East Notes: Blue Jays, Phillies, Braves, Soler
Earlier today we learned that Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos asked the Twins about Justin Morneau. However, one exec noted that Anthopoulos seems to "[call] about everyone." Here's more on the Blue Jays and the rest of the division..
- Anthopoulos isn't worried about any criticism that may come his way, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Even though the GM knows that the club has to show progress on the field, he insists that he won't be swayed by popular opinion and won't rush into making a move.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) spoke to a scout who didn't have a very high opinion of where the Phillies stand or what they can offer in a trade. “They’re not young. They’re not healthy. And their system is thin," the scout said.
- The Braves were right there with the Cubs and willing to spend $30MM on Jorge Soler, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB.com. The White Sox and Yankees, meanwhile, had bids that fell between $25MM and $30MM.
Quick Hits: Teahen, Soler, Ethier, Hamilton, Youkilis
The Dodgers officially announced their five-year, $85MM extension with Andre Ethier this afternoon on a day that featured lots of draft news. Here are some of Tuesday’s non-draft-related links, starting in Los Angeles…
- Mark Teahen can opt-out of his minor league contract with the Nationals if not called up by June 15th, MLBTR has learned. The 30-year-old has hit .293/.347/.404 with Washington's Triple-A affiliate while playing all four corner spots.
- Jorge Soler is still in the process of securing a visa prior to officially signing with the Cubs, reports MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter). That could take about a week.
- The Dodgers’ deal with Ethier could eliminate them from the Josh Hamilton sweepstakes after the season, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes (Twitterlinks). This could limit Hamilton’s leverage with the Rangers whenever the sides resume contract talks.
- Olney points to the abundance of quality outfielders nearing free agency and suggests it makes sense for the players to accept deals now instead of waiting for what could be a buyer’s market.
- There are no new developments in contract discussions between Cole Hamels and the Phillies or Zack Greinke and the Brewers, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
- GM Sandy Alderson told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post that the Mets haven't drawn up plans to buy or sell this summer. Davidoff suggests that the Mets could decide to stay the course at the upcoming trade deadline.
- One scout watched Kevin Youkilis play and wasn’t impressed, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). "For what he costs, he can't do anything," the scout said.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Cubs Win Bidding For Jorge Soler
5:30pm: Heyman adds another caveat to Soler's deal (Twitter link). Soler will be allowed to opt out of the agreed-upon salaries and go to arbitration once he is eligible. That scenario would likely push the total value of the deal beyond $30MM.
1:48pm: Soler and the Cubs agreed to a nine-year deal worth approximately $30MM, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. At least three or four teams placed bids of $20MM plus, according to Heyman. Depending on how long Soler spends at the minor league level, the deal could cover all of his arbitration seasons and multiple free agent years.
Soler can opt out of his yearly salaries and file for arbitration once eligible, ESPN.com's Keith Law reports. As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains, this means Soler could earn more than $30MM with the Cubs.
1:15pm: The Cubs won the bidding for Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter). Many teams appeared to have interest in Soler, a top international prospect.
Soler has to sign by July 2 if he aims to maximize his earning potential and avoid spending restrictions imposed under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement. It's not clear what kind of bonus the Praver Shapiro Sports Management client will obtain from the Cubs, but a sum in excess of $15MM would not be surprising.
MLB declared Soler a free agent earlier this month after verifying his paperwork. The Phillies have since offered him a contract and the Astros, Pirates, Indians, Red Sox, Yankees and Blue Jays also appeared to have some level of interest in the 20-year-old.
Soler was an up-and-coming power hitter in Cuba before leaving the country, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. His calling card is right-handed power, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America, who considers him a top-50 prospect in MLB.
Jorge Soler Rumors: Monday
Cuban outfield prospect Jorge Soler could sign any day now. A number of teams have been linked to Soler, who must sign by July 2 if he aims to maximize his earning potential and avoid the spending restrictions that will soon take effect. Here’s the latest on Soler:
- The Phillies have maintained a stealth pursuit of Soler and have made him an offer, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports (on Twitter).
- Some competing executives see the Cubs as the favorite for Soler, Heyman tweets.
- The Dodgers are no longer engaged on Soler, Yahoo’s Tim Brown reports (on Twitter). ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported late last week that the Dodgers were among his most aggressive suitors.
- The Blue Jays are said to be in the mix for Soler, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Heyman notes that the Cubs and Yankees also appear to be involved.
Soler Expected To Agree To Deal Before Tomorrow
2:15 pm: Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports the Soler decision could come within the next 24-36 hours, according to executives interested in the Cuban outfielder. Heyman has been told final bids are due today.
10:19 am: Outfielder Jorge Soler is expected to agree on a four-year deal before tomorrow, an industry source told George A. King III and Mike Puma of the New York Post. Meanwhile, the representative for Soler is calling to ask teams if their bids are final, sources tell Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
The Yankees, Cubs, Braves, and Dodgers have been among the most aggressive teams in their pursuit of Soler, according to Olney. The Yankees are said to have bid heavy on Soler while other teams view the Cubs as the favorite, Olney tweets. King III and Puma note that the Yankees don’t have a Plan B if they lose Nick Swisher in free agency and Soler would certainly cost less than chasing Josh Hamilton.
Plenty of other teams have been linked to Soler, including the Astros, Pirates, Indians, Red Sox, Phillies, and Blue Jays. The Mets and Marlins, meanwhile, aren't pursuing the outfielder.
Cafardo On Upton, Phillies, Red Sox, Mariners
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe ranks the top ten managers in baseball. Don Mattingly of the Dodgers tops the list as he has the club off to a surprising 38-22 record, putting them four games above the Giants in the NL West. Robin Ventura (White Sox), Terry Collins (Mets), Bobby Valentine (Red Sox), and Buck Showalter (Orioles) round out the top five. Here's more from Cafardo..
- Only Kevin Towers knows for sure if the inconsistent Justin Upton could ever be available in a deal. However, a few baseball evaluators wouldn’t mind tempting the Diamondbacks with a package. Arizona doesn't need pitching, so the Red Sox can't use someone like Clay Buchholz to get him.
- The Phillies may be more interested in Will Middlebrooks than Kevin Youkilis, a major league source told Cafardo. However, it doesn't look like the Red Sox would have interest in dealing Middlebrooks.
- The Orioles' new six-year, $85MM deal with Adam Jones has led to speculation on how the Red Sox will approach Jacoby Ellsbury, who can be a free agent after the 2013 season. However, there's reason for both sides to wait. As an Oregon native who shuns the spotlight, Ellsbury may want a quieter market. The Sox, meanwhile, would want to see Ellsbury stay healthy for a while before committing 6-8 years to him.
- While the Mariners haven’t given indications that they will sell off veteran pieces, teams are targeting them as a seller. The M's have already received some inquiries for Brandon League.
- The Rays have to be looking for a middle infielder, which are extremely hard to come by. Tampa Bay is anxious to upgrade from the defensive play of Sean Rodriguez.
- The Red Sox really like Jorge Soler, but they don’t appear to be the front-runners for him.
Jorge Soler Rumors: Friday
The Astros, Cubs, Pirates, Indians, Red Sox, Phillies, Yankees and Blue Jays appear to have some interest in Jorge Soler, while the Marlins and Mets are not pursuing him. The Cuban outfield prospect must sign by July 2nd if he aims to avoid spending restrictions imposed under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement. Here’s the latest:
- Angels GM Jerry Dipoto confirmed to Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times that they "won't be a player" for Soler (Twitter link). "I don't know who his agent is. Tells you how involved we are," added Dipoto.
- The next round of bids for Soler are due this weekend, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). The Cubs, Yankees, Braves and Dodgers have been the most aggressive teams so far, Olney reports.
- Ben Badler of Baseball America reports that Soler may be trying to establish his residency paperwork through Haiti, instead of the Dominican Republic, where he has been living and working out. Some agents say they would never consider trying to establish a Cuban player's residency through Haiti, which is not known for accurate record keeping.
- However, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com hears that MLB verified Soler's residency in Haiti before granting him free agency (Twitter link). It's not an issue, according to Crasnick's source.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
NL Central Links: Hanrahan, Soler, Pierzynski, K-Rod
Someone finally got to Aroldis Chapman and, of all teams, it was the light-hitting Pirates. Chapman allowed back-to-back doubles to lead off the 10th inning, allowing his first earned run of the 2012 season and first since September 10, 2011 — a stretch of 35 straight scoreless innings. Pittsburgh won the game by a 5-4 score.
Here's the latest from the NL Central…
- Joel Hanrahan doesn't think the Pirates will trade him this summer, the closer tells Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Cook opines that Pirates ownership's commitment to re-signing top players will be questioned if Hanrahan doesn't receive a long-term extension. Hanrahan told Cook he didn't think much about trade rumors, though we know he at least reads them on this very website.
- Astros GM Jeff Luhnow confirmed that his team still has an interest in Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. Luhnow wouldn't say if the Astros had submitted a contract offer by today, the reported deadline set by Soler's agents.
- A.J. Pierzynski tells CSN Chicago's Chuck Garfien about how he was almost dealt to the Cubs in 2003, as the Cubs offered the Twins a package of Juan Cruz and Todd Wellemeyer for the catcher. Pierzynski said that he'd like to remain with the White Sox when he hits free agency this winter but if the Southsiders' local rivals from Wrigleyville were to contact him, “if they were the only team that came after me and I wanted to continue to play, how could I say no?"
- Francisco Rodriguez wants to remain with the Brewers through the rest of this season, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy, though the reliever said he'd like to close again, in all likelihood for a new team since John Axford is ensconced as Milwaukee's stopper.
NL East Notes: Soler, Egbert, Braves
R.A. Dickey was masterful again today, throwing 7 1/3 innings of shutout ball in the Mets' 3-1 victory over the Nationals. Dickey has now thrown 24 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings and is approaching Jerry Koosman's club record scoreless inning streak of 31 2/3 innings.
Here's the latest from around the NL East…
- The Marlins are not pursuing Jorge Soler, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). The Marlins didn't submit an offer by Thursday, the deadline set by Soler's representatives for teams to propose a contract for the Cuban outfielder.
- Mets right-hander Jack Egbert has cleared waivers and will go to Triple-A Buffalo, reports ESPN New York's Adam Rubin. Egbert was designated for assignment on Tuesday.
- The Braves signed third-round draft pick Bryan De La Rosa, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America. De La Rosa, a high school catcher, signed for his exact slot value of $408.3K.
- In NL East news from earlier today, the Nationals signed several draft picks and outlined their draft day strategy, while the Braves and Mets each reached agreements with their first-round picks.
Quick Hits: Street, Soler, Mets, Prior, Draft
Links from around baseball as Wednesday becomes Thursday..
- Padres closer Huston Street is excited to return to action but is also aware that he might not stay long with the trade deadline less than two months away, writes Dan Hayes of the North County Times. Street is earning $7.5MM this season with a $9MM team option for 2013 that can be bought out for just $500K.
- A number of teams seem to be in on Jorge Soler, but it doesn't appear that the Mets will be one of them. Despite the recent Bernie Madoff settlement, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (via Twitter) hears that the club still doesn't plan to pursue him.
- Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal spoke with Mark Prior about his latest effort to get back to the big leagues with the Red Sox. Boston signed the right-hander to a minor league deal last month.
- Agent Scott Boras told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he believes the draft has become a "mockery" after the changes to the rules under the new collective bargaining agreement.
- Major League Baseball vice president/baseball development Jimmie Lee Solomon has been fired by commissioner Bud Selig, industry sources confirm to Eric Fisher of the Sporting News. Solomon spent 21 years working with MLB. Josh Leventhal of Baseball America first reported the news on Tuesday.
- Matthew Leach of MLB.com previews the upcoming trade deadline and the teams that are straddling the fence between buying and selling.