AL East Notes: Orioles, Red Sox, Crawford, Jays, Rays
AL East updates:
- Orioles GM Dan Duquette expects to make a deal or two tomorrow, according to Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. The moves would likely be trades to obtain pitching, Ghiroli adds (Twitter links).
- The Red Sox have no plans to try to trade Carl Crawford, writes WEEI's Alex Speier.
- GM Ben Cherington and the Red Sox seem content to wait out the pitching market for bargains, says Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
- The Red Sox didn't have "substantive conversations" with Erik Bedard before the lefty signed with the Pirates, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos says there's a "very select group" of players the team will consider in the Rule 5 draft tomorrow, according to Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. The Jays will only clear a spot on their 40-man roster if they think they have a shot to acquire one of those players (all Twitter links).
- Anthopoulos also said yesterday that he thinks the Blue Jays' ability to boost payroll has been "grossly exaggerated," writes Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. Team president Paul Beeston said the Jays could increase payroll to around $120MM eventually, but that they'd need to start drawing more fans first.
- The Rays are still talking to free agents, but nothing is imminent, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. There may be mutual interest between Johnny Damon and the Rays for a reunion, tweets Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
Cody Ross Rumors: Giants, Rockies, Reds
We heard earlier this week that Cody Ross was seeking a three-year contract. Here's the latest on the free agent outfielder….
- The Giants seem to have moved on from Ross, as Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link) reports the club didn't make any offer to try and re-sign the 2010 NLCS MVP. Baggarly says five other teams are in the mix for Ross' services and at least one suitor figures to offer a two-year deal.
- Baggarly also tweets "the Ross camp has had eyes on Colorado for a long time." ESPN's Jayson Stark (Twitter link) reports the Rockies could pursue Ross or Michael Cuddyer with the money the team saved from the Huston Street trade.
- The Rockies have an interest in Ross, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post, but as a "complementary player" and not on a three-year contract. Renck notes the Rockies are still discussing an Edinson Volquez trade with the Reds, with Cincinnati showing some interest in Seth Smith. If Smith is dealt, it could conceivably open room for the Rockies to acquire both Cuddyer and Ross, with Ross playing the outfield on the days Cuddyer starts at second or third.
- Reds general manager Walt Jocketty tells MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that Ross' agent said his client would be interested in returning to Cincinnati. Ross was briefly a Red in 2006, appearing in two games with the club. Jocketty said the two sides "kicked it around,” though the team has "some other things to do first," presumably finding a top-tier pitcher. Perhaps related to the Reds' pitching search, Jocketty said he has spoken "several times" with the Rays but he doesn't think the two sides are close on a trade.
Alonso’s Name Has Come Up In Rays’ Talks
Earlier today, Rays manager Joe Maddon told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM that Yonder Alonso's name has come up in meetings (Twitter link). The Rays recognize they may have to trade a starter, Maddon told Bowden.
Alonso is one of the more prized products of the Reds' farm system. The 24-year-old first baseman owns a .296/.364/.478 slash line at Triple-A, and wowed the Reds and those who covet his bat with a late season callup that saw him hit .330/.398/.545 with five homers in 98 plate appearances.
We heard late last night that the Rays are open to trading both Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann, but neither seems like the type of impact pitcher Cincinnati would be looking to add if they moved Alonso. It's been said that the Rays will at least listen on James Shields, but coming off a monster effort in 2011 and controlled for three more years at a total of $28MM, he would require an enormous haul.
Nationals Center Field Rumors
The latest Nationals news…
- The Yankees shot down the Nationals' attempts to trade for Brett Gardner, according to Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told reporters today he doesn't think anything has changed on the Upton front.
- The Angels have no interest in trading Peter Bourjos and the Mets plan to keep Angel Pagan, writes Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com.
- The Nationals and Rays discussed center fielder B.J. Upton recently, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Yesterday we heard the Rays would have to be overwhelmed to move Upton. The Nationals are "fixated" on leaving the Winter Meetings with a new center fielder, a team source told Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com.
- Nationals manager Davey Johnson has talked to free agent Mark DeRosa about joining the team, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The Nats also have interest in bringing Willie Harris back.
- The Nationals are letting teams know Roger Bernadina is available in trade, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The 27-year-old posted a .243/.301/.362 line in 337 plate appearances this year.
Rays Sign Four To Minor League Deals
The Rays have signed Juan Miranda, Matt Mangini, Jhonny Nunez, and Ricky Orta to minor league contracts, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
Of the four signings, the 28-year-old Miranda is the most intriguing. He spent a good chunk of 2011 in the bigs with the Diamondbacks, posting a .717 OPS in 202 plate appearances.
Knobler’s Latest: Braves, Beckham, Tigers, Rays
Some Winter Meetings rumors courtesy of CBS Sports' Danny Knobler:
- Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado continue to be "as sought after as any players" on the trade market. Atlanta has received calls from 8-10 teams on Jurrjens and "half the teams in baseball" on Prado. Most see Prado as a second base upgrade. The Braves continue to say they don't need to move either player.
- It's been well-documented that the White Sox could trade any combination of John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and Carlos Quentin this offseason, but Knobler says they'll listen on Gordon Beckham as well. Many Sox officials are hesitant to concede to rebuilding, despite the fact that GM Ken Williams used that exact word last month.
- If the Tigers are going to make a big free agent signing, it's more likely to be Yoenis Cespedes than anyone else.
- The Rays are open to trading Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis to improve the offense. They're also looking to deal Reid Brignac and upgrade their catching.
Quick Hits: Coffey, Nats, Upton, Phillips, Andino
It's been a busy first day of the Winter Meetings at MLBTR, so let's use this opportunity to catch up on a few Monday items that may have slipped through the cracks…
- Todd Coffey is drawing interest from the Mets and Brewers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Brew Crew haven't expressed any interest in bringing back another righty, LaTroy Hawkins, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
- The Nationals may revisit their search for a center fielder after the non-tender deadline, so they can see if any bargain options hit the market, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- B.J. Upton is one center fielder who may be on the trade market, but Morosi hears interest in the Rays' speedster has been "mild" so far (Twitter link).
- GM Walt Jocketty suggested to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that extension talks between the Reds and Brandon Phillips may hinge on the number of years the club feels comfortable offering.
- Orioles infielder Robert Andino is drawing trade interest from teams who could use him as a starting shortstop, tweets MASN's Roch Kubatko.
- GM Dan Duquette said the Orioles have several "irons in the fire" and is optimistic about making at least one move during the Winter Meetings, says Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com.
- There are indications that the Mariners have talked to the Rockies about Seth Smith's availability, says MLB.com's Greg Johns.
AL East Rumors: Lowrie, Upton, Maddon, Orioles
The latest buzz out of the AL East…
- A few teams are asking the Red Sox about infielder Jed Lowrie, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Braves are not in the picture for Lowrie, notes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.
- The Rays are telling teams they will talk about center fielder B.J. Upton, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, but they have to be overwhelmed to move him. Upton has one year remaning before free agency.
- Rays manager Joe Maddon told reporters he's very confident of getting a contract extension, and he's had talks with the team.
- The Orioles are receiving plenty of interest in righty Jim Johnson, reports MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli, but they don't seem intent on moving him. The Orioles are undecided on whether to use Johnson as a starter or reliever next year, manager Buck Showalter told reporters today.
Rays Making Serious Run At Josh Willingham
3:04pm: The Rays are making a serious run at Willingham, tweets Crasnick. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds that while the Rays are not close on Willingham, they're one of three to four finalists.
2:21pm: Nine teams have called on free agent outfielder Josh Willingham, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, including the Twins, Red Sox, Indians, and Reds. The Pirates have also been linked to him. Willingham is something of a backup plan for the Red Sox and Twins, suggests Crasnick, as those teams are trying to re-sign David Ortiz and Michael Cuddyer, respectively. ESPN 1500's Phil Mackey tweets that nothing is currently brewing with the Twins and Willingham. The Indians' interest has been mild, tweets MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. The Reds' interest in Willingham is "simmering on the back burner, if that," GM Walt Jocketty told reporters including MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
Willingham, 32, hit a career-best 29 home runs for the Athletics in 2011. A right-handed hitter, Willingham compiled a .246/.332/.477 batting line in 563 plate appearances. He tallied 829 1/3 innings in left field, and also has experience in right field in 2009. First base and designated hitter could be options as well. Willingham's agent Matt Sosnick guessed in October that his client would sign a three-year deal.
Friedman Decides Against Astros Job
Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has already decided against taking the Astros GM job, tweets Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times. Joel Sherman of the New York Post agrees that Friedman is definitely staying in Tampa Bay. Friedman, a Houston native, was said to be the first choice of the new Astros ownership group.
Rockies senior vice president of scouting and player development/assistant GM Bill Geivett has interviewed for the Astros position, and Rockies folks told Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post today that Geivett has a real shot. I interviewed Geivett in August as part of MLBTR's GM Candidates series. Our top 20 GM candidates have been getting interviews and GM jobs left and right since the list was published on August 12th.