Minor Moves: Wood, Burton, Gonzalez, Buchholz
Moves listed here without specific attribution come from MLB.com's transactions page…
- The Rockies have signed infielder Brandon Wood, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Wood will make $100K over the league minimum if he makes the big league roster, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). Wood, of course, was once a blue-chip prospect with the Angels.
- The Twins have signed right-handers Brendan Wise, Jared Burton, Samuel Deduno and Luis Perdomo, and outfielders Matt Carson and Wilkin Ramirez to Minor League deals, tweets Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune.
- The Padres released second baseman Alberto Gonzalez. San Diego appears to be clearing 40-man roster space in anticipation of next month's Rule 5 draft.
- Right-hander Taylor Buchholz elected free agency. The Mets removed Buchholz from their 40-man roster earlier in the week. He would have earned roughly $1.2MM in 2012 had the Mets retained him through arbitration. Earlier in the week GM Sandy Alderson was unsure if anxiety and depression would prevent Buchholz from pitching in 2012.
- The Angels released right-hander Anthony Ortega.
Padres Sign Mark Kotsay
The Padres agreed to terms with Mark Kotsay on a one-year deal, the team announced today. The contract is worth $1.25MM. Kotsay previously played for the Padres from 2001-03; he was one of their best players during that time.
“We are elated to bring Mark back to the Padres,” said GM Josh Byrnes. “His versatility and leadership will be invaluable for our club.”
Kotsay, 35, hit .270/.329/.373 in 255 plate appearances for the Brewers this year, spending time at all three outfield positions and first base. Kotsay, who resides 35 minutes from Petco Park in Rancho Santa Fe, California, is represented by Legacy Sports Group.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported that the two sides had reached an agreement.
Heath Bell Rumors: Wednesday
Yesterday, we heard that Heath Bell has become less certain about accepting an arbitration offer from the Padres, and that there were a few East Coast teams interested in the right-hander. Dan Hayes of the North County Times brings us a few more updates on the three-time All-Star today….
- Bell's decision on an arbitration offer may come down to the final hour. If he doesn't get a contract offer he prefers before the arbitration deadline, he might accept arb.
- Years are more important to Bell than dollars, and he's hoping to sign a three-year contract.
- Hayes hears from a source that the Padres are unlikely to commit to more than two years for Bell.
- If the Padres are unable to retain Bell, they'll look outside the organization for a ninth-inning replacement, according to GM Josh Byrnes.
Giants Attempting To Extend Matt Cain
While we heard earlier today that the Giants are more focused on a long-term extension for Tim Lincecum than fellow starter Matt Cain, team president Larry Baer says the club is trying to lock up Matt Cain as well, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman. Heyman adds that the Giants may prefer deals of approximately four years.
Here are a few other items of interest from the National League West:
- The Padres are preparing for the Rule 5 draft with some minor moves. They've requested waivers on Alberto Gonzalez, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (Twitter link), and will remove Jeremy Hermida from the roster later in the week, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (via Twitter).
- Rusty Ryal signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks after having spent a year in Japan, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter).
- The Rockies met with Milton Bradley's agents today, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Heath Bell Discusses Possible Suitors
With the Padres growing less optimistic about retaining their All-Star closer, Heath Bell spoke to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune about where he may pitch in 2012.
My agents have told me numerous other teams are interested with most of those on the East Coast,” said Bell. "I told my guys that if there is any shot for San Diego, hold onto it. But I haven’t really heard anything from the Padres since they changed general managers. Right now, I have no idea what to expect…. But I think there’s going to be a three-year deal out there from someone. And that's what I’d like to have. I’d rather stay on the West Coast. But I still have a home in Florida."
Bell's representatives at ACES negotiated Jonathan Papelbon's deal with the Phillies and have a reputation for working quickly to get their clients signed. Bell indicated that he'd like to have a clearer idea about his future before he leaves for a vacation to Fiji on Thursday, and even suggested that he could end up on Papelbon's old club: "I’ve heard Boston might have interest in me. I could go play with Adrian [Gonzalez] again. I could do that."
During the season, Bell said that he'd accept an arbitration offer from the Padres, but he's less certain about that decision now.
"I have to weigh all my options," said Bell. "I don’t know what I’m going to do. But it seems like there are going to be some very good options soon. And after everything that has happened with the Padres, I don’t know what is going on."
Blue Jays Offer Scouting Position To Minaya
The latest out of the AL East…
- Former Mets GM Omar Minaya was offered a scouting position with the Blue Jays, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. Minaya is weighing other options. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun first reported Toronto's interest in Minaya, citing the Padres as another suitor. Elliott notes that the Jays already employ three former GMs in Jim Beattie, Ed Lynch, and Chuck LaMar. In October, Minaya interviewed for the Angels' GM job.
- The Jays are "pushing hard for a closer," one GM tells Elliott. Elliott reported a few days ago that the Blue Jays were shocked by the asking prices, however.
- No matter what they say publicly, Yankees people are telling friends to expect an eventual big splash with a pitcher, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. I don't think that'd shock anyone, but there's not much out there currently.
- The Red Sox weren't surprised Jonathan Papelbon priced himself out of their range, writes WEEI's Alex Speier. The Sox are not looking to make a quick strike in the closer market to replace him.
Marlins Offered Jose Reyes Six Years, $90MM
The Marlins offered $90MM over six years to Jose Reyes, a source told Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. They say Reyes is intrigued by playing in warm weather and for Ozzie Guillen. Reyes wants a contract worth a minimum of $100MM, however, tweeted Joel Sherman of the New York Post yesterday. More from Rosenthal and Morosi…
- The Marlins have not discussed moving Hanley Ramirez to center field.
- Many in the industry are skeptical of the sincerity of the Marlins' early offers to Reyes, Albert Pujols, Mark Buehrle, and Ryan Madson, feeling the proposals are competitive but not good enough to accept.
- The Rangers and Angels are among the teams that are interested in both C.J. Wilson and Roy Oswalt. The Nationals prefer Oswalt. Both pitchers are clients of Bob Garber.
- Heath Bell could benefit from the new collective bargaining agreement if teams no longer have to surrender a draft pick to sign Type A free agents who turned down arbitration. Ramon Hernandez too, in my opinion. I'm surprised to hear that such a change could be instituted for the 2012-13 offseason, after some teams made July trade decisions based on the old free agent compensation system.
- The Padres want to trade Jason Bartlett or Orlando Hudson. They are currently the only two players the Padres have under contract. Bartlett's $5.5MM option for 2013 will vest with 432 plate appearances in 2012.
- Rafael Furcal has drawn interest from the Rockies, Tigers, and Blue Jays as a second baseman, but he prefers to remain at shortstop.
- Rosenthal and Morosi say not to rule out the Giants on Carlos Beltran yet.
- The Angels will know more about Kendrys Morales' condition after January 1st. Morales is still recovering from a fracture in his leg suffered in May of 2010.
Padres Not Optimistic About Keeping Heath Bell
The Padres aren't too optimistic about their chances of retaining Heath Bell, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. They club has offered a two-year deal to the closer but he can likely get three years for more than $30MM elsewhere, Heyman adds.
Bell will obviously attract a great deal of attention from teams, including the Red Sox who also be in on Ryan Madson following Jonathan Papelbon's signing with the Phillies. Last week, Bell said in an interview that he’d prefer to sign with the Padres, Angels or Dodgers and would also like to play for the Red Sox or Phillies, though it's probably safe to say that the Phillies are no longer a possibility for Bell.
Rockies Notes: Carroll, Prado, Sizemore, Street
The Rockies' aggressiveness in their pursuit of Jamey Carroll could indicate that they're ready to make some bold moves this winter, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post. The team even offered the veteran a multi-year deal, according to a source with direct knowledge of the talks, even though they clearly preferred the 37-year-old on a one-year contract. After losing out on Carroll to the Twins, what might come next for the Rockies?..
- Going after Braves' Martin Prado in a trade makes sense for the club and Atlanta likes outfielder Seth Smith. However, the Braves will require another piece, preferably a center fielder. Trade talks could pick up steam at this week's general managers meetings if the Rockies are willing to include Tim Wheeler or Charlie Blackmon.
- Center fielder Grady Sizemore obviously represents a considerable risk but the 29-year-old is looking to restore his value and would likely take a one-year deal. Coors Field would enticing in that scenario for both parties, Renck writes.
- The club has urgency to add a starter this winter but they're not desperate. One big reason for that is the miraculous recovery of Juan Nicasio. Those watching his bullpen sessions in the Dominican Republic say they can't tell he was even injured. This means that the Rockies will focus on an landing an impact starter rather than someone to keep the seat warm for Nicasio and Jorge De La Rosa.
- The Phillies' signing of Jonathan Papelbon unclogs the closers market and Ryan Madson will likely be the next to sign. As more closers find their homes, Huston Street's future should become clearer. Street is a potential one-year fit for a team that doesn't want to shell out a multi-year deal for a closer.
- A name that pops up regarding the Rockies' third base situation is Chase Headley of the Padres. The Rockies tried to acquire him last summer but the Padres weren't interested in moving him. San Diego remains uninterested in dealing the 27-year-old.
Padres Reluctant To Move Chase Headley
The free agent market for third basemen drops off after Aramis Ramirez, which is why Ben Nicholson-Smith highlighted potential trade candidates late last month. One of those trade candidates may not be available however, as sources tell Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Padres will be reluctant to move Chase Headley this offseason.
Headley, 27, projects to earn $3MM through arbitration this winter, his second time through the process as a Super Two. His .289/.374/.399 batting line in 2011 masks a drastic home/road split; the switch-hitter hit just .243/.348/.326 at Petco Park but .330/.399/.465 on the road. His career split is just as pronounced. The various advanced metrics rate Headley's defense as comfortably above-average at the hot corner.
The Marlins, Cubs, Tigers, Angels, and Rockies all figure to be in the market for third base help this offseason. Logan Forsythe and James Darnell both made their big league debuts in 2011, but retaining Headley would allow the Padres to be patient with the young duo. They've combined for just 373 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.