Nationals Rumors

NL East Notes: Phillies, Harper, Mets

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 14, 2012 at 3:33pm CDT

The latest from the NL East…

The Phillies are looking for infield help, so David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News explores the trade market for infielders. Alberto Callaspo of the Angels and Robert Andino of the Orioles could be available.
Braves third baseman Chipper Jones tells Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post that he can see similarities between himself and top Nationals prospect Bryce Harper. However, Jones doesn't expect Harper, a fellow first overall draft pick, to approach him. "Let’s just say he doesn’t seem to me to be the type of kid who wants to walk up to me and pick my brain,” Jones said.
An AL executive doubts the Nationals would get much in return if they trade John Lannan, MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets.
The Mets maintain interest in signing C.J. Nitkowski, but only if he has no physical issues, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo tweets. The club is in no rush to complete a deal.
Josh Thole, Gaby Sanchez, Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy, Ian Desmond, Jason Heyward, Roger Bernadina, Chris Coghlan, Giancarlo Stanton, Tommy Hanson, Jonathon Niese, Stephen Strasburg, Bobby Parnell, Cristhian Martinez, Antonio Bastardo, Jonny Venters, Ryan Webb, Ross Detwiler and Henry Rodriguez are among the NL East players who could be arbitration eligible a year from now.

Rizzo: Lannan Not Actively Being Shopped

By Mike Axisa | March 14, 2012 at 2:14pm CDT

The Nationals have an excess of starting pitching and other teams are calling about left-hander John Lannan, but GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post that he is not actively shopping the club's two-time Opening Day starter…

"I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of interest," said the GM. "I haven’t made any calls. I’ve fielded several calls. … But, again, this is way too early to say we have too much starting pitching."

"I am not actively shopping him," Rizzo added. "I haven’t actively shopped him all year, all winter."

Kilgore says the team is adamant about not trading Lannan for anything less than what they consider fair value, and they're fully prepared to option him to Triple-A if necessary. The 27-year-old southpaw will earn $5MM in 2012 after losing his arbitration hearing, and a competing GM told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the Nats should expect little in return if a new team absorbs his entire salary (Twitter link). Lannan can remain under team control as a arbitration-eligible player in 2013 before hitting the free agent market.

The Nationals added Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson to holdovers Jordan Zimmermann and Stephen Strasburg this offseason. They also re-signed Chien-Ming Wang and have the out-of-options Ross Detwiler available as well. The Red Sox, Tigers, and Astros are said to be among the clubs with an eye on Lannan, who Tim Dierkes profiled as a trade candidate earlier this month.

Olney On Diamondbacks, Ackley, Cardinals

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 14, 2012 at 10:45am CDT

Some GMs believe the White Sox have set an extraordinarily high asking price for right-hander Gavin Floyd, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported last night. Olney passes on more rumors in today’s Insider-only column; here they are:

Stephen Drew will likely miss Opening Day as he recovers from last summer’s ankle injury, and the Diamondbacks have started evaluating other long-term solutions at short. They’ve scouted Ian Desmond of the Nationals and could have interest in Cliff Pennington of the Athletics. Drew’s contract includes a $10MM mutual option for 2013, so replacing him isn’t a top priority just yet.
Scouts say Mariners second baseman Dustin Ackley looks “exceptional” this spring.
The Cardinals could pursue free agent right-hander Roy Oswalt aggressively if Chris Carpenter isn’t ready for Opening Day.

AL Central Notes: Lannan, Pauley, Dotel, Floyd

By Zachary Links | March 13, 2012 at 9:10pm CDT

Here's a look at some items on the Tigers and White Sox..

The Tigers are keeping an eye on Nats pitcher John Lannan but have yet to have detailed talks involving him, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
In the end, Monday’s release of David Pauley had the feeling of a mercy move, writes Jason Beck of MLB.com. By releasing him now, the Tigers give the 28-year-old a better chance to hook on somewhere before pitching staffs are set.
Octavio Dotel is set to pitch for his 13th club in 13 big league seasons, making him the ultimate nomad, writes Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. Mike Morgan, Ron Villone, and Matt Stairs were all close, having played for a dozen teams.
There has been concern with Jacob Turner's drop in velocity this spring, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) spoke with execs with other clubs who say that scouts spotted this in late 2011 as well. The Tigers have said that they are not looking to trade the right-hander but he can reportedly be had in the right deal.
Rival executives say that the price tag for White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd was huge over the winter, tweets Olney.

Latest On Gerardo Parra

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 13, 2012 at 4:28pm CDT

Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers told reporters, including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, that he's had "no discussions" about trading outfielder Gerardo Parra this spring (Twitter link). The Diamondbacks view Parra "as very much a part of [the] club," Towers said.

The 24-year-old posted a .292/.357/.427 line in 493 plate appearances last year, winning a Gold Glove for his play in left field. This season, he figures to back up Jason Kubel, Chris Young and Justin Upton in the outfield and provide manager Kirk Gibson with a left-handed bat off of the bench. However, Danny Knobler of CBSSports heard that Parra is a possibility for the Nationals (Twitter link), who seek a long-term solution in center field.

John Lannan Drawing Interest

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 13, 2012 at 3:48pm CDT

The Red Sox, Tigers and Astros are watching John Lannan and a deal involving the left-hander is "likely" Danny Knobler of CBS Sports tweets. The Mets and Padres had interest, but balked at his $5MM salary.

Lannan doesn't have a guaranteed rotation spot in Washington after posting a 3.70 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 184 2/3 innings last year, so he's a potential trade candidate this spring. The Blue Jays, Royals and Tigers are among the teams monitoring the market for starting pitching, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported today.

Rosenthal On Braves, Blue Jays, Nationals, Gonzalez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 13, 2012 at 9:49am CDT

Rival executives believe Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez may already be on ‘probation,’ Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Last year’s team lost its grip on a playoff spot down the stretch under Gonzalez, who’s now entering his second season as Atlanta’s manager. Here are the rest of Rosenthal’s notes from around the Major Leagues…

Special assistant Jim Fregosi may be the Braves’ leading candidate to manage should they replace Gonzalez internally.
The Diamondbacks would have interest in catcher J.P. Arencibia if the Blue Jays made him available. Arencibia isn’t going anywhere just yet, but top catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud could force the Blue Jays to make some difficult decisions within the year.
The Blue Jays, Royals, Tigers and others are in the market for starting pitching and many options are available, Rosenthal writes. Joe Blanton, Gavin Floyd and John Lannan are among the potential trade targets for teams seeking starters.
The Tigers, who are currently leaning toward left-hander Andy Oliver for their final rotation spot, could be a fit for Lannan. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes examined possible fits for Lannan last week, including the Tigers.
The Padres’ financial outlook is improving, so owner John Moores may be less eager to sell the team to CEO Jeff Moorad. Moorad has two years to complete his purchase of the club, but the deal won’t be finalized in the near future.
The A’s are no longer interested in free agent reliever Mike Gonzalez and the White Sox aren’t currently pursuing him, Rosenthal reports. The lefty is “about ready to go” following arthroscopic knee surgery.
Some in the industry question shortstop Ian Desmond, but the Nationals like him.

Red Sox Notes: John Lannan, Jorge Soler

By Mike Axisa | March 12, 2012 at 11:46am CDT

Here's the latest on the Red Sox, who are trying to get back to the playoffs after two straight years on the outside looking in…

The Red Sox did not make an offer for Nationals starter John Lannan, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier. Yesterday we heard that they had made an offer for the southpaw, but weren't close. Speier says the Sox intend to monitor Lannan's situation this spring, but there is no indication they will seriously pursue him.
Boston will pursue 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, reports Speier. Soler is still waiting to be declared a free agent by MLB, but Speier says most in the industry (including the Red Sox) expect him to sign with the Cubs.
Check out our Transaction Tracker for a recap of all the Red Sox's moves this offseason.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Rangers, Nats, Gregg, Ordonez

By Dan Mennella | March 11, 2012 at 10:15pm CDT

On this day in 2002, the Yankees released outfielder Ruben Rivera, who allegedly stole teammate Derek Jeter’s glove from his locker at the club’s Spring Training complex and proceeded to sell it. On with some links …

Veteran Mark Ellis is excited to be with a big market club such as the Dodgers and sounds excited about the team spending competitively in the future, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Ellis also wants to see his former club, the A’s, get the new stadium that they’re pushing for.
Mike Bauman of MLB.com believes that the Rangers’ rotation will be just as solid as it was last year even following the departure of C.J. Wilson.
It wouldn’t surprise MLB.com’s Bill Ladson if Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo traded for a center fielder for the long term before the season started. Ladson also sees John Lannan being dealt before Opening Day.
Orioles reliever Kevin Gregg would like to remain with Baltimore despite rumors of a possible trade, writes Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com: “I wasn’t blind to the fact that this team was a work in progress, and that’s part of what drew me here. [I wanted] to be a part of it,” Gregg said. Gregg signed a two-year deal with the O’s prior to 2011 that includes a $6MM vesting option for 2013 based on appearances.
Free agent outfielder/DH Magglio Ordonez would like to play in 2012 but isn’t close to signing and is currently in his native Venezuela, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. Maggs, 38, batted just .255/.303/.331 in 357 plate appearances last season, though he posted respectable offensive numbers as recently as 2010.
The Mariners could boast a terrific rotation right now had they retained the likes of Cliff Lee, Brandon Morrow, Doug Fister and Michael Pineda, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, but GM Jack Zduriencik instead opted to trade off those arms in an attempt to replenish a thin farm system. Now, the M’s are pinning their hopes on young, cost-controlled hurlers Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen and James Paxton, as well as a few other prospects.

NL East Notes: Nitkowski, Lannan, Nickeas, Harper

By Dan Mennella | March 11, 2012 at 7:42pm CDT

Earlier today, we learned that the Mets may look into dealing righty reliever D.J. Carrasco. Here are a couple more notes on the Amazin's within this batch of NL East links …

The Mets like what they saw out of C.J. Nitkowski's audition on Thursday and are working to sign him to a minor league deal, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday. An agreement seems likely between the club and the 39-year-old.
The Nationals are taking offers on lefty John Lannan, but they're not desperate to trade him, as his $5MM salary for this season is manageable, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN.com. The Red Sox have made an offer for Lannan, but it wasn't close, Bowden adds.
Mets catcher Mike Nickeas may not necessarily be a lock to nab the team's backup catcher role despite already being on the 40-man roster, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The Mets may instead go with Rob Johnson, in which case Nickeas would be placed on waivers and be expected to clear.
Nats prized prospect Byrce Harper will likely begin the season in the minor leagues despite manager Davey Johnson's desire to have the right fielder break camp with the big club, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. However, a midseason callup is possible for Harper, Heyman adds. Harper turned 19 in October and has a full season of minor league experience under his belt after being the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2010.
Mets skipper Terry Collins acknowledged to Joel Sherman of the New York Post that he may in fact be only a transitional manager for the club, perhaps being replaced when the team is ready to compete again: “I realize the possibilities,” Collins said. The Mets have already exercised Collins' 2013 option, however.

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