Morning Rumors: Otani, Braves, Wang, Indians
The most fun week of baseball's offseason is here, as 2012's Winter Meetings get underway in Nashville. With a ton of activity expected over the next few days, we don't want to let anything fall...
View ArticleMariners, O’s Displaying Strong Interest In Butler
9:32pm: Royals officials "seemed to characterize Seattle as a fall-back option," writes Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, because Kansas City seeks a difference-maker rather than unproven prospects....
View ArticleBilly Butler Rumors: Tuesday
Yesterday there was quite a bit of speculation regarding interest from both the Orioles and Mariners in Billy Butler. We'll keep track of any new rumors regarding Country Breakfast right here, with the...
View ArticleRoyals Willing To Listen On Billy Butler
The Royals are ready to listen on offers for Billy Butler this winter, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter). The designated hitter/first baseman is owed $8MM in 2014, and the Royals hold...
View ArticleRosenthal On Wieters, Butler, Choo, Davis
Here's a look at the latest news from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.. Major league sources say it's not a surprise that the Orioles are willing to deal Matt Wieters. The bigger question is how...
View ArticleRoyals Notes: Butler, Pitching, Chen, Santana, Phillips
The Royals were reportedly open to listening to offers for Billy Butler last month and several teams (including the Mariners) are interested in the slugger, but a Royals team official tells Bob Dutton...
View ArticleAL Notes: Royals, Kinsler, Napoli, Rangers, Angels
It's a weak market for catchers now that the Yankees have taken Brian McCann off the board, an article by Bradley Woodrum of Fangraphs shows. While teams such as the Red Sox, Rockies and Rangers are...
View ArticleRoyals Remain Strongly Interested In Carlos Beltran
The Royals have serious interest in free-agent outfielder Carlos Beltran and appear willing to offer their former star a three-year deal, the Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton reports. Last week, CBS...
View ArticleAL West Rumors: Rangers, Butler, Mariners, A’s
As Day One of the 2013 winter meetings nears a close, let's round up a few updates from around the AL West…. The Rangers will "probably not" be involved in a trade for a high-end starting pitcher, GM...
View ArticleQuick Hits: Cubs, Blue Jays, Butler, Cruz, Ackley
By participating in the three-team Mark Trumbo trade with the Diamondbacks and Angels, the White Sox hindered their cross-town rivals' hopes of dealing Jeff Samardzija, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago...
View ArticleRoyals, Blue Jays Discussed Billy Butler Trade
The Royals and Blue Jays have talked about a trade that would send Billy Butler and prospects to Toronto, The Globe & Mail's Jeff Blair reports (Twitter links). No deal is imminent, however, as...
View ArticleAL Central Notes: Jackson, Pelfrey, Garza, Butler
The Tigers have discussed trading Austin Jackson to the Yankees in exchange for Brett Gardner, Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun reports. Both players have been above-average fielders in center over...
View ArticleRosenthal On Red Sox, Butler, Rangers, Angels
Some say that the big-money closer is becoming extinct, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues that reports of the species' demise might be premature since the supply is overwhelming demand this...
View ArticleQuick Hits: Schilling, Royals, Morales, Podsednik
It's strange that a top-flight pitching talent would be traded five times, but that's exactly what happened to Curt Schilling, CBS Sports' Dayn Perry points out. Schilling had been traded three times...
View ArticleAL West Notes: Ogando, Moss, Butler, Carbonell
It almost doesn’t seem fathomable, but the Rangers received even more bad news on the injury front today, as MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes that Alexi Ogando will be shut down for three weeks and could...
View ArticleAL West Notes: Aiken, Altuve, Appel, Butler, Zobrist, Price
Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports provided an update on the Astros’ talks with Brady Aiken after speaking to GM Jeff Luhnow, Casey Close of Excel Sports Management (Aiken’s adviser), a league...
View ArticleQuick Hits: Rangers, Castillo, Ziegler, Butler
The Rangers believe they can be competitive in 2015 and therefore won’t be trading players like Yu Darvish, Adrian Beltre or Elvis Andrus, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports. Even with a number of...
View ArticleQuick Hits: Orioles, Cubs, Butler, Phillies
Over the last three years, the Orioles have consistently walked away with more victories than models would predict (whether based on forecasts or observed game action), but Dave Cameron of Fangraphs...
View ArticleAL Central Notes: Royals, Aoki, Butler, Lovullo, Tigers
Though the Royals are coming off their best season in nearly three decades, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes that the team will soon need to turn its focus to some difficult offseason...
View ArticleRoyals Decline Billy Butler’s Option
The Royals have announced that they’ve declined their option on 1B/DH Billy Butler. They will pay Butler a $1MM buyout, and he is now a free agent. Butler, a 2004 first round pick who has spent his...
View ArticleQuick Hits: Stanton, Mariners, Rios, Payrolls
The Marlins hope to have Giancarlo Stanton signed to a long-term extension before the Winter Meetings, Miami president of baseball operations Michael Hill tells Jim Duquette and Jim Bowden of MLB...
View ArticleQuick Hits: Epstein, Butler, Billingsley
Cubs owner Tom Ricketts told Mully and Hanley of 670 The Score (via Levine) that he is interested in having extension talks with president of baseball operations Theo Epstein. The 40-year-old executive...
View ArticleRoyals Meeting With Billy Butler Today
The Royals will meet with Billy Butler’s agents from the Legacy Agency today to discuss the possibility of re-signing their DH, reports ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). However, Andy McCullough...
View ArticleAL East Notes: Andrus, Butler, Markakis, BoSox
It would be “the longest of long shots” if the Yankees acquired Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus this offseason, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports. Andrus’ eight-year, $120MM extension...
View ArticleCentral Links: Reds, Cubs, Avila, Tigers, Tomas, Butler
Reds GM Walt Jocketty is of the mindset that his team will need to either be “all in” or “all out” in 2015, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. In other words, if the Reds decide to trade one of...
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Free Agent Profile: Billy Butler
Billy Butler, the longest-tenured member of the Royals’ roster, finally got to experience a postseason run with the team after years of false hope and a near-miss. However, the team bought out Butler’s...
View ArticleAthletics Close To Three-Year Deal With Billy Butler
9:24pm: A three-year deal is “quite close,” per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Nightengale tweets that the sides are set to embark upon a three-year pact along the lines of that rumored to...
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Athletics Sign Billy Butler
TODAY: The A’s have announced the signing of Butler to a three-year deal. YESTERDAY: The Athletics have agreed to a three-year, $30MM deal with free agent DH Billy Butler, as first reported via Twitter...
View ArticleRoyals GM Dayton Moore On Losing Billy Butler
Earlier today, the Royals bid farewell to slugger Billy Butler, who signed a three-year, $30MM deal with the A’s. It wasn’t surprising to see Butler head elsewhere after KC turned down his one-year,...
View ArticleQuick Hits: A’s, Rockies, Morales, Albers
With the Winter Meetings just a week away, MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince names the top ten Hot Stove storylines heading into December. How the top-tier starting pitcher market shakes out heads the...
View ArticleAL Notes: Rays, Gutierrez, Mariners, Butler, Royals
The Rays have dramatically improved their farm system since last summer, but they’ve had to do it by trading top talent, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune writes. Steven Souza, who Baseball America...
View ArticleWest Notes: Ryu, Tomas, Butler, Rangers
The Dodgers have announced that they’ve shut down Hyun-jin Ryu with shoulder inflammation. He will be shut down for the next three days while the Dodgers determine the right course of action. Ryu had...
View ArticleWest Notes: Rosario, Lincecum, Blackmon, Athletics
The Astros organization is mourning the loss of 20-year-old pitcher Jose Rosario, who died in a motorcycle accident yesterday evening in his native Dominican Republic. Rosario pitched in the Dominican...
View ArticleRosenthal Latest: O’s, White Sox, Ethier, Padres, A’s
There’s plenty of trade chatter as camp approaches, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes in a column today. That’s already been made evident by the notable deal struck earlier this evening. As always, a...
View ArticleWest Notes: Butler, Angels, Coors Field
Athletics designated hitter Billy Butler has sat four straight days and could be relegated to facing only lefties, Jane Lee of MLB.com writes. Manager Bob Melvin wouldn’t commit to putting Butler back...
View ArticleCalifornia Notes: Scully, Angels, Belt, Butler, Fisher
Fans traveling to Dodger Stadium from Sunset Boulevard to Stadium Way can now make the journey on Vin Scully Avenue. The city of Los Angeles officially renamed the street formerly known as Elysian...
View ArticleA’s Notes: Butler, Surkamp, Manaea, Hahn
Here’s the latest from Oakland… With Billy Butler receiving so little playing time, the Athletics may need “to make a larger decision” about his future with the club, ESPN’s Buster Olney opines within...
View ArticleLatest On Athletics
Plenty of eyes will be on left-hander Rich Hill on Sunday as he makes what could be his final start with the Athletics, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Scouts from a handful of...
View ArticleBilly Butler Injured In Clubhouse Altercation With Danny Valencia
TODAY, 6:08pm: Butler will also receive a fine, GM David Forst told reporters including MLB.com’s Jane Lee (via Twitter). The veteran DH is headed to the 7-day concussion DL as well. 5:14pm: Valencia...
View ArticleSonny Gray Open To Long-Term Deal With A’s
Right-hander Sonny Gray is coming off the worst season of his career, and while that has his stock at a low point, Gray nonetheless tells Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he is open to...
View ArticleAthletics Release Billy Butler
The Athletics have released first/baseman designated hitter Billy Butler, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Slusser reported Friday that Butler would not return...
View ArticleAL West Notes: Butler, Gray, Lincecum, Fowler
It was 50 years ago today that Nolan Ryan made his Major League debut, tossing two relief innings (and recording three strikeouts) for the Mets during an 8-3 loss to the Braves. Ryan spent his first...
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Yankees Sign Billy Butler
SEPT. 15: The Yankees have announced the signing of Butler to a Major League deal. Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi has been transferred to the 60-day disabled list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster....
View ArticleRays Discussing Several Free Agent Hitters
Newly promoted Rays general manager Erik Neander isn’t ruling out a rebuild “if the interest and market dictates,” he told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. But, on the heels of a 68-win campaign, it...
View Article10 Bounceback Hitter Candidates Still Available In Free Agency
Recently, we took a look at 10 still-available pitchers who could offer bounceback opportunities at appealing price tags. Today, we’ll do the same from the position-player side. We’re looking for...
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