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Rosenthal And Morosi On Yankees, Vizquel, Bradley

2009-11-11T21:44:29-06:00

Let's check in once more on Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi, as they continue to pass on rumors in their FOX Sports blog.

If the Yankees were to let Johnny Damon go, they'd have plenty of other options, and not just left fielders. Some baseball people feel that New York should be focusing on center field instead of left, and the team has long coveted Mike Cameron. He could potentially replace Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner until Austin Jackson is major-league ready.
Omar Vizquel will not return to Texas in 2010. A source tells Rosenthal and Morosi that Vizquel is looking for a role similar to the one he had with the Rangers, but on a higher-profile team.
The Cubs and Rays are still discussing a possible Milton Bradley-Pat Burrell swap, but it doesn't sound like the two sides are close on the money issue. One of the report's sources describes talks as "worse than Chinese water torture."

Giants, Pirates Interested In Igarashi

2009-11-11T21:27:04-06:00

The San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates are among the teams interested in Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi, according to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker.

Giants GM Brian Sabean says that while Igarashi isn't their main priority, he's someone they're "looking into." Meanwhile, Pittsburgh GM Neil Huntington says that acquiring Akinori Iwamura was a factor in their interest in Igarashi: "In acquiring Iwamura, we opened the door to getting Japanese players. We gave up a middle reliever to get Iwamura, so he [Igarashi] is a player we have interest in."

Igarashi is represented by Arn Tellem and the Wasserman Media Group, which Tim profiled earlier today.

Click here for more information on the 30-year-old reliever.

Diamondbacks Will Consider Multi-Year Pitching Options

2009-11-11T20:43:46-06:00

The Arizona Diamondbacks will consider making multi-year offers when they look at this year's pitching free agent class, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.

Although Piecoro notes that GM Josh Byrnes has previously been reluctant to pursue free agent pitching, he writes that Byrnes could go that route this year. The free agent market looks particularly appealing given the Diamondbacks' relative lack of trade chips. Chris Snyder, who they've already discussed in at least one potential trade, has health questions and an unfavorable contract.

As for who the Diamondbacks might pursue, John Lackey is likely out of the question. Piecoro, however, suggests that a pitcher like Randy Wolf, Joel Pineiro, Jason Marquis, or perhaps a strong bullpen arm could be a possibility.

"Just looking at our payroll, we do have some flexibility going into 2011 and 2012," says Byrnes. "I don't think we'd do it just to do it, but if we felt like it was the right guy, we'd do a multiyear."

Odds & Ends: Griffey, Tigers, Torrealba

2009-11-11T19:33:00-06:00

Let's have a look at another handful of evening links....

MLB.com's Corey Brock reports that new Padres GM Jed Hoyer will sit down with Adrian Gonzalez next week to discuss the first baseman's future.
Keith Law of ESPN.com shares his thoughts on the trades that have transpired so far during the hot stove season.
Scott Miller of CBS Sports wraps up his observations from the GM meetings, and includes a quote from Angels GM Tony Reagins, saying the team will try their best to retain both John Lackey and Chone Figgins. I think they'd be doing very well if they were able to bring back even one of the two.
What do the Cleveland Indians need to do to improve in 2010? The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes suggests that, considering the team's lack of payroll flexibility, the Indians just have to hope for better performances from many of their players.
In comments relayed by Larry Stone of the Seattle Times, Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik was vague when asked about Ken Griffey Jr.'s playing time in 2010. Griffey and the Mariners reached an agreement earlier today, but it sounds like Junior could have a lesser role next season -- particularly if the team is able to retain Russell Branyan and add another bat or two.
Despite recent rumors about the availability of Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson, the Detroit Tigers don't intend to have a fire sale, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (via Twitter).
Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune says that if Granderson is available, the Cubs need to pursue him.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post has additional details on Yorvit Torrealba's possible future with the Colorado Rockies.
After hearing Scott Boras compare Matt Holliday to last winter's big free agent prize, Mark Teixeira, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs takes a detailed look at how the two players' values compare.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets that a few GMs came away from this week's meetings thinking that the market for the elite free agents this year will be "very, very limited."
Ever the optimist, Scott Boras disagrees with this assessment of the market, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Boras argues that "we hear this every year" and predicts that the top free agents will still receive "mega-contracts."

Heyman's Latest: Lackey, Tigers, Reds

2009-11-11T19:08:46-06:00

Jon Heyman of SI.com's last few Twitter updates have provided a variety of intriguing information from around the league. Let's check them out....

The Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners could pursue John Lackey, but won't offer a deal worth up to $100MM. FOX Sports suggested earlier in the week that the Brewers weren't likely to be major players for Lackey, but that wasn't necessarily because the team didn't have the money.
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski insisted the team wasn't having a "fire sale," but Heyman suggests that the club might listen to offers for Brandon Inge, along with Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson.
The Cincinnati Reds could put a few of their top players on the trading block, including Brandon Phillips, Francisco Cordero, and Bronson Arroyo.
Heyman also cites sources that back up the report we heard earlier tonight: Jim Riggleman will manage the Washington Nationals in 2010.

Yankees Notes: Damon, Matsui, Chapman

2009-11-11T18:43:47-06:00

In his recap of the third day of the GM meetings, Lohud.com's Chad Jennings has a few quotes from New York GM Brian Cashman that hint at the Yankees' upcoming moves. Here are the highlights:

When asked about retaining both Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon, Cashman says: “If I did that I wouldn’t have room for anybody else unless I made trades." Cashman seems to be referring to position players here, so how much flexibility they have to add pitching could be another story.
It's a possibility that the Yankees could re-sign both Damon and Matsui, since they still trust Damon's ability to play left field. Matsui, on the other hand, would again be relegated to DH duty, although Cashman notes that another team could view him as an outfielder. Based on comments we heard earlier today, that seems unlikely.
Expanding on whether or not the Yankees would be active in the trade market, Cashman was a little vague: "What necessarily fits and what doesn’t and asking prices, we’ll have to determine and work out. That’s all for another day."
Jennings talked to one source who picks the Yankees and Red Sox as the most likely destinations for Aroldis Chapman. The source also said that Chapman's raw talent is just as good as advertised, despite his erratic control.

Riggleman To Manage Nationals

2009-11-11T18:08:12-06:00

The Washington Nationals will bring back interim manager Jim Riggleman in 2010, according to Jim Bowden of Sirius XM's MLB Home Plate (via Twitter). Bowden does not have any specific details yet, but says the deal "is done."

Riggleman took over the as the Nationals' skipper halfway through 2009, leading the club, which was 26-61 at that point, to a 33-42 record over the rest of the season.

Riggleman had been considered the favorite to earn the full-time job throughout the search, despite the team considering higher profile candidates, such as Bobby Valentine.

Royals Expected To Sign Betemit

2009-11-11T17:55:41-06:00

Wilson Betemit is likely to sign a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

Betemit spent 2009 in the Chicago White Sox organization, after being part of the deal that sent Nick Swisher to New York. Betemit hit .200/.280/.311 in only 20 games for the Sox, but has had some major-league success in the past. As the FOX report points out, Royals GM Dayton Moore was part of the Atlanta Braves organization in 2005 and 2006, when Betemit enjoyed his two most successful seasons with the Braves.

Rosenthal and Morosi speculate that the team might see Betemit as a "low-cost alternative" to the recently departed Mark Teahen.

Wasserman Media Group Clients

2009-11-11T16:33:20-06:00

Today let's take a look at the Wasserman Media Group's free agent clients. Their best known agent is probably Arn Tellem. Here's the list:

Wilson Betemit
Aaron Boone
Nomar Garciaparra
Jason Giambi
John Grabow
Rich Harden
Shawn Hill
Ryota Igarashi
Reed Johnson
Jason Kendall
Hideki Matsui
Jason Michaels
Guillermo Mota
Vicente Padilla
Wily Mo Pena
Joel Pineiro
Matt Treanor
Randy Wolf
Omar Vizquel

WMG is light on regular position players this year, with Matsui and maybe Kendall qualifying. They've got several of the free agent market's top starters in Harden, Pineiro, and Wolf, with Padilla generating interest as well.