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Albert Pujols

Heyman On Pagan, Braves, Pujols, Madson

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Terry Ryan is officially the interim general manager of the Twins, but Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the longtime GM is recharged and may stay a while (Twitter link). Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors from SI.com:

  • The Mets have discussed Angel Pagan as a non-tender candidate, but they intend to offer him arbitration, according to Heyman (on Twitter). MLBTR projects a $4.7MM salary for the center fielder in 2012.
  • Meanwhile, Chris Capuano is looking for a two-year deal, but the Mets prefer one-year bargains (Twitter link).
  • The Braves are looking for a Zack Greinke-like return in a deal for Jair Jurrjens, according to Heyman (on Twitter). The Royals obtained Jake Odorizzi, Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar and Jeremy Jeffress for Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt last offseason.
  • Twins executive Mike Radcliff and Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer weren’t that interested in the Orioles’ GM job, according to Heyman. The Orioles requested permission to interview them both, but the Twins denied the request and the Orioles hired Dan Duquette before setting anything up with Oppenheimer.
  • It's believed that Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava got a raise to stay in Toronto, according to Heyman.
  • It’s hard to tell Boston’s list of managerial candidates apart from the one the Cubs have, as Heyman explains.
  • It doesn’t appear that the Cardinals will be able to boost their nine-year, $200MM offer to Albert Pujols by much.
  • Ryan Madson is drawing lots of interest and the Red Sox, Phillies, Nationals, Rangers and Marlins are believed to be interested.
  • C.J. Wilson, Edwin Jackson, Mark Buehrle and Roy Oswalt are drawing lots of interest, as expected.
  • Heyman hears that Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen is pushing for Prince Fielder or Pujols. The Marlins have also expressed early interest in Jose Reyes.

Fielder, Pujols On Marlins’ Radar

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South Florida's MLB team may have changed beyond recognition by the time the 2012 season begins and it has nothing to do with what they'll be wearing. As they prepare to move into a new stadium, the soon-to-be Miami Marlins are targeting baseball's top free agents. They've contacted Jose Reyes and, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, first basemen Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols are also on their radar (all Twitter links).

However, it's not as simple as out-bidding the competition. The Marlins already have Gaby Sanchez stationed at first base and they'd like to move Logan Morrison out of left field, according to Crasnick. Plus, they're hoping to add left-handed starting pitching this offseason, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out (on Twitter). Jon Heyman of SI.com reported earlier today that Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen is pushing for Fielder or Pujols.

Brian Cashman On Wilson, Pujols, Sabathia

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Yankees GM Brian Cashman made an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show this morning, and Chad Jennings of The Journal News provided a recap. Let's round up the hot stove news…

  • "I'd say it's fair to say C.J. Wilson is probably the best pitcher on the marketplace right now since CC Sabathia's been taken out and retained here," said Cashman. "I don’t think it's a stretch to tell anybody that he’s the most attractive candidate."
  • Cashman cautioned that he's talking about Wilson in terms of talent and performance, not necessarily cost. "You have your priority list and how it looks," said Cashman. "But then it gets rearranged by cost analysis."
  • "I think he would be on anybody's wish list," said Cashman when asked about Albert Pujols. "In our circumstances, our roster, he doesn't fit. It's not an efficient way to try to allocate your resources."
  • Cashman said re-signing Sabathia "was not a layup," and admitted there were some nervous moments leading up to the deadline for his ace left-hander to opt-out. "That’s never a fun process, but the resolution we’re really happy with, and we know he is."
  • When asked if he sees himself getting fired or retiring, Cashman joked "I would say that normally you get fired. I think it’s a healthy way to look at it. I think at some point, they usually tell you to go."

NL Central Notes: Pujols, Oswalt, Pirates, LaHair

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The Cardinals and their fans may still be celebrating Friday's World Series victory, but it won't be long before a pair of the club's most prominent members will face decisions on their futures. Cards president Bill DeWitt III spoke to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports about Albert Pujols and Tony La Russa, two men without contracts for 2012:

"I don't want to prognosticate at all, but in the next week or so we'll hear from [La Russa]…. Albert may take a little while, I guess…. Who knows? Maybe we'll get something done in the quiet period (during which teams are only permitted to negotiate with their own free agents). But if you've waited this long, you're probably going to see what's out there."

Here are the rest of the morning's notes and rumors from the NL Central:

  • Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is surprised by DeWitt's lack of urgency regarding Pujols, and wonders if it's a good idea to allow the slugger to be wooed by teams who may be more aggressive than the Cardinals.
  • Fielding Reds-related questions for the Dayton Daily News, Hal McCoy says it's unlikely that Cincinnati makes a play for Roy Oswalt.
  • The Pirates will likely look at second- or third-tier free agents, but they won't make a huge splash this winter, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Biertempfel says the Bucs will be shopping for a catcher, a first baseman, and starting pitching, naming Jason Varitek, Rod Barajas, Jeff Francis, and Chris Young as a few possible targets.
  • In a Twitter exchange, Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker and Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus discuss Bryan LaHair of the Cubs and former Pirates outfielder Lastings Milledge, two players being eyed by Japanese teams. Goldstein suggests the Cubs would like to hang on to LaHair, but hears rumblings that Milledge could sign in Japan as early as next week (all four Twitter links).

Heyman On Pujols, Wilson, Angels, Crane

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SI's Jon Heyman leads his latest column with an examination of Albert Pujols' impending free agency.  An additional $20MM in total dollars wouldn't compel Pujols to leave St. Louis, says one person who knows the slugger well.  The preseason gap was large, though, as Heyman says the Cardinals were at nine years and "a bit more than $200MM" while Pujols wanted to beat Alex Rodriguez's ten-year, $275MM deal.  Wherever he lands, Pujols is certainly putting an exclamation point on his season.  Heyman's other rumors…

  • The Rangers almost surely would be out of the C.J. Wilson bidding if it reaches five years and $75MM, hears Heyman.  A Rangers person tells Heyman Wilson hasn't actually named an exact asking price.  The lefty is looking forward to free agency and noted to Heyman that he doesn't have a wife, a child, or a dog, implying the decision will be entirely his.  The Nationals, Marlins, and Royals are likely to pursue Wilson, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • The Angels' desire for a scouting type in their GM job may favor the Yankees' Damon Oppenheimer, hears Heyman.
  • Prospective Astros owner Jim Crane seeks a $50MM discount for moving to the American League.
  • "I wish I stay here," remarked Rafael Furcal on his upcoming free agency.  The 34-year-old shortstop joined the Cardinals at the trade deadline and is playing in his first World Series.

Quick Hits: Padres, Orioles, Wilson, Sizemore

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Here are some Quick Hits as the Rangers have evened up the World Series 2-2..

  • Even though Padres GM Jed Hoyer and assistant GM Jason McLeod are headed to the Cubs, Baseball America's Jim Callis told Dan Hayes of the North County Times that the club should still be able to maintain their strong farm system.
  • When speaking to reporters, Commissioner Bud Selig didn't rule out the possibility of a collective bargaining agreement announcement before the end of the World Series, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • Orioles manager Buck Showalter is a big admirer of what the Blue Jays do which leads many to think that Tony LaCava will land the GM job, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  Jerry Dipoto is also in the mix for the job.
  • C.J. Wilson is well aware that his scheduled start in Game 5 of the World Series could be his last with the Rangers, but his impending free agency is the furthest thing from Wilson's mind, writes Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest.
  • Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster hopes that Theo Epstein sparks a cultural shift in Chicago, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
  • The Indians' biggest need this winter is a productive hitter that they can slide into the middle of the order, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.  Preferably, that hitter would play first base, third base, left field, or right field.
  • It could be worthwhile for a team such as the Giants to take a one-year flier on center fielder Grady Sizemore, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Shea also runs down his predictions for many of this winter's top free agents including Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, and C.J. Wilson.
  • If Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. lets  Albert Pujols walk now after his mythical Game 3 performance an angry uprising from St. Louis fans is inevitable, writes Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-1024-cubs-epstein-dempster–20111024,0,3092647.story

NL Central Notes: Pujols, Pirates, Astros

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Let's turn our attention to the National League Central where we lead off with, who else, Albert Pujols..

  • If there was any doubt before, it's completely erased now: Albert Pujols is going to hit the free agent jackpot at the age of 31, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  One performance logically shouldn't have a great effect on a player's value, but Rosenthal argues that all it takes is one team to take a contrary position.
  • If, as expected, the Pirates move on without Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder, GM Neal Huntington said the team is "comfortable" with their internal options at catcher but will explore outside options as well, writes Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • The Astros have hired Bryan Lambe as an area scout, tweets MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.  Lambe and Wayne Krivsky, both hires of ex-GM Omar Minaya, were let go by the Mets exactly one month ago today.

Davidoff On Pujols, Fielder, Angels, Oppenheimer

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Industry people are curious whether C.C. Sabathia actually would leave the Yankees and opinions are all over the map on where Jose Reyes will end up in 2012.  There's an even bigger debate brewing in baseball circles, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday..

  • Whoever signs first between Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols will set the financial bar for the other player to top and it's hard to say who will make the first move.  Pujols has a realistic chance to re-sign with the Cardinals while it seems increasingly unlikely that Fielder will return to the Brewers.  There's also the matter of the relationship between the players' agents, Scott Boras and Dan Lozano.  Boras has shown in the past that he has no concerns about dragging his players' free agencies well past January 1st in order get the deal he wants.  Meanwhile, Pujols represents Lozano's first big test since breaking off from the Beverly Hills Sports Council last year.
  • For now, Davidoff predicts that Pujols will sign first and stay with the Cardinals.  Fielder, wherever he goes, won't top Pujols' annual average value.
  • There are a number of candidates for the vacant Angels' GM position but Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is the club's top choice.  However, it's widely assumed that Friedman will remain with Tampa Bay.  Davidoff writes that Yankees senior vice president/director of scouting Damon Oppenheimer seems like the best choice for the job.  Oppenheimer played a significant role in several departments for the Bombers, from postseason scouting to discovering amateur talent to recommending major-league trades.  Oppenheimer would bring baseball intelligence and a strong presence to serve as a check and balance for owner Arte Moreno and manager Mike Scioscia .

Quick Hits: Pujols, La Russa, Red Sox

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A few stray items to pass along as the Cardinals close in on a 2-1 World Series lead over the Rangers …

  • Albert Pujols' snafu with the media following the Redbirds' loss in Game 2 wouldn't bode well for him in larger market like New York, opines Ken Davidoff of Newsday, so it may be in Prince Albert's best interest to remain in city like St. Louis, where he won't face intense media scrutiny.
  • Back on the field, Pujols dominated tonight's game in Arlington, leading Buster Olney of ESPN.com to muse that the Cards may no longer have any choice but to up their offer to their star first baseman as he embarks on free agency (Twitter).
  • Cardinals manager Tony La Russa wasn't entertaining questions pertaining to whether he'd manage again in 2012, tweets Olney. However, we did hear last week that La Russa has been hinting at coming back.
  • In an upcoming interview with Bob Costas of MLB Network, commissioner Bud Selig said he's confident the Red Sox will take care of any issues like players drinking in the dugout, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. So, it sounds like there won't be any league sanctions or policing related to the alleged transgressions.
  • Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle have been elected vice president of the Baseball Writers Association of America, according to the Associated Press. The VP of the BBWAA becomes the president after one year, putting Slusser in line to become the organization's first female president next year. So, congratulations to her. The BBWAA, of course, is the organization whose members vote for the Hall of Fame and various post-season awards.

Cardinals Notes: Pujols, Dotel, Wainwright

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With Game 2 about to begin, let's look at some news about the team that is three wins away from its 11th World Series title…

  • How would winning or losing the Series impact Albert Pujols' free agent decision?  FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi explores the question in this YouTube video.
  • Octavio Dotel told reporters, including Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link), that he would like to return to St. Louis next season.  Though Dotel could set a record by joining his 13th different franchise this winter, it's probably no surprise that he wants to settle down.  The Cardinals have a $3.5MM team option on Dotel for next season that can be bought out for $750K.  Dotel may be more valuable to the Cards on the open market given that he projects as a Type A free agent.
  • Adam Wainwright tried to convince the Cardinals into activating him for the postseason, a request that was emphatically denied, reports R.B. Fallstrom of the Associated Press.  Wainwright underwent Tommy John surgery in February and missed the entire season, though St. Louis GM John Mozeliak recently said that the team plans to pick up Wainwright's $21MM option for 2012-13, barring any medical setbacks.
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