| Aroldis Chapman swiches agent to Hendricks |
| Aroldis Chapman (S) - International Player |
(Sat, Nov 21 - 12:25pm ET)
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Jorge Arangure of ESPN tweets that free agent Aroldis Chapman is now represented by Randy and Alan Hendricks.
Chapman's previous agent was Edwin Mejia of Athletes Premier International. Other clients of the Hendricks brothers include Kendry Morales and Andy Pettitte. There is no word as to the reasoning of the switch, but it would be logical to assume that the process will now be far more streamlined as the Hendricks are veterans in the business while Meija and API started in 2006. Still, the timing is a bit curious.
Source: Twitter: Jorge Arangure
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| Report: Yankees priority is re-signing Damon |
| Johnny Damon (OF) - New York Yankees |
(Sat, Nov 21 - 12:56pm ET)
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Ken Davidoff of Newsday reports that the Yankees' priority right now is re-signing Johnny Damon, with Hideki Matsui on the back-burner.
Even though Matsui turned heads in the World Series, Damon is the better property going forward considering he can hold his own in the field. Agent Scott Boras is pushing for a four-year deal, but we can't see anything more than two years. The Yankees and Damon should be able to come to an agreement fairly shortly, freeing up resources to devote to the free agent market.
Source: Ken Davidoff on Twitter
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| Contreras considering move to Japan? |
| Jose Contreras (S) - Colorado Rockies |
(Sat, Nov 21 - 2:24pm ET)
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Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker reports that Jose Contreras is seeking employment in Japan.
There was a report of Contreras reaching out to the Hanshin Tigers earlier this week, but the rumors hold more weight now that we learn his 16-year-old son is hoping to take part in an exchange program with a high school in Japan. The 37-year-old right-hander is expected to visit Japan next week, with the SoftBank Hawks and Hiroshima Carp as the most likely landing spots, based on geography, according to Newman.
Source: NPB Tracker
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| Rogers: Cubs not moving Castro for Granderson |
| Curtis Granderson (OF) - Detroit Tigers |
(Sat, Nov 21 - 9:02am ET)
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Phil Rogers says that many in the Cubs front office feel it would be "foolish" to trade prospect Starlin Castro to Detroit for Curtis Granderson.
Castro has quickly established himself as the best Cubs prospect after his showing in the Arizona Fall League. Granderson, conversely, has been one of the best centerfielders in the game (against right-handed pitching) and is thought to be available. Rogers, who writes for the Chicago Tribune, says that Cubs GM Jim Hendry "appreciates" what Granderson brings to the table and wonders if new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo could help address Granderson's platoon issues. If the Cubs won't give Castro up in a Granderson deal, it will be extremely tough to pull off.
Source: Boston Herald
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| Cubs finalize two-year, $7.5M deal for Grabow |
| John Grabow (R) - Chicago Cubs |
(Fri, Nov 20 - 1:09pm ET)
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Cubs signed LHP John Grabow to a two-year, $7.5 million contract.
The deal, for some reason, took over a week to finalize. Perhaps the Cubs were having second thoughts. Grabow, 31, was a very solid left-handed reliever this season, but the salary does seem a bit high. He'll need to prove that his 3.36 2009 ERA was no fluke to justify the chunk of change. And with a 4.03 career ERA and 1.44 career WHIP, the odds are against him.
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| Report: Brewers will try to lock up Fielder |
| Prince Fielder (1B) - Milwaukee Brewers |
(Fri, Nov 20 - 10:24am ET)
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According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, the Brewers plan to approach Prince Fielder with a long-term extension this offseason.
Fielder finished second in the majors with 46 homers in 2009 and tied Albert Pujols with 141 RBI. He tallied an impressive .299/.412/.602 batting line. The Brewers need to find solutions for the wretched starting rotation this winter, but locking up a hitter like Fielder can only be described as wise. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Haudricourt doesn't expect talks to truly get going until January.
Source: Jon Heyman on Twitter
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| Strasburg will not need surgery on knee |
| Stephen Strasburg (S) - Washington Nationals |
(Fri, Nov 20 - 7:33pm ET)
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Stephen Strasburg will not need surgery on his left knee, reports Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
An entire fanbase exhales. Strasburg made a visit to Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles as a precaution, but was told that some therapy and rest should do the trick. Strasburg was scratched from Saturday's start in the Arizona Fall League championship game because of a twisted left knee, suffered while shagging flyballs on Thursday. An initial MRI showed some inflammation in the knee, but the Nationals looked to have dodged a bullet on this one. He should be on track for spring training.
Source: MLBlogs.com
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| Report: White Sox close to deal with Vizquel |
| Omar Vizquel (SS) - Texas Rangers |
(Fri, Nov 20 - 11:38am ET)
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According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the White Sox are close to a one-year deal with infielder Omar Vizquel.
Vizquel, 42, would serve as a backup all around the Chicago infield, spelling Mark Teahen at third, Alexei Ramirez at short or Gordon Beckham at second base. He hit just .266//316/.345 in 177 at-bats during the 2009 season but remains one of the finest defenders in all of baseball.
Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter
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| Diamondbacks acquire RHP Heilman from Cubs |
| Aaron Heilman (R) - Arizona Diamondbacks |
(Thu, Nov 19 - 5:27pm ET)
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Diamondbacks acquired RHP Aaron Heilman from the Cubs for LHP Scott Maine and 1B Ryne White.
Some have speculated that Heilman was a non-tender candidate after posting a 4.11 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 70 relief appearances in 2009, so at least the Cubs got something. It may behoove the Diamondbacks to give the 31-year-old right-hander a shot in their rotation, however general manager Josh Byrnes has already referred to him as a "durable reliever." Poor control has led to Heilman's downfall over the past two seasons, but this is a fine risk worth taking for Arizona, especially considering the little talent they gave up.
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| Lincecum wins second straight NL Cy Young |
| Tim Lincecum (S) - San Francisco Giants |
(Thu, Nov 19 - 2:06pm ET)
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Tim Lincecum was named the National League Cy Young for a second straight season, earning 11 of 32 first-place votes.
The most hotly-contested award thus far, Lincecum barely edged out Chris Carpenter, who earned nine first-place votes and Adam Wainwright, who actually had 12 first-place votes. Lincecum is just the second pitcher to win the award without the most first place votes -- Tom Glavine was the other in 1998. Lincecum is the first repeat winner since Randy Johnson won four straight from 1999-2002. There's an argument to be made that Lincecum was actually better this season than he was in 2008, posting a lower ERA (2.48 compared to 2.62), a lower WHIP (1.05 compared to 1.17) and a lower batting average against (.206 compared to .221). Though he didn't best last year's totals, Lincecum led the National League with 261 strikeouts. Thankfully, Lincecum's modest 15-7 record didn't scare the BBWAA off.
Source: BBWAA.com
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