Odds & Ends: Brewers, Molina, Zduriencik, White Sox
Friday Night Lights Links…
- Brewers' GM Doug Melvin said that they're finished signing "impact" free agents according to a tweet from MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. He did not, however, rule out a trade with payroll implications.
- Ed Price of AOL FanHouse says (via Twitter) that Bengie Molina passed up an extra $1MM in salary for 2010 from the Mets for a familiarity of San Francisco.
- David Laurila of Baseball Prospectus sat down for a must read interview with Mariners' GM Jack Zduriencik. Best of all, it's not behind their subscriber wall.
- An interesting quote by White Sox GM Kenny Williams at SoxFest today, courtesy of a tweet from Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune: "There's always one more move to be made."
Odds & Ends: Tatis, Astros, Ludwick, A’s
Some links for Friday…
- Buster Olney of ESPN tweets that the Nationals have put Josh Willingham on the market once again. If they move the soon-to-be 31-year-old, it could clear the way for Adam Dunn to be moved to the outfield. Willingham recently avoided arbitration with the Nats, agreeing to a one-year, $4.6MM pact.
- Mike Puma of the New York Post hears that the Mets could bring Fernando Tatis back if they don't re-sign Carlos Delgado. However, the Mets have not contacted Tatis' agent.
- The Astros appear unwilling to talk multi-year deals with arbitration-eligible players Wandy Rodriguez, Hunter Pence and Tim Byrdak, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (via Twitter).
- The Cards and Ryan Ludwick avoided arbitration and agreed on a one-year $5.45MM deal for 2010, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- A's prospect Grant Desme is retiring from baseball to "pursue the priesthood," according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Baseball America ranked Desme the club's eighth-best prospect this offseason.
- Craig Brown of Royals Authority doesn't see why the Royals signed Scott Podsednik if they were going to add Rick Ankiel, too.
- Tyler Hissey ranks the remaining free agents. Check out our comprehensive free agent list right here.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that the Mariners have been working on possible deals involving Jose Lopez.
- Olney says Jim Thome is talking with a few teams.
- Could the Brewers lock Prince Fielder up to a deal that keeps the first baseman in Milwaukee after the 2011 season? MLB.com's Adam McCalvy asked Brewers GM Doug Melvin if the club might extend Fielder soon and Melvin said: "I don't know the answer to that."
- Meanwhile, another big left-handed slugger is just looking for a job. Jim Thome remains available, but White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen tells MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he's happy to rotate players in and out of the DH spot this year.
- The Pirates, who are likely done making major moves this offseason, project to have an Opening Day payroll of $35.65MM, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog tweets that the Mets are close to making a deal.
- Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik says he's going to "tweak and add" before the season starts, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
Giants Re-Sign Bengie Molina To One-Year Deal
Bengie Molina rejected a $5MM offer from the Mets and chose instead to take a one-year $4.5MM deal to return to San Francisco. The move, which is now official, increases the likelihood that top prospect Buster Posey will start the season back in the minors.
Molina returns to the Bay Area despite reports that GM Brian Sabean said he believed the backstop had received a multi-year offer elsewhere. Molina, whose brother Jose is still a free agent, earned $16MM as part of the three year deal he signed with San Francisco back in 2007. He hit .278/.302/.440 with 55 homers while with the Giants.
Now, the Giants have reached their payroll limit, tweets ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
Dennis O'Donnell of CBS 5 Sports first reported the deal and SI.com's Jon Heyman added that Molina turned down a superior offer from the Mets.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Mets To Acquire Gary Matthews Jr.
The Mets will acquire Gary Matthews Jr. and cash from the Angels for Brian Stokes. Matthews, who receives $500K for being traded, is set to make $11MM in 2010 and $12MM in 2011. The Angels will pick up all but $2MM of the $23.5MM remaining on the deal.
Matthews joined the Angels before the 2007 season, signing a $50MM deal. He leaves without much fanfare, as he's coming off a season in which he combined poor defense with a .250/.336/.361 line. That's far from the .866 OPS he posted in his 2006 walk year.
The 30-year-old Stokes allowed 72 hits and 38 walks in 70.1 innings last year, striking out 45 for a 3.97 ERA.
Jon Heyman of SI.com first reported the deal. Heyman, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports and ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick followed up with details, all via Twitter.
Jason Bay’s Negotiations With The Red Sox
Jason Bay gives Rob Bradford of WEEI.com a blow-by-blow account of his contract negotiations with the Red Sox. The process was complex, frustrating and drawn out, according to Bay. Peter Gammons reported earlier in the week that the Red Sox pulled their four-year $60MM offer to the left fielder over health concerns last summer.
But as Bay tells WEEI.com, “That is just one-tenth of the story.”
Bay underwent numerous physical inspections after the Red Sox voiced concerns over the outfielder's knees and shoulder. Bay says his health checked out, but the Red Sox offered one deal that was contingent on Bay having knee surgery after the 2009 season.
“I was shocked, to say the least," Bay said. "Particularly since I wasn’t hurt.”
The sides continued to talk, but Bay ultimately signed for four guaranteed years with the Mets and has "no regrets" about his decision.
Mets Interested In Sheets, Wang, Tracy
The latest on the Mets' search for starting pitching:
- Ben Sheets appears to be the team's top target, according to Ken Davidoff of Newsday.
- The Mets have been in touch with Sheets since watching him throw Tuesday, according to Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News.
- Alan Nero, one of Chien-Ming Wang's representatives, tells McCarron that the Mets are one of 15 teams interested in the former Yankee.
- McCarron hears that the Mets have had discussions about Chad Tracy.
- Remember, Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog tweeted this morning that the Mets are close to making a deal.
New York Notes: Pineiro, Smoltz, Nady
Some New York news and notes courtesy of Newsday's Ken Davidoff..
- Davidoff's understanding is that the Mets' offer to Joel Pineiro was very similar to the Angels' offer of two-years, $16MM. While it would be natural to assume that the free agent hurler preferred the stability of the Halos franchise to the Metropolitans, he writes that he doesn't know that for certain.
- The Mets would definitely like to sign John Smoltz, though it would cause a logjam of starting pitchers. Davidoff suggests that the team could move John Maine in order to create space for him.
- Speaking of Smoltz, Davidoff hears that the Yankees were interested in the 42-year-old prior to landing Javier Vazquez.
- As we've heard elsewhere, the Bombers are looking for one more outfielder and are considering right-handers Xavier Nady and Rocco Baldelli.
Odds & Ends: Gomes, Coffey, Nolasco, Vazquez
Links for Thursday…
- Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that team sources have told him that the Cubs are looking at Jonny Gomes as a fourth outfielder. Gomes – who proved to be one of the best minor league deals of 2009 – confirms.
- The Brewers signed arbitration-eligible reliever Todd Coffey for $2.025MM, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. That's just short of the midpoint.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro writes that a strong 2010 season would lead the Marlins to explore a multiyear deal with Ricky Nolasco. Nolasco is under team control through 2012, and will earn $3.8MM in his second arbitration year.
- Yankees pitcher Javier Vazquez spoke to Puerto Rican newspaper La Perla del Sur. MLBTR's translator Nick Collias supplies this interesting quote: "I don't have much playing time left…I go year by year, and I don’t know if it will be one, two or three years, but I'm definitely not going to play until 40." Vazquez is eligible for free agency after the season.
- Rockies outfielder Dexter Fowler switched to Scott Boras in November, Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post wrote in a Monday blog post. Fowler's been added to our Scott Boras client list, which can always be found on the sidebar.
- MLBTR missed this January 14th signing: the White Sox added Daniel Cabrera on a minor league deal. Cabrera, 29 in May, posted a 0.55 K/BB ratio and 6.00 ERA in 51 big league innings last year.
- The Mets and Diamondbacks haven't had any new discussions for catcher Chris Snyder, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Piecoro examines the debate about whether to trade Snyder.
- Luke Scott wants to play defense, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Scott says he's "taking one for the team" by serving as DH, and it hurts him in contract negotiations.
- Slugger Jim Thome continues to keep the door open for the White Sox, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. However, in comments to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, manager Ozzie Guillen indicated a preference to avoid a permanent DH.
Olney On Lee, Pineiro, Orioles
A look at the latest blog post from ESPN's Buster Olney…
- Olney believes the Phillies could have and should have kept Cliff Lee. He points out that they could've traded Joe Blanton and taken draft picks for Lee after the season, resulting in a similar prospect package to the one they received from the Mariners. It's not the exact same, partly since Blanton could yet net draft picks for the Phils, but I agree with Olney's point. The Phillies' decision to move Lee in tandem with the Roy Halladay trade just seems weird.
- Consequences of the Angels' Joel Pineiro deal: the Mets could sign Jon Garland or Ben Sheets, and the Dodgers could bring Vicente Padilla back. Newsday's Ken Davidoff gets the sense the Mets "have prioritized Sheets over Garland."
- Olney says the Orioles "are very comfortable letting the field of free-agent corner guys come to them, at their price." On a related note, O's second baseman Brian Roberts said to MASN's Roch Kubatko that he'd love to have Miguel Tejada back in Baltimore.
Odds & Ends: League, Bourgeois, Giants, Uggla
Some links for Wednesday night…
- The Mariners signed reliever Brandon League to a 2010 contract, according to a team press release. He'll get $1.08MM, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. That's just below the midpoint.
- Matt Eddy at Baseball America has this week's minor league transactions.
- Matthew Carruth of FanGraphs wants you to vote on the worst contract in baseball.
- Via Twitter, Alyson Footer notes that Jason Bourgeois, who was designated for assignment last week to make room on the 40-man roster for Brett Myers, cleared waivers and accepted a trip to the minors.
- Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle tweets that the Giants are unlikely to sign any more players to Major League contracts. The Bengie Molina deal tapped them out.
- Marlins' team president David Sampson said that Dan Uggla will be the team's Opening Day second baseman, writes Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald. We also heard that there was no chance of a long-term deal for Josh Johnson this offseason, so take it with a grain of salt.
- Tom Haudricourt of The Journal News notes (via Twitter) that Brewers' GM Doug Melvin tried to trade for Doug Davis twice last season. Melvin got his man today.
- Anthony McCarron of The New York Daily News heard from a Mets' insider that the team could try to trade for Tim Hudson. That seems highly unlikely for a number of reasons, but mostly because Hudson signed an extension in November, has 10-and-5 no-trade rights, and the Braves already traded one veteran starter in Javier Vazquez this offseason.
- Here's the up to the minute 2010 draft order. The only two unsigned free agents left that will bring their former teams compensation are Joel Pineiro and Rod Barajas.