Cardinals, Mariners, Athletics Interested In Zaun
TUESDAY, 2:52pm: The Athletics are also in on Zaun, tweets John Hickey of AOL Fanhouse.
MONDAY, 4:48pm: Gregg Zaun is on the Cardinals' radar, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). However, the team hasn't spoken to Zaun's representatives so far at the Winter Meetings. Earlier today, Yahoo's Tim Brown named the Mariners and Cardinals as possible suitors for the veteran catcher (Twitter link).
Zaun missed the second half of the 2010 season after undergoing surgery on his right labrum in June. Zaun, 40 in April, should still be able to reach base if healthy; he has a career .344 on base percentage and posted a .350 OBP before getting hurt this summer. Last month, Zaun said he would prefer to return to the Rays.
Padres, Mariners, D’Backs In On Jorge Cantu
Free agent infielder Jorge Cantu is generating interest from the Padres, Mariners, and Diamondbacks, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown.
Cantu, 29 in January, had a rough year for the Marlins and Rangers in 2010. He hit .256/.304/.392 in 515 plate appearances, logging time at the infield corners.
Rays, Mariners Eyeing Mark Hendrickson
The Rays and Mariners are interested in lefty reliever Mark Hendrickson, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Hendrickson's former team, the Orioles, is also keeping tabs on him. The O's declined a $1.2MM option on him last month.
Hendrickson, a 6'9" southpaw, turned 36 in June. This year he posted a 5.26 ERA, 6.6 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, 1.1 HR/9, and 42.9% groundball rate in 75.3 innings. Hendrickson's FanGraphs splits show he's been plenty effective against left-handed batters over the past few years.
Josh Willingham Rumors: Tuesday
Josh Willingham may have become expendable for the Nationals with the Jayson Werth signing, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the asking price is said to be absurd. Rosenthal says the Athletics and Red Sox have checked in, while his colleague Jon Paul Morosi adds the Tigers and Mariners.
Mariners Close To Deal With Jack Cust?
Jack Cust is about to sign with the Mariners, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. However, John Hickey of AOL Fanhouse tweets that the Mariners figure to leave the Winter Meetings tomorrow without having completed a deal aside from a possible Rule 5 pick.
Cust, 32 in January, hit .272/.395/.438 in 425 plate appearances for the Athletics before being non-tendered this month. He's spent time at the outfield corners and designated hitter.
Mariners Rumors: Olivo, Second Base, Diaz
The Mariners have been linked to Rich Harden, Gregg Zaun, Eric Chavez, Hideki Matsui, Jack Cust, Matt Diaz, Koji Uehara, and even Zack Greinke in recent days. The latest:
- ESPN's Mike Salk says Miguel Olivo's name is popping up more than Zaun's in association with Seattle. Olivo spent parts of the '04 and '05 seasons with the Mariners.
- Salk says the Mariners are looking harder for a second baseman than a third baseman. They prefer Chone Figgins at third.
- Salk describes the Mariners' interest in Matsui as tire-kicking and is skeptical a deal will happen.
- The Ms are more focused on their everyday lineup than rotation right now, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- The Mariners are in on Matt Diaz, but they're one of as many as ten teams. ESPN's Jayson Stark tweets that things are moving fast with Diaz. He's expected to pick a team by midday Wednesday, tweets Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse. Diaz's agent Larry Reynolds told WEEI's Rob Bradford his client could even sign today.
At Least Seven Teams Checked In On Rich Harden
The Yankees, Twins, Rays, Diamondbacks, Brewers, Mariners, and Rockies have checked in on free agent righty Rich Harden, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi says some teams like Harden as a starter, others as a reliever.
The oft-injured Harden received a $7.5MM guarantee from the Rangers last year, but had a lost season. He posted a 5.58 ERA, 7.3 K/9, 6.1 BB/9, 1.8 HR/9, and 34.5% groundball rate in 92 innings, battling a strained glute and shoulder tendinitis. These days he's a fastball/changeup pitcher with a 90.5 mph average heater.
M’s Interested In Harden, Zaun, Chavez, Matsui, Cust
11:16pm: The Mariners are also interested in Rich Harden, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
5:28pm: The Mariners are interested in a number of free agents, including two players whose 2010 seasons ended prematurely because of injury. Gregg Zaun, who is on the Cardinals' radar, has caught the Mariners' attention. The team will meet with his agents tonight or tomorrow, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).
Like Zaun, Eric Chavez spent much of the 2010 season on the disabled list. The Mariners have checked in on the longtime Athletic, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter).
In addition to Zaun and Chavez, the Mariners are interested in Hideki Matsui and Jack Cust as DH options, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
Mariners Sign Peguero For $2.9MM
The Mariners signed a top Dominican prospect to a deal that includes the highest international amatuer signing bonus of the year, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Esteilon Peguero, a 17-year-old shortstop who is one of the most advanced hitting prospects in Latin America, signed for $2.9MM. The right-handed hitter has good bat speed, but may eventually move to second or third base.
Blue Jays, Yankees, Mariners Interested In Diaz
4:17pm: The Blue Jays also have some interest in Diaz, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter).
3:15pm: The Yankees and Mariners are interested in Matt Diaz as a possible platoon player. New York would mix Diaz in with Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. The Mariners are interested in platooning Diaz with Michael Saunders in left field, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
Like Marcus Thames, who excelled for the Yankees in a part-time role last year, Diaz handles lefties well. He has a .335/.373/.533 line against them in his career, though he bats just .269/.327/.382 against right-handers. The Braves non-tendered the 32-year-old last week, making him a free agent.
Diaz has experience in right field, but he has spent most of his big league career in left. The Dodgers and Phillies are other potential suitors for Diaz.