Rays Rumors

AL East Notes: Yankees, Pineda, Red Sox, Rays

By Luke Adams 2 | January 15, 2012 at 12:26pm CDT

We've already rounded up some Orioles and Red Sox items this morning, but those aren't the only updates out of the AL East. Here are a few more:

Chad Jennings of The Journal News shares some final thoughts on the Yankees' eventful week, noting that the team feels Jesus Montero's potential is easier to replace than Michael Pineda's.
GM Brian Cashman tells Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that the Yankees will have made a mistake if Pineda never develops into a #1 starter (Twitter link).
The Red Sox shouldn't feel pressured to answer the Yankees' pitching acquisitions immediately, says Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal, arguing that plenty of new trade candidates could emerge by July's trade deadline.
Although the Rays continue to explore adding another bat, they may not move forward until they see how arbitration figures look for David Price and B.J. Upton, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Stephen Nohlgren of the Tampa Bay Times proposes what he believes could be a win-win solution for Tampa and St. Petersburg, regarding the Rays' stadium situation.

Cafardo’s Latest: Zumaya, Carlos Lee, Oswalt

By Luke Adams 2 | January 15, 2012 at 9:27am CDT

At least three teams are "pushing hard" for Joel Zumaya, says Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. According to Cafardo, 50 scouts from 20 teams were in attendance for Zumaya's December workout, and the Red Sox and Padres are among the clubs who are very interested in the right-hander. Here are a few more items of interest from Cafardo's Sunday Baseball Notes:

An Astros source confirmed to Cafardo that the club has received a few inquires on Carlos Lee, as we heard earlier this week. The Rays briefly discussed a deal, but even half of Lee's $18.5MM salary figures to be too pricey for Tampa Bay.
A long-term extension doesn't look likely for Jacoby Ellsbury this week, but he and the Red Sox should avoid arbitration on a one-year deal before Tuesday's deadline.
Based on Hiroki Kuroda's deal with the Yankees, an NL GM thinks Roy Oswalt could be had for about $9MM for one year. There were rumblings this week suggesting Oswalt's current asking price may be even lower.
An NL scout on Edwin Jackson and his likely cost: "For that kind of money, you need more consistency out of him. I guess there's a lack of trust in that consistency. He's a great athlete, but he doesn't have a great feel for pitching. To me, he's still a complementary piece."
Ryan Spilborghs and Chad Qualls are two free agents to keep in mind for the Red Sox, says Cafardo. The Sox have "always liked" Spilborghs, who was non-tendered by the Rockies last month, and Qualls "has been on Boston's radar all offseason."

East Notes: Red Sox, Maddon, Wright, Orioles

By Mark Polishuk | January 13, 2012 at 11:14pm CDT

We know it's been quite the busy day for New York baseball, but let's see what else is happening in both the AL and NL East…

The Yankees' big acquisitions of Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda could mean the Red Sox may have to counter by signing Roy Oswalt or getting involved in the Matt Garza trade market, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
The Red Sox were interested in Kuroda but couldn't sign him without finding payroll space via another roster move, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Bradford also notes the Sox wouldn't have been able to outbid the Yankees for Pineda since the Mariners didn't value any of Boston's prospects as much as they valued Jesus Montero.
The Red Sox and Yankees were both talking to the Mariners about a Felix Hernandez trade but the M's weren't interested, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
Joe Maddon's increasingly likely contract extension with the Rays may not be worked out until the manager returns in late January from a European vacation, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
Mets third baseman David Wright said "it's going to be a pain" listening to his name come up in trade rumors all summer, during an interview with Cliff Floyd and Mike Ferrin of Sirius XM Radio. ESPN New York's Adam Rubin has a partial transcript of the interview.
The Orioles have not had "substantive talks" with the Cubs about Alfonso Soriano, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun looks at some of the Orioles' remaining free agent possibilities.
Braves GM Frank Wren tells David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link) that he doesn't expect to make a trade before Spring Training. "Every day that goes by it’s probably less likely. It doesn’t mean you stop trying," Wren said.

Rays Designate Nevin Ashley For Assignment

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 2:05pm CDT

The Rays designated catcher Nevin Ashley for assignment to create roster space for Luke Scott, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The team's 40-man roster remains full.

Ashley, 27, posted a .263/.358/.384 line in 444 plate appearances for the Rays' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in 2011. The 2006 sixth rounder has a .260/.353/.378 line in parts of six pro seasons. However, he was behind Jose Molina, Robinson Chirinos and Jose Lobaton on the Rays' depth chart.

Rays, Maddon Closing In On Extension

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2012 at 9:48am CDT

The Rays are closing in on a multiyear extension with manager Joe Maddon, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Maddon’s contract is set to expire after 2012, but both sides have expressed interest in working out a deal to keep the skipper in place beyond the coming season.

Maddon, the 2011 American League Manager of the Year, has managed the Rays to three playoff berths in the past four seasons, including an AL pennant in 2008. In six years under the 57-year-old Maddon, the Rays have a 495-477 record.

AL East Notes: Damon, Maddon, Scott, Kuroda

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 12, 2012 at 1:49pm CDT

On this date in 2009, the Red Sox signed John Smoltz to a one-year contract. He struggled through 40 innings in Boston before moving on to St. Louis, where he pitched to considerably better results in seven starts. Here's the latest on the AL East…

Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com wonder if Johnny Damon could be a fit for the Orioles in 2012.
The Rays and Joe Maddon have made progress in extension talks for the skipper, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Maddon’s contract expires after the 2012 season, but both sides have expressed interest in working an extended agreement out before then.
Luke Scott told reporters that he won’t be ready to play the outfield until May or June, because his shoulder injury is still healing, Topkin tweets. Scott, whose deal with the Rays became official today, will DH right away and may play some first base.
Scott says the Orioles never made him a firm offer after non-tendering him, Kubatko tweets.
The Red Sox are still in talks with the agent for Hiroki Kuroda, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
Former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein addressed his departure from Boston and other related topics on WEEI this morning and we have the details here.

Rays Continue Eyeing Bats

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 12, 2012 at 1:16pm CDT

The Rays announced their one-year deal with Luke Scott today, but they haven't finished tweaking the offense, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says the Rays have "a long list" of hitters they're considering.

Casey Kotchman and Carlos Pena are among the free agent first base options the team could pursue, but Friedman said the Rays won't necessarily add a first baseman. Scott has experience at first base, a position that's easier on his shoulder than the outfield. Friedman told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio that it's unlikely Johnny Damon will re-sign in Tampa Bay and explained that he'd prefer to acquire a first baseman (Twitter links).

The Rays, who finished eighth in the American League with 707 runs scored last year, have signed Scott and Jose Molina this offseason, as MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows.

Rays To Sign Luke Scott

By Tim Dierkes | January 12, 2012 at 11:17am CDT

THURSDAY: The deal is official, Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (Twitter links). Scott will earn $5MM in 2012, and the club option is worth $6MM with a $1MM buyout. The Tampa Tribune reports (on Twitter) that the contract also includes bonuses placed on plate appearances.

WEDNESDAY: The Rays have reached an agreement with designated hitter Luke Scott on a one-year deal with a 2013 option, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times was first to report the near-agreement, and he notes that it includes incentives. Scott is represented by PSI Sports Management.

Scott, 33, hit .220/.301/.402 in 236 plate appearances in 2011, his season cut short by July shoulder surgery. The Orioles non-tendered him last month rather than pay a salary in the range of 2011's $6.4MM figure. Scott told Topkin he expects to primarily serve as the Rays' DH, with some time at first base. If his shoulder is fully recovered, perhaps he can return to the .500 slugging percentage-type power he's shown in the past. The Rays are closest to Scott's Florida home, notes Connolly.

Scott is a late bloomer, having burst onto the scene with a strong half-season for the Astros at age 28 in '06. After the '07 campaign, he was dealt to the Orioles as part of the Miguel Tejada trade. Scott has drawn plenty of attention off the field, particularly after interviews with David Brown of Yahoo and Amy K. Nelson of ESPN.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Quick Hits: Ramirez, Lewis, Damon, Pinto, Bowker

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 11, 2012 at 11:05pm CDT

The latest links from around MLB as rumors about Prince Fielder and the Nationals continue to swirl…

Manny Ramirez told ESPN's Pedro Gomez that he can be a role model if an MLB team gives him a chance. "I want to show people that Manny can change, that he can do the right thing," Ramirez said.
Colby Lewis told Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he and the Rangers have had some talks about an extension (Twitter link). Lewis is set to hit free agency after the 2012 season, when he'll earn $3.25MM.
Johnny Damon expressed some frustration with the Rays, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. "It's an unhappy day,'' Damon said after hearing that Luke Scott had agreed to terms with Tampa Bay. "Didn't realize the DH and 1B brought the offense down [in 2011]. Thought we would've had an offer.''
Renyel Pinto signed with the Softbank Hawks for $910K plus incentives, according to this Sponichi report relayed by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker.
More from Newman, who passes along another Sponichi report that has the Yomiuri Giants working on a deal with outfielder John Bowker. The Phillies granted Bowker his release earlier in the week.

Heyman On Cordero, Pena, Kotchman, Reds

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 11, 2012 at 4:58pm CDT

More than 100 free agents remain unsigned, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com offers updates on a handful of them; here are the details:

Heyman could see the Phillies checking in on Francisco Cordero, but suggests Brad Lidge and Kerry Wood are more likely targets for Philadelphia.
Casey Kotchman and Carlos Pena seem to be the most likely offensive options for the Indians and both are also in play for the Rays, Heyman tweets.
Six or more teams are looking for infield depth, so Heyman examines the market for free agent infielders such as Eric Chavez, Aaron Miles and Jack Wilson.
The Reds are looking for an infielder and an outfielder, Heyman tweets. He suggests Ryan Ludwick, who played under GM Walt Jocketty in St. Louis, would be a “perfect fit” in Cincinnati, where the Reds would like to add depth in left field. The Reds have some interest in Ludwick, Rick Ankiel and Cody Ross.
The Red Sox remain interested in Joe Saunders, Hiroki Kuroda and Roy Oswalt, Heyman tweets.

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