Rangers Links: Hamilton, Greinke, Outfielders, Martin
Happy birthday to Rangers outfielder Craig Gentry, who celebrates his 29th birthday today. Gentry is a threat against left-handed pitching (an .859 OPS against southpaws in 2012) and has emerged as one of baseball's best defensive outfielders, posting a 27.5 UZR/150 over his four-year career. Here's the latest from Arlington…
- Not much has changed between the Rangers and Josh Hamilton, GM Jon Daniels told reporters (including MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan) during a conference call. Daniels says that he has stayed in touch with Michael Moye, Hamilton's agent, and they will talk again once Moye and Hamilton have fully tested the free agent market.
- If Hamilton left, finding a new outfielder is "not necessarily our first priority," Daniels said, noting that he is happy with Texas' internal outfield options.
- Daniels didn't comment on Zack Greinke, but noted that while he's happy with his rotation, "you're always looking out for starting pitching…always looking to upgrade Do we have to? Not necessarily. It's something we're looking at." We've heard that the Rangers, Angels, Dodgers and Nationals seem to be Greinke's most fervent suitors.
- Two rival executives tell CBS Sports' Scott Miller that they think Hamilton will re-sign with Texas. “As long as Hamilton is willing to take a shorter contract, and I think he’s going to be forced into that," said one NL executive. Miller also looks back at the original trade that brought Hamilton to the Rangers from the Reds, discussing the deal with then-Cincinnati GM Wayne Krivsky.
- The Rangers made Russell Martin a two-year contract offer, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Martin agreed to a two-year, $17MM deal with the Pirates earlier today.
Olney On Josh Hamilton
MLB officials don’t have a clear sense of where Josh Hamilton will sign, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. Hamilton, who is said to be looking for Prince Fielder money, could end up with the Brewers, Rangers, Red Sox, Mariners or Orioles in the view of Olney’s sources. Here are some details from the ESPN.com column:
- The Brewers could end up signing Hamilton, but probably not if the bidding escalates toward $214MM, the amount Fielder obtained a year ago.
- Some agents think offering four years could help get a deal done. "Nobody is giving him more than four years," one agent told Olney.
- Though some within the Rangers organization grew frustrated with Hamilton this past season, he could return to Texas. They’ll offer him a high annual salary, but probably won’t commit long term, Olney reports. Some speculate Hamilton could cost more than $25MM per season on a relatively short-term deal.
- Rival executives view the Mariners as desperate this winter, Olney writes. Hamilton would be a good fit in Seattle’s lineup, but the Mariners might have to outbid others to complete a deal.
- Olney doubts the Orioles will get seriously involved in the Hamilton sweepstakes and guesses that the outfielder will ultimately return to the Rangers.
Poll: Next Top Ten Free Agent To Sign
So far this offseason, only one of Tim Dierkes’ Top Ten Free Agents has signed a new contract: Hiroki Kuroda (#9) re-upped with the Yankees. That’s not at all uncommon at this point of the winter, as most top free agents tend to wait until the Winter Meetings in early-December before deciding on their next baseball home.
The market for outfielders Josh Hamilton (#2), Michael Bourn (#3), B.J. Upton (#5), and Nick Swisher (#6) have been pretty robust so far, ditto Zack Greinke (#1). Anibal Sanchez (#4) has generated some buzz as well, but things have been slow for Edwin Jackson (#7), Dan Haren (#8), and Kyle Lohse (#10). That will change soon enough. One of these guys will soon follow in Kuroda’s footsteps and ink a new deal, but who will it be first?
Which top ten free agent will be next to sign?
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B.J. Upton 35% (8,432)
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Nick Swisher 12% (2,981)
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Zack Greinke 11% (2,747)
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Michael Bourn 9% (2,132)
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Anibal Sanchez 8% (2,024)
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Dan Haren 8% (1,825)
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Kyle Lohse 6% (1,438)
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Josh Hamilton 6% (1,379)
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Edwin Jackson 5% (1,090)
Total votes: 24,048
Olney On Giants, Angels, Hamilton, Soriano
Buster Olney outlines the most pressing offseason needs for ten teams viewed as contenders in his latest column at ESPN.com. Here are more of Olney’s notes from around MLB…
- Some GMs and agents say they sense that others are still waiting at this stage in the offseason. There’s a sense that asking prices could drop and opportunities could emerge a little later on.
- The Giants aren’t sure they’re willing to commit to Angel Pagan for as many years as he’s seeking, Olney reports. But the Giants do believe they’ll find a way to re-sign second baseman Marco Scutaro.
- Rival executives say the Angels have a thin farm system, Olney writes. This puts pressure on GM Jerry Dipoto to address his rotation through free agency, which gives Zack Greinke considerable leverage.
- Some general managers believe the secondary starting pitching options are incredibly overpriced, Olney reports. MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker offers a complete list of the unsigned starting pitchers available in free agency.
- Some executives say they’d be comfortable offering Josh Hamilton a three-year deal that includes protective language for the team. I expect Hamilton can do far better than a three-year deal.
- The A’s seem like a possible fit for Asdrubal Cabrera, but they probably wouldn’t want to part with the kind of starting pitching the Indians would want in a trade for their shortstop.
- Rival executives expect Scott Boras to try to engage the Tigers on Rafael Soriano, according to Olney. However, the Tigers have suggested they’d prefer to rely on internal options instead of spending big on a closer.
- Some agents presume the Phillies will be particularly aggressive in addressing their center field need. Acquiring a center fielder remains the club's priority.
- The Red Sox are open to signing Cody Ross, even after agreeing to terms with Jonny Gomes, according to Olney.
Olney On Orioles, Red Sox, Kazmir, Heisey
Agents and players have considerably more interest in Baltimore as a potential destination now that the Orioles are viewed as a contender, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. "It's winning," one agent told Olney. "Period.” Some free agents now list the Orioles as a team they’d like to join. Here are more notes from Olney, starting in Baltimore…
- The Orioles are looking for starting pitching and hope to bring Joe Saunders back. Jeremy Guthrie’s three-year, $25MM contract could affect Saunders’ asking price, as Olney points out.
- While the Orioles have talked about adding a bat, they’re not expected to be particularly aggressive about free agent outfielder Josh Hamilton.
- The Marlins, Indians and Pirates are among the teams that could have trouble luring free agents even if they’re offering competitive salaries.
- One AL GM credits the Red Sox for building a team that plays well in Fenway Park.
- Earlier in the offseason there had been talk that the SoftBank Hawks, the Japanese team that recently agreed to sign Bryan LaHair, could pursue veteran free agents such as Mike Napoli or Kevin Youkilis.
- A number of teams, including the Indians, are scouting left-hander Scott Kazmir, Olney writes. The Astros had some interest in Kazmir during the regular season.
- Olney suggests arbitration eligible players such as Chris Heisey and A.J. Ellis could be candidates for two or three-year extensions this winter.
Stark’s Latest: Halladay, Hamilton, Rays, Dickey
In his latest blog post, ESPN's Jayson Stark points out that just five teams have $100MM+ committed to their 2013 payroll right now: the Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, Tigers, and Blue Jays. None of those teams appear to be done this offseason either. Here's the rest of Stark's rumors…
- The Phillies have kicked around the idea of a contract extension for Roy Halladay, though GM Ruben Amaro said that "a lot has to do with how he feels and how he performs. So that's a decision and a conversation that would probably have to go into the spring, and maybe into the season."
- The two sides actually had preliminary talks about a new contract that would raise Halladay's annual salary north of $24MM and keep him with the Phillies beyond next season. Talks were shelved when the right-hander's shoulder began to act up, however.
- Stark hears that Josh Hamilton is no longer on the Phillies' list, and Amaro said they "haven't been given a real budget. I know it's not unlimited, but that's not usually how we work."
- Teams continue to check in with the Rays about their starting pitchers, and the asking price for James Shields is in the neighborhood of the five-player package Tampa received for Matt Garza two winters ago.
- Those same clubs don't believe the Mets have really put R.A. Dickey on the trade market yet.
- Rumors swirl that Zack Greinke is seeking a six-year contract, but his agent Casey Close has yet to ask for specific offers.
- Scott Rolen has told the Reds he may play next season, but he isn't ready to make a final decision tweets Stark. The team wants him back in some role.
Quick Hits: Figgins, Lohse, Hamilton, Kuroda
It was on this day in 1995 that Joe Girardi first became a Yankee, as the Bronx Bombers acquired the catcher from the Rockies in exchange for right-hander Mike DeJean. Girardi won three World Series titles in his four seasons with the team as a player and won another championship as the team's manager in 2009. Here are some items from around the majors…
- Chone Figgins is "not likely to be a fit" for the Angels, a team source tells MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. Figgins spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Angels before signing with the Mariners as a free agent and badly struggling for the last three seasons. Seattle designated Figgins for assignment earlier today.
- The Red Sox have called about Kyle Lohse, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe as part of a reader mailbag. Cafardo says Boston is trying to sign a first baseman or starting pitcher in free agency, and is looking to add a starter, shortstop or outfielder on the trade market.
- The Red Sox are still interested in Josh Hamilton, with GM Ben Cherington calling the outfielder "a terrific talent" in an interview with Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (via Bowden's Twitter page).
- The Red Sox "made a really strong push" to sign Hiroki Kuroda before the right-hander re-signed with the Yankees, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford (Twitter link).
- Brandon McCarthy is a singular free agent case and it's hard to predict his next contract given the unique circumstances of his season-ending brain injury, writes Jeff Sullivan for Fangraphs.
- The price tags for free agent outfielders are rising, so ESPN's Buster Olney (ESPN Insider subscription required) lists a few outfield options that could provide better value in trades: Shin-Soo Choo, Dexter Fowler, Curtis Granderson, Alfonso Soriano and Justin Upton.
Braves Continue Pursuing B.J. Upton
The Braves are considering multiple center fielders in free agency and on the trade market as they look for a replacement for free agent Michael Bourn. B.J. Upton remains the Braves' top choice at the position, Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported yesterday. Braves GM Frank Wren acknowledged his interest in Upton while stressing the importance of pursuing multiple players at once.
“We’re checking,” Wren said. “We’re involved on just about everything, every center fielder that we like.”
Bourn, Josh Hamilton and Angel Pagan are alternatives for the Braves in case their pursuit of Upton doesn't end in a deal. Though signing Hamilton seems "highly unlikely" to Wren, he said it's too early to rule anything out.
Upton, who met with the Braves and Phillies last week, could take more recruiting trips, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reported yesterday (on Twitter). The Phillies could be the favorites for now, according to Knobler. The Nationals also appear to have some interest in the 28-year-old, who ranked fifth on MLBTR’s list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents.
Josh Hamilton Rumors: Monday
The Rangers, Brewers, Phillies, Orioles, Braves and Red Sox are among the teams that appear to have at least some interest in Josh Hamilton, the top position player available in free agency this year. The Mariners are also eyeing Hamilton, though GM Jack Zduriencik downplayed the chances of such a large scale deal. Here’s the latest on Hamilton…
- The Phillies appear to have Hamilton as a fallback option in case they don’t sign B.J. Upton or Michael Bourn, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. One Orioles person has suggested to Heyman that Hamilton would be a good fit in Baltimore, but another person downplayed Baltimore’s interest. While the Brewers and Mariners have some interest, it would be challenging for those clubs to afford Hamilton. Heyman suggests the market for Hamilton could remain murky for a while and become a “bona fide mystery market.”
Quick Hits: Kuroda, Pagan, Reyes, Buehrle
Here's the latest from around baseball as we head into the weekend…
- Hiroki Kuroda has told friends that his preference is to pitch in southern California to be near his daughters' grade school, reports Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles. Saxon speculates this could make the Dodgers and Angels the favorites for Kuroda's services, with the Dodgers having the "presumptive edge" with Kuroda due to their past history.
- Angel Pagan could sign before the start of the Winter Meetings on December 3, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. Pagan's suitors include "many of the same clubs" who are interested in fellow free agent B.J. Upton, a market that includes the Phillies, Braves and Nationals. The Giants are also in the mix to bring Pagan back to San Francisco.
- Also from Rosenthal, the Marlins made verbal promises to Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle that neither would be traded when Miami was courting the two as free agents last winter. The promises were made in place of formal no-trade clauses, which the Marlins don't hand out as a matter of club policy. Reyes and Buehrle, of course, were traded to the Blue Jays on Tuesday as part of the big 12-player deal that has yet to be officially confirmed by the league.
- Right-hander Ramon Ramirez will no longer be represented by the ACES agency, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Ramirez is the latest of several players to recently switch from ACES, which may be due to MLB's ongoing investigation of the agency for its alleged role in the Melky Cabrera fake website scandal, though the players' union cleared ACES earlier this month.
- Dodgers president Stan Kasten discussed such topics as his plans for the club's minor league system, his career history and MLB labor issues with Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels talked with Michael Moye (Josh Hamilton's agent) earlier this week, reports Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, though it seems as if both sides were just checking in on the other.
- The Blue Jays have generated the most headlines of any team this offseason, but FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi notes some of the holes the Jays still have to fill.