AL East Rumors: Rays, Jays, Keppinger, Ellsbury, O’s
As the third day of the 2012 Winter Meetings gets underway, let's round up a few items out of the AL East…
- Keppinger was the Yankees' first choice as the right-handed part of a third base platoon, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. With Keppinger signing with Chicago, the Yankees are forced to move on to Plan B.
Earlier updates:
- Teams that have spoken to the Rays have come away thinking Tampa Bay is more likely to move James Shields or Jeremy Hellickson than David Price, says Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
- With Darren Oliver still uncommitted to returning for the 2013 season, the Blue Jays continue to seek bullpen help, according to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
- The Yankees are one of six teams vying for Jeff Keppinger's services, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Although we heard overnight that Keppinger could receive a three-year deal worth around $4MM annually, Sherman suggests that something in the two-year, $10MM range could work too
- Within the same column, Sherman writes that he's receiving "strong indications" the Yankees don't intend to pursue A.J. Pierzynski
- The Red Sox and Phillies haven't engaged in talks for Jacoby Ellsbury, a source tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (Twitter link)
- Despite agreeing to three-year deals for Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino already this week, the Red Sox still have plenty of room to spend, says Alex Speier of WEEI.com
- WEEI.com's Kirk Minihane believes the Victorino signing was a mistake by the Red Sox
- The Orioles met with Nick Swisher's agent in Nashville, and Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com wonders if there's a fit there.
- The Red Sox announced that they've signed 26-year-old right-hander Anthony Carter to a minor league deal, writes Speier at WEEI.com.
Five Clubs Have “Genuine” Interest In Hannahan
12:56pm: The White Sox still have interest in Hannahan despite signing Keppinger, tweets MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
10:13am: Seven teams have met with Hannahan's agent in Nashville, and five of those clubs have "genuine" interest in the infielder, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. The Indians would like to bring Hannahan back, but that seems unlikely since he'll have a chance to start or platoon elsewhere (Twitter links).
Bastian adds (via Twitter) that the Yankees' interest in Hannhan isn't considered serious, while John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer adds the Reds to the list of potential suitors.
Wednesday, 12:12am: Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer adds that the Yankees are interested in Hannahan as well (Twitter link). The Yankees recently learned they'll be without Alex Rodriguez for as much as half of the 2013 season.
Tuesday, 11:55pm: Third baseman Jack Hannahan has interest from teams for a Major League contract, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, with the White Sox and Marlins among the suitors. We heard earlier today that Hannahan has a big league offer in hand from an AL Central team, and the Twins met with his agent yesterday.
Hannahan, 32, is known for his defense at the hot corner. Faced with a projected $1.5MM salary through arbitration, the Indians chose to non-tender him last week.
Yankees Have Very Strong Interest In Keppinger
Wednesday: The Yankees "really want" Keppinger, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, who reports that Keppinger could get three years and at least $13MM or more (Twitter link).
Tuesday, 5:47pm: Keppinger is said to be looking for around $12MM over three years, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
2:30pm: The bidding for Keppinger is in the neighborhood of $8MM for two years, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
12:58pm: The Yankees have very strong interest in free agent infielder Jeff Keppinger, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan. The team met with his agent yesterday, as Alex Rodriguez's injury has accelerated their timetable. Keppinger is recovering from a significant injury in his own right, a broken fibula, but it hasn't seemed to affect free agent interest much.
Latest On Scott Hairston
7:22pm: The Phillies, Mets, and Yankees remain in the mix for Hairston, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
6:16am: The Mets and Scott Hairston are both optimistic that they can work out a new contract, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports. Hairston told ESPN New York yesterday that he considered a return to the Mets "probable."
Hairston seeks a bigger role than many potential suitors could offer, but uncertainties in the Mets' outfield should present the opportunity for greater playing time. In 377 plate appearances for the Mets in 2012, the 32-year-old hit .263/.299/.504 with 20 homers. He saw time at all three outfield positions.
Hairston has been a popular name thus far at the Winter Meetings, having been linked to the Giants, Yankees, Tigers, Indians, Cardinals and Mets. Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski refuted reports that he had made a two-year offer to Hairston yesterday.
Latest On Marco Scutaro
The latest on free agent infielder Marco Scutaro…
- The Giants await word tonight from Scutaro's camp on their two-year offer, which includes a vesting option for a third year, tweets John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. If Scutaro declines, they might move on.
- A source involved in the Scutaro talks thinks it's 50-50 he goes back to the Giants, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. The Cardinals are considered the mostly likely alternative, and Olney says a decision is close. However, perhaps as a veiled reference to the team's inclusion in the Scutaro rumors, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told reporters including B.J. Rains, "We’re not spending as much time as people think in this market. Our focus has been on other areas."
Earlier updates:
- The Giants' last offer was two years plus a vesting option, tweets Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com.
- Bidding for Scutaro is said to have reached something in the neighborhood of three years and $24MM, with the Giants still in the lead, tweets ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
- Scutaro isn't expected to sign with another team without the Giants getting a final shot at him, says Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Sulia link).
- The market for free agent infielder Marco Scutaro is heating up, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The FOX duo reports that the Cardinals are eyeing Scutaro as a potential starting second baseman, while the Yankees, in the wake of news of Alex Rodriguez's hip surgery, also likely have interest.
Latest On The Yankees
The Yankees have been eerily quiet so far at the 2013 Winter Meetings. Still, here's the latest from GM Brian Cashman's media briefing.
- Cashman confirmed he's talked to the representatives for Kevin Youkilis, A.J. Pierzynski, Eric Chavez, Raul Ibanez, and Ichiro Suzuki (MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reporting).
- It's still probable that the Yankees' catcher is already on the roster, and the team is focused on a corner outfield replacement for Nick Swisher as well as left side infield depth (Joel Sherman of the New York Post reporting).
- Cashman described the third base market as "a very limited sandbox to play in."
Market For Mark Reynolds
First baseman Mark Reynolds has a nice market, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, including the Cubs, Yankees, Indians, Marlins, Mariners, Orioles, Rays, and more. The Mets were previously linked to Reynolds.
The Orioles have not met with Reynolds' agent since he was non-tendered, however, executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette told reporters today. The Marlins have not met with Reynolds' agent yet either, tweets Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Yunel Escobar Rumors: Tuesday
We received a flurry of Yunel Escobar rumors yesterday once it was revealed that the Marlins were shopping their recently acquired infielder. Specifically, the Athletics had ongoing discussions with the Fish surrounding the controversial shortstop. We'll keep track of today's Escobar rumors with the newest info up top…
- The Rays are still in on Escobar, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Marlins are getting closer to trading the shortstop, but the A's, Yankees, and Cardinals remain involved.
Earlier updates:
- Despite the fact that they could use a defensive upgrade at shortstop, the Tigers aren't interested in Escobar, or at least don't view him as a fit, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.
- The A's, Yankees, and Rays are the most likely teams for Escobar, reports Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Talks with the A's have centered around Brad Peacock or Grant Green, while talks with the other clubs involve younger minor leaguers.
- There's some conflicting info out there on the Yankees' interest in Escobar. Reports yesterday suggested that the Yankees had inquired, and Jayson Stark of ESPN.com tweets that New York is "definitely in" on the shortstop. However, ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees aren't in the mix.
- The other clubs that are "definitely in" on Escobar, according to Stark, are the A's, Cubs, and Rays.
Free Agent Rumors: Hannahan, Ibanez, Saito, Nakajima
We rounded up one set of free agent rumors earlier in the day, but as we approach late afternoon in Nashville, it's about time for a fresh batch….
- Recently non-tendered third baseman Jack Hannahan has a big league offer from an AL Central team, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. It could be the Twins, who met with his rep yesterday according to Phil Mackey of ESPN 1500.
- The Mariners contacted Raul Ibanez's agent, tweets Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
- Shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima seeks a three-year deal, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan, but teams are hesitant.
- Takashi Saito, who turns 43 in February, would like to pitch another year in the U.S., tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown.
- The Mets have considered the idea of signing Mark Reynolds to play in the outfield, but his price tag may be too high for their liking, tweets Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
- Davidoff also tweets that the Yankees have met with Eric Chavez's agent at the Winter Meetings and expressed an interest in bringing back Chavez.
- Brewers manager Ron Roenicke tells Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio that the Brewers have "definite interest" in Jason Grilli, but only at a reasonable price (Twitter link). Milwaukee continues to seek both starters and relievers, but doesn't have the money to make a play for someone like Anibal Sanchez or Kyle Lohse, says Scott Miller of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- Jeremy Bonderman, who is attempting a comeback, could have a deal in place by the weekend, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
Trade Rumors: Harang, Capuano, Phillies
Let's round up a few rumblings from Nashville on players who might be on the trade block…
- The Phillies are dangling pitcher Vance Worley as a trade chip and may be willing to include pitching prospect Trevor May in a deal, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.
- The Dodgers are becoming aggressive in shopping starters Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, in a potential sign of confidence regarding a Zack Greinke signing.
Earlier updates:
- There have been "no conversations" about trading Andre Ethier, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly tells Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
- One rival executive thinks the Royals will eventually make a deal for Rays starter James Shields, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Within his piece, Knobler explains why the Royals are more inclined to trade Wil Myers than Billy Butler.
- The return the Twins received for Denard Span has somewhat hampered the Indians' efforts to trade Shin-Soo Choo, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains in a pair of Twitterlinks.
- Ramon Santiago's name has surfaced at the Winter Meetings as a potential trade candidate, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (via Twitter). While Beck isn't sure if the Tigers would move him, he says the utility infielder could draw interest.
- The Dodgers are "aggressively shopping" Juan Uribe in Nashville, but predictably aren't receiving much interest, writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets that when he asked an MLB official if the Yankees could have interest in Uribe with Alex Rodriguez out, he was met with a chuckle.