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Cafardo’s Latest: Molina, Aceves, Nathan, Cameron

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Bruce Bochy, coming off a World Series victory, tops Nick Cafardo's list of baseball's best managers in the Boston Globe. Cafardo, who ranks baseball's skippers 1 through 30, praises Bochy's "flawless postseason," explaining that he "had a pretty dynamite pitching staff in San Francisco but basically took a team of vagabonds to the highest peak." Here are some other items of interest from Cafardo's piece:

  • Bengie Molina has gone back and forth on whether he wants to play this year. A team like the Red Sox wouldn't mind adding him for insurance, but Molina would be looking for a job that offers fairly consistent playing time.
  • Alfredo Aceves, who recently signed with the Red Sox, "wasn't pleased" that the Yankees didn't show a stronger interest in re-signing him. Brian Cashman said the Yanks only offered Aceves a minor league deal due to injury concerns.
  • Joe Nathan's recovery from Tommy John surgery is on track and he expects to be ready for the start of the season. Twins management is confident in Nathan's health as well, which is why the team didn't make significant additions to a bullpen that lost Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain, and Jon Rauch.
  • Although Cafardo thinks Mike Cameron will see plenty of playing time in Boston this year, he cautions that the outfielder could become trade bait before the end of Spring Training. One National League scout's thoughts: "Cameron is a guy who fits well on a team because he’s versatile, plays excellent defense, and can hit left-handed pitching. A team like the Phillies would have to be interested, but he’s a guy who could help a lot of teams."

Quick Hits: Wilson, Allen, Swisher, Maholm, Tigers

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Ten years ago today, the Angels signed Alberto Callaspo as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela. He spent four years in their farm system before being traded to the Diamondbacks for Jason Bulger. After a stint with the Royals, Callaspo ended up back with the Halos following a mid-summer trade last year.

Here are today's batch of links…

  • MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith appeared on this week's edition of the Beyond The Box Score Podcast, so head on over and give it a listen.
  • C.J. Wilson told MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that he's not thinking about his upcoming free agency, mentioning that the Rangers has never offered him a long-term deal.
  • The Russell Branyan signing seems to indicate that the Diamondbacks don't see Brandon Allen as a fit anymore, says Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic (Twitter links). He adds that Arizona gauged Allen's trade value at the winter meetings, and he's heard that the Rays were high on him in the past.
  • Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher said he and former agent Joe Bick "just grew apart," which is why he signed on with Dan Lozano recently, reports Ken Davidoff of Newsday.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm that he's not a fan of performance-based incentives because of the uncertainty they create.
  • Paul Maholm told Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he's willing to discuss an extension with the Pirates, which pleasantly surprised GM Neal Huntington. "Paul's done some good things for this organization," said the GM. "We'll give it due consideration." The team holds a $9.75MM club option for Maholm's services in 2012 after he earns $5.75MM in 2011.
  • John Lowe of The Detroit Free Press points out that there is no dead weight on the Tigers' $105MM payroll. Detroit paid close to $24MM for Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis last season, who gave them 43 1/3 IP with a 4.98 ERA (all by Willis).
  • Larry Stone of The Seattle Times spoke to Yankees GM Brian Cashman about last summer's near trade for Cliff Lee. Cashman said he's glad he didn't agree to Seattle's revised offer after seeing Lee sign with Philadelphia. "Now I'm like, I've got one of the premier hitting talents here, and I didn't have a two-month rental," said the GM, referring to top prospect Jesus Montero.

Phillies, Royals Showing Interest In Maine

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4:45pm: The Royals are showing interest in signing Maine to a minor league deal, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter).

2:30pm: Maine will sign in the next day or two according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter). The Phillies are on the short list, though the right-hander has several possibilities. 

9:34am: The Phillies remain the most likely destination for John Maine, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The right-hander was auditioning for teams late last month, but remains a free agent.

The Phillies are the only team that has been publicly linked to Maine since the Mets non-tendered him last December. The 29-year-old struggled with injuries and poor performance last year, though he pitched to a 4.01 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 87 starts from 2006-09. 

Maine struggled through nine early-season starts last year and didn't pitch after injuring his shoulder in May. He underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in July.

 

Oswalt On Retirement; Hamels On Future In Philly

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Roy Oswalt is still considering retirement after the 2011 season, while his rotation mate Cole Hamels wants to sign an extension to stay in Philadelphia, reports Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.

Oswalt told Morosi last February that "this year [2010] and next year will probably be it."  Oswalt didn't sound quite as definitive on Monday, but said that retirement is still on his mind.

“I’ll play this year and see how it goes,” Oswalt said. “I’ll see where my body’s at and pretty much go from there.”

2011 is the last guaranteed year on Oswalt's contract.  The Phils hold a $16MM option on the veteran right-hander for 2012, and Oswalt can choose to opt out of this option himself, though doing so would reduce the $2MM buyout price.  Oswalt turns 34 in August but is still pitching at a high enough level that if he remains in good form through this season, the Phillies probably wouldn't hesitate to exercise that option. 

Oswalt has never played for a World Series winner, so it's possible the Phillies' performance this season will influence his future plans.  If the Phils win the Series, Oswalt could choose to walk away from the game on the high note of his first championship.  If the club falls short, Oswalt could decide to return in 2012 to take one last shot at a title on a Phillies team that is still set up to contend.

Oswalt's retirement would make a long-term extension for Hamels even more of a priority than it probably already is for the Phils.  Hamels is entering the last year of a three-year, $20.5MM pact he signed with Philadelphia before the 2009 season, but the left-hander still has one more year of arbitration eligibility left as a Super Two player.

We heard in January that the Phillies hadn't begun to discuss a multiyear deal with Hamels, but the left-hander told Rosenthal/Morosi that he is very interested in remaining in Philadelphia.

“I want to be here as long as I possibly can,” Hamels said. “It’s why Cliff ( Lee) came back. It’s the reason Roy ( Halladay) wanted to be here. It’s a great place to play….I want to be here for the majority of my time of being a baseball player. I’ve never looked at anything else.”

NL East Notes: Chipper, Zimmerman, Lee, Trump

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NL East teams have nearly finished their offseason shopping, but could make a move or two while Spring Training is underway. Here are the details…

  • Chipper Jones was thinking about retirement last year, but tells Scott Miller of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) that he wants to play until the end of his current contract, which is guaranteed through the 2012 season.  The Braves hold a $7MM option on Jones for 2013 which can also vest if Jones plays a certain number of games over the next two seasons.
  • Ryan Zimmerman pushed the Nationals to re-sign his friend Adam Dunn, but Zimmerman said his disappointment over Dunn's depature shouldn't be interpreted as criticism of the the club, writes CSNWashington's Mark Zuckerman.  "I was just expressing more frustrations of losing a teammate and a friend than anything," Zimmerman said.  "I think a lot of people took it as I was taking a stab at [the Nats] or talking bad about them, which was completely the opposite."
  • Michael Weiner said the MLBPA was happy with Cliff Lee's decision to sign with the Phillies, rather than sign for larger contracts in Texas or New York, tweets Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan.  "Not only were we not upset Cliff got to go to the Phillies, we applauded him," Weiner said.
  • Donald Trump told Alison Leigh Cowan and Ken Belson of the New York Times that he's interested in buying a majority stake in the Mets. Trump says he called Fred Wilpon about two weeks ago to set up a meeting.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson says it's "unlikely" that the Mets discuss an extension with Jose Reyes before Opening Day, according to ESPNNewYork's Adam Rubin. Reyes is set to hit free agency after the season and has said he's open to a long-term deal. The $1 billion lawsuit against the Mets owners won't prevent the Mets from signing Reyes to a multiyear deal, Alderson said.
  • Jason Isringhausen auditioned for the Mets today, according to Newsday's David Lennon (on Twitter). Alderson and two of his assistants, J.P. Ricciardi and Paul DePodesta, are familiar with the longtime closer from his time in Oakland. Isringhausen first appeared in the majors as a starter for the Mets in 1995.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Phillies' starters would rather pitch than talk about their place in baseball history.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post

NL East Notes: Perez, Manuel, Lee

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Here are some tidbits from the National League East..

  • Today, Oliver Perez notified the Mets that he wants to make the club as a starting pitcher, writes David Waldstein of the New York Times.  Perez met with manager, Terry Collins, and GM Sandy Alderson to inform them of his stance.  However, it is far more likely that he will be a lefty out of the bullpen or be released before the season starts.  Perez is owed $12MM in the final year of his three-year contract.
  • Collins told Perez that he'll have an opportunity to make the Mets' rotation, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.
  • After more than two months of talks, the Phillies and manager Charlie Manuel still have been unable to reach agreement on a contract extension.  Tonight, Manuel's agent Pat Rooney told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that the two sides are not seeing eye-to-eye on dollars.  “Charlie deserves to be paid as one of the top five managers in baseball,” the agent said. “I don’t want to negotiate through the media, but they know our position. Hopefully we’ll have something by Opening Day.”
  • When addressing the media today, Cliff Lee insisted that he chose the Phillies over other clubs, such as the Yankees, because he felt that the Phillies gave him the best chance to win, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday.

Quick Hits: Manuel, Doumit, Twins, A’s

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Some links to check out as you celebrate Valentine's Day…

  • Phillies manager Charlie Manuel says he won't want to discuss an extension with the Phillies anymore if he doesn't have a new deal by the time the season starts, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Manuel's contract expires after the season and his agent has been discussing a deal with the Phillies. 
  • Yahoo's Tim Brown chronicles Giants manager Bruce Bochy's path to last year's World Series championship.
  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington says Ryan Doumit "has value" to Pittsburgh, but admitted that the team could trade Doumit before Opening Day, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter). As MLBTR's Mark Polishuk recently explained, it's a make or break year for the catcher/outfielder.
  • The Twins agreed to sign Dominican right-hander Felix Jorge for $250K, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Jorge has an 88-91 mph fastball with "a good delivery, a loose arm and [some] feel for spinning a solid curveball," according to Badler.
  • A's GM Billy Beane told John Sickels of Minor League Ball that he likes the idea of trading draft picks. Click through for an interesting read on what Beane looks for in a pitcher and how he evaluates some of the current Athletics.
  • Be sure to check out RotoAuthority if you're a fantasy player wondering how this year's crop of shortstops looks.

East Notes: Millwood, Bartlett, Manuel, Jenks

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Pitchers and catchers are reporting in Arizona and Florida, but up in the northeast, it doesn't feel like spring has arrived quite yet. Here are a few AL and NL East-related links while we wait for the snow to melt….

  • Although the Yankees and Kevin Millwood are still talking, they have "a ways to go," tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman. Yesterday, nearly 43% of over 6,300 MLBTR readers voted that Millwood would eventually sign with the Yanks.
  • The Rays were close to sending Jason Bartlett to San Francisco before they worked out a trade with another NL West club, Giants GM Brian Sabean tells Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
  • John Gonzalez of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders why it's taking so long for the Phillies and Charlie Manuel to work out a contract extension.
  • The Red Sox topped baseball's list of spenders this offseason, as ESPN.com's Katie Sharp writes. Since the turn of the century, the piece notes, only the 2009 Yankees have won a World Series after having outspent the rest of the league the previous winter.
  • Bobby Jenks spoke to the media in Fort Myers today, discussing his decision to sign with the Red Sox. The right-hander said he had offers elsewhere to close, but wanted to play in Boston, adding that he knows his role as a setup man and "didn’t come here to step on anybody’s toes." Alex Speier of WEEI.com has those quotes and more from Jenks.
  • Mike Puma of the New York Post and Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun each pose 10 questions that could shape the Mets' and Orioles' seasons, respectively. In addition to discussing how new arrivals will fit in, each article addresses the back of the bullpen. Will the Mets let Francisco Rodriguez finish 55 games to trigger his 2012 option? And will it be Kevin Gregg, Koji Uehara, Mike Gonzalez, or someone else closing in Baltimore?
  • For updates all year long on the closing situations in Boston, New York, Baltimore, and everywhere else, be sure to follow @closernews on Twitter. A great resource for fantasy players, @closernews will keep tabs on injuries, ineffectiveness, overuse, and anything else that could affect which relievers are getting save opps.

Phillies Sign Cory Sullivan

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The Phillies signed Cory Sullivan to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. The outfielder will be in the Phillies' minor league camp.

Sullivan appeared in 57 games for the Astros in 2010 after Houston signed him last winter. The 31-year-old played all three outfield positions last year, though most of his big league experience comes as a center fielder. Sullivan has never done much at the plate and he struggled more than usual in 2010, hitting just .188/.257/.234 in 71 plate appearances before the Astros cut him loose in June.

Domonic Brown, Ben Francisco, Ross Gload, Raul Ibanez, John Mayberry, Shane Victorino, Brandon Moss and Delwyn Young will also be competing for playing time in the outfield this spring.

NL Central Notes: Cardinals, Ohlendorf, Marcum

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On this date in 1916, the Cubs purchased future Hall of Famer Three Finger Brown from the Chicago Whales. The right-hander's career was over 12 appearances later, but he retired with a 2.06 ERA (139 ERA+) and 239 wins. Here's the latest on some of the Cubs' division rivals…

  • The Phillies have watched former Reds reliever Jon Coutlangus throw recently, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The lefty logged 41 innings for the 2007 Reds and has a 3.94 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 189 2/3 minor league innings.
  • Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch points out that few players have put St. Louis on their no-trade lists in recent years.
  • Fernando Gonzalez isn't the only Dominican prospect the Cardinals signed. Goold reports that the Cardinals have agreed to sign 17-year-old outfielder Jorge Araujo. Vice president of player procurement Jeff Luhnow says the left-handed hitter is "toolsy."
  • Paul Swydan of FanGraphs asks whether Ross Ohlendorf used advanced stats to beat the Pirates in arbitraiton and concludes that it wasn't necessarily to Ohlendorf's advantage to use anything more complicated than ERA, WHIP and K/BB. The right-hander beat the Pirates in arbitration yesterday after winning one game in 2010.
  • The incentives in Shaun Marcum's deal were part of the reason the Brewers were able to avoid arbitration with him. MLB.com's Adam McCalvy has the details on Marcum's incentives, which provide the former Blue Jay with a $200K bonus if he reaches the 200-inning plateau.
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