Mets Sign Francisco Rodriguez
WEDNESDAY, 4:47pm: The Mets officially announced the three-year deal with K-Rod. David Lennon and Ben Shpigel give inside looks at the negotiations.
TUESDAY, 4:43pm: The Angels didn’t get a chance to match the Mets’ offer.
3:42pm: Sherman agrees on the fourth year, $14MM vesting option mentioned by Rosenthal.
2:31pm: Sherman says the Mets agreed to terms with K-Rod on a three-year, $37MM deal. He gets about half as much money as was originally floated. The Angels will receive the Mets’ #25 pick in next year’s draft as well as a supplemental pick.
2:12pm: Sherman says K-Rod may be in New York tomorrow for his physical.
1:43pm: Sherman says Kinzer and the Mets are huddled this morning trying to put the finishing touches on the K-Rod deal. If it gets done, the Mets may move on to Derek Lowe. Rosenthal says the deal includes a $14MM fourth-year vesting option plus performance bonuses.
6:32am: David Lennon of Newsday also speaks of a three-year deal worth $12MM a year being close.
2:46am: Jon Heyman says the Mets appear to be closing in on a deal with K-Rod, likely for three years and about $37MM. The gap was apparently closed when the Mets guaranteed a third year. Just a year ago, a lesser, older free agent closer, Francisco Cordero, received four years and $46MM.
12:54am: According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets are on the brink of landing Francisco Rodriguez. His agent Paul Kinzer is more optimistic than ever. A deal could be done before the end of the Meetings.
Randy Johnson Rumors
WEDNESDAY, 1:11pm: Nolan Ryan confirmed the Rangers’ interest in Johnson.
TUESDAY, 8:37pm: Jack Magruder says the Astros and Angels met with Johnson’s reps at the Meetings. He adds that the Rangers, Brewers, and Cubs touched base before the Meetings.
2:54pm: Four California teams are said to be eyeing Randy Johnson: the Dodgers, Angels, Giants, and A’s. Mike DiGiovanna learned that the Dodgers and Angels are more on the fringes. We’ve also seen Johnson linked to the Cubs as a fallback for Jake Peavy.
C.C. Sabathia Rumors: Tuesday
11:55pm: Joel Sherman has a source saying it’s possible Cashman could begin the process of finalizing a contract for Sabathia while in San Francisco.
Sherman notes that Cashman is looking at many other free agent starters as well, and is pushing to begin closing deals.
10:30pm: As you might imagine, Dan Graziano speaks of a breakthrough in the Yankees’ negotiations for Sabathia.
10:07pm: Jon Heyman talked to Angels owner Arte Moreno, who said, "I wouldn’t say we’re in the Sabathia picture at all."
9:14pm: Ken Davidoff and Kat O’Brien say Cashman bailed on his media session today to meet with Sabathia in San Francisco. Cashman may want to meet Sabathia’s wife, who is obviously a factor in his decision.
9:13pm: Sabathia is a fallback position for the Giants, according to Brian Sabean.
7:56pm: Doug Melvin says the Brewers have not increased their offer to Sabathia, nor have they decided that they won’t. The ball is in Melvin’s court on whether to increase the offer.
6:30pm: Brian Sabean says reports of a weekend scheduled with Sabathia are false.
6:05pm: Danny Knobler says the Halos remain a serious player for Sabathia and could trade a pitcher like Jered Weaver for a bat if they sign him.
5:03pm: An update from Peter Gammons:
Some players have said the Angels have made it clear to Sabathia that they’ll guarantee him six years, but both sides say it is not true. Sabathia has not turned down the Yankees, either. He has offers from the Brewers, Angels and Red Sox, and the Giants have made it clear they will be in the bidding in certain circumstances.
4:45pm: According to Ken Davidoff, the Brewers do not intend to raise their offer to C.C.
4:32pm: Rosenthal says there’s no truth to the rumor that Sabathia declined the Yankees’ offer.
4:09pm: Baggarly talked to an exec close to the Sabathia talks who believes the Brewers are emerging as the frontrunner.
3:39pm: Joel Sherman doesn’t say anything about the Yanks’ offer being declined, but he does say the Yanks have heightened interest in A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe as Brian Cashman continues to wait on C.C.
3:24pm: Unconfirmed rumor from Andrew Baggarly: Sabathia declined the Yankees’ offer. He still printed it though. The Giants are expected to meet with Sabathia this weekend; they’d need to get creative to sign him.
2:21pm: Dan Graziano says Sabathia is convinced the Giants will become a serious bidder.
1:45pm: Tony Jackson’s heard word that Giants officials are "supremely confident" they’re going to sign Sabathia.
1:34pm: Sabathia apparently spent a lot of his time with the Yankees peppering them with lifestyle questions about New York, says Yahoo’s Jeff Passan.
12:11pm: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Giants intend to meet with C.C. Sabathia, perhaps in San Francisco this weekend. They weren’t able to get together while Sabathia was in Vegas.
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Tuesday
11:20pm: Yahoo’s Tim Brown talked to roughly half the teams in baseball, and could not identify a suitor for Manny aside from the Dodgers.
8:26pm: Tony Reagins said the Angels signing Manny is "not a likely scenario."
1:30pm: Manny apparently still seeks the same six-year type deal. Rosenthal says Colletti told Boras he’ll need to talk to Frank McCourt before further conversations can occur.
11:25am: ESPN’s Jayson Stark says "Scott Boras met with the Dodgers late Monday might to discuss the return of Manny Ramirez." While Manny is still open to signing with the Dodgers, they have not put their two-year, $45MM offer back on the table.
Brian Fuentes Rumors: Tuesday
10:59pm: Rosenthal says the Nationals are also in the mix for Fuentes. His source says they want to sign Mark Teixeira or Manny Ramirez, plus Fuentes. Nationals GM Jim Bowden said on November 12th, "We are not pursuing Manny Ramirez."
9:49pm: Rosenthal says the Cardinals, Angels, and Tigers are showing interest in Fuentes.
8:29pm: Doug Melvin said he met with the agents for Fuentes, Trevor Hoffman, and Kerry Wood today.
8:05pm: John Perrotto expects the Brewers to move to the front for Fuentes. I imagine they might try to sort out the Sabathia situation first.
5:46pm: According to Derrick Goold and Joe Strauss, the Cardinals have engaged in conversation with Brian Fuentes‘ agents. With K-Rod setting a lower-than-expected ceiling to the closer market, Fuentes could enter the Cards’ price range. GM John Mozeliak said on 1380AM today that he’s yet to dig his heels in on Fuentes though. You have to wonder if the Tigers will take a serious look.
Mark Teixeira Rumors: Tuesday
10:09pm: Angels owner Arte Moreno to Jon Heyman: "Teixeira’s my guy. There are obviously other people we like. But he’s our main target." Currently, the Angels aren’t planning to set a deadline when they make an offer to Tex.
9:11pm: Brian Sabean ruled out Teixeira for the Giants.
4:27pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Angels are "beginning to recognize they will not be the high bidder" for Tex. Some of Rosenthal’s sources believe the Nationals will come in the highest.
3:48pm: Yahoo’s Tim Brown says Angels owner Arte Moreno "has been deeply involved in negotiations with Scott Boras regarding Teixeira, as well as with agent Greg Genske on Sabathia." Brown says the Angels may be willing to give Tex seven years if necessary. The Halos are weighing the idea of going after Manny Ramirez if they miss out on Tex and C.C.
11:39am: Jon Heyman says the Red Sox have been one of Tex’s most aggressive pursuers.
1:47am: Yahoo’s Gordon Edes surveyed several club officials, and they believe the Red Sox will sign Mark Teixeira. They have the money and a strong relationship with Scott Boras. However, the Yankees are heavily interested even if they’ve yet to make an offer. And the Angels are said to be "desperate" to retain Tex. As far as we know, no one’s made an offer. Edes sees the Orioles and Nationals on the periphery, though both clubs are serious about Teixeira.
Raul Ibanez Rumors: Tuesday
8:09pm: Rosenthal says Mets officials met with Ibanez at a Bellagio restaurant today. He says the Angels, Phillies, Braves and Nationals are also in on Ibanez, though the Braves’ interest is mild.
11:25am: ESPN’s Jayson Stark says the Phillies, Mets, and Cubs are in the lead for Raul Ibanez, with the Braves and Angels on the periphery.
Four Teams Inquire On Michael Young
12:51pm: Joel Sherman agrees that the Mets inquired on Young. He says the Rangers are under no pressure to move big contracts though.
12:38pm: Young is not as pricey as we thought – Ken Rosenthal says he’s already been paid $20MM in bonus money from his new deal, leaving $60MM or so over five years (Heyman said something similar). But, Rosenthal says the Rangers are unlikely to seriously consider trading him.
11:16am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the Mets, Angels, Dodgers, and Royals inquired on Young. He says the Rangers are not shopping Young but will listen. The Mets might have to move Luis Castillo before they could slot Young in at second base.
12:00am: Yahoo’s Tim Brown talked to an AL exec whose team is in the market for a shortstop, and learned that the Rangers are quietly shopping Michael Young. Young’s five-year, $80MM extension will begin next year. He’s got no-trade protection to deal with. The Rangers would want young pitching back for Young. It will be hard to find a team willing to take on that contract.
Jake Peavy Rumors: Monday
11:02pm: Jim Salisbury backs up the idea that the Phils could receive DeRosa and the Padres could get Happ. It’s worth noting that the Cubs could trim $5.5MM off the payroll by sending out DeRosa and using Fontenot at second base.
10:31pm: MLB.com’s Lyle Spencer says the Angels have not taken themselves out of the Peavy sweepstakes.
Also, Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune supplies more info. A third team would definitely be involved in a Cubs trade. DeRosa could wind up a Phillie, and Michael Wuertz is a new name of interest for the Padres. Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod said again that Peavy will require a full no-trade clause upon a deal. One more thing – Towers said trading Peavy could free up money for Trevor Hoffman.
9:00pm: MLB.com’s Corey Brock says the legwork on this trade "has essentially been completed." No deal has been reached, but Towers says he’s facilitated a three or possibly four-team deal. The third and possibly fourth teams (Orioles, Phillies) have agreed to players. There could be some haggling remaining on players sent from the Cubs to Padres.
Brock says all Towers needs now is the go-ahead from Hendry. Peavy, by the way, was spotted at the Meetings.
8:35pm: Jayson Stark gives his take on the Peavy-Cubs situation. He says Hendry is dealing with restrictions due to the team’s ownership situation, despite his comments.
8:01pm: Scott Miller of CBSSports.com says Jason Marquis and Angel Guzman (among others) could end up with the Padres in the three-team deal. The Padres could get J.A. Happ and/or Chris Coste from the Phils. Miller adds that the Phils are known to have interest in Mark DeRosa.
6:53pm: Rosenthal says the Phillies are now in the mix as a possible third team in a Peavy trade. Those talks are preliminary. Rosenthal says the Cubs can’t complete a deal for Peavy until their new owner is decided.
5:33pm: Roch Kubatko says the O’s are still interested in Pie, but may only get him for Olson straight up if Olson is to be flipped to San Diego in a Peavy trade.
2:37pm: Joel Sherman learned from Towers that if he doesn’t reach an agreement on a Peavy deal with the Cubs at the Meetings, he will keep the pitcher to start the season. The Dodgers are apparently the only other team to which Peavy has approved a trade.
Sherman adds that the Cubs "are willing to let [Peavy] keep his no-trade clause." Not sure if Sherman is trying to say the Cubs would replace Peavy’s partial no-trade rights for 2011 and part of 2012 with full no-trade powers.
2:33pm: Kevin Towers told Ken Rosenthal he’s talking to only the Cubs about Peavy. He expects to have a good idea on whether to drop it or move forward by the end of the Meetings. Towers approached Ned Colletti but talks didn’t get far.
12:22pm: Jerry Crasnick says Kevin Towers and Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod drove together for the 4.5 hour ride from San Diego to Las Vegas, but Axelrod says they only talked about Peavy for about three minutes. Also, Axelrod brought a sweet mix CD.
11:44am: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald says the Cubs and Padres did not talk about Peavy on Sunday but will today. He’s heard the Padres might be concerned with Vitters’ hand/wrist.
1:14am: Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times says the Cubs first want to trade Jason Marquis and acquire their left-handed hitting outfielder before Peavy. Wittenmyer’s sources do believe the Cubs will eventually acquire San Diego’s ace. However, his sources say the Tom Krasovic report about a five-for-one framework being in place is exaggerated.
Wittenmyer hears that the Orioles would be willing to swap Garrett Olson for Felix Pie; the Cubs would then send Olson to the Padres in the Peavy deal.
12:54am: According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, Padres GM Kevin Towers "envisions a way to do a [Jake Peavy] deal now only with the Cubs." We’ve heard rumors of the Padres and Cubs trying to rope in the Orioles or Rays as a third team.
Heyman adds that Peavy would approve a trade to Chicago "without any significant reworking of his contract or other major concessions." Does that imply that the Cubs would not have to guarantee Peavy’s 2013 option ($22MM) or grant him a full no-trade clause?
Keep in mind that despite all the virtual ink that will be spilled on Peavy over the next four days, Jayson Stark sees "just about a zero chance" he’s dealt at the Meetings. Still, the Cubs and Padres seem to already have a framework in place involving Sean Marshall, Kevin Hart, Josh Vitters, and maybe Ronny Cedeno.
Astros Will Not Trade Valverde
7:30pm: Ed Wade assured reporters today that Valverde will not be traded.
11:04am: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Astros are willing to trade Miguel Tejada. Teams are interested in him as a shortstop and third baseman. Rosenthal figures the Twins, Dodgers, Giants, and Angels could be matches. He adds that the Astros realize they’d have to eat some of Tejada’s $13MM for ’09. Richard Justice figures it’d require eating at least half.
Rosenthal says the Astros are not inclined to trade closer Jose Valverde. And Justice figures Ty Wigginton could be tough to move as his salary climbs toward $10MM.