Rumors for November, 2010
Jayson Werth not close to signing – anywhere
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According to CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury, Jayson Werth is not close to signing with anyone.
Salisbury says that rumors have suggested the Philadelphia Phillies have made an offer while other rumors suggest that Werth could be close to re-signing with the team. Nothing concrete has come up, and Salisbury adds that it would be a “stretch to say” that Werth is close to re-signing with the Phils.
When Werth was asked via text message by CSNPhilly.com if he was close to signing anywhere he responded with, “Not at all. It’s very early. I will make an informed decision in due time.”
The Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox are expected to be top contenders for Werth’s services, but the Phillies would like to keep Werth in Philadelphia.
Werth is seeking a similar contract to what Matt Holliday signed with the St. Louis Cardinals last winter – seven years for $120 million.
When Phillies GM Ruben Amaro was asked about Werth, he said, “All I can tell you is No. 1, we don’t comment on rumors, and No. 2, as with our policy, we just don’t comment on our dealings with free agents.”
Juan Uribe a fit for the Los Angeles Dodgers?
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Free agent Juan Uribe was offered salary arbitration by the San Francisco Giants last week, but FOXSports’ Ken Rosenthal says that he is almost certain to decline the team’s offer and remain on the open market.
Uribe, a Type-B free agent, will not cost the Dodgers any draft picks should he sign with them, but the Giants stand to benefit a free supplemental pick since they offered him arbitration.
The Giants are considering bringing back Uribe because they have a lot of uncertainty in their infield. They currently do not have an experienced shortstop and Pablo Sandoval is being threatened with a Minor League demotion if he doesn’t lose weight.
Rosenthal’s reasoning for the Dodgers to go after Uribe include:
– Uribe’s ability to play third base and give Casey Blake a chance to platoon in left field.
– Uribe can play shortstop when Rafael Furcal is unavailable.
– Uribe could play second base ahead of Ryan Theriot.
Rosenthal speculates that a multi year deal for Uribe could protect the Dodgers at multiple infield positions for years to come.
Chicago Cubs interested in Carlos Peña and Lance Berkman
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According to FOXSports Jon Paul Morosi, the Chicago Cubs are showing interest in free agent first baseman Carlos Peña.
Morosi thinks that hitting at hitter-friendly Wrigley Field in Chicago would be favorable for Peña on a short-term deal. It will allow him to reestablish his value, so come winter 2011, he’ll be able to command a higher salary.
The Cubs are looking for a first baseman since they do not have Derrek Lee any longer.
Morosi adds that the Cubs are also interested in Lance Berkman. Berkman has previously said that he would like to return to the National League after spending half a season with the New York Yankees. He isn’t ready to give up the field yet and become a full-time designated hitter. Berkman is drawing interest from the Colorado Rockies and Oakland Athletics in addition to the Cubs.
RHP Waldis Joaquin declares free agency
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According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, right-handed pitcher Waldis Joaquin has been claimed off release waivers by the Chicago White Sox from the San Francisco Giants. He eventually rejected the waiver claim and declared free agency.
Joaquin, 24, had four appearances for the 2010 San Francisco Giants. He gave up five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched.
Nationals to talk to Brandon Webb at Winter Meetings
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According to a source close to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson, the Washington Nationals are a strong candidate to land Brandon Webb this winter.
Webb has a strong relationship with Nat’s GM Mike Rizzo, Rizzo was the one who originally drafted Webb when he was the Diamondback’s director of scouting in 2000.
Yesterday, AOL FanHouse’s Ed Price said that the Cubs have spoken with Webb’s agent, Jonathan Maurer. The team is interested in the former Cy Young Award winner.
Earlier this month, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick said that multiple teams had interest in the right-handed pitcher. Team interested at the time included the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Twins, and Texas Rangers. Crasnick added that one should not rule out the Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds or the St. Louis Cardinals.
Previous reports indicate that there’s a mutual interest between Webb and the Nationals since the team’s GM, Mike Rizzo, was the one who originally drafted Webb in 2000.
The 2006 Cy Young Award winner has only pitched once in the last two seasons after suffering a shoulder injury late in Spring Training in 2009. Maurer said earlier this month that he would seek a contract in the $7.5 million range this winter.
Yankees are willing to improve offer to Jeter
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As each day passes, a new report comes out that shows the Yankees and Derek Jeter are on different continents when it comes to what the Yankees want to offer him and what Jeter thinks he is worth. Yesterday, we heard that the Yankees would like to nail out a deal with Jeter prior to the Winter Meetings, which start next week so that they can move on and address the clubs other needs.
Here is a recap of what each side has reportedly offered so far. The Yankees have offered a 3-year $45 million to Jeter which has been turned down. Jeter is looking for a four-to-five year deal with a annual salary of around $23 million per season.
According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Yankees are looking to hammer out a new contract with Jeter this next week. The Yankees also appear willing to improve their offer to Jeter to the neighborhood of $50 million total for a 3-year deal. Though the Yankees appear willing to add more money there is no sign that they want to add a fourth year to the deal but that can not be ruled out. The rush for the Yankees is that they have other needs such as bullpen and starting pitching.
Javier Vazquez close to deal with the Marlins
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According to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson, the Washington Nationals expressed interest in right-handed pitcher Javier Vazquez and they were supposed to make him an offer this week.
Today, Ladson said the Nationals are no longer in the running to acquire the services of Vazquez, according to a baseball source close to him, because he is close to agreeing to terms with the Marlins. The source declined to say if the Nationals made a fair offer to Vazquez. Earlier this week we learned that talks between Vazquez and the Marlins were getting hot, and the negotiations were moving forward. Vazquez was also looking for a one-year deal and had reportedly turned down several multi-year deals.
Vazquez had one of the worst years of his career in 2010, going 10-10 with a 5.32 ERA in 31 games, 26 of them as a starter for the Yankees. He was left off the postseason roster for the American League Division Series and American League Championship Series.
Boston interested in RHP Matt Guerrier
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Right handed reliever Matt Guerrier, who made $3.15 millions in 2010, is now a free agent. According to a Major League source close to WEEI.com’s Alex Speier the Red Sox have shown interest in the free agent. The Twins failed to offer the Type-A free agent arbitration, so he won’t cost a draft pick to the team that winds up signing him.
Guerrier has spent his entire Major League career of seven seasons with the Twins. This season, he went 5-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 74 games. In the previous two seasons he led the American League in appearances with 76 and 79, respectively.
Primarily a ground-ball pitcher, Guerrier’s best pitch is a slider, which helped limit right-handed batters to a .210 batting average in 2010. He also walked just 22 in 71 innings last season.
The Orioles are willing to spend, but who’s there to take it?
Posted by: | CommentsThe Baltimore Orioles were $2 million shy of the winning bid that landed the Tigers Victor Martinez. The Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck adds that the team would have improved their offer to Martinez if there was a chance that it would have done any good.
Schmuck says that the issue isn’t how much money the Orioles are willing to give somebody, it’s whether somebody suitable is willing to take it. The Orioles hired a big-name new manager to show the rest of the AL- East that they just might become a force to reckon with in a couple of years. But the rest of the baseball world, including free agents, still views the Orioles as a franchise that has not had a winning season since the Clinton administration.
The Orioles are in need of a cleanup hitter in the heart of the order, that’s why Martinez was their top priority this winter.
Now the club must look at the next available free agents, that include Adam Dunn, Carlos Pena and Paul Konerko.
Dunn can provide a lot of power to the lineup, but he’s a a defensive liability at first base, he strikes out around 200 times per season and he has indicated that he wants to stay in the National League.
Peña is a 36 HR hitter per season and a gold glove winner at first base, but his batting average has declined by at least 20 points each of the past three seasons and bottomed out at .196 in 2010.
Konerko is a far more consistent hitter, but he’ll turn 35 before the start of the 2011 season and all indicators point to him remaining with the White Sox or signing with the Diamondbacks.
The other option that the Orioles might have is to sign a low profile free agent like Adam LaRoche, Derrek Lee or Lance Berkman to a multi-year deal and wait for the chance to acquire a superstar somewhere down the road.
Nick Cafardo on Gonzalez, Jeter, Byrnes, Burriss, Greinke and Barajas
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Here’s the latest from The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo:
– Cafardo says the Red Sox could have matched or outbid the Detroit Tigers for Victor Martinez, but the team is likely going for a “bigger splash” – possibly Adrian Gonzalez.
– By losing Martinez, and possibly Adrian Beltre, the Red Sox are loading up on draft picks in a deep draft year.
– Cafardo says the Red Sox will NOT bid on Derek Jeter.
– Former Arizona Diamondback’s GM, Josh Byrnes, will likely land a job with the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox or Cleveland Indians.
– San Francisco Giants’ shortstop, Emmanuel Burriss, is one of the better players in the Dominican Winter League. He could be San Francisco’s option if they can’t work out a deal for the Tampa Bay Ray’s Jason Bartlett or the Red Sox’s Marco Scutaro.
– The Rangers could put Neftali Feliz back in the starting rotation if they can’t re-sign Cliff Lee. To replace Feliz in the bullpen, the Rangers could go after Rafael Soriano. The move is being discussed internally.
– Texas could be the best fit for Kansas City Royal’s Zack Greinke. One name being floated around to be traded is outfielder Engel Beltre.
– Rod Barajas will be one of the free agent catchers on the Red Sox radar if the team does not bring back Jason Varitek. The Sox could also consider Miguel Olivo.
