NL East Notes: Upton, Mets, Marlins
The Marlins made headlines this week, sending Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle to Toronto in a blockbuster trade that clears tens of millions in future payroll obligations for Miami. Here’s the latest from the NL East…
- The Phillies met with free agent outfielder B.J. Upton earlier this week, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter link). Upton’s right-handed bat would look good in Philadelphia’s lineup, but he’s also a top target of one of the Phillies’ main rivals. The Braves met with Upton in Atlanta yesterday.
- Mets ownership should sell the team if they can't figure out a way to re-sign R.A. Dickey, ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes. The Mets play in the country's biggest market and should be able to take risks on top players such as Dickey, Olney argues. As readers of MLBTR's chats already know, I agree with Olney: the Mets should be able to spend to retain star players like Dickey and David Wright.
- Commissioner Bud Selig told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post he's confident in the direction the Mets are taking. "I know they’re very comfortable where they are, and they’re very optimistic,” Selig said. However, there's no guarantee Jeffrey Loria of the Marlins will get as much backing from the commissioner as the Mets have obtained.
Red Sox Links: Ross, Reyes, Nolasco, Morrison
Here's the latest out of Boston…
- Former Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross is drawing the most interest from the Phillies, Tigers, Mariners, and, naturally, the Red Sox according to ESPN's Jim Bowden (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox had "preliminary talks" with the Marlins about Jose Reyes prior to last night's blockbuster, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Bradford also looked at why the team might have been interested in the shortstop.
- Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe notes (on Twitter) that while Ricky Nolasco and Logan Morrison of the Marlins are available, the Red Sox should be able find better players to fill their rotation and first base/outfield holes.
Mariners Eyeing Josh Hamilton
Mariners president Chuck Armstrong told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that Seattle has interest in Josh Hamilton. The Mariners are “looking at” the free agent outfielder according to Armstrong.
"We are going to have more money to spend,” he said. “And we do need offense."
The Mariners are still considering many options at this stage in the offseason, Armstrong added. Meanwhile, Phillies president and CEO David Montgomery acknowledged the Phillies are considering Hamilton (Twitter link). "I don't think there's a whole lot we're not considering," Montgomery told Heyman. The Phillies, Orioles, Braves and Red Sox are among the teams that appear to have interest in Hamilton.
NL East Notes: Mets, Bay, Phillies, Wright, Dickey
Here’s a look at some news out of the NL East following the Marlins‘ shocking trade earlier this evening..
- The Mets made an offer to David Wright and the third baseman’s representatives responded with a counter-offer, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- The $15MM that is being deferred to Jason Bay will be paid out over a two year period, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. That means that the Mets are only saving about $850K on the full $21MM Bay is owed.
- The Phillies are wide open in their search for a third baseman, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The club could look at multi-position types like Marco Scutaro and Jeff Keppinger as well as someone like Kevin Youkilis.
- At a charity event earlier today, Mets owner Jeff Wilpon said that the the Mets remain focused on signing David Wright and R.A. Dickey, but added that they would be remiss to not explore the trade market in the process, tweets Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger.
- Wilpon said that the club hopes to sign both Wright and Dickey with a trade of one or both as their backup plan, Mike Kerwick of the Bergen Record tweets.
- A Mets source tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) that “nothing has changed” for the club since the GM meetings.
Six Teams Interested In Kevin Youkilis
The lot of free agent third basemen isn't very strong this offseason, and as a result, Kevin Youkilis has become a hot commodity. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that the Mariners and Marlins have checked in on the 33-year-old, as have the Phillies, Dodgers, and Indians. The White Sox are also said to want him back.
Youkilis hit .235/.336/.409 in 509 plate appearances last year, including .236/.346/.425 in 344 plate appearances following his trade to the ChiSox. He has plenty of experience at both first and third base throughout his career, though he has been on the disabled list five times in the last four years. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Youkilis 27th in his Top 50 Free Agents List, predicting he would sign with the Phillies.
Phillies Interested In Josh Hamilton, Cody Ross
The Phillies are comfortable paying Josh Hamilton a high annual salary, but they have concerns about committing to the free agent outfielder on a long-term contract, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (Twitter links). Hamilton, the winter’s top free agent position player, is a client of Moye Sports Associates.
The Phillies are also among the teams talking with outfielder Cody Ross, Olney reports. Ross, a free agent who's not tied to draft pick compensation, is a client of SFX.
The Orioles also appear to have interest in both outfielders. The Red Sox discussed the possibility of a new deal with Ross, whose asking price appears to be $25MM for three years. While some teams are wary of that kind of commitment, other clubs appear to have interest in committing to Ross on a three-year deal. The Braves and Red Sox appear to have some level of interest in Hamilton.
Quick Hits: Hunter, Dodgers, Dickey, Mets
The Dodgers have been said to have interest in free agent outfielder Torii Hunter, but their level of interest may have been overstated, according to Dylan Hernandez and Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The team met with Hunter’s agent at the GM meetings this week, but a source says that it was Hunter’s agent who initially reached out to the Dodgers, not the other way around. Since the Dodgers won't move Andre Ethier, Hunter's only possible role would be as a fourth outfielder and the veteran isn't terribly interested in doing that. Hunter's agent has also talked with the Tigers, Rays, Yankees, and Phillies and tells clubs that his client wants a multi-year contract. Here's more from around baseball..
- MLB.com's Thomas Harding writes that Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey isn't sure whether the club will trade him this winter if they can't reach agreement on a contract extension, but his preference is to stay in New York.
- The Mets don't want to go to arbitration with Andres Torres, but the club has not ruled out bringing him back for 2013, a source tells Dan Martin of the New York Post. Torres would be in line for a slight raise over the $2.7MM he earned last season through arbitration, but the club could bring him back at a more reasonable price. I profiled Torres as a non-tender candidate back in September.
- The Yankees have faith they can make deals with pitchers Mariano Rivera, Hiroki Kuroda, and Andy Pettitte, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. When it comes to Kuroda, the Yanks see Japan as a bigger threat to pull him away than teams like the Red Sox or the Dodgers.
- The weak crop of catchers on this year's open market could yield a high return for the Red Sox if they trade Jarrod Saltalamacchia, writes Tim Britton of The Providence Journal.
NL East Notes: Phillies, Braves, Nationals, Burnett
Rival executives and agents say that Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro is being very aggressive in pursuit of a center fielder and plans to work quickly, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). Amaro knows Michael Bourn well, but agent Scott Boras likes to wait and let the market percolate. The Phillies may make B.J. Upton their plan B if they can't land Bourn. The club has been doing a lot of background work on Upton, asking questions about his personality and whether he would be a good fit in that market. Here's more out of the NL East..
- The Braves sensed that David Ross might land a lucrative two-year deal elsewhere and have been checking out other backup catchers on the open market in recent weeks, tweets Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The Red Sox came to terms on a two-year, $6.2MM deal with Ross earlier today.
- Nationals reliever Sean Burnett has a case for a three-year deal in the mold of Scott Downs, but some at the GM meetings have wondered aloud if he may be in line for a four-year pact, tweets Ben Nicholson-Smith.
- Nationals bench coach Randy Knorr is widely viewed as the top candidate to take over for manager Davey Johnson after 2013, but Knorr believes that Johnson could have a change of heart and choose to manage beyond next season, writes Amanda Comak of the Washington Times. Yesterday, Johnson and the Nats agreed to a one-year deal that will turn the skipper into a consultant in 2014.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Upton, Rays, Youkilis, Dodgers
Here's the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- The Rangers continue to insist that they will not trade either Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar for Justin Upton, which could allow the Rays to emerge as the front-runner. They could offer the Diamondbacks James Shields or Jeremy Hellickson in addition to shortstop prospect Hak-Ju Lee.
- The White Sox and Phillies are interested in Kevin Youkilis, and the Dodgers are considering him as well. Rosenthal says other clubs are concerned whenever Los Angeles is reportedly in on a player given their financial might.
- The Orioles and Nationals are still engaged in a dispute over money received from MASN — both clubs own the network, but Baltimore's stake is nearly 90% — though Nats GM Mike Rizzo said that will not limit the club's ability to spend.
- Angels GM Jerry Dipoto is not concerned about finding a pure closer. He intends to add the best bullpen arms he can and let things figure themselves out.
- A rival executive told Rosenthal that he expects Dan Haren to sign with the Padres. Haren is a West Coast guy and Padres GM Josh Byrnes originally acquired him from the Athletics while running the Diamondbacks a few years ago.
- “Like him. Don’t love him," said a Red Sox official when asked about Adam LaRoche. Boston is reportedly pursuing the first baseman.
- Joakim Soria and Ryan Madson will not be ready to pitch at the start of the season. Both right-handers are coming off Tommy John surgery.
Six Teams Interested In Nick Swisher
FRIDAY: In addition to the Rangers and Mariners, the Orioles, Phillies, Giants, Braves, and Nationals all have some level of interest in Swisher, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Several clubs are willing to offer three years, and Heyman estimates an annual salary in the $11-13MM range.
THURSDAY: The Rangers, Mariners and three other teams have "serious interest" in free agent Nick Swisher, reports Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Unsurprisingly, Swisher plans to reject the Yankees' qualifying offer and look for a long-term contract on the open market.
Swisher would have earned $13.3MM for 2013 had he accepted the Yankees' one-year qualifying offer, and in rejecting the deal, New York can now earn a compensatory draft pick if Swisher signs elsewhere. The Yankees extended qualifying offers to three of their free agents: Swisher, Rafael Soriano (who will decline) and Hiroki Kuroda.
Swisher has averaged 27 homers and an .836 OPS over the last seven seasons, thus making him in high demand amongst teams looking for power and help at first base or right field. Swisher was reportedly looking for a Jayson Werth-esque seven-year/$126MM contract, a number that might be hard to find unless it were to come from a team that may need to overpay to attract a top free agent hitter. The Mariners could be such a team, though they hope moving in the fences at Safeco Field will help.
The Rangers would likely use Swisher primarily at first base, though they could also have a hole in left field should Josh Hamilton leave in free agency. (ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Red Sox also value Swisher for his versatility.) Swisher's three unknown suitors probably don't include the Yankees, as there is reportedly little chance of Swisher returning to New York.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.