Nationals Rumors

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.

Nats Notes: Guzman, Desmond, Carroll, Dunn

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 15, 2009 at 6:23pm CDT

The Nationals are considering a number of options up the middle. Here's the latest:

MLB.com's Bill Ladson expects the Nationals to try trading Cristian Guzman this offseason. It won't be easy, given his $8MM salary.
Manager Jim Riggleman likes Ian Desmond, but others within the organization believe the infielder needs more minor league seasoning.
Could Ronnie Belliard return to play second base? Ladson doubts it.
Jamey Carroll doesn't seem likely to return to Washington, either. At least nine teams have interest in the 35-year-old.
The Nats are considering a couple defensive shortstops, too.
Since 2007, no fielder has cost his team more runs than Adam Dunn, according to Matthew Carruth of FanGraphs. Dunn will make $12MM in 2010 before becoming a free agent. It's hard to imagine him signing with an NL club again after next season.

Nationals Drawing Interest In Willingham

By Zachary Links | November 14, 2009 at 4:20pm CDT

Washington is drawing strong trade interest in left fielder Josh Willingham, but may not be willing to part with him, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Willingham turned in a slash line of .260/.367/.496 with 24 HRs in 502 plate appearances in 2009.

The post identifies the Braves as a team that likes the 30-year-old, but says that they have concerns about his back and are less than enamored with his defensive play. Willingham, they suggest, might be a better fit in the American League where he can be a DH. Earlier this month, Tim took a look at Willingham and other left fielders that could be dealt.

Nationals Interested In DeRosa, Gonzalez

By Mike Axisa | November 13, 2009 at 6:02pm CDT

The Nationals have expressed interest in free agents Mark DeRosa and Mike Gonzalez, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.

Washington had the worst bullpen in baseball last year, posting a league worst 5.09 ERA in well over 500 IP. Gonzalez and his 2.42 ERA and 10.9 K/9 would be a welcome addition to the Nats' end-game picture. DeRosa, meanwhile, could be a fit for all 30 clubs given his versatility, though Ladson says the team most likely sees him as a second baseman or leftfielder.

Nationals Looking At Defensive Shortstops

By Luke Adams 2 | November 12, 2009 at 9:22pm CDT

The Washington Nationals are interested in shortstops Alex Gonzalez and Adam Everett, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

With the Nationals tentatively planning to move Cristian Guzman from short to second base, a major league source tells Rosenthal and Morosi that the team is looking to add a strong defensive shortstop. Gonzalez posted a +10.5 UZR/150 in 2009, while Everett's UZR/150 was +13.6.

Gonzalez and Everett could each still re-sign with their respective teams, the Red Sox and Tigers, in which case the Nationals might look elsewhere for middle infield help. In a separate article by MLB.com's Bill Ladson, new manager Jim Riggleman suggests that he wouldn't mind starting 2010 with prospect Ian Desmond at shortstop.

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