Torii Hunter Rumors: Tuesday
Torii Hunter has been one of this offseason's most popular players so far, and yesterday we learned that as many as 13-14 teams have interest in signing him. He's expected to pick a new team within two weeks and will likely part ways with the Angels. The Tigers appear to be his most aggressive suitor. Here are today's rumors on Hunter, with the latest updates up top…
- "He wants to play (with the Tigers)," said a source to CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler. Detroit has not made a contract offer yet but it could come soon.
- Hunter is visiting with Tigers officials in Detroit today, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi says they are prepared to make him a multiyear offer, and there's a good chance Hunter will sign with the defending AL champs unless the Rangers make a late push (Twitter links).
- "I’d say there’s little shot," said a source to Mark Feinsand of The New York Daily News when asked if Hunter could wind up with the Yankees.
- Many teams view Hunter as a potential number two hitter, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). He hit .343 with an .854 OPS in 381 plate appearances sandwiched between Mike Trout and Albert Pujols this season.
Olney’s Latest: Broxton, Guthrie, Hunter, Mariners
In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney lists some free agents who are trending upward as the market begins to take shape, including J.P. Howell, Jonathan Broxton, Cody Ross, Jeremy Guthrie, Joe Saunders, Ryan Ludwick, Jason Grilli, Sean Burnett, and Jeff Keppinger. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…
- There has been substantial interest in Broxton so far, and it appears he could receive one of the largest contracts of the relief market.
- A team in desperate need of rotation help could move aggressively on Guthrie, and Olney wonders if his AL East track record with the Orioles makes him attractive to the Blue Jays.
- Torii Hunter's decision seems to be coming down to a choice between the Rangers and Tigers. Here are today's Hunter rumors.
- The Mariners are ready to pursue a big name free agent, but the stakes are high after the Chone Figgins fiasco. "They know they can't be wrong on the next one," said a source to Olney.
Braves Turned Down Simmons-For-Olt Trade
It was reported over the weekend that the Rangers attempted to acquire Andrelton Simmons from the Braves in order to flip him to the Diamondbacks as part of a package for Justin Upton. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports takes the story one step further, adding that the Rangers are so interested in Upton that they were willing to flip top prospect Mike Olt for Simmons to facilitate the trade. Knobler reports that the D-backs want Simmons, but the Braves will keep him rather than making a run at Upton to fill their own corner outfield needs (Twitter links).
The attachment to Simmons isn't a surprise. He batted .289/.335/.416 with three homers in 49 games this season, but was far more impressive with his glove. Simmons posted an astounding 31.6 UZR/150, and John Dewan's Fielding Bible pegged him at +19 runs despite totaling only 426 innings.
Arizona would like a young shortstop in a trade for Upton, but the Rangers are reluctant trade either Elvis Andrus or top prospect Jurickson Profar. The 24-year-old Olt ranked 43rd on Baseball America's Top 100 prosspect list prior to 2012, but emerged as one of the game's top prospects with a monstrous season at Double-A. He batted .288/.398/.579 with 28 home runs and made his Major League debut, appearing in 16 games for the Rangers down the stretch.
Quick Hits: Gomes, Burnett, Hamilton
On this date four years ago the Rockies officially sent Matt Holliday to the Athletics for a package of players including Carlos Gonzalez and Huston Street. The A's didn't get what they were hoping for in the deal, but Gonzalez has since become a cornerstone player for the Rockies. Here are today's links…
- The Orioles are indeed interested in Gomes, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- Before acquiring Chris Young from Arizona, the Athletics had extensive talks with free agent outfielder Jonny Gomes about a possible two-year deal, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Olney suggests the Orioles could be a fit for Gomes now.
- Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post explains that Jeremy Affeldt could help set the market for Sean Burnett by agreeing to terms with the Giants. Both free agent left-handers have positioned themselves for multiyear deals.
- Free agent outfielder Josh Hamilton seems pretty risky to one NL executive who spoke with ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark (Twitter link). "He's going to break somebody's bank — and probably break somebody's heart," the person said.
Hunter Likely To Leave Angels; 13 Teams Interested
As many as 13-14 teams have checked in on Torii Hunter, and the 37-year-old is likely to play for a new team in 2013, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports. The Tigers, Rangers and Braves are being the most aggressive, according to Miller's sources.
Miller reports that back on Sept. 17, the Angels made Hunter a token one-year offer worth $5MM. That number didn't sit well with Hunter:
"They never offered me anything worth considering," Hunter says. "It actually was very disrespectful, what was offered."
Prior to the Angels' modest offer, Hunter was open to re-signing with the team for less, according to Miller, but that bridge appears to have been burned. Hunter says that he isn't looking to break the bank, and he's more concerned with winning a World Series ring for a "fair" price. Whether that pursuit of a championship comes in the American League or National League doesn't seem to matter to Hunter:
"I'm open," Hunter said. "If the National League has a team that's going to win, I'm all for it."
Hunter has already spoken with his close friend Jason Heyward about the Braves, who are a clear fit for the former Gold Glover. As Miller notes, Hunter grew up in Arkansas watching the Braves on a regular basis. Earlier today, it was reported that the Braves were among the teams that were very interested in Hunter. The Tigers, Rangers and Yankees are also mentioned in that report, and the Red Sox have been linked to Hunter as well. The Dodgers, however, appear to be out of the discussion.
Orioles Sign McCutchen, Meyer; Rangers Sign Simons
The Orioles have signed Daniel McCutchen and Dan Meyer to minor league deals, and the Rangers have done the same with Zach Simons, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned.
McCutchen, 29, has pitched to a 4.77 ERA in 188 2/3 innings in parts of four seasons with the Pirates. He was acquired by the Buccos along with Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf and Jose Tabata in 2008 as part of the trade that sent Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte to the Yankees. McCutchen has totaled a 3.66 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 403 1/3 Triple-A innings.
Meyer, 31, last appeared in the big leagues in 2010 with the Marlins. The southpaw was once traded by the Braves along with Juan Cruz and Charles Thomas to the A's in exchange for Tim Hudson. He has a 5.46 ERA in 113 2/3 Major League innings. He's spent the past two seasons pitching for the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate and in independent ball, posting ERAs over 7.00 each year.
Simons, 27, spent last season pitching to a 3.57 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A in the Rockies' organization. He's fanned 7.1 hitters per nine innings over the course of 589 minor league innings but also walked four batters per nine. He was a second-round pick of the Rockies back in 2005, but has also spent time in the Tigers and Marlins organizations.
Minor Moves: Rangers, Bourgeois, Hill
The latest minor moves…
- The Rangers have signed left-hander Neal Cotts, catcher Juan Apodaca, right-hander Yonata Ortega, and outfielders Jim Adduci and Aaron Cunningham to minor league deals, according to Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest. Cotts and Cunningham both have extensive Major League experience.
- Outfielder Jason Bourgeois has cleared waivers and can now elect free agency, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Bourgeois, 30, appeared in 30 games for the Royals this past season, playing left and center field.
- The Tigers signed right-hander Shawn Hill to a minor league contract, James Schmehl of MLive.com reports. Hill elected free agency last month after the Blue Jays removed him from the 40-man roster. The 31-year-old appeared in one game for the Blue Jays this past season, pitching three scoreless innings. He spent most of the 2012 season at Triple-A where he posted a 4.52 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 89 2/3 innings.
Catching Rumors: Pierzynski, Martin, Soto
Earlier today we heard that the Red Sox maintain interest in Mike Napoli, even after signing David Ross. Here are some more rumors surrounding this offseason’s free agent catchers…
- It appears A.J. Pierzynski will play for a team other than the White Sox in 2013, Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com reports. While the sides are both interested in working out a new free agent contract, factors such as payroll space, timing and Tyler Flowers could mean Pierzynski signs elsewhere.
- The Rangers are considering Russell Martin, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (Twitter links). With Napoli on the open market, the Rangers are looking to free agency for potential replacements. Rival executives expect the Rangers to non-tender Geovany Soto, Olney reports. Back in August I explained why Soto could be non-tendered this offseason.
- Check out MLBTR’s Free Agent Tracker for a detailed look at available catchers.
Tigers, Rangers Interested In Torii Hunter
1:08pm: The Braves have interest in Hunter, but it appears he'll re-sign with an American League team, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on Twitter). The Tigers are the frontrunners for Hunter, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter).
12:52pm: The timeframe for a decision is about two weeks, Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports. The Tigers have been most aggressive in their pursuit of Hunter and seem most likely to offer a two-year contract. The Yankees have also shown serious interest.
11:19am: The Tigers and Rangers are interested in free agent outfielder Torii Hunter, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. Hunter said on MLB Network this morning that he expects to sign quickly.
The Tigers are “very interested” in Hunter, Knobler writes. They see him as a near-perfect fit for their team, on and off of the field. Detroit has prioritized corner outfield help this winter. The Rangers also have interest in Hunter, who lives in Texas, relatively close to Rangers Ballpark.
The market for Hunter seems strong, with the Red Sox, Dodgers and Yankees also interested. Knobler suggests the Braves and Phillies are also possible fits. The Angels did not make Hunter a qualifying offer, which means he’s not linked to draft pick compensation. Tim Dierkes ranked Hunter 20th among the top 50 free agents available.
Quick Hits: Rays, LaRoche, Orioles, Kinsler, Ryu
The strategic question for the Rays is whether they can get more by being pre-emptive and making a trade with a team that doesn't want to get shut out of a high-priced open market or instead waiting on those teams that do miss out in free agency, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Here's more Sunday afternoon linkage..
- Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo told Jim Bowden of ESPN Radio (via Twitter) that Adam LaRoche is the club's number one priority right now as signing him would help make the rest of the winter easy for them. The first baseman declined the Nats' qualifying offer on Friday.
- While some have wondered if the Orioles could be interested in Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler, Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun doesn't see it happening. For starters, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette likes the Orioles' options at second base which include Ryan Flaherty, Brian Roberts, Robert Andino, and the recently-acquired Alexi Casilla.
- A scout in Korea told David Lennon of Newsday (via Twitter) that the teams most aggressive in scouting Hyun-Jin Ryu were the Rangers, Cubs, Tigers, Indians, Blue Jays, Twins, and obviously the Dodgers. The Yankees and Mets were not in on the left-hander.
- New Rockies manager Walt Weiss is expected to be demanding right off the bat in his first foray into the job on a professional level, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.