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NL West Links: Hoyer, Lidge, Dodgers, Alcantara

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Earlier this morning we heard that the Giants are open to trading Jonathan Sanchez, so now let's see what else is going on in the NL West…

  • Cubs GM Jed Hoyer told reporters (including Bill Center of The San Diego Union-Tribune) that he wasn't looking to leave the Padres, instead calling it the “perfect storm of opportunities.”
  • Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies speculates (on Twitter) that the Rockies could kick the tires on free agent reliever Brad Lidge. Lidge is from Colorado and lives in Denver during the offseason.
  • Larry Altman of The Daily Breeze reports that Dennis Gilbert has assembled an ownership group and will attempt to purchase the Dodgers. The former White Sox executive made a push to buy the Rangers two years ago.
  • Baseball America's Ben Balder reports that Padres prospect Yoan Alcantara has been caught in an identify fraud investigation. The purported 18-year-old outfielder's real name and age is unknown. Badler says the investigator, who was an outside contractor and not an MLB employee, has been charged with taking a $25K bribe in exchange for helping the player pass the background check.

Dodgers Notes: Kemp, Fielder, Ownership, Trump

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Now that Frank McCourt has agreed to sell the Dodgers, expect a winter of speculation about who might take over the club.  Here's the latest on the ownership front and a few other items…

  • Matt Kemp spoke to reporters (including MLB.com's Ken Gurnick) during a conference call about such topics as the McCourt sale, trying to recruit his friend Prince Fielder to Los Angeles, and his own desire to stay with the Dodgers over the long term.  Kemp agreed with his agent Dave Stewart's stance about not letting extension negotiations drag into the 2012 season.  "I've heard from people that negotiating can get tough and maybe overwhelming," Kemp said. "I don't want to mess up the chemistry of the team. I just want to play baseball."
  • Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times breaks down the details of McCourt's sale and notes that signing a big free agent like Fielder could be "a nine-figure liability" that could lower the club's sale price.
  • Donald Trump tells Greta Van Susteren of FOX News (video link, around the 9:00 mark) that says he's "probably not" going to make a bid to buy the Dodgers but "there's always interest…because it's a great asset."
  • As reported earlier today, the Dodgers signed Juan Rivera to a one-year, $4MM contract with a $4MM club option for 2013.

Dodgers Sign Juan Rivera

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The Dodgers have announced a new one-year contract with Juan Rivera. The deal, which is pending a physical, would guarantee the outfielder $4.5MM.  It includes a $4MM salary in 2012 and a $4MM club option for 2013, with a $500K buyout. The Dodgers and Rivera's representatives at Proformance were closing in on a deal earlier in the week.

Rivera joined the Dodgers when the Blue Jays sent him to Los Angeles for a player to be named later in July. The 33-year-old posted a combined line of .258/.319/.382 with 11 homers and 23 doubles for the Blue Jays and Dodgers in 2011, his 11th season in the Major Leagues. 

Rivera has produced against left-handed pitching over the course of his career (.830 OPS) and 2011 was no exception (.805 OPS). He played left field, right field and first base for the Dodgers and will likely play a similar role in 2012. He was not a ranked free agent, so the Dodgers could not have obtained compensation for losing him via free agency.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports was the first to break the news of the agreement, and the contract details were added by ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (both Twitter links).

Latest On Orioles’ GM Search: Friedman, Hahn

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Orioles director of player development John Stockstill and Dodgers assistant GM De Jon Watson are candidates to become Baltimore's next GM, but they aren't alone. Jerry Dipoto is now the Angels' GM and Tony LaCava turned down an offer from the Orioles to remain in Toronto, so the Orioles are expanding their search. Here's the latest, with the most recent updates up top:

  • The Orioles would like to interview Dodgers GM Ned Colletti if he leaves Los Angeles, according to Kubatko.
  • The Orioles have requested permission to interview Andrew Friedman of the Rays, Rick Hahn of the White Sox and Mike Radcliff of the Twins, according to Kubatko (on Twitter).
  • Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun explains that the Orioles haven't yet contacted the Rangers about executives such as Thad Levine or A.J. Preller. Connolly suggests former Red Sox GM Dan Duquette and current Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer could be candidates for the position.
  • Scott Proefrock, the Phillies' assistant GM, will interview for the Orioles' GM vacancy, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Proefrock is the Orioles' former assistant GM.
  • LaCava said his decision to stay in Toronto was about the Blue Jays, not the Orioles. But Danny Knobler of CBS Sports hears that his decision was about the Orioles. LaCava wanted to make front office changes that owner Peter Angelos refused to approve, according to Knobler. LaCava would have obtained a competitive salary from the Orioles.
  • Knobler hears that Watson and Stockstill are “very unlikely” to be offered the job.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, who reported this morning that the Orioles are expanding their search, notes that manager Buck Showalter and director of baseball operations Matt Klentak are handling the front office responsibilities for now.
  • Kubatko adds that the Orioles have contacted the Rays, White Sox, Twins and Phillies for permission to interview GM candidates from the teams' front offices.
  • For a complete look at MLBTR's GM Candidates, click here. Two people on the list, Jerry Dipoto (#1) and Ben Cherington (#4), have already landed GM jobs.

Dodgers Notes: O’Malley, McCourt, Silverio

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It's a historic day for the Dodgers. Owner Frank McCourt, has agreed to sell the team. Here's the latest on the club's sale along with some updates on its roster:

  • Red Sox chairman Tom Werner told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he's "very happy in Boston," but didn't explicitly rule out bidding on the Dodgers.
  • Peter O'Malley told Shaikin that he hopes to assemble a group of investors and buy the Dodgers. O'Malley, 73, has spoken with commissioner Bud Selig about his plans and isn't worried about coming up with investors. The O'Malley family owned the Dodgers for decades and moved the team from Brooklyn to L.A. in 1958.
  • FOX is not interested in buying the Dodgers and neither is Athletics owner Lew Wolff, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times (Twitter links).
  • Former Dodgers GM Fred Claire is involved in a group that's interested in buying the team, according to Shaikin.
  • Steve Dilbeck of the Times examines potential buyers for the team in detail.
  • MLB has agreed to speed up the sale of the team by pre-approving bidders, according to Shaikin (on Twitter). However, MLB won’t guarantee McCourt a minimum sale price.
  • Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban repeated to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he's only interested in buying the Dodgers if they're available for less than $1 billion (Twitter link).
  • The Dodgers announced that they added outfielders Alfredo Silverio and Scott Van Slyke to their 40-man roster. The move that will protect them from the Rule 5 draft.
  • In case you missed it, Double-A right-hander Will Savage re-signed with the Dodgers on a minor league deal earlier today.

Minor Moves: Indians, Dodgers, Jake Fox

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Here's where we'll keep track of today's minor moves…

  • The Indians announced that outfielder Jerad Head elected free agency. The 28-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .284/.338/.526 line with 24 homers.
  • Double-A right-hander Will Savage re-signed with the Dodgers on a minor league deal according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 27-year-old posted a 3.95 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 141 1/3 innings in 2011.
  • Jake Fox refused an assignment to the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate and has elected free agency, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). Baltimore had outrtighted Fox off of its 40-man roster last week. The 29-year-old posted a .756 OPS in 67 plate appearances this year, appearing behind the plate, in left field and at first base.

McCourt Agrees To Sell Dodgers

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WEDNESDAY: McCourt and MLB have agreed to seek approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for an auction of the Dodgers, reports Shaikin.  MLB hopes to have a new owner in place by Opening Day.

MONDAY: Dodgers owner Frank McCourt appears to be nearing an agreement with MLB on a bankruptcy settlement, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. Under the agreement, McCourt would agree to sell the team. At this points negotiations are fluid and talks could fall apart.

McCourt would have some control over the sale, which would likely include Dodger Stadium and surrounding parking lots, according to the Times. Shaikin suggests a sale price of $1 billion is not out of the question. The Dodgers' bankruptcy trial was delayed last week.

It seems unlikely that the Dodgers will be major players for the offseason's top free agents. However, they're expected to discuss extensions for center fielder Matt Kemp and left-hander Clayton Kershaw and it's possible that each player could require a commitment of $100MM or more.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Cook, Bell, Hill

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The Dodgers are nearing a deal with Juan Rivera and have drawn interest from a high-profile potential buyer. Here are more notes from the division…

  • Dodgers owner Frank McCourt will get at least $1 billion if he agrees to sell the team, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Dodger Stadium and its surrounding parking lots will likely be included in any sale. 
  • Aaron Cook can see himself returning to Colorado under the right circumstances and Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd has some interest in bringing the right-hander back, according to Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post. The Rockies declined an $11MM option for Cook yesterday, paying a $500K buyout instead. 
  • Padres GM Josh Byrnes told reporters, including Tom Krasovic of MLB.com, that he'll be happy if Heath Bell accepts arbitration and prepared in case the Type A reliever declines.
  • The Diamondbacks value Aaron Hill at about $4MM, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). They had an $8MM option for the second baseman before declining it yesterday.

Mark Cuban Had Interest In Dodgers, Could Make Bid

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10:05pm: A spokesman for McCourt told Shaikin that the Dodgers owner hasn't interacted with Cuban. "He doesn't know Mark Cuban. He hasn't spoken with Mark Cuban. He hasn't had anyone speak with Mark Cuban on his behalf" (Twitter link).

8:23pm: Mark Cuban has interest in buying the Dodgers, but not unless the team's price drops. The high-profile Dallas Mavericks owner says he offered to buy the Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt several months ago, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. However, McCourt wanted $1-1.2 billion for the team, so Cuban held his cash.

"At that price, I wasn't interested," Cuban told Shaikin.

Cuban, who has bid on the Cubs and Rangers in the past, won't rule out buying the Dodgers if the price drops under $1 billion. McCourt and MLB are nearing an agreement on a bankruptcy settlement, according to Shaikin. Under the agreement, McCourt would sell the team, giving prospective owners a chance to purchase one of MLB's premier franchises.

Dodgers, Juan Rivera Closing In On Deal

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10:01pm: The deal would guarantee Rivera approximately $4MM, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.

7:59pm: Juan Rivera and the Dodgers are closing in on a one-year contract that would include a team option for 2013, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times. The deal could be completed later in the week. 

Rivera joined the Dodgers when the Blue Jays sent him to Los Angeles for a player to be named later in July. The 33-year-old posted a combined line of .258/.319/.382 with 11 homers and 23 doubles for the Blue Jays and Dodgers in 2011, his 11th season in the Major Leagues. SFX represents Rivera, as our Agency Database shows.

Rivera has produced against left-handed pitching over the course of his career (.830 OPS) and 2011 was no exception (.805 OPS). He played left field, right field and first base for the Dodgers and will likely play a similar role in 2012. He was not a ranked free agent, so the Dodgers could not have obtained compensation for losing him via free agency.

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt may sell the Dodgers this winter. Click here for Tim Dierkes' offseason outlook for the club.

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