The Miami Marlins have made a 10-year offer to the biggest fish on the free-agent market, first baseman Albert Pujols, baseball sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
The deal could be worth $200 million, and a key question is whether the Marlins would agree to include a no-trade clause in their offer. The club did not offer shortstop Jose Reyes such a clause, which Pujols had with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Marlins’ latest offer is an increase from the nine-year proposal made in their first meeting with Pujols’ agent, Dan Lozano.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs spoke to Lozano on Monday and made a qualifying offer to Pujols, according to reports.
Clubs that have spoken to the Marlins at the winter meetings have come away with the clear impression they are pressing to sign Pujols quickly. In a public appearance following the team’s official announcement of the signing of new closer Heath Bell on Monday, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria did nothing to discourage talk that they have payroll room to sign Pujols, even after reeling in Bell and Reyes; the latter agreed Sunday to a six-year, $106 million contract.
SANTOS TO BLUE JAYS
The Chicago White Sox traded closer Sergio Santos to the Toronto Blue Jays, sending him back to the organization where he spent three seasons trying to make the majors as a shortstop.
Toronto gave up pitching prospect Nestor Molina to acquire the 28-year-old Santos in a swap made at baseball’s winter meetings in Dallas.
Santos earned 30 saves in 36 chances this season, going 4-5 with a 3.55 ERA in 63 games. The deal caught Santos by surprise — a few days after the season ended, he signed an $8.25 million, three-year deal with Chicago.
TEX-MEX GAME
The two-time defending American League champion Texas Rangers will play one of the Mexican League’s best teams in an exhibition game next spring.
The game between the Rangers and the Mexico City Red Devils was announced at the winter meetings. It will be played April 3 at Rangers Ballpark.
Mexico City won the Mexican League’s North Division with a league-best 63-40 record last season, winning the first two rounds of the playoffs before losing to Quintana Roo Tigers in the championship series.
Former major league outfielder Luis Terrero was the league’s MVP last season after hitting .390 with 38 homers and 110 RBI for the Red Devils, who have a record 15 Mexican League titles.
SHORT HOPS
The Twins have traded winless pitcher Kevin Slowey to the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named. Slowey went 0-8 with a 6.67 ERA this season and was out from May to August with an abdominal strain. … The Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s award announcements will be televised for the first time in 2012. The BBWAA voted at the winter meetings to have the results of voting for Most Valuable Players, Cy Young Awards, Rookies of the Year and Managers of the Year broadcast on the MLB Network.… Toronto Sun columnist Bob Elliott has become the first Canadian writer to win the Hall of Fame’s J.G. Taylor Spink Award.
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