 |
|
|
| |
Rafael Furcal Rumors: Thursday
8:35pm: According to Jeff Passan, Furcal has been offered many three-year deals, but he wants a four-year contract. Furcal's agent, Paul Kinzer confirmed that the Orioles, Braves, Giants, Cubs, Dodgers and A's are interested, along with one unnamed "mystery" team.
1:30pm: MLB.com's Mychael Urban talked to Kinzer, who said the A's have examined Furcal's medical records. Urban also says the A's expressed interest in Jason Giambi.
9:40am: Rounding up the recent Rafael Furcal links...
- According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the A's are still pursuing free agent shortstop Furcal. They like that he's not a Type A free agent and won't cost them a draft pick.
- Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times wrote on Friday that the Dodgers "would like to bring back Furcal, although they appear more likely to sign Orlando Cabrera to a short-term deal." MLB.com's Ken Gurnick said Furcal is the "lynchpin of the club's infield plans" after talking to Joe Torre.
- Henry Schulman talked to Furcal's agent Paul Kinzer yesterday, who said his client will not accept an incentive-based deal.
- The Cubs have talked to Kinzer about Furcal, but it's "nothing serious" at this point.
- J.P. Ricciardi told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian he's not interested in Furcal.
C.C. Sabathia Rumors: Thursday
8:15pm: According to ESPN.com, Hal Steinbrenner said Sabathia will have a deadline to accept his current offer. The Yankees made Sabathia a record-setting offer for a pitcher, but Steinbrenner said "it's not going to be there forever."
2:22pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Dodgers, Giants, Red Sox, and Angels have checked in on Sabathia since the Yankees made their bid. All four clubs face various obstacles.
9:26am: The latest on C.C. Sabathia...
- Ken Davidoff and Anthony Rieber pass along a Peter Gammons report saying Sabathia will not sign until after Thanksgiving. Perfectly logical, though I cannot find where Gammons wrote this. (I see he wrote that it will "take a while.") Send me the link (ESPN.com, not Newsday) if you can help out.
- Andrew Baggarly's source says the Giants are "not in offer mode" with Sabathia. He does believe they will take a shot.
Minaya On The Mets
Matthew Cerrone has the latest from Mets GM Omar Minaya.
Even though Aaron Heilman sees himself as a starter, Minaya still prefers to have him coming out of the bullpen. Heilman hasn't started a game since 2005.
Minaya says the Mets are going to focus on pitching for the time being. After that, he'll see where the Mets stand and consider adding outfielding help.
Daniel Murphy, who just pulled a hamstring in the AFL, will play mostly in left field next year. Though he could play some first, Minaya didn't mention Murphy as an option at second base.
Odds And Ends: Phillies, Blake, Izturis
More Links for Thursday...
- Don McKee says the Phillies should consider Jim Edmonds for the outfield.
- Ken Mandel has a source who says the Phillies have discussed Raul Ibanez. Mandel adds that it hardly means the Phillies plan on going after him aggressively.
- The Indians are keeping Casey Blake on their radar, but they're just talking for now.
- Jeff Zrebiec writes that the Orioles are interested in Cesar Izturis and have spoken with his representative.
- MLB.com reports that the Giants have serious interest in Orlando Hudson.
- Reds GM Walk Jocketty says he'd like to acquire a left-handed reliever after missing out on Trever Miller and Jeremy Affeldt.
- Rob Neyer of ESPN.com writes that the Royals' trades have them headed in the wrong direction.
- Nick Swisher says he would be "super excited" if the Yankees sign C.C. Sabathia. He adds that playing for the Yankees is a "dream come true."
- Howard Megdal thinks the Mets should part ways with Pedro Martinez.
Full Story | Comments (6) | Categories: Baltimore Orioles | Casey Blake | Cesar Izturis | Cleveland Indians | Jim Edmonds | Kansas City Royals | New York Mets | Nick Swisher | Pedro Martinez | Philadelphia Phillies | Raul Ibanez
Braves Rumors: Hampton, Ludwick, Burnett
Braves GM Frank Wren chatted with fans on MLB.com today and David O'Brien has some new Braves rumors as well.
- Wren told O'Brien that the Braves have had "a number of conversations" with Mike Hampton about keeping him in Atlanta. In his MLB.com chat, Wren said he thinks Hampton is still a "very good pitcher."
- O'Brien says that talks with the Cardinals about Ryan Ludwick "aren't dead." Wren doesn't comment when asked about Ludwick in the chat, but that is in itself something of a statement.
- O'Brien says that if Atlanta can't trade for Ludwick, Raul Ibanez would be an outfield target. Wren said in his chat that he'd like to acquire a "productive bat in the outfield," and that a right-handed hitter would be ideal.
- Not surprisingly, Wren writes in the chat that he'd like to have A.J. Burnett in the Braves' rotation next year. Wren adds that the Braves have had discussions about bringing back Paul Byrd for a third time.
- Wren told O'Brien that he's going to worry about assembling the 2009 team before working on extensions for players like Chipper Jones.
- And Brian McCann's already lost 22 pounds since the end of the season.
Full Story | Comments (18) | Categories: A.J. Burnett | Atlanta Braves | Brian McCann | Chipper Jones | Mike Hampton | Paul Byrd | Raul Ibanez | Ryan Ludwick
Phillies Trade Golson To Rangers For Mayberry
According to Scott Lauber, the Phillies sent outfield prospect Greg Golson to the Rangers for another outfield prospect, John Mayberry Jr.
Golson, 23, hit .282/.333/.434 in 426 Double A at-bats this year. Mayberry, 25 in December, hit .263/.316/.474 at Triple A. Both are former first round picks. Baseball America says both have a wealth of potential - Golson projects as a young Ron Gant in the best case, while Mayberry has a 35 home run ceiling.
Braves Claim O'Flaherty
According to Larry LaRue of The Tacoma News Tribune, the Braves claimed southpaw reliever Eric O'Flaherty off waivers from the Mariners today. O'Flaherty, 24 in February, was terrible in seven appearances with the Ms this year and struggled with walks and hits allowed in Triple A.
In 2007, though, he held lefties to a .183/.278/.204 line.
Cardinals Working To Sign Trever Miller
5:02pm: Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch talked to Mozeliak, who said Miller's deal has not been finalized.
THURSDAY, 8:42am: Rosenthal says it will be a two-year contract. Correction to my earlier statement, Miller is not a Type B so the Rays will not get a pick. Thanks to Mike A. for letting me know.
WEDNESDAY, 11:35pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Cardinals are in "serious discussions" with Miller, and would sign him to a one or two-year deal.
10:45pm: According to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals signed lefty reliever Trever Miller (pending a physical). GM John Mozeliak said southpaw relievers were flying off the shelves, so he acted quickly. It's a bit of a surprise in that the Cards were said to be targeting Will Ohman and Arthur Rhodes.
Miller, 35, posted a 4.15 ERA in 43.1 innings for the Rays this year. He held lefties to a .209/.305/.308 line. Earlier this month, the Rays chose Miller's $400K buyout over a $2MM option. Miller was a Type B free agent, so the Rays will get a sandwich pick for their loss.
White Sox To Sign Viciedo
According to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune, the White Sox reached an agreement with 19 year-old Cuban third baseman Dayan Viciedo on a big league deal worth about $11MM. Alexei Ramirez and Jose Contreras should help Viciedo get comfortable when he joins the big league team. In June, it was reported that 14 teams expressed interest in Viciedo.
Indians Rumors: Valverde, Street, Hudson
Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer posted a few Indians nuggets in last night's column.
- GM Mark Shapiro says he hasn't made any offers to free agents yet. It sounds like payroll might land in the $75-80MM range, leaving the team with roughly $15MM to spend.
- Shapiro admitted that he would explore a trade for Jose Valverde if the Astros closer is truly available. Astros GM Ed Wade said yesterday, "I would love to see Jose here for a long time." The 'Stros have him under team control for one more year, and there's been speculation he could be dealt to save money.
- The Indians may attempt to acquire Huston Street if the Rockies' asking price comes down.
- The Indians are interested in Orlando Hudson, who reportedly seeks a five-year, $50MM deal.
Full Story | Comments (16) | Categories: Cleveland Indians | Colorado Rockies | Houston Astros | Huston Street | Jose Valverde | Orlando Hudson
Heyman's Latest: Burnett, Lowe, Hudson, Tex
SI.com's Jon Heyman has several new blog posts up. Let's take a look.
- The Yankees planned offers in the four-year, $60MM range for A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe, but that's not sufficient for either pitcher. Burnett wants five years, and Lowe presumably at least $16MM per year and perhaps five as well.
- The Indians, Mets, and Yankees are in on Orlando Hudson, who wants a five-year, $50MM deal. The Dodgers are another possibility. The New York teams would have to do some shuffling to make room for Hudson. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported the Indians' interest yesterday evening. The Tribe is also in on Orlando Cabrera, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown.
- Heyman says the Angels will make a "fair proposal with a deadline" for Mark Teixeira, with Miguel Cabera's eight-year, $153MM deal as a baseline. This echoes recent columns from Ken Rosenthal and Bill Ladson.
Full Story | Comments (26) | Categories: A.J. Burnett | Cleveland Indians | Derek Lowe | Los Angeles Dodgers | Mark Teixeira | Miguel Cabrera | New York Mets | New York Yankees | Orlando Cabrera | Orlando Hudson
Jake Peavy Rumors: Thursday
2:00pm: David O'Brien says the Padres and Braves need each other and still believes Peavy winds up in Atlanta. I agree. O'Brien also says the Braves' talks for Ryan Ludwick aren't dead.
10:29am: SI.com's Jon Heyman talked to Peavy's agent, Barry Axelrod. Peavy hasn't revised his original list of five teams, but Axelrod says the NL West would interest Peavy (aside from the Rockies). So, maybe Giants fans have something new to speculate about. Axelrod says the list was only guidance for Towers.
8:52am: Let's round up today's Jake Peavy linkage.
- MLB.com's Carrie Muskat said yesterday the Cubs' talks for Peavy had ended due to budget restraints. Those limitations still exist, so the Cubs would have to get creative.
- Padres GM Kevin Towers told MLB.com's Corey Brock Wednesday night that he talked to Jim Hendry and the Cubs are still interested in Peavy. Yahoo's Tim Brown heard the same from a source. It'd require a third or fourth team and the aforementioned financial creativity.
- Towers told Tom Krasovic that talks with the Braves have not resumed and he hasn't heard from the Angels. Krasovic also said, "Among some of his ballplayer friends, Peavy has created the impression that if he is traded, he would like to pitch for the Cubs."
Full Story | Comments (89) | Categories: Atlanta Braves | Chicago Cubs | Jake Peavy | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Ryan Ludwick | San Diego Padres | San Francisco Giants | St. Louis Cardinals
Rosenthal's Latest: Teixeira, Lowe, Everett
Time to discuss Ken Rosenthal's latest...
- Mark Teixeira is likely to sign before Manny Ramirez. The Nationals and Orioles are in the mix, but the Angels and Red Sox are more likely destinations.
- One GM predicted Raul Ibanez will receive a three-year deal worth $8-12MM per year. Not exactly going out on a limb there. ESPN's Jayson Stark named a dozen teams that have expressed interest.
- Rosenthal says the Mets are more likely to sign Brian Fuentes or Francisco Rodriguez than to acquire a closer via trade. Doesn't exactly fit with Stark's statement that J.J. Putz would go to the top of the Mets' list if available.
- Scott Boras emphatically disputed the notion that he wants a Barry Zito-like contract for Derek Lowe.
- Rosenthal wonders if Adam Everett would make sense for the Tigers.
Full Story | Comments (10) | Categories: Adam Everett | Baltimore Orioles | Barry Zito | Boston Red Sox | Brian Fuentes | Derek Lowe | Detroit Tigers | Francisco Rodriguez | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Manny Ramirez | Mark Teixeira | New York Mets | Raul Ibanez | Scott Boras | Washington Nationals
Odds and Ends: Wade, Crisp, Holliday
Links for Thursday...
- New commenters are signing up every day as MLB Trade Rumors grows. Before commenting, be sure to read our policy. If you ever see someone violating the policy just send me an email and I'll take care of it.
- If you receive an email from noreply@mlbrumors.com talking about some kind of newsletter, that has nothing to do with me or MLB Trade Rumors. We have a daily email of our latest posts, and that comes from dierkes@gmail.com.
- Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald wonders if Kerry Wood might accept an offer of arbitration from the Cubs.
- Hal Steinbrenner officially took over control of the Yankees from George.
- Former Dodgers GM Fred Claire takes a look at Jeremy Affeldt's motivations in signing early with the Giants.
- Check out recent fan chats with Astros GM Ed Wade and agent Scott Boras. Wade still hopes to sign Randy Wolf and Doug Brocail and doesn't seem keen on trading Jose Valverde. Some fans didn't seem to realize that just holding payroll steady will pose problems for the Astros.
- Joe Posnanski discusses the Royals' acquisition of Coco Crisp.
- Nick Cafardo wonders if the Crisp trade sets up other moves for the Red Sox. They'll explore signing Rocco Baldelli, according to Amalie Benjamin.
- Sox Machine reflects on Nick Swisher's time with the White Sox.
- A's owner Lew Wolff would prefer to keep Matt Holliday all year.
- Tom Haudricourt wonders if the Brewers will pursue David DeJesus if they trade Mike Cameron.
- MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone lists which teams have been connected to the top free agent starting pitchers.
- Chad Finn wonders if the Red Sox are considering trading David Ortiz.
- Alan Schwarz has a nice article on Junichi Tazawa.
Full Story | Comments (14) | Categories: Boston Red Sox | Chicago Cubs | Chicago White Sox | Coco Crisp | David DeJesus | David Ortiz | Doug Brocail | Ed Wade | Houston Astros | Jeremy Affeldt | Jose Valverde | Junichi Tazawa | Kansas City Royals | Kerry Wood | Matt Holliday | Mike Cameron | Milwaukee Brewers | New York Mets | New York Yankees | Nick Swisher | Oakland Athletics | Randy Wolf | Rocco Baldelli | San Francisco Giants | Scott Boras
Rangers Sell Loe To Japanese Team
According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Rangers sold the rights to 27 year-old pitcher Kameron Loe to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks for an undisclosed amount. Loe then signed with the Hawks for $2MM over two years. Loe dealt with elbow and back issues during his 343.2 innings with the Rangers, posting a 4.77 ERA.
Previous Entries
Search MLBTR
MLBTR Features
Recent Posts
Rumors By Team
Monthly Archives
Live Chats
Tuesdays at 2 p.m. CST
