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Archives for November 2010

Dan Uggla Rumors: Tuesday

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The Marlins are known to be shopping second baseman Dan Uggla; the Braves, Cardinals, Nationals, Blue Jays, and Tigers are reported suitors.  There is some debate as to the Marlins' sense of urgency in making a deal, though MLB.com's Joe Frisaro joins ESPN's Buster Olney in the "aggressively shopping him" camp (Twitter link).  Here's the latest on the slugger…

  • The Marlins and Braves are talking about a deal that would send Uggla to Atlanta for Omar Infante and Michael Dunn, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Infante, a super-utility man, hit .321/.359/.416 in 506 plate appearances for the Braves this year.  He's under contract through 2011.  Dunn, 26 in May, is a hard-throwing left-handed reliever who came to Atlanta from the Yankees a year ago in the Javier Vazquez deal.  Dunn racked up big-time strikeout and walk numbers this year between Triple-A and the Majors.
  • David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggests Uggla could provide backup at third base as Chipper Jones recovers from August surgery to report a torn ACL in his knee.  Another possibility: Uggla or Martin Prado could spend the season in left field if Jones is healthy.  Would the Marlins be willing to deal within the division with the Braves or Nationals?  Yes, one rival executive tells Rosenthal, "but the ask is very high."

How To Use MLBTR

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Boras Talks Manny

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Manny Ramirez lacks buzz for the first time in his career, writes Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.  Agent Scott Boras was upfront in his conversation with Shaikin, explaining that Manny is seeking a one-year, incentive-laden deal as a designated hitter.

"It's just like Vlad Guerrero.  His last Angels season, where he had an injury season and he had 50 RBIs, was not a customary Vlad Guerrero season. He went to Texas and reestablished himself. This is really the course for great veteran hitters. We've seen, following an injury season, a player goes out and performs at optimum levels, because these players are still uniquely skilled. They're still great hitters."

Boras went on to explain that Manny's sports hernia was correctable, and his calf injury came from playing in the outfield.

Running through potential suitors, Shaikin notes that the Athletics "say they are not interested in Ramirez."  If Guerrero stays with the Rangers, that leaves only the Tigers, Rays, Blue Jays, and perhaps Orioles in Shaikin's estimation.  I should add that the Tigers prefer left-handed hitters and the Orioles may be content with Luke Scott serving as DH.  Technically the Royals, Twins, and Mariners aren't locked in at DH, but they don't seem like matches for Ramirez.

Latin Links: Beltre, Renteria, V-Mart, Balentien

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Links from Spanish-language news sources, highlighted by a rumor-packed tweet from un hombre de Bristol (links in Spanish).

  • Enrique Rojas at ESPN Deportes says the A's are working hard to sign yet another third baseman. Only this time, it's Adrian Beltre, who reportedly turned down a three-year, $24MM offer from the team last winter.
  • In the same tweet, Rojas says the Dodgers are interested in Edgar Renteria and his willingness to play second base, notes that there is a "good market" for Miguel Tejada, and revives an old rumor with a question: "Vic-Mart with the Rays?"
  • According to Jorge Ebro at El Nuevo Herald, 17-year old Cuban centerfielder Yasiel Balaguer has defected to Nicaragua with hopes of signing with a Major League team. Ebro cites reports saying Balaguer's big draws are his explosive speed and throwing arm, though he has shown some offensive power as well in the Cuban National Series.
  • Former Mariner and Red Wladimir Balentien has told his usual Venezuelan Winter League team, the Leones de Caracas, that he can't play this winter because he has signed with a team in Japan, reports Cesar Augusto Marquez at Lider en Deportes. Marquez doesn't say which team Balentien has joined.

Odds & Ends: Shell, Kuroda, V-Mart, Okajima, Davies

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Links for Monday evening…

  • Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com tweets that the Royals have signed reliever Steven Shell to a minor league deal. Shell, 27, had a 3.59 ERA in 72.2 innings with the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate last season.
  • Troy Renck of The Denver Post lists the Cardinals, Phillies, and Rockies as some of the teams that were interested in Hiroki Kuroda before he re-signed with the Dodgers (Twitter link).  Kuroda, however, re-signed without fielding offers from other teams according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.
  • Add the Rangers to the list of teams showing interest in Victor Martinez says SI.com's Jon Heyman (via Twitter).
  • WEEI.com's Rob Bradford tweets that Hideki Okajima is subject to a normal arbitration calendar this offseason. In the past the Red Sox had to offer him a contract by November 20th.
  • Non-tender candidate Kyle Davies hopes to remain with the Royals, says MLB.com's Dick Kaegel. Davies hasn't heard anything from the team regarding his future.
  • Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports that Cliff Lee's agent Darek Braunecker is still unsure if he will attend this week's GM Meetings.
  • MLB.com's Jane Lee provides a list of power bat the Athletics could potentially pursue as free agents this offseason.
  • The Yankees don't believe that Derek Jeter will ultimately leave New York, but they're prepared for a long negotiation according to Heyman (Twitter link).
  • Meanwhile, Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com tweets that there is still no word whether or not Andy Pettitte will return to pitch in 2011.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak doesn't expect any roster moves at this week's meetings according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com says the team is growing more optimistic about re-signing Jake Westbrook, however (Twitter link).
  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti told Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer that it's too early in the offseason to tell whether his team's needs will be filled through trades or free agency.
  • MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith is on location at this week's GM Meetings in Orlando, and you can follow him on Twitter at @mlbtrorlando for the latest breaking news and analysis.
  • There is mutual interest between the Marlins and free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski, reports Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post. Capozzi says the team might not be able to afford him, though they could free up payroll space by dealing Dan Uggla. 
  • FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says that the Dodgers are looking to add power to their lineup, and James Loney is the player they're most most willing to trade. They would then turn around and sign one of the many power-hitting first baseman available on the free agent market.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson said that the first round of manager interviews includes one or two more candidates while the second round will consist of three or four candidates according to Andy Martino of The New York Daily News (all Twitter links). The second set of interviews could begin in Orlando this week, and Alderson said his father's death on Sunday will not slow things down.
  • ESPN's Jerry Crasnick profiles Giants GM Brian Sabean and the work that lies ahead following his team's World Series victory.
  • Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues looks at how signing Lee would impact the Yankees' future payroll. Meanwhile, Brian Cashman told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch that he doesn't expect to get any deals done this week.
  • Best of luck to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. He's trading in the Blue Jays' beat for the Indians' beat.

Cardinals Set Timetable For Pujols Talks?

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The Cardinals "appear to have firmed" the timetable for talks about a new contract with Albert Pujols according to Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). The team unsurprisingly picked up their first baseman's $16MM option for 2011 last month.

Pujols, 31 in January, has a resume that reads like a video game. He's a .331/.426/.624 career hitter with nine All Star Game appearances in ten seasons, not to mention three MVP awards and five other top four finishes in the voting. Next season will be the final one on the seven-year, $100MM contract he signed before the 2004 season.

GM John Mozeliak indicated that the club might increase its payroll over the next few seasons back in September, something they'll almost certainly have to do to keep their megastar and remain competitive.

Dodgers Acquire Anthony Jackson To Complete Dotel Trade

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The Dodgers have selected outfielder Anthony Jackson as the player to be named later in September's Octavio Dotel trade according to the Rockies' official Twitter feed. Dotel allowed four runs in just 5 1/3 innings with the Rockies.

Jackson, 26, is a career .252/.331/.340 hitter in 2,290 minor league plate appearances. He's spent the last two seasons with Colorado's Double-A affiliate and was not listed as one of the team's top 30 prospects in the 2010 edition of Baseball America's Prospect Handbook. 

Dodgers Re-Sign Hiroki Kuroda

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The Dodgers have re-signed right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year contract worth $12MM. The deal includes a full no-trade clause and an additional $500K in performance bonuses.

Kuroda, 36 in February, just wrapped up a three-year deal with the Dodgers that paid him $35.3MM. He's pitched to a 3.60 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 82 career starts (and one relief appearance) with LA, though 2010 was his best season yet: 3.39 ERA, 7.3 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 in 196.1 innings. Kuroda missed time with a shoulder strain, an oblique issue, and a concussion during his first two years in MLB, but he was healthy this season.

Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times reported the original agreement as well as the length of the contract. SI.com's Jon Heyman and FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal added the financial details (all four Twitter links).

Melvin: “We’re Not Shopping Prince”

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Prince Fielder has just one more year to go before becoming eligible for free agency, and as a result many around the game expect the Brewers to shop their hulking first baseman. GM Doug Melvin told USA Today's Bob Nightengale that isn't the case however, saying explicitly "We're not shopping Prince." Here's the full quote…

"We're not shopping Prince,'' said the Brewers GM. "I'd like to keep him. He's a homegrown player who wants to play every inning of every game. But we'd like to get something done by the end of the off-season. I don't want to negotiate during the year.''

Melvin indicated that the end of Spring Training is the team's deadline for working out an extension with their two-time All Star. Fielder, 26 and a Scott Boras client, is a .279/.385/.535 career hitter, averaging 38 home runs in his five full seasons as a big leaguer.

Nightengale also lists a number of players that are already "under discussion," including Zack Greinke, Dan Uggla, Adrian Gonzalez, Bobby Jenks, Jonathan Papelbon, Nick Swisher, Jason Bartlett, Mark Reynolds, and both Justin and B.J. Upton. 

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