Rangers, Kinsler Have Had Talks About New Deal
Earlier this week we heard that the Rangers intend to look into contract extensions for their core players, and that process has started with Ian Kinsler. Kinsler told Jeff Wilson of The Star Telegram that his agent, Jay Franklin, has had preliminary talks with the team about a new deal.
"I want to stay here," said Kinsler. "I was drafted by the Rangers, and I want to be a Ranger. You never know how long it's going to take. I think the sooner the better for them, and the sooner the better for me."
Kinsler, 29, hit .255/.355/.477 with 32 homers and 30 steals in 34 chances this season. He also walked 89 times compared to just 71 strikeouts, and UZR says his defense at second has been above-average in recent years. Kinsler has had some injury problems in his career though, spending time on the disabled list in 2010 (ankle sprain, groin strain), 2009 (hamstring strain), 2008 (sports hernia), 2007 (stress fracture in his left foot), and 2006 (dislocated thumb).
There is one year left on the five-year, $22MM deal Kinsler signed before the 2008 season. He will make $7MM in 2012, and the team holds a $10MM club option for his services in 2013. Dan Uggla's five-year, $62MM extension with the Braves could serve as framework for a new contract, as could a new deal between the Reds and Brandon Phillips. Baseball Time In Arlington suggests three years and $17MM annually tacked onto his existing contract.
King’s Latest: Yankees, Fielder, Rangers, McGehee
Here are some notes from George A. King III of The New York Post…
- “I am ready to rock and roll," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman while acknowledging that he still isn't optimistic about making a major pitching addition. "The Yankees are open for business."
- An NL executive heard that the Rangers have interest in signing Prince Fielder and trading Mitch Moreland to the Rays for Wade Davis. A person with knowledge of Texas' plans say neither scenario is close to being done, however. The Rangers checked in with Scott Boras about Fielder during the winter meetings.
- The Rangers also have interest in Casey McGehee of the Brewers to play first base, which would still allow them to make the Moreland-for-Davis swap. Matt Moore's new extension means the Rays won't have to send him down to the minors for service time reasons, giving them six starters (David Price, James Shields, Jeff Niemann, Jeremy Hellickson, Moore, and Davis) for five spots.
Minor Moves: Bianchi, Threets, Gallagher, Atilano
Here are some of the day's minor transactions…
- The Cubs have acquired minor league infielder Jeff Bianchi on a waiver claim, the team announced. Bianchi was designated for assignment by the Royals last week to make room for Jonathan Broxton on their 40-man roster. Bianchi was a second-round pick for K.C. in the 2005 draft and has yet to reach the majors, though he missed close to two full seasons recovering from a torn labrum (2006) and reconstuctive elbow surgery (2010).
- The Athletics have signed left-hander Erick Threets to a minor league deal, tweets Matthew Eddy of Baseball America. Threets, 30, last pitched in the Majors in 2010, throwing 12.1 scoreless relief innings for the White Sox.
- The Reds signed right-handers Luis Atilano and Sean Gallagher to minor league deals, reports Eddy.
- The Brewers have signed catcher Mike Rivera to a minor league contract, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The deal includes an invitation to the Brewers' big league spring training camp and is worth $500K if Rivera makes the Major League roster. Rivera, 35, has spent five of the last six years in the Brewers' organization and will provide the club with extra catching depth.
- The Rangers signed Alberto Gonzalez to a minor league contract with an invite to the Major League spring training camp, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Gonzalez was released by the Padres last month. The utility infielder has a career .242/.281/.317 line in 908 Major League plate appearances over five seasons with the Padres, Nationals and Yankees.
- The Yankees have designated Colin Curtis for assignment, tweets MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. The move creates space on New York's 40-man roster for Freddy Garcia, whose signing was made official today. Curtis, a fourth-round draft pick in 2006, has 64 Major League plate appearances to his name.
Quick Hits: Wilson, Jays, Rule 5, Pudge, Ekstrom
Let's round up a few Winter Meetings leftovers…
- C.J. Wilson was a little disappointed the Rangers didn't try to make more of an effort to re-sign him, writes Richard Durrett of ESPN.com. The Yankees also passed on a final opportunity to get involved on Wilson, tweets Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record.
- Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com has a rundown of comments made this morning by Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos on Kelly Johnson, Yu Darvish, and potential areas of need.
- John Manuel of Baseball America shares some thoughts and quotes relating to this morning's Rule 5 draft.
- The Nationals didn't make any major moves at the Winter Meetings, but GM Mike Rizzo says they're still "open for business," as MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says the Angels' signing of Albert Pujols is a wake-up call for the Mariners. Several Cardinals players were surprised by Pujols' decision, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. For more reactions and fallout on Pujols, click here.
- The Rays and Mets could be among the suitors for Ivan Rodriguez, who is working out in Miami, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
- The Rockies are expected to sign Mike Ekstrom to a minor league deal, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan thinks the Angels and Marlins might regret spending so aggressively this offseason.
Bidding For Yu Darvish Ends Wednesday
6:22pm: The Nationals have interest in Darvish, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. GM Mike Rizzo didn't divulge whether the Nats plan to bid, but his refusal to comment suggests to Kilgore that they will.
4:50pm: Now that Darvish has been posted, teams will have until 4:00pm CST on December 14th (four business days) to submit bids, tweets Buster Olney.
12:40pm: The Yankees are unsure about whether they'll bid on Darvish, tweets Buster Olney. He considers their interest lukewarm. I think everyone's playing coy at this stage; we'll see where the bids were when the dust settles. By the way, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski said this week he will not be bidding on Darvish, according to Jason Beck.
11:07am: The Dodgers won't be bidding on Darvish, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times, but A's assistant GM David Forst wouldn't rule it out in talking to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News hears the Rangers aren't willing to gamble $100MM on Darvish. The Red Sox will discuss Darvish but feel pretty good about the front end of their rotation already, GM Ben Cherington told reporters.
4:56am: Following the announcement last night that the Nippon-Ham Fighters will post ace Yu Darvish, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports write that the Rangers, Blue Jays, and Yankees are all expected to bid on the Japanese righty. ESPN's Buster Olney also tweets that rival executives are expecting both the Rangers and Blue Jays to bid big Darvish, with the Rangers fueled by the expected loss of C.J. Wilson to the Angels or Marlins.
Rosenthal and Morosi write that the Red Sox could be a wild card for a big Darvish bid, as new manager Bobby Valentine, who saw Darvish first-hand many times as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines from 2004-2009, is said to "love" the 25-year old. FOX's duo also note that both Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos and Rangers GM Jon Daniels saw Darvish pitch in Japan last season.
The posting period will last four days, and the winning team will have a 30-day exclusive negotation period with Darvish and his representatives Don Nomura and Arn Tellem. If a contract agreement cannot be reached between Darvish and the winning team, that team will be refunded the total of the posting fee.
Tim Dierkes and Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Rangers Not Confident They Can Land Garza
3:27am: FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (who apparently doesn't sleep) tweets that the Rangers are "not at all" confident that they will be able to pry Garza away from the Cubs. Texas considers Chicago's asking price to be too steep.
10:06pm: The Cubs and Rangers are discussing a possible swap of Matt Garza for prospects, but aren't close to matching up yet, tweets Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports confirms (via Twitter) that the Rangers are trying to acquire the right-hander.
The Cubs are rumored to be seeking an "overwhelming offer" for Garza.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Overnight Links: Wise, Gonzalez, Fielder, Rule 5
Some links for the bleary-eyed readers still awake at their computers/smartphones/tablets:
- The Yankees are discussing a minor league deal with outfielder Dewayne Wise, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). A strong defender, Wise is probably best known for preserving former teammate Mark Buehrle's 2009 perfect game in the ninth inning by robbing a home run off the bat of Gabe Kapler.
- Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that the Rangers met with Scott Boras to discuss Mike Gonzalez today, and they also checked in on Prince Fielder.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin said his team probably won't make a pick in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- The Pirates have at least thought about picking Nationals lefty Josh Smoker in the Rule 5 Draft, though it's not a lock according to John Perotto of Baseball Prospectus (on Twitter). Smoker was selected 31st overall by the Nats in 2007.
- Even with tonight's hiring of Jeff Luhnow as the new Astros GM, it will be interim GM Dave Gottfried and scouting director/assistant GM Bobby Heck calling the shots at the Rule 5 Draft tomorrow, tweets Alyson Footer of the Astros.
- Baseball America's John Manuel writes that reports of the Twins focusing on pitching led to speculation on Mets righty Rhiner Cruz, but a club source said the team is looking in another direction.
- The Red Sox compensation from the Cubs for Theo Epstein is expected to be sorted out after the Rule 5 Draft, writes MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
NL East Rumors: Soler, Bay, Chavez, Jones, Braves
The latest from the NL East:
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel hears that bidding for Jorge Soler could end up over $20MM and doesn't expect the Marlins to be involved at that price (Twitter link).
- The Mets have asked around and not received "even minor interest" for Jason Bay, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- A reunion of Endy Chavez and the Mets seems less likely following the club's acquisition of Andres Torres, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. The Mariners, Rangers, or Orioles could be landing spots for Chavez, says MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.
- ESPN's Adam Rubin tweets a similar notion, stating that a reunion between Chavez and the Mets is "not impossible" but that he's also not forecasting it (Twitter link).
- GM Mike Rizzo told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that the Nationals are "definitely" interested in Adam Jones and have done their homework on him (Twitter link). Orioles GM Dan Duquette has said he doesn't plan to deal Jones, however.
- The Nationals did add one outfielder today, according to Amanda Comak of the Washington Times, who says the Nats signed Brett Carroll to a minor league deal (Twitter link).
- While the Winter Meetings have been quiet for the Braves, GM Frank Wren points out that there will still be plenty of time left in the offseason to make deals after this week. David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution has the quotes.
- O'Brien also shares a Q&A with Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez that touches on trade rumors, Jason Heyward, and a few other topics.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
C.J. Wilson Decision Expected Soon
1:01am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports echoes Bowden's sentiment (via Twitter), while Scott Miller of CBS Sports tweets that sources tell him the Marlins think they may be fighting a losing battle.
12:28am: Bowden has a source who expects Wilson to sign with the Angels tomorrow morning, though the terms of the supposedly upcoming agreement aren't available (Twitter link).
11:58pm: A decision isn't expected until the morning, a source tells Morosi (Twitter link). Of course, technically, "morning" officially arrives in two minutes in Dallas, but Morosi isn't interpreting it literally. MLBTR's 24-hour coverage will continue through the night, just in case Wilson's decision comes before dawn.
10:24pm: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears from a source close to the Wilson negotiations that he expects the lefty to sign with the Angels for five years. The Marlins are offering an extra year, but Wilson is being swayed by the chance to pitch near his California home (Twitter links).
9:55pm: C.J. Wilson has meetings with the Marlins and Angels tonight, and is expected to make a decision tonight or tomorrow, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio.
Earlier today, we heard that the Marlins' offer to Wilson is for six years, while the Angels probably aren't willing to go higher than five. The Rangers haven't been told they're out of the running, but are thought to have offered just four years and are resigned to the possiblity that Wilson will sign elsewhere.
For the full recap of today's Wilson rumors, click here.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Prince Fielder Rumors: Wednesday
The latest on slugger Prince Fielder…
- Agent Scott Boras says he has a number of contract offers to take back to Fielder, including many from teams that surprised him, tweets Haudricourt.
- According to two Marlins beat writers, Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, the Marlins are definitely not in on Fielder (Twitter links).
- A friend of Fielder's told Newsday's Ken Davidoff that the first baseman is very interested in the Cubs (Twitter link).
- GM Doug Melvin says the Brewers "have to consider moving on" from Fielder, tweets Haudricourt.
- Despite signing Mark Buehrle, the Marlins are still talking to Fielder, tweets Heyman. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter) confirms the Fish will take a run at Fielder, and hears from a source with knowledge of the Mariners' plans that Seattle will make a "strong effort" to sign the slugger.
- The Cubs' pursuit of Fielder has probably been overblown, GM Jed Hoyer told MLB.com TV.
- The Marlins' interest in Fielder has been exaggerated, a good source tells Tom Haudricourt.
- The Marlins are already in pursuit of Fielder, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network, as signs indicate the Cardinals will re-sign Albert Pujols.
- The Rangers are not in on Fielder, president Nolan Ryan told reporters.
Tim Dierkes and Luke Adams contributed to this post.