Nationals Rumors

Nationals Interested In John Smoltz

By Tim Dierkes | December 4, 2009 at 8:35am CDT

The Nationals and John Smoltz have "sincere mutual interest," according to a source of Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Current Nats and former Braves president Stan Kasten is said to be a longtime fan. However, Rosenthal says the Cardinals remain Smoltz's top choice.

Previously, Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi linked the Cardinals, Dodgers, Mets, Mariners, Astros, Rangers, and Orioles to Smoltz, while ESPN's Jayson Stark named the Phillies.

Smoltz had his ups and downs this season, but his offseason popularity makes sense. He's not coming off surgery this time, but his base salary will almost certainly be south of last year's $5.5MM.

Braves Expect Soriano & Gonzalez To Leave

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 3, 2009 at 9:40am CDT

David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the Braves fully expect relievers Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez to turn down the team's arbitration offers and explore the market. The Braves, who surrendered a top pick when they signed Billy Wagner, stand to gain four picks if Soriano and Gonzalez sign elsewhere.

That seems likely, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. One GM told Heyman that the former Braves are "the two most sought-after relievers on the market," so their Type A status doesn't seem to be scaring teams away.

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Orioles and Nationals are believed to have interest in the pair.

However, one high-ranking executive tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney that Soriano would be "insane" to turn down arbitration, which could net him a deal worth about $8MM.

Odds & Ends: Crawford, Hernandez, Tigers

By Mark Polishuk | December 1, 2009 at 9:55pm CDT

Some news tidbits that aren't arbitration-related on this busy day in the majors…

Rays general manager and executive VP Andrew Friedman told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that the team has no plans to deal Carl Crawford, and said that the "mutual goal" of both Crawford and the Rays was to work out a long-term contract.
From Topkin's same post, he notes that Tampa Bay won't go after an established free agent closer this winter but relief pitching is still the club's top need.
Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi use the Marlins' negotiations with Josh Johnson as a springboard to speculate about how much it would cost Seattle to sign Felix Hernandez to an extension.
CBS Sports' Danny Knobler discusses how the Tigers aren't acting very desperate for a team that's allegedly having a fire sale.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson says that Ron Villone might be the only Nationals free agent who the team would want back in 2010.
Marc Carig of the New Jersey Star-Ledger reports that if any free agents are curious about playing for the Yankees, Derek Jeter says they're welcome to call and ask him any questions they might have. Jeter could save himself some time by simply mailing every prospective free agent a picture of his hand wearing five World Series rings.

Odds & Ends: Indians, Takahashi, Hernandez

By Zachary Links | November 22, 2009 at 8:48pm CDT

Some Sunday night links:

In his latest mailbag, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that the Indians are in the hunt for a first baseman that hits right-handed, in the event that Matt LaPorta isn't healthy by Opening Day.
Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along the news that the San Francisco Giants are "showing mild interest" in Hisanori Takahashi, via Twitter. Earlier this week, the 34-year-old reliever made it known that he wants to make the jump to MLB.
Padres closer Heath Bell says that former GM Kevin Towers was never able to spend the way he wanted to and was "kind of a puppet", according to Kevin Tomase of the Boston Herald. Bell also said that he hopes new GM Jed Hoyer has full rein over the club's baseball decisions.
According to a report from MLB.com's Bill Ladson, the odds of Livan Hernandez returning to the club are "less than 50-50." Over the last three years, the 34-year-old pitcher has recorded an ERA of 5.45 whilst eating 568 innings for five different clubs.

Odds & Ends: Yankees, Tigers, Mariners

By Luke Adams 2 | November 22, 2009 at 12:55pm CDT

A few Sunday links to peruse….

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports ranks his top 20 free agent starting pitchers not named John Lackey.
Jonah Keri of The New York Times warns the Yankees against getting complacent, outlining why the team needs to get younger.
Within a piece focusing on Clay Buchholz, John Tomase of the Boston Herald writes that Jason Bay's defense shouldn't concern the Red Sox much, given Fenway Park's "cozy left field."
In another article, Tomase examines the big free agent signings of the last few years and notices a "disturbing trend of underperformance."
MASN's Phil Wood questions Phil Rogers' prediction that the Washington Nationals will be interested in signing Vladimir Guerrero.
Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Tigers are currently paying the price for their failed win-now approach in 2006.
Even though Adrian Beltre struggled in 2009, it won't be easy for the Mariners to replace his production at third, according to Larry LaRue of The News Tribune.

Odds & Ends: Atkins, Twins, Carlyle

By Tim Dierkes | November 20, 2009 at 1:20pm CDT

Links for Friday, as the free agent market officially opens…

As Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports points out, the Angels' lack of interest in Matt Holliday bodes well for the Cardinals, but not for Scott Boras.
Scott Boras tells FOX Sports that interest in Adrian Beltre and Mike Gonzalez is strong so far. The agent says he's fielded offers for eight players already.
The Nippon Ham Fighters signed minor league free agent pitcher Buddy Carlyle, says NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman. Newman also says the Yokohama BayStars are working to sign Chris Bootcheck, Jose Castillo, and Terrmel Sledge.
The Nats hired former Mariners manager John McLaren as a bench coach, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse.
Yahoo's Jeff Passan ranks 131 free agents and provides capsules. We've also got SI's Jon Heyman and AOL FanHouse's Frankie Piliere with Top 50 lists.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch breaks down the market for Mark DeRosa.
ESPN's Buster Olney notes five arbitration-eligible players who could be traded, including Russell Martin and Kevin Correia.
SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Mariners and Tigers continue to discuss Edwin Jackson.
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets a comment from Brewers GM Doug Melvin: the team will fill current needs before discussing a Prince Fielder extension.
Garrett Atkins to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post: "I know that I will be on another team next year."
Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune feels that free agents Carl Pavano, Jarrod Washburn, and Rich Harden are potential fits for the Twins.
Christensen's colleague Sid Hartman wonders if catcher Mike Redmond "could wind up with a job in the [Twins] organization." However, Redmond told MLB.com's Kelly Thesier a month ago that he plans on playing in 2010.
Paul Hagen's Phillies source shot down a story that Pat Gillick could be heading back to the Blue Jays.
Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball has a Winter Meetings primer.
Chico Harlan is moving on from the Washington Post's Nationals beat, once a replacement is found.

Odds & Ends: Bay, Orioles, Padres, Lo Duca

By Luke Adams 2 | November 19, 2009 at 9:52pm CDT

Let's round up some leftover Thursday links….

The Boston Globe's Amalie Benjamin spoke to Joe Urbon, Jason Bay's agent. Urbon suggested that discussion would continue with the Red Sox, but that interest in his client so far has been "extraordinary."
Larry Stone of the Seattle Times warns Mariners fans not to get too excited about rumors of a three-way deal involving Brandon Morrow and the Tigers' Edwin Jackson. He thinks Morrow could be a valuable trade chip for Seattle though.
In a Baltimore Sun column, Jeff Zrebiec and Dan Connolly point out that the Baltimore Orioles' lack of big contract commitments puts them in a great spot if they want to pursue free agents this winter. The article also examines what players the Orioles might go after.
MLB.com's Corey Brock writes that the San Diego Padres could have a little bit of "wiggle room" to sign players this winter, though their payroll will once again be minuscule.
The Mets need to take the same approach this offseason that the Yankees did last year, according to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post.
Marty Noble shares his own thoughts about the Mets' offseason strategy in his latest MLB.com mailbag.
Paul Lo Duca wants to make a comeback after spending last year out of the league. Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News passes on the comments Lo Duca made on Sirius XM about returning.
The Chicago Cubs might not be done moving arbitration-eligible players to save money, according to the Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson recaps some of the big names that the Washington Nationals have already been linked to this month.
Speaking of Ladson, be sure to follow him on Twitter for the latest Nats updates.

Odds & Ends: Mulder, Matsui, Smoltz, Rangers

By Mike Axisa | November 18, 2009 at 4:25pm CDT

Some afternoon linkage…

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Haudricourt tweets that "it would be a huge upset if Mark Mulder doesn't try his comeback attempt in the Brewers' spring camp."
Meanwhile, Brewers' GM Doug Melvin said the George Kottaras pickup was all about depth, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
NPB Tracker passes along a report that says the Yankees stand to lose at least $15MM in revenue if Hideki Matsui leaves as a free agent.
The Tigers aren't one of the teams that have expressed interest in John Smoltz, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck. Yesterday we learned that at least seven teams are interested in the righthander.
Tom Hicks is trying to put together a group of local businessmen that would allow him to maintain major ownership of the team, says ESPNDallas.com's Richard Durrett. The deadline to submit a bid for the team is Friday, so if you have a couple hundred million bucks burning a hole in your pocket…
Maury Brown at The Biz of Baseball reports that the Nationals have named Davey Johnson Senior Advisor to GM Mike Rizzo.
ESPN's Howard Bryant writes about a salary cap, and how baseball doesn't need one.
Last, but certainly not least, everyone welcome FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal to Twitter!

Nationals Targeting Lackey, Not Everett

By Mark Polishuk | November 17, 2009 at 9:39pm CDT

Add Washington to the list of clubs vying for the services of free-agent starter John Lackey. Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports that the Nats are interested in Lackey for the obvious boost he would provide to their National League-worst 5.00 team ERA, but also to serve as a mentor for their young starting corps of Stephen Strasburg, Ross Detwiler and John Lannan.

If nothing else, Washington's pursuit of Lackey is another sign to the rest of baseball (and to other prospective free agents) that the Nats aren't willing to stand pat after posting the worst record in the majors in each of the last two seasons. The Nationals made a strong push for Mark Teixeira last winter before signing Adam Dunn to a two-year/$20MM deal in February. Bringing Lackey into the fold might also help sell some tickets in Washington, as attendance at Nationals Park dropped by over 500K from 2008 to 2009.

Ladson also said that, contrary to a previous report, Washington isn't interested in signing Adam Everett. The defensive specialist's .648 career OPS is apparently the big turn-off for the club, who would prefer to sign someone with more pop if they decide to sign a shortstop at all.

Eight Teams Express Interest In Billy Wagner

By Tim Dierkes | November 16, 2009 at 4:21pm CDT

Eight clubs have expressed interest in free agent closer Billy Wagner, according to his agent Bean Stringfellow (Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reporting). Stringfellow generously named five of the suitors: the Red Sox, Braves, Nationals, Astros, and Orioles. The agent says Wagner's Type A status hasn't scared teams off, and that of these five only the Red Sox spoke about a non-closing role. Stringfellow expects multiyear offers, though Wagner turns 39 in July.

The FOX authors speculate on possibilities for the remaining three teams by mentioning the Tigers, Cubs, Mariners, Rangers, White Sox, Rays and Marlins.

Washington's interest in Wagner and Mike Gonzalez makes you wonder if they'll tender a contract to their current closer, Mike MacDougal. MacDougal is due a raise on this year's $2.65MM salary. Perhaps they just like him more for a setup role.

Certainly nothing will happen with Wagner until after December 1st, when we learn definitively whether the Red Sox will offer arbitration.

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