Cafardo On Red Sox, Reynolds, Hamilton, Martin
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe isn't sure that everyone appreciates the scope of the situation that Red Sox GM Ben Cherington & Co. are facing. “I know they’re trying to sell it like they’ll be back quickly, and maybe everything will come together and they will,” said a National League GM, “but it’s just not player acquisition, it’s the transition for all of those new players to a new team and city, it’s getting used to a new manager, coaches, teammates. This is not that simple.” Here's more from today's column..
- The Red Sox have often been linked to Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, but it still seems unlikely that Boston would risk dealing for him. Choo, like Jacoby Ellsbury, is a year away from hitting the open market and has Scott Boras as his agent. For the Sox to pull the trigger, they'd likely have to know that they could lock him up long-term.
- If the Orioles bring Mark Reynolds back, it'll have to be for far less than the $11MM option they declined earlier this offseason. Some see the Red Sox as a fit, but his high strikeout rate may be a turnoff for Boston.
- Cafardo sees the Yankees, Dodgers (if they trade Andre Ethier), Mariners, Orioles, and Brewers as the teams to watch for Josh Hamilton. The extra $25MM that teams could earn each year as a result of the new TV deal could lead someone to take the plunge and give the outfielder a five-year deal.
- The Red Sox had interest in Russell Martin before signing catcher David Ross.
Quick Hits: Hunter, Dodgers, Dickey, Mets
The Dodgers have been said to have interest in free agent outfielder Torii Hunter, but their level of interest may have been overstated, according to Dylan Hernandez and Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The team met with Hunter’s agent at the GM meetings this week, but a source says that it was Hunter’s agent who initially reached out to the Dodgers, not the other way around. Since the Dodgers won't move Andre Ethier, Hunter's only possible role would be as a fourth outfielder and the veteran isn't terribly interested in doing that. Hunter's agent has also talked with the Tigers, Rays, Yankees, and Phillies and tells clubs that his client wants a multi-year contract. Here's more from around baseball..
- MLB.com's Thomas Harding writes that Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey isn't sure whether the club will trade him this winter if they can't reach agreement on a contract extension, but his preference is to stay in New York.
- The Mets don't want to go to arbitration with Andres Torres, but the club has not ruled out bringing him back for 2013, a source tells Dan Martin of the New York Post. Torres would be in line for a slight raise over the $2.7MM he earned last season through arbitration, but the club could bring him back at a more reasonable price. I profiled Torres as a non-tender candidate back in September.
- The Yankees have faith they can make deals with pitchers Mariano Rivera, Hiroki Kuroda, and Andy Pettitte, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. When it comes to Kuroda, the Yanks see Japan as a bigger threat to pull him away than teams like the Red Sox or the Dodgers.
- The weak crop of catchers on this year's open market could yield a high return for the Red Sox if they trade Jarrod Saltalamacchia, writes Tim Britton of The Providence Journal.
Dodgers Notes: Ethier, Hunter, Kershaw, Ryu
Earlier today, the Dodgers made history when they submitted the winning bid on Hyun-Jin Ryu for $25,737,737.33, the largest ever for a South Korean player. Here's more on the Dodgers..
- The Dodgers won't be trading Andre Ethier, so Torii Hunter would need to accept a lesser role if he signed with them, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The veteran, who is close with both Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford, has interest from nine other clubs including the Tigers, White Sox, Rangers, and Mariners (Twitter link).
- Clayton Kershaw's hip issues won't deter GM Ned Colletti from working out a new deal with Clayton Kershaw, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. "I think we'll probably sit down and talk about it once we get past this period of time, the free agent period of time," Colletti said. "We signed him for another year, there's another year after that. That said, if there's a common ground on both sides, it's worth investigating."
- Agent Scott Boras says that Ryu wants to be a starter in the major leagues, tweets Hernandez. Boras added that if Ryu doesn't wind up signing with the Dodgers, he expects the posting fee to increase dramatically next year (Twitter link).
Rosenthal’s Latest: Upton, Rays, Youkilis, Dodgers
Here's the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- The Rangers continue to insist that they will not trade either Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar for Justin Upton, which could allow the Rays to emerge as the front-runner. They could offer the Diamondbacks James Shields or Jeremy Hellickson in addition to shortstop prospect Hak-Ju Lee.
- The White Sox and Phillies are interested in Kevin Youkilis, and the Dodgers are considering him as well. Rosenthal says other clubs are concerned whenever Los Angeles is reportedly in on a player given their financial might.
- The Orioles and Nationals are still engaged in a dispute over money received from MASN — both clubs own the network, but Baltimore's stake is nearly 90% — though Nats GM Mike Rizzo said that will not limit the club's ability to spend.
- Angels GM Jerry Dipoto is not concerned about finding a pure closer. He intends to add the best bullpen arms he can and let things figure themselves out.
- A rival executive told Rosenthal that he expects Dan Haren to sign with the Padres. Haren is a West Coast guy and Padres GM Josh Byrnes originally acquired him from the Athletics while running the Diamondbacks a few years ago.
- “Like him. Don’t love him," said a Red Sox official when asked about Adam LaRoche. Boston is reportedly pursuing the first baseman.
- Joakim Soria and Ryan Madson will not be ready to pitch at the start of the season. Both right-handers are coming off Tommy John surgery.
Dodgers Win Bidding For Hyun-Jin Ryu
The Dodgers won the negotiating rights to Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu with a $25,737,737.33 bid, MLB has announced. It's the largest bid ever for a South Korean player, and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says (on Twitter) that there was at least one more bid in the $20MM range. The numbers three and seven are considered lucky in Korea, hence the unusual winning amount. Ryu is a Scott Boras client and the two sides will now have 30 days to work out a contract since the Hanwha Eagles have already accepted the bid.
Ryu, 25, was posted earlier this month. He's been one of the Korea Baseball Organization's most dominant pitchers over the last five years or so, helping the country to Olympic gold in 2008 and a second place finish in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. ESPN's Keith Law said Ryu has an 88-91 mph fastball and a "plus changeup with good arm speed and a fringy curveball in the upper 70s, which is a better left-on-left option right now than his slider." He ranked the southpaw 37th on his Top 50 Free Agents list and said he could wind up in the bullpen given concerns about his durability and thick body.
The Dodgers already have six starters, but Ted Lilly (shoulder), Chad Billingsley (elbow), and Clayton Kershaw (hip) are coming off injuries. Upgrades over Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano could be found as well. Los Angeles has reportedly kicked the tires on free agents like Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, and Hiroki Kuroda this offseason, though it's unclear how winning Ryu's rights would impact their search for pitching. They still have to sign him first, of course.
Jon Heyman, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News, ESPN's Buster Olney, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun, Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times, and MLB.com's Jordan Bastian all reported on the story, mostly through Twitter. Dan Kurtz of MyKBO first reported the winning bid amount (on Twitter) while Mike Petriello of the blog Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness first reported that the Dodgers had won the bidding (on Twitter).
Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
Nightengale On Hunter, Dodgers, Greinke, Simmons
Here's the latest from Bob Nightengale of USA Today…
- The Dodgers are "aggressively pursuing" Torii Hunter according to a team executive. GM Ned Colletti wouldn't confirm the team's interest, but he did say that he did not have any trade talks about Andre Ethier during the GM Meetings this week.
- The Dodgers will have meetings early next week to formulate a plan that involves signing Hunter and acquiring a frontline starter. They've already spoken to representatives for Zack Greinke and Anibal Sanchez, but are out on Ryan Dempster.
- The Rangers tried to acquire Andrelton Simmons from the Braves so they could flip him to the Diamondbacks in a deal for Justin Upton. Arizona wants a young shortstop, but Texas is loath to give up Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar. Atlanta wouldn't budge, however.
Multiple Teams Interested In Michael Bourn
The free agent crop's best leadoff hitter is also one of this winter's most popular players. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that multiple teams are interested in Michael Bourn, including the Nationals, Phillies, Reds, and Red Sox. The Dodgers are considered a very long shot to sign the speedy outfielder.
Bourn, 29, hit .274/.348/.391 with 42 steals for the Braves this year and offers both elite speed and elite center field defense. The Reds and Nationals are known to be seeking leadoff hitting outfielders while the Red Sox are looking for outfielders in general, presumably corner bats given the presence of Jacoby Ellsbury. The Phillies originally drafted and developed Bourn before sending him to the Astros in the Brad Lidge trade.
Earlier today, Bourn officially rejected the Braves' qualifying offer and will require draft pick compensation to sign. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked him third in his Top 50 Free Agents list, predicting he would sign with Washington.
Dodgers Notes: Hanley, Catchers, Pitcher Trades
As ESPN's Jayson Stark writes, the Dodgers are rapidly turning into California's answer to the Yankees with their big-spending ways. "Everything is totally different now," said general manager Ned Colletti. "Now we can think bold thoughts. Now we can do bold things. We can think progressively and aggressively. Obviously, we've got to be wise with our choices. We can't be reckless. But now we're encouraged to think big, to think global — if we see a toothpick, to think redwood tree."
Here's more news from Chavez Ravine…
- Hanley Ramirez's preference is to play shortstop though he can also play third base, and MLB.com's Ken Gurnick notes that until Ramirez's position is settled, the Dodgers may not be able to make any big moves at the other position. "We're fine with Hanley playing shortstop, but he's got to be better [defensively]," said Colletti. "We can wait until Spring Training to decide that. Part of the decision is based on Dee Gordon and Luis Cruz. Health aside, there are multiple issues. We'll let spring decide it."
- Also from Gurnick, Colletti said that he isn't looking for veteran catching depth. A.J. Ellis is set to start for Los Angeles with Tim Federowicz as the backup.
- Colletti has a "rough idea" of how much the Dodgers can spend on their 2013 payroll, "but it's debatable depending on who becomes available."
- At the GM meetings, Colletti said he discussed trades for "players who play multiple positions" and a trade for a starting pitcher "might be a touch more possible."
- Speaking of trades for pitching, Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles lists five possibly-available starters that the Dodgers could pursue in trades: Jeremy Hellickson, Cliff Lee, Derek Holland, Gavin Floyd and Trevor Bauer.
Anibal Sanchez Wants Six-Year, $90MM Contract
Anibal Sanchez is looking for a six-year contract worth around $90MM, reports FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi. It's a large price tag but it's certainly a realistic one for the 28-year-old given the number of teams interested in his services this winter, especially since those suitors include big-market teams like the Tigers, Dodgers, Red Sox and Blue Jays.
Morosi compares the $15MM average annual value of Sanchez's demand to that of C.J. Wilson, who signed a five-year, $77.5MM contract with the Angels last offseason. It's possible that a team could match Wilson's contract in guaranteed money for Sanchez over five years and then make that sixth year either a team option or a vesting option.
Then again, the presence of the free-spending Dodgers in the mix could be the X-factor. Sanchez and Hiroki Kuroda are the Dodgers' top pitching targets on the free agent market, reports CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. L.A. has shown no hesitation to make big salary commitments under their new ownership group, so it's very possible they could freeze out other teams by guaranteeing a sixth year to Sanchez.
MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Sanchez as the fourth-best overall free agent on the market this winter, and the second-best pitcher, behind No. 1 choice Zack Greinke.
Hiroki Kuroda Rumors: Thursday
Here's the latest on Hiroki Kuroda, who can now add the Red Sox to his growing list of suitors. The newest items are at the top of the page…
- Kuroda isn't limiting his choices to the Yankees or a return to Japan, reports Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. "I never said anything like that," Kuroda explains, adding that he is open to several options and hasn't yet made any decisions. (Both links go to Hernandez's Twitter account.)
- Several teams are interested in Kuroda and some have discussed two-year contracts, reports Dylan Hernandez. The Dodgers are among the teams who have contacted Kuroda's representatives at the Octagon agency. (Both links to Twitter.)
- Kuroda is the Dodgers' "top choice" for the pitching staff, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The Dodgers are checking in on most of the top free agent arms this offseason though Kuroda is a known quantity, having pitched for L.A. in his first four years in the majors.
- While Kuroda is open to signing a one-year contract, such a deal would have to "significantly" top the Yankees' one-year, $13.3MM qualifying offer, a source tells Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).