The 2012/13 Offseason Thread

^

Dodgers Have Looked Into Rafael Soriano​

By Steve Adams [January 14 at 6:52pm CST]​

​

​

​

The Dodgers have already spent big on their bullpen this offseason, adding Brandon League on a three-year, $22.5MM deal and J.P. Howell for one year and $2.85MM. According to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter), that hasn't stopped them from looking into the biggest name left on the relief market: Rafael Soriano.​

​

Olney says there's only about a 20-percent chance the team goes out and signs the former Yankee stopper. That's obviously a long shot, but it's more interest than has been reported by most other clubs to date. The market for Soriano appears to be stalled due to the fact that he rejected a qualifying offer from the Yankees and will therefore require a signing team to forfeit a draft pick.​

​

The Dodgers appear set in the bullpen with League, Howell, Kenley Jansen, Javy Guerra and Matt Guerrier. They've already shown a willingness to spend even when they appear set, however, as they've added Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu despite already having Clayton Kershaw, Josh Beckett, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang in tow.​

​

Soriano, 33, pitched to a 2.26 ERA, 9.2 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 67 2/3 innings for the Bombers in 2012. He also racked up 42 saves following injuries to Mariano Rivera and David Robertson. The strong season prompted Soriano to opt out of his three-year contract, reportedly in search of a new four-year deal on the free agent market.​

​

Four years seems to be an unlikely outcome at this point, though Soriano only needs to sign for more than $14MM to obtain more than the salary he opted out of. Agent Scott Boras recently discussed Soriano's situation with ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.​

 

don't have insider
but i like who he has at #1
i googled and found the other four were swisher, guthrie, blanton and scutaro

Five offseason moves that will backfire ​

By Jim Bowden | ESPN.com​

​

January, 14, 2013 | 11:35AM ET​

​

1. Angel Pagan | CF | Age: 31 | San Francisco Giants​

Contract: Four years, $40 million | AAV: $10 million​

​

Giants senior vice president/general manager Brian Sabean is one of the best in the business, with two world championships in the past three years. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t make his fair share of mistakes on long-term contracts, such as Barry Zito’s seven-year, $126 million deal or Aaron Rowand’s five-year, $60 million albatross. Sabean’s history also includes being loyal to players (read: overpaying) who helped him win rings. After winning the World Series in 2010, he overpaid Aubrey Huff by re-signing him to a two-year, $20 million deal.​

___

 

i already anticipate a backlash from my next question
but is there any scenario where you would consider adding this guy?
say maybe $1MM plus incentives?
just throwing it out there
and yeah i realize the guy is an assclown and an ex-vagiant...
but, for all his eccentricities, the guy (when right) was quite a closer
would you? could you?

Source: Mets work out Brian Wilson​

By Adam Rubin | ESPNNewYork.com​

January 14, 2013 | 9:24 PM ET​

​

​

​

The Beard may be switching coasts.​

​

Brian Wilson worked out privately for New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson on Saturday in California, a baseball source told ESPNNewYork.com.​

​

Wilson, 30, underwent Tommy John surgery last April after two early-season appearances.​

​

He has indicated he will be ready for Opening Day, although a major league source said the reliever is not yet able to demonstrate in workouts that he is back to pre-surgery form.​

​

The source speculated that the Mets willingly would sign Wilson to a minor league deal now, but Wilson agreeing to such an offer seems a stretch. As a result, the negotiation process will continue.​

​

USA Today had earlier reported Alderson watching Wilson's workout, which is believed to have taken place at UCLA.​

​

Wilson was nontendered by the San Francisco Giants in November after earning $8.5 million in 2012.​

​

The Mets need late-inning arms in their bullpen, although they already have closer Frank Francisco under contract for the upcoming season at $6.5 million.​

​

Francisco underwent surgery in December to remove a bone spur from his right elbow, but Mets officials have suggested he will be ready by spring training.​

​

Wilson, if he ultimately signed with the Mets, would provide manager Terry Collins with another late-inning option and would not necessarily unseat Francisco as closer.​

​

Wilson is a three-time All-Star. His 48 saves in 2010 led the majors and tied a Giants single-season record. From 2008 through 2011, Wilson allowed only 15.1 percent of inherited runners to score -- the best rate in the majors.​

​

___​

​

 

Wilson wants too much after coming back from injury and wants to be a closer. Unless he lowers his asking price and is okay with not being the closer, it's a no.

 

agreed

 

meh...

• Chris Capuano arguably had the best year of his career in 2012 but finds himself without much job security with Spring Training mere weeks away, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. The Dodgers left-hander can only point to his team's decision to forgo any semblance of a budget and add the best available players at any and every position.

• Count the Dodgers as a potential suitor for Rolen's services as the team looks to strengthen the left side of its infield, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Rolen has enjoyed success at Dodgers Stadium over the course of his career as he's batted .338 with a .955 OPS.

 

^ more on rolen...

Dodgers mulling a run at Scott Rolen​

By Bill Shaikin | January 15, 2013, 3:46pm​

​

​

The Dodgers have had internal discussions about whether to pursue third baseman Scott Rolen, according to a person familiar with the team's thinking.​

​

The team has not reached out to Rolen to gauge his interest, the person said. Rolen previously has preferred to play close to his Indiana home.​

​

With dozens of free agents unsigned as spring training approaches, the Dodgers are evalauting which available players might fit their needs.​

​

The potential interest in Rolen underscores the uncertainty on the left side of the Dodgers' infield. Rolen, 37, batted .245 with eight home runs in 92 games for the Cincinnati Reds last season.​

​

The Reds plan to use Todd Frazier at third base this season, but they have invited Rolen to consider a reserve role. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Tuesday that the seven-time All-Star has yet to tell the Reds whether he plans to play or retire.​

​

It is unlikely that the Dodgers would guarantee Rolen playing time, but opportunity could arise. The Dodgers plan to enter spring training with Hanley Ramirez as their starting shortstop and Luis Cruz as their starting third baseman, but they have explored depth signings at both positions during the off-season.​

​

The Dodgers had hoped that Ramirez would play winter ball to work on his defense, but he appeared only as a designated hitter. Dee Gordon, who started last season as the Dodgers' shortstop, made nine errors in 29 games in winter ball.​

​

Cruz, who can play shortstop or third base, batted .173 in 19 games in winter ball, with a .398 OPS.​

​

In 40 career games at Dodger Stadium, Rolen has batted .338 with a .955 OPS.​

​

____​

 

nvm

• The Mets watched free agent reliever Brian Wilson this weekend, and weren't impressed, Puma reports. The Mets don't consider the rehabbing right-hander to be worthy of a big league deal at this point. Wilson, who's recovering from Tommy John surgery, wasn't interested in a minor league contract, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. The Mets could watch him pitch later on, but right now he's not physically ready in the view of Mets personnel. "He's got a ways to go," one person said. The Mets were known to have interest in Wilson.

 

was going to create a wbc thread but idk if we need...

DODGERS REPORT​

The Dodgers and the WBC
By Mark Saxon | ESPNLosAngeles.com
January 14, 2013 | 3:21 PM PT

Matt Kemp likely won't participate in the World Baseball Classic as he recovers from shoulder surgery. We can probably assume Clayton Kershaw won't be in because of a pesky hip injury from late last season.

But that doesn't mean the Dodgers won't be affected this spring by the return of the WBC. Dodgers players carry a lot of different passports and the team could lose a half-dozen players or more for a good chunk of the spring.

Adrian Gonzalez and Luis Cruz have announced their plans to play on the Mexican team. No other Dodgers players have checked in to gauge the team's wishes, general manager Ned Colletti said.

There have been reports Hanley Ramirez would like to play for the Dominican Republic, but could he even get playing time in an infield that might include Albert Pujols, Robinson Cano, Jose Reyes and Adrian Beltre?

The Venezuelan newspaper Ultimas Noticias reported that reliever Ronald Belisario wants to pitch for his native country. Kenley Jansen was the starting catcher for the Dutch in 2009 and he could be a member of their bullpen in 2013. There will be immense pressure on new Hyun-jin Ryu to pitch for Korea. Zack Greinke, Andre Ethier and Brandon League could all be possibilities for Joe Torre's Team USA.

First-round play in the WBC begins March 2. Provisional rosters for all 16 nations will be announced Thursday. The finals don't begin until March 17, so the Dodgers could be training without a quarter of their roster for about half of spring training.

It's not exactly ideal for a team with immense turnover trying to build chemistry. Then again, it's hard to say no to your country, wherever that may be.
​

 

go get him ned
1 yr/$3.5MM and he's yours
hell, throw in an option year if you want

• It’s believed that the Mets countered Scott Hairston’s asking price of two years and $8MM with a one-year, $2MM offer, Puma reports. One source suggested to the Post that the Mets will find a way of adding an outfielder even if they don’t re-sign the free agent Hairston.

 

Scott Hairston would be cool cause we need a platoon OF, he just doesn't fit on the defensive side of things.

If we signed Scotty, the bench would be Hairston, Hairston, Skip, FedEx, ___. That last blank would need to be someone who could play both SS AND 1B, which is pretty rare. Unless one of the Hairstons or Skip could play the occasional 1B (which they probably could with time, but convincing a FA to do it might be tough, and Jerry is rehabbing from surgery so he has other things on his plate)

 

i'd take it a step further and not allow any of our pitchers to go

 

sadly no