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Stark On Clemens, Dodgers, Red Sox, Mauer

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In his latest column, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark writes that Astros players have told their friends on other teams that they already think Roger Clemens' arrival in Houston is a done deal.  An old friend of Clemens himself also told Stark that he is convinced The Rocket is gearing up for a big league comeback.  Here's more from Stark..

  • The Dodgers have $181.3MM committed to 17 players for next season, putting them at $3.3MM over the $178MM tax threshold. However, team president Stan Kasten says that he isn't terribly concerned about it.  "I don't know. It's not something we've focused on yet," he said. "To us, that's a secondary issue. First, we want to put the best team on the field now and worry about other things later. We're not focusing on that yet."  In the long term, Dodgers' brass wants to lean heavily on scouting and player development with a payroll close to what other teams in "similar markets" have, according to Kasten.
  • The Red Sox are giving agents and other teams the vibe that they aren't in a rush to spend just because of their new found payroll space.  People who have talked with Boston predict that they're more likely to make creative moves this offseason rather than eat an undesirable contract like that of a Joe Mauer or Cliff Lee.
  • Speaking of Mauer one exec that checked in on him says trade talk surrounding the catcher lately is "garbage."  As for Lee, Stark writes that he is also likely to stay as the Phillies made it clear earlier this year that they have no interest in moving him.
  • Stark asked an AL scout and an NL scout about their thoughts on Dan Haren, who will be a free agent after the Angels buy out his final option year.  Both said that while there are concerns about his velocity and his all-around stuff, he could be an intriguing one-year pickup at the right price. 
  • The scouts were also asked about Jeremy Guthrie and neither scout was terribly high on him.  The NL scout pointed out his high volume of mistakes over the plate but said that he would install him in the back of a rotation on a one-year deal.  The AL scout on the other hand said he would rather take his chances with Daisuke Matsuzaka or Haren.

Red Sox Notes: Ellsbury, Hunter, Crawford

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The Red Sox are 69-90 since last September 1st, ESPN.com's Buster Olney notes (on Twitter). As a disappointing season winds down it’s time to look ahead to some possible offseason moves. Here’s the latest on the Red Sox…

  • It’s likely that the Red Sox will “kick the tires” on a possible long-term contract for Jacoby Ellsbury this offseason, but it’d be a surprise if the sides find common ground, Alex Speier of WEEI.com writes. Agent Scott Boras will present Ellsbury as a superstar, but the Red Sox probably wouldn’t be comfortable paying him like one after 2013, his final season as an arbitration eligible player. It’s unlikely the Red Sox will look to trade Ellsbury, Speier writes. The outfielder told Speier he’s not focused on his contract status. “I just go out and play, man, prepare," he said.
  • Torii Hunter said he’s open to the possibility of signing in Boston when he hits free agency this offseason, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. "I'm open to anybody, especially if David [Ortiz] is there," Hunter said. He noted that his first choice remains a new deal with the Angels.
  • Hunter suggested that Carl Crawford will be pleased to start fresh with the Dodgers. “I'm sure he's a lot happier," Hunter said.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Billingsley, Rockies, Padres

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Earlier today we learned that Shane Victorino would like to re-sign with the Dodgers after this season, but the veteran has no interest in returning as a bench player.  While Victorino seemed likely to be retained by the Dodgers when they traded for him, the club’s acquisition of Carl Crawford might alter their plans.  Here’s more out of the National League West..

  • Dodgers president Stan Kasten told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times that he fears that Chad Billingsley’s elbow injury could sideline him for the remainder of the season.  Kasten went on to say that the fear did not stem from “medical evidence”, which implies that it may just be a hunch at this juncture.
  • Meanwhile, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com that the talent pool that has cleared waivers or remains on waivers is “very thin right now.”  Colletti wouldn’t completely rule out the idea of an acquisition taking place tonight or tomorrow but said that nothing is brewing at present.
  • The Rockies will continue to use a four-man rotation in 2013, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post.  The club has experimented with using four starters on a limited pitch count with three “piggyback” relievers this season and will tweak the model to use four relievers next year.  The plan was met with skepticism this season but the Rockies have been pitching better since making the switch.
  • The Padres could contend for a Wild Card spot next season with some badly-needed upgrades to their rotation, writes Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs.  Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that Padres execs are encouraged by the team’s recent play and are adjusting their plans in order to win in the short-term.  The report also suggested that San Diego could target an established starter like Hiroki Kuroda.
  • Renck (via Twitter) doesn’t expect the Rockies to be in on Joe Mauer, in large part because they already have Wilin Rosario behind the plate and Mauer would lose value if moved elsewhere.

Victorino Could Re-Sign With Dodgers

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Shane Victorino would like to re-sign with the Dodgers when he hits free agency this coming offseason. But if there isn’t room in Los Angeles’ starting outfield, he won’t be back. The 31-year-old switch-hitter told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that he has no intention of returning as a bench player.

"Are you crazy?" Victorino said. "I'm not even thinking about stepping back. Why would I? I'm 31 years old. . . . I'm going to be an everyday play, whether it be here, whether it be Philly, whether it be any uniform."

Los Angeles seemed like a possible long-term fit for Victorino when he was acquired from the Phillies before the non-waiver trade deadline. The Dodgers have since acquired Carl Crawford, who’s under contract through 2017. However, Crawford recently underwent Tommy John surgery, so he might not be ready for the beginning of the 2013 season.

Victorino, who lives in Las Vegas, said he likes what the Dodgers are doing and would consider re-signing with the team if there’s interest on both sides. "Anything can happen,” he told Hernandez.

NL West Notes: Padres, D’Backs, Dodgers, Oswalt

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The Padres announced that the ownership group led by the Seidler/O’Malley families and Ron Fowler completed the purchase of the team for $800MM. Fowler is the team’s control person and the ownership group includes two sons and two nephews of Peter O’Malley, the Dodgers’ longtime owner. Tom Garfinkel will stay on as the Padres' president and CEO and Josh Byrnes will remain the team’s executive VP and general manager.

Here are today’s NL West links…

  • The Padres' new owners offered more platitudes than specifics when addressing the media today, Scott Miller of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The owners didn't say where the team's payroll will sit.
  • The Dodgers continue spending aggressively, but it doesn’t seem to bother the Diamondbacks’ top officials. Managing general partner Ken Kendrick told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he has “no problem competing with these folks." Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall said "there is so much more to building a championship team than just exorbitant salaries."
  • The Diamondbacks will be able to contend with the Dodgers if their young core of starting pitchers can stay healthy and perform, Piecoro writes. If pitchers such as Tyler Skaggs, Wade Miley and Trevor Bauer can continue to pitch effectively as pre-arbitration eligible players, Arizona can spend elsewhere. Relying on young starting pitching isn’t foolproof, but it’s been done before, as Piecoro explains.
  • One Dodgers person didn’t seem enthused about the possibility of trading for Roy Oswalt, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Oswalt has cleared waivers and the Rangers will consider trading him. The Dodgers inquired on Oswalt, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.

Kershaw Open To Talking Extension

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The Dodgers have spent aggressively to acquire players from other organizations this summer, but at some point in the coming months they could turn their attention to a player they drafted and developed themselves: reigning Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. The left-hander told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that he would consider a long-term extension if the Dodgers wish to discuss one. 

"Yeah, sure, I'm always open to talks," Kershaw said. "I've had a great time here. I love the guys and I love everything about L.A."

Last offseason the sides agreed to a two-year, $19MM deal that covers Kershaw’s first two arbitration seasons (2012-13). They discussed the possibility of a four-year deal with a fifth year option before settling on two years, according to Hernandez.  The 24-year-old Hendricks Sports client will be eligible for arbitration one more time following the 2013 season and eligible for free agency following the 2014 season.

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said in May that he doesn’t intend to negotiate a longer deal with Kershaw during the regular season. Since then, the Dodgers have spent more than $430MM in player acquisitions, Hernandez writes. It won’t be surprising if Guggenheim Baseball Management, the team’s new ownership group, works aggressively to keep Kershaw in place long-term.

Kershaw has followed up his Cy Young season with a similarly dominant year. He leads National League pitchers with 186 2/3 innings, 183 strikeouts and two shutouts. His ERA has risen but remains under 3.00 at 2.84 and he continues to limit walks (2.1 BB/9). At this point in Kershaw’s career, he seems well-positioned to obtain a contract worth in excess of $100MM.

Dodgers Seek Starting Pitcher

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TUESDAY: The Dodgers continue to work hard to add a starting pitcher, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Olney points out that the Dodgers are willing to take on major salaries and suggests Mark Buehrle could be a possibility.

MONDAY: Eight of the 25 players on the Dodgers’ active roster have been acquired in trades since the end of July and they may not be done dealing yet. The Dodgers are looking for another starting pitcher, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). However, they aren’t close to any trades and don't expect to be able to acquire an impact starter.

The Dodgers have already traded for two starters since the waiver trade period began in August: Joe Blanton and Josh Beckett. Clayton Kershaw, Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano round out the rotation for the Dodgers, who can only trade for MLB pitchers who have placed on waivers. To this point no available starting pitchers are known to have cleared waivers (Joe Saunders cleared, but was traded over the weekend).

GM Ned Colletti must complete a deal by Friday for an acquisition to be eligible for postseason play. The Dodgers could trade for a starter in September, but he would not be eligible for the postseason should the Dodgers qualify.

Dodgers Inquired On Sabathia, Teixeira

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The Dodgers called the Yankees to inquire about the possibility of trading for C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. The Yankees told the Dodgers they had no interest in moving either player despite their substantial contracts (four years and $99MM remain on Sabathia’s deal; four years and $90MM remain on Teixeira’s deal).

Los Angeles recently acquired Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto from Boston by agreeing to take on $260MM in future salaries. Dodgers officials weren’t inspired by the upcoming free agent class, so they explained to rival teams that they’re willing to take on substantial contracts. This gave the Dodgers the leverage to complete many deals — few clubs could add substantial payroll midseason.

There are no signs the Dodgers were interested in Alex Rodriguez, Sherman writes. Some executives question Rodriguez’s ability to play third base every day at this stage in his career, and he might be best-suited for the American League. Furthermore. the Dodgers view Hanley Ramirez and Dee Gordon as solutions on the left side of the infield. 

The Yankees would love to move Rodriguez for payroll reasons, according to Sherman. Yankees executives aim to avoid the $189MM luxury tax threshold for 2014, and Rodriguez’s contract limits their flexibility (five years and $114MM remain on Rodriguez's deal). However, Rodriguez has a no-trade provision, as do Sabathia and Teixeira.

Scott Hairston Claimed On Waivers

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5:10pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that the winning team made the claim as a block, and Hairston is not likely to be traded (Twitter link).

4:41pm: Mets outfielder Scott Hairston has been claimed on waivers by an unknown team, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (all Twitter links). The Dodgers did not win the claim and neither did the Giants, Heyman writes.

The Mets placed Hairston and Andres Torres on waivers over the weekend. They now have two days to select one of three options. They can let Hairston (and his contract) go to the claiming team, they can complete a trade with the claiming team, or they can pull him back off of waivers. National League teams had waiver priority on Hairston, beginning at the bottom of the standings.

Hairston, 32, earns $1.1MM this year — just $200K between now and the end of the season. He has a .272/.312/.512 batting line this year and a history of hitting left-handed pitching well.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, David Ortiz, Dylan Bundy

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With the calendar ready to turn to the final month of the regular season, there are still 15 teams in contention for a playoff spot. From the surprises (Athletics, Pirates, Orioles) to the big spenders (Dodgers, Angels, Tigers), the addition of a second Wild Card to each league has take the race for the playoffs to another level. Let's take a moment to catch up on the latest stories and news making headlines from around baseball…

  • It took him awhile, but FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal finally understands why the Dodgers' trade with the Red Sox actually makes sense for Los Angeles. The addition of Adrian Gonzalez to man first base gives the Dodgers the game's biggest Mexican-American star as well as an upgrade both offensively and defensively. Even though Los Angeles paid a large sum for its package of stars, Rosenthal suggests the team wouldn't have had many desirable options to pursue this offseason.
  • Another star player appears to be done in Boston – at least for this season – write Evan Drellich and Austin Laymance of MLB.com. Slugger David Ortiz, enjoying a strong season at the plate, may find himself on the disabled list come Monday as he continues to struggle with his right Achilles tendon. "We're talking about it, because I just can't really play like this," Ortiz said. "I don't want to be thinking about my foot while I'm facing the opposition, which is what happened to me after I hit that double [on Friday]."
  • Prospect Dylan Bundy can't help but wonder what it would be like if the Orioles call up the right-hander to join the big league club in Baltimore this September, writes Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com. The 19-year-old isn't afraid of the bright lights of the big city as he doesn't think there's much of a difference between playing at Double-A and facing Derek Jeter amidst a playoff race. "Not any pressure at all, it's just the same game. Little bit better hitters. Someone told me the other day, it's the same distance between the rubber and home plate no matter where you are. Just little bit bigger stands, little bit better hitters in the box. More media, but it's all the same."
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