| Buster Olney reported on Twitter that the Rangers are interested in Adrain Beltre. One has to wonder if this is posturing for their fan base in case they miss out on Cliff Lee? Or are the Rangers seriously considering committing two long term big money deals? Beltre was outstanding last season for the Red Sox and would seem to be a lock to post big numbers in the hitting friendly ballpark in Arlington. |
Rangers Targeting Adrian Beltre?
December 13, 2010Hideki Matsui to the Athletics?
December 13, 2010| Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting Hideki Matsui is on the verge on signing a one year deal with the Athletics. With the loss of Jack Cust to the Mariners the A’s are in desperate of a proven DH. Deal is expected to be announced today. |
Third Mystery Team in Running for Cliff Lee?
December 12, 2010| The Cliff Lee saga continues as Jon Heyman is reporting that multiple sources are saying a third mystery team is in the running for Cliff Lee. Heyman says the team is not the Phillies. Earlier reports also say Lee has eliminated the Nationals from consideration. If Heyman did not have multiple sources I would say this is an agent ploy. This should be interesting the next few days. |
Nationals Officially Out of Cliff Lee Sweepstakes
December 12, 2010| MLB.com is reporting that Cliff Lee has officially eliminated the Nationals from his list of teams. This is no surprise as the Rangers and Yankees have been considered to be the prohibitive favorites since the beginning. The Yankees have said their offer is firm and will not be sweetened. Wide spread speculation is that Lee will sign sometime this week. Stay tuned. |
Are Cardinals Risking Losing Pujols After 2011?
December 12, 2010I find if fascinating that Albert Pujols is a free agent after the 2011 season and I have heard more talk about nondescript middle relievers than Pujols this off season. Rumor is it will be tough to get Pujols to sign an extension after Spring Training starts. Outside of Barry Bonds, Pujols and Alex Rodriguez are without a doubt the dominant two hitters of the past decade. It seems incomprehensible the Cardinals would risk losing him. With 20+ million dollar contracts being doled out like candy. It would be hard to imagine the soon to be 31 year old Pujols getting anything less than 30 million per season in the 8-9 year range. GULP!
Nationals Interested in Derek Lee?
December 12, 2010MLB.com is reporting the Nationals have expressed interest in signing Derek Lee. Lee said he expects to come to Spring Training at 100%. If that happens a typical Lee season of 20 HRs and 80+ RBIs is likely. The Nationals are also said to have expressed interest in Adam LaRoche. Rumor is LaRoche is looking for around 10 million per season. Both Lee and LaRoche would probably command similar salaries but LaRoche is 4 years younger and would probably be more motivated to hold out for a longer term deal.
Jose Reyes Future with the Mets.
December 12, 2010With the recent signings of Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford to 125 + million dollars deals one has to think about Jose Reyes testing the free agent market after the 2011 season. The Mets have already exercised an 11 million option for 2011. At this point they seem content to wait and see if Reyes can stay healthy and get back to his pre 2009 form. It seems like Reyes has been around forever yet he is still just 27. I think it’s safe to say Reyes will be highly motivated in 2011 after seeing the types of contracts being handed out to players like Werth and Crawford. Now the question is can he stay healthy for a full season?
Did Red Sox Offer Cliff Lee a 7 Year Deal?
December 11, 2010Anthony Mccarron and Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News are reporting the Red Sox offered Cliff Lee a 7 year deal last Tuesday. As the story goes the Red Sox made a low ball offer to prolong the Cliff Lee Sweepstakes with the Rangers and Yankees. This story shows how baseball is truly a 365 day a year chess game. Stay tuned for further Cliff Lee developments.
Steve Garvey Assembling Group to Buy Dodgers?
December 11, 2010Multiple media reports are saying Steve Garvey is putting together a group of investors to make a bid to buy the Dodgers. Of course any potential talk of the Dodgers being for sale is pending the resolution of the McCourt saga. Recent court rulings seem to indicate the McCourts will be awarded a 50-50 interest in the team. Most observers seem to believe neither has the finances to buyout the other leading to speculation of the Dodgers possibly being up for sale in the near future. Stay tuned.
Royals Passively Shopping Greinke?
December 11, 2010Bob Dutton at the The Kansas City Star reports the Royals are not shopping Zach Greinke but will entertain offers. Rumor is several several teams have expressed interest including the Blue jays, Nationals and Rangers. Supposedly the starting price will be two top of the line prospects. This story will probably grab more headlines once Cliff Lee signs. Rumor is the Royals and Blue Jays were close to a deal at the winter meetings but the refusal of the Blue Jays to include Kyle Drabek ended talks. Stay tuned.
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