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NL East Rumors: Brown, Mets, Aceves, Phillies, Price

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The latest from the NL East..

  • The Phillies are willing to listen on Domonic Brown, but a rumored Brown-for-Jose Bautista swap isn't happening, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
  • Jeff Wilpon said the Mets are close to making some sort of transaction earlier today, but GM Sandy Alderson seemed genuinely surprised when that was relayed to him by reporters, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post.
  • The Mets are among the clubs with interest in former Red Sox hurler Alfredo Aceves, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  
  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro isn't eager to move young talent, tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  "Everybody is looking for the same thing, and that's young controllable players. There is no reason for us to be moving any of them," the GM said.
  • A trade to land Rays ace David Price would probably call for the Nationals to part with Anthony Rendon, Lucas Giolito, and another prospect or two from the club's top-tier, writes Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider.  Because of the steep price, it's probably not worthwhile.

AL East Notes: Ryan, Arencibia, Napoli, Rays, Yankees

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Mark DeRosa didn't stay unemployed for long.  After the Blue Jays announced his retirement from baseball yesterday, the MLB Network announced that DeRosa will be coming aboard as a studio analyst.  Here's more out of the AL East..

  • There's mutual interest between the Yankees and Brendan Ryan and a deal could happen quickly, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).  The free agent doesn't offer much in the way of offensive firepower but he does boast a career 11.7 UZR/150 at the shortstop position.
  • Multiple teams have expressed interest in Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia, prompting the Blue Jays to explore the free agent catching market for a possible replacement, sources tell Rosenthal.  The Jays have contacted all of the free agent catchers but have yet to make an offer, one source said.
  • The Red Sox have not come to Mike Napoli with a contract offer since he rejected their one-year, $14.1MM qualifying offer, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  However, the Red Sox want to keep Napoli and the veteran would like to stay.
  • Rays GM Andrew Friedman says that rather than committing to a true closer, he'll be searching out a reliever or two capable of handling late-inning, high-leverage duty, creating the possibility that Jake McGee or Joel Peralta will become the primary ninth-inning option, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  
  • Friedman added that the Rays are looking externally for a first baseman and a catcher to pair with Jose Lobaton while keeping an eye on their own free agents James Loney and Jose Molina.  They also aren't planning to go for a true DH, instead eyeing a rotation consisting primarily of outfielders David DeJesus, Desmond Jennings, Matt Joyce, and Wil Myers, plus possibly a player off the bench.
  • Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com (via Twitter) would be shocked if the Orioles moved J.J. Hardy.  Earlier today we learned that the O's discussed a deal involving Hardy with the Cardinals to get Shelby Miller, but St. Louis extinguished those talks pretty quickly.
  • General Manager Brian Cashman has no delusions of Robinson Cano taking a hometown discount to stay with the Yankees, writes Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.  “He loves the money, but I think we’ll have a substantial offer,” Cashman said. “Somebody might come in and have a much more substantial offer. It’s just the way it works.”
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) proposes six trades for the Rays' David Price.
  • Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner spoke with reporters, including Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger, about the club's efforts to get under the $189MM tax threshold and the club's interest in Masahiro Tanaka.
  • Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com wonders if the Marlon Byrd signing could hurt the Orioles. Yesterday, the Phillies agreed to sign Byrd to a two-year, $16MM deal.

AL East Notes: Lester, Blue Jays, Rays

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The Red Sox want relief help, but they aren't likely to pursue high-priced acquisitions, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. That means no moves like last year's trade for Joel Hanrahan, and it also means they won't be in the market for players like Joe Nathan or Grant Balfour. Still, GM Ben Cherington hopes to acquire relievers who might end up pitching in key spots. "We want as many guys as possible that we think have the potential and the stuff to pitch in high-leverage situations," he says. Here's more news from the AL East.

  • The Red Sox have not begun discussing an extension with starting pitcher Jon Lester, but they appear likely to do so near the start of spring training, Bradford writes. If the Red Sox do sign Lester to an extension, they will likely wait until after Opening Day to complete it, since his current contract only counts $9.4MM per season against the 2014 luxury tax. The average annual value of an extension would likely be far greater.
  • The Blue Jays may need to add two starters this winter, writes SportsNet.ca's Shi Davidi. They have R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle, and also Brandon Morrow, who's recovering from a forearm injury. After that, they'll be leaning on players like J.A. Happ, Esmil Rogers, and Todd Redmond, plus youngsters Marcus Stroman, Drew Hutchison and Sean Nolin. That group isn't the greatest bet to provide top-quality innings, at least not in 2014.
  • The Rays are interested in finding a first baseman, catcher and late-inning reliever this offseason, the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin tweets. The reliever may not be a proven-closer type, which is no surprise given the Rays' budgetary constraints. They'll also look for bench help.

Mark DeRosa To Retire

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Veteran infielder Mark DeRosa is set to retire this offseason, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos tells Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (via Twitter).  Toronto exercised their $750K option on the veteran late last month.  Toronto has confirmed the news via press release.

DeRosa, 39 in February, slashed .235/.326/.407 with seven homers in 236 plate appearances last season.  Over the course of his 16-year career, DeRosa owns a career .268/.340/.412 batting line with the Braves, Rangers, Cubs, Indians, Cardinals, Giants, Nationals, and Blue Jays.  DeRosa has earned more than $29MM over the course of his career, according to Baseball-Reference.

The Passaic, New Jersey native belted his last and 100th home run of his career off the Astros’ Dallas Keuchel on July 27th of this past season.  

AL West Rumors: Castro, Astros, Rangers

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The Astros are receiving significant interest in catcher Jason Castro, and interest could pick up once big free agents like Brian McCann and Jarrod Saltalamacchia go off the board, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Their interest in trading Castro isn't known, but Houston is said to like catching prospect Max Stassi very much.  Heyman sees the Yankees, Rangers, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Angels, Rockies, and Twins as teams that could possibly have interest if Castro is on the block.  Here's more out of the AL West..

  • The Mariners are more immersed in the Carlos Beltran–Jhonny Peralta–Kendrys Morales market than Jacoby Ellsbury at this point, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
  • Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (Twitter link) doesn't see the Astros trading Castro.  Even though Castro is starting to make some money – the catcher is projected to earn $2.2MM in arbitration this year – they're not deep enough at catcher to lose him and the club needs to take a step forward.
  • Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com examined Carlos Ruiz as a possible fit for the Rangers if they don't land top catcher Brian McCann.
  • More from Durrett, who believes that Jurickson Profar's trade value hasn't decreased much despite a down year in 2013.
  • The Angels' best bet for acquiring quality pitching via trade would be to part with Mark Trumbo, even though losing him would hurt, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.

AL East Rumors: Johnson, Bautista, Granderson, Choo

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Yankees free agent Curtis Granderson joined Ken Rosenthal on MLB Network's Hot Stove to discuss his offseason thus far.  The outfielder told Rosenthal that the number one thing he's looking for is to sign with a winner.  More from the AL East..

  • With uncertainty over Alex Rodriguez and the future of Robinson Cano, the Yankees have contacted free agent Kelly Johnson, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Johnson has primarily played second base over the course of his career but he also offers experience at left field and saw some time at third base in 2013.
  • It's not a huge surprise, but teams are inquiring on Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter).  Whether they are willing to move him is another story.
  • Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Beltran are targets 1 and 1A for the Yankees, a person familiar with their thinking tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Fellow outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury sits a hair behind the other two stars.
  • Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (on Twitter) also hears that the Yankees are serious about their pursuit of Beltran.
  • Former Red Sox pitcher Alfredo Aceves is working out in Mexico and drawing interest from multiple teams, tweets Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.
  • The Blue Jays' priority is improving the rotation, but they're also keeping an eye out for help at second base and catcher, writes Heyman.  It's no surprise to hear that they're interested in Robinson Cano, but his price tag will probably prove to be too much since they need to direct their bucks towards starting pitching.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com explains why Ellsbury, Mike Napoli, and Stephen Drew all turned down the $14.1MM qualifying offer from the Red Sox.

Minor Moves: Crotta, Richardson, Blue Jays

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Here are today's minor transactions from around baseball, with the newest moves at the top of the page…

  • The Nippon Ham Fighters signed right-hander Michael Crotta to a $500K contract, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reports (Twitter link).  Crotta's only Major League experience came in 2011 when he posted a 9.28 ERA over 10 2/3 relief innings with the Pirates.  He spent his first six pro seasons in Pittsburgh minor league system and pitched for the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate in 2013, posting a 3.57 ERA over 58 relief innings.
  • The Yankees signed outfielder Antoan Richardson to a minor league deal and invited him to their Major League Spring Training camp, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets.  Richarson appeared in nine games as a pinch-hitter and pinch-runner for the Braves in 2011.  The 30-year-old Nassau native has a .278/.399/.347 slash line with 318 steals (out of 378 attempts) in 3548 PA over his nine-year minor league career.  Richardson spent 2013 in the Twins' farm system.
  • The Blue Jays announced that right-handers Marcus Walden, Michael Broadway and shortstop Jonathan Diaz have all agreed to terms on minor league contracts with invitations to the Major League Spring Training camp.

Blue Jays Notes: Catching, Arencibia, Kawasaki, Davis

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Here's the latest on the Blue Jays, who look set for another busy offseason…

  • The Jays have made inquiries about such catchers as Carlos Ruiz, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and A.J. Pierzynski, Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi reports.  Davidi also suspects Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has checked in on Brian McCann, to boot. 
  • The Jays were known to be looking to improve behind the plate this winter and current catcher J.P. Arencibia has drawn trade interest from other teams.  Davidi says there is some feeling that Arencibia has too much "accumulated baggage" in Toronto and might not reach his potential in a Blue Jay uniform.  Arencibia is projected to earn $2.8MM as a first-time arbitration eligible player this winter and the Jays would certainly prefer getting something back for him in a trade than simply non-tendering him.
  • Ervin Santana, Tim Hudson and Hiroki Kuroda have all received calls from the Blue Jays, Davidi reports, noting that Hudson and Kuroda probably don't have any mutual interest.  Hudson is being courted by over 10 teams while Kuroda seems to be set on either re-signing with the Yankees, returning to pitch in Japan or retiring.
  • Also from Davidi, Munenori Kawasaki could sign a new minor league deal with the Jays that would pay him more than the $600K base salary he earned last season.
  • In another piece from Davidi, Melky Cabrera is looking much healthier and fit after a tumor was surgically removed from his spine, Anthopoulos said.  Cabrera looks to be the Jays' everyday choice in left field, though obviously that could change if he suffers a setback in his rehabilitation.
  • Rajai Davis is likely to leave the Jays for a team that can offer him more playing time, Davidi reports.  The club's hope is that Anthony Gose or Moises Sierra can be a low-cost replacement for Davis as a backup outfielder.
  • Sierra is out of options and "is a prime candidate to be shopped," MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm writes.  Brad Lincoln could also be part of a trade package, as Chisholm breaks down possible scenarios for the Jays' nine out-of-options players. 

Cafardo On Trumbo, Ethier, Kemp, Arroyo, Red Sox

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe offers up a primer for this week's GM Meetings.  Cafardo's first rule for the meetings is to never believe a GM when he says that a player will not be traded.  New Marlins GM Dan Jennings has said that Giancarlo Stanton won't be moved, but everyone has a price.  Cafardo also cautions not to buy into the notion that the Tigers won't find a way to enhance the team and also keep Max Scherzer after next season.  Here's more from today's column..

  • If the Red Sox don’t re-sign Mike Napoli, the 27-year-old Mark Trumbo will be on their list of players to pursue.  Trumbo, who would come at half Napoli’s price, is under club control until after the 2016 season and boasts tremendous right-handed power.  The Angels could use a third baseman and a pitcher and Cafardo wonders if Will Middlebrooks and Felix Doubront might suit them. The Pirates and Rays could also be fits for the Halos slugger.
  • One or both of Andre Ethier or Matt Kemp could be dealt this offseason thanks to the Dodgers' surplus.  The Mets, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers, and Blue Jays are among the clubs that could have interest.
  • The Phillies are among the clubs that have shown interest in Bronson Arroyo, but no offer has been made just yet.  The Giants and Twins have also been reported to have interest in the durable veteran, but none of the interested teams have put an offer on the table just yet.
  • While the Blue Jays have other priorities, they’ll also dip into the outfield market if they feel Melky Cabrera can’t give them what they expected.  Cabrera recently had a spinal tumor that was causing him leg pain removed.
  • Despite having a glut of pitchers, the Red Sox are still high on Tim Hudson.  To make room for the 38-year-old, the Red Sox could move Jake Peavy or Ryan Dempster if they have to.  However, teams seem more interested in John Lackey since he'll earn the minimum salary in 2015.  A clause in Lackey's contract called for him to get the minimum in '15 if he underwent Tommy.John surgery.
  • The Red Sox probably won't offer more than a couple of years to retain Stephen Drew with his market rapidly expanding.  The Yankees could be a fit with Derek Jeter being in the final year of his contract and likely to see more DH time.
  • A few GMs are already lamenting the cost of free agent pitching with possible $80MM-$100MM price tags on the likes of Ervin Santana and Ricky Nolasco.  That's why the Yankees' pursuit of Masahiro Tanaka, a potential No. 2 starter, makes more sense than paying big bucks for a No. 3 or 4 type.
  • The Blue Jays picked up Adam Lind's option, but don't be surprised if Toronto tries to move him.

East Notes: Napoli, Phillies, Marlins, Anthopoulos

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The Braves, Mets, Yankees and Red Sox have each received team-centric news posts today on MLBTR, so it's time to collect up more news from around both the NL and AL East…

  • Mike Napoli is such a good fit for the Red Sox and in Boston that the club needs to re-sign him, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald opines.  It was reported earlier today that Napoli will test the market, though the Sox have already offered him a multiyear deal.
  • If the Red Sox signed Carlos Beltran, however, they wouldn't necessarily need Napoli, John Tomase of the Boston Herald writes.  Beltran could play left field, causing a few lineup shifts that would settle on Daniel Nava as Napoli's replacement at first base.
  • Center field is the most logical place for the Phillies to add offense, according to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News, so the Phils should pursue someone like Curtis Granderson as an upgrade over Ben Revere.
  • Giancarlo Stanton is a "pie-in-the-sky target" for the Phillies, CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury writes.  A somewhat more realistic trade option could be Mark Trumbo, though Salisbury notes that the Phils lack the young pitching that the Angels want in return.  The Halos have been linked to Kyle Kendrick in the past, so Salisbury opines that Kendrick could be part of a Trumbo trade package.
  • Speaking of Stanton, Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill again reiterated that the slugger isn't available for trade offers, Hill tells MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.  Hill says the team is having "an ongoing discussion" about approaching Stanton with a long-term extension offer.
  • The Marlins' maximum payroll is expected to be in the low-to-mid-$40MM range, Frisaro reports.  This is a slight increase over Miami's $38MM payroll from 2013.
  • The Blue Jays haven't been very active in free agency under Alex Anthopoulos' watch but the Toronto general manager tells Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca that this could change this winter.  "It seems like with all the different things we’re looking to do, half of the scenarios are in free agency, half of the scenarios are in trade," Anthopoulos said.  He feels the Jays also still have enough minor league depth to offer in trades, though the farm system was thinned by last offseason's blockbuster deals.
  • It doesn't make sense for the Orioles to shop J.J. Hardy, MASNsports.com's Steve Melewski argues, since Hardy's importance to the O's is even greater in the wake of Manny Machado's injury.
  • In East division news from earlier today, MLBTR's Matt Swartz broke down Chris Davis' arbitration case, the Nationals could use their minor leaguers to acquire a starting pitcher, ESPN's Buster Olney discussed the Red Sox and the David Price trade market, the Yankees aren't interested in Ervin Santana but are prioritizing Masahiro Tanaka,
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