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AL East Notes: Blue Jays, Blanton, Yankees, Pineda

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On this day in 1966, the Orioles acquired catcher Cam Carreon from the Indians in exchange for leftfielder Lou Piniella.  Sweet Lou became an everyday major leaguer in 1969 with the Royals and made his way back to the American League East with the Bombers in 1974.  Here's what's happening in the AL East today..

  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos scouted today's Phillies game and left after Joe Blanton exited the game, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  
  • Even though Brandon League has blossomed into an All-Star closer for the Mariners, Anthopoulos has no regrets about the trade that shipped League to Seattle and brought Brandon Morrow to Toronto, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.  The Blue Jays signed Morrow to three-year, $21MM contract extension this winter with a team option for 2015.
  • Red Sox right-hander Michael Bowden is out-of-options and fighting to make the big league roster, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  The 25-year-old appeared in 14 games for the BoSox last season.
  • There's a great deal of excitement surrounding Michael Pineda as he gets set for his first year in pinstripes, but GM Brian Cashman is looking to pump the brakes on fans' expectations for him, writes Jeff Bradley of the Star-Ledger.  Cashman doesn't view Pineda as an "instant number two" but instead as a long-term asset with a great deal of promise.

NL East Notes: Fielder, Mulvey, Marlins, Elarton

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Here's the latest from the NL East…

  • Prince Fielder said he wouldn't have minded playing for the Nationals, telling media (including Amanda Comak of the Washington Times) that he enjoyed his meeting with Nats management in December and was interested in playing with the club's young stars, particularly Bryce Harper.  Fielder said he wasn't sure if Washington ever presented him with a formal contract offer.
  • The Mets have signed right-hander Kevin Mulvey to a minor league contract, according to the club's minor league Twitter feed.  Mulvey was originally drafted by the Mets in the second round of the 2006 draft.  He was part of the trade package New York sent to Minnesota in the Johan Santana deal and, in 2009, was sent by the Twins to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Jon Rauch.  The D'Backs released Mulvey last week.  Mulvey last pitched in the big leagues in 2010 and has a 7.90 ERA in 27 1/3 career Major League innings.
  • The early impression of the Marlins' new stadium is that it favors hitters when the retractable roof is open and favors pitchers when the roof is closed, reports Robbie Levin of the Miami Herald.
  • Scott Elarton's trip with his son to a Phillies/Rockies game last summer was the first step in Elarton eventually signing a minor league deal with the Phillies, reports Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  The 10-year veteran last pitched in the Majors in 2008 and his last taste of pro ball was 16 games with the White Sox Triple-A affiliate in 2010.

Cole Hamels Links: Thursday

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Cole Hamels allowed four hits and recorded two strikeouts over 3 2/3 shutout innings today in a Spring Training start today against the Pirates.  Here's the latest on the possible 2013 free agent, as rumors continue to swirl about his long-term future with the Phillies…

  • John Boggs, Hamels' agent, has left Florida after having "several conversations" with Phillies management about an extension for the southpaw, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark.  "At this point, we're not going to discuss the negotiations," Boggs said.  "But I'm trying to remain positive. And that's all I'd like to say."  Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr. also didn't comment on negotiations, as per club policy.
  • Jimmy Rollins tells CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury that he thinks the Phillies will spend whatever it takes to ensure that Hamels remains in Philadelphia. “He’s not going anywhere. He was drafted by this organization, raised by this organization and became a superstar in this organization," Rollins said.  "If you know anything about this organization, that means he’s not going anywhere….I don’t give a damn about the luxury tax or nothing. It’s not a financial situation. You sell out a hundred something straight games, they have plenty enough money to sign a pitcher like Cole Hamels."
  • Another of Hamels' teammates, Cliff Lee, weighed in on the importance of performing in a contract year, reports MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.  "[Hamels] finally gets a chance to get what he's worth," Lee said. "You've finally got some control over your future and what's going to happen. It's an earned right. He's to that point. So, this year is obviously a big year for him."  

NL East Notes: Lannan, Samson, Reyes, Hamels

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National League East teams averaged 84 wins last year, more than any division in baseball except the AL East. Here are some links from Florida, where NL East teams are preparing for the 2012 campaign…

  • Bill Ladson of MLB.com hears from one person who believes the Nationals will trade John Lannan before Opening Day. The Nationals might seek prospects for Lannan, a Spring Training trade candidate.
  • Marlins president David Samson recently said Miami's politicians are "not the intellectual cream of the crop," according to the business publication Miami Today. Samson suggested the population of Miami, which partially funded the Marlins' new stadium, is unintelligent. "We're not the smartest people in Miami," he said. His words are causing a stir, but he told the Miami Herald that he was "misquoted, misrepresented, mis-everything." UPDATE: Here's a clip of the comments. To my ear it does appear they were taken out of context.
  • Samson also said Jose Reyes was all about the money this offseason, but Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports that Reyes would have considered a deal worth less than $106MM from the Mets and was shocked when New York didn't make him an offer. Reyes would have seriously considered a five-year deal if the Mets had offered one, Martino reports.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com asked three agents what Cole Hamels would obtain as a free agent after the season and heard guesses in the $150-175MM range. C.C. Sabathia’s seven-year, $161MM deal remains the record for pitchers, but Hamels could challenge it if he hits free agency after 2012.

Latest On Cole Hamels

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3:15pm: The sides aren't close to a deal, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.

1:41pm: Negotiations between the Phillies and lefty Cole Hamels are heating up, in the opinion of Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.  Hamels' agent John Boggs is spending the week in the Clearwater area and has been talking to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.  Boggs finds a deal unlikely before he leaves, but he's not setting a deadline.

For Hamels' vague thoughts on his next contract from a few weeks ago, click here.  Hamels, Matt Cain, Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, and Brandon McCarthy are the best starters eligible for free agency after the 2012 season.

Phillies Notes: Trades, Pierre, Willis, Playoffs

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The Phillies won a franchise-record 102 games last season, but were denied a World Series berth by the now-champion Cardinals. This offseason, they re-signed Jimmy Rollins, extended Kyle Kendrick, and added Jonathan Papelbon, Jim Thome, Laynce Nix, and Dontrelle Willis to bolster their bench and bullpen. Here's the latest on the defending NL East Champions…

  • GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and assistant GM Benny Looper are well aware that trades they've made to acquire Roy Halladay, Hunter Pence, and others will eventually be painful, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Amaro and Looper both discuss how difficult it was to part ways with players like Travis d'Arnaud and Anthony Gose. Amaro didn't deny the November report that he attempted to re-acquire D'Arnaud.
  • The Phillies are the only team who reached out to Juan Pierre this offseason, the outfielder told the Miami Herald's Manny Navarro. Pierre inked a minor league deal back in January.
  • In the same piece, Navarro writes that Willis and Pierre are happy to be in camp together. The pair won a World Series together with the Marlins in 2003, and have remained very close friends since. Pierre is the godfather of all three of Willis' daughters, and the two refer to each other as "brothers." Willis also noted that the Marlins have shown interest in him again since trading him.
  • Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Halladay isn't a big fan of the extended playoffs. Halladay doesn't like the concept of opening a five-game series with two road games, nor does he like the thought of a 162-game season coming down to one game.
  • Freddy Galvis is working out at second base and third base with the hopes of making the big league team as a utility infielder now that Rollins has re-signed, according to the Inquirer's Matt Gelb.

Shane Victorino Seeking Five-Year Contract

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SATURDAY, 3:05pm: Victorino seemingly softened his stance when addressing reporters today, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  The 31-year-old would still like a five-year deal, but says that staying in Philadelphia is his top priority.

"I'm not saying this will be my last one. It might be.  Who knows?  What I'm saying is, why not finish it here?  I made it seem like I want a five-year deal, but I'd love to stay," the centerfielder said.

Victorino added that his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson, have yet to formally engage in contract negotiations with the club.

THURSDAY, 4:51pm: While Cole Hamels garners most of the attention as the Phillies' top free agent after the season, the team is also faced with the impending free agency of center fielder Shane Victorino. Victorino told MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that he's looking for a five-year contract, but is willing to take a reasonable hometown discount to remain in Philadelphia.

"I look at it this way," Victorino said. "If it's a significant difference, I have to weigh my options more than anything. I obviously love to play in Philly. They gave me my opportunity. … But I also understand there's a window in this game … When I say I don't want to go anywhere, yeah, I call this home. I want to finish my career here. I won't say I won't take a hometown discount, but I also will say I want to maximize my opportunity with not only what I've accomplished as an individual, but as part of a team."

Victorino said he expects the two sides to discuss an extension during Spring Training, and he would allow talks to carry into the regular season even though that's not his preference. He's represented by Sam and Seth Levinson.

A .279/.355/.491 hitter in 2011, the 31-year-old Victorino is currently in the final season of the three-year, $22MM deal he signed in January 2010. Outfielders Torii Hunter ($90MM), J.D. Drew ($70MM), and Aaron Rowand ($60MM) all signed five-year contracts as free agents in recent years, and chances are The Flyin' Hawaiian's camp will use those deals as reference points during negotiations.

Catcher Extension Notes: Perez, Molina, Ruiz

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The 2013 class of free agent catchers is taking shape. Yadier Molina and the Cardinals signed a five-year, $75MM extension this week, but Miguel Montero and Russell Martin have tabled extension talks for now and Mike Napoli expects to test free agency. Here are the latest notes on catcher extensions in MLB…

  • One agent joked to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that Royals GM Dayton Moore “must have been wearing a ski mask” to convince Salvador Perez to sign a five-year, $7MM extension (Twitter link). I examined the extension earlier in the week, explaining what Perez will have to do for the Royals to break even.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggests the Diamondbacks and Braves might be ticked off by Molina's extension. The deal figures to shift the market for catchers and it may now cost more to retain the likes of Montero and Brian McCann. Rosenthal says the Cardinals' deal with Molina is an overpay, but an understandable one given the value of Molina's defense. 
  • David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News explains that the Molina deal isn't a fair point of reference for Carlos Ruiz. Though Ruiz and Molina have posted similar offensive numbers in recent years, the Phillies’ catcher won't hit free agency until he's entering his age-35 season and allowed stolen bases with much greater frequency than Molina in 2011.

Stark On Blue Jays, Victorino, Braves

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ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark asked five GMs how many teams have a shot at winning the World Series and each executive said 13-16 clubs could win it all. The Mets, Astros, Pirates, Cubs, Padres, Orioles, White Sox, Twins, Mariners and Athletics didn’t receive any nominations. Here are the rest of Stark’s rumors…

  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Stark he would take a look at a bat if one were to fall into the team’s lap. That is to say, he’d welcome players willing to accept minor league deals and hit their way onto the 25-man roster. “In terms of adding a free agent on a guaranteed contract, we won't be doing that," Anthopoulos said.
  • Stark had heard a rumor that the Blue Jays may have interest in right-handed bats such as Magglio Ordonez or Vladimir Guerrero.
  • Shane Victorino, who is on track to hit free agency after the 2012 season, told Stark he’d like to stay in Philadelphia, even if that means signing an extension that delays his arrival on the free agent market. Click here for the latest on extension talks around MLB.
  • Braves GM Frank Wren told Stark he isn’t worried about locking Brian McCann up just yet, since he's under team control through 2013. “I think it's probably premature for those discussions,” Wren said. “But we love him. And we know he's a big part of our club.”

Quick Hits: Pierre, Garza, Coffey, Crane

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We're less than six weeks away from the first regular season game of 2012, and less than one week away from Spring Training games. Let's take a look at some odds and ends from around the league…

  • Phillies outfielder Juan Pierre can opt out of his minor league contract if he's not on the Major League roster on March 31, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pierre, however, is a leading candidate for a roster spot, notes Brookover.
  • The Cubs will have to double down on Matt Garza or trade him for a haul of prospects to make the best of his acquisition last offseason, opines Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune.
  • Dodgers reliever Todd Coffey took a circuitous route to the Majors, writes Tony Jackson of ESPNLA.com. Coffey was a 41st-round pick of the Reds under the now defunct draft-and-follow practice, but he instead accepted a nominal contract offer and began his professional career as a 17-year-old.
  • New Astros owner Jim Crane is well on his way to showing that he's a good MLB owner, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
  • It's time for the KBO to alter some of its policies, writes Allen Wolf of the Korea Times. Although this is an opinion piece, Wolf offers some interesting insights into the machinations of the KBO.

MLBTR's Dan Mennella contributed to this post.

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