Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Blue Jays Rumors

Carroll, Paulino, Eveland, Thomas Hit Free Agency

By | at

We'll track the day's minor moves here…

  • Outfielder Brett Carroll and catcher Carlos Maldonado also elected free agency, Matt Eddy reports (on Twitter). Carroll appeared in five games for the Nationals this past season and Maldonado appeared in four.
  • Catcher Rob Johnson is a free agent after being removed from the Mets' 40-man roster, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. Johnson, 30, appeared in 17 games for the Mets this year plus 45 contests for their Triple-A affiliate. 
  • Orioles catcher Ronny Paulino and left-hander Dana Eveland also elected free agency, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (Twitter links). Eveland appeared in 14 games for the Orioles, posting a 4.73 ERA, and Paulino appeared in 20 games.
  • Yankees left-hander Justin Thomas also elected free agency, according to Eddy. The Yankees outrighted Thomas to Triple-A earlier in the month.
  • Blue Jays reliever Juan Abreu has also elected free agency, Eddy reports. Abreu posted a 6.80 ERA in 42 minor league relief outings this past season.
  • The Brewers announced that Livan Hernandez and Yorvit Torrealba elected free agency after refusing outright assignments to Triple-A. The moves are procedural, as Hernandez and Torrealba were expected to hit free agency.

Blue Jays Claim Cory Wade Off Waivers

By | at

The Blue Jays have claimed right-hander Cory Wade off waivers from the Yankees, the team announced. New York designated him for assignment last week.

Wade, 29, appeared in 79 games for the Yankees across the last two years, posting a 4.23 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 during that stretch. The reliever spent his first two big league seasons with the Dodgers and had a brief minor league stint with the Rays before joining the Bombers in June of 2011. He will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason.

Blue Jays Claim Scott Cousins

By | at

The Blue Jays claimed outfielder Scott Cousins off of waivers from the Marlins, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).

Cousins, 27, hit .163/.200/.267 in 92 plate appearances for the Marlins this season and is a .183/.231/.291 career hitter in 188 big league plate appearances. He's capable of playing all three outfield spots and is a .288/.345/.457 career hitter at the Triple-A level.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

AL East Notes: Beeston, Martinez, Scutaro, Orioles

By | at

Blue Jays president and CEO Paul Beeston will continue in his current role after the end of October, when his contract had been set to expire, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. Beeston and the Blue Jays are believed to be working toward a two-year extension. The 67-year-old acknowledged to Davidi that the sides are "in discussion" and that he's "committed to seeing this thing through." Here are more notes from the AL East…

  • Rays bench coach Dave Martinez hasn't heard from the Red Sox or Rockies about possible manager interviews, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Martinez was one of the top candidates to manage the Astros before they hired Bo Porter last month.
  • The Red Sox shouldn't have any regrets about dealing Marco Scutaro last winter, writes WEEI.com's Alex Speier, despite Scutaro's strong performance down the stretch with the Giants.
  • Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun lists the five biggest questions facing the Orioles this winter.
  • It doesn’t appear that Red Sox bench coach Tim Bogar will be interviewed for the team’s managerial opening, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
  • Jon Lester just completed a disappointing season, but as Rob Bradford points out at WEEI.com it could be a good time for the Red Sox to approach the left-hander about another contract extension. Lester, who's under team control through 2014, has said he's "always open" to extension talks. So far the sides haven't discussed a new deal, Bradford reports.
  • Outfielder Nate McLouth would like to re-sign with Baltimore when he hits free agency this offseason, but the Orioles could decide to stick with internal options and try to find another McLouth-like performer next year, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes. In case you missed it, Mike Axisa examined McLouth’s free agent stock over the weekend.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post

Olney On Hamilton, Brewers, Lohse

By | at

The Brewers could pursue Josh Hamilton this offseason if the free agent outfielder doesn’t get any offers for four-plus years and more than $100MM, ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes. Here are more notes from Olney’s column…

  • The Brewers aren’t positioned to give Hamilton a massive contract, but they can offer him a comfortable place to play where he’d be supported. Johnny Narron, his former mentor, works as Milwaukee’s hitting coach, and Brewers bench coach Jerry Narron also knows the 31-year-old. While many outsiders lack detailed information about Hamilton’s off-field issues, the Narron brothers know the outfielder well enough to make a determination about his ability to continue producing.
  • At this point the Brewers intend to pursue multiple starters this offseason.
  • General managers expect free agent starting pitchers to do well this year, since there’s a shortage of viable options at a time that many teams are flush with dollars. The Blue Jays, Royals, Cubs and Angels are among the many teams known to be seeking starting pitching.
  • Some agents and general managers believe free agent starter Kyle Lohse could command a deal in the $60-75MM range, Olney reports.

AL East Notes: Ortiz, Peralta, Jackson

By | at

Some links from around the AL East for your Monday reading pleasure…

  • David Ortiz is still looking for two years and $25-30MM, according to the Boston Herald's John Tomase. Ortiz told Tomase that he expects the Red Sox to reach out to his representatives at SFX next week.
  • Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com cautions Orioles fans not to buy into any rumblings that Ortiz could end up in Baltimore if he doesn't re-sign with the Red Sox. Dubroff notes that manager Buck Showalter felt handicapped by Vladimir Guerrero's inability to play in the field the last time the team had a strict DH in 2011.
  • In his latest mailbag, MLB.com's Bill Chastain tells one reader that Joel Peralta is so intent on returning to the Rays that he will likely deal with them exclusively before talking to other teams. Chastain does opine that a multi-year deal from an outside team could sway Peralta's thinking.
  • Chastain also says he believes that the Rays will open the season with Ben Zobrist as the shortstop, as Hak-Ju Lee may not be ready from an offensive standpoint yet.
  • Danny Knobler of CBS Sports tweets that the Blue Jays had nine different scouts in attendance for Edwin Jackson's final three regular season starts. Jackson will be a free agent this offseason, and while he'd like to return to the Nationals, he could end up elsewhere. The Jays are planning to shop aggressively this offseason.

Cafardo On Shields, Ortiz, Ross, Rodriguez

By | at

In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe offers up a few ideas to help bolster the Red Sox.  Cafardo suggests that the Red Sox need a pure middle-of-the-order hitter and writes that Joe Mauer of the Twins would fit the bill nicely.  While the Twins might not be in a rush to deal him, Boston might be willing to put together an attractive offer to get a hitter of his caliber that can split time between first base and catcher.  If they can't make Mauer the big get of this winter, Cafardo also suggests names like Nick Swisher, Mike Napoli, and even Josh Hamilton.  Of course, the Red Sox may pass on some of the bigger names and price tags out there to avoid locking themselves into more unfavorable contracts.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • Rays pitcher James Shields has a $9MM option for this year and will likely be unaffordable for the club after that.  It seems likely that Tampa Bay will finally bite the bullet and trade pitching to get the offense that they need.  One National League GM suggested that the Rangers would be a good partner as they could offer Elvis Andrus and someone else for Shields.  Some baseball officials also haven’t ruled out the Rays moving David Price to fill a couple of positions.
  • Word is that David Ortiz might accept a two-year deal from the Red Sox for $26-28MM if they offer it.  If Boston won't go to two years, Ortiz may roll the dice and see what the Orioles, Yankees, Blue Jays, or Rangers offer.
  • The Red Sox are trying to work out a multiyear deal with Cody Ross, but he'll have a strong market if he chooses to wait.  The Braves could potentially be major players for Ross as they offered him a two-year deal last year.  Ross wouldn’t mind a Western team either and the Giants may have interest if they move on from Melky Cabrera.
  • Cafardo believes that the Dodgers would be willing to take on Alex Rodriguez as the Yankees would gladly eat some of his contract.  The Dodgers also appear unlikely to re-sign Shane Victorino and will save some money by doing that.
  • Talk is strong that Joe Torre would consider managing again and the 72-year-old has always had an affinity for Boston.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees

By | at

Links from the AL East, before the Orioles and Yankees play for the right to face off against the Tigers in the ALCS…

  • Red Sox owner John Henry is seeking a minority owner for Fenway Sports Group, Charlie Gasparino and Matt Egan of the FOX Business Network report. Henry appears to be entertaining the idea of establishing a limited partnership in the holding company, according to the FOX reporters. 
  • The Red Sox denied the report, saying it contains “absolutely no truth,” according to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal. The Red Sox made a similar statement last month when Gasparino reported Henry had started shopping the team.
  • Blue Jays manager John Farrell told Jody McDonald on MLB Network Radio that rumors about interest from the Red Sox haven't distracted him from his job in Toronto. "I'm extremely challenged, happy as manager of the Blue Jays," Farrell said, adding that he hasn't been in touch with the Red Sox or heard of talks between GM Alex Anthopoulos and his counterpart in Boston, Ben Cherington.
  • A number of high-profile pitchers who were traded last offseason are now making an impact in the postseason, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes. Trades involving pitchers such as Gio Gonzalez and Mat Latos will prompt teams like the Blue Jays to weigh the value of depth against the value of certainty as they contemplate their own moves for the offseason ahead.
  • Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal explains that while money can't buy championships, it can help teams like the Yankees build deep benches. Aging stars like Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez are luxuries the Yankees can afford, and the depth is paying off this October.

Duncan, Repko, Carlin, Hoey Hit Free Agency

By | at

Outfielders Shelley Duncan and Jason Repko, catcher Luke Carlin and right-handers Jim Hoey and Robert Coello have hit free agency, according to the transactions page at CBSSports.com. Repko declared free agency while Carlin, Duncan, Hoey and Coello refused minor league assignments.

Duncan got more MLB playing time than the others in 2012. He spent much of the season as Cleveland's left fielder, and posted a .203/.288/.388 batting line in 264 MLB plate appearances. Carlin appeared in four games with the Indians this year, spending most of the season at Triple-A. The 31-year-old posted a .703 OPS in 244 plate appearances with Columbus.

Toronto outrighted Coello off of the 40-man roster two days ago after he appeared in six games with the club this past season. The 27-year-old also appeared in 19 games at Triple-A Las Vegas, posting a 3.00 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 42 innings. Hoey pitched alongside Coello in Las Vegas, posting a 4.60 ERA in 60 2/3 innings.

Repko played in five games for the Red Sox this year and posted a .743 OPS in 228 minor league plate appearances.

Quick Hits: Sanchez, Leyland, Felix, Blue Jays

By | at

With Terry Francona now off the market, it wouldn't make a sense for the Tigers to let Jim Leyland go at the end of the year, opines Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press.  Yesterday, Leyland confirmed that he wants to continue managing in 2013, but the veteran skipper's contract will expire at the end of the year.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • If the Tigers re-sign Anibal Sanchez, they'll have to move another one of their starting pitchers, opines Jason Beck of MLB.com.  Beyond the simple numbers issue, the Tigers will be facing a payroll crunch if they choose to keep Sanchez with the same rotation in place.  Justin Verlander will earn $20MM next season, Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello will head to arbitration for the second time, and Doug Fister is first-time arb eligible.  In theory, Detroit could part with one of the four and plug Drew Smyly in their place.
  • Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach is set to interview with the Red Sox for their managerial vacancy next week, tweets Ken Gurnick of the Los Angeles Times.
  • Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik wouldn't discuss whether he has had contract extension talks with ace Felix Hernandez, but reiterated that both sides are hoping that he will stay put in Seattle for the long-term, writes Greg Johns of MLB.com.  Hernandez has two years and $40.5MM left on the five-year, $78MM deal he inked in 2010.
  • Omar Vizquel opined earlier this year that the Blue Jays were in desperate need of veteran leadership, but Jose Bautista says that he doesn't agree with that assessment, writes Chris Toman of MLB.com.  "I really don't understand why everybody is making — in my eyes — a big deal out of that subject," Bautista said. "It's not something that needs to be addressed in our clubhouse."
  • Despite talk of the Phillies looking to improve with minor moves this winter, Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News wouldn't rule out Ruben Amaro making a major splash by signing the likes of B.J. Upton or Michael Bourn.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top