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Nationals Still In On Fielder, Out On Cespedes

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The Nationals continue to be in on the Prince Fielder sweepstakes, although the club is not willing to give him a ten-year deal like Albert Pujols got from the Angels, a baseball source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Ladson also writes that the Nats are out on Yoenis Cespedes.

While the Nationals won't go to a ten-year deal for Fielder it does appear that the club is willing to give the slugger a no-trade clause.  An industry source believes that the Nats want to give Fielder a six- or seven-year deal.  

Ladson notes that contract length was also a stumbling block when Washington went after left-hander Mark Buehrle. The club offered a three-year deal but Buehrle ended up signing a four-year, $58MM contract with the Marlins instead.

As for Cespedes, the Nats believe that he is best suited for a corner outfield position and they already have Michael Morse, Jayson Werth, and Bryce Harper as viable options for the corner spots.

Red Sox, Vicente Padilla Moving Toward Deal

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SATURDAY: Padilla is getting closer to a deal with Boston, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

THURSDAY: Despite the report that the Red Sox are “moving toward a deal” with Padilla, the Red Sox are merely “talking to [Padilla] among others” and there is “nothing to report” about the team’s interest, a major league source told Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  Padilla would be fit the mold of a buy-low pitcher for Boston and an industry source tells Speier that the right-hander is "healthy and throwing hard".

3:22pm: The Red Sox and Padilla are moving toward a deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.

12:28pm: Two days after signing Aaron Cook, the Red Sox are scouting another low-risk righty looking to rebound from injury. Vicente Padilla took leave of his native Nicaraguan winter league yesterday in order to fly to Boston, where he will be checked over today by team doctors, reports Francisco Jarquín Soto at the Nicaraguan paper El Nuevo Diario.

Padilla made only nine appearances for the Dodgers in 2011, all in relief, before neck problems ended his season in June. He also briefly took over the closer's job from Jonathan Broxton, though in recent years the 34-year-old has been a swingman and spot starter (he thrived in the role as recently as 2010). He has reportedly been hitting 95-96 mph with his fastball this winter in Nicaragua, and has said he wants to fight for a rotation spot. Seeing as the Red Sox have no shortage of hard-throwing righties in their revamped pen, Padilla could get his wish if his health permits.

Red Sox Notes: Wakefield, Varitek, Kuroda, Pineda

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Earlier today we learned that Red Sox GM Ben Cherington met with David Ortiz's agent on Friday to discuss Ortiz's 2012 salary.  The slugger earned $12.5MM last season and accepted Boston's arbitration offer back in December.  Here's more on the BoSox..

  • Manager Bobby Valentine told reporters that he "couldn't imagine" pitcher Tim Wakefield coming in and competing for a job, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.  That assessment is in line with Cherington's comments last week which insinuated that the knuckleballer wouldn't be with the Red Sox in 2012.  Wakefield, 45, posted a 5.12 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 23 starts and 10 relief appearances for Boston last season.
  • Valentine also doesn't see catcher Jason Varitek making the Red Sox roster if he chooses to make a go at it in Spring Training, Lauber writes.   It was reported yesterday that the Sox offered the veteran a minor league deal, but apparently the club hasn't put anything formal on the table.
  • Bobby V also weighed in on the Yankees' most recent acquisitions, Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda, writes Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (quotes from Ian Browne).  Valentine seems wary of Kuroda's transition from a great pitcher's ballpark in the National League to a more hitter friendly ballpark in the American League.

Tigers Say Reported Interest In Garza Is Overstated

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The Tigers say that their interest in Matt Garza is grossly exaggerated, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  Furthermore, the club won't part with its prized prospects to land the Cubs hurler.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Cubs and Tigers were discussing a trade involving the right-hander.  The Tigers, according to the report, were open to dealing top prospects and it has been said that the club would part with pitcher Jacob Turner in the right trade.

Yesterday, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark wrote that rival teams don't believe the Cubs will trade Garza until July, when there are fewer alternatives on the open market.  Meanwhile, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein contends that he thinks "very highly" of the 28-year-old.

Athletics Negotiating With Bartolo Colon

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The Athletics are in negotiations with Bartolo Colon, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  Yesterday we learned that the pitcher has also attracted the interest of the Diamondbacks.

The 38-year-old right-hander turned in a 4.00 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 for the Yankees in 2011.  General Manager Brian Cashman expressed interest in bringing the veteran back this offseason, but the club's moves this week might satisfy their need for pitching.

Selig Prioritizing A’s Stadium Resolution

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Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News writes that commissioner Bud Selig, who was recently extended through 2014, has placed the A's and their pursuit of a new stadium and a move to San Jose on the front burner.

The special committee Selig put together to examine the dilemma has delivered a "comprehensive" report but has yet to be presented to all 30 owners. Still, Selig says they're "proceeding at a rather quick pace" and seemed to agree to the suggested analogy that if the stadium issue were a baserunner, he'd be on third base.

Standing in the way of the transition is that the Giants claim San Jose — part of Santa Clara County — as part of their territory. The Giants have supported an organziation called Stand For San Jose that has protested the building of a stadium in downtown San Jose. The Giants' territorial claim can be overturned by a 75 percent vote from MLB owners.

The Giants could fight back by supporting an anti-ballpark campaign in San Jose, where a special ballot referendum (partially financed by MLB) would need to pass, or perhaps even by persuading one of their sponsors to sue MLB (the Giants cannot sue MLB themselves). There's also nothing preventing the Giants from filing a lawsuit against the city of San Jose itself.

As Purdy points out, if the Giants were to file any lawsuit, we'd see "the awkward situation of one MLB franchise spending money to defeat a project supported by another MLB franchise in an election partially paid for by MLB itself."

A's owner Lew Wolff said he's "delighted" to hear that Selig is prioritizing the situation and that MLB is moving toward a decision.

Red Sox Met With Ortiz’s Agent

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David Ortiz accepted Boston's arbitration offer last month, and yesterday GM Ben Cherington met with Fern Cuza, Ortiz's agent, to discuss Ortiz's 2012 salary, writes Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.

The deadline for each side to submit arbitration figures is on Tuesday, and MacPherson writes that it's "unlikely" the two sides reach an agreement prior to that point. Big Papi earned $12.5MM last season and should see a raise; MacPherson notes that his production trailed only that of high profile names like Jose Bautista, Miguel Cabrera, and Adrian Gonzalez (only those three posted a higher OPS).

Ortiz was one of three Type A free agents to accept arbitration last month, with the others being Kelly Johnson and Francisco Rodriguez. When Tim Dierkes polled an MLB team executive, a former agency employee, and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, estimates for Ortiz's 2012 salary ranged from $13-15MM. The two sides can continue to negotiate a salary up until the moment before an arbitration hearing begins.

Olney’s Latest: Montero, Cespedes, Indians

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Last night's news was highlighted by the Yankees' signing of Hiroki Kuroda and the four-player trade that sent Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to the Mariners in exchange for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos. ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that it might not be until next week that the trade is announced (as teams wait for completion of physicals), and opines that it may be the Blue Jays who are hurt most by this trade, as their rotation once again looks too thin to compete in the AL East. Here's a look at the highlights from Olney's latest blog (ESPN Insider required)…

  • Both the Yankees and Mariners believe that Montero will be able to stick at catcher, which many in the industry feel is a must in order for the trade to make sense for Seattle.
  • One executive posed the question: "Why is Yoenis Cespedes playing in any Winter ball games?" Olney says Cespedes' first few games have looked rough, as he hasn't played for a long time. With questions about his ability to pick up a breaking ball, he could potentially hurt his value with a poor showing, and doesn't stand to gain much if he plays well.
  • The Indians seem to be in position to land a good first baseman, writes Olney. Casey Kotchman, Carlos Pena, and Derrek Lee all remain unsigned, and if the Nationals sign Prince Fielder, Adam LaRoche will become available as well. Olney points out that all four are regarded as good fielders, which is crucial to Cleveland's groundball staff (Justin Masterson, Derek Lowe, and Fausto Carmona are all extreme groundball pitchers). Olney writes that there were indications earlier this offseason that Lee did not want to play for the Tribe.
  • With the Diamondbacks showing interest in Bartolo Colon, GM Kevin Towers, who spent a year working for the Yankees, will "presumably get an honest read about what [the Yankees] feel Colon could contribute."

Royals Agree To Minor League Deal With Kouzmanoff

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The Royals have agreed to terms on a minor league deal with Kevin Kouzmanoff that includes an invite to Spring Training, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Kouzmanoff, who will serve as an insurance policy for Mike Moustakas, will earn $1MM if he makes the big league club and has $300K worth of incentives based on plate appearances. The deal allows Kouzmanoff to opt out of his contract if he's not in the Majors by May 1 (All Twitter links).

The 30-year-old Kouzmanoff has never been able to match the offensive production he posted in his first two full seasons with the Padres, when he batted .266/.313/.443 (105 OPS+) with 41 homers. Since that time he's hit only .248/.291/.401 with 41 more home runs for the Padres, A's, and Rockies.

His defense has really turned a corner though, as he's posted positive UZRs in every year since 2008, including UZR/150 marks of 7.5 and 16.1 in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Kouzmanoff is represented by agents Matt Sosnick and Paul Cobbe.

Quick Hits: Soriano, Pedro, Indians, Crisp, Tigers

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The first few items of this post concern Alfonso Soriano, Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez.  Are we sure it's 2012?  As we wrap up a busy Friday the 13th, here are a few items to take us into the weekend…

  • Alfonso Soriano reiterated that he is willing to waive his no-trade clause, but only if the Cubs deal him to a contender, reports ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine.  Soriano is owed $54MM through 2014 and the Cubs are reportedly willing to pay most of that salary in a possible deal.
  • Pedro Martinez tells Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal that a few teams contacted him about a possible comeback last season, but the future Hall-of-Famer firmly stated he isn't making a comeback.
  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti told a group of reporters (including MLB.com's Jordan Bastian) that the Tribe wasn't interested in bringing back Manny Ramirez, saying Ramirez was "not a positional fit."  While it could be argued Ramirez would be a nice right-handed complement to current Cleveland DH Travis Hafner, it's easy to see why a team would want to steer clear of Ramirez's baggage.
  • From the same media session, Antonetti said it isn't "imperative" that the Indians acquire a first baseman.  "I think we feel good about the foundation of players that we have," Antonetti said.  "We're in a good spot, but certainly we'd like to improve upon that."  Yesterday, we heard the Tribe was interested in free agent Carlos Pena.
  • The Dodgers never spoke to free agent outfielder Coco Crisp, GM Ned Colletti tells Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times.  It's hard to imagine the Dodgers matching the two-year, $14MM contract Crisp received from the Athletics, but then again, the A's are one of the few teams under even tighter budget restraints than the Dodgers.
  • The Tigers have been so quiet this offseason that MLive.com's Ian Casselberry figures the club may be better off waiting until the season begins to make upgrades.
  • Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune discusses the latest Padres news and answers questions from fans in his weekly online chat.
  • On a one-year, $8MM contract, Roy Oswalt could be "the biggest bargain of the winter," opines Fangraphs' Dave Cameron.
  • Tyler Kepner of the New York Times unveils his "Unsigned All-Star Team" of the offseason's most notable remaining free agents.

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