Rumors for November, 2010
Jorge de la Rosa agrees in principle on two-year deal plus player option with Rockies
Posted by: | Comments
The Denver Posts’ Troy E. Renck reports that left-handed pitcher Jorge de la Rosa has agreed in principle on a deal with the Rockies. It is a two-year deal with a player option worth $32 million. If de la Rosa exercises player option for the third year, then the Rockies get a club option for fourth year at $11 million. If all four-years are played out, the total value of the deal is $42 million. The deal is pending a physical.
Renck said de la Rosa’s deal will include $1 million signing bonus, $9.5 million for the first year, $10 million for the second year, a team’s option for the third year worth $11 million with a $1 million buyout and a fourth year option for the team worth $11 million.
According to a source close to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports, left-handed pitcher Jorge de la Rosa is close to signing a three-year, contract with the Colorado Rockies. He later adds on Twitter that the deal is between $32-33 million.
Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says the deal is pending a physical and the sides are still talking about whether it’s going to be a two or three year deal.
Earlier, sources close to Rosenthal said that the Washington Nationals and Rockies have made offers to free agent de la Rosa. One or two other clubs may submit a proposal in the next 24 hours.
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles have expressed interest and the New York Yankees have check in, but their priority is with free agent left-hander Cliff Lee.
The Pirates could be a serious contender since de la Rosa’s former manager, Clint Hurdle, is now the team’s skipper.
de la Rosa is a Type-A free agent so any team that will sign him, will have to give up a draft pick. Additionally, the Rockies will receive a pick in the supplemental round.
It’s believed that de la Rosa is looking for a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $48 million.
Will the Rays’ Grant Balfour accept arbitration?
Posted by: | Comments
There’s some thought, according to the St. Petersburg Times’ Marc Topkin, that right-handed relief pitcher Grant Balfour will accept arbitration and return to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011. Balfour is a Type-A free agent, so if he goes to another team, he’ll cost them a draft pick. Topkin says that Balfour wants to return to Tampa Bay.
The 33-year-old Balfour was 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in 57 appearances for the Rays and will get a raise from the $2.05 million that he made last season. The question is how much of a raise?
The Rays offered arbitration to seven players last week, and will get a decision from the players by Tuesday. Topkin says that fans should expect Type-A free agents Carl Crawford and Rafael Soriano as well as Type-B free agents Brad Hawpe, Chad Qualls, Randy Choate and Joaquin Benoit (who signed with the Detroit Tigers) to decline their arbitration offers.
VIDEO: The great Leslie Nielsen of Naked Gun fame passes at 84
Posted by: | CommentsI know this is a little stretch for baseball rumors and news, but comedian Leslie Nielsen from such films as The Naked Gun and Airplane! has passed away at the age of 84. Neilsen provided an awesome performance as an under cover cop dressed up as an MLB umpire in the first Naked Gun movie. Check out the clip of Neilsen, the California Angels and Seattle Mariners filmed at Dodgers Stadium. Twenty-plus years later and it still makes me laugh!
Ordonez a possibility to return to Detroit
Posted by: | Comments
Earlier today, Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated said via Twitter that it is a possibility that Magglio Ordonez could return to the Detroit Tigers. GM Dave Dombrowski did not give a clear answer as to whether or not he would like to bring back Ordonez, but he did say that the team is looking for a corner outfielder.
The Tigers are looking for another bat and MLB.com’s Jason Beck said yesterday that the team’s off season moves are potentially incomplete. It’s unknown as to where newly signed Victor Martinez will hit in the batting order, but whether he hits third or fifth, the team will need another bat.
“It depends on what our team looks like by the time we get to Spring Training,” manager Jim Leyland said regarding Martinez’s spot in the order. “He’s either going to hit right in front of [Miguel Cabrera] or right behind him.”
In October, the team decided against picking up Ordonez’s, $15 million option for 2011. At the time, there was no indication that Ordonez was first on their list as a “middle of the lineup bat.”
Frank Francisco “likely” to accept Rangers offer of arbitration
Posted by: | Comments
According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Frank Francisco a type A free-agent will likely accept the Rangers offer of arbitration. Francisco who started last season as the closer was uprooted and lost the job to Neftali Feliz. He also missed the last month of the season and the entire playoffs due to a strained rib cage. Most teams may have been scared off by the fact they would have to give up a draft pick for a relief pitcher coming off of injuries. This reasoning may of had an influence in Francisco’s decision if he in fact accepts the Rangers offer of arbitration.
Francisco produced a 3.75 ERA in 56 games this season in mostly middle-relief. He also earned $3.265 million last season and could see his salary jump up to over $4 million.
Dodgers targeting Juan Uribe
Posted by: | Comments
Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports listed numerous reasons why the Dodgers should go after Juan Uribe. Some of those reasons include his ability to play third base and give Casey Blake a chance to platoon in left field, or play shortstop to give Rafael Furcal a break. He could also slot in at 2nd which would allow the Dodgers to non-tender Ryan Theriot.
According to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, the Dodgers are now officially targeting Uribe. The addition of Uribe not only would weaken San Francisco but provide the Dodgers with a needed veteran power bat for the middle of the lineup. Grunick speculates that Uribe would play 2nd which would boot Theriot to the non-tender line.
By acquiring Uribe, general manager Ned Colletti would accomplish his second priority, with the Winter Meetings still a week away. His first priority was to bolster the starting pitching. He did that by re-signing Ted Lilly and Hiroki Kuroda. Colletti will probably try to sign Uribe before Thursdays non-tender deadline before he decides what he will do with Theriot. Uribe is most likely looking for a multi-year deal after having to settle for a one year deal last off-season.
Uribe hit only .248 this season, but had a career-high 24 home runs and 85 RBIs while earning $3.25 million.
Carl Crawford’s agent using iPads to market his client
Posted by: | Comments
Recruiting or selling a clients skills has been done the same way for years. Send a video tape of some high-lights, edit it and put some “Rocky” music in the back ground and your golden. Usually in baseball, teams recruit the players but it never hurts if the players agent contacts the team.
According to Mark Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times, Carl Crawford’s agent has gone high-tech and sent interested teams iPads preloaded with an impressive video showing the free agent’s strengths, showing highlights and offering testimonials. Not that Crawford needs help drumming up interest but how can teams turn down Crawford and a free iPad?
We have heard that the Angels and Red Sox are the most serious contenders for Crawford but I am guessing that once the other GM’s heard what the sales pitch was, they probably called to show some level of interest just so they could get a free iPad.
Colorado Rockies interested in Brandon Webb
Posted by: | Comments
Add the Colorado Rockies to the growing list of teams interested in Brandon Webb. According to The Denver Posts’ Troy E. Renck, the Rockies are interested in the former Cy Young Award Winner. The Rockies join the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs as teams interested in the right-hander
There has been mutual interest between Webb and the Nationals since the team’s GM, Mike Rizzo, was the one who originally drafted Webb in 2000.
Yesterday, AOL FanHouse’s Ed Price said that the Cubs have spoken with Webb’s agent, Jonathan Maurer.
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.
Several teams in on RHP Jesse Crain
Posted by: | Comments
MLB Network’s Peter Gammons says that right-handed pitcher Jesse Crain may be the hottest reliever on the open market. Several teams are interested including the Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals and Toronto Blue Jays.
The 29-year-old Crain was 1-1 with a 3.04 ERA in 71 appearances for the Minnesota Twins in 2010. He had an affordable $2 million contract with Minnesota in 2010, and with so many teams interested in him, he could command a nice raise. Crain is a Type-B free agent and the Twins offered him salary arbitration last week, so it won’t cost his new team any draft picks, but the Twins will get a supplemental pick if he goes to another team.
Marlins agree to a one-year deal with Javier Vazquez
Posted by: | Comments
The Marlins have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Javier Vazquez, pending a physical, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds that the deal will be worth $7 million, with a full no-trade clause and the Marlins can not offer Vazquez arbitration.
Vazquez and the Marlins had been talking about a deal last week. Jayson Stark of ESPN said that the conversations between the parties were getting “hot”. At the time Stark added that the negotiations were “moving forward”.
Vazquez agreed to reject the New York Yankees’ offer of salary arbitration. This allowed Vazquez to explore other options while allowing the Yankees to benefit from a supplemental draft pick, but not at the cost of his new team. Vazquez is a Type-B free agent.
Other clubs that were interested in Vazquez included the Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies.
