Results tagged ‘ orioles ’

Roundup: 1B locked up in Windy City

Day 3 of the Winter Meetings saw a couple of slugging first
basemen land in Chicago, as the White Sox resigned
their captain, Paul Konerko, and the Cubs took
a chance on Carlos Pena.

The Konerko deal was somewhat surprising, considering talks between the two
sides seemed to be on life support just a day ago. But even after signing Adam
Dunn, Chicago was able to give Konerko a three-year, $37.5 million to form what looks like one of the best lineups in baseball for 2011.

With the Cubs, Pena is reunited with his old esteemed hitting coach, Rudy
Jaramillo, and receives what super-agent Scott Boras referred to as
a “pillow contract” — because, as Boras said, it’s comfortable for both
sides. That deal is for one year and $10 million, as Pena will try to rebuild
his worth after hitting 28 homers but batting below .200 in 2010.

Here’s more from around the league on Wednesday …

* No more fooling around for the Yankees. They’re ready to make ballyhooed
free-agent starter Cliff Lee a
preliminary offer of six years and between $140 and $150 million, MLB.com’s
Bryan Hoch confirmed. Will that be enough, considering reports of mystery teams
offering seven years?

* The Rangers met with Carl Crawford‘s agent, according to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan.

* Adrian Beltre is still open to signing with the Athletics, according
to Boras. Boras also said negotiations for his third-base client are moving
quickly, and that the Angels are a very possible suitor.  

* There had been several reports that the Red Sox would be interested in
trading for Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran. But Boras, who represents
him, says Beltran plans
to be a Met in 2011. That’s significant, considering he has a no-trade clause.

* Five teams are seriously pursuing Zack Greinke while another three are
“on the periphery,” according to FOXSports.com. It still seems like
he’d be tough
to move, however. The Royals are specific with what they want: pitching and
up-the-middle help.

* The Red Sox, according to CBS Sports, are zeroing in on Magglio Ordonez
to fill their outfield void, which would not be good news for Crawford. The Tigers are also checking.

* The Twins continue their
interest in resigning Carl Pavano, but they have competition. The
Brewers, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, have
also met with Pavano. The Nationals are another club known to have
interest. 

* In less-heralded one-year deals on Wednesday, the Mariners signed
non-tendered designated hitter Jack Cust; the Royals brought
in outfielder Jeff Francoeur; the D-backs were reportedly on the verge of signing catcher Henry
Blanco and veteran lefty Mike Hampton (Minor League deal); the
Braves acquired non-tendered lefty reliever George Sherrill; and the Dodgers were close to bringing back Russell Martin. 
 

– Alden Gonzalez 

Roundup: Winter Meetings Day 2

While Day 2 of the Winter Meetings brought the continuation of talks for some big free agents like Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford, it also surfaced the names of other players such as Delwyn Young and Ronny Paulino.
Here’s a rundown of the day’s bigger rumors and speculation. 
- The Rays and Orioles have been discussing a trade, possibly involving Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett for outfielder/first baseman Nolan Reimold. While the talks are serious, the names involved vary and nothing is imminent, according to MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli. The Rays are interested in more than Reimold, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersberg Times. 
- The Nationals are continuing their aggressive offseason on Day 2 of the Meetings. Tuesday morning brought rumors from all corners that Washington was making a hard charge for Lee, possibly offer a seven-year deal. While other reports have contradicted that, a baseball source told MLB.com’s Bill Ladson that “The Nationals are not out of it by any means.” 
Several afternoon reports, including one Twitter report from SI.com’s Jon Heyman indicated that while there was a seven-year market for Cliff Lee, it wasn’t the Nationals. By all accounts on the Yankees side,  the club isn’t willing to go to a seventh year. 
- Free agent left-hander Mark Hendrickson is drawing some interest from the Rays and Mariners, FoxSports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi tweeted on Tuesday. He added that the Orioles have kept tabs as well on the pitcher, whose value now is primarily as a reliever. 
- Add the Orioles to the list of teams who have talked to the Braves about Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami, according to the Baltimore Sun. But Baltimore isn’t likely to pick up Kawakami from Atlanta, as the Braves are looking for outfield help, a baseball source told Dan Connolly of the Sun. 
-Left-hander Dennys Reyes could decide on a team within the next 48 hours, Morosi tweeted on Tuesday. The Phillies, Marlins, Mariners and Athletics have all been known to have interest. 
-Several teams are interested in utility man Delwyn Young, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweeted. The Brewers, Marlins and Phillies are all talking to Young, who played second base, third base and right field last season. The 28-year-old elected free agency after being designated by the Pirates before the non-tender deadline. 
-After Monday’s news that the Royals were asking a very high price for Zack Greinke, it appears that teams are upping their offers for the ace, Ed Price of Yahoo Sports tweeted. While the Blue Jays and Rangers have been known to have serious interest in Greinke, the Nationals also recently inquired about him, CBSSports.com reported.
-Infielder Jorge Cantu has multiple teams interested, including the Padres, Mariners and D-backs, tweeted Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown. The 29-year-old split last season between the Marlins and Rangers, hitting .256. 
- The Mets are having serious discussions with reliever D.J. Carrasco, according to an ESPN New York.com report. The report characterizes the negotiations to bring the right-hander to New York as “fruitful.”
-While it’s just discussion at this point and considered quite unlikely, the Red Sox are at least talking internally about a potential Carlos Beltran trade, ESPN New York reported. Boston would consider the outfielder a last option if their other outfield pursuits fall part, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted. 
- The Mets are seemingly looking for a catcher to back up Josh Thole as on Tuesday morning ESPN New York reported the Mets were “closing in” on free agent Ronny Paulino. Other reports, including a tweet from Sherman, indicated the club was still talking to several backstops, but Paulino was one of them.
–Bailey Stephens

Bartlett to the Orioles for Reimold

According to a report in the Baltimore Sun, a trade could take place by the end of today that would send Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett to the Orioles for OF/1B Nolan Reimold.

Bartlett stands to make $5 million through arbitration and the Rays have Reid Brignac waiting in the wings. The Rays are looking for offensive help at first base, left field and DH.

Meanwhile, Fox Sports is reporting that the Rays have interest in left-hander Mark Hendrickson.

– Bill Chastain

Roundup: Rangers not backing down from Lee chase

News of the Rangers’ visit to Arkansas to meet with Cliff Lee and his agent Darek Braunecker highlighted Wednesday’s Hot Stove action. With the Winter Meetings fast approaching, talks are seemingly heating up for the jewel of the free agent market.
General manager Jon Daniels declined to say if the Rangers made Lee an offer, during the visit.
“It’s a process with only one point that’s really worthy of talking about, and that’s when there’s a decision made,” Daniels told ESPN.com . “No sense in trying to dissect and analyze everything else, but I realize that’s what goes on this time of year.”
 
Earlier, the New York Post reported the Rangers were preparing a five-year deal to offer the left-hander. A baseball source told ESPNNew York.com that the Yankees hadn’t made an offer yet to Lee, believing that Braunecker didn’t want them before the Winter Meetings.
“Nothing’s happening there yet,” the source told ESPN.com.
Aside from the Lee sweepstakes, here’s a look around the rest of the league:
-The Astros inked right-hander Nelson Figueroa to a one-year deal worth $900,000 plus incentives on Wednesday. Figueroa won a career-high seven games last year between the Astros and Phillies. The deal saves the Astros from having to take Figueroa to arbitration or potentially face a tough non-tender decision.
-The Pirates signed three players to Minor League free agent contracts on Wednesday, right-hander Fernando Nieve, infielder Andy Marte and catcher Dusty Brown. All three received Spring Training invites as part of their deals.
-Nats shortstop Ian Desmond is drawing serious trade interest, according to a Fox Sports report on Wednesday. While the Nationals aren’t expected to be overly anxious to part with the 25-year-old, they could use him as a bargaining chip if they were to receive a quality starting pitcher in return, the report suggested.
-The Padres reached a one-year deal with outfielder Chris Denorfia on Wednesday, worth $800,000. The 30-year-old earned the deal by hitting .271 with nine homers in 2010. Again in 2011, Denorfia should provide a strong veteran presence off the bench for the Friars.  
-The Orioles have made a significant offer to free agent first baseman Paul Konerko, Jim Bowden of XM Radio tweeted on Wednesday. With Victor Martinez off the market, Konerko represents one of the O’s best options, but the question remains: Is Konerko interested in Baltimore? He’s turned them down before and sources tell MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli that he’d rather play for a club that trains in Arizona, so he can live at home part of the year.
-Boston’s desire for a big free agent bat is no secret and as has been suspected for some time, free agent outfielder Carl Crawford is among the top targets. A baseball source told Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown that the Red Sox are serious about Carl Crawford, reporting that the club has met with Crawford’s camp in Houston.
The news comes as no surprise as Crawford, Jayson Werth, and Adrian Beltre have all been mentioned as potential fits to supply some power to the Red Sox lineup. Crawford is said to be seeking at least an eight-year deal, while Werth is seeking six-years, according to a Boston Herald report on Wednesday.
–Bailey Stephens

Roundup: Arbitration decisions looming

Thanksgiving week is upon us, but there’s still plenty of time for the Hot Stove before the turkey hits the table. There’s also tomorrow’s deadline for team’s to decide if they want to offer arbitration to their eligible free agents. A lot of factors go in to team’s decisions this time of year, but keep in mind that teams can make offers of arbitration to free agents, even if they plan to decline and depart, in order to reap the draft benefits. What impact will this have on the free agent market? Only time will tell but with these decisions on the horizon, let’s take a brief look at what’s going on around the league: 
-Speaking of the arbitration deadline, one of the Orioles biggest decisions leading up to it will be whether or not to offer arbitration to reliever Koji Uehara. According to MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli, the O’s have shown significant interest in retaining Uehara, and have remained in contact with his representatives. Uehara, who served as the O’s closer down the stretch, registered a 2.86 ERA out of the ‘pen in 2010. His strong season could put him in line for a significant raise, perhaps netting upwards of $8 million, Ghiroli speculated. 
- Justin Upton talks have continued after the general manager meetings. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported last Friday that 15-16 teams had approached the D-backs about acquiring the young slugger. Upton has four teams on his no-trade list, including the Athletics, Mariners, Tigers and Royals. On Monday, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.com clarified on Twitter that the Mariners were one of the teams Upton had chosen to block from acquiring him, not the Indians as he had previously reported. The Blue Jays, Marlins, Orioles, Red Sox, Royals and Yankees have been said to have interest in Upton. 
- Free agent Eric Hinske is being courted in the early stages of the offseason by the Braves and the Brewers, according to a Twitter report from Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports. The 33-year-old hit .256 with 11 home runs in a bench/platoon role with Atlanta last year. Hinske has said he’d like to return to the Braves, who according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman offered the outfielder/first baseman a one-year deal in the range of $1.5 million last week. Hinske is said to be looking for a two-year deal. 
- There are six or seven teams interested in free agent right-hander Brandon McCarthy, according to a report from Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com. Teams interested in McCarthy include the Athletics, Astros, D-backs, Brewers, Padres, Mariners, and Tigers. McCarthy, who has endured his share of shoulder injuries, has been looking good in the Dominican Winter League, Morosi noted. 
- The A’s pitching situation for 2011 is apparently still evolving amidst the news that talks with Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma have stalled. The two sides will still have until Dec. 7 to hammer out a deal, but it’s not looking good. According to Iwakuma’s agent Don Nomura, the A’s offered Iwakuma a four-year deal worth $15.25 million. Iwakuma and his agent, though, were looking for something more similar to the contracts of Hiroki Kuroda (three years, $35.3 million) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (six years, $52 million).
Stay tuned to the MLB.com Hot Stove blog for updates on all the action. 
– Bailey Stephens

Roundup: Marlins’ Rodriguez met with Vazquez

In the early going of the Hot Stove season, the Marlins and free agent pitcher Javier Vazquez had been talked about as a potential fit. On Saturday, the Marlins confirmed their interest in Vazquez publicly when manager Edwin Rodriguez said on the Marlins Insider Radio Show that he had met with Vazquez in Puerto Rico prior to the show. Rodriguez is said to be very familiar with Vazquez, having known the right-hander since he was a teenager. Vazquez earned $11.5 million with the Yankees in 2010 and it isn’t known how much of a bargain he might be for next season. Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post reported that Vazquez is said to be seeking a three-year, $33 million deal. That’d seem to indicate that the veteran isn’t expecting much of a pay cut. 

Beyond Vazquez, let’s take a look at some other talk around the league:
- The Orioles enjoyed a productive trip to the GM meetings, MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli reported on Saturday. The club continues to have talks with Koji Uehara, Ty Wigginton and Cesar Izturis. The O’s remain focused on their goal of bringing in a power bat for one of the corner infield spots, a player like Adrian Beltre or a Paul Konerko. Who they acquire to fill this role will likely determine the status of Wigginton and Izturis, according to Ghiroli. 
- Don’t be surprised if the Phillies bring in a veteran pitcher to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation against Kyle Kendrick and Vance Worley, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer suggested on Saturday. Kendrick was mostly inconsistent in the role in 2010. Gelb suggests Zach Duke, who was left off the Pirates 40-man roster on Friday, could be the type of established pitcher the Phils are looking for. 
- Stay tuned to MLB.com for all the Hot Stove action. 
– Bailey Stephens

Roundup: Yanks stake their claim on Jeter

On the day the Yankees signed Larry Rothschild to a three-year contract
to be their new pitching coach, New York reportedly reached out to its
shortstop. The Yankees, SI.com reported on Friday afternoon, are about
to offer Derek Jeter a three-year contract worth $45 million.
That may not be enough, though, as several outlets have stated that “The
Captain” seeks a four- or five-year deal.

Here’s more from around the league …

* New Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers is a popular man these
days, considering he recently said his club would listen
in on offers for young star Justin Upton. According to The New York
Post, at least half the league — not including the Yankees — have shown
interest in the outfielder, and five clubs have wanted to move negotiations
forward. The Blue Jays, Mariners, Marlins, Rays, Orioles, Red Sox and Rays have
all been linked to Upton recently.

* The Yankees would like another left-hander in their bullpen besides Boone
Logan, so they are showing interest in free agent J.C. Romero,
according to FOXSports.com. New York has also been linked to Pedro Feliciano. 

* The Indians might have re-gained a stud outfielder without having to spend an
extra penny. Shin-Soo Choo has probably avoided
required military service after leading his South Korea club to the gold
medal.

* In need of a shortstop, the Orioles are expected to bid on Japanese infielder
Tsuyoshi Nishioka, according to a Sports Hochi report relayed by NPB
Tracker. The Mariners, Padres, Dodgers and Cardinals have also been linked to
the 26-year-old switch-hitter, who batted .346 with 22 steals last year.

* Veteran designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero is talking to the Rangers and three other American League teams, according to SI.com.   

– Alden Gonzalez  

O’s MacPhail: “no shortage” of activity

Fresh off this week’s general manager meetings, Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said the organization’s wants and needs haven’t changed and called the two-day meetings “helpful on a few different levels” in assessing what Baltimore will do this offseason.

“People have different timetables, but we don’t necessarily control those,” MacPhail said when asked when the Orioles first move may come. “We’ve had the discussions that we needed to have.”

While he declined to name specifics, MacPhail said there was “no shortage of activity” in Orlando, Fla., both on the trade market and in conversations the organization had with free agents on its wish list.

Tops on that list is a corner infield power bat, making players like Adrian Beltre, Paul Konerko, Victor Martinez and Adam Dunn attractive, as well as Carlos Pena and Adam LaRoche. 

The Orioles would also like to add a veteran starter and a few bullpen arms and, although they have money to spend -with only Nick Markakis, Brian Roberts, Michael Gonzalez and Brian Matusz owed money next season — their wealth of young pitching makes for an attractive trade partner.

As for the criticism that the Orioles are moving too deliberately while other teams wheel and deal, MacPhail -who hasn’t been “too surprised” by any of the early trades — makes no apologies for how he conducts offseason business.

“What’s important at the end of the day is that the moves are the ones that help the club,” he said. “Whether they move fast or slow is less impactful than whether they are right.”

The Orioles, who lost seven players to free agency this winter, continue to have discussions with the respective agents of right-hander Koji Uehara and infielders Ty Wigginton and Cesar Izturis about a possible return to Baltimore. Whether that happens with Uehara and Wigginton could come down to a matter of contract length, with Wigginton and Izturis’ fate in Baltimore tied to what specific bat(s) the Orioles bring in.

While the organization expressed initial interest in Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, it’s doubtful they get involved in the bidding and even less likely that they win exclusive negotiating rights.  While Izturis left a hole at shortstop, the Orioles aren’t too keen on what the asking price of Nishioka will amount to and would prefer to spend their money elsewhere.

–Brittany Ghiroli

Rays Reported to Have Interest In Orioles’ Hernandez

According to a report in the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles have discussed trading right-hander David Hernandez to the Rays for shortstop Jason Bartlett, but the report went on to say that a deal seems unlikely at this juncture.

Bartlett will be in his final year as an arbitration eligible player after earning $4 million in 2010.
In addition, the Rays have Reid Brignac waiting in the wings to take over at shortstop. Hernandez can start or relieve, but the Rays would likely be interested in him as a bullpen piece given the strength of their starting rotation.

–Bill Chastain

Rockies, De La Rosa in holding pattern

The general managers meetings in Florida offer a good time for teams to survey the free-agent landscape. And according to the Denver Post, things are about as expected with left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, a player the Rockies want to keep. Interest is strong: former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle has taken over the Pirates and identified De La Rosa as his top target, according to the newspaper, and the Nationals, as reported by MLB.com’s Bill Ladson last week, and Orioles are already in the mix. The Yankees and Rangers could jump in, depending on what happens with lefty Cliff Lee. The paper says the key, as has been the case all along, is if the offers are at three years, the Rockies will compete — and they offer an environment in which De La Rosa has been successful. If it goes beyond three years, De La Rosa is likely gone, and the Rockies could look for a free agent such as Carl Pavano or Javier Vazquez, or seek a trade.

The paper also reported that the Rockies are unlikely to re-sign right-handed hitting utility man Melvin Mora, who wants a contract quicker than the Rockies want to move on him. With the Athletics not looking to trade Conor Jackson, the Rockies could take a look at the Nationals’ Josh Willingham or the Angels’ Mike Napoli for right-handed hitting help.

– Thomas Harding

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