Matt Capps News: Pro Sports Daily

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January 22

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Octavio Dotel is in the fold, and that means that, once and for all, Dotel's duel with Matt Capps can begin, right? First, let us set some framework for the debate ... In 2010, they will cost pretty much the same: Dotel will be paid $3.25 million, Capps $3.5 million. They also will have the same number of years of control: The Pirates have the club option on Dotel for 2011, and the Nationals have a third and final year of arbitration with Capps in 2011, after which he can become a free agent. Which leaves two variables in play: Age and performance. And, really, age only matters as it relates to performance in this equation, meaning that, if Dotel somehow starts throwing 88-mph fastballs ..."

Capps, Nats close in on deal

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December 24

Washington Times

"The Washington Nationals were close to a deal with Matt Capps on Wednesday night, trying to finale terms on a one-year contract with the free agent reliever after he turned down a standing offer from the Chicago Cubs, baseball sources said. Negotiations still weren't completed by night's end, but if signed, the 26-year-old right-hander would immediately become the Nationals' closer for 2010, a key selling point in his negotiations with both finalists for his services. Washington general manager Mike Rizzo was hopeful all along of landing Capps, who saved 66 games for the Pirates the past three seasons but was surprisingly nontendered earlier this month because the sides couldn't come to ..."

Capps, Nats agree to deal

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December 24

Washington Post

"At roughly 1 a.m., the Nationals got their man. Making their clearest step yet to improve a bullpen and end their pained search for a closer, the Washington Nationals on Wednesday reached a deal with free agent reliever Matt Capps, according to agent Paul Kinzer. Terms were not immediately disclosed, but the right-hander, who has saved 66 games in the last three seasons, will receive a one-year deal. In turn, he will likely inherit responsibility for the ninth-inning role -- a trouble spot in 2009. Capps, non-tendered by the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this month, had attracted some dozen suitors, and this week narrowed his list to two, the Nationals and the Chicago Cubs. But Capps, ..."

Pirates looking beyond recently released Capps

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December 22

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The Pirates have not formally withdrawn from talks with recently released closer Matt Capps, but they have reached the point where they are focused elsewhere. The team did negotiate with Capps and agent Paul Kinzer over the past few days, but Capps now has two offers greater than the Pirates' best -- believed to be in the range of $2.5 million-$3 million -- from the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals. He is expected to choose between those two teams before Christmas."

Grabow tries to sell Capps on Cubs

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December 22

MLB.com

"If Matt Capps does sign with the Cubs, credit pitcher John Grabow with an assist. Grabow, who was Capps' teammate in Pittsburgh before he was traded to the Cubs in July, has talked to the free agent right-hander, who has apparently narrowed his choices to Washington and Chicago. The two pitchers have the same agent, Paul Kinzer. MLB.com's Bill Ladson reported that Capps, who was not tendered arbitration by the Pirates, planned on making a decision by Wednesday. Grabow signed a two-year contract on Nov. 20 with the Cubs and gave Capps a little inside information. "I basically told him about the organization and how the guys are in the clubhouse," Grabow said Tuesday from his Arizona home. ..."

RHP Capps mulls Nats, Cubs options

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December 22

ESPN.com

"Ten days after reliever Matt Capps landed on the free-agent market, he's down to deciding whether he wants to be a closer for the Washington Nationals or a setup man and fallback closer candidate for the Cubs. Agent Paul Kinzer said Tuesday that Capps plans to confer with his family and decide between competing offers from the Cubs and Nationals by Wednesday night. "Matt is really comfortable with those two [teams] at this point,'' Kinzer said. "When it comes right down to it, he has to decide whether he's going to a place where he's definitely going to be the closer, or he's a setup man with a chance to maybe close.'' Capps, 26, amassed 66 saves from 2007 through 2009 in Pittsburgh. But ..."

Nats among final three for reliever Capps

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December 22

Foxsports.com

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"The Nationals might actually be on a roll. Not only are the Nats set to announce a two-year deal with free-agent right-hander Jason Marquis, but they also are one of three finalists for free-agent reliever Matt Capps. "They came out of nowhere," said Capps' agent, Paul Kinzer. "Going in, we weren't even considering them. But they're right there. They'll be in the last conversation, I know.""

Tigers, Nats take serious look at Capp

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December 18

Foxsports.com

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"Reliever Matt Capps continues to be a hot free agent. "I always felt like there would be some demand," said Capps' agent, Paul Kinzer. "But nothing like we've had." Kinzer said that Capps plans to select five or six finalists by the weekend, then make his decision. Only three teams are still looking for closers -- the Nationals, Tigers and Capps' former team, the Pirates. Capps, 26, also could accept a setup role with a contending club, Kinzer said."

Catcher Yorvit Torrealba unlikely to return to Rockies

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December 16

Denver Post

"While the door might be closing on veteran catcher Yorvit Torrealba rejoining the Rockies, it's wide open for free-agent reliever Matt Capps. "I just don't think it's going to work out," Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said Tuesday when asked about Torrealba. "Negotiations can always change, but right now I'm not optimistic." O'Dowd did confirm the club is interested in free- agent catcher Miguel Olivo. "He is certainly on our list of possibilities, but it's a very fluid situation right now," O'Dowd said. Last week, the Rockies and Torrealba seemed close to agreeing to a two-year deal. However, the two sides are now in a stalemate over contract details. Torrealba is seeking a two-year, ..."

Capps receives immediate interest in free agency

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December 15

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Pitcher Matt Capps on being a free agent, "Whatever happens, I'll keep the Pirates in my thoughts, and I'm not closing the door on them or anybody else."The Pirates evidently did not feel closer Matt Capps' asking price was fair market value, but the market itself -- as set by the entirety of Major League Baseball -- might disagree. Since Capps' surprising release Saturday that suddenly cast him into free agency, no fewer than a dozen suitors have made contact with his agent, Paul Kinzer, including the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks. Kinzer called the ..."

Did Capps' agent dupe the Pirates?

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December 15

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"I do not believe for one second that upon learning he had been non-tendered by the Pirates, and thus a free agent, the first words uttered by closer Matt Capps were, ``Free, free at last.'' But I'm betting he was thinking something along those lines. Capps made the obligatory, ``I love Pittsburgh,'' comments when his contractual situation was in limbo, just as players are told to do by their agents. But he wanted out of here as badly as the rest of them do. No one wants to play for the Pirates. It would not surprise me a bit if agent Paul Kinzer had a deliberate strategy of making his arbitration demands for Capps so high that the Pirates, where frugality rules, would issue the ..."

Who cares what Pirates do anymore?

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December 15

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

columnist Ron Cook

"I'm trying really hard to work up a good case of angst over the Pirates' decision to release closer Matt Capps in what clearly is another salary dump. But I can't. How do you get upset over something you don't care about? I guess that's what really ticks me off most, that the Pirates have become so irrelevant in our sporting consciousness. Baseball is such a beautiful game and we're stuck with the worst franchise with the worst ownership in the sport. What did we do so wrong? So what if the Pirates let Capps go and almost certainly will head into the 2010 season without anything even remotely resembling a bullpen hammer? What's the big deal? They're the Pirates, right? Maybe they'll lose ..."

Wary of arbitration cost, Pirates part with Capps

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December 14

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Uncertain of his abilities and uneasy over what it might cost to keep him, the Pirates allowed Matt Capps to become a free agent. Late Saturday night, the Pirates opted to non-tender a contract to Capps, their closer the past two-plus seasons. That made the 26-year-old right-hander a free agent. "I'm surprised," Capps said Sunday morning from his offseason home in Florida. "It's a weird feeling. I've played my whole career with the Pirates, and I appreciate the opportunities they've given me. But I guess it's time to move on." What made the Pirates' decision on Capps a bit surprising is that he is in just his second year of arbitration eligibility. Whichever team signs him will control his ..."

D-Backs among teams interested in Capps

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December 14

Arizona Republic

"Reliever Matt Capps' agent said Sunday afternoon that his client has received interest from "seven or eight teams" a day after Capps was non-tendered by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Diamondbacks were one of those teams. "It seems like there's a lot of interest out there," agent Paul Kinzer said. "We're going to see what's out there and talk about it this week." Kinzer said Capps, who had been the Pirates closer for parts of the past three seasons, is open to being a setup man. "On a good team, if he had an opportunity to win, yeah, he's open," Kinzer said. "Or a place where he'd have an opportunity to be there if somebody struggled.""

Cubs show interest in released closer Matt Capps

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December 14

Chicago Tribune

"Pittsburgh's surprising decision to non-tender closer Matt Capps on Saturday could lead him to Chicago. Capps, who has closed for the Pirates the last three years, already had calls from three teams as of Sunday morning. His agent, Paul Kinzer, said Capps is interested in the Cubs, and apparently the team has reciprocated that interest. The 26-year-old right-hander is coming off a poor season, with a 5.80 earned-run average, after recording a 2.28 ERA in '07 and 3.02 ERA in '08. His career ERA is 3.61, and he's issued only 50 walks in 271 2/3 career innings."

Pirates, Capps take divergent paths after release

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December 14

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"If there is any lingering ill will between the Pirates and Matt Capps, the closer they released late Saturday night because of a salary dispute, it was difficult to detect yesterday. And there is cause: The team needs bullpen help even more than before, and it might take Capps back at the right price. And the player, suddenly a free agent, might find that his value on the open market is not as high as the final salary offer he rejected from the Pirates. Thus, if neither party finds what it seeks between now and spring training ... "We'd love to have Matt Capps back in our bullpen," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said yesterday. "We really would. We feel he's going to have a ..."

Capps surprised by Bucs non-tender

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December 13

MLB.com

"For the past week, Matt Capps had seen and heard the same things as everyone else. He had read general manager Neal Huntington's comments on Wednesday when Huntington confirmed that the team intended to tender contracts to all three of its arbitration-eligible players. So needless to say, Capps was caught quite off guard when he woke up on Sunday to find out that he was now a free agent looking for a job. The Pirates opted not to tender Capps a contract for 2010 by Saturday's 11:59 p.m. ET deadline. Capps was one of 39 arbitration-eligible players not offered a contract before midnight. "I didn't know," Capps said when asked if he had any indication he'd be non-tendered. "All I know is ..."

Pirates release Capps after failure to reach deal

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December 13

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The Pirates, in a stunning move, did not tender a contract offer to closer Matt Capps before the midnight deadline last night for all arbitration-eligible players and, thus, allowed him to become a free agent. The team and player had been far apart in trying to agree on a new contract, and management decided it did not want to risk the amount Capps could be awarded through an arbitrator. The Pirates did tender an offer to starter Zach Duke, but not to reliever Phil Dumatrait. The latter was not arbitration-eligible but was released to clear space on the 40-man roster. General manager Neal Huntington had said twice during Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings last week that, at that time, ..."

Pirates closer Capps heads for free agency

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December 13

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"The Pirates on Saturday did not tender a contract offer to closer Matt Capps by the midnight deadline, making him a free agent. Left-hander Phil Dumatrait also was not tendered. "We attempted to reach agreement with both Matt and Phil prior to the deadline," general manager Neal Huntington said. "Each player preferred to explore free agency. We have not closed any doors, but will begin immediately to explore other opportunities to improve our bullpen." The Pirates did tender an offer to lefty Zach Duke, who is eligible for arbitration. They also signed shortstop Ronny Cedeno to a one-year, $1.125 contract, avoiding arbitration. Capps made $2.3 million this past season, when he set a ..."

Pirates, Blue Jays talking Doumit

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December 8

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The Pirates and Toronto are discussing a trade involving catcher Ryan Doumit, but the Blue Jays are not the only team in the mix. More tentative word is floating that the Mariners -- who were known previously -- and Giants are in there, too. Among those I have crossed off the list this morning are the Mets, Rangers and Marlins. Not much word at all about Matt Capps today."

Capps, Doumit in trade talks

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December 8

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Even if the Pirates are not outright shopping any of their players, they are discussing potential trades involving closer Matt Capps, catcher Ryan Doumit and, to a lesser extent, starters Zach Duke and Paul Maholm. Sounds fairly significant, right? Asked about Capps and Doumit yesterday on the opening day of Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings, general manager Neal Huntington replied: "We've had conversations on a number of players, where clubs have asked us if we would consider moving them. Our standard answer is: We're open to any good baseball trade." Remains to be seen if it winds up that way. Capps is one of the Pirates' three players eligible for salary arbitration, along with ..."

Closers being shopped, Cordero, Capps and Bell

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December 6

Foxsports.com

"Teams look for a closer will have plenty to talk about in Indianapolis this week. Three proven closers are available in trades, according to early arrivals at the winter meetings. Cincinnati is shopping Francisco Cordero, hopefully that unloading the $25 million he is due the next two years will help ease financial restraints the franchise is facing."

Bucs believe Capps will be closer in '10

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September 28

MLB.com

"Barring a trade, which does remain a realistic possibility, Matt Capps will return to the Pirates as the team's closer in 2010, said general manager Neal Huntington. Management intends to stand by its closer despite the struggles Capps has had in the role this season. And even though Capps is in line for a raise from the $2.3 million salary he made this season, it's expected that the Pirates will tender him a contract this offseason. "There is a lot of thought that this is just a bad year for Matt Capps and that he had a hard time digging out from underneath it but that he should be fine for next year," Huntington said. "It's been a bad year for him, but we think he can bounce back." Capps ..."

Capps will be tendered

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September 26

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The Pirates will tender contracts to all three key players -- starter Zach Duke, closer Matt Capps and shortstop Ronny Cedeno -- who are certain to qualify for salary arbitration this offseason. "Barring some unforeseen circumstance, we will," general manager Neal Huntington said last night in his first firm pronouncement on the subject. Management would prefer, as always, to negotiate settlements before cases reach arbitration. That could be especially true of Capps, who will be second-year eligible after making $2.425 million in a down year. "I don't see a situation in which we non-tender Capps unless we get completely unrealistic financial demands," Huntington said. "From the standpoint ..."

Tejada denies accusation

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September 14

Houston Chronicle

"Miguel Tejada called the accusation from Pirates closer Matt Capps that he was working with first base coach Jose Cruz to steal signs "ridiculous" and "unbelievable." Tejada popped out in the ninth inning of the Astros' loss to the Pirates on Sunday and proceeded to engage in a shouting match with Capps, which drew several Astros out of the dugout. Tejada said after the game that he did not know what Capps was yelling about, but Capps revealed that he thought Tejada was getting signs."

Pirates fielding offers for Sanchez and Wilson

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July 23

Foxsports.com

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"The Pirates continue to listen to offers for second baseman Freddy Sanchez, shortstop Jack Wilson, left-handed reliever John Grabow and right-handed closer Matt Capps. Moving left-hander Paul Maholm or Zach Duke would be "very tough" for the club, one source says, unless the Pirates acquired a major-league ready starting pitcher plus additional prospects in return. The Pirates like the foundation of their future rotation — Maholm, Duke and right-handers Ross Ohlendorf and Charlie Morton. The Giants are less willing to move left-hander Jonathan Sanchez due to the uncertainty surrounding lefty Randy Johnson, who is on the disabled list with a shoulder strain. Johnson, who turns 46 on Sept. ..."

Phillies' Lidge feels for Pirates closer Capps

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July 13

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Phillies closer Brad Lidge, who has endured some tough times this season, has empathy for Pirates closer Matt Capps, who blew a four-run lead in Saturday's 8-7 loss. "When we won, I was so fired up for our guys, but you definitely feel for a guy the next day," Lidge said. "You hope that it doesn't affect his confidence because he's a good closer. It was just one of those nights. I feel for him a little bit, but I don't want to say I feel bad for him, because we (closers) should be tough enough to bounce back. I know the feeling. I've blown a four-run lead before. I think he'll be fine." Even though Capps clearly was struggling - he gave up five runs in one-third of an inning and took the ..."

Capps regains form in Pirates' win

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May 17

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Matt Capps did not want the Pirates to pad their three-run lead Saturday night against the Colorado Rockies. A four-run edge means it's not a save situation, which would have kept Capps in the bullpen instead of putting him on the field. After coughing up a lead and losing the night before, Capps wanted a quick shot at redemption. He got it. The Pirates stranded a runner at second base in the eighth inning, and the bullpen door swung open. Capps nailed down the ninth, preserving the Pirates' 7-4 victory on a soggy, chilly night. "It felt good to get back on the saddle," Capps said. "I had to regroup and kind of find myself again. It showed up this afternoon, and it's a new day." Capps ..."

Colorado rocks Capps in 9th

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May 16

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"The great hunt for Matt Capps' flaw -- whether it is physical, mechanical or mental -- began Friday night, a few minutes after the Colorado Rockies swiped a 3-1 victory from the Pirates. The Rockies rocked Capps for three runs in the ninth inning. The Pirates' closer yielded five hits, including Brad Hawpe's two-run homer to center field. The blowout, Capps' second in eight save chances, will cost him some extra time in the video room and bullpen with pitching coach Joe Kerrigan. There could be a small bugaboo in Capps' delivery. Perhaps it's a lingering effect from elbow soreness earlier this month. "I'll have to go look at the video," Capps said. "I feel fine. Nothing hurts." Ian Stewart ..."