Rangers Rumors: Rogers, Gagne, Hunter
MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan has some new info regarding the Rangers’ plans this offseason.
- Kenny Rogers has already had three separate stints with the Rangers, the last one ending with the cameraman incident. The Rangers would like to bring him back for a fourth tour, if the price is right. One emailer speculated that the team also wouldn’t mind an apology to management for the incident, also. Sullivan says the Mariners, Phillies, Dodgers, and Mets may also have Rogers on the radar. Seems like Ned Colletti is letting bygones be bygones with Scott Boras. UPDATE: Boras reiterated tonight that the Tigers are Rogers’ priority. He seemingly wants one year and $10MM.
- The Rangers have interest in another Boras client, Eric Gagne. I think I read this in ESPN Magazine recently – how about re-signing him and flipping him all over again at the ’08 deadline?
- Owner Tom Hicks and GM Jon Daniels had dinner with Torii Hunter tonight. I heard they had the roast beef. The Rangers will make an offer later this week, though they’ll have to top whatever the White Sox come up with.
- The Rangers also want to bring back Jamey Wright for the ‘pen.
Dodgers To Seek Pitching Via Trade
Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times has some insight into Ned Colletti’s gameplan this offseason.
Colletti still isn’t a fan of the free agent market for starting pitchers. He feels that the Dodgers’ best chance of upgrading the rotation is via trade. Though the Dodgers have been previously linked to Hiroki Kuroda, Colletti seemed unimpressed by the Japanese market. Trade options might include Erik Bedard, A.J. Burnett, Cliff Lee, Jon Garland, Jose Contreras, Johan Santana, Dan Haren, Joe Blanton, Chris Capuano, and Dave Bush. Did I miss anyone?
As far as third base, Colletti says the Dodgers haven’t decided whether to go after Alex Rodriguez. He was able to tolerate Scott Boras enough to talk with him briefly last week. The other options for the Dodgers would be Mike Lowell and Miguel Cabrera. Giving Andy LaRoche a try wouldn’t be a terrible idea.
It sounds like the Dodgers really want to sign a center fielder and move Juan Pierre over. It seems that Colletti will investigate the Big Three among free agent center fielders. Him being on OK terms with Boras bodes well for the Andruw Jones possibility.
Second base is still unresolved, and Colletti could go for Luis Castillo if Jeff Kent retires. Kent’s agent shot down the whole Larry King thing. Tony Abreu makes for a fine internal fallback.
Rivera, Posada, Lowell To Hit Open Market?
Brian Cashman was unable to reach an agreement with either of his big-name free agents tonight. Both Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada will hit the open market despite receiving improved offers from the Yankees. Rivera hinted that he could follow Joe Torre to the Dodgers. That seems an unlikely way for the Dodgers to spend $40MM+.
Honestly I thought the Yankees would extend themselves to get both deals done by midnight tonight. I’m surprised to see this pair hit the open market, where any team is liable to overpay. Peter Abraham speculates that Posada might require four years, $56MM, because that’s what Mike Lowell wants.
Speaking of Lowell – the Red Sox don’t seem willing to stretch to add that fourth year. They’re still negotiating, so maybe something creative can be done before Lowell starts fielding offers from other clubs.
Larry King Expects Kent To Return
TV’s Larry King spoke to Jeff Kent recently, and came away convinced he’ll return to play in 2008. Odd source of information. The same sentiment about Kent has recently been expressed by Joe Torre and Ned Colletti. It sounds like the Dodgers will be set at second base for ’08.
Torre also provided thoughts on Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez recently. Torre said Pettitte was "leaning towards staying home" and it was "possible" the Dodgers could sign A-Rod. Such a signing would not cost the Dodgers their valuable 15th overall pick next year. The Yankees have to be rooting against this.
I recently watched an ESPN video (top right corner) where Keith Law said he didn’t see Colletti patching things up to cut a deal with Scott Boras. If the Dodgers are to sign A-Rod it might have to be Dodgers owner Frank McCourt taking care of things. It’s assumed that Pettitte will either retire or pitch for the Yankees, though Nick Cafardo speculated he could go to L.A. to pitch for Torre.
A couple of vets would like to re-join the Dodgers in David Wells and Luis Gonzalez. They’ve already made a minor addition in Chan Ho Park. Others who have been connected to the Dodgers: Miguel Cabrera, Luis Castillo (probably only if Kent retires), Hiroki Kuroda, Andruw Jones, and Torii Hunter. A note on Kuroda – Phil Rogers’ straw poll indicated that roughly 20 teams have some level of interest in him.
Torre: A-Rod to Dodgers?
The hot stove buzz this morning is Joe Torre’s coy remarks about Alex Rodriguez ending up in Dodger blue. Said Torre, "It’s possible. It’s possible. It’s possible." There are a number of articles, but Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant reminds readers that Torre and A-Rod have been exchanging phone messages.
In Amore’s article Torre adds that "you’ve got four or five clubs that figure to be in the sweepstakes." The Dodgers were on Jon Heyman’s list of possible teams. If the Yankees offer Rodriguez arbitration, which he would decline, and he signs with the Dodgers, the Yankees would not gain a first round pick; however, I’d say the Dodgers and A-Rod make a good deal of sense. They’d certainly make room for him at 3B or SS. And Frank McCourt is the kind of owner not afraid to make a big splash.
Posted by Nat Boyle
Contract Window For Miguel Cabrera?
MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro says the Miguel Cabrera trade talks are heating up. As you know, Cabrera is under team control for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He might become more enticing if the acquiring team can talk to his agent prior to completion of a trade, with a long-term contract in mind. As far as I can tell Cabrera is represented by Arn Tellem and Fernando Cuza currently.
Frisaro says the Angels and Dodgers are in the lead for Cabrera. The Yankees, White Sox, Indians, and Tigers are also in the mix. However this Paul Hoynes article seems to indicate the Indians are fading on Cabrera. And I think it’s questionable whether the White Sox have the goods. Frisaro doesn’t include the Red Sox, which jives with Michael Silverman’s info today. Peter Gammons says the Red Sox could get Hank Blalock in a Coco Crisp deal but aren’t ready to do that right now.
It’s known that the Marlins want Howie Kendrick from the Angels; Ken Rosenthal first reported that yesterday. Maicer Izturis would also be thrown in there, but I imagine Nick Adenhart would be required as well. If such a deal were reached, Dan Uggla would move to third base to accomodate Kendrick. There’s also speculation that the Marlins could trade Uggla if they get Kendrick.
Frisaro expects Dontrelle Willis to stay put this winter.
Odds and Ends: Lowell, Sabathia, Polanco
I’m going to start up a catch-all Odds and Ends post for smaller rumors and notes today. Refresh to see it grow.
- A reader emailed me to tell me that Buster Olney said on XM Radio recently that there are talks of the Twins going after Scott Rolen. These reports can be tough to confirm, but there you go. UPDATE: Joe Christensen squashes this one.
- Mark Feinsand doesn’t think Epstein is keen on giving Mike Lowell even a three-year contract. He might get five on the open market. UPDATE: The Red Sox apparently have a three-year offer out to him, and he’s still mulling it over.
- The White Sox inquired about Bill Hall, but Kenny Williams and Doug Melvin couldn’t find a match.
- Baseball America weighs in on the Brad Lidge trade. BP’s Nate Silver gives his opinion here and here. He thinks the Phillies made a mistake.
- The Astros have contacted Jeremy Affeldt‘s agent. Also, Jim Molony speculates in this piece that speedy Josh Anderson could be expendable because of the Michael Bourn addition.
- Back to where it all began: the Dodgers have signed Chan Ho Park. No need for more starters now!
- Andy Pettitte hopes to tell the Yankees whether he’ll play by the New Year. Also, Ken Davidoff notes that the Yanks would prefer to trade Hideki Matsui over Johnny Damon, but Godzilla’s full no-trade clause would be the problem.
- Theo Epstein let Scott Boras pitch his entire client list last night, A-Rod included. There’s a very slight chance the Red Sox sign Eric Gagne, and a contract extension for Jason Varitek may have been discussed. Also I hear Boras did the hard sell on Bruce Chen. Just kidding. UPDATE: That slight chance for Gagne just went away, as he’ll be closing according to Boras.
- Mark Shapiro is preparing a contract extension offer for C.C. Sabathia; he’ll have to run it by the Dolans first. No surprise there. Paul Hoynes notes that Sabathia gets an extra $2MM for ’08 if he wins the ’07 Cy Young. Shapiro, by the way, would listen to offers on any player. I get the feeling the Indians could come from out of nowhere and do something big this winter.
- Could the Tigers send Placido Polanco to the Mets? Mark Healey suggests it.
- The Giants included a vesting option for 2009 in Omar Vizquel‘s deal. McCovey Chronicles weighs in.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Andruw, Rowand, Castillo
Ken Rosenthal has cranked out another rumor-filled column. A summary is below.
- The Marlins are insisting on Howie Kendrick in a Miguel Cabrera deal. The Angels are understandably reluctant.
- The Nationals could sign Andruw Jones long-term if they felt it was a bargain – say, $13MM a year. The Giants, White Sox, and Padres may be in the mix as well. Hmmm, White Sox and Boras? And if Scott Boras changes his tune and hunts for a one-year "rebuild value" contract for Jones, the Red Sox could get involved.
- The Phillies think Aaron Rowand will end up getting a 4/52 contract, though Rosenthal expects him to get the fifth guaranteed year. It’s previously been reported that Rowand is looking for a six-year, $84MM deal. Yikes.
- Aside from the Astros and Mets, the Indians, Padres, and Dodgers could get in on Luis Castillo. In the Tribe’s case, it would involve a scenario where Jhonny Peralta was dealt.
- Interesting note on Curt Schilling‘s $2MM in weight incentives – the target weights are aggressively low, and the weigh-ins will be done randomly. So, no cheating the system. By the way, isn’t it ridiculous that one Cy vote gets him $1MM? Sportswriters have given out single votes on a whim for much dumber reasons.
- The Red Sox are apparently asking a lot for Coco Crisp, more than the Twins are ready to give up.
- The Indians and Brewers have an excess of starters. Names that could hit the market include Cliff Lee, Dave Bush, and Chris Capuano. The Nationals have their eye on Lee. He came up as an Expo through Double A.
- The Nationals might be able to get something good for outfielder Ryan Church. In general, Jim Bowden desires a young MLB-ready starter like Kevin Mulvey or Kevin Slowey.
Miguel Cabrera Trade Rumors
For up for auction: two years of Miguel Cabrera. Who’s going to place a bid? The latest buzz from Joe Capozzi is that the Dodgers, Angels, Giants, Yankees, Red Sox, and White Sox are all after him. A deal could happen at the Winter Meetings from December 3-6. The needs for the Marlins are starting pitching, third base, catcher, and center field. They want three players.
- Dodgers: Capozzi’s source says they’re "making a big push" for Cabrera, after calling about him last summer. This could even involve a package deal with Dontrelle Willis. The names being thrown around: Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Andy LaRoche, Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, Scott Elbert, and Jonathan Meloan. I can’t see the Dodgers trading Billingsley; he’s integral to the 2008 team. Dodgers side note: Bill Shaikin names Kosuke Fukudome as someone the Dodgers are monitoring.
- Angels: Capozzi says Cabrera could be the Angels’ alternative if they fail to sign Alex Rodriguez. Bill Shaikin speculates on Brandon Wood, Nick Adenhart, and Mike Napoli/Jeff Mathis/Hank Conger. I’d make that deal. However, Ken Rosenthal says Howie Kendrick would be a requirement.
- Giants: Cabrera could be their new Face of the Franchise, but it’s tough to see this happening without Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain.
- Yankees: Joe Girardi managed him with the Marlins and speaks highly of him. The Yanks have already touched base about Cabrera with the Fish. It sounds like the Yankees will trade Melky Cabrera, but are very reluctant to trade Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, or Ian Kennedy. I could see them relenting on Kennedy. Capozzi mentions their second tier of prospects – Alan Horne, Humberto Sanchez, Ross Ohlendorf, and Jose Tabata. Nah.
- Red Sox: Any big name, the Yankees and Red Sox have to at least check in. If the Sox somehow don’t retain Mike Lowell, they could move on to Cabrera. The price is said to be Jacoby Ellsbury plus Jon Lester or Clay Buchholz. I don’t see the Red Sox doing it.
- White Sox: Ozzie Guillen is friends with Cabrera and sure, the White Sox love him. Any package would have to start with Josh Fields, but I’m still not sure they have the goods even if they add Lance Broadway and Gio Gonzalez to the package.
- Indians: Capozzi doesn’t mention them, but Paul Hoynes says they’ll inquire. The Tribe has some expendable guys but a deal might have to start with Adam Miller.
Heyman’s Latest: Cabrera, Blalock, Bonds
Rumor-man Jon Heyman has some good info from the GM meetings.
- Miguel Cabrera is officially available, as the Marlins have made calls to selected teams describing what they’d want in return. The main contenders for Cabrera are the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, and Angels. Also, Paul Hoynes suggested this morning that the Indians could be in the mix. You know the drill – it takes 2-3 top flight prospects, at least one of them a blue chip pitcher. Heyman even says Cabrera could be combined with Dontrelle Willis to create the mother of all blockbusters. This package will exceed the one Texas got for Mark Teixeira. Cabrera has two full years left before free agency.
- Heyman names 12 other trade candidates, most of which we’ve discussed before. He mentions under Hank Blalock that the Dodgers and Red Sox have called. Suddenly there are tons of third basemen available.
- Mariano Rivera received a three-year, $39MM offer from the Yankees, about what we expected. He hasn’t responded; he has all the leverage as the best free agent closer.
- The Rangers aren’t interested in Barry Bonds, according to Jon Daniels.