Hot Stove Rumors Thread

[Leftwich]

I think they're paying a lot but i for one am excited to see this guy pitch in the mlb.

 

[TheImmortalGoud]

Don't understand why the MLB doesn't just make these guys draft eligible players.

 

[dj_morton]

^^in due time

 

[TheImmortalGoud]

They could of included it in the CBA this year, so I really don't know.

 

[Chrispy]

So now do the Blue Jays go after Prince?

 

[killgod]

So now do the Blue Jays go after Prince?

:nope:

They bought the Maple Leafs/Raptors/TFC/Marlies instead. Rogers isn't doing shit for the Blue Jays this year. The dream is dead.

:suicide:

 

[Chrispy]

Weiner: Teams Want International Draft "Right Now"

 

The title of MLB's new International Talent Committee sounds global in scope, but there's no doubt of the central role the Dominican Republic will play in the committee's upcoming discussions about a possible international draft. It was appropriate, then, that MLB Player's Association executive director Michael Weiner spoke to the press in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo yesterday, just hours after introducing the committee stateside. Weiner and other MLBPA representatives outlined a number of goals focusing on protecting and helping Dominicans and other Latino players, but they face a growing rumble of criticism about the committee's makeup and its perceived plans for Latin America.

"We're analyzing things to see what is the best solution," Weiner said, as reported in Spanish* by Dionisio Soldevila at the Dominican daily Hoy (link in Spanish). "If it was up to the owners, they'd do it right now. The players are open to that same discussion."

This statement in particular led some in the Dominican press to label the draft "practically a done deal," though some MLB executives sound less categorical than Weiner. "Some teams are for it, while other teams are not," Padres senior vice president Omar Minaya told Andy Martino at the New York Daily News. "For a draft to go into effect, a lot of things would have to be in place." Minaya isn't on the committee, but his Mets successor Sandy Alderson is, and Martino had this to say about the Mets GM:

"People involved with the committee describe Alderson as not quite as avid a proponent of the international draft as he once was. Although he is said to remain open-minded about the issue, Alderson is not expected to play the role of fiery advocate for the league's pro-draft position."

Along with Weiner and Alderson, the committee includes MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred, MLBPA director of player relations Tony Clark, MLB senior advisor Rick Shapiro, Kim Ng from the Commissioner's Office, Rays GM Andrew Friedman, and Stan Javier, a Dominican-born former player who now works as a special assistant for the MLBPA. When the lineup was first announced on Wednesday, several writers in the Spanish-speaking press made note of the fact that Javier is the only Latino. Among the most critical was Arturo Marcano, an ESPN Deportes contributor and co-author with David Fidler of a number of articles and a book that take issue with MLB's history of managing Latino talent. In a column yesterday on ESPN Deportes (link in Spanish), Marcano called it "absurd" not to include more international representation on the committee, writing:

"There is just one Latino in the committee, in spite of the clear fact that the principal objective is to study a market that is largely centered in Latin America. I find it hard to believe that the only available Latino prepared to take part in this committee was Stanley Javier." Marcano pointed to the the objectives the committee laid out in a recent press release, noting that most deal specifically with issues related to the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Mexico. But there's also the simple matter of language, he wrote:

"The only way that the members of the committee can properly analyze many of these issues, including the legal aspects and socioeconomic realities of countries like Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, is to have a full mastery of what has happened up to now, and to speak Spanish, since many of the affected and interested parties don't speak English. Unless Google Translate is an honorary member of the committee."

As if in response to such concerns, two Dominican players, Miguel Batista and Jose Veras, accompanied Weiner, Clark, and Javier at the event in the Santo Domingo. Batista told Soldevila, "The players are trying to protect the interests of all these young men. There are many things we're trying to achieve to help latino muchachos, including better educational programs, not rejecting 18-year-old Dominicans like happens now, and that they have more opportunities."

An additional concern for the committee is that, as Minaya concisely put it, "countries do not want to be Puerto Rico." The island was absorbed into the American/Canadian draft in 1990 and has produced declining numbers of players ever since, which Weiner addressed at the press conference, saying, "With the draft in Puerto Rico, some precautions weren't taken, and for that reason the number of signings decreased dramatically. Now, with this committee, we're going to watch so that the flow of players from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and other countries doesn't decrease."

Once the committee starts meeting in January, Puerto Rico will finally begin to be more than just a cautionary tale. One of the group's objectives is to discuss whether the nation should be absorbed into an international draft, or stay on equal footing with the US and Canada.

* In lieu of a transcript or video of the press conference, which the MLBPA informed MLB Trade Rumors it does not have, Michael Weiner's quotes here are re-translations of quotes that were translated from English into Spanish by the Dominican press. Thus, they may differ in minor ways from the original English. The quotes will be changed here as appropriate should such a transcript become available.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/12/weiner-owners-want-international-draft-right-now.html

 

[ThomasTomasz]

I still think that the Orioles end up with Fielder. Price is definitely going down on him similar to the year we landed Tejada. None of the big spenders need Fielder or seem to want him, and the other teams rumored are dropping their names out of the race. The Orioles have the money, and if there is no bidding war, I think Angelos lets the team get more involved.

I'm not trying to get my hopes up or be a homer, but this is his MO with free agency and it wouldn't surprise me to see Fielder in Baltimore.

 

[FirstTimer]

I still think that the Orioles end up with Fielder. Price is definitely going down on him similar to the year we landed Tejada. None of the big spenders need Fielder or seem to want him, and the other teams rumored are dropping their names out of the race. The Orioles have the money, and if there is no bidding war, I think Angelos lets the team get more involved.

I'm not trying to get my hopes up or be a homer, but this is his MO with free agency and it wouldn't surprise me to see Fielder in Baltimore.

I think the Cubs woul dbe in play for around a 5 or 6 year deal at around 20-25 million per but there is no way in hell Theo is going to hand out a 7-10 year contract IMO. I'd be surprised if he did.

 

[moneyman255]

The Reds and Cubs are discussing a trade that would involve reliever Sean Marshall going to Cincinnati in exchange for starter Travis Wood, Major League sources tell Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. It's not known whether other players would be included in the potential swap, according to the report.

 

[Rudi]

Not sure how I feel about that..Marshall is a beast, but I think Travis Wood is going to be good given the chance.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Not sure how I feel about that..Marshall is a beast, but I think Travis Wood is going to be good given the chance.

I'm on the fence too, but ultimately if Walt did that I could get behind it. Reds have seven starters right now if you count Chapman, and Marshall's $3.1M is about what the Reds opened up in the Latos deal. So you'd be adding Latos & Marshall to the team in major roles for the same money you were paying five guys, when only Alonso had any kind of real role out of the five.

If the Reds did this, and Chapman stayed in the bullpen, good luck to left handed hitters at the end of games with Marshall/Bray/Chapman waiting for them.

 

[moneyman255]

The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are close on a deal that would send reliever Sean Marshall to Cincinnati in exchange for left-handed pitcher Travis Wood and two minor leaguers, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Wood, who turns 25 in February, was 6-6 with 4.84 ERA in 18 starts last season with the Reds. Wood beat the Cubs in his major league debut on July 1, 2010, allowing two runs on two hits in seven innings. He finished his rookie season 5-4 with a 3.51 ERA in 17 starts. Wood was the second overall pick of the 2005 draft.

Wood pitched 10 games at Triple-A Louisville last season, going 2-3 with a 5.33 ERA.

Marshall, 29, is one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball. Last season he went 6-6 with 2.20 ERA and had 34 holds, tied for second in the majors among left-handed relievers. That was also a single-season team record.

Marshall is set to make $3 million in 2012, and he will be a free agent after the season.

The potential loss of Marshall means John Gaub, James Russell and Scott Maine will have an opportunity to move up as a primary setup man from the left side.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

I'm on the fence too, but ultimately if Walt did that I could get behind it. Reds have seven starters right now if you count Chapman, and Marshall's $3.1M is about what the Reds opened up in the Latos deal. So you'd be adding Latos & Marshall to the team in major roles for the same money you were paying five guys, when only Alonso had any kind of real role out of the five.

If the Reds did this, and Chapman stayed in the bullpen, good luck to left handed hitters at the end of games with Marshall/Bray/Chapman waiting for them.

What I see is that they could be ready to move Chapman into the rotation, so they are dealing a surplus to get a needed reliever. Sure, the value for a young starter is a little more than a reliever, but again, the Reds have a glut of young starters and that value drops a bit.

I guess they are going to be using a closer by committee approach? Not that that matters any except for fantasy purposes, as I would rather have the best person in for each situation.

 

[Rudi]

Ugh Chapman is not going to be a good starter/if one at all. He couldn't pitch more than 2 innings in the fucking ARIZON FALL LEAGUE without straining himself, and had to be shut down. We really fucked up this kid's development. He should have been groomed to be a starter from Day 1, not this reliever bullshit now trying to change him.

How can anyone forget one of Wood's first career starts where he took a no hitter into the 9th inning against the Phillies? I think Wood should be in the rotation this year no doubt, and to trade him for another LHRP is dumb. What does Marshall bring to the table that Bill Bray can't sufficiently do, honestly? We should just use that money to resign Coco and keep Wood, because he has the chance to be a very solid 3/4 starter in a major league rotation

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I guess they are going to be using a closer by committee approach? Not that that matters any except for fantasy purposes, as I would rather have the best person in for each situation.

Dusty said he would strongly prefer to use one guy, and does not like committees.

They are still in on Cordero, and from what I understand if they couldn't get Cordero back they were going to look in house instead of spending big money on a FA (Madsen). Most seem to think it would wind up being Bill Bray. I don't know what acquiring Marshall would do in terms of roles or if they would continue to go after Cordero. Beat writer John Fay says they have about $9M left to spend, and still need a veteran backup SS type, and fourth OF to platoon with Heisey, and a closer.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—The Philadelphia Phillies have hired former general manager Ed Wade as a special consultant.

Wade was a GM for parts of 13 seasons for the Phillies (1998-2005) and the Houston Astros (2001-11). He was fired last month after the Astros posted a franchise-worst mark of 56-106 this year.

During his time as GM in Philadelphia, Wade’s staff drafted Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson and Brett Myers, all of whom were contributors on the 2008 World Series championship team. He also acquired Jim Thome, Shane Victorino and Billy Wagner.

In Houston, Wade made several key trades with the Phillies. He sent Brad Lidge, Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence to Philadelphia in various deals.

Wade will assist in salary arbitration consultation, while also scouting at both the major and minor league levels.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-phillies-wade

:wtf:

Update: Oswalt is reportedly now looking for only a one-year contract in free agency, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports.

Recommendation: Oswalt has not garnered much interest up to this point, so he is hoping to stay healthy and prove his worth on a one-year deal in hopes of signing a bigger contract next offseason. Expect Oswalt rumors to pick up a bit with him shooting for a much smaller deal, in terms of years, than he originally sought.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=rotowire-oyswaltowookingornee

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Yuniesky Betancourt is back with the Kansas City Royals after agreeing to a one-year contract.

The deal was announced Tuesday.

Betancourt, who played for the Royals from 2009-10, started at shortstop for the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers last season, batting .252 with 13 homers and 68 RBIs. Kansas City has Alcides Escobar at shortstop, so Betancourt will provide versatility and experience off the bench. He will back up Escobar while providing a right-handed bat behind Mike Moustakas at third base.

Betancourt was part of the trade that sent pitcher Zack Greinke from the Royals to the Brewers for Escobar, center fielder Lorenzo Cain and right-handed pitchers Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi.

Milwaukee declined a $6 million option on Betancourt for next season.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-royals-betancourt

BALTIMORE (AP)—Free-agent outfielder Endy Chavez has agreed to a $1.5 million, one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

The move was announced Tuesday.

An experienced and dependable fill-in, Chavez batted .301 with five homers and 27 RBIs in 83 games for the AL champion Texas Rangers last season.

Dan Duquette, the Orioles’ new executive vice president of baseball operations, says Chavez is a “tremendous defender” who gives the team “needed depth” in the outfield. Chavez can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses.

A left-handed hitter with speed, the 33-year-old Chavez is a .274 career hitter in 10 major league seasons with Kansas City, Montreal/Washington, Philadelphia, the New York Mets, Seattle and Texas. He is best known for his spectacular catch with the Mets in Game 7 of the 2006 NL championship series against St. Louis.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-orioles-chavez

Update: Blake has signed a one-year deal with the Rockies, the club’s official Twitter feed reports.

Recommendation: Blake is recovering from neck surgery currently but if he can report to camp healthy, he should be in line for the Rockies’ starting third base option with Ty Wigginton and Ian Stewart out of the picture. Blake only played 63 games in 2011, but in 2009 and 2010 Blake hit 18 and 17 home runs respectively with Chavez Ravine as his home park. A move to Coors could bring a 20-homer season for the 39-year-old.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=rotowire-aseylakeignsithockie

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Ugh Chapman is not going to be a good starter/if one at all. He couldn't pitch more than 2 innings in the fucking ARIZON FALL LEAGUE without straining himself, and had to be shut down. We really fucked up this kid's development. He should have been groomed to be a starter from Day 1, not this reliever bullshit now trying to change him.

How can anyone forget one of Wood's first career starts where he took a no hitter into the 9th inning against the Phillies? I think Wood should be in the rotation this year no doubt, and to trade him for another LHRP is dumb. What does Marshall bring to the table that Bill Bray can't sufficiently do, honestly? We should just use that money to resign Coco and keep Wood, because he has the chance to be a very solid 3/4 starter in a major league rotation

If Cordero was willing to come in for $3.1M, Reds would have signed him a long time ago.

Wood was odd man out:
Cueto
Latos
Leake
Arroyo
Bailey
------
Wood
Chapman?

Bullpen could be:
LeCure - R
Ondrusek - R
Masset - R
Arredondo - R
Marshall - L
Bray - L
Chapman - L ?

If you look at that, I think if they get Marshall, Bray will close, with Marshall & Chapman as the two lefties. That's a damn good bullpen, if Bray (or whoever) works out in the 9th.

I like Wood too, but he would have been long relief/spot starter. This would be another trade where the Reds get back a guy who will fill a bigger role than the guy they are trading. I can live with it either way. Reds are gunning for this thing this year, unlike sitting on their hands last year, and it's exciting.

EDIT-And actually, Chapman did not have to be shut down, they just chose to shut him down in Arizona and decided to let him rest up for the Spring. Like i've said before, I don't really care how they use him, starter, setup, closer, whatever, as long as they dont yank him back & forth like the Yankees did to Joba. He's the setup man now. If they stretch him out this spring, he needs to start, no going back & forth.

 

[Leftwich]

Brewers sign Cesar Izturis

 

[Rudi]

The Wood + 2 minor leaguers for Marshall deal is done pending physicals. *sigh*