Mets Re-Sign Jeremy Hefner
The Mets have re-signed starting pitcher Jeremy Hefner, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo tweets. They non-tendered Hefner last week. Hefner will spend this year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent late in the season.
Hefner, 27, pitched well for the Mets in his second big league season, racking up 130 2/3 innings in 24 outings (23 starts) for the club. Before being shut down in August and undergoing surgery, the right-hander posted a 4.34 ERA to go along with 6.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
Even though Hefner is unlikely to return to the mound until the second half of the 2014 season, New York's decision to non-tender him came as a bit of a surprise, since he's not yet eligible for arbitration. However, as Adam Rubin of ESPN New York tweets, Hefner's new deal with the Mets will be a minor league pact, which will result in significant cost savings for the team as he rehabs.
Hefner is represented by BBI Sports Group.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
New York Notes: Reynolds, Logan, Gardner, Mets
Earlier today the Mets introduced Curtis Granderson at a press conference. Here's the latest news out of the New York market with the Winter Meetings in full swing…
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman spoke to several reporters today, including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, and noted that he's been in contact with the agents for Mark Reynolds and Boone Logan (Twitter link).
- Hoch also tweets that the Yanks are receiving many calls on Brett Gardner but aren't shopping him. Cashman said he didn't sign Jacoby Ellsbury to trade Gardner.
- The Star-Ledger's Andy McCullough tweets that in addition to Gardner, the Yanks have received calls on Ivan Nova, Gary Sanchez and J.R. Murphy (Twitter link).
- Cashman also said that Michael Pineda is healthy and will compete for a rotation spot in Spring Training (Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News tweeting).
- Hoch adds that Cashman thinks it will be easier to sign a free agent pitcher than to work out a trade for rotation help.
- Newsday's David Lennon reports that the Mets will meet with the representatives for Freddy Garcia, Cesar Izturis and Johan Santana today (Twitter link). The team sees a good fit with that group of veterans.
- Granderson confirmed to reporters, including Newsday's Marc Carig, that the Mets were the lone team to offer four years (Twitter link).
Stephen Drew Rumors: Tuesday
It's been relatively quiet on the Stephen Drew front to this point, but his name has popped up in a couple of recent rumors. Here's a look at those, and we'll keep track of the rest of today's rumors pertaining to Drew in this post as well…
- Newsday's David Lennon tweets that the Mets are likely to be picky on the Drew front and may be hesitant to go to a third year. Drew would really need to be a "steal" in order for the Mets to sign Drew, he continues. The Mets, of course, already parted with their second-round pick to sign Curtis Granderson, so signing Drew would require the loss of another pick.
Earlier Updates
- An executive from a team that's believed to be in the market for Drew tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he expects Drew to end up back with the Red Sox (Twitter link).
- The Mets are still in the market for a shortstop, and Drew is still in play, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (also on Twitter).
Indians Willing To Listen On Masterson, Cabrera
10:41am: Despite their need for a shortstop, the Mets aren't in on Cabrera, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).
TUESDAY, 10:32am: The Indians are also willing to listen on Asdrubal Cabrera, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). As Morosi notes, Cleveland has a potential franchise shortstop on the horizon in Francisco Lindor. Their willingness to shop Cabrera isn't surprising given Lindor's presence, Cabrera's $10MM salary in 2014 and the fact that Cabrera slumped to a .242/.299/.402 batting line in 2013.
MONDAY: The Indians are open to fielding Justin Masterson trade pitches, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Rosenthal reports that Cleveland will listen on Masterson, with the idea of targeting players that would remain under team control for more years.
Masterson, 28, enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in 2013, posting a 3.45 ERA and 9.1 K/9 in 32 outings (29 starts) for the Indians. However, he's entering his final arbitration-eligible season, meaning he'll likely earn between $9-10MM in 2014, based on Matt Swartz's projections. Masterson will also be eligible for free agency a year from now, so the Indians will have to decide soon whether or not he'll be part of the club's long-term plan.
NL Central Notes: Cubs, Pirates, Brewers, Hart
After passing along several updates from out of the NL East and NL West, we'll turn to the National League's third division, as Monday winds down…
- According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link), the Cubs have received inquiries about Starlin Castro's availability, but have no intention of trading him. "We're excited to have Starlin," said GM Jed Hoyer.
- Hoyer hasn't ruled out the possibility of the Cubs trading a top prospect, telling reporters, including Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link), that they "would certainly consider it" if it made sense for the club's long-term future.
- Discussing potential free agent additions, GM Neal Huntington said today that it's very unlikely the Pirates would sign a player that required giving up draft pick compensation, and confirmed that Pittsburgh won't be in on Masahiro Tanaka if he's posted (Twitter links via Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review).
- The Pirates plan to fill their hole in right field internally, but are keeping an eye out for a starting pitcher, a middle infielder, and another bat (likely a first baseman), according to Huntington (Twitter link via Sawchik).
- Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (Twitter link) continues to hear that the Brewers' preference is to re-sign Corey Hart, assuming the money doesn't rise out of their price range. In that case, the Mets would have to look elsewhere for an Ike Davis trade partner.
Reliever Rumors: Mets, Orioles, Mariners, Tigers
Considering how many teams continue to seek bullpen help, it shouldn't come as a surprise that we're following up our earlier post on reliever rumors with another round of them. Let's dive in…
- The Mets have kicked the tires on Chris Perez as a potential late-inning addition, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (Twitter link). DiComo notes that Perez could serve as ninth-inning insurance for New York if Bobby Parnell isn't healthy.
- In addition to Perez, Mitchell Boggs is receiving interest from the Mets, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Boggs was non-tendered after a subpar 2013, but is viewed as an intriguing buy-low candidate by New York, says Sherman.
- Baltimore could be another potential fit for Perez, but the Orioles are also eyeing Grant Balfour and John Axford, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
- The Mariners don't appear to be prioritizing bullpen additions at this point, according to GM Jack Zduriencik, who says that with their available money, the M's "would look at adding a legitimate closer as a lower priority" (Twitter link via Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune).
- Noting that Dave Dombrowski has suggested the Tigers may take a flier on a veteran as insurance for Bruce Rondon, MLB.com's Jason Beck wonders if Octavio Dotel might be a fit to return to Detroit (Twitter link).
Mets Exploring Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy Trades
9:06pm: Andy Martino of the New York Daily News tweets that the Orioles aren't "hot" for either Davis or Murphy at the moment, while Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio says Baltimore's talks for Murphy are "way overblown" (Twitter link).
8:00pm: The Mets aren't pushing to move Murphy, but remain open to a trade, according to Marc Carig of Newsday. Carig adds that Davis appears more likely to be dealt than Murphy (Twitter links).
7:25pm: While they may not be seriously in the mix for Davis, the Orioles appear to be a legit suitor for Murphy, says Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). Sherman also adds the Rays to the list of potential destinations for Davis.
6:44pm: The Mets are pushing "very hard" to move Murphy, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). As for Davis, the Orioles don't appear to be a serious suitor. Mike Puma of the New York Post hears that Baltimore's interest is "distant" at the moment (Twitter link).
5:36pm: The Mets and Brewers met today to revisit the possibility of an Ike Davis trade, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com (Twitter link). Newsday's Marc Carig is hearing the same thing, tweeting that Milwaukee is one of four teams engaged with the Mets about the first baseman.
We initially heard nearly a month ago that the Brewers and Mets had discussed the idea of a trade that would send Davis to Milwaukee. Corey Hart remains a possibility for Milwaukee at first base, but it doesn't sound like the club is closing in on a deal for either player, as McCalvy indicates that the team has laid the groundwork on both fronts.
Andy Martino of the New York Daily News adds (via Twitter) that there doesn't seem to be much traction yet on a deal for either Davis or fellow trade candidate Daniel Murphy. According to Martino, there's some skepticism among executives that New York will find many takers for Murphy.
Mets Sign Curtis Granderson
The Mets have officially signed Curtis Granderson to a four-year deal, the team announced today. Granderson's new contract, which doesn't include a no-trade clause, will pay him $13MM in 2014, $16MM in 2015 and 2016, and $15MM in 2017, for a total of $60MM overall. Granderson is represented by agent Matt Brown of Pro Prospects, Inc.
Granderson, 33 in March, would likely have been in for a bigger payday had it not been for a fluke season that saw him miss 100 games on the DL as a result of getting hit by a pair of pitches. When he was on the field, The Grandy Man batted .229/.317/.407 with seven homers and eight steals in 245 plate appearances.
However, the Mets are likely paying for the production that Granderson displayed in the 2011-12 seasons, during which he batted .247/.342/.522 with an MLB-best 84 home runs. Many detractors will try to claim that Granderson is a product of Yankee Stadium, but as I explained in my free agent profile, that's simply not the case; Granderson belted 47 homers at Yankee Stadium in 2011-12 but still went deep 37 times on the road. He benefited to an extent from Yankee Stadium, but as shown by his .244/.339/.493 line on the road, Granderson is more than capable of hitting in other stadiums. Those concerned about his platoon splits can look to his .249/.351/.521 batting line and 127 wRC+ against left-handers from 2011-12. I projected a three-year, $45MM contract in that profile, meaning that Brown and Granderson topped my expectation by getting a fourth year at the same annual value.
Granderson figures to play an outfield corner in Queens, with Juan Lagares manning center field and Chris B. Young (who signed a one-year, $7.25MM contract with the Mets) handling the other corner spot. In Young and Granderson, the Mets have added some much-needed power to their lineup while also adding solid outfield defense. Granderson's glove graded out strongly in 2013, and the move to a corner should help him continue to post strong defensive numbers,
The Mets emerged as the top suitors for Granderson in previous days but were previously reported to be unwilling to up their offer from three years to four. By signing Granderson, the Mets are agreeing to forfeit their second-round pick in next year's draft (their first-rounder is protected). Special assistant J.P. Ricciardi told me at last month's GM Meetings that the Mets would be willing to make that move for the "right" player, but that signing two free agents tied to draft pick compensation was unlikely.
Granderson was also linked to the Red Sox as a possible replacement for Jacoby Ellsbury and said to have drawn interest from teams like the Mariners and Orioles. The Yankees, of course, had interest in retaining Granderson as well. Instead, they will receive a compensatory pick between the first and second round of the 2014 draft — the second such pick they've acquired today, given the news that Robinson Cano is headed to Seattle on a ten-year deal.
The agreement was first reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter), with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adding terms (Twitter link) and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) adding further details.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NL East Links: Izturis, Mets, Colon, Arroyo, O’Flaherty
The Marlins have made the most headlines in the NL East today, agreeing to terms with Garrett Jones and talking trades with a number of teams regarding Logan Morrison. There's a lot more going on in the NL East though, and here's a rundown of some news from today…
- The Mets have already had internal discussions regarding Cesar Izturis and plan to meet with his agent in the coming days, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post (on Twitter). Izturis batted just .209/.259/.271 in his age-33 season with the Reds in 2013.
- Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes that the Mets aren't likely to sign Bartolo Colon or Bronson Arroyo and instead figure to look at back-end type starters like Daisuke Matsuzaka. "We'd be hesitant to give a multi-year deal (to a pitcher), but that doesn't mean we wouldn't," GM Sandy Alderson told Martino. Alderson said he's also had recent discussions with Johan Santana's agent.
- The Nationals aren't interested in adding another catcher at this time, tweets Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington. GM Mike Rizzo believes that Wilson Ramos can catch 125 games next season, though he's never appeared in more than 113 games in a single Major League season.
- The Nationals have been linked to Eric O'Flaherty a number of times already, but a source told MLB.com's Bill Ladson that that issue will be addressed "down the road." O'Flaherty told Ladson in a phone interview that he's open to going anywhere and also spoke highly of Washington's group of young talent.
- Adding a lefty reliever is one of Rizzo's top priorities, but a deal may not get done this week, reports Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com. Rizzo added that in an ideal world, they'd add more than a lefty specialist, landing someone who can also get right-handed hitters out as well.
- Braves GM Frank Wren told David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he doesn't envision making a move to acquire a front-line player (Twitter link). "I see more support (type) moves," Wren told O'Brien, which O'Brien speculates could mean a power bat for the bench and depth for the bullpen and rotation.
Reliever Rumors: Balfour, Perez, Logan, O’Flaherty
We haven't seen a ton of action yet from Orlando today, but plenty of smaller-scale rumors have been trickling in throughout the day, including plenty related to the bullpen market. Let's round up a few of the latest updates on some available relief pitchers….
- The Indians, who are in the market for a closer, have spoken to Grant Balfour, sources tell Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Chris Perez is in attendance in Orlando to meet with teams in person, which Olney sees as a good move, considering how Perez's 2013 season played out.
- The Tigers sound lukewarm on the bullpen market at this point, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com (via Twitter), who says that stance could change once more closer openings are filled and free agents shift their focus to setup jobs.
- The Yankees, Nationals, and Padres have all been involved in the lefty relief market to varying degrees, according to Morosi (via Twitter).
- New York has stayed in touch with Boone Logan, tweets Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger. However, Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link) hears that Logan is hoping to earn a role as a setup man, rather than simply as a LOOGY.
- The Braves have spoken with the agent of Eric O'Flaherty, but that appears to be on the backburner for now, particularly since he's drawing interest from other teams, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.