Olney On Ausmus, Carroll, Prior, Penny
A few notes from ESPN's Buster Olney…
- Via Twitter, Olney's heard from other teams that the Reds would love to move closer Francisco Cordero. Of course, closers are plentiful and Cordero is set to earn $25MM over the next two years. I mentioned in our Reds Offseason Outlook that the team would have to eat half of that to make him mildly appealing. Similarly, the Indians would definitely listen on Kerry Wood, who is set to earn $20MM over the next two years.
- Olney believes other teams could join the Reds and Tigers in cost-cutting mode. He says the teams with payroll space "will be in position to make some excellent deals."
- Olney finds it unlikely that Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, or John Lackey will receive a $100MM contract.
- Catcher Brad Ausmus on 2010: "I could end up playing if somebody wants me."
- The A's are interested in free agent infielder Jamey Carroll. Ed Price of AOL FanHouse tweets that the Dodgers and at least seven other teams are also interested in Carroll.
- Mark Prior is throwing on flat ground and plans to audition for scouts. Prior, 29, most recently had shoulder surgery in June.
- The Giants are attempting to re-sign Brad Penny, who lost 12 pounds since the end of the season.
- Olney wonders if the Royals will dump more players before the December 12th non-tender deadline. I think Mike Jacobs, John Buck, and John Bale fit the bill.
- Olney's heard that the Phillies "will be aggressive in signing a set-up man/closer safety net," with Brad Lidge having flexor tendon surgery.
A’s Talk: Third Base, Duchscherer
Athletics general manager Billy Beane is looking at possible third base acquisitions, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The A's face uncertainty with hot corner options Eric Chavez, Adam Kennedy, and Brett Wallace.
Slusser says the A's are emphasizing youth and "unlikely to spend much money on free agents." So you have to question my earlier guesses that the A's will sign Miguel Tejada and Jim Thome. Slusser wonders, "from a sheer speculation standpoint," if Alex Gordon, Josh Fields, or Brandon Wood could be trade possibilities. Click here to read our post about third base trade candidates.
Also, Slusser spoke to Justin Duchscherer's agent Damon Lapa. Duchscherer is doing well and "has dedicated himself to preparing for 2010." Interest in Duchscherer is strong, with the A's still in the mix. Duchscherer wants to start. Back in '08, he posted a 2.54 ERA in 22 starts.
Odds & Ends: Smoltz, Holliday, Varitek, Tejada
Let's round up a few more links in a busy day of rumors….
- John Smoltz wants to pitch next year, according to this tweet from ESPN.com's Peter Gammons.
- The Mets will ask the Blue Jays about the price for Roy Halladay, as they did this summer, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
- As Chad Jennings of the Journal News reports, Andy Pettitte isn't likely to return to the Astros.
- We knew Matt Capps could be a trade chip for the Pittsburgh Pirates this offseason. According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates offered Capps to the Milwaukee Brewers for J.J. Hardy.
- Many expect Matt Holliday to end up in New York in 2010, but both the Mets and Yankees are downplaying their interest in the outfielder, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Sherman also writes that if Jason Varitek doesn't exercise his player option, the Mets could be interested in the 37-year-old.
- MLB.com's Mychael Urban agrees with Tim: Miguel Tejada fits in Oakland.
- Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star notes (via Twitter) that the Royals' payroll reached $82MM this past season.
Odds & Ends: Crosby, Gonzalez, Mariners
More items from a busy opening day of baseball's hot stove season…
- Consider it a formality, but John Lackey, Matt Holliday, and Jason Bay were among the 79 players filing for free agency today according to MLB.com's Tom Singer.
- Free agent Bobby Crosby told MLB.com's Mychael Urban that he doesn't expect to be back in Oakland next season.
- Alex Gonzalez has yet to hear from the Red Sox in regards to whether or not they will exercise his $6MM option for next season, says The Boston Herald's Michael Silverman.
- Jim Street of MLB.com breaks down Seattle's free agents, noting that Russell Branyan and Ken Griffey Jr. "are the most likely to return," and that if Griffey comes back, it would likely mean that the Mariners wouldn't re-sign veteran Mike Sweeney. Street also reported that right-hander Miguel Batista feels he won't be back in Seattle next season, with Batista going so far as to say there is a "99.9 percent chance" he will be in another team's uniform in 2010.
- Texas introduced former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle as their new hitting coach on Thursday.
- John Harper of the New York Daily News feels that Hideki Matsui's World Series MVP award made the Yankees' decision whether or not to re-sign the free agent slugger much more difficult. Even before Matsui's huge Game Six performance, MLBTR's Luke Adams outlined the factors behind any decision to put Matsui back in pinstripes in 2010.
- Randy St. Claire has been hired as the Marlins' new pitching coach, reports Barry Jackson and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
Adam Kennedy Hopes To Stay With A’s
Infielder Adam Kennedy would like to remain with the Athletics in 2010, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The interest is mutual; his agent has had "very positive" talks with the A's.
Kennedy, 34 in January, hit .289/.348/.410 in 586 plate appearances this year, playing second and third base. According to UZR/150, Kennedy's defense this year did not approach the performance from his heyday. The Cardinals released Kennedy in February, eating most of the $4MM owed to him. The Rays signed him to a minor league deal and traded him to Oakland for a player to be named later in May. The Rays later received Joe Dillon in that deal; he was designated for assignment in August but remained in the organization.
Slusser adds a few notes on other A's free agents:
The A's have not been in contact with free-agent infielder Nomar Garciaparra or starter Brett Tomko, though they plan to check in with Tomko as he recovers from a nerve problem in his right arm.
Aroldis Chapman Review
With all the information swirling around about free agent lefty Aroldis Chapman, I thought a summary would be helpful. Chapman has been declared a free agent and can sign at any time, though a deal is unlikely before the conclusion of the World Series. One GM told Yahoo's Tim Brown in July, "I'm sure all 30 teams will be interested to some degree." Nonetheless, let's look at specific suitors.
- Red Sox: They've been a top suitor from the start. Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus says Chapman was scheduled to throw a bullpen at Fenway today but it was cancelled due to inclement weather. ESPN's Peter Gammons believes Boston's signing of former Chapman teammate Jose Iglesias may impact the pitcher's decision.
- Yankees: They've also been a top suitor from the start. ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. said Chapman met with GM Brian Cashman and other Yanks officials at the October 25th playoff game and "had good conversations." Several reporters see Chapman as another Yankees-Red Sox battle.
- Mariners: Add them to the list – our source says they'd like to meet with Chapman in the next week.
- Cardinals: A scheduled October 26th meeting was cancelled due to the Tony La Russa announcement. The meeting is expected to be rescheduled.
- Orioles: They've maintained interest and are pushing for a meeting soon. In September, president Andy MacPhail admitted interest to MASN's Roch Kubatko, but added, "If some of the big boys are going to go after him, like the Red Sox did with Dice-K, that's not a risk that I would be willing to take."
- Mets: They met with Chapman on October 23rd. The New York Post's Bart Hubbuch said the Mets were out after being told Chapman wants up to $60MM to sign. I'm not so sure the Mets and Chapman actually discussed dollar figures.
- Tigers: They've confirmed interest.
- Angels: Scouting director Eddie Bane admitted interest in July, but noted that Chapman's breaking pitches are not yet effective in talking to Mark Saxon of the OC Register. Bane more recently told Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times that he'd need to see Chapman throw against live hitters before investing. Chapman has mentioned L.A. as a place he'd like to visit.
- White Sox: Our source said they've expressed interest.
- Cubs: Our source said they've expressed interest.
- Athletics: Named by Arangure Jr. as one of the teams "paying varying degrees of attention to Chapman." Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle confirmed Oakland's interest but says they haven't met with him.
- Giants: Named by Arangure Jr. as one of the teams "paying varying degrees of attention to Chapman."
- Dodgers: They aren't likely to be serious suitors, according to one of Arangure Jr.'s sources.
- Blue Jays: We named the Jays as an interested club, but GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters that signing Chapman is "not realistic."
- Astros: Owner Drayton McLane seemingly considers Chapman too pricey, based on his comments to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.
Odds & Ends: Astros, Athletics, Blue Jays
With baseball dark until Wednesday, let MLBTradeRumors.com light the way for you…
- Rob Neyer has a must-read piece about the Astros refusing to give Manny Acta a three-year contract offer. As Neyer writes, "If you think it's silly to give a manager a three-year contract but don't mind throwing $100 million of your ill-gotten gains at Carlos Lee, you probably need to have your head examined (though of course something similar might be said of half the owners in the majors)."
- MLB.com A's beat reporter Mychael Urban explains why Oakland dealt Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi and Orlando Cabrera– but kept Nomar Garciaparra around.
- Toronto added a pair of senior baseball men, both named Mel, to the front office.
Strong Interest In Aroldis Chapman
SUNDAY, 12:35pm: As suggested by Lennon earlier, Chapman's price tag is too high for the Mets. Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reports (via Twitter) that the Mets were told Chapman wants up to $60MM to sign.
SATURDAY, 7:23pm: John Stockstill – the Orioles' director of international scouting – has confirmed that the club will meet with Chapman and his agent next week in New York, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.com. In a piece yesterday, Kubatko wrote that he doesn't think Baltimore will end up signing the 21-year-old.
SATURDAY, 2:38pm: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports the A's have also had interest in Chapman since he became a free agent. However, they were not among the teams that met the hard-throwing left-hander in New York this week.
FRIDAY, 1:59pm: Lennon says (via Twitter) that the Mets won't bid $40-60MM for Chapman.
FRIDAY, 1:19pm: Add the Blue Jays to the mix of teams interested in Chapman, according to our source. Also, the Orioles have maintained interest and want to meet.
THURSDAY, 2:39pm: MLBTR has learned that the Cubs and White Sox have expressed interest in free agenty lefty Aroldis Chapman. The Cardinals have been more aggressive than those clubs, and plan to meet with Chapman next week. The Yankees and Red Sox, of course, have also been among the aggressive suitors. A meeting with the Mets will come later this week, according to Newsday's David Lennon.
The Chapman tour began yesterday in New York, as the 21-year-old's agency decided not to make MLB clubs come to Andorra. ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. believes Chapman will command a contract in the $40-60MM range.
Odds & Ends: Duchscherer, Dodgers, Phillies
A few more links to peruse as MLB officials sift through rainy forecasts in NYC…
- According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland GM Billy Beane has touched base with free agent right-hander Justin Duchscherer. It's not yet clear, however, whether the A's will try to retain him. MLBTR profiled the "Duke of Hurl" about a month ago.
- Diamond Leung passes along a nice anecdote involving Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng and Justin Orenduff, the club's 2004 first-round pick. Orenduff was designated for assignment last year to clear roster space for Manny Ramirez and then retired in March of 2009.
- As noted by Scott Lauber of the Wilmington News Journal, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. believes putting together a winning organization is about more than simply finding the best talent. "We have guys who, throughout the lineup and in the rotation and the bullpen, are just good guys, winning-type players who believe in each other," said Amaro. "I would put our clubhouse up against any clubhouse I’ve ever been around or may ever be around." It's corny, but you can't argue with the results.
Odds & Ends: Johjima, Rockies, Kikuchi
Links for Tuesday…
- Chat today, 2pm CST.
- The Hanshin Tigers are interested in Kenji Johjima, according to Kyodo News.
- The Rockies are expected to re-sign GM Dan O'Dowd and manager Jim Tracy this week, according to Patrick Saunders and Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.
- Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times says the Dodgers "are mindful that [signing Yusei Kikuchi] could harm the club's long-standing ties in Japan." Kikuchi told Kyodo News that interviewing with 12 NPB and eight MLB clubs made his decision even more difficult. NPB Tracker has more.
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle says Brad Lidge for Michael Bourn has been "the perfect trade." In that November 2007 deal, the Phillies also received infielder Eric Bruntlett and the Astros also acquired Geoff Geary and Mike Costanzo (Geary is now a free agent). I'd say the Astros may ultimately win the deal if Bourn's breakout season holds up, since they gave up one year of Lidge for five of Bourn. But, as Justice noted, the Phillies have a ring.
- Always fun…Dave Cameron's 2010 offseason plan for the Mariners at U.S.S. Mariner. My one beef is the John Danks acquisition…I don't think it fits from Chicago's point of view.
- Viva El Birdos takes a look at the Cardinals' 2010 commitments.
- MLB.com's Mychael Urban discusses Justin Duchscherer's future.