tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  While the Mets, Angels, and Mariners are said to be the frontrunners for his services, the article says that the Bombers are "lurking in the weeds." 

Silverman stresses that the Yanks are not believed to have made an offer at this point and their level of interest is currently unclear.

Also, while it appears unlikely that there is a place for Bay in Boston, it should be noted that the club has yet to inform him that he is no longer in their plans.

As for the Yankees, do you think they're legitimately interested in Bay or just doing their due diligence?

Joel Pineiro Seeks Four-Year Deal

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears from club executives that Joel Pineiro is looking for a four-year deal. The Angels and Cubs could look to sign the righty, who wants a higher annual salary than Randy Wolf, according to Jayson Stark. Wolf will make just shy of $10MM for each of the three guaranteed years on his deal with the Brewers.

The Mets, Dodgers, Yankees and Nationals are all looking for starters. We shouldn't rule out a return to Seattle either, though that's speculation for now. The Cardinals will obtain a supplementary rounder in next year's draft if and when Pineiro signs elsewhere.

Angels, Hideki Matsui Reach Agreement

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7:15pm: The contract is worth "about" $6.5MM, tweets Feinsand.

6:32pm: It's a one-year deal, tweets Jon Heyman.

6:20pm: Meanwhile, both Ken Davidoff of Newsday (via Twitter) and Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) tried to get a confirmation out of Matsui's agent, but he wouldn't Tell-em anything. 

6:12pm: Tyler Kepner of the New York Times has received confirmation that the two sides have reached an agreement (via Twitter).

1:21pm: The Angels are in serious discussions with Hideki Matsui for a DH role, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark.  Stark's colleague Buster Olney tweeted that he's heard Matsui's one-year deal with the Angels is for about $6.5MM.  Olney clarified to me via email that the Angels and Matsui are "on the verge" of an agreement.

Matsui, 35, hit .274/.367/.509 in 526 plate appearances for the Yankees this year, spending no time in the field.  He earned $13MM in the last year of a deal signed in November of '05.

Stark notes that a Matsui signing would mark the end of Vladimir Guerrero's Angels career.  The Halos ended up paying $77MM for six years of Vlad.

Odds & Ends: Glaus, Carroll, Capps, Fossum

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Links to kick off the work week….

  • Free agent Troy Glaus prefers a full-time infield corner job over a DH role, and has made his medical records available to all 30 teams reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
  • Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has Randy Wolf's contract details, courtesy of the AP. 
  • ESPN's Keith Law provides his take on recent non-tenders Capps, Wang, Ryan Langerhans, Gabe Gross, and Kelly Johnson.
  • Jamey Carroll is deciding between multiple two-year offers, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  He notes that the Angels, Dodgers, and A's have shown interest.  Perhaps today's Craig Counsell signing will lead to a deal for Carroll.
  • Chien-Ming Wang might not sign for months, his agent Alan Nero told ESPN's Buster Olney. Speaking to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cards pitching coach Dave Duncan said Wang would interest him.
  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington explained to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette yesterday that Kovacevic's December 8th report of a non-tender threat caused Matt Capps to lose all trade value.  As if the possibility couldn't have crossed the minds of Capps' suitors otherwise.  But note that Huntington took issue with the leak itself rather than Kovacevic printing it. 
  • The Blue Jays announced on their official Twitter page that they've agreed to terms with Jose Bautista ($2.4MM) and Dustin McGowan ($500K).  McGowan gets a raise of about $80K after missing all of '09 with a shoulder injury.  Bautista will receive no raise.  Perhaps the Jays had told him that they'd only tender him if he took the same salary.
  • Newsday's Ken Davidoff explains that "the whole notion of an 'offer' is overblown," mainly a publicity move.
  • Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times wrote about the emergence of Twitter in baseball coverage, and I contributed a few thoughts.
  • The Hanshin Tigers inked lefty Casey Fossum to a one-year deal worth $600K, reports Kyodo News.  Fossum, 32 in January, pitched at Triple A for three organizations this year, compiling a 3.55 ERA in 129.3 innings.
  • NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman reports that pitcher Colby Lewis will return to MLB after a couple of very effective years starting in Japan.

Odds & Ends: Balfour, Orioles, Chapman, Lowe

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Rounding up the first batch of miscellaneous Sunday links….

  • The Rays agreed to terms with reliever Grant Balfour, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Balfour signed a one-year, $2.05MM deal, avoiding arbitration.
  • The Baltimore Orioles are still searching for a closer, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Zrebiec suggests that Fernando Rodney and Kevin Gregg could be atop the O's list of targets.
  • MASN's Roch Kubatko runs down the Orioles' closing options too, adding new free agent Matt Capps to the mix.
  • Meanwhile, Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reaction from GM Neal Huntington, who says that media reports of the 26-year-old being non-tendered hurt his trade value.  Huntington also said that the Bucs would "love" to have him back in the bullpen – at the right price.  Capps isn't on the Yankees radar, says Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger (via Twitter).
  • John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Tigers' closer search also continues. The team was looking at J.J. Putz, but backed off because of health questions, not money concerns.
  • Tuesday could be "Judgment Day" for Aroldis Chapman, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. Chapman will throw a session with a slew of teams expected to be in attendance.
  • Within a piece which focuses on yesterday's non-tender decisions, ESPN.com's Buster Olney mentions that a handful of clubs are interested in Brian Giles, including the Yankees and Reds. It's still up in the air whether teams will be willing to offer Giles more than a minor league contract.
  • One interesting tidbit from the latest article by Newsday's Ken Davidoff: An AL West official tells Davidoff that he'd like to see Jered Weaver, rather than Joe Saunders, leaving the division in a potential Roy Halladay trade offer. I have to think Jays fans would agree. Both pitchers were selected 12th overall in their respective drafts: Saunders in 2002 and Weaver in 2004.
  • Speaking of the AL West, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports thinks it's the most intriguing division for hot stove news this winter.
  • David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter) says that the Angels are a possible destination for Derek Lowe if they cannot re-sign John Lackey.  Other possibilities include the Mariners, Red Sox and Yanks.  O'Brien also suggests the Mets, provided that the Braves are willing to trade within their division.

Roy Halladay Rumors: Saturday

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11:07am: ESPN's Jayson Stark spoke to a source who says Toronto is pushing the Angels for lefty pitching prospect Trevor Reckling in any Halladay deal. Baseball America rating Reckling the fourth best prospect in the Angels' organization coming into the 2009 season.

9:44am: It's just a hunch, but Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com wonders if the Phillies are trying to move Cliff Lee as part of a three or four team trade to land Roy Halladay. The idea is that Lee would get moved to one team for prospects, then Philadelphia would then use those prospects to land Halladay, perhaps keeping some for themselves as well. That would sure be a fun deal.

Meanwhile, in today's blog post at ESPN, Buster Olney mentions that other GMs feel Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is "aggressively preparing" to move Halladay. He also notes that we still don't know if team ownership will approve a Doc trade.

Jose Arredondo To Miss 2010 Season

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In addition to their other needs, the Angels may now also be on the market for some cheap right-handed bullpen help.  ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. (via Twitter) reported that Jose Arredondo will have Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in January and be sidelined for all of next season.

Arredondo posted a 1.62 ERA in 52 games (plus 3.2 scoreless playoff innings) during his 2008 rookie year, but struggled to a 6.00 ERA in 43 games with Los Angeles in 2009.  He was sent down to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees at midseason and spent some time on the disabled list with a strained elbow ligament.

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