Mariners, Tigers Trade Talks Stall
Trade talks between the Mariners and Tigers have stalled, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Edwin Jackson and Curtis Granderson have been discussed, but Crasnick's source finds a deal "pretty doubtful." Crasnick indicates that the Mariners were never terribly interested in Granderson, but did like Jackson. The asking price is simply too high at present.
Crasnick says many feel Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski is trying to sell high on Jackson, who posted a 3.62 ERA in 214 innings this year. Jackson is only 26, and he did improve both his strikeout and walk rates (6.8 K/9, 2.9 BB/9). Some are dinging Jackson for his final eleven starts, over which he posted a 5.83 ERA with a 6.0 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9. If you are an xFIP fan, that stat had Jackson at 4.58 this year. XFIP presumably wouldn't factor in at an arbitration hearing, however, and Jackson is due a pretty big raise on this year's $2.2MM salary.
Odds & Ends: Atkins, Twins, Carlyle
Links for Friday, as the free agent market officially opens…
- As Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports points out, the Angels' lack of interest in Matt Holliday bodes well for the Cardinals, but not for Scott Boras.
- Scott Boras tells FOX Sports that interest in Adrian Beltre and Mike Gonzalez is strong so far. The agent says he's fielded offers for eight players already.
- The Nippon Ham Fighters signed minor league free agent pitcher Buddy Carlyle, says NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman. Newman also says the Yokohama BayStars are working to sign Chris Bootcheck, Jose Castillo, and Terrmel Sledge.
- The Nats hired former Mariners manager John McLaren as a bench coach, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan ranks 131 free agents and provides capsules. We've also got SI's Jon Heyman and AOL FanHouse's Frankie Piliere with Top 50 lists.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch breaks down the market for Mark DeRosa.
- ESPN's Buster Olney notes five arbitration-eligible players who could be traded, including Russell Martin and Kevin Correia.
- SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Mariners and Tigers continue to discuss Edwin Jackson.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets a comment from Brewers GM Doug Melvin: the team will fill current needs before discussing a Prince Fielder extension.
- Garrett Atkins to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post: "I know that I will be on another team next year."
- Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune feels that free agents Carl Pavano, Jarrod Washburn, and Rich Harden are potential fits for the Twins.
- Christensen's colleague Sid Hartman wonders if catcher Mike Redmond "could wind up with a job in the [Twins] organization." However, Redmond told MLB.com's Kelly Thesier a month ago that he plans on playing in 2010.
- Paul Hagen's Phillies source shot down a story that Pat Gillick could be heading back to the Blue Jays.
- Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball has a Winter Meetings primer.
- Chico Harlan is moving on from the Washington Post's Nationals beat, once a replacement is found.
Nightengale On Jackson, Swisher, Rays, Halladay
USA Today's Bob Nightengale suggests we keep an eye on a possible three-way trade between the Tigers, Mariners and one other club. The Tigers would give up Edwin Jackson and the Mariners would give up Brandon Morrow. Here are some more rumors to read as you wonder who that third team might be:
- Nightengale says the Rays are the "clear-cut favorite" to acquire Milton Bradley from the Cubs.
- The Yankees are apparently letting teams know that Nick Swisher is available. Swisher was involved in his share of trade rumors after the Yankees acquired him last season.
- The Dodgers are focusing on Roy Halladay, who would potentially cost Chad Billingsley and others.
Tigers Don’t Have To Dump Salaries; Could Trade
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski know a thing or two about fire sales, and he insists the Tigers aren't in the midst of one. The former Expos and Marlins exec told Lynn Henning of the Detroit News that he's only going to make solid baseball trades.
"I can assure you 100% that we do not have any kind of fire sale, or salary dump, or whatever you might call it, taking place," Dombrowski said.
The GM didn't mention Curtis Granderson or Edwin Jackson specifically, but both have been involved in trade rumors recently. It's still possible that the Tigers could deal one of the two players and Dombrowski said the Tigers are in conversations with other teams.
"To me, you're always in position where you listen to what people have to say," he said.
As long as the Tigers are wiling to listen, teams like the Brewers, Mariners and Cubs will continue to call. Dombrowski tells MLB.com's Jason Beck that the club's trade talks aren't likely to slow down negotiations with any of the team's free agents.
Odds & Ends: Phillies, Nationals, Mariners
There's no such thing as an offseason- just different kinds of on-seasons.
- Todd Zolecki of MLB.com believes the Phillies will find a replacement for Eric Bruntlett among John McDonald, Omar Vizquel, Jamey Carroll, Ronnie Belliard and Juan Uribe.
- According to Scott Olsen, arbitration-eligible member of the Washington Nationals (for now, anyway), his shoulder is now 100 percent.
- Larry Stone of the Seattle Times discusses how Edwin Jackson, Curtis Granderson, and John Lackey would look in Seattle.
- Tyler Hissey at Around the Majors talks Yankees' roster strategy.
- Dave Cameron tells us which minor league free agents are most worth pursuing, including Ruben Gotay.
- Dan Dibley of KNBR, the Giants' flagship station, weighs in on a number of topics in an interview with SFGiantsbaseball.net.
Mariners Interested In Edwin Jackson, Curtis Granderson
The Mariners are interested in Tigers starter Edwin Jackson, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. However, though names have been exchanged, a source tells the writers the talks are "not all that serious." The FOX writers say the Ms also like Curtis Granderson, who'd be used in left field. Rosenthal and Morosi downplay this rumor as well.
The cost for Jackson is young, affordable pitching, of course. The Brewers, Yankees, and Mets are three other clubs thought to be interested. Jackson is due an arbitration raise on this year's $2.2MM salary. He is one of a handful of well-paid Tigers who actually has strong trade value.
Odds & Ends: Butler, Holliday, Counsell
A batch of links to kick off the work week…
- Newly minted Royals Player of the Year Billy Butler has not held long-term extension talks with the team, MLBTR learned on a conference call today. Butler will not be arbitration-eligible until after the 2010 season.
- Desipio on the Cubs-Curtis Granderson idea: "In the end, this smells like a winter of Brian Roberts and Jake Peavy trade rumors. One that ends with us talking ourselves into how Marlon Byrd isn’t so bad after all."
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports believes it's a three-horse race for Matt Holliday: the Red Sox, Yankees, and Angels.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick writes about Jed Hoyer and the Adrian Gonzalez situation.
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that a dozen teams have expressed interest in free agent infielder Craig Counsell. He'd like a multiyear deal.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan sums up the Rangers' hot stove storylines.
- Evan Grant wonders what it would take for the Rangers to acquire Edwin Jackson.
- ESPN's Keith Law believes it'd be unwise for a team to acquire Dan Uggla and move him off second base.
- Sean Smith's 2010 CHONE projections for hitters are now available, so take a peek into his crystal ball.
- Jeremy Greenhouse of The Hardball Times cautions against misuses of the WAR statistic.
- Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail thinks the Blue Jays "will be all over" Brandon Phillips to play third base if the Reds make him available.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post suggests Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd will hold Type A free agent reliever Rafael Betancourt hostage with an arbitration offer. In my opinion, Betancourt has a decent chance of accepting.
- Tommy Rancel of DRays Bay talked to Rays VP of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman.
Brewers, Tigers Discuss Edwin Jackson
Between trades and free agents there are easily more than 50 starting pitchers available. The Brewers, looking to add two starters, figure to be linked to many.
One new name to pop up today is Detroit's Edwin Jackson; Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says that Brewers GM Doug Melvin has spoken to the Tigers about him. Atlanta could also match up with the Brewers, as MLB.com's Mark Bowman sees a possible match with Javier Vazquez and, to a lesser extent, Derek Lowe.
By my calculations, the Brewers should have more than $15MM to spend if they non-tender Dave Bush, Jody Gerut, and Seth McClung. Who would you like to see them pursue?
Odds & Ends: Griffey, Tigers, Torrealba
Let's have a look at another handful of evening links….
- MLB.com's Corey Brock reports that new Padres GM Jed Hoyer will sit down with Adrian Gonzalez next week to discuss the first baseman's future.
- Keith Law of ESPN.com shares his thoughts on the trades that have transpired so far during the hot stove season.
- Scott Miller of CBS Sports wraps up his observations from the GM meetings, and includes a quote from Angels GM Tony Reagins, saying the team will try their best to retain both John Lackey and Chone Figgins. I think they'd be doing very well if they were able to bring back even one of the two.
- What do the Cleveland Indians need to do to improve in 2010? The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes suggests that, considering the team's lack of payroll flexibility, the Indians just have to hope for better performances from many of their players.
- In comments relayed by Larry Stone of the Seattle Times, Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik was vague when asked about Ken Griffey Jr.'s playing time in 2010. Griffey and the Mariners reached an agreement earlier today, but it sounds like Junior could have a lesser role next season — particularly if the team is able to retain Russell Branyan and add another bat or two.
- Despite recent rumors about the availability of Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson, the Detroit Tigers don't intend to have a fire sale, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (via Twitter).
- Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune says that if Granderson is available, the Cubs need to pursue him.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post has additional details on Yorvit Torrealba's possible future with the Colorado Rockies.
- After hearing Scott Boras compare Matt Holliday to last winter's big free agent prize, Mark Teixeira, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs takes a detailed look at how the two players' values compare.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets that a few GMs came away from this week's meetings thinking that the market for the elite free agents this year will be "very, very limited."
- Ever the optimist, Scott Boras disagrees with this assessment of the market, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Boras argues that "we hear this every year" and predicts that the top free agents will still receive "mega-contracts."
Curtis Granderson Becomes Available
The Tigers are letting teams know center fielder Curtis Granderson is available, according to an NL executive who talked to the New York Post's Joel Sherman. Sherman believes the Yankees would have interest.
Sherman qualifies the rumor, saying Granderson nor Edwin Jackson are players the Tigers truly want to trade. Sherman notes that Jackson appeals to both New York teams.
While we named Granderson in our center fielder trade market post, we didn't think he was really available. One thing I learned writing that post is that Granderson's 2009 batting line was misleading, and he's well worth the $25.75MM owed to him over the next three seasons. The Tigers could restock the cupboards with a Granderson trade. Pure speculation, but might the Cubs be interested in the Illinois native? Way back in March of '07, Granderson talked to us about the possibility of playing in Chicago.