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Red Sox Have Made Offer To Edwin Jackson

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The Red Sox have made an offer to free agent right-hander Edwin Jackson reports ESPN's Jim Bowden (on Twitter), and the two sides are currently in talks. A source told Bowden that they prefer Jackson to Roy Oswalt, to whom they also made an offer.

Jackson, 28, might be willing to accept a one-year contract according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Scott Boras client has thrown at least 199 innings in each of the last three years, with a 3.96 ERA, 7.1 K/9, 3.00 BB/9, and a 44.0% ground ball rate during that time. With Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz carrying injury concerns, Jackson would add a much needed innings eater to Boston's staff.

AL East Links: Red Sox, Jays, Rays, Rivera, Martin

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Who would have guessed that two AL teams would hand out $200MM+ contracts this winter, and neither of them would reside in the AL East? Here's the latest from the only division with three 90-win teams in 2011…

  • The Red Sox have checked in with Edwin Jackson and maintain interest in Roy Oswalt, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). They're also looking at some infielders.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm that he doesn't anticipate a move to upgrade the starting rotation before Spring Training (Twitter links). "I wouldn't expect us to do anything else. Maybe adding a reliever is probably the only thing I think we have a chance at doing," said the GM a few hours before signing Francisco Cordero.
  • In an interview with Jim Duquette and Jeff Joyce of MLB Network Radio, Anthopoulos said that Brandon Morrow's work ethic was one reason why the Blue Jays signed him to an extension. "I haven't been doing this very long … but the mistakes we have made, we haven't necessarily put as much stock into someone's character and the work ethic," he said.
  • Anthopoulos also acknowledged that the Blue Jays would be able to support a high payroll down the road, but they're "not there yet right now."
  • Rays president Matt Silverman told Marc Topkin of The Tampa Times that they haven't found a deal to trade one of their excess starters yet, but that doesn't mean they aren't still looking (Twitter link).
  • Yankees closer Mariano Rivera hinted at retirement during Jorge Posada's retirement press conference today, reports MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "[It's] the same thing; just knowing that it's time to go," Rivera said. "You just have to accept that. I mean, I love the game and I have the passion for the game, but when the time comes and you have to go, you have to go."
  • WEEI.com's Alex Speier wrote about the Red Sox in the wake of the Prince Fielder signing, saying they preferred trading for Adrian Gonzalez last offseason to waiting for this year's crop of free agent first baseman.
  • Prior to avoiding arbitration with a one-year deal, the Yankees and Russell Martin discussed a two-year contract according to WFAN's Sweeny Murti (on Twitter).

Reds Notes: Oswalt, Theriot, Bench Help, Dusty

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Here's the latest on the Reds, from John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer…

  • Roy Oswalt's representatives contacted the Reds, according to Walt Jocketty, though the GM doesn't "think it’s something we’d able to do. We’re pretty tapped out (as far as payroll).”  Jocketty said that to sign Oswalt, the Reds would have to be "very creative" and probably make another move to create payroll space.  The club was able to sign Ryan Madson earlier this month since some money had already been set aside to pursue Francisco Cordero.  Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, Mike Leake, Homer Bailey and Bronson Arroyo project as Cincinnati's current rotation.
  • Despite signing Willie Harris earlier today, Jocketty says the Reds are still looking for bench help.  The club has had no recent contact with Ryan Theriot, after talking to Theriot's representatives in December.
  • Dusty Baker talked to Fay about the Reds' offseason acquisitions.  The manager noted that the Madson signing "came up at the last minute" since the team was still targeting Cordero, and that Chris Heisey will receive plenty of time in left field despite the presence of Ryan Ludwick.

Tigers Have Some Interest In Matsui, Ibanez

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11:53pm: Knobler indicates that Oswalt has turned the Tigers down even though they were very interested in signing him (Twitter links). They even had Justin Verlander make a recruiting call. He says the Tigers are likely to leave the fifth starter's job up for grabs in Spring Training.

9:01am: The Tigers have some interest in Hideki Matsui and Raul Ibanez, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter. Victor Martinez will likely miss the entire season with a torn ACL, so Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski is in the market for a designated hitter.

The Tigers are considering free agents Johnny Damon and Juan Pierre, but might rely on internal options at DH. Matsui, Ibanez, Pierre and Damon all bat from the left side, but club could consider right-handed bats such as Vladimir Guerrero, Magglio Ordonez and Derrek Lee. Both Matsui and Ibanez have been linked to the Yankees, another club that may add a designated hitter.

The Tigers have also shown interest in Roy Oswalt, according to Knobler. While Jacob Turner and others are candidates to start for Detroit, the team is considering ways of adding starting pitching depth before Opening Day. Knobler says it appears unlikely that the Tigers will sign Oswalt, which matches up with what Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported yesterday.

Red Sox Intensifying Pursuit Of Roy Oswalt

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8:16pm: Oswalt is not close to signing, reports Morosi (on Twitter). The Red Sox remain very much involved, he says.

6:53pm: With the Marco Scutaro trade providing $6MM of salary relief, the Red Sox have now intensified their pursuit of Roy Oswalt according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (all Twitter links). They are not the only team in on the right-hander, though the Tigers are only on the fringe of the sweepstakes. Morosi calls the situation "fluid."

Oswalt, 34, is reportedly looking for a one-year deal worth $8MM. Earlier this week we heard that Boston would have to move some money to be able to afford him, which is exactly what the Scutaro trade did. Oswalt pitched to a 3.69 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 139 IP for the Phillies last season, missing time with back problems. Prior to that, the long-time Astro made at least 30 starts and threw at least 180 IP in seven straight seasons.

NL East Notes: Lidge, Cabrera, Nationals, Wright

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It's been a busy offseason in the NL East and Yoenis Cespedes and Prince Fielder could join the division before the winter's up. Here are the latest links…

  • The Phillies have stayed in touch with Brad Lidge this offseason, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
  • The Braves have not offered Roy Oswalt a contract, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.
  • The Braves offered Orlando Cabrera a one-year deal this winter, Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets. Cabrera, who announced his retirement yesterday, presumably obtained the offer before the Braves re-signed Jack Wilson six days ago.
  • The Nationals could hope to double or triple the $29MM they obtained from MASN last year when they reset their regional TV deal, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post confirms. The team hired an outside expert to re-negotiate the deal in the hopes of boosting revenues substantially, Kilgore adds. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported earlier this month that the Nationals' TV revenues could “double, triple or more” when they reset the deal.
  • Any team that acquires David Wright from the Mets this summer wouldn't get a draft pick if he opts out of his contract after the season and leaves as a free agent, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork confirms on Twitter. Wright can void a $16MM club option for 2013 if he's traded, so Rubin suggests the third baseman's trade value may be highest next offseason.

Red Sox Would Have To Move Payroll For Oswalt

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It's been a bizarro offseason, with the Marlins spending freely, the Angels winning a top free agent, and the Yankees and Red Sox exercising financial caution.  The Red Sox would have to make a move to free up payroll in order to sign Roy Oswalt, reports WEEI's Rob Bradford, putting a deal in doubt.

The Red Sox have maintained dialogue with Oswalt's agent in recent days, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, who feels the team must fortify their rotation.  Reportedly, Oswalt is looking for about $8MM guaranteed on a one-year deal.

Red Sox Talking To Roy Oswalt

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The Red Sox have ongoing contact with free agent pitcher Roy Oswalt, sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com (Twitter link).

Oswalt, not far removed from being a dependable top-of-the-rotation starter, has seen his stock fall this offseason due to injury concerns, with recent rumors suggesting he could end up with a one-year contract worth somewhere around $8MM.

In addition to the Red Sox, the Rangers and Cardinals are also thought to be interested in adding the right-hander, who could pay off in spades for a contender if he's back at full strength.

Boston has been aggressively purusing rotation depth recently, although Oswalt would be more than insurance if he were to sign. The Sox added Aaron Cook and Justin Germano on minor league deals, and they may be nearing an agreement with Vicente Padilla.

Cafardo’s Latest: Zumaya, Carlos Lee, Oswalt

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At least three teams are "pushing hard" for Joel Zumaya, says Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. According to Cafardo, 50 scouts from 20 teams were in attendance for Zumaya's December workout, and the Red Sox and Padres are among the clubs who are very interested in the right-hander. Here are a few more items of interest from Cafardo's Sunday Baseball Notes:

  • An Astros source confirmed to Cafardo that the club has received a few inquires on Carlos Lee, as we heard earlier this week. The Rays briefly discussed a deal, but even half of Lee's $18.5MM salary figures to be too pricey for Tampa Bay.
  • A long-term extension doesn't look likely for Jacoby Ellsbury this week, but he and the Red Sox should avoid arbitration on a one-year deal before Tuesday's deadline.
  • Based on Hiroki Kuroda's deal with the Yankees, an NL GM thinks Roy Oswalt could be had for about $9MM for one year. There were rumblings this week suggesting Oswalt's current asking price may be even lower.
  • An NL scout on Edwin Jackson and his likely cost: "For that kind of money, you need more consistency out of him. I guess there's a lack of trust in that consistency. He's a great athlete, but he doesn't have a great feel for pitching. To me, he's still a complementary piece."
  • Ryan Spilborghs and Chad Qualls are two free agents to keep in mind for the Red Sox, says Cafardo. The Sox have "always liked" Spilborghs, who was non-tendered by the Rockies last month, and Qualls "has been on Boston's radar all offseason."

Mozeliak On Pujols, Molina, Oswalt, Fielder, Edmonds

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Cardinals GM John Mozeliak spoke to fans and media at the team's 16th annual Winter Warm-Up today, touching on a wide range of topics. MLB.com's Matthew Leach was there, and provided us with a rundown of all the news. Let's recap…

  • Mozeliak called the Albert Pujols negotiations "exhausting (and) frustrating," but said it is time to move on. "[It] just creates new opportunities for us," he added.
  • "In terms of what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, I really can’t get into those types of details," said Mozeliak when asked about a potential contract extension for Yadier Molina, who can become a free agent after the season. "But I assure we’re going to try to find a way to make it work. I know that he also wants to try to be here as well, so usually when you have that type of understanding and mutual agreement, you usually can get something resolved.”
  • "I haven’t heard anything about it and I probably won’t until they see that I’m healthy and out there rolling," said Adam Wainwright when asked about a potential contract extension, according to Leach. "But of course I want to finish my career here, everybody knows that. Everybody that plays here wants to finish their career here."
  • When asked about the possibility of signing Roy Oswalt, Mozeliak replied that he likes "the idea of an insurance policy" for the rotation. "There’s no doubt that he would be a nice addition, but I just don’t know how practical it is at this time," he added.
  • Unsurprisingly, Mozeliak made it very clear that the Cardinals will not be signing Prince Fielder. He said any further additions would likely involve a pitcher and not a hitter.
  • Mozeliak and manager Mike Matheny have spoken about bringing Jim Edmonds back to the organization in some non-playing capacity. “As far as what the role looks like or how we define it, we haven’t done that yet,” said the GM.
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