Heyman On Garza, Jackson, Varitek
The Yankees and Red Sox have approached the offseason with uncharacteristic restraint — at least so far. Freddy Garcia ($4MM deal with the Yankees) and Nick Punto ($3MM deal with the Red Sox) represent their most extravagant open market expenditures of the winter (though the Yankees did lock C.C. Sabathia up to an extension). Here’s the latest on the longtime American League rivals from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com:
- The Yankees “desperately seek” a number two starter, according to Heyman. Edwin Jackson and Matt Garza may be more likely targets than Hiroki Kuroda, Jair Jurrjens, Wandy Rodriguez, Gavin Floyd and Roy Oswalt. The Yankees like Jackson’s arm, potential and durability, though they wonder about his consistency. However, they would like to keep new contracts to one or two years and Jackson seeks a five-year deal in the $60MM range.
- The Yankees also like Garza, who can be retained through 2013 via arbitration.
- The Red Sox are still considering a new contract for Jason Varitek, Heyman reports. The Red Sox value his contributions and haven’t ruled out a reunion, despite the presence of catchers Kelly Shoppach, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway on the roster. "Our hope is that Tek will always be a part of the Red Sox in some way," GM Ben Cherington told reporters last month.
AL East Notes: Orioles, Kuroda, Nakajima, Guthrie
On this date in 1996, the Red Sox signed veteran left-hander Jamie Moyer, who at that time had a 4.51 ERA in 1116 2/3 MLB innings over the course of nine MLB seasons. Though he appeared in just 23 games for Boston, he enjoyed a career renaissance in Seattle and hasn't stopped yet. Moyer, now 49, is recovering from Tommy John surgery and has drawn some interest from MLB teams. Here's the latest on the AL East…
- The Orioles are expected to hire former Mets, Brewers and Athletics pitching coach Rick Peterson as an organizational pitching guru this week, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Red Sox have maintained interest in Hiroki Kuroda, but his asking price figures to exceed Boston’s budget unless they make another move to free up payroll, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. Kuroda is open to pitching on the East Coast, Bradford notes.
- The Yankees have until Friday to negotiate a deal with Japanese infielder Hiroyuki Nakajima and the sides continue discussing possible contracts, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Earlier reports had suggested the deadline was Tuesday, rather than Friday. Depending on whether the Yankees sign Nakajima, they could have interest in bringing back Eric Chavez or trading Eduardo Nunez.
- Orioles right-hander Jeremy Guthrie told Jeff Joyce and Todd Hollandsworth on MLB Network Radio that he hopes trade rumors surround him next year, since other teams won't be interested if he's pitching poorly. Guthrie is entering his final season of arbitration eligibility and will hit free agency after the 2012 campaign.
- Jason Frasor says he was confused when he saw Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos had texted him over the weekend, according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star. "I thought he might have wanted to talk,” Frasor said. “He likes to talk. He's a talker." In fact, the GM was calling about the trade that sent Frasor back to the Blue Jays for Myles Jaye and Daniel Webb. Frasor's optimistic that Sergio Santos, his teammate in the minors and majors, will fit well in Toronto.
No Leader In Garza Trade Talks
Matt Garza trade discussions have heated up over the past few days, but there's not yet any favorite to obtain the Cubs right-hander, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, who adds that the Yankees, Blue Jays, Tigers, Red Sox and Marlins are all in the mix.
With the Cubs thought to be seeking young pitchers to replenish their farm system, the Yankees, Blue Jays and Tigers may ultimately hold an edge in pursuing Garza, Heyman speculates, as those clubs have pitching prospects and may be willing to spare them.
The Red Sox previously cited Garza as a compensation target for losing former GM Theo Epstein to the Cubs, according to Heyman, although it's not known whether they would pursue Garza as part of that compensation deal or separately.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Rodriguez, Rays
Here's a look at some items out of the American League East as the Yankees and Red Sox continue to scour the market for pitching..
- The Red Sox are budget-conscious as they look to add to their rotation and one agent told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe that he believes it will continue. “[GM Ben Cherington] is listening with free agents, but that’s it so far,’’ said the agent. "I don’t think it’s an act, either. They’re hoping somebody falls to them and that may be it."
- In a piece for the New York Times, Rob Neyer takes a look back at the ten-year, $275MM deal Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees in December of 2007. The Yankees have little reason to regret the signing so far but A-Rod remains under contract through 2017 when he'll turn 42.
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday looks at six different approaches that the Yankees can take to solve their rotation issues. Davidoff doesn't like the odds of the club pulling an "old school" move and throwing money at the problem, which would likely mean giving Edwin Jackson a sizeable contract. Instead, it seems likely that the Bombers will look for another lottery ticket and hope they hit it big, much as they did with Bartolo Colon in 2011.
- John Tomase of the Boston Herald suggests that the Rays pair up with the Angels to land either Mark Trumbo or Kendrys Morales. The Halos seem content to keep both sluggers in the mix for now but it seems likely that they'll move at least one of them before the start of the season. Tomase also credits recently-appointed Orioles GM Dan Duquette with prioritizing the rebuild of the front office over the on-field product in 2012.
Quick Hits: Theriot, Aoki, Nakajima, Orioles
Links for Saturday night..
- Congratulations to MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith on being named among the 100 most influential Canadians in baseball by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. Luke Adams and Mark Polishuk picked up honorable mentions.
- The Rays' interest in Ryan Theriot, presumably as a backup, has been preliminary to this point, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Mets and Braves are also said to be interested in the infielder's services.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker breaks down the pros and cons of Japanese import Norichika Aoki. Earlier this month, the Brewers won the negotiating rights to the speedy outfielder and have until mid-January to work out a deal. Milwaukee reportedly started negotiations with an offer in the $1-1.5MM range.
- Meanwhile, the Yankees and Hiroyuki Nakajima are said to remain far apart in their talks, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Bombers won the exclusive right to negotiate with the shortstop with a bid around $2MM earlier this month. The deadline to reach a deal is on Tuesday.
- Just as they were at the beginning of 2011, the Marlins will begin 2012 on the prowl for a starter, writes Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com wonders if a new year will mean a new DH for the Orioles. For the time being, it seems like the O's will look for an in-house solution to fill the gap.
Tigers Join Pursuit Of Matt Garza
The Tigers have emerged as a suitor for Cubs starter Matt Garza, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. The increased interest in Garza from multiple teams seems to indicate that the right-hander will be dealt before the start of Spring Training.
The Yankees are also known to be interested in Garza but according to one source, they are not currently engaged due to the Cubs’ asking price. Garza’s rising salary could also be an issue for the Bombers as they approach the luxury-tax barrier. The hurler projects to earn $8.7MM in 2012 with another year of arbitration afterwards.
Boston and Toronto have also been connected to Garza but sources say that there hasn't been much momentum towards a deal for either team. It’s also unclear if the Red Sox have the prospects to land Garza after dealing minor league depth to acquire Andrew Bailey and Mark Melancon.
Cubs GM Theo Epstein recently said that Garza is the type of pitcher that he would like to build around, but as the club looks to rebuild he'll listen on everyone.
AL East Links: Yankees, Red Sox, Hill, Madson, O’s
The Yankees agreed to re-sign Andruw Jones and the Blue Jays agreed to sign Darren Oliver earlier today, and now let's round up some more news from the AL East…
- “There’s obviously room to improve the team,” said Yankees team president Randy Levine to Mark Hale of The New York Post. “I don’t like to get into the amounts, but obviously there’s room to improve the team." Recent reports indicated that the Yankees don't have enough room in the budget to add a starter like Hiroki Kuroda. "After [CC Sabathia], as far as large contracts, we haven’t done anything," added Levine. "But that’s really our choice."
- The Red Sox will continue to explore the market to see if there's an affordable outfield upgrade available, writes WEEI.com's Alex Speier. That could be a right-handed platoon bat to partner with Ryan Sweeney, or someone who deserves a larger role.
- Speier reports (on Twitter) that Rich Hill will make $725K prorated in the majors next season. The Red Sox re-signed Hill to a minor league deal earlier today.
- Tommy Rancel of ESPN Florida wonders if the Rays could be a fit for Ryan Madson on a short-term contract if his market doesn't start to pick up. Just under 6.5% of the readers we polled yesterday believe Madson will end up with Tampa Bay.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com wonders if the Orioles have a trade involving a starter in the works. They are reportedly pursuing Joe Saunders and Wei-Yi Chen, and already have Jeremy Guthrie, Tsuyoshi Wada, Zach Britton, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Tommy Hunter, Chris Tillman, Dana Eveland, and Brad Bergesen on the 40-man roster.
Yankees Agree To Sign Andruw Jones
The Yankees and Andruw Jones have agreed to a one-year deal with a $2MM base salary and $1.4MM in incentives, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). The deal is pending a physical. The Yankees have a full 40-man roster and will need to clear a spot once the signing becomes official.
Jones, 34, hit .247/.356/.495 with 13 homers for the Yankees last year, doing most of his damage against left-handed pitchers: .286/.384/.540 with eight homers. He figures to again serve as the team's fourth outfielder, spelling the lefty hitting Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner against the AL East's tough southpaws. Jones is a Scott Boras client.
Olney’s Latest: Yankees, Ethier, Angels, Blue Jays
In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney ranks the ten best outfields in the game. The Diamondbacks, Yankees, and Rangers top the list, though I thought it was surprising the Rays didn't even garner an honorable mention. Here are Buster's rumors…
- The Yankees have "quietly checked around" on possible right field alternatives to Nick Swisher as they prepare for his possible free agent departure after next season.
- Andre Ethier can also become a free agent after 2012, and Olney points out that a pre-deadline trade involving the Dodgers outfielder is possible.
- "[Angels owner Arte Moreno] made it known he wants to leave the baseball decisions to the baseball department," said one talent evaluator. Manager Mike Scioscia essentially dictated moves in the past, but that has changed since Moreno hired GM Jerry Dipoto earlier this offseason.
- Sources tell Olney that the Blue Jays are much more like to hold or even cut their payroll rather than increase it.
AL East Notes: Jurrjens, Chen, Longoria, Yankees
Here's the latest from the AL East….
- The Red Sox are not in on Jair Jurrjens, but the Orioles, Blue Jays, Rockies and Tigers remain in on the Braves right-hander, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The Orioles are still interested in Chunichi Dragons left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, and the team has scouted Chen several times in Japan. The O's were linked to Chen earlier this offseason and we've also heard that the PIrates had an interest in the free agent southpaw. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes predicted Chen could be signed for a contract in the neighborhood of four years and under $20MM.
- Rays third baseman Evan Longoria texted the St. Petersburg Times (reported by The Times' Marc Topkin) to deny recent internet rumors that he wanted to leave Tampa Bay. "I don't have any idea where that rumor came from! It's completely false,'' Longoria said. "I've said from the start I love Tampa, I love the direction we are heading as a franchise and there is no better place for me to continue to grow as a player and person.''
- The Yankees have been quiet this winter seemingly in an attempt to avoid a hefty luxury tax penalty next season, but one AL executive doesn't think this strategy will last. "I think they can sit back right now," the anonymous exec told The Star-Ledger's Jeff Bradley, "because on paper they have a very strong team. But do I think the Yankees won't spend aggressively if they start to dip in the win column? Not a chance. I think they'll do what they have to do to win."
- The Athletics wanted right-hander Noah Syndergaard from the Blue Jays as part of any trade for Gio Gonzalez, reported Jeff Blair on the Fan590's Prime Time Sports radio show (passed on by Andrew Stoeten of the Drunk Jays Fans blog.) Syndergaard was drafted 38th overall by Toronto in the 2010 draft and has posted impressive numbers in his first two years of pro ball.
- Earlier today, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith posted a collection of Red Sox notes.