Marlins Notes: Fielder, Oviedo, Green, Buehrle
The Marlins offered huge deals to Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, but the pair of free agents opted to sign with the Angels for less money. Will the Marlins turn their attention to the top free agents still available? Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post tweets that he wouldn't be surprised to see the Marlins "at least kick the tires" on Prince Fielder, despite their insistence they don't have interest (Twitter link). Here are the rest of the latest Marlins updates:
- Juan Carlos Oviedo, formerly Leo Nunez, was arrested in his native Dominican Republic today, but won't face false identity charges, according to an AP report (via ESPN.com).
- The Marlins will sign Nick Green to a minor league deal, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.
- Ozzie Guillen wants White Sox fans to know that he didn't steal Mark Buehrle away from the Sox, as he told ESPN 1000 today (hat tip to ESPN Chicago).
Quick Hits: Wilson, Jays, Rule 5, Pudge, Ekstrom
Let's round up a few Winter Meetings leftovers…
- C.J. Wilson was a little disappointed the Rangers didn't try to make more of an effort to re-sign him, writes Richard Durrett of ESPN.com. The Yankees also passed on a final opportunity to get involved on Wilson, tweets Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record.
- Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com has a rundown of comments made this morning by Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos on Kelly Johnson, Yu Darvish, and potential areas of need.
- John Manuel of Baseball America shares some thoughts and quotes relating to this morning's Rule 5 draft.
- The Nationals didn't make any major moves at the Winter Meetings, but GM Mike Rizzo says they're still "open for business," as MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says the Angels' signing of Albert Pujols is a wake-up call for the Mariners. Several Cardinals players were surprised by Pujols' decision, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. For more reactions and fallout on Pujols, click here.
- The Rays and Mets could be among the suitors for Ivan Rodriguez, who is working out in Miami, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
- The Rockies are expected to sign Mike Ekstrom to a minor league deal, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan thinks the Angels and Marlins might regret spending so aggressively this offseason.
Nightengale On Albert Pujols Negotiations
Bob Nightengale has a fantastic story up at USA Today that provides a timeline of the negotiations involving Albert Pujols and a handful of clubs at the Winter Meetings. The must-read piece includes word that Pujols' contract could be worth as much as $280MM with incentives. Here are the other highlights:
- When Dodgers manager Don Mattingly spoke to Pujols last weekend, he sensed Pujols wasn't entirely happy with the Cardinals: "You could just sense something was wrong. He was getting frustrated by it."
- The Marlins were "relentless," increasing their offer to Pujols multiple times until it reached $275MM. They expected to leave Dallas having signed Pujols, but never offered the no-trade clause he wanted.
- A mystery team (not the Angels) stepped in on Monday and offered Pujols ten years and $225MM. This mystery club "refuses to be publicly identified," writes Nightengale.
- On Tuesday, the Cardinals offered a nine-year, $210MM deal with a tenth-year vesting option. At around this time, the Marlins were eliminated from the mix (whether by Pujols or the team), narrowing the decision to the Cards and the mystery team.
- Late Tuesday, Angels GM Jerry Dipoto called agent Dan Lozano to talk Pujols. Early Wednesday morning, the Halos offered a ten-year deal worth about $250MM.
- As of Wednesday night, Lozano expected Pujols to mull the decision for a few days, but the slugger called him early this morning to accept the Angels' offer.
Cubs Lack Cash For Prince Fielder?
Yesterday word was the Marlins and Rangers were not in on Prince Fielder, despite Scott Boras' Jimmie Foxx comparisons. The latest…
- The Cubs say they do not have the cash to sign Fielder, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB Network.
- The Marlins are not and will not be in on Fielder, a high-ranking Marlins official told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Fielder can't drive the Latin market like Albert Pujols could have.
- The Brewers are far from out of it on Fielder, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
- Most of the teams talking to Boras about Fielder don't want to commit to the seven or eight-year contract Fielder desires, topping out at five years, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Marlins Were High Bidders For Pujols, Wilson
With $191MM committed to Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Heath Bell, Marlins fans can't complain about their offseason so far. Only one of the 5,020 entrants in MLBTR's free agent prediction contest, Matthew Lazear, correctly guessed in November that the Marlins would sign all three. However, it's interesting to note that the Marlins also made the highest bids on top free agents Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, who ultimately went to the Angels today.
Pujols received ten years and $254MM from the Angels, but Bob Nightengale of USA Today says the Marlins offered ten years and $275MM. That would have tied Alex Rodriguez for the largest contract guarantee in baseball history. Nightengale says that with incentives and Florida's lack of a state income tax, the deal could have been worth nearly $300MM.
Wilson signed a five-year, $77.5MM deal with the Halos, but agent Bob Garber told Ken Rosenthal Wilson could "easily" have gotten $100MM, and the Marlins "would not let it go." Said Wilson: "But if it were just about money I'd be a Marlin, straight up, because they offered more money, they have a great situation."
The Marlins reportedly stuck to their policy of not including a no-trade clause for either player, which may have been a factor in their decisions.
C.J. Wilson Rumors: Thursday
Will C.J. Wilson follow Albert Pujols to Los Angeles? The latest on the free agent lefty…
- The Marlins have a six-year, $80MM offer on the table for Wilson but it may not be enough, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Given that $80MM over five years seems attainable for Wilson, the fact that the Marlins went to six years doesn't hold much weight in my opinion.
Originally published on December 8th at 9:55am.
NL East Rumors: Soler, Bay, Chavez, Jones, Braves
The latest from the NL East:
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel hears that bidding for Jorge Soler could end up over $20MM and doesn't expect the Marlins to be involved at that price (Twitter link).
- The Mets have asked around and not received "even minor interest" for Jason Bay, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- A reunion of Endy Chavez and the Mets seems less likely following the club's acquisition of Andres Torres, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. The Mariners, Rangers, or Orioles could be landing spots for Chavez, says MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.
- ESPN's Adam Rubin tweets a similar notion, stating that a reunion between Chavez and the Mets is "not impossible" but that he's also not forecasting it (Twitter link).
- GM Mike Rizzo told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that the Nationals are "definitely" interested in Adam Jones and have done their homework on him (Twitter link). Orioles GM Dan Duquette has said he doesn't plan to deal Jones, however.
- The Nationals did add one outfielder today, according to Amanda Comak of the Washington Times, who says the Nats signed Brett Carroll to a minor league deal (Twitter link).
- While the Winter Meetings have been quiet for the Braves, GM Frank Wren points out that there will still be plenty of time left in the offseason to make deals after this week. David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution has the quotes.
- O'Brien also shares a Q&A with Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez that touches on trade rumors, Jason Heyward, and a few other topics.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
C.J. Wilson Decision Expected Soon
1:01am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports echoes Bowden's sentiment (via Twitter), while Scott Miller of CBS Sports tweets that sources tell him the Marlins think they may be fighting a losing battle.
12:28am: Bowden has a source who expects Wilson to sign with the Angels tomorrow morning, though the terms of the supposedly upcoming agreement aren't available (Twitter link).
11:58pm: A decision isn't expected until the morning, a source tells Morosi (Twitter link). Of course, technically, "morning" officially arrives in two minutes in Dallas, but Morosi isn't interpreting it literally. MLBTR's 24-hour coverage will continue through the night, just in case Wilson's decision comes before dawn.
10:24pm: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears from a source close to the Wilson negotiations that he expects the lefty to sign with the Angels for five years. The Marlins are offering an extra year, but Wilson is being swayed by the chance to pitch near his California home (Twitter links).
9:55pm: C.J. Wilson has meetings with the Marlins and Angels tonight, and is expected to make a decision tonight or tomorrow, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio.
Earlier today, we heard that the Marlins' offer to Wilson is for six years, while the Angels probably aren't willing to go higher than five. The Rangers haven't been told they're out of the running, but are thought to have offered just four years and are resigned to the possiblity that Wilson will sign elsewhere.
For the full recap of today's Wilson rumors, click here.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Prince Fielder Rumors: Wednesday
The latest on slugger Prince Fielder…
- Agent Scott Boras says he has a number of contract offers to take back to Fielder, including many from teams that surprised him, tweets Haudricourt.
- According to two Marlins beat writers, Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, the Marlins are definitely not in on Fielder (Twitter links).
- A friend of Fielder's told Newsday's Ken Davidoff that the first baseman is very interested in the Cubs (Twitter link).
- GM Doug Melvin says the Brewers "have to consider moving on" from Fielder, tweets Haudricourt.
- Despite signing Mark Buehrle, the Marlins are still talking to Fielder, tweets Heyman. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter) confirms the Fish will take a run at Fielder, and hears from a source with knowledge of the Mariners' plans that Seattle will make a "strong effort" to sign the slugger.
- The Cubs' pursuit of Fielder has probably been overblown, GM Jed Hoyer told MLB.com TV.
- The Marlins' interest in Fielder has been exaggerated, a good source tells Tom Haudricourt.
- The Marlins are already in pursuit of Fielder, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network, as signs indicate the Cardinals will re-sign Albert Pujols.
- The Rangers are not in on Fielder, president Nolan Ryan told reporters.
Tim Dierkes and Luke Adams contributed to this post.
C.J. Wilson Rumors: Wednesday
The latest on free agent lefty C.J. Wilson…
- Wilson has arrived at the Winter Meetings and will meet with the Marlins tonight, tweets Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Miami's offer appeals to Wilson because of the long-term commitment and because he'd have a chance to hit, tweets T.R. Sullivan. I can't imagine the opportunity to get at-bats being a deciding factor, but it could at least be a notch in the 'pros' column.
- Angels sources have suggested they won't increase their offer to six years, which could give the Marlins the edge, tweets Jon Heyman.
- The Marlins are the "best bet" for Wilson, with the Angels a close runner-up, Rosenthal hears.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels told reporters, including T.R. Sullivan, that he's resigned to the possibility that Wilson will sign elsewhere.
- The Marlins' offer to Wilson is still on the table, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
- If the Angels sign Wilson, it would likely be for five years, rather than six, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram hears that the Rangers haven't offered Wilson five years (Twitter link).
- Now that the Marlins have reached an agreement with Buehrle, they're likely out on Wilson, according to a number of reporters, including T.R. Sullivan. This could mean Wilson's decision will come down to the Angels vs. the Rangers. However, Jon Heyman of MLB Network hears the Marlins may still be trying for Wilson (Twitter link).
- Wilson tells MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan he's undecided and "torn in different directions."
- The Marlins have big offers out to Wilson and Buehrle, tweets Buster Olney, and they'll sign whoever says yes first.
- If the Angels don't match the Marlins' six-year offer, Wilson will likely sign with Miami, tweets Jon Paul Morosi. The Nationals are out on Wilson, notes Morosi.
- Wilson has a six-year offer from the Marlins, reports Tom Verducci of MLB Network. However, Danny Knobler says the Angels are currently the clear favorite and Wilson's decision is not expected before late tonight.
- The Marlins are well down the road with negotiations for Wilson and Mark Buehrle, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark. They're saying that if they sign one of the starters, that will end their Albert Pujols pursuit.
- The Rangers are not optimistic about re-signing Wilson, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Team officials expect him to sign with the Angels or Marlins.
- The Angels are ramping up efforts to sign Wilson with hopes of getting a deal done today, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.