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AL East Notes: Hale, Swisher, Kuroda, Orioles

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It was on this day in 1977 that Rich "Goose" Gossage signed a six-year, $2.75MM free agent contract with the Yankees.  The Goose lived up to that then-exorbitant deal, posting a 2.10 ERA and saving 150 games over those six seasons, notching three top-five finishes in Cy Young Award voting and helping New York win the 1978 World Series.  Gossage went into the Hall Of Fame as a Yankee in 2008.

Here's the latest from New York and elsewhere in the AL East…

  • DeMarlo Hale is "likely" going to be the Blue Jays' next bench coach, a source tells MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (Twitter link).  Hale served as the Orioles' third base coach in 2012 and was interviewed as a managerial candidate by the Jays two years ago before Toronto hired John Farrell.  Hale's contract may be for three years, reports MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko.
  • The Red Sox have Nick Swisher "on their radar," a source tells George A. King III of the New York Post.  At least seven teams are known to be interested in Swisher, whose ability to switch-hit and play both first base and right field is a boon to many clubs.  King hears from an industry source who believes Swisher could find a four-year, $60MM contract, though with that many teams and big markets in the running, it wouldn't surprise me to see that number jump to between $65-$70MM in guaranteed money.
  • Other teams were offering Hiroki Kuroda more expensive and longer-term deals with player options than the one-year, $15MM contract he signed with the Yankees, reports Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York.  Kuroda took the relatively smaller deal with New York due to his familiarity with the city and his desire to keep his options open next winter for a possible return to Japan.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link) notes that Kuroda has left money on the table for each of the four contracts he's signed in his Major League career.    
  • The Orioles were interested in Jonny Gomes but are "not too heartbroken" that Gomes has signed with Boston, reports Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun.  The O's prefer to use the money earmarked for Gomes to re-sign Nate McLouth instead.
  • In AL East news from earlier today, Josh Johnson's agent Matt Sosnick discussed the possibility of his client signing an extension with the Blue Jays.

Amaro On Phillies, Upton, Bourn, Marlins

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The Phillies haven’t made any major additions to their team to this point in the offseason, but they continue working to address their biggest needs, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. “We’ve had some good discussions, some fruitful discussions, with agents as well as other clubs,” Amaro said. “There are some situations where we’re waiting right now on someone to say ‘yes,’ and other situations where other teams are waiting for us to say ‘yes.’ It’s an interesting dynamic right now.” Here’s the latest on the Phillies, who are looking to contend again following an 81-81 season in 2012:

  • Amaro still wants to add at least one outfielder and a veteran reliever for the eighth inning. The club could also pursue help at third base, though that could depend on the team’s search for outfielders.
  • Reading between the lines, Salisbury suggests the Phillies have reached out to the Marlins to see if they’d trade Giancarlo Stanton in a follow up to Miami’s recent blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays. “We’ve made some inquiries about a lot of players that went in that trade, both to Toronto and to Miami,” the GM acknowledged. “But nothing imminent so far.”
  • Amaro said he has not received any indication that former Phillies closer Ryan Madson is opposed to pitching in a setup role. Madson underwent Tommy John surgery before the 2012 season and is now a free agent.
  • While B.J. Upton appears to be the Phillies’ top target, Amaro also mentioned free agents Angel Pagan, Michael Bourn and Shane Victorino as other potential center field options. “We can’t put all our resources in one area and not address others,” Amaro said. He added that the Phillies are more likely to add an outfielder or two in free agency than via trades.
  • Earlier this month I previewed the Phillies’ offseason.

WEEI’s Latest: Anthopoulos, Ross, Butterfield

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Here's the latest from WEEI's Hot Stove Show with Rob Bradford, Alex Speier and Kirk Minihane…

  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said the blockbuster with the Marlins came together in about 5-6 days. Talks between the two sides started with Josh Johnson, but obviously expanded. Anthopoulos also discussed the competitive advantage of keeping talks under wraps.
  • Red Sox manager John Farrell said David Ross was a priority signing because of his leadership skills as well as his throwing ability. He's thrown out 37.5% of attempted base stealers over the last eight years, second only to Yadier Molina.
  • Red Sox third base coach Brian Butterfield told Bradford he was a candidate for the Blue Jays' managerial job until the "11th-hour." Butterfield added there "were certain things (Anthopoulos) wanted in his next manager … he really had to have a guy who had previous major league managing experience."

Sosnick, Johnson Open To Extension With Blue Jays

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Josh Johnson has yet to throw a pitch for the Blue Jays after being acquired in a 12-player blockbuster earlier this month, but the right-hander is open to remaining with the team beyond 2013. Agent Matt Sosnick told Brendan Kennedy of The Toronto Star they'd be receptive to a new deal to remain in Toronto.

"If there is anyone in the game I’d be receptive to talking to about it it’s (Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos)," said Sosnick. "It hasn’t come up in any of our conversations … (Anthopoulos) hasn’t volunteered it and I haven’t asked him about it. It’s probably something that if he wants to talk about it we’ll talk about it down the road."

Johnson, 28, will earn $13.75MM next season, the final year on the four-year, $39MM contract he signed with the Marlins prior to 2010. He pitched to a 3.81 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 191 1/3 innings this season, though his fastball velocity dipped and both his strikeout and walk rates declined for a second straight year.

From 2009-2011, Johnson posted a 2.64 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 453 innings across 70 starts. A return to that level of performance with the Blue Jays this year would potentially put Johnson in line for a nine-figure contract as a free agent next offseason, when he will be arguably the best starter on the market.

Blue Jays Sign Julio Izturis

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THURSDAY: The Jays actually signed Julio Izturis, rather than Cesar, reports Mike Cormack of Sportsnet.ca.  So, to date, only two of the three Izturis brothers are members of the Blue Jays organization (Maicer and Cesar are half-brothers).  Julio is a 23-year-old infielder who last appeared in pro ball with the Giants' Low-A affiliate in 2011.

WEDNESDAY: The Blue Jays have signed Cesar Izturis to a minor league contract, reports Baseball America's Matt Eddy (on Twitter). The veteran infielder is a Peter E. Greenberg & Associates client.

Izturis, 32, hit .241/.254/.343 with two homers in 173 plate appearances for the Brewers and Nationals this season while playing the three non-first base infield positions. He originally started his career with the Blue Jays, who signed him as a amateur free agent out of Venezuela back in 1996. Toronto signed his half-brother Maicer to a three-year contract earlier this offseason.

Quick Hits: Weiner, Blue Jays, Tax

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Happy Thanksgiving! Here are some links on a relatively quiet day for MLB transactions…

  • Jerry Crasnick profiles MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner in a must-read piece at ESPN.com. Weiner, who is fighting brain cancer, has the respect of MLB players, agents and officials thanks in part to his ability to relate to others and strong communication skills.
  • John Lott of the National Post explains how the Blue Jays–Marlins blockbuster started with an attempt to acquire Josh Johnson and expanded to include others, including Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle. However, both GM Alex Anthopoulos and president Paul Beeston denied that they set out to "make a splash" this winter, Lott writes.
  • Upcoming changes to American tax laws could affect the way teams and agents do business, Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reports (via the Miami Herald). The expected changes are primarily a concern for large market teams, in the view of Athletics GM Billy Beane. "It's probably not a situation I'll have to face in Oakland too much," he said.

Minor Moves: Ka’aihue, Hinshaw, Luna, Pirates

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We’ll keep track of the day’s minor moves here…

  • The White Sox signed catcher Bryan Anderson and left-hander David Purcey to minor league deals, Eddy reports (on Twitter). 
  • The Diamondbacks signed Kila Ka'aihue, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). The 28-year-old appeared in 39 games for the Athletics this past season, posting a .234/.295/.398 batting line.
  • The Blue Jays announced that they signed outfielder Ricardo Nanita and left-hander Alex Hinshaw to minor league contracts. Nanita played for the Blue Jays' Triple-A team in 2012, hitting 12 home runs. Hinshaw appeared in 33 games for the Padres and Cubs in 2012, posting a 6.04 ERA. The team also confirmed its minor league contracts with infielder Jim Negrych and right-hander Neil Wagner.
  • The Chunichi Dragons have agreed to sign utility player Hector Luna to a one-year, $450K deal that includes $200K in incentives, Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com reports (on Twitter). Luna, 32, appeared in 28 games for the Phillies this past season, playing first base, third base and left field. In seven seasons at the MLB level, he has a .262/.314/.385 batting line.
  • The Pirates announced that they’ve agreed to sign right-handers Brooks Brown and Erik Cordier to minor league contracts with invitations to Spring Training. The club also announced minor league deals with right-handers David Bromberg and Luis Sanz, and infielder Alex Valdez. Finally, the Pirates officially announced their minor league deal with former MLB outfielder Felix Pie.

Sherman On Blue Jays, Royals, Dickey

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Though the Blue Jays and Royals have already added to their respective rotations this winter, they might not be done. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Blue Jays are still looking for a top of the rotation starter and the Royals look as if they need one, too. Here are more notes from Sherman…

  • Many executives tell Sherman they plan to investigate the trade market for pitching more thoroughly given the expected cost of free agent starters.
  • Rival executives suggested to Sherman that the Mets could ask for more in a trade involving R.A. Dickey if they grant the acquiring team a window for discussing an extension.
  • For example, the Blue Jays might be more willing to surrender players such as Travis d’Arnaud, J.P. Arencibia, Noah Syndergaard and Aaron Sanchez if they had the chance to talk extension with Dickey. To be clear Sherman isn’t saying the Blue Jays and Mets will necessarily discuss these specific players.

Rosenthal On Royals, Uehara, D’Backs, Span, Catching

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Here are the latest hot stove items from FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal….

  • Teams in search of bullpen help have been looking at Royals right-handers Greg Holland and Aaron Crow, though Kansas City isn't likely to trade any of its Major League players unless they can move Jeff Francoeur.
  • The Royals bolstered their pitching staff by re-signing Jeremy Guthrie and trading for Ervin Santana, but Rosenthal still feels the team needs a true ace.
  • The Phillies are interested in free agent reliever Koji Uehara.
  • The Diamondbacks could deal Jason Kubel instead of Justin Upton, which would be an easier move to make though Kubel would bring back a lesser return.  A source tells Rosenthal that the Rangers are still interested in Upton but are waiting for the D'Backs to back down on their demands for Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar in return.
  • Denard Span could be a good trade target for a club that doesn't want to pay for one of the expensive center fielders on the free market.  With the Twins desperate for pitching, Rosenthal speculates that a team like the Braves (who need a center fielder and have pitching depth) could be a trade partner.
  • The free agent catching market is stalled since the Red Sox and Blue Jays have catchers available for trade, plus the Yankees are waiting to address their pitching before making a decision on Russell Martin.
  • Speaking of the Blue Jays' catching depth, Rosenthal thinks that Toronto is in no hurry to deal J.P. Arencibia, as a dependable catcher is needed if top prospect Travis D'Arnaud hasn't recovered from his season-ending knee injury.
  • Reed Johnson is drawing interest from several teams, including the Braves, who acquired Johnson from the Cubs last July.

Minor Moves: Rice, Romak, Twins

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The latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Mets announced that they agreed to sign left-hander Scott Rice to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training. Rice, 31, has a 4.08 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 14 minor league seasons.
  • The Mets also signed outfielder Jamie Hoffmann to a minor league contract, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. The 28-year-old spent this past season with the Orioles' Triple-A team.
  • The Cardinals agreed to a minor league contract with first baseman/right fielder Jamie Romak, MLBTR has learned. The Cardinals acquired the 27-year-old from the Royals midway through the 2012 season. In 442 total plate appearances in the upper minors, Romak posted a .260/.336/.406 batting line and hit 10 home runs and 21 doubles this past season.
  • The Blue Jays signed infielder Jim Negrych to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports (on Twitter).
  • The Twins announced that they signed 12 players to minor league contracts that include invitations to MLB Spring Training: right-handers Samuel Deduno, Shairon Martis, Luis Perdomo, Esmerling Vasquez and P.J. Walters; outfielders Brian Dinkleman and Wilkin Ramirez; infielders James Beresford and Deibinson Romero and catcher Eric Fryer. Right-hander Tom Boleska and infielder Jason Christian also signed minor league deals with the Twins.
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