Odds & Ends: Unit, Rhodes, Crisp, Valverde
More links for the evening…
- The Red Sox will find out tomorrow if their claim on Rays righty Ramon A. Ramirez went through, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. This isn't the same Ramon Ramirez that appeared in 70 games for Boston last year.
- Randy Johnson is still undecided about 2010, according to this AP report on ESPN.com.
- The Rangers discussed Arthur Rhodes with the Reds today, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. The Rangers are on the lookout for lefty relievers.
- The Rangers are considering Jason Kendall and Rod Barajas behind the plate, according to Sullivan. ESPN.com's Keith Law says this is a problem for the Rangers. He doesn't think much of any of the free agent catchers they're considering.
- Coco Crisp would be up for signing with the White Sox, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
- Talks between the Twins and Joe Crede are progressing slowly, according to MLB.com's Kelly Thesier.
- The Mariners are keeping in touch with Rich Harden's agents, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- The Nats were interested in Jose Valverde, but they felt his asking price was too high, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times reports that Scott Boras will meet with Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik tonight. Adrian Beltre is one of Boras' clients, so they'll presumably discuss him.
- White Sox reliever Matt Thornton tells Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that he's recruiting J.J. Putz. Thornton says he and Putz have a long-standing "bromance" that dates back to their Seattle days.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law says Justin Smoak and Neftali Feliz are too much to give up for Josh Johnson. Apparently, the Rangers offered the pair of top prospects up.
- Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus likes the Ivan Rodriguez signing for the Nats, partly because Pudge could help develop Stephen Strasburg.
- By the way, the deal is pending a physical, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- The Braves are interested in Xavier Nady, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Mets may be more inclined to pay top dollar for John Lackey now that they've seen the asking prices of some lesser starters.
- The Cardinals won't be involved with Lackey, but they have interest in signing a lefty bench bat, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach.
Sherman’s Latest: Mets, Molina, Damon, Granderson
Here's a quick look into Joel Sherman's latest column:
- The Mets need to add a starting pitcher, and given all of the already-volatile options in their rotation, they're likely to pursue someone more "vanilla" as Sherman describes. He names Kevin Millwood, Doug Davis, Jon Garland, and Jason Marquis. We've already seen that the O's may be closing in on Millwood today.
- While acquiring Roy Halladay is a pipe dream, a full-on pursuit for John Lackey isn't quite as far-fetched, and Lackey would be every bit the No. 2 starter to complement Johan Santana that the previously mentioned options simply are not.
- Minaya will meet with Lackey's representation but isn't confident; he'd prefer to wait for the price to come down, so as not to spend most of the Mets' available funds on one resource. If that price drops, though, suitors for Lackey will abound.
- The Mets are confident that they can improve their pitching staff by improving their catching core; they're confident they can land Bengie Molina and believe he and Henry Blanco can help stabilize the staff.
- If the Yankees acquire Curtis Granderson, they can use him as leverage against Johnny Damon. Adding Granderson will allow the Yanks to pose a "take it or leave it" offer to Damon, and remove some of the leverage Damon and Scott Boras may have. Sherman lists free agent alternatives to bring in should Damon leave in that scenario, including Mike Cameron or re-signing Xavier Nady.
Red Sox Winter Meetings Preview
Peter Abraham takes a look at the Red Sox checklist as they head into this year's Winter Meetings. Abraham is sure to note that his focus is on what Boston needs, not the fantasy trade scenarios that fans may want. Says Abraham, "The Sox needs refining, not rebuilding." That said, let's take a look:
- The easy solution in left field is to bring back Jason Bay. Abraham says though, that the acquisition of Jeremy Hermida presents Boston with the option of signing a right-handed hitter, such as Xavier Nady, to form a platoon. The Red Sox could also let Bay go in favor of pursuing Matt Holliday.
- While the rotation appears to be set for now with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz, and Tim Wakefield, Abraham says the Sox could use a "No. 5.5 starter, a No. 6, and possibly a No. 7" for depth. He names the usual suspects, including Ben Sheets, Erik Bedard, and Rich Harden.
- Boston has requested medical reports on Mike Gonzalez, and will need to fill out the back of the bullpen for 2010. Abraham feels the Red Sox will invite about a dozen relievers to camp and see who performs well.
- Boston should look to add a veteran outfielder and infielder for bench depth. Abraham says Boston doesn't seem interested in keeping Rocco Baldelli around. He names Adam Everett, Craig Counsell, Reed Johnson, Marcus Thames, and Adam Kennedy as options.
- Abraham doesn't see Buchholz, Casey Kelly, or Ryan Westmoreland being dealt. He names Casey Kotchman, Josh Reddick, and Manny Delcarmen as trade chips.
- Abraham also speculates on the possibility of Jonathan Papelbon being traded. With Daniel Bard waiting in the wings, this isn't the first time someone has speculated on the possibility of Papelbon being shipped off.
Odds & Ends: Jenks, Polanco, Tate, Marquis
Some links for Thursday…
- John Manuel of Baseball America ranks all 30 MLB farm systems at SI.com. The Rangers, Rays and Giants top the list.
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick lists nine potential free agent bargains.
- Keith Law, Dave Cameron and Tyler Hissey don't like the Placido Polanco deal from the Phillies' standpoint.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Pirates have tentative interest in Xavier Nady and Ron Villone, who are both Scott Boras clients.
- Sam Borden of the Journal News wonders how many long-term contracts the Yanks can take on.
- The Yankees get the sense that Andy Pettitte isn't done yet, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
- They aren't expected to consider an extension for Joe Girardi this offseason.
- Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports that the White Sox have begun preliminary talks with arbitration-eligible reliever Bobby Jenks.
- Placido Polanco appears to be nearing a three-year deal with the Phillies, but the Astros have some interest in the Gold Glover, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
- Curtis Granderson tells MLB.com's Jason Beck that he doesn't let the trade talk get to him.
- The Rockies have tentative plans to meet with Rafael Betancourt's representatives this coming Monday, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- As Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports, Donavan Tate, the Padres' third overall selection in the June draft, was injured in an ATV accident. He broke his jaw, but should be ready for Spring Training.
- Jason Marquis had a falling out with the Rockies, so Jon Heyman of SI.com suggests he isn't likely to accept the team's offer of arbitration.
- MLB.com's Matthew Leach explains why long-term deals are becoming less frequent in MLB.
- Juan Castro passed his physical, so his deal with the Phils is now offiicial, according to Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Olney On Halladay, Mets, White Sox
As ESPN.com's Buster Olney notes, the Yankees and Red Sox are hesitant to give top prospects up for Roy Halladay, since they'd have to pay him like a free agent to keep him around long-term. But some scouts aren't sure Joba Chamberlain will be able to improve his control, so Olney wonders if the Yankees might consider including him in a potential Halladay trade. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:
- The Mets appear poised to sign two or three veterans for $5-7MM per season. We know they're interested in Bengie Molina and they're looking for pitchers, but they have other needs, too.
- Olney expects the Mets to land a starter like Randy Wolf, Jason Marquis or Joel Pineiro.
- The Mets have discussed Mike Cameron, who would consider playing left or right, and Xavier Nady.
- Olney hears that the White Sox don't have much payroll flexibility this offseason.
Several Clubs Interested In Jermaine Dye
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times has the latest on free agent outfielder Jermaine Dye. Cowley notes that while the Rangers are interested, Dye may prefer not to be a DH. He names the Red Sox, Cardinals, and Giants as other teams that have shown interest. Dye would presumably be a backup plan for the Red Sox and Cardinals.
What about the Yankees, who ESPN's Jerry Crasnick said yesterday discussed Dye internally? Cowley says the Yanks denied the report, yet his source said the team asked for Dye's medical reports.
As for the Giants, MLB.com's Chris Haft notes that Xavier Nady is another outfielder on their radar.
Yankees To Make No Arb Offers To Free Agents
The Yankees will not make any arbitration offers to their free agents, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. That includes Johnny Damon (A), Andy Pettitte (B), Xavier Nady (B), and Hideki Matsui (neither). The Yanks didn't make any offers last year either.
We predicted these correctly, though one could make a case for Damon or Pettitte. The market for Damon should improve, now that he will not cost a draft pick. Talking to George King of the New York Post, Damon's agent Scott Boras kind of hinted that multiple teams have interest in his client.
Cardinals Rumors: Pujols, Holliday, Nady, Beltre
The Cardinals know it will take a lengthy and substantial offer to keep Albert Pujols in St. Louis, but the slugging first baseman would like to see what the Cards do this offseason before beginning serious contract talks, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Agent Dan Lozano says he and his client aren't in a rush to complete a long-term deal. Pujols is under contract for next year and the Cardinals are expected to pick up his $16MM option for 2011.
Potential Braves Targets
David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution sums up players on the Braves' radar as they attempt to augment their offense. Most of these names have already leaked out in stray rumors: Mark DeRosa, Josh Willingham, Mike Cameron, and Jermaine Dye. Carl Crawford is also on the Braves' wish list, as we learned yesterday from Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times. In a more speculative sense, O'Brien adds that Xavier Nady and Marlon Byrd "could be possibilities."
For the sake of argument, if it came down to these seven hitters, which would you prefer? Using Bill James projections and the wOBA stat, Willingham comes out on top offensively for 2010. We learned recently that the Braves face competition from the Cardinals for Willingham, though Atlanta may have concerns about the player's defense.
Elsewhere in the O'Brien article, Scott Boras extols the virtues of free agent reliever Mike Gonzalez. To hear Boras tell it, about half the teams in baseball are eyeing his new client. Gonzalez figures to come with a draft pick cost attached, as O'Brien expects the Braves to offer arbitration a week from now when that deadline arrives.
Cardinals Interested In Xavier Nady
Cardinals GM John Mozeliak expressed interest in Xavier Nady and other Scott Boras clients, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Presumably Nady would be a low-rent option for left field. Of course, that's not the lead of Strauss' article – the focus is Matt Holliday and the Cards' attempt to sign him.
Mozeliak met with Boras for an hour Tuesday, but did not make an offer for Holliday. Boras then spoke to the media, disputing the notion that the Cardinals are a mid-market team:
"I don't know what a mid-market franchise is. That's like a midsize aircraft carrier. They all have the potential to have an economic bomb. If you're drawing 3.3 million fans and you're averaging $50 a fan coming in, I just don't know that mid-market term. I'm trying to think if that's part of the laissez-faire system. I don't know."
Boras-speak is always hyperbolic, but he makes this point every year and there's something to it. Baseball teams make a ton of money. The players deserve a lot of it.