Twins Rumors

Twitter Rumors: Mets, Astros, Ross, Garko

By Tim Dierkes | December 7, 2009 at 6:20pm CDT

A fresh bash of Twitter rumors, with the earlier post so bloated…

The Mets will meet with the agents for Randy Wolf, Joel Pineiro, Jason Marquis, and John Lackey, says SI's Jon Heyman.
Ed Wade ranks the Astros priorities as closer, offense, eighth-inning reliever, and bench, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick notes that the Astros will meet with Rafael Soriano's agent today.
Crasnick says the Marlins are getting trade inquiries on arbitration-eligible outfielder Cody Ross. The Fish are expected to retain Ross, however.
Giants GM Brian Sabean told Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that Ryan Garko is on the bubble in terms of being non-tendered. Reliever Brandon Medders will be tendered a contract. You can check out our other non-tender candidates here.
Miguel Angel Sano has been determined by MLB to be 16-18, and GM Bill Smith doesn't seem to care where he falls in that range.

Padres Needs Continue To Grow

By Steve Adams | December 7, 2009 at 4:21am CDT

You can add catching to the list of San Diego needs now that the Mets have signed Henry Blanco, writes Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

With the Mets inking the veteran backstop to a one-year deal last week, the Padres now find themselves without a complement to Nick Hundley behind the dish. The organization is currently split on whether or not Hundley is a starting or backup catcher, according to Center. San Diego had discussed re-signing Blanco, but Center now wonders if they'll instead explore the trade market for options.

He names Heath Bell and Kevin Kouzmanoff as the Padres main most desirable trade chips not named "Adrian Gonzalez." As Center points out, there are numerous late-inning relief options on the market. While that might normally hamper a reliever's trade value, you've got to imagine Bell as an exception. The National League saves leader will cost significantly less than most other available options, as he's arbitration eligible after earning just $1.255MM last season.

Kouzmanoff is arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason, and could appeal to any number of teams in search of a third baseman. The Twins, Orioles, and Astros could all use help at third base, to name a few teams.

The Padres find themselves in need of another catcher, a right-handed hitting center fielder, rotation help, and a backup middle infielder who can be a defensive asset. Can Jed Hoyer find a way to make this a reality while maintaining a reasonable payroll?

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Martinez, Blanton, Putz

By Mike Axisa | December 6, 2009 at 11:56pm CDT

A few links the night before all Hot Stove hell breaks loose…

Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that team president Frank Coonelly said the Pirates have made less than $11MM profit over the last two years, and all of that was put back into the team.
Agent Alan Nero says that opening talks about a long-term deal for Victor Martinez "should be on the to-do list in January," according to Daniel Barbarisi and Joe McDonald of The Providence Journal.
Ed Price of AOL FanHouse says we can add Joe Blanton to the list of pitchers available via trade. He's arbitration eligible after making $5.475MM in 2009, and the Phillies can better use that money elsewhere.
The Diamondbacks are one of the teams that watched J.J. Putz's recent throwing session, according to FoxSports.com.
Dylan Hernandez of The LA Times takes a look at five issues facing the Dodgers heading into the Winter Meetings.
The Mariners are among the teams looking to land a catcher this week, says Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com.
Adam Rubin of The NY Daily News rounds up Omar Minaya's brief meeting with the press upon arriving in Indianapolis for the Winter Meetings.
Carl Pavano's agent says his client is undecided about whether to accept arbitration, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.
Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe says the Red Sox, Angels, Mariners, and maybe the Mets represent the market for Jason Bay.
MLB.com's Carrie Muskat spoke to a Rangers' official who said the team would be willing to bring Milton Bradley back, however they're not sure they want to deal with "that headache" again.
Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets that the Angels will compete with the Mariners for John Lackey and Jason Bay, but they won't bid $100MM.
Omar Minaya suggests that trades are more likely than free agent signings for the Mets, according to Ben Shpigel of The NY Times.
Free agent Jamey Carroll says the "door hasn't been closed" on a return to Cleveland, according to Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune says the Rays will be looking to make more under-the-radar moves this year.
Andy Martino of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes about a perfect storm scenario that could send Roy Halladay to the Phillies.
LaVelle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune hears that Joe Mauer's agent might not attend the Winter Meetings because of all the attention that will paid to his client's possible free agency.
Tyler Hissey previewed the Orioles' offseason.

Miguel Sano Officially Signs With Twins

By Zachary Links | December 5, 2009 at 2:22pm CDT

Dominican shortstop Miguel Sano, long suspected of having an age discrepancy on his records, has been formally granted his U.S. work visa, completing his deal with the Twins, writes Enrique Rojas of ESPN.

The embattled 16-year-old agreed to terms with Minnesota in September, but the deal – which included a $3.15MM signing bonus – wasn't official until the laminate on his visa dried. Interestingly, Rojas refers to the youngster by the surname "Sano" in his article, rather than his father's last name "Jean", which we had heard he would now go by.

Mauer Responds To Deadline Rumor

By Tim Dierkes | December 3, 2009 at 2:41pm CDT

THURSDAY, 2:41pm: La Velle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune tweets that no serious negotiations about a contract extension have begun, and that "absolutely no deadlines have been set."

TUESDAY, 4:10pm: Mauer has been texting his heart out…in a text to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune last night, he said the Passan report is "news to me." Still, it'd be more direct if Mauer came out and said, "My agent and I did not give the Twins any kind of deadline."

1:59pm: Mauer texted MLB.com's Kelly Thesier but didn't exactly deny setting a deadline, saying:

"I'm not going to react to every story/rumor that comes out or comment on any negotiations. As far as that report, I don't know where that came from."

MONDAY, 11:25pm: Joe Mauer will end contract negotiations if he doesn't have a deal with the Twins by Opening Day next year, according to a Jeff Passan source said to be close to the catcher. In his Yahoo column, Passan also notes that "formal negotiations between the sides have yet to begin" despite the Twins' desire to have a deal by Christmas.

This is no time for Twins fans to panic, however. Passan believes talks will begin soon, and the sides have a full four months even if Mauer is imposing that deadline. It's way too early to predict Mauer's future, and I have a feeling Ron Shapiro and the Twins will keep leaks to a minimum.

Twins Offer Arb To Carl Pavano

By Tim Dierkes | December 1, 2009 at 3:24pm CDT

The Twins offered arbitration to Type B free agent Carl Pavano, tweets La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The move was expected after Pavano tallied a 5.10 ERA with 147 strikeouts and 39 walks in 199.3 innings for the Indians and Twins this year. He earned $4.35MM in total.

Rogers On Mauer, Pujols, Vizquel

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 29, 2009 at 5:19pm CDT

Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune says the Twins are "getting serious" about a Joe Mauer extension. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported earlier in the week that the Twins hope to sign Mauer to an extension by Christmas. As Rogers points out, Mauer's agent, Ron Shapiro, represented Cal Ripken Jr. and Kirby Puckett, so there's hope for Twins fans who dread Mauer's impending free agency. Here are the rest of Rogers' rumors:

Albert Pujols' representatives told the Cardinals not to worry about a potential extension until they take care of the team's other needs. Pujols is under control through 2011, a year longer than Mauer.
The White Sox may ask Omar Vizquel to mentor 20-year-old shortstop Eduardo Escobar. Like Vizquel, Escobar is a Venezuelan switch-hitter with a good glove and little power. But White Sox farm director Buddy Bell cautions against making Vizquel comparisons just yet.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Revenue Sharing, Bullington, Halladay, Mauer

By Cork Gaines | November 27, 2009 at 5:55pm CDT

On this date 18 years ago, Eddie Murray signed a two-year, $7.5MM deal with the Mets, the third of six teams he would play for in 21 seasons. In those two years, he would hit 43 home runs and post seasons of 115 and 111 OPS+. A week into this year's free agency, let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…

The Biz of Baseball looks at revenue sharing in baseball and why baseball no longer releases revenue sharing figures.
DC Sports Plus evaluates the list of minor league free agent pitchers and who might get shots to stick with a big league club in the Spring.
Royals Authority looks at what the signing of Bryan Bullington could mean for the Royals and whether he can contribute as a big league relief pitcher.
River Ave Blues speculates on what the Yankees and Red Sox would have to give up to land Roy Halladay.
MLB Notebook examines why the Tigers are looking to trade Edwin Jackson.
UmpBump breaks down the Padres off-season needs and what San Diego needs to bring back should Adrian Gonzalez be traded.
Jorge Says No! speculates on an extension that could work for both the Twins and Joe Mauer.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here, and followed on Twitter here.

Odds & Ends: Jackson, Cabrera, Guillen, Bedard

By Luke Adams 2 | November 25, 2009 at 9:41pm CDT

It's a slow night for rumors on the eve of Thanksgiving, but here's a roundup of a handful of interesting evening links:

FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi tweets that the Tigers have been more aggressive attempting to deal Edwin Jackson than Curtis Granderson. Jackson, for his part, says the trade rumors don't bother him.
Morosi also reports (via Twitter) that Daniel Cabrera is in search of a 40-man roster spot on some team this winter.
In the most recent post on the FOX Sports blog by Morosi and Ken Rosenthal, the pair discusses Miguel Cabrera's future. One executive suggests that Cabrera's availability (or lack thereof) will depend on whether or not the Tigers believe his off-field issues at the end of the season were a one-time lapse in judgment.
Jose Guillen wants to stay in Kansas City and play in the field next year, according to Dick Kaegel of MLB.com. We mentioned Guillen as a possible trade candidate when evaluating the market for right fielders, and he's been the subject of rumors in the past week.
Following up on a story about the Royals "going hard" after Erik Bedard, Kaegel talks to Kansas City assistant GM J.J. Picollo. Picollo indicates that Bedard's left-handedness is intriguing, but that it's "probably an overstatement" to say the club is in hot pursuit of the 30-year-old.
MLB.com's Brian McTaggart passes along news of some minor organizational moves by the Astros.
One item of note in Kelly Thesier's Twins mailbag on MLB.com: When Minnesota prospect Miguel Angel Sano begins playing in the States, he'll be using the surname Jean, rather than Sano (which is his mother's maiden name).
Larry Dobrow of CBS Sports looks ahead to the Athletics' offseason and makes some suggestions for the team going forward.

Twins May Target Rich Harden

By Mark Polishuk | November 24, 2009 at 9:45pm CDT

Free agent starter Rich Harden was a major topic of discussion in MLB.com's Kelly Thesier's mailbag piece today, where it was confirmed that Minnesota has had interest in acquiring the Canadian right-hander in the past and may look to do so again this winter.

Thesier reports that the Twins put in a claim on Harden last August before the Cubs pulled the pitcher back off of waivers. Minnesota ended up trading for Carl Pavano on August 7 to bolster their pitching staff en route to their successful chase of the AL Central title.

Though Minnesota has a number of young pitchers both in their rotation and their minor league system, Thesier argues this actually gives the Twins more incentive to sign Harden, given that the team feels they have the depth to fill the void should the injury-plagued Harden again find himself on the disabled list. Harden posted a 4.09 ERA and 10.9 K/9 rate with Chicago last season and is very used to pitching to the bigger bats of the American League after spending the first five and a half years of his career in Oakland. It has been speculated that Harden will sign an incentives-laden short-term contract since his injury history will prevent teams from offering longer-term deals, and such a one or two-year contract might appeal to the budget-conscious Twins.

Thesier's mailbag also covers such topics as the possibility of the Twins re-signing Pavano, re-signing Orlando Cabrera to play second or third base, an interest in free agent starter Jarrod Washburn and the status of the dispute between the club and starter Glen Perkins, so it's well worth the read.

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