Quick Hits: Beltran, Corpas, Dickey, Ross
Six years ago today, the Diamondbacks officially traded third baseman Troy Glaus and shortstop prospect Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays for righty Miguel Batista and second baseman Orlando Hudson. Josh Byrnes and J.P. Ricciardi were the respective GMs. Glaus' retirement came with little fanfare despite 320 career home runs and four All-Star Game appearances. Santos eventually found his way to the White Sox, who helped him become a successful reliever and recently traded him back to Toronto. Batista is a 40-year-old free agent with 101 career wins to his name. Hudson, a four-time Gold Glove winner, is a trade candidate for the Padres, the team Byrnes now heads up. Ricciardi now serves as a special assistant to Mets GM Sandy Alderson, who appears to have interest in re-signing Batista.
MLBTR was less than two months old at the time of the Glaus trade; you can read my paragraph on it here. Back then the site was a one-man show with gray text against a black background, and Twitter did not exist. We've come a long way! On to today's links…
- Carlos Beltran offered to sign with the Yankees for the same two-year, $26MM deal he ultimately signed with St. Louis, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Adds Heyman, "Like seven years ago, they declined."
- Reliever Manny Corpas, who agreed to a non-guaranteed split contract with the Cubs, has a $1MM base salary while in the bigs with another potential $1MM in incentives, tweets Heyman.
- The Mets sent R.A. Dickey's agent a letter to warn that they can void his contract if he's injured climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in January, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal. As GM Sandy Alderson noted, that hasn't dissuaded the 37-year-old knuckleballer.
- The Rockies' interest in Cody Ross is based on whether they trade Seth Smith, writes ESPN's Buster Olney.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan looks at the 2012-13 free agent class, writing, "What the class lacks in breadth up top it makes up for in depth." We've got the full list here. The potentially available young starting pitching looks deep in theory, but we'll see which of Matt Cain, Cole Hamels, Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, and Brandon McCarthy are extended.
NL West Notes: Cuddyer, Belisario, MacDougal, Ross
A few items of note to pass along out of the NL West …
- Newly signed Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer will earn a base salary of $10.5MM in each year of his three-year contract, although he can earn an additional $1.5MM in incentives in the deal's final year, 2014, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- Cuddyer will man right field for the Rox, while Carlos Gonzalez shifts over to center, tweets Thomas Harding of MLB.com.
- Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario, who missed the entire 2011 season due to visa issues, has secured a visa and is expected to be in camp on time for the start of Spring Training, according to Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.
- However, Belisario will have to serve a 25-game suspension, which are typically doled out when players fail to comply with treatment programs, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Belisario had issues with substance abuse in 2010 and 2011, which is in part why he had trouble obtaining a visa.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says he's still in the market for another reliever despite re-adding Belisario to the bullpen picture, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles. Gurnick reports the Dodgers remain in negotiations to bring back right-hander Mike MacDougal.
- Free agent outfielder Cody Ross, who spent the past season and a half with the Giants, is now seeking a two-year contract, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Ross was originally looking for a three-year pact, but that was only to remain in pitcher-friendly San Francisco, according to O'Brien.
Reds Notes: Cordero, Ross, Kubel
The Reds acquired Mat Latos over the weekend, but they continue to search for a closer and a left fielder, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. GM Walt Jocketty explained that he expects to add an arm before he adds a bat.
"First, we'll address the bullpen a little bit," he said. "Once I get pitching done and know what we have left to spend, we'll know more about left field."
The Reds have resumed talks with free agent closer Francisco Cordero, though Jocketty says nothing is close. Free agent outfielder Cody Ross is still "part of the mix" and the Reds were in touch with his agent last week. The Reds had some interest in Jason Kubel before he agreed to a two-year, $15MM deal with the Diamondbacks. "The level money-wise, we weren't going to get to that level," Jocketty said.
Cardinals Maintain Strong Interest In Beltran
The Cardinals won't be able to replace all the offense they lost when Albert Pujols left for the Angels, but there are ways to replace some of it. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Cardinals did extensive background work on Carlos Beltran this week, and they continue to maintain strong interest in the outfielder.
Beltran, 34, hit .300/.385/.525 with 22 homers last season, the first time he's played in more than 100 games since 2008. He's mulling over a variety of two and three-year offers according to Rosenthal, with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Rays also having interest in the outfielder. Toronto is said to have "significant financial flexibility," but Boston is more focused on pitching and Tampa only figures to get seriously involved if Beltran's market crashes.
Rosenthal says the Cardinals have expressed interest in both Cody Ross and Coco Crisp as well. St. Louis can add an outfielder because Allen Craig figures to miss the start of the season after having knee surgery recently, and also because Lance Berkman will move back to first base, his best position.
Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox, Jurrjens, Drew, Ross
The Red Sox are reluctant to exceed the $178MM luxury tax threshold on player salaries, writes Nick Cafardo in his latest column for the Boston Globe. If the Sox decide to remain under the threshold, it will limit the team's spending flexibility for outfield and pitching help, effectively eliminating top-tier free agents. Cafardo discusses the club's options and touches on a few other topics in his piece. Here are a few highlights:
- The Braves have some concern about Tommy Hanson's shoulder, meaning they may end up holding on to Jair Jurrjens rather than dealing him.
- An NL GM on J.D. Drew: "I know he had a wasted year, but he can still hit, he can still defend, and for a National League team, he'd be a heck of a bat off the bench. If he wants that role. He could easily be a starter somewhere. He's not that old, and sometimes that fresh start energizes a player."
- Cafardo names the Rays, Braves, Giants, Rangers, and Cardinals as possible fits for Drew.
- A source tells Cafardo that Cody Ross is seeking a three-year deal worth about $6MM annually. Sounds like an awfully tall order for Ross' representatives at SFX.
- Mike Brown, former pitching coach for the Nippon Ham Fighters and current scout for the Diamondbacks, is confident that Yu Darvish will be very successful in the Majors: "He's the real deal. He's got great stuff, a great presence on the mound. He would definitely be a top pitcher here if he comes out."
Rockies Considering Three-Year Offer To Cuddyer
The Rockies' willingness to consider a three-year offer to free agent right fielder Michael Cuddyer makes them a serious suitor, writes Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies freed up $7MM in yesterday's Huston Street trade. They have mild interest in Cody Ross as a complementary piece and are not pursuing Josh Willingham, writes Renck.
The Twins reportedly have a three-year offer worth $24-25MM on the table for Cuddyer. GM Terry Ryan told MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger he still thinks they have a chance. Ryan would like to get something done sooner than later. Cuddyer's wife just gave birth to twin girls, however, so Cuddyer may be occupied with diaper duty.
Giants Won’t Re-Sign Beltran Or Ross
The Giants won't re-sign Carlos Beltran or Cody Ross this winter, GM Brian Sabean told reporters, including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Manager Bruce Bochy hinted as much, after yesterday's Angel Pagan acquisition, saying the Giants seemed "pretty set" in the outfield, writes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.
"Simply put," Sabean said. "With Ross, we could never get on the same page. And Beltran, we knew it was going to be a stretch."
Here are some other Sabean highlights from Shea and Baggarly:
- The Giants' payroll is maxed out. They'll have to decide whether to tender a contract to Jeff Keppinger or Mike Fontenot, since they can only afford to retain one. With the help of Matt Swartz, MLBTR projected Fontenot to earn about half as much as Keppinger, so Fontenot may have the edge.
- Guillermo Mota is choosing between two different payout structures, but both Giants offers are for one year with a big league guarantee.
- No other roster moves are expected besides non-tenders and minor league signings.
- If the Giants hadn't traded Ramon Ramirez, they would have tendered him a contract.
Cody Ross Rumors: Giants, Rockies, Reds
We heard earlier this week that Cody Ross was seeking a three-year contract. Here's the latest on the free agent outfielder….
- The Giants seem to have moved on from Ross, as Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link) reports the club didn't make any offer to try and re-sign the 2010 NLCS MVP. Baggarly says five other teams are in the mix for Ross' services and at least one suitor figures to offer a two-year deal.
- Baggarly also tweets "the Ross camp has had eyes on Colorado for a long time." ESPN's Jayson Stark (Twitter link) reports the Rockies could pursue Ross or Michael Cuddyer with the money the team saved from the Huston Street trade.
- The Rockies have an interest in Ross, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post, but as a "complementary player" and not on a three-year contract. Renck notes the Rockies are still discussing an Edinson Volquez trade with the Reds, with Cincinnati showing some interest in Seth Smith. If Smith is dealt, it could conceivably open room for the Rockies to acquire both Cuddyer and Ross, with Ross playing the outfield on the days Cuddyer starts at second or third.
- Reds general manager Walt Jocketty tells MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that Ross' agent said his client would be interested in returning to Cincinnati. Ross was briefly a Red in 2006, appearing in two games with the club. Jocketty said the two sides "kicked it around,” though the team has "some other things to do first," presumably finding a top-tier pitcher. Perhaps related to the Reds' pitching search, Jocketty said he has spoken "several times" with the Rays but he doesn't think the two sides are close on a trade.
Free Agent Notes: Young, Ross, Cespedes, Oswalt
Stray notes on various free agents…
- Dmitri Young is attending the Winter Meetings in Dallas, searching for a contract offer. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports tweets that Young has lost 70 pounds and would go to Japan if he can't land a job with an MLB team. The 38-year-old last appeared in the bigs in 2008 with the Nationals.
- Outfielder Cody Ross seeks a three-year deal, an NL official tells ESPN's Buster Olney. The 30-year-old hit .240/.325/.405 in 461 plate appearances for the Giants this year, playing all three outfield positions. He told Jaymee Sire of CSN Bay Area that the Giants are his "number one choice" (Twitter link).
- The agent for soon-to-be free agent center fielder Yoenis Cespedes is telling teams he'll require twice what fellow Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman received, tweets ESPNBoston's Gordon Edes. That is, $60MM. The Rangers, by the way, are unlikely to pursue Cespedes, hears MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
- Roy Oswalt's camp is waiting for C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle to sign to see the exact market, as most teams view Oswalt as a fallback option, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal underwent an appendectomy last week, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown, and is recovering well at home in Florida.
- Teams are looking at Edgar Renteria as a multi-position utility guy, including third base, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Renteria wants to play for a contender.
Giants Notes: Beltran, Ross, Hairston Jr.
Bruce Bochy spoke to reporters this afternoon, including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio, and Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. Here's what the skipper had to say, along with the rest of the latest Giants notes:
- The Giants are happy with their roster as it stands right now, which is not to say that they're not talking about bringing in other players (Twitter link).
- San Francisco has talked to Carlos Beltran and other hitters, but the club has limited budgetary flexibility to attempt to sign them (Twitter link).
- Baggarly hears that Cody Ross doesn't have interest in returning to San Francisco on a one-year deal. If Ross can't find a multiyear offer, he'd like to move to a hitter-friendly location (Twitter link).
- The Giants are no longer pursuing Jerry Hairston Jr., tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.