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Heyman’s Latest: Holliday, Lackey, Bay, Trades

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Jon Heyman has a new column up at SI.com, so let's dive on in…

  • Scott Boras said on Sunday that the Cardinals have not made any proposals in an effort to retain Matt Holliday, and Heyman says "the chances for Holliday to remain a Cardinal look slim at this point."
  • A source familiar with the situation said the Angels offered John Lackey an extension earlier this year worth less than $40MM over three years on top of 2009's $10MM salary, so if they wish to re-sign him now, they'll have to completely rethink their original stance.
  • The Red Sox are trying to bring Jason Bay back on a four year, $60MM deal, though his agent maintains that Bay is the "most complete player on the market."
  • The Mets, Giants, Braves, Cubs, Mariners, and Yankees could also be interested in Holliday and/or Bay.
  • The Mets are believed to have Holliday higher on their wish list than Bay, and are also expected to pursue Randy Wolf.
  • There is speculation that Lackey would like to pitch at home in Texas, but the Rangers' interest might depend on how quickly their sale is resolved.
  • Heyman says that "MLB has set a tentative Thanksgiving deadline for the sale of the Rangers, but the price tag is expected to be in the $500 million range, and in cases of such big money there are no guarantees that things will go quickly."
  • Roy Halladay, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Bobby Jenks, Dan Uggla, and Milton Bradley should highlight a star studded trade market.
  • Halladay seems like a good bet to be moved, while the Red Sox and Dodgers represent possible suitors for Gonzalez.
  • Tampa has a replacement for Crawford in top prospect Desmond Jennings, while Jenks and Uggla would be moved in cost cutting deals.
  • Teams will certainly inquire on the availability of Felix Hernandez, but Heyman says the team plans to spend the winter trying to lock him up long-term. At the GM Meetings today, GM Jack Zduriencik said "Felix is our property. We're going to have him the next two years."
  • The Yankees have started to think about re-signing both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.
  • Both the Brewers and Mariners are expected to have interest in Jarrod Washburn.
  • If the Angels don't re-sign Chone Figgins, they are expected to pursue Adrian Beltre to fill their third base hole.
  • The Rangers will let Hank Blalock walk as a free agent, and are expected to promote top prospect Justin Smoak next year.
  • Orlando Hudson is expected to leave the Dodgers as a free agent, though Heyman says they could re-sign Ronnie Belliard to compete with Blake DeWitt at second base.
  • Team officials would not be shocked if the Red Sox tried to move David Ortiz and/or Mike Lowell, though it's going to be tough to move them with all the DH-types available on the free agent market.

Twins Looking At Veteran Starters

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While speaking with Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune, Twins' GM Bill Smith may have tipped his hand regarding the team's offseason plans.

"We'll see what's out there," he said. "And if there's a veteran starter or two that's a good fit for us, then we'll proceed accordingly."

The team is already returning at least five young starters, and that isn't counting Kevin Slowey's return from wrist surgery. Christensen mentions that they'll try to re-sign Carl Pavano, and says that the Twins also plan to pursue Jarrod Washburn, who has made it known that he'd like to pitch closer to his home in Wisconsin.

It's unlikely the Twins could afford John Lackey as a free agent, but Christensen says the team should find out if they have what it takes to acquire Roy Halladay or Josh Johnson via trade.

Yankees Notes: Matsui, Damon, Cano

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As if dominating the playoffs wasn't enough, the New York Yankees are now dominating much of the hot stove discussion as well. We took a look at some rumors from the Bronx earlier today. Now John Harper of the New York Daily News offers ten suggestions for building the 2010 Yankees. A few of his ideas….

  • Harper suggests offering Hideki Matsui a one-year deal, rather than just letting him walk. He thinks that, after a relatively healthy 2009, the Yankees could use the offensive depth, in case they aren't so lucky in 2010.
  • He also would like the team to sign Johnny Damon to a one- or two-year deal, if they can.
  • Harper wants to see Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes (or both) in the bullpen, with the team pursuing a free agent starter to fill out the back end of the rotation.
  • He believes that the Yankees "shouldn't rule out" dealing Robinson Cano, if the right offer arises.
  • Harper doesn't expect the team to pursue a starting pitcher as expensive as John Lackey this winter, naming Randy Wolf as a potential target instead. In a separate piece, the NY Daily News's Bill Madden agrees that Lackey is unlikely to become a Yankee. Madden thinks the team could look to the trade market for a starter instead, perhaps making catching prospect Jesus Montero available.

Twins Acquire J.J. Hardy For Carlos Gomez

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12:55pm: A bunch of Tweets from the Brewers' side: Brewers GM Doug Melvin said he won't pursue re-signing Cameron, and will look to the free agent market for starting pitching.  Melvin contacted Mark Mulder's agent but hasn't heard back.  Melvin even mentioned John Lackey's name.  (Reporting: Haudricourt and MLB.com's Adam McCalvy).

12:04pm: I asked Hardy if he's closed the book on the service time issue, and he said yes.  A grievance does not seem likely; Hardy admitted it'd be hard to prove.

Twins GM Bill Smith said on today's conference call that he talked to free agent Orlando Cabrera this morning and told him Hardy will be the team's shortstop.  Smith implied that re-signing Joe Crede is a possibility, as he has talked to Scott Boras.  Smith added that Delmon Young is a lock to be tendered a contract.

10:57am: The Twins acquired shortstop J.J. Hardy for center fielder Carlos Gomez, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

While I expected the Brewers to snag a young pitcher for Hardy, I like the move for both sides.  Center field was certainly a need for the Brewers with Mike Cameron eligible for free agency.  Haudricourt notes that the money the Brewers saved on Cameron will probably go toward starting pitching.  While Gomez hasn't had offensive success in his career, his stellar defense is unquestionable.  He'll be eligible for arbitration this winter as a Super Two player, and is under team control through 2013.

Hardy is a huge addition for the Twins, who entered the offseason needing upgrades at shorstop, third base, and second base.  Due to an August demotion by the Brewers, Hardy is under team control for 2010 and 2011 (Hardy says there are "no hard feelings.")  He slumped offensively this year, but maintained his strong defense.

Odds & Ends: Myers, Lackey, Hardy, Holliday

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Here's some Thursday links…

  • Brett Myers said it would be "upsetting" to leave Philadelphia, according to FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi. It would make sense for Myers to market himself as a starter this offseason, but Morosi points out that the Phillies already have five starters returning in 2010.
  • Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com doesn't see the Orioles opening their wallet for John Lackey. He points out that Jeremy Guthrie's numbers are on par wth Lackey's over the last few years.
  • Charley Walters of The Pioneer Press says it wouldn't be surprising to see the Twins pursue J.J. Hardy if Orlando Cabrera departs via free agency. He says Glen Perkins "would seem a likely bet to be included if there were an offer to the Brewers."
  • Matt Cerrone at MetsBlog.com wonders if Matt Holliday is worth $17MM per season for six years.
  • Tom Singer of MLB.com previews this year's free agent class.

Odds & Ends: Lackey, Rangers, Mets

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With about an hour to go before the start of Game Two, here are some items from around the majors….

  • During an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show today, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said his club will be focused on finding second base help and starting pitching in the offseason, though Colletti played dumb when asked about the possibility of the Dodgers making a play for free agent starter John Lackey.
  • With the number of open managerial jobs quickly dwindling, some of the rumored candidates for the filled positions are looking at other options.  Former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle (who was up for the Cleveland manager's job that went to Manny Acta) is one of four finalists to be the Rangers' next hitting coach, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
  • Along those same lines, Bob Melvin may go from being a candidate to be the next Astros manager to being considered for the Mets bench coaching job, says Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News.  Rubin also reports that the Mets will name Chip Hale as their new third base coach after the World Series is over.
  • According to a team press release, the Pirates have claimed pitcher Justin Thomas off waivers from Seattle.
  • In a chat with MASN's Byron Kerr, Adam Dunn said he feels Washington is an attractive destination for free agents in part because Nationals Park is "a really fair ballpark."

Heyman On Lee, Lackey, Mets, Nats

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Cliff Lee out-pitched C.C. Sabathia last night, there's no question about that. Now, as Jon Heyman of SI.com points out, Lee's value is at an all-time high. The Phillies figure to try to lock Lee up this offseason, but he may cost $100MM or more. After two straight World Series appearances, however, Heyman says the Phillies have the "loot" to reach an agreement with their ace.

Agent Darek Braunecker, can make the argument that Lee has out-pitched Sabathia for the last two years, not just in Game 1. (FanGraphs happens to value Lee's 2008-09 performance a little higher than Sabathia's). But Lee is older than Sabathia and the Phillies have a $9MM option for Lee's services next year, so he doesn't have the negotiating power he would as a free agent.

When Heyman quizzed a couple of other agents about Lee's prospects, they predicted deals worth between $75-100MM. Here are some other rumors from around the league:

  • Heyman says it's possible John Lackey will also command $100MM this winter.
  • Mets ownership plans to hire another top executive, leading some team officials to suggest the higher-ups are preparing to oust GM Omar Minaya - or at least reduce his power.
  • It's getting harder to imagine that the Nats' new manager will be anyone but Jim Riggleman, who took over after the team fired Manny Acta last summer.

Odds & Ends: Beeston, St. Claire, Bay

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Links for Tuesday…

Discussion: Angels Face Big Decisions

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Yes, the return flight from New York has barely touched down, but the Angels are already facing a large number of difficult decisions, and the writers who cover them have wasted no time in evaluating them.

MLB.com's Lyle Spencer rates the various chances that 2009's Angels hitting free agency will return in 2010, with Bobby Abreu and Darren Oliver 50-50 to return, and several other players, such as John Lackey, far less than even money.

Meanwhile, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times speculates that free agent Aroldis Chapman might be who the Angels use to replace Lackey.

What would you do? Would you keep any, or all of the free agents? And should the Angels reach for Chapman?

Heyman On Chapman, Mets, Hudson

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The latest hot stove notes from SI's Jon Heyman…

  • Despite interest from several other clubs, Heyman sees the Aroldis Chapman bidding as ultimately a Yankees-Red Sox battle.
  • Heyman says the Mets "don't seem inclined" to pursue free agent starter John Lackey.  Heyman believes Lackey will aim for $100MM+, which is higher than most estimates we've seen.
  • The Mets have no interest in Milton Bradley, despite a September report.  Heyman believes a left fielder will be the team's big-ticket import, with Matt Holliday atop their list.
  • Like many, Heyman does not see Orlando Hudson returning to the Dodgers.  Hudson earned about $8MM this year and will be a Type A free agent once again.
  • Look for a Jed Hoyer announcement today from the Padres.
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