Giants Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: Lannan, Escobar, Youkilis, Drew

By Luke Adams 2 | December 4, 2012 at 12:40pm CDT

With plenty of rumors flying around the lobby of the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, we're making sure we don't let anything slip through the cracks. Here are a few morning updates from around the league on some of this winter's free agents:

Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Mets have displayed interest in the recently non-tendered John Lannan, perhaps as insurance if the team trades a starter.
Although he hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2009, Kelvim Escobar is healthy in winter ball and is drawing interest at the Winter Meetings, tweets ESPN.com's Buster Olney.

Earlier updates:

The Yankees have spoken with Kevin Youkilis' agent, reports Jack Curry of the YES Network (Twitter link). According to Curry, Youkilis would consider a one-year deal if the salary was at a "premium amount."
The Mariners are interested in free agent outfielder Nate McLouth, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
A rival evaluator tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link) that there's "no way" Stephen Drew would sign with the Yankees to be a part-time or utility player. Drew is seeking a full-time job.
Red Sox GM Ben Cherington acknowledged that giving up a draft pick to sign Nick Swisher would be a factor in Boston's pursuit of the outfielder (link via Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com).
Mike Silverman of the Boston Herald hears that the Red Sox still have a chance in the Josh Hamilton sweepstakes, but it's a long shot (Twitter link).
After getting a clean bill of health on his hand and wrist, Ian Stewart has drawn wide interest from teams looking for third base help, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Tyler Kepner of the New York Times notes (via Twitter) that Stewart could be a fit for the Yankees.
Within his latest piece for the New York Post, Ken Davidoff hears that the Mets and Ryan Ludwick are an unlikely match, and wonders if Nick Swisher could end up with the Mariners.
The Reds will meet with Ludwick's agent this morning, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The veteran outfielder could accept the offer on the table from Cincinnati, though Fay speculates that the Reds are offering two years and Ludwick wants three. A two-year deal with a third-year option might work for both sides, says Fay.
The Athletics will meet with the reps for Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima today, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
The Dodgers, Giants, Brewers, Angels, and Rays are among the teams that have inquired on free agent reliever Mark Lowe, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Scott Kazmir, who is throwing 90-94 mph in Puerto Rico, is drawing interest from a host of teams and could choose from a handful of offers soon, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. However, the Mets aren't in the mix for the lefty, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.

Giants Notes: Payroll, Hairston, Scutaro, Brian Wilson

By Tim Dierkes | December 3, 2012 at 10:15pm CDT

The World Champion Giants dropped $40MM on a four-year deal to bring back center fielder Angel Pagan today. I expect Pagan to prove a worthwhile investment, providing enough value at the front end of the deal to make it a win overall. The latest on the Giants' other dealings…

The Giants' payroll is going to the $140MM range up from the low $130s, tweets John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Giants seek a right-handed complement to projected starting left fielder Gregor Blanco, writes Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com, and they've checked in with Scott Hairston's agent. Reed Johnson, Andruw Jones, and Ben Francisco could be a few other names to consider depending on how much the team wants to spend, in my opinion.
Giants VP Bobby Evans wouldn't rule out second baseman Marco Scutaro getting a three-year offer on the open market, in talking with Baggarly.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy considers Sergio Romo his closer, tweets Baggarly, but plans on calling recently non-tendered reliever Brian Wilson soon to recruit him to return.

Athletics Notes: Drew, Nakajima, McCarthy

By Tim Dierkes | December 3, 2012 at 6:53pm CDT

Athletics GM Billy Beane met with reporters today at the Winter Meetings in Nashville; here's the latest.

The A's are considering two free agent shortstops: Stephen Drew and Hiroyuki Nakajima (Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reporting). Slusser heard from Drew's agent Scott Boras last night that he will meet with Beane this week. As for Nakajima, the A's may have some competition from the Giants, as Slusser's colleague John Shea hears they've spoken with his reps as a Plan B if they're unable to re-sign Marco Scutaro.
Beane noted the A's have more options at shortstop via trade. Slusser and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports have made the connection with the Marlins, who are shopping Yunel Escobar.
Beane says nothing is imminent with free agent pitcher Brandon McCarthy, and the GM realizes the righty will have a significant market (Jane Lee of MLB.com reporting).

NL West Rumors: Scutaro, Rockies, Otani, Minor

By Luke Adams 2 | December 3, 2012 at 3:43pm CDT

While the Dodgers have been linked to just about everyone this offseason, they won't be the only NL West club active in Nashville this week. Here are a few updates from around the division:

Chris Haft of MLB.com (Twitter link) heard from an agent earlier today that the Giants were "bending over backwards" to re-sign Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro. Haft wonders if Scutaro is next, now that the team has reached an agreement with Pagan.
The Rockies are targeting late-inning and closer-type pitchers this week, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

The Dodgers would be "shocked" if Shohei Otani declares for MLB and doesn't sign with them, says Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). However, the Dodgers are skeptical that Otani will come stateside. We heard this morning that the 18-year-old was leaning toward remaining in Japan.
In discussing Dexter Fowler with the Braves, the Rockies asked for Mike Minor, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (Twitter link).
Troy Renck of the Denver Post notes (via Twitter) that the Yankees had some interest in Chris Nelson last season, and wonders if their interest in the Rockies' infielder could be renewed now that Alex Rodriguez is undergoing hip surgery.
The Giants are one of five teams with "real interest" in Scott Hairston, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The Cardinals, Tigers, Indians, and Yankees round out the list, and Hairston himself hasn't ruled out a return to the Mets.

Overnight Links: LaRoche, Marlins, Giants, Delmon

By Steve Adams | December 3, 2012 at 4:22am CDT

MLBTR is providing 24-hour coverage of the Winter Meetings for the fourth straight year. I'll once again be handling overnight duties for the following four nights to keep track of late-breaking and crack-of-dawn news and rumors. Here's the latest from around the league…

There is a "growing sense" that the Nationals and Adam LaRoche will get a new contract worked out, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. That transaction would make Michael Morse expendable, which would explain reports that the Nats and Rays are discussing Morse in a trade.
The Marlins figure to be observers at this year's Winter Meetings, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. The team is likely to pursue bullpen options and bench depth.
The Giants are still interested in Shane Victorino as a fallback option in the event that they are unable to re-sign Angel Pagan, tweets John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Giants general manager Brian Sabean told Shea that the team isn't in on any "high-ticket items" (Twitter link). As Shea notes, that should rule out Michael Bourn. I wonder if Sabean is also including Nick Swisher, who has been linked to the Giants, in that description.
Delmon Young might wait until January to sign, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Young is recovering from ankle surgery and wants to be healthy in his auditions for new teams.
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Brewers general manager Doug Melvin isn't inclined to go beyond two years in deals for free agent pitchers (Twitter link).
John Lannan will be a popular name among teams in need of starting pitching depth, and the Twins are expected to kick the tires, according to Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). The Nationals non-tendered the 28-year-old southpaw on Friday.

Giants Close To Re-Signing Angel Pagan

By Luke Adams 2 | December 3, 2012 at 2:47am CDT

The Giants and Angel Pagan are close to reaching an agreement to bring Pagan back to San Francisco, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).

San Francisco had been one of Pagan's strongest suitors for most of the offseason, along with the Phillies. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports tweeted earlier this afternoon that the Phils still considered the price for the 31-year-old to be too high, though Philadelphia was more likely to sign Pagan than Michael Bourn. Two days ago, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported that the Giants were believed to be offering a four-year deal with a lower annual salary than Pagan was seeking.

Pagan enjoyed a very productive 2012 season in which he hit .288/.338/.440, slightly exceeding his career rates in each category. The center fielder ranked 11th on MLBTR's list of this winter's top 50 free agents.

Originally published on December 3rd at 2:47pm.

Quick Hits: Mariners, Red Sox, Cabrera, Greinke

By Zachary Links | December 2, 2012 at 11:22pm CDT

The Mariners are looking for offense and are "in on everybody", a rival GM tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. That includes big fish like Josh Hamilton and Justin Upton and they're also considering Mike Napoli and Nick Swisher. Cody Ross, Ryan Ludwick, and Mark Reynolds may also be fits in Seattle. More from around baseball..

Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino confirmed to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (via Twitter) that the club hopes to sign Mike Napoli, though it has to be on a three-year deal, not a four-year deal. Lucchino added that the club is in on Hamilton (Twitter link) but they won't go to six, seven, or eight years to make it happen. It has been well documented that the Red Sox are leery of long-term deals as they look to spend responsibly going forward.
Asdrubal Cabrera has a six-team no-trade clause allowing him to block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Nationals, Giants, Mets, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The Indians have reportedly set the bar high in their demands for Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo.
Zack Greinke's agent Casey Close told Heyman (via Twitter) that he'll know in the next 24-48 hours if a deal can get done in Nashville. Close added that nothing is close for his client just yet. Meanwhile, Braves GM Frank Wren says that it's "probably unlikely" that he will sign Greinke (Twitter link).
The market for Ryan Dempster may develop more this week with the Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Twins in the mix, Morosi tweets. Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter) classifies Dempster as the Brewers' top free agent target.
One source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com that he wouldn't rule out the Nationals trading for a pitcher like James Shields of the Rays. The Nats could potentially use Mike Morse in a deal for Shields as the Rays are in need of offense.

West Notes: Dodgers, Giants, Angels, Padres

By Zachary Links | December 2, 2012 at 4:35pm CDT

Here's a look at some news out of the AL and NL West..

The Dodgers are letting teams know that shortstop Dee Gordon is available, tweets Bob Nightengale of the USA Today. Gordon could represent a fallback option for teams who lose out on Stephen Drew. Earlier today, we learned five teams are in on Drew.
The Giants are looking for a center fielder and are talking to Michael Bourn, Angel Pagan, and Shane Victorino, tweets CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman.
The Angels are aren't acting like they're confident of landing Zack Greinke, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The Angels seem to be trolling for much cheaper starting pitching options like Ryan Dempster and Shaun Marcum, as opposed to Anibal Sanchez and Kyle Lohse.
The Dodgers' shopping list includes Greinke, a fourth outfielder that can play center, and a backup corner infielder, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Gurnick also says negotiations continue with lefty reliever Randy Choate.
Padres GM Josh Byrnes doesn't expect to be very busy during the Winter Meetings, reports Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I expect to do one thing, maybe two," said Byrnes. "I’m not expecting to do a lot. We’re filling the holes, not roster reshaping." The Padres are looking for starting pitching and have depth at the corner outfield slots, in the bullpen, and at middle infield. The names most often mentioned as possible trade chips, according to Center, are Luke Gregerson, Joe Thatcher, and Jesus Guzman.
The Rangers are interested in talking with the Mets about R.A. Dickey at the Winter Meetings this week, a source tells T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. The Rangers aren't alone in having interest in the knuckleballer as the Mets have taken calls from six or seven teams looking to swing a trade. The Mets are expected to look for outfield help and catching in a deal.
The Rockies are considering a run at left-hander Daniel Schlereth as they look to improve their bullpen, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The 26-year-old became a free agent this week when he was non-tendered by the Tigers.
The Rockies are looking to restore their rotation, but not rebuild it entirely, writes Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. The club will look to bolster their starting five with a veteran presence and they are known to have interest in free agent right-hander Kevin Correia.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Olney: Winter Meetings Preview

By edcreech | December 2, 2012 at 2:00pm CDT

The Winter Meetings begin shortly at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville. ESPN's Buster Olney, in an Insider-only post, writes past Winter Meetings have been dominated by free agent signings, but some GMs say there is more groundwork laid for possible trades this year than they can remember in the recent past. Here are some of the storylines that could play out this week, according to Olney:

If Olney was Rangers' GM Jon Daniels, he would go all out to sign Zack Greinke and then trade some surplus pitching for offense.
Some rival officials remain convinced the Diamondbacks will eventually trade Justin Upton, whose contract ($38.5MM due over the next three years) has become more attractive in the wake of his brother's deal with the Braves.
The Indians have set the bar high in their demands for Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo. "Time will tell on whether they've lowered (the asking prices)," said a rival GM.
The most likely of the Rays' established starting pitchers to be dealt is Jeremy Hellickson. On paper, the best matchup appears to be the Padres.
The Reds are looking to acquire a leadoff hitter and could target Dexter Fowler.
The Phillies continue to push on Angel Pagan. If Pagan signs with Philadelphia, the Giants could look to Shane Victorino, who is looking for $9-10MM annually.
The Pirates have let other teams know that closer Joel Hanrahan is available and they are looking for starting pitching.
In a separate tweet, Olney says the perception among rival executives is the signing of David Wright makes it much easier for the Mets to trade R.A. Dickey without fear of a PR backlash.
Nate Schierholtz received calls from nine teams within the first 12 hours of being non-tendered with the Yankees in the mix and the Rays also a good fit (Twitter links).

Quick Hits: Pagan, Giants, Indians, Brewers,

By Zachary Links | December 1, 2012 at 11:10pm CDT

A roundup of tonight's links as we have our eyes fixed on the Winter Meetings countdown clock..

The Phillies continue to go hard on Angel Pagan while Giants look to be short right now on average annual value in a four-year deal, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Olney previous reported that the Phillies and Pagan have been talking for weeks.
Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti says he has interest in re-signing Jack Hannahan, Rafael Perez, and Chris Seddon, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer. All three players were non-tendered on Friday.
Brewers GM Doug Melvin says that he sees a Kameron Loe-type pitcher in the newly-acquired Burke Badenhop, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel. "He's a similar pitcher to Loe," said Melvin. "He might have been a non-tender, so we put the deal together late (Friday) night. Instead of letting him go out on the market where you don't know what might happen, we thought it best to make a trade for him."

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