Rangers Working On Offer For Uehara?
Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a Japanese report from Sanspo: the Rangers are preparing a three-year offer for pitcher Koji Uehara worth more than $10MM. Newman says the Rangers like Uehara as a reliever yet he wants to start. The Mets have also expressed interest (link in Japanese).
Twins Inquire On Joaquin Benoit?
FRIDAY: La Velle E. Neal III has an update on this one – he says a Twins official shot it down. He hasn’t heard anything other relievers linked to the Twins.
TUESDAY: According to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, the Twins inquired on Rangers reliever Joaquin Benoit. Sullivan says the Twins are willing to trade Boof Bonser. I suppose this could have appeal to the Rangers in that Bonser could be a rotation candidate.
Benoit, 31, posted a 5.00 ERA in 45 innings this year while battling shoulder issues. He’s set to earn $3.5MM plus games finished incentives in ’09 before becoming eligible for free agency. Bonser is under team control through 2012.
Sheffield Staying Put For Now
According to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, the Rangers don’t expect to deal for Gary Sheffield. A Rangers official said the club would “consider it” if the Tigers took on enough of Sheffield’s $14MM 2009 salary, but the Tigers aren’t going to give him away.
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski thinks that Sheffield “can still hit,” so he’s in no rush to trade him.
The Rangers inquired on Sheffield yesterday, but Sullivan says it “was not a serious conversation.”
Minor Moves
A few minor signings are rolling in. I’ll update this post if more of this ilk come about.
- The Royals signed pitcher Doug Waechter.
- The Rangers signed pitchers Brian Gordon and Joe Torres to minor league deals.
- The Rangers also completed the Wes Littleton trade, receiving pitcher Beau Vaughan from the Red Sox. Vaughan’s picture at that link is awesome, by the way.
Rangers Rumors: Millwood, Sanchez, Salty
MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan sums up the latest Rangers buzz…
- The Brewers inquired about Kevin Millwood, but the teams didn’t find a match. Millwood has a limited no-trade clause and will earn $11MM next year. If he pitches 182 innings in ’09, a $12MM salary for ’10 will become guaranteed.
- A Rangers source told Sullivan the Giants "made it abundantly clear" they’re not trading Jonathan Sanchez.
- The Royals are interested in Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but talks didn’t go anywhere.
Brewers Looking For Pitching
9:00pm: Tom Haudricourt has an update. Nothing came of Doug Melvin’s talks with the Rangers, and he denied talking to the Giants or Mariners.
The Brewers haven’t made an offer yet to Randy Johnson, who seems to prefer the West Coast. Melvin says he won’t pursue Hoffman. And, some of the $100MM offered to Sabathia is available for pitching.
5:06pm: MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan says Melvin spoke to the Rangers about pitching. Melvin is said to hold Kevin Millwood in high regard.
3:27pm: Danny Knobler heard from two sources that Brewers GM Doug Melvin can’t shift any of the $100MM offered to C.C. Sabathia to players, and the Brewers are "very unlikely" to pursue a closer (this despite meetings with closers that are known to have taken place).
1:51pm: This information has all pretty much surfaced prior to today, but let’s put it all in one place. The Brewers are considering Brian Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman as closer options, with Randy Johnson a rotation option.
Jeremy Hermida Rumors
7:12pm: MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro says Mariners catcher Rob Johnson and Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia were discussed in these Hermida talks, but no match was found.
6:31pm: Baker says the Marlins wanted catching prospect Adam Moore from the Ms in a Hermida deal. Baseball America ranks Moore as the Mariners’ sixth best prospect. They say he looks like a future big league starting catcher; he’ll start ’09 at Triple A.
5:31pm: Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald says the Ms and Rangers initiated the Hermida talks, and they didn’t get far.
4:44pm: Geoff Baker says the Marlins offered Hermida to the Mariners and Rangers for catching.
12:34pm: Rays Index found a note from MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan on Monday – the Rays like Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz.
12:26pm: Berardino has an update. He says the Marlins proposed trading Hermida to the Rays for two pitchers, likely among Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson, and Mitch Talbot. The Rays rejected the offer and it’s unlikely to be revisited.
Berardino now says the Reds have yet to inquire on Hermida.
12:04pm: Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel discusses Jeremy Hermida trade possibilities in a blog post today (hat tip, Rays Index). He says the Reds have definitely shown interest, and also discusses the Rays. Berardino’s sources believe Micah Owings could be had, but not Johnny Cueto. In the case of the Rays it’d apparently take Andy Sonnanstine rather than Edwin Jackson.
By the way, the Marlins have talked about the possibility of moving Hermida to left field if they keep him. Hermida has been a slightly above-average right fielder according to the plus/minus system.
Rangers Inquire On Sheffield
5:25pm: Jon Paul Morosi confirms the interest from the Tigers side. He says the Tigers and Rangers have yet to have any serious trade talks about Sheffield. Also, it’s not clear whether the Rangers are covered in Sheffield’s no-trade clause. Morosi wonders whether the Rangers could try to take on Frank Catalanotto and the $6MM he has coming.
5:04pm: MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan talked to a Rangers official who said they would be willing to consider Sheffield if the Tigers want to give him away.
3:19pm: According to Gerry Fraley, the Rangers inquired with the Tigers on the availability of Gary Sheffield. The Tigers probably wouldn’t mind moving Sheff’s $14MM salary for ’09.
Randy Johnson Rumors
WEDNESDAY, 1:11pm: Nolan Ryan confirmed the Rangers’ interest in Johnson.
TUESDAY, 8:37pm: Jack Magruder says the Astros and Angels met with Johnson’s reps at the Meetings. He adds that the Rangers, Brewers, and Cubs touched base before the Meetings.
2:54pm: Four California teams are said to be eyeing Randy Johnson: the Dodgers, Angels, Giants, and A’s. Mike DiGiovanna learned that the Dodgers and Angels are more on the fringes. We’ve also seen Johnson linked to the Cubs as a fallback for Jake Peavy.
Rangers Like Clay Buchholz
11:29pm: Ryan was apparently just joking with the Buchholz lines.
3:01pm: Some chatter today about Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz today. Rangers president Nolan Ryan admitted to interest, but Theo Epstein values him tremendously. Ryan’s quote was a tad presumptuous:
I think he’s a real talent. Obviously being a Texas kid we think will look really good in a Texas uniform.