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Quick Hits: Verlander, Hamilton, Rangers, Lincecum

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It’s not a huge surprise, but Tigers president and General Manager Dave Dombrowski said that he would like to make Justin Verlander a Tiger for life, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  The right-hander still has two years remaining on his five-year, $80MM deal and extending him won’t be cheap.  However, the Tigers made a similar move when they inked Miguel Cabrera to his eight-year, $152.3MM deal two years before he was set to hit the open market.  Here’s more from around baseball as the Giants celebrate their Game 2 victory..

  • People familiar with the Brewers’ thinking told Heyman that the club is seriously considering a run at Josh Hamilton this winter.  Owner Mark Attanasio declined comment on the possibility, but the team is said to believe that Milwaukee is a viable market for the slugger.  The Brewers would obviously have a hard time competing with major market teams for Hamilton, but it helps that the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers likely won’t be in the mix.
  • Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels said that he sees some similarities between what his club did in 2007 and the Red Sox’s blockbuster deal this year, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  Texas traded star first baseman Mark Teixeira to the Braves in the summer of 2007, netting the club Elvis Andrus and freedom to build the roster.  Daniels, who was a guest on WEEI’s Red Sox Hot Stove show, also said that he doesn’t expect to trade Andrus or Kinsler despite having Jurickson Profar close to being major league-ready.
  • Despite his struggles in 2012, General Manager Brian Sabean ruled out the possibility of Tim Lincecum moving to the bullpen next season, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Lincecum is entering his walk year in the 2013 season and will earn $22MM.
  • One person connected to the Giants told Heyman that there’s no way that Lincecum will be traded, in part because of how the fans in San Francisco respond to him.
  • Commissioner Bud Selig told reporters before tonight’s game that he has spoken with Blue Jays president Paul Beeston and has yet to hear a complaint from the organization regarding possible tampering with manager John Farrell, tweets Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.

Austin Jackson To Be Represented By Scott Boras

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Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson signed on to be represented by agent Scott Boras, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com (via Twitter).  Jackson was previously represented by Hendricks Sports.

Jackson, 25, is set to be arbitration eligible for the first time this winter and can hit the open market after the 2015 season.  The centerfielder joined the club in the winter of 2009 in a three-way deal that sent Curtis Granderson to the Yankees.  Jackson has had a strong season in his third year with Detroit, hitting .300/.377/.479 with 16 homers in 617 plate appearances.  For other Boras clients and clients of other agents, check out MLBTR's Agency Database.

Cardinals Notes: Lohse, Berkman, Kozma, Mozeliak

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Cardinals pitcher Kyle Lohse is widely expected to be in for some massive offers when he hits the open market this winter and some agents and executives see him netting a C.J. Wilson-type deal in the $75MM range, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  Cards General Manager John Mozeliak spoke to reporters about Lohse and more earlier today.  Let's check out some highlights, courtesy of Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch..

  • Mozeliak said that "it's hard to imagine finding a fit" for Lance Berkman on the roster in 2013.  The veteran is considering retirement after undergoing knee surgery but says he may also like to hook on with a contender for next season.
  • Former first-round pick Pete Kozma was considered for removal from the 40-man roster several times throughout the season, Goold writes.  However, after starting the final 29 games of the regular season and all 13 playoff games, St. Louis won't face that same quandary this winter.
  • The Cardinals will be looking for a new bullpen coach after notifying Dyar Miller that his contract won't be renewed for next season.  All of the other coaches – including hitting coach Mark McGwire, pitching coach Derek Lilliquist, and third-base coach Jose Oquendo – will be offered the chance to return.

NL East Notes: Mets, Wright, Dickey, Marlins

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The Mets’ contract talks with David Wright and R.A. Dickey have not advanced to the point of discussing years or dollars, a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.  General Manager Sandy Alderson has remained in touch with representatives for both players but the sides are “still talking about when to really get talking,” according to the source.  Martino writes that some in the organization believe that the Mets will sign Wright but ultimately trade Dickey.  Here’s more on the Mets and other items out of the NL East..

  • Alderson disclosed that manager Wally Backman will return to the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas next season, tweets Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger.  The 53-year-old has managed in the organization’s minor league system for the past three seasons.
  • The Phillies had some interest in bringing Backman aboard as their Triple-A manager in Lehigh Valley to replace Ryne Sandberg, Martino tweets.  Sandberg was bumped up to third base coach for the Phillies earlier this month.
  • The Marlins are said to have interest in Reds pitching coach Bryan Price for their managerial vacancy, but Price has recently agreed to a new deal with the club, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  However, Price won’t comment on whether the club has asked for permission to talk to him, writes Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel.

AL East Notes: Rivera, Farrell, Blue Jays, Red Sox

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After tearing his ACL in a freak injury back in May, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera vowed to reporters that he would return.  “I am coming back. Write it down in big letters. … I’m not going out like this,” said the 42-year-old.  Now, General Manager Brian Cashman says that Rivera’s future is less-than-certain, writes Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.  Marchand notes that a new contract could also be tricky for Rivera as his two-year, $30MM contract has expired.  Here’s more out of the American League East..

  • The John Farrell compensation talks came down to Mike Aviles or Andrew Bailey, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  The Blue Jays of course wound up with Aviles, who gives the club flexibility with Yunel Escobar.
  • Rather than hire one of the many experienced managers available, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star would rather see the Blue Jays hire a fresh face.  Griffin suggests that Alex Anthopoulos & Co. should speak with Sandy Alomar Jr., Sal Fasano, Dave Martinez, Paul Molitor, and others.
  • The Red Sox’s uncertain contender status will impact the way that they build their roster this winter, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  Speier writes that the Red Sox will likely treat trade opportunities similar to how they did leading up to the July 31st deadline.  That means holding on to key prospects unless its for worthwhile players that are under control for multiple years.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Berken, Albaladejo, Ransom

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We'll keep track of the day's outright assignments right here… 

  • The Padres outrighted right-hander Thad Weber to Triple-A Tucson, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter).  Weber was claimed off of waivers from the Tigers in late August and saw time in two big league games for Detroit in April.
  • The Cubs announced that they have outrighted utility man Adrian Cardenas and right-handers Jason Berken, Miguel Socolovich, and Marcos Mateo to Triple-A.  Socolovich spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A for the Cubs and Orioles, posting a 2.11 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.  Berken was also claimed off of waivers from the O's and posted a 3.50 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 26 Triple-A starts.
  • The Diamondbacks outrighted Jonathan Albaladejo, Tyler Graham, Mike Jacobs, Joe Martinez, and Cody Ransom to Triple-A Reno, according to the official MLB.com transactions page.  Albaladejo spent the 2011 season in Japan and saw just three innings of work for Arizona this year.  Jacobs, 31, hit .279/.362/.486 with 18 homers for Triple-A Reno.  Ransom was claimed off of waivers mid-season from the Brewers and hit .220/.312/.411 in 90 games.
  • The Mariners announced that they outrighted first baseman Luis Jimenez to Triple-A. The 30-year-old appeared in seven games with the Mariners this past September after spending most of the season at Triple-A. Jimenez hit 20 homers with Tacoma, posted a .310/.394/.514 batting line, and was named his team's Offensive Player of the Year. The left-handed hitter can become a minor league free agent five days after the World Series ends. Seattle now has two open spots on its 40-man roster.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Mets Claim Anthony Recker

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The Mets have claimed catcher Anthony Recker from the Cubs, according to Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald (via Twitter).  Recker was designated for assignment by Chicago yesterday to make room for right-hander Carlos Gutierrez.

Recker, 29, posted a .143/.263/.245 slash line in 58 plate appearances for the Athletics and Cubs in 2012.  For his career, Recker has a .277/.359/.474 career batting line in over 1,200 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.

Pirates Claim Ali Solis

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The Pirates have claimed catcher Ali Solis off of waivers from the Padres, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter).  Catcher Eric Fryer and first baseman Jeff Clement were designated for assignment to make room for Solis and right-hander Chad Beck to make room on the 40-man roster.

Solis, 25, spent the year in Double-A San Antonio, posting a slash line of .283/.307/.419 with six homers in 87 games.  The catcher also saw his first big league action in September, appearing in five games for the Padres.

Fryer, 27, owns a .204/.291/.275 slash line across two Triple-A seasons  Clement, 29, spent 23 games on the varsity squad and hit .276/.340/.486 in 112 Triple-A games this year.

Pirates Claim Chad Beck

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The Pirates have claimed right-hander Chad Beck off of waivers from the Blue Jays, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports (on Twitter). The Blue Jays had designated Beck for assignment earlier in the week to create 40-man roster space for Bobby Wilson.

Beck joined the Blue Jays organization in 2008 when Toronto acquired him from Arizona for David Eckstein. The 27-year-old appeared in 14 games for the Blue Jays this year after spending most of the season at Triple-A. Beck posted a 1.31 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 48 innings at Las Vegas in 2012.

Otani, Fujinami Selected In NPB Draft

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3:11pm: Otani can sign with an MLB team at any time, an MLB official confirmed to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Signing with an MLB team at this stage would likely irk the Fighters and other Japanese baseball officials, however. If the Fighters sign Otani then attempt to post him, he'd still count against teams' $2.9MM international bonus pools, Badler reports. Fujinami expects to start his professional career in Japan, according to Badler.

8:10am: Shohei Otani, the Japanese pitching prospect who's drawing interest from Major League teams, won't be able to sign with an MLB franchise before April of 2013. As expected, the Nippon Ham Fighters selected the 18-year-old right-hander with the first overall pick in the NPB draft, Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker reports (on Twitter).

The Fighters won’t necessarily be able to sign Otani, who has said he intends to pursue a career in MLB. They have until the end of March to agree to terms with the hard-throwing prospect under an agreement between MLB and NPB. If Otani declines to sign with the Fighters, MLB teams will be able to bid on him as a free agent, though they’ll be subject to international spending restrictions.

The Hanshin Tigers selected Shintaro Fujinami, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America (on Twitter). Some scouts prefer Fujinami to Otani, Badler writes.

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