Nationals Rumors

Roy Oswalt Among Nationals’ Pitching Targets

By Luke Adams 2 | December 7, 2011 at 6:36pm CDT

6:36pm: Rizzo told reporters, including Zuckerman, that the Nationals' "Plan B" after missing out on Buehrle could involve Oswalt or other free agents and trade candidates. He has talked to the Athletics about Gio Gonzalez.

5:20pm: The Nationals had hoped to sign Mark Buehrle, but their offer to the left-hander fell short in both years and average annual value, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. With Buehrle off the board, the Nats will switch their focus to Roy Oswalt, says Kilgore.

Kilgore reported in November that Oswalt was Washington's "Plan B" if the club couldn't land Buehrle. GM Mike Rizzo told reporters (including Mark Zuckerman) today that the Nationals aren't interested in other free agent pitchers, though Zuckerman clarifies that was before news of Buehrle's agreement broke (Twitter link). Oswalt is said to be seeking a three-year commitment.

Nationals, Marlins Finalists For Buehrle

By Steve Adams | December 7, 2011 at 3:28pm CDT

The latest on free agent southpaw Mark Buehrle…

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo made it pretty clear Buehrle is his only free agent pitching target, reports Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com. The Nationals are waiting for Buehrle to make a decision, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The Nationals offered three years and $42-45MM, tweets Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com.
The Nationals and Marlins are finalists for Buehrle, tweets Ken Rosenthal. Rangers president Nolan Ryan does not expect to land Buehrle, tweets Jon Paul Morosi.
The Nationals are still in play and talks have intensified, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
The Marlins are definitely still in on Buehrle, tweets Danny Knobler.
Buehrle has narrowed the field to three teams and is expected to decide within 24 hours, tweets Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com.
Look for the Marlins to go hard after Buehrle as soon as possible if they don't land Albert Pujols, tweets Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Nats, White, Montero, Cespedes, Mets

By Luke Adams 2 | December 6, 2011 at 7:38pm CDT

Let's catch up on some links that have taken a backseat while we wait with bated breath to find out where Albert Pujols will sign…

The Nationals prefer to trade minor leaguers over big leaguers, as Mark Zuckerman writes at Nats Insider.
Dodgers assistant GM Logan White interviewed today for the Astros' GM opening, as MLB.com Brian McTaggart writes.
The Diamondbacks are at the "very early stages" of negotiations on a Miguel Montero contract extension, said GM Kevin Towers. He doesn't expect anything to be resolved this week, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
Yoenis Cespedes is still awaiting residency in the Dominican Republic, but when he gets it, bidding should be fast and strong, tweets Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.
J.D. Martin has agreed to a minor league contract with the Marlins, tweets ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.
Brandon Warne of Fangraphs breaks down the trade that sent Kevin Slowey to the Rockies.
The Mets will fill their backup catcher opening with an in-house option rather than a free agent, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.

Buehrle Narrows Field To Five Teams

By Steve Adams | December 6, 2011 at 7:10pm CDT

Yesterday we learned that four teams — the Marlins, Nationals, Rangers, and Twins – have made offers to long-time White Sox southpaw Mark Buehrle. We'll run down all of the rumors surrounding the man with 11 straight seasons of 201+ innings here…

Buehrle doesn't seem to be a real option for the Cardinals, tweets B.J. Rains of FOX Sports Midwest.
Buehrle is seeking a four-year deal, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan and Bill Ladson.
The Rangers and Nationals are the most serious and realistic destinations for Buehrle, hears Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN. Nationals GM Mike Rizzo feels there was a connection when he met with Buehrle.
MLB.com's Anthony DiComo suggests the Mets are a surprising finalist for Buehrle, but GM Sandy Alderson seemed to shoot down the notion of spending big bucks on a free agent starter. Alderson flat-out said it's not happening, according to Adam Rubin.
Buehrle has narrowed the field to five teams, tweets MLB Network's Jon Heyman. The Rangers and Marlins are believed among them, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. The Nationals are another, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.

Nationals Center Field Rumors

By Tim Dierkes | December 6, 2011 at 5:42pm CDT

The latest Nationals news…

The Yankees shot down the Nationals' attempts to trade for Brett Gardner, according to Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com.
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told reporters today he doesn't think anything has changed on the Upton front.
The Angels have no interest in trading Peter Bourjos and the Mets plan to keep Angel Pagan, writes Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com.
The Nationals and Rays discussed center fielder B.J. Upton recently, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Yesterday we heard the Rays would have to be overwhelmed to move Upton. The Nationals are "fixated" on leaving the Winter Meetings with a new center fielder, a team source told Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com.
Nationals manager Davey Johnson has talked to free agent Mark DeRosa about joining the team, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The Nats also have interest in bringing Willie Harris back.
The Nationals are letting teams know Roger Bernadina is available in trade, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The 27-year-old posted a .243/.301/.362 line in 337 plate appearances this year.

Overnight Links: O’s, LaRoche, Giants, Quentin

By Steve Adams | December 6, 2011 at 6:59am CDT

I'll be at the wheel until 8am again as part of MLBTR's 24/7 Winter Meetings coverage. Here's tonight's batch of overnight quick hits that will be updated throughout the wee hours of the morning…

After speaking with several Orioles executives yesterday, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun has a gut feeling that an O's trade will take place today. Connolly notes that Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, and Nick Markakis won't be going anywhere, though.
Adam LaRoche says he's 100% and ready for Opening Day, but Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post writes that the Nationals would still like to add a right-handed insurance policy at first base that could also platoon with LaRoche if needed.
The Giants are looking to add offense but aren't comfortable offering three-year deals — at least not yet, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Morosi speculates that Twins free agents Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel seem like three-year types. Personally, I think Cuddyer will have an easier time finding three years than Kubel.
Jon Heyman of the MLB Network tweets that the Giants also met with Tim Lincecum's agent, Rick Thurman of the Beverly Hills Sports Council, on Monday, but talks didn't progress much. Over the weekend, it was reported that the Giants are seeking a four-year deal while Lincecum prefers to either sign for eight years, or stick to a one- or two-year deal.
White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin is aware that he's a trade candidate and is eager to learn his fate, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
George Sherrill is on the Phillies' radar, writes MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Phillies special advisor Pat Gillick told reporters on Monday that it would be nice to add a veteran left-hander to complement Antonio Bastardo.

C.J. Wilson Rumors: Monday

By Tim Dierkes | December 6, 2011 at 2:01am CDT

The latest on free agent lefty C.J. Wilson…

The Angels talked with Wilson's agent late into Monday night, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports. The Angels and Marlins remain in the thick of the Wilson sweepstakes, according to Jon Paul Morosi. Wilson's agent met with the Angels on Monday and will speak with the Marlins on Tuesday. The Marlins "are as aggressive as anyone" (Twitter links here).
The Rangers are set to make their first offer of the offseason to Wilson on Tuesday, writes ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
The Angels are making a "serious push" for Wilson, tweets Morosi.
According to Morosi (via Twitter), the Red Sox are still involved in the Wilson sweepstakes. Morosi's fellow FOX scribe Ken Rosenthal adds in a separate tweet that the Cubs have spoken with Garber in an attempt to gauge the market for the southpaw.
Wilson has a six-year offer in hand from a team other than the Rangers, reports Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Rangers, Angels, Marlins, Nationals, and a mystery team are currently in the mix, and it's known that the Nationals did not offer six years. Wilson hopes to sign this week, but won't sign with a team just because it offered six years. Agent Bob Garber will meet with the Rangers tonight or Tuesday morning. Yesterday, it was reported that Wilson had offers from four teams.
Wilson and Roy Oswalt are represented by Garber, who said, "I have the two best clients out there. C.J. is comfortable with the process and confident with how things have been going. Roy basically said, 'Take care of C.J. I'll wait in the wings. Once C.J. and [Mark] Buehrle have signed, my market will open up."

Quick Hits: Coffey, Nats, Upton, Phillips, Andino

By Luke Adams 2 | December 5, 2011 at 10:04pm CDT

It's been a busy first day of the Winter Meetings at MLBTR, so let's use this opportunity to catch up on a few Monday items that may have slipped through the cracks…

Todd Coffey is drawing interest from the Mets and Brewers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Brew Crew haven't expressed any interest in bringing back another righty, LaTroy Hawkins, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
The Nationals may revisit their search for a center fielder after the non-tender deadline, so they can see if any bargain options hit the market, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
B.J. Upton is one center fielder who may be on the trade market, but Morosi hears interest in the Rays' speedster has been "mild" so far (Twitter link).
GM Walt Jocketty suggested to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that extension talks between the Reds and Brandon Phillips may hinge on the number of years the club feels comfortable offering.
Orioles infielder Robert Andino is drawing trade interest from teams who could use him as a starting shortstop, tweets MASN's Roch Kubatko.
GM Dan Duquette said the Orioles have several "irons in the fire" and is optimistic about making at least one move during the Winter Meetings, says Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com.
There are indications that the Mariners have talked to the Rockies about Seth Smith's availability, says MLB.com's Greg Johns.

Mark Buehrle Rumors: Monday

By Tim Dierkes | December 5, 2011 at 6:38pm CDT

The latest on free agent left-hander Mark Buehrle…

An NL executive speculated to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link) that the first team to offer Buehrle four years might get him. Meanwhile, Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio tweets that another one of the 14 teams interested in the lefty just extended a first offer.
The Twins, Nationals, Marlins, and Rangers are in on Buehrle, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but the Twins' offer is not as strong as the others. The other teams are believed to be in the three-year, $36-39MM range. Yesterday, we learned that Buehrle is the Nationals' top target and the Marlins have made him a strong offer. The inclusion of a no-trade clause will be a factor.

Nationals Rumors: Zimmerman, Coffey, Flores

By Tim Dierkes | December 5, 2011 at 3:22pm CDT

The latest on the Nationals…

The Nationals prefer not to give players no-trade clauses, but GM Mike Rizzo admitted today that after giving one to Jayson Werth last year he'd do it again for the right player. Rizzo also said he met with two teams and two agents today and he's not close on anything.
Ryan Zimmerman's camp at CAA says their attempts at securing an extension with the Nationals have been rebuffed, reports ESPN's Jim Bowden. The Nationals, however, maintain that taking care of Zimmerman is an offseason priority. For more on Zimmerman, check out this November post.
Mark Buehrle is the Nationals' primary starting pitching target, confirms Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com. Roy Oswalt is probably their second choice, and C.J. Wilson is a distant third.
Free agent reliever Todd Coffey told MLB.com's Bill Ladson, "In my heart of hearts, if it's the right contract, I would look to definitely come back to the Nationals." Ladson hears at least five teams have expressed interest in Coffey so far.
Nationals catcher Jesus Flores is now represented by Barry Praver, Scott Shapiro, and Bart Hernandez, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. You can track representation for most MLB players in MLBTR's agency database.

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