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• Sources: Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs pursuing Buehrle

  November 16, 2011 by JonPaulMorosi

  As recently as spring training, Mark Buehrle spoke publicly about the possibility of retirement after the 2011 season. That’s not going to happen. In fact, it’s possible that the free-agent left-hander will sign a contract that rivals the four-year, $56 million deal he signed in 2007.

  Buehrle is young enough to justifiably ask for a deal of that length. He will be 33 at the start of next season — the same age as Cliff Lee, who has four years left on his contract with the Phillies.

  Buehrle isn’t all that much older than fellow free-agent C.J. Wilson, who turns 31 this week, and both lefties are in high demand. Chicago Cubs officials met with Buehrle’s agent on Tuesday — the second time they had done so.

  The Yankees and Red Sox, both in dire need of pitching upgrades, are pursuing Buehrle, sources say. Other interested clubs include the White Sox, Blue Jays, Royals, Angels, Marlins, Nationals and Diamondbacks.

  — Jon Paul Morosi

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• Lesser deals pay off for Mariners

  June 01, 2011 by KenRosenthal

  Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has whiffed on some big contracts – four years, $36 million for free-agent third baseman Chone Figgins, two years, $10 million for second baseman Jack Wilson – but a number of his lesser deals are looking good.

  Free-agent catcher Miguel Olivo (two years, $7 million) and designated hitter Jack Cust (one year, $2.5 million) have played significant roles during the team’s 12-3 run. So have second baseman Adam Kennedy (one year, $750,000) and shortstop Brendan Ryan (two years, $2.75 million after arriving in a trade from the Cardinals).

  

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  The energetic Ryan didn’t quite fit in the staid St. Louis clubhouse, but Zduriencik attributed the infielder’s offensive dropoff last season to the surgery he underwent on his right wrist shortly before spring training. The Mariners liked the idea of getting an elite defender who was under club control for three years, especially when the price was only Class A pitcher Mikael Cleto.

  Ryan is hitting, too, at least by the feeble standards of a team that ranks next-to-last in the AL in runs. Entering Wednesday’s play, Ryan ranked third on the club with a .700 OPS. Kennedy was second at .755. First baseman Justin Smoak, the principal piece that Zduriencik obtained for Cliff Lee, led the club at .825.

  Kennedy, like Ryan, is a former member of the Cardinals. He offered a left-handed bat and the ability to contribute at second, third and DH. He has been playing mostly second, and the Mariners will need to figure out how to keep him in the lineup once they promote Dustin Ackley.

  “I almost signed (Kennedy) two years ago when he signed with Washington,” Zduriencik said. “I regretted not doing it. When he was available again, it was easy.”

  Kennedy, Ryan, Olivo, Cust.

  Without them, the Mariners would be buried.

  Ichiro is fighting through a career-worst offensive season. Figgins has the lowest OPS in the AL. Yet, the Mariners are only a half-game out in the AL West.

  The M’s, of course, are doing it with pitching – they’re second in the AL with a 3.39 ERA. Yet scouts find even the performance of their bullpen to be somewhat mysterious.

  One scout, referring to righties David Pauley (0.84 ERA) and Aaron Laffey (1.78) says, “You go to 10 scouts, and nine or maybe 10 will tell you that you don’t want those guys on your staff.”

  -Ken Rosenthal

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• Cliff Lee sustained injury in offseason

  February 21, 2011 by FOXSports

  CLEARWATER, Fla. — Left-hander Cliff Lee, the latest addition to the Philadelphia Phillies' stellar starting rotation, says his armpit injury sustained in the offseason is nothing to worry about and he’s back on track in preparations.

  "I was just playing catch in the offseason," Lee said Monday morning before working out at Bright House Field. "A little minor something going on in my arm pit. Called the trainers. Went to Philadelphia, they diagnosed it — didn’t throw for a few days, built it back up and here I am. I feel fine, and right with everyone else. It’s not really a major issue."

  Asked if he had experienced pain in that spot before, Lee replied: "Different than anything I’ve ever felt. It was underneath my arm, my armpit. Felt it one day, felt it a little bit the next day."

  That’s when he contacted the trainers to have it looked at.

  Lee, shut down by the training staff for about a week, says he's on schedule for the start of the season.

  "We still have plenty of time, and I feel fine," he said. "It's a non-issue. . . . It’s so early, it's not going to matter. I'm going to catch up and be just fine."

  — Dave Scheiber

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• Danks should wait to seek long-term deal

  January 20, 2011 by KenRosenthal

  Don’t expect the White Sox to sign left-hander John Danks to a contract extension anytime soon.

  Danks, two years away from free agency, would hit the market at 27 and pitch the following season at 28.

  

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  Considering that lefty Cliff Lee signed a five-year, $120 million free-agent deal at 32, Danks might be wise to wait.

  Danks, like any player, would benefit from long-term security. But he already has banked more than $10 million, earning $3.45 million last season and signing a one-year, $6 million deal on Tuesday to avoid arbitration.

  If he stays healthy and produces at his normal level in 2011, Danks should earn about $8 million in '12, his final year of arbitration.

  After that, he would be free.

  To this point, Danks is not nearly as accomplished as Lee or CC Sabathia, who commanded a seven-year, $161 free-agent deal at 28.

  Still, he has averaged 203 innings over the past three seasons, and his 3.61 ERA in that period ranks eighth among left-handed starters.

  Two years from now, he could hit the jackpot.
  
  — Ken Rosenthal

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• Soriano not in Rangers' pitching plans

  January 06, 2011 by JonPaulMorosi

  During an offseason in which the Texas Rangers tried to re-sign ace Cliff Lee, Adrian Beltre might be their biggest investment in run prevention.
  
  Yes, even though Beltre plays third base.
  
  The Rangers announced their six-year, $96 million deal with the two-time Gold Glove winner on Wednesday. And it appears Beltre is the last big-dollar Scott Boras client they will sign this winter.
  
  Closer Rafael Soriano, the best unsigned player with the Boras A.C., isn’t a target of the Rangers. One source told FOXSports.com on Thursday that the Rangers didn’t actively pursue Soriano at all this winter.
  
  One theory held that Texas could sign Soriano and move Neftali Feliz — who earned Rookie of the Year honors as a closer — into the rotation. The Rangers are indeed open to the idea of putting Feliz into the rotation. But if they use Feliz as a starter without further upgrading the bullpen, then Alexi Ogando or Frank Francisco will need to handle the ninth inning.
  
  At present, the Rangers’ rotation has C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis and Brandon Webb locked into the top three spots, assuming Webb is healthy. The remaining jobs would go to a combination of Tommy Hunter, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison, Eric Hurley, Scott Feldman and Michael Kirkman.
  
  Beltre’s glove figures into those plans. At Rangers Ballpark, it’s wise for pitchers to keep the ball on the ground, and left-handed pitchers generally face a lot of right-handed hitters. So, having Beltre at third base should be an asset for the southpaws in that group: Wilson, Holland, Harrison, Kirkman, along with relievers Darren Oliver and Arthur Rhodes.

  — Jon Paul Morosi

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• Do we have our mystery team?

  December 09, 2010 by KenRosenthal

  Before signing Carl Crawford, the Red Sox may have engaged in some good old-fashioned negotiating hijinks.

  It would be just like the Sox to throw a monkey wrench into the Yankees’ attempt to sign Cliff Lee

  And this little stunt, if it indeed happened, would have qualified.

  The Sox are one team that made a seven-year offer to Lee, according to officials with another club.

  But there was a catch.

  The offer was for a lower dollar figure than Lee would accept, making it an offer Lee was certain to refuse.

  Why would the Sox do such a thing?

  Because with such an offer, they would empower Lee’s agents to say they had a seven-year bid, potentially forcing the Yankees to increase their six-year proposal.

  The Yankees do not plan to go beyond six years for Lee, according to a source with knowledge of the club’s thinking.

  The Red Sox often bid on free agents the Yankees want in order to drive up the price. The Yankees often do the same thing in reverse. In fact, that was at least part of their motivation in entering the fray for Crawford.

  -Ken Rosenthal

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• The Angels: Sign Lee, trade Weaver?

  December 07, 2010 by KenRosenthal

  It is entirely plausible that the Angels could sign one or more of the top remaining free agents — left-hander Cliff Lee, outfielder Carl Crawford, third baseman Adrian Beltre and closer Rafael Soriano.

  The team finally expressed interest in Lee on Tuesday, major league sources said. Signing him could make sense, and not simply to keep him away from the Rangers, the Angels’ biggest rival in the AL West.

  True, the Angels already have nearly $50 million committed to five starting pitchers — right-handers Dan Haren, Jered Weaver, Joel Pineiro, Ervin Santana and lefty Scott Kazmir.

  However, the clock is ticking on Weaver, who's eligible for arbitration twice more before becoming a free agent. He'll receive a significant raise from his $4.265 million salary this offseason, and another bump next winter.

  And that might be it for his Angels career.

  Weaver’s agent, Scott Boras, generally prefers clients to establish their values on the open market rather than sign contract extensions prior to free agency.

  The Angels could sign Lee, then trade Weaver for premium offensive help and emerge in a stronger position with their rotation, at least in terms of long-term control.

  The righty Santana, signed through 2012 with a club option for ’13, is another possible trade candidate. The Angels could clear $20 million by trading him.

  -Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi

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• Nats going nuts?

  December 07, 2010 by KenRosenthal

  What the heck is going on with the Washington Nationals?

  On Sunday, the Nats incensed rival clubs by signing free-agent outfielder Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million contract.

  Now the buzz at the winter meetings is that the Nats could offer free-agent left-hander Cliff Lee a seven-year deal for even greater dollars.

  The Washington Post quoted a club source saying such a proposal is “not happening,” refuting a report by the New York Daily News.

  Maybe not, but that didn't stop one exec from telling Jon Paul Morosi the Nationals are "on everybody," including Lee. They are trying to make a statement.

  No team would ever admit to planning such an offer, but such a proposal is at least conceivable from the Nats, given the immense wealth of their owner, Ted Lerner.

  Before the Werth signing, the Nats actually drew criticism from their fans for their lack of spending.

  But Lerner, 85, could be turning into the next Tom Hicks or Mike Ilitch — an owner who suddenly decides, “Dammit, I want to win!”

  Even if the Nats aren't serious about Lee, they're one of the teams pursuing the next-best starter on the free-agent market, right-hander Carl Pavano. A three-year, $30 million commitment might be necessary to get Pavano done.

  One thing is certain: The Nationals want to be ready to contend by 2012, when prized right-hander Stephen Strasburg will be recovered from Tommy John surgery and prized outfielder Bryce Harper could be ready for the majors.

  How the Nats get there remains to be seen.

  -Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi

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• A change in market dynamics?

  November 26, 2010 by KenRosenthal

  In recent years, free-agent relievers who received Type A rankings sometimes had difficulty finding work. Teams were reluctant to forfeit a high draft pick for signing them.

  This offseason could be different.

  As of Friday, the highest first-round pick that could be lost was the 20th overall selection. What’s more, for teams that sign more than one Type A free agent, the high number of supplemental choices will reduce the impact of losing a second and third pick.

  Here’s how it breaks down:

  Thirty-five free agents were offered salary arbitration by their respective clubs, an increase of 12 from a year ago. If most decline, virtually an entire round of compensation picks will be created between the first and second rounds when those players sign with other teams.

  In addition, the clubs that finished with the 15 worse records cannot lose their first rounder if they sign a Type A free agent, according to the basic agreement.

  Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks, Padres and Brewers will receive corresponding picks after failing to sign their first rounders last year, meaning the top 18 selections are protected.

  The Tigers already have forfeited the No. 19 pick for signing free-agent catcher Victor Martinez. The highest pick currently in play, No. 20, belongs to the Rockies.

  Teams occasionally draft relievers at that part of the draft – the Tigers picked Ryan Perry at No. 21 and the Diamondbacks took Daniel Schlereth at No. 26 in 2008. A free agent at the right price might be a better investment, particularly for a team that already has signed a Type A free agent and lost a pick.

  Say, for example, the Yankees sign left-hander Cliff Lee, then want to add the top lefty reliever on the market: Type A free agent Scott Downs. They'd sacrifice the No. 31 pick overall for Lee, but the pick they'd lose for Downs probably would be the equivalent of a third rounder, with all those supplemental picks in between.

  Teams still will be reluctant to forfeit picks in what projects to be a very deep 2011 draft, but more free-agent relievers might want to decline arbitration and gamble on getting multi-year deals, even if it means accepting slightly lesser salaries from teams that also are losing picks.

  Some teams will be more inclined to sign proven major-league pitchers than risk spending and waiting on, at best, late first-round talent.

  -Ken Rosenthal

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• Lee might take his time choosing team

  November 11, 2010 by FOXSports

  As much as the Yankees and Rangers would like a quick resolution to the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, it probably is not going to happen.
  
  The free agent and his agent, Darek Braunecker, intend to meet with clubs besides the Yankees, a major league source said. Those meetings easily could delay Lee’s decision until the winter meetings in early December or even longer.
  
  Yankees general manager Brian Cashman made the first personal contact with Lee, flying to Arkansas on Tuesday night and staying until late Wednesday afternoon. But the calendar for the rest of the month makes a series of such meetings with other teams unlikely.
  
  Next week, GMs and owners will gather for their own meetings in Orlando, Fla. The week after that is a short one because of the Thanksgiving holiday. The winter meetings, also in Orlando, are Dec. 6-9.
  
  Seven to eight teams initially showed interest in Lee, sources said, though some are more serious than others. The list of possible suitors for the left-hander includes the Yankees, Rangers, Nationals, Phillies, Dodgers, Angels and Red Sox.
  
  -- Ken Rosenthal

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