Giants Interested In Rowand, Fukudome
Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News has a few new tidbits concerning the Giants.
- They’re considering a late push for Kosuke Fukudome. Baggarly notes that Fukudome is expected to get at least 4/44. I think Fukudome makes a bit of sense for the Giants; he could be a draw.
- Baggarly says the Giants are in more heavily on Aaron Rowand. This makes less sense to me, as Rowand probably isn’t going to put butts in the seats. He is, however, going to require four or five years at $12-14MM per. Indeed, Buster Olney heard the Giants could be the one team willing to give Rowand five years. It would be a contract the Giants might regret. They’re not expected to be in contention until at least 2010.
- Nothing new on the Tim Lincecum for Alex Rios front. The general vibe, though, is that Brian Sabean will pass.
Jays Waiting On Rios For Lincecum Offer?
UPDATE, 12-08-07 at 3:12pm: Brian Sabean spoke on the radio about making this decision within a few days; there’s even a rumor the Giants could pursue the Tigers’ Dontrelle Willis to replace Lincecum.
UPDATE, 12-8-07 at 12:17pm: George King talked to a Blue Jays source who said "there was nothing to reports the Giants were talking to Toronto about Alex Rios for Lincecum or Cain." Who’s right here, Blair or King?
FROM 12-5-07 at 11:36pm:
According to Jeff Blair, it’s in the Giants’ hands: Alex Rios for Tim Lincecum. A Jays official suggested to Blair that Brian Sabean might sit on this for a few weeks, mulling it over.
Blair says Sabean is hesitant because he’s scared of making a mistake of the same magnitude as his Liriano/Nathan move four years ago.
It’s easy to bash Sabean for that trade. But you should ask yourself – would you have bashed him at the time he made it?
The Giants and Hideki Matsui
As we learned earlier this week, the Giants and Yankees have talked about a Hideki Matsui trade. Let’s discuss.
- According to Andrew Baggarly, talks are still in the early stages but the teams will meet again soon on the topic. A source close to Matsui indicated that he’d waive his no-trade for San Fran. However, the Giants are said to prefer adding a right-handed slugger. Baggarly thinks the Giants would readily part with Jonathan Sanchez and Brad Hennessey, with Noah Lowry a possibility. The Giants won’t part with Brian Wilson, their closer of the future.
- Other notes from Baggarly – the Giants are over Miguel Tejada and were told Jay Bruce is untouchable.
- Pete Caldera says the Yankees like Lowry but considers a deal a long shot.
- Ed Price reports that Matsui’s agent hasn’t had a request about waiving the no-trade, and the agent won’t comment on Matsui’s willingness.
- Don’t expect the Giants to acquire both Alex Rios and Matsui. Tim Lincecum would stay if Lowry goes. At this same link Mark Feinsand notes that subtracting Matsui’s contract might create more flexibility to acquire Johan Santana.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Santana, Fuentes, Heilman
The execs may be on a plane home right now, but the writers are still filing all sorts of rumors. Here’s Ken Rosenthal’s latest piece.
- Rosenthal says the Mets did not talk to the Twins about Johan Santana today, which is surprising. But they did talk earlier this week, at which point the Twins gave the Mets a list of players they liked. The Mets were fine with everyone on the list, which probably included Carlos Gomez and Mike Pelfrey. Rosenthal adds that the Mets are the only NL team firmly in the mix for Santana, and shipping him to the other league might be a factor for the Twins.
- The Giants turned down an offer of Delmon Young for Tim Lincecum before Young was sent to the Twins. This leaves skepticism that the Giants will accept three years of Alex Rios after turning down five of Young.
- The Mets made a straight up offer of Aaron Heilman for Brian Fuentes. As far as I can tell Heilman doesn’t reach free agency until after the 2010 season, so the Rockies would be doing pretty well here. Plus, they could plug him into the rotation. Oddly the dealbreaker was the Rox asking for Scott Schoeneweis as well. I thought the 34 year-old had negative trade value. Rosenthal adds that the Tribe took a glance at Fuentes as well.
- The Rox offered Jamey Carroll for Josh Barfield, which is pretty lopsided even with the year Barfield had. Of course the Indians declined.
Giants Discuss Hideki Matsui, Reds Like Rios
UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 1:38pm: Abraham has more than a no comment now – he confirms that the Yankees and Giants have discussed Matsui. Abraham speculates that Noah Lowry could make sense.
UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 12:29pm: Peter Abraham got a "no comment" from Cashman on Matsui. Abraham implies that the no comment could be telling. Abraham also adds that Matsui has said he would waive his no-trade clause.
FROM 12-6-07 at 10:31am:
Good stuff from the Toronto Sun’s Bob Elliott today.
- Just a small blurb from Elliott – the Giants and Yanks have discussed Hideki Matsui. Elliott notes that Matsui has a full no-trade clause. He makes $13MM in each of the 2008 and ’09 seasons. On November 8th, Ken Davidoff noted that the Yanks would prefer to move Matsui over Johnny Damon. He added that it could be embarrassing for Matsui to leave New York.
- Elliott also said the Reds are interested in Alex Rios. If the Giants are pondering sending Tim Lincecum to the Jays for him, I imagine the Reds would have to counter with Homer Bailey. Bailey, however, is less proven than Lincecum.
Rios For Cain Or Lincecum?
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 6:16pm: Jeff Blair says the Jays’ offer on the table is Rios for Lincecum, straight up.
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 12:34pm: Brian Sabean wants more than just Rios for Lincecum (yes, the Jays prefer Lincecum based on service time). The Giants want an improved proposal from the Jays, and Toronto could add Robinzon Diaz, Curtis Thigpen, or Brett Cecil. Cecil would have to be a player to be named later since he was drafted in 2007. He signed on June 22nd, so he can’t even be named as a PTBNL until December 22nd.
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 10:56am: Peter Gammons via Amy Nelson is saying it’s Lincecum for Rios currently rather than Cain.
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 10:10am: Ken Rosenthal has some more details on these talks. He says the Jays won’t add pitching to their side of the deal. Additionally, they don’t want to move A.J. Burnett. The Jays have a potentially elite rotation for 2008 if they can get Lincecum for Rios.
FROM 12-4-07 at 10:46pm:
The San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea verifies that the interesting proposal Brian Sabean referred to involved the Jays’ Alex Rios. The Jays want to swap him for Matt Cain. The Jays prefer Cain to Tim Lincecum, as they worry Lincecum might have durability issues.
It almost sounds like Lincecum alone wouldn’t get the Giants Rios, which is surprising. Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi is serious about trading Rios; he laid out to reporters what the Jays’ outfield would look like without him. By the way, the Giants have no interest in taking Troy Glaus in a deal. For their third base vacancy, the Giants are looking at Brandon Inge.
Meanwhile MLB.com’s Chris Haft believes the Jays want Lincecum for Rios. John, Chris – just talk to each other and sort this thing out.
Giants Rumors: Silva, Kuroda, Lowry
Andrew Baggarly checks in with some new Giants information.
- He says the Giants are acting as if they’re planning on trading a pitcher, checking in with the agents for Carlos Silva and Hiroki Kuroda. Brian Sabean found the cost for Kuroda prohibitive, though. This activity is, of course, linked to the rumored Tim Lincecum trade.
- No truth to the rumors linking the Giants to Ben Broussard and Shawn Green.
- Teams have called about Noah Lowry, but the Giants have only gotten lowball offers.
Giants Rumors: Lincecum, Tejada, Sexson
Andrew Baggarly gives his take on the Giants hot stove buzz.
- One Reds official think the Giants almost have to trade Tim Lincecum to build an offensive core. It seems the Mariners and Reds in particular are pushing for Lincecum. The Ms could offer Adam Jones; the Reds have Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, and Josh Hamilton. The Mariners could’ve had Lincecum with the fifth overall pick in 2006, but opted for Brandon Morrow instead. The Reds could’ve had him too but went for Drew Stubbs.
- The Giants and Orioles discussed Miguel Tejada, and the O’s like players such as Jonathan Sanchez, Brad Hennessey, Fred Lewis, and Guillermo Rodriguez. Outside of Sanchez those guys don’t seem like what the Orioles would ask for to me. No deal is close.
- Baggarly talks of the rumored Richie Sexson for Ray Durham or Rich Aurilia swap, though Larry LaRue says it’s bogus.
- The one team inquiring on Bengie Molina was the Mets, and that was before they got Brian Schneider.
Chronicle Rumors: Haren, Blanton, Lincecum
Susan Slusser and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle have an extensive collection of A’s and Giants rumors from Monday’s Winter Meetings mayhem.
- The asking price for Dan Haren is said to be massive, is in 3-4 blue chippers. The Tigers might even be willing to part with both Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin for him – wow. The D’Backs are a bit more gunshy about their top prospects, though most believe Carlos Gonzalez to be available. I imagine Justin Upton is off limits.
- The Dodgers are going the hardest after Joe Blanton, with the Mets trailing.
- Huston Street is likely to stay put and may even talk extension with the A’s.
- The authors don’t expect Brian Sabean to get the Tim Lincecum offer he needs to pull the trigger. But they suggest Sabean’s "interesting" offer could involve Jay Bruce, Edwin Encarnacion, or Alex Rios.
Jays In On Lincecum, Bedard, Bay
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 12:34am: Blair has updated his article to reflect the Jays’ interest in Cain and Lincecum. He says the Giants spent much of the day watching tape of the two, trying to decide which they prefer. Putting two and two together, maybe the "interesting offer" Brian Sabean spoke of today was Alex Rios?
FROM 12-3-07 at 8:46pm:
The Globe and Mail’s Jeff Blair has several new rumors in his column tonight.
- The Jays’ President, Paul Godfrey, is all about bringing in a big-name Canadian player. Blair rattles off Jason Bay, Erik Bedard, Ryan Dempster, Rich Harden, and Eric Gagne as available Canada natives. Of course, not all of those guys would be draws.
- The Jays are indeed in on Bedard, which is a surprise since starting pitching is a strength of theirs. This idea has been around since at least May though. Blair talked to one exec who said the Jays are planning to get "aggressive and creative." It had been previously thought the Jays would have a low-key winter.
- Blair talks of somehow sending A.J. Burnett to Baltimore in a Bedard deal, which makes little sense for the O’s even if Burnett would like to play there. In my estimation the O’s could ask for Alex Rios or Dustin McGowan for Bedard. The Jays could try to push Adam Lind and Shaun Marcum instead but I don’t see that getting it done. I could see the O’s asking about Travis Snider as well.
- Blair says the Jays could get Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum "right away" if they’d offer Rios to the Giants. Blair even says an expanded deal could send Lind and/or Troy Glaus over to San Francisco as well. Hmmm.
- Jordan Bastian of MLB.com isn’t hearing any of this stuff – but he did connect the Jays to…Paul Bako. Blair and Bastian present two very different stories around the same ballclub.