Kevin Gregg Has Multiple Offers
Kevin Gregg is drawing strong interest on potential multiyear deals and has offers from the Red Sox, Pirates, and Nationals, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Red Sox have offers out to a number of relievers other than Gregg, according to Rosenthal. They're known to be interested in Scott Downs, Matt Guerrier and Pedro Feliciano.
Rosenthal reports that the Orioles and Mariners are also in the mix for Gregg, who has also drawn interest from the Rockies. The Blue Jays will obtain a draft pick for losing Gregg, a Type B free agent.
Rockies Interested In Cantu, Harden, Bullpen Help
We've heard that Ty Wigginton is the Rockies' top target for a right-handed bat, but the club has other targets for that role, as well as interest in several other players, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Let's go over some of them:
- Jorge Cantu is one alternative to Wigginton, despite a miserable second half to the 2010 season. GM Dan O'Dowd acknowledged that they'd prefer someone who can play in the outfield, but that's not critical.
- The Rockies have soured on Josh Willingham due to Washington's asking price and concerns over the 31-year-old's knee. They've also called about Jeff Francoeur, believing he could handle first base.
- Colorado would have interest in Rich Harden in a bullpen role, if the righty would be willing to make the switch from starting pitching. There's also the question of whether or not the injury-prone Harden could hold up physically. Renck says the Rox have tried to acquire Harden numerous times in the past, but to no avail.
- Colorado is also looking at Kevin Gregg, Bobby Jenks, Brian Fuentes, Jesse Crain, and Pedro Feliciano, though the first three prefer to close, which won't happen in Denver.
- The Rockies also haven't closed the door on Joe Beimel, who tells Renck he'd love to come back to Colorado.
Orioles Notes: Pena, Pitchers, Reimold, Gregg, Crain
Let's round up the latest from Charm City, courtesy of The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec…
- Scott Boras' asking price for Carlos Pena remains "really high." The first baseman does have interest in Baltimore.
- Zrebiec hears that Andy MacPhail has made several calls to teams with starting pitching depth. Both he and manager Buck Showalter would feel more comfortable with another veteran arm behind Jeremy Guthrie.
- The Orioles aren't shopping Nolan Reimold, but they have at least gauged his value around the league. Reimold hit just .207/.282/.328 in 131 plate appearances last season before being demoted to the minors, and Zrebiec notes that they'd be selling low.
- The Orioles are "pretty interested" in Kevin Gregg, and they have an offer out to at least one free agent reliever besides Koji Uehara.
- The team is hoping to meet with the representatives for former Oriole George Sherrill during the winter meetings. "I had a horrendous year. I couldn’t get my mechanics right now matter what I tried," said Sherrill, who had a 6.69 ERA in 2010. "I’m ready to bounce back and help somebody no matter my role."
- Jesse Crain is said to be seeking a two or three-year deal similar to Joaquin Benoit's.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wants to know what the Orioles are going to do this offseason.
Gregg Drawing Interest, Will Turn Down Arbitration
Kevin Gregg is drawing interest from the Angels, Orioles, Rays and Blue Jays and will turn down Toronto's offer of arbitration, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). All four of those teams could be in the market for a closer, but they aren't the only ones interested in Gregg.
Since the right-hander is a Type B free agent, teams won't have to surrender a draft choice to sign him. The Blue Jays will obtain a supplementary first rounder if Gregg signs a big league deal elsewhere. If you're wondering which ranked free agents have accepted or turned down arbitration, check out MLBTR's free agent arbitration offer tracker.
When Mike Axisa broke down Gregg's free agent stock yesterday, he explained that closing experience, a history of health and high strikeout rates should play in Gregg's favor. The 32-year-old walks lots of hitters, but he may very well get another chance to close.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Kevin Gregg
The Blue Jays declined their option(s) for closer Kevin Gregg earlier this month, making the right-hander a free agent for the second time in as many offseasons. Let's review his stock…
The Good
- Gregg has always been a strikeout pitcher, posting at least an 8.8 K/9 in three of the last four years. His ground ball rate has settled in close to 42% over the last three seasons.
- With at least 23 saves in each of the last four seasons, Gregg has experience late in games and would be able to step right into the ninth inning for an interested team.
- He's never been on the disabled list.
- Gregg is a Type B free agent, so it doesn't matter that the Jays offered him arbitration. A team will not have to surrender a draft pick to sign him.
The Bad
- All of those strikeouts come with a healthy amount of walks. Gregg has walked 4.2 batters per nine innings over the last three season, and that doesn't include intentional free passes.
- He can be prone to the long ball, surrendering one homer for every nine innings pitched over the last three seasons.
- Gregg is 32 (33 in June), so the prime of his career could be in the rear-view mirror.
The Verdict
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos has kept in touch with Gregg this offseason, and the Rockies are expected to have some interest as well. Although he's obviously a notch below Rafael Soriano, Gregg is a solid free agent option for a team looking to shore up its late-game bullpen at a reasonable cost.
Blue Jays Rumors: Frasor, Downs, Lind
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos says the organization can afford to be more patient than last offseason, since his team's needs are less pressing than they were a year ago. Here's the latest on the Blue Jays, from MLB.com beat reporter Gregor Chisholm:
- Anthopoulos doesn’t know whether Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, Kevin Gregg and Miguel Olivo will accept arbitration, but he hopes to have the players back in Toronto for the 2011 season. Asked to predict the players’ decisions, Anthopoulos guessed they will decline the team’s offers.
- The club thought Adam Lind played respectably good defense at first base, but has yet to determine the 27-year-old’s position for 2011.
- The Blue Jays are open to acquiring a player with “baggage” under the right circumstances. "It depends, how significant is it? Would it affect other players?” Anthopoulos asked. “If it's the right player, and the right fit, the right talent, at the right price, then you have to be open to it."
- That's good news for fans hoping to see Manny Ramirez in Toronto. ESPN.com's Buster Olney can't envision any team guaranteeing Ramirez $5MM and expects the slugger to sign an incentive-laden deal.
American League Free Agent Arbitration Offers
10 American League teams have free agent arbitration offer decisions to make, and we'll group them in this post. For a fantastic customizable chart with all 65 Type A/B free agents and their decisions in real-time, click here.
- The Blue Jays offered arbitration to Scott Downs (A) Jason Frasor (A) Kevin Gregg (B) Miguel Olivo (B), according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisolm (on Twitter).
- The Twins offered arbitration to Carl Pavano (A), Jesse Crain (B) and Orlando Hudson (B) and declined to offer arbitration to Matt Guerrier (A), Brian Fuentes (B) and Jon Rauch (B), according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (on Twitter).
- The Rays offered arbitration to Grant Balfour (A), Carl Crawford (A), Rafael Soriano (A), Randy Choate (B), Brad Hawpe (B) and Chad Qualls (B), according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. They did not offer Dan Wheeler (A) or Carlos Pena (B) arbitration. It seems possible that Hawpe has agreed in advance to turn down arbitration.
- The Orioles won't offer arbitration to Koji Uehara (B) or Kevin Millwood (B), according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links).
- The Angels declined to offer Hideki Matsui (B) arbitration, the team announced.
- The Rangers offered arbitration to Cliff Lee (A) and Frank Francisco (A), but not to Vladimir Guerrero (A) and Bengie Molina (A), according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
- The Yankees will offer arbitration to Javier Vazquez (B), but not to any of their other free agents, according to Ken Davidoff of Newsday on Twitter. Andy Pettitte (A), Derek Jeter (A), Mariano Rivera (A), Lance Berkman (B) and Kerry Wood (B) were the team's other ranked free agents. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported that the Yankees would offer Vazquez arbitration and noted that the right-hander has agreed to reject the offer, a common gentleman's agreement that can take place with Type B free agents. Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger first reported on Twitter that the Yankees would not offer Jeter arbitration.
- The Red Sox offered arbitration to Adrian Beltre (A), Victor Martinez (A) and Felipe Lopez (B), but not to Mike Lowell (B) or Jason Varitek (B), according to the team.
- The White Sox offered arbitration to Paul Konerko (A) and J.J. Putz (B), but not to A.J. Pierzynski (A) or Manny Ramirez (A) according to the team (on Twitter).
- As expected, the Tigers announced that they will not offer arbitration to any of their free agents, including Scott Boras clients Magglio Ordonez (A), Johnny Damon (B), and Gerald Laird (B).
Anthopoulos Talks Offseason Plans
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos was the center of attention at last year's GM Meetings. The then-rookie GM had the winter's most coveted player on his roster: Roy Halladay. The Halladay trade is history, but Anthopoulos has the entire offseason ahead to contemplate more deals. Here's what he told MLBTR about Toronto's offseason plans:
- Anthopoulos declined to discuss specifics, but said the Blue Jays have kept in touch with all their free agents. That includes Kevin Gregg, whose option Toronto declined earlier in the month.
- The Blue Jays are keeping their options open when it comes to ranked free agents. Even though signing a Type A free agent before next Tuesday would mean surrendering a draft pick, Anthopoulos says the Blue Jays would not hesitate to sign a Type A player this week if the deal is right. Though the Blue Jays may simply be keeping their options open, the news will interest the Toronto fans who are wondering about Type A free agent Manny Ramirez. It seems unlikely that the Blue Jays would sign a Type A free agent before the deadline to offer arbitration, since the organization appears to value draft picks highly, but Anthopoulos says he'll consider it. Toronto's first round pick (21st overall) is not protected.
- As for potential surprises, Anthopoulos says it's too early to predict whether they'll come via trade or free agency since so much of the offseason lies ahead.
Odds & Ends: D’Backs, Red Sox, Simmons, Bush
We're now less than 12 hours away from the start of free agency. Here are some links to help you pass the time…
- The Diamondbacks have outrighted pitchers Leo Rosales and Clay Zavada off the 40-man roster according to the team's official Twitter feed.
- Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe places odds on each of the Red Sox's four free agents returning the team.
- Larry Larue of The Tacoma Tribune reports that the Mariners have hired Ted Simmons as a senior advisor to GM Jack Zduriencik. Simmons was in the mix for various managerial jobs.
- The Rays have added Matt Bush, the first overall pick in 2004, to their 40-man roster according to The Tampa Tribune (Twitter link). Bush would have been eligible for minor league free agency otherwise.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post hears from a source that Terry Collins is anywhere from "a strong candidate to the front-runner" for the Mets managerial job. Collins will interview with new GM Sandy Alderson this weekend, and has a backer in Fred Wilpon. He's also a favorite of Paul DePodesta, who Alderson is trying to lure to New York.
- Don Wakamatsu has plenty of job opportunities these days. FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal tweets that he has an offer to become the Blue Jays bench coach, an interview for the Mets manager's job forthcoming, and is also in the mix to be Baltimore's bench coach.
- Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik unsurprisingly declined to comment about Hisashi Iwakuma two days ago, according to Larry Stone of The Seattle Times. Last night we heard that the Mariners appear to be the favorites to land the righty.
- Robert MacLeod of The Globe And Mail passes along a quote from Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos in which he indicates a willingness to bringing Kevin Gregg back. He just wasn't comfortable with the price of the reliever's options, which is why they were declined.
- Scott Boras told MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that the Phillies "have the ability to do what they need to do to retain their players," referring to Jayson Werth. He compared Philadelphia's financial situation to that of the Yankees
- Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News offers some good and bad news about the Rangers' catching situation.
- Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle speculates that the Giants will keep an eye on Derek Jeter's negotiations with the Yankees. GM Brian Sabean ran New York's farm system when Jeter was drafted, so there's a connection there in the unlikely event that he can't work out a deal with the Yanks.
Odds & Ends: Mets, Giants, Gregg, Pujols, Webb
Links for tonight as we remember Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson, who passed away today at the age of 76. MLB.com's Marty Noble penned a great article today looking back at the life and career of the universally beloved skipper.
- The Mets announced that GM Sandy Alderson will interview in-house candidates Wally Backman, Terry Collins, and Chip Hale in California this weekend, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Earlier today the Mets sat down with Bob Melvin and Dave Jauss in New York.
- Giants GM Brian Sabean says that the club will soon make an offer to Aubrey Huff and will "certainly be in discussions" with Juan Uribe, writes Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News.
- Expect the Rockies to call Kevin Gregg's agent, tweets Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
- Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols said that he hopes to work out an extension with the club before Opening Day, according to the Associated Press.
- Jonathan Maurer, the agent for Brandon Webb, says that several teams have already contacted him with interest in his client, according to the Associated Press. We learned yesterday that Webb would like to return to Arizona but that seems unlikely.
- After turning down his end of a mutual option today, Scott Podsednik is still in talks with the Dodgers, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- The Denver Post's Troy Renck says that Jorge de la Rosa hasn't been presented with an offer from the Rockies since last winter when he instead opted to take a one-year deal in arbitration.
- The Mets dropped five players from the 40-man roster today including Jesus Feliciano and Omir Santos, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.