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Olney On Rafael Soriano, Crisp, Harden

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Rumor nuggets from ESPN's Buster Olney, in his morning blog post…

  • Olney writes of indications that Rafael Soriano will request a trade from the Braves, as GM Frank Wren suggested before the player accepted arbitration.  J.C. Bradbury credits Soriano's agent Peter Greenberg for finding a way around draft pick compensation.  MLB.com's Mark Bowman does not think it will be difficult to trade Soriano, though Joel Sherman tweets that the Yankees are not interested.
  • Olney has about six teams seriously interested in center fielder Coco Crisp, with a $3-4MM price range being bandied about.
  • The Red Sox "do not have serious interest in Rich Harden," Olney reports.

Pettitte Rejects Yanks’ Initial Offer?

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TUESDAY, 7:10am: Sherman calls Pettitte the "linchpin" of the Yankees whole offseason. Sherman feels signing Pettitte removes pressure to pursue Lackey or Halladay, which allows the Yankees to focus on adding an arm such as Harden, Duchscherer, etc. From there, the Yanks can address the Johnny Damon/Hideki Matsui issue, and decide if they'd like to retain one of the two or step up pursuits of Curtis Granderson or sign Mike Cameron.

Sherman suggests an $11MM base salary plus $3MM worth of incentives as a suitable offer.

MONDAY, 12:36pm: Olney expects the offer to Pettitte to be $11MM+.

10:47am: Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News has a source saying no official offer has been made to Pettitte, but a contract north of $10MM will be proposed today.

8:46am: Talks between the Yanks and Pettitte are expected to pick up this week, with Sherman and Jon Heyman both expecting an offer exceeding $10MM.

6:27am: Buster Olney tweets that Pettitte has "for sure decided to pitch again in 2010," and that not surprisingly, his preference is the Yankees.

6:05am: Joel Sherman reports that Andy Pettitte has turned down a one-year deal from the Yankees, believed to be in the $10MM range, which is roughly what Pettitte earned last year through base salary and performance incentives.

Pettitte posted a 4.16 ERA through 194.2 innings, striking out 148 and walking 76. The Yankees have previously stated that Pettitte is their top priority this offseason.

Sherman cites an NL executive who is confident that a deal will still be reached between both sides, saying that Pettitte wants to return to the Bronx. According to Sherman, if Pettitte returns, the Yankees are unlikely to pursue John Lackey, but could be inclined to roll the dice on a high-upside reclamation project such as Ben Sheets, Justin Duchscherer, or Rich Harden.

At that point, says Sherman, the only other potential target would be Roy Halladay. That, however, will depend on the number of prospects desired by Alex Anthopolous, whether or not Halladay will require an extension, whether or not the Yankees really have a budget, and if Brian Cashman is even genuinely interested or just trying to drive up the price for other bidders.

What type of deal will it take to bring Pettitte back to the Bronx, and more importantly, is he worth more than the rejected $10MM that the Yankees reportedly offered?

Heyman On Mariners, Valverde, Damon

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A look at the latest column from SI's Jon Heyman…

  • Aside from Jason Bay and John Lackey, Heyman names Marlon Byrd, Rich Harden, Randy Wolf, and Joel Pineiro as Mariners targets.  That's the first I've heard of Byrd, Wolf, or a Pineiro reunion.  Heyman names the Cubs and Braves as other Byrd suitors.
  • Heyman says "execs expect" Jose Valverde to remain in Houston, whether through accepting arbitration today or just re-signing later.
  • Heyman expects the Yankees to offer about two years and $20MM to Johnny Damon, and otherwise move on to Mike Cameron, Jermaine Dye, Curtis Granderson, or possibly Byrd.

Pirates Have Money To Make Splash

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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette informs us that while it may be an unlikely scenario, general manager Neal Huntington does have the payroll flexibility to make a big move at the meetings if he sees value in it for the Pirates. Says Huntington:

"The key word you're going to be hearing from us is value… We could do something big just so that we can feel good about ourselves and show everybody that we did something or that we're spending up to a certain level. But we're not going to do that unless it makes sense and unless there's a real value to the Pittsburgh Pirates."

The Pirates are currently projected to have a $34MM payroll, down significantly from the $49MM they spent on their 40-man roster in 2009. So the "value" that Huntington mentions doesn't necessarily have to mean "inexpensive."

Still, Kovacevic calls any real interest in Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, Rich Harden, or Mike Gonzalez "unlikely," and reminds us that the Pirates free agent contact so far has consisted of Rick Ankiel, Hank Blalock, Justin Duchscherer, Noah Lowry, J.J. Putz, Ron Villone, and Kameron Loe.

Danny Knobler from CBS Sports seems to think the Pirates have some money as well though, as he's heard them linked to Juan Pierre. Knobler reports that the Dodgers would like to acquire Zach Duke or Paul Maholm in any deal, meaning they'd have to eat a significant portion of Pierre's salary. Personally, I'd assume they'd have to include some prospects as well to make the deal make sense for Pittsburgh.

While the Pierre scenario may not entirely make sense for the Buccos on the surface level, it does add to the thought that Pittsburgh may be in line to surprise us at this year's meetings. Any thoughts on an ace that Huntington may have up his sleeve?

Orioles Offseason Gameplan

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The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec looks at five key questions for the Orioles as they head into this year's Winter Meetings. He's also got some quotes from Andy MacPhail talking about the Orioles' views on this year's free agent market. Let's go over some highlights:

  • MacPhail states that the O's will be less active at the Winter Meetings than they were in 2008, when they signed Cesar Izturis, traded Ramon Hernandez, and offered a $140MM contract to Mark Teixeira. He does, however, state that when the offseason is said and done, Baltimore will likely have been more active than it was overall last year.
  • Don't expect a major move from Baltimore this week. They don't have a free agent target singled out and will likely wait to see how the market takes shape as time progresses.
  • While they'd like to add an impact hitter, the Orioles are unlikely to pursue names like Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, and MacPhail isn't big on the idea of trading his top prospects for short-term fixes. So far, the O's aren't thought to be bidders for veteran outfield/DH types like Jermaine Dye, Hideki Matsui, and Vladimir Guerrero.
  • Luke Scott is likely Baltimore's biggest trade chip. Moving Scott would allow Nolan Reimold to DH while recovering from surgery, and improve defense by getting Felix Pie more at-bats in left field.
  • Ty Wigginton is also mentioned as a trade chip. Zrebiec says the Orioles would have to be overwhelmed by an offer to move Jeremy Guthrie, and have a way to secure two veteran arms to replace him as well.
  • MacPhail would prefer not to sign a closer that will cost their second-round pick, such as Jose Valverde, Mike Gonzalez, or Rafael Soriano. Zrebiec mentions Kevin Gregg as a possibility.
  • The Orioles have had talks with John Lackey's agent, but aren't expected to be serious bidders for the former Halos ace. They'll look at names like Ben Sheets, Rich Harden, and Erik Bedard instead.
  • After Radhames Liz was claimed by the Padres, Baltimore found themselves with an open spot on its 40-man roster. MacPhail would prefer to give a homegrown player a shot rather than make a Rule 5 selection, unless he's convinced that the Rule 5 Draft offers something that their minor league clubs currently don't have.

Yankees Seek Starter On Open Market

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The Yankees are interested in free agent hurlers John Lackey, Rich Harden, Joel Pineiro, and maybe Randy Wolf, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

Although major league sources indicate that the the team is looking into landing Roy Halladay and their first priority continues to be re-signing Andy Pettitte, the Yanks will pursue alternatives on the open market.  Brian Cashman & Co. are also expected to  ink "at least one" free agent reliever, but will focus on starters first.

Rosenthal and Morosi surmise that Wolf and Pineiro are not high on the Yankees' list as the former is a lifelong National League pitcher and the latter was coming off of a five-year slide coming into '09.  The report also notes that injury-prone Harden has caught the eye of the Red Sox and Mariners.

Almost a month ago, Tim picked the Bombers as the team most likely to land Lackey, the top starter of this free agent class.  Do you agree with that assessment?  Should the Yankees pursue less stable, but more economical options in Wolf, Pineiro, and Harden?  Let's hear your thoughts in the comments section.

Rangers Express Interest In Rich Harden

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The Rangers have expressed interest in free agent righty Rich Harden, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. They hope he's willing to settle for a one year deal with incentives, which would allow them to get involved given their current financial situation.

If Harden is in fact willing to accept a one-year deal with the idea of building up his stock and re-entering the market next year, then interest in his services would surely skyrocket. The Mariners, Red Sox, and Twins have all expressed various levels of interest in the former 38th round draft pick of the Mariners (look it up!).

Mariners Pursuing Harden & Lackey

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THURSDAY, 8:08am: A source tells Rosenthal and Morosi that the Mariners are "actively pursuing" John Lackey. As a Type A free agent who was offered arbitration, Lackey would cost a top pick.

WEDNESDAY, 3:58pm: The Mariners are "showing strong interest" in Rich Harden, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The writers wonder if Harden being a native of British Columbia will help Seattle's cause.  They note that the Red Sox are also serious about the 28-year-old righty.

Any team signing Harden will of course take a long, hard look at his shoulder.  If his last two seasons are any indication, he can give you 140 strikeout-filled innings if managed carefully.  What's that worth?  Probably a base salary in the $6-7MM range, with a few million more in incentives.  Harden's agent Arn Tellem says his client has "no health issues at all," for what it's worth.

Red Sox Rumors: Bay, Scutaro, Lackey, Bedard

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Red Sox rumors from ESPN's Gordon Edes…

  • Edes talked to Jason Bay's agent Joe Urbon, who indicated the timing of Bay's signing won't be affected by Matt Holliday.  Edes' team source says Bay remains Boston's top target.
  • Edes says Marco Scutaro "almost certainly remains at the top of Boston's list" at shortstop.  Scutaro's agent Peter Greenberg left open the possibility of his client signing before Monday's Winter Meetings.
  • One of Edes' Red Sox sources says John Lackey is not a target.
  • We knew of Boston's interest in Rich Harden and Kelvim Escobar, and Edes adds that the Sox are eyeing Erik Bedard.  Edes talked to Escobar's agent (also Greenberg) and learned that Boston is "at or near the top of" his client's list.  The righty plans to pitch in winter ball.  Escobar had labrum surgery in July of 2008.

Red Sox Interested In Rich Harden

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Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports are reporting that Boston is "serious about pursuing" free agent starter Rich Harden.  The Canadian right-hander had been rumored to be a target of the Red Sox given — as Rosenthal and Morosi note — the club's recent strategy of signing proven pitchers with health issues to short-term deals in an attempt to find a bargain.  Unlike Boston's signings last season (John Smoltz and Brad Penny), Harden has proven that he can pitch well in the American League, which makes him particularly attractive to the BoSox.

Harden is a Type B free agent who was not offered arbitration by his previous team, the Cubs, earlier today.  Rosenthal and Morosi were told by a source that Boston has yet to formally offer Harden a contract.

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