Dodgers Rumors

Zack Greinke Rumors: Friday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 7, 2012 at 8:52pm CDT

Angels GM Jerry Dipoto told reporters yesterday that he's "prepared to move on from Zack Greinke." Even the Dodgers are considering moving on, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported yesterday. The Rangers maintain interest in the free agent right-hander, but there's not much clarity beyond that. Here are the latest rumors surrounding Greinke with the most recent updates up top…

The Angels are "very unlikely" to make a last-minute play for Greinke as they did last year with Albert Pujols, a source tells ESPN's Jim Bowden (Twitter link).
Also from Bowden's Twitter feed, a Dodgers source says that if the team can't sign Greinke, it will explore a trade for R.A. Dickey or pursue Anibal Sanchez in free agency. Sanchez is the Dodgers' top choice ahead of Kyle Lohse amongst free agent starters.

Earlier updates:

Nolan Ryan and the rest of the Rangers front office blew Greinke away, Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). Greinke apparently loves the team's chances of winning the World Series.
The Dodgers are pessimistic about their chances of signing Greinke, Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports. GM Ned Colletti had a memorable response when asked if he was on the doorstep of signing the free agent right-hander. "We're not on the front lawn. … We're barely out of the car at the curb. It's better than driving around the neighborhood looking for the house. We know where the house is located. We just can't seem to get out of the car."
Many trade and free agent possibilities are on hold as teams wait to see where Greinke will sign, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Greinke knows the Dodgers and Rangers are serious about signing him, but he now appears to be uncertain about his next step. The Rangers would prefer to sign Greinke, trade Michael Young to Philadelphia and acquire Justin Upton, Nightengale reports.

Dodgers Close To Signing Zack Greinke

By Mike Axisa | December 7, 2012 at 7:25pm CDT

7:25pm: The Rangers have been told that Greinke is not signing with them, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.

6:59pm: It's a six-year contract worth $145MM, reports Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. That would be the largest contract ever given to right-handed pitcher, surpassing Matt Cain's five-year, $112.5MM deal. Hernandez emphasizes that the deal is not done yet.

6:45pm: The Dodgers appear to be close to signing Zack Greinke, reports Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). There is still ground to be covered, but Los Angeles is out in front for the right-hander's services at the moment.

Greinke, 29, is the free agent market's top pitcher and top overall player according to MLBTR's Tim Dierkes. The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner pitched to a 3.48 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 212 1/3 innings split between the Brewers and Angels last season. It was his fourth 200+ inning season in the last five years.

This post was originally published on December 8th.

The Dodgers, Angels, and Rangers have been the righty's three primary suitors this offseason. Yesterday we learned that the Halos are "very unlikely" to re-sign Greinke, who was "blown away" by his visit to Texas. The Dodgers were also said to be pessimistic about their chances to land him, so these things can change in a hurry.

Four Teams Interested In Dee Gordon

By Tim Dierkes | December 7, 2012 at 1:38pm CDT

FRIDAY: The Braves and Phillies also asked about Gordon, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (Twitter links). It appears that every team except the Dodgers would try Gordon as an outfielder. However, the Dodgers told clubs that they aren't open to moving him now.

WEDNESDAY: The Indians are discussing Gordon with the Dodgers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, eyeing him as a potential replacement if they trade shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

TUESDAY: The Dodgers are fielding tons of inquiries on shortstop Dee Gordon, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports, though they're not looking to deal him. The Mariners are among the teams hitting the Dodgers hard on Gordon, tweets Miller.

Gordon, 25 in April, hit .228/.280/.281 in 330 plate appearances this year. He missed significant time due to thumb surgery. Prior to the 2011 season, Baseball America ranked Gordon the 26th best prospect in baseball, citing the potential for four plus tools.

Dodgers, Twins Interested In Skip Schumaker

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 7, 2012 at 9:00am CDT

The Dodgers and Twins are among the teams that have some level of interest in Cardinals bench player Skip Schumaker, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. GM John Mozeliak acknowledged that Schumaker’s name has been out there as a potential trade candidate.

“We’ve tried to optimize the type of return we might get for him,” Mozeliak said. “We’ve left it fairly open. If we can get Major League help, we would definitely consider that. If we can’t find it we will look for someone who can fit into our minor league system.”

Schumaker, 32, will earn $1.5MM in 2013, the last year on his contract. As Goold notes, this seems reasonable given the escalating cost of infield help in free agency. Other than the Dodgers and Twins, the Reds could also be interested in Schumaker, a versatile player capable of playing second base and the outfield. The left-handed hitter has a .345 career on-base percentage, but he struggles to hit lefties.

Quick Hits: Greinke, Cubs, White Sox, Dodgers

By Zachary Links | December 7, 2012 at 12:14am CDT

Post-meetings links from around baseball..

Dodgers people are starting to sound a little less optimistic in their pursuit of Zack Greinke and are wondering if the pitcher might prefer the Rangers, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
The Cubs' addition of Nate Schierholtz doesn't end their search for outfield help, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com (via Twitter).
The White Sox sound like they would like to add another bullpen arm to the mix, writes Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com. General Manager Rick Hahn specifically identified the role vacated by free agent Brett Myers, who is now drawing interest as a starter.
Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times wonders if the Dodgers' policy on no-trade clauses will preclude their ability to lure free agents.
Twins GM Terry Ryan tells MLB Network Radio (via Twitter) that they will listen to all offers on Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.
Brewers GM Doug Melvin says that the club isn't in on Brian Wilson, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Agent Scott Boras explained to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times that the Red Sox were paying for more than baseball ability when they gave Daisuke Matsuzaka his monster deal in 2006.

Free Agent Notes: Greinke, Correia, Downs

By Zachary Links | December 6, 2012 at 6:10pm CDT

Club officials and agents continue to wait for Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton to come off the board so that the other dominoes can fall, Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) writes. Olney looks at the scenarios that could unfold from there and notes that the Dodgers should make a strong play for Anibal Sanchez or Kyle Lohse or Edwin Jackson if Greinke lands in Texas. Here's today's batch of free agent notes..

Kevin Correia is mulling multiple multi-year offers, including one from Japan, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Earlier today we learned that the Royals are looking at Correia as a potential plan B if they fail to land a No. 1 starter.
Free agent infielder Matt Downs is getting interest from Phillies, Marlins, and Rockies, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (via Twitter). Downs posted a .202/.253/.371 batting line in 191 plate appearances last season, down from the .276/.347/.518 line he posted in his first full season with the Astros.
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) that he has noticed in the last few days agents asking for higher signing bonuses in anticipation of the new tax rate.

Zack Greinke Rumors: Wednesday

By Steve Adams | December 6, 2012 at 5:14pm CDT

The battle for Zack Greinke might be down to just the Dodgers and the Rangers, and the bidding could exceed CC Sabathia's record $161MM contract. Here's the latest on the market's top free agent, with the newest information listed first…

The Greinke talks are reaching a critical stage and the Dodgers are considering pulling out and moving on to other pursuits, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
"We're prepared to move on from Zack Greinke," Angels GM Jerry Dipoto told reporters including Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times today. The Halos reached an agreement with Joe Blanton yesterday.
Buzz this morning points to the Rangers zeroing in on Greinke and trading for a bat rather than signing Josh Hamilton and trading for an arm, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark. The Dodgers are not paralyzed by Greinke, GM Ned Colletti tells Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.

Earlier updates:

There's a growing sense among Dodgers personnel that Greinke will end up with the Rangers, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports. They feel that if Greinke really wanted to pitch for them, he'd have signed by now.
Greinke's wife Emily, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, could influence her husband to get back to Texas, hears Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Now I'm reminiscing about all the Amber Sabathia-related rumors from four years ago. Sherman hears the Greinke deal will get done at these Meetings or shortly thereafter.
An Angels person told Danny Knobler of CBS Sports a $160MM+ offer for Greinke is "going to blow us out of the water."
While the Angels remain in touch with Greinke, an Angels person tells Heyman a Greinke signing would be more shocking than their Albert Pujols deal was a year ago.
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter) that while the Greinke sweepstakes seem to be a battle between the Dodgers and Rangers, a third team could certainly enter the fray at any time. Could that team be the Angels? Manager Mike Scioscia told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio that L.A. is still involved in negotiations (Twitter link). However, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (via Twitter) that the Angels appear to be more focused on the tier of free agent pitchers below Greinke. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times agrees, tweeting that it's "highly unlikely" the Angels exceed $20MM+ annually for a pitcher.
The Dodgers spoke with Greinke's representatives today, though it's not clear where talks stand, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. According to Rosenthal, the Dodgers hope to sign two starting pitchers, perhaps even aiming as high as Greinke and Anibal Sanchez.
There's a "strong belief" by people close to the situation that Greinke could beat Sabathia's $161MM contract, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Heyman adds that a deal is possible within the next couple days (Twitter links).
The "big buzz" in Nashville this morning is to watch out for the Rangers on Greinke, tweets Jayson Stark.
Greinke is more involved in the process than many other free agents who let their representation handle the bulk of the work, writes ESPN's Jayson Stark. He'll take his time to decide, and in the meantime the rest of the starting pitching market will be on hold, as they await his decision. One executive joked to Stark about the amount of money Greinke will make: "I'm not sure it'll all fit in a Brinks truck. It might be a semi trailer."
During the 2012 season, the Brewers let Greinke know that they'd be open to discussing an extension in the five-year, $100MM range, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. However, Greinke and agent Casey Close decided to wait, figuring they could do much better on the open market, and it looks like they'll be proven right, says Haudricourt.

2012 Rule 5 Draft Results

By Steve Adams | December 6, 2012 at 9:03am CDT

Each year, Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings conclude with the Rule 5 Draft. For those who are unfamiliar with the event, MLBTR offers an in-depth description, but here's a quick overview.

Players are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft if they aren't on the 40-man roster four or five years after signing, depending on the age at which they signed. Teams draft in the reverse order of the previous season's standings but aren't required to make a selection. If they do choose a player, they pay his former team $50K and must keep that player on the Major League roster all season or offer him back to his original team for $25K.

The results from the Major League phase:

Astros take righty Josh Fields from Red Sox
Cubs take righty Hector Rondon from Indians
Rockies take lefty Danny Rosenbaum from Nationals
Twins take righty Ryan Pressly from Red Sox
Indians take first baseman Chris McGuiness from Rangers
Marlins take outfielder Alfredo Silverio from Dodgers
Red Sox take second baseman Jeff Kobernus from Nationals; traded to Tigers for infielder/outfielder Justin Henry
Royals
Blue Jays
Mets take lefty Kyle Lobstein from Rays; traded to Tigers for cash considerations
Mariners
Padres
Pirates
Diamondbacks take righty Starling Peralta from Cubs
Phillies take outfielder Ender Inciarte from Diamondbacks
Brewers
White Sox take infielder Angel Sanchez from Angels
Dodgers
Cardinals
Tigers
Angels
Rays
Orioles take lefty T.J. McFarland from Indians
Rangers take righty Coty Woods from Rockies
Athletics
Giants
Braves
Yankees
Reds
Nationals

Second round of Major League phase:

Astros take first baseman Nate Freiman from Padres
Marlins take lefty Braulio Lara from Rays

NL West Notes: Brian Wilson, Dodgers, D’Backs

By Tim Dierkes | December 5, 2012 at 7:49pm CDT

The NL West saw a few free agent signings today, as the Diamondbacks inked Eric Chavez and Wil Nieves and the Rockies re-signed Jeff Francis. The latest from around the division:

Although he hasn't talked to Brian Wilson's agents at the Winter Meetings, Giants vice president of baseball operations Bobby Evans told Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com there is an understanding to stay in touch. Wilson's agent Dan Lozano told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle seven teams have expressed interest in his client, either as a closer or setup man.
Ichiro Suzuki is not a fit for the Giants in left field because he's too much like Gregor Blanco, tweets Shea.
Shea has the financial breakdown on Marco Scutaro's new three-year, $20MM contract with the Giants.
The Dodgers are in the market for a left-handed reliever now that Randy Choate has agreed to a three-year deal with the Cardinals, tweets Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
The Dodgers would like to add one or maybe two backup-type catchers to compete with Tim Federowicz, tweets Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles.
The Chavez signing gives the Diamondbacks an extra infielder, but GM Kevin Towers said he might wait until Spring Training to make a trade (Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reporting).
The Padres' Andrew Cashner is not expected to be ready for Opening Day after suffering a lacerated tendon in his right thumb last week, an injury suffered at the hand of a hunting buddy as the two were dressing meat (MLB.com's Corey Brock reporting).

Dodgers, Rangers Battling For Greinke

By Luke Adams 2 | December 5, 2012 at 1:47am CDT

Although Dan Haren found a deal this morning, much of the free agent pitching market remains on hold while Zack Greinke seeks a contract, writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports. As we wait for the dominos to begin to fall, we'll track today's Greinke updates right here, with the newest additions at the top of the page:

In an update on his previous report, Heyman writes that a third team could be involved, but that people most familiar with the situation expect the Dodgers or Rangers to sign Greinke for $160MM+. Some have speculated that number could reach as high as $175MM. The Rangers' talks with Josh Hamilton appear to be on hold while they pursue Greinke.

Earlier updates:

The Greinke derby appears to be between the Rangers and Dodgers, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, and the deal is likely to be for $160MM+. The largest-ever contract signed by a pitcher is $161MM, from the Yankees for C.C. Sabathia four years ago.
The Dodgers would be surprised to see a resolution on the Greinke situation before they leave the Winter Meetings, tweets Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly met with Greinke last week in Los Angeles, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.'
Greinke is still "going through the process" with teams, so his situation hasn't gained clarity yet, tweets ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
The Dodgers and Rangers appear to be the favorites for Greinke, with the Angels as the dark horse, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and SiriusXM also considers those three teams to be the strongest suitors for Greinke, though he views the Angels as a more likely candidate than the Rangers (Twitter link). With the Nats out and the Braves unlikely, Bowden wonders if a mystery team, such as the Blue Jays, Red Sox, or White Sox, could get involved.

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