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NL East Notes: Marlins, Mets, Phillies

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Two NL East teams, the Nationals and Phillies, have projected payrolls surpassing $100MM for the 2013 season. Meanwhile, the Mets and Braves project to spend $80MM and $83MM on payroll, respectively. The Marlins will round out the division with a payroll in the $30-40MM range. Here are some links from the NL East, starting in Miami

  • Tension exists between Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and some MLB players, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald explains. “Players don’t trust him,” one prominent agent told Jackson following the Marlins’ recent trade with Toronto. Players say the owner gets too close for comfort. “He’s always looking in the dugout,” one former Marlin told Jackson. “Mind your business!"
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson sounds more optimistic about adding a reliever than acquiring an outfielder, Dan Martin of the New York Post writes. The Mets are hesitant to hand Frank Francisco the closer job again and have expressed interest in Brian Wilson and others.
  • Alderson discussed his offseason plans in detail on MLB Network Radio yesterday. For the latest on closers around the league follow @closernews throughout the fantasy baseball season.
  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. expects his team will compete in the NL East, even as division rivals make improvements, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. "Absolutely. It's up to the players to prove me right, I guess," the GM said.

East Notes: Rays, Russell Martin, Mets

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On this day in 1937, the city of Cincinnati was devastated by a torrential downpour that left Crosley Field, home of the Reds, completely flooded. Two Reds pitchers took a boat out onto the field and navigated the vessel out toward centerfield as the water reached as deep as 21 feet by home plate. Allegedly, one of the pitchers, Lee Grissom, intended to use the boat to reach the front office to collect his paycheck.

Here's the latest news and headlines out of the AL and NL East…

  • The Rays may still be in the market for a bat and bullpen help even after what has been a busy offseason thus far, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Tampa will look to find someone to give James Loney days off at first base or another outfielder to provide depth. 
  • The Yankees will miss Russell Martin's presence behind the plate this season as Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com lists the reasons why. The veteran signed with the Pirates this offseason after New York failed to make Martin a priority.
  • The moves made this offseason by the Braves and Nationals shouldn't affect the Mets' long-term rebuilding plans by speeding up the process, writes Michael Baron of MetsBlog.com. General Manager Sandy Alderson prefers to let his top prospects to continue to develop rather than trade them for a proven big league entity. 

Mets Notes: Bourn, Wilson, Hairston, Upton

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Earlier today, Mets GM Sandy Alderson joined Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio.  Here's a look at some highlights with all links going to Bowden's Twitter..

  • The GM said that he would be very reluctant to give up a first-round pick to sign Michael Bourn, but Bowden (on Twitter) got the impression that they are considering the possibility because of the strength of their farm system.  The Mets have interest in Bourn and the player's union could potentially support them if they try and argue that their No. 11 pick should be protected from compensation.
  • Alderson said that the club may go back and see Brian Wilson pitch again in a few days (Twitter link).  The last time they saw the former Giants closer it was early on in his process.  It has been said that the Mets would jump at the chance to sign Wilson to a minor league deal, but that seems unlikely.
  • Alderson implied that if the trade of Justin Upton to the Braves had happened before Scott Hairston's signing with the Cubs, the club may have had a chance to grab Hairston (Twitter link).  Meanwhile, the GM says that he is still looking for ways to upgrade the outfield.

Cafardo On Mets, Bourn, Abreu, Red Sox, Mahay

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There were baseball people this winter who pleaded with their teams to go after B.J. Upton as a free agent and to trade for his younger brother, Justin Upton.  However, there also were those who said “over my dead body” would they have either, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  In fact, officials in one AL East organization were nearly unanimous in the opinion that neither Upton was a fit for them.  The Braves obviously didn't share that view and will now enter 2013 with a remarkably athletic lineup thanks to the Upton brothers.  Here's more from today's column..

  • While Cafardo hears that the Mets' interest in Michael Bourn is minimal, that might be enough for them to land him eventually.  Many baseball people are amazed that Bourn is the odd man out in free agency. The Mets, Mariners, and possibly Orioles are waiting for a bargain deal and one AL manager reasoned that if a team can get him on a one-year deal, they might juggle things around to make it happen.
  • The Red Sox were among the teams that tried out Bobby Abreu. but sources say the Red Sox are unlikely to pursue him as the backup first baseman/outfielder that they’re looking for.
  • Left-hander Ron Mahay has decided to call it a career.  The 41-year-old says that he's now looking to get into coaching or managing.  Mahay last appeared in the majors with the Twins in 2010.  For his career, the reliever posted a 3.83 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 across 14 seasons.
  • The Cubs' Alfonso Soriano is on the trading block and could still be moved before spring training, as teams like the Orioles and Rangers look to make last-minute upgrades. 
  • The Angels had some hope that Vernon Wells could be moved this winter, but those odds decreased after the Phillies signed Delmon Young.  “I think people will look back on his career and wonder, how could a guy who came into the league with so much ability let this happen?” said an American League scout who once saw Wells as one of the most talented players in baseball.

Mets Interested In Roy Oswalt

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8:15pm: Oswalt's agent Bob Garber says he's unaware of any interest the Mets may have in his client for the 2013 season, writes Marc Carig of Newsday. 

1:32pm: The Mets are interested in free-agent right-hander Roy Oswalt, and the door has not fully closed even with the addition of Shaun Marcum, a baseball source told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.  It was reported earlier this month that Oswalt was on the fence about pitching in 2013 and many teams had given up on trying to lure him back, sensing that he would choose to call it a career.

Oswalt hooked on with the Rangers on a minor league deal last summer and posted a 5.80 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in nine starts and eight relief appearances.  The 35-year-old has dealt with his fair share of injuries over the last couple of years with issues ranging from lower back inflammation in 2011 to a forearm strain at the end of last season.

Mets Notes: Marcum, Bourn, Alderson

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Yesterday, the Mets finally made their first major free agent addition of the offseason when they inked Shaun Marcum to a one-year, $4MM deal with another $4MM in incentives.  Here's more on the right-hander and other news out of Queens..

  • Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (on Twitter) has the breakdown of Marcum's incentives package.  The hurler can earn $1.75MM in roster bonuses and $2.25MM more in bonuses for innings pitched going all the way up to 200.
  • The Mets need a center fielder, but Jay Schreiber of the New York Times highly doubts that it will be free agent Michael Bourn.  Schreiber writes that the Mets would likely be headed for another fourth-place finish in 2013, even with the addition of the 30-year-old.  He also wonders aloud if the club's flirtation with Bourn is at least partly designed to make it seem as if the Mets are trying to do something major, even though they know its a longshot.
  • Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs likes the Mets' signing of Marcum and sees it as a solid bargain for GM Sandy Alderson & Co.  Marcum missed significant time last season due to an elbow issue but posted a 3.70 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 across 21 starts.

Quick Hits: Napoli, Red Sox, Bourn, Mets, Marlins

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It took the Red Sox quite a while to finalize their agreement with Mike Napoli this offseason over concern about a potential hip issue.  Fortunately, his doctor says that the hip problem was detected early enough to prevent it from getting worse over time, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal.  The two sides wound up re-working their three-year, $36MM pact into a one-year, $5MM deal with incentives that could boost it to $13MM in total.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • A source tells Marc Carig of Newsday (on Twitter) that the MLBPA could file a grievance on the Michael Bourn/compensatory draft pick issue, even if the Mets don't agree to terms with the outfielder first.  There has been talk of the players union supporting the Mets if they choose to argue against having to surrender a first-round pick to sign a free agent like Bourn.
  • It appears that the Mets will face some stiff competition in the NL East as they vie with the Nationals and Braves, but GM Sandy Alderson says that he isn't sweating it too much, writes Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.  "I would agree that the Nationals and the Braves appear to be very good teams for '13 and beyond," Alderson said. "But many teams have been described as set up well for the long haul, and it hasn't always worked out as described.
  • The Marlins have made former West Virginia football standout Pat White an offer to get back into baseball, but the quarterback and one of his associates told Orlando Alzugaray of 640 AM that baseball is only a Plan B if football doesn't work out, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.  White won't completely rule out going to spring training with Miami, but he is also considering a two-year contract offer the Canadian Football League and has spoken to representatives for at least eight NFL teams.
  • The Royals now have three catchers on the 40-man roster after claiming George Kottaras earlier today, but GM Dayton Moore isn't sure how many backstops will make the cut for Opening Day, writes Pete Grathoff of The Kansas City Star.  The 29-year-old Kottaras will earn $1MM this season and will remain under team control as an arbitration eligible player through 2015.

Rosenthal On Tigers, Diamondbacks, Bourn

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Two of the biggest MLB stories to emerge recently are the Justin Upton trade and the Mets’ interest in Michael Bourn. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports weighed in on both subjects in recent columns. Here are some highlights:

  • The Tigers like shortstop prospect Nick Ahmed and wanted him as part of a package for Rick Porcello, Rosenthal reports. Those talks would have made yesterday’s trade with the Braves a three-team deal. However, Arizona GM Kevin Towers suggested to the media yesterday that he’s comfortable with his starting pitching depth after acquiring Randall Delgado from the Braves.
  • The Mets would have the support of the MLBPA if they continue lobbying for the right to surrender a second round pick instead of a first rounder should they sign a free agent linked to draft pick compensation. But sympathy for the Mets would only go so far just one offseason after the completion of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement. MLB wouldn’t want to establish a precedent and would likely fight a grievance by the MLBPA, Rosenthal reports. 
  • Scott Boras, Bourn’s agent, is a factor in this as well, Rosenthal reports. MLB isn’t inclined to do Boras any favors such as making an exception for Bourn.

Diamondbacks Notes: Upton, Kubel, Mets, Payroll

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The blockbuster trade of Justin Upton is dominating headlines around baseball today.  We've already looked at one batch of reaction to the deal as well as Arizona's hopes of quickly signing Martin Prado to an extension, but here are some more news items out of the desert…

  • The Diamondbacks are "a team stressing culture over talent," writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, dealing Upton and Trevor Bauer because neither player fit the club's preference for "the dirt-on-the-uniform, all-out, get-concussed-or-go-home sort of player."
  • The D'Backs will keep Jason Kubel, GM Kevin Towers told reporters during a conference call, including USA Today's Bob Nightengale (Twitter link).  This comes as no surprise, as it was expected that Arizona would only move one of Kubel or Upton from a crowded outfield that also includes Gerardo Parra, Adam Eaton, Cody Ross and A.J. Pollock in the mix.  Kubel had drawn interest from a number of teams, including the Padres, Orioles, White Sox, Mariners and Mets.
  • Speaking of the Mets, they talked to the D'Backs about Upton at various points this winter but the two teams never got far, Metsblog's Matthew Cerrone reports.  The Mets didn't have the Major League-ready young infielder that Arizona wanted, nor were the Mets willing to trade Zack Wheeler or Matt Harvey.
  • The Diamondbacks' payroll in 2013 "will start with a nine," according to managing general partner Ken Kendrick, reports Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona (via Twitter).  This would represent a significant bump from the Snakes' 2012 payroll, which Cot's Baseball Contracts lists as a little more than $75.4MM.

Michael Bourn Rumors: Thursday

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Suitors are starting to show up for Michael Bourn, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Mets, it appears, are one of them. They’re interested in Bourn, but they remain hesitant to meet his asking price and don’t want to surrender the 11th overall selection in the 2013 draft to complete a deal. Here are the latest Bourn-related rumors as the market for the center fielder picks up…

  • The Rangers aren't involved at all in the Bourn talks, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter). This leaves the Mets and Mariners as favorites for Bourn, Nightengale writes.

Earlier updates

  • Heyman suggests it’ll take a five-year deal worth $15MM or so per season to sign Bourn, a Scott Boras client. B.J. Upton obtained a five-year, $75.2MM contract that could be a comparable for Bourn’s next deal.
  • Bourn is an “outside possibility” for the Orioles, Heyman reports. The Cubs are thought to like Bourn “very much” and have some level of interest.
  • Heyman writes that at least one prominent Dodgers player contacted Bourn encouraging him to sign in Los Angeles. Braves players made similar calls, as did Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez. However, the Braves don’t need an outfielder now that they’ve traded for Justin Upton.
  • The Rangers seem like the best fit for Bourn assuming the Tigers don’t get involved, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick writes (on Twitter). However, it’s not certain how often the Rangers have been talking to Bourn, Heyman writes. MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reported today that the Rangers don't expect to sign either Bourn or Kyle Lohse. The Rangers have been in talks with Boras, however.
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