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Cafardo On Lowrie, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Marlins

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe gives a list of suggestions for the Red Sox's offseason.  As they look for a solution in right field, Cafardo feels that the club should go after Michael Cuddyer with Carlos Beltran as a Plan B.  The BoSox are also looking for a pair of affordable starters and two interesting names that could be had in deals are Joe Saunders of the Diamondbacks and Francisco Liriano of the Twins.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • There were many scouts and GMs in the Dominican Republic recently and Jed Lowrie came up often as a possible shortstop/third base candidate.  Teams like his offense and are skeptical about his defense, but are more worried about his mental toughness and his ability to play through injury.  The 27-year-old may become a chip for the Red Sox in a deal.
  • The Astros are getting more and more inquiries about the availability of Wandy Rodriguez.  The Red Sox are one of the teams that have asked.
  • Scouts and GMs believe that the Athletics would deal left-hander Gio Gonzalez for the right price.  An NL talent evaluator noted that the 26-year-old would be at the top of a lot of teams' lists.
  • Baseball people we talked to seem to think that if the Marlins are thinking big, Jose Reyes is the most logical signing for them, with Hanley Ramirez shifting over to third.  Cafardo also wonders if the Brewers would explore signing with the likelihood of losing Prince Fielder.
  • Free agent David Ortiz is still very much in play with the Orioles.  O's GM Dan Duquette met with Ortiz’s agent, Fern Cuza, at the GM meetings.
  • Cafardo could envision Jason Varitek backing up Matt Wieters in Baltimore
  • The BoSox have considered former Mets GM Omar Minaya for a front office role, but nothing is official yet.

Quick Hits: Davis, CBA, Smith, Darvish

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On this date in 2005, the Marlins sent Carlos Delgado and $7MM to the Mets for Mike Jacobs and prospects Yusmeiro Petit and Grant Psomas. It doesn't appear that any blockbusters will take place today, but we do have some links to go along with those leftovers…

  • The Athletics have hired Chili Davis to be their new hitting coach, reports Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Maureen Mullen reported the news first (on Twitter).
  • John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle says baseball’s new labor deal is a win for the players.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports points out that the high turnover in MLB front offices could lead to increased player movement this offseason. Some general managers become attached to players they’ve obtained, but it’s easier for new GMs to deal players acquired by a previous leadership group.
  • Randy Smith told Dan Hayes of the North County Times that he’d like to become a general manager again. Smith became the youngest GM in baseball history when the Padres hired him as a 29-year-old in 1993. He went on to become the Tigers' GM before returning to the Padres, where he's now the international scouting and player development director.
  • Yu Darvish is still likely to be posted this offseason, though we won’t know officially for a couple of weeks, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). A source close to Darvish told Morosi that it's "more likely than not" that the 25-year-old will pitch in the Major Leagues next year.

Reds Shopping Yonder Alonso For Pitching

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The Reds are offering Yonder Alonso as trade bait in their search for a closer or a No. 2 starter, reports Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown.  Reds GM Walt Jocketty has spoken to several teams — including the A's, Blue Jays, Indians and Rays — about Alonso, though we heard earlier this week that the Reds thought Alonso was too much to give up for Oakland closer Andrew Bailey.

Alonso is regarded as Cincinnati's top hitting prospect, if one without a Major League position since Joey Votto is cemented at first base.  The 24-year-old has an OPS of .837 in four minor league seasons and hit .330/.398/.545 in 98 plate appearances with the Reds last year. 

If the Reds were willing to move him, you would think Alonso would be too much to deal for any closer, not just Bailey.  Jocketty has said his club's top priority is finding a starting pitcher this offseason, so while the Jays and Indians have some good young arms, they wouldn't be willing to deal a top-of-the-rotation caliber of starter for which the Reds are looking.  The Jays and Tribe also have other options at first base, though Adam Lind, Edwin Encarnacion and Matt LaPorta wouldn't be major obstacles if Toronto or Cleveland had a legitimate shot at Alonso.  The A's and Reds might not be a match on Bailey, but Jocketty might deem possibly-available pitchers like Gio Gonzalez or Trevor Cahill worthy of moving Alonso. 

The most logical match would appear to be Tampa Bay, who has a big hole at first base, lots of pitching and a need for a controllable young talent like Alonso.  The Rays could offer Wade Davis or Jeff Niemann, though the Reds are more likely looking for a pitcher like James Shields.  (Obviously David Price and Jeremy Hellickson are staying put.)

American League Free Agent Arbitration Offers

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10 American League teams have free agent arbitration offer decisions to make, and we'll update them in this post throughout the day in advance of the 11pm central time deadline.  For a fantastic customizable chart with all 57 Type A/B free agents and their teams' decisions in real-time, click here. 

Updated team decisions:

Teams with decisions still due:

Latest On Gio Gonzalez

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WEDNESDAY, 10:55am: Gio Gonzalez trade talks haven't really started, reports ESPN's Buster Olney, who notes that the A's did not ask for Logan Morrison in brief check-in talks with the Marlins.

TUESDAY, 8:54am: The Marlins have pursued trades and free agents aggressively so far this offseason. Most recently, Gio Gonzalez has emerged as a possible trade target for the team. Here are the details on the Marlins’ offseason, via Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald:

  • The A’s have demanded a package containing Logan Morrison or Mike Stanton for Gonzalez and the Marlins “flatly rejected” the possibility.
  • C.J. Wilson will visit the Marlins after Thanksgiving. The free agent left-hander met with the Angels last night and has more visits scheduled.

AL West Notes: Garza, Feliz, Nathan, A’s

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The Rangers signed Joe Nathan to a two-year, $14.5MM deal and announced that they’re moving Neftali Feliz to the rotation last night. Here’s the latest from the AL West, starting with some notes from Texas…

  • The Rangers, who haven’t ruled out pursuing starters even after moving Feliz to the rotation, have shown interest in Matt Garza in the past, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains (Twitter links). The Cubs are willing to move Garza, so the Rangers may inquire on the right-hander.
  • Some in the Rangers organization were concerned about Feliz’s ability to recover from his blown save in Game 6 of the World Series, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney.
  • Though Nathan's deal may seem generous, two agents had pegged the 37-year-old for a two-year deal in the $14-15MM range, according to Rosenthal.
  • A’s GM Billy Beane accompanied owner Lew Wolff to meet commissioner Bud Selig and discuss the team’s stadium situation earlier in the month, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • The A's lost money for the first time this century, Beane told Slusser. Though they obtain tens of millions in revenue sharing each season, the A's are expected to lose several million dollars in 2011.

AL West Notes: Gonzalez, Bailey, Oliver, Wilson

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Mariners outfielder Greg Halman was stabbed to death earlier today. MLBTR extends condolences to Halman's friends and loved ones. Here are some notes from the AL West…

Latest On Andrew Bailey

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4:43pm: The Mariners have inquired on Bailey, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).  Olney suggests the A's will definitely move the reliever this offseason.

12:48pm: The A's are very willing to trade Bailey, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  He notes that the Phillies had interest before they signed Jonathan Papelbon.

11:19am: A Reds source agrees that Alonso is way too much for Bailey, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.  Sheldon notes that starting pitching is a more pressing need for the Reds than a closer.

9:00am: The Reds are talking about a possible deal for Athletics closer Andrew Bailey, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  The A's are interested in Yonder Alonso, tweets Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM and ESPN.com.  The Reds have a need at the back end of their bullpen, with Francisco Cordero entertaining offers as a free agent.  The Blue Jays are also known to have Bailey on the radar.

Bailey, 27, posted a 3.24 ERA, 8.9 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 0.6 HR/9, and 37.1% groundball rate in 41 2/3 innings this year.  He missed time with an oblique injury in 2010, and also had elbow surgery in September of that year.  Effects of the procedure caused him to miss most of the first two months of the 2011 campaign.

Bailey is under team control through 2014, and we project him for a reasonable $3.5MM in 2012 as he'll be arbitration eligible for the first time. 

Marlins Express Interest In Gio Gonzalez

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The Marlins have expressed interest in left-hander Gio Gonzalez, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The Marlins are willing to part with Major League players and top prospects to upgrade their rotation, but they aren't convinced the Athletics would deal Gonzalez.

Gonzalez is available, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, but the A’s aren’t motivated to move him. They’d like to obtain cheap, young hitters in trades this offseason, according to Knobler (Twitter links). David Villavicencio reported earlier today that the sides are discussing a deal and that Gonzalez is hoping to sign an extension if he's traded. Frisaro reported last week that the Marlins covet Gonzalez and James Shields, suggesting that Miami will likely trade for one starter and sign another.

Gonzalez, 26, posted a 3.12 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 202 innings in 2011. He led the American League in walks and made his first All-Star team. MLBTR projects that Gonzalez will earn approximately $4.2MM through arbitration in 2012, but he's a super two player, so he won't become a free agent until after the 2015 season.

West Notes: Beane, Minaya, Rockies

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Some linkage from the West Coast as this Sunday night winds down …

  • On Sunday we heard that Bud Selig will meet with the Giants regarding the Athletics' potential relocation to San Jose. If that relocation falls through, however, don't be surprised if Oakland GM Billy Beane winds up with the Dodgers once the franchise is sold, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB Network.
  • The Padres have talked to former Mets GM Omar Minaya about a front office job, a source tells Dan Hayes of the North County Times (Twitter link). It's likely for an advisor role, tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com, who adds that other teams are interested in Minaya, as well.
  • The trade of Ty Wigginton to the Phillies isn't the precursor to another move, Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter). Seems like the Rox were seeking some salary relief.
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