Yankees Rumors

Odds & Ends: Brewers, Buehrle, Francis, Vazquez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 30, 2010 at 4:26pm CDT

Miguel Olivo never played a major league game for the A's, but he signed with Oakland as an amateur free agent 14 years ago today. Here are some afternoon links, including an update on Olivo…

Steve Foster of Inside the Rockies breaks down some of Colorado's offseason decisions and says Olivo wants to stay in Denver next year.
Brewers owner Mark Attanasio gave GM Doug Melvin a strong vote of confidence, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Mark Buehrle repeated to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he'll consider retiring after the 2011 season.
Rockies manager Jim Tracy told Troy E. Renck and Jim Armstrong of The Denver Post that he'd "absolutely" like to see Jeff Francis on next year's team. Colorado will likely decline its $7.5MM option for the lefty's services, but could re-sign him nonetheless.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Yankees are not going to offer Javier Vazquez arbitration this winter and predicts that the right-hander will sign a one-year deal with a base salary of $4MM or so.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explains why he considers Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston "a proud and often outspoken man who carried himself with dignity in a business that isn’t always fair."

Odds & Ends: Papelbon, Yankees, Pujols, Webb

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 27, 2010 at 7:14pm CDT

Links for Monday, as Roy Halladay attempts to lead the Phillies to another division title…

Good news for Jack Zduriencik: Mariners president Chuck Armstrong told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that team executives are "not thinking about changing the general manager at all."
Jim Donaldson of the Providence Herald asks a question the Red Sox are likely wondering about, too: does Jonathan Papelbon deserve a raise in 2011?
Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that the trio of Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson provides the team with a well-rounded outfield going forward. The Yankees could always bid on Jayson Werth or Carl Crawford, but those outfielders appear to be luxuries, not necessities.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes (on Twitter) that Albert Pujols would approve trades to the Astros, Marlins, Dodgers and Angels. The first baseman isn't going anywhere, but Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel has a little fun and wonders what it would take for the Marlins to acquire him.
Brandon Webb, who hasn't pitched in the majors since making his 2009 season debut, won't pitch for the Diamondbacks this year, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Webb is about to hit free agency and will be looking for a significant base salary. He'll have to prove he's healthy first, so he'll pitch in the instructional league this week. Webb reiterated his desire to return to the D'Backs, and new GM Kevin Towers is open to the idea as well.

Heyman On Cubs, Pettitte, V-Mart

By Tim Dierkes | September 27, 2010 at 1:18pm CDT

SI's Jon Heyman leads his latest column with a look at the Cubs' managerial opening. He feels that interim manager Mike Quade is now a real possibility, with Ryne Sandberg the other top contender. Heyman's other info:

"Word around the team" is that Yankees lefty Andy Pettitte is 50-50 on whether he'll play next year.
Heyman passes along an unconfirmed report from a competing executive that Boston's offer to Victor Martinez was about $22MM over two years. Martinez's former teammate C.C. Sabathia expects the catcher to sign elsewhere, as he's seeking a four-year contract. Whatever the amount, Martinez rejected the two-year offer in August. Martinez profiles as a highly-ranked Type A free agent, so the Red Sox might at least end up with a pair of draft picks. Any first-rounder received will be the 19th overall pick at best.
Jose Reyes "expects the Mets to either pick up his $11 million option or offer him an extension," writes Heyman. Reyes sports a .284/.322/.429 line this year and could be primed for a big 2011.

Odds & Ends: Pettitte, Marlins, Laird, Pirates, Ely

By Luke Adams 2 | September 26, 2010 at 12:13pm CDT

Sunday links, as the Rays look to extend their league-best winning streak to five games….

Andy Pettitte tells Newsday's Ken Davidoff that his participation in the government's indictment of Roger Clemens won't impact his baseball future. The 38-year-old also says he doesn't expect to still be playing at age 40.
Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post tweets that the Marlins have no timetable for when they'll hire a permanent manager, though they have a short list of four or five candidates.
Like teammate Jeremy Bonderman, Gerald Laird isn't sure whether he'll be a Tiger next year. "If a better opportunity presents itself, I'll probably take that route," the backstop told Tom Gage of the Detroit News (Twitter link)
GM Neal Huntington discusses the Pirates' upcoming offseason with Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, noting that the club may pursue a platoon partner for Garrett Jones at first base.
Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun wonders if the Orioles will aggressively go after an impact bat this winter.
John Ely may be pitching himself out of the Dodgers' 2011 plans, writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.

Manager & Coaching Notes: Astros, Cubs, Jays

By Steve Adams | September 25, 2010 at 3:38pm CDT

Lots of talk about managers and coaches floating around today; let's congregate them all in one place:

In this series of tweets, MLB.com's Alyson Footer tells us that the Astros offered their whole coaching staff two-year extensions. All were accepted, aside from Jeff Bagwell, who will decide on his in the offseason after talking more with his family.
Astros manager Brad Mills, who is signed through 2011 with a club option for 2012, will have his situation formally addressed this offseason as well. Footer thinks it's a formality, calling Mills "terrific" and saying he'll be in Houston beyond 2012.
Bob Brenly is not a candidate to manage the Cubs in 2011, writes MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Brenly doesn't feel that the situation is right for him on a personal or professional level. He will, however, still talk to other clubs.
Yankees third base coach Rob Thomson told Ken Rosenthal (Twitter links) that he hasn't heard from the Blue Jays about their managerial opening, and won't discuss it until the season is over. For now, he's staying focused on New York's postseason run.

Poll: The Best Record In Baseball

By Mike Axisa | September 25, 2010 at 12:35pm CDT

There's just a little more than a week left in the season, and with the exception of the NL West and NL Wild Card, the playoff teams are all but set. Now it's just a matter of sorting out the seeding.

For most of the season it's been assumed that whoever won the AL East would finish the season with the best record in all of baseball, but suddenly that's not the case any more. The Phillies staked a claimed to best record with last night's win, their 11th in a row to put their season record at 93-61. Both the Rays and Twins sit half-a-game behind them at 92-61, and the Yankees are within a game of Philly with a 92-62 record. No other team is within six games of the Phillies.

Since the NL won the All Star Game and thus clinched home field advantage in the World Series, having the best record in baseball isn't worth much beyond bragging rights. That might not mean anything to the teams, but it certainly means something to us fans. Remember, you can always check out the reverse standings (for draft order purposes) at our page, but it's time to vote…

Which team will finish with the best record in baseball?

Click here to vote, and here to see the results.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Kerry Wood

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 24, 2010 at 10:50am CDT

Kerry Wood signed a $20.5MM deal the last time he hit free agency, and though he isn't likely to sign for nearly as much this offseason, his stint in the Bronx has strengthened his free agent case. Wood arrived in New York after an injury-filled first half that saw him post a 6.30 ERA in 20 innings, but he has pitched better since joining the Yankees. It probably won't be enough for GM Brian Cashman to pick up the $11MM option the Yankees have for Wood in 2011, so the right-hander will likely be a free agent.

In 23 innings with his new team, Wood has allowed 13 walks and 13 hits with 26 strikeouts for a sparkling 0.39 ERA. His control is still suspect, but the strikeouts are there and Wood has been hard to hit. It was more than 12 years ago that Wood pitched his one-hit, 20 strikeout shutout, but the former first rounder is still just 33.

Wood projects to be a Type B free agent, which means he won't cost teams a draft pick, even if the Yankees offer arbitration. The Red Sox were interested in Wood at the trade deadline and though they may prioritize left-handed relievers this winter, they could have interest once again. The D'Backs, Angels and Blue Jays are among the many teams that could be looking for veteran right-handed relievers this offseason.

Wood's strong second half and history of dominant performances should interest multiple teams, but his history of elbow, shoulder and triceps injuries will likely make those clubs reluctant to commit for more than a season. A one-year deal worth $5-6MM seems like a reasonable target for Wood this winter.

Stark On Crawford, Werth, Beltre, Torre

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 23, 2010 at 4:30pm CDT

Commissioner Bud Selig told ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark that he’ll consider expanded instant replay and adding a second Wild Card team. Stark also passes along news on the player-agent industry and rumors from around the league:

The MLBPA and MLB have agreed to move up the date by which teams have to tender contracts and offer arbitration to free agents in an attempt to hurry the offseason along. This development could mean that we see fewer unsigned players late in the offseason.
The players’ association is working to better regulate interactions between players and agents. For example, agents can’t promise anything of value to players who they don’t represent. No more free trips or cars from rival agents!
Players who can go to arbitration or file for free agency will now have to check in with the MLBPA before changing agents.
Five of the six executives Stark surveyed named Carl Crawford this year’s best free agent position player (Jayson Werth received one vote).
The Yankees are more likely to bid aggressively on Crawford than Werth, but Cliff Lee figures to be their top free agent target.
Stark says the Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers, Tigers and Giants seem like the best bets to pursue Werth this offseason.
Adrian Beltre puzzles Stark’s sources, since he has so much upside, but tends to flash his ability most tantalizingly in contract years.
Three baseball people who are all acquainted with Joe Torre say the Dodgers manager would like to manage the Mets next year, but they don’t think it’ll happen.
Atlanta GM Frank Wren anticipates that the Braves will be in the market for a veteran reliever again this winter.

Heyman On Valentine, Macha, Mariners

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 20, 2010 at 8:09am CDT

MLB executives told Jon Heyman of SI.com that they’d be happy to ignore Felix Hernandez’s relatively low win total and hand him the Cy Young Award because of how well he has pitched this year. Here are the managerial rumblings that Heyman’s hearing:

Bobby Valentine would likely be a candidate to manage in the Bronx if Joe Girardi moves on after the season. That seems unlikely, however.
Ken Macha won’t likely return to manage the Brewers next year, but bench coach Willie Randolph doesn’t appear to be the favorite to replace Macha. Bob Melvin could be a candidate, as Heyman suggested last week.
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik is on "shaky ground” according to people around baseball. Zduriencik admitted to Heyman that he should have looked into Josh Lueke’s background more carefully before acquiring him from the Rangers.

Davidoff On Beltran, Greinke, Takahashi, Kemp

By Luke Adams 2 | September 19, 2010 at 9:32am CDT

The Mets are sending "strong signals" that they'd like to trade Carlos Beltran this winter, an AL official tells Ken Davidoff of Newsday. Davidoff acknowledges that the Mets often seem to want to unload big contracts, but rarely follow through. However, Beltran, as opposed to Luis Castillo or Oliver Perez, is a player that other teams would have interest in. Here are Davidoff's other hot stove notes:

The Royals have Zack Greinke signed through 2012, but aren't sure whether they'll be competitive by then, so they'd be willing to listen to offers on their ace. Davidoff lists the Yankees, Rangers, Tigers, and Nationals as teams who might be interested.
Hisanori Takahashi is eligible for free agency this winter and would like to be a starting pitcher. One AL scout is skeptical: "Who’s going to sign him to start? Maybe a bad team, at the back end of their rotation. He’d be better off staying in the bullpen. He’s really good there."
Davidoff wonders if new Dodgers manager Don Mattingly will be more willing to deal with Matt Kemp than Joe Torre was. A scout compares Kemp to Alfonso Soriano, suggesting that both players lack baseball instincts and struggle to improve their games.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Yankees Rumors

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect