2014 MLB Free Agency: Fact or Fiction with the Latest Rumors, Week 2

With the General Managers and Owners Meetings taking place in Orlando, Florida, the 2014 MLB free-agency picture is slowly coming into focus, and the early trade speculation has already included some big-name stars.

It's no surprise that there is so much talk of potential deals with team executives and reporters all gathered at the meetings. The number of All-Star caliber players who are already on the trade block, however, is far more unexpected. With so much speculation flying around, there are plenty of rumors to debunk.

Here's a look at which rumors from Week 2 of the hot stove season are fact and which ones are fiction.

1. The San Francisco Giants “Need” Pablo Sandoval's Bat More Than They Need Pitching

As Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com noted, the San Francisco Giants are in the market for two starting pitchers. Would general manager Brian Sabean consider dangling third baseman Pablo Sandoval to solve the problem?

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Sabean indicates that while there are American League teams (like Boston) who have inquired on Pablo Sandoval as a first baseman and he is a free agent at the end of the 2014 season, he doesn't think he'll trade him. “We need his bat,” says Sabean.

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If Sabean isn't planning on trading the switch-hitter then why even bother to bring up his name with Gammons? One take is that the Giants' GM is floating the idea to see what kind of market exists for Sandoval.

If the Giants decide to pull the trigger there will clearly be takers for the 27-year-old. As the owner of a .298 career average and a .827 OPS, Sandoval would produce a huge haul.

The Giants definitely need Sandoval's bat, but this rumor is fiction. If the right offer comes around, San Francisco should move Sandoval in order to bolster a lackluster staff. 

2. The Los Angeles Angels Will Trade One Of The Club's Bats

As Los Angeles Angels GM Jerry DiPoto explained to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com, there has already been quite a bit of interest in the team's hitters:

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There has been a fair amount. We've got a talented group. Our offensive players are fairly accomplished, some at a very young age. There have been a lot of inquiries on a lot of them. We're not predetermined to move any of them. We are open to solve our needs that are more on the pitching side than the offensive side.

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Clearly, the Angels are ready to flip a bat in order to strengthen the pithing staff. The only question is which player they will end up trying to deal. Potential options would include Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar and Mark Trumbo.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports described Trumbo, who clubbed 34 home runs in 2013, as “the big catch.” The Angles will be reluctant to trade such a powerful bat, but with a variety of options and a pitching staff desperately in need of help, this rumor is a fact.

3. Matt Wieters Won't Be The Baltimore Orioles' Catcher On Opening Day 2014

The Baltimore Orioles are open to trading Matt Wieters according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:

Last year, the backstop for the Orioles clubbed 22 home runs, but his OPS tumbled to .704 and he hit a career-worst .235. Still, there should be lots of bidders for his services.

Wieters provides tons of pop at a position that is weak around the league, and his price tag is still reasonable. However, as Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun noted, it's for those reasons that Wieters won't be available until next winter at the earliest, if at all. This rumor is fiction. 

4. The Los Angeles Dodgers Will Find A Way To Get Out From Under Matt Kemp's Massive Contract

According to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Dodgers are willing to listen to trade proposals on “any” of the team's players.

In particular, the Dodgers would like to move out one of the club's veteran outfielders. As Jon Morosi of FOX Sports noted, Matt Kemp could be the guy to go:

Trading for a player who is still owed $128 million over six years, and who is coming off a season in which he played in only 73 is an enormous gamble. Then again, when Kemp is physically right, he is one of the most dynamic players in baseball.

The Dodgers are flush with talent in the outfield, and Kemp will be just 29 years old on Opening Day 2014. Still, $128 million is a lot of money. This rumor is fiction.

5. The St. Louis Cardinals Will Acquire Jed Lowrie To Fill The Void At Shortstop

As Gammons reported, the St. Louis Cardinals have added Jed Lowrie to their shortstop wish list:

"While the Cardinals are shopping for a shortstop—Troy Tulowitzki, Jurickson Profar, Elvis Andrus, et al—they are also interested in Oakland's Jed Lowrie."

A potential deal seems to make enough sense, as the Oakland A's have an heir apparent in Addison Russell. Gammons noted that the soon-to-be 20-year-old shortstop has drawn comparisons to Barry Larkin.

The only catch is that Russell spent nearly all of last season in Single-A, and will need at least half a season in the upper minors before he's ready to take over for Lowrie. For now, this rumor is fiction. Manager Bob Melvin confirmed that suspicion via Mark Kreidler of 95.7 The Game:

However, the club has already been active in the free-agent market. The A's picked up Nick Punto on a one-year, $3 million deal according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The A's still need Lowrie, but by the middle of the season, that could change.

6. The New York Yankees Will Swing A Deal For David Freese As An “Insurance Policy” At Third Base

According to Mark Feinsand of the Daily News, the Yankees are planning to have Alex Rodriguez on the roster for the upcoming season. Just in case that doesn't happen, though, the Yankees have already begun to make backup plans.

Feinsand reported that the Yankees have looked into a deal for Cardinals third baseman David Freese. The time is perfect to strike. Freese is coming off a down year and subsequently the asking price shouldn't be too high. Plus, as Feinsand noted, St. Louis is looking to shift Matt Carpenter to third base in order to open up a spot for Kolten Wong at second base.

Feinsand also pointed out that the deal would still make sense even if Rodriguez is on the roster in 2014:

The Yankees need help at the hot corner, and Freese is the ideal buy low candidate. However, the Cardinals have no urgent need to deal the third baseman. This rumor is fiction.

7. The San Diego Padres Will Deal Chase Headley Rather Than Offer Him An Extension

As Heyman reported, the San Diego Padres have a decision to make on third baseman Chase Headley.

The team's “first objective” is to hold onto the powerful infielder, but if that's not possible the Padres would be open to dealing Headley. The 29-year-old is coming off a down year in 2013 when he tallied just 13 home runs. However, back in 2012 he crushed 31 long balls and posted a .286/.376/.498 slash line.

None of the players on the 2014 MLB free-agent market topped 30 home runs last season, so that power potential should draw lots of interest.

However, the most compelling reason why Headley will get flipped relates to the Padres organizational philosophy. As Heyman noted, the Padres largest multi-year ever was a three-year $52 million contract given to Jake Peavy after the 2007 season. 

There's a chance the Padres will try to hold onto Headley until deadline, but in the end, this rumor is a fact.

8. The Yankees Will Win The Bidding War For Masahiro Tanaka

New York's starting staff is in dire need of some major upgrades. As GM Brian Cashman explained to Rosenthal, the Yankees are looking, “to add 400 innings to the team's rotation.”

That figure would appear to make Masahiro Tanaka an excellent fit in the Bronx. The workhorse starter threw 160 pitches in a Game 6 loss of the Japan Series only to come back and throw 15 pitches to close out the series a day later.

However, that workload has also been cause for concern. A high-ranking official from a team expected to bid for Tanaka told Joel Sherman of the NY Post: "That is not standard operating procedure for how you use someone you see as an investment.”

It's certainly not “standard operating procedure,” but then again, how many current big leaguers could even come close to such a hefty pitch count? Sherman pointed out that Tanaka would have to pass “The Mother of all Physicals.”

There are still hurdles to be cleared, no doubt. The Yankees desperate need for starters coupled with the fact that posting fees don't count against the luxury-tax threshold, however, mean that this rumor is a fact.

9. The Minnesota Twins And A.J. Pierzynski Will Reunite To Break the “Curse Of A.J.”

A.J. Pierzynski could be headed back to the Minnesota Twins, as Heyman reported:

With Joe Mauer shifting from catcher to first base, the Twins have an opening behind the plate that the veteran could fill. Pierzynski hit .272/.292/.425 with 17 home runs last season for the Texas Rangers, but Michael Rand of the Star Tribune sees a match beyond the on-field success:

"Call it brashness...call it cockiness...call it the ability to agitate...call it, even, leadership...Pierzynski has it. He's one of those players you hate to play against but want on your team."

Rand also noted that the reunion would mean “undoing the curse of A.J.” The Twins have failed to win a single playoff series since Minnesota dealt the catcher following the 2003 season.

Pierzynski would provide the Twins with the perfect mixture of production and “leadership” making this rumor a fact.

10. Carlos Beltran Will Land A Three To Four Year Deal

As Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports noted, Carlos Beltran is “no longer on the two-year plan.”

Brown explained that Beltran, who just finished a two-year, $26 million deal with the Cardinals, is currently in the market for a three to four year contract.

There's no denying Beltran's productivity last year, as he hit 24 home runs while posting a .296/.339/.491 slash line. Still, the the veteran will turn 37 next April. Could he really be in line for such a lengthy deal?

According to Feinsand, there are plenty of suitors:

One MLB executive told Andy Martino of the Daily News that Beltran would get “at least a three-year, $42 million deal.” If Beltran does secure such a contract, that means he would be playing the third season as a 39-year-old, and most likely as a full-time designated hitter.

Beltran might get a third year as an option, but three years guaranteed is simply a mistake. This rumor is fiction. 

11. MLB Will Put An End To Home Plate Collisions

Collisions at the plate could soon be a thing of the past, as Buster Olney of ESPN explained:

MLB executive vice president Joe Torre discussed the possibility of the rule taking effect by Opening Day 2014 with Ronald Blum of the AP:

"Whether it's going to be soon enough to have it done this coming year, that remains to be seen. But I don't think it's impossible.”

For now, the rule change remains up in the air, but ultimately this rumor will become a fact.