Athletics Rumors

Bidding For Yu Darvish Ends Wednesday

By Steve Adams | December 8, 2011 at 6:22pm CDT

6:22pm: The Nationals have interest in Darvish, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. GM Mike Rizzo didn't divulge whether the Nats plan to bid, but his refusal to comment suggests to Kilgore that they will.

4:50pm: Now that Darvish has been posted, teams will have until 4:00pm CST on December 14th (four business days) to submit bids, tweets Buster Olney.

12:40pm: The Yankees are unsure about whether they'll bid on Darvish, tweets Buster Olney. He considers their interest lukewarm. I think everyone's playing coy at this stage; we'll see where the bids were when the dust settles. By the way, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski said this week he will not be bidding on Darvish, according to Jason Beck.

11:07am: The Dodgers won't be bidding on Darvish, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times, but A's assistant GM David Forst wouldn't rule it out in talking to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News hears the Rangers aren't willing to gamble $100MM on Darvish. The Red Sox will discuss Darvish but feel pretty good about the front end of their rotation already, GM Ben Cherington told reporters.

4:56am: Following the announcement last night that the Nippon-Ham Fighters will post ace Yu Darvish, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports write that the Rangers, Blue Jays, and Yankees are all expected to bid on the Japanese righty. ESPN's Buster Olney also tweets that rival executives are expecting both the Rangers and Blue Jays to bid big Darvish, with the Rangers fueled by the expected loss of C.J. Wilson to the Angels or Marlins.

Rosenthal and Morosi write that the Red Sox could be a wild card for a big Darvish bid, as new manager Bobby Valentine, who saw Darvish first-hand many times as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines from 2004-2009, is said to "love" the 25-year old. FOX's duo also note that both Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos and Rangers GM Jon Daniels saw Darvish pitch in Japan last season.

The posting period will last four days, and the winning team will have a 30-day exclusive negotation period with Darvish and his representatives Don Nomura and Arn Tellem. If a contract agreement cannot be reached between Darvish and the winning team, that team will be refunded the total of the posting fee.

Tim Dierkes and Luke Adams contributed to this post.

D’Backs In On Cahill, Gio, Kuroda

By Tim Dierkes | December 8, 2011 at 11:45am CDT

11:45am: Talks between the A's and D'Backs have advanced but aren't close to completion, tweets Olney. He reiterates that Bauer is a player of interest to Oakland.

THURSDAY, 8:49am: The A's and D'Backs have discussed the names of many prospects as a possible return for Cahill, even including Trevor Bauer, reports ESPN's Buster Olney. Bauer, I should note, can't even be included in a deal as a player to be named later until late January.

WEDNESDAY, 1:49pm: Add Athletics righty Trevor Cahill to the list of pitchers under pursuit by the Diamondbacks, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He says they'd need to surrender Tyler Skaggs for Gio Gonzalez, but not for Cahill. Cahill, 23, is signed through 2015 with club options on the '16 and '17 seasons.

In November, Rosenthal reported the A's were willing to listen to trade offers for any player other than Jemile Weeks.

Latest On Gio Gonzalez

By Tim Dierkes | December 8, 2011 at 8:38am CDT

A dozen teams are in on Athletics lefty Gio Gonzalez, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The latest:

There are indications the Blue Jays and A's might add a third team to the discussions to try to find the right match for Gonzalez, writes Slusser. The A's seek "at least two high-value prospects and a few mid-range prospects."

Free Agent Arbitration Offer Decisions

By Tim Dierkes | December 7, 2011 at 11:10pm CDT

37 free agents were offered arbitration in November, but Jonathan Papelbon, Jose Reyes, Heath Bell, Rod Barajas, Clint Barmes, Matt Capps, Bruce Chen, David DeJesus, Ryan Doumit, Mark Ellis, Frank Francisco, Freddy Garcia, Aaron Harang, Ramon Hernandez, Jose Molina, Jon Rauch, and Mark Buehrle have already reached agreements. The deadline is tonight at 11pm central time. For MLBTR's handy chart that can be filtered by team, type, and whether the player was offered and/or accepted, click here.

Based on Heyman's tweet indicating only three players accepted arbitration, we can deduce that Prince Fielder (A), Albert Pujols (A), Jimmy Rollins (A), C.J. Wilson (A), Francisco Cordero (B), Octavio Dotel (B), Raul Ibanez (B), Edwin Jackson (B), and Darren Oliver (B) declined their respective teams' offers.
Derrek Lee (B) has turned down the Pirates' offer, tweets MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
Kelly Johnson (A) has accepted the Blue Jays' offer, tweets Jon Heyman.
Michael Cuddyer (A) and Jason Kubel (B) have declined the Twins' offers, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.
Francisco Rodriguez (A) has accepted the Brewers' offer, tweets MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
Ryan Madson (A) will decline the Phillies' offer, tweets Jon Heyman.
David Ortiz (A) will accept Boston's offer, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston confirms that Ortiz has officially accepted (Twitter link).
Aramis Ramirez (B) officially declined the Cubs' offer, tweets Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
Josh Willingham (A) will decline Oakland's offer, MLBTR has learned. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Willingham has officially declined.
Dan Wheeler (B) will decline Boston's offer of arbitration, tweets Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. Cherington confirmed the decision to reporters, including Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald (Twitter link).
Carlos Pena (B) has decided not to accept the Cubs' arbitration offer, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. Cubs president Theo Epstein recently told reporters he did not expect Pena to accept, as he's likely to find a multiyear deal on the open market.

Quick Hits: Bailey, Reds, Rays, Rhodes, Posada

By Luke Adams 2 | December 7, 2011 at 10:46pm CDT

While we wait for the big free agents to make their decisions, here's a grab bag of links from Day Three at the Winter Meetings:

The Athletics feel like they're much closer to moving Andrew Bailey than Gio Gonzalez, but even that may not happen until after the Meetings, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
GM Walt Jocketty finds the lack of action in Dallas for the Reds so far "very frustrating," says MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Jocketty said he was approached with one proposal today that' he's considering, but "nothing is close."
Candidates for the Royals' utility infielder opening include Edgar Renteria, Mark DeRosa, Orlando Cabrera, and Carlos Guillen, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. No deals are imminent.
The Rays are still attempting to figure out the best way to bolster their offense, writes Bill Chastain at MLB.com.
The Mariners are displaying interest in Arthur Rhodes, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Jorge Posada would still like to play if he can find the right situation, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Former Angels GM Bill Stoneman will return to the team for another year as special advisor to the GM, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

A’s Unlikely To Trade Gio Gonzalez At Meetings

By Steve Adams | December 7, 2011 at 7:48pm CDT

The latest on Athletics lefty Gio Gonzalez, a 26-year-old who is under team control through 2015…

Talks between the Phillies and A's on Gonzalez were brief, tweets Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group. Stiglich says the A's didn't like Domonic Brown enough as a centerpiece.
The Blue Jays are one of 12 teams in on Gonzalez, reports Susan Slusser (Twitter links).
Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News hears from multiple sources that the Rangers inquired on Gonzalez, but moved on after the A's asked for Martin Perez, Mike Olt, and Leury Garcia.
The D'Backs were kicking the tires on Gonzalez but don't expect it to go any further, a source tells Nick Piecoro. Jon Paul Morosi would be shocked if Gonzalez is not traded by Opening Day.
The A's will not trade Gonzalez at the Winter Meetings, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post, as they're using their Dan Haren haul as parameters and no one has come close yet. Four years ago, A's GM Billy Beane acquired Brett Anderson, Carlos Gonzalez, Chris Carter, Aaron Cunningham, Dana Eveland, and Greg Smith from the Diamondbacks for Haren and Connor Robertson.
The Phillies are definitely out on Gonzalez now, tweets Danny Knobler. They would have dealt Kyle Kendrick or Joe Blanton had they acquired him.
The A's seek players with zero or little big league experience for Gonzalez, tweets Danny Knobler.
The Diamondbacks are pushing hard to acquire Gonzalez, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Danny Knobler tweets that the Tigers inquired but did not like a price tag that included Jacob Turner, while the Phillies don't look like a match. Ken Rosenthal says the Nationals, Tigers, Reds, D'Backs, Phillies, and Marlins are pursuing Gonzalez.
There is some buzz about A's reliever Craig Breslow being of interest to the Phillies as well, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Phillies and Athletics discussed a package deal involving Gonzalez and outfielder Domonic Brown, tweets Jim Bowden of MLB Network and ESPN.com.

Tim Dierkes and Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Roy Oswalt Among Nationals’ Pitching Targets

By Luke Adams 2 | December 7, 2011 at 6:36pm CDT

6:36pm: Rizzo told reporters, including Zuckerman, that the Nationals' "Plan B" after missing out on Buehrle could involve Oswalt or other free agents and trade candidates. He has talked to the Athletics about Gio Gonzalez.

5:20pm: The Nationals had hoped to sign Mark Buehrle, but their offer to the left-hander fell short in both years and average annual value, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. With Buehrle off the board, the Nats will switch their focus to Roy Oswalt, says Kilgore.

Kilgore reported in November that Oswalt was Washington's "Plan B" if the club couldn't land Buehrle. GM Mike Rizzo told reporters (including Mark Zuckerman) today that the Nationals aren't interested in other free agent pitchers, though Zuckerman clarifies that was before news of Buehrle's agreement broke (Twitter link). Oswalt is said to be seeking a three-year commitment.

Latest On A’s-Red Sox Andrew Bailey Talks

By Steve Adams | December 7, 2011 at 8:49am CDT

8:49am: The talks are not that far along and the A's have not asked for Middlebrooks, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. The A's would need more, but WEEI's Alex Speier tweets that they've liked Lars Anderson, Raul Alcantara, and Brandon Workman. Things are currently quiet on the Bailey-Red Sox trade front, tweets Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.

6:39am: The A's asked the Red Sox for third base prospect Will Middlebrooks, writes the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo. It's probably safe to assume that Middlebrooks, 23, is not one of the prospects mentioned in Gammons' proposal.

5:01am: Peter Gammons of MLB Network tweets that the Athletics are considering a trade offer from the Red Sox that includes Josh Reddick and prospects in exchange for Andrew Bailey. Jed Lowrie is not in this proposal.

The 24-year-old Reddick appeared at all three outfield spots for the Sox in 2011 (earning stellar reviews from UZR and DRS in an admittedly small sample) and hit a solid .280/.327/.457 in 278 plate appearances.

The A's stand to lose their entire starting outfield of David DeJesus (already signed with the Cubs), Coco Crisp, and Josh Willingham to free agency this offseason, so it makes sense that they would have interest in controllable outfielders.

The two teams were reportedly set to meet on Tuesday to discuss a potential Bailey trade, though is is the first we've heard of the results.

Overnight Links: Gio, Rangers, Yankees, Astros

By Steve Adams | December 7, 2011 at 4:34am CDT

As you probably know by know, MLBTR will have 24-hour coverage of the Winter Meetings. I'll be at the wheel until 8am, so feel free to stay up late with me. Here's tonight's batch of overnight quick hits:

Not surprisingly, Athletics GM Billy Beane told MLB.com's Jane Lee and other reporters that a long-term deal for Gio Gonzalez isn't happening anytime soon. Beane said they had talks last year. Gonzalez has become one of the hottest trade chips on the market at the Winter Meetings.
Octavio Dotel could be a target for the Rangers, speculates T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Rangers brass met with Beverly Hills Sports Council (Dotel's agency) reps today, and some Texas officials have a high opinion of Dotel.
John Harper of the New York Daily News is of the opinion that as tough as it sounds, the Yankees should be willing to trade Jesus Montero in a Gio Gonzalez deal.
The Astros may name a new GM this week, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, and Rockies executive Bill Geivett may be the favorite.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times tweets that Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik met with Carlos Guillen's agent on Tuesday. We heard Monday they were one of five teams in on the former Tiger.
Angels skipper Mike Scioscia told reporters, including Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times, that he prefers to add a starting pitcher rather than a bat: "…you need a full rotation to give yourself that opportunity to get into the playoffs." DiGiovanna's piece has a video link of Scioscia discussing C.J. Wilson, whom the Angels are targeting. The Angels though, reportedly won't offer six years.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears Mets GM Sandy Alderson would like to bring back Chris Young a minor league deal in 2012 (Twitter link). Young was limited to 24 innings with the Mets due to shoulder troubles in 2011, and has totaled just 120 innings since the end of 2008.

Phillies Interested In Gio Gonzalez

By Steve Adams | December 7, 2011 at 2:57am CDT

If you thought the Angels were being greedy by pursuing C.J. Wilson, brace yourself. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that the Phillies are among the teams interested in dealing for A's lefty Gio Gonzalez.

Despite having a historically dominant rotation that features Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels, Philadelphia is among about a dozen teams in the mix for Gonzalez. The thinking, according to Rosenthal, is that acquiring Gonzalez would either give the Phillies a built-in replacement for Hamels when he departs via free agency after the 2012 season, or even allow the Phils to shop Hamels to other clubs this winter.

Hamels would figure to have the same suitors as Gonzalez, and this wouldn't be the first time the Phillies dealt an elite starter to acquire another arm they could control for longer. Two years ago around this time, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. sent Lee to the Mariners and acquired Halladay from the Blue Jays when Lee only had one year left on his contract. Halladay was extended for three seasons, though as it turns out, Lee wound up re-signing in Philly as a free agent on a five-year deal anyway.

Speculation on my part, but the Phillies may not want to have Ryan Howard and three of their starting pitchers making $20MM+ per season, and Hamels' free agent years could approach that neighborhood. Dealing for Gonzalez would allot them another three years of team control on an affordable, upper-tier left-handed starter.

Rosenthal specifically names the Tigers, Diamondbacks, Marlins, and Reds as other suitors for Gonzalez's services and says that he, not Wilson or Mark Buehrle, is the lefty who is in the highest demand at the Winter Meetings.

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