Hot Stove Blog

11/20 Cubs & Blue Jays talk re: Halladay

2009-11-20T22:07:51Z

The Cubs are one of the teams the Blue Jays have contacted regarding pitcher Roy Halladay. However, before Cubs fans start salivating at the prospect of the former Cy Young winner in the rotation with Ted Lilly, Carlos Zambrano, and Ryan Dempster, there's a catch. He's owed $15.75 million in 2010, and the Blue Jays want some of the Cubs' top prospects. No. 1, the team can't take on Halladay's salary. The Blue Jays apparently have a wish list and Milton Bradley is not on it. A player like highly regarded shortstop Starlin Castro most likely is, and the Cubs don't want to part with him, especially since they might only have Halladay for one year. The right-hander was 17-10 with a 2.79 ERA this season, and is a free agent after 2010. One thing the Blue Jays did make clear to the Cubs is they want to move Halladay this offseason.

-- Carrie Muskat

Rivera a trade chip for Angels?

2009-11-20T18:38:59Z

One of the best free-agent signings under the national radar last season was Angels left fielder Juan Rivera, who could be available in trade talks according to "indications" received by Jon Heyman of SI.com.

Rivera, 31, produced career highs in homers (25) and RBIs (82) while batting .287 with .478 slugging and .332 on-base marks. He also played a career-high 138 games, finally fully recovered from a broken leg suffered after the '06 season, and excelled defensively, showcasing a strong, accurate arm that also plays in right field.

A big part of Rivera's appeal is his contract. He has two years left at a total of $9.5 million. The Rays, having exercised Carl Crawford's $10 million option and facing losing him as a free agent after the '10 season, could in effect get two years of Rivera for one year of Crawford. That doesn't sound like too bad a deal if the Rays feel they can come close to matching what Crawford gives them as a table-setter and base-stealing machine.

There have been reports that the Angels talked to the Tigers about Curtis Granderson, a solid player and quality citizen of the game. But Granderson's struggles against lefties are a concern, and he'd be making a move to a corner OF spot, where Crawford has flourished. Starter Edwin Jackson of the Tigers also could hold major appeal to the Angels either in a solo deal or an expanded deal involving Granderson.

All of this speculation hinges on the destinations of such high-profile Angels free agents as John Lackey, Chone Figgins and Vladimir Guerrero, now accepting offers from all clubs with the Angels exclusive rights expiring Thursday night.

-- Lyle Spencer

11/20 Cubs & Milton Bradley

2009-11-20T18:31:06Z

Four to six teams have expressed interest in acquiring Milton Bradley, with the interest in varying degrees, depending on how much of the $21 million still owed the outfielder that the Cubs are willing to pick up.

However, top officials at both the Rangers and Cubs on Friday denied a Chicago Tribune report, which outlined a three-team swap that included the Mets. The proposed deal had Bradley going to the Rangers, who would ship Kevin Millwood to the Mets. The Cubs would get second baseman Luis Castillo from New York.

Yes, the Cubs would like to improve their second base situation. Millwood is owed $12 million in the last year of his deal, and the Mets need pitching. According to the Tribune, the Cubs would have to pay part of the $21 million remaining on Bradley's contract.

But a top Cubs official said there was no truth to the rumor. A high-ranking Rangers official told MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan such a deal is "not happening."

There is legitimate interest in Bradley, even after his dropoff in '09, his first year in Chicago. Teams have told GM Jim Hendry to keep them in the loop, and are waiting to see whether the Cubs will eat some of Bradley's contract.

There have been reports that the Cubs would take Tampa Bay outfielder Pat Burrell in a deal for Bradley, but Burrell is owed $9 million in 2010 and the Rays reportedly want Chicago to pick up part of Bradley's money as well.

-- Carrie Muskat

Report: White Sox close to deal with Vizquel

2009-11-20T17:20:55Z

The White Sox may be close to signing a one-year deal with Omar Vizquel to be their backup infielder, according to a report by Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com.

Vizquel, 42, would give the White Sox a versatile backup for nearly all the infield positions. Last season, Vizquel played third base, second base and shortstop while batting .266 in 62 games for the Rangers.

The White Sox said Friday that besides the five additions the club made to their 40-man roster, there would be no other news today.

In addition to his ability to play nearly everywhere in the infield, Vizquel would also give the White Sox a veteran infielder to help mentor shortstop Alexei Ramirez and second baseman Gordon Beckham, who is making his second position change in two years.

This is not the first time that the White Sox have reportedly had interest in Vizquel. The club was close to signing him to a two-year deal before the start of the 2005 season but Vizquel instead inked a three-year contract with the Giants at the last minute.

-- Kelly Thesier

Rangers won't do three-way Bradley deal

2009-11-20T16:57:41Z

According to one report, the Rangers, Cubs and Mets are discussing a three-way trade.

The deal has the Rangers sending Kevin Millwood to the Mets, who would trade second baseman Luis Castillo the Cubs. To complete the trade, the Cubs would send Milton Bradley to the Rangers.

Said one high-ranking Rangers official bluntly: "Not happening."

The other two clubs would love the deal. The Rangers have no interest in trading their No. 1 starter in that deal.

-- T.R. Sullivan

The Padres will spend (some) in free agency

2009-11-20T16:43:03Z

New San Diego Padres general manager Jed Hoyer told me on Thursday that the team plans to spend in free agency, though the payroll will again be in the $40-million range as it was a year ago.

The Padres improved 12 games from 2008 despite a lowered payroll that went from roughly $70 million in 2007 to $43 million a year ago. That figure won't change much, though the Padres did get Jake Peavy and Brian Giles off the book in the last year.

"As far as approaching free agency, we're not going to be major players for free agents because of the size of our payroll," Hoyer said. "But we're going to go after targets we like ... aggressively. We have money in the budget to spend on free agency."

The Padres already have $11 million wrapped up in two players -- starting pitcher Chris Young ($6.25 million) and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez ($4.75) -- as well as another $1 million in second baseman David Eckstein.

Counting Young, Gonzalez and Eckstein, and if their four arbitration-eligible players (Heath Bell, Kevin Correia, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Mike Adams) receive raises that amount to, say, $12 million, then that's $24 million. The rest of the roster is comprised of players who made the minimum salary of $400,000 in 2009 or slightly more.

The Padres want a right-handed bat and some help for the starting rotation. This can be had through free agency, some of it. But trades might be the way the Padres go to improve their team in 2010.

-- Corey Brock, Twitter: @FollowThePadres

Lo Duca wants to keep playing

2009-11-20T16:19:09Z

Paul Lo Duca may have been out of baseball last season. But despite being 37 years old, registering 932 games behind the plate in his Major League career and sustaining various injuries, Lo Duca is aiming to play next season.

The veteran backstop made an appearance on Sirius XM Radio with Casey Stern and Kevin Kennedy on Thursday and said he's healthy and rearing for a return.

"I feel unbelievable," Lo Duca said, in quotes provided by The New York Daily News. "I've been hitting the last four or five days constantly and started my workouts. I feel great. My hand feels 100 percent for the first time in a while. My hamstring and my knee finally healed after the surgery I had there.

"I want to come back and play. When I started working with you guys [as a part-time analyst] and started really watching the games, it really gave me that edge. My heart's into it, and I want to go back in it full bore and [do] whatever needs to be done."

Lo Duca said he wants to go to a winning team but is willing to play any role -- as a platoon mate, bench guy, etc. He added that his knees feel good, too.

Lo Duca last played with the Nationals and Marlins in 2008, combining to bat .243 with 15 RBIs and a .321 on-base percentage in 67 games. He's a career .286 hitter who also a small amount of experience in left field and first base.

He's obviously no longer a frontline guy, and his arm strength was questionable when he last took the field, but a number of teams are looking for a veteran backup catcher this offseason and could get Lo Duca for perhaps a Minor League deal.

If he proves himself in Spring Training, who knows?

"Whatever happens, I'm looking just to get an invite," Lo Duca said on the radio show. "If you don't like me when I'm walking in the clubhouse, hey, you don't like me, go ahead and send me home. That's fine. But I'm going to show up in great shape and ready to go. We'll see what happens. I'm gung-ho. I'm really energetic about coming back. I feel like I still have a lot to offer."

-- Alden Gonzalez

Marlins extend an offer to Gload

2009-11-20T04:05:44Z

MIAMI -- The Marlins may have declined Ross Gload's $2.6 million option earlier this offseason, but they want the veteran lefty hitter back. And according to The Miami Herald, Florida has extended Gload a deal similar to the one Wes Helms received last offseason, at two years for $1.9 million.

Gload batted .261 with six homers and 30 RBIs while seeing action in 125 games this season. As a pinch-hitter, he batted .318 and made a nice duo off the bench with the righty-hitting Helms. Gload ranked first in the Major Leagues with 21 pinch hits, and Helms was tied for second with 17.

The 33-year-old also has experience as a corner outfielder and is a career .283/.328/.408 hitter in eight seasons in the big leagues.

-- Alden Gonzalez

D-backs to use Heilman as a reliever

2009-11-19T22:18:29Z

Look for the D-backs to use newly-acquired Aaron Heilman in the bullpen rather than the starting rotation.

"He has the stuff to get both left-handers and right-handers out," D-backs GM Josh Byrnes said. "He definitely strengthens our bullpen."

-- Steve Gilbert

D-backs acquire Heilman

2009-11-19T21:32:02Z

PHOENIX -- The D-backs bolstered their bullpen Thursday acquiring right-hander Aaron Heilman from the Cubs in exchange for a pair of Minor Leaguers.

Heilman was 4-4 with a 4.11 ERA and one save in 70 games for the Cubs. The 31-year-old walked 34 and fanned 65 while holding opponents to a .257 average.

The D-backs sent left-handed pitcher Scott Main and infielder Ryne White to the Cubs. Maine, who pitched in the Arizona Fall League this year was a sixth-round selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft and split time this past season between Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Reno.

White, meanwhile, was a fourth-round pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft. Last season he hit .266 with six homers and 52 RBIs for Class A Visalia.

Heilman is 26-37 with 10 saves and a 4.22 ERA in 375 career games with the Mets and Cubs.

-- Steve Gilbert

Boras, Manfred disagree on MLB's financial state

2009-11-19T20:08:41Z

As teams prepared to enter the open free-agent market that begins on Friday, Major League Baseball's chief of labor operations and the sport's highest-profile agent are at odds as to the financial state of Major League teams, according to a report by FoxSports.com.

Agent Scott Boras, who represents some of the game's highest paid players, has spoken glowingly about the current state of baseball in tough economic times -- something Rob Manfred disagrees on.

In reference to a recent Boston Globe report in which Boras was quoted as saying that some teams are getting a combined $80 million to $90 million per season from revenue sharing and baseball's central fund -- and not spending accordingly in order to turn bigger profits -- Manfred told FoxSports.com, "There is no one club getting $80 or $90 million in combination from revenue sharing and central baseball. Not one."

The money from baseball's central fund includes revenues from licensing, properties, national TV contracts and advanced media. On Wednesday, two club presidents -- Frank Coonelly of the Pirates and one American League executive who the Web site kept anonymous -- said a recent New York Daily News report saying each team received $38 million from the fund in 2008 is inaccurate.

"What [Boras is] talking about is a fantasy, an absolute fantasy," Manfred told the Web site while speaking generally about Boras' view on the sport's finances. "We are in a very difficult economic time and anybody who misstates the numbers in an effort to create the impression that baseball is insulated from these difficult times is misleading you."

Boras suggested that the way to settle the discrepancy between the figure outlets report clubs make and what the clubs themselves proclaim is to require Major League teams to disclose what they receive from the central fund and revenue sharing during the next collective-bargaining meetings.

"Fans have a right to know what money their team is given," Boras said. "If clubs don't want to disclose it, then don't accept the subsidy. If they do want to accept it, disclose it. Their choice."

When the current collective-bargaining agreement expires in December 2011, baseball will have completed an unprecedented 16 consecutive years of labor peace. But FoxSports.com suggested that peace may be threatened by increasing rhetoric and distrust between the players' side -- which says baseball is doing well financially -- and the owners' side -- which insists the economic downturn is affecting their game.

-- Alden Gonzalez

Byrd's return to the Rangers not looking likely

2009-11-19T01:07:22Z

The Rangers lose exclusive negotiating rights to Marlon Byrd as of midnight (ET) Thursday. The possibility of him returning to the Rangers is growing dim.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels met with Sam Levinson - Byrd's agent - in Chicago earlier this month. They did not appear to be productive conversations.

"We've had a decent amount of conversation," Daniels said. "I expect them to test the market. Based on what they're looking for...we're not in a position to do that right now. We expect them to talk to other clubs and see what's out there. We're going to be looking at alternatives."

The Rangers are satisfied that they will have center field covered with Josh Hamilton and Julio Borbon. They appear more concerned about losing Byrd's right-handed bat. They are looking for a middle-of-the-order right-handed bat. Among the interesting free agents are Vladimir Guerrero, Gary Sheffield, Jermaine Dye and Fernando Tatis.

Two other names that should interest them are Randy Winn and Mike Cameron. Both can play center field.

-- T.R. Sullivan

MacPhail on the road ahead

2009-11-19T00:44:24Z

With the exclusive free-agent negotiating window ending Friday, Andy MacPhail, the Orioles' president of baseball operations, reiterated on Wednesday that his club is "looking for corner infielders," added that prospects Josh Bell (third baseman) and Brandon Snyder (first baseman) will likely need another year of seasoning in the Minor Leagues and said they'll be looking at "any pitching alternative that we think makes us better."

Like John Lackey? The Orioles were aggressive after Mark Teixeira and AJ Burnett last season, but it doesn't seem like the O's will throw top dollar in a max contract at Lackey, though MacPhail didn't comment on that specifically.

"Unfortunately, pitching history is not quite as durable as position players," MacPhail said when asked about Lackey.

MacPhail added that he has reached out to Mark Hendrickson's agent, Joe Urbon. But it seems as if the two sides won't get anything done within the exclusive window, which was Urbon's desire.

Also, MacPhail said he's not likely to part with any of his top prospects for a big bat at first or third base -- so you can probably get Adrian Gonzalez out of your minds, O's fans.

"I think we'll be judicious about giving up any of those guys we think are part of our core future," MacPhail said.

"I would think it unlikely that we would get seduced in a deal where we gave up a young, key part of our future and just got something back that would be a short-term answer for us."

More on this on the Orioles' site on Thursday.

-- Alden Gonzalez

The Marlins and Jamey Carroll

2009-11-19T00:00:50Z

MIAMI -- Well, there is an interest. But right now, it isn't much -- at least not as much as several other clubs.

In a phone interview on Wednesday afternoon, Jamey Carroll's agent, Jonathan Maurer, said the Marlins have inquired about his versatile client as a utility man, but they would also prefer somebody with a little more experience at shortstop.

Clubs can't actually negotiate with other teams' free agents until Friday, so the two sides likely didn't really get into any specifics.

Maurer said he has received interest from 11 teams -- most of them on the West coast, though he wouldn't go into specifics -- and a few have been more aggressive than the Marlins. That makes sense, considering Florida still technically has second baseman Dan Uggla and third baseman Jorge Cantu on its roster. Uggla has been the subject of trade rumors, and if he does indeed get dealt, the Marlins' interest in Carroll could increase.

Maurer, who said the Marlins have basically "touched base," has a good relationship with Florida. Right-hander Tim Wood is one of his clients, and Triple-A New Orleans pitching coach Scott Mitchell was the first athlete he ever signed.

For now, though, he'll just wait and see.

"I have the utmost respect for [general manager] Mike Hill and the Marlins," Maurer said. "I've worked with them for years, and Jamey would be very excited to consider the Florida Marlins, should they extend an offer at some point -- when offers can be extended. But at this point, there are other clubs a lot more aggressive than the Marlins. I'm not asking for the Marlins to be aggressive. It's just, at this point, they have a second baseman and a third baseman."

Carroll, 35, is a good defensive player at second and third base and is a pretty good on-base guy. He also has experience at shortstop -- though he hasn't played it since 2007 -- and has registered 16 career games in the outfield.

In his eighth season in the big leagues this past season, he batted .276/.355/.340, adding 26 RBIs and 53 runs scored in 93 games. For his career, the right-handed hitter has batted .273 with a .351 on-base percentage.

The exclusive negotiating window between clubs and their own free agents ends at midnight ET on Thursday. Maurer and the Marlins will likely be in touch more thereafter.

"There's some very aggressive clubs, and we would be very excited to explore Florida in greater detail after Friday, should they call," he said. "But just being frank, I think some other clubs are certainly more aggressive.

"I would love for Jamey to be a part of that organization because it's run well, they're good guys, I trust them, and it'd be a great fit -- for Jamey and the club."

-- Alden Gonzalez

Crew expects Counsell & Co. to hit open market

2009-11-18T23:16:47Z

Thursday is the final day for teams to negotiate exclusively with their own free agents, but Brewers general manager Doug Melvin is not anticipating striking any deals before the market opens in earnest.

"No," he said Wednesday. "I don't think they want to sign, personally. They want to wait until Friday and hope someone picks up the phone and makes them an offer they never thought they would get."

Beginning Friday at 12:01 a.m. ET, free agents are free to field those calls from all 30 teams. Before then, during a 15-day window that follows the World Series, other teams can only express general interest but are technically barred from making any offers.

The Brewers have nine outgoing free agents: Outfielders Mike Cameron, Frank Catalanotto and Corey Patterson, infielders Craig Counsell and Felipe Lopez, catcher Jason Kendall and pitchers Braden Looper, Claudio Vargas and David Weathers. Looper and Weathers hit the market after the Brewers declined their options.

Cameron, Lopez, Kendall, Looper and Weathers are all Type B free agents, but the Brewers would have to extend those players arbitration offers to qualify for Draft compensation. In most cases that seems unlikely.

Melvin wouldn't say which of those players he would like to bring back to avoid giving other teams an idea of the Brewers' thinking. He did say this month that the Carlos Gomez acquisition likely closed the door on Cameron, that the Brewers might not be able to afford Kendall unless he takes a serious pay cut and that the team remains committed to Rickie Weeks at second base, making a Lopez return very unlikely.

Counsell seems the most likely incumbent on the Brewers' radar but a report this week said that as many as 12 teams had expressed interest. That's not surprising at all given Counsell's defensive versatility and his outstanding 2009 season at the plate, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that he could field multi-year offers.

-- Adam McCalvy