Eight Teams Interested In Grady Sizemore
TUESDAY, 11:27am: The Rockies have examined Sizemore's medical records and believe he's worth the risk on a one-year deal, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies expect to watch Sizemore work out in the coming days.
The A's have no interest in pursuing Sizemore, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
MONDAY, 7:38pm: There's no shortage of interest in Grady Sizemore this offseason. The free agent outfielder has drawn interest from eight teams, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. The Cubs, Rangers, Giants and Yankees are potential suitors for Sizemore, along with the Phillies, Rockies, Red Sox and Indians.
The Giants are interested, even after acquiring Melky Cabrera, and the Cubs view Sizemore as a possible fit in right field. The A's, who saw their entire outfield hit free agency after the season, have also been linked to Sizemore.
Sizemore's knees have limited him to 104 total games in the past two seasons, so the Indians declined their $9MM club option after the season, making the 29-year-old a free agent. He hit 10 homers and posted a .224/.285/.422 line in 2011, but Sizemore combined power, speed and on-base skills as one of baseball's premier center fielders from 2005-08.
Athletics Notes: Gonzalez, Bailey, Sizemore, Cespedes
We've seen a good amount of talk surrounding the A's lately and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle gave her take on it all..
- Even though it's been said that Billy Beane will listen on all of his players this offseason, that is standard operating procedure for the GM and nothing new. Beane's philosophy is that there is a match for any player, if the price is right.
- If GM Billy Beane could get a substantial return for them, Slusser could see him trading Gio Gonzalez or Andrew Bailey. Gonzalez is coveted by many contenders, with the Yankees at the head of the pack. Bailey's value isn't terribly high after missing the first-half of last season with elbow issues, but the skyrocketing price of closers helps his case. The two-time All-Star is under team control for three more years.
- Slusser believes that it would take a Dan Haren-type deal to pry Gonzalez away and doesn't see that happening.
- Of the bullpen options that the A's have, Bailey probably would make the most sense if the A’s were to trade a younger piece. Then again, Slusser notes that Grant Balfour is making more than Bailey and would also draw interest.
- Even though the A’s have been linked to Grady Sizemore, Slusser hasn't heard any rumblings at all from the team about the center fielder. The A’s are believed to be focusing on building a team with an eye towards a new stadium and signing Sizemore on a one-year deal doesn't fit with that idea.
- There also hasn't been any talk from the team of going after Yoenis Cespedes, who on paper is the kind of player that the team might have interest in. The A’s are not in the mode where they’ll do the kind of spending that it will take to land the 26-year-old, so it's not likely that they'll land him. They have had high level scouts and executives at games and workouts but the pricetag is likely too high for Oakland. Slusser suggests taking the Sizemore and Cespedes talk with a grain of salt until the team has more clarity on the stadium situation.
Cafardo On Red Sox, Cuddyer, Sizemore, Marlins
One of Red Sox GM Ben Cherington's toughest tasks this season will be finding fourth and fifth starters, writes Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. Cherington could do it by pursuing the top free agent hurlers on the open market or try to bolster the rotation via trade. It's widely expected that the White Sox will make either Gavin Floyd or John Danks available and Cafardo wonders if the Red Sox could get Anibal Sanchez back from the Marlins. Free agent Hiroki Kuroda is a likely target but appears to be out of reach. The veteran declined a chance to be traded to the Sox last season as he didn’t want to play anywhere but Los Angeles. Here's more from Cafardo..
- Free agent Michael Cuddyer isn't as high of a priority for the Phillies as portrayed by the media. A major league source characterized him as "a middle priority" and while Philadelphia would love to have him, the club isn't going to "go crazy" to make it happen.
- It's widely believed that Grady Sizemore could be had for a bargain price but the center fielder has a few teams pursuing him, including the Red Sox. However, his talks with Boston are in very preliminary stages, and his injury history and left-handed bat mean that he's an unlikely fit.
- An agent told Cafardo that the Marlins' offers to Albert Pujols, Mark Buehrle, and Jose Reyes should be taken seriously and are not for show.
- If the Marlins land Pujols or Prince Fielder, first baseman Gaby Sanchez will be major trade bait for the club.
- If the Red Sox don't make a lot of pitching moves, we could see Alfredo Aceves moved into the rotation. The right-hander pushed to start in the past but Terry Francona thought Aceves was too valuable to remove from his bullpen role.
- A National League scout says that center fielder Yoenis Cespedes is likely to be moved to one of the corner outfield spots in the majors. Yesterday, we learned that the Cuban defector may not become a free agent for two months.
Rockies Express Interest In Grady Sizemore
The Rockies have expressed interest in free agent outfielder Grady Sizemore, reports Troy Renck of The Denver Post. The team is casting a wide net as they look for offensive help, but Renck says they are not expected to aggressively pursue Sizemore until they exhaust all trade options with the Braves for Martin Prado.
The Red Sox and Phillies have checked in on Sizemore, but the Mets are unlikely to get involved. Yesterday we heard that the 29-year-old outfielder is looking for a one-year contract in order to rebuild his value, similar to Adrian Beltre's stint with the Red Sox. The Rockies need help in left field as Tim Dierkes wrote in his Offseason Outlook, and Coors Field is a pretty good place to hit. Obviously the key for Sizemore at this point is staying healthy.
Quick Hits: Astros, Sizemore, A’s, Phillies, CBA
On a day when Jonathan Papelbon switched teams and the Miami Marlins were officially born, the biggest and best news was unquestionably Wilson Ramos' rescue from kidnappers in his native Venezuela. Here are a few other items as we head into the weekend…
- The Astros' potential sale to Jim Crane is on the agenda at next week's owners meetings, reports The Associated Press. Two sources say Crane, Drayton McLane and Major League Baseball have "reached an understanding" on how the Astros could move to the American League in 2013.
- Crane could be getting as much as an $80MM discount off his original price for the team by agreeing to move the Astros to the AL, tweets Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman.
- Grady Sizemore is looking for a one-year contract so he can re-establish his value for a longer-term deal next winter, reports Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Heyman makes the comparison to the one-year deal Adrian Beltre signed with the Red Sox before the 2010 season, which saw Beltre have a big season and earn a multiyear deal with the Rangers last winter. Sizemore won't match the $10MM Beltre got from Boston, but a $6-7MM deal with incentives seems reasonable.
- Heyman says the Athletics are interested in Sizemore but are worried about his health and his asking price.
- With the Phillies reportedly interested in both Sizemore and Jason Kubel, Fangraphs' Eric Seidman argues that Sizemore is the better choice for the Phils.
- The Phillies want to sign Michael Cuddyer and re-sign Jimmy Rollins but the club finds both players' asking prices to be too high, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
- Major League Baseball and the Players' Association are expected to "continue to negotiate amicably" about the new collective bargaining agreement over the weekend, reports Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- Also from Rosenthal, he thinks teams take a major risk by hiring managers with little or no Major League managing or coaching experience.
- The Pirates' offseason moves will be influenced by the number of players on the roster who are out of options, writes MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
Red Sox In On Madson, Bell, Cuddyer, Sizemore
After seven seasons and a World Series title with the Red Sox, Jonathan Papelbon is leaving Boston for the Phillies and $50MM. Here's the latest on the Red Sox, starting with an update on the bullpen…
- The Red Sox will be in on Ryan Madson and Heath Bell, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Boston isn't yet committed to Daniel Bard as the closer.
- The Red Sox had preliminary talks with Michael Cuddyer's representatives, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.
- They’ve also been in touch with Grady Sizemore’s agents, Bradford reports (on Twitter).
East Notes: Sizemore, Mets, Phillies
Some notes to pass along from the AL and NL East …
- The Red Sox have contacted free agent outfielder Grady Sizemore, tweets Mike Silverman of the Boston Herald, and they are not thought to have spoken to free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran. Both players remain a long shot for Boston, according to Silverman, until the Red Sox figure out whether they want to re-sign David Ortiz.
- The Mets will likely seek an affordable closer this offseason, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, who spoke to three stoppers who might fit that bill: Jonathan Broxton, Brad Lidge and Joe Nathan. Broxton's agent told Martino that Brox is seeking an incentive-laden one-year deal with perhaps a vesting option, and he's willing to pitch as a setup man or a closer. Lidge's agent said Lidge, too, is flexible with respect to his role, and Nathan said he is receptive to either a short- or long-term contract.
- Now that the Phillies' agreement on a four-year contract with Ryan Madson has either fallen through or never actually materialized in the first place, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald opines that Jonathan Papelbon, like Madson, is unlikely to secure a contract of four or more years from Philly. Just reading the tea leaves, it looks like the fourth year will be the primary haggling point for Madson and Papelbon in their respective negotiations.
Stark On Pujols, Fielder, Manny, Royals
MLB executives expect Albert Pujols to re-sign in St. Louis, but predicting Prince Fielder’s next team is considerably more challenging. ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark surveyed a dozen MLB executives about likely landing spots for the two free agent first basemen and the details are worth examining. Here they are, along with more notes from Stark:
- The average prediction for Pujols’ next contract was more than $28MM per season for 8.5 years. All but one respondent expect Pujols to re-sign with the Cardinals, though there’s buzz that the Cubs, Marlins and Rangers are “gearing up” for him.
- Executives expect Fielder to sign a seven-year deal in the $22-23MM range. Some doubt NL teams would commit more than five years to Fielder because of concerns that he’ll be incapable of playing passable defense once he hits his mid-thirties.
- Manny Ramirez tried out for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, but it didn’t go well, possibly because Japanese teams prefer to avoid players with baggage.
- The players and owners are considering significant changes to the schedule in talks for a new collective bargaining agreement. The sides are considering a proposal that would split MLB teams into six divisions of five teams, ensure identical schedules for teams within the same division and boost inter-league play considerably.
- Stark hears that the Nationals are focused on finding veteran starting pitching and a center fielder. One executive believes the team prefers Mark Buehrle to C.J. Wilson or Roy Oswalt.
- The Phillies have interest in Jason Kubel and have checked in on Grady Sizemore.
- More than six teams have expressed interest in Jimmy Rollins.
- The Braves seem interested in shedding salary and they continue to float Jair Jurrjens’ name. It appears that they’d move Martin Prado after his disappointing 2011 season.
- Rival teams say the Royals are no longer looking to trade for a top-of-the-rotation starter, according to Stark. They acquired Jonathan Sanchez earlier in the week and now prefer to hold their prospects and spend on back-of-the-rotation arms.
- The Red Sox are less likely to spend on a right fielder if they re-sign free agent DH David Ortiz.
Rosenthal On Butler, Sizemore, Orioles
The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- The Phillies have serious interest in free agent Michael Cuddyer, although Rosenthal is skeptical of them adding a player who turns 33 in March. Rosenthal says other left fielders are in the mix, but none are ideal. One player Rosenthal did not mention is Josh Willingham, who I can see the Phillies considering. As for a splash at shortstop, Rosenthal says Jose Reyes' leg problems scare the Phillies.
- The Orioles were desperate to find a new GM and Dan Duquette was desperate to be a GM again, writes Rosenthal. A press conference is expected this week to announce Duquette's three-year deal.
- The Royals view Billy Butler and Eric Hosmer as their 3-4 hitters long-term, so don't look for Butler on the trade market this winter. The 25-year-old is potentially under team control through 2015 on an extension signed in January.
- Rosenthal sees Grady Sizemore landing with a high-revenue team for an amount close to the $9MM option Cleveland passed on. I'd be surprised if he tops $7MM guaranteed. Sizemore's agent Joe Urbon said his client prefers to play center field, but is open to a corner spot.
- The Orioles are trying to add pitching depth via the six-year minor league free agent market. Here's the list of minor league free agents from Matt Eddy of Baseball America.
- Rosenthal says to look for Ryne Sandberg to be promoted to Phillies bench coach of Pete Mackanin is hired by the Cubs or Red Sox. He also thinks recently-fired Cubs manager Mike Quade would then be a possibility to manage the Phillies' Triple-A club.
Rockies Notes: Cuddyer, Ramirez, Sizemore
The Rockies won’t commit to players over 30 on long-term deals, according to Dave Krieger of the Denver Post. Here are some more notes on the Rockies:
- The Rockies have expressed interest in free agent outfielder Michael Cuddyer, who may prove to be too expensive for Colorado’s budget.
- The Rockies will be looking for third base help this offseason, but Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd indicated no interest in Aramis Ramirez at the length of contract he’s looking for, according to Krieger.
- Cuddyer is a Type A free agent and will probably cost a draft pick, while Ramirez is a Type B and definitely won't cost a pick.
- Grady Sizemore intrigues O’Dowd as a potential value signing.
- Third base prospect Nolan Arenado has impressed O’Dowd by hitting well in the Arizona Fall League. The 2009 second round pick may be accelerating his minor league development with his production in the AFL.
- Generally speaking, O’Dowd doesn’t intend to force trades for the sake of trades. “I personally think a lot our issues are internal, not external,” he told Krieger.
- For a close look at the Rockies check out Tim Dierkes offseason outlook.