Overnight Links: Myers, Castillo, Verlander, Padres
As we gear up for another long night, here's some links to take a look at if you're still awake:
- Paul Hagen questions the Phillies' logic when refusing to look at bringing Brett Myers back. The Phils are looking for an inexpensive fifth starter candidate; Myers fits the bill and brings plenty of upside. Do they feel he's just not worth the trouble anymore?
- Ben Shpigel explains why, in spite of a resurgent season from Luis Castillo, and in spite of the Mets' feeling that his contract is better than that of Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Juan Pierre, and Gary Matthews Jr., they're still looking to move him.
- Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press feels the Tigers must do whatever it takes to keep Justin Verlander in Detroit for as long as possible. Rosenberg makes the interesting point that with one more dominant season, Verlander could put the Tigers in a similar position that Johan Santana put the Twins, though he concedes that Verlander's not as good. At least not yet.
- Corey Brock tells us that new Padres GM celebrated his 36th birthday by kicking off the Winter Meetings and fielding calls on about "half a dozen" of his players, including Heath Bell, who could be due as much as $5MM through arbitration. Still, Brock suggests the Padres would prefer to keep Bell.
- The Phillies payroll for 2010 will likely be around $140MM, says David Murphy. He also quotes Ruben Amaro Jr., implying that Chad Durbin and Clay Condrey will be tendered contracts.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says that the Indians could look to trade Kerry Wood during the Winter Meetings, but then discusses why it might be smarter to wait until midseason.
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart feels that Jose Valverde's probable departure is probably for the best, given the economics of the situation.
- Danny Knobler at CBS Sports explains why the Pirates would even bother showing interest in Juan Pierre, whom they were linked to last night.
- Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Sun-Times says White Sox GM Kenny Williams declined to comment on the Roy Halladay sweepstakes, and implies that Hideki Matsui may not be a fit for the South Siders, even if Carlos Quentin moves to right field. Scott Podsednik, however, may still fit.
- Aaron Gleeman looks at what it means to the Twins to have Carl Pavano back for 2010. Gleeman says Pavano's a better fit than past veteran starters the Twins have tried, as well as a safer bet than signing Jarrod Washburn to multiple years.
Royals Expecting Interest In DeJesus and Meche
The Royals expect left fielder David DeJesus and pitcher Gil Meche to draw significant trade interest once the major free agents sign, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Both players are under club control for the next two seasons. Meche is owed $24MM on the back end of the five-year, $55MM deal he signed with the team in December of 2006. Meanwhile, DeJesus will earn $4.7MM in 2010 with a club option for 2011 worth $6MM.
In three years for the Royals, Meche has posted an ERA of 4.12 with 7.0 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9. The soon-to-be 30-year-old DeJesus posted numbers consistant with his career average in 2009, recording a slash line of .281/.347/.434 with 12 HRs.
Kansas City's motivation in trading either player would be to reduce payroll while creating an influx of young talent. The report notes that while the Royals are not expected to be major players in free agency, they have shown interest in veteran outfielder Scott Podsednik.
What teams should be calling Dayton Moore about Meche and DeJesus? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments section.
White Sox Do Not Offer Arb To Dye, Dotel
The White Sox will not offer arbitration to Jermaine Dye (A), Octavio Dotel (A), Scott Podsednik (neither), or Ramon Castro (neither), tweets White Sox VP Scott Reifert. None of these decisions come as a surprise. Note that teams interested in Dye and Dotel can now be certain that the players will not cost draft picks.
Cubs Will Shop For An Outfield Bat
The Cubs plan to search for a centerfielder according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com, however the team must first unload Milton Bradley to see how much financial flexibility they'll have.
One agent who spoke to the team says that balancing out left and righthanded hitters in the lineup is not as much of a priority as last year. The Fox duo mention Curtis Granderson, Scott Podsednik, Rick Ankiel, Coco Crisp, Marlon Byrd, and Mike Cameron as potential targets.
Figgins Too Expensive For White Sox; Podsednik Talks Heat Up
Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that White Sox GM Kenny Williams flatly denied that Chicago would have enough money to spend on free agent leadoff hitter Chone Figgins.
''We don't have that kind of money," Williams said. "Sometimes the minor [free-agent deals] are the major ones, in my mind. How many Novembers have you heard that line?"
De Luca does report, however, that "talks between the Sox and incumbent leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik have heated up in recent days." Podsednik obviously wouldn't command the kind of money Figgins will be seeking.
Odds & Ends: Cubs, Podsednik, Giants
Let's close out this Sunday evening with a few links…
- Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune runs down the Cubs' offseason wish list. Unsurprisingly, getting rid of Milton Bradley is the top priority.
- The agent for Scott Podsednik claims that the lines of communication with the White Sox are still open, despite GM Ken Williams' reluctance to re-sign the 33-year-old, writes the Tribune's Mark Gonzales. Scotty Pods' chances of returning decreased after the club took on salary in the trade for Mark Teahen.
- Giants prospect Angel Villalona is out on bail, says ESPN's Enrique Rojas (via Twitter). Villalona was charged with murder back in September.
Royals Trade Mark Teahen To White Sox
3:42pm: Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star heard the Royals sent $1MM to the White Sox with Teahen.
12:35pm: White Sox GM Ken Williams told reporters Teahen will play third base, with Gordon Beckham moving to second. He told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that Scott Podsednik is unlikely to re-sign and the DH position might not be decided until the end of the offseason.
11:16am: The deal is official, according to a Royals press release. The Royals acquired Getz and Fields for Teahen and cash considerations.
FRIDAY, 8:40am: Mum's still the word from all involved, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Late last night, Teahen tweeted that he hadn't heard anything official.
THURSDAY, 5:30pm: The story keeps changing. Now, according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel, neither team has confirmed the deal.
11:13am: The White Sox have confirmed the trade, according to The Chicago Sun Times. It's Teahen for Getz and Fields.
10:17am: ESPN's Buster Olney says talks are "not that far along." Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times mentions that Getz hasn't heard anything about a trade.
9:04am: According to Bill Madden of The NY Daily News, the Royals have agreed to send the versatile Mark Teahen to the White Sox in exchange for Chris Getz and Josh Fields. Madden says Teahen is expected to replace free agent-to-be Jermaine Dye in right field.
The 28-year-old Teahen hit .271/.325/.408 last year, but is a career .261/.325/.514 hitter at U.S. Cellular Field. FanGraphs has him at -2.0 UZR/150 in right, which is a massive upgrade over Dye's -17.5 mark. Teahen earned $3.575MM in 2009, and has two more years of arbitration eligibility ahead of him. He's certainly been the subject of many trade rumors over the years.
Getz, 26, was Chicago's every day second baseman for most of 2009, hitting .261/.324/.347 with 25 stolen bases in 27 attempts. Fields, 28, has struggled to find a place with the White Sox, hitting .229/.302/.416 in 746 plate appearances over the last four years while playing first, third, and left field. Both players are in their pre-arbitration years, and have a combined ten years of team control left.
Odds & Ends: Griffey, Podsednik, Valentine
A few afternoon links for you:
- Some people may be expecting Ken Griffey Jr. to retire, but Phil Rogers isn't among them. Rogers says Griffey still has fun in baseball and the real surprise will be if he doesn't come back.
- Adam McCalvy says the White Sox will meet with Scott Podsednik's agent, Ryan Gleichowski, this month. The two sides have had preliminary discussions, and Podsednik has expressed interest in a return for 2010.
- Bobby Valentine may end up managing in Japan, according to Ken Rosenthal. The Yokohama Bay Stars are making a "concentrated effort" to hire him. Valentine has previously managed the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan.
White Sox Discussed New Deal For Podsednik
Outfielder DeWayne Wise has chosen free agency over a Triple A assignment from the White Sox, but there's a chance Scott Podsednik could return. According to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, Podsednik's agent Ryan Gleichowski had a preliminary discussion with Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn. They'll talk again later this month.
Podsednik, 34 in March, signed a minor league deal with the Rockies in January. He was released in April, and the White Sox scooped him up. Pods went on to hit .304/.353/.412 in 587 plate appearances while playing mostly left and center field. His defense graded out as average, based on UZR and plus-minus.
MLB.com's Scott Merkin spoke to Podsednik earlier this month, who expressed a desire to return but said "we are going to wait it out and see what happens." Podsednik fell short of Type B status, so there will be no draft pick compensation involved.
Scott Podsednik Will Explore Free-Agency
Scott Podsednik wants to return to the White Sox next season but will test the market, reports Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Podsednik says that he will look for counsel from his representation as he is new to the process.
Posting .306/.355/.415 in 583 plate appearances with Chicago in 2009, Podsednik proved to be one of the best minor league deals of the year. After logging significant time at both left and center field, Podsednik is sure to garner some attention this winter.
Fangraphs estimates the Texas native's 2009 value to be $7.2MM. It's difficult to ascertain what Scotty Pods will fetch on the open market as he will turn 34 in March.
How much would you fork over to sign Podsednik? Would a team in need of a solid lead-off bat overpay for his services? Your thoughts in the comments.