Twins Looking To Upgrade Infield, Rotation
The Minnesota Twins are interested in bolstering their infield and their starting rotation, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. For now, they seem to be adopting a wait-and-see approach, in hopes that the asking prices for some free agents will drop. Here are the highlights from Morosi's update:
- According to a source, Jarrod Washburn, Jon Garland, Doug Davis, and Brett Myers are among the Twins' pitching targets.
- Garland, who is hoping to sign a multi-year deal, may be out of the Twins' price range.
- The Twins are interested in Mark DeRosa and Adrian Beltre, but may not be able to afford them either. Their more realistic infield options include Miguel Tejada and Juan Uribe.
- The Indians could move Jhonny Peralta, but the Twins "haven't actively pursued a trade" for him yet.
Orioles, Mariners Interested In Jason Marquis
4:35pm: An Orioles official told MASN's Roch Kubatko not to get too excited about Marquis. Kubatko says the Orioles are "more likely to sign a pitcher who's coming off injury to an incentive-ladened deal." They're known to have interest in bringing Erik Bedard back, for example.
3:20pm: This week we learned that the Phillies, Mets, and Nationals are in on free agent starter Jason Marquis. Today Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports add two American League clubs to the mix: the Mariners and Orioles. Marquis' positive traits: he can eat innings, and he was third in baseball with a 55.6% groundball rate.
The FOX writers note that the Mariners are in on many free agent starters, including John Lackey, Ben Sheets, Doug Davis, and Jarrod Washburn. This is the first I've heard of the Sheets connection.
Mariners Seek Starting Pitching
The Mariners are looking for starting pitchers, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. John Lackey, Doug Davis and Jarrod Washburn are all on Seattle's list, according to Morosi.
Lackey, the top free agent starter, has been linked to the Mariners for a while. One consideration for GM Jack Zduriencik: the Angels already have the Mariners' first round selection in next year's draft, so the M's would only have to give up a 54th overall pick to sign Lackey, even though he's a Type A free agent. That would deprive the Angels of the chance to obtain two first rounders.
Washburn has been linked to the Twins and Brewers, but the Mariners could be a fit, too. He excelled in Seattle this year, pitching to a 2.64 ERA in 20 starts, though his peripherals were not as good as the low ERA suggests. We've seen Davis connected to the Mariners, too, though he hasn't pitched in the AL since 2003.
Twins May Target Rich Harden
Free agent starter Rich Harden was a major topic of discussion in MLB.com's Kelly Thesier's mailbag piece today, where it was confirmed that Minnesota has had interest in acquiring the Canadian right-hander in the past and may look to do so again this winter.
Thesier reports that the Twins put in a claim on Harden last August before the Cubs pulled the pitcher back off of waivers. Minnesota ended up trading for Carl Pavano on August 7 to bolster their pitching staff en route to their successful chase of the AL Central title.
Though Minnesota has a number of young pitchers both in their rotation and their minor league system, Thesier argues this actually gives the Twins more incentive to sign Harden, given that the team feels they have the depth to fill the void should the injury-plagued Harden again find himself on the disabled list. Harden posted a 4.09 ERA and 10.9 K/9 rate with Chicago last season and is very used to pitching to the bigger bats of the American League after spending the first five and a half years of his career in Oakland. It has been speculated that Harden will sign an incentives-laden short-term contract since his injury history will prevent teams from offering longer-term deals, and such a one or two-year contract might appeal to the budget-conscious Twins.
Thesier's mailbag also covers such topics as the possibility of the Twins re-signing Pavano, re-signing Orlando Cabrera to play second or third base, an interest in free agent starter Jarrod Washburn and the status of the dispute between the club and starter Glen Perkins, so it's well worth the read.
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.
Twins And Brewers On Washburn’s Radar
Free agent lefty Jarrod Washburn hasn't made much of a secret of his desire to play near his Webster, Wisconsin home, and he told FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi that both the Twins and Brewers are on his radar.
"The Twins and Brewers are both on the radar for me," Washburn said. "The thought of playing close to home has always appealed to me, and I think both of those teams would be good fits for me.
"I don't know yet if either of those teams have mutual interest, but we will see."
Obviously, those two teams fit Washburn's geographical desires. Both are said to be seeking veteran starters this offseason as well. Washburn also feels there's "mutual interest" in a return to the Mariners, noting that he enjoyed his time in Seattle and his family loved it there.
He also mentioned that his surgically repaired knee feels good.
"The surgery on the knee wasn't real extensive," Washburn told FOXSports.com in a Wednesday e-mail. "Dr. (Lewis) Yocum said he didn't have to do too much in there — just a little cleaning up.
"It feels great now, almost like I didn't even have a surgery. So, I don't see it being a problem for me in the future."
The Tigers acquired the 35-year-old from Seattle at the trade deadline, only to see him pitch to a 7.33 ERA in eight starts. Washburn has already received word from Detroit that they will not attempt to re-sign him.
Tigers Talk: Verlander, Payroll, Free Agents
Steve Kornacki of MLive.com has plenty of material from Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski for us this morning, but it's all spread out among several articles. We're here to make things easy for you, so let's round 'em up…
- Dombrowski indicated that no player on his team is untouchable, but "there are some on our club that we want to hold on to." He also added that there was more trade talk at the GM meetings this year than in previous years.
- The team obviously wants to keep Justin Verlander around for a long time, but Dombrowski wouldn't comment about the possibility of locking him up to a long-term deal. "I won't get into that because that is best kept internal," he said. Verlander can become a free agent after the 2011 season.
- Dombrowksi acknowledged that the team is "looking to be fiscally responsible," citing economic changes in the community.
- The Tigers called both Jarrod Washburn and Aubrey Huff this week to let them to know the team won't be pursuing them. We first heard the team won't attempt the re-sign the two a little over a week ago.
- MLB.com's Jason Beck reports that the team has had contact with the agents for Fernando Rodney, Brandon Lyon, Placido Polanco, and Adam Everett, but the talks were believed to be just preliminary.
Odds & Ends: Bellorin, Chapman, Cardinals
Links for Friday…
- Frankie Piliere of AOL FanHouse takes at Yankees prospects who could draw attention in trade talks.
- The Royals signed catcher Edwin Bellorin to a minor league deal, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Bellorin, 28 in February, hit .277/.308/.351 in 216 plate appearances in his fourth Triple A stint.
- David Waldstein of the New York Times profiles new Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos.
- Ronald Blum of the AP chatted with Aroldis Chapman, who doesn't mind beginning his pro career in the minors.
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince expects a quiet offseason for the Indians, though he wonders if they could bring back Omar Vizquel.
- Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reiterates that Joe Crede and Jarrod Washburn are on the Twins' radar.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch believes the Cardinals will be involved with more than just Joel Pineiro among our Top 50 Free Agents, and he names many candidates.
- Click here to watch our mention as ESPN SportsNation's Site of the Day yesterday.
Mariners Rumors: Matsui, Lackey, Harden
In his latest article, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times examines some names that have been linked to the Mariners, and speculates on how likely each player is to end up in Seattle. Let's take a look at some of his thoughts….
- If Hideki Matsui were to leave New York, Stone doesn't expect the designated hitter to sign with the Mariners. Seattle would prefer a DH that could play the field occasionally, which Matsui probably can't do.
- How aggressively the Mariners pursue John Lackey will depend on the market. If Lackey could be had at a reasonable price, Stone anticipates the team making "a big push."
- Rich Harden heading back west to the AL West "has legs," according to Stone. He views Harden as a worthwhile gamble this winter, and one the Mariners could look into.
- If the team's pursuit of Lackey, Harden, or other higher-profile pitching targets fell through, Doug Davis could be a cheaper option.
- Among the free agents Stone doesn't see the Mariners being major players for: Jason Bay, Orlando Hudson, and Jarrod Washburn.
- Stone also doesn't buy into the Lyle Overbay rumors.
Brewers Eyeing Starting Pitchers
Regarding the Brewers' search for starting pitching, we heard yesterday that John Lackey is unlikely while Jarrod Washburn and Doug Davis are possibilities. Today, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has further details.
Brewers GM Doug Melvin didn't seem to rule out Lackey, saying:
"It depends what they’re asking for. I don’t know if it could fit or not. I might have to make some other moves to make it fit."
Haudricourt says Randy Wolf could be a more reasonable target; Melvin met with his agent Arn Tellem at the GM Meetings. Wolf is seeking a multiyear deal. Tellem's agency also represents Joel Pineiro, Rich Harden, and Vicente Padilla, by the way.
Haudricourt adds that Melvin spoke to Steve Canter, who represents Davis. Plus, Scott Boras confirmed the Brewers' interest in Washburn. And what about Braden Looper, who has a $6.5MM mutual option? MLB.com's Adam McCalvy says that's due Saturday.
Another Brewers note: Melvin reiterated that Prince Fielder is not available, and confirmed that he'd like to pursue a long-term extension with his first baseman before the season begins.