AL East Links: Peterson, A-Rod, Otani, Orioles, Loney
The Red Sox will interview Rick Peterson for their pitching coach job, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). The Orioles granted Boston permission to interview Peterson, who is currently Baltimore's director of pitching development and is a former pitching coach with the A's, Mets and Brewers.
Here's the latest from around the AL East…
- No teams have yet contacted the Yankees about a possible Alex Rodriguez trade, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
- The Orioles have scouted Japanese right-hander Shohei Otani, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, confirming an earlier report from Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News that the O's had interest in the 18-year-old prospect. Since Otani has already been drafted (though not signed) by the NPL's Nippon Ham Fighters, Connolly suspects the O's might not make any quick attempts to sign Otani given the Orioles' issues last season in trying to sign Korean southpaw Seong-Min Kim.
- Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton are both too expensive for the Orioles' taste, writes MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko in an analysis of free agents who won't be pursued by the O's this winter. The team doesn't have interest in free agent pitchers Derek Lowe, Jeremy Guthrie, Edwin Jackson or Erik Bedard, while Kevin Youkilis is a longshot based on Baltimore's concerns about his health.
- James Loney has a less than 50-50 chance of returning to the Red Sox, reports MLB.com's Evan Drellich, though the Sox see Loney as a "Plan B" if they're still looking for first base help later in the offseason.
- The Rays have been denied permission by St. Petersburg mayor Bill Foster to explore new stadium sites in nearby counties in Tampa Bay, reports Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune. The Rays' lease at Tropicana Field runs through the 2027 season.
- Mariano Rivera's retirement could help the Yankees avoid a tough decision with the closer's job, opines Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York. If Rivera retired, the Yankees could then pursue a new contract with Rafael Soriano without worrying about committing too much payroll space on closers.
- From earlier today, Joel Sherman of the New York Post had more items about the Yankees.
AL Central Links: Volstad, Masterson, Indians, ChiSox
As the World Series shifts to Comerica Park for tomorrow's Game Three, here's the latest from around the AL Central….
- The Royals' waiver claim pickup of Chris Volstad could be a sign of how the team plans to take a low-cost approach to upgrading its pitching staff, writes Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Royals GM Dayton Moore said free agents "won’t be a long-term answer for us” because the club hopes to have homegrown pitching prospects in the rotation by 2014. “We’ve got to look internally,” Moore said. “We’ve got to look through trades. We’ve got to look, certainly, through free agency…we might be able to pick off a player or two, but we’re not going to build our team through free agency. It won’t work.”
- Given the Indians' need for pitching and the cost of acquiring new starters, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian believes the team won't deal starter Justin Masterson (Twitter link). The groundball specialist has been rumored to be on the trade market following a disappointing 2012 season.
- Travis Hafner's $13MM team option for 2013 is a sure bet to be bought out by the Indians, tweets Bastian, while the Tribe will likely also decline Roberto Hernandez's $6MM club option. Ubaldo Jimenez's $5.75MM club option for next season is "expected" to be picked up. Bastian thinks it's "hard to believe" that the Indians would re-sign the injury-plagued Grady Sizemore as a free agent.
- The White Sox face four difficult option decisions on Jake Peavy, Kevin Youkilis, Gavin Floyd and Brett Myers, writes Paul Swydan for ESPN (Insider subscription required). Swydan opines that Floyd is a more proven rotation candidate than Myers and "if only one option of the two is picked up, it should be Floyd's," while Youkilis could be a good candidate to be retained given Chicago's lack of depth at third base. Peavy's $22MM option "is difficult to justify" given his injury history, though Swydan notes that Peavy provided close to $20MM worth of value during his healthy 2012 season.
- In other White Sox news, Hahn discussed Peavy's option and more in his introductory press conference as the club's new general manager.
White Sox Notes: Hahn, Peavy, Pierzynski
Rick Hahn was officially introduced as the new White Sox general manager at a press conference today and addressed some hot stove topics with the media (including Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago and Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune).
- Hahn projected that the 2013 White Sox payroll should be "right in the same neighborhood" of the team's $97.67MM payroll from last season.
- The team has had "good talks back and forth already" with Jake Peavy's representatives. The Sox hold a $22MM option on Peavy for 2013 that they're expected to buy out for $4MM, and while Hahn left the door open for Peavy to return, the price tag may be too high. "I know Jake’s preference – which he hasn’t been shy about – is to be back here in Chicago," Hahn said. "And that’s always a good place to start. But there does come a point where there are certain opportunities elsewhere that don’t make sense for us to try to chase.”
- Hahn has spoken with A.J. Pierzynski's agent though there is "a good dialogue" between the two sides, Hahn noted that the team won't know their chances of bringing the veteran catcher back until the market develops.
- "Given the sort of shallowness of this year’s free agent market and the fact that there are some clubs with some money to spend, I’m not overly optimistic that we’re going to be huge players in free agency," Hahn said. “But at the same time, we’re going to be out there looking for values and certainly continue to talk to our guys and see if we can’t fit them in for next year, too.”
- While Hahn was considered for some other GM openings with other teams in recent years, "I don't feel I ever seriously got on the doorstep of leaving," he said (via Gonzales' Twitter account). Hahn was known to be a candidate for the Cubs' general manager opening last winter.
Dodgers Notes: Colletti, League, Crawford
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti discussed a number of offseason topics with the media (including MLB.com's Ken Gurnick) during today's official introductory press conference for Carl Crawford. Here are some of the highlights…
- Colletti said the Dodgers would look to add starting and relief pitching this winter, plus outfield depth. "Our outfield is somewhat complete, but not complete," Colletti said. "We've got to keep our versatility and have somebody that can play center field. Tony Gwynn is still part of the organization and a candidate." Crawford, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are set as the Dodgers' starting outfield trio for 2013, though good bench options are necessary given Crawford and Kemp's recent injury problems.
- Mickey Hatcher is not a candidate to replace the recently-fired Dave Hansen as the Dodgers' hitting coach, though Colletti said Hatcher could find a job in another capacity with the team. Hatcher, fired last spring as the Angels' hitting coach, served as "a de facto assistant" to Hansen last season.
- The Dodgers are interested in bringing back Jamey Wright, Randy Choate and Brandon League next season. All three relievers are free agents, though Colletti is "encouraged" by negotiations thus far with League (as tweeted by Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times).
- Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has the details of Crawford's meeting with the media, including his surprise at being traded last summer, his willingness to waive his no-trade clause and how he wished he'd immediately undergone Tommy John surgery rather than trying to play through the pain. "I wish I’d done it [earlier], because I’d be better now. With the Boston fans you have a big deal that was made about my money and trying to play for the team," Crawford said. "Maybe I shouldn’t have done that and taken care of myself. I pretty much put pressure on myself to play. You get looked at as being soft and as somebody just trying to take money. I wanted to prove that wasn’t the case. That probably cost me a little time for next year."
Dustin Moseley, Tim Stauffer Elect Free Agency
The Padres announced that right-handers Dustin Moseley and Tim Stauffer have cleared outright waivers and have elected to become free agents, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
Moseley was enjoying a career-best year in 2011 (3.30 ERA in 20 starts) before missing the last two months of the season after dislocating his left shoulder while swinging a bat. The injury bug followed Moseley to this season, as he was limited to just one start in 2012 after undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder.
Stauffer posted a 1.87 ERA as a starter and reliever in 2010 and enjoyed a solid full-time return to the rotation in 2011, when he was the Padres' Opening Day starter and posted a 3.73 ERA, a 2.42 K/BB ratio and a 6.2 K/9 in 31 starts. Like Moseley, Stauffer was limited to just one start in 2012 due to injury, in this case elbow problems that required surgery in August. Stauffer tells the Union-Tribune (Twitter link) that he would like to return to San Diego, though it would have to be on a minor league contract.
Both pitchers were entering their third year of arbitration eligibility and both were seen as likely non-tender candidates by MLB.com's Tim Dierkes in his look at the Padres' arb-eligible players. Matt Swartz projected Moseley to earn $2MM in 2013 while Stauffer was on pace to earn $3.2MM.
Minor Moves: Lin, Del Rosario, Thompson, Cubs
Here are some of the minor transactions from around the league…
- The Astros have claimed outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin off waivers from the Red Sox, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (Twitter link). Lin made his Major League debut this season, appearing in nine games for Boston before being designated for assignment last week.
- In a corresponding move, the Astros announced that right-hander Enerio Del Rosario has been designated for assignment. Del Rosario posted a 9.00 ERA in 19 relief innings for Houston last season.
- Outfielder Rich Thompson has elected free agency, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Thompson was outrighted to Triple-A by the Rays earlier this week. The 33-year-old appeared in 23 games for the Rays last season, his first taste of Major League action with a six-game stint with the Royals in 2004.
- The Cubs outrighted Joe Mather, Blake Parker and Justin Germano to Triple-A Iowa, tweets MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Manny Corpas was also among Chicago's outright assignments today and the reliever has already chosen to become a free agent.
- Matt Eddy of Baseball America recaps the week's minor league transactions, including the news that the Orioles have officially released Dontrelle Willis, who intended to retire back in July.
Angels Sign Angel Sanchez
The Angels have signed infielder Angel Sanchez to a minor league deal, reports MLB.com's Evan Drellich. The contract contains an invitation to the Halos' Major League Spring Training camp.
Sanchez, 29, hit .240/.305/.285 in 328 plate appearances with the Astros last season and elected to become a free agent earlier this month. Sanchez has a total of 628 Major League PAs with the Astros, Red Sox and Royals in a 12-year pro career that began as a 17-year-old. With Maicer Izturis expected to sign elsewhere in free agency, Sanchez will compete to replace him as infield depth on the Angels' bench.
Managerial Notes: Marlins, Rockies, Red Sox
The Rockies (98 losses), Marlins (93 losses) and Blue Jays (89 losses) are all searching for new managers as they look to rebound from disappointing seasons. Here are the latest managerial notes from around MLB…
- The Marlins have also interviewed former MLB player and manager Larry Bowa for their managerial opening, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). Marlins candidates are conducting separate interviews with owner Jeffrey Loria and the baseball operations department, according to Rosenthal.
- Bryan Price interviewed for the Marlins' managerial opening today, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. Price has been the Reds' pitching coach since 2009.
- The Marlins asked to speak with Padres special assistant Brad Ausmus about their managerial opening only to hear that the former MLB catcher isn't interested, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. Ausmus interviewed for Boston's managerial vacancy and was considered by the Astros before withdrawing his name from consideration. Price and Mike Redmond are also candidates for the position in Miami.
- The Rockies have spoken with former MLB shortstop Walt Weiss regarding their managerial vacancy, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. Weiss, the 1988 American League Rookie of the Year, joins Jason Giambi and Tom Runnells as a contender for the position.
- The Rockies are also expected to interview Matt Williams, Renck reports (on Twitter). The former third baseman hit 378 home runs over the course of a 17-year MLB career.
- The Red Sox officially named Torey Lovullo their bench coach today. The 47-year-old former second baseman coached first base for the Blue Jays last year under current Red Sox manager John Farrell.
Quick Hits: Baker, Hunter, Kershaw, LaRoche
Congratulations to Miguel Cabrera, who was named the Sporting News MLB Player of the Year. Here are some more links from around MLB on an off day for Cabrera's Tigers and the NL Champion Giants…
- The Twins will decline Scott Baker's $9.25MM option for 2013, but he remains a "high priority" for the team, Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN reports. Baker's agent has been speaking regularly with the Twins and the sides could agree to an incentive-laden one or two-year deal.
- The Twins haven't yet called to inquire about minor league free agent Aaron Laffey, according to Wolfson.
- Teams are standing by to see if the Angels make Torii Hunter a one-year qualifying offer, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (Twitter link). If the Angels make Hunter a qualifying offer and he declines, other teams will have to surrender a draft pick to sign the outfielder. Otherwise, he'll be coveted as a free agent. Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com suggested today that the Angels won't extend Hunter a qualifying offer (Twitter link).
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said he will probably think about a long-term contract for Clayton Kershaw this coming offseason, Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports (on Twitter). The left-hander's under contract for 2013 and under team control as an arbitration eligible player through 2014.
- The Nationals and Adam LaRoche have made “some progress” toward a new contract, the first baseman told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. There’s nothing definitive at this stage, but the sides have started to establish parameters for a possible new deal.
Manny Corpas Elects Free Agency
Right-hander Manny Corpas has elected free agency after being outrighted off of the Cubs' 40-man roster, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The arbitration eligible 29-year-old had been a non-tender candidate with a projected salary of $1.4MM.
Corpas made 48 relief appearances in 2012, posting a 5.01 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 46 2/3 innings. In six seasons with the Rockies and Cubs he has a career 4.09 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. Corpas' fastball averaged 89.2mph this past season, down from his career average of 91.5mph. O'Connell Sports Management represents Corpas.