Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Mariners Rumors

Masahiro Tanaka Links: Thursday

By | at

After the Rakuten Golden Eagles made the long-awaited decision to post ace Masahiro Tanaka, the posting period opened this morning. Any team that is willing to pay his former club a posting fee of $20MM will have the right to negotiate with Tanaka over the next 30 days (a full refresher on the new rules can be found here). Tanaka's posting period comes to a close on Jan. 24 at 4pm CT, meaning that there could be as many as 700 more hours of drama, rumors and speculation regarding his ultimate destination. Here are today's Tanaka-centric links…

  • MLB.com's Richard Justice writes that teams see Tanaka not as a seven-year deal but rather as an investment to make an immediate impact that could yield a spot in the 2014 playoff picture. The Yankees would like to make an offer to close the bidding process before it truly begins, writes Justice, but several other teams likely feel the same.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that while Tanaka's new agent, Casey Close, does not have Scott Boras' public reputation of bargaining hard, he does have that reputation within the industry. Close is no stranger to large deals, as he represents Derek Jeter and Zack Greinke among others.
  • Sherman also runs down a list of eight teams that he feels to be the Yankees' most serious competition for Tanaka: the Dodgers, Angels, Red Sox, Phillies, Rangers, Cubs, Diamondbacks and Mariners.
  • In a piece for FOX Sports, Gabe Kapler writes that he spoke to one Major League GM who thought Tanaka would sign for something in the six-year, $105MM neighborhood (not including the posting fee). Kapler feels that Tanaka's age and the potential bidding war will up the price to something in the range of seven years and $125MM (plus the $20MM posting fee). He also cautions that Tanaka is far from a sure thing and will need to display impeccable command of his fastball or add some movement to it in order to flourish in the Majors.
  • Troy Renck of the Denver Post can't imagine Tanaka signing for anything less than $100MM (Sulia link).
  • The next 30 days will tell us if the Dodgers are hitting their spending limit — self-imposed or otherwise — or if their lack of big spending thus far in the offseason has merely been as a result of waiting for Tanaka, writes Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. Hernandez notes that the team already has five players under control through 2017 and would like that number to rise to seven with extensions to Clayton Kershaw and Hanley Ramirez.

West Notes: A’s, Stubbs, Peacock, Tanaka

By | at

Though the Athletics averaged just 22,337 fans per game in 2013 (which ranked 23rd in baseball), things could be worse in Oakland, writes Lev Facher of Athletics Nation. Oakland experienced a 10 percent increase in attendance from 2012 to 2013 despite the fact that the cross-town Giants were defending a World Series title. Another 10 percent increase would have Oakland north of 24,000 per game and shouldn't be too difficult to imagine with San Francisco's losing season in 2013 and Oakland's AL West championship. Facher notes that the A's will never top the Giants as long as they play in O.co Coliseum, but it's not hard to imagine them averaging well over 30,000 fans per night should they ever get a new park. More out of baseball's Western divisions…

  • New Rockies outfielder Drew Stubbs told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post that he knew there was a chance he'd get traded this offseason, and he thought Colorado would be a potential landing spot once Dexter Fowler was traded. Indeed, Stubbs is now a member of the Rockies — a concept that has teammate Troy Tulowitzki excited. Tulo told Saunders: "I have high hopes for Drew. … I know they have talked about [Carlos Gonzalez] being our center fielder, but for me, I think we are a better team if Drew can grab that position and run with it. That way, we can leave Carlos in left." Tulowitzki said he will invite Stubbs to his home to work out with him prior to Spring Training.
  • Jason Collette of Fangraphs examined the transformation that Astros righty Brad Peacock made after being sent down to the minors midway through the 2013 campaign. Peacock adopted a slider that made a world of difference for his repertoire, and as Collette notes, the changes were obvious to GM Jeff Luhnow, manager Bo Porter and catcher Jason Castro.
  • Lookout Landing's Scott Weber looks at the case for the Mariners to push for Masahiro Tanaka and wonders if the lack of serious connection between the two sides to this point is due to Seattle's unwillingness to double down on the greatest risk in franchise history (Robinson Cano). As Weber notes, should those deals crumble, Seattle would be looking at well over $40MM of dead payroll per year. He suggests that an alternative would be to take advantage of the Tanaka buzz by jumping into a surprisingly cool market for Ubaldo Jimenez.

AL West Notes: Rangers, Tanaka, Mariners, Choo

By | at

A look at today's links out of the AL West..

  • Evan Grant of the Dallas News looks at how the Rangers could potentially make a play for Masahiro Tanaka.  While Texas is considered a longshot to land Tanaka thanks to their already hefty payroll, they can’t be totaly counted out.  Grant says, in theory, they could move Alex Rios' $12.5MM salary, sign Tanaka, and move one of their other starters to fill the newly-created hole in the outfield.  A theoretical Derek Holland-for-Brett Gardner swap, for example, might save about another $1.5MM pending the outcome of Gardner’s arbitration situation.  There's also another way to create some breathing room: selling the naming rights to their ballpark.
  • Signing Tanaka without making other moves wouldn't help to fix the Mariners' roster inbalance, tweets Bob Dutton of The News Tribune.  It doesn't seem likely that the M's will get in on Tanaka anyway considering that they are pretty much at capacity in terms of payroll.
  • Rob Neyer of SB Nation spoke with Mike Curto, voice of the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, about his reaction to the 2006 trade that sent Shin-Soo Choo to the Indians for platoon DH Ben Broussard.

Minor Moves: Haley, Scarpetta, Mastroianni, Ruffin

By | at

Here are today's minor moves and outright assignments from around the league…

  • Indians right-hander Trey Haley has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Columbus, the team announced. Haley was designated for assignment last week in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for new closer John Axford.
  • Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that the Brewers have released right-hander Cody Scarpetta (Twitter link). Baseball America ranked Scarpetta as Milwaukee's No. 4 prospect at one point and ranked his curveball best among Brewers farmhands from 2008-11. Scarpetta, now 25, underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012 and struggled to a 7.15 ERA in 34 innings upon his return in 2013.
  • The Twins announced that they've outrighted outfielder Darin Mastroianni to Triple-A Rochester. The 28-year-old was a solid fourth outfielder for the Twins in 2012 with outstanding defense and baserunning contributions, but an ankle injury limited him to 73 plate appearances in 2013. Mastroianni followed up a .250/.328/.350 showing in 2012 with a .185/.229/.215 effort in 2013.
  • Right-hander Chance Ruffin has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma, the Mariners announced. Ruffin was designated for assignment last week in order to clear room on the 40-man roster for Franklin Gutierrez, who re-signed with Seattle on a one-year deal.
  • The Brewers have outrighted right-hander Michael Olmsted off their 40-man roster, according to senior director of media relations Mike Vassallo (on Twitter). The 26-year-old whiffed 60 batters in 59 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2013 but also walked 43 hitters en route to a 5.88 ERA.
  • Right-hander Rhiner Cruz has been outrighted from the Astros' 40-man roster, according to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Houston selected Cruz out of the Mets organization with the first overall pick of the 2011 Rule 5 Draft. The 26-year-old posted a 3.38 ERA in 21 1/3 innings in 2013 but walked more hitters (11) than he struck out (10) in that time. 
  • The Dodgers have signed right-hander Juan Abreu to a minor league contract, according to the team's transactions page. Now 28 years old, Abreu's only Major League experience came with the Astros in 2011 when he allowed two runs with 12 strikeouts against three walks in 6 2/3 innings of relief. The Dominican native has a 4.30 ERA with 11.5 K/9 and 5.9 BB/9 in 106 2/3 career innings at the Triple-A level.

East Notes: Price, O’s, Balfour, Braves, Marlins

By | at

In an article with the latest on the David Price situation, the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin dismisses reports that the Rays are motivated to move the Cy Young winner by Dec. 31 to avoid having to pay $4MM in deferred money. "The payment isn't due until Oct. 1, and it is the Rays' obligation, so really a nonfactor, as including it would be the same as asking for cash in a deal and subject to MLB approval," Topkin writes. While the Mariners are often named as a likely suitor for Price, they "seem to talk more about what prospects they don't want to trade." Here's more from the AL and NL East:

  • The Orioles could fill their closer and second base vacancies from within, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Fans have been frustrated by the club's quiet offseason thus far, but the O's seem likely to pluck their next second baseman from what they already have, and they won't spend lavishly on another ninth-inning option if Fernando Rodney doesn't drop his price.
  • The Orioles' nullified deal with Grant Balfour could conceivably have ramifications for Baltimore, Kubatko writes.  It's possible that the reliever could decide to file a grievance with the Players' Association or that some free agents down the road may be leery of agreeing to terms with the club.
  • The Yankees could be back in on Balfour, along with the Tigers, Rockies, and Angels, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Earlier this week we heard that the Rays are also in the mix.
  • The Braves won't force the issue in their search of bullpen depth, writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
  • The Marlins, meanwhile, are after a veteran presence to add to their pen, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

More React To Choo Deal

By | at

Most executives and scouts expected Shin-Soo Choo to wind up with the Rangers, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports. Sources say Choo liked Texas because of its recent run of success, the growing Korean population in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and because the team conducts Spring Training in Arizona. While GM Jon Daniels would have also been comfortable re-signing Nelson Cruz to a shorter deal, the agreement shows that MLB executives prefer to have their rosters complete before Christmas, Crasnick says. Here's more on the deal from around baseball:

  • The signing makes Texas one of the AL's best teams, ESPN.com's Keith Law says, writing that Choo could be worth 6 wins in 2014 because of the defensive boost he's likely to get after transitioning out of center field. However, Law notes that it's also a lengthy contract for a player who struggles mightily against left-handed pitching.
  • The Mariners appear to be one of the losers following the signing, according to Law, who says Seattle projects as the fourth-best team in the AL West even after inking Robinson Cano. Choo would have also been a good fit for the Tigers, who Law says have had a puzzling offseason thus far.
  • A source close to Choo says the outfielder considered the Rangers his "clear first choice," FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal writes. While Texas will enter 2014 with more left-handed hitters in its lineup, the club appears to be the AL West's best as things currently stand, Rosenthal says. He adds that the signing takes the Rangers out of the running for Masahiro Tanaka, if he's eventually posted.
  • Anthony Castrovince profiles Choo in an article for MLB.com, lauding his work ethic.
  • Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News writes that the deal completes a Texas offseason in which the team managed to achieve nearly all of its goals. The club had intended to keep its payroll around $125MM.
  • While the Yankees weren't able to sign Choo, Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News says the deal may ultimately help the Yanks because it eliminates Texas as a potential suitor for Masahiro Tanaka.

Rosenthal On Price, Gardner, Morales, Lough

By | at

The Rays' attempts to trade David Price are greatly complicated by the fact that the team is still trying to contend in 2014, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal writes.  Most teams unloading a star player are doing so in order to rebuild and add young talent across the board, but Tampa Bay is trying to add Major League-ready players for another playoff run next season.  Here are some more items from Rosenthal's latest column…

  • The Rays "probably wouldn't be excited" by the prospect of trading Jeremy Hellickson if they couldn't move Price.  Hellickson's name came up in trade rumors last offseason before the Rays moved James Shields, and I agree that if Tampa Bay doesn't trade Price, the team is much more likely to just stand pat with its rotation rather than move another starter.
  • Brett Gardner's career numbers compare to those of Michael Bourn and (somewhat surprisingly) even Jacoby Ellsbury, so Rosenthal wonders if the Yankees could sign Gardner to an extension now and perhaps save themselves some future money if they want to keep the outfielder in the fold.
  • MLBPA officials believe Gardner will earn a "considerably higher" salary in arbitration than the $4MM number projected by MLBTR's Matt Swartz.
  • If the Yankees do abandon their plan to stay under the $189MM luxury tax threshold, then Rosenthal wonders why the team bothered setting that goal for themselves in the first place when it may have cost them several players over the past year.  Rosenthal also suggests Bronson Arroyo as a durable short-term option for New York, noting Arroyo's friendship with Yankees strength and conditioning coach Matthew Krause.
  • Rosenthal wonders if the Mariners would be willing to re-sign Kendrys Morales (provided that they're still willing to spend, that is).  I'd argue that bringing Morales back as the regular DH would create some problems for the M's — they'd have to trade Justin Smoak, plus play Corey Hart and Logan Morrison in the field every day, which could be a risky move given their injury histories.
  • An AL general manager praised the Orioles' trade for David Lough, noting that "he can do everything that [Nate] McLouth does. He might end up being an even better hitter than McLouth.”

Multiple Teams Interested In Nick Franklin

By | at

The Mariners have a "strong" trade market for Nick Franklin, as several teams have shown interest in the young second baseman, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi report (Twitter link).  Franklin went from being Seattle's second baseman of the future to an obvious trade candidate following the team's signing of Robinson Cano, and given his pedigree, it's no surprise that teams are looking to acquire a promising, controllable talent.

Franklin, 22, was taken by the Mariners with the 27th overall pick of the 2009 draft and he entered the season ranked as the 47th-best prospect in the game by MLB.com and as the 79th-best by Baseball America.  The 2013 Baseball America Prospect Handbook ranked Franklin as the fifth-best prospect in Seattle's system, saying "he profiles as a solid regular who could play in a few All-Star Games."  Franklin hit .287/.360/.459 with 46 homers and 63 steals (out of 81 chances) over 1756 minor league PA, and then hit .225/.303/.382 with 12 homers in 412 PA with the Mariners in 2013, his first taste of Major League action.

Since Franklin has a lot of minor league experience at shortstop, the M's could also make him Cano's double play partner and shop incumbent shortstop Brad Miller instead.  Miller, however, actually outhit Franklin in both the majors and the minors and (while he isn't a great defender) is better suited to shortstop than Franklin, so Miller could have more value to the Mariners going forward. 

With Cano, Omar Infante and even secondary options like Kelly Johnson, Mark Ellis and Brian Roberts off the board, teams looking for second base help have precious little left on the free agent market.  The Blue Jays stand out as a would-be contender with a hole at second base, while teams like the Braves and Mets could have a need for a promising young second baseman if they move their current keystone position stalwarts (Dan Uggla and Daniel Murphy, respectively) who have been rumored to be on the trade market themselves.

David Price Rumors: Thursday

By | at

There has been much speculation about a David Price trade this winter but very little hard information about interested teams.  CBS Sports' Jon Heyman explores the seemingly quiet Price trade market in his wrap-up of the latest news about the Rays southpaw…

  • "Five or six" teams have made offers involving Price but the Rays haven't seen anything that piques their interest.  The Rays "seem slightly shocked" that they haven't received better offers and people within the organization are now discussing keeping Price through at least the start of the season.
  • Taijuan Walker seems to be an untouchable for the Mariners, with a Mariners source telling Heyman that "Taijuan Walker will be on our roster come Opening Day."  Another M's source says Seattle would prefer to keep both Walker and James Paxton, and instead trade young position players for Price.  A Rays official hinted that Seattle could offer an acceptable trade package without Walker, with Heyman noting that Paxton and Mike Zunino would seem to be logical candidates.
  • "Tampa Bay's position is that they need one huge prospect or at least a trio of very good ones" for Price, so a Mariners offer based around the likes of Dustin Ackley, Nick Franklin and Justin Smoak wouldn't be enough to get it done.
  • The Royals have "had mostly just internal talks on Price" and haven't exchanged any "meaningful dialogue" with the Rays about a possible trade.  That said, Heyman notes that Kansas City has the prospect depth to make a trade possible, though Price's rising salary through arbitration over the next two seasons makes a deal a "tall order," according to one Royals source.
  • Trading Price within the AL East is "not ideal," according to one Rays source, though the idea wasn't dismissed outright.  I'd guess that Tampa Bay would want an even higher premium for Price from a division rival than they would from a non-AL East club.

Mariners Could Be Nearing Payroll Limit

By | at

Mariners officials are signaling to agents and others in the industry that they could be nearing their payroll limit, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal opines that, if true, this makes the decision to spent the majority of their available funds on Robinson Cano shows that there was no plan in place for the Mariners.

Rosenthal adds that the Mariners could make exceptions "for the right player" and are continuing to discuss David Price with the Rays. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports noted in yesterday's 10 Degrees column that the M's are softening on their stance that righty Taijuan Walker is off limits.

Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik appeared on MLB Network's Hot Stove this morning and addressed the issue directly when asked by Rosenthal:

"We're at a point where I think we are trying to do a few more things. I'm not sure that anything is going to be a huge splash. We have some options out there that we can either make a trade or could add another piece to it. I think that if we go for another large deal, that obviously is going to have to go above my head. And at this moment we are where we are, and we're trying to make things work with what we have."

In addition to Cano, the Mariners have also added Corey Hart on a one-year deal, re-signed Franklin Gutierrez and acquired Logan Morrison from the Marlins in exchange for Carter Capps. However, the addition of Cano and Hart certainly wouldn't seem to be enough to fix a team that finished 12th in the American League with 624 runs scored.

The Mariners have been linked to big-name free agents such as Nelson Cruz, Shin-Soo Choo and Kendrys Morales, but each of those players figure to command a sizable payday that now could be beyond Seattle's financial capabilities.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top