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Odds & Ends: DeRosa, Bradley, Figgins

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Here are some links to check out as the snow falls for the first time this season in New York:

  • Free agent Mark DeRosa is in a state of flux, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Cardinals, Braves, Yankees, Giants, and Red Sox are all possibilities, but each have higher priorities than the 34-year-old.  The Mets and Nationals are also interested in the right-handed batter, but he would prefer to play for a contender.  DeRosa may be waiting by the phone for a while if he is unwilling to lower his asking price.
  • More from Ken Rosenthal as he writes that despite interest from the Rangers, the Rays remain the frontrunners for Milton Bradley.
  • Considering their plans to reduce their hefty payroll, It shouldn't surprise anyone that the Yankees won't consider Matt Holliday or Jason Bay (per Buster Olney's blog).  However, Mike Axisa of River Ave Blues wisely point out that this time last year, it was said that the Yanks didn't have enough cash to land Mark Teixeira after signing CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.
  • The Mariners' signing of Chone Figgins may indicate that the organization believes power is currently overrated, says ESPN's Keith Law.
  • In a footnote to his report of the Orioles re-signing Chad Moeller, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun writes that while the O's remain interested in righty reliever Ryota Igarashi and lefty Hisanori Takahashi, they aren't expected to be terribly aggressive in their pursuit.  Both players recently applied for international free agency.
  • On the heels of Phillies GM Ruben Amaro stating that the door is open for Pedro Martinez's return to the club, the 38-year-old reciprocated that sentiment to Scott Lauber of The News Journal.
  • Kevin Towers is leaning towards accepting an offer from his close friend – Yankees GM Brian Cashman, according to Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.
  • Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel estimates that the Brewers will have about $12MM to spend on starting pitching after addressing the rest of their roster.  Since that probably puts them short of the capital needed to sign John Lackey, what do you think would be the best way to take care of their starting pitching needs on the open market?
  • The Pirates placed Luis Cruz on waivers to make space for their second pick in the Rule 5 draft, writes Jennifer Langosch of MLB.com.

Yankees Seek Starter On Open Market

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The Yankees are interested in free agent hurlers John Lackey, Rich Harden, Joel Pineiro, and maybe Randy Wolf, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

Although major league sources indicate that the the team is looking into landing Roy Halladay and their first priority continues to be re-signing Andy Pettitte, the Yanks will pursue alternatives on the open market.  Brian Cashman & Co. are also expected to  ink "at least one" free agent reliever, but will focus on starters first.

Rosenthal and Morosi surmise that Wolf and Pineiro are not high on the Yankees' list as the former is a lifelong National League pitcher and the latter was coming off of a five-year slide coming into '09.  The report also notes that injury-prone Harden has caught the eye of the Red Sox and Mariners.

Almost a month ago, Tim picked the Bombers as the team most likely to land Lackey, the top starter of this free agent class.  Do you agree with that assessment?  Should the Yankees pursue less stable, but more economical options in Wolf, Pineiro, and Harden?  Let's hear your thoughts in the comments section.

Angels Still In On John Lackey

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The Angels "remain heavily in the mix" for John Lackey, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Rosenthal says the Angels' renewed their efforts to re-sign Lackey at the behest of owner Arte Moreno, though GM Tony Reagins denied any change in the team's course.

Rosenthal lays out three other factors that might be motivating the Angels to consider re-upping Lackey: an unappealing asking price for Roy Halladay, uncertainty with Scott Kazmir, and the Mariners' interest in Lackey. 

If the Angels do allow Lackey to leave, they'll gain two draft picks as compensation.  A couple of big-market clubs might be out of the Lackey bidding – Gordon Edes recently wrote that Lackey is not a Red Sox target, and Bill Shaikin said the Dodgers won't be in pursuit.  The New York teams haven't been ruled out, while the Nationals and Brewers could be dark horses.

Mets Notes: Delgado, Johnson, Lackey, Halladay

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Tonight on SNY's Mets Hot Stove, SI's Jon Heyman delivered his latest on the Mets:

  • The Mets still like Carlos Delgado and continue to keep an eye on him this winter.  Heyman says that the market for Delgado is rather weak as there are many DH-type players on the open market.  In his look at Free Agent DHs, Tim noted that there appear to be no more than eight available slots in total.
  • Meanwhile, the Mets are not interested in free agent first baseman Nick Johnson, because they believe he has declined considerably in terms of range and power.  Nicky J hit just 8 HRs in 2009, compared to a career-high 23 HRs in 2006, his last healthy season.
  • Their interest in John Lackey remains strong, but as of right now it doesn't look like the Mets are "heavily involved" with the 32-year-old hurler.  Heyman believes that he will garner close to $100MM.
  • Heyman says that he would be "shocked" if the Mets pulled off a deal for Roy Halladay at the winter meetings.

Mariners Pursuing Harden & Lackey

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THURSDAY, 8:08am: A source tells Rosenthal and Morosi that the Mariners are "actively pursuing" John Lackey. As a Type A free agent who was offered arbitration, Lackey would cost a top pick.

WEDNESDAY, 3:58pm: The Mariners are "showing strong interest" in Rich Harden, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The writers wonder if Harden being a native of British Columbia will help Seattle's cause.  They note that the Red Sox are also serious about the 28-year-old righty.

Any team signing Harden will of course take a long, hard look at his shoulder.  If his last two seasons are any indication, he can give you 140 strikeout-filled innings if managed carefully.  What's that worth?  Probably a base salary in the $6-7MM range, with a few million more in incentives.  Harden's agent Arn Tellem says his client has "no health issues at all," for what it's worth.

Red Sox Rumors: Bay, Scutaro, Lackey, Bedard

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Red Sox rumors from ESPN's Gordon Edes…

  • Edes talked to Jason Bay's agent Joe Urbon, who indicated the timing of Bay's signing won't be affected by Matt Holliday.  Edes' team source says Bay remains Boston's top target.
  • Edes says Marco Scutaro "almost certainly remains at the top of Boston's list" at shortstop.  Scutaro's agent Peter Greenberg left open the possibility of his client signing before Monday's Winter Meetings.
  • One of Edes' Red Sox sources says John Lackey is not a target.
  • We knew of Boston's interest in Rich Harden and Kelvim Escobar, and Edes adds that the Sox are eyeing Erik Bedard.  Edes talked to Escobar's agent (also Greenberg) and learned that Boston is "at or near the top of" his client's list.  The righty plans to pitch in winter ball.  Escobar had labrum surgery in July of 2008.

Angels Offer Arb To Only Figgins, Lackey

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Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reports that the Angels offered arbitration to just two of their ranked free agents — Type As Chone Figgins and John Lackey.  Los Angeles' other Type A free agent, veteran reliever Darren Oliver, as well as Type B Vladimir Guerrero and unranked free agents Kelvim Escobar and Robb Quinlan did not receive offers from the club.

Though L.A. could have received two draft picks as compensation for Oliver had he turned down arbitration and signed with another club, there's also a chance that teams would be scared off by the prospect of losing a draft pick in order to sign a 39-year-old setup man.  The Angels didn't want to run the risk of Oliver accepting the offer and possibly earning a healthy raise given his career-best 2.71 ERA and 8 K/9 in 2009.

Cafardo On Lowe, Red Sox, Millwood

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As usual, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe brings us a Sunday morning column with some info from around the league. Let's check out a few highlights….

  • Derek Lowe likes pitching for the Braves and would prefer to stay in Atlanta, but acknowledges that he doesn't have much control over the situation. "I understand this is a business and I know the Braves have some things they’d like to do," Lowe told Cafardo. "I hope I can be here because I really enjoy it."
  • Cafardo doesn't think that Roy Halladay will be a Red Sox next season. He can't see a trade happening "unless some sense of realism overtakes the Blue Jays" and they lower the asking price for their ace.
  • Boston's "ideal scenario" according to Cafardo is signing John Lackey and then dangling Clay Buchholz to acquire a bat. Ideal, maybe, but probably not likely.
  • Although the Marco Scutaro-to-Boston rumors have gained momentum since Toronto signed Alex Gonzalez, the Red Sox could still explore other options, such as dealing for Stephen Drew or signing Adam Everett.
  • Given Carl Crawford's strong leadership role in the Rays' clubhouse, Cafardo speculates that the team could eventually bite the bullet and pony up the money to extend Crawford's contract.
  • The Brewers have inquired about Kevin Millwood, but the Rangers haven't actively tried to move the righty.
  • The Giants, Rangers, and Orioles are among the teams who have Miguel Tejada on their radar.

Red Sox Express Interest In Scutaro, Escobar, And More

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Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald says the Red Sox have kicked the tires on many free agents already, with Marco Scutaro and Kelvim Escobar the newest names.  Others include Rafael Soriano, Matt Holliday, Rick Ankiel, Adrian Beltre, John Lackey, Aroldis Chapman, Billy Wagner, Mike Gonzalez, Alex Gonzalez, and, of course, Jason Bay.  Silverman cautions that not all names connected to the Red Sox have "enduring news value."

Scutaro certainly makes sense for Boston; he's the best available shortstop, considering both the free agent and trade market.  We ranked Scutaro the eighth-best free agent overall, perhaps a reflection of a weaker market this year.  It'd be nice to see Scutaro sign with the Red Sox, as we'd get at least one of our 50 predictions right. 

Aside from committing a multiyear contract to Scutaro, the Sox might have to surrender their #29 pick in the June 2010 draft to the Blue Jays.  Looking at the Elias numbers, it is possible that the Jays get screwed out of a first-rounder again, as they did losing A.J. Burnett last year (of course, the Jays failed to sign James Paxton anyway).  If the Red Sox sign Scutaro and any of Soriano, Gonzalez, Holliday, or Lackey, the Braves, Cardinals, or Angels would get Boston's #29 pick instead and the Jays would get their second-rounder (assuming arbitration is offered to those players).

As Silverman notes, Escobar would fit right in with the John Smoltz/Brad Penny signings of last year.  Those two bombed, but here's the question – what kind of success rate should the Red Sox expect from these one-year pitcher gambles?  It is OK if one out of five works out?

Gammons’ Latest: Yankees, Tigers, Chapman

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ESPN's Peter Gammons touched on a bunch of hot stove topics in his latest blog post, so let's round everything up…

  • Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain will come to Spring Training as starters, but the Yankees haven't ruled out a run at John Lackey, Ben Sheets, or another starter. The feeling inside the organization is that the payroll will be scaled back a bit.
  • One Tigers source emphatically told Gammons "there will be no fire sale. [Owner] Mike Ilitch wouldn't allow it."
  • At least one GM says that switching agents raises some character questions about Aroldis Chapman.
  • Conor Jackson's stint in winter ball convinced the team he's healthy, and he'll be in their first base/left field mix next year. Jackson made our list of non-tender candidates.
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