Rumor/News Thread

I went by an M’s team store today and saw that Cliff Lee will be wearing #36.

If we end up trading Lopez, anyone else like him as a budget-saving 2B? Probably much cheaper than Hudson, despite just having a resurgent offensive season.

Diamondbacks signed RHP Bob Howry to a one-year, $2 million contract with a $3 million club option for 2011.
Howry, 36, posted a 3.39 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 46/23 K/BB ratio in 63 1/3 innings with the Giants this year. He’s just as reliable as some of the other relievers who’ve landed multi-year contracts this winter and should do just fine in a setup role for the Diamondbacks next season.

Also, neat…I guess

The Diamondbacks expect to hear in the next couple of days whether Kelly Johnson has accepted their contract offer.
The proposed deal is believed to be worth around $2 million. Johnson is exploring other options but is unlikely to find a better situation than Arizona, where he will start at second base. The 29-year-old hit just .224/.303/.389 with eight home runs and 29 RBI this past year.

So, Edwin Jackson, Bow Howry, and Kelly Johnson. Exciting!

Well…the Mets that is:

According to WFAN’s Mike Francesca, the Mets have signed Jason Bay and completion of the deal is only pending a physical.
Mets sources have informed Francesca that Bay’s contract will be finalized early next week. It’s not yet clear what the exact financial terms are, though the Mets’ latest rumored offer was worth $65 million over four years. If they stuck to their guns, it seems like a fine pickup. Bay, 31, hit .267/.384/.537 with 36 home runs, 119 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 531 at-bats this past season and will add considerable pop to the Mets’ 2010 lineup.

I’m thinking yes, but what do I know?

but it made me happy nevertheless:

Hideki Matsui is confident he can play the outfield next season.

One year deal, option for 2011. Wonder who will be more productive next year, DeRosa/Uribe or Figgins/Hall?

News on him has been dead quiet.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals and free agent outfielder Matt Holliday are “working toward an agreement” that is “gaining momentum.”

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, progress is strong and a deal could be reached as early as next week. Terms of the current offer are not known, but Goold writes that it is potentially the largest contract ever offered by St. Louis, topping the $100 million extension given to Albert Pujols in 2004. The two sides have reportedly discussed a five-year guaranteed deal and an eight-year framework.

The Cubs are close to a three-year deal with free agent outfielder Marlon Byrd, Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports.

The Cubs haven’t been alone in their pursuit of the 32-year-old outfielder, as the Yankees, Braves and Rangers have also expressed varied degrees of interest. Byrd earned $3.06 million last season with the Rangers, batting .283/.329/.479 with 20 homers, 89 RBI and 43 doubles. If a deal is completed, he would slot in as Chicago’s starting center fielder.

Second baseman Orlando Hudson(notes) has been named in a lot of rumors this off-season.
The Minnesota Twins supposedly had some interest. The Detroit Tigers reportedly are interested in having him replace the departed Placido Polanco(notes). Rumors had the Colorado Rockies after him but GM Dan O’Dowd denies it. The New York Mets supposedly want him if they can find another team to take 2009 team MVP Luis Castillo(notes) off their hands. And the Philadelphia Phillies also reportedly asked Hudson if he would switch to third before signing Polanco. Hudson apparently said no way.
Now it’s looking like the Seattle Mariners are interested in bringing Hudson to the Northwest, according to ESPN.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Gerald Laird was arrested for his involvement in a brawl.

Padres general manager Jed Hoyer told Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe that he isn’t looking to trade first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
“A number of teams have inquired about him. I think we’re obviously willing to listen on anything, but he’s a great player, he fits our team, he fits our payroll structure very well,” said Hoyer. “So he’s certainly not a player we’re looking to move. I think that’s been the way we’ve addressed it all winter. Teams have inquired, but we’ve certainly said the same thing over and over: He’s not a player we’re looking to move.” The 27-year-old Gonzalez has been a popular name in trade rumors this offseason, especially in Boston, but it may serve Hoyer to hold out to find a Mark Teixeira-like return around the trade deadline. Gonzalez is a bargain over the next two seasons, owed $4.75 million in 2010 with a $5.5 million club option for 2011.

Also:

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports that free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre is close to choosing between two clubs.
Brown writes that the teams are on separate coasts and guesses that it could be either the Athletics or Red Sox. Both are logical fits, but Boston still has Mike Lowell in-house, as the proposed trade with the Rangers broke down after concerns about his right thumb emerged. Beltre, represented by Scott Boras, is believed to be seeking a multi-year contract worth around $10 million per season.

that the Cards are close to completing a 5-6yr/98M Holliday deal.

Per Heyman, it’s down to three teams. He says Boston for sure, maybe Oakland and a unknown third team. I’m going to go ahead and speculate that the third team is the Mariners. Even if he wouldn’t be all that much of an upgrade.

Jays twice, once at the trade deadline and once the Winter Meetings, about acquiring Halladay. Thanks to Roy’s no-trade clause, it didn’t get very far.

Link
Nick Swisher reacts:

Wash again expresses interest in returning

Please no.

Kotchman, 26, is a left handed bat with a career .406 slugging percentage and a decent — if not spectacular — .337 OBP

Emphasis mine. Explain to me how a .337 OBP is “spectacular”.

7 years 120M full no trade clause. I guess this means they have a chance to extend their Pujols now.

A lefty throwing 3rd basemen would be fun to watch.

he’s getting 2M base pay and only 2M more in PA incentives. He’ll get 3.05M for 500 (optimistic but reasonable) 3.45 for 550 (very optimistic) and 4M for 600 (no way). And we’re getting Casey Fucking Kotchman. Dammit.

The Twins have made an offer to free agent left-hander Jarrod Washburn, reports Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
The Twins have already secured Carl Pavano, but they’d like to add another arm in preparation for their new open-air stadium. Washburn, 35, was 9-9 with a 3.78 ERA in 28 starts last season, but really struggled down the stretch, tallying a 7.33 ERA in eight starts after being traded to the Tigers in July. With a 4.10 career ERA in 12 career seasons, he’s no ace, but the veteran left-hander would fit nicely in the back-end of the Minnesota rotation.

who have since pulled it back. Have you been paying attention Adam? It aint ’06 any more.

tweets that Chris Woodward is back on a minor league deal.

I was really worried

Under the terms of his new seven-year, $120 million contract, the Cardinals will pay Matt Holliday through 2029.

It doesn’t quite match the infamous and often mocked contract Bobby Bonilla signed with the Mets. Holliday’s contract includes a $17 million team option for 2017 with a $1 million buyout. The option becomes guaranteed if Holliday finishes in the Top-10 of the 2016 NL MVP voting. However, Depending on whether the option is exercised by the team, Holliday will receive $1.4 million or $1.6 million each July 15 from 2020 until 2029. The Cardinals are expected to finalize the agreement with Holliday on Thursday.

And on the Chapman front:

Clark Spencer of the the Miami Herald writes that internally the Marlins have conceded defeat in their efforts to sign Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman.

Things are starting to speed up in the bidding for Chapman, and the Marlins made a pretty substantial bid — a reported $13 million — but it appears the Angels and Blue Jays are the front runners at this point in time. The 21-year-old is expected to make a decision in the next couple of days.

The Angels are “trying like crazy” to sign free agent left-hander Aroldis Chapman, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.

At the beginning of this process, it appeared the Red Sox and Yankees were the favorites to land the 21-year-old fireballer, but as his price has come down, more teams have entered the fray. The Blue Jays are also considered a favorite, but the Kendry Morales connection has reportedly helped the Angels in their pursuit of the young left-hander. Chapman is expected to sign a contract in excess of $20 million.

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports that the Royals have reached a preliminary agreement with outfielder Scott Podsednik.
And there it is. As Crasnick notes, Podsednik had been discussing one and even two-year deals with clubs this winter. Let’s hope, for Kansas City fans, that his contract with the Royals is only for one year and worth just around $1 million. The 33-year-old outfielder had a nice comeback season in 2009 but he’s not the answer to Dayton Moore and Co.’s woes.