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Yu Darvish

Sherman On Darvish, Buehrle, Fielder, Jones

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Joel Sherman of the New York Post shares a few Yankees items and more from around baseball…

  • The Yankees have a number of concerns about Yu Darvish and team officials "sounded pessimistic about making a significant posting bid, if they submit one at all."  Given how the Yankees have been linked to Darvish for months, it's hard to believe they won't be bidding on the star pitcher, so this could well be some misdirection on the Bombers' part.
  • The Yankees were interested in Mark Buehrle but wouldn't offer the veteran more than a two-year contract.  This clearly wasn't going to get it done given the large market for Buehrle, who signed a four-year, $58MM pact with the Marlins.
  • After "canvassing executives," Sherman finds the consensus is that Prince Fielder will sign with the Cubs.  The belief is that Theo Epstein won't pass up the chance to acquire a slugger like Fielder given the lack of power hitters coming onto the market, and Epstein wants to make "a statement sign" in his first year in Chicago.
  • Andruw Jones is likely to re-sign with the Yankees but the team will see if they can address starting pitching before taking care of their backups.  Jones, for his part, plans to compete for a starting job this spring.

Bidding For Yu Darvish Ends Wednesday

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6:22pm: The Nationals have interest in Darvish, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. GM Mike Rizzo didn't divulge whether the Nats plan to bid, but his refusal to comment suggests to Kilgore that they will.

4:50pm: Now that Darvish has been posted, teams will have until 4:00pm CST on December 14th (four business days) to submit bids, tweets Buster Olney.

12:40pm: The Yankees are unsure about whether they'll bid on Darvish, tweets Buster Olney.  He considers their interest lukewarm.  I think everyone's playing coy at this stage; we'll see where the bids were when the dust settles.  By the way, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski said this week he will not be bidding on Darvish, according to Jason Beck.

11:07am: The Dodgers won't be bidding on Darvish, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times, but A's assistant GM David Forst wouldn't rule it out in talking to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News hears the Rangers aren't willing to gamble $100MM on Darvish.  The Red Sox will discuss Darvish but feel pretty good about the front end of their rotation already, GM Ben Cherington told reporters.

4:56am: Following the announcement last night that the Nippon-Ham Fighters will post ace Yu Darvish, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports write that the Rangers, Blue Jays, and Yankees are all expected to bid on the Japanese righty. ESPN's Buster Olney also tweets that rival executives are expecting both the Rangers and Blue Jays to bid big Darvish, with the Rangers fueled by the expected loss of C.J. Wilson to the Angels or Marlins.

Rosenthal and Morosi write that the Red Sox could be a wild card for a big Darvish bid, as new manager Bobby Valentine, who saw Darvish first-hand many times as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines from 2004-2009, is said to "love" the 25-year old. FOX's duo also note that both Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos and Rangers GM Jon Daniels saw Darvish pitch in Japan last season.

The posting period will last four days, and the winning team will have a 30-day exclusive negotation period with Darvish and his representatives Don Nomura and Arn Tellem. If a contract agreement cannot be reached between Darvish and the winning team, that team will be refunded the total of the posting fee.

Tim Dierkes and Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Yu Darvish To Be Posted Thursday

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Nippon-Ham Fighters ace Yu Darvish will be posted tomorrow, tweets agent Don Nomura. Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets confirmation from Darvish himself, while NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman provides a translation of Darvish's message to fans.

We've heard in recent weeks that Darvish may be posted following the Winter Meetings, and that appears to be his case. His father had told reporters that there was a "50-50" chance he'd be posted at all, and in Jon Paul Morosi's Winter Meetings preview, we heard that Darvish may have become "disillusioned" with the posting system, at least in part due to Hisashi Iwakuma's 2010 situation with the Athletics.

All of that seems to be moot now, as the 25-year-old Darvish is set to get the opportunity to take his oustanding credentials to Major League Baseball. Darvish hasn't posted an ERA above 2.00 since 2007. HIs 2011 resume included 232 innings of 1.44 ERA ball with a whopping 10.7 K/9 and a 1.4 BB/9 that contributed to his microscopic 0.83 WHIP. He allowed only five home runs in those 232 innings.

To this point, Darvish has been linked to a number of Major League teams. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports speculates (on Twitter) that the Rangers, Yankees, and Blue Jays could be Darvish's most likely suitors.

He will be viewed as an alternative to C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle, the market's two most sought after pitchers prior to his posting. When Tim Dierkes conducted a poll of five agents and one MLB executive in October, the consensus was that Darvish's posting fee could rival that of Daisuke Matsuzaka and that a $100MM commitmement was likely. In addition to Nomura, Darvish is represented by Arn Tellem.

 

NL Central Notes: Lee, Betancourt, Melvin, Darvish

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Tuesday afternoon's NL Central items:

  • Carlos Lee's limited no-trade clause supersedes his ten-and-five rights, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (on Twitter). The Astros have reportedly been telling teams they'll eat half of Lee's salary in a trade.
  • The Brewers have talked to Yuniesky Betancourt's agent about bringing the shortstop back, but haven't made an offer, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  • In a piece for Baseball America, Haudricourt explains why Brewers GM Doug Melvin was baseball's top executive in 2011.
  • Manager Dale Sveum says the Cubs haven't talked about bidding on Yu Darvish, tweets Yahoo's Steve Henson.

Morosi’s Winter Meetings Preview

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Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports covers some of the major headlines that we'll be seeing over the next four days during baseball's Winter Meetings. Here's a late night look at the highlights:

  • Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder are still the headliners, and Morosi thinks that Pujols will sign first (although not necessarily this week). Once Pujols signs — Morosi predicts he'll remain in St. Louis — it's possible that his the increased number of suitors for Fielder will land him more money than Pujols. Fielder, of course, is also four years younger than Pujols.
  • Fielder prefers teams east of the Mississippi River and teams that can win the World Series in the near future. The list of known interested parties includes the Brewers, Mariners, Cubs, Rangers, Blue Jays, and Nationals. Seattle's rebuilding status and geographic location may remove them from the mix, while the uncertainty around how much Chicago's new front office is willing to spend may remove them as well.
  • Morosi doesn't think Angels GM Jerry Dipoto would've moved Tyler Chatwood without knowing the acquisition of another starting pitcher was close at hand.
  • The Twins remain interested in Edwin Jackson, according to Morosi's sources, but the Scott Boras client isn't likely to sign before fellow free agents C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle.
  • The availability of Andrew Bailey, Huston Street, and Brandon League slows down the market for free agent closers, and Morosi speculates that a few wise teams in search of closers will be able to wait out veteran bargains as potential closing gigs dwindle.
  • The Yankees, Tigers, Marlins, and Nationals have been the most active in scouting Yoenis Cespedes. While he's not a free agent yet, his market will be dictated by whether or not teams like Miami and Washington land their other targets at the Winter Meetings and in the coming weeks. Detroit would be most interested if they decide that Cespedes can bat leadoff for them right away.
  • Robert Whiting, an expert on Japanese baseball, told Morosi over the weekend that there's still no word on whether or not Yu Darvish will be posted.
  • Whiting told Morosi that Darvish became disillusioned with the posting process, partly because of the failure of Hisashi Iwakuma and the A's to work out a deal last year. He is also wary of the struggles and ridicule that other NPB stars have incurred in their transition to MLB, Whiting told Morosi.

Darvish May Be Posted After Winter Meetings

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10:56pm: Darvish's father told Japanese news service Sponichi that his son's decision regarding posting may not come till mid- or late January, according to Rosenthal, which could substantially limit the number of bidders because many Major League teams – chiefly the small- and mid-market clubs – have their budgets set by then.

8:20pm: Darvish and Hokkaido haven't yet agreed on a posting fee, a scout tells Rosenthal.

“The player, I am told, is very quirky with a huge ego. Apparently, he will feel disrespected if the post is less than Matsuzaka’s was with Boston," the scout said.

A different scout who covers Japanese players tells Rosenthal that Hokkaido wants Darvish to depart so that it can collect the posting fee. The scout adds that the team was planning to post Darvish last year and "had to scramble" to work Darvish's $4.2MM salary into its budget.

1:50pm: Yu Darvish will likely be posted by the Nippon-Ham Fighters after next week's Winter Meetings, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. There are still some issues to be worked out, but Darvish's divorce is not a factor, Rosenthal adds.

While Darvish ranked behind only C.J. Wilson among starting pitchers on MLBTR's list of the top 50 free agents, there was no guarantee he would in fact be available this winter. Yahoo's Jeff Passan wrote last month that executives of some clubs were beginning to doubt whether the Japanese right-hander would be posted, and Darvish's father said a few days later that the odds were "about 50-50."

If Darvish is posted, bidding for his services figures to be very competitive. When MLBTR's Tim Dierkes polled agents in October, they predicted an average posting fee of $45MM and a total commitment of over $100MM to obtain the 25-year-old. The Yankees, Blue Jays, Nationals, and Rangers are among the many teams expected to have interest, and according to Rosenthal, new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine "loves" Darvish, having managed against him in Japan.

Blue Jays Notes: Cooper, Drabek, Rasmus, D’Arnaud

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The Blue Jays are looking for a closer this offseason and Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun says the team has checked in on free agents Francisco Cordero and Matt Capps. Heath Bell is another option for the Blue Jays, who had interest in Jonathan Papelbon before he signed with the Phillies. Here are more notes on the Blue Jays, who have yet to make a major move so far this offseason…

  • The Blue Jays would listen to offers on 24-year-old first baseman David Cooper, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Cooper, the Blue Jays' first round draft pick in 2008, debuted with the team in 2011 and posted a .678 OPS in 81 plate appearances. He won the Pacific Coast League batting title with a .364/.439/.535 line this past season, adding nine home runs and 51 doubles.
  • Blue Jays president Paul Beeston isn't a fan of the posting system and Elliott suggests Toronto's interest in Yu Darvish is "lukewarm." 
  • The Yankees are interested in Kyle Drabek, according to Elliott. Drabek started the season in the Blue Jays' rotation before being demoted to the minor leagues. He had a standout season in 2010, but struggled with command in the Majors (6.3 BB/9) and in the minors (4.9 BB/9) in 2011.
  • The Royals have some interest in Colby Rasmus because of concerns that Lorenzo Cain may not be ready for an everyday role, Elliott reports. 
  • The Phillies have discussed ways of re-obtaining Travis d'Arnaud, the Double-A catcher who arrived with Drabek in the 2009 Roy Halladay trade. As Elliott points out, the Blue Jays would need a ton to part with this year's Eastern League MVP.

Quick Hits: Davis, CBA, Smith, Darvish

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On this date in 2005, the Marlins sent Carlos Delgado and $7MM to the Mets for Mike Jacobs and prospects Yusmeiro Petit and Grant Psomas. It doesn't appear that any blockbusters will take place today, but we do have some links to go along with those leftovers…

  • The Athletics have hired Chili Davis to be their new hitting coach, reports Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Maureen Mullen reported the news first (on Twitter).
  • John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle says baseball’s new labor deal is a win for the players.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports points out that the high turnover in MLB front offices could lead to increased player movement this offseason. Some general managers become attached to players they’ve obtained, but it’s easier for new GMs to deal players acquired by a previous leadership group.
  • Randy Smith told Dan Hayes of the North County Times that he’d like to become a general manager again. Smith became the youngest GM in baseball history when the Padres hired him as a 29-year-old in 1993. He went on to become the Tigers' GM before returning to the Padres, where he's now the international scouting and player development director.
  • Yu Darvish is still likely to be posted this offseason, though we won’t know officially for a couple of weeks, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). A source close to Darvish told Morosi that it's "more likely than not" that the 25-year-old will pitch in the Major Leagues next year.

Darvish’s Father: “At This Point It’s About 50-50″

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There have been some seeds of doubt planted as to whether or not Yu Darvish will be posted this winter, and Darvish's father briefly commented on the situation recently. Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passed along the quote…

“Yu and I are talking about having a family meeting once the Nippon Series is over," said Farsa Darvish. “At this point it’s about 50-50.”

Darvish provided commentary for Game Six of the Nippon Series, but discussion about the posting process was strictly prohibited. Newman mentions that the series will end tomorrow, so a decision on the right-hander's future will be made sooner rather than later. The thin free agent pitching market works in Darvish's favor, and is why most expect him to be made available to MLB clubs this winter.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Maddon, Darvish, Ortiz

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Some interesting items to pass along from around the AL "Beast" …

  • The Red Sox were gauging trade interest in some of their out-of-options pitchers at the GM Meetings this week, a source tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Franklin Morales, Andrew Miller, Felix Doubront, Michael Bowden and Scott Atchison are all out of options but aren't locks to make next year's bullpen, according to Speier, so Boston may decide to add or remove some of these players from the 40-man roster based on relative trade interest.
  • The Rays are hopeful of extending the contract of manager Joe Maddon, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com. Maddon is entering the final year of a three-year extension he signed in 2009.
  • The Yankees may shy away from pursuing Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish if he's posted because of the club's history with busts Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa, opines Heyman (Twitter link), although owner Hal Steinbrenner told reporters, such as the New York Post's Joel Sherman and Newsday's Ken Davidoff, that the team will evaluate each player on a case-by-case basis.
  • The Blue Jays are interested in free agent DH David Ortiz, tweets Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
  • Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano said that last month's rumors that he was angling for a contract extension was the result of a joke gone awry, according to Spanish-language Web site DiarioLibre.com. “I’m not thinking about the contract. My lawyer told a journalist as a joke that I was looking for a contract extension, and that’s what got published… I’m not thinking about that. The team has a $14MM option for next year." Thanks to MLBTR's Nick Collias for the translation.
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