Boras Speaks
We'll add some links from Scott Boras' lobby chat in this post, though from what I can tell he didn't say anything interesting. We'll keep this a tweet-free post.
- Boras busted out his famous books, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- Boras thinks Matt Holliday is a "different" kind of player than Jason Bay, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Of course it's Boras' job to distinguish between Holliday and Bay, so we should expect comments like this.
- EPSN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports that Boras compared Holliday's production to Mark Teixeira's.
- The Rays haven't discussed a contract extension for Carlos Pena, who's entering the last year of his contract, according to MLB.com's Bill Chastain.
- WEEI's Rob Bradford has Boras talking about Matt Holliday and Adrian Beltre, where Boras compares Beltre's offensive ability to Jason Bay's.
- Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News has Boras saying five or six teams are interested in Beltre, including the Mariners. Boras said some teams (many have speculated the Red Sox) would move their third baseman for Beltre.
- Baggarly quotes Boras as saying "There are teams that have interest [in Holliday] and don’t want to let anyone to truly know." Boras assumes the Giants are interested in Holliday.
- Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News has Boras explaining why the Mets can afford Holliday.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has Boras saying that the Cardinals retaining Holliday is like keeping two players, since it will help them sign Albert Pujols.
- Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun has Boras saying the Kevin Millwood trade is not done, but they're having discussions.
Cardinals Notes: Boras Meeting, Holliday Alternatives
Joe Strauss from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discusses the Cardinals and their current situation with free agent Matt Holliday. Let's dive in:
- The Cardinals are pushing for a meeting with Scott Boras at the Winter Meetings to discuss whether or not they have a legitimate chance to bring Holliday back to St. Louis.
- If they were to retain Holliday, the club would be content to give David Freese his shot at third base and spend its leftover money on the rotation rather than infield help.
- Re-signing Mark DeRosa is one alternative to Holliday in left, although the Cardinals understandably aren't fans of DeRosa's current asking price of three years and roughly $24MM.
- The Cards had interest in bringing Chone Figgins aboard, prior to his agreement with the Mariners.
- St. Louis continues to say that they don't have leverage to make trades after parting with a number of top prospects, but Strauss mentions that some teams looking to shed salary could make sense. He names Dan Uggla, Kevin Millwood, and (if he's made available) Brandon Inge as some candidates, though the Marlins are asking a lot in return for Uggla.
- Strauss also mentions Adam Dunn, who's owed $12MM this season as a good fit, though the Nationals aren't intent on moving him. According to Strauss, several within the Cardinal organization were pushing for Dunn over Holliday last season before the deadline.
- If the Cards are able to sign Holliday, backloading the contract as they typically do with large deals won't be beneficial as the expensive years will coincide with those of Albert Pujols, if and when he, too, gets a new contract.
- Strauss names Vicente Padilla and Ben Sheets as possible free agent arms to target.
- Interesting note on the Cardinals from Strauss; they haven't made a trade at the Winter Meetings since 2003 when they acquired Adam Wainwright, Jason Marquis, and Ray King.
Whatever comes of Holliday, team president Bill DeWitt plans to be active this offseason. Strauss quotes him, "If we don't spend on Holliday, we will spend on other players."
Odds & Ends: Hudson, Pujols, Gonzalez, D-Backs
Some Thursday night links…
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports note that the Phillies had a creative idea for third base before signing Placido Polanco – they asked Orlando Hudson if he'd make the position change. He passed.
- Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III spoke openly about the club's limitations in retaining Albert Pujols beyond his current deal, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Signing Pujols and free agent Matt Holliday to new contracts would almost definitely mean committing upwards of 40% of the team's payroll to two players.
- If the Tigers cannot re-sign free agent relievers Brandon Lyon or Fernando Rodney, they may have to look into a pair of Type A free agents, writes James Schmehl of MLive.com. Atlanta's Mike Gonzalez or Rafael Soriano could appeal to Detroit, but they would require the forfeiture of a first-round pick.
- Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes conducted a live chat today on MLB.com. It sounds as though Byrnes would be content to more or less stand pat this offseason, telling one fan that most of the club's impact players evolve within their system rather than "arrive via offseason splash." Don't expect Arizona to go after a second baseman this winter either as Byrnes says he looks forward to competition over the spot this season, featuring late-season acquisition Tony Abreu.
- More from Arizona as the club outrighted a pair of prospects to their Triple-A affiliate – pitcher Kyler Newby and catcher Luke Carlin, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic writes that the move was not made in anticipation of a free agent signing or trade.
- Matt Stairs told Larry Mahoney of the Bangor Daily News that he would like to play next season. Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer says not to expect Stairs back in Philadelphia next season, as Phils GM Ruben Amaro offered him the opportunity to audition for other teams at Spring Training.
- Jacque Jones also wants back in baseball, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding. The 34-year-old last played in 2008, seeing time in 42 games in which he recorded an OPS of .446. However, his agent insists that teams will be impressed with his physical conditioning and desire to continue his career.
Odds & Ends: Matsui, Cardinals, Arb Offers
Links for Monday…
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan wonders if Bobby Crosby could be a match for the Rangers as a utility infielder.
- MLB.com's Mychael Urban has an update on free agent lefty Mark Mulder.
- Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball analyzes Tim Lincecum's possible 2010 salary, and predicts the pitcher might submit $16.8MM against the Giants' $8MM figure.
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that Hideki Matsui's marketability is not a factor for the Yankees.
- Alex Speier of WEEI examines the chances of Roy Halladay remaining a workhorse over the next several seasons.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch doesn't see geography as a big factor for Matt Holliday. Meanwhile, Bernie Miklasz of the P-D doesn't understand Albert Pujols' reasoning as to why he needs to wait to discuss an extension.
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart asks readers to predict the Astros' arbitration decisions for free agents. Jose Valverde and LaTroy Hawkins are tough calls in that it makes sense but we're not sure if the Astros will. We'll have predictions on all Type A/B free agents later today.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel explains why he feels only Felipe Lopez will get an arbitration offer from the Brewers.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says the Marlins are leaning against offering arbitration to Type B free agents Kiko Calero and Nick Johnson. Calero might be worth it.
- Jon Weisman of Dodgers Thoughts says the Dodgers' arbitration decisions won't necessarily be influenced by the McCourts' divorce.
- Staying with this theme, FanGraphs' Dave Cameron looks at the factors that should influence a team's arbitration-offer decision.
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports look at the market for Miguel Tejada.
- Morosi suggests ten teams that should talk to the Tigers about Miguel Cabrera, Curtis Granderson, and Edwin Jackson.
- Jacob Jackson of Athletics Nation has a detailed offseason plan for the A's.
- Righty Miguel Batista told Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times that he has a few contenders interested in his services.
- Notes from NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman: the Orioles are eyeing pitcher Hisanori Takahashi, and Hideki Okajima would like a contract extension (he's under team control through 2012 as an arbitration-eligible player).
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the fates of Jeff Karstens, Robinzon Diaz, and Justin Thomas will be decided today.
- Elmer Dessens doesn't have a contract with the Mets quite yet, writes Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News.
Cardinals Rumors: Pujols, Holliday, Nady, Beltre
The Cardinals know it will take a lengthy and substantial offer to keep Albert Pujols in St. Louis, but the slugging first baseman would like to see what the Cards do this offseason before beginning serious contract talks, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Agent Dan Lozano says he and his client aren't in a rush to complete a long-term deal. Pujols is under contract for next year and the Cardinals are expected to pick up his $16MM option for 2011.
The Cardinals have interest in signing Matt Holliday, who's in position to demand one of the offseason's biggest contracts. Team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. told the Post-Dispatch that signing Holliday "at the right level" wouldn't prevent them from locking Pujols up long-term.
If Holliday's demands exceed the team's budget, they figure to spend on pitching, according to Goold. They have interest in Xavier Nady, and Miguel Tejada could be a fit, too. Adrian Beltre has yet to draw interest from the Cardinals, according to Goold's source.
Rogers On Mauer, Pujols, Vizquel
Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune says the Twins are "getting serious" about a Joe Mauer extension. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported earlier in the week that the Twins hope to sign Mauer to an extension by Christmas. As Rogers points out, Mauer's agent, Ron Shapiro, represented Cal Ripken Jr. and Kirby Puckett, so there's hope for Twins fans who dread Mauer's impending free agency. Here are the rest of Rogers' rumors:
- Albert Pujols' representatives told the Cardinals not to worry about a potential extension until they take care of the team's other needs. Pujols is under control through 2011, a year longer than Mauer.
- The White Sox may ask Omar Vizquel to mentor 20-year-old shortstop Eduardo Escobar. Like Vizquel, Escobar is a Venezuelan switch-hitter with a good glove and little power. But White Sox farm director Buddy Bell cautions against making Vizquel comparisons just yet.
Odds & Ends: Guillen, Overbay, Johnson
A round-up of several items from around the majors…..
- Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News reports that Jose Guillen would be willing to waive his limited no-trade clause in order to be dealt to the Mets. The Royals have reportedly proposed an Angel Pagan-for-Guillen swap that would also see Kansas City include some cash to help the Mets pay for Guillen's $12MM salary next season. Guillen hit .242/.314/.367 in 312 plate appearances for K.C. during his injury-plagued 2009 season, and it's probably for those reasons that Rubin thinks the trade is a long-shot to actually happen.
- The Globe and Mail's Jeff Blair (via Twitter) was told by a non-Toronto executive that there is a 90 percent chance that the Blue Jays will trade Lyle Overbay at the winter meetings.
- While talking about Josh Johnson's contract situation, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria told The Miami Herald's Clark Spencer that the club has no set policy against giving pitchers contracts longer than three years.
- Former outfielder Doug Glanville wrote an interesting blog entry for the New York Times website about the issues a player can face when entering free agency for the first time, especially if they're thinking of leaving their long-time home.
- The Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles signed southpaw reliever Mike Hinckley to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training. Hinckley threw 13.2 scoreless innings in 14 relief appearances for Washington in 2008, but his perfect streak was snapped last year when he posted a 4.66 ERA in 14 appearances with the Nationals. He spent most of last season pitching for the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate.
- This could be an item for the 'Saying All The Right Things' file, but MLB.com's Matthew Leach reported that at the press conference for Albert Pujols' MVP Award, the Cardinals superstar said he wanted to play in St. Louis, "hopefully for 15 more years if I can play for that long and can retire as a Cardinal."
Albert Pujols Wins NL MVP
Albert Pujols was the unanimous choice for NL MVP, according to the BBWAA. Hanley Ramirez, Ryan Howard, and Prince Fielder followed him in the voting.
It's always fun to look at the bottom of the results, where players such as Brad Hawpe, Chris Coghlan, and Jeremy Affeldt received votes.
Cafardo On Pujols, Mauer, Holliday, Damon
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a new column up, and he addresses a few topics of interest from around the majors. Some highlights….
- Cafardo examines the crossroads that superstars Albert Pujols and Joe Mauer will soon face with their current clubs. He passes on this quote from one baseball official: "I think Mauer has a better chance of staying in Minnesota than Pujols in St. Louis. Mauer is from Minnesota, while you have to give Pujols an A-Rod type contract and I’m not sure the Cardinals would do it."
- His source thinks that the best way for the Cardinals to keep Pujols in St. Louis is to continue showing him they're committed to going after championships by making moves like this year's Matt Holliday acquisition.
- Cafardo sees "no downside" to the idea of Holliday patrolling left field in Fenway next season. From an on-field standpoint, that statement could apply to virtually every team in the league, but the Red Sox are probably one of the few clubs that could absorb the financial blow.
- Johnny Damon could be a good fit in the south side of Chicago, according to Cafardo. The White Sox will be looking for a leadoff hitter, and it's still unclear whether or not Damon will be back in New York.
- Casey Kotchman may not fit into Boston's plans next year, but Cafardo thinks he could also be a solid addition to the White Sox — especially if Chicago doesn't retain Mark Kotsay.
- Cafardo wonders why a power-hitting right-hander, like the New York Mets covet, would want to play in Citi Field, which he calls a "death valley" for righties.
Pujols Hopes To Stay In St. Louis
Albert Pujols surprised many, including the Cardinals front office, when he said he wasn't "desperate" to sign a long-term deal earlier this month. Now, Pujols tells ESPN radio in St. Louis that he wants to be a Cardinal for life, he just doesn't see the need to obsess over his contract yet (transcription from Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
"You know the Cardinals need to worry about signing Matt Holliday and all the free agents," Pujols said. "There's no rush for me to sign right now, you know? But if they come tomorrow and say 'Albert, you know, we want to lock you up,' – hey, they know that we're open to that."
Pujols, who will hit free agency two winters from now if the Cards pick up his 2011 option, repeated that he wants to be a Cardinal for life. The 29-year-old combines above-average defense with one of the most potent bats in baseball history.