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Oswalt And The Cardinals

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Free agent righty Roy Oswalt is being eyed by the Cardinals, reported Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe yesterday, and he'd love to pitch in St. Louis.  However, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeted today that a team source downplayed the Cardinals' interest in Oswalt as a starter.  Strauss' implication is that the Cardinals might have interest in Oswalt for a relief role, perhaps with big incentives if he is to jump into the rotation.  The Cardinals currently have five starters under contract for 2012.

Oswalt has done very little relief work since his 2001 rookie season, and it's not known whether he's open to the idea of joining a bullpen.  The 34-year-old was limited to 145 innings in 2011 due to back pain.

Morosi On Blue Jays, First Base, Starters, Cespedes

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The baseball world figures to remain relatively quietly until after the New Year, but as Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes, there is still a lot of work to be done before the season begins. Let's round up Morosi's rumors…

  • The Blue Jays are saying they will not give a hitter a contract of more than five guaranteed years, though they'll likely have to violate that policy if they want to sign Prince Fielder.
  • The Brewers, Cubs, Nationals, Indians, Mariners, Orioles, Rangers, Rays, and Pirates are all considering non-Fielder upgrades at first base. Carlos Pena, Casey Kotchman, and Derrek Lee remain unsigned, among others.
  • Some within the game believe that Joakim Soria and Carlos Marmol could be had at the right price. The Cubbies are said to be planning a "complete and total rebuild."
  • Both Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook remain available, and the Rangers may be willing to trade Matt Harrison for a more established starter.
  • Most believe Yoenis Cespedes will sign for more than the $30.25MM Aroldis Chapman received because as a position player, he carried less risk. A larger number of interested teams and the new collective bargaining agreement will also help his cause.

Cardinals Agree To Two-Year Deal With Carlos Beltran

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The Cardinals have addressed the Albert Pujols-sized void in their lineup by agreeing to terms with free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran.  The contract is a two-year, $26MM deal that includes a full no-trade clause and will be finalized once Beltran passes a physical.  Beltran is represented by Dan Lozano.

Beltran, who turns 35 in April, hit .300/.385/.525 in 598 plate appearances for the Mets and Giants in 2011.  It was a solid return to good fitness for the six-time All-Star, who was plagued by knee injuries over the previous two seasons and made only 612 plate appearances combined in 2009-10.  Beltran is slated to play right field in St. Louis until Allen Craig returns from injury, and then Beltran will shift to center field (with Jon Jay still receiving significant playing time).  Beltran is also likely the Cardinals' top DH option during interleague games in American League ballparks.

A contract with a $13MM average annual value and no-trade protection is a very nice win for Beltran and Lozano, especially given that Beltran's market was rather thin as recently as two weeks ago.  Once Michael Cuddyer and Josh Willingham signed, however, interest in Beltran picked up considerably.  Beltran ended up receiving a higher AAV than either Cuddyer ($31.5MM over three years) or Willingham ($21MM over three years) received from the Rockies and Twins, respectively.  The Indians and Blue Jays were considered to be the other finalists for Beltran's services, with the Rays and Red Sox also in the mix.

Though Beltran was a Type A free agent, the Giants will not receive a compensatory draft pick since they weren't allowed to offer him arbitration due to a clause in Beltran's previous contract with the Mets.  The Cardinals, as well, don't have to give up any draft picks for the signing.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was the first to break the story, with Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown and FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal also adding contract details.

Carlos Beltran Rumors: Thursday

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Carlos Beltran may choose his next team by the weekend and he has many suitors to consider. The Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Rays and Indians are all "seriously in the mix" for Beltran, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. Here’s the latest on Beltran, who’s open to DHing part-time…

  • Though the Indians are in the mix for Beltran, they're more likely to obtain a first baseman, tweets Heyman.
  • The Cardinals view Beltran as the best, most cost-efficient option, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Cardinals are believed to have offered a two-year deal worth at least $8MM per season at one point, Heyman writes.
  • Beltran is down to the Cardinals, Indians and Blue Jays, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Miller names the same three teams and says the Beltran talks appear to be coming to a head. (Twitter link).
  • The Red Sox are out on Beltran, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
  • The Cardinals intensified their talks with Beltran last night and into this morning, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. One of Goold's sources says the Cardinals are the "leading candidate" to sign Beltran.
  • MLB.com's Jordan Bastian hears nothing has changed regarding the Indians' projected 2012 payroll (Twitter links). This means adding someone like Beltran would likely require the club to shed payroll elsewhere, but Cleveland’s interest in Beltran is legitimate.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains how Beltran would fit on the Indians' roster. Cleveland jumped into the bidding for the switch-hitting free agent yesterday.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reminds us that Beltran declined to be traded to the Indians in July, when he said he’d only join the Phillies or Giants (Twitter link).

Indians In On Carlos Beltran

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11:17pm: The Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Rays and Indians are all "seriously in the mix" for Beltran, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. There could be another team involved.

10:40pm: The Indians have jumped into the Carlos Beltran negotiations, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Though GM Chris Antonetti has been on the lookout for offense this offseason, this is the first time the Indians have been publicly linked to Beltran.

Beltran has two and three-year offers and hopes to decide on a new team this week, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links). The Blue Jays and Cardinals are among Beltran’s most aggressive suitors, Miller reports. The switch-hitter appears to be weighing a more substantial contract offer against a city he prefers. He is open to DHing on a part-time basis.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported tonight that Indians people are considering “everyone but Prince [Fielder]” as they hunt for upgrades at first base and in the outfield. The Indians now have Michael Brantley, Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo, Ezequiel Carrera, Shelley Duncan and the newly-acquired Aaron Cunningham in the outfield mix. Beltran would be a welcome addition to an offense that ranked 16th in MLB in runs scored in 2011.

Minor Moves: Velez, Hernandez, Luna, Montanez

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We'll keep track of today's minor league transactions here …

  • The Cardinals signed utility player Eugenio Velez, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Velez appeared in 34 games for the Dodgers this past season, but didn't collect a single hit. He did post an .834 OPS in 235 Triple-A plate appearances, while playing right field, left field, second base and third base.
  • The Pirates have agreed to terms with infielder Anderson Hernandez on a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, the team announced. Hernandez, 29, has played in 240 Major League games over six seaons with the Mets, Nationals, Indians and Astros. He last appeared in the bigs with Houston in 2010.
  • The Phillies announced they've signed infielder Hector Luna and outfielder Luis Montanez to minor league contracts with invitations to Spring Training. Luna has seen seen Major League action with the Cardinals, Indians, Blue Jays and Marlins, getting as many as 379 plate appearances with the Redbirds in 2006. Montanez appeared in 36 games with the Cubs in 2011.

Cardinals Sign R.J. Swindle

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The Cardinals have signed left-hander R.J. Swindle to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned.

Swindle, 28, has nine Major League outings to his credit, last appearing in the bigs with the Brewers in 2009. The Vancouver native pitched in 39 games with the Rays' Triple-A affiliate in 2011 and has a career 2.37 ERA with an impressive 9.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 493 2/3 minor league innings.

Swindle was a 14th-round draft pick of the Red Sox in 2004.

Carlos Beltran Decision Expected This Week

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As Yahoo's Tim Brown reported yesterday, one club involved in the Carlos Beltran derby should expect a Christmas gift before Sunday, as Beltran is expected to decide on his new team this week. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears the same thing, noting that Beltran is weighing a variety of two- and three-year contract offers from five different clubs. Based on various reports, including Goold's, the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Rays, Cardinals, and one other NL team are believed to be in on the 34-year-old. Here are the rest of today's Beltran rumors, with the newest additions on top:

  • The Cards view Coco Crisp as a "Plan B or another direction" if Beltran signs elsewhere, a source tells Goold.
  • How quickly Beltran can return to his home in Puerto Rico is something of a factor in his decision, tweets ESPN.com's Buster Olney. While this would seem to favor a team like the Rays, it doesn't rule out the Jays, given the non-stop flights between Toronto and Puerto Rico (Twitter link).
  • The Rays are very unlikely to outbid Beltran's other suitors, Olney adds in one last tweet.

Latest On Coco Crisp

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TUESDAY, 3:49pm: Agent Steve Comte told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Crisp wants to play for a winner and find a home for a few years. The Cubs and Cardinals are among the teams involved, Rosenthal tweets. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes first mentioned the Cubs' interest last week.

MONDAY, 9:12pm: Multiple teams remain interested and Crisp's agent declined to characterize discussions, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter).

8:00pm: The Cardinals are discussing a deal with free agent outfielder Coco Crisp, according to Yahoo's Steve Henson (on Twitter). If the sides complete the deal, Crisp would play center field and bat atop the Cardinals' order with Jon Jay moving over to right field.

The switch-hitting Crisp led the American League with 49 stolen bases in 2011, hitting .264/.314/.379 with 27 doubles as Oakland's center fielder. The California native seems to prefer West Coast teams, but explained in September that he’s also looking to play on a winner and find a good "financial situation" for himself.

If Crisp signs in St. Louis, then Carlos Beltran will probably have one less suitor. The move would provide the Cardinals with depth as Allen Craig recovers from last month's knee surgery.

Hiroki Kuroda May Be Nearing Deal

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Yahoo’s Tim Brown heard yesterday that Hiroki Kuroda was close to agreeing to a new contract. However, it’s not clear which team is nearing a deal with the right-hander. Here are the details and more of Brown’s links from around MLB:

  • The Mariners, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees were among the teams that informed Brown they were not the team nearing a deal with Kuroda.
  • The Dodgers didn’t scout Yoenis Cespedes in earnest or consider bidding on Yu Darvish, Brown reports. It cost the Rangers $51.7MM for the rights to negotiate with Darvish and Cespedes figures to cost tens of millions as well, so the players are too expensive for the cash-strapped Dodgers to consider.
  • Carlos Beltran figures to agree to terms by Sunday. His market includes the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red Sox and a fourth team, possibly the Rays. Beltran is weighing two and three-year offers, Brown reports.
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