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Webb most likely an in-season reinforcement

February 28, 2011 by TracyRingolsby

The Texas Rangers are optimistic that right-hander Brandon Webb, two years removed from shoulder surgery, will be able to pitch out of their starting rotation this season.

They also are realistic that in all likelihood Webb will be an in-season addition to the rotation, not a season-opening member.

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While the Rangers opened their exhibition season on Sunday, Webb was throwing off the mound for the first time this spring. Given the battle he has had to get healthy the last two years, it is difficult to see how he could get the necessary arm strength to be ready to pitch in the big leagues on Opening Day.

More likely, he will be building up arm strength at the minor-league level.

"We will see how it plays out going along," said Rangers manager Ron Washington. "He will let us know (by how he responds) where he is.

"If he is ready opening day, great. If he is not ready it is no big deal. … I would rather him as Brandon Webb, whatever date that is."

A three-time All-Star, who was the NL Cy Young winner in 2006 and went 22-7 in 2008, Webb was 87-62 with a 3.24 ERA in his first six big-league seasons. In the last two seasons, however, he has been limited to one four-inning appearance — on Opening Day in 2009 — because of the shoulder problems, which finally resulted in right shoulder surgery in August of that season.

— Tracy Ringolsby

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Rangers plan to explore extension with Wilson

February 18, 2011 by JonPaulMorosi

Michael Young’s trade request and Josh Hamilton’s contract extension have dominated recent off-the-field headlines involving the Texas Rangers.

But the front office hasn’t forgotten another important item of business: C.J. Wilson’s future with the team.

Wilson, 30, is set to become a free agent at the end of this season. But Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told FOXSports.com on Friday that he expects to discuss the possibility of a contract extension with Wilson’s agent over the next several weeks.

Wilson could be the Rangers’ Opening Day starter this year, after going 15-8 with a 3.35 ERA in 204 innings last season. He followed that with an impressive postseason during which he went 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA in four starts. Wilson will earn a base salary of $7 million this year.

Daniels said the team has already held internal discussions about the possibility of extending Wilson and other “core players.” While Daniels declined to name who those players might be, shortstop Elvis Andrus and hard-throwing righty Neftali Feliz have roughly the same amount of experience that second baseman Ian Kinsler did before signing his long-term deal with the Rangers.

— Jon Paul Morosi

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Marlins fishing for Young

February 14, 2011 by KenRosenthal

Matt Dominguez, a player who has yet to reach Triple A, is the leading candidate to play third base for the Florida Marlins.

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The Texas Rangers’ Michael Young likely would be a better solution.

The Marlins are interested in Young, who recently asked to be traded, major league sources say. One source with knowledge of the talks, however, describes the possibility as “a real reach.”

For a deal to occur, the Rangers would need to assume the vast majority of the remaining $48 million on the final three years of Young’s contract. Young also would need to waive his partial no-trade clause for the Marlins, who are not one of the eight teams that can obtain him without his approval.

The acquisition of Young would allow the Marlins to develop Dominguez at Triple A, leaving the club with an infield of Young, shortstop Hanley Ramirez, second baseman Omar Infante and first baseman Gaby Sanchez.

Young, a native of Covina, Calif., likely would prefer a trade to the Dodgers or even the Rockies, two teams that are interested in him and free to acquire him without his permission.

The Marlins, though, routinely aim high in trade discussions, and soon will grow more attractive for players seeking new homes. They are scheduled to move into a new ballpark in downtown Miami in 2012.

— Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi

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Young to Dodgers: "Ain't happening"

February 10, 2011 by KenRosenthal

Multiple sources said Thursday that the Los Angeles Dodgers had engaged in serious trade discussions with the Texas Rangers about Michael Young. But no deal was close, and one source said flatly of the Young-to-Dodgers scenario: “It ain’t happening.”

Another source concurred that the Rangers were not close to moving Young to any club, raising the possibility that the disgruntled infielder may still be a Ranger when the team conduct its first full spring training workout on Feb. 20.

Young, 34, wants to be traded, and the Dodgers are one of eight teams that can acquire him without his permission. The Dodgers’ lack of financial flexibility, however, is an issue; Young is guaranteed $16 million in each of the next three seasons.

The Rangers would need to pay the majority of Young’s salary for a deal to occur, and one source said the Dodgers asked the Rangers to assume as much as 75 percent of his contract — or $36 million of $48 million.

The Dodgers have made similar deals in the past, parting with premium young players in exchange for significant cash. The team also could clear payroll by trading third baseman Casey Blake or including him in its package for Young.

The Rangers, after losing left-hander Cliff Lee to free agency, also could target one of the Dodgers' starters, perhaps right-hander Chad Billingsley — or, more realistically, reliever Jonathan Broxton.

Blake, 37, is due a total of $6.5 million — $5.25 million this season plus a $1.25 million buyout. The Blue Jays are among the clubs looking for a third baseman, but some in baseball view Blake as more of a part-time player at this stage of his career. Blake’s .663 OPS against right-handed pitching last season was the fifth-worst in the National League.

If the Dodgers acquired Young, they could play him at second base and use Juan Uribe at third, his stronger defensive position. Young almost certainly would welcome the move — he was born in Covina, Calif., and attended UC Santa Barbara.

The Rockies remain interested in Young, but their talks with the Rangers are at a standstill, sources say. Angels general manager Tony Reagins all but ruled out Young Thursday in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

— Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi

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Six reasons the Tigers aren't pursuing Young

February 09, 2011 by JonPaulMorosi
At present, the Detroit Tigers aren’t one of the suitors for displaced and disgruntled Texas Rangers infielder Michael Young.

Here's why:
- The Tigers are among the teams to which Young, a California native, can block a trade.
- Detroit has Brandon Inge to play third base, Young’s most recent position with the Rangers.
- While the Tigers don’t know who their Opening Day second baseman will be, it’s hard to envision Young as a strong candidate for a position he hasn’t played in a major league game since 2003. Young’s range at third base became a concern for the Rangers. His mobility would become an even greater issue at an up-the-middle position.
- Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers’ team president and general manager, said Tuesday that the team is “set” with its internal candidates to play second base. Dombrowski said Will Rhymes, Danny Worth, Scott Sizemore and Carlos Guillen are all options for the job, although Guillen (knee surgery) isn’t expected to be game ready until mid-March.
- The Tigers have made a concerted effort to introduce younger players to their lineup in recent years. The result: After grounding into 144 double plays in a dismal 2008 season, that figure dropped in each of the past two years. Young, however, could send that total in the opposite direction. He grounded into a team-high 21 double plays last year – more than any Tiger.
- Young is due $48 million over the next three seasons. The Tigers are only now emerging from a period of several years in which their payroll was restricted by bulky contracts.
— Jon Paul Morosi
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Big Papi: Next winter's Vlad?

February 02, 2011 by KenRosenthal

Vladimir Guerrero’s struggles on the free-agent market raise the question:

What happens next offseason to David Ortiz?

Both Guerrero and Ortiz are designated hitters. Both turn 36 this year. Both share the same agents, Fern Cuza and Diego Benz.

Could Ortiz misread the market as badly as Guerrero seemingly has?

Well, he misread Guerrero’s market, that’s for sure.

“I guarantee he will go back and play for Texas and get good money,” Ortiz told ESPNBoston.com in November. “You can put that down right now.

“I’m going to tell you one thing — he’ll get more than one year, too. You wait and see.”

Guerrero, barring a major surprise, is not going to land a multi-year deal. He also figures to take a significant pay cut from his $6.5 million salary despite coming off a 29-homer, 115-RBI season for the American League champion Rangers.

The Rangers offered Guerrero a one-year, $8.5 million contract early in the offseason, according to a major-league source. Guerrero, however, rejected the deal.

The Orioles, the team with seemingly the most current interest in signing Guerrero, are offering him between $3 million and $5 million, sources say.

Ortiz, too, could have become a free agent this offseason, but the Red Sox exercised his $12.5 million club option. He is coming off an even better season than Guerrero — Ortiz had an .899 OPS, Guerrero an .841. But few DHs in their mid- to late 30s command big money on the open market these days.

Guerrero, if he had accepted the Rangers’ offer, would have been an exception. Hideki Matsui, 36, signed with the A’s for $4.25 million. Jim Thome, 40, went to the Twins for $3 million. Manny Ramirez, 38, joined the Rays for $2 million.

Each of those players received only a one-year contract. Guerrero, Ortiz and Bobby Abreu, 36, could join them as free agents next offseason, creating an even more crowded market.

— Ken Rosenthal

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Soriano is No. 1 free agent available; who wants him?

January 07, 2011 by JonPaulMorosi

Closer Rafael Soriano is the No. 1 free agent left on the market.

And yet, it’s unclear which teams are prepared to give him a contract that meets his salary demands.

Soriano earned a base salary of $7.25 million and picked up another $125,000 in performance bonuses while pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays last year. He led the American League with 45 saves and maintained a 1.73 ERA. He won the Rolaids Relief Award, too. He did all of that while pitching in the majors’ best division.

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So, as a free agent, he could reasonably request $10 million per year. He certainly deserves better than setup-man money. But who is going to pay him?

The Los Angeles Angels seem to be a natural fit, despite their light-spending offseason. Fernando Rodney is the Angels’ best internal option at closer, and he blew four saves in September with a 5.65 ERA.

Other than that ...

The Texas Rangers are not pursuing Soriano. And the Baltimore Orioles apparently satisfied their need for a closer by signing Kevin Gregg.

There are conflicting reports about the New York Yankees’ interest in signing Soriano as a setup man to Mariano Rivera.

And while the Chicago White Sox are frequently mentioned as a possible suitor, two major-league sources said this week that the White Sox are unlikely to sign a free-agent reliever for more money than the contract they gave Jesse Crain: three years, $13 million.

Scott Boras is Soriano’s agent. The Great Negotiator of Newport has had an excellent offseason, signing Jayson Werth, Adrian Beltre and Carlos Pena to contracts that surpassed many estimates. But if Soriano signs for huge dollars, Boras will have made his biggest save of the winter.

— Jon Paul Morosi

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Soriano not in Rangers' pitching plans

January 06, 2011 by JonPaulMorosi

During an offseason in which the Texas Rangers tried to re-sign ace Cliff Lee, Adrian Beltre might be their biggest investment in run prevention.

Yes, even though Beltre plays third base.

The Rangers announced their six-year, $96 million deal with the two-time Gold Glove winner on Wednesday. And it appears Beltre is the last big-dollar Scott Boras client they will sign this winter.

Closer Rafael Soriano, the best unsigned player with the Boras A.C., isn’t a target of the Rangers. One source told FOXSports.com on Thursday that the Rangers didn’t actively pursue Soriano at all this winter.

One theory held that Texas could sign Soriano and move Neftali Feliz — who earned Rookie of the Year honors as a closer — into the rotation. The Rangers are indeed open to the idea of putting Feliz into the rotation. But if they use Feliz as a starter without further upgrading the bullpen, then Alexi Ogando or Frank Francisco will need to handle the ninth inning.

At present, the Rangers’ rotation has C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis and Brandon Webb locked into the top three spots, assuming Webb is healthy. The remaining jobs would go to a combination of Tommy Hunter, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison, Eric Hurley, Scott Feldman and Michael Kirkman.

Beltre’s glove figures into those plans. At Rangers Ballpark, it’s wise for pitchers to keep the ball on the ground, and left-handed pitchers generally face a lot of right-handed hitters. So, having Beltre at third base should be an asset for the southpaws in that group: Wilson, Holland, Harrison, Kirkman, along with relievers Darren Oliver and Arthur Rhodes.

— Jon Paul Morosi

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Webb: Rangers or Reds?

December 26, 2010 by KenRosenthal

For free-agent right-hander Brandon Webb, the choice isn't easy.

Sign with the Rangers,whose team physician, Keith Meister, performed a cleanup on Webb's right shoulder in Aug. 2009?

Or go with the Reds, whose pitching coach, Bryan Price, and trainer, Paul Lessard, both were with the Diamondbacks for much of Webb's tenure?

The Reds' interest in Webb is not confirmed, but Cincinnati is the principal challenger to Texas, according to major-league sources.

The Cubs and Nationals no longer are pursuing Webb, sources say - a development first reported by ESPN.com. The extent of the Reds' involvement with Webb is unclear.

The team also is talking with free-agent outfielder Scott Podsednik and exploring possible upgrades over Paul Janish at shortstop. Webb lives in Kentucky, but the Rangers appeal to Webb for a variety of reasons, sources say.

Manager Ron Washington and pitching coach Mike Maddux are strong selling points. And, while the Rangers' ballpark is hitter-friendly, the other AL West parks - Anaheim, Oakland and Seattle - are more favorable to pitchers.

Webb pitched only four innings the past two seasons due to shoulder problems. Pitchers with shoulder injuries are considered high-risk by clubs. As one exec said Sunday, Mark Prior never recovered fully while Joaquin Benoit enjoyed a spectacular breakthrough last season.

- Ken Rosenthal

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Angels still after Beltre

December 21, 2010 by KenRosenthal

The Angels have not given up their pursuit of free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, major league sources say.

However, the team thus far is unwilling to meet agent Scott Boras' price, as related by baseball executives — five years in the $85 million to $90 million range, or even a six-year deal with a comparable salary.

The Angels have offered Beltre a five-year contract in the $70 million range, one source said. They do not share Boras' opinion of Beltre's value, but they are not angry to the point they were two years ago, when they publicly withdrew from the negotiations for another Boras client, first baseman Mark Teixeira.

The Yankees ended up signing Teixeira to an eight-year, $180 million free-agent contract. Angels owner Arte Moreno recently was critical of the Red Sox's signing of free-agent outfielder Carl Crawford to a seven-year, $142 million deal.

Beltre will not be at that level, and the Angels' competition for the player is not clear. The Rangers are not active in the bidding, sources say. The Athletics reportedly made a five-year, $64 million bid early in the process.

— Ken Rosenthal

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Cubs, Rangers, Nationals show interest in Webb

December 21, 2010 by JonPaulMorosi

Free-agent starter Brandon Webb is drawing interest from the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals, multiple major league sources said Tuesday.

Webb, 31, isn’t expected to decide on a team on Tuesday, one source told FOXSports.com.

Webb won the National League Cy Young Award in 2006 but has pitched four innings over the past two seasons. He never has pitched for an American League club.

— Jon Paul Morosi

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After Greinke deal, Pavano-Twins reunion more likely

December 19, 2010 by JonPaulMorosi

Sunday’s trade of Zack Greinke to the Milwaukee Brewers makes it more likely than ever that Carl Pavano will re-sign with the Minnesota Twins.

The Brewers had been in contact recently with Pavano’s agent, Tom O’Connell, but the Greinke trade satisfied their need for a top-of-the-rotation starter.

Meanwhile, sources say the Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals – who had attempted to acquire Greinke – haven’t seriously pursued Pavano. (It’s possible they will change their approach and bid on Pavano now that Greinke is off the board.)

The Twins have a desperate need for rotation help. Their lack of an ace was evident in their first-round playoff exit, and starters Nick Blackburn and Scott Baker underwent off-season elbow surgeries.

Pavano, 34, led the Twins with 17 victories this year, while maintaining a 3.75 ERA over 221 innings.

— Jon Paul Morosi

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Details on Greinke’s no-trade clause

December 16, 2010 by JonPaulMorosi

Zack Greinke's no-trade clause allows him to block trades to 15 teams. That list includes the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals, according to a major league source.

However, Greinke could be traded to the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels or Detroit Tigers without his permission.

The Kansas City Royals are open to moving Greinke, who has two years and a total of $27 million left on his current contract.

The Nationals would like to trade for a starting pitcher and have shown interest in both Greinke and Tampa Bay’s Matt Garza.

— Jon Paul Morosi

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Amid Greinke rumors, don’t forget Carmona

December 15, 2010 by JonPaulMorosi

He’s a right-handed starter. He’s 27 years old. He pitches in the American League Central. He has garnered a lot of recent interest on the trade market.

Zack Greinke?

Nope.

Fausto Carmona.

Greinke, of course, is The Name among starters on the trade market right now. But sources indicated to FOXSports.com today that it’s possible even more teams have asked the Cleveland Indians about Carmona.

If, for example, the Yankees are unsure of Greinke’s desire to pitch in New York, then Carmona could become a very appealing option.

Similarly, the Texas Rangers could turn to Carmona if they are wary of the Kansas City Royals’ high price on Greinke.

One major league source with close knowledge of Carmona’s market said the Indians aren’t eager to move him, but are in a “listen and explore” mode because of the heavy interest following the Cliff Lee signing.

For what it’s worth, some statistics suggest Carmona was better than Greinke in 2010. Carmona had the lower ERA and better ERA-plus, although Greinke had the lower WHIP and threw more innings.

Carmona is signed to a more favorable contract, in terms of cost and flexibility: $6.1 million in 2011, followed by team options worth $7 million, $9 million and $12 million in the subsequent three seasons, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

Greinke, meanwhile, will earn $13.5 million in each of the next two seasons.

Carmona was a Cy Young Award candidate in 2007, when he went 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA and the Indians came within one game of the World Series. He slipped into a mysterious funk over the next two seasons, walking more batters (140 combined over 2008-09) than he struck out (137). But he returned to form this year with a 3.77 ERA in 210 1/3 innings.

— Jon Paul Morosi

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Rockies would be interested in Michael Young

December 07, 2010 by TracyRingolsby

If the Texas Rangers are serious about trading Michael Young, the Colorado Rockies are interested.

The Rockies and Rangers have been in contact about the possibility of a deal involving Young, according to major league sources. If a deal were made, the Rockies would move Young back to second base.

Texas is believed to be checking with numerous teams to see what kind of interest Young would generate on the trade market, and the Rangers have indicated that they'd assume a portion of the $48 million Young's guaranteed over the next three years.

The Rockies and Rangers have had only initial contact on the matter. They haven't discussed players the Rockies would give up, nor have they dealt with how much of the remaining money on Young's contract the Rangers would pick up.

Young does have the right to specify only eight teams to which he can be traded, and it's not known whether the Rockies are among the eight teams.

-Tracy Ringolsby

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