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Diamondbacks at the winter meetings: round-up, day three

After yesterday's blitz of excitement, I suppose it would be unlikely that today would quite be able to live up to the same high standards of divisive trade. It seems likely the D-backs will come away without the starting pitcher they're seeking to add.

By Jim McLennan
David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

Aiming at Garza

The name at the front of the D-backs list still appears to be free-agent Matt Garza, and things seemed to start off looking bright on that front.

However, the same things that make Garza attractive to the Diamondbacks are exactly the same things that make him attractive to every other team seeking starting pitching (which would be "every other team," more or less, with the possible exception of the San Francisco Giants). In a "meh" free-agent market, he's the best arm available, and he won't cost a first-round draft-pick. So he isn't going to be cheap: in the open thread, Marc speculated Garza's price would be "around 4/64 to 5/80."

Part of the problem with that is Kevin Towers has expressed a reluctance to give long-term contracts to starting pitchers:

That certainly sets the team back in the chase for free agency: what their offers lack in years, will have to be made up for in annual value. Steve Gilbert had more on Towers' reluctance: "Longer contracts for pitchers always I thought were pretty risky. It seems like most of the free-agent pitching out there are looking for longer term than we're probably interested in. It depends on the individual, too. Some guys are a little older or there's more risk attached to them, some have had health issues in the past, others haven't. I'd say anything beyond three to me could be risky." Towers also pointed out Garza's agent left Florida on Wednesday, appearing to indicate the pitcher won't sign during the meetings.

If not him, then who?

Ken Rosenthal has some suggestions:

Tanaka is, obviously, the dream ticket for everyone - and it wouldn't surprise me if Garza doesn't sign until Tanaka has come off the market, because anyone in on the former, is probably also interested in the latter. Indeed, it seems highly likely that Towers' aversion to any deal longer than three years for a pitcher, probably does not apply for Tanaka. It does appear increasingly likely that the Japanese ace will indeed be posted, and even if the resulting battle for his services will no longer involve a sky-rocketing posting fee, as before, it's likely that the team with the deepest pockets will come out on top. But, wait! There's more from Rosenthal!

The Mets and the Tigers appear also to kicking the tires on Santana, who had a nice season last year, putting up a 3.24 ERA in 32 starts for the Royals. However, it was above five with the Angels the previous year, and his career ERA+ is a lot lower than his 2013 performance (100, compared to 127), which suggests someone will likely end up overpaying for Santana's services.

Didi the Yankee?

Well, those would certainly be some big shoes for Gregorius to fill in the big apple. If we were looking at getting prospects back, the Yankees system isn't as denuded of talent as it has been - Baseball America ranked them in the middle of the pack, at #16. However, I would imagine the D-backs would be looking, in any trade, to address their needs for the coming season, and it's not clear what New York would be able to offer that would fill any of those holes for Arizona.

Also in Florida

The main news elsewhere round the complex, was the Mets apparently reaching agreement on a two-year deal with pitcher Bartolo Colon, worth $20 million. Colon turned 40 in May, but has been pretty durable, averaging 169 innings and 27 starts over the past three seasons. The Mariners signed outfielder Corey Hart, to an incentive-laded one-year deal worth a base amount of $6 million, but which could apparently reach double that if he hits all the targets. The Pirates were the ones buying low on Edinson Volquez, inking the starter to a one-year, $5 million deal, and the Mariners acquired Logan Morrison from the Marlins.

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