NL East Notes: Marlins, Lowe, Nieves
The NL East looks much different than it did 24 hours ago. Carlos Beltran is out, Zack Wheeler is in and the Phillies and Braves will have to turn elsewhere in their respective searches for offense. Here are the details on the division…
- The Marlins are asking for a lot in exchange for Leo Nunez and Randy Choate and Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez are off-limits at this point, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- It appears that the Braves will hold onto Derek Lowe, according to Heyman (on Twitter).
- The Brewers obtained $1 from the Braves for catcher Wil Nieves, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com (on Twitter). That's right – one dollar. The Braves will pay Nieves' remaining salary while he plays for their Triple-A affiliate.
Yankees Tried For Ricky Nolasco
The Yankees tried for starter Ricky Nolasco, tweets SI's Jon Heyman, but the Marlins are not ready to deal him. Earlier, Joel Sherman of the New York Post talked to an "AL personnel man" who said he thought the Marlins would at least listen seriously on Nolasco.
Nolasco, 28, has a 4.04 ERA, 6.8 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, 0.77 HR/9, and 43.6% groundball rate in 140 1/3 innings this year. The strikeout rate is his lowest since his rookie season. Nolasco has about $2.1MM left on his contract this year, plus $20.5MM for 2012-13.
Knobler On Tigers, Vargas, Fister, Marlins
Danny Knobler of CBS Sports has the latest on the market for starters, from Miami to Detroit to Seattle. Here’s the latest:
- Though the Tigers are a possible destination for Carlos Beltran, they've been focusing all of their attention on upgrading their rotation at this point (Twitter link). Derek Lowe and Jeremy Guthrie are two of the pitchers who have drawn the Tigers' interest.
- The Mariners have suggested to teams that they would discuss dealing starting pitching – specifically Jason Vargas and Doug Fister, according to Knobler. They may not get much for Erik Bedard, but they're getting calls on Adam Kennedy and Jamey Wright.
- Though the Marlins will consider trading Javier Vazquez, Leo Nunez and Randy Choate, they won't talk about Ricky Nolasco, Anibal Sanchez or Josh Johnson, according to Knobler. The Marlins are looking to add starting pitching and a third baseman, though those moves may not happen this month.
Rosenthal On Nolasco, Rays, Upton, Jimenez
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports brought us another edition of Full Count today while sporting yet another fantastic bow tie. Here are some highlights..
- The Marlins could wind up trading Ricky Nolasco if they fail to get back to the .500 mark. The Rangers have shown interest in Nolasco since last winter and the Yankees could look to reunite him with manager Joe Girardi. If the Fish make such a deal, it won't be in one of their classic salary dumps, it will be instead for baseball reasons. They're looking to increase their payroll ahead of their move into a brand new stadium and they could be major players for free agents this winter.
- The Rays still could end up as sellers but right now they appear to be buyers as they were looking to get Francisco Rodriguez before the Brewers swooped in at the final hour. If Tampa Bay sells, it's doubtful that they'll move any of their starters but B.J. Upton is another story. In theory, the Nationals, Phillies, and Braves could all be potential destinations for the outfielder.
- The three teams with the best chance of meeting the Rockies' asking price for Ubaldo Jimenez are the Yankees, Tigers, and Reds. The concerns with Jimenez are that he's not back to his 2009/early 2010 form and that his velocity has dropped. One scout told Rosenthal that he's not back to his ace form yet but he's getting close.
- The first-place Pirates are after upgrades but they should also improve from within. They have a number of injured players returning such as Jose Tabata, Evan Meek, and Ross Ohlendorf. The Bucs continue to search for a bat but they're not terribly interested in the Cubs' Carlos Pena.
Heyman On Jackson, Marlins, Brewers
Some teams are hoping that a top-of-the-rotation starter or two will appear on the trade market at some point this month, but those pitchers aren’t available now, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Here’s the latest on the starting pitching market and more of Heyman’s notes from around the league:
- The White Sox are fielding calls on Edwin Jackson, who is set to hit free agency after the season. I identified 2011 as a 'make or break' year for the right-hander before the season and he has a 4.30 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 106 2/3 innings so far.
- The Marlins want to be a contender when their new stadium opens next year, so they aren’t expected to seriously consider trading Ricky Nolasco or Anibal Sanchez.
- Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is happy in Milwaukee, according to Heyman’s sources. Attanasio has family connections in Milwaukee, but he lives in Los Angeles so he has been mentioned as a speculative owner for the Dodgers.
- Former agent Dennis Gilbert is a "logical candidate" to own the Dodgers at some point, Heyman writes.
Knobler On Marlins, Trade Market, Royals, M’s
Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com has some interesting tidbits of note in his latest blog post. Here's the latest …
- The Marlins could be an intriguing seller this month, with closer Leo Nunez, starter Ricky Nolasco, reliever Randy Choate and infielders Omar Infante and Greg Dobbs potentially being made available. However, Florida does not yet consider itself a seller and won't commence an all-out firesale, what with a new ballpark opening in 2012.
- The slow-developing trade market can be attributed to the league's great parity this season, but the generally healthy financial situations of most teams is playing a role, too. Few teams need to dump big contracts.
- The Royals, for example, will be willing to listen on veteran outfielders Melky Cabrera and Jeff Francoeur, but Kansas City is under no pressure to trade either one.
- The Mariners, like the Fish, are still deciding whether they are ready to sell. Third-place Seattle is 7 1/2 games behind the division-leading Rangers.
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Yankees, Ubaldo, Jays
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new Full Count video up, so let's recap…
- Two GMs tell Rosenthal that the Yankees are more worried about Mariano Rivera's nagging triceps injury than they're letting on. If true, they could increase their efforts to acquire a setup man, though they're hopeful Rafael Soriano will be back from his elbow injury soon after the All-Star break.
- The Mets have called the Yankees and offered Francisco Rodriguez according to one source, but they're only interested if the Mets call them at the deadline and offer K-Rod at a minimal price.
- The starting pitching market could soon heat up. The Rockies are getting calls about Ubaldo Jimenez and several other players, though they're not shopping their ace right-hander. Rosenthal says they'll listen on anyone besides Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. Jimenez is under contract through 2014 (though he can void that option if traded) and could return a significant package of the players, so the team would give a trade serious consideration.
- Don't be surprised if the Marlins listen on Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez. Florida will try to get back into contention, though they'll likely entertain offers for both pitchers if that doesn't happen. Nolasco is under contract though 2013, Sanchez under team control through 2012.
- The Blue Jays offer perhaps the best value on the bullpen market. Jason Frasor, Octavio Dotel, and Jon Rauch aren't in the same class as Heath Bell, though all three could pitch better outside of the AL East and have club options for 2012. They all figure to qualify as Type-B free agents as well.
Odds & Ends: Brewers, Nolasco, Thames, Astros
Happy Holidays to all of MLBTR's readers. Here is today's batch of links…
- Yovani Gallardo was delighted to learn of the deal that brought Zack Greinke to Milwaukee, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- The Ricky Nolasco deal leaves the Marlins with $41.5MM in contractual committments for nine players this season, writes Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post. The right-hander made his three-year extension worth $26.5MM official early this morning.
- In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney says the Yankees are unlikely to bring Marcus Thames back for the 2011 season since they need reserve players capable of providing flexibility on defense.
- Astros GM Ed Wade told Joseph Duarte of The Houston Chronicle that he believes he had enough "protection on the back end of the bullpen" to trade Matt Lindstrom. "With the ability to go out and add two more young arms to create more depth in the system and balance the payroll, this was a sensible deal for us to make."
- MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling muses about some players who have taken their time finding a new team this offseason.
Marlins Extend Ricky Nolasco
The Marlins officially signed Ricky Nolasco to a three-year contract extension worth $26.5MM today according to a team press release. He can earn another $1.5MM based on innings pitched. The deal buys out the right-hander's two remaining years of arbitration eligibility as well as one year of free agency.
Nolasco becomes the second Marlins' starter to agree to a contract extension in as many offseasons. Last year the team signed staff ace Josh Johnson to a four-year contract worth $39MM, buying out two years of arbitration eligibility and two years of free agency. Both Nolasco and Johnson are represented by Matt Sosnick, who also landed a six-year, $51MM contract extension for Jay Bruce this offseason.
Earlier this month we heard that the two sides had hit a bit of a snag in their negotiations, but Sosnick told us that they remained optimistic about getting a deal done. Clearly, his optimism was warranted. Nolasco had been mentioned as a trade candidate if the two sides were unable to work out a new contract.
The 28-year-old posted a 4.51 ERA in 157.2 innings this past season, though he once again put up stunning peripheral stats. Nolasco struck out 8.4 batters per nine innings pitched and walked just 1.8 per nine unintentionally. For his career, he owns an 8.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 (again removing intentional walks), though he is a bit homer prone (1.2 HR/9).
MLB.com's Joe Frisaro originally reported that the two sides were on the verge of a deal while Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun Sentinel reported the agreement.
Marlins, Nolasco On Verge Of Contract Extension
The Marlins and Ricky Nolasco are "putting the finishing touches" on a three-year contract extension worth $27MM, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The deal is not yet finalized, but the two sides came close to agreeing to terms according to Frisaro's source. Nolasco needs to take and pass a physical as well.
A three-year deal would buy out Nolasco's two remaining years of arbitration-eligibility as well as one year of free agency. He earned $3.8MM in 2010. Just yesterday we heard that the two sides had hit a bit of a snag in their negotiations, but Nolasco's agent Matt Sosnick told us that they remained optimistic about getting a deal done. Clearly, his optimism was warranted.
The 28-year-old Nolasco posted a 4.51 ERA in 157.2 innings this past season, though he once again put up stunning peripheral stats. He struck out 8.4 batters per nine innings pitched and walked just 1.8 per nine unintentionally. For his career, he owns an 8.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 (again removing intentional walks), though he is a bit homer prone (1.2 HR/9).
Nolasco had been mentioned as a trade candidate if the two sides were unable to work out a new contract.
This post was originally published on December 19th.