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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.

International Notes: Zambrano, Cabrera, Montero

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Links are in Spanish…

  • Rumors have been circulating in Carlos Zambrano's home country of Venezuela about a possible trade to Miami, writes Marlins beat writer Luis Rangel at El Nuevo Herald, the Spanish-language counterpart to the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Rangel adds that he's heard from the team that "it's not true."
  • Asdrubal Cabrera will begin contract negotiations with the Indians next week, his agent Jose Mijares of Octagon told Jose Manuel Fernandez at El Universal in Venezuela. Tim Dierkes analyzed Cabrera as an multiyear extension candidate yesterday, though Mijares didn't mention any prospect of a long-term deal. "The team will send us a figure, and we'll respond," he said. "I don't think there will be any problems in signing soon. My experience with Cleveland tells me that there won't be any need to go to arbitration."
  • In the same piece, Mijares said that another of his arbitration-eligible clients, Miguel Montero, is close to agreeing with the Diamondbacks on a figure for 2012. "Montero has more points in his favor than Cabrera," Mijares said. "He was the leader many offensive categories among National League catchers." Montero's strong 2011 campaign led MLBTR's Mark Polishuk to identify him as an extension candidate back in September.  For 2012, Matt Swartz projects a $5.3MM salary.
  • Vicente Padilla told Edgard Rodriguez C. at La Prensa in Nicaragua that three teams have showed interest in him recently. Two days ago, another Nicaraguan paper reported that the Marlins were eyeing Padilla, but the pitcher said there is nothing firm between him and any team. More importantly to the 34-year-old righty's Major League prospects, his neck is pain-free and his fastball has reportedly been up around 95-96 mph this winter.
  • Miguel Tejada told Pappy Perez at El Nacional in the Dominican Republic that he wants to invest in the Dominican Winter League team the Aguilas Cibaeñas when his Major Leauge career is through. But he emphasized that he's not retired yet. "I've had a bad season, but that's not to say that I'm done, and my goal is to show that I can still be a player at the highest level. That's my goal these days," Tejada insisted.
  • Sources close to Amaury Sanit tell Fernando Ballesteros at Puro Béisbol in Mexico that the Dodgers are interested in signing the 32-year-old Cuban reliever. Sanit logged just seven innings out of the Yankees' pen last season before being released in June, but he has seen more action as the closer for the Culicán Tomateros in the Mexican League this winter, pitching to a 0.62 era in 36 appearances.

International Notes: Hanley, Marmol, Padilla

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Links are in Spanish…

  • Hanley Ramirez gave his clearest statement yet on a possible position change, telling the AP's Dionisio Soldevila on Friday, "I've talked with [Ozzie] Guillen, and what we both want is to win with the Marlins. When January arrives, we'll see what happens with the position change and everything else. If it's at third, fine. Wherever they put me, I'll do it in order to win." As for his surgically repaired shoulder, Ramirez described it as responsive and 95 percent healed.
  • Cubs closer Carlos Marmol has heard the rumors of his availability, and he told Julio E. Castro C. at Multimedios del Caribe that he's resigned to whatever the team decides to do with him. "It's their business," he said. "For good or bad, I have to accept it. My job is to pitch, not to handle team business. If I stay with the Cubs, great for me, and the same if not. I repeat: This is a business."
  • Vicente Padilla has been dominating hitters in his native Nicaraguan league over the last month, and the 34-year-old pitcher told Osman Rosales Cruz at El Nuevo Diario that he wants to sign as a starter with a Major League team. Yesterday, Cruz reported that the Marlins were eyeing Padilla, and in today's piece he describes asking the pitcher about the rumor: "'Truthfully, I can't talk about that,' Vicente insisted at first, but later he came up to me without the recorder and told me, 'Maybe.'"

Weiner: Teams Want International Draft “Right Now”

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The title of MLB's new International Talent Committee sounds global in scope, but there's no doubt of the central role the Dominican Republic will play in the committee's upcoming discussions about a possible international draft. It was appropriate, then, that MLB Player's Association executive director Michael Weiner spoke to the press in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo yesterday, just hours after introducing the committee stateside. Weiner and other MLBPA representatives outlined a number of goals focusing on protecting and helping Dominicans and other Latino players, but they face a growing rumble of criticism about the committee's makeup and its perceived plans for Latin America.

"We're analyzing things to see what is the best solution," Weiner said, as reported in Spanish* by Dionisio Soldevila at the Dominican daily Hoy (link in Spanish). "If it was up to the owners, they'd do it right now. The players are open to that same discussion."

This statement in particular led some in the Dominican press to label the draft "practically a done deal," though some MLB executives sound less categorical than Weiner. "Some teams are for it, while other teams are not," Padres senior vice president Omar Minaya told Andy Martino at the New York Daily News. "For a draft to go into effect, a lot of things would have to be in place." Minaya isn't on the committee, but his Mets successor Sandy Alderson is, and Martino had this to say about the Mets GM:

"People involved with the committee describe Alderson as not quite as avid a proponent of the international draft as he once was. Although he is said to remain open-minded about the issue, Alderson is not expected to play the role of fiery advocate for the league's pro-draft position."

Along with Weiner and Alderson, the committee includes MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred, MLBPA director of player relations Tony Clark, MLB senior advisor Rick Shapiro, Kim Ng from the Commissioner's Office, Rays GM Andrew Friedman, and Stan Javier, a Dominican-born former player who now works as a special assistant for the MLBPA. When the lineup was first announced on Wednesday, several writers in the Spanish-speaking press made note of the fact that Javier is the only Latino. Among the most critical was Arturo Marcano, an ESPN Deportes contributor and co-author with David Fidler of a number of articles and a book that take issue with MLB's history of managing Latino talent. In a column yesterday on ESPN Deportes (link in Spanish), Marcano called it "absurd" not to include more international representation on the committee, writing:

"There is just one Latino in the committee, in spite of the clear fact that the principal objective is to study a market that is largely centered in Latin America. I find it hard to believe that the only available Latino prepared to take part in this committee was Stanley Javier." Marcano pointed to the the objectives the committee laid out in a recent press release, noting that most deal specifically with issues related to the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Mexico. But there's also the simple matter of language, he wrote:

"The only way that the members of the committee can properly analyze many of these issues, including the legal aspects and socioeconomic realities of countries like Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, is to have a full mastery of what has happened up to now, and to speak Spanish, since many of the affected and interested parties don't speak English. Unless Google Translate is an honorary member of the committee."
 
As if in response to such concerns, two Dominican players, Miguel Batista and Jose Veras, accompanied Weiner, Clark, and Javier at the event in the Santo Domingo. Batista told Soldevila, "The players are trying to protect the interests of all these young men. There are many things we're trying to achieve to help latino muchachos, including better educational programs, not rejecting 18-year-old Dominicans like happens now, and that they have more opportunities."

An additional concern for the committee is that, as Minaya concisely put it, "countries do not want to be Puerto Rico." The island was absorbed into the American/Canadian draft in 1990 and has produced declining numbers of players ever since, which Weiner addressed at the press conference, saying, "With the draft in Puerto Rico, some precautions weren't taken, and for that reason the number of signings decreased dramatically. Now, with this committee, we're going to watch so that the flow of players from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and other countries doesn't decrease."

Once the committee starts meeting in January, Puerto Rico will finally begin to be more than just a cautionary tale. One of the group's objectives is to discuss whether the nation should be absorbed into an international draft, or stay on equal footing with the US and Canada.

* In lieu of a transcript or video of the press conference, which the MLBPA informed MLB Trade Rumors it does not have, Michael Weiner's quotes here are re-translations of quotes that were translated from English into Spanish by the Dominican press. Thus, they may differ in minor ways from the original English. The quotes will be changed here as appropriate should such a transcript become available.

Venezuelan Notes: Zambrano, Hanley, Vizquel

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The Venezuelan Winter League's annual home run derby took place last night at City University (Ciudad Universidad) in Caracas, with longtime Mariners minor leaguer Luis Jimenez besting a host of MLB talent including Pablo Sandoval, Carlos Gonzalez, Andruw Jones, Bobby Abreu, Miguel Montero, and Carlos Zambrano. Zambrano, a surprise entry, made a decent showing, hitting his first offering out to left field and ultimately tying Gonzalez with two bambinazos, according to Oscar Alonso Delgado at Correo del Carroní. He also had the quote of the night. Links are in Spanish…

  • Talking to reporters at the derby, Zambrano outlined his re-commitment to the Cubs following a disastrous 2011 season. "I'm preparing like when I was a rookie, climbing mountains, running on the beach, and exercising hard so that I can arrive at Spring Training in optimal shape," he said, as relayed by Joiner Martinez at Líder en Deportes. "I want to stay in Chicago for the two seasons I still have with the team. I'm not a coward who would take the back door out of the majors."
  • Alas, Ozzie Guillen didn't participate in the derby, but he did speak to the press, contesting recent reports that Hanley Ramirez has resisted moving to third base. "It never came from Hanley that he was upset. That was from the press," Guillen said, according to Manuel Lira at Líder. "He's calm. I've talked with him through Miguel Cabrera. He knew before the signing what the Marlins were going to do, and afteward, he talked with the front office for 20 minutes and didn't express any unhappiness. I want Hanley to be happy, and I'll talk with him when things quiet down."
  • Guillen also shared the mic briefly with Omar Vizquel, who complained to the Venezuelan press earlier this offseason that that the White Sox treated him like he was "in intensive care" last season. Guillen joked, "They booted me [from Chicago] because of Vizquel," but apparently feelings aren't too raw, because in a separate piece in Líder by Joiner Martinez, the new Marlins manager added, "Omar Vizquel is a possibility for our team… We don't know which players we're going to sign, but Vizquel could play two or three more years in the big leagues." Guillen clarified, however, that Zambrano isn't in his plans at the moment.

Rojas Source: Hanley Prefers Trade Over Position Change

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WEDNESDAY: The Marlins have every intention of Hanley being their third baseman next year, president Larry Beinfest said at today's Jose Reyes press conference.

TUESDAY: Hanley Ramirez isn't on board with the idea of moving to third base and would rather be traded than switch positions, a "credible source" told Enrique Rojas at ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com (link in Spanish).

"Hanley doesn't want to play third base and the Marlins were informed of that," the source told Rojas. "Rather than ask for a trade, what he has done is to inform (the team) that he does not want to play another position other than shortstop." Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post has also verified with a Marlins official that Ramirez did not ask to be traded (Twitter link).

Ramirez's agent Andy Mota told Rojas he had no comment about the situation, but the player himself posted a resigned-sounding Tweet this morning, saying, "What I am gonna do is work hard and get ready for next season because that is the only thing I can control I love y'all!!!!"

Rojas also spoke with Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen yesterday in Dallas, and the skipper said he had spoken with Ramirez before Reyes was signed and plans to revisit the discussion soon. "He has to understand what is best for the club, and he'll be a better player with those two guys [Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio] in front of him in the lineup," Guillen said. "The last thing we would do is smack the kid and tell him, 'You've got to move.' That's not the way… I think the boy will have the opportunity to be an All-Star third baseman. We have the opportunity to have two all stars in those positions."

Both owner Jeffrey Loria and president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest suggested recently that Ramirez would ultimately defer to Reyes, and that a trade wasn't on the table. A week ago, before Reyes had signed, Ramirez expressed deference toward the possibility in an appearance on Dominican TV, saying "the front office has the last word." Ramirez played just three games worth of third base while in the Red Sox system, most recently in 2005. His -4.8 UZR in 2011 was firmly in the bottom half of NL shortstops, directly behind Reyes and in front of Bonifacio, who took over the six-hole when Ramirez underwent shoulder surgery in August.

International Links: Hanley, Ortiz, Aybar

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Links are in Spanish…

  • As the Marlins' courtship of Jose Reyes enters its second month, it remains unclear what the addition of Reyes would mean for Hanley Ramirez. As of late October, the team reportedly still hadn't spoken with Ramirez about a position change, and according to one source, he is opposed to moving. Ramirez seemed to cede some authority to the team while attending a winter league game last Wednesday, telling Caribe Multimedia, "I am the Marlins' shortstop… As of now, I'm the shortstop. Jose Reyes is a quality player, and he would be welcome on the team if we sign him. But in this case, the front office has the last word." Ramirez's claim to the six-hole is tempered in the immediate future by his recovery from shoulder surgery, which he admitted could cause him to miss some of Spring Training.
  • We've already heard today that David Ortiz has an offer in hand and is seeking a three-year deal. Ortiz reinforced that he has value on the open market in an interview with Julio Valdez at Dominican daily El Nacional, saying,"I'd like to stay in Boston — I'd really like to stay — but I'm not going to play for free."
  • Willy Aybar recently told a panel of appellate court judges in the Dominican Republic that he has a contract with a team in Japan for the upcoming season, but as to whether he'll be able to honor it, the 28-eight-year-old said, "Only God knows." According to Guillermina Santos at the Dominican daily El Día, the judges then ordered Aybar to remain in prison for allegedly assaulting his wife and disturbing the peace earlier this month, a decision which Aybar's lawyer says he will appeal.

International Notes: Williams, Perez, Dessens, Urias

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The Winter Leagues are the place to be for contract-hunting veterans and plenty of others with an MLB job in hand. Even Wilson Ramos still wants to play. Links are in Spanish…

  • Jerome Williams, who provided a late-season boost in six starts for the Angels, is continuing to make a strong case for his spot the 2012 rotation with a dominant winter in Venezuela. In six starts for the Magallanes Navegantes, Williams is 5-0 with a 1.00 ERA, reports Luis Gonzales at El Universal. After four offseasons without a Major League deal, Williams is arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter at age 29.
  • Oliver Perez is technically a free agent, but the 30-year-old lefty told Fernando Ballesteros at Puro Beisbol, "I would say that I still belong to Washington, though anything could happen." Perez spent 2011 at the Nationals' Double-A affiliate in Harrisburg and will spend the winter pitching for the Culiacán Tomateros in the Mexican Pacific League. Fellow MLB free agents Vicente Padilla and Rodrigo Lopez also recently reported to the MPL looking for an offseason showcase, reports Ballesteros.
  • In the same piece, Ballesteros notes that 41-year-old reliever Elmer Dessens doesn't want to go undergo another surgery on his pitching arm, and that "it is only a question of time before he officially says goodbye to the diamond." Dessens was reported to have signed a minor league contract with the Giants last February, positioning him to become the first Mexican pitcher to play in the majors into his forties, but the deal fell through and he sat out the season.
  • Also in the piece, Ballesteros adds that the Pirates recently offered 200K to 15-year-old Mexican pitching prospect Julio Cesar Urias, but Urias’ parents rejected the offer. According to Ballesteros, the young lefty is currently being wooed by several MLB teams, the Diablos Rojos of the Mexican league, and the Gonzalez Sports Academy, which is co-owned by Adrian Gonzalez and his brothers Edgar and David.

Epstein, Zambrano Touch Base

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Carlos Zambrano is in no hurry to part ways with the Cubs, and by the pitcher's account the feeling is mutual. Zambrano told Carlos Alberto Zambrano at the Venezuelan newspaper Lider en Deportes (link in Spanish) that he received a "friendly" call from new team president Theo Epstein on Tuesday, the first contact between the two. According to Zambrano, the conversation started with introductions and ended with Epstein promising to call him at a later date to set up a personal meeting stateside.

"We talked for a while. Now I'm waiting for him to tell me when we'll meet," Zambrano said. "It might be after the winter meetings that the GMs have, which is in Milwaukee this year."

Zambrano had a rough start to his winter league sojourn last week, lasting only 2 2/3 innings for the reigning league champion Anzoátegui Caribes. And while the 30-year-old sounded eager to build a positive relationship with the new Cubs brass, he is not planning to step away from his duties in Venezuela to do so. 

"When I go to talk to the GM it will be a short trip. For example, supposing that I pitch on a Saturday, I'd leave that same night. We'd talk Sunday or Monday, and by Tuesday, I'd be on my way back to Venezuela. I'm not going for a week or even five days. It'll be quick-to meet each other. Talk in person. That's very important. I'd like to build a relationship from scratch with the new GM. Erase everything and start over."

The Marlins and Royals have been connected to Zambrano so far this offseason, but Royals GM Dayton Moore insisted on Monday that the team's interest was mostly theoretical.

Ramirez Demands Multiyear Deal From Cubs

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The Cubs' most productive hitter has put the ball directly in new GM Theo Epstein's court. Three weeks after saying he'd probably played his last game in Chicago, Aramis Ramirez left open the possibility of a return in an interview with the Dominican newspaper El Caribe yesterday (link in Spanish). Nevertheless, the 33-year-old third baseman gave an ultiumatum that left no doubt of his willingness to test the open market.

"I'll head to free agency if they don't give me a contract of several years," Ramirez said. "I'm going to wait and see what the team does. Otherwise, I'm going to leave Chicago."

Despite a slow start in 2010, Ramirez finished the season leading the Cubs in OPS, on-base percentage, and most offensive counting statistics, and he was behind only Carlos Pena in HR and Starlin Castro in hits. Not known as a defensive force, Ramirez's UZR of -10.5 was toward the bottom of the National League, but he dominated nearly every offensive category among senior circuit third basemen and looks even better among those in the 2012 free agent class. Ramirez has previously expressed a desire to finish his career with the Cubs, and keeping him on-board looks like the first test facing Epstein's nascent front office.

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