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Archives for December 2011

Cafardo’s Latest: Madson, Kuroda, Cespedes, Zumaya

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Even on Christmas, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe delivers his usual Sunday Baseball Notes column. This week, he runs down the best available players remaining on the free agent and trade markets at each position. Here are a few highlights from those lists and the rest of Cafardo's piece:

  • The Red Sox and Angels are "keeping the dialogue open" with Ryan Madson.
  • While many reports have indicated Hiroki Kuroda's willingness to play on the East Coast, the right-hander still has some desire to stay out west.
  • The Marlins are being aggressive on Yoenis Cespedes, with the Nationals right behind them. Earlier this weekend, we heard there's some divide within the Marlins' front office on Cespedes.
  • An AL GM on Joel Zumaya: "Our doctors don't think he would pass the physical based on what they see."
  • The Rays are among the clubs that have talked to Francisco Cordero.
  • Cafardo gets the feeling Matt Garza will be dealt, and warns not to rule out the Tigers.

Padres To Restart Contract Talks With Maybin

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The Padres will restart contract extension talks with Cameron Maybin in January, two sources told Dan Hayes of the North County Times.  GM Josh Byrnes and representatives for the 24-year-old recently had a "broad" discussion about a deal for Maybin, but no offer was made according to a source.

Back in September, the Padres and the center fielder seemed to have mutual interest in working out an extension.  Maybin enjoyed a breakout year in 2011, hitting .264/.323/.393 with nine homers in 568 plate appearances.  In the youngster's first 100+ game season, he posted a UZR/150 of 11.6 in center field.

Maybin is on track for arbitration eligibility after the 2012 season and free agency after the 2015 season.  It's difficult to find a strong comparable for Maybin but Ben Nicholson-Smith has suggested that Jose Tabata might be the best point of reference currently available.  Tabata's deal with the Pirates will pay him $11.5MM for his three remaining years of arbitration eligibility.

Quick Hits: Garza, Mets, Pirates, Red Sox, Astros

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Here's a look at some items out of the AL and NL East..

Athletics Could Soon Receive Permission For Move

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The Athletics will be granted permission to move to San Jose by February, top Major League sources tell Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).  A's GM Billy Beane declined comment on the report according to Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).  However, Nightengale tweets that the A's have received private assurances from MLB about the impending approval but cannot speak about it publicly.

The A's have been said to be basing their spending decisions on the fate of the new stadium.  Getting a new ballpark would signal the club to go into an all-out rebuilding mode in order to field a competitive team for the new space.  If the A's didn't feel that they could get the new stadium that they seek, they likely would have increased spending in the short-term in order to make the franchise more attractive to a prospective owner.

Yesterday, Beane admitted that the club's recent moves were made with an eye on a brand new ballpark being in their future.  The club's recent trades involving Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez give the A's a fresh stock of prospects that should be able to help them win a few years down the road.

The Athletics will have to pay the Giants for territorial rights if they move to San Jose, but that amount has yet to be determined, Nightengale tweets.

Many Teams Interested In Seth Smith

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Saturday: The talks between the Rockies and Braves that centered upon Seth Smith going to Atlanta and Martin Prado heading to Colorado have gone cold, writes Thomas Harding of MLB.com.  However, the Braves still appear to be interested in acquiring Smith.

Thursday: Seth Smith is drawing interest from the Athletics, Rays, Mariners, Braves and Mets, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Reds have also been linked to Smith this offseason and are looking for a left fielder, though Rosenthal and Morosi don't mention Cincinnati. The Rockies can afford to part with Smith, as they already have outfielders Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler, Michael Cuddyer and Tyler Colvin.

GM Dan O'Dowd would likely look for MLB-ready pitching or a second baseman for Smith, Rosenthal and Morosi write. Smith, a left-handed hitter, posted a .284/.347/.483 line with 15 homers in 533 plate appearances this past season, playing left and right field. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz estimates a 2012 salary of $2.6MM for the 29-year-old via the arbitration process.

Jorge Posada Drawing Interest

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3:34pm: The Rays' interest in Posada isn't strong, says Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. According to Topkin, Posada figures to be, at best, among the club's fallback options if other moves don't go as planned.

11:38am: Recently, we learned that Jorge Posada would like to continue playing in 2012 if he can find the right situation.  There appears to be interest in the veteran as the Rays, Orioles, and Phillies have inquired on Posada, the catcher's father told Javier Maymi of ESPNDeportes.com (Spanish link). 

Sources told Maymi that the Rays are interested in exploring the possibility of signing Posada as a reserve first baseman, designated hitter, and backup to Jose Molina.  The Rays already have Jose Lobaton and Robinson Chirinos to support Molina and even though both catchers suffered injuries over the winter, they are expected to be fine heading into Spring Training.

The Phillies would also be a curious fit for Posada with Jim Thome already providing a power bat against right-handed pitching.  As for the Orioles, they reportedly didn't have much interest in Posada a month ago as they were seeking someone who could catch every day if necessary.

Prince Fielder Rumors: Saturday

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We heard on Friday that the Orioles are in fact interested in Prince Fielder, but not at his current asking price.  While O's executive vice president Dan Duquette won't say much about the team's pursuit of the slugger, it might be the other D.C. area team that makes an aggressive offer.  Here's the latest on Fielder with the latest news up top..

  • While he cautions to "take it for what it's worth", ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes that there is a broad assumption from a lot of baseball execs that Fielder's most attractive offer will come from the Nationals.  It's also important to note that GM Mike Rizzo said on Friday that Adam LaRoche will be the club's first baseman in 2012.

Poll: Which Team Won The Gio Gonzalez Trade?

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Once again, the A's have traded away one of their top starters in exchange for a package of prospects.  Two weeks after shipping Trevor Cahill to Arizona, Oakland sent Gio Gonzalez and pitcher Robert Gilliam to the Nationals for right-handers A.J. Cole and Brad Peacock, left-hander Tom Milone, and catcher Derek Norris.

Billy Beane & Co. parted ways with Cahill and Gonzalez with an eye on building a team that can compete in a brand new stadium in a few years.  Most seem to agree that the A's got a considerable haul by landing three high-level pitching prospects with Cole having the highest ceiling of the trio.

The Nationals were reluctant to part with both Peacock and Milone in the swap but ultimately decided that Gonzalez was worth the price.  The bidding for the left-hander was understandably high as the Red Sox, Rangers, Marlins, Yankees, Blue Jays, Tigers, and Mariners were all linked to the 26-year-old this winter. 

While the benefits of the deal are clear for both sides, who do you feel got the better end of the swap?

 

Orioles Notes: Fielder, Second Base, Pitching

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The week between Christmas and New Year's tends to be fairly quiet, but Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette cautions that there's no such thing as a quiet time in baseball today, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.  Here's more on what we can expect from the O's in the coming weeks..

  • Duquette wouldn't divulge much when asked about Prince Fielder, only saying, "We're monitoring the market.  That's a good way to put it."  Because the Orioles are interested in Fielder, but not at his asking price, Kubatko writes that they should not be classified as a favorite to land a slugger.
  • Kubatko asked Duquette if the club will pursue a second baseman.  It doesn't sound as though it's at the top of his list as he cited Matt Antonelli, Robert Andino, and Rule 5 pickup Ryan Flaherty as candidates for the position.  
  • Duquette says that he will continue to look to bolster the team's pitching staff.  Yesterday we heard that the O's are among a handful of teams that are prioritizing pitching.

Nationals Notes: Lannan, Werth, Gonzalez

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The Nationals made a big splash this week when they landed Gio Gonzalez in a deal to bolster their already solid rotation.  Here's more on what the acquisition of Gonzalez means for the Nats and other news on the club..

  • MLB.com's Bill Ladson (via Twitter) cautions that it's just a prediction, but it wouldn't surprise him to see the Nationals trade John Lannan for a bat.  The left-hander is arbitration eligible for the second time this winter and MLBTR projects that he is set to earn $4.9MM.  The Nats could be comfortable moving Lannan in part because of their confidence in Ross Detwiler (Twitter link).
  • During last night's conference call to discuss the Gonzalez deal, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said that the club will be aggressive in their pursuit of a long-term center fielder if the opportunity presents itself.  Rizzo went on to say that the club is considering using Jayson Werth in center and expanding their search to include right fielders, Ladson writes.
  • Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com understands the concern over Gonzalez's walk rate, but also points to the strides he's made in other areas, including innings pitched and sustaining a high strikeout rate with the increased workload.  Kerzel isn't concerned about the fact that Gonzalez has been traded four times, saying that it's a sign of his universally recognized potential and not an indicator of potential problems.

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