Odds & Ends: Mora, Figgins, Tejada, Rangers
Links for Day 2 of the Winter Meetings, which are taking place in Indianapolis…
- Add Robb Quinlan to the list of utility men on the Rockies' radar, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports names Melvin Mora as another target. MLB.com's Lyle Spencer tweets of interest from the Twins in Quinlan.
- The Mariners' deal for Chone Figgins is official, tweets the Brock & Salk show. The team press release notes it's a four-year deal with an option for 2014.
- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa acknowledged interest in Miguel Tejada, talking to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. By the way, Astros GM Ed Wade is certain he won't re-sign Tejada, tweets Alyson Footer. Tejada apparently wants multiple years.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers are considering free agent catchers such as Rod Barajas, Jason Kendall, Yorvit Torrealba, and Jose Molina.
- WEEI's Alex Speier passes along Scott Boras' comments from an XM Radio appearance. Boras discussed Matt Holliday, Johnny Damon, Ivan Rodriguez, and Adrian Beltre.
- The Brewers are discussing relievers Kevin Gregg and Mike Gonzalez at least internally, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The Crew recently lost reliever Mark DiFelice for the 2010 season. Gonzalez would cost good money and the Brewers' second-round pick (currently #50).
- Yahoo's Kevin Kaduk asks whether Twitter is helping or hurting the Winter Meetings. My opinion: hurting. The information crush was tolerable when reporters all got blogs a few years back, but now it's excessive. Of course, we're not helping.
- Jamey Carroll would love to play for the Reds but hasn't received an offer yet, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
- The D'Backs offered Chris Snyder to the Rangers for C.J. Wilson and were turned down, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Wilson tweets that he's "borderline offended" by Arizona's offer.
- The Pirates have had further talks with free agent hurler Justin Duchscherer, says Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but don't expect him to sign soon. We learned yesterday that the Rockies have cooled on Duchscherer. Kovacevic also reports that despite scouting Aroldis Chapman, the Pirates are not a player for him. ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. indicates that Chapman will be showcased in Houston later this month.
- The Rays and White Sox discussed a Carlos Quentin–Carl Crawford trade, says Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Manager Ozzie Guillen implies that nothing is cooking on that front though. The two clubs also discussed closer Bobby Jenks, but the Rays did not like the asking price.
- Angels GM Tony Reagins admitted to interest in Hideki Matsui, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. Keep in mind, though that the Japanese press is apparently grilling every GM on Matsui. Reagins also said he hasn't ruled out re-signing Vladimir Guerrero.
- Carl Pavano explained his decision to accept arbitration from the Twins, in an email to Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune suggests retaining Pavano makes Glen Perkins expendable.
- The Rangers are not interested in trading for Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
Overnight Links: Myers, Castillo, Verlander, Padres
As we gear up for another long night, here's some links to take a look at if you're still awake:
- Paul Hagen questions the Phillies' logic when refusing to look at bringing Brett Myers back. The Phils are looking for an inexpensive fifth starter candidate; Myers fits the bill and brings plenty of upside. Do they feel he's just not worth the trouble anymore?
- Ben Shpigel explains why, in spite of a resurgent season from Luis Castillo, and in spite of the Mets' feeling that his contract is better than that of Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Juan Pierre, and Gary Matthews Jr., they're still looking to move him.
- Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press feels the Tigers must do whatever it takes to keep Justin Verlander in Detroit for as long as possible. Rosenberg makes the interesting point that with one more dominant season, Verlander could put the Tigers in a similar position that Johan Santana put the Twins, though he concedes that Verlander's not as good. At least not yet.
- Corey Brock tells us that new Padres GM celebrated his 36th birthday by kicking off the Winter Meetings and fielding calls on about "half a dozen" of his players, including Heath Bell, who could be due as much as $5MM through arbitration. Still, Brock suggests the Padres would prefer to keep Bell.
- The Phillies payroll for 2010 will likely be around $140MM, says David Murphy. He also quotes Ruben Amaro Jr., implying that Chad Durbin and Clay Condrey will be tendered contracts.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says that the Indians could look to trade Kerry Wood during the Winter Meetings, but then discusses why it might be smarter to wait until midseason.
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart feels that Jose Valverde's probable departure is probably for the best, given the economics of the situation.
- Danny Knobler at CBS Sports explains why the Pirates would even bother showing interest in Juan Pierre, whom they were linked to last night.
- Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Sun-Times says White Sox GM Kenny Williams declined to comment on the Roy Halladay sweepstakes, and implies that Hideki Matsui may not be a fit for the South Siders, even if Carlos Quentin moves to right field. Scott Podsednik, however, may still fit.
- Aaron Gleeman looks at what it means to the Twins to have Carl Pavano back for 2010. Gleeman says Pavano's a better fit than past veteran starters the Twins have tried, as well as a safer bet than signing Jarrod Washburn to multiple years.
Betancourt, Soriano, Pavano Accept Arbitration
The deadline for free agents to accept arbitration has come and gone, so let's recap them all here for one easy reference point:
Type-A Free Agents
- Jason Bay declined arbitration from the Red Sox.
- Rafael Betancourt accepted arbitration from the Rockies.
- Chone Figgins declined arbitration from the Angels and is on the verge of signing with the Mariners.
- Mike Gonzalez declined arbitration from the Braves.
- Matt Holliday declined arbitration from the Cardinals.
- John Lackey declined arbitration from the Angels.
- Marco Scutaro declined arbitration from the Blue Jays and signed with the Red Sox.
- Rafael Soriano accepted arbitration from the Braves.
- Jose Valverde declined arbitration from the Astros.
- Billy Wagner declined arbitration from the Red Sox and signed with the Braves.
Type-B Free Agents
- Rod Barajas declined arbitration from the Blue Jays.
- Adrian Beltre declined arbitration from the Mariners.
- Marlon Byrd declined arbitration from the Rangers.
- Mark DeRosa declined arbitration from the Cardinals.
- Justin Duchscherer declined arbitration from the Athletics.
- Brandon Lyon declined arbitration from the Tigers.
- Jason Marquis declined arbitration from the Mets.
- Carl Pavano was the lone Type B to accept arbitration.
- Joel Pineiro declined arbitration from the Cardinals.
- Fernando Rodney declined arbitration from the Tigers.
- Ivan Rodriguez declined arbitration from the Rangers, and quickly after signed a two-year deal with Washington.
- Brian Shouse declined arbitration from the Rays.
- Gregg Zaun declined arbitration from the Rays and signed with the Brewers.
Carl Pavano Accepts Arbitration
As expected, Carl Pavano accepted the Twins' offer of arbitration, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Carl Pavano To Accept Arbitration
6:32pm: La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune agrees – he says Pavano will accept arbitration tonight. Rosenthal says it's 99% certain.
11:33am: Rosenthal says Pavano is likely to accept the Twins' arbitration offer.
9:28am: Carl Pavano's agent Tom O'Connell "pressed the Twins on multi-year contract possibilities in their Sunday night meeting," tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown. We'll know by the end of the day whether Pavano will accept the Twins' arbitration offer, on which he was said to be undecided by Ken Rosenthal.
By tallying 199.3 innings and 33 starts between the Indians and Twins, Pavano ended up earning $4.35MM in 2009. Fair or not, after the Yankees debacle, any team giving Pavano multiple years is going to be the subject of some derision. La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says the Twins "aren't too fired up" about giving Pavano two years.
Twitter Rumors: Mets, Astros, Ross, Garko
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
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
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
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
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.