AL West Notes: Fielder, Pujols, Athletics
Some rival executives view the Rangers as the team most likely to have a dynasty in the next decade, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The two-time defending AL pennant winners have an impressive Major League team, talent rising through the minor leagues and a lucrative media deal on the horizon. Here’s the latest on the Rangers plus other updates from the AL West…
- The Rangers could likely afford Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder, but Olney suggests the record-setting Alex Rodriguez deal may linger in the minds of team officials. Texas signed Rodriguez to a ten-year, $252MM deal in 2000, only to trade him three seasons into the contract.
- When ESPN.com's Jayson Stark polled MLB executives about likely destinations for Fielder, the Rangers were the most popular choice (though they obtained just 25% of the votes).
- For more on the Rangers, including why a deal for Pujols or Fielder isn't a great fit, check out my offseason outlook from last week.
- Commissioner Bud Selig has given Athletics owner Lew Wolff tacit assurances that MLB will eventually allow the A's to move to San Jose, according to Bill Madden of the New York Daily News.
White Sox Notes: Buehrle, Danks, Floyd
The White Sox went all-in in 2011, only to finish with a disappointing 79-83 record. Here's the latest on the team as preparations for Robin Ventura's first season in the dugout begin…
- Mark Buehrle has told the White Sox he's not going to give them a hometown discount, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times (on Twitter). Approximately ten teams, including the Marlins, Yankees, Red Sox and Rangers are interested in the left-hander.
- The White Sox are drawing trade interest in John Danks and Gavin Floyd, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Large-market teams may be drawn to Danks, the more expensive of the two, while small-market teams may prefer Floyd, who will earn $7MM in 2012 and can be retained for $9.5MM with a club option for 2013.
- The Rangers are believed to be interested in Danks, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Texas selected Danks with the ninth overall pick of the 2003 draft and traded him to Chicago for Brandon McCarthy in 2006.
- Outfielder Carlos Quentin may be the most likely White Sox player to be traded, as Rosenthal points out.
- The White Sox also announced that they signed left-handers Donnie Veal and Jose Quintana.
Rangers Expressing Early Interest In Pitching
The Rangers are aggressively exploring possible deals for free agent starters and closers, according to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan. Texas' front office is considering other options and while pitching remains the' top offseason priority, Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols could tempt GM Jon Daniels, according to Sullivan.
The Rangers have expressed preliminary interest in free agent starters such as Mark Buehrle, Edwin Jackson and Roy Oswalt. Rangers officials acknowledged interest in Oswalt, who is drawing substantial early attention despite back issues that landed him on the disabled list twice in 2011. C.J. Wilson is a free agent and the Rangers could convert Neftali Feliz to the rotation, so there's lots of uncertainty when it comes to Texas' 2012 pitching staff.
Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers Interested In Buehrle
6:05pm: It's highly unlikely that the Yankees will make a serious run for Buehrle, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
1:54pm: The Yankees, Red Sox, and Rangers are interested in free agent lefty Mark Buehrle, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, and the Marlins are meeting with him today. Buehrle, 32, posted a 3.59 ERA, 4.8 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 0.92 HR/9, and 44.9% groundball rate in 205 1/3 innings this year. The long time White Sox starter has pitched 200+ innings in every season since 2001.
The Marlins and Blue Jays are the teams most aggressively pursuing trades for starting pitchers, add Rosenthal and Morosi. One GM said of the Jays' Alex Anthopoulos, "You can’t pin him down. He has interest in every one of your players."
James Shields, Wade Davis, Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill, Jair Jurrjens, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, Chad Billingsley, and Wandy Rodriguez are the pitchers "known or thought to be available in trades," according to the FOX writers. Cahill and Billingsley are the new names here, but it's unclear whether they fall under "known" or "thought." The availability of Rodriguez will depend on whether Jim Crane is approved as new Astros owner next week, as Crane does not share Drayton McLane's reluctance to move the 32-year-old.
Rosenthal On Oswalt, Giants, Kuroda, Chen
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports dishes the latest on several free agents…
- The Nationals "plan a major push" for free agent righty Roy Oswalt, and Rosenthal considers the Rangers another potential player. Nats GM Mike Rizzo explained his interest earlier this month. Oswalt's agent Bob Garber told Jon Paul Morosi, "With Roy, home and family are very important to him. It would be a bonus to be close to home, but nothing is off limits, in terms of either coast or the Midwest. Ideally, yes, it would be great to be close to home, but it's not going to stop us, if it's the right situation. His goal is to get the ring. He doesn't have any jewelry right now. He's made a lot of money. At this point, it's about the ring. That's what he wants to take with him." Oswalt lives in Mississippi.
- Rosenthal doesn't see the Giants having the money to afford Carlos Beltran or Jose Reyes this winter. This math was apparent in September, when GM Brian Sabean told reporters payroll would remain about the same, around $125MM. The Giants currently have $81.683MM in contractual commitments for 2012, and if they tender the most likely nine of their 13 arbitration eligible players that's another estimated $38.7MM for a total of $120.383MM before minimum salary players are considered. A few million for 2012 could be freed up by trading Jeff Keppinger and signing Tim Lincecum to a multiyear deal.
- Rosenthal feels that Hiroki Kuroda "might be more open to playing elsewhere, having gone through the experience of considering another team." I ranked Kuroda 15th on my top 50 free agents list.
- Wei-Yin Chen of the Chunichi Dragons is a likely free agent, writes Rosenthal. Agent Alan Nero told Rosenthal Chen and Tsuyoshi Wada are drawing significant interest. Last week, Chen said he was 50/50 on moving to MLB (link in Japanese, thanks to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker for the translation). Chen controls the process due to a free agency clause in his contract, and he's only 26. Newman tells me Chen topped out around 91 miles per hour this year, short of the 95 he reached a few years ago, but he's still interesting enough to fit in the middle of our top 50 list. I ranked Wada 34th.
West Notes: Hill, Bell, Bourjos, Dodgers
We've checked in on the Giants, who made a major trade today. Here are some notes from the other teams in baseball's western divisions…
- The Diamondbacks have an offer out to Aaron Hill, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter). The club’s proposal comes with a deadline and team officials expect Hill to wait as long as possible before deciding whether to accept the deal.
- Free agent reliever Heath Bell told Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio that he’d prefer to sign with the Padres, Angels or Dodgers (Twitter link). Bell says he’d also like to play for the Red Sox or Phillies.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs argues that the Angels should keep Peter Bourjos instead of trading him. Viewing Bourjos and Mike Trout as players who are getting in each other’s way would be a mistake, Cameron explains.
- Dodgers owner Frank McCourt may ask the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for permission to sell the team's TV rights, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. This would violate his sale agreement with MLB, however.
- The Rangers aren't likely to bring free agent Brandon Webb back and may explore potential trades involving Yorvit Torrealba, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
- A's GM Billy Beane and Moneyball author Michael Lewis discussed the inception of the best-selling book with Todd Watson of InternetEvolution.com.
Yoenis Cespedes To Gain Free Agency
7:15pm: The Red Sox are "sending everyone" to the Dominican to evaluate Cespedes, according to MLB.com's Peter Gammons. The Rangers are also interested, along with the many teams named below, according to Gammons, who confirms that small-market teams like the A's, Pirates and Indians will be involved.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports names the Marlins, Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, and Nationals as teams with a significant presence at the Friday workout.
5:49pm: Yankees GM Brian Cashman confirmed that he saw the Cespedes video, but wouldn't say whether the Yankees are interested, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger (link on Twitter; the video has been removed). Meanwhile, Braves GM Frank Wren told David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he doesn't expect to sign the center fielder, though they're checking in on him (Twitter link).
2:25pm: The Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, Giants, Marlins, Nationals, Indians, Athletics, and Pirates have had a presence at Cespedes' workouts, reports Yahoo's Tim Brown. Giants GM Brian Sabean told reporters today that his team will not be involved on Cespedes, however (via Andrew Baggarly on Twitter).
Agent Adam Katz tells Brown he'll wait until his client is technically declared a free agent before discussing contract terms with teams. The Yankees, Phillies, and Marlins will have private workouts with Cespedes within the next few weeks, with a Marlins contingent heading to the Dominican Republic this week.
8:30am: Cuban center fielder Yoenis Cespedes defected mid-summer and is expected to be cleared for free agency within a matter of weeks, reports Yahoo's Jeff Passan. The 26-year-old is "arguably the best all-around player to come out of Cuba in a generation," according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus, who describes Cespedes as "a legitimate centerfielder with plus power and speed." Both Passan and Goldstein expect the 26-year-old to receive a deal in the range of the $30.25MM Aroldis Chapman received in January of 2010. MLBTR first told you about Cespedes' escape from the Cuban National Team in July.
If you really want to get to know Cespedes, though, you need to watch the 20-minute YouTube video sent by his trainer to MLB teams. Goldstein's column provides a full breakdown of this bizarre production, but I'll just note that it includes Cespedes making a 45-inch vertical jump, leg-pressing 1,300 pounds (with two friends atop the weights), catching a flyball behind his back while facing the batter (twice), a thank you to Ahman Green, and the player roasting a pig. Some of the songs used may not be appropriate for your workplace, except for Christopher Cross' 1980 hit "Sailing," which was deemed too tame even for your office's elevator.
Cespedes is represented by Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group. Passan says the Yankees are "particularly hot" for the center fielder. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post says the Nationals had multiple talent evaluators on hand at Cespedes' workout last week in the Dominican Republic, and a team official said they'd "love to have him." Ownership has been informed about Cespedes and what it would take to sign him. The Marlins and Phillies are also in the mix for Cespedes, writes Kilgore. As with Chapman, this type of player in his prime will draw the interest of almost every club.
The Marlins have the inside track, one American League source who attended the showcase told Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. A Marlins contingent including owner Jeffrey Loria will visit Cespedes in the Dominican Republic later this week, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Quick Hits: Ordonez, Rangers, Myers, Cubs
Remember – the deadline to make picks for MLBTR's first-ever free agent prediction contest is tonight at midnight central time. Only ballots with picks made for all of the top 50 free agents will be counted; incomplete ones will not be eligible. So dot your I's, cross your T's, and give yourself a chance at a piece of $1000 worth of great prizes. For information about the contest rules and prizes, click here. When you're done with that, check out these links..
- MLB.com's Jason Beck chatted with Carlos Guillen, who has been talking with Magglio Ordonez since the season ended and the veteran relayed that Ordonez plans on playing again next year. That news matches up with what we've been hearing recently. Reportedly, it's very unlikely that Guillen or Ordonez will return to the Tigers next year.
- In a piece for MLB.com, Peter Gammons praises Rangers GM Jon Daniels, assistant GM Thad Levine, senior director of player personnel A.J. Preller, and the rest of the club's front office for their work in recent years. Gammons runs down some of the club's best calls, including their 2010 to trade for Cliff Lee which propelled them to win the pennant and reach the World Series for the first time in franchise history.
- The Braves had trade talks with the Royals about Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado but talks have stalled, likely because Kansas City does not want to part with top prospect Wil Myers. Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star believes that Myers is a player with star potential that can be used to net the club a potential impact starting pitcher in a trade.
- Either Dale Sveum or Mike Maddux would make sense as the Cubs' next manager, writes Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com. Meanwhile, the club has a huge void in its rotation and pitching figures to be their biggest need this offseason. In his Offseason Outlook for the Cubs, Tim Dierkes writes the Cubs could easily spread their surplus among four or five veterans rather than go for a big splash.
- Josh Goldman of Fangraphs brings us three visuals to analyze baseball's previous $100MM contract recipients and how they performed. Recently, our own Ben Nicholson-Smith checked in on how baseball's newest $100MM players fared in 2011.
Cafardo On Gonzalez, Rays, Davis, Ortiz
The Cubs and Red Sox are after managers that will take a lot of input from their front offices, writes Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. In fact, the two teams have quite a bit of overlap on their lists. Meanwhile, the Cardinals will also be looking for their next skipper and it'll be interesting to see what type of manager they look for. Cafardo writes that the important thing for the new managers in any of these cities is that they know the ground rules from the start. Here's more from Cafardo's Sunday column..
- A's lefty Gio Gonzalez remains a viable trade option for many teams, including the Red Sox and Marlins. Meanwhile, the Athletics probably aren’t ready to contend. The club appears to be buying time until they can build a new stadium in the San Jose area. Until then, they may be in the mode of developing players and dealing them for players who might emerge a few years from now.
- When all is said and done, the Rays are expected to be willing to deal right-hander Wade Davis this offseason. A major league source says that while Tampa Bay will listen on James Shields, Davis is the pitcher they will likely end up dealing for an outfielder or a catcher.
- Free agent David Ortiz seemed upset that the Red Sox did not re-sign him during the exclusivity period, but it made no sense for the club to do so with the veteran's limited options. While Ortiz wants a three-year deal, the BoSox can wait and survey the market before committing to a multiyear deal for the 36-year-old hitter.
- Red Sox assistant GM Allard Baird removed himself from the Orioles GM search this week and Cafardo wouldn't be shocked to hear of a new title for him within the Sox organization.
- Cafardo envisions Tim Bogar winding up with a significant role with either the Cubs or Red Sox.
- Former Rangers and Red Sox skipper Kevin Kennedy says that he enjoys his broadcast career but he sometimes gets the itch to return to the dugout. Kennedy says that he would even consider being a bench coach.
- Larry Bowa, currently working as an analyst for MLB Network, also has aspirations of managing in the majors again.
Quick Hits: Servais, D’Backs, Cubs, Dodgers, Astros
Some links as Saturday night turns into Sunday morning…
- The Angels have hired Rangers director of player development Scott Servais to be their assistant GM, reports Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan first reported that Servais appeared to be leaving Texas. GM Jon Daniels declined to speculate about Servais' replacement, according to Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com (on Twitter).
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers will have more money to work with in 2012, managing partner Ken Kendrick told Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (Twitter link). The D'Backs won the NL West with payroll of about $55MM this past season.
- The Cubs have hired Joe Bohringer to be their pro scouting director, reports Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. Bohringer had been working as a scout for the Diamondbacks since 2006.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports makes a case for the cash-strapped Dodgers to sign Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder.
- Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle wonders if Jim Crane would take his time making front office changes once his purchase of the Astros is official.
- The Brewers have hired Rangers pitching instructor Andy Pratt as a pro scout, reports Jeff Wilson of The Star Telegram (on Twitter).