Odds & Ends: Gomes, Coffey, Nolasco, Vazquez
Links for Thursday…
- Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that team sources have told him that the Cubs are looking at Jonny Gomes as a fourth outfielder. Gomes – who proved to be one of the best minor league deals of 2009 – confirms.
- The Brewers signed arbitration-eligible reliever Todd Coffey for $2.025MM, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. That's just short of the midpoint.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro writes that a strong 2010 season would lead the Marlins to explore a multiyear deal with Ricky Nolasco. Nolasco is under team control through 2012, and will earn $3.8MM in his second arbitration year.
- Yankees pitcher Javier Vazquez spoke to Puerto Rican newspaper La Perla del Sur. MLBTR's translator Nick Collias supplies this interesting quote: "I don't have much playing time left…I go year by year, and I don’t know if it will be one, two or three years, but I'm definitely not going to play until 40." Vazquez is eligible for free agency after the season.
- Rockies outfielder Dexter Fowler switched to Scott Boras in November, Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post wrote in a Monday blog post. Fowler's been added to our Scott Boras client list, which can always be found on the sidebar.
- MLBTR missed this January 14th signing: the White Sox added Daniel Cabrera on a minor league deal. Cabrera, 29 in May, posted a 0.55 K/BB ratio and 6.00 ERA in 51 big league innings last year.
- The Mets and Diamondbacks haven't had any new discussions for catcher Chris Snyder, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Piecoro examines the debate about whether to trade Snyder.
- Luke Scott wants to play defense, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Scott says he's "taking one for the team" by serving as DH, and it hurts him in contract negotiations.
- Slugger Jim Thome continues to keep the door open for the White Sox, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. However, in comments to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, manager Ozzie Guillen indicated a preference to avoid a permanent DH.
Odds & Ends: Schumaker, Chapman, Thome
Sunday linkage…
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reflects on Eric Byrnes' time with the D'Backs.
- Skip Schumaker tells MLB.com's Matthew Leach that he and the Cardinals are nearing an agreement on a 2010 contract.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets that the Marlins were willing to offer $20MM to Aroldis Chapman.
- MLB.com's Scott Merkin writes that a handful of teams have contacted Jim Thome, including the Rays, though nothing is imminent.
- Owner Tom Ricketts defended general manager Jim Hendry this Saturday at the Cubs' annual convention, according to Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com.
- Shi Davidi from the Canadian Press spoke with both Justin Morneau and Jeff Francis at Baseball Canada's Annual Awards Banquet Saturday. Morneau expects to begin full workouts in a couple of weeks as a season-ending stress fracture in his back appears to have healed without issue. Francis is recovering from shoulder surgery but expects to be ready for Spring Training.
- Bill Ladson tweets that Ryan Zimmerman thinks the Nationals are having their best offseason since he's been with the organization. Some of the larger moves we've seen the Nats make include signing Jason Marquis, Matt Capps, and Ivan Rodriguez, in addition to trading for Brian Bruney.
- Eric Chavez told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he is comfortable with shifting to a utility role after the addition of third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff.
- Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) "overheard" that the Brewers will sign at least one more pitcher. Recently, Milwaukee outrighted pitcher Omar Aguilar to Triple-A, though assistant GM Gord Ash claimed it wasn't in anticipation of an acquisition.
- ESPN's Buster Olney writes that the Marlins didn't give Josh Johnson an extension just to appease the "Powers That Be". Those within the organization expected the deal to get done well before the joint press release from the commissioner's office and the players' union.
- Olney also writes that the Marlins are still looking for bullpen help and will sift through the remaining free agent relievers, including Kiko Calero. Florida declined to offer arbitration to Calero, to avoid giving him a raise on his $500K salary in 2009.
Rangers In “Serious Talks” With Guerrero
3:46pm: Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets that the Rangers are in "serious talks" with Vlad about a deal that would be worth about $5MM plus incentives.
1:52pm: MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers have offered Guerrero a contract. However, Sullivan's sources indicate that it wasn't close to $7MM. Interestingly, Sullivan hears from executives who haven't heard Guerrero's name connected with any other team.
The Rangers have expressed interest in Jim Thome, according to Sullivan.
11:20am: Richard Durrett of ESPN.com hears that though the Rangers have been in regular contact with Vlad's representatives, the two sides haven't made progress towards a deal. Guerrero still wants a two-year contract.
10:50am: Yahoo's Tim Brown hears that the Rangers haven't made any official offers to DH candidates.
9:30am: Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets that the Rangers offered about $5MM.
FRIDAY, 9:10am: Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram hears from a team source that the Rangers did not offer Vlad $7MM.
THURSDAY, 4:01pm: A source tells ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that the Rangers aren't likely to commit more than $5MM to Vlad.
3:00pm: Sullivan hears that Vlad isn't particularly happy with the Rangers' offer, though he hasn't seen a better one from any other team.
1:47pm: The Rangers have offered Vladimir Guerrero a one-year deal worth $7MM, according to this tweet from Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes (Hat Tip: Jorge Arangure Jr.'s Twitter). We've heard about the Rangers' potential interest in Vlad for months now and T.R. Sullivan reported yesterday that the Rangers are very much interested in the 2004 AL MVP.
Vlad hit .295/.334/.460 last year for the Angels and made $15MM. He's in line for a pay-cut this offseason because of his fading power (32 extra base hits last year) and questionable defense (consistently weak, according to UZR/150). Vlad is one of the best hitters of his generation, but the surplus of DH-types probably means he won't see offers much better than this.
Rangers Considering DH Targets
MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan has the latest on the Rangers' pursuit of a free agent designated hitter. He suggests the Rangers are very interested in Vladimir Guerrero and Jermaine Dye, and consider Xavier Nady an intriguing name. Gary Sheffield and Jim Thome are also in the mix.
There are issues with Vlad and Dye. With Vlad, it's a matter of agreeing on the financials. Maybe Guerrero expects big money, but I imagine reality will set in a month from now. DH jobs are few and far between. Dye, on the other hand, isn't quite ready to stop playing defense.
Odds & Ends: Thome, Chapman, Mariners
Links for Tuesday, as we wait for the hot stove to reignite…
- MSG's Tina Cervasio tweeted that she saw Jim Thome at a Detroit area hotel, prompting ESPN's Jerry Crasnick to wonder (via Twitter) if there's a match with the Tigers.
- ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. points out that Aroldis Chapman stands to lose millions of dollars due to taxes if he signs in 2010.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times looks at the Mariners' remaining trade bait.
- ESPN's Buster Olney feels that Scott Boras' reputation "will remain cemented" no matter how the rest of the offseason plays out. Olney also notes that other agents, such as the Levinson brothers, moved quickly to get many of their top clients signed.
- John Tomase of the Boston Herald has a few free agent relief names for the Red Sox to consider.
Rangers Resume Search For Bat
The Texas Rangers will look for alternative options to strengthen their lineup after their acquisition of Mike Lowell fell through, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels declined to discuss Lowell's situation but said, "I expect we'll still add to the club in a few spots. We've been in regular contact with guys we're interested in and I like our options. Fortunately for us, the market is relatively strong in the areas we're looking at."
Sullivan notes that the Rangers have interest in veterans Vladimir Guerrero and Jermaine Dye, but that Vlad is looking for a multi-year deal, while Dye may not want to sign with a team that will use him primarily a DH. Both players have been below-average defenders for years, according to Fangraphs: Dye has recorded a -21.4 UZR/150 or worse for the last four seasons, while Guerrero only played two games in the outfield in 2009 (his 2006-2008 fielding stats aren't good either). It's hard to imagine that any team will be eager to sign either player with the intention of using them frequently on defense.
If the Rangers decide to pursue a left-handed bat instead, Jim Thome is a likely possibility, according to Sullivan.
Odds & Ends: Orioles, Dodgers, Beltre, Pujols
Let's round up some Thursday evening links….
- The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly hears from Orioles officials that the team isn't serious about Matt Holliday or Adrian Gonzalez. This probably means that, despite their flurry of recent activity, Baltimore is done spending for now.
- Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts takes a look at the Dodgers' salary obligations for 2010.
- Todd Zolecki of MLB.com follows up on the Roy Halladay–Cliff Lee blockbuster by breaking down Halladay's extension and relaying Lee's reaction to the trade.
- While the Cardinals wait on Holliday, Mark DeRosa is exploring his other options, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Yahoo's Tim Brown adds a surprising team to a list of otherwise predictable suitors for Adrian Beltre: the Oakland Athletics. ESPN.com's Buster Olney follows up on this point, noting that the A's do have interest, but not at $10MM a year.
- The Marlins still could retain Dan Uggla, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. However, the team hasn't been in contact with his agent since the Winter Meetings, so a trade looks more likely. We heard some details earlier today about discussions the Marlins and Giants have had regarding Uggla.
- Albert Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, tells Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Cardinals' negotiations with Holliday won't affect a possible Pujols extension: "Albert respects Matt and would love to have him as a teammate and hopes he gets his money, but Matt’s situation must be seen as independent of Albert’s."
- A source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Adam Dunn "is not going anywhere for now."
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff thinks that Johnny Damon's run in New York is about to come to an end.
- Jeff Wilson of the Dallas Morning News says that if the Mike Lowell trade falls through because of Lowell's health, the Rangers have other targets, including Vladimir Guerrero, Jermaine Dye, and Jim Thome. Morosi says we should know about the Lowell deal "one way or the other" by the end of the weekend.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington answers fans' questions about his team's future in an MLB.com mailbag.
Rays, Reds Interested In Nelson Cruz
The Rays and Reds are among the teams that have contacted the Rangers about outfielder Nelson Cruz, according to FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi. We first heard that teams were contacting Texas about Cruz late last month.
Given Cruz's immense production (.260/.332/.524 with 33 homers) at a bargain basement price ($408K in 2009 according to Cot's), the team doesn't have much incentive to move him. Cruz is under team control through 2013. In fact, Texas has reportedly been on the look out for righty hitting middle-of-the-order bat, such as Jermaine Dye.
Morosi adds that the Rangers have considered such free agent options as Dye, Jim Thome, and Vladimir Guerrero, however their spending ability may be limited.
Odds & Ends: Figgins, Holliday, Padres
Some links to read through on Ryan Howard's 30th birthday…
- The White Sox would like to add a true leadoff man and are open to bringing back Jim Thome, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
- MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says the Phillies aren't considered serious contenders for free agent Chone Figgins.
- MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports that the Marlins may spend on a corner outfielder, a second baseman or a third baseman if they free up some payroll by trading Dan Uggla. Jamey Carroll is one of the many free agents the Marlins would consider.
- The Brewers are open to bringing Craig Counsell back, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says tension is rising between players and owners.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock wonders if the Padres could bring Mike Cameron back.
- Padres fixture Brian Giles won't return in 2010, though he hopes to keep playing.
- MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports that the Cardinals will likely add a veteran bat if they don't re-sign Matt Holliday. However, the Cards say they're still hoping to sign Holliday, according to FOX Sports.
- Leach expects the Cards to sign a pitcher to a one or two year deal to be the club's fourth starter.
- As MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo points out, some of the best free agent signings are the ones that get the least attention.
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun says there's a good chance the O's sign Pedro Feliz.
Discussion: Jim Thome
Talking to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, free agent DH Jim Thome reiterated yesterday that he'd be willing to return to the White Sox for the 2010 season. At the least, GM Kenny Williams seems open to the possibility.
Thome, 39, hit .249/.366/.481 in 434 plate appearances this year. His performance falls a bit short of Jason Giambi's 2008 line, which netted Giambi a $5.25MM guarantee from the A's in January of this year. The A's ended up releasing Giambi in August. Thome will be limited to the American League, of course. He's competing with free agent DH candidates Vladimir Guerrero and Hideki Matsui, among others.
A few intangibles: Thome is said to be a great clubhouse presence, and he's climbing up the career home run leaderboard. Thome is currently 12th with 564 homers, so he probably won't reach 600 in 2010. He could, however, pass Rafael Palmeiro, Harmon Killebrew, Mark McGwire, and Frank Robinson on the all-time list.
So where do you see Thome signing? There are plenty of unsettled DH spots, and he should cost $5MM or less.