Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Angels Rumors

Francisco Rodriguez Will Test The Market

By | at

Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez plans to file for free agency, though he didn’t rule out re-signing with the Halos.

Kurt Streeter named several contracts that might be used as comparables for K-Rod:

  • Mariano Rivera: three years, $45MM ($15MM per year)
  • Francisco Cordero: four years, $46MM, fifth year club option ($11.5MM per year)
  • Joe Nathan: four years, $47MM, fifth year club option ($11.75MM per year)

It seems clear that K-Rod will set a new record for relievers in terms of total contract value.  He’ll probably want $13-15MM per year over four or five seasons.  Will the Angels pay up?  Will his price be artificially high if he sets a new saves record?

Odds and Ends: Vizquel, Saito, Burnett, K-Rod

By | at

So many links, so little time.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Dunn, Burnett, Ibanez

By | at

Ken Rosenthal’s Full Count video Saturday covered many interesting topics; yesterday he put the info into column form and added even more.

  • Same old story with Adam Dunn – he’s just not drawing much interest.  Even with the whiffs and ugly defense, this is surprising to me.  Rosenthal says the Reds "will take a considerable risk" if they offer Dunn arbitration after the season and he accepts.  Would having Dunn on a one-year deal at market price really be so bad?
  • Rosenthal says "it remains to be seen whether Jim Bowden’s authority will be compromised" in the wake of his involvement in the FBI’s bonus-skimming investigation.  The Nationals have a couple of mildly interesting starters to shop in Tim Redding and Odalis Perez, plus perhaps the top righty reliever in Jon Rauch.  Maybe Rauch will be packaged with a starter.
  • The Angels will try to retain Francisco Rodriguez after the season.
  • The Blue Jays started A.J. Burnett on three days rest in an attempt to maximize his starts before the trade deadline, though the J.P. denies it. Burnett responded well against the Yankees.  Rosenthal wonders whether he would abandon his opt-out clause if his contract was extended through 2011 upon a trade.  A dissenting opinion – Jon Heyman talked to one GM who does not expect Burnett to opt out.
  • The D’Backs apparently do not see Raul Ibanez as much of an upgrade over Chad Tracy. However, Jack Magruder wrote Saturday that the Mariners and D’Backs had discussions on Ibanez.
  • The Dodgers are still interested in Jack Wilson.
  • Rosenthal says some teams are skeptical that the Pirates would offer Damaso Marte arbitration after this season.   Why wouldn’t they?  The Red Sox are interested in the lefty.

Angels Enter Mix For Fuentes

By | at

When we last checked, nine teams had expressed interest in Rockies closer Brian Fuentes at some point: the Marlins, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Phillies, A’s, Cubs, Cardinals, and Rays.  Today Ken Rosenthal adds a tenth team to the mix: the Angels.  The Rays are considered the frontrunner.

Rosenthal did a phone interview with Fuentes, asking about his geographic preference once he becomes a free agent.  Fuentes notes that he’s a West Coast guy, but most importantly he wants to remain a closer.

Heyman’s Latest: Bay, Rivera, Chacon

By | at

New column from SI.com’s Jon Heyman.

  • Fresh Jason Bay rumors: the D’Backs and Cardinals are in pursuit.  The Mets and Rays have kicked the tires as well.  Heyman believes the Pirates want Emilio Bonifacio from the D’Backs, and maybe Colby Rasmus from the Cards.  At any rate, the price will be steep with Bay signed for ’09.
  • Juan Rivera is a "surprise target" of the Mets, though they’ve had interest in him since March.  Rivera will be hard to acquire, though, because he’s gaining playing time for the Angels.
  • Heyman believes Shawn Chacon will win his grievance and get paid his full salary.

Angels Content With Roster

By | at

The Angels haven’t had substantial trade talks in recent weeks, and GM Tony Reagins likes his club.  The Angels are first in the AL West, six games ahead of the A’s.

The Angels rank 12th in OBP and 10th in SLG.  This puts them 11th in the AL with 4.29 runs per game.  Garret Anderson, Gary Matthews Jr., and Erick Aybar have not contributed offensively.  You can let Aybar off the hook, but an upgrade at DH/LF would be nice.  Fortunately Anderson and Matthews have shown flashes of competence, as their hefty contracts probably mean the Angels are stuck with them.

The Angels’ rotation looks great, and the bullpen is respectable.

Week In Review

By | at

Continuing with Tim’s new tradition, here’s my take on some of the top rumors of the week from June 29 – July 6:

  • The C.C. Sabathia sweepstakes is nearing an end, with the Brewers’ Matt LaPorta package being the frontrunner. We’ll let everyone know the full story as soon as possible.
  • The Phillies extended Brad Lidge to a three-year contract. Lidge looks like his old self – great deal for Philadelphia. Looks like this means Brett Myers will remain in the rotation if he can get back on track.
  • We heard a lot about the Rays’ growing interest for Colorado closer Brian Fuentes. They could be preparing an offer. Troy Percival has been good, but injury prone, and you almost hate to move Dan Wheeler from the eighth inning where he’s been so good all year.
  • The shortstop market is hot, as the Dodgers, Orioles, and Jays would all like to upgrade. The Dodgers are interested in Jack Wilson, while the Orioles are looking at David Eckstein and possibly Juan Uribe or Felipe Lopez. The Jays could look to move A.J. Burnett and his contract for an upgrade there as well. Interesting that Toronto wants an upgrade over Eckstein, while Baltimore looks at him as an upgrade…
  • The Indians finally cut Joe Borowski loose, designating him for assignment. Was this too little too late? They tried to sneak Craig Breslow through waivers earlier this year. I’m guessing they’d rather have the 1.42 ERA he’s posted this season than Borowski’s 7.56, but the Twins are enjoying Breslow’s benefits.
  • Could the Angels add Matt Holliday? Seems unlikely with the stockpile of large contracts they already have in their outfield if you ask me.
  • The A’s signed Michel Inoa for $4.25MM on Thursday.
  • The Padres will be sellers this July. The onslaught of injuries have made this a frustrating season for San Diego. If you’d been able to see Adrian Gonzalez’s monster numbers through July 1 before the season started, who would’ve believed this team wasn’t contending? Wow.
  • For those who are interested, Tim looked at this past years’ offseason moves and compiled an All-Star lineup of free agent hitters signed prior to the 2008 season. That’d be a heck of a team to try to beat right now…

Rosenthal: Angels Looking Into Holliday

By | at

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, residing in Orange County, California, are currently the second-worst run producers in the American League. That they have the second-best win percentage in the junior circuit is a testament to their superb pitching staff, led by John Lackey and his 1.44 ERA, though with about 40 fewer innings than most of the team’s other starters.

They’d like to add a bat before the trading deadline, though there are a few problems with that. Take, for instance, Ken Rosenthal’s report that they are interested in Rockies left fielder Matt Holliday. In order to fit him into the scheme, the Angels would have to somehow unload Gary Matthews Jr, who is owed $33 million from 2009 through 2011. That’s not an easy proposition, considering the 2006 fluke is hitting just .239/.318/.361.

According to Rosenthal, this Matthews situation means that the Angels would have to go even further with their prospects and cash in order to make a deal. This might indicate that the team will stand pat and rely on its pitching going forward. Former GM Bill Stoneman was never one for a mid-season move, and his replacement Tony Reagins has expressed similar sentiments.

The Rays could also look into acquiring Holliday, which would round out a stellar outfield. They have more than enough on the farm to get something done. Both teams could also look into Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Ken Griffey Jr., or Adam Dunn.

Rockies Rumors: Holliday, Fuentes, Torrealba

By | at

The Rockies have been even worse than the Padres – 19 games under .500, 10 games out in a lousy division.  According to Tracy Ringolsby, they’ll decide at the All-Star break whether to officially become sellers.

Let’s start with closer Brian Fuentes, whose ERA jumped from 2.56 to 3.94 last night.  Reports had the suitors at the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Phillies, and A’s.  Ringolsby says to cross the A’s off the list and add the Rays, Cubs, and Cardinals.  Ken Rosenthal tossed the Cubs into the mix on June 12th, but then changed that report.  Troy E. Renck adds the Cardinals to the list.

Ringolsby rattles off teams interested in Matt Holliday: Cardinals, Rays, Angels, Dodgers, and Royals.  Definitely some new names in there.  Holliday is hitting .332/.415/.538 in 299 plate appearances (.309/.401/.472 on the road).  Ringolsby says the A’s will "kick the tires" on Holliday but are more likely to pursue Willy Taveras. 

We also have RotoWire, which reports that catcher Yorvit Torrealba told the Tigers’ radio network that he wants to be traded.  After nearly signing with the Mets, Torrealba inked a two-year, $7.25MM deal with the Rockies.  He is hitting as badly as expected: .252/.291/.387 in 180 PAs.  He’s thrown out only 24% of runners, up slightly from last year. Torrealba has been splitting time with Chris Iannetta since May.

Odds & Ends: Rivera, Sabathia, Mark Sweeney

By | at

Some Odds & Ends for this Sunday morning:

  • Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times proposes the Dodgers offer middle reliever Cory Wade or Single-A fireballer Javy Guerra for OF Juan Rivera.  Despite already having a logjam in the outfield, Rivera would provide the power the Dodgers need.  As he sees it, the Angels have a propensity for stockpiling arms and Rivera is only gathering dust behind Gary Matthews Jr.  Fun fact from Shaikin: it’s been 32 years since the last Dodgers/Angels trade.
  • The Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck tells Orioles fans not to expect C.C. Sabathia to be signed by the O’s this offseason.
  • Tony Jackson of the Los Angeles Daily News says Mark Sweeney may draw the short straw when Rafael Furcal and Nomar Garciaparra return from the DL within the next week.  The Dodgers would release the 38 year old.
  • Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times notes all indications are that the Rays will be making some moves before the deadline.  They have the payroll flexibility, prospect depth, and would be happy to pickup draft picks from any big free agent they can’t re-sign.  They’re looking for a veteran starting pitcher, a late inning reliever, and a right handed hitting outfielder.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top