Rumors for November, 2011
Clayton Kershaw wins NL CY Young
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Congratulations to Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw who won the 2011 NL CY Young in a landslide. Kershaw won the N.L. pitching triple crown in 2011, tying for the league lead in victories with 21, and leading it with 248 strikeouts and a 2.28 ERA. He also is the eighth Dodger to win the award, and the first since Erice Gagne in 2003. Kershaw is also the youngest to win the award since Dwight Gooden won it in 1985 at age 20 (kershaw is 23).
Here are the top three results for the 2011 CY Young.
1. Clayton Kershaw- 27 of a possible 32 first place votes
2. Roy Hallady
3. Cliff Lee
Chicago Cubs offer manager job to Dale Sveum
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The Milwaukee Brewers’ hitting coach, Dale Sveum, may be one of the most coveted person to become the next manager of either the Boston Red Sox or the Chicago Cubs, sources close to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com report. Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said the team would like to bring in Sveum to meet with the team owners, but the Cubs may have already beaten them to the punch by offering him their vacant managerial position.
A close source to the hitting coach said that he “doubted” Sveum would take the Cubs’ job without speaking with the Red Sox first. Yet another source said that his “gut feeling” tells him that Sveum would take the Chicago job over the Boston job if offered both.
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Free Agency News: Kuroda, Pujols, Wilson and Buehrle
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Here is the latest free agency news around the league:
-Despite the fact the Dodgers still have resigning Hiroki Kuroda as their top priority, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com is reporting that the Dodgers are exploring other options in the event they are not able to resign him. Gurnick points out that the Dodgers appear most interested in Aaron Harang if they are not able to resign Kuroda, with Chris Capuano and Jeff Francis as other possible candidates to replace Kuroda.
-At least three teams are in on Albert Pujols Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports reports. With the Cardinals being one of the teams, the details of the Marlins offer to Pujols have emerged with the deal possibly being for nine-years while under $200mm, with a mystery team still in the race.
-Jim Bowden of ESPN.com notes that 13 teams are showing interest in Mark Buehrle. Those teams are the White Sox, Cubs, Marlins, Twins Rangers, Yankees, Royals, Cardinals, Red Sox and Diamondbacks.
-According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, C.J. Wilson is looking for a six-year $120mm deal. Good luck with that.
Houston Astros to move to AL West division
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Drayton McLane confirmed (via a Tweet by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale) that the Houston Astros will switch from the National League Central division to the American League West division in 2013. The team’s sale to Jim Crane is on the agenda is is widely expected to be approved by the other owners.
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Giants looking at locking up Cain and Lincecum
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Looks like the San Francisco Giants are trying to lock up the number one and number two pitchers for the long haul. In an article and Tweet by Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, he says the Giants are trying to lock up Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain to long-term deals.
Heyman says the Giants are trying to sign Lincecum to at least a four-year deal that include two years of arbitration-eligibility and two years of free agency. San Francisco is also trying to keep Cain for another four years. Lincecum can be a free agent after the 2013 season while Cain can test the market after the 2012 season.
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8 teams interested in Rafael Furcal
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In a Tweet by Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio, agent Paul Kinzer said that eight teams are going after infielder Rafael Furcal. Four of the teams want Furcal to play second base while four of the teams are interested in his services at shortstop.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports Tweeted earlier that the Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies like him at second base.
Cardinals focused in on Pujols and not Fielder
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The St. Louis Cardinals aren’t expected to pursue Prince Fielder if they deem that Albert Pujols is out of reach, according to Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. GM John Mozeliak said there’s a “different set of circumstances” regarding the two superstars and his team is more likely to spend heavily on Pujols because of his value to the organization.
“From a strategic standpoint I don’t think we need to divorce ourselves from that or to try to simply ignore it,” Mozeliak said. “The facts are he’s an iconic player and he’s been the face of this organization for a long time. To deny that or to fail to recognize it, I don’t think you’re looking at it through the proper set of lenses.”
Bob Nightengals of USA Today added that the Cardinals re-engaged in talks with Pujols on Monday night for the first time since February of this year.
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Cashman meets with agent of Wilson and Oswalt
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The general manager of the New York Yankees, Brian Cashman, has confirmed that he met with Bob Garber, the agent for both C.J. Wilson and Roy Oswalt (via Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com). Marc Carig of The Star-Ledger adds that the Yankees have gone as far as inviting Wilson to New York to speak with the team’s decision makers.
Wilson is currently a hot commodity. Reports since Monday have indicated that there’s a mutual interest between the left-handed pitcher and the Los Angeles Angels.
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Dodgers and Matt Treanor agree to one-year deal
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The Los Angeles Dodgers and Matt Treanor have agreed to a one-year deal, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Treanor is set to earn $850,000 in 2012 with a team option for 2013 at $950,000 with a $150,000 buy out.
Treanor returned to the Texas Rangers in an August trade. In 72 games in 2011, the catcher hit .214/.338/.291 with three home runs and 22 RBIs.
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Mark Kotsay and Padres agree to one-year deal
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According to sources close to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the San Diego padres and Mark Kotsay have agreed to a one-year, $1.25 million contract. The deal is pending a physical.
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