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AL Central Notes: Indians, Rondon, Tigers

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A few Thursday updates out of the AL Central:

  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti left the Winter Meetings feeling as if he was just a couple text messages from making a deal, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "It could happen very quickly," said Antonetti. "There are some things we could be relatively close on. As we've said a bunch of times, the timing may change and it will take weeks for it to happen."
  • Hector Rondon cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Indians' Triple-A affiliate, tweets MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
  • The Detroit Free Press tweets that GM Dave Dombrowski said the Tigers didn't make an offer to free agent Kelly Johnson, who ultimately accepted arbitration from the Blue Jays.

Marlins Notes: Fielder, Oviedo, Green, Buehrle

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The Marlins offered huge deals to Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, but the pair of free agents opted to sign with the Angels for less money. Will the Marlins turn their attention to the top free agents still available? Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post tweets that he wouldn't be surprised to see the Marlins "at least kick the tires" on Prince Fielder, despite their insistence they don't have interest (Twitter link). Here are the rest of the latest Marlins updates:

  • Juan Carlos Oviedo, formerly Leo Nunez, was arrested in his native Dominican Republic today, but won't face false identity charges, according to an AP report (via ESPN.com).
  • The Marlins will sign Nick Green to a minor league deal, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.
  • Ozzie Guillen wants White Sox fans to know that he didn't steal Mark Buehrle away from the Sox, as he told ESPN 1000 today (hat tip to ESPN Chicago).

Quick Hits: Wilson, Jays, Rule 5, Pudge, Ekstrom

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Let's round up a few Winter Meetings leftovers…

Nightengale On Albert Pujols Negotiations

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Bob Nightengale has a fantastic story up at USA Today that provides a timeline of the negotiations involving Albert Pujols and a handful of clubs at the Winter Meetings. The must-read piece includes word that Pujols' contract could be worth as much as $280MM with incentives. Here are the other highlights:

  • When Dodgers manager Don Mattingly spoke to Pujols last weekend, he sensed Pujols wasn't entirely happy with the Cardinals: "You could just sense something was wrong. He was getting frustrated by it."
  • The Marlins were "relentless," increasing their offer to Pujols multiple times until it reached $275MM. They expected to leave Dallas having signed Pujols, but never offered the no-trade clause he wanted.
  • A mystery team (not the Angels) stepped in on Monday and offered Pujols ten years and $225MM. This mystery club "refuses to be publicly identified," writes Nightengale.
  • On Tuesday, the Cardinals offered a nine-year, $210MM deal with a tenth-year vesting option. At around this time, the Marlins were eliminated from the mix (whether by Pujols or the team), narrowing the decision to the Cards and the mystery team.
  • Late Tuesday, Angels GM Jerry Dipoto called agent Dan Lozano to talk Pujols. Early Wednesday morning, the Halos offered a ten-year deal worth about $250MM.
  • As of Wednesday night, Lozano expected Pujols to mull the decision for a few days, but the slugger called him early this morning to accept the Angels' offer.

Cubs Acquire Ian Stewart In Four-Player Trade

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The Cubs have acquired Ian Stewart and Casey Weathers from the Rockies in exchange for Tyler Colvin and DJ LeMahieu, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.

Each team acquires a 26-year-old former first round pick coming off a disappointing season. Stewart, a non-tender candidate, has long been the subject of trade rumors and hit .156/.243/.221 in limited action in 2011. Colvin, who isn't yet arbitration eligible, hit .150/.204/.306 in 222 plate appearances.

LeMahieu, 23, has a career .753 OPS in the minors and saw his first big league action for the Cubs in 2011. He'll compete for time at second and third base, according to Renck (on Twitter). Weathers, 26, was also a first-round pick, but has yet to pitch above Double-A, where he posted a 5.32 ERA in 45 2/3 innings this year. The right-hander has excellent stuff (career 11.3 K/9), but hasn't been able to control it (7.1 BB/9).

Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported yesterday that the two teams were discussing a deal involving Stewart and Colvin.

Dodgers Notes: Television Rights, Harang

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A United States Bankruptcy Judge ruled today that the Dodgers will be allowed to sell their television rights along with the team, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The team's current deal with FOX prevents them from negotiating with another broadcasting outlet before November 30th, 2012. However, owner Frank McCourt argued that an accelerated sale of the TV rights would mean a higher sale price for the franchise and more cost certainty for bidders. Judge Kevin Gross agreed that an accelerated sale would benefit the Dodgers and their creditors, though FOX is expected to appeal the decision.

Here are the rest of this evening's Dodgers notes:

  • GM Ned Colletti believes the team has improved since season's end, but he isn't done yet, as he tells MLB.com's Ken Gurnick: "There's also more work to do. We're by far a finished product. Take the rest of the winter off? No."
  • Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times has the salary details of Aaron Harang's backloaded two-year contract. Harang will earn $3MM in 2012 and $7MM for 2013, and has a vesting option for 2014 that depends on innings pitched. The option, which can be bought out for $2MM if it doesn't vest, could pay Harang as much as $8MM in '14.

Albert Pujols Signing Reactions

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Albert Pujols and the Angels agreed to a $254MM deal today that will keep the longtime Cardinal under contract until he's 41. As you can imagine, the signing has inspired some reactions across the league. Here are a few takes and additional details on the second-largest contract in baseball history:

Tim Dierkes' take: In hindsight, it was odd to be talking about offers in the $200MM range on the open market for Pujols, who still may be the best hitter in baseball.  It seems that ultimately the Cardinals were way behind in their offer, as both the Marlins and Angels offered over $40MM more.  Before the 2011 season, a contract for Pujols topping Alex Rodriguez's $275MM seemed possible in free agency, but a rough start to the season and the lowest walk rate of Pujols' career might have given a few teams pause.  Plus, the Yankees and Red Sox weren't involved.  

Almost all long-term contracts end badly.  Angels owner Arte Moreno knows that, and he's going for broke for the next three to four years.  I generally appreciate an owner who is willing to do that.  We see teams overpay for dozens of free agents every winter; Angels fans should be glad their owner did it for the best free agent in years.

I can't speak for Cardinals fans, but I don't see cause to be angry toward Pujols or the team.  The Cardinals made the best offer they could reasonably afford, and it was nowhere near the others.  They still have a strong team and the glow of two recent World Series wins.  As for Albert, if I was him I wouldn't have agreed to a contract that made me the fourth-best-paid first baseman in the game.

Additonal Pujols reactions:

  • The signing makes the Angels much better in the short term, but it's "almost unthinkable that this contract will look like a good one in 2021 when we look back on it after its conclusion," writes ESPN.com's Keith Law (Insider required).
  • Dave Cameron of Fangraphs agrees with Law, saying the Angels will need a lot of breaks in order for the deal to work out long-term.
  • The Angels were the "unlikely beneficiary of the Cardinals' inactivity," says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • Cardinals fans have the right to feel bitter, but comparing Pujols to LeBron James is misguided, since Pujols and the Cards won two championships, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • "I would like our fans to know that we tried our best to make Albert a lifetime Cardinal but unfortunately we were unable to make it happen," Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. said as part of a statement, thanking Albert for his achievements and community contributions.
  • Two other FOX Sports scribes provided their takes on the deal as well.
  • At today's press conference, Angels GM Jerry Dipoto praised the athleticism of Mark Trumbo, now the Angels' former first baseman. Dipoto mentioned third base, designated hitter, and the outfield as possibilities for Trumbo, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
  • Appearing on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, Dipoto said the Angels didn't get heavily involved with Pujols until the last 24 hours before they reached an agreement.
  • Jayson Stark of ESPN.com spoke to a few National League GMs who are happy to see Pujols switching leagues. "I'll miss seeing him," said Reds GM Walt Jocketty. "But I won't miss facing him."
  • Typically big spenders, the Yankees and Red Sox weren't in on the Pujols bidding. Yanks GM Brian Cashman "gave it a nice, respectful no" when Pujols' camp approached him, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Sox GM Ben Cherington said it would have taken "huge, fundamental changes" to the team's roster and payroll to sign Pujols, tweets Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.
  • As we discussed earlier, the Angels' offer wasn't the largest one Pujols received — the Marlins' ten-year proposal topped it.

AL East Notes: Eyre, Jeroloman, Golson, Miller, Rays

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The Yankees, Red Sox, and the rest of the AL East have been overshadowed this morning by a big spender out west, but here's what's going on in the division:

  • The Orioles designated reliever Willie Eyre for assignment to make room on the roster for Dana Eveland, announced the team.  The 33-year-old would have been arbitration eligible.  The O's also announced second baseman Greg Miclat will go the Texas as the player to be named later in the Taylor Teagarden deal.
  • The Blue Jays have designated Brian Jeroloman for assignment, tweets MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm. The move clears a roster spot for the returning Kelly Johnson.
  • Greg Golson has been released by the Yankees, tweets MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Having added two players in this morning's Rule 5 draft, the Yanks needed space on their roster, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • The Yankees are close to signing former Indians prospect Adam Miller to a minor league deal, tweets Sherman. Miller ranked among Baseball America's top 100 prospects for five straight years from 2005 to 2009.
  • The Rays are open-minded about listening to trade offers, even for players like James Shields or Jeremy Hellickson, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network. However, they'd need a very large return for their high-end pitchers.
  • Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal looks at a few Red Sox trade chips, as the team searches for pitching help.

Rangers Not Confident They Can Land Garza

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3:27am: FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (who apparently doesn't sleep) tweets that the Rangers are "not at all" confident that they will be able to pry Garza away from the Cubs. Texas considers Chicago's asking price to be too steep.

10:06pm: The Cubs and Rangers are discussing a possible swap of Matt Garza for prospects, but aren't close to matching up yet, tweets Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports confirms (via Twitter) that the Rangers are trying to acquire the right-hander.

The Cubs are rumored to be seeking an "overwhelming offer" for Garza.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

No Pujols Decision During Winter Meetings

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The Cardinals, Angels, and a third team are still involved in the bidding for Albert Pujols, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The third team is not the Marlins, who are out of the running for the slugger.

In today's round-up of Pujols rumors, we also learned that the Cardinals' offer may be for only nine years, rather than ten. It was also reported that Pujols still has three offers in excess of $200MM+ on the table, even with the Marlins out of the mix. It's unclear if the Angels have extended that significant an offer, but Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets that the Halos are "in strong." Here's the latest on Pujols:

  • There's "no shot" Pujols is ready to sign before the meetings are over, or perhaps anytime soon, writes Stark. He also says that there is less and less skepticism that a third team really is in the bidding, and that the team is believed to be a club with an established first baseman it would need to trade to accommodate Pujols.
  • The Angels say they can afford to sign both Pujols and Wilson, tweets USA Today's Bob Nightengale, noting that doing so would likely require $300MM.
  • A decision from Pujols isn't coming before the end of the Winter Meetings, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.
  • The Angels' bid for Pujols is for ten years and at least $210MM, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
  • A "Pujols associate" tells Jon Heyman of MLB Network that it would probably take "$40MM more" from a team besides the Cardinals for Pujols to leave St. Louis (Twitter link).
  • C.J. Wilson is seriously considering signing with the Angels, in which case the Halos would almost certainly be out on Pujols, tweets Rosenthal.
  • Within a piece at FOX Sports, Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi write that the Angels had a "lengthy set of negotiations" with agent Dan Lozano today.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

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