Phillies Notes: Willingham, Ross, Suzuki, Ellsbury
Here's the latest on Philadelphia's offseason dealings, courtesy of CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury…
- Before the Phillies acquired Ben Revere from the Twins, they attempted to also get Josh Willingham in either the same trade package or in a separate deal.
- The club is still in the market for a corner outfielder. The Phillies "have seriously considered" signing Ichiro Suzuki and "have long liked" Cody Ross.
- Any further upgrades may have to come via the free agency market since the Phillies don't have much prospect depth aside from possibly at catcher. Salisbury notes that Tommy Joseph, the most well-regarded of the team's young catchers, "probably isn't going anywhere."
- The Red Sox approached the Phillies about a trade of Jacoby Ellsbury for Cliff Lee, but the Phillies said that Lee wasn't available. I can't blame the Phils for turning that offer down; even if they did want to move Lee, he would fetch far more on the trade market than just one year of Ellsbury, who hits free agency next winter.
Rockies, Reds Have Discussed Fowler
2:19pm: Talks between the Phillies and Rockies never got serious, Renck reports (on Twitter). Talks with the Reds could pick up, but Colorado's demands haven't changed.
1:18pm: The Phillies had some serious talks with the Rockies about Fowler before acquiring Ben Revere, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). The Mariners have also checked in on Fowler, who seems to be a backup plan for Seattle.
11:21pm: The Rockies and Reds have engaged in preliminary trade talks about Dexter Fowler, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Cincinnati could trade players from its MLB roster, but right-hander Homer Bailey will likely remain with the Reds, according to Rosenthal.
Any Reds package would start with Mike Leake and involve at least two more prospects, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reported last night. The Reds maintain interest in Fowler and the Braves can't be ruled out, Renck adds.
Reds general manager Walt Jocketty recently downplayed the chances of trading for Fowler, saying he hasn’t really talked to the Rockies. “I’m not sure Colorado is moving Fowler,” Jocketty said, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer suggested this week that the Reds could make a run at acquiring Fowler.
From a financial standpoint trading for Fowler would be more affordable than signing Michael Bourn. Fowler, a 26-year-old switch hitter, posted a .300/.389/.474 batting line in 530 plate appearances this past season. He's second time arbitration eligible with a projected salary of $4MM and will remain under team control through 2015.
Rosenthal suggests the Reds could trade MLB players such as Leake and outfielder Drew Stubbs.
Four Teams Interested In Dee Gordon
FRIDAY: The Braves and Phillies also asked about Gordon, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (Twitter links). It appears that every team except the Dodgers would try Gordon as an outfielder. However, the Dodgers told clubs that they aren't open to moving him now.
WEDNESDAY: The Indians are discussing Gordon with the Dodgers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, eyeing him as a potential replacement if they trade shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.
TUESDAY: The Dodgers are fielding tons of inquiries on shortstop Dee Gordon, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports, though they're not looking to deal him. The Mariners are among the teams hitting the Dodgers hard on Gordon, tweets Miller.
Gordon, 25 in April, hit .228/.280/.281 in 330 plate appearances this year. He missed significant time due to thumb surgery. Prior to the 2011 season, Baseball America ranked Gordon the 26th best prospect in baseball, citing the potential for four plus tools.
Michael Young Rumors: Friday
The Phillies and Rangers had advanced talks about a deal that would send Michael Young and cash to Philadelphia, according to multiple reports out of Nashville yesterday. Young would have to approve any trade, and there are mixed reports about his interest in leaving the Rangers for the Phillies. Here are the latest rumors on the trade talks involving Young…
Michael Young Could Approve Trade Today
12:34pm: Young has indicated a willingness to accept the trade but is likely to seek some sort of compensation for waiving his no-trade clause, reports Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. There are still some financial issues to work out before the deal is final.
Grant says the Rangers would receive righty Josh Lindblom and a minor leaguer in the trade. Lindblom, 25, pitched to a 3.55 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 71 innings this season. The Phillies acquired him from the Dodgers at the deadline in the Shane Victorino trade. The minor leaguer is believed to be right-hander Lisalverto Bonilla. The 22-year-old posted a 1.55 ERA with 12.4 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 46 1/3 relief innings split between Single-A and Double-A in 2012.
10:19am: The Rangers expect a decision from Young today but do not know which way he is leaning, reports Jeff Wilson of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
9:30am: The Rangers and Phillies had advanced talks about a trade involving Michael Young earlier this week, and MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the deal could happen today. Young is expected to waive his no-trade clause to approve the move to Philadelphia.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports heard the Phillies are "recruiting (Young) like he's the No. 1 pick in the country." (Twitter link) It's unclear what Texas would receive in return for the franchise's all-time hits leader, but the team would reportedly eat more than half of Young's $16MM salary in the trade. A young Major League reliever and a low-level prospect could also be heading to the Rangers.
Young, 36, hit .277/.312/.370 in 651 plate appearances this year and would presumably take over as the Phillies' full-time third baseman. He is heading into the final season of the five-year, $80MM extension he signed prior to the 2007 season. Young has full 10-and-5 no-trade protection.
This post was originally published on December 8th.
Mariners Making Serious Run At Josh Hamilton
On Tuesday we learned that Josh Hamilton will give the Rangers the opportunity to match any offer another club makes before he signs. Talks were said to progress between Hamilton and the Rangers, but Texas is also in on Zack Greinke. As Hamilton works to determine where he'll play next year, we'll keep track of the latest rumors here…
- The Red Sox are very unlikely on Hamilton, Heyman tweets. Assistant GM Mike Hazen says the team remains engaged with Hamilton and other free agents but the club's focus is still on its young core, tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- The Mariners have discussed three-year deals with Hamilton in range of $20MM to $25MM per season, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Armstrong's point about not having exchanged figures with Hamilton yet is largely semantics, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, because they've talked enough to hammer out a deal quickly. As it stands now, Hamilton's agent is waiting for Zack Greinke to sign, because the Rangers are unlikely to sign both.
- The Mariners are not close to signing Hamilton, team president Chuck Armstrong tells Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Armstrong says the Mariners are interested, but haven't exchanged numbers and figures with Hamilton.
Earlier updates:
- Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio reports that Hamilton's first choice is the Rangers, but if they sign Greinke and cannot afford him, the Mariners are his primary fallback option (Twitter link).
- The Mariners are making a big push for Hamilton, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, and talks are more serious between the two sides than has been let on. The holdup, not surprisingly, is the Rangers' ongoing pursuit of Greinke. If Greinke does land in Texas, Baker writes that the Mariners could make a deal for Hamilton happen "very soon" afterward.
- Rangers president Nolan Ryan did not rule out signing both Hamilton and Greinke, saying in a media session that principal owners Bob Simpson and Ray Davis would have to approve such a scenario (Jeff Wilson reporting).
- GM Ben Cherington and manager John Farrell represented the Red Sox in their Monday night meeting with Hamilton, reports Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.
- The Rangers won't go to five years for Hamilton, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
- The Rangers met with Hamilton's agent Tuesday night but nothing has changed, GM Jon Daniels told reporters including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- We learned earlier that the Red Sox met with Hamilton before he left Nashville. It was an off-site meeting on Monday, tweets Dan Roche of WBZ.
- The Mariners continue to have interest in Hamilton, but like the other teams involved, they prefer a shorter-term deal, tweets Jon Heyman.
- The Rangers are being patient on Hamilton, waiting to hear if it will take more than something like three years and $75MM to sign him, writes Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
- The Rangers' discussions with Hamilton are "on hold" at the moment, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, who suggests the team's involvement on Greinke may be the reason for the delay.
- Most baseball people believe Hamilton will end up signing for five years or less, with some clubs exploring vesting options to protect themselves, says Heyman. He names the Mariners, Red Sox, Phillies and Brewers as teams besides the Rangers that have shown interest in the outfielder.
NL East Notes: Phillies, Young, Nats, LaRoche
Earlier today, the Phillies acquired outfielder Ben Revere from the Twins in exchange for starting pitcher Vance Worley and pitching prospect Trevor May. Here’s a look at some of the reaction and fallout from the deal plus more out of the NL East..
- Michael Young is thought to be weighing his professional life versus his personal life as he decides whether to waive his no-trade clause and join the Phillies, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Young’s family lives in Texas but he would have the opportunity to start at third base for the Phillies.
- One baseball source believes that no MLB team will give Adam LaRoche anything beyond a two-year deal, tweets Bill Ladson of MLB.com. The Nationals are optimistic that they’ll retain the first baseman.
- If the Nationals are able to re-sign LaRoche, the source believes that they will trade Michael Morse for prospects, Ladson tweets. The source adds that the Rays would be the best choice in trade discussions as they are loaded with pitching prospects.
- The Phillies are are expected to pursue a veteran starter to fill the hole vacated by Worley in the rotation and have already been calling around, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com tweets.
- Given the price that Denard Span went for, the price the Phillies paid for Revere is shocking, writes Dave Cameron of Fangraphs. Cameron argues that the Phillies have robbed Peter to pay Paul by filling their centerfield vacancy by creating a hole in their rotation.
- Keith Law of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) also sees the deal as an overpay for the Phillies and expresses optimism that May can get back on the right track in Minnesota.
Free Agent Notes: Greinke, Correia, Downs
Club officials and agents continue to wait for Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton to come off the board so that the other dominoes can fall, Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) writes. Olney looks at the scenarios that could unfold from there and notes that the Dodgers should make a strong play for Anibal Sanchez or Kyle Lohse or Edwin Jackson if Greinke lands in Texas. Here's today's batch of free agent notes..
- Kevin Correia is mulling multiple multi-year offers, including one from Japan, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Earlier today we learned that the Royals are looking at Correia as a potential plan B if they fail to land a No. 1 starter.
- Free agent infielder Matt Downs is getting interest from Phillies, Marlins, and Rockies, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (via Twitter). Downs posted a .202/.253/.371 batting line in 191 plate appearances last season, down from the .276/.347/.518 line he posted in his first full season with the Astros.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) that he has noticed in the last few days agents asking for higher signing bonuses in anticipation of the new tax rate.
Phillies Acquire Ben Revere
The Phillies acquired outfielder Ben Revere from the Twins, reports MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Starting pitcher Vance Worley is going to the Twins in the deal, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, as well as pitching prospect Trevor May, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Both teams have since confirmed the trade.
Revere, 24, hit .294/.333/.342 in 553 plate appearances for the Twins this year, stealing 40 bags in 49 tries. With just one year and 149 days of Major League service, Revere will not be arbitration eligible until 2014 at the earliest, and is under team control through 2017. He was a first-round pick of the Twins in 2007. He'd been penciled in to take over center field from Denard Span, who the Twins dealt to the Nationals less than a week ago.
"Ben is an outstanding, young, controllable center fielder who fits nicely with our club," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement. He's also affordable, allowing for payroll flexibility for the team. Meanwhile, there's one less suitor for free agent Michael Bourn.
Worley, 25, posted a 4.20 ERA, 7.2 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 0.81 HR/9, and 46% groundball rate in 133 innings this year for the Phillies. He battled a bone chip in his elbow for much of the season, which was removed in September surgery. Worley has one year and 152 days of Major League service, matching up nicely with Revere in terms of club control.
May, 23, was ranked as the Phillies' second-best prospect by MLB.com. He posted a 4.87 ERA, 9.1 K/9, 4.7 BB/9, and 1.32 HR/9 in 149 2/3 Double-A innings this year. Prior to the season, Baseball America wrote, "If his command continues to improve, he could become a No. 2 starter, and he should be at least a solid mid-rotation workhorse." The Twins added Alex Meyer in the Span trade, ranked the 50th-best prospect in baseball by MLB.com.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Phillies “In Serious Talks” For Michael Young
9:23am: It is in Young's hands whether to waive his no-trade, tweets Salisbury. Jon Heyman thinks the Phillies are getting closer to an agreement, while Danny Knobler can see a resolution today.
8:06am: As of late last night Young had shown no interest in waiving his no-trade, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.
7:10am: There are signs that Young would be willing to waive his no-trade rights and accept a move to Philadelphia, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.
12:55am: The Phillies' reported interest in Michael Young has picked up some steam, with Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reporting that the two sides are in "advanced talks."
In the proposed scenario, the Rangers would eat more than half of Young's $16MM salary to facilitate the trade, which would likely send a young Major League reliever and a low-level prospect back to the Rangers in exchange for the 36-year-old Young.
Young's name has dominated trade rumors in previous offseasons, but a move does seem more feasible now with just one year remaining on his contract and a potentially diminishing role in the Rangers' offense. Young received 651 plate appearances last season (his lowest total in a full season since 2002), batting .272/.312/.370 in the process. He saw time at all four infield positions, though Philadelphia would have interest in him as a third baseman.
Young, of course, has 10-and-5 rights after spending his entire 13-year career with the Rangers. As such, he'd have the ability to veto any trade the Rangers could attempt.