Quick Hits: Price, Rays, Otani, Dodgers, Dickey
It becomes increasingly difficult at this stage to see David Price signing a deal to stay with the Rays but it's not too late, agent Bo McKinnis told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Price is happy in Tampa Bay, but it doesn't sound as though they should bank on a hometown discount. "He wants to have the best contract in baseball, however that may be defined. He expects to be the best in everything that he does. So hopefully we're able to make that marriage between the Rays and that best contract. But we also recognize the economics of the game may not allow that," McKinnis said. Here's more from around baseball..
- Japanese pitcher Shohei Otani announced that he will sign with NPB's Nippon Ham Fighters, but the youngster told reporters that he still wants to come over to MLB at some point, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. “I would eventually like to go to the major leagues,” Otani said. “It’s a place I admire. I would like the Fighters to teach me the road to get there.”
- The entire economic landscape of the game is going to change drastically because of the Dodgers' spending, one rival executive told Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. The Dodgers have been able to spend freely thanks to the TV money that will be coming their way in the next contract.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels said via conference call that he is still looking to acquire a catcher, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com tries to identify trade possibilities for Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, including a deal with the Rangers for Mike Olt.
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) wonders if the Rangers will respond to the Zack Greinke signing by inking Josh Hamilton and also trading for Justin Upton.
Heyman On Hamilton, Yankees, Youkilis, Dodgers
Here's a look at the latest from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com..
- The Yankees aren't involved with Josh Hamilton at this stage and would only consider it if he fell into their laps at a low number, Heyman tweets. In short, Heyman says it's not happening. The Yankees reportedly had people other than GM Brian Cashman running background checks on Hamilton.
- The Dodgers will consider a shortstop or third baseman but don't appear to be in on Kevin Youkilis at the moment, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Heyman (via Twitter) also says not to be surprised if the Dodgers go after Anibal Sanchez or Kyle Lohse regardless of what happens with Hyun-Jin Ryu.
- In today's conference call, Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels said (via Twitter) that he hasn't had a "final conversation" with the free agent slugger. Last week, manager Ron Washington revealed that Hamilton told the club that he will give them a chance to make a final offer before signing with another team.
Dodgers Notes: Greinke, Sanchez, Ryu
As the Angels and Marlins can attest to, money doesn't always buy championships, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Last night, 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke agreed to a six-year, $147MM deal, boosting both their rotation and payroll. The Dodgers look stellar on paper, but Rosenthal cautions that inflated salaries often lead to inflated egos, raising the possibility of locker room turmoil. Here's more on the Dodgers..
- If the Dodgers don't sign Hyun-Jin Ryu today, they will shift their focus to free agent pitcher Anibal Sanchez, a source tells Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Dodgers have until 4pm CST to ink a deal.
- A Dodgers source told Bowden (via Twitter) that he expects the talks with Ryu to go right down to the wire.
- Last night, the Dodgers established that they are the financial heavyweights of baseball, not the Yankees, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Greinke will become the fourth Dodger to average $20MM or more a season on his contract, joining Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Matt Kemp.
- It's easy to understand why Greinke chose the Dodgers over the Rangers, writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. The right-hander was said to be impressed by the presentation of Nolan Ryan and advisor Greg Maddux but ultimately chose to align with the free-spending Dodgers.
- Dodgers manager Don Mattingly understands the kind of must-win pressure he'll face in 2013 from his time playing for George Steinbrenner with the Yankees, Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Dodgers & Hyun-Jin Ryu Still Far Apart
The Dodgers and Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu are still far apart in contract talks, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The two sides have until 4pm CT on Sunday to work out a deal.
Ryu, 25 and a Scott Boras client, was posted by the Hanwha Eagles last month, and the Dodgers won his negotiating rights with a bid worth a bit more than $25.7MM. Tomorrow marks the end of their 30-day negotiating window. Ryu has been one of the Korea Baseball Organization's most dominant pitchers over the last several years, helping the country to Olympic gold in 2008 and a second place finish in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
NL West Notes: Rockies, Ryu, Pagan, Scutaro
The Diamondbacks' agreement with Brandon McCarthy was the biggest news out of the NL West today, but here are a few more items from around the division…..
- Several teams asked the Rockies about Carlos Gonzalez during the Winter Meetings, reports ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (Twitter link). The Rockies told clubs that both Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki weren't available, having not changed their stance from last month about trading their top two stars.
- The Dodgers' negotiations with Ryu Hyun-Jin will go right down to Sunday's deadline, a team source tells ESPN.com's Jim Bowden (Twitter link). Los Angeles will lose negotiating rights with the Korean left-hander if a deal can't be worked out by Sunday. The two sides were thought to be far apart on Tuesday, though the Dodgers and agent Scott Boras had exchanged offers and were continuing talks.
- The Padres are using their bullpen depth, infield depth and Jesus Guzman as trade bait, says Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune as part of his most recent chat with readers.
- Marco Scutaro and Angel Pagan told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News) that they looking for, respectively, a fourth guaranteed year and the most expensive possible contract, and were both happy that the Giants met their desires. “I know my age,” Scutaro said. “I was looking for the best contract. This might be my last one. When (the Giants) made the best offer, it was very exciting.”
Zack Greinke Rumors: Friday
Angels GM Jerry Dipoto told reporters yesterday that he's "prepared to move on from Zack Greinke." Even the Dodgers are considering moving on, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported yesterday. The Rangers maintain interest in the free agent right-hander, but there's not much clarity beyond that. Here are the latest rumors surrounding Greinke with the most recent updates up top…
- The Angels are "very unlikely" to make a last-minute play for Greinke as they did last year with Albert Pujols, a source tells ESPN's Jim Bowden (Twitter link).
- Also from Bowden's Twitter feed, a Dodgers source says that if the team can't sign Greinke, it will explore a trade for R.A. Dickey or pursue Anibal Sanchez in free agency. Sanchez is the Dodgers' top choice ahead of Kyle Lohse amongst free agent starters.
Earlier updates:
- Nolan Ryan and the rest of the Rangers front office blew Greinke away, Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). Greinke apparently loves the team's chances of winning the World Series.
- The Dodgers are pessimistic about their chances of signing Greinke, Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports. GM Ned Colletti had a memorable response when asked if he was on the doorstep of signing the free agent right-hander. "We're not on the front lawn. … We're barely out of the car at the curb. It's better than driving around the neighborhood looking for the house. We know where the house is located. We just can't seem to get out of the car."
- Many trade and free agent possibilities are on hold as teams wait to see where Greinke will sign, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Greinke knows the Dodgers and Rangers are serious about signing him, but he now appears to be uncertain about his next step. The Rangers would prefer to sign Greinke, trade Michael Young to Philadelphia and acquire Justin Upton, Nightengale reports.
Dodgers Close To Signing Zack Greinke
7:25pm: The Rangers have been told that Greinke is not signing with them, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
6:59pm: It's a six-year contract worth $145MM, reports Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. That would be the largest contract ever given to right-handed pitcher, surpassing Matt Cain's five-year, $112.5MM deal. Hernandez emphasizes that the deal is not done yet.
6:45pm: The Dodgers appear to be close to signing Zack Greinke, reports Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). There is still ground to be covered, but Los Angeles is out in front for the right-hander's services at the moment.
Greinke, 29, is the free agent market's top pitcher and top overall player according to MLBTR's Tim Dierkes. The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner pitched to a 3.48 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 212 1/3 innings split between the Brewers and Angels last season. It was his fourth 200+ inning season in the last five years.
This post was originally published on December 8th.
The Dodgers, Angels, and Rangers have been the righty's three primary suitors this offseason. Yesterday we learned that the Halos are "very unlikely" to re-sign Greinke, who was "blown away" by his visit to Texas. The Dodgers were also said to be pessimistic about their chances to land him, so these things can change in a hurry.
Four Teams Interested In Dee Gordon
FRIDAY: The Braves and Phillies also asked about Gordon, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (Twitter links). It appears that every team except the Dodgers would try Gordon as an outfielder. However, the Dodgers told clubs that they aren't open to moving him now.
WEDNESDAY: The Indians are discussing Gordon with the Dodgers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, eyeing him as a potential replacement if they trade shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.
TUESDAY: The Dodgers are fielding tons of inquiries on shortstop Dee Gordon, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports, though they're not looking to deal him. The Mariners are among the teams hitting the Dodgers hard on Gordon, tweets Miller.
Gordon, 25 in April, hit .228/.280/.281 in 330 plate appearances this year. He missed significant time due to thumb surgery. Prior to the 2011 season, Baseball America ranked Gordon the 26th best prospect in baseball, citing the potential for four plus tools.
Dodgers, Twins Interested In Skip Schumaker
The Dodgers and Twins are among the teams that have some level of interest in Cardinals bench player Skip Schumaker, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. GM John Mozeliak acknowledged that Schumaker’s name has been out there as a potential trade candidate.
“We’ve tried to optimize the type of return we might get for him,” Mozeliak said. “We’ve left it fairly open. If we can get Major League help, we would definitely consider that. If we can’t find it we will look for someone who can fit into our minor league system.”
Schumaker, 32, will earn $1.5MM in 2013, the last year on his contract. As Goold notes, this seems reasonable given the escalating cost of infield help in free agency. Other than the Dodgers and Twins, the Reds could also be interested in Schumaker, a versatile player capable of playing second base and the outfield. The left-handed hitter has a .345 career on-base percentage, but he struggles to hit lefties.
Quick Hits: Greinke, Cubs, White Sox, Dodgers
Post-meetings links from around baseball..
- Dodgers people are starting to sound a little less optimistic in their pursuit of Zack Greinke and are wondering if the pitcher might prefer the Rangers, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
- The Cubs' addition of Nate Schierholtz doesn't end their search for outfield help, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com (via Twitter).
- The White Sox sound like they would like to add another bullpen arm to the mix, writes Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com. General Manager Rick Hahn specifically identified the role vacated by free agent Brett Myers, who is now drawing interest as a starter.
- Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times wonders if the Dodgers' policy on no-trade clauses will preclude their ability to lure free agents.
- Twins GM Terry Ryan tells MLB Network Radio (via Twitter) that they will listen to all offers on Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin says that the club isn't in on Brian Wilson, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
- Agent Scott Boras explained to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times that the Red Sox were paying for more than baseball ability when they gave Daisuke Matsuzaka his monster deal in 2006.