Dodgers Rumors

Non-Tender Reactions: Buck, Wang, Capps, Cust

By Luke Adams 2 | December 13, 2009 at 12:42pm CDT

Yesterday, MLBTR recapped some of the more interesting names not to receive contracts at baseball's non-tender deadline. Those players, along with the rest of the non-tender list, have inspired plenty of discussion and speculation. Let's check out some links….

ESPNDallas's Richard Durrett and MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan are in agreement: John Buck should be of interest to the Rangers.
MLB.com's Bryan Hoch wonders if the Dodgers have some interest in Chien-Ming Wang. The Cardinals could also be interested, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Pirates' decision to non-tender Matt Capps shocked Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who has some reaction quotes from the right-hander. Capps makes sense for the Rays, writes Tommy Rancel at DRays Bay. Meanwhile, the Cubs are interested, says Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney was less surprised about the Capps decision, and gives his opinion on a few of the other big moves.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says that, despite not tendering him a contract, the Athletics could still potentially retain Jack Cust. ESPN.com's Rob Neyer, however, says that the A's handled Cust well, avoiding paying a higher price for declining numbers.
Chad Jennings of LoHud.com lists some new free agents that might intrigue the Yankees, while Scott Lauber of the News Journal mentions some possible options for the Phillies.

Odds & Ends: Mets, Braves, Red Sox, Cust

By Zachary Links | December 12, 2009 at 8:49pm CDT

Some Saturday links:

The Mets have yet to make an offer to John Lackey and continue to focus on Jason Bay, according to David Lennon of Newsday (via Twitter).
Meanwhile, Jon Heyman tweets that the Mets would be willing to give Bay a five-year deal if necessary.
Braves GM Frank Wren said the club is open to retaining Kelly Johnson at a lesser salary, he said that he would be better suited to an opportunity where he could get more at-bats, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
While Wren continues to explore other options on the open market, the club is leaving the door open for Jason Heyward to win the job in right field, writes David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Prior to being selected by the Mets in the Rule 5 draft and sold to the Dodgers, Carlos Monasterios told Bravos de Margarita that both the Dodgers and the Tigers were in contact with him (passed along by Diamond Leung).
The Red Sox trade of Mike Lowell to Texas has not been officially completed as Rangers officials are looking over the third baseman's thumb, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
Recently non-tendered Jack Cust could be a fit for the White Sox, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick told Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic that the club still has room to spend this winter.
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says that barring something that's not currently on the team's radar, the second baseman job will go to Blake DeWitt plus a veteran, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
Matt Eddy of Baseball America brings us the latest minor league transactions. Most notably, former Seton Hall Prep standout and Yankees' first round selection Eric Duncan has landed with the Braves.

Dodgers Sign Josh Towers

By Tim Dierkes | December 12, 2009 at 12:02am CDT

The Dodgers signed pitcher Josh Towers to a minor league deal worth $700K in the Majors, according to the AP. Towers, 33 in February, posted a 3.05 ERA, 4.8 K/9, and 2.1 BB/9 in 103.3 Triple A innings for the Yankees and Nationals organizations this year. Towers' best years were with the Blue Jays, namely an '05 season where he posted a 3.71 ERA in 208.6 innings. He has a career BB/9 mark of just 1.5.

Counsell May Sign By Monday

By Mark Polishuk | December 11, 2009 at 9:47pm CDT

Barry Meister, who represents free agent infielder Craig Counsell, told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that his client may have a deal finalized with the Brewers (or possibly another team) by Monday. Milwaukee made an initial offer to the 39-year-old veteran on Dec. 4, and then reportedly upped it yesterday. The conventional wisdom has been that Counsell will re-sign with the Brewers, given that he lives in the Milwaukee area and that both the player and team have seemed eager to work out a deal. No dollar amounts have been mentioned, but it would surely be a raise from the one-year/$1MM contract that Counsell received from the Brewers last winter. Despite Counsell's age, the offer may also be for more than one year in length.

Counsell has spent the last three seasons in Milwaukee and also played for the Brewers in 2004. He hit .285/.357/.408 over 459 plate appearances in 2009, notching a career-high in OPS for a season in which he had more than 189 PAs. Solid numbers aside, Counsell's value to the Brewers in 2010 will be to provide veteran leadership backing up the club's young infield corps of Mat Gamel, Alcides Escobar and Casey McGehee.

Should the talks between Counsell and the Brewers fall apart at the eleventh hour, we know that the Reds and Dodgers have also shown interest in the veteran utilityman.

Discussion: Kevin Correia

By Mark Polishuk | December 11, 2009 at 7:09pm CDT

8:08 PM: MLB.com's Corey Brock (via Twitter) is saying that the Padres are, in fact, going to try and deal Correia before Saturday's non-tender deadline rather than just let the pitcher leave.

7:09 PM: As reported last Monday, right-hander Kevin Correia will likely not be tendered a contract by the Padres before Saturday's non-tender deadline. Correia was a bargain for the Padres last season, earning $1.1MM and posting a 3.91 ERA, 2.22 K/BB ratio and a team-leading 12 wins in 33 starts. Numbers like that will earn Correia a significant raise — one that San Diego doesn't seem inclined to pay.

Though it appears that Correia, a San Diego native, will be leaving his hometown, it could be argued that his local club is doing him a financial favor by letting him explore free agency. There could even be a minor bidding war over the right-hander given the number of teams that have already been mentioned as possible suitors. Ken Rosenthal listed the Brewers, Mets and Dodgers as potential destinations for Correia, and the LA Times' Jon Weisman echoed the Dodger possibility given Los Angeles' interest in pitching. Evan P. Grant of the Dallas Morning News mentioned (via Twitter) the Rangers might also have an eye on Correia, though Texas already seems to have a number of young pitchers ready to start. Plus, it may be a dicey proposition for a career NL West pitcher to move to not just the AL, but to a hitter-friendly stadium like Rangers Ballpark.

Correia was not an overly big beneficiary of PETCO Park last season (a 3.68 ERA and 1.25 WHIP at home, 4.18 ERA and 1.36 WHIP on the road), so there is reason to believe that his good showing in his first year as a full-time starter can extend outside San Diego's city limits. What other teams do you think should make a play for Correia, and if your favorite team was the one signing the right-hander, what do you think a reasonable contract would be for his services?

Olney On Damon, Halladay, Molina, Carroll

By Tim Dierkes | December 11, 2009 at 12:48pm CDT

ESPN's Buster Olney kicks off his latest blog post with a poignant look at his relationship with Peter Gammons. As for the rumors…

Olney says the Yankees and Johnny Damon appear to be far apart in early contract negotiations. Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News believes the Yanks will turn to Hideki Matsui, Mike Cameron, or Mark DeRosa if Damon won't take a two-year offer within two weeks or so. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Damon seeks three or four years at $13MM annually, while the Yanks are at two years, $19MM (Bobby Abreu's contract).
Olney heard the Blue Jays' asking price of the Phillies for Roy Halladay "is about the same" as it was in July. That doesn't seem logical, but we are talking about two different GMs here. Olney was able to confirm the reported Halladay demands the Jays made of the Yankees: Jesus Montero, Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes, and more.
The Mets' initial offer to catcher Bengie Molina contains a vesting option. Olney doesn't speculate, but do you think the Mets were willing to guarantee the first two years?
The Dodgers, Indians, and A's are among the teams eyeing Jamey Carroll, who seeks a two-year deal. Carroll may look at Craig Counsell's yet-unsigned deal as a precedent.

Odds & Ends: Beltre, Lyon, Nats, Rangers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 10, 2009 at 11:07pm CDT

Some more links for your Thursday night…

John Tomase of the Boston Herald says the Red Sox believe Adrian Beltre to be "one of the most game-changing defenders in the majors."
Two GMs tell Tom Verducci of SI.com that they were shocked to see the Astros commit $15MM to Brandon Lyon.
Verducci reports that the Yankees called the Tigers about Curtis Granderson before the World Series began.
The Nats still plan on adding multiple veteran starters, according to Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post.
Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says the Rangers have to be "extremely selective with multi-year deals, stock a good farm system, fill in with low-risk, high-reward short-timers and churn regularly." So far, Sherrington likes Jon Daniels' strategy.
MLB.com's Ian Browne expects Mike Lowell to be a positive presence in the Texas clubhouse.
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti tells MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that he's "not close" on any deals.
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Steve Kornacki of MLive.com that there's a chance Phil Coke starts in Detroit.
The D'Backs don't appear to have much money to spend, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
Marlins president Larry Beinfest tells MLB.com's Joe Frisaro that "there is still some stuff simmering." The club hopes to trade Dan Uggla, according to Frisaro.
Orioles starter Brian Matusz told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that he grew up watching Kevin Millwood pitch for the Braves. Now, the two will be teammates.
Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports that the Dodgers turned down a Japanese club that wanted to buy Eric Stults' contract.
Brian Cashman told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that Juan Miranda could potentially DH for the Yanks next year.

Odds & Ends: Wolf, Stammen, Lackey

By Tim Dierkes | December 10, 2009 at 2:30pm CDT

Post-Winter Meetings links for Thursday…

ESPN's Keith Law calls the Astros' signing of Brandon Lyon "hobbling," but likes the Rays impending acquisition of Rafael Soriano. He says the Soriano situation shows that if a team has a borderline call with a Type A free agent, they should offer arbitration.
ESPN's Buster Olney says Randy Wolf would've re-signed with the Dodgers for a two-year deal in the $14-16MM range.
Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun says the Blue Jays talked to the Nationals about pitcher Craig Stammen but "he does not appear to be available."
The Cardinals touched base with Scott Boras before leaving Indianapolis, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cards still haven't made an offer to Matt Holliday.
ESPN's Mike Salk heard that John Lackey is the Mariners' top priority.
The Hanshin Tigers signed reliever Randy Messenger for about $600K, says NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman. Messenger will replace Scott Atchison, who signed with the Red Sox.
The Big Lead did a Q&A with new Yankee Curtis Granderson.

Twitter Rumors: Smoltz, Damon, Mulder, Felix, Counsell

By Tim Dierkes | December 10, 2009 at 10:33am CDT

Twitter madness…

Surprisingly, Ken Davidoff of Newsday writes of an "increasing expectation around MLB" that the Yankees will eventually re-sign Hideki Matsui.
Crasnick talked to one exec who says Scott Boras wants three years and big money for outfielder Rick Ankiel.
The Royals talked to the Dodgers about Juan Pierre, writes ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, but the Dodgers would have to eat too much money to make it work.
ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Phillies are now looking hard at John Smoltz as a possible "back-of-the-bullpen weapon." Smoltz's agent apparently told the Phils that the pitcher has no problem with Citizens Bank Park.
ESPN's Buster Olney heard "the Yankees are in the process of negotiating with Johnny Damon's camp." He adds that the Yanks "intend to use market forces to pressure Damon to make a decision quickly." I'm sure Scott Boras will love that.
Brewers GM Doug Melvin plans to visit free agent lefty Mark Mulder in January to discuss a possible contract, says Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says there have been no Felix Hernandez negotiations this week after an initial four-year offer from the Mariners.
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times that they'll tender contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players. No big surprise, though it's a large group of players.
Scott Lauber of the News Journal talked to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr., who said Astros GM Ed Wade stole Brandon Lyon from the Phillies. The Astros committed three years and $15MM to Lyon despite holes at shortstop and third base.
MLB.com's Adam McCalvy says the Brewers upped their offer to Craig Counsell this morning and GM Doug Melvin is confident they'll get it done. The Reds are still in the mix for Counsell, says MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune heard last night that Twins infielder Alexi Casilla is available.

Overnight Links: Rodney, Lyon, Nationals, Weaver

By Mike Axisa | December 10, 2009 at 2:13am CDT

The Hot Stove never sleeps…

With Brandon Lyon headed to Houston, Steve Kornacki of MLive.com expects the Tigers to intensify their efforts to re-sign Fernando Rodney.
Speaking of Lyon, Dave Cameron at FanGraphs calls his signing by the Astros "the latest act in a joke that’s gone on far too long." Ouch.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson says that the Nationals' agenda hasn't changed; they're looking for quality pitching and a backup infielder.
The Angels will be among the teams at Aroldis Chapman's workout next week, reports Mike DiGiovanna of The LA Times.
The Dodgers have interest in re-signing righty Jeff Weaver, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. The 33-year-old Weaver had a 3.65 ERA in 79 innings for LA last season.
Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com notes that the Tigers have only $33MM committed to their 2011 payroll, and would have a big chunk of money to play around with next offseason even if they scale their payroll back a bit.
Bill Beane left the Winter Meetings late Wednesday afternoon according to MLB.com's Tom Singer, and is ready to get some serious work done. "You really do more productive work when you get back home, and can get on the phone away from the distractions," Beane said.
Phillies' GM Ruben Amaro acknowledged that it's possible the team may move past Chan Ho Park and Scott Eyre, says MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.
MLB.com's Chris Haft wonders if the Giants could benefit from the Yankees' glut of outfielders.

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