MLB Rumors: Post-World Series Updates from Every Team
Although we seldom see major transactions completed during the first few weeks of November, it's arguably the busiest time of the MLB offseason.
Teams must review all of their players' recent performances and determine whether they would be better off exploring external options. Rumors have already started leaking regarding how the winter will unfold following this evaluation period.
Here are the latest and most substantial updates about free agency, trade targets and managerial openings.
*Stats provided by Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise specified.
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 30
Serious Jeff Samardzija Talks
The Chicago Cubs have been aiming to lock the powerful right-hander into a contract extension ever since he established himself in their starting rotation in 2012.
To their dismay, Dave Kaplan of CSNChicago.com reports that Samardzija has his eyes set on free agency. ESPN's Buster Olney tweets the Cubs will continue discussing potential exchanges with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
D-Backs position players were especially busy last season behind a rotation that generated a lot of balls in play. Patrick Corbin was their only pitcher with at least 150 strikeouts. By comparison, Samardzija has ranked among MLB's best in K/9 since transitioning from the bullpen.
Atlanta Braves
2 of 30
One-Year Offer Made to Tim Hudson
Approximately 10 teams have already contacted Hudson about his 2013 plans, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. The Atlanta Braves could've deterred them from pursuing him by extending a qualifying offer, but instead presented his agent with a more modest, likely incentive-laden proposal.
Bowman has more on the 38-year-old's health:
"Hudson is nearing the end of his recovery from the fractured right ankle that sidelined him for the final two months of this season. A screw will be removed from his ankle within the next week. If everything appears to be structurally sound at that point, Hudson could be cleared to begin throwing two weeks later.
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Baltimore Orioles
3 of 30
Bringing Back Scott Feldman a High Priority
The Baltimore Orioles don't typically spend big bucks in free agency.
Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun discusses how far they might go to retain Feldman:
"He's the guy in this group the Orioles most want to retain. And he genuinely enjoyed Baltimore. But it'll come down to whether another club blows away the Orioles' offer, and there's a real potential that could happen.
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The 30-year-old started 15 games and posted a 4.27 earned run average for the O's last year following a midsummer trade. Feldman wasn't eligible to receive a qualifying offer, so teams can pursue him without worrying about losing a future draft pick.
Brian Roberts Expected to Re-Sign
The O's ought to be relieved to see Roberts' $40 million extension come to an end after he spent the vast majority of it on the disabled list.
That doesn't mean they're opposed to continuing a relationship with him at a lesser price. Actually, manager Buck Showalter "spoke as if he expected Brian Roberts to return in 2014," according to Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.
Baltimore's present and future at second base remain unsettled, and Roberts batted .249/.312/.392 in 2013, which was good for 0.9 fWAR.
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Boston Red Sox
4 of 30
Jon Lester Seeking Contract Extension
The Boston Red Sox reportedly committed to picking up Lester's $13 million option during the summer. His subsequent dominance in the postseason made the decision a no-brainer.
He's still on track to reach free agency following the 2014 season and net a lucrative long-term contract.
However, Ian Browne and Jason Mastrodonato of MLB.com report that Lester has no desire to test the open market:
""I haven't had a chance to talk to [general manager] Ben [Cherington]," [said Lester]. "But obviously to be back for another year is awesome. Hopefully that's not the only one and we can be here for a long time. We'll worry about that when the time comes."
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Jarrod Saltalamacchia Seeking Security Over Comfort
Salty got involved in the Red Sox beard craze and undoubtedly enjoyed their World Series run.
With that said, agent James Munsey tells Andy Martino of the Daily News that he's approaching free agency as a strict business decision.
"He’s out there for all 30 teams," Munsey says. "That includes the Red Sox, but they are one of 30.”
Chicago Cubs
5 of 30
Managerial Decision Coming Thursday
The MLB Network's Peter Gammons has the details:
"Jed Hoyer, Theo Epstein and the baseball staff will meet for the final time Wednesday, finalize the decision and make their decision public tomorrow. In the final hours, it seems that Padres bench coach [Rick] Renteria is the favorite, with his experience in development and managing in Mexico, an advantage for a team that in the next two years will be bringing a number of highly-touted players—many of them from Latin America—up to Wrigley Field.
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Starlin Castro on the Trading Block
Tom Loxas of Chicago Now identifies the St. Louis Cardinals as a suitor for Castro. The 23-year-old is coming off an awful season for the Cubbies (.631 OPS in 161 G), but not far removed from being an All-Star-caliber shortstop.
Chicago's top prospect, Javier Baez, is viewed as Castro's successor, and he could be MLB-ready as soon as 2014.
Chicago White Sox
6 of 30
Gordon Beckham Drawing Trade Interest
The slick-fielding second baseman was once again a disappointment at the plate for the Chicago White Sox last year. He posted a sub-.700 OPS for the fourth straight season.
Nonetheless, Scott Merkin and Gregory Chisholm of MLB.com report that the Toronto Blue Jays have targeted the 27-year-old for the right side of their infield. Merkin and Chisholm expect the White Sox to ask for pitching prospects in exchange.
Cincinnati Reds
7 of 30
Brandon Phillips Available...at Steep Price
The New York Yankees remain optimistic about re-signing Robinson Cano, but they're also preparing to go in a different direction, if necessary.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that they "checked in" regarding Phillips. The Cincinnati Reds' asking price for him was too steep to generate any constructive dialogue.
Despite tremendous success with runners in scoring position last summer, the enthusiastic All-Star posted a .261 batting average and .706 OPS. Both of those represent personal worsts for Phillips in his eight seasons with the Reds.
Cleveland Indians
8 of 30
Open to Multi-Year Deal with Ubaldo Jimenez
The Cleveland Indians made a $14.1 million qualifying offer to Jimenez on Monday, mainly to secure draft-pick compensation in case the right-hander signs elsewhere.
However, it isn't a foregone conclusion that he will, reports Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.
General manager Chris Antonetti insists that, "We'll do what we can to try and retain him." He's even "open" to an arrangement that extends beyond 2014.
Terry Francona Spoke with Tim Hudson
In his aforementioned post on MLB.com, Mark Bowman added that the Tribe's manager had a "lengthy telephone discussion" with Hudson.
The team's interest should come as no surprise. The veteran right-hander will likely settle for a one-year deal coming off a gruesome ankle injury, and Francona has a couple of voids to fill in his rotation.
Colorado Rockies
9 of 30
Carlos Ruiz is a Top Target
From Troy Renck of The Denver Post:
"Does he have the power you want? Not necessarily. But he has performed well in the clutch (a career .447 on-base percentage with runners in scoring position and two-outs) and, like a lot of players, enjoys batting at Coors Field (.351 average with seven extra-base hits in 12 games). Adding a starting veteran catcher to would allow Wilin Rosario to learn from a mentor, while also giving the Rockies an impact corner bat in right field or first base.
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Jose Veras and Joe Smith Could Bolster Bullpen
Renck reports that both free-agent relievers are being considered by the Colorado Rockies, presumably for setup roles.
Smith is the safer bet, coming off a third consecutive season of 70-plus appearances and a sub-3.00 earned run average. Meanwhile, Veras embraced his first closer's gig with the Houston Astros before a midseason trade sent him to the Detroit Tigers.
Colorado's bullpen ranked last in the National League in earned run average in 2013, so either addition would count as a major upgrade.
Detroit Tigers
10 of 30
Parting Ways with Jhonny Peralta
Even coming off a productive 2013 season, Peralta didn't seem to fit into the Detroit Tigers' 2014 plans. The only positions at which he's had significant experience, shortstop and third base, are occupied full time by Jose Iglesias and Miguel Cabrera, respectively.
General manager Dave Dombrowski confirms that his club will move in another direction (h/t Chris Iott, MLive.com).
No Extension Talks with Max Scherzer
If nothing changes in Scherzer's contract status, he could be a legitimate trade candidate this winter.
His Cy Young Award-caliber campaign—2.90 ERA, 0.97 WHIP in 214.1 IP—will lead to a substantial pay raise in his final season prior to entering free agency. Keep in mind that the Tigers also have holes to fill at second base and the back end of the bullpen, not to mention other raises to address for key players with back-loaded contracts.
For now, at least, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports tweets that Scherzer isn't the subject of any extension conversations between the club and agent Scott Boras.
Houston Astros
11 of 30
Payroll to Rise Significantly
Brian McTaggart of MLB.com believes that the Houston Astros hit rock bottom in 2013. They set franchise worsts for winning percentage and run differential, and nobody earning more than $2 million lasted the entire summer on their roster.
However, McTaggart imagines the Astros "perhaps pushing their payroll to $60 million" for next season, which would at least allow them to pursue "reclamation projects" in free agency.
Kansas City Royals
12 of 30
Starting Rotation Again a Top Priority
The Kansas City Royals were desperate to improve their rotation last winter. General manager Dayton Moore faced widespread backlash for overspending on Jeremy Guthrie and committing a lot of resources to acquire Ervin Santana and James Shields.
Ultimately, it led to a 14-win improvement from the previous year. Santana, in particular, exceeded the baseball world's expectations. Although he'll have as many as a dozen suitors in free agency, Moore intends to compete for his future services after tagging him with a qualifying offer (h/t Bob Dutton, The Kansas City Star).
Ned Yost Meeting with Tim Hudson
We're getting as much mileage as possible out of Mark Bowman's Hudson update.
He reports that Yost is trying to one-up Terry Francona by scheduling a face-to-face meeting with the popular free agent. It's unclear exactly when and where that will take place, but Hudson would obviously obviously serve as a cheaper alternative to Santana.
No Eric Hosmer Extension Talks
Hosmer's excellent 2013—specifically, the final four months of it—earned him recognition as the Royals Player of the Year (h/t Dick Kaegel, MLB.com).
However, he tells Bob Dutton that there haven't been any discussions about a contract extension between the club and Scott Boras. The 24-year-old will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this coming season.
Los Angeles Angels
13 of 30
Interest in Dealing for David Price
At first glance, the Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays don't seem like logical trade partners, considering the former's anemic farm system.
Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reminds us, however, that the Halos have some effective, not-so-expensive lineup pieces that could intrigue Tampa Bay. He mentions that Mark Trumbo and Howie Kendrick are both players that L.A. would be "willing to part with" to gain established pitching.
Trumbo clobbered 34 home runs in 2013, which is more than any Rays player has accounted for in a season since Carlos Pena in 2009.
Los Angeles Dodgers
14 of 30
Also Interested in David Price
From the aforementioned Nick Cafardo report, we're alerted of the Los Angeles Dodgers' intention to buff up their already-impressive starting rotation.
The fit here is less obvious considering the depth of this Clayton Kershaw-led staff (remember that Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley should be healthier in 2014).
With that said, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Dodgers complete a blockbuster move to troll their crosstown rival. Just last winter, they out-bid their American League counterpart in the Zack Greinke sweepstakes.
Miami Marlins
15 of 30
Giancarlo Stanton Isn't Going Anywhere
In the words of Miami Marlins general manager Dan Jennings, "Mr. Stanton is not available." That emphatic answer comes from his interview with MLB Network Radio's Jim Bowden.
You might be thinking, "Yeah, well, the Marlins have lied to us plenty of times before."
That's not fair to Jennings. He was just promoted to the GM's role following the 2013 regular season, and therefore deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Eyeing Upgrades at Catcher and Third Base
Again, assuming that Miami's front-office executive is speaking truthfully, we know that the team will ponder changes at several these positions.
With that said, expect the Marlins to approach short-term candidates. They haven't given up on Rob Brantly and Zack Cox as their futures behind the plate and at the hot corner, respectively.
Milwaukee Brewers
16 of 30
Mutual Interest Between Milwaukee Brewers and Corey Hart
Hart discussed re-signing back in September when it was clear that his 2013 season was lost, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com:
""I would take a discount to stay here, because I think I owe it to them to stay here and be a cheaper player, because—nobody wants to play for free—but I've basically sat there and watched all season," Hart said then. "I think I owe it to them and the fans to come back. That's kind of what we're hoping for, but at the same time, you don't know what's going to happen."
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The latest update from general manager Doug Melvin is that the club hopes to work out a one-year deal. Melvin admits that there aren't many established first basemen available in free agency.
It may seem like an eternity ago, but when Hart was healthy in 2012, he batted .270/.334/.507 with 30 home runs while filling the team's void at first.
Minnesota Twins
17 of 30
No Commitments to Arbitration-Eligible Players
The Minnesota Twins will definitely look different in 2013 without Justin Morneau and Mike Pelfrey, but several controllable players might be cut loose, as well, according to Mike Berardino at the Pioneer Press. General manager Terry Ryan says that the team hasn't decided whether to tender contracts to Brian Duensing, Trevor Plouffe and Anthony Swarzak.
Plouffe is the only everyday player in that trio. The 27-year-old followed up a 24-homer season with one that saw him launch only 14 despite increased plate appearances.
Expressed Interest in Ervin Santana
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets that the Twins also had their eyes on Santana last winter when the public opinion of him wasn't so favorable.
As we noted earlier, the right-hander figures to receive plenty of attention coming off a bounce-back season. Anyone besides the Kansas City Royals will need to forfeit a draft pick to sign him.
The Twins actually make sense as a landing spot for Santana considering their AL Central rivalry with the Royals and the fact that their top 2014 pick is protected (they would surrender a second-round pick instead).
New York Mets
18 of 30
Reaching Out to Rafael Furcal
Ruben Tejada and Omar Quintanilla made pathetic attempts to play shortstop for the New York Mets in 2013. Even in a weak free-agent class, we shouldn't be surprised to learn that the club is calling around about alternatives.
Although New York could eventually pursue Stephen Drew and Jhonny Peralta, Jorge Castillo of The Star-Ledger reports that the 36-year-old Furcal has already been contacted. He missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery, but posted a respectable .264/.325/.346 batting line the previous year.
Bronson Arroyo May Fit in Rotation
The durable, soft-tossing right-hander ought to have a lot of employment opportunities after the Cincinnati Reds decided not to extend a qualifying offer to him.
Specifically, agent Terry Boss believes he'd be comfortable with the Mets, according to Dan Martin of The New York Post. Boss describes the Florida native as a "East Coast guy."
The question is whether the Mets would consider giving Arroyo a multi-year deal.
New York Yankees
19 of 30
Curtis Granderson Open to Signing Elsewhere
Granderson went on MLB Network Radio and expressed gratitude to the New York Yankees for extending a qualifying offer to him (h/t Andrew Marchand, ESPNNewYork.com).
With that said, it sounds like he's going to decline the $14.1 million guarantee to explore other opportunities:
"You know, there are 29 other ball clubs out there and we’re now at a point where every team has the chance to be a contender here in the near future. The days of 'I don’t want to play for those teams' are kind of over with now, which is a great thing for baseball and fans in general. Because everybody’s got an opportunity to step up, surprise you, get things going, their minor league systems are great, and have a chance to win.
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Interest in Omar Infante
The Venezuelan veteran appears to be New York's No. 1 fallback in case Robinson Cano signs elsewhere. According to Jon Heyman, the Yankees have already asked about him.
Infante would agree to a substantially smaller contract than Cano would, and unlike Brandon Phillips, he wouldn't require any sort of talent sacrifice to acquire. The Detroit Tigers chose not to extend a qualifying offer to the 31-year-old, so he is not tied to draft-pick compensation.
Oakland Athletics
20 of 30
Exploring Multi-Year Deal with Coco Crisp
The Oakland Athletics didn't need to think long before picking up Crisp's $7.5 million club option.
His age-33 season included career highs of 22 home runs and 93 runs scored. Moreover, Crisp continues to serve as a positive influence in the outfield, on the basepaths and in the clubhouse.
The decision ensures that he will spend a fifth year with the A's, but MLB.com's Jane Lee reports that they would like to lock him up for longer. Baseball Prospectus shows us that Yoenis Cespedes ($10.5 million salary) and Hiroyuki Nakajima ($500,000 buyout) are the only players currently on the 2015 payroll.
Philadelphia Phillies
21 of 30
Nelson Cruz Could Satisfy Biggest Need
Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors expects the Philadelphia Phillies to have a busy offseason, highlighted by signing four of the top 50 free agents.
Cruz is the most prominent player he predicts to sign with them. The 33-year-old slugger could bolster a lineup that lacks dependable, right-handed power supplies.
Pittsburgh Pirates
22 of 30
A.J. Burnett Still Undecided About Baseball Future
Coming off two straight great campaigns for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the wiry right-hander would generate league-wide interest if he put himself on the open market.
However, he's been consistent in saying that he would only continue his MLB career with the Bucs.
It doesn't sound like the two sides have begun discussing a 2014 contract. Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review learned from Burnett's agent that the 15-year major league veteran isn't committed to coming back yet.
San Diego Padres
23 of 30
Anything Can Happen with Chase Headley
By "anything," we mean he could sign a long-term extension, go to another team via trade or simply play out his final team-controlled season with the San Diego Padres before entering free agency. General manager Josh Byrnes hasn't given Jeff Sanders of U-T San Diego any clues about what will happen.
What we know, at least, is that Byrnes won't let Headley's out-of-nowhere Silver Slugger season of 2012 overshadow his disappointing 2013:
"“In respect to his contract, last year increased the scrutiny for all of us,” Byrnes said. “You try to do your best to build up your foundation with a lot of players that you want to keep and sometimes that leads to a contract...We’re going to wipe the board clean when we look at it this year."
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San Francisco Giants
24 of 30
Carlos Beltran and Curtis Granderson Are Possible Additions
The San Francisco Giants mashed the second-fewest home runs of any major league team in 2013. While a similar power struggle the previous year didn't derail their World Series run, it certainly added difficulty.
With Barry Zito's nightmarish contract coming off the books, it's not at all surprising to see Nick Cafardo link the Giants to Granderson and Beltran. Since 2011, those players rank 10th and 11th among all outfielders in slugging percentage.
Both are expected to decline qualifying offers in the coming days.
Seattle Mariners
25 of 30
Jack Zduriencik to Ink Extension
As the Seattle Mariners limped toward yet another sub-.500 finish, it became clear that the team would make management changes.
Rather than completely clean house, however, only Eric Wedge departed. After hiring Lloyd McClendon to succeed him as skipper, Zduriencik is actually on the verge of receiving more job security, according to Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times.
That's going to be tough to justify. After all, this is the man responsible for trading away Cliff Lee mere months after acquiring him, over-committing to Chone Figgins, whiffing on high draft picks and consistently failing to attract established power hitters in free agency.
St. Louis Cardinals
26 of 30
Offensive Additions Expected
The St. Louis Cardinals can attribute much of their regular-season success to lucky breaks with runners in scoring position.
General manager John Mozeliak agrees that their .330 batting average in such situations isn't sustainable (h/t Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch):
"“You have to be honest about that type of assessment and you’re probably going to see some regression to the mean,” Mozeliak said. “When you’re pointing to where we’re going to score runs next year, (it) is a good point because we did it in a unique way and one that is probably not sustainable. So, looking for different places to improve the offense is probably a good place to start when you’re evaluating the team."
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He mentions shortstop, third base and center field as positions that will need to be re-evaluated this winter.
Lance Lynn, Shelby Miller Could Be Trade Bait
Properly addressing those roster deficiencies could force the reigning National League champions to detract from their awesome pitching depth.
More specifically, Joe Strauss believes it's "increasingly likely" that the St. Louis Cardinals will trade Lynn or Miller in exchange for a legitimate run producer. Strauss points to Carlos Martinez as a candidate to fill out the back end of the rotation in that scenario.
For what it's worth, Mozeliak insists that he prefers not to trade anybody, Derrick Goold reports.
Tampa Bay Rays
27 of 30
Fernando Rodney on the Open Market
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times notes that Rodney will listen to what the rest of the league has to offer before deciding on his future.
The veteran flamethrower reverted to his wild ways in 2013 but still posted a decent 3.38 earned run average in 66.2 innings while striking out 82 batters. The season before, he saved 48 games for the Tampa Bay Rays and allowed only five earned runs (0.60 ERA).
Ultimately, it's believed that he'll receive multi-year commitments.
Texas Rangers
28 of 30
Door Closed on Joe Nathan
Here's a refreshingly honest remark from the decision-maker in the Texas Rangers front office (h/t Richard Durrett, ESPNDallas.com):
""There are other teams that have a bigger need in the bullpen and put more resources than we are," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "Joe's been outstanding for us on and off the field. He is as advertised, but we have some other areas that are a higher priority for us to address."
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On the open market, Nathan is expected to command a multi-year deal that guarantees an eight-figure annual salary. Daniels seems optimistic about getting similar production from team-controlled former closers Neftali Feliz and Joakim Soria at a much lesser price.
Toronto Blue Jays
29 of 30
Josh Johnson Probably Moving On
The oft-injured right-hander was genuinely complimentary of the Toronto Blue Jays in an interview with Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca.
However, he didn't specifically express a desire to re-sign. What's clear is that the team hasn't reached out to him, as Johnson admitted, "I don’t know if there’s a chance of going back there or not."
The Blue Jays declined to extend a qualifying offer to the 29-year-old coming off a summer in which he posted a 6.20 earned run average in 16 starts.
Those struggles haven't deterred the rest of the league. Davidi reports that "19 teams are said to have already inquired about him to some degree."
Washington Nationals
30 of 30
Free Agency Offers Potential Dan Haren Replacements
Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post makes it clear that Haren won't return to the Washington Nationals after an inconsistent year.
Although the Nats were impressed with starters Taylor Jordan and Tanner Roark, they're more likely to commit to a more experienced pitcher. Kilgore specifically suggests Matt Garza and Josh Johnson, both of whom possess terrific upside and entered free agency without receiving qualifying offers.
In any case, it seems certain that the club will be active following a very disappointing 2013 season.
Looking at Jacoby Ellsbury
Sources tell Jon Heyman that Washington could make room in its crowded outfield for the sought-after Scott Boras client.
Extraordinary hitting streak aside, Denard Span underwhelmed as the leadoff man and center fielder. Ellsbury would represent a dramatic upgrade, at least from an offensive perspective.
Ely is a national MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a sportscaster for 90.5 WVUM in Miami. He wants to make sweet, social love with all of you on Twitter.
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