New York Notes: Outfield, Soriano, A-Rod, Wright
The Yankees are considering a defensive change for next season, shifting Curtis Granderson to left field and Brett Gardner to center, reports Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Granderson's defense has declined in recent years, as he has posted negative UZR/150 ratings in four of the last five years, including a -18.2 UZR/150 in 2012. Gardner, on the other hand, has a career 30.6 UZR/150, ranking him amongst the best defensive outfielders in the game.
Here's the latest from both the Yankees and Mets…
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn't plan to offer Rafael Soriano a deal similar to the one he signed after the 2010 season that established Soriano as Mariano Rivera's set-up man and understudy at closer, reports ESPN New York's Wallace Matthews. "I don't think Soriano would sign here if he's not going to be the closer," Cashman said. "And I don't think we would do again what we did before. He's going to want closer money and I doubt he would want to come back here as a set-up man." Soriano is a free agent after opting out of the last year of his deal, and agent Scott Boras said Soriano is looking for a four-year contract to close. Soriano could still return to the Bronx, of course, if Rivera retires and the Bombers suddenly have a hole at the back of their bullpen.
- Also from Matthews, he reports that the Yankees will make qualifying offers to Nick Swisher and Hiroki Kuroda. Swisher will almost surely turn this offer down but Kuroda "might accept it." The Yankees have interest in bringing back Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez on short-term contracts, while the club also would like to re-sign Andy Pettitte and Russell Martin.
- The Yankees haven't received any calls from teams interested in Alex Rodriguez, reports USA Today's Bob Nightengale. It could be a moot point, as Nightengale hears that Rodriguez isn't willing to waive his no-trade clause for any team.
- The Mets are continuing to talk to David Wright about a multiyear extension but talks are "stuck in neutral" and there is "nothing imminent" between the two sides, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post and Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger (both links to Twitter).
- ESPN's Jim Bowden believes Wright and the Mets will agree to a new long-term contract, but if they can't, Bowden suggests five teams who could become trade destinations for Wright.
Yankees Notes: Pettitte, Swisher, Ichiro
After 95 regular season wins and two postseason series, the Yankees' year has ended. The Tigers swept the ALCS in four games, which means it's now time for the Bronx Bombers to look ahead to the 2012-13 offseason. Here's the latest…
- Yankees management wants to step away from the disappointment of the 2012 ALCS before finalizing offseason plans, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. The Yankees will continue relying on power hitters, even after a team-wide slump against the Tigers. “I’m not going to turn myself into the Bronx Bunters because all of a sudden we didn’t hit for this week in October,” GM Brian Cashman said.
- Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte hopes to decide within a few weeks whether he'll return for another season of baseball in 2013, Jeff Bradley and Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger report. “I still have the desire to compete, but there are family things. I just have to try and figure that out,” Pettitte said.
- Nick Swisher would "absolutely" like to re-sign with the Yankees and described his tenure in New York as "awesome," Bradley and McCullough report.
- Ichiro Suzuki said he hopes to be needed and wanted but declined to get into specifics, Bradley and McCullough report.
- Bradley also outlines an offseason to-do list for the Yankees. The possibility of a trade sending Alex Rodriguez to Miami might be tempting for the New York front office.
- Curtis Granderson said he expects to return in 2013, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports. Unless the Yankees trade the center fielder he'll still be wearing pinstripes when the season opens.
- Cashman said he isn't worried about the age of his team, Hoch reports. "I don't care if it's old; I care if it's good," Cashman said.
Quick Hits: Andrus, Upton, Greinke, Rockies, Pettitte
Believe it or not, but the last place Red Sox may actually be in better position for future years than the AL East champion Yankees, argues Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. The Yankees have tens of millions tied up in an aging and increasingly unproductive roster, while the Red Sox shed much of their major payroll commitments when they dealt Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford to the Dodgers.
Here are some news and notes from around the baseball world…
- Elvis Andrus is a major trade chip for the Rangers if they choose to move him, notes Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas, who outlines Andrus' trade value and circumstances behind a possible deal. Durrett also says Texas could instead try to trade an older, more expensive player like Nelson Cruz or Ian Kinsler.
- The Rangers have interest in B.J. Upton but they see him as a corner outfielder rather than in center, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com as part of a fan mailbag.
- The longer Zack Greinke takes to pick his next team, the longer it will delay the rest of the Angels' offseason moves, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Greinke is the Angels' top target and his status with the team could determine what the Halos do with Dan Haren, Ervin Santana and Torii Hunter.
- The Rockies have Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. and A's third base coach Mike Gallego on their list of possible external candidates for manager, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Mark Wiley is the favorite to become the Rockies' new director of pitching operations, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Wiley, currently a Marlins scout, would oversee pitchers at all levels of the Colorado organization as the team tries to develop arms capable of performing at Coors Field.
- Andy Pettitte hopes to have a decision made about his playing future "in a month or so," reports ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand. The Yankees southpaw hinted last week that he was looking to return in 2013.
- The Yankees are in for a busy offseason though "by any objective measure, the Yankees aren't a team in need of a major overhaul," writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal. Costa details the five most pressing questions facing the Bombers this winter.
- Wilson Betemit doesn't appear to have much of a role on next year's Orioles roster, writes CSNBaltimore.com's Rich Dubroff. Betemit is owed $1.75MM from the O's in 2013 and his $3.2MM option for 2014 will vest with 324 more plate appearances.
- The Twins have no plans to alter the dimensions at Target Field next season, team president Dave St. Peter said in an e-mail to reporters (including MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger).
Pettitte Likely To Return Next Season
Throughout the 2012 season, Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte has been non-commital when asked whether he would return next year. However, the 40-year-old gave a strong indication that he will be back in 2013 as he gets ready to take on the Orioles in Game 2 of the ALDS, writes Mark Hale of the New York Post.
“I know one thing: I know the competition and the desire to compete is still there, and I don’t feel like I kind of got that itch out from the 70 innings or so that I threw this year,” Pettitte said.
Pettitte signed a one-year, $2.5MM minor league contract with the Yankees in March with no incentives attached. The left-hander joined the varsity squad on May 13th but was sidelined in late June when a batted ball fractured his left fibula where it meets the ankle. In 12 starts, Pettitte turned in a 2.87 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
AL East Notes: Bundy, Pettitte, Kuroda
Before the regular season began, I suggested the Orioles were likely headed for a 60-75 win season and added that there’s “not much to dream on” in Baltimore. My mistake. With two weeks to go in the regular season, the Orioles are tied for first place in the AL East and they’re likely headed for the postseason. Here’s the latest from the division, starting with one of the game’s top pitching prospects…
- The Orioles are promoting top prospect Dylan Bundy to the Major Leagues following their 18-inning win over the Mariners, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The Orioles hadn’t intended to call Bundy up, but they need pitching and he’s viewed as someone who can help them win.
- The extended absences of Michael Pineda and Manny Banuelos have been damaging for the Yankees in the short term and in the long term, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The young pitchers were expected to provide the Yankees with quality innings and help the team avoid the luxury tax threshold by 2014. Instead, they’ve been injured so the Yankees will feel pressure to re-sign Andy Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda this coming offseason, Sherman reports.
- The Yankees still have some hope that David Aardsma could pitch this year, Sherman adds. They signed the reliever with 2013 in mind, knowing that most of this year would be spent recovering from Tommy John surgery.
AL East Notes: Pettitte, Ellsbury
The Orioles assured themselves of a winning season with a win in Oakland over the Athletics yesterday. Baltimore's road trip continues in Seattle today, and with a win the O's can gain a half game on the idle Yankees. Here are today's AL East notes…
- Yankees starter Andy Pettitte says he’s not sure whether he’ll pitch next year, Brian Heyman of the Journal News reports. The left-hander, who is is scheduled to pitch against the Blue Jays tomorrow, will think about his options in the offseason. He indicated he’s more likely to return because injuries have limited him in 2012.
- Team president Randy Levine recently recently said the Yankees would discuss a contract with Pettitte if he decides to return for another season.
- One MLB executive said there’s “zero” chance the Red Sox sign Jacoby Ellsbury to a contract extension before he reaches free agency at the end of the 2013 season, Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com reports. The rotation will be Boston’s offseason focus, but the team’s offense also has question marks, McAdam writes.
Levine Talks Payroll, Girardi, Rivera, Ichiro
Yankees president Randy Levine addressed the team’s age, injuries, leadership and prospective free agents in a comprehensive interview with Barry Bloom of MLB.com. Here are some more highlights from his interview with Bloom:
- The Yankees aim to avoid the $189MM luxury tax threshold by 2014, Levine confirmed. “There are tremendous financial incentives to do it,” he said. “In addition to not paying the tax, there are tens of millions of dollars in revenue sharing rebates that will come back to teams like the Yankees if they stay under the threshold.”
- The Yankees must get younger to continue competing, Levine said. Baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement places additional importance on player development and changes to the CBA could also lead to a “very different free-agent market,” Levine said.
- Joe Girardi and his staff have done a “good job,” Levine said. He declined to discuss Girardi’s long-term future with the team, saying only that discussions would take place at the appropriate time.
- Levine expressed confidence in general manager Brian Cashman and the team’s other front office executives. “I think everybody is great.”
- The Yankees are doing “very, very well” from a business standpoint, Levine said. He made it clear that the Steinbrenner family has no intention of selling the club, but said the Dodgers’ sale price of $2 billion “gives us something to smile about.”
- The Yankees would “love to have” Mariano Rivera come back in 2013, Levine said. “If he wants to come back, we'll welcome him back.”
- The Yankees want Rafael Soriano in New York and believe he has done a tremendous job. The closer is expected to opt out of his contract with the Yankees after the season and elect free agency.
- The Yankees will talk to Andy Pettitte this offseason if the left-hander is interested in returning for another year.
- Ichiro Suzuki “has done a good job” in New York, Levine said. As of now, however, the team is focused on 2012, not Ichiro’s next contract.
- Levine acknowledged that he’s concerned about injuries, saying the frequency of disabled list stints is “troubling.”
AL East Notes: Pettitte, Torrealba, McClure
A few notes out of the American League East, where the Yankees owned a four-game lead over the Rays entering Tuesday night's action …
- Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte hasn't ruled out the possibility of pitching again in 2013, writes Chad Jennings of the Journal News. "I definitely can’t tell you right now that I would say there’s no way I’m going to play," Pettitte said. The 40-year-old left-hander, who signed a one-year, $2.5MM minor league contract in March, is currently rehabbing a broken ankle he suffered in late June and hopes to return before the season's over.
- Blue Jays catcher Yorvit Torrealba said he had several suitors after being released by the Rangers earlier this month but decided to sign a minor league deal with Toronto because he'd have more playing time, according to Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com (Twitter link).
- Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine remained vague as to why pitching coach Bob McClure was relieved of his duties on Monday, according to Dan Duggan of the Boston Herald. McClure was hired last offseason before Valentine was, but Valentine said he was on-board with having McClure as his pitching coach during the interview process.
Quick Hits: Hamilton, Pettitte, Cardinals, Romero
Bad news for the Royals tonight as they learned that left-hander Danny Duffy is likely out for the year with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. The 23-year-old is the second Royals hurler sidelined for the year following Joakim Soria's season-ending injury. Tonight's links..
- Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports handicapped the free agent market for Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton. Passan has Texas as the heavy favorite with the Dodgers in second.
- Yankees starter Andy Pettitte will be guaranteed his full $2.5MM salary come Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
- Rangers president Nolan Ryan told ESPN Radio Dallas that he believes that Hamilton and his family are happy living in the Arlington, Texas area.
- The release of left-hander J.C. Romero will leave the Cardinals with just one southpaw in the bullpen, but manager Mike Matheny is confident that Marc Rzepczynski can handle the workload, writes B.J. Rains of FOX Sports Midwest.
- Four of the five highest-paid teams in baseball would not qualify for the playoffs, even with the expanded format, if the season ended today, writes Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Nightengale also gave his list of the five worst contracts in the sport.
Rosenthal On Ethier, Santana, Blue Jays, D’Backs
Here's the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- Impending free agent Andre Ethier is "the first opportunity for the Dodgers’ new ownership to make a statement in the post-McCourt era," and while Ethier has let it be known that he's willing to negotiate a new deal during the season, Rosenthal thinks Stan Kasten would prefer to see Ethier perform well and stay healthy for the entire 2012 season before offering him a contract extension. Rosenthal predicts Ethier will look for a deal similar to Jayson Werth's seven-year, $126MM contract with the Nationals, and given the lack of proven power bats on the market, Ethier "probably can name his price" this winter if he keeps producing.
- Johan Santana's hefty contract and no-trade clause will make it hard for the Mets to move him without eating a lot of money in a deal. Rosenthal thinks it makes more sense for the Mets to just hang on to Santana, who can be a valuable mentor to the team's young pitchers.
- The Blue Jays are unlikely to trade either J.P. Arencibia or Travis d'Arnaud before the end of the season, as the Jays like Arencibia's game-calling and d'Arnaud's overall potential. Rosenthal cites the Diamondbacks as one of several teams interested in Toronto's catchers, which follows up on his report in March that the Snakes were looking at Arencibia. Arizona's interest would seem to indicate that the D'Backs are preparing a backup plan should they not be able to re-sign Miguel Montero.
- It "does not appear out of the question" that the Rockies will make changes to the coaching staff given the team's pitching woes, defensive struggles and overall poor start.
- A scout tells Rosenthal that Andy Pettitte "does not look close to ready" and will need several more minor league starts before he's ready to return to the Yankees.