Jason Bay Rumors: Monday
8:31pm: Reagins told Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times that talks with Bay are "new and developing."
2:36pm: ESPN's Gordon Edes tweets that Angels GM Tony Reagins has not yet arrived in Indianapolis. So if the Halos did open talks with Bay's agent Joe Urbon, either they didn't involve Reagins or they happened by phone.
12:26pm: The Angels have opened talks with free agent outfielder Jason Bay, according to Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports. Earlier today, SI's Jon Heyman said the Angels were thought to be dangling Juan Rivera as they entertain Bay. With Bay expected to earn at least $10MM more per year than Rivera, is the upgrade worth it? Or can the Angels afford to have both players under contract?
We learned earlier today that the Mariners might not get involved on Bay, despite his reported desire to play near home.
Angels Getting Interest In Matthews Jr.?
According to a tweet from Yahoo's Tim Brown this morning, the Angels are getting enough interest in Gary Matthews Jr. to believe that it's possible they get a deal done to move his salary off the books.
Matthews, 35, has two years and $23.5MM remaining on the five-year, $50MM he signed with the Angels back in 2006 (he gets a $500K bonus if traded). He's been a disappointment since coming to the Angels, and has been thought to be virtually immovable in years past.
However, we've seen several teams as of late looking to exchange bad contracts in an effort to free payroll or address other needs. Some that have been mentioned as of late include Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Derek Lowe, Luis Castillo, and Juan Pierre. A few days ago Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports noted that the Angels were working hard to trade Matthews to clear payroll, so taking back a bad contract might not fulfill that goal.
If the Angels are getting genuine interest in someone taking on Matthews Jr.'s contract, who are some possible fits, and what pieces do you see going back to the Angels?
Odds & Ends: Pirates, Martinez, Blanton, Putz
A few links the night before all Hot Stove hell breaks loose…
- Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that team president Frank Coonelly said the Pirates have made less than $11MM profit over the last two years, and all of that was put back into the team.
- Agent Alan Nero says that opening talks about a long-term deal for Victor Martinez "should be on the to-do list in January," according to Daniel Barbarisi and Joe McDonald of The Providence Journal.
- Ed Price of AOL FanHouse says we can add Joe Blanton to the list of pitchers available via trade. He's arbitration eligible after making $5.475MM in 2009, and the Phillies can better use that money elsewhere.
- The Diamondbacks are one of the teams that watched J.J. Putz's recent throwing session, according to FoxSports.com.
- Dylan Hernandez of The LA Times takes a look at five issues facing the Dodgers heading into the Winter Meetings.
- The Mariners are among the teams looking to land a catcher this week, says Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com.
- Adam Rubin of The NY Daily News rounds up Omar Minaya's brief meeting with the press upon arriving in Indianapolis for the Winter Meetings.
- Carl Pavano's agent says his client is undecided about whether to accept arbitration, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.
- Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe says the Red Sox, Angels, Mariners, and maybe the Mets represent the market for Jason Bay.
- MLB.com's Carrie Muskat spoke to a Rangers' official who said the team would be willing to bring Milton Bradley back, however they're not sure they want to deal with "that headache" again.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets that the Angels will compete with the Mariners for John Lackey and Jason Bay, but they won't bid $100MM.
- Omar Minaya suggests that trades are more likely than free agent signings for the Mets, according to Ben Shpigel of The NY Times.
- Free agent Jamey Carroll says the "door hasn't been closed" on a return to Cleveland, according to Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune says the Rays will be looking to make more under-the-radar moves this year.
- Andy Martino of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes about a perfect storm scenario that could send Roy Halladay to the Phillies.
- LaVelle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune hears that Joe Mauer's agent might not attend the Winter Meetings because of all the attention that will paid to his client's possible free agency.
- Tyler Hissey previewed the Orioles' offseason.
Mariners On Verge Of Signing Chone Figgins
SUNDAY, 6:33pm: Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times says Figgins will take his physical tomorrow, and assuming he passes, the team will announce the signing either later in the day or on Tuesday. Baker says probably the latter.
FRIDAY, 10:03pm: Not sure if this moves the story forward, but the AP says the Mariners and Figgins have a preliminary agreement on a four-year, $36MM deal.
9:21pm: Brown tweets that "Angels officials concede (that) Figgins (is as) good as gone to M's."
9:04pm: Stark says that the two sides are "very close" to finalizing a deal. He adds that Figgins would be guaranteed $36MM over four years, and there are indications that the deal will include a vesting option that could push the value of the contract to $45MM.
Meanwhile, according to Bill Shaikin of The LA Times, Angels' GM Tony Reagins said that Figgins is close to a decision, one way or the other. "We've made an offer," said Reagins. They've had a chance to evaluate it."
6:52pm: Larry LaRue of The News Tribune says the Mariners need to wait until at least Monday to finalize the deal. Why Monday, you ask? Because that's the deadline for free agents to accept arbitration, and they have to make sure Adrian Beltre declines before proceeding with Figgins.
3:48pm: ESPN's Jayson Stark agrees that the Mariners are close to a deal with Figgins, but says financial terms are still being negotiated and the Angels "aren't completely out of the running." Meanwhile Shannon Drayer of ESPN Seattle says the deal is "all but done" but most likely will not be announced today.
2:50pm: Heyman now tweets that the Ms are "very close to getting Figgins." In a subsequent tweet he suggests the deal will be for about $35MM.
2:26pm: SI's Jon Heyman has a more open-ended take on Figgins, via Twitter – he has the player asking for $36MM over four years with the Mariners at $32MM over four or $27MM over three. He says the Angels are at $24MM over three. Similarly, Yahoo's Tim Brown has an Angels source who says, "We're still hanging around."
1:35pm: The Mariners are on the verge of signing Chone Figgins to a four-year deal in the $36MM range, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. His source says the sides are "very close" to a deal. In his original article Rosenthal left the door open for the Angels to make a late push to re-sign Figgins, but that portion has been removed.
If they complete the deal, the Mariners would surrender their #18 pick to the Angels unless they also sign one of the other remaining Type As who was offered arbitration (the Angels could still end up with that pick if the Ms sign John Lackey too).
Rosenthal's price range doesn't sound too crazy given the five-year, $50MM predictions that had been floating about. With Figgins and Jack Wilson on the left side of the infield, the Mariners' defense would be spectacular. Figgins also helps offensively, given his league-leading 101 walks this year.
Odds & Ends: Holliday, Phillies, Marquis, Navarro
Some Saturday morning links…
- Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post Dispatch says the Cardinals blew it by telling the fans and media that they'd make an aggressive attempt to re-sign Matt Holliday. How could they have blown it when there's still a chance he could come back?
- Both David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News and Scott Lauber of The News Journal looked at the Phillies' long-term payroll now that Placido Polanco is on board for the next three years.
- The Mets are among the teams on Jason Marquis' wish list, writes Ben Shpigel of The NY Times, and the team has reciprocated that interest. Shpigel adds that the Mets are trying to find a "sturdy starter" from a group that includes Marquis, Joel Pineiro, and Randy Wolf.
- The Rays have a week to decide whether they'll tender a contract to Dioner Navarro, and executive vice president Andrew Friedman "indicated this week he might need every hour until that deadline to make a decision," according to Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune.
- In a highly recommended feature by Tim Sullivan of The San Diego Union Tribune, former Padres' GM Kevin Towers indicated that he'd like to learn more about the AL, saying "I’d like to see how they do business, how you put an American League team together."
- Lynn Henning of The Detroit News says that the Tigers got nothing in return for Placido Polanco, but they could have if he hadn't played so well in the second half.
- With Chone Figgins on the verge of going to Seattle, the Angels may finally give Brandon Wood a chance to play, writes Bill Shaikin of The LA Times.
- ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes says that if Terry Francona has his way, Mike Lowell won't be moving to first. Lowell said he wouldn't rule out a move across the diamond earlier this week.
- The Orioles have been downplaying the posssibility of any major moves during the Winter Meetings, according to The Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck.
Latest On Roy Halladay
Last night we heard from former Blue Jays' GM J.P. Ricciardi that Roy Halladay wants to be traded, adding that whenever you have a player of that magnitude, any decision to move him is one ownership makes. The Halladay talk figures to get hot and heavy during the Winter Meetings next week, so let's see what's being written about the situation right now…
- The Jays are looking for "top prospects at pitcher, shortstop and catcher in any deal," says Phil Rogers of The Chicago Tribune. He adds that the White Sox surely would have been in on Halladay if they didn't acquire Jake Peavy at the deadline.
- Anthony McCarron of The NY Daily News says the Yankees will "see what's there," referring to potential trade talks with Toronto.
- ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes says "it's starting to sound like [the Red Sox] have considerable qualms about the kind of money and players it will take to land" Doc.
- Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus says that a trade to the Angels will not happen because Halladay wants to train in Florida, and that's "absolute." The Halos train in Tempa, Arizona. If true, this demand would also eliminate the Cubs, Dodgers, and Rangers, all of whom train in Arizona and have been linked to Halladay at various times.
Angels “Working Hard” To Trade Gary Matthews Jr.
The Angels are "working hard to trade Gary Matthews Jr. to clear money for other pursuits," according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. With Matthews owed $23.5MM over the next two years if traded, it will be difficult for GM Tony Reagins to unload a significant portion of the contract.
Matthews, 35, hit .250/.336/.361 in 360 plate appearances for the Angels this year, playing all three outfield positions. Between the contract, Matthews' loss of power, and his questionable defense, he has strong negative value. Without the contract, what would Matthews fetch on the free agent market? Maybe one year, $1-2MM?
If the Angels hope to trade Matthews to free up money, it would make sense to pair him with a more desirable player. Kind of like what the Cubs did with Aaron Miles and Jake Fox yesterday, but on a grander scale.
Angels Still In On John Lackey
The Angels "remain heavily in the mix" for John Lackey, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal says the Angels' renewed their efforts to re-sign Lackey at the behest of owner Arte Moreno, though GM Tony Reagins denied any change in the team's course.
Rosenthal lays out three other factors that might be motivating the Angels to consider re-upping Lackey: an unappealing asking price for Roy Halladay, uncertainty with Scott Kazmir, and the Mariners' interest in Lackey.
If the Angels do allow Lackey to leave, they'll gain two draft picks as compensation. A couple of big-market clubs might be out of the Lackey bidding – Gordon Edes recently wrote that Lackey is not a Red Sox target, and Bill Shaikin said the Dodgers won't be in pursuit. The New York teams haven't been ruled out, while the Nationals and Brewers could be dark horses.
Mariners Are Frontrunners For Figgins
7:50pm: The M's are the "clear frontrunners" to sign Figgins, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi writes that it is likely that the switch-hitting third baseman will receive a four-year deal in excess of $30MM.
6:06pm: The Mariners are the latest team to join the chase for free agent Chone Figgins, reports Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter). Heyman also notes that the Angels are "still trying."
Figgins, in all probability, would fill the club's void at third base where he turned in a UZR/150 of 18.8 in 2009. Do you think the Mariners should pursue Figgins or find a different, and perhaps cheaper, solution at third?
Eight Teams Interested In Carroll
There's no shortage of interest in Jamey Carroll this year. Ed Price of AOL FanHouse reports that the Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers, A's, Rangers, Pirates, Reds and Indians all have interest in the 35-year-old utility man. We know the Marlins are interested, too.
Carroll hit .276/.355/.340 with the Indians last year, spending most of his time at second and third, and playing some outfield as well. UZR/150 suggests Carroll has been an above-average defender at second base over the course of the last five years.