Odds & Ends: Harper, Phillies, Yankees, Marlins
Some afternoon links…
- Baseball America's Conor Glassey reports that Bryce Harper passed his GED exam, which will allow him to attend junior college next year and be eligible for the 2010 draft. Harper is the odds on favorite to go first overall.
- Now that they've taken care of third base and the bench, Andy Martino of The Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies will focus on their bullpen. He notes that GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is "intrigued by low-risk/high reward types," which is why the team recently kicked the tires on J.J. Putz. ESPN's Buster Olney mentions Brandon Lyon as a name to watch as well.
- Mark Feinsand of The NY Daily News has some hot stove related quotes from Yankees' manager Joe Girardi.
- Marlins' president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said "we're definitely going to be active" at the Winter Meetings next week, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia's recent winter ball injury (he felt tingling and numbness in his right arm) could making catching a priority for the Rangers next week, writes T.R. Sullivan on MLB.com.
- The Rays have released righty Ramon Ramirez, according to Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times. Ramirez was claimed off waivers from the Reds back in early November.
- Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post Gazette says the Pirates are one of the teams interested in Bobby Crosby. This morning we learned that about six teams were interested in the former Rookie of the Year.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that even though the Mets asked for his medical records, they are not going after Hideki Matsui.
Odds & Ends: Jenks, Polanco, Tate, Marquis
Some links for Thursday…
- John Manuel of Baseball America ranks all 30 MLB farm systems at SI.com. The Rangers, Rays and Giants top the list.
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick lists nine potential free agent bargains.
- Keith Law, Dave Cameron and Tyler Hissey don't like the Placido Polanco deal from the Phillies' standpoint.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Pirates have tentative interest in Xavier Nady and Ron Villone, who are both Scott Boras clients.
- Sam Borden of the Journal News wonders how many long-term contracts the Yanks can take on.
- The Yankees get the sense that Andy Pettitte isn't done yet, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
- They aren't expected to consider an extension for Joe Girardi this offseason.
- Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports that the White Sox have begun preliminary talks with arbitration-eligible reliever Bobby Jenks.
- Placido Polanco appears to be nearing a three-year deal with the Phillies, but the Astros have some interest in the Gold Glover, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
- Curtis Granderson tells MLB.com's Jason Beck that he doesn't let the trade talk get to him.
- The Rockies have tentative plans to meet with Rafael Betancourt's representatives this coming Monday, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- As Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports, Donavan Tate, the Padres' third overall selection in the June draft, was injured in an ATV accident. He broke his jaw, but should be ready for Spring Training.
- Jason Marquis had a falling out with the Rockies, so Jon Heyman of SI.com suggests he isn't likely to accept the team's offer of arbitration.
- MLB.com's Matthew Leach explains why long-term deals are becoming less frequent in MLB.
- Juan Castro passed his physical, so his deal with the Phils is now offiicial, according to Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Phils Sign Polanco To Three-Year Deal
12:18pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that the deal is official.
11:44am: Stark reports that the deal will be complete once Polanco passes a physical.
9:35am: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki hears that the Phils are close to signing Polanco to a three-year deal worth $18MM. The contract, which is pending a physical, includes a mutual option for 2013.
9:10am: Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Phils are "believed to be" closing in on a three-year deal worth $18MM with Polanco. The deal should be finalized today.
8:44am: Stark hears indications that the sides are discussing a three-year deal.
THURSDAY, 8:23am: Rob Bradford of WEEI.com hears that Polanco is "close" to a deal with the Phillies.
8:57pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark classifies Philadelphia's talks with Polanco as "very serious" and Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports concur. A source "with knowledge of the Phillies' intentions" tells the FOX duo that the NL champs could offer Polanco a two-year deal worth between $10MM and $12MM.
7:18pm: Now that signing Polanco won't mean parting with draft picks, one team after another is being linked to the infielder. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports that the Philadelphia Phillies are focusing on Polanco for their third base opening, as opposed to Adrian Beltre or Mark DeRosa. Zolecki acknowledges Houston's and Boston's interest, but writes that "it appears the Phillies are further down the line in their pursuit."
7:08pm: MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports that Polanco has also "drawn serious interest" from the Houston Astros.
WEDNESDAY, 5:32pm: The Boston Red Sox have expressed interest in Placido Polanco, according to MLB.com's Ian Browne. A source tells Browne that the Tigers' decision not to offer Polanco arbitration yesterday landed the second baseman on Boston's radar.
Polanco doesn't seem like a fit for the Red Sox unless the team asks Dustin Pedroia about playing shortstop, as has been rumored. If Pedroia moved to short, the Sox could sign Polanco for second base without having to give up any draft picks, whereas signing a Type A shortstop like Marco Scutaro would cost the club their first-rounder. Browne notes that Pedroia has said he "would welcome" a move to the left side of the infield.
As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe indicated earlier, and Tim reiterated today in our Red Sox offseason outlook, switching Pedroia's position is probably a last resort. It looks like the team is keeping all their options open though.
Odds & Ends: McLeod, Yankees, Wagner, Lyon
Let's check out some Wednesday evening links….
- Red Sox scouting director Jason McLeod is leaving Boston to become the Padres' assistant GM under Jed Hoyer, according to Peter Gammons of ESPN (via Twitter). This news prompted a slew of baseball writers across Twitter to praise the move, including Keith Law, Amalie Benjamin, Ian Browne, and Kevin Goldstein.
- Joe Girardi discusses the Yankees' 2010 roster in an article by MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Girardi's quotes aren't overly juicy, but he mentions that he likes having some flexibility at DH to periodically give players like Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, and Derek Jeter a rest.
- Carrie Muskat of MLB.com talks to Cubs GM Jim Hendry about the offseason and the upcoming winter meetings. Hendry opines that "it'll be a good offseason of trades" and that plenty will be made throughout the winter.
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution passes on some quotes from Billy Wagner, following the lefty's signing with the Braves.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law thinks Wagner's price was too high for Atlanta. Law also shares his opinions on some of the more notable arbitration decisions from around the majors.
- In a piece for River Ave. Blues, MLBTR's Mike Axisa warns the Yankees against signing Brandon Lyon, arguing that he's a "fringe reliever" in the AL East. We heard yesterday that the Yanks are interested.
- Speaking of Lyon, Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun reports (via Twitter) that the Phillies are also interested in the right-hander.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel thinks that the Brewers are one of the teams Randy Wolf described as aggressively pursuing him in an earlier story.
- John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle provides an interesting read about where revenue-sharing checks end up.
Heyman On Pudge, Wolf, Crede
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- The Giants, Mets, and Royals have interest in free agent catcher Ivan Rodriguez, assuming he doesn't accept the Rangers' arbitration offer. Heyman says the Royals were trying to sign Brian Schneider before the Phillies signed him.
- Heyman names the Mets, Brewers, and Phillies as three clubs "believed to have some interest" in free agent lefty Randy Wolf. First we've read this winter of a possible Wolf-Phillies reunion.
- "At least the Orioles and Astros" are interested in free agent third baseman Joe Crede.
Phillies, Pirates, Astros Eyeing J.J. Putz
The Phillies, Pirates, and Astros have inquired on free agent reliever J.J. Putz, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Earlier today, Crasnick named the Rangers as a suitor.
It was a lost season with the Mets for Putz, who pitched only 29.3 innings due to an elbow problem. Back in 2006-07, Putz was one of the game's best relievers, striking out 186 and walking just 26 while compiling a 1.86 ERA. His '06 season led to a three-year, $13.1MM extension with the Mariners. He joined the Mets a year ago as part of a three-way trade.
While Putz would prefer to close this year, he'd be open to an eighth-inning job.
Phillies Decline To Offer Arb To Eyre, Park
Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets the unsurprising news that the Phillies have not offered arbitration to Type B free agents Scott Eyre and Chan Ho Park. Philadelphia general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. all but confirmed this news earlier today, but noted that the team was still open to re-signing both pitchers.
Phillies Rumors: Pitching, Park, Eyre
MLB.com's Todd Zolecki spoke to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. today; here's the latest.
- Amaro would like to add starting pitching depth, perhaps a player "who may not be on anybody's radar screen." He's looking for low-risk, high-reward (who isn't?) Amaro didn't deny Jayson Stark's John Smoltz rumor, but he downplayed it a bit.
- Scott Lauber of The News Journal says the Phils haven't ruled out re-signing Pedro Martinez, but Amaro hasn't had any recent discussions with Pedro's agent.
- Amaro said it's unlikely the Phillies will offer arbitration to Type B relievers Chan Ho Park and Scott Eyre tonight. Amaro prefers the flexibility, but won't rule out re-signing them.
- Amaro would be willing to give up the team's #27 draft pick for the right Type A free agent. So, we can't rule out the various Type A relievers who were offered arbitration today (Jose Valverde, Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano, and Rafael Betancourt so far).
Odds & Ends: Kuo, DeRosa, Dye, Blue Jays
With all the arbitration decisions flying around today, we haven't had time for an Odds & Ends until now.
- Diamond Leung tweeted last night that the Yankees "signed Taiwanese 18-year-old infielder Fu-Lin Kuo to six-figure bonus." Taiwan Baseball says Kuo received about $150K.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the Cardinals, Phillies, Mets, and Giants as suitors for Mark DeRosa. ESPN's Buster Olney heard that a few teams are concerned with DeRosa's range at third base.
- Fungoes shows us "when the hot stove is the hottest," graphically. Looks about right to me…peaks in December, stays hot in January.
- A.J. Burnett talked to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News about Roy Halladay potentially being traded.
- Juan Castro will take his physical Thursday according to Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer; if he passes, his one-year deal with the Phillies will be official.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick wrote about potential fits for Jermaine Dye, noting that the Yankees have discussed him internally. Crasnick says geography will not be a major factor for Dye.
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tweeted comments from Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos regarding their search for a catcher. Anthopoulos is eyeing some potential non-tenders. Dioner Navarro and John Buck come to mind, with Kelly Shoppach going to the Rays.
- The market for Miguel Tejada should be decent now that he certainly will not cost a draft pick. SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Cardinals, Phillies, Giants, Rangers, and Astros are interested. Rangers?
- MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports that the Brewers officially announced their minor league deal with John Halama today.
- Nick Green's agent Tom O'Connell tells Ken Davidoff of Newsday his client is drawing "significant interest" on Major League contracts.
Phillies Eyeing John Smoltz
The Phillies have kicked the tires on free agent pitcher John Smoltz, according to ESPN's Jayson Stark. Smoltz could be a fit as a starter or late-inning reliever, assuming he gets past his dislike of Citizens Bank Park. Smoltz, 43 in May, pitched well for the Cardinals last year, posting 40 strikeouts and nine walks in 38 innings. His strikeout-walk numbers for Boston were strong as well, though he had problems with hits and home runs.
Stark, by the way, believes the Phillies will not offer arbitration to either of their Type B free agent relievers, Chan Ho Park and Scott Eyre.