Aroldis Chapman

Athletics Rumors: Chapman, Duchscherer, Beltre

By Tim Dierkes | December 30, 2009 at 8:17am CDT

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle brings us the latest A's buzz…

The A's are "in the thick of the bidding" for Aroldis Chapman. We saw a tweet yesterday from MLB.com's Joe Frisaro that the Marlins are also "firmly in the Chapman sweepstakes." ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. pointed out yesterday that Chapman stands to lose millions to taxes if he signs in 2010, and it's unlikely the paperwork could be done in time even if an agreement is reached in '09.
Slusser says Justin Duchscherer had a physical yesterday and his signing should be announced this morning. His contract calls for a $2MM base with another $3.5MM in incentives.
The Athletics' talks for Adrian Beltre "have not progressed much beyond the initial stages," writes Slusser. ESPN's Buster Olney wrote on Saturday that the A's are "taking a serious look" at Beltre. We read details on Boston's interest from ESPN's Gordon Edes yesterday.

Odds & Ends: Bay, Guardado, Yankees, Marlins

By Luke Adams 2 | December 29, 2009 at 8:55pm CDT

Let's round up some lingering Tuesday links….

John Tomase of the Boston Herald reports that the Red Sox kept in touch with Jason Bay's representation right up until the outfielder agreed to terms with the Mets. Boston was a longshot destination for Bay though, with the Angels and Mariners also involved.
Like Brian Bruney, Eddie Guardado hopes to close for the Nationals in 2010, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Doesn't seem too likely, with Bruney and Matt Capps on board, but Guardado could earn a setup role for the Nats.
Dave Cameron of Fangraphs argues that even if they have the money to sign Matt Holliday, the Yankees don't need him. ESPN.com's Rob Neyer and Joseph Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues respond to Cameron's piece.
The Florida Marlins haven't been aggressively signing their arbitration-eligible players so far this winter, but they should take care of it soon, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (via Twitter).
Frisaro also tweets that the Marlins remain "firmly" entrenched in the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes.

Odds & Ends: Thome, Chapman, Mariners

By Tim Dierkes | December 29, 2009 at 12:54pm CDT

Links for Tuesday, as we wait for the hot stove to reignite…

MSG's Tina Cervasio tweeted that she saw Jim Thome at a Detroit area hotel, prompting ESPN's Jerry Crasnick to wonder (via Twitter) if there's a match with the Tigers.
ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. points out that Aroldis Chapman stands to lose millions of dollars due to taxes if he signs in 2010.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times looks at the Mariners' remaining trade bait.
ESPN's Buster Olney feels that Scott Boras' reputation "will remain cemented" no matter how the rest of the offseason plays out. Olney also notes that other agents, such as the Levinson brothers, moved quickly to get many of their top clients signed.
John Tomase of the Boston Herald has a few free agent relief names for the Red Sox to consider.

Olney On Mets, Chapman, Duchscherer

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 23, 2009 at 11:13am CDT

ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Mets would still like to sign Jason Bay, but are considering alternatives in case the left fielder's demands don't match their budget. Instead of signing Bay, the Mets could spread their resources and sign a number of the many available free agents. The Mets could obtain lots with the $15-22MM they have available, so Olney envisions some possible solutions. Here are a couple more hot stove notes:

Aroldis Chapman should sign for more than the $15.67MM that Stephen Strasburg obtained, even though scouts aren't uniformly impressed with the Cuban lefty and wonder if he might end up as a reliever. Chapman is on the open market, while Strasburg could only negotiate with one team. Other clubs tell Olney that the Yankees didn't have much of a presence at Chapman's workout last week.
Olney hears that the A's could bring Justin Duchscherer back. The right-hander may sign soon.

Odds & Ends: Gomes, Duchscherer, Chapman

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 22, 2009 at 12:39pm CDT

Some links for your Tuesday…

John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer says we shouldn't expect Jonny Gomes to sign any time soon.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Giants are looking to add a catcher and a starter, along with a big bat. Matt Holliday and Jason Bay don't seem likely to sign in San Francisco.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Yankees checked in on Carlos Zambrano and Aaron Harang before acquiring Javier Vazquez.
The Mariners signed Mike Koplove to a minor league deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The righty hasn't pitched in the majors since 2007.
Stephen Strasburg signed a multi-year deal with Topps, according to Chico Harlan of the Washington Post.
Harlan writes that the Nationals were hoping to sign Jon Garland, before turning to Jason Marquis.
The Yankees were the only team to pay the luxury tax this season. Their $226MM payroll cost them nearly $26MM in luxury tax, according to the AP (via the Star Ledger).
Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News tweets that the Yanks' trade of Melky Cabrera does not mean the club is likely to bring Johnny Damon back.
The Marlins are not in the mix for Matt Capps, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The Marlins, coming off a year in which their $38MM payroll was the lowest in the game, don't have much to spend on relievers.
Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post says outfielder Carlos Gonzalez should be the next Rockie to receive an extension. Saunders says there's no need to lock the 24-year-old up this offseason (Gonzalez won't likely be arbitration-eligible until after 2011).
Marty Noble of MLB.com doesn't see indications that the Mets are all that interested in Joel Pineiro.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the Pirates have yet to make Justin Duchscherer an offer. The righty is now deciding which offer to accept, so we can safely say he won't be signing with the Pirates.
Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN.com expects Aroldis Chapman to sign where the money is (via Twitter).

Marlins Rumors: Chapman, Capps, Walker

By Luke Adams 2 | December 20, 2009 at 12:11pm CDT

Barry Jackson has a couple of Marlins-related notes in his latest piece for the Miami Herald. Here are the highlights:

Jackson hears that the Marlins have made a five-year offer worth about $13MM to Aroldis Chapman. Chapman will certainly receive higher offers from other clubs, but it's worth a shot for the Marlins, in case the Cuban defector prefers South Florida.
Replacing departed relievers Matt Lindstrom, Kiko Calero, and Brendan Donnelly is a priority for Florida.
Among their bullpen targets: Matt Capps, Tyler Walker, and Jose Veras.

Chapman Works Out In Front Of 15 Teams

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 16, 2009 at 9:03pm CDT

WEDNESDAY, 9:03pm: That workout session must've really turned some heads. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweets that "an insider" predicted Chapman's eventual contract may be worth as much as $30MM.

WEDNESDAY, 3:18pm: Arangure Jr.'s latest blog post is a must-read; it contains learnings from the Chapman throwing session yesterday. Among them: Chapman is in good shape, he's made some mechanical adjustments, and he doesn't come off as someone with makeup issues. Chapman is now up for bidding.

TUESDAY, 1:38pm: Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman worked out in front of about 15 teams in Houston today, according to Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN.com. The Astros and Pirates were there, along with the Angels, Marlins, Pirates, Orioles, Yankees, Red Sox, Nationals and others.

The Dodgers weren't there because they don't have the money, according to Arangure Jr.'s Twitter. We shouldn't expect the Pirates to sign Chapman, either. They're not serious players for him according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The teams saw the 21-year-old throw for five minutes two different times. Chapman's fastball topped out at 96 mph and he also threw his slider and change-up. Arangure Jr. expects several teams to meet with him today.

Another note, again from Arangure Jr.: Chapman's previous agency, API, is suing the pitcher's current agency, the Hendricks brothers. The lawsuit alleges that the Hendricks brothers interfered with API.

Orioles Seeking Closer, Corner Infielders

By Tim Dierkes | December 16, 2009 at 4:45pm CDT

Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun dishes the latest Orioles hot stove news…

The Orioles contacted the agents for a few of Saturday's non-tendered players, including reliever Matt Capps. Capps' agent has mentioned his client's desire to close as a major factor, and the Orioles could accomodate. However, Connolly names Fernando Rodney as Baltimore's top target at closer. Mike Gonzalez, Jose Valverde, and Kevin Gregg are also of interest, though Gonzalez and Valverde are dinged for the draft pick cost.
The Orioles need help at the infield corners, and they've contacted the agents for a long list of free agents: Carlos Delgado, Hank Blalock, Joe Crede, Nick Johnson, Ryan Garko, Garrett Atkins, and Mike Jacobs. I think they'd be best-served by adding Delgado and Crede. Your thoughts?
Connolly indicates that about 25, rather than 15, teams were on hand to watch Aroldis Chapman yesterday. So the list of teams not monitoring Chapman is shorter. The Orioles remain involved.

Phillies Rumors: Rodney, Smoltz, Gload

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 15, 2009 at 2:19pm CDT

There's more going on with the Phillies than the big trade. Here are the details:

MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says Fernando Rodney and John Smoltz are "believed to be" top targets for the Phillies.
Ross Gload's two-year deal is worth $2.6MM, according to Scott Lauber of the News Journal.
Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phils had two scouts watch Aroldis Chapman today. The NL champs are not considered major threats to sign the lefty, though.

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Overbay, Nady, Holliday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 15, 2009 at 12:33pm CDT

Some links for your Tuesday morning…

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says there's no guarantee the Dodgers will spend the money they saved in the Juan Pierre deal.
Newsday's David Lennon says Omar Minaya had plans to speak with John Lackey today and concludes that the pitcher wasn't interested in joining the Mets.
ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick says there's speculation that the Jays will deal Lyle Overbay now that they're set to obtain Brett Wallace.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that the Red Sox are looking at righty outfielders such as Xavier Nady to contribute in a utility role.
Newsday's Ken Davidoff doesn't expect the Yankees to commit to another nine-figure salary and sign Matt Holliday, especially since they need pitching.
Rob Neyer of ESPN.com says the $130MM or so the Cardinals have apparently offered Holliday is "too much risk for too many years."
The Marlins signed Clay Hensley to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The 30-year-old righty didn't pitch in the majors last year.
Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel says the Marlins, who will watch Aroldis Chapman throw, have "legit" interest in the 21-year-old lefty.
Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston points out that the Red Sox have tons of cash, even if they like to downplay their wealth.
Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe likes the Lackey signing for the Red Sox.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Kelvim Escobar will pitch in front of teams this week in Venezuela. We know the Mets recently offered him a minor league deal.
Lots of people have said the Brewers are a threat to sign Mark Mulder. GM Doug Melvin confirmed on 1250 WSSP in Milwaukee that he thinks the Brewers are the "frontrunners" to sign the lefty (Hat Tip: MLB.com's Adam McCalvy).
Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner says the Mariners could use a player like Luke Scott.
Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun wonders how seroiusly the Orioles are interested in Japanese pitcher Hisanori Takahashi. The O's met with his agents at the Winter Meetings.
Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News says the Yankees are glad to see Roy Halladay leave the AL East. I'm sure Yankees fans agree.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Yanks would be comfortable playing Melky Cabrera in left and using Johnny Damon as the primary DH.
The A's sent three people to watch Aroldis Chapman throw in Houston, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Aroldis Chapman

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect