Rockies make offer to catcher Carlos Ruiz?

UPDATE: The Red Sox are not the team that made the offer, according to Buster Olney. So we can rule out the Red Sox and Rockies, thanks to Joel Sherman. It's possible the Blue Jays are jumping on Ruiz but that seems rather desperate; however, J.P. Arencibia hit below the Mendoza Line and A.J. Jimenez is at least a season away from consideration.

Stay tuned.

The Rockies reportedly have an offer out to free-agent catcher Carlos Ruiz, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The offer is believed to be in the range of two-years and $20 million which is great considering he only hit .268 in 92 games this season.

Sherman writes that it may not be the Rockies who made that offer to Ruiz, as other teams are involved in the negotiations. Ruiz made $5 million last season so he is in line for a big raise from someone. If it was not the Rockies, you have to they and the Phillies will look to spend their money elsewhere.

The deal also holds an option for a third year, but the Rockies are reportedly firm on their offer not eclipsing more than $20 million total. The price is steep, but the interest is there. The Red Sox and Blue Jays are believed to be interested, as our the Phillies in bringing him back but probably not for double the price.

Ruiz would likely benefit from playing half of his games in Coors Field, and it would also allow the Rockies to shuffle power-hitting Wilin Rosario to first base and right field. 

If not Ruiz, perhaps they will look into signing Dioner Navarro. 

Kelly Johnson to the Yankees?

The Yankees are in the market for a versatile infielder in the event Alex Rodriguez is out for the year, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. The report is timely as the Yankees are still in limbo regarding Robinson Cano's status, and losing him would be a huge blow to their lineup.

Although Kelly Johnson hit just .235 in 118 games last season, he can play second, third, and outfield and bats left-handed with considerable power. The Yankees would be wise to bring him on for the depth he provides, as well as the fact that the right field porch could propel him into the 20-25 home run range depending on how much he plays.

The Yankees are expected to re-sign Robinson Cano, but if A-Rod missed an extended period of time Johnson could platoon with another low-cost option while also filling in when players need days off.

It's a win-win the Yankees should definitely jump on quick.

Giants to pursue Tim Hudson, others

While the Giants appear in decent shape heading into 2014, shoring up their pitching staff is a priority this winter. The team has already been linked to Bronson Arroyo, but new reports suggest there is mutual interest in Tim Hudson. 

Hudson was reportedly offered a much lower than anticipated contract from the Braves, meaning he will likely be pitching elsewhere in 2014. His preference would likely be to remain in his home state of Georgia, but the Braves have several strong pitching prospects nearing the big leagues and would rather spend the money elsewhere. 

Hudson has the makeup to pitch a few more seasons and he's healthy heading into 2014, so his value should not take a serious hit for the injury he sustained in 2013. He finished the year with a 8-7 record and a 3.97 ERA in 21 starts. He struck out 95 and posted a 1.18 WHIP, all impressive numbers for the veteran ace.

He's a ground ball pitcher who can on occasion sneak a fastball by you. That makes him even more valuable to teams seeking a durable arm with postseason experience. The Royals, Indians, Red Sox, and Orioles are among the teams that are interested. 

The Giants will land someone this winter and appear prepared to spend big to do so. Ervin Santana and Ricky Nolasco are the big names on the market, but the Giants may also look at cheaper options like Scott Feldman, Paul Maholm, or even Phil Hughes. 

On the trade market, they could target available pitchers like David Price or Jeff Samardzija, but may not want to risk the prospects on such a pricey move. 

Cardinals, Mets eye shortstop market

Both the Cardinals and Mets are in the market for a quality shortstop, but the market is only starting to take shape and more teams are expected to enter the mix.

Stephen Drew is the top shortstop available, coming off a World Series victory and a season where he posted a .253/.333/.443 with 13 home runs and 67 RBIs in 124 games. The Red Sox signed him to a one-year, $9.5 million deal last winter so he will seek a raise and a long-term deal. His above average defensive skills make him the top shortstop available this winter, ahead of Jhonny Peralta and Rafael Furcal.

The Cardinals are looking for a shortstop but appear to be eyeing the trade market before looking at the free agent market. Jed Lowrie is on the short-list of trade targets after a solid year in Oakland, but it would likely cost the Cardinals an up-and-coming pitching prospect, perhaps Tim Cooney or a package of mid-level arms.

The Cardinals are also expected to look into Elvis Andrus or Jurickson  Profar, but both will have an even higher price-tag than Lowrie. The Cardinals can afford to make a move but they are not desperate, so expect them to tread carefully. One thing is clear - Pete Kozma is not the future at shortstop for the Cardinals.

The Mets are also getting their feet wet in the trade market but don't match up well with teams given their minor league system is not as deep as others. However, Joel Sherman of the New York Post is reporting the Mets will make it a priority to add a shortstop after the frustrating year they had trying to fill the position.

On the trade market, there are actually several serviceable players with reasonable contracts who could fill in nicely. Erick Aybar of the Angels has three-years, $25 million left on his contract and is a .277 career hitter with speed on the base paths.

Jed Lowrie is also an option and someone the team could look into signing long-term. Lowrie, who hit .290 with 15 home runs and a .344 OBP in 154 games in 2012, had never appeared in more than 100 games prior to the 2013 season. Whether or not he can stay healthy is a serious question, so his price tag may not be as high as going after a free agent like Stephen Drew or Jurickson Profar.

Sherman notes that the Mets may look at high-risk, high-reward options such as Rafael Furcal. Furcal, who missed the entire 2012 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, would fit that criteria. He would be a nice platoon option with Ruben Tejada, but hopefully he can stay healthy enough to produce 400+ at-bats, which he has only done twice in six seasons.

There aren't many options like that on the free-agent market but there are few trade options. Stay tuned as the market develops.

The general manager meetings will be a good indication of the interest and urgency teams have to engage one another before next months Winter Meetings.

Phillies sign Marlon Byrd to two-year deal

The Phillies have locked up outfielder Marlon Byrd to a two-year deal worth $16 million dollars, as reported by Ken Rosenthal via Twitter. It's a great deal for the outfielder who has bounced around to four times in two seasons. The addition of Byrd certainly strengthens the Phillies crippled and weak lineup, but the only question now is can he keep up the impressive pace he had in 2013.

Byrd finished the 2013 season with a .291 average in 147 games with 24 home runs, 88 RBIs, and a .336 OBP. Byrd has a pretty solid track record of putting up above average numbers but coming off a miserable 2012 season he was only able to land a minor-league deal. He's a career .280 hitter so even if he regresses towards his average he should still be able to provide a boost for the Phillies, who will look to compete with the Braves and Nationals in 2014.

With Byrd off the market, it's one less quality option for teams seeking outfield depth. Curtis Granderson, Chris Young, Franklin Gutierrez, and David Murphy will likely start getting more attention.

Cubs confirm they will post a bid for Masahiro Tanaka

Chicago Cubs GM Jed Hoyer confirmed to the Chicago Sun-Times that the team will post a bid for Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka. The 24-year old pitcher is the most touted pitcher to be posted since Yu Darvish and will likely cost the team that lands him upwards of $100 million this winter.

The Yankees have already said they will make an aggressive push for him, but they also need to re-sign their free agents, who include Robinson Cano, Hiroki Kuroda, Boone Logan, and Curtis Granderson. The Yankees would certainly benefit from Tanaka, and may forgo the financial penalties to sign him and lock up Cano. 

The Cubs have been involved in all recent Japanese postings, and that goes double for Theo Epstein, who lead the charge to sign Daisuke Matsuzaka when the posting process was relatively new to fans and sports writers.

Tanaka is expected to cost $50-60 million for the posting fee and another $60 million dollars plus over a long-term deal. It would not surprise me to see a posting fee of $65 million or higher if the Yankees deem the Cubs or Dodgers serious, which they have been with other Japanese players in recent year so they likely will.

Right now, he is the top available pitcher on the market. He is drawing the most interest, and his upside soars past Matt Garza, Ricky Nolasco, and Ervin Santana. 

The Cubs are looking to add a starter and may turn to Tanaka to anchor the rotation and let the Jeff Samardzija situation work itself out. The Cubs have a lot of young talent coming through the pipeline and haven't really made a big splash beyond the Edwin Jackson move.

Adding Tanaka would give the Cubs a lot of options, as well as a bona fide starter capable of pitching at a high-level for the next decade. It would also give them a little breathing room to consider trading Samardzija or locking him up as well. 

Samardzija is set to be a free agent after the 2015 season. People are already speculating about his future and that will only increase as he gets closer to that date. If he finds success or struggles, contract talks and trade talks will be the questions that need answers. 

After the offseason, it will be in his interest to find out where the two sides stand with each other. 

Mets to meet with Curtis Granderson, but should they?

The Mets will meet with the agent of Curtis Granderson, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. The Mets outfield is very shallow and lacks any veteran presence, something Granderson would instantly provide.

Granderson, 32, is probably looking at short-term deal coming off an injury-plagued season in which he played in 61 games and hit .229 with seven home runs. He was coming off back-to-back 40 homer seasons so one has to think he can bounce back some when he comes back fully healthy in 2014.

Should the Mets make an investment in Granderson, who brings considerable power but not much of an average or stolen base speed? There are plenty of low-cost options out there as well as big names like Shin-Soo Choo. The Mets may be wise to look into making a trade or beefing up elsewhere and looking to the free agent market in 2015.

A name like Denard Span would be worth  the consideration as the Nationals may be looking to unload him. In terms of free agents this year, a cheap, low-cost option would be Grady Sizemore. Personally, it is definitely a good move to look into Granderson's price and availability. However, there are cheaper options with higher upside than the soon-to-be 33 year old.

Granderson is drawing considerable interest on the market and may be more inclined to play for his hometown Cubs or White Sox, both in the market for outfielders. He's only a .261 career hitter, which isn't saying much, so a one- or  two-year deal is possible to restore some of his value. While it may hurt him that teams signing him would lose a draft pick, the Cubs and White Sox's first-round picks are protected as they fall in the top eleven picks.

You also can't rule out the Yankees who may come back with a short-term deal. Declining your teams qualifying offer is often procedural in order to test the market, so just because he declined the offer doesn't mean we can rule out the Yankees.

Stay tuned for more updates as the two sides meet this week.