MLB Rumors: Rafael Soriano Drawing Interest from Yankees, Vlad Staying in Texas?
As the quantity and quality of remaining free agents continues to shrink, those remaining are continuing their search for a team in 2011. Those that remain searching for teams include major names that were expected to have already found a team by now, including Adrian Beltre, Carl Pavano and Rafael Soriano.
Besides that, players who have been the subject of trade rumors find themselves still there as they remain with their current teams. Justin Upton was never close to being moved despite much discussion for a few weeks, and Jonathan Papelbon remains a member of the Red Sox.
Who is the subject of current trade rumors and which free agents are close to signing? Read on to find out.
Adrian Beltre
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The market for Adrian Beltre has essentially dried up at this point. The Oakland A's have been concentrating on other areas and won't budge from their five-year, $64 million deal. I don't expect Beltre to sign that. The Angels remain the frontrunners, and remain the team that he will probably sign with as they also look to offer a five-year deal.
The Rangers have been rumored to be in the mix, as they like Beltre and could use him. MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says that this is likely a ploy to drive up the price the Angels have to pay, and personally I think it's exactly that. Are the Rangers really going to make Michael Young, who's making $16 million per year for the next three years, the fourth infielder? No.
Derrek Lee
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It is now down to two teams that Lee may sign with: the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals. The Orioles have been targeting both Lee and Adam LaRoche, but talks have stalled on the latter. The going offer for Lee from Baltimore is about $8 million for a year.
There has been no recent news from the Nationals on Lee talks despite them actively pursuing him earlier. With the loss of Adam Dunn, they are in need of a first baseman, and if talks have stalled, they may instead look at LaRoche or Casey Kotchman.
Carl Pavano
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The goal was for Pavano to have a team set shortly after Christmas, yet five days after, he remains a free agent. He's holding out for a three-year deal, with the Minnesota Twins and Nationals remaining the frontrunners for his services.
The Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers are rumored to be an outside shot for Pavano, but with Texas' signing of Brandon Webb, they're likely out of the discussion, and the other two don't seem to have enough free money for his services.
If Pavano had gotten a three-year deal, he likely would have already signed. Pavano may end up accepting a two-year deal with a third-year option, which is more likely at this stage.
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Joe Blanton
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Speaking of pitchers on the market, the Phillies' fifth starter has been a major trade tool since the acquisition of Cliff Lee. Namely, those who want a starting pitcher but would prefer a cheaper option than Carl Pavano are looking here. Any team that does take him may have to eat a lot of the $17 million for the final two years of his contract.
If the Phillies can trade Blanton without having to pay a good deal of the money, then they definitely will. One team that won't be in the market that seems to be for everyone else is the Orioles, who are not impressed with Blanton. As for potential options, the Mariners and Nationals would be most likely, but the Yankees could be a possibility if they want to roll the dice on him.
Rafael Soriano
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The big story on the Soriano front is that the Yankees have interest in him, and have checked on his status. With Kerry Wood returning to the Cubs, Soriano could take over as the setup man and a "closer-in-waiting" if his deal ends up being longer than Mariano Rivera's. Granted, a couple weeks ago everyone said the Yankees were not interested in him, so who knows?
The problem with Soriano is that most teams that would be in need of a closer of his quality can't afford him, or won't dish out the extra money. His best bet might be to take a one-year deal, even though he wants a multi-year deal. Back-to-back great seasons will make owners feel far more justified in signing him to many years.
Manny Ramirez
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Ramirez is another player who the Yankees were rumored to have interest in, but it was downplayed and he would not fit well in the lineup or in New York, so that's not happening. Given all the younger power hitters on the market this year, the market for Ramirez is very thin, so who could pick him up?
Agent Scott Boras is looking for a one-year deal for Ramirez as a DH, which makes sense; that's all he would get. Honestly, the only place I could see it happening is, conditionally, Texas. If the talks between Vladimir Guerrero and the Rangers go south, Ramirez could easily jump in that already powerful lineup. The Tampa Bay Rays have an outside chance as well with an open DH spot.
Kevin Gregg
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Ironically, while Soriano is languishing on the free agent market, the demand for Blue Jays closer Kevin Gregg continues to be steady. The rumor for a while was that he would sign with the Orioles for two years and $12 million, then talks subsided. Now they seem back on.
Gregg is also talking to a few other teams as well who are said to be in the mix. While they aren't noted directly, possibilities I see include the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, conditional on if they end up trading their current closers, which could be likely to happen particularly in Seattle's case.
Adam LaRoche
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A player who's being mentioned alongside Derrek Lee in most cases, Adam LaRoche was originally being pursued by the Orioles, but talks have stalled on that front. The offer was going to be for three years and around $21 million, but the Orioles seem to prefer a one-year deal for Lee instead if they can get it.
Could the Nationals try to acquire him if Lee signs with the Orioles? It's a possibility, but little has been mentioned on that front. The Padres are an option as well since they need to replace Adrian Gonzalez.
Vladimir Guerrero
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Vladimir Guerrero is likely staying in Texas, despite the turning of the rumor mill. Guerrero originally wanted a two-year deal, but it seems that both sides are now looking at what to pay him on a one-year deal. With both in the same page, it makes Guerrero's re-signing almost a certainty. The possibility remains that talks stall, but progress is being made, just slowly.
Joakim Soria
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After Zack Greinke was traded, the market continued to heat up on Soria, with recent developments making a trade seem likely, especially considering his contract is very team-friendly.
While he has a no-trade clause in his contract, Soria has now said that he's willing to waive it. His trade value's high now, yet the Royals don't seem to want to trade him, even though their recent moves say they're not going to contend by the time Soria's contract expires. As the market heats up for him, we'll see which teams are very interested.
Kenshin Kawakami
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A pitcher who went 1-10 in 2010 actually has offers? It all depends how much of the salary the Braves are willing to eat. If they take most of it, then the Pirates would be among the forerunners to acquire him, and the Padres, Mariners and Twins are long shots as well. If they aren't willing to pay much of it, they will likely be stuck with him.
The Braves' starting rotation is essentially set, so Kawakami's options are either pitching in the bullpen, pitching with another team or being released.
Gavin Floyd
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One last starting pitcher who gained some traction in the trade market was Gavin Floyd. He was considered a solid option for those wanting starting pitching, and the Colorado Rockies in particular expressed an interest in acquiring him.
In the end, the White Sox have decided to keep the rotation as is, at least until the return of Jake Peavy. For now, any trade rumors involving White Sox pitchers are a closed case.
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.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
