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Mets Likely To Offer Deals To Closers

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Andrew Marchand of ESPN radio 1050 in New York has a source who says the Mets will "probably" offer a deal to a closer at the Winter Meetings. Finding a closer remains a priority for the Mets, who may prefer Francisco Rodriguez over other options.  Buster Olney recently wrote that the Mets will offer deals to multiple closers during the Winter Meetings and will give the closer’s job to the first free agent to accept his offer.

Marchand’s source said that Bobby Abreu, who wasn’t offered arbitration, and Raul Ibanez, who was, could be targets for the Mets once they make progress in the bullpen.

Manny Ramirez is apparently not on the Mets’ radar.

Olney’s Latest: Cano, Burnett, Furcal, Giambi

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Good stuff from ESPN’s Buster Olney in today’s blog post.

  • Olney says the Yankees would ask for Chad Billingsley or Clayton Kershaw from the Dodgers for Robinson Cano.  After the Dodgers turn down that request, the Yanks will ask for Matt Kemp.  If the Yankees do move Cano, they could then pursue Orlando Hudson.
  • Rival executives believe the Braves’ offer to A.J. Burnett is worth $75MM over five years, if the fifth year vests.
  • The A’s will leave their offer to Rafael Furcal on the table for perhaps another two or three days before moving on.
  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik will reach out to Raul Ibanez to discuss his situation.  Ibanez has been devalued in the eyes of potential suitors by the draft pick cost that comes with him.  Still, most teams must’ve expected the Ms would offer arbitration.
  • Jason Giambi’s agent is suggesting a three-year deal.  Good luck with that.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Byrd, Putz, Wilson

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Rumor machine Ken Rosenthal has a new column…

  • Free agent starters C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett are in no hurry to sign. Makes sense; they’re obviously special compared to the other starters on the market.
  • Nationals owner Ted Lerner "has spent extensive time" with Scott Boras, presumably in regard to Mark Teixeira.
  • The Cubs want to acquire their left-handed hitting outfielder before worrying about Jake Peavy.  Rosenthal says the trade market is bleak, suggesting free agents such as Raul Ibanez and Milton Bradley might make sense.  As we’ve said, there is no perfect fit for the Cubs’ right field vacancy (unless Brian Giles will waive his no-trade clause).
  • Paul Byrd is "virtually certain" to decline Boston’s offer of arbitration.  He aims to pitch near his Atlanta home – the Braves, Marlins, or Rays could work for him.
  • A Rosenthal source pegged Jon Garland’s chance of accepting arbitration at less than 50-50.  ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick recently indicated it was 75-25 he’d decline.  Buster Olney says "some executives are stunned" that Garland will seemingly not accept.
  • Rosenthal spoke to officials from two teams interested in Mariners closer J.J. Putz.  The Ms haven’t decided yet whether to make him available, contrary to a previous report.  Jack Zduriencik apparently doesn’t consider his club in rebuild mode.
  • The Giants’ signing of Edgar Renteria: "widely panned in industry circles."  Joel Sherman found the same consensus.  This differs from the web, where Keith Law and Dave Cameron liked it.
  • Rosenthal says the Dodgers are not pursuing Jack Wilson; those talks broke down earlier in the offseason.  Who to believe?  He says the Tigers are making a "more serious push."
  • Phillies shortstop prospect Jason Donald is a popular trade target, but the Phils might need him to fill in for Chase Utley at the start of the season.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Johnson, Cano, Peavy

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4:54pm: The Big Unit is open to the Giants or A’s, not a big surprise.  Johnson’s agent says about ten teams have expressed interest, Giants included.

11:49am: Ken Rosenthal is working overtime; here’s his latest.

  • The A’s remain the frontrunners for Rafael Furcal.  Also, they’re targeting starter Randy Johnson to add a veteran presence to their rotation.  Rosenthal adds that the A’s may prefer Nick Johnson over Jason Giambi.
  • The Phillies made an offer to Derek Lowe, who seems to be their backup plan if they can’t sign Jamie Moyer.  Rosenthal speculates that the Dodgers could consider Moyer.  If the Phils sign Lowe, they may have to go cheap in left field.
  • Oliver Perez and Randy Wolf are on the Yankees’ radar.
  • The Braves haven’t ruled out five guaranteed years for A.J. Burnett.  Rosenthal agrees with Mark Bowman that the Braves actually have little interest in Adam Dunn.  He adds that Raul Ibanez might be out of their price range.  Instead, the Braves could choose to trade Kelly Johnson for an outfielder.
  • Rosenthal believes the Dodgers will renew talks for Robinson Cano at the Winter Meetings, and the Yankees will again ask for Matt Kemp.
  • The Cubs are speaking daily to the Padres about Jake Peavy.  Rosenthal says the Orioles do not seem to be the third team at this time.
  • Rosenthal believes the Royals could make a run at Kyle Farnsworth.

Mariners Offer Arb To Ibanez

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TUESDAY: A quote from GM Jack Zduriencik on Ibanez:

"It’s a bonus to be able to get two picks if we don’t sign him.  But foremost, we’d like to have him come back to be a player for us this year."

It seems that if the Ms would really like Ibanez back, they’d offer him a reasonable multiyear deal.

MONDAY: According to Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune, the Mariners offered arbitration to outfielder Raul Ibanez.  It was an easy decision, as at least ten clubs have interest in Ibanez and he’s certain to decline the arb offer to sign a multiyear deal.  As a Type A free agent, the Ms stand to gain two draft picks for him.

For some reason, only 56.5% of MLBTR readers expected Ibanez to be offered arbitration in our recent poll.

Perrotto’s Latest: Teixeira, Burnett, Wilson

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John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus has his Sunday article up. Let’s go through it:

  • The Angels may be willing to match the Yankees $140MM offer to CC Sabathia. They won’t offer 10 years to Mark Teixeira. If they can’t land Teixeira, they will consider Pat Burrell for first base.
  • A.J. Burnett is looking at the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Yankees, Braves, Orioles, and Phillies.
  • The Twins want a left-side infielder for Delmon Young, so they can open a spot for Denard Span in the starting lineup.
  • The Tigers are pursuing Jack Wilson from the Pirates and Matt Treanor from the Marlins. They are also putting high priority on signing Joe Beimel who’s getting interest from a number of teams.
  • The Dodgers will not re-sign Rafael Furcal for health reasons so the Giants, Athletics, and Reds are his most likely destinations.
  • The Cubs will need to offer more than Jason Marquis to the Royals for David DeJesus. If they can’t get it done, they’d sign Raul Ibanez over Bobby Abreu.
  • The Braves are interested in Javier Vazquez and Jermaine Dye…
  • The Reds need to offer more than Homer Bailey to get Dye.
  • The Mets are considering Jon Garland, Vazquez, Edwin Jackson, Andy Sonnanstine. The Rays want more than Aaron Heilman for either of their starters.
  • The Mets could soon become suitors for Manny Ramirez.
  • The Brewers could soon become suitors for Francisco Rodriguez.
  • The Astros are targeting Paul Bako and David Ross as backup catchers.
  • The Rockies are trying to find lefthanders, eyeing Alan Embree, Will Ohman, Brian Shouse, and Glendon Rusch.

Latest On Raul Ibanez

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According to Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune, the Cubs, Mets, and Phillies talked to Raul Ibanez’s agent this week.  Those three clubs remain high on him.  LaRue says the Mariners fielded a call from Ibanez’s agent, but he’s unlikely to sign because he wants to win and does not want to be a designated hitter.

Another reason to let Ibanez leave is his Type A status.  He’s highly unlikely to accept an offer of arbitration, and the Mets, Phillies, and Cubs all have unprotected first-round picks.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Varitek, Burnett, Teixeira

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Let’s take a look at what is being written around the Blogosphere…

  • River Ave. Blues debates Ben Sheets versus A.J. Burnett and wonders if Sheets will be the better bargain in the end.
  • Detroit Tiger Thoughts shows that Jason Varitek is not a good fit with the Tigers, even in a platoon situation.
  • Fire Brand of the American League lays down several reasons why the Red Sox should avoid signing Teixeira.
  • Where have you gone, Andy Van Slyke? sees no downside to the Pirates’ signing of Indian imports Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh.
  • The ’Burgh Blues feels Eric Hinske is an economical fit for the Bucs.
  • Amazin’ Avenue does not see Raul Ibanez as an upgrade for the Mets, suggesting he may not be any better than Fernando Tatis.
  • The Baseball Opinion breaks down what the acquisition of Tyler Lumsden means for the Royals and Astros.
  • Batter’s Box takes a look a recent J.P. Ricciardi quote and the current state of the economy and wonders if the Jays are going to reduce their payroll.
  • Royals Review lists the ten best free agent signings in Royals history, topped by David Cone. Amazingly, four of the signings occurred in the last five seasons.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here.

Kurkjian Reports: Byrnes, Ibanez, Dunn

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Tim Kurkjian at ESPN.com has a Friday morning round up for us, looking at several prominent team needs around the league.

While the article mentions several big names like Mike Mussina, Matt Holliday, Francisco Rodriguez and Trevor Hoffman, perhaps the most interesting part of Kurkjian’s article is that which discusses the offseason plan for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Part of that plan may include trading outfielder Eric Byrnes. Byrnes has two years and $20MM left on his deal with the D’Backs, and will be a challenge to move, says Kurkjian. Byrnes certainly has upside, with great speed and decent pop. But injuries have kept him from really breaking out in the past.

Also, Kurkjian offers Raul Ibanez as an "ideal" solution to Arizona’s everyday player needs. However, he doesn’t expect the D’Backs to be able to keep up in what is expected to be a fierece bidding competition for the right fielder. With the Mets, Phillies, and Cubs apparently involved, Kurkjian would appear to be spot on in that assessment.

The Diamondbacks have a lot of needs to address with just a little bit of money–Adam Dunn, Orlando Hudson, Randy Johnson, Brandon Lyon and Juan Cruz are all likely departing via free agency this offseason.

Fuentes’ Price A Bit High For Mets?

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According to Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News, Brian Fuentes’ agent told the Mets he’s looking for three years and $10-11MM per.  The article headline says this demand "rocks" Omar Minaya, but the body of the article just says Minaya finds it "a bit high."  It’s hard to imagine the Mets being surprised by Fuentes’ asking price, as most fans could’ve guessed it.  Earlier reports actually had Fuentes asking for more.

Rubin says the Mets will negotiate on parallel tracks for Fuentes and Francisco Rodriguez, content to sign either closer.

Other minor news: Minaya confirmed interest in Raul Ibanez, and will talk with Scott Boras at the winter meetings to determine Oliver Perez’s asking price.

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