Nolan Ryan Talks Lee, Webb, Beltre, Hamilton
Rangers president Nolan Ryan appeared on Sportsradio 1310 The Ticket recently, and the Dallas Morning News transcribed key comments.
- Ryan believes that teams these days are "overpaying some free agents that probably shouldn’t be getting paid what they are." He has a three to four-year comfort level on free agent contracts, which of course the Rangers exceeded in their Cliff Lee offer. Noted Ryan, "And the thing is that Cliff could have gotten even more money than that if he'd been willing to go to another ballclub, which wouldn’t have been that competitive."
- The Rangers "are probably getting really close" on a Brandon Webb deal, in Ryan's words. Webb's physical is expected "early this week," tweeted Ken Rosenthal on Sunday.
- Asked about significant remaining additions, Ryan pointed to available designated hitter candidates. He even talked about how the Rangers could sign one DH and "then sign another one that might be good from the other side of the plate."
- Ryan admitted interest in Adrian Beltre, but suggested his team's fit for the third baseman is less clear-cut than the Angels or Athletics.
- Asked about acquiring a center fielder to allow Josh Hamilton to shift to left, Ryan instead pointed to internal center field candidates Julio Borbon and Engel Beltre.
- Ryan gave a general reply when asked how the Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth contracts will affect Hamilton. Ryan said that huge contracts have an impact on the entire game, and demonstrate the importance of developing from within. Hamilton is entering his second arbitration year; he's under team control through 2012. The Rangers have decent raises due for 2011 with Nelson Cruz and C.J. Wilson also among their arbitration eligible players.
Odds & Ends: Webb, Manny, Soriano, CarGo, Prior
Links for Sunday, as we start the countdown to next Christmas…
- Brandon Webb's physical with the Rangers will take place early this week, tweets Ken Rosenthal. No problems are anticipated.
- The Yankees have no interest in signing Manny Ramirez, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. They had internal talks about him earlier this offseason, but they already have a full-time designated hitter and three regular outfielders lined up.
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff says the best-case scenario for the Rays would have Rafael Soriano signing with the Rockies, Cardinals, Padres, Rangers, Reds, Braves, Giants, Twins, or Phillies because they are non-AL East teams with unprotected first round picks. Just eyeballing it, about seven of those teams either don't need a closer or can't afford someone of Soriano's caliber.
- Within this Denver Post column by Troy Renck regarding expectations for Carlos Gonzalez, there's word that Todd Helton has already gotten on the outfielder about "not getting fat and happy."
- Anthony McCarron of The New York Daily News spoke to Mark Prior about his latest comeback attempt and all the injuries that derailed his career.
- The Phillies are now playing with the big boys, says Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Brandon Webb Closing In On Decision?
2:46pm: Stark provides an update saying that Webb is "closing in" on a decision. While the team hasn't confirmed its interest, many MLB executives call Cincinnati a "perfect fit" for Webb, according to Stark.
2:32pm: Cincinnati is the "principal challenger" to Texas for Webb's services, according to Ken Rosenthal's Major League sources.
While the Reds haven't confirmed their interest in the former Cy Young winner, Rosenthal notes some interesting connections to both clubs. Texas team physician Keith Meister performed a cleanup on Webb's shoulder in 2009, while Reds pitching coach Bryan Price and trainer Paul Lessard both worked with Webb in Arizona.
11:37am: The Cubs and Nationals are out on Brandon Webb, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark. Stark says Webb is down to two teams now: the Rangers and a mystery NL Central club.
The Reds are not believed to be said mystery team but Stark says Cincinnati has been "quietly poking around for a starter with top-of-the-rotation potential." The Pirates haven't talked to Webb since late-November, and although the Brewers have scouted him, their level of interest seems low since the Zack Greinke trade. The Cardinals are known to be seeking starting pitching depth, and then there's the Astros. The now 31-year-old right-hander is expected to decide on a team soon.
More than 27% of over 15,000 MLBTR readers expect Webb to sign with Texas.
Cafardo’s Latest: Uggla, Pavano, Matsuzaka, Ellsbury
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe asked ten baseball people to select the ten most significant moves/non-moves of the offseason. Unsurprisingly, Adrian Gonzalez, Zack Greinke, Carl Crawford, and Cliff Lee topped the list. Here are the rest of Cafardo's rumors…
- Talks between the Braves and Dan Uggla have slowed because he's seeking more money, but an extension should get done during the first week of January. Cafardo reported that the two sides were close to a five-year deal worth $60-61MM about two weeks ago.
- The Orioles still have interest in Kevin Gregg and the Red Sox still have interest in Brian Fuentes, but other free agent relievers like Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, Octavio Dotel, Aaron Heilman, Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima and Jon Rauch remain in limbo.
- Carl Pavano is holding out for three years, with the Nationals, Twins, and Rangers still showing interest. Cafardo adds the Mariners to the mix, with the caveat that they free up some money first.
- The teams considering Pavano could also turn to Joe Blanton, who would certainly come cheaper.
- The Red Sox "haven’t heard anything close to the value they would need in return" for Daisuke Matsuzaka.
- The Angels and several other teams made a run at Jacoby Ellsbury this offseason, but the Sox "never heard any offer resembling proper value."
- Cafardo wonders if Adrian Beltre is looking at a much smaller payday than originally anticipated. Last we heard, the Angels pulled their five-year, $70MM offer to the third baseman, but they remain in the mix to sign him.
- David Aardsma is still trade bait and the Mariners wouldn't mind moving him for starting pitching depth. Earlier this week we heard Seattle wanted an impact bat for its closer.
Minor League Transactions: Rangers, Twins, Nats
Here are some minor transactions from the past week, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy…
- The Rangers signed two former first-round draft picks in left-hander Zach Jackson and utility infielder Omar Quintanilla. Jackson, picked 32nd overall by the Blue Jays in the 2004 draft, has a 5.81 ERA in 22 career major league games (17 of them starts) with the Brewers and Indians since 2006. Jackson spent 2010 pitching for Toronto's Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas. Quintanilla was taken with the 33rd pick of the 2003 draft by Oakland, and then dealt to the Rockies in 2005 as part of the Eric Byrnes trade. Quintanilla posted a .567 OPS in 559 plate appearances with Colorado between 2005 and 2009.
- The Twins signed catchers Steve Holm and Rene Rivera to minor league contracts. A 17th-round pick of the Giants in the 2001 draft, Holm has spent his entire 10-year pro career with in the San Francisco system, racking up 107 major league plate appearances in 2008 and 2009. Rivera last played in the majors as a member of the Mariners in 2006, and has since played in the Dodgers, Mets and Yankees' systems.
- The Nationals signed right-hander Harvey Garcia and catcher Carlos Maldonado. Garcia had an eight-game cup of coffee with Florida in 2007 and has since pitched in the Pirates and Dodgers' systems. Eddy says Garcia may have earned a contract due to his solid work this year in the Venezuelan League. Maldonado, 31, was designated for assignment by Washington in September and then granted free agency after the season. Maldonado has been in pro ball since 1996 and has 4226 career minor league plate appearances (a .687 OPS) but only 62 PAs in the bigs.
Rangers Closing In On Deal With Arthur Rhodes
The Rangers appear to be closing in on a deal with free agent left-hander Arthur Rhodes, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). The 41-year-old put together a strong season in 2010, making his first All-Star team. He posted a 2.29 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 55 innings out of the 'pen.
The Reds have expressed some interest in bringing Rhodes back, but do not seem close to a deal. The Red Sox and Phillies have also been linked to Rhodes this offseason.
The Reds did not offer Rhodes arbitration, so the Rangers would not have to surrender a draft pick to sign him. Rhodes and 40-year-old Darren Oliver would give the Rangers a potentially effective, but undeniably old pair of lefties out of the 'pen.
Jeff Francis Suitors
The Mets, Nationals, Pirates, Rangers, and Yankees have varying degrees of interest in free agent lefty Jeff Francis, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Crasnick named five interested clubs a month ago: the Pirates, Mariners, Brewers, Astros, and Rockies. It appears that a few teams dropped out and others jumped in; this is the first we've seen of the Yankees' interest. MLB.com's Thomas Harding learned from Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd today that the team will continue to monitor Francis.
Francis, 30 in January, posted a 5.00 ERA, 5.8 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 0.9 HR/9, and 47% groundball rate in 104 1/3 innings this year for the Rockies. His peripheral stats suggest Francis' work was more deserving of an ERA around 4.00. The southpaw missed all of last season after having shoulder surgery in February of '09, and had some lingering issues this year. The Rockies declined his $7MM club option in November. He figures to sign a one-year, incentive-laden deal.
Rangers, Others Still In Play For Webb
4:27pm: The Rangers and Nationals are still showing strong interest in Webb and a mystery NL Central team expressed late interest in the right-hander, but the Cubs’ pursuit has slowed, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. GM Jon Daniels, who is looking for a starter, has already spoken to Webb.
Webb's Ashland, Kentucky home is not far from Cincinnati, the Brewers could look to bolster their already revamped rotation and the Cardinals and Pirates seem like possible fits. It seems unlikely that the Astros are the mystery team, however.
2:11pm: The Rangers' interest in Webb has intensified, writes Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Wilson says there are plans for Webb to speak later today on the phone with Washington and Maddux.
8:54am: Webb is not in Texas and "other clubs are very much in play," a source tells MLBTR. Sullivan now has an update saying Ron Washington has not met with Webb. While the Rangers are in the mix, they have not met with the pitcher and have no plans to do so. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that Webb is not expected to decide on a team today.
8:50am: The Rangers and Brandon Webb "could be getting close to a deal," reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Sullivan hears Webb is in Texas and has met with Ron Washington and Mike Maddux. Webb's agent Jonathan Maurer is expected to have further conversations with the Rangers today "to try to hammer out a deal."
The Cubs appear to be the Rangers' main competition for Webb, but Sullivan expects a deal with Texas to get done.
Cubs, Rangers Ahead Of Nats For Brandon Webb
The Cubs and Rangers have jumped ahead of the Nationals in the Brandon Webb sweepstakes, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Webb is already throwing and preparing like usual for spring, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. On Friday, we learned that Webb is likely to decide on a team soon.
About a month ago, Webb's agent Jonathan Maurer told MLBTR, "Brandon is hungry, excited, and ready to start 30 plus times in 2011." Webb is two years removed from the Majors due to shoulder issues.
Cafardo’s Latest: Papelbon, Beltre, Pavano, Kapler
After a morning of headlines involving Zack Greinke, let's not forget that there are still plenty of trade targets and free agents remaining on the market. Nick Cafardo has the latest updates on a few of them in his newest piece for the Boston Globe….
- The Red Sox have been listening to offers for Jonathan Papelbon. When the team made a three-year, $51MM offer to Mariano Rivera, the assumption was that, on the off chance Rivera accepted, Papelbon wouldn't be back next season.
- Even if Papelbon remains a Red Sox through 2011, there's an understanding that he'll explore the free agent market. Boston only expects to re-sign him if he agrees to a team-friendly deal like those signed by Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jon Lester.
- The article names the Rangers and Angels as a couple teams who could have interest in trading for Papelbon, though it appears to be mostly speculation on Cafardo's part.
- While the Rangers and Halos also appear to be the two leading suitors for Adrian Beltre, Cafardo wonders if a mystery team could be involved, given the silence surrounding the third baseman lately. As we learned during the Cliff Lee derby, you can never entirely rule out those ever-looming mystery teams.
- Cafardo writes that Carl Pavano likely won't sign until at least later this week, unless a team ponies up and makes him an offer in the ballpark of $36MM over three years. Of course, at the time Cafardo's column was published, the Brewers' acquisition of Greinke wasn't confirmed. With Greinke off the table, teams who missed out on the Royals' ace may feel a greater sense of urgency to get something done with Pavano. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggests that a reunion with the Twins appears likely for Pavano, following the Greinke trade.
- The Red Sox have tried to re-acquire Justin Masterson from the Indians, but have been denied so far.
- Gabe Kapler would like to keep playing, and is "waiting for the right situation."