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Giancarlo Stanton

Rangers Notes: Stanton, Borbon, Orioles

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Yesterday, we learned that the Rangers are "growing confident" that they'll be able to find a taker for Julio Borbon after designating him for assignment last week.  We already know that the Twins are among the teams with interest in the 27-year-old, but another interested club has emerged.  Meanwhile, the Rangers are in the early stages of plotting what would be a much bigger move.  Here's the latest out of Arlington, courtesy of ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider sub. req'd).

  • The Rangers are doing early reconnaissance and prep work on what it would take to land Giancarlo Stanton down the road, according to Olney.  In a poll last week, roughly 70% of MLBTR readers said that the Marlins star would be traded either this season or following the 2013 season.  Only 4% see Stanton signing a long-term deal to remain with Miami.
  • The Orioles have interest in trading for Borbon, but the asking price is high.  The out-of-options outfielder posted a .304/.349/.433 slash line for Triple-A Round Rock in 2012.  Recently, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan suggested that the Rangers might get a reliever in return for Borbon.

NL Notes: Lohse, Lilly, Mets

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The Brewers' Kyle Lohse visited with his old team in the Cardinals' clubhouse on Saturday, MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch reports. Lohse signed with the Brewers after a long offseason that began with Lohse and his agent, Scott Boras, declining the Cardinals' qualifying offer. There wasn't much of a market for Lohse after that, mostly because the team that signed him would have to sacrifice a draft pick. He finally signed a three-year, $33MM deal with the Brewers. Lohse reflects on the twisting path that led him to Milwaukee: "[Declining the Cardinals' qualifying offer] makes me look bad, [because] that's a lot of money. But is it fair value for what I had done? No," says Lohse. "Even going back on it, I'd still do the same thing. You have to go out and take your chances. Now, going forward, I don't know what other people in my situation are going to do." Here are more notes from the National League:

Poll: When Will Giancarlo Stanton Be Traded?

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The Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton hit 93 home runs in his first 371 games, leading MLB in slugging percentage last year as a 22-year-old.  He's under team control through 2016 and hasn't gotten expensive yet.  The Marlins sliced payroll drastically in the November blockbuster with the Blue Jays, but Stanton won't even be arbitration eligible until after this season.  If we look at the examples of Miguel Cabrera and Josh Beckett, they were traded with three years of big league service time, a point Stanton will reach after this season.

The 2005 Marlins were trying to win, however, and that's probably why Beckett was dealt after the season rather than during it.  Cabrera was not dealt as part of the team's fire sale during the 2005-06 offseason, but rather after the '07 season.  So, Cabrera stayed with the club for two full post-fire sale seasons.

When star shortstop Hanley Ramirez had two years of big league service, the Marlins signed him to a record-setting six-year extension.  He remained with the team for the first three-plus years of that deal, and was traded to the Dodgers after a notable decline in performance.

Your turn to weigh in: with nearly every team in baseball wanting to get their hands on Giancarlo Stanton, when will he be traded?

Mets Monitoring Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Gonzalez

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The Mets "retain an unfilled craving for a marquee outfielder," writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, and are monitoring superstars such as Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins and Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies.  One Mets person told Martino "there is heat there," in regard to the team having a preliminary discussion with the Marlins about Stanton.  Still, Martino is unsure whether GMs Sandy Alderson and Larry Beinfest have discussed the powerful right fielder.

To acquire four years of Stanton, the Mets would likely have to part with their two best prospects, pitcher Zack Wheeler and catcher Travis D'Arnaud.  An associate of Alderson's told Martino the GM "did not have any extra attachment to those players, simply because he traded for them."

According to Martino, the Mets debated using Wheeler to get Justin Upton or Wil Myers, during the Winter Meetings.  They also considered asking for the Dodgers' Andre Ethier in an R.A. Dickey deal, and this spring checked in on the Cubs' Alfonso Soriano.  So, it appears the Mets' long-term interest in improving the outfield runs the gamut, from the game's best young stars to overpaid veterans.  The Mets were willing to increase payroll to the $125MM range last winter for the right players, writes Martino.

Keep in mind that no deals are close, and the idea that Stanton or CarGo could become available this year is speculation.

Quick Hits: Tanaka, Headley, Stanton, Crawford

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Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka may be the next Japanese pitcher to turn a strong World Baseball Classic performance into a nine-figure Major League contract, ESPN's C.J. Nitkowski writes (Insider subscription required).  Tanaka, 24, has a 2.50 ERA, 8.6 K/9 and 4.34 K/BB ratio in 1103 IP over six seasons with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.  Tanaka has expressed interest in pitching in North America and is three years away from international free agency, though Rakuten could open the posting process before then.

Here's the latest from around the majors…

  • The Padres are starting to listen to offers for Chase Headley, Bill Madden of the New York Daily News reports.  The Padres tabled extension talks with Headley earlier this winter after the two sides were far apart on terms.  The third baseman is under contract through the 2014 season and Madden argues that the Yankees should make a move for a young star like Headley or Giancarlo Stanton in order to bolster the lineup and ensure the team will contend this year.
  • "The fact is, this is the right time to trade Stanton. He’s never going to have more value than this," a Marlins operative tells Madden, arguing that such an unpopular move can't hurt a team that is already at rock bottom in terms of public perception.  “I understand Jeffrey [Loria]’s getting killed in Miami over blowing up the team this winter and why he doesn’t want to trade Stanton. But how much more can we get killed?  He’s already had some injury issues, and we’re never going to sign him to a long-term deal," Madden's source said.
  • Carl Crawford criticized the Boston media and told CBS Sports' Danny Knobler that he erred in signing with the Red Sox in the 2010-11 offseason.  "It just wasn't the right place for me at the end of my day. I didn't do my homework. Maybe they didn't, either," Crawford said.
  • If the Tigers do acquire a reliever, MLB.com's Jason Beck believes such a deal isn't likely until nearer to the end of Spring Training when other teams have their own bullpen situations settled.
  • Chone Figgins feels a lack of playing time exacerbated his struggles with the Mariners and is looking forward to seeing more action playing under NL rules with the Marlins, The Associated Press reports.
  • Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster have both looked good in Spring Training and the Red Sox could reap more than financial benefits from last summer's trade with the Dodgers if these two young pitchers develop, John Tomase of the Boston Herald writes.  Tomase also talks to Rays manager Joe Maddon about how the Rays were targeting De La Rosa before L.A. dealt him to Boston.

NL East Notes: Phillies, Stanton, Marlins

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Baseball Prospectus' preseason projections have the Nationals and Braves ahead of the Phillies in the National League East. That's how the standings looked in 2012, and most observers seem to expect similar results in 2013. However, Phillies special assistant Pat Gillick sees things differently. Here are the details…

  • Gillick told Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he believes the Phillies can contend for "two or three more years." Gillick, the team's former GM, said he likes the club's approach this spring. "They really want to win. When people have that attitude, it carries them a long way," he said (link via the Miami Herald).
  • The Marlins renewed the contract of Giancarlo Stanton for $537K, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. Stanton's not earning much more than the MLB minimum of $490K for now, but he'll earn a substantial raise one year from now when he's arbitration eligible for the first time.
  • Marlins fans agree that owner Jeffrey Loria isn't good for baseball in Miami, Greg Cote of the Miami Herald reports. Loria addressed reporters multiple times this past week, offering insight about the team’s busy offseason and future direction.

Loria On Offseason, Stanton, No-Trade Clauses

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The Marlins are a team mired in controversy this offseason, as owner Jeffrey Loria adamantly denies that his trades over the past month constitute a fire sale, while many fans and media members think differently. Loria addressed reporters today, including the Palm Beach Post's Joe Capozzi. Here are some of the takeaways from Loria's address, per Capozzi…

  • Despite previous reports, Loria says that he never told Jose Reyes to buy a house in Miami. Loria said that he called Reyes' agent out of respect to inform him of the trade days prior to the move while Reyes was still looking for a house.
  • Loria stresses that the team is not for sale, and that from a baseball perspective his trade with the Blue Jays makes sense. "We had three or four prospects in our system. We didn’t have people in our system that we could call up last year… As I said to somebody last week. We didn’t break up the 1927 Yankees. We broke up a losing ballclub that was going nowhere for two straight years."
  • The Marlins will not extend a long-term offer to Giancarlo Stanton this season. Loria says that he wants Stanton to be the centerpiece of the Marlins long-term, and that he harbors no negative feelings toward Stanton for the slugger's harsh comments following the Blue Jays trade.
  • Juan C. Rodriguez of the Miami Sun-Sentinel adds that Loria doesn't feel his chances of signing Stanton long-term after this offseason have lessened or improved "even by one percent."
  • Loria and president David Samson both were non-committal when asked if they would change the team stance on no-trade clauses. However, neither party stated that the policy would remain, and they implied that they could reassess in the future (Rodriguez reporting).

NL East Notes: Rodriguez, Young, Stanton

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MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner told reporters yesterday that he wants to see the Mets follow through on their stated intention of spending more aggressively. "I think everybody would like to see the Mets as a competitive team, and it's going to require a higher payroll,” Weiner said. Here are more NL East-related notes…

  • It doesn't appear likely that the Mets will consider Francisco Rodriguez, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). They had some interest in a reunion with the free agent right-hander earlier in the winter.
  • GM Mike Rizzo implied that right-hander Chris Young has an out-clause in his minor league deal with the Nationals, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). It appears that the Nationals need Young’s permission to assign him to Triple-A. Ross Ohlendorf doesn’t have an opt-out, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times reports (on Twitter).
  • Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton told Yahoo's Jeff Passan that he tries not to concern himself with his team's recent change in direction. "What are you gonna do?" Stanton said. "Honestly, what? There's nothing you can do. You express your feelings, and that's about it."
  • Another Marlins outfielder, Juan Pierre, told MLBTR correspondent B.J. Rains that he’s pleased to be returning to the Marlins, even as fans express frustration over the team’s offseason moves.

NL East Notes: Gio, Owings, Stanton, Young

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Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez was one of several players whose names were found in the records of Biogenesis, a Miami clinic linked to PEDs, as revealed last month by the Miami New Times.  According to a new report from ESPN's Mike Fish and T.J. Quinn, however, none of the substances that Gonzalez allegedly purchased are banned by Major League Baseball.  Gonzalez has denied any personal involvement with Biogenesis, though his father is a client of the clinic. 

Here are some more items from around the NL East…

Quick Hits: Stanton, Twins, Harden, Strasburg

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Earlier today, Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes reflected on his short time in Miami and told reporters that he feels sorry for former Marlins teammate Giancarlo Stanton.  "What is there to feel sorry for me about?," Stanton told the press, including Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. "I'm in the big leagues. I play a game for a living."  Stanton went on to say that he won't pout about his situation this season, but that won't stop people from speculating about his future in Miami.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • If the Indians decide to trade outfielder Drew Stubbs, Twins general manager Terry Ryan will probably get a nudge from special assistant Wayne Krivsky, writes Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.  During his tenure as Reds general manager, Krivsky had a hand in taking Stubbs eighth overall in the 2006 draft.
  • More from Wolfson, who tweets that Rich Harden will earn a $1MM base salary if he makes the Twins.  Harden inked a minor league deal with a big league spring training invite with Minnesota earlier this offseason.
  • Nationals’ right-hander Stephen Strasburg is eager to prove that he can handle a full 200-plus inning load, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports in a lengthy piece.  Strasburg wants to “be the horse in the rotation” for 2013 and beyond.
  • Recently-acquired Astro Chris Carter told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart that he is looking forward to playing a major role on the rebuilding Houston club.  The 26-year-old Carter is coming off of his first season of consistent playing time on a Major League roster, a 2012 campaign in which he hit 16 home runs for the Athletics over 260 plate appearances.  While Carter was primarily a first-baseman for the A's, McTaggart writes that Carter figures to see a lot of time in the outfield in 2013.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

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