December 2009 Rumors Archive

Buster Olney of espn.com has a few rumors and notes to pass along:

• Adrian Gonzalez has begun preliminary talks with the Padres about an extension, but Olney feels the liklihood of one being signed soon is slim.  Even if an agreement is reached, it is unlikely to be longer than through 2011.  Gonzalez is entering the last year of a four year $9.5M contract that will pay him $4.75M in 2010 and a $5.5M club option for 2011. 
• More likely, Olney feels, we'll see a bidding war for Gonzalez at next June's trade deadline.
• The Dodgers, Angels and Mets are the rumored suitors for Joel Pineiro.

Will Adrian Gonzalez be traded at July's trade deadline?

With Jason Bay off the market after being signed by the Mets, the last remaining big name free agent is Matt Holliday.  Let's take a look at the rumors surrounding where he's going to land.

• Buster Olney of espn.com tweets that the Cardinals latest offer to Holliday is over $100M guaranteed.  Remember, the Jason Bay contract was only $66M guaranteed, but with reasonable incentive clauses to get the deal to $80M.
• Tracy Ringolsby of Fox Sports writes that the Cardinals offer could be as high as eight years and $140M.  
• Ringolsby also writes that the Orioles made a eight-year, $130M offer, but Jeff Zrebic of the Baltimore Sun writes that Orioles president Andy MacPhail denied the report.
• Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated write that Holliday reportedly turned down an offer from the Cardinals in excess of six-years and $100M as recently as the past few weeks.  As such, Holliday is rumored to still be talking with many teams.  

Where will the prize of the 2010 free agent class, Matt Holliday, land?

The New York Mets have reached a tentative agreement to sign former Red Sox outfielder Jason Bay to a four year contract, reports Jerry Crasnick of espn.com.  The initial terms of the deal are four years, $66M, but the deal also includes a vesting option for a fifth year that would increase the total $80M over five years. Completion of the deal will wait until Bay passes a physical, rumored for next week.

Speculation is that the fifth year option will vest based on typically achieveable plate appearance goals over the first four years of the contract.  Bay has played in an average of 154 games per season since 2005.

Bay was offered arbitration by the Red Sox back in November and as such will receive a supplementary first round pick and the Mets second round pick, seventh of the second round, as compensation in the upcoming 2010 draft. 

Jason Bay is heading to New York

With Bay's signing, the next chip to fall is the winter's most prized free agent, Matt Holliday.  As Keith Law of espn.com suggests, with Bay's fifth year option likely to vest, Holliday is unlikely to sign for less than five years, $80M.

Just months after being a supplemental first round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays, but not signing, the NCAA is coming after Kentucky pitcher James Paxton.  In early December, the NCAA insisted that Paxton have a one-on-one interview with the NCAA's Director of Agent, Gambling and Amateur Activities, Chance (talk about ironic) Miller, without any representation.  The interview has yet to occur as Paxton's lawyers have filed an injunction against the NCAA and the University of Kentucky from forcing the interview to happen.

According to Paxton, he was informed by a Kentucky employee that he had to submit to the interview and could "not tell anyone, including his parents or counsel, about the interview or the directive that he submit to the interview."  At the time, Paxton's lawyers allege that he was never informed about "the existence or nature of any allegations or miscounduct or wrongdoing against him."

Shortly before the 2009 draft, the NCAA requested the same type of interview with Andrew Oliver who was then suspended.  Ultimately, the case was overturned by the courts and Oliver's status was reinstated.  Paxton has hired Oliver's lawyer in that case, Richard Johnson, as well. 

The point at issue seems to be the NCAA's definition of the right of a player to use the services of counsel in negotiation.  According to the NCAA's arcane definitions of what is an agent and what is an advisor, the only difference between the two is that the latter is not allowed to speak with a team, while the former is.  A junior selected in the MLB amateur draft is not allowed to have an agent, but is allowed to retain an advisor.  Needless to say, the moment after the player signs, his advisor becomes his agent.  

If James Paxton is ruled ineligible, how will that affect his draft status?

Since the injunction, Kentucky has filed a large motion indicating that Paxton's scholarship money and status on the team have never been in jeopardy.  Keith Law of espn.com accurate notes that being on the team and playing are two totally different things. 

Law makes the argument that the NCAA's prohibition of amateur players from using agents to speak to teams on their behalf is archaic and against essentially every other situation in the United States where an individual can retain counsel.  Nevertheless, whatever transpired last July and August, it appears that Paxton's agent, Scott Boras, negotiated directly with the Blue Jays on Paxton's behalf.  With this evidence, the NCAA could rule Paxton ineligible for the 2010 season.  That could have a very dramatic effect on his draft stock.  Paxton would likely leave school and play for an independent professional team.

The Boston Red Sox landed one of the top free agents of the 2010 off season by signing former Angels pitcher John Lackey to a five year, $85M deal, according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports had reported earlier in the day that Lackey was in Boston taking a physical.  Though numerous sources are reporting the deal as completed, Jerry Crasnick of espn.com believes that a formal agreement will not be reached until after today. 

Tim Brown from Yahoo Sports reports that the Angels still believe they are in the running for Lackey and that a deal has not been reached between Lackey and the Red Sox.

If the Red Sox do sign Lackey, the move affects the Blue Jays because both former Blue Jay Marco Scutaro and Lackey are Type A free agents.  Because Lackey is the higher ranking free agent, the Angels will receive the Red Sox first round pick, #29 overall, while the Blue Jays will be bumped to the Red Sox second round pick. 

John Lackey appears headed to Boston

Via the Brian Bruney trade with Washington, the Yankees acquired the #1 pick of the recently completed 2009 Rule 5 Draft and used the selection to take Jamie Hoffmann from the Dodgers.

Undrafted out of high school, Hoffmann signed an amateur contract with the Dodgers in 2003 and did not make his major league debut until this past May.  Hoffmann has been described by Baseball America as a "physical grinder with big league experience [who] could stick as an extra outfielder."

Hoffmann's potential lies in his homerun potential and general large size.  However, plate coverage and discipline will need to improve if Hoffmann is to progress as a major league mainstay.  Despite his size, Hoffmann moves well and is a good base runner.

Click on the photos below to enlarge

The Rule 5 Draft was held today.  Here are the first round picks. Draft picks are listed by the team making the selection, player name and the team he was selected from.

As a reminder, players selected in the Rule 5 draft must remain on the 25-man roster the entire subsequent season or they are returned to the team from which they were taken.

1. New York Yankees* (from Washington): Jamie Hoffmann, Dodgers
2. Pittsburgh: John Raynor, Marlins
3. Texas^ (from Baltimore): Benjamin Snyder, Giants
4. Kansas City: Edgar Osuna, Braves
5. Cleveland: Hector Ambriz, Diamondbacks
6. Arizona: Zach Kroenke, Yankees
7. New York Mets: Carlos Monasterios, Phillies
8. Florida# (from Houston): Jorge Jiminez, Red Sox
9. San Diego: pass
10. Oakland: Bobby Cassevah, Angels
11. Toronto: Zech Zinicola, Nationals
12. Chicago White Sox: pass
13. Milwaukee: Chuck Lofgren, Indians
14. Chicago Cubs: Mike Parisi, Cardinals
15. Tampa Bay: Armando Zerpa, Red Sox
16. Seattle: Kanekoa Texeira, Yankees
17. Texas: pass
18. Florida: pass
19. San Francisco: Steve Johnson, Orioles
20. St. Louis: Ben Jukich, Reds
21. Colorado: pass
22. Philadelphia: Ken Herndon, Angels
23. Los Angeles Dodgers: pass
24. Boston: pass
25. Los Angeles Angels: pass
26. New York Yankees: pass

* Acquired from Nationals as part of Brian Bruney trade
^ Acquired from Baltimore as part of Kevin Millwood trade
# Acquired from Houston as part of Matt Lindstrom trade

The Tigers, Twins, Braves and Reds did not have picks because their 40 man roster was full.

The number 1 pick of the 2009 Rule 5 Draft, Jamie Hoffmann will now play all of 2010 on the Yankees 25-man roster

The Atlanta Braves have agreed to trade reliever Rafael Soriano to the Tampa Bay Rays for reliever Jesse Chavez, according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  Completion of the trade is pending a medical review. 

The interesting aspect of this agreement is Soriano's recent acceptance of the Braves arbitration offer.  The Braves likely did not expect Soriano to do so and now lose out on the compensation picks they would have received if Soriano simply signed with another team. 

Under the terms of the trade agreement, the Rays would pay all of whatever Soriano's salary would be in arbitration.  In essence, if the Rays do not agree to a contract with Soriano before arbitration, they traded for a player who's salary was undefined at the time.  Especially curious for a team with limited resources, as the Rays are often portrayed. 

However, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports is reporting that the Rays will only consummate the trade if a contract agreement is reached between Tampa Bay and Soriano.

Rafael Soriano appears headed to Tampa Bay

Mike Lowell trade speculation has run rampant for the past two years, but all the bluster finally seems to be amounting to something and numerous reports are indicating that the Boston Red Sox will trade Lowell to the Texas Rangers for prospect catcher Max Ramirez. 

If the trade is completed the Red Sox will likely have to pay a majority of the $12M remaining on Lowell's contract, which runs only through the up coming 2010 season.  Because the Red Sox will be paying more than $1M of Lowell's salary, the trade is subject to approval by the commissioners office.  Another potential hang up to the trade are Lowell's medical records.  Lowell has a history of injuries and is 35 years old. 

If the Lowell trade is completed, the Red Sox will have to look for another option at third base.  Kevin Youkilis is always an option for the team, having come up through the organization as a third baseman and recently he has split time between first and third base.  The Red Sox have been rumored to have interest in free agent Adrian Beltre, a Scott Boras client. 

In speaking with Boston Globe reporter Peter Abraham, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels was elusive, but did not deny the trade rumors.  Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein was unavailable for comment. 

Joel Sherman of the New York Post is reporting that if the deal is completed, it will not be for a while.  Nevertheless, Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated believes the deal has a better than 50-50 chance of being completed.

Are Mike Lowell's days in Boston over?

Roy Halladay is sure to keep the hot stove stoked all winter long.  Here are today's rumors surrounding the possiblity that the Blue Jays will trade Hallady.

• The Angels have offered Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar and Peter Bourjos to the Blue Jays for Halladay says Bob Elliot of the Toronto Sun.  Jordan Bastian of mlb.com believes that Halladay might not waive his no trade clause to go to Los Angeles.
• Even if they get Halladay, Lyle Spencer of mlb.com reports they might be able to add a second elite pitcher like John Lackey as well.  Angels GM Tony Reagins says that it's "possible, but not likely."
• Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated notes that the Phillies are in the mix for Halladay.  Jordan Bastain of mlb.com agrees.  Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. is playing his cards close to the vest, saying that the Phillies making a trade for a major pitcher is unlikely. 
• Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos does not believe that Tornoto will move Halladay during the winter meetings.  Buster Olney of espn.com reports that the Jays are still in information gathering mode. 
• The Yankees have inquired about Halladay and and the Blue Jays have reportedly asked for Jesus Montero and either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain and other pieces in return.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes that the Yankees are very involved in the Halladay discussions.  The New York/Halladay rumors remind Sherman of the Mark Teixeira situation last year.

Roy Halladay rumors are swirling all over the country