Rumors for December, 2009
Winter Baseball Meetings 2009 Team by Team Review
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s a quick review of what tangible accomplishments each team made during the Winter Baseball Meetings 2009. We can spend all day and re-hash all the rumors, but in the big picture rumors don’t win World Series Titles. I’ll focus on the more important transactions. I’ll stay away from the minor players and smaller transactions. I’ve also added a grade in parenthesis as to how MLBSecrets.com believes each team did. I gave a team more favor if they attempted to do something and executed such as signing a player, trading a player, etc., and gave less to those teams that fed the rumor mill with fodder. I graded on a curve for no other reason than it getting me through college.
Arizona Diamondback: (Grade: A) The story of the Winter Meetings! Completed the 3 team trade with the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers. They acquired 2 starting pitchers in RHP Edwin Jackson (from DET) and RHP Ian Kennedy (from NYY).
Atlanta Braves: (Grade: B+) Designated Ryan Church for assignment because Rafael Soriano accepted arbitration. They then shipped Soriano to the Rays for RHP Jesse Chavez. I believe it is a good sign of team management and ownership that you can make a trade within a relatively short period of time.
Baltimore Orioles: (Grade B) Acquired starting pitcher Kevin Millwood from the Rangers for RHP Chris Ray and cash. Ditto above.
Boston Red Sox: (Grade B) Traded 3B Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers for C Max Ramirez.
Chicago Cubs: (Grade D) Spent most of the time trying to deal Milton Bradley. It should happen soon.
Chicago White Sox: (Grade B) Signed third baseman Mark Teahan to a 3 year $14 million contract.
Cincinnati Reds: (Grade F) Didn’t do much other than show up. Should have spent time trying to raise money from venture capitalists or hire a PR firm to spread rumors on MLBSecrets.com
Cleveland Indians: (Grade F) They should have just stayed home.
Colorado Rockies: (Grade B+) Signed Chris Iannetta to a 3 year deal. They made an offer to catcher Yorvit Torrealba believed to be 2 years, $5 million.
Detroit Tigers: (Grade A) In my opinion any teams that can complete a 3-team trade deserve a lot of credit. It one thing to complete a 1-on-1 trade, but to get another party involved is amazing. The Tigers got 4 players in the deal: RHP Max Scherzer (from ARI), OF Austin Jackson (from NYY), LHP Phil Coke (from NYY), LHP Daniel Schlereth (from ARI).
Florida Marlins: (Grade B+) The Fish left Indianapolis with RHP Robert Bono and INF Luis Bryan from the Astros in exchange for RHP Matt Lindstrom and players to be named later.
Houston Astros: (Grade A) The Astros were pretty busy. The Astros signed Pedro Feliz to a 1 year contract. The team also brought in relief pitching with Brandon Lyon who signed a 3 year, $15 million deal. Acquired RHP Matt Lindstrom and players to be named later from the Marlins.
Kansas City Royals: (Grade B-) The Royals offered veteran catcher Jason Kendall a 2 year contract. I give a few bonus points to teams that were trying to get a catcher given the steep competition and tough terms that they were all competing for.
Los Angeles Angels: (Grade C+) The Angels made an official attempt at Roy Halladay with the 3 for 1 trade offer.
Los Angeles Dodgers: (Grade F) The pending McCourt divorce is hurting the team. It seems like they are feeding the rumor to keep their fans artificially excited.
Milwaukee Brewers: (Grade A) Signed Randy Wolf to a 3 year $29.75 million contract. Signed relief pitcher LaTroy Hawkins to a 2 year deal pending a physical. They also had competition in signing both players, so I give the Brewers a lot of credit for pulling this one out.
Minnesota Twins: (Grade B) Managed to sign Carl Pavano and traded Boof Bonser to the Red Sox before he turned into a pumpkin in 10 days.
New York Mets: (Grade B) I’m giving the Mets a temporary B, but I may increase it if they can sign Jason Bay. I might drop the grade to a C if they don’t sign him.
New York Yankees: (Grade A) Could we have expected any thing less from the Yankees annual “Look At Me Winter Convention”. After re-signing Andy Pettitte for 1 year $11.75 million deal and finalizing a 3 way trade they just need to figure out what they want to buy next.
Oakland Athletics (Grade F) ESPN.com put it best by saying, “when the A’s, Pirates or their ilk call your agent, don’t go buy a small island on credit”. Luckily for the available free agents, the A’s didn’t do much calling this week.
Philadelphia Phillies (Grade B-) Signed pinch hitter Ross Gload to a 2 year deal. I think the Phillies will do a lot before Spring Training.
Pittsburgh Pirates (Grade B) It says something when the Pirates can make a move by signing Bobby Crosby, and big market teams like the Dodgers and Cubs don’tdo anything.
San Diego Padres Rumors (Grade D) There were a lot of trade rumors, a negotiation with Kevin Correia and the release of Eulogio De La Cruz. Not much here.
San Francisco Giants Rumors (Grade C) I’ll upgrade my grade if the Giants can get a veteran catcher for 1 year and can sign a bat such as Nick Johnson or Mark DeRosa.
Seattle Mariners (Grade B+) They got Chone Figgins for 4 years and got him to agree to a position switch in the event they sign Adrian Beltre. If there’s no smoke without a fire, then I’ll give them credit for almost getting Rich Harden.
St. Louis Cardinals: (Grade B-) They are too wrapped up in the Matt Holliday talks that they almost forgot to do anything else. They did sign Brad Penny.
Tampa Bay Rays: (Grade B) Like the Cardinals, the Rays were too involved with the big names of Roy Halliday and Milton Bradley. They Rays did find time to acquire and sign an extension with Rafael Soriano.
Texas Rangers: (Grade A) Traded Kevin Millwood to the Orioles for Chris Ray and cash. Acquired Mike Lowell from the Red Sox. Signed Rich Harden to a 1 year deal. That’s a pretty busy week.
Toronto Blue Jays: (Grade F) Trade HIM already!
Washington Nationals: (Grade B) Started the game of catcher’s musical chairs by signing Pudge Rodriguez to a 2 year contract. In doing so, they set the catcher’s market and allowed all subsequent catchers to ask for 2 year contracts.
That’s it! Winter Baseball Meetings 2009 in the books.
Many teams interested in J.J. Putz for a 1 year incentive based contract
Posted by: | CommentsJ.J. Putz has generated a lot of buzz lately due to his willingness to sign a 1 year incentive based contract. In addition to the Chicago White Sox who have been actively pursuing the reliever ESPN Insider indicates that Pittsburgh, Houston, Detroit, Tampa Bay and Arizona have all inquired about Putz. ESPN continues (in an exaggerated tone) that Boston, New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels may be interested in the late inning relief pitcher.
Putz went 1-4 with a 5.22 ERA in 29 1/3 inning over 29 games last season with the Mets before he suffered season-ending elbow surgery in July. He had a $9.1 million team option for 2010 but it was not exercised by the New York Mets. He was bought out for $1 million.
Mets have offered Jason Bay 4 years at $65 million
Posted by: | CommentsUpdate 2:06pm PST: ESPN Insider reports, the Mets are said to be considering Matt Holliday,, too, as well as trade targets such as Josh Willingham and Juan Rivera.
The club has also been connected to right-handers John Lackey and Roy Halladay.
1:45pm PST: Jon Heyman of SI.com Tweets that the Mets have offered outfielder Jason Bay 4 years for about $65 million. He believes it will take a 5 year contract to get him. He also Tweets that Bay, as a pull hitter with loft, will fit New York’s City Field well.
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have shown interest in Bay this off season, but have been waiting out. Hopefully the Red Sox won’t wait too long to make a move.
Several teams chasing Ben Sheets
Posted by: | CommentsSeveral sources have indicated that the Rangers, Mets, Yankees and Cubs are interested in pitcher Ben Sheets.
Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com says that Texas GM Jon Daniels is trying to setup a meeting with Sheet’s agent Casey Close to get an update on how Sheets is progressing after elbow surgery.
ESPNChicago.com’s Bruce Levine reports that the Chicago Cubs are interested in Ben Sheets.
Joel Sherman Tweets that the Mets and Yankees are to meet with Sheet’s agent.
Sheets, 31, did not pitch in 2009. He was 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA in 198 1/3 innings for the Brewers in 2008. According to Durrett, he could be looking for a similar deal to the one he had in place last season, which was some guaranteed money and some incentives for innings pitched and other benchmarks to prove he’s healthy
Twins are holding off on acquiring third baseman until January
Posted by: | CommentsKen Rosenthal of FoxSports Tweets that the Minnesota Twins are holding off on acquiring a third baseman until January when the prices are expected to go down.
We’ve already seen third basemen Pedro Feliz (Astros), Mark Teahan (White Sox), Chone Figgins (Mariners), Mike Lowell (expected trade from Red Sox to Rangers) move this off season.
The available third baseman on the market that are free agents or have been mentioned in trade talks include Adrian Beltre, Juan Uribe, Kevin Kouzmanoff (possible trade between Padres and Giants), Miguel Tejada (may move from shortstop to third base) and Dan Uggla (may move from second base to third base). I don’t see Beltre going to the Twins. The Padres may be asking too much for Kouzmanoff right now, so that leaves Uribe and untested third basemen in Tejada and Uggla. There are always pros and cons to waiting it out, just ask Manny Ramirez and Bobby Abreu about their experiences last off season. In one hand you can get a deal, but you can always be left standing at the alter. For a playoff team like the Twins can you really afford to wait?
Are Matsui and Damon headed back to Yankees?
Posted by: | CommentsKen Davidoff of Newsdays Tweets that the New York Yankees may eventually re-sign designated hitter Hideki Matsui, but it may be January if it finalizes. The Yankees are also talking to left fielder Johnny Damon, about returning to the Bronx according to ESPN.com. Damon, a Scott Boras client, wants to have a multi-year deal with his next team.
The Yankees may be using these players to bid the price down against each other. The New York club will probably only need one of the players given that it would be difficult to carry both of them in addition to an already crowded outfield of Nick Swisher and Melky Cabrera. They already filled their center field needswith the trade for Curtis Granderson.
If Matsui does not return to the Yankees, potential suitors include the Athletics, White Sox or Angels.
Mariners exploring trade for Padres' Adrian Gonzalez
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to FoxSports.com, major-league sources said that the Seattle Mariners are exploring a trade with the San Diego Padres for power hitting first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. However, some in the industry do not believe the 1st year GM Jed Hoyer will want this to be his first move as general manager.
Gonzalez ripped 40 home runs in 2009 at pitcher’s friendly Petco Park in San Diego. He could do as much damage at pitcher friendly Safeco Field. He’s signed through 2011 and he’ll be making $4.75 million in 2010 and $5.5 million in 2011. He’s a steal at those numbers, and you can read his contract info here. Gonzalez could easily be making $18-20 million per season, so given his current contract value the Mariners will have to give up big name prospects such as Dustin Ackley, Alex Liddi, Tyson Gillies or Michael Saunders in order to trigger a trade with the Padres.
Astros Sign Pedro Feliz to 1 year contract
Posted by: | CommentsIt was rumored yesterday, and now confirmed by Brain McTaggart, Astros beat writer for MLB.com, that the Houston Astros signed Pedro Feliz via Twitter. The former San Francisco Giant and Philadelphia Phillies third baseman will be heading to Houston to take over the position that has been vacated by free agent Miguel Tejada.
