Quick Hits: Hamilton, Ramirez, Kuroda, Bourn, Mets
Reds top prospect Billy Hamilton left today's Arizona Fall League Championship Game with lower back spasms after crashing into the wall on an Anthony Rendon triple. Hamilton, who stole 155 bases in the minor leagues this year, is in the process of transitioning from shortstop to center field. Here's the game's box score and here's the latest from around the league…
- Free agent right-hander Ramon Ramirez did not leave the ACES agency due to the Melky Cabrera suspension fallout, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The two sides split mutually after Ramirez asked the agency to do something it had never done regarding fees.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post wonders if Hiroki Kuroda's desire to finish in his career in Japan will help the Yankees re-sign him. New York is willing to offer a one-year contract right now, and Sherman thinks they may be willing to approach $16MM.
- Unsurprisingly, the Mets won't jump into the fray to sign Michael Bourn late, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Earlier today, MLBTR readers voted 55-45 in favor of Bourn over fellow free agent center fielder B.J. Upton.
- The Marlins have hired Indians field coordinator Rob Leary as their new bench coach, the Indians announced (on Twitter). Leary spent almost a decade as an instructor in the Red Sox's farm system.
Quick Hits: Kuroda, Pagan, Reyes, Buehrle
Here's the latest from around baseball as we head into the weekend…
- Hiroki Kuroda has told friends that his preference is to pitch in southern California to be near his daughters' grade school, reports Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles. Saxon speculates this could make the Dodgers and Angels the favorites for Kuroda's services, with the Dodgers having the "presumptive edge" with Kuroda due to their past history.
- Angel Pagan could sign before the start of the Winter Meetings on December 3, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. Pagan's suitors include "many of the same clubs" who are interested in fellow free agent B.J. Upton, a market that includes the Phillies, Braves and Nationals. The Giants are also in the mix to bring Pagan back to San Francisco.
- Also from Rosenthal, the Marlins made verbal promises to Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle that neither would be traded when Miami was courting the two as free agents last winter. The promises were made in place of formal no-trade clauses, which the Marlins don't hand out as a matter of club policy. Reyes and Buehrle, of course, were traded to the Blue Jays on Tuesday as part of the big 12-player deal that has yet to be officially confirmed by the league.
- Right-hander Ramon Ramirez will no longer be represented by the ACES agency, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Ramirez is the latest of several players to recently switch from ACES, which may be due to MLB's ongoing investigation of the agency for its alleged role in the Melky Cabrera fake website scandal, though the players' union cleared ACES earlier this month.
- Dodgers president Stan Kasten discussed such topics as his plans for the club's minor league system, his career history and MLB labor issues with Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels talked with Michael Moye (Josh Hamilton's agent) earlier this week, reports Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, though it seems as if both sides were just checking in on the other.
- The Blue Jays have generated the most headlines of any team this offseason, but FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi notes some of the holes the Jays still have to fill.
Red Sox Links: Melky, Marlins, Free Agents
It was on this day in 1999 that Pedro Martinez was named the unanimous winner of the AL Cy Young Award, making him the third pitcher in history to win Cy Youngs in both leagues. It was the first of consecutive Cy Young Awards for Martinez in Boston, and his 1999/2000 campaigns rank high on the list of all-time great pitching seasons. Here's the latest out of Fenway Park…
- The Red Sox didn't attempt to sign Melky Cabrera, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier, though the club continues to look at free agent corner outfield options. Cabrera agreed to a two-year, $16MM contract with the Blue Jays earlier today.
- After freeing up tens of millions in payroll space last summer, the Red Sox were wise by not "repeating the financial mistakes of the past" by taking on some of the Marlins' large contracts, writes ESPN Boston's Jeremy Lundblad.
- The Red Sox could approach 2013 as "one very grand experiment" and look to sign big-name free agents to expensive one-year contracts if such players can't find suitable multiyear deals elsewhere, opines John Tomase of the Boston Herald. Such a strategy would keep Boston competitive next season and take advantage of the team's payroll space, while letting the Sox keep their prospects and avoid any long-term financial commitments. I'm not sure this would be a sound move, as even if elite free agents could be convinced to forego their long-term security, any injuries or down seasons would leave Boston right back at square one next offseason.
- Ben Nicholson-Smith covered the Red Sox earlier today in the latest edition of MLBTR's 2013 Arbitration Eligibles series.
NL East Notes: Stanton, Upton, Mets, Salcedo
We've already had one collection of NL East Notes today, but there's no shortage of news coming out of the division. Here's the latest…
- Giancarlo Stanton is still upset about the Marlins' sudden rebuild, telling Peter Gammons of MLB.com that "former Marlins come back and they warn us" about the club's history of firesales and that it is a constant source of discussion amongst current players. "This is the 'winning philosophy?' Then to say it's not about money? What is the motivation? There comes a breaking point. I know how I feel. I can't imagine how the city and the fans feel," Stanton said.
- The Marlins and Blue Jays have officially filed the paperwork about their big 12-player trade with the league, reports Rogers Sportsnet's Shi Davidi (via Twitter). Monday is the most likely date for the trade to be finalized, though it could happen over the weekend.
- The Nationals have been in contact with free agent outfielder B.J. Upton, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, and are "expected to have increased communication" as the offseason progresses. Upton visited the Braves and Phillies earlier this week.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson said his team will need "a little more clarity" on the contract situations of David Wright and R.A. Dickey by the time the Winter Meetings roll around, reports Newsday's Marc Carig. "At some point we need resolution on these discussions to be able to move on. But that time is not now," Alderson said, aiming at the 10 days between Thanksgiving and the start of the Winter Meetings on December 3 as a prime negotiating period.
- Edward Salcedo received a $1.6MM bonus from the Braves as an 18-year-old in 2010, though the 21-year-old hasn't yet lived up to his potential in the minors, writes David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Quick Hits: Cabrera, Slowey, Cardinals, Marlins
The Blue Jays continued adding to their roster today, agreeing to terms with free agent outfielder Melky Cabrera on a two-year contract worth $16MM. Here are some links from around MLB, starting with Cabrera…
- The Indians had interest in Cabrera before he agreed to terms in Toronto, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter).
- Not surprisingly, the Giants weren’t interested, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). Instead, the Giants remain focused on re-signing Angel Pagan, Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com reports.
- Right-hander Kevin Slowey, who spent this past season pitching for the Indians' Triple-A team, is generating some interest as a free agent, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The 28-year-old hit free agency earlier in the month.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said he expects to tender contracts to all of the team’s remaining arbitration eligible players, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (on Twitter). The Cardinals recently released Kyle McClellan, but their arbitration class doesn't include other non-tender candidates.
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel explains how agent David Sloane worked around the Marlins' policy of not granting no-trade clauses to make sure that Carlos Delgado wouldn't pay higher taxes if moved. Former Marlins players such as Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle face different tax laws in Toronto than they did in Miami.
NL East Notes: Upton, Mets, Marlins
The Marlins made headlines this week, sending Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle to Toronto in a blockbuster trade that clears tens of millions in future payroll obligations for Miami. Here’s the latest from the NL East…
- The Phillies met with free agent outfielder B.J. Upton earlier this week, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter link). Upton’s right-handed bat would look good in Philadelphia’s lineup, but he’s also a top target of one of the Phillies’ main rivals. The Braves met with Upton in Atlanta yesterday.
- Mets ownership should sell the team if they can't figure out a way to re-sign R.A. Dickey, ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes. The Mets play in the country's biggest market and should be able to take risks on top players such as Dickey, Olney argues. As readers of MLBTR's chats already know, I agree with Olney: the Mets should be able to spend to retain star players like Dickey and David Wright.
- Commissioner Bud Selig told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post he's confident in the direction the Mets are taking. "I know they’re very comfortable where they are, and they’re very optimistic,” Selig said. However, there's no guarantee Jeffrey Loria of the Marlins will get as much backing from the commissioner as the Mets have obtained.
The Latest On The Marlins-Blue Jays Blockbuster
The baseball world is still reeling from the Blue Jays–Marlins blockbuster, which still has yet to be made official. A total of 12 players will change hands once things are finalized. Here's the latest on the trade…
- It has taken some time to collect all 12 players for their physicals, which is why Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) reports the trade won't be completed until Friday or Saturday. Rosenthal notes that Jose Reyes was on vacation in Dubai at the time of the deal and is just returning to Miami tonight.
- Commissioner Bud Selig told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that the trade is currently being reviewed (Twitter link). Selig said he is "not happy," but so far doesn't he see a reason to disallow the deal according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- Selig has heard a lot of grumbling from other owners about the trade, writes Ken Davidoff of The New York Post. Clubs from the AL East, NL West, and NL Central are not happy with the on-field ramifications of the swap.
- "A couple of years from now we might look back on this as a warning sign," said an official to ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider required). There is concern within the game that the latest collective bargaining agreement hurt small market clubs and that similar blockbuster sell-offs may become more frequent.
- The Marlins plan to start Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop with Yunel Escobar playing third base, Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. However, the Marlins haven't ruled out flipping Escobar to a third team.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports notes (on Twitter) that the Marlins will receive a combined 32 years of team control over the players in the trade. The Blue Jays, however, will receive just 12 years of control.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Marlins Notes: Samson, Nolasco, Boras, D’Backs
The baseball world is still reacting to Tuesday's stunning trade between the Marlins and Blue Jays, and here's the latest batch of news out of south Florida…
- Team president David Samson discussed the trade, management's reasoning behind the move and how the Marlins are reacting to the negative publicity in a radio interview with Dan Le Batard on 790 AM Radio (Steven Cuce of SportsRadioInterviews.com has a partial transcript).
- Also from the interview (passed on by Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post), Samson said that Ricky Nolasco won't be traded this winter and will be a Marlin in 2013 unless "the phone rings and something crazy happens."
- The Marlins' team policy of not giving no-trade clauses has kept Scott Boras from directing his clients to Miami for the last 16 years, Boras tells Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "I've never had a franchise player there because it was just not something my client wanted to risk," Boras said. "They (Marlins executives) were always upfront about it. They told me, 'We don't do no-trade clauses.' But it's very difficult to sell an expectancy to a player knowing that it might last for only one year."
- The Marlins talked to the Diamondbacks about Jose Reyes before eventually including Reyes in the Toronto deal, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. The D'Backs are known to be looking for help at third base and shortstop, despite acquiring Cliff Pennington earlier this month. We heard yesterday that Miami had also discussed Reyes with the Red Sox prior to the big trade.
Red Sox Links: Ross, Reyes, Nolasco, Morrison
Here's the latest out of Boston…
- Former Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross is drawing the most interest from the Phillies, Tigers, Mariners, and, naturally, the Red Sox according to ESPN's Jim Bowden (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox had "preliminary talks" with the Marlins about Jose Reyes prior to last night's blockbuster, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Bradford also looked at why the team might have been interested in the shortstop.
- Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe notes (on Twitter) that while Ricky Nolasco and Logan Morrison of the Marlins are available, the Red Sox should be able find better players to fill their rotation and first base/outfield holes.
Marlins Claim Scott Maine
The Marlins claimed Scott Maine off of waivers from the Blue Jays, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned. The Blue Jays had designated Maine for assignment six days ago.
Maine, 27, has bounced around quite a bit this year. The left-hander started the season with the Cubs, then was claimed by the Indians in August before the Blue Jays claimed him in October. The 27-year-old made 30 relief appearances this year, posting a 6.08 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in 26 2/3 innings.