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Blue Jays Claim Eli Whiteside

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The Blue Jays claimed catcher Eli Whiteside off waivers from the Yankees, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Whiteside had been designated for assignment last week; the Yanks had claimed him off waivers from the Giants.

As Rosenthal notes, the Jays already have J.P. Arencibia, John Buck, and Travis d'Arnaud vying for time behind the plate, and trades remain possible.

A-Rod To Undergo Surgery, Miss Part Of 2013

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12:31pm: The Yankees have announced in a press release that A-Rod will undergo "a left hip arthroscopy to repair a torn labrum, bone impingement and the correction of a cyst." The team pegs Rodriguez's recovery time at four to six months.

9:44am: Rodriguez's surgery will be on his left hip, not his previously-repaired right hip, according to Sherman. Recovery time is expected to be three to six months, so A-Rod figures to be healthy enough to return to the lineup by June, says Sherman (Twitter links).

9:17am: With A-Rod set to miss a chunk of 2013, the Yankees will likely step up their efforts to land Stephen Drew, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden.

9:02am: Alex Rodriguez's struggles in 2012 may have been partly due to a hip injury, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. According to Sherman, A-Rod was playing with a tear in his hip, which had previously been surgically repaired. The Yankees third baseman will likely need more surgery and figures to miss part of the 2013 season, says Sherman (all Twitter links).

As Sherman notes, with Derek Jeter recovering from surgery as well, the Yankees "desperately" need help on the left side of the infield. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the team's options include Marco Scutaro and Jeff Keppinger, though Keppinger is also coming off surgery.

According to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), Rodriguez's surgery will take place at some point in January.

Morning Rumors: Otani, Braves, Wang, Indians

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The most fun week of baseball's offseason is here, as 2012's Winter Meetings get underway in Nashville. With a ton of activity expected over the next few days, we don't want to let anything fall through the cracks, so let's round up a few Monday morning updates from around MLB:

  • 18-year-old Japanese pitcher Shohei Otani, who announced in October that he intended to sign with an MLB team, may now be leaning toward staying in Japan, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), who cites reports out of Japan. A decision from Otani is expected this week, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
  • If the Braves make a move this week, it's more likely to be a trade than a signing, says Mark Bowman of MLB.com, who tweets that Atlanta has "minimal interest" in the outfielders on the free agent market. The team's interest in free agents could increase if asking prices drop, but that's not likely to happen this early in the offseason, tweets Bowman. David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has more details on the Braves' search for a left fielder.
  • The Rays' agreement with James Loney makes them an unlikely fit for Eric Hosmer or Billy Butler now, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. If the Royals were to pursue a Rays pitcher via trade, Kansas City may have to offer Wil Myers, Dutton adds.
  • Given the weak third base market, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports thinks the Padres may be motivated to sell high on Chase Headley and send him to the Yankees (Twitter link).
  • Coming off an injury-shortened 2012 season, Chien-Ming Wang may not sign with an MLB team until midseason, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com (Twitter link).
  • John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer thinks the Reds will make a run at Dexter Fowler, but doesn't expect the team to give up Homer Bailey to make it happen.
  • The Dodgers may have a tricky time targeting an outfielder, since they need a starting-caliber player but can't promise a starting job, writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.
  • If the Indians decide to go all-in on their rebuild, they could extract young pitching talent from a team like the Mariners or Diamondbacks, says ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider link). Cleveland's asking price for Asdrubal Cabrera is "steep in terms of young pitchers," according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Jim Bowden has identified a trade candidate for all 30 MLB teams, along with potential suitors for each player.
  • After a quiet Winter Meetings in 2011, the Red Sox figure to be more active this year, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal, as he explores a few of the team's potential targets.

Quick Hits: Mariners, Red Sox, Cabrera, Greinke

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The Mariners are looking for offense and are "in on everybody", a rival GM tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  That includes big fish like Josh Hamilton and Justin Upton and they're also considering Mike Napoli and Nick Swisher.  Cody Ross, Ryan Ludwick, and Mark Reynolds may also be fits in Seattle.  More from around baseball..

  • Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino confirmed to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (via Twitter) that the club hopes to sign Mike Napoli, though it has to be on a three-year deal, not a four-year deal.  Lucchino added that the club is in on Hamilton (Twitter link) but they won't go to six, seven, or eight years to make it happen.  It has been well documented that the Red Sox are leery of long-term deals as they look to spend responsibly going forward.
  • Asdrubal Cabrera has a six-team no-trade clause allowing him to block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Nationals, Giants, Mets, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  The Indians have reportedly set the bar high in their demands for Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo.
  • Zack Greinke's agent Casey Close told Heyman (via Twitter) that he'll know in the next 24-48 hours if a deal can get done in Nashville.  Close added that nothing is close for his client just yet.  Meanwhile, Braves GM Frank Wren says that it's "probably unlikely" that he will sign Greinke (Twitter link).
  • The market for Ryan Dempster may develop more this week with the Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Twins in the mix, Morosi tweets.  Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter) classifies Dempster as the Brewers' top free agent target.
  • One source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com that he wouldn't rule out the Nationals trading for a pitcher like James Shields of the Rays.  The Nats could potentially use Mike Morse in a deal for Shields as the Rays are in need of offense.

East Notes: Wright, Dickey, Hamilton, Ichiro

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Here's a look at the some of the news out of the AL and NL East:

Bowden On The Winter Meetings, Dickey, Drew

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Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio offered his five bold predictions for the Winter Meetings including the Mets trading R.A. Dickey and the Rangers re-signing Josh Hamilton to a four-year contract. Here are some other notes from Bowden (all Twitter links):

Olney: Winter Meetings Preview

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The Winter Meetings begin shortly at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville. ESPN's Buster Olney, in an Insider-only post, writes past Winter Meetings have been dominated by free agent signings, but some GMs say there is more groundwork laid for possible trades this year than they can remember in the recent past. Here are some of the storylines that could play out this week, according to Olney:

  • If Olney was Rangers' GM Jon Daniels, he would go all out to sign Zack Greinke and then trade some surplus pitching for offense.
  • Some rival officials remain convinced the Diamondbacks will eventually trade Justin Upton, whose contract ($38.5MM due over the next three years) has become more attractive in the wake of his brother's deal with the Braves.
  • The Indians have set the bar high in their demands for Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo. "Time will tell on whether they've lowered (the asking prices)," said a rival GM.
  • The most likely of the Rays' established starting pitchers to be dealt is Jeremy Hellickson. On paper, the best matchup appears to be the Padres.
  • The Reds are looking to acquire a leadoff hitter and could target Dexter Fowler.
  • The Phillies continue to push on Angel Pagan. If Pagan signs with Philadelphia, the Giants could look to Shane Victorino, who is looking for $9-10MM annually.
  • The Pirates have let other teams know that closer Joel Hanrahan is available and they are looking for starting pitching.
  • In a separate tweet, Olney says the perception among rival executives is the signing of David Wright makes it much easier for the Mets to trade R.A. Dickey without fear of a PR backlash.
  • Nate Schierholtz received calls from nine teams within the first 12 hours of being non-tendered with the Yankees in the mix and the Rays also a good fit (Twitter links).

Eric Chavez Plans To Play In 2013

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Eric Chavez is planning on playing in 2013 according to his agent, reports Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News.

"Chavy has no intention of retiring,” Scott Leventhal said. “We have spoken to and met with multiple clubs regarding his future in baseball."

Leventhal, however, declined to comment about those conversations with the multiple clubs or about Chavez returning to the Yankees. Yankees GM Brian Cashman acknowledged Friday he will be seeking depth for the left side of the infield.

Chavez, ranked 49th on MLBTR's Top 50 Free Agents list, excelled in his bench role last season spelling both Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira while seeing some time as the Yankees' designated hitter. Chavez, who turns 35 on Friday, posted a slash line of .281/.348/.496 with 16 home runs in 113 games.

East Notes: Ichiro, Dickey, Mets, Red Sox

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News and notes out of the AL and NL East..

  • Ichiro Suzuki’s agent says he’s ready to open the floor to other suitors as talks with the Yankees have stalled, but GM Brian Cashman says that Suzuki already knew that he would be put on the backburner for a bit, writes Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News.  “Now that our pitching has been settled, which was our priority on the front end, we’ll move from the defense to the offense and engage all the players we have interest in and have interest in us,” said Cashman.
  • The Mets have fielded calls from six or seven teams are looking to meet and discuss a deal for R.A. Dickey, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  The Mets and Dickey have been trying to work out a contract extension for two months, but it appears general manager Sandy Alderson has the green light to now to more seriously consider trade alternatives instead. The Mets are expected to seek a catcher and outfield help in any trade.
  • The Mets will are willing to get creative with backloaded contracts in order to entice free agents with more money and multiyear deals, a person with knowledge of the team’s thinking tells Marc Carig of Newsday.  That thinking could come into play at this week’s winter meetings in Nashville.  The Mets still won’t splurge on a big ticket free agent but could try and get creative in order to improve their outfield situation.
  • Brian Wilson has interest in the Red Sox as well as the Giants, Dodgers, and Angels a source tells Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  Wilson is reportedly unlikely to re-sign with the Giants after being non-tendered.

Ichiro’s Agent: We Don’t Care What Yankees Do

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Last week, Ichiro Suzuki's agent Tony Attanasio told George A. King III of the New York Post that his client was receiving interest from other clubs but still had a strong preference to play for the Yankees.  A lot has changed in the last week, however, and Attanasio says that his client is no longer waiting on the Bombers, King writes.

“At the beginning we talked a lot but since that time, zero," said the agent.  "As far as we are concerned we don’t care what the Yankees do. We have had conversations with multiple clubs. If we see something we like he will go through with it."

Of course, the dragging of contract talks doesn't mean that the 39-year-old is definitely out of the picture in the Bronx.  The Yankees, who are working to get the 2014 payroll down to $189MM, don't see many desirable trade possibilities at right field that can fit their budget.  At the same time, they are less-than-thrilled by the prospect of having Ichiro and Brett Gardner in the corner outfield spots full-time due to their lack power.

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