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Miguel Olivo Reaches Agreement With Rockies

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MONDAY, 8:27pm: Harding is up with a story now that includes contract details. The Rockies will pay Olivo $2MM in 2010, and then either exercise a club option for $2.5MM in 2011, or go with a $500K buyout.

MONDAY, 4:56pm: MLB.com's Thomas Harding tweets that an agreement has been reached on a one-year deal with a 2011 option.

WEDNESDAY, 7:35pm: Troy Renck of the Denver Post says Olivo's contract is for one year with a club option.  Renck also reports that the Rockies and Torrealba solved the issue of the $400K salary gap, but were instead held up by how a reported two-year, $6MM deal would be paid out over 2010 and 2011.  Renck outlines the whole situation in a blog post and notes that the Mets and Giants are both interested in Torrealba.

5:25pm: Free-agent catcher Miguel Olivo and the Rockies "are attempting to work out final details" on a deal that would make Olivo the new backup in Colorado, reports Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.

Olivo hit .249/.292/.490 in 416 plate appearances with Kansas City last season, leading the Royals with 23 home runs.  It wouldn't be a surprise to see Olivo earn regular playing time in Colorado given that Iannetta ended up losing the starting job to Yorvit Torrealba down the stretch last season (though, to be fair, Iannetta posted an .804 OPS himself in 2009 and is the clear incumbent given his new contract).

Should Olivo sign with Colorado, it would close the door on any chance of Torrealba re-signing with his former club.  Torrealba and the Rockies were in talks earlier this winter, but apparently couldn't close the gap on a $400K difference between Torrealba's demands and what the Rockies wanted to pay him.

Odds & Ends: Byrd, Werth, Tigers, Brewers

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Here's your first batch of links for 2010…

  • Marlon Byrd signed with the Cubs partly because of hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Jaramillo worked with Byrd in Texas.
  • The Marlins are willing to spend on Aroldis Chapman because they don't anticipate handing big bucks over to their first round pick next year, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The Marlins have the 23rd overall pick in the draft.
  • Jayson Werth is set to become a free agent after the 2010 season, and MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says he isn't sure the Phillies could retain him if he goes looking for a deal similar to what the Mets gave Jason Bay. 
  • Jason Beck of MLB.com says he'd be surprised if the Tigers didn't trade for a veteran reliever on a short-term contract to fill in at the back of the bullpen.
  • Don't discount the idea of Brewers' GM Doug Melvin making another move to bolster his pitching staff, says Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Such a move could come before the season, or ahead of the trade deadline. 
  • MLB.com's Corey Brock notes that Padres' GM Jed Hoyer has talked about finding players that fit Petco Park, which would be "an athletic one, has doubles-power, someone who can run … if it's an outfielder, someone who can go get a ball, someone who won't clog the bases."
  • The Rangers will bring in "at least one and possibly two" veteran catchers, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. He notes that the team has talked about Rod Barajas and Yorvit Torrealba, but both are looking for two-year deals. 
  • In an interview with Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chipper Jones says that he's told team officials he'll only change positions if the team brings in "the right personnel." Chipper also reiterated that he's going year-to-year at this point of his career, and admits there's parts of being a ballplayer that he's sick of.
  • Here's the current 2010 draft order based on the free agent signings that are official. At the moment, the Angels have five of the first 37 picks. 

Mets Rumors: Bay, Molina, Delgado, Pineiro

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Sean Casey tells Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News that he likes the Jason Bay deal for the Mets. Casey, who played with Bay in Pittsburgh and Boston, expects the left fielder to adjust well to New York. Here are some more Mets-related rumors:

  • The Mets aren't nearing an agreement with Bengie Molina, who is looking for a three-year deal. We've been hearing for a while now that the Mets aren't interested in committing to Molina for that long. They're comfortable with a one-year deal that includes a vesting option, according to McCarron's source.
  • As ESPN.com notes, Yorvit Torrealba could be a solution for the Mets if there are no hard feelings between the two sides. The Rockies don't appear to have room for Torrealba now that they're reportedly close to signing Miguel Olivo.
  • The Mets are still interested in Carlos Delgado, who could start playing winter ball this weekend.
  • Joel Pineiro is still on the team's radar, but the Mets haven't spoken to his representatives this week. 

Molina Key To Catching Market

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A "person in the industry" tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that once Bengie Molina signs with a club, the rest of catchers on the open market are going to be scooped up quickly. 

While the Mets are known to be pursuing Molina, the two sides are not close, according to one source.  As a result, free agent catchers Rod Barajas, Jose Molina, and Yorvit Torrealba are still waiting by the phone.  Torrealba is drawing interest from the Mariners, Rockies, Rangers, Mets, and Giants.

Reportedly, Molina is seeking a three-year deal worth roughly $20MM.  Do you think he will continue to hold out for that type of money, or will he ease up on his demands and sign with a team relatively soon?

Rockies Rumors: Torrealba, Capps

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Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports that despite only being $400K apart on a two-year deal, the Rockies and Yorvit Torrealba may not be able to close the gap. Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd says that he is "not optimistic" the deal will get done. O'Dowd did confirm that the Rockies are interested in Miguel Olivo as a possibility.

Torrealba could also be a backup plan for the Mets.

O'Dowd also said that the Rockies are "absolutely interested" in Matt Capps. O'Dowd suggested Capps could be the Rockies future closer if they are unable to extend Huston Street beyond the '10 season. Saunders cites the strong ties between Capps and Jim Tracy for whom Capps played for in Pittsburgh.

Earlier we learned that at least 16 teams have shown interest in Capps, who is seeking a two-year deal.

Odds & Ends: Torrealba, Rangers, Damon

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Some evening links…

  • Yorvit Torrealba's pending grievance hearing against the Mets will take place Wednesday, writes Jon Heyman of SI.com.  Torrealba contends that back when he was a free agent in 2007, the club falsely created the impression that he was an injury risk.  Interestingly, the article notes that despite this, the Mets could still sign Torrealba this time around if they are unable to sign Bengie Molina.
  • The Texas Rangers could sell for as much as $530MM, according to Maury Brown of BizOfBaseball.  Brown indicates that the group led by Jim Crane holds the highest bid at the moment.
  • Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweeted earlier today that the signings of Mike Cameron and Hideki Matsui could improve the chances of Johnny Damon returning to the Bronx.  Not just a good point but one that many of us have probably overlooked in the chaos of today.
  • All of the player movement of today puts a great deal of pressure on Mets GM Omar Minaya, writes Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post.
  • With Lackey and Halladay seemingly off the market, the Yankees can now focus on whittling down a list of available second-tier starters, writes Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger.  Carig suggests that Ben Sheets and Justin Duchscherer are possibilities.
  • Steve Gilbert of MLB.com has a list of possible non-tenders who could land with the D'Backs.  We've heard the other names already, but Gilbert suggests Ryan Church as a fit, noting that Arizona has an uncertain interest level. 
  • A person familiar with the Mets' thinking tells Marty Noble of MLB.com that the team has interest in two pitchers: starter Chien-Ming Wang and a lower-profile name in reliever Mike MacDougal.

Torrealba, Rockies $400K Apart

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The Rockies are just $400K apart on a new contract with catcher Yorvit Torrealba, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.  Torrealba wants to match Ivan Rodriguez's deal (two years, $6MM) while the Rockies are at two years and $5.6MM.

With the Royals apparently focused on Jason Kendall, Torrealba's other options are the Mets and Giants.  The Mets have an offer out to Bengie Molina, but Renck notes that Torrealba is "scheduled to travel to New York next week to resolve his pending grievance" with them.  He says the Giants like Torrealba on a one-year deal, and also made an inquiry on Detroit's Gerald Laird.

Rockies, Iannetta Agree To Three-Year Deal

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FRIDAY, 10:08am: Renck says Iannetta's three-year deal is worth $8.3MM, with a $5MM club option for his first free agent year (2013).

THURSDAY, 3:23pm: Renck says Iannetta and the Rockies have agreed on a three-year deal worth more than $8MM.  The deal includes an option for Iannetta's first free agent year, 2013.  By comparison, Chris Snyder will earn $9.6MM for his arbitration years and Ryan Doumit will get $10.7MM.

1:00pm: The Rockies are close to signing catcher Chris Iannetta to a three-year deal, writes Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.  The contract would buy out all three of Iannetta's arbitration years.  Renck says the Rockies' initial offer was around $6.8MM.  He also notes that the team's budget has room for both Iannetta and Yorvit Torrealba.

Iannetta, 27 in April, slumped slightly to .228/.344/.460 in 350 plate appearances this year (still very good for a catcher).  He logged 763.6 innings behind the dish, throwing out 26% of attempted thieves.

Mets To Offer Two Years To Bengie Molina?

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5:56pm: The Mets confirmed that they made Molina and Jason Bay offers, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

THURSDAY, 6:34am: Adam Rubin of The NY Daily News says the Mets do in fact plan to make Molina an offer before leaving Indianapolis later today, however they don't expect to reach an agreement by then.

WEDNESDAY, 7:12pm: The Mets haven't made Molina an offer yet, but expect to propose a contract by tomorrow afternoon, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

11:17am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests the Mets will make their initial offer to Molina this afternoon.

9:38am: Newsday's David Lennon has heard Bengie Molina is the Mets' first choice at catcher, and "if he accepts a two-year deal, in the $12-million range, he figures to be a Met very shortly."  Still, Lennon's "Mets closing on Molina" headline seems strong.  Lennon says that if Molina insists on three years, the Mets could sign Yorvit Torrealba for one – even though Torrealba could get two years elsewhere.  The Rockies, Giants, and Royals are also in on Torrealba, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.  The Rockies are willing to give Miguel Olivo two years if they can't get Torrealba.

Molina was left out in the cold once before, in the 2005-06 offseason.  He cashed in with the Giants the following winter, and should probably jump on this Mets offer.

Rockies Nearing Two-Year Deal With Torrealba?

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THURSDAY, 1:24pm: Steve Henson of Yahoo! Sports says that Torrealba is currently exhausting all of his options, but "it's only a matter of time before he accepts" the Rockies' offer.

WEDNESDAY, 6:24pm: Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports reports that the Rockies are at a standstill with Torrealba. He wants $6MM over the course of the contract, but they're currently offering $5MM. 

2:50pm: Renck now says the Rockies have not spoken with Torrealba's people today but they are the frontrunner.

2:32pm: Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says the Rockies are "on the verge" of re-signing Torrealba.  He believes the two-year deal will be in the $5-5.5MM range.

1:18pm: The Rockies are "nearing resolution" on a two-year deal with catcher Yorvit Torrealba, writes ESPN's Buster Olney.  Torrealba had been reported as the Mets' Plan B after Bengie Molina.  Looks like two-year deals for catchers are the norm so far this year, outside of Gregg Zaun.

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