Rumors for December, 2009
Chan Ho Park sues Chad Kreuter for unpaid loan
Posted by: | CommentsNews on the more personal note, free agent pitcher Chan Ho Park is suing former Dodger’s catcher Chad Kreuter for $226,368.76 according to TMZ.com. (I know what you’re saying, but it’s better than no news today).
In the lawsuit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, Park says he made the $460,000 loan because Kreuter “had been a highly compensated Major League Baseball player” and he assured Park that he “would have no difficulty paying [Park] back.” Kreuter signed a promissory note, but only made one payment for $290,000.
Kreuter has made over $8 million over his career. You have to wonder what he spent it on to require a loan from Park. You can see Chad Kreuter’s salary history and statistics here.
Luckily for Park, he’s still employable and has banked over $81 million in his career. Maybe the free agent market isn’t playing too favorable for him. You can see Chan Ho Park’s statistics here.
Justin Duchscherer Rumors: Three clubs have made offers
Posted by: | Comments13:45 PST: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the deal is one pending a physical. The base salary is $2 million plus as much as $5.5 million with incentives should he reach benchmarks of 30 starts and 200 innings pitched.
Damon Lapa, Duchscherer’s agent, made it clear that his client wanted to be a starter.
The A’s rotation should be the following: Duchscherer, Dallas Braden, Brett Anderson and Travor Cahill. The fifth spot will between Vin Mazzaro and Gio Gonzalez.
12/24 10:11am PST: Jerry Crasnick of ESPN Tweets: Justin Duchscherer has agreed in principle on one-year deal with A’s. Could be worth $5.5 million if he reaches his incentives.
19:52 PST: Ken Rosenthal Tweets: Duchscherer leaning toward NL team. Not sure which one!
12/23 12:43pm PST: Michael Urban of Comcast Sports Network Tweets: Learned that A’s are still talking to J. Cust. And don’t believe that J. Duchscherer is about to sign somewhere. He’s not. #MLB #Athletics
12/22 10:56am PST: Dejan Kovacevic reports that the Pirates have yet to make Duchscherer an offer, eliminating them from the running.
12/21 13:48 PST: ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports that free agent pitcher Justin Duchscherer has received contract offers from at least three undisclosed clubs.
- Now that Jason Marquis has signed with the Nationals, the top free agent pitchers right-handed starters include Joel Pineiro, Jon Garland, Brett Myers and Duchscherer.
- Some teams view Myers as a reliever.
- Pineiro and Garland are looking for contracts that are at least three years in length.
- Duchscherer, a two-time All Star, missed the 2009 season in Oakland because of elbow surgery and clinical depression. He’s looking for a one-year deal to re-establish his market value.
- You can see Justin Duchscherer’s statistics here.
Jason Bay Rumors: Mets, Mariners, Giants and Angels still bidding
Posted by: | CommentsUpdate 12/24 10:21am: Jon Heyman of SI Tweets: i think #redsox will consider bay but only for less – maybe much less – than #mets best offer (65M for 4 w/vesting option)
Update 20:06 PST: WEEI.com reports that the Boston Red Sox have had internal discussions about extending their budget to make another offer to Jason Bay. The proposal will be around the four-year, $60 million that the Red Sox originally offered Bay.
Update 15:49 PST: Ken Davidoff of Newsday Tweets: #Mets GM Omar Minaya: “Jason Bay isn’t the only free agent (outfielder) we’re looking at. …At some point we have to consider other plans.” He Tweets again: Asked if he thinks Bay has a sincere interest in playing for the #Mets, Minaya said, “Yes.”
08:44am PST: According to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports, four teams are believed to be in the bidding for free agent outfielder Jason Bay: the Mets, Mariners, Giants and Angels.
- While the Red Sox and the Yankees are not actively pursuing the free agent, he could fall into their lap.
- One source believes that the Mariners are trying to clear payroll to make a late push for Bay. One rival exec believes Seattle would sign Bay for no more than one or two years at which time their prospects will take over. Bay is seeking a five-year deal.
- One person familiar with the Giant’s organization said that it’s “not impossible” to envision the team signing Bay or Matt Holliday.
- You can see Matt Holliday’s statistics here.
- You can see Jason Bay’s statistics here.
Mark DeRosa Rumors: Giants offer 2-year $12 million
Posted by: | Comments12/24 10:15 Update: Buster Olney of ESPN Tweets: Heard this: Mark DeRosa is leaning toward taking the two-year offer from the Giants. Not a done deal, though.
12/23 13:06: Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated Tweets: heard #giants offered mark derosa $12 mil, 2-yr deal. but is ex-brave and NJ product waiting for atlanta, #mets or #yanks?
Mark DeRosa has been seeking a three-year, $18 million, but it looks like the Giants are only willing to give him 2 years. You can see Mark DeRosa’s complete statistics here.
Juan Uribe Rumors: Close to signing 1 year with Giants
Posted by: | CommentsKen Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that free agent infielder Juan Uribe is close to signing a one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants with a club option for 2011.
Uribe, 30, made $1 million in 2009 in his only season with the Giants. He hit .289 with 16 home runs and 55 RBI’s. You can see Uribe’s statistics and contract history here.
Kevin Gregg Rumors: In talks with Pirates
Posted by: | CommentsDejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that free agent relief pitcher Kevin Gregg has spoken with the Pirates.
Gregg, 31, was 5-6 with a 4.72 ERA and 23 saves with the Chicago Cubs in 2009. He made $4.2 million last season.
You can see Kevin Gregg’s statistics here.
The Pirates also have spoken with free agent Octavio Dotel as was rumored on MLB Secrets yesterday. You can see the Dotel rumors here.
I’m wondering if the Pirates plan to sign both Dotel and Gregg or if they are using them as leverage against each other to drive the price down.
Diamondbacks Rumors: Johnson, Winn, Contreras, Valverde
Posted by: | CommentsNick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic writes a few Diamondback tidbits on his blog:
- The Dbacks are waiting out 2B Kelly Johnson, to whom they extended a contract offer last week. We think the offer is for about $2 million.
- The Diamondbacks remain interested in OF Randy Winn, but it sounds like Winn is still trying to find an everyday job.
- A starting pitcher is not a necessity, but if one comes along (such as RHP Jose Contreras) they may take a look.
- The Dbacks may be interested in RHP Jose Valverde. Piecoro suggests: Offering him a one-year deal at a lower base salary than what he’s seeking — say, $5 million — along with a promise not to offer him arbitration after 2010.f
- Check out his blog at http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/NickPiecoro/70150 for more
Matt Capps Rumors: Nationals making push for pitcher
Posted by: | CommentsUpdate 16:34 PST: Ken Rosenthal writes that the National’s sales pitch is – sign a two-year deal with us, earn 60 or more saves during that time and then hit the free-agent market at age 28.
Another possibility for Capps would be to sign a one-year deal, setting himself up for a better multi-year deal the next season — or a big score in his final year of arbitration before becoming a free agent.
However, if Capps is interested in winning a World Series, he may stand a better chance with the Cubs.
Update 12/23 15:52 PST: Buster Olney of ESPN writes that the Washington Nationals are close to a one-year deal with Matt Capps. If this deal completes, Capps will be the presumptive favorite to be the closer of the Nationals.
Capps’ agent, Paul Kinzer, denied that an agreement has been reached. “We’re still going over the offers and talking. It won’t be until later tonight. We have not made a decision,” Kinzer said.
Capps is expected to choose between the Nationals and Cubs by Wednesday night.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch also Tweets: #Cardinals were not in on Capps, per agent RT @espnmlb Sources say Nationals, Matt Capps are close to one-year deal
Update 11:32am PST: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports:
- The Pirates have not formally withdrawn from talks with recently released closer Matt Capps, but they have reached the point where they are focused elsewhere.
- The team negotiated with Capps and agent Paul Kinzer over the past few days, but Capps now has two offers greater than the Pirates’ best — believed to be in the range of $2.5 million-$3 million — from the Cubs and Nationals. He is expected to choose between those two teams before Christmas.
- The Pirates will turn their attention to other relievers.
Update 12/22 09:08am PST: MLB.com’s Bill Ladson Tweets that Mapp Capps is in the process of selecting the Nationals or Cubs.
12/21 15:14: According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the Washington nationals are making a big push to add reliever Matt Capps to their pitching staff.
- Capps’s agent Paul Kinzer said the Nationals were not a factor when Capps began considering his options.
- The Nationals are now the leading candidates to sign Capps because of the efforts of GM Mike Rizzo.
- Kinzer said, “Mike Rizzo has done an unbelievable job. They’ve really impressed Matt. The Nationals weren’t even on the radar when we started, but now Matt is considering them hard.”
- Capps is expected to pick his new team in the next two days.
- It is uncertain which other teams may sign Capps, but the other clubs consider Capps more of a setup man than a closer.
- “If we go closer, it looks like it’s going to be Washington,” Kinzer said. “Matt can’t go wrong with his last few choices.”
- You can see Matt Capps statistic here. Other Capps’ rumors can be seen here.
Philadelphia Philllies Rumors: Adding to the bullpen
Posted by: | CommentsUpdate 16:20 PST: Matt Gelp of Philly.com writes that a number of teams (including the Phillies) have expressed interest in Mike MacDougal, the Washington Nationals closer in 2009. His agent, Rex Gary, said yesterday that he had communicated with the Phillies but declined to say how advanced the talks were.
You can see Mike MacDougal’s stats here.
Update 14:53 PST: Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly reports that the Phillies have an agreement in place with a pitcher that will “fortify their bullpen”. The pitcher’s name is unknown and the agreement is pending a physical. Read below for Jayson Stark’s predictions.
9:04am PST: Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports that the Philadelphia Phillies have several set-up men on their radar including Danys Baez, Mike MacDougal and Chad Cordero. They have already offered a minor league contract to Scott Eyre.
The Phillies will probably wait until after the first of the year to make a decision.
