Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Yankees Rumors

Royals Interested In Jeff Francis

By | at

The Royals are one of seven teams with interest in Jeff Francis, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). Crasnick named the Nationals, Pirates, Rangers, Yankees and Mets as suitors for the left-hander late last month. Those clubs, along with the Rockies, maintain interest in Francis, Crasnick writes.

Francis missed all of the 2009 season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. He was generally healthy in 2010, when he logged 104 1/3 innings and posted a 5.00 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 for the Rockies.

The Royals expressed interest in Kevin Millwood early in the offseason. Now that they've traded Zack Greinke, their need for starting pitching is even more apparent. Kyle Davies, Luke Hochevar, Sean O'Sullivan and Vin Mazzaro are internal rotation candidates, but GM Dayton Moore figures to add at least one starter by the time Spring Training begins.

AL East Links: Orioles, Hayhurst, Andruw, Crawford

By | at

The Orioles agreed to sign Kevin Gregg today, but that's far from the only news to emerge from what's arguably baseball's toughest division. Here's the latest:

  • Brian Cashman told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch that he's "monitoring what the necessary requests are, financially or player wise. If some drop, then maybe we'll get a little more serious [about making a move]." Earlier tonight we heard that the Yankees were interested in Jeremy Bonderman.
  • The Orioles would still like to add a left-handed reliever, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (all Twitter links). Will Ohman is an option, but not the leading option or the only one, according to Ghiroli.
  • The Orioles would like to add a veteran starter and the feeling in the front office is that a trade is more likely than a free agent signing. Kenshin Kawakami and Joe Blanton come to mind as possible trade targets, but that's just my speculation.
  • Dirk Hayhurst will not be back in the Blue Jays organization next year, the pitcher (and best-selling author) announced on his blog.
  • The Yankees will consider Andruw Jones, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link). He bats right-handed and can play all three outfield positions, so he could provide the Yankees with some pop as a fourth outfielder and spell Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner.
  • Heyman suggests the Yankees will go for a lockdown bullpen with Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera if Andy Pettitte retires (Twitter link). Click here for more Yankees rumors.
  • Carl Crawford's trainer explained the left fielder's offseason workout program to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.

Yankees Interested In Jeremy Bonderman

By | at

The Yankees have been on the lookout for pitching since losing out on Cliff Lee, and that search has led them to Jeremy Bonderman. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that they have interest in the right-hander according to a Major League source.

Bonderman, still just 28, posted a 5.53 ERA with a 5.9 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 171 innings for the Tigers last season. He's battled significant shoulder issues in recent years, derailing a once promising career. The Rockies, Cubs, and Pirates have shown varying levels of interest in Bonderman this offseason. 

MLBTR's Luke Adams identified Bonderman as a pitcher that could benefit from a move to the National League.  He appears in line for a one-year deal.

Yankees Rumors: Burnett, Pettitte, Balfour

By | at

Here's the latest on the Yankees as they continue to explore ways of improving their pitching staff…

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild will travel to Maryland within a couple of weeks to work with A.J. Burnett on some of the right-hander’s mechanical problems. A bounceback season from Burnett in 2011 would make the Yankees’ rotation considerably more threatening.
  • Cashman told Newsday’s Ken Davidoff that the uncertainty surrounding Andy Pettitte’s future is not hurting the team. "Andy isn’t holding us up from doing anything else," Cashman said. Two of Pettitte’s friends tell Davidoff that they think the 38-year-old remains competitive enough to want to play. The left-hander appears to be close to deciding on his plans for 2011.
  • The Yankees don’t like the idea of giving up a first round pick to sign Grant Balfour or Rafael Soriano, two Type A relievers who turned down offers of arbitration and are now tied to draft pick compensation.

Yankees Expect To Hear From Pettitte Soon

By | at

A Yankees official told Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com that the front office expects to know within a few days whether Andy Pettitte will pitch in 2011. Pettitte appears to be leaning toward retirement, but the Yankees are waiting to address other needs until they know the veteran left-hander’s intentions.

"Starter, reliever, a bat, it depends on what's out there,'' Matthews’ source said. '"But we gotta know what Andy is gonna do first.''

Pettitte would be a welcome addition to a rotation that contains its share of uncertainty after C.C. Sabathia and Phil Hughes. A.J. Burnett will attempt to recover from a disappointing 2010 campaign; Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre are leading canidadates to win starting jobs if Pettitte retires.

When MLBTR readers voted on Pettitte's future last week, 52% of over 13,000 readers said they think he'll continue playing. 

Several Teams Interested In Brian Fuentes

By | at

SATURDAY: Having added Hideki Okajima, the Red Sox appear out of the running for Fuentes, tweets Heyman. However, the Rays, Yankees, and a handful of other teams are still showing interest.

THURSDAY: The Rays appear to be very interested in Fuentes and are pursuing him, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.

TUESDAY: SI's Jon Heyman pegs the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rays, Rockies, Mariners, Twins, Pirates, Phillies, Brewers, Yankees, and Mets as teams with some interest in free agent lefty reliever Brian Fuentes.

If Fuentes is still looking for Scott Downs money, as ESPN's Buster Olney suggested 12 days ago, many of those eleven teams will drop out.  I'm skeptical the Red Sox would sign Fuentes, as he'd be a luxury and they'd be hit with a 30% added tax.  The Blue Jays appear close with Octavio Dotel, the Rockies just added Matt Lindstrom, the Brewers signed Takashi Saito, the Yankees added Pedro Feliciano, the Twins have big commitments to Joe Nathan and Matt Capps, and the Phillies and Mets appear nearly tapped out on payroll.

The Blue Jays, Rays, Mariners, Twins, Pirates, Yankees, and Mets do seem destined to add relievers, though I can see a shift toward a buyer's market a few weeks from now.

Odds & Ends: Lee, A’s, Tigers, O’s, Dodgers

By | at

The first batch of links for 2011…

  • MLB.com's Bryan Hoch wonders if waiting on Cliff Lee could come back to bite the Yankees.
  • The A's still have the cash to continue adding offense according to Jane Lee of MLB.com, but the problem is that the free agent market is thinning. Oakland has added David DeJesus, Josh Willingham, and Hideki Matsui this offseason, but their bid for Adrian Beltre looks to have fallen short.
  • MLB.com's Jason Beck reminds us that both Tigers' manager Jim Leyland and GM Dave Dombrowski aren't under contract beyond the 2011 season, and their fates could be a package deal based on the team's performance.
  • Meanwhile, Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com notes that Andy MacPhail of the Orioles is in the same situation as Dombrowksi.
  • MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says that even though GM Ruben Amaro insists that the Phillies don't have enough financial flexibility left to make mid-season moves, we basically have to see it to believe it.
  • Right now, the plan for the Dodgers appears to be to see what the in-house candidates can do in left field platoon before making another move, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
  • In a series of tweets, ESPN's Buster Olney says the Orioles liked Adam LaRoche, but not enough to give him a three-year contract. Manager Buck Showalter likes having a good defensive first baseman, which is what Derrek Lee is, and his one-year contract also gives them some flexibility going forward. 
  • Olney and Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel (via Twitter) wonder if the O's will make a run at Prince Fielder next offseason, while Haudricourt speculates that the Cubs could be in that mix as well. They signed Carlos Pena to a one-year deal earlier this offseason.
  • MLB.com's Tom Singer wrote about the surprising clubs that are making big moves this offseason, namely the Brewers and Nationals. 
  • In a reader column at the Detroit Free Press, Casey Caid says the Tigers are just one starting pitcher short of serious contention.

Discussion: Yankees Possible Middle Infielder Options

By | at

Yesterday we learned that talks between the Astros and Yankees about Jeff Keppinger didn't get very far. The 30-year-old utility player appeared to be a fine fit for a team in need of bench help, but New York could instead turn to rookie Eduardo Nunez to fill the role. That, however, seems like a Plan B more than anything right now.

If the Yankees want to sift through other options on the open market they'll find that there isn't much left to choose from. Former Yankee prospect  Cristian Guzman is still available after posting a less-than-stellar .648 OPS with the Nationals and Rangers. Despite a solid body of work throughout his career, Julio Lugo disappointed in Baltimore last season, hitting .249/.298/.282 in 93 games. Both players offer average defense at shortstop (-0.2 and -0.4 career UZR/150, respectively) but Lugo has more experience playing second base. Those two are essentially the cream of the free agent utility infielder crop.

The Yankees have had trouble signing bench players in recent years in part because no free agent in their right mind would join the Yanks only to sit on the bench behind their impressive cast of regulars. They've had to trade for bench help as a result, grabbing the likes of Wilson Betemit, Jerry Hairston Jr., Eric Hinske, and Austin Kearns at the deadline in recent years. John Hickey of Sportspress Northwest writes that the Mariners need to make a deal if they hope to free up spending cash this winter, so perhaps a deal involving Jack Wilson and the $5MM left on his contract deal could make sense for both sides. 

GM Brian Cashman has started each of the last two seasons with young gloveman Ramiro Pena on his bench, so the team could go with him again if they feel Nunez needs more minor league seasoning. The Yankees have money to spend after missing out on Cliff Lee, but quality reserve players are tough to find these days. Overpaying for bench players is a good way to waste money, so don't be surprised if New York starts the season with Pena before making yet another in-season trade. What do MLBTR's readers think the Yankees will do with their bench during before Spring Training?

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Rangers, Yankees, Indians Interested in Bartolo Colon

By | at

Bartolo Colon's work in the Dominican winter league has continued to draw the attention of major league teams, and the 37-year-old starter sounds eager to sign. According to an AP story out of Santo Domingo, Colon told reporters in the Domincan Republic yesterday, "Texas, Cleveland, and the Yankees are interested in me" (link in Spanish).

The Indians had been known to be watching Colon's progress, and Colon had previously mentioned that he "maintains conversations" with the Yankees, but the Rangers' interest hadn't been previously reported. Asked if he had a preference among the three clubs, Colon simply said, "I'll go with the one that signs me."

More background on Colon's return to action on the international stage can be found here. Over the ensuing month of winter ball, he has continued to look impressive, managing a 1.47 ERA over his seven starts in the Domincan League's regular season for the Aguilas Cibaeñas.

The 50-game Dominican regular season has ended and Colon's team's season is over, but the right-hander was the first player selected overall in the postseason draft, and went to the reigning champion Leones del Escogido (in the Dominican winter league, postseason teams are allowed to draft from among the eliminated teams' rosters). In his one postseason start with the Leones, Colon avoided the loss but wasn't as sharp, giving up four runs on 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Rosenthal On Fuentes, Soriano, Keppinger

By | at

The Red Sox, Rays, Yankees and Twins are among the many teams interested in Brian Fuentes, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. There’s some question as to whether Fuentes is truly a closer, but his asking price suggests he views himself as one. Here’s the latest on Fuentes and more notes from around the majors:

  • Fuentes is asking for over $5MM per season on a multiyear deal, according to Rosenthal.
  • The Yankees are not after Rafael Soriano, according to Rosenthal (on Twitter). They have inquired on the Scott Boras client, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. 
  • Talks between the Yankees and Jeff Keppinger went nowhere, Rosenthal reports (on Twitter). The Astros have acquired Clint Barmes and Bill Hall this offseason, making Keppinger expendable. The Yankees, however, could rely on Eduardo Nunez instead.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top