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NL East Notes: Wilson, Mets, Nationals

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The Mets would take Brian Wilson on a minor league deal, but that's not happening right now, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.  Earlier today, we learned that the Giants are in talks with fellow reliever Brandon Lyon and his signing would almost certainly mean that Wilson is out of the picture in San Francisco.  Even if that happens, it's hard to imagine Wilson having to take a minor league contract from a team.  Here's more on the Mets and other items from the NL East..

  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said earlier today that the club is close to finalizing deals with a few of their arbitration eligible players but declined to say which ones, tweets Amanda Comak of the Washington Times.  The Nats signed Drew Storen to a one-year deal today but they still have Roger Bernadina, Tyler Clippard, Ian Desmond, Ross Detwiler, Craig Stammen, and Jordan Zimmermann on the docket.
  • In an interview with Mike Francesa on WFAN, Mets GM Sandy Alderson was asked to grade the club's offseason.  "I'd say right now it's an incomplete but there's still time in the semester," said the GM, according to Marc Carig of Newsday (on Twitter).
  • Alderson also said that the club is involved in a number of things at the moment and expects to have some additions before the start of spring training, according to the Mets (on Twitter).
  • Rafael Soriano was surely lured to the Nationals in part by his two-year, $28MM deal, but he said at today's presser that the opportunity to win a World Series also played a role, according to the Nats' official Twitter.

Mets, Bobby Parnell Agree To Deal

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The Mets announced that they have avoided arbitration with Bobby Parnell on a one-year, $1.7MM deal for 2013, according to Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger (via Twitter).  The 28-year-old is represented by ACES.

The right-hander posted a 2.49 ERA last season with 8.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 74 relief outings.  Parnell, 28, reportedly picked up trade interest this winter but the Mets opted to hang on to him instead.  Matt Swartz's arbitration model developed exclusively for MLBTR projected a $1.5MM deal for Parnell.

Parnell won't be eligible to hit the open market until after the 2015 campaign.  After getting Parnell squared away, GM Sandy Alderson & Co. can now focus on their two remaining arb eligible players – Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy.

NL East Notes: Soriano, Nationals, Mets

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Rafael Soriano recently agreed to a two-year, $28MM contract with the Nationals, obtaining the second-largest deal signed by an NL East team this winter. Within the division B.J. Upton’s $75MM guarantee with the Braves remains the only deal that surpasses Soriano’s $28MM agreement. Here are some links from the NL East, starting in Washington…

  • Agents and GMs are assessing the present day value of Soriano’s deal at $11MM per season, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Half of Soriano’s $14MM salary will be deferred each year.
  • Washington has drafted well under GM Mike Rizzo, but trades have also played a vital role in transforming the Nationals into one of baseball's best teams, as Zachary Levine of Baseball Prospectus explains.
  • One Mets insider told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork that he doesn’t believe the team has spoken to free agent starter Daisuke Matsuzaka “at all.” New York executives are looking to round out the team’s rotation, but not necessarily with the Japanese right-hander. Matsuzaka, 32, has interest in pitching for the Padres.

Quick Hits: D’Backs, Wilson, Braves, Beane, Cubs

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The Diamondbacks had insisted on receiving Major League-ready talent in any trade for Justin Upton, but were willing to accept prospects in last week's proposed deal with the Mariners that Upton blocked with his no-trade clause.  D'Backs GM Kevin Towers tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that the change in philosophy was due to the rising cost of free agents and the fact that the Snakes had added outfield depth in Cody Ross.

"It’s easier to do more of a prospect-driven deal than before. To me, it would have to be the right prospects," Towers said.  "We’re targeting people’s best prospects and upper-level guys that we think are close — if not (major league-ready) this year, then next year.”

Some more news from around baseball…

  • The Diamondbacks seem intent on trading Upton, leaving MLB.com's Matthew Leach puzzled at why the club would move a talented young player on a controllable contract.
  • The Mets haven't given up on the possibility of offering Brian Wilson a Major League contract, reports Newsday's Marc Carig (Twitter link).  We heard earlier today that the Mets were unimpressed when they watched Wilson throw over the weekend.
  • The Braves have one of the least-profitable TV deals in baseball but team CEO Terry McGuirk says that low broadcasting revenues aren't hampering how the club does business, McGuirk tells David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  The Braves have 14 years left on their current TV deal, which McGuirk describes as “iron-clad."
  • Athletics GM Billy Beane said it was difficult to move a highly-regarded pitching prospect like A.J. Cole, CSN Bay Area's Casey Pratt reports. However, the GM said it had to be done to help the A's contend in 2013.  "We're shifting all of our focus on the Major League club and trying to take as much advantage as we can of the opportunity we have," Beane said.
  • Beane said he prepared to go with a platoon of Derek Norris and George Kottaras behind the plate, MLB.com's Jane Lee reports (Twitter links).  "Only if it was John Jaso" would he have made a move to improve Oakland's catching.  Beane said he had been trying to acquire Jaso from the Mariners over the last couple of months.
  • Buster Posey tops the list of baseball's best 25-year-old players, according to ESPN's Keith Law (ESPN Insider subscription req'd).
  • Cubs president Theo Epstein told reporters (including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune) that Edwin Jackson's age and track record made the team comfortable enough to sign him to a big free agent contract. 
  • In another item from Sullivan, Epstein said that he expects the Cubs to contend in 2013 despite the fact that they're still ostensibly rebuilding.  "Otherwise, there’s no reason to show up or build a team,” Epstein said. “It’s postseason or bust every year. That’s what our goal is."

Mets Notes: Brian Wilson, Scott Hairston

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The Mets completed a nine-figure contract extension and made a blockbuster trade this winter, but they’ve been quiet in free agency. Mike Puma of the New York Post has the latest on their current pursuits…

  • The Mets watched free agent reliever Brian Wilson this weekend, and weren’t impressed, Puma reports. The Mets don’t consider the rehabbing right-hander to be worthy of a big league deal at this point. Wilson, who’s recovering from Tommy John surgery, wasn’t interested in a minor league contract, according to Puma. The Mets could watch him pitch later on, but right now he’s not physically ready in the view of Mets personnel. “He’s got a ways to go,” one person said. The Mets were known to have interest in Wilson.
  • It’s believed that the Mets countered Scott Hairston’s asking price of two years and $8MM with a one-year, $2MM offer, Puma reports. One source suggested to the Post that the Mets will find a way of adding an outfielder even if they don’t re-sign the free agent Hairston.

Quick Hits: Wuertz, Webb, Wheeler

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Rafael Soriano’s two-year, $28MM agreement with the Nationals dominated headlines this afternoon, but let’s not let the news overshadow some other notes from around MLB. Here are Tuesday’s links…

  • Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN in Minneapolis suggests reliever Michael Wuertz will soon sign a minor league deal with a National League team (Twitter link).
  • NL East teams such as the Phillies, Marlins, Nationals and Mets are keeping tabs on free agent right-hander Brandon Webb, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
  • The Mets won’t trade Zack Wheeler to acquire Justin Upton from Arizona, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter link). The Mets and Diamondbacks don’t see a fit for a deal involving Upton at this point, Heyman adds. New York does have interest in high-profile outfielders such as Upton.
  • The Red Sox have seen all of Javier Vazquez's starts in Puerto Rico, Peter Gammons of MLB Network reports (on Twitter). Many clubs will be watching the free agent right-hander pitch today, Gammons notes. Vazquez, 36, has said he's not in a hurry to sign.

Hairston Expected To Choose Team This Week

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4:09pm: The Cubs also talked to Hairston, Heyman reports (on Twitter). Hairston could complement left-handed hitters such as David DeJesus and Nate Schierholtz in Chicago.

3:18pm: The Mets balked when Hairston asked for $8MM over two years, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Yankees aren't involved, but the outfielder still seems upbeat, Heyman adds.

10:46am: Free agent outfielder Scott Hairston is expected to choose a team this week, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter).

The Yankees, Mets, Braves and Phillies have been linked to Hairston this winter. At one point the two New York teams were viewed as finalists for the right-handed hitting outfielder, but the Mets now appear to be targeting bigger names.

Hairston hit 20 homers and posted a .263/.299/.504 batting line for the Mets this past season. The 32-year-old played all three outfield positions, spending most of his time in the two corner spots. He faced left-handed pitching in precisely half of his 398 plate appearances and, as usual, he excelled against lefties with a .286/.317/.550 batting line and 11 home runs.

Hairston, an Excel Sports Management client, earned $1.1MM in each of the past two seasons. He could be looking for a two-year contract in the $10MM range following Jonny Gomes’ deal with the Red Sox.

International Moves: Dodgers, Liberato, Villatoro

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We’ll keep track of the day’s international signings here…

  • The Dodgers announced the signings of four 17-year-olds from the Dominican Republic (via Twitter): outfielders Deivy Castillo and Ariel Sandoval, shortstop Ravel Hernandez, and right-hander Miguel Urena. Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweeted the age and positions of each player.
  • The Mariners signed Luis Liberato, a 17-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. Liberato obtains a $140K bonus. The 6'1" teenager has gap power with a solid swing and could stay in center field or move to right, according to Badler.
  • The Blue Jays signed 18-year-old right-hander Denis Villatoro to a five-year contract, Saúl Carranza of the Honduran newspaper Diez reported over the weekend (translation via MLBTR's Nick Collias). It's a five-year deal, according to La Tribuna. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun notes that it's worth $20K (Twitter link). Villatoro, who worked out for the Blue Jays before signing, said he's "very happy" to have agreed to terms with Toronto, Carranza reports. His fastball reaches 93 mph, and he also drew interest from the Orioles, Yankees, Mets, Astros, Giants and Pirates.

East Notes: Orioles, Mets, Wilson, Blue Jays

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We know that the Orioles aren't looking to trade J.J. Hardy based on recent comments from manager Buck Showalter, but that doesn't mean that Baltimore won't look to make other deals.  "I know from talking to Peter [Angelos], if there's a deal there that everybody thinks works, we're going to go. Nobody's scared here.  Nobody's afraid to make a deal here. Trust me. Trust me. It's just, we've got to get the right one," said the skipper, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter).  Here's more out of the AL and NL East..

  • The Mets are reportedly showing serious interest in Brian Wilson, but Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (onTwitter) doesn't see a signing in the immediate future.  At this stage, Rubin is told that Wilson still has a ways to go after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. 
  • Don't look for the Mets to actively pursue Grady Sizemore thanks to an outfield already full of left-handed hitters, adds Rubin (via Twitter). The former Indians star's health remains an issue heading into 2013 as Sizemore works to recover from microfracture surgery on his knee.
  • Other teams in the AL East, like the Blue Jays, claim that they're not building with the idea of pouncing while the Yankees are cost-conscious, but Ken Davidoff of the New York Post isn't necessarily buying it.  Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has said that his club has a three-to-five-year window to seriously contend, and a person familiar with the the Blue Jays’ internal discussions says that it ties back into the Yankees’ apparent weakening and the Red Sox's disappointing 2012.
  • The Red Sox have high hopes for their recently-replenished youth movement, writes Tim Britton of The Providence Journal.  Boston has placed a greater emphasis on developing talent from within their system ever since their August trade with the Dodgers.

Daniel Seco contributed to this post.

Mets Showing Strong Interest In Brian Wilson

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2:45pm: Alderson is "not sure" if the Mets will extend Wilson an offer, reports the New York Post's Mike Puma.

10:03 am: The Mets are showing strong interest in former Giants closer Brian Wilson, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).  Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson watched Wilson yesterday in a private workout.

Before the New Year we learned that Wilson narrowed down his list of suitors in half from about nine or ten to approximately five.  The Giants are open to a reunion but are only willing to give Wilson a deal with a low base salary and performance-based incentives.  The 30-year-old made only two appearances in 2012 before suffering a season-ending elbow injury.

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