Quick Hits: Bailey, Reds, Rays, Rhodes, Posada
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Tigers Attempting Strong Push For Gio Gonzalez
The Tigers are trying to "make a strong push" to acquire Athletics lefty Gio Gonzalez, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. However, the Tigers aren't sure whether they'll be able to make an offer as strong as a potential Yankees proposal, Slusser says (Twitter link).
It was reported today, by Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record, that the Athletics asked the Yankees for Jesus Montero plus either Dellin Betances or Manny Banuelos in exchange for Gonzalez (Twitter link). With the Yankees highly unlikely to part with such a significant haul, the two teams may not be a match, since the Yanks don't have the high-upside young outfielders the Athletics covet.
AL West Rumors: Bailey, Jackson, Gonzalez, Rangers
The latest out of the AL West:
- The Athletics' asking price for Andrew Bailey is currently too high for the Rangers to consider him, tweets Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Rangers' read on Bailey matches up with comments made by A's GM Billy Beane yesterday — he said many teams he'd talked to walked away wondering whether any A's were actually available, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
- Within Slusser's piece, she writes that the Athletics are considering Conor Jackson as a short-term outfield addition.
- The Athletics are looking for young, high-upside outfielders in any Gio Gonzalez trade, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Yankees may have to consider a three-team deal if they want to acquire the lefty, since they don't have any outfielders in the high minors that fit that bill.
- Nothing is imminent, but ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick tweets the Rangers are looking into possible contract extensions for many of their core players, including Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler, and Mike Napoli.
Royals Rumors: Needs, Guillen, Lowe
Yesterday the Royals were linked to Oakland's Gio Gonzalez and free agent Carlos Guillen, and it was also suggested they'd listen on relievers Joakim Soria and Greg Holland. The latest on the team:
- The Royals seek a right-handed alternative to play third base and give Mike Moustakas an occasional break, GM Dayton Moore told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Casey Blake and Kevin Kouzmanoff are a couple of free agents who could fit the bill, in my opinion.
- The Royals have a full 40-man roster, so they'd have to free up a spot to make a Rule 5 pick on Thursday.
- The Royals tried for Derek Lowe before the Braves traded him to the Indians.
- Manager Ned Yost told Dutton the Royals would like to add a situational lefty to serve as an alternative to Tim Collins. Check out the free agent lefty relievers here.
- Moore seemed to acknowledge interest in Guillen, but noted, "I think there are going to be quite a few players like that around in January if we want to supplement our team."
- Dutton confirmed the Royals' interest in Gonzalez with a source, though they currently don't like the Athletics' asking price of multiple impact prospects.
- Regarding unfounded lobby rumors yesterday, Moore commented to reporters including MLB.com's Dick Kaegel, "I'd like to keep Wil Myers' name out of the paper as much as possible. Wil Myers is a young, talented player. He had a tremendous Arizona Fall League. We live with him every day. We love him and he's a big part of our future. But he's a Double-A player. He's going to produce at his own natural rate. We're not going to put unrealistic expectations on him. What other cliche do you want?"
Red Sox, A’s To Discuss Bailey Tuesday
4:00am: A team source tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that the Red Sox will make an attempt on Bailey (Twitter link).
12:41am: The Red Sox have yet to be aggressive on the Andrew Bailey front, but will meet with Oakland to discuss the former AL Rookie of the Year tomorrow, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
Bailey, 27, is a logical target for the BoSox who lost Jonathan Papelbon to free agency very early this offseason. The Red Sox haven't hidden their interest in acquiring a closer. One report stated that it was their second priority behind David Ortiz, and they've been linked to Ryan Madson multiple times. It also appears that top setup man Daniel Bard is comfortable transitioning to the rotation should new GM Ben Cherington acquire a closer.
Bailey, who posted a 3.24 ERA and 8.9 K/9 with 24 saves in 41 2/3 innings this season, has also drawn interest from the Padres, Angels, and Rangers.