The Latest On Gio Gonzalez
The Gio Gonzalez trade rumors have been vast and varied so far this offseason. Here's the latest on the A's left-hander from Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com:
The Mets and Mariners are now among the teams in on Gonzalez, a source tells Rosenthal (Twitter link), while the Marlins, Reds, Red Sox and Rangers remain in the mix.
As well, the Nationals are interested in Gonzalez, according to Rosenthal (via Twitter), who adds that Washington considers White Sox lefty John Danks an alternative. The Nats' focus remains acquiring a left-handed starter after missing out on Mark Buehrle, who signed with the Marlins.
The Mets are an odd addition to the growing list of Gonzalez suitors, as they have been rumored to be open to trading one of their young pitchers, Jonathon Niese. The Mariners, meanwhile, are thought to be seeking offense – including, perhaps, Prince Fielder – although Gonzalez would make for a nice No. 2 or 3, along with Michael Pineda, behind ace Felix Hernandez.
Red Sox Continue Pursuing Bailey, Others
The Red Sox strengthened their bullpen yesterday and they aren’t done yet. Boston continues pursuing relievers, including A’s closer Andrew Bailey, even after adding Mark Melancon, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (on Twitter).
Boston may move Daniel Bard to the rotation and Alfredo Aceves might also start, so Boston's interest in relievers is no surprise. They've been linked to left-handers such as Darren Oliver and right-handers such as Ryan Madson throughout the offseason. Melancon joins Matt Albers, Scott Atchison, Bobby Jenks and Franklin Morales in Boston's projected bullpen.
GM Ben Cherington sounds comfortable with Melancon as a closer, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (on Twitter). However, Bailey recently told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that he won't be surprised if the A's send him to an East Coast team like the Red Sox.
Quick Hits: Tigers, Bailey, Braun
Links for Wednesday night, as we wonder which team won the rights to negotiate a contract with Yu Darvish…
- The chances of Jimmy Rollins signing with the Tigers seem incredibly thin, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- GM Dave Dombrowski said the Tigers had "minimal" discussions with Aramis Ramirez’s representatives, Chris Iott MLive.com reports. The Tigers did not make the third baseman a formal offer before the Brewers signed him.
- Athletics closer Andrew Bailey admits that he doesn't know where he'll be pitching next year, but the trade candidate sounds prepared for the possibility that he'll be dealt before Opening Day, as Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald writes. Bailey grew up on the East Coast and says he has an understanding of what it would be like to pitch for a team like the Red Sox.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin says he's moving forward under the assumption that Ryan Braun will be in the lineup next year, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports. The Brewers are doing "business as normal," though Braun tested positive for a banned substance and faces a possible 50-game suspension.
Bidding Period For Yu Darvish Ends
The deadline for teams to submit bids to the Nippon Ham Fighters for the exclusive rights to negotiate with Yu Darvish passed at 4pm central time today. Nippon Ham has until 4pm CDT on December 20th to accept or reject the high bid, according to a Japanese report passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (on Twitter). The latest updates:
- The Giants did not bid on Darvish, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link).
- The A's didn't bid on Darvish, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Marlins did not bid on Darvish, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
- The Mets didn't place a bid, Howard Megdal of the Journal News reports.
- The Yankees' bid is modest, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Indications are the winning bid is "sky high."
- Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports (on Twitter) that the Fighters plan to accept the posting bid no matter how large it is.
- The Nippon Ham Fighters were very excited by how large the high bid was according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Still no word on the the money, though.
- The Yankees did post a bid, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link).
- The Rays did not bid, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (on Twitter).
- The Angels did not bid on Darvish, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (on Twitter).
- Three MLB executives speculated that the Blue Jays and Rangers are candidates to win the bidding for Darvish, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- The Twins did not bid on Darvish, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox did not bid on Darvish, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter).
- At least one team submitted a bid on Darvish, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network (on Twitter). Nippon, which doesn't know the identity of the MLB team that won the bidding, must decide whether to accept the high bid by Tuesday.
- One MLB official expects an announcement regarding the winning bid tonight or tomorrow morning, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- The Orioles are not bidding on Darvish, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter).
- Darvish has more leverage than any previous player coming from Japan to MLB, one executive tells Yahoo's Jeff Passan, because the righty seems willing to stay with the Fighters. In October, my poll of five agents and one team executive showed that they felt he has the leverage to extract a five or six-year deal worth $72-75MM from the winning team, on top of a posting fee for the Fighters ranging from $30-55MM. Passan's survey of six executives suggests the Rangers and Blue Jays are favorites for Darvish and the Nationals, Yankees, and Mariners may submit bids. Darvish appears to have a strong preference for the West Coast. Passan feels that the higher the posting fee gets, the less likely Darvish is to sign.
- In a poll of over 26,000 MLBTR readers yesterday, 27% felt the Yankees would win the bid, followed by 17% for the Blue Jays and 15% for the Rangers.
Quick Hits: Varitek, A’s, Braves, Cordero, Lee, Pujols
Some links as Tuesday turns into Wednesday…
- The Red Sox have not yet made catcher and captain Jason Varitek a contract offer, reports Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Boston added Kelly Shoppach to Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway on Tuesday, a move that likely spelled the end of Varitek's time with the Sox.
- There are clubs with interest in trading for both Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey and others with interest in both Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado, but Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Athletics and Braves are likely to deal their players separately to maximize the return. Rosenthal and Morosi note that the Braves and Orioles have discussed a deal that included both Jurrjens and Prado.
- Interest in free agent closer Francisco Cordero has slowed down, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). His market could hinge on how clubs fill their other roster holes.
- The Pirates still have interest in first baseman Derrek Lee even after trading for Casey McGehee, reports CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman (on Twitter). Bringing Lee back at first base would allow them to use McGehee at the hot corner with Pedro Alvarez.
- Heyman hears that the Angels put a deadline on their ten-year, $254MM offer to Albert Pujols (Twitter link). The deal did seem to come together very quickly Wednesday night into Thursday morning last week.
- The Rockies do have some money to spend according to Heyman (on Twitter). In addition to Carlos Beltran and Michael Cuddyer, they also have interest in Hiroki Kuroda, Joe Saunders, and various trade targets.
- Morosi says (on Twitter) that Andruw Jones could also be an option for the Rockies if Beltran and Cuddyer sign elsewhere.
- The Cardinals' interest in pitching upgrades is "understated," reports Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). Both Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook remain on the trade block.
- The Yokohama Bay Stars have released right-hander Hiroki Sanada so that he may pursue a deal in MLB according to a report passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. No teams bid on Sanada when he was posted last week.
- The Astros and Rays are possibilities for Ivan Rodriguez, according to Heyman (on Twitter). Though the Mets have discussed Rodriguez, they’re leaning toward relying on Mike Nickeas as their backup to starter Josh Thole.
- MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner says the Joint Drug Agreement should provide Ryan Braun with privacy and fair proceedings. “I urge all to reserve judgment on this matter until the JDA's process has played itself out," Weiner said in a statement.
Athletics Avoid Arbitration With Dallas Braden
10:34pm: Slusser tweets that Braden will earn $3.35MM next season, with another $400K in "very reachable" performance bonuses.
6:27pm: The Athletics and Dallas Braden have avoided arbitration by agreeing to terms on a one-year contract, reports MLB.com's Jane Lee (on Twitter). The team confirmed the agreement in a press release. We project his 2012 salary at $3.3MM or so.
Braden, 28, missed most of 2011 after having surgery on his shoulder, though Susan Slusser of The San Fransisco Chronicle says (on Twitter) he's expected to be ready for the start of next season, or very close to it. The left-hander allowed seven runs in 18 innings across three starts before getting hurt, one year after he pitched to a 3.50 ERA in 192 2/3 innings across 30 starts.
Oakland still has five unsigned arbitration-eligible players remaining: Andrew Bailey, Joey Devine, Gio Gonzalez, Brandon McCarthy, and Ryan Sweeney.
The Latest On Gio Gonzalez
The Tigers, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Rangers are among the teams pursuing Athletics left-hander Gio Gonzalez, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. The bidding figures to heat up a bit once the posting period for Yu Darvish ends at 4pm CT tomorrow. Here's the latest on Gonzalez, courtesy of Knobler…
- The Athletics did indeed ask the Marlins for Mike Stanton in a trade, though the talks understandably went nowhere.
- A's GM Billy Beane in enamored with Tigers' top pitching prospect Jacob Turner, and Detroit is willing to move him for Gonzalez. They balked at Beane's request for prospects Nick Castellanos and Drew Smyly in addition to Turner, though.
- If the Tigers don't swing a trade for Gonzalez, Knobler says that they'll likely find a Brad Penny-type to be their fifth starter (Twitter links). They also want to find an upgrade at second or third base.
- The Red Sox have shown just as much interest in Gio as they have closer Andrew Bailey.
- The Phillies also inquired about Gonzalez, but the Athletics didn't like what they had to offer.
Rangers Focused On Trading For Starting Pitching
The Rangers are more focused on trading for a starter than signing Prince Fielder or bidding on Yu Darvish, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Here are the details on the Rangers…
- The Rangers appear to have less payroll flexibility than expected and are interested in trading for arms such as Matt Garza, Wade Davis and Gio Gonzalez. Texas did not make official offers to C.J. Wilson or Mark Buehrle before the southpaws signed elsewhere, Rosenthal and Morosi report.
- It's worth noting that Texas has a full projected rotation: Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland, Scott Feldman, Alexi Ogando and Colby Lewis.
- The Rangers remain "in" on Mike Gonzalez, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The Yankees and Cardinals also have some interest in the free agent left-hander.
Players To Avoid Arbitration
Tonight is the deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration eligible players. Many teams will agree to terms with players before the deadline and we'll keep track of them here:
- The Orioles have agreed to terms with Dana Eveland on a one-year, $750K deal for 2012, MLBTR has learned.
- The Giants have agreed to terms with Mike Fontenot on a one-year deal for 2012, avoiding arbitration, MLBTR has learned. It's a $1.05MM deal, according to the Associated Press.
- The Red Sox announced that they re-signed Matt Albers. He'll earn $1.075MM, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- The Padres agreed to terms with Chris Denorfia on a one-year deal, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (Twitter link). The deal is worth $1.165MM, according to Ronald Blum of the AP
The Pirates agreed to terms with Jason Grilli on a one-year, $1.1MM deal for 2012, MLBTR has learned. - The Rockies agreed to terms with Kevin Slowey on a one-year deal, the team announced (on Twitter). Slowey obtains $2.75MM from the Rockies, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link). MLBTR had projected a $2.7MM salary.
- The Blue Jays agreed to sign Jeff Mathis to one-year deal that guarantees the backstop $1.5MM in 2012, MLBTR has learned. The Blue Jays have since confirmed the move.
- The Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with Jesse Litsch (one-year, $975K) and Dustin McGowan (one-year, $600K) according to a team press release.
- The Dodgers have signed outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. to a two-year deal.
- The A's announced that they agreed to terms with Landon Powell, Daric Barton and Adam Rosales on one-year deals for 2012. The A's aren't non-tendering any arbitration eligible players this offseason. Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group hears Barton will earn $1.1MM in 2012 (Twitter link). Rosales will earn $600K and Powell will earn $620K, according to Ronald Blum of the AP.
- The Marlins signed Donnie Murphy to a contract for 2012, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link). He'll earn $560K, according to Ronald Blum of the AP.
- The Brewers announced that they signed George Kottaras to a one-year deal, avoiding arbitration. He'll earn $700K, according to Ronald Blum of the AP.
- The Astros avoided arbitration with Humberto Quintero, signing him to a one-year deal worth $1MM, according to the team. MLBTR had projected a $1.2MM salary for Quintero.
- The Angels agreed to terms with right-hander Jerome Williams on a one-year deal, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times (on Twitter). Williams agreed to sign for $820K with $120K in incentives, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (on Twitter).
- Skip Schumaker is nearing a two-year deal with the Cardinals.
Blue Jays Focused On Gio Gonzalez
The Blue Jays are focused on Athletics lefty Gio Gonzalez, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Last week, Slusser reported that 12 teams were interested in Gonzalez, and there were indications the A's and Jays might try to involve a third team to facilitate a deal.
The A's recently traded Trevor Cahill to the Diamondbacks, but ESPN's Buster Olney still thinks Gonzalez will be dealt. Gonzalez, 26, ranked ninth in the AL with 197 strikeouts but led the league with 91 free passes. He's under team control through 2015. Gonzalez is a Super Two player for 2012 and MLBTR projects a $4.2MM salary. That's not far from the current first-time starting pitcher arbitration record, and if Gonzalez stays healthy and continues pitching well I think he could earn nearly $40MM over his four arbitration years.