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Yoenis Cespedes

Athletics Notes: Gonzalez, Bailey, Sizemore, Cespedes

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We've seen a good amount of talk surrounding the A's lately and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle gave her take on it all..

  • Even though it's been said that Billy Beane will listen on all of his players this offseason, that is standard operating procedure for the GM and nothing new.  Beane's philosophy is that there is a match for any player, if the price is right.
  • If GM Billy Beane could get a substantial return for them, Slusser could see him trading Gio Gonzalez or Andrew Bailey.  Gonzalez is coveted by many contenders, with the Yankees at the head of the pack.  Bailey's value isn't terribly high after missing the first-half of last season with elbow issues, but the skyrocketing price of closers helps his case.  The two-time All-Star is under team control for three more years.
  • Slusser believes that it would take a Dan Haren-type deal to pry Gonzalez away and doesn't see that happening. 
  • Of the bullpen options that the A's have, Bailey probably would make the most sense if the A’s were to trade a younger piece.  Then again, Slusser notes that Grant Balfour is making more than Bailey and would also draw interest.
  • Even though the A’s have been linked to Grady Sizemore, Slusser hasn't heard any rumblings at all from the team about the center fielder.  The A’s are believed to be focusing on building a team with an eye towards a new stadium and signing Sizemore on a one-year deal doesn't fit with that idea.
  • There also hasn't been any talk from the team of going after Yoenis Cespedes, who on paper is the kind of player that the team might have interest in.  The A’s are not in the mode where they’ll do the kind of spending that it will take to land the 26-year-old, so it's not likely that they'll land him. They have had high level scouts and executives at games and workouts but the pricetag is likely too high for Oakland.  Slusser suggests taking the Sizemore and Cespedes talk with a grain of salt until the team has more clarity on the stadium situation.

Epstein On Zambrano, Managerial Search, Hale

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Earlier today, Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein had lunch with embattled pitcher Carlos Zambrano to discuss his future.  Here are Epstein's comments on the meeting and more..

  • Epstein said that Zambrano has a chance to "earn his way back' to being a Cub, tweets Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer. 
  • Epstein also hopes to make progress on naming a manager this week and will have "follow-ups" with candidates, Hoynes tweets.
  • The Cubs conducted a phone interview with DeMarlo Hale for the managerial job, tweets Bruce Miles of The Daily Herald.  Epstein said that they know the Red Sox bench coach well enough that a face-to-face meeting wasn't necessary.
  • Epstein hopes that the Red Sox and Cubs can make headway on their compensation talks now that they're in the same building, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com (via Twitter).
  • In other Cubs news, scouting director Jason McLeod is headed to the Dominican Republic this week to see several players, including outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, Muskat tweets.

Cafardo On Red Sox, Cuddyer, Sizemore, Marlins

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One of Red Sox GM Ben Cherington's toughest tasks this season will be finding fourth and fifth starters, writes Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.  Cherington could do it by pursuing the top free agent hurlers on the open market or try to bolster the rotation via trade.  It's widely expected that the White Sox will make either Gavin Floyd or John Danks available and Cafardo wonders if the Red Sox could get Anibal Sanchez back from the Marlins.  Free agent Hiroki Kuroda is a likely target but appears to be out of reach.  The veteran declined a chance to be traded to the Sox last season as he didn’t want to play anywhere but Los Angeles.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • Free agent Michael Cuddyer isn't as high of a priority for the Phillies as portrayed by the media.  A major league source characterized him as "a middle priority" and while Philadelphia would love to have him, the club isn't going to "go crazy" to make it happen.
  • It's widely believed that Grady Sizemore could be had for a bargain price but the center fielder has a few teams pursuing him, including the Red Sox.  However, his talks with Boston are in very preliminary stages, and his injury history and left-handed bat mean that he's an unlikely fit.
  • An agent told Cafardo that the Marlins' offers to Albert Pujols, Mark Buehrle, and Jose Reyes should be taken seriously and are not for show. 
  • If the Marlins land Pujols or Prince Fielder, first baseman Gaby Sanchez will be major trade bait for the club. 
  • If the Red Sox don't make a lot of pitching moves, we could see Alfredo Aceves moved into the rotation.  The right-hander pushed to start in the past but Terry Francona thought Aceves was too valuable to remove from his bullpen role. 
  • A National League scout says that center fielder Yoenis Cespedes is likely to be moved to one of the corner outfield spots in the majors.  Yesterday, we learned that the Cuban defector may not become a free agent for two months.

Quick Hits: Lee, Cespedes, Indians, Cards, Dodgers

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On this date last year, the Red Sox and Marlins swapped Dustin Richardson for Andrew Miller, a deal that didn't really work out for either side. Here are some notes from around the league…

  • Sosnick Cobbe Sports will represent Korean left-handed pitcher Seung-ho Lee according to the agency's Twitter feed. The 30-year-old is a free agent and looking to join a team in MLB.
  • MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports that the Cubs will hold a private workout session for 26-year-old Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes at some point soon.
  • "We're looking to improve the position player side of the roster," said Indians GM Chris Antonetti to Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The team's payroll will jump from $49MM to about $70MM, with much of that going towards arbitration raises.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the team is projecting Daniel Descalso as their Opening Day second baseman (Twitter link). He added that he "wouldn't mind" a double play combination of Descalso and Tyler Greene.
  • Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times reports that Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to let him negotiate a sale of the team's television rights, which will increase the sale price of the club. FOX Sports, which holds the clubs television rights, is trying to prevent the move.

Cespedes May Not Become Free Agent For Two Months

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It could take two months for MLB to declare Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes a free agent, reports Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The 26-year-old became a household name last week thanks to the his 20-minute showcase video.

The Red Sox, Phillies, Indians, Blue Jays, Pirates, Rangers, Tigers, Nationals, Athletics, Marlins, and Yankees are among the teams with interest in Cespedes. There is some belief within baseball that he could wind up with a contract in excess of the $30MM Aroldis Chapman received two offseasons years ago. Cespedes is represented by Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group.

Marlins Notes: Pujols, Cespedes, Reyes

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The Marlins will unveil their new uniforms and logos tonight, when they officially become the Miami Marlins. Here's the latest on the team, which has begun the offseason in style, courting several big-name free agents…

  • The Marlins are serious about signing Albert Pujols and intend to make a competitive offer, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria covets Pujols and envisions him at first base in 2012, according to Spencer.
  • The Marlins are meeting with Pujols and agent Dan Lozano today. You can read the details here.
  • The Marlins like what they saw from Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes yesterday, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. "We think we're a great fit because we're Miami, and we're a natural destination for any Cuban player, any Latin player," Marlins president David Samson said. "We are the Gateway to the Americas. We're the Miami Marlins. I think that he agrees, but we have to make a deal that makes sense for both parties."
  • The Marlins are more likely to sign Jose Reyes and Cespedes than Pujols, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro.

Quick Hits: Aoki, Cespedes, Pirates, Doumit

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The Royals acquired Vin Mazzaro from the Athletics for David DeJesus on this date last year. A few days ago, Kansas City acquired Jonathan Sanchez from the Bay Area's other team. Here are today's links…

  • The A's, Nationals, Mets and Indians could be interested in Norichika Aoki, the three-time Central League batting champion who will be posted this offseason, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. SI.com's Jon Heyman suggests those same four teams could be interested in Grady Sizemore (Twitter links).
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law previews the market for starting pitching and explains that if there's an available ace it's Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes previewed the market for starting pitching earlier this week.
  • Ben Badler of Baseball America explains that international scouts have known about Yoenis Cespedes for a while. The recent showcase video and the subsequent reaction gave fans the impression that the center fielder appeared out of nowhere, but that’s not the case.
  • Danny Knobler of CBS Sports hears from someone who expects Cespedes to sign for upwards of $30MM (Twitter link).
  • The Yankees and Pirates had preliminary discussions about trades involving catchers, but the Pirates' deal with Rod Barajas makes a trade between the Pirates and Yankees seem unlikely, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post explains (on Twitter).
  • Speaking of Pirates catchers, free agent Ryan Doumit has obtained multiple offers and expects to sign this month, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). The versatile 30-year-old is looking for a one-year deal.

Marlins Rumors: Fielder, Reyes, Buehrle, Cespedes

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Just like last year, the Marlins are being aggressive early in the offseason.  But this time instead of quickly signing John Buck and Javier Vazquez and shipping out Dan Uggla, Cameron Maybin, and Andrew Miller, the new Miami Marlins are wooing top free agents.  The latest:

  • Marlins president David Samson said on the Dan Le Batard show on 790 the Ticket that the team hasn't reached out to Prince Fielder (Twitter links via MLB.com's Joe Frisaro).  
  • Samson wouldn't comment on Albert Pujols, but he confirmed that Reyes is one of the Marlins' "priorities."
  • Mark Buehrle toured the Marlins' new ballpark and caught up with his former manager Ozzie Guillen in a daylong visit yesterday, reports Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.  Ace Josh Johnson commented, "It would be great for the team as a whole. He's a leader in the clubhouse and would really help out the rotation."  
  • Buehrle is a better bet to perform over the course of a free agent deal than C.J. Wilson, according to team executives who responded to a poll question posed by ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.  Responders voted 14 to 8 in favor of Buehrle.  A GM told Crasnick, "I know C.J. Wilson is a great story, and he's obviously pitched well.  But I don't see knockout stuff, and his arm action concerns me a little bit. Buehrle quietly has been pretty rock-solid for a long time. He works fast and throws with no effort. His recipe seems built to last."
  • Marlins president David Samson appeared on MLB Network Radio this morning with Jim Duquette and Kevin Kennedy, and Capozzi has a transcript.  In regard to free-agent-to-be Yoenis Cespedes, Samson said, "Obviously he is a special guy. We’ve had some guys seeing him. We’re going to see him again. It’s not too often you can get an impact player like that as a free agent but again in our market at a position like center field with a bat that he has, that would seem like a good fit."  The Marlins are sending a contingent to the Dominican Republic for a private workout with the Cuban center fielder tomorrow, in fact.
  • Guillen has been very helpful in recruiting free agents, according to Samson.  The Marlins are meeting with Jose Reyes today, and one Mets person told John Harper of the New York Daily News the Marlins plan to offer Reyes a high-salary, three-year deal.  Personally, I don't think the Marlins will limit their offers to three years.
  • I heard today that while Japan's Yomiuri Giants inquired on free agent and former Marlins top prospect Jeremy Hermida, he's looking to stay in MLB.

Latest On Yoenis Cespedes

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The market is strong for Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, who currently resides in the Dominican Republic.  The paperwork required for the center fielder to play baseball in the United States should be done this month, advisor Edgar Mercedes told Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus.  Said Mercedes, "I'm confident that he'll be in spring training with a major league club."  

Private workouts are beginning this week, with a large Marlins contingent scheduled to visit Thursday.  The Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Indians, Blue Jays, and Pirates are among the teams that will visit in the coming weeks, Mercedes told Goldstein.  Mercedes also answered questions about the legendary showcase video he produced for Cespedes.   

On Monday, the Rangers, Tigers, Nationals, and Athletics were named as other clubs interested in Cespedes, who is represented by Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group.

 

Heyman On Posada, Dodgers, Beltran, Morrison

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The latest rumors tweeted from SI's Jon Heyman…

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