Twins Sign Mike Lamb
UPDATE, 12-14-07 at 9:45pm: The Houston Chronicle has the dollars on this deal. Lamb will get $6.6MM over the 2008-09 seasons. Sounds about right. In particular it’s $3.5MM in ’08 and $3MM in ’09. LEN3 says bonuses and such plus the option year could make it a three-year, $12.5MM deal.
FROM 12-14-07 at 4:48pm:
According to Phil Miller, the Twins signed third baseman Mike Lamb to a two-year deal with an option for 2010.
Not sure of the money yet, but I’m a fan of this value signing. I’ve been saying for a while now that Lamb had some of the better numbers among free agents out there. He hit .289/.366/.453 in 2007. No doubt he’s been helped by Minute Maid Park, but he’ll surely top the .236/.308/.323 line the Twins got out of their third basemen in ’07.
Cubs Like Joe Nathan
UPDATE, 12-14-07 at 2:47pm: George Ofman of WSCR radio 670 out of Chicago says the Twins would indeed want Marmol in a deal for Nathan.
FROM 12-13-07 at 11:26pm:
LENIII has just a single-line teaser for us at the end of his column:
The Cubs are interested in trading for closer Joe Nathan if he’s available.
That’s a new one; who knew the Cubs were looking for a closer? Their deficiences seem to be at shortstop and perhaps in the rotation. It seems that some combination of Carlos Marmol, Bob Howry, and Kerry Wood can handle the ninth inning.
What would the Cubs have to give up? I’m drawing a blank trying to find a precedent – an elite closer dealt with one year left before free agency. Billy Wagner was dealt in the 2003-04 offseason, but he had two seasons left on his deal. How about Keith Foulke? The A’s acquired him with one year left; the White Sox received Daylon Holt, Neal Cotts, and Billy Koch. Maybe the Twins would ask for Marmol plus one more good young player.
Johan Santana Looking For $140MM?
Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports today that Johan Santana‘s agent has told teams interested in trading for his client that the cost of an extension will be around seven years, $140MM. We’d previously seen estimates in the six-year, $120MM range.
Hartman reports that the Twins are still hoping for the Red Sox to surrender both Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz for Santana. Not likely.
Twins Sign Adam Everett
The Twins moved quickly, signing shortstop Adam Everett the day after he was non-tendered. Everett will get $2.8MM on a one-year deal.
Pitchers will enjoy his defense, but Everett is an out machine. The shortstop cupboard is pretty bare now.
Today’s Non-tenders: Towers, Prior, Everett, Durbin
Tim’s out for the night, so we’ve got a fresh post started for the non-tenders. MLB.com has a running list as well.
These guys are the officials as of now:
- As expected, the Marlins non-tendered catcher Miguel Olivo. Johnny Estrada was another casualty; these two make up the market for starting catchers.
- The Blue Jays non-tendered Josh Towers, a surprising move. Some NL team could offer him two years and get league average work out of him.
- Mark Prior has been non-tendered. Honestly if I were the Cubs, I would’ve tossed the $3.5MM his way just to see.
- Aaron Miles is now a free agent.
- The A’s cut Kiko Calero loose.
- The Padres have non-tendered four: Morgan Ensberg, Jason Lane, and pitchers Jack Cassell and Ryan Ketchner. RotoWorld speculates that the latter two, not arbitration eligible, could be offered minor league deals.
- The Royals cut the cord on Emil Brown. He turns 33 soon; he hit an ugly .257/.300/.347 in 2007. Brown earned $3.45MM in ’07.
- The Tigers non-tendered Chad Durbin, toss him into the free agent pool. Guess those trade talks with the Bucs didn’t work out.
- The Twins have let go Jason Tyner.
- The Nats have cut bait with Nook Logan and LHP Michael O’Connor.
- The Dodgers wave goodbye to Mark Hendrickson.
- The White Sox have non-tendered Andy Gonzalez and LHP Heath Phillips. Joe Crede sticks with the Pale Hose for now.
- Adam Everett has lost his job with the Astros. It’d be kind of funny if the Orioles signed him.
- Per RotoWorld, the Angels have non-tendered Dallas McPherson. He’s full of potential, but he’s never come through. He’s only 27, though, so he could still catch on somewhere. Unless, RotoWorld notes, he has an agreement in place with the Angels.
- The Braves have non-tendered Willie Harris, though he had already been DFA’d.
–Joe and Tim
Odds and Ends: Mench, Kent, Durbin, Wang
Rounding up this morning’s Odds and Ends, to be updated periodically…
- The Pirates are talking to the Tigers about acquiring Chad Durbin. The arbitration-eligible Durbin doesn’t have a place in Detroit’s rotation, but could be useful for the Bucs.
- Chien-Ming Wang would like a three or four-year deal with the Yanks.
- The Phillies will pass on Kevin Mench, though they’ve still got their eye on Nate McLouth. The Royals’ disinterest in Mench was noted yesterday.
- We’ve assumed it for a while, but Jeff Kent playing in 2008 is now official.
- The Twins may have non-tendered Jason Tyner.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Santana, Cabrera, Kuroda, Edmonds, Rolen
Ken Rosenthal checks in with the latest hot stove buzz around baseball.
- Johan Santana is Boston’s only target – they’re not after Dan Haren or any other starter. The talks keep slugging along. For what it’s worth, Curt Schilling expects the Red Sox to get him.
- 36 year-old first baseman Alex Cabrera is a sleeper power threat among free agents. The former Rockie, Cub, and Diamondback has been mashing in Japan since 2001. The Nationals don’t have any room for him but want him anyway. Rosenthal says A.L. clubs are looking at him as a DH candidate, also. Cabrera hit .295/.377/.512 with 27 HR in 441 ABs in Japan in 2007.
- Hiroki Kuroda has not reached an agreement with any team, according to Rosenthal.
- The Padres are still considering Jim Edmonds as a center field candidate.
- Here’s a new one: the Indians expressed interest in Scott Rolen. The talks have cooled however.
- Rosenthal says the Astros don’t think they will get Miguel Tejada. Instead they’ve moved on to…Ron Mahay and Jeremy Affeldt.
Twin Sign Craig Monroe
UPDATE, 12-11-07 at 8:05pm: Jerry Crasnick says Monroe will get $3.82MM plus incentives based on plate appearances. Joe Christensen notes that it’s a non-guaranteed contract.
FROM 12-11-07 at 4:49pm:
A brief note, the Twins have signed outfielder Craig Monroe. They were planning on non-tendering him if they couldn’t get him to sign for ’08 at less than the $4.8MM he earned in ’07.
It’s hard to figure out where exactly Monroe fits in now that the Twins have Delmon Young. He’s kind of too pricey to be a bench guy but there’s no clear starting role for him.
Latest Johan Santana Rumors
UPDATE, 12-11-07 at 2:54pm: Jon Heyman puts the Red Sox, Yankees, and Mets as the three leading suitors for Johan. Matthew Cerrone, however, believes the Rangers, rather than the Yanks, are the third leading suitor.
FROM 12-11-07 at 8:52am:
Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has the latest buzz surrounding the Johan Santana trade talks.
The Red Sox and Twins talked yesterday, and the Twins are leading toward Jacoby Ellsbury rather than Jon Lester. Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson would also be included, and the sides are trying to figure out a fourth player.
The Yanks and Twins haven’t talked much lately, but apparently Kei Igawa‘s name has come up in the talks. He can’t have much trade value in the Twins’ eyes.
Christensen implies that the Mets might be trying to finish second here, staying involved for the sake of PR.
Christensen also notes that the Twins are fond of Jered Weaver, and the Angels could jump in if they decide to use their trade chips on another starter.
Also, the idea of the Twins including another player on their end has come up. In the past Joe Nathan has been mentioned, but Christensen is referring more to Twins’ prospects. They don’t have much in the system though.
Odds and Ends: Fukudome, Mahay, Santana
Rounding up some odds and ends for you…
- I’d read that Akinori Otsuka recommended the Padres to Kosuke Fukudome, kind of glossed over the fact. But Jamey Newberg has is rightly disappointed in the Rangers reliever. After all, the Rangers have Fukudome in their sights, and Otsuka plays for the Rangers.
- A good source tells me the Yankees believe they are in the lead for Ron Mahay, and think it can be done this upcoming week. If it’s true that Mahay has narrowed his choices to the Yanks and Royals, and the Royals have little interest, this makes sense.
- MetsBlog reports that Johan Santana prefers to pitch for the Mets. He likes the idea of moving to the NL.