Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker reports that Jose Contreras is seeking employment in Japan.
There was a report of Contreras reaching out to the Hanshin Tigers earlier this week, but the rumors hold more weight now that we learn his 16-year-old son is hoping to take part in an exchange program with a high school in Japan. The 37-year-old right-hander is expected to visit Japan next week, with the SoftBank Hawks and Hiroshima Carp as the most likely landing spots, based on geography, according to Newman.
Jorge Arangure of ESPN tweets that free agent Aroldis Chapman is now represented by Randy and Alan Hendricks.
Chapman's previous agent was Edwin Mejia of Athletes Premier International. Other clients of the Hendricks brothers include Kendry Morales and Andy Pettitte. There is no word as to the reasoning of the switch, but it would be logical to assume that the process will now be far more streamlined as the Hendricks are veterans in the business while Meija and API started in 2006. Still, the timing is a bit curious.
Phil Rogers says that many in the Cubs front office feel it would be "foolish" to trade prospect Starlin Castro to Detroit for Curtis Granderson.
Castro has quickly established himself as the best Cubs prospect after his showing in the Arizona Fall League. Granderson, conversely, has been one of the best centerfielders in the game (against right-handed pitching) and is thought to be available. Rogers, who writes for the Chicago Tribune, says that Cubs GM Jim Hendry "appreciates" what Granderson brings to the table and wonders if new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo could help address Granderson's platoon issues. If the Cubs won't give Castro up in a Granderson deal, it will be extremely tough to pull off.
Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports cites a source who says the Blue Jays and Dodgers have resumed talks of a possible Roy Halladay trade.
Brown adds that it looks like new general manger Alex Anthopoulos "is restarting the process of moving Doc." Earlier today, in a report from Carrie Muskat of MLB.com, we learned that the Blue Jays told the Cubs that they intend to move the 32-year-old right-hander this winter. Of the teams linked in conversation regarding Halladay, the Dodgers may need Halladay the most.
Stephen Strasburg will not need surgery on his left knee, reports Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
An entire fanbase exhales. Strasburg made a visit to Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles as a precaution, but was told that some therapy and rest should do the trick. Strasburg was scratched from Saturday's start in the Arizona Fall League championship game because of a twisted left knee, suffered while shagging flyballs on Thursday. An initial MRI showed some inflammation in the knee, but the Nationals looked to have dodged a bullet on this one. He should be on track for spring training.
Josh Johnson and the Marlins have reached an "impasse" on contract talks, leaving the chances of a multi-year agreement in doubt.
"Based on our conversations, there's no chance of doing a long-term deal with the Marlins," Johnson's agent Matt Sosnick said. "We made it clear that it was going to be this year or it wasn't going to happen. It was now or never. And the Marlins agreed." According to Sosnick, the Marlins weren't comfortable offering anything more than a three-year deal. Johnson, under team control through 2011, is due to make $4 million as an arbitration-eligible player next season.
Cubs signed LHP John Grabow to a two-year, $7.5 million contract.
The deal, for some reason, took over a week to finalize. Perhaps the Cubs were having second thoughts. Grabow, 31, was a very solid left-handed reliever this season, but the salary does seem a bit high. He'll need to prove that his 3.36 2009 ERA was no fluke to justify the chunk of change. And with a 4.03 career ERA and 1.44 career WHIP, the odds are against him.
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