Rumors for December, 2009
Philadelphia Phillies Rumors: Going after Danys Baez
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to MLB.com and confirmed by SI’s Jon Heyman’s Tweet, the Philadelphia Phillies will sign right-hander Danys Baez. Last week, it was rumored that the Phillies were going to sign an unnamed pitcher for their bullpen. Speculation was that the team was going after pitchers such as Baez, Mike MacDougal and Chad Cordero.
Baez, 32, was 4-6 with 4.02 ERA over 59 games while making $7.166 million with the Baltimore Orioles in 2009. You can see Baez’s statistics here.
Los Angeles Dodgers Rumors: What are the Dodgers going to do next?
Posted by: | CommentsKen Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports on the state of the Los Angeles Dodgers in a recent article. Here are few highlights:
- The Dodgers probably will not trade any of their arbitration-eligible players: Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, James Loney, Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton and Russell Martin.
- The team does not want to move their best youngsters as they ascend to the majors.
- They are limited to cash-neutral transactions due to the McCourt divorce, despite team president Dennis Mannion saying that he has not been asked to limit long-term liabilities. If this limitation is true then adding a free agent such as Joel Pineiro, who they are rumored to be chasing, would require the Dodgers to subtract a player from their roster with a comparable salary. Rosenthal indicates that this would be an odd situation for a team that led the majors in attendance last season and is coming off back-to-back National League Championship Series.
- The team expects to pay Ethier an arbitration salary in the $6 million range. Rosenthal says that moving Ethier may be counter-productive to the team.
- The Dodger’s rotation will be headed by Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw and Hiroki Kuroda with youngsters competing for the fourth and fifth spots.
- Reliever George Sherrill and his project $4 million salary from arbitration may be a candidate to be traded. It was rumored last week that the Cincinnati Reds were interested in Sherrill in exchange for Aaron Harang. Losing Sherrill would weaken the bullpen of the Dodgers, which led the NL in ERA last season.
- The biggest off season moves by the Dodgers are the Juan Pierre trade and the signing of Jamey Carroll.
- Given these limitations, Rosenthal believes the Dodgers can do very little. Any attempt to move forward may move the entire team backwards.
Matt Holliday Rumors: Cardinals and Orioles offers?
Posted by: | CommentsUpdate 17:29 PST: Jon Heyman of SI Tweets: #cards offered holliday at least 6 years and $100-million-plus at some point. but he didnt accept and is still talking to multiple teams
12/30 15:39pm PST: According to Tracy Ringolsby of Fox Sports, Matt Holliday is intent on signing a contract that exceeds the $18 million four-year contract that he rejected from the Colorado Rockies last season. It is believed that the Cardinals have made a proposal that could reach $140 million over eight years, an average of $17.5 million. Buster Olney of ESPN confirm via Twitter: Sources: The Cardinals’ offer to Holliday is believed to be over $100 million.
It is believed that the Orioles made an eight-year, $130 million offer to Holliday, but Olney indicated that this offer is not accurate.
Orlando Hudson Rumors: Mariners interested?
Posted by: | CommentsBuster Olney of ESPN, mentioned that the Seattle Mariners may be a potential landing spot for second baseman Orlando Hudson. On the Mike and Mike in the Morning show on ESPN Radio, Olney says, “it wouldn’t surprise me if at some point the Seattle Mariners jump in there. He’d be a perfect fit in what they’re doing.”
Hudson, 32, hit .283 and had a .357 on-base percentage over 149 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2009. Hudson made $3.38 million last year in his only season with the Dodgers.
You can see Orlando Hudson’s contract history and statistics here. You can find rumors about Hudson here.
Boston Red Sox Rumors: Corner infield help
Posted by: | CommentsPeter Abraham of The Boston Globe writes about the next steps for the Boston Red Sox. The team is setup well in the outfield, second base and shortstop positions. He isolates the Red Sox need for corner infield help. Abraham writes that Kevin Youkalis will take either first or third base, and the other position will be up for grabs. He suggests the position can be filled internally or via trade/free agent acquisition with the following: Adrian Gonzalez, Mike Lowell, Casey Kotchman Adrian Beltre or Miguel Tejada. Other free agents that the Red Sox can target include Hank Blalock, Russell Branyan, Joe Crede, Carlos Delgado, Adam LaRoche and Melvin Mora.
Los Angeles Dodgers Rumors: Chasing Joel Pineiro
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to Buster Olney of ESPN The Magazine, the Los Angeles Dodgers who are desperately in need of some help for their starting rotation, are in the chase for free agent right-hander Joel Pineiro.
Pineiro, 31, went 15-12 with a 3.49 ERA over 214 innings with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009 while making $7.5 million. Others teams that are going after Pineiro include the Mets, Angels, Rays and Mariners.
Minnesota Twins Rumors: What to do about third base?
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to the Pioneer Press, the Minnesota Twins will have scouts in Arizona next month to watch free-agent third baseman Joe Crede. Crede, 31, had season-ending back surgery in 2009 while with the Twins. He played in 90 games and hit 15 home runs, drove in 48 RBI’s and hit .225. Crede made $2.5 million in his shortened 2009 season.
The Twins were expected to wait until January to sign a third baseman, so everything is going to plan until the supply of available infielders runs dry. The Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners (if they decide to use Chone Figgins elsewhere) are in need of a third baseman. Tradable or free agent infielders include Juan Uribe (may sign with the Giants), Dan Uggla, Adrian Beltre, Orlando Hudson, Felipe Lopez, Miguel Tejada and Melvin Mora.
The Twins are also rumored to be interested in San Diego Padres’ third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff. It was speculated during the Winter Meetings that the Padres may trade Kouzmanoff to the Giants, but that won’t happen anymore given the recent signing of Mark DeRosa and the pending signing of Uribe.
You can see Joe Crede’s contract history and statistics here.
You can see Kevin Kouzmanoff’s contract history and statistics here.
New York Met's Rumors: Moving Luis Castillo & starting pitching
Posted by: | CommentsNow that the New York Met’s have signed Jason Bay, GM Omar Minaya’s next task may be trading second baseman Luis Castillo. The Mets have long wanted to dump Castillo’s salary. He’s scheduled to make $6 million each season for 2010 and 2011. The club unsuccessfully tried to move Castillo during the Winter Meetings. According to ESPN, the Mets may be interested in free agent Orlando Hudson. Earlier in December, the Mets showed interest in free agent Adam Kennedy. If the Mets can trade Castillo and his $12 million left on his contract, they can pursue Hudson and Kennedy and get the same or better output for far less money.
Minaya also is in need of starting pitching. Current free agents that the Mets can target include Joel Pineiro, Ben Sheets, Aaron Harang (via trade with the Reds) and Jarrod Washburn. Since Cincinnati is willing to include cash with Harang, it makes a trade with the Reds more appealing to Minaya.
You can see Luis Castillo’s contract history and statistics here.
You can see Orlando Hudson’s contract history and statistics here.
You can see Adam Kennedy’s contract history and statistics here.
