Odds & Ends: Beltre, Counsell, Greinke, Kuroda
Thursday night linkage..
- Agent Scott Boras said in an interview on MLB Network Radio that he has never seen more interest in a player than he has for client Adrian Beltre.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journel-Sentinel (via Twitter) that he is "making progress" towards a deal with Craig Counsell.
- Zack Greinke has yet to present the Royals with his list of clubs that he refuses to be traded to, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that A's GM Billy Beane said that no move will be ruled out this winter except for dealing starters Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, Gio Gonzalez, and Dallas Braden.
- A source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that he thinks the Diamondbacks will look for a short-term solution at first base. As Morosi points out, this would mean that Paul Konerko would not be the answer in Arizona.
- John Romano of the St. Petersburg Times thinks the Rays should re-sign Carlos Pena.
- Nats reliever Joe Bisenius has elected free agency after being outrighted, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com. The fireballer was a September call-up this year but made just five appearances.
- Jayson Stark of ESPN (via Twitter) expects free agent Hiroki Kuroda to remain with the Dodgers.
- While Justin Marks may not blossom into a superstar, some think that he could develop into a No. 3 or 4 starter, writes MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. The Royals acquired the left-hander from Oakland along with Vin Mazzaro in exchange for David DeJesus.
- In an interview on MLB Network Radio, free agent Craig Counsell said there's a "definite possibility" that he could return to the Brewers.
Red Sox Rumors: DeJesus, Matsuzaka, Crawford
There's been lots of chatter about the Red Sox and Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth, but Boston isn't necessarily committed to acquiring an outfielder through free agency. Here's the latest:
- The Red Sox "have their eye on bigger fish" than David DeJesus, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Lauber's source says the Red Sox weren't a serious bidder for DeJesus this week.
- The Red Sox tried to acquire DeJesus from the Royals before the A’s swooped in and made a deal for the outfielder, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Back when the Red Sox tried to acquire DeJesus in July, they were willing to discuss top ten prospects with the Royals.
- Boston’s interest in DeJesus shows that they’re interested in exploring alternatives to free agency as they attempt to improve their outfield.
- Speier hears that the Mets would “certainly” entertain offers for Carlos Beltran.
- The Red Sox would have no interest in trading Daisuke Matsuzaka for Kosuke Fukudome, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).
- Silverman also argues that Carl Crawford, Adrian Beltre and John Buck should top Boston's list of offseason priorities. We heard yesterday that the Red Sox are eyeing Buck.
Rosenthal On A’s, Westbrook, Uribe, Soriano
You’ve heard by now that the A’s acquired David DeJesus, but he was far from the only bat they considered trading for. GM Billy Beane was after Josh Willingham and considered making a deal for Dan Uggla, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The A’s probably aren’t done adding offense. Beane told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he’d still like to make an upgrade or two (Twitter link). Here are the rest of Rosenthal’s rumors.
- The Red Sox aren’t likely to offer Adrian Beltre a five-year deal.
- The Cardinals are still in contact with Jake Westbrook, but they would prefer to reach a two-year deal and Westbrook might be able to get three years from another club, so talks appear to be losing momentum.
- Orlando Cabrera and Juan Uribe are already drawing more interest than they did at this time last year, according to Rosenthal.
- The White Sox are checking in on Rafael Soriano and, as Rosenthal points out, that’s yet another sign that they’re open to trading or non-tendering Bobby Jenks.
Red Sox Rumors: Crawford, Martinez, Saltalamacchia
The Red Sox may have interest in Cliff Lee, but he's far from the only free agent they'll consider. Here are the details on which teams are interested in Boston's free agents and which players the Red Sox might like to sign:
- Not surprisingly, the Red Sox have also checked in on Carl Crawford, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- Six teams including the Red Sox have inquired about Victor Martinez, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- The Red Sox seem "firmly convinced" that Jarrod Saltalamacchia can be their regular catcher, according to MLB.com's Peter Gammons. Gammons suggests the Red Sox could bring Jason Varitek back to hit against left-handers and mentor Saltalamacchia if Martinez signs elsewhere.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says Boston’s top priority should be keeping Adrian Beltre, since they have the money and the need for the third baseman.
Odds & Ends: Beltre, Crawford, Mets, Konerko
Links for Tuesday night, as free agents Adam Dunn and Dave Bush celebrate birthdays…
- Adrian Gonzalez said on XX 1090 in San Diego that he had surgery in October and may not swing a bat until late March, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (on Twitter). The Padres have said they’re willing to listen to offers on Gonzalez, but the surgery could limit the number of offers GM Jed Hoyer gets.
- MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch explains why the Pirates might have some interest in Adrian Beltre and why the third baseman isn't likely to end up in Pittsburgh.
- Free agent outfielder Carl Crawford says he's "just kind of sitting back waiting" to hear from interested teams, according to Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune.
- Dennis Sarfate, Scott Moore, Joel Guzman, Chris George and Mike Hinckley became minor league free agents over the weekend, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
- ESPN.com's Mark Simon explains that we aren't necessarily going to see "a strict adherence to baseball analytics and a formulaic, stats-over-scouts approach" from the Mets, who now have Sandy Alderson, Paul DePodesta and J.P. Ricciardi in their revamped front office.
- The friendship between free agent first baseman Paul Konerko and White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf likely means Chicago will have the chance to match any offers Konerko receives from other teams, according to Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com.
- Patrick Newman of FanGraphs says Tsuyoshi Nishioka is a pretty good player who can hit well from both sides of the plate and handle second base. The Chiba Lotte Marines may post the Pacific League batting champion and make him available to MLB teams.
Odds & Ends: Renteria, Huff, Takahashi
Four years ago today, the Padres traded Josh Barfield to the Indians for Andrew Brown and Kevin Kouzmanoff. Only Kouzmanoff panned out to any extent; he was sent to the A's with Eric Sogard in January for Aaron Cunningham and Scott Hairston. With Kouzmanoff and Hairston non-tender candidates, Sogard and Cunningham could be the remaining threads of the deal. Links for Monday…
- Do you have experience in online ad sales, ideally for sports websites? MLBTR is looking to bring someone aboard to sell ad inventory on commission. Email mlbtradrep@gmail.com and explain your qualifications if you're interested.
- Edgar Renteria would prefer to return to the Giants, he told Claudia Aguilar Ramirez of El Tiempo. Thanks to Nick Collias for the translation.
- Aubrey Huff hired Ed Hayes as his agent, reported Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports last night.
- The Tigers re-signed catcher Max St. Pierre to a minor league deal, reports Morosi.
- Sanspo has the Angels in the mix for Hisanori Takahashi, tweets Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. It seems likely that the Halos will add a left-handed reliever this winter; I went with Pedro Feliciano in my Top 50 list.
- Carlos Torres, released by the White Sox last month to pursue a job in Japan, has landed with the Yomiuri Giants according to this Newman tweet.
- Kevin Goldstein's top 11 Pirates prospect list is free to all over at Baseball Prospectus. BP is definitely worth subscribing to for Goldstein's work and much more. We also recommend ESPN Insider, which you'll need to read Keith Law's new starting pitcher buyer's guide.
- Speaking of the Pirates, SI's Jon Heyman says they seem active in early free agent calls and "are believed to be showing interest in some surprising free agent prizes such as [Adrian] Beltre."
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs believes the Padres should trade Adrian Gonzalez now rather than in July.
Poll: First Big Name Free Agent To Sign
The free agent market officially opens for business at 12:01am ET tonight, so the hot stove is about to kick into full gear. Big name free agents like Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford figure to receive massive contract offers from several teams, and chances are it'll take them a few weeks to decide on their next team. Adrian Beltre and Jayson Werth will enjoy the same experience.
On the eve of free agency, it's only natural to wonder which big domino will be the first to fall. Time for the poll…
Which big name free agent will be the first to sign?
Click here to vote, and here to see the results.
Dodgers & Angels Notes: Payroll, Crawford, Werth
Kevin Baxter and Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times bring us the latest from Tinseltown…
- Pitching is the number one item on the Dodgers' shopping list this offseason. "Pitching is a priority — both starters and relievers," said GM Ned Colletti. "We're open-minded to both left-handers and right-handers."
- Colletti declined to give an exact number, but he promised that payroll would rise from the $95MM or so they spent in 2010.
- Ted Lilly might end up being the Dodgers' biggest pickup. They aren't likely to pursue Cliff Lee, and could instead turn to Carl Pavano, Javier Vazquez, and Jake Westbrook. Jon Garland, Hiroki Kuroda, and Vicente Padilla might also become options if their prices drop as the offseason progresses.
- Colletti also wants to add a left fielder, "full time or platoon," plus figure out his bench and catching situation. Russell Martin is a non-tender candidate, but they could look at Miguel Olivo.
- There is nothing to indicate that the Dodgers will make a run at either Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth.
- "We're going to be active. Whether it's via free agency or trades," said Angels GM Tony Reagins. "We're going to look at the opportunities and be aggressive when the opportunity presents itself."
- Owner Arte Moreno is expected to approve a 10% payroll increase, pushing it to about $135MM. The team already has close to $93MM committed to 2011 contracts, not including the arbitration eligible Jered Weaver, Howie Kendrick, and Erick Aybar.
- The Times' scribes call Werth and Adrian Beltre "more economical Plan B options" to Crawford, relatively speaking of course. Both Werth and Beltre are Scott Boras clients however, and the Angels still have a bad taste in their mouths from the Mark Teixeira negotiations two winters ago.
- Rafael Soriano might be an option after Fernando Rodney's terrible finish (6.08 ERA after Sept. 1st).
Beltre Declines Player Option, Hits Free Agency
Adrian Beltre officially declined his player option for 2011 and hit the open market, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). Because he reached his plate appearance incentives in Boston, Beltre could have earned $10MM by exercising his 2011 option. As the top free agent third baseman, he is in position to sign for considerably more than that.
Beltre batted .321/.365/.553 this season with 28 homers and a league-best 49 doubles. At 31, he is relatively young and he is considered one of baseball's best defensive third basemen. Only his career .328 OBP and his tendency to play especially well in contract years will limit interest.
If the Red Sox offer arbitration as expected and Beltre turns the offer down to sign with another team, Boston gets two top compensation picks for losing a Type A free agent.
Heyman On Girardi, Nunez, Alderson, Beltre
Cliff Lee and Cody Ross lead Jon Heyman’s list of players who have stepped up this postseason. Lee’s performance will only help his free agent stock and Heyman guesses the bidding for the left-hander will start at $120MM and go up from there. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors, which you can find in full at SI.com:
- The Yankees plan to bring Joe Girardi back and give him a raise. Team executives like Girardi, whose contract expires after the season.
- The Braves have expressed interest in Eduardo Nunez, a shortstop prospect in the Yankees system.
- Sandy Alderson, a candidate for the Mets GM job, is team owner Fred Wilpon's first choice. Heyman and Joel Sherman reported earlier in the week that Alderson is the favorite for the position.
- The Rangers like Adrian Beltre, but don’t have room for him since they have Michael Young at third base.