Odds & Ends: Counsell, Ibanez, Johnson, Sheffield
Exactly one year ago, the Angels signed Hideki Matsui. Today, the slugger finalized his one-year agreement with the A's. Here are today's links…
- The Brewers are having ongoing discussions with the representatives for Craig Counsell, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
- If you've heard about agent Darek Braunecker, but don't know much about him, you're not alone. David Waldstein of the New York Times introduces us to Cliff Lee's agent.
- The Phillies do not intend to trade Raul Ibanez, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Joe Blanton, on the other hand, is available.
- Rosenthal also notes that the Rangers and Rockies have not discussed Michael Young since the Winter Meetings (Twitter link).
- The Orioles are still talking to the representatives for Adam LaRoche, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
- Indians manager Manny Acta is watching Bartolo Colon's start in the Dominican Republic tonight, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes (on Twitter).
- Kerry Wood told Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan of the Chicago Tribune that he could see himself playing for the Cubs, but probably not for the White Sox.
- In case you were wondering, the Marlins don't intend to trade Josh Johnson, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (on Twitter).
- Gary Sheffield told Mike Ferrin and Tom Gordon of MLB Network Radio that he has discussed a potential deal with the Rays. However, manager Joe Maddon told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that the Rays have limited interest in Sheffield, though they wanted to get to know him better.
Marlins, Three Other Teams Pursuing Randy Choate
8:30pm: Choate confirmed to Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times that he is in fact in talks with the Marlins, as well as three other teams that he declined to name.
11:17am: Looking to bolster their bullpen, the Marlins are "working to sign" Randy Choate, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
Choate, 35, spent his last two seasons in Tampa Bay, and appeared in over half of the Rays' games in 2010. The left-hander pitched just 44 2/3 innings in his 85 appearances, recording a 4.23 ERA and striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings. He's best used as a one- or two-out pitcher against left-handed batters, as exhibited by his 2010 splits – lefties posted a .529 OPS against him, while righties hit at a 1.162 clip.
Choate declined an arbitration offer from the Rays, so as a Type B free agent, he'd net Tampa Bay a supplemental round draft pick if he signs elsewhere.
Zack Greinke Rumors: Wednesday
Yesterday we learned that teams may be upping their offers for Royals ace Zack Greinke, though the Royals' asking price remains high. The latest:
- An executive of an interested team hears that the Royals won't deal Greinke before Cliff Lee signs, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter). The Royals may not have to wait long, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports Lee will sign by the end of the weekend.
- The Phillies have discussed Greinke with the Royals, reports CSNPhilly's Jim Salisbury, but it's a long shot.
- The Dodgers haven't heard back from the Royals about Greinke, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter).
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro hears that the Marlins did not discuss Greinke with the Royals (Twitter link).
- One of the Marlins' attempted three-team trades would have sent Greinke to Florida, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Talks are lukewarm, but still alive, Rosenthal reports.
- The asking price on Greinke has gone up since last summer, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter). The deal will be "very hard to get done," according to one interested executive.
- The Nationals are being aggressive, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. MLB.com's Bill Ladson heard earlier that Washington was not pursuing the right-hander, however.
- Five teams are seriously pursuing Greinke and another three are on the periphery, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports – in an article, not a tweet! The Royals are specific with their request – pitching to replace Greinke and up-the-middle help. The Royals are moving slowly and there is no frontrunner. The Rangers, Dodgers, Nationals, and Blue Jays have shown some measure of interest.
- The Cubs called on Greinke but a mid-rotation addition is more likely for them, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.
Marlins Discussed Three-Team Deal
6:50pm: The Marlins and Rangers are discussing deals involving relievers, according to Rosenthal.
5:44pm: The Marlins tried to acquire Greinke and were talking to the Rangers, but Texas denies that they discussed a three-team deal, according to Rosenthal (on Twitter).
5:31pm: The Marlins are not trading Nolasco, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (Twitter link).
5:14pm: The Rangers and Royals were involved in the potential three-team deal involving Greinke, according to Rosenthal (Twitter links). And the Rockies? They inquired about Nunez, but not Nolasco, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
5:01pm: The deal would have sent Nolasco to the Rockies, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). One of the Marlins' attempted three-team trades would have sent Zack Greinke to Florida, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Talks are lukewarm, but still alive, Rosenthal reports.
4:44pm: Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest told Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald that the team was involved in discussions with two other clubs about a multiplayer deal before talks stalled (Twitter link). The Rangers and Rockies were the other teams involved in the potential swap, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link). Leo Nunez and Ricky Nolasco, two players the Marlins will consider trading, were involved in the discussions.
The Rangers and Rockies were discussing a potential Michael Young deal last night, but it's not clear if these trade talks were related.
Phillies Close To Deal With Dennys Reyes?
1:22pm: The Phillies have offers out to Reyes and Sherrill, tweets Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly, but it looks like Sherrill might be headed elsewhere. The Phils are "very close" with Reyes, tweets Salisbury.
12:46pm: The Phillies are very close to a one-year deal with a club option with Reyes, tweets Rojas.
WEDNESDAY, 11:45am: The Phillies are not close to signing Reyes and have yet to make a formal offer, reports Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Word is they're not close on any reliever right now.
TUESDAY, 4:27pm: Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears that Reyes will sign with the Phillies (Twitter link).
2:34pm: Reyes could sign within the next 48 hours, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, probably deciding between the Phillies and Marlins. The Mariners and Athletics are also in on Reyes, tweets John Hickey of AOL Fanhouse.
12:14pm: The agent for lefty Dennys Reyes, Oscar Suarez, is meeting with the Phillies today, tweets ESPN's Enrique Rojas. Suarez says at least five to six teams are interested.
The Phillies could be a match for lefty George Sherrill; Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun says they're considered the favorite by most in the industry.
Minor Deals: Quinlan, Phillies, Marlins
Some minor league transactions for you as we get ready to kick off another round of overnight coverage here on MLBTR:
- The Phillies have signed longtime Angel Robb Quinlan to a minor league deal, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times (on Twitter).
- The Philadelphia Inquirer's Matt Gelb tweets that the Phils have released Jesus Sanchez and Yohan Flande to clear some space on their 40-man roster.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro has a list of non-roster invitees for the Marlins, including lefties Darin Downs and Victor Garate, right-hander Frank Mata, former Met Ruben Gotay, infielder Tim Torres,and outfielders Josh Kroeger and Chris Lubanski. As Frisaro points out, the Fish have struck gold in the past with non-roster invitees such as Jorge Cantu, Clay Hensley, and Kiko Calero.
Marlins Determining Interest In Nolasco, Nunez
The Marlins are gauging interest in Ricky Nolasco and Leo Nunez, though they aren't committed to trading either pitcher, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Nolasco is two years away from free agency and was discussing a potential extension with the Marlins earlier this year before talks stalled. Nunez, the team's closer, is just one year away from free agency. He figures to earn $4MM or so in 2011 and Nolasco could earn $6-7MM.
Nunez, 27, posted a 3.46 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 65 innings last year. Nolasco, who turns 28 on Monday, logged 157 2/3 innings and posted a 4.51 ERA with a characteristically impressive 4.45 K/BB ratio.
Brewers, Phillies In On Delwyn Young
5:50pm: The Marlins are not interested in Young, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (on Twitter). Rodriguez notes that the Marlins haven't considered pursuing Joe Crede, either.
2:26pm: The Brewers, Marlins, and Phillies are talking to Delwyn Young, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Young was designated by the Pirates prior to the non-tender deadline and elected free agency.
Young, 28, hit .236/.286/.414 in 207 plate appearances for the Pirates this year, spending time at second base, third base, and right field. He joined the Pirates via a trade with the Dodgers in April of last year.
Odds & Ends: Yankees, Giants, Astros, Marlins
Some late night links after a busy day for the Diamondbacks…
- Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News has some quotes from Yankees GM Brian Cashman, including praise for Boston's Adrian Gonzalez acquisition and an explanation that Dustin Moseley was non-tendered because he was looking for something greater than what New York had offered, and New York didn't want to go to arbitration.
- Giants GM Brian Sabean acknowledged that the team's payroll could jump from around $100MM in 2010 to as high as $120MM in 2011, according to Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News.
- Astros GM Ed Wade told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that rival clubs have asked about Wandy Rodriguez, Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn (Twitter link).
- The Cubs will meet with Scott Boras to discuss his clients, including Carlos Pena, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter). The Cubs are known to have interest in the powerful first baseman.
- The Marlins are discussing free agents Joe Beimel and J.C. Romero as they look to add left-handed relievers to their bullpen, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Ron Mahay could be another possibility for the Marlins, who have about $1.5MM to spend on a reliever. Florida will have some competition for Mahay's services, as the Red Sox are also interested.
International Links: Renteria, Pedro, Williamson
Links in Spanish from where winter is just a cool breeze…
- Edgar Renteria has "three options" for a 2011 contract, according to an AP story out of Colombia. "All of them are in the National League, and one is the Giants," Renteria said. "I'd like to return [to the Giants], but if it doesn't work out, there are the other teams." The Cardinals and Marlins could be the fallbacks, as Renteria has said he'd like to end his career playing for one of the two.
- No matter the season or league, Pedro Martinez wants to play for a winner. Martinez downplayed reports that he is training with the Licey Tigers in the Dominican Winter League, telling Pedro G. Briceño at Listin Diario, "I'm taking a break right now." In another interview, though, Martinez sounded more open, telling El Dia's Justo de la Cruz that he might change his mind if the Tigers improve in the standings or qualify for the Dominican playoffs. In regard to his plans stateside, Martinez told de la Cruz he hasn't hung up his spikes, but on the other hand said: "I don't rule out having an impulse to leave definitively."
- Scott Williamson is planning to pitch in Mexico this winter, and several Major League teams will be watching, Williamson's agent told the blog Baseball Mexico (link in English). The former National League Rookie of the Year hasn't pitched in the majors since 2007, but he put up impressive numers in part-time closing duty for the independent Somerset Patriots last summer.