October 2006

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Tribune: Cubs After Heilman

According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs have interest in acquiring Aaron Heilman to be their fifth starter in 2007. Heilman will be 28 next season. Sullivan notes that Jim Hendry hopes to bring in one or two frontline starters not including Heilman. He doesn't mention what the Cubs have that the Mets would want...Eric Patterson   Continue Reading

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Unfounded Rumor: Aramis Ramirez

I have debated about posting this one because I can't verify the source. Some folks have confirmed that this is indeed in the ballpark, so I'm going to go with it. As you know, MLBTradeRumors doesn't pretend to be a newspaper, so I am just going to post this info under Unfounded Rumors because I can't get multiple sources to confirm. The beauty of a self-owned blog I guess. I am told that Aramis Ramirez's agent Paul Kinzer is asking for six years at $15MM per or seven years at $14MM annually. Jim Hendry's counteroffer: five years, $70MM guaranteed (11/12/15/16/16),..   Continue Reading

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Mariners Backing Off On Matsuzaka?

Larry Stone has an excellent article for the Seattle Times outlining the process for Daisuke Matsuzaka. He mentions two baseball sources who indicated that the Mariners will make just a token bid for the coveted hurler. To me this info only cements the Yankees' status as the frontrunner. Instead, Stone mentions that Bill Bavasi might focus his money to acquire Jason Schmidt or Barry Zito. It's expected that Seibu will post Matsuzaka in the first or second week of November. After that teams will have four days to submit bids. MLB will notify Seibu of the winning bid amount but..   Continue Reading

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10 Moves I'd Make

I heard that Buster Olney was going to do a column with this topic soon. Before I read his here's my two cents. 1. Padres: Sign Akinori Iwamura for third base. The Phils would be a fine fit as well. Japan produced bargains like Kenji Johjima and Takashi Saito last year; Iwamura should come at a reasonable salary as he's something of an unknown. He'll play good defense and could even spell Khalil Greene at shortstop if needed. I'd give him $7-8MM annually. 2. Cardinals: Trade Chris Duncan to the Cardinals for Mike Gonzalez. Both clubs need to capitalize on..   Continue Reading

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Sheffield And The Mets

Word from Gotham Baseball's Mark Healey is that the Mets might be a good fit for Gary Sheffield. Apparently the team's COO Jeff Wilpon is quite fond of Sheff. There are several other reasons why this could work; check out Healey's post. On a related note, Newsday reports that Brian Cashman has a Sheffield deal in place but has yet to pull the trigger. A trade is described as "inevitable," with the Cubs, Phillies, Rangers, Indians, Padres, Giants, Braves, and Astros as possible suitors. The Cubs would have to find a new spot for Jacque Jones; perhaps he would be..   Continue Reading

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2007 MLB Free Agents: Ted Lilly

Today let's take a closer look at free agent southpaw Ted Lilly. Lilly made $4MM this year, failing to hit any of his innings pitched incentives. He'll turn 31 in January and should be able to snag a three-year contract without a problem. 2006 was not his best season despite the career high 15 wins; Lilly's 2004 effort was better and included an All-Star appearance. He's said publicly that he'd like to return to the Bay Area to play with the Giants or again with the A's. The Jays have some interest in retaining him at the right price. Performance-wise..   Continue Reading

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White Sox Exercise Options

The White Sox made four no-brainer moves today, exercising options to retain Mark Buehrle, Jermaine Dye, and Tadahito Iguchi while declining an option for Dustin Hermanson. Hermanson could still be re-signed at a lesser price. Two needs are clear for Kenny Williams this offseason: he'll have to import an outfielder and a reliever. He'll probably try to unload Scott Podsednik for something useful. Other possible trade bait could include any member of the 2006 rotation or third baseman Joe Crede   Continue Reading

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Aramis Ramirez Opts For Free Agency

It's been reported by Bruce Levine on ESPN 1000 in Chicago that Aramis Ramirez has opted out of his contract and filed for free agency. Daily Herald sportswriter Bruce Miles calls it a formality, reminding Cubs fans that the Cubs still have the exclusive right to sign him for a while   Continue Reading

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Hiroki Kuroda To Stay In Japan?

Japanese free agent and ERA leader Hiroki Kuroda is leaning towards playing for the Hanshin Tigers in 2007. Kuroda was said to be on the Cubs' wish list. Should Kuroda join Hanshin, the likelihood of Kei Igawa being posted increases because Hanshin would have their ace. However, Kuroda could still be convinced to play in the U.S. and will take about a week to decide   Continue Reading

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Japanese Players In MLB

Nerd that I am, I decided to compile a spreadsheet of all 28 Japanese players who have played in Major League Baseball. You can Download japanese_players_in_mlb_102906.xls here. Some highlights and fun facts: You might think that a Japanese player first played in MLB in 1995, when Hideo Nomo took the Majors by storm. Not true. The first Japanese player to play in MLB was reliever Masanori Murakami back in 1964 for the Giants. There's an interesting story behind that. Not only was Murakami the first, he was the youngest at 20 years old. The next youngest was Mac Suzuki, who..   Continue Reading

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Phillies, Indians Interested In Akinori Iwamura

27 year-old Japanese third baseman Akinori Iwamura is being pursued by both the Phillies and the Indians. Pat Gillick mentioned today that he has a lot of interest in Iwamura to play third for the Phils. You may recall that Gillick imported Ichiro back when he was GM of the Mariners. Another convenient factor is that manager Charlie Manuel has played in Japan before. The Tribe is showing interest as well, but are committed to Andy Marte at third base. They would ask Iwamura to convert to second base   Continue Reading

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2007 New York Yankees

Yankee fans have been emailing me for a 2007 Team Outlook. There's not a lot for me to figure out here because the Yanks don't have many openings. But here we go. Brian Cashman's contract obligations: C - Jorge Posada - $12MM C - 1B - Gary Sheffield - $8MM ($5MM deferred) 2B - Robinson Cano - $0.381MM SS - Derek Jeter - $20MM 3B - Alex Rodriguez - $16MM IF - Andy Phillips - $0.38MM IF - LF - Hideki Matsui - $13MM CF - Johnny Damon - $13MM RF - Bobby Abreu - $15MM OF - Melky Cabrera..   Continue Reading

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Dave Roberts a Fit With White Sox?

The White Sox imported Scott Podsednik to fill the speedy leadoff hitter/left fielder role back in December of 2004. Pods did OK in 2005, even garnering some curious MVP votes. Last year, however, his OBP dropped all the way down to .330. The team seems ready to move on. Dave Roberts's agent would like to kindly suggest his client to fill the role. He would be another former CF playing left, never a bad idea defensively. Roberts is also a bit more adept at getting on base than Podsednik and has a little more power. This is his first chance..   Continue Reading

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2007 Milwaukee Brewers

Let's give the Brew Crew some attention in our next 2007 Team Outlook. I have to give a nod to Brew Crew Ball, the best blog for this club. I definitely read up there before working on this post. Doug Melvin's contract obligations: C - Damian Miller - $2.75MM C - Mike Rivera - $0.38MM 1B - Prince Fielder - $0.38MM 2B - Rickie Weeks - $2MM SS - J.J. Hardy - $3.5MM 3B - Corey Koskie - $2MM IF - LF - Bill Hall - $0.42MM CF - Tony Gwynn Jr. - $0.38MM/Gabe Gross - $0.38MM RF - Corey..   Continue Reading

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And The Offseason Begins

The Cardinals have been crowned the unlikely world champs, so now it's time for all baseball fans to offically focus on 2007. Here's a roundup of the latest rumors. With the Tigers' season over, the consensus among local papers seems to be that they will trade some of their excess starting pitching for a slugger, possibly a first baseman. Some folks think Jeremy Bonderman's postseason performance (3.10 ERA in 20 innings) was a sign that he will take it to the next level in '07. Others think it's time to trade him with his value so high. Possible trade targets:..   Continue Reading

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Kei Igawa Hopes To Play On West Coast

Word from Yahoo Japan (in Japanese) tonight is that southpaw pitcher Kei Igawa would like to join a West Coast team. That probably means the Dodgers or Mariners, who have hosted such Japanese stars as Ichiro, Kenji Johjima, and Takashi Saito. Of course, Igawa is coming to the U.S. via the posting system and doesn't have a say in his destination. However, his preference to play on the west coast may compel Ned Colletti or Bill Bavasi to bid higher and sign Igawa to a slightly cheaper contract. So far the Braves, Mets, and Tigers have also been connected to..   Continue Reading

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Matsuzaka Bid To Top $30MM?

We had heard a lot of $20MMish estimates for the winning bid to negotiate with Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka. However, Joel Sherman's article yesterday quotes an NL GM who sets the over-under at $33MM. Bob Bavasi mentioned $28MM as the highest figure he had heard when I talked to him earlier this month. With more than ten teams looking to make competitive bids, $30MM+ is becoming more of a reality. Sherman speculates that Scott Boras could ask for five years and $75MM on top of that posting fee. Now we're talking a total of $21MM a season for the guy...   Continue Reading

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Healey: Red Sox Like Heilman, Milledge

Mark Healey of Gotham Baseball has a new but familiar trade rumor for us: it appears that the Red Sox would like to acquire Aaron Heilman to be their closer next year. In addition, Theo Epstein and Co. may have their eye on Lastings Milledge. It could be the makings of a Manny Ramirez trade, if the Mets want to pay Ramirez's $39MM salary over the next two seasons. Healey was not able to confirm this info from multiple sources, but has faith in his Boston source here. Manny's contract may be slightly less daunting than it looks. That's because..   Continue Reading

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Cubs To Target Hiroki Kuroda, Gary Sheffield?

Some interesting rumors coming from Cubdom, ideas that surprisingly don't seem too foolish. At least compared to last year, when the budget was spent on middle relievers, Jacque Jones, Glendon Rusch, and Neifi Perez. The first one comes from the Chicago Tribune. Paul Sullivan indicates that the Cubs may turn their focus to Japanese hurler Hiroki Kuroda instead of Daisuke Matsuzaka. Not that Matsuzaka isn't the better pitcher; he certainly is. But Kuroda won't require a posting fee, and he posted the best ERA (1.85) in Japan's Central League. Kuroda also posted a 6.9 K/BB ratio, which is awesome. If..   Continue Reading

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The Scott Boras Factor

I'm trying to compile a list of GMs who basically refuse to work with Scott Boras, as well as teams with which he has a good relationship. I figured who would know this better than my faithful commenters? Please post a comment and we can compile the definitive list. Here's what I've got so far: Likes Boras: Cubs, Tigers, Red Sox, Dodgers, Royals, Mariners, Angels, Diamondbacks, Yankees Shaky Past But Might Be OK With Boras: Mets, Phillies, Rangers Hates Boras: White Sox, Orioles, Padres, Marlins, Twins, Braves, Astros, Giants Unknown: A's I'll update the post as we sort this out   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal On Matsuzaka, Igawa, Edmonds

Here's a link to Ken Rosenthal's latest. Rosenthal confirms Yahoo Japan's earlier story, which indicated that the Braves had interest in Japanese southpaw Kei Igawa. A Yahoo story had mentioned that Igawa's posting would be contingent on Hanshin signing free agent Hiroki Kuroda, but Rosenthal states as fact that Igawa will be posted. In addition to Atlanta, we know that the Mariners, Dodgers, Mets, and Tigers have special interest in Igawa. Rosenthal also officially adds the Tigers to the list of teams interested in Daisuke Matsuzaka. While we know every team has scouted him, the Cubs, Angels, Royals, Yankees, Mets,..   Continue Reading

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Phils Unlikely To Pursue Aramis Ramirez

So, who's to fill the Phillies' glaring vacancy at the hot corner? According to this report by Randy Miller, it won't be possible free agent Aramis Ramirez. If you scroll down a bit, Miller mentions that Ramirez "won't be pursued." It's not a direct quote from Pat Gillick, though you get the impression Miller spoke to Gillick to write the article. All the quotes from Gillick tipped me off on this. (Link found via Beerleaguer.) The free agent market is barren, although Rich Aurilia might work. If Gillick wants to make a deal, he could go after Joe Crede, Mike..   Continue Reading

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What Leads You Here

Today, someone arrived at MLBTradeRumors.com by asking, "Is Alex Rodriguez on the Cubs?" I hate to disappoint, my friend, but he is not. But there's no such thing as a stupid question. In another news, I should have my 2007 Top 50 Free Agents list done around the end of the month. I like to put it out kind of early. It includes my rankings as well as predicted destinations. Let's hope I can do a little better than last year   Continue Reading

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MLB Trade Rumors: 2008 MLB Free Agents

Let's take a look ahead to the free agency class after the 2007 season. Of course, some of these guys will be signed before reaching free agency. They're ranked by their 2006 WARP and their age for the 2008 season is in parentheses. Updated 3-2-07 1. John Smoltz (41)2. Carlos Zambrano (27)3. Joe Nathan (33)4. Mariano Rivera (38)5. Jorge Posada (36)6. Curt Schilling (41)7. Bobby Abreu (34)8. Ichiro Suzuki (34)9. Andruw Jones (31)10. Carlos Guillen (32)11. Jeff Kent (40)12. Mike Lowell (34)13. Jason Jennings (29)14. Jake Westbrook (30)15. Ivan Rodriguez (36)16. Freddy Garcia (32)17. Kenny Rogers (43)18. Torii Hunter (32)19...   Continue Reading

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Sheffield A Hot Commodity

One name that didn't make my list of available impact hitters is Gary Sheffield. Sheff was, of course, out for most of the year because of surgery on his left wrist. Using his 2005 work Sheffield would be maybe the 10th best hitter available, whether through trade or free agency. According to Bill Madden of the New York Daily News, the Yankees plan to pick up Sheffield's $13MM option for 2007 and then trade him. He mentions the Angels, Orioles, Cubs, Giants, Astros, and Rangers as suitors. One year, $13MM is a fine low-risk contract for a possible .900ish OPS..   Continue Reading

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2007 Cincinnati Reds

The Reds are next up on our 2007 Team Outlooks. Wayne Krivsky's contract obligations as he remakes the Reds in the Twins' image: C - David Ross - $0.5MM C - Javier Valentin - $1.25MM C - Jason LaRue - $5.2MM 1B - Scott Hatteberg - $1.5MM 2B - Brandon Phillips - $0.33MM SS - 3B - Edwin Encarnacion - $0.3325MM IF - Juan Castro - $0.925MM LF - Adam Dunn - $10.5MM CF - Ken Griffey Jr. - $6MM (another $6.5MM is deferred) RF - Ryan Freel - $1.7MM OF - Chris Denorfia - $0.327MM SP - Aaron Harang..   Continue Reading

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Red Sox Interested In Barajas?

I was clearing out my inbox a little bit when I noticed a rumor I haven't mentioned yet on the site. According to a WEEI chat with Sean McAdam from early October, the Red Sox are targeting free agent catcher Rod Barajas to back up Jason Varitek. McAdam mentioned that Barajas's ability to catch the knuckleball is attractive the Boston. Barajas will be 31 next year. He hit .256/.298/.410 this year, showing little plate discipline but decent power for his position. You can see the other free agent catchers here   Continue Reading

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Phils Resign Moyer Through 2008

Jamie Moyer will remain in the National League as a Phillie for the 2007-08 seasons. He'll earn $10.5MM plus incentives. Moyer is now off the list of available free agent starting pitchers. The Phils' rotation now consists of Moyer, Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, and Jon Lieber. Eude Brito or Gavin Floyd could fill in the fifth slot. The team's focus will now turn to third base   Continue Reading

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Yardbarker.com

Here's a cool website in the vein of Digg. It's called Yardbarker, where users submit sports stories and readers vote the best ones up. Here's a link to Yardbarker's MLB page. I'm thinking about putting Yardbarker buttons on posts, which would give you the ability to submit my posts to Yardbarker so people can vote on them. Thoughts   Continue Reading

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Akinori Iwamura Prepared To Play 2B/SS/CF

Akinori Iwamura is a 27-year Japanese third baseman with a good chance of being posted. Translations indicate that he could post a .850-.900 OPS in the Majors. A recent interview with Iwamura (in Japanese) indicates that he'd be willing to convert to second base, shortstop, or even center field if needed. He was a five-time Gold Glover at third in Japan   Continue Reading

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Gotham Baseball: Mets and Yankees Rumors

Check out the latest from Mark Healey of Gotham Baseball. A summary is below. Healey's Cubs source indicates Mark Prior and Alex Rodriguez could be the main pieces of a trade. That'd be a tough sell for Brian Cashman so I'm sure the Cubs would have to spice up such an offer. Healey's source mentions Mark DeRosa as a possible A-Rod replacement in New York. A couple of names associated with the Mets include Ray Durham and Mark Mulder. Durham is a new one for me, though the Mulder info jives with what I heard last week. I also have..   Continue Reading

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Marlins Looking For A Center Fielder

I'm still amazed at how good the Marlins were in 2006 and how bright their future looks. I'd like to see other teams try the "blow it all up" approach, because the Fish are a cool team. Latest word from Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post is that the Marlins will look externally to fill their center field hole. The combination of Reggie Abercrombie, Alfredo Amezaga, Cody Ross, and Eric Reed simply did not work in 2006. Capozzi names Chris Duffy, Willy Taveras, and Matt Kemp as targets according to his sources. He adds Rocco Baldelli and Elijah Dukes..   Continue Reading

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2007 MLB Free Agent Links

With the offseason around the corner, it's time to check out all the available free agents. 93% of you should be interested, while the other 7% can worry about winning the World Series in 2006 first. I've written quite a bit about this winter's free agent class. To see position breakdowns, check out the new 2007 MLB Free Agents section of the sidebar. Just below the Recent Posts section. I'll try to keep the free agent lists up-to-date as players enter or exit the market   Continue Reading

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2007 MLB Free Agents: Designated Hitters

Updated 12/23/06 There are a few players I haven't covered in my free agent position breakdowns yet - those who are purely designated hitters. 2007 League Averages AL: .264/.349/.469 In other words, your DH should hit something like Ryan Zimmerman did this year at the least. I'm going to leave out DH candidates like Barry Bonds and Mike Piazza, as I've covered them elsewhere. Carl Everett - The Mariners made the laughable decision to sign Everett for essentially $4MM to be their DH in 2006. He was terrible, posting a .657 OPS in 92 games before being waived in August...   Continue Reading

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The Sad Progression of Aramis Ramirez

It's been interesting to watch the Aramis Ramirez Situation develop. Here's what I've seen. Phase 1: Ramirez signs four year, $42MM contract with an option for '09. On the surface, it looks like security for both parties. In reality, it's more of a two year deal. Jim Hendry built in the chance for Ramirez to void the contract after 2006 if Ramirez thinks he can get more than the non-guaranteed three years/$33.5MM remaining. Media makes light of the out clause and Ramirez indicates that there's little chance he'd leave Chicago. Realistic fans realize that the contract gives the Cubs zero..   Continue Reading

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Mets To Deal Aaron Heilman?

With Aaron Heilman being named a goat in some New York papers, the idea has arisen that the Mets should look to trade him. Seems like shaky logic - if Heilman hadn't allowed Yadier Molina to go deep, would that change everyone's opinion? Whether or not it'd be a "sell low" move by Omar Minaya, Heilman's going to have some major value on the trade market. He's got a 3.37 ERA over the last two seasons (195 innings, mostly in relief). Next year will be Heilman's age 28 season. The tantalizing thing about the 6-5 righty is that he seems..   Continue Reading

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Thinking About Fantasy Baseball Yet?

In case a few of you are looking to get a jump start on fantasy baseball for next spring, I wanted to remind you that I run a fantasy baseball blog as well. It's called RotoAuthority, and I try to update it daily with projections, sleepers, keepers, and all that stuff   Continue Reading

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2007 Los Angeles Dodgers

I received several requests for the Dodgers to be covered in the next 2007 Team Outlook. Ned Colletti's contract obligations: C - Russell Martin - $0.33MM C - 1B - James Loney - $0.33MM 2B - Jeff Kent - $9MM SS - Rafael Furcal - $13MM 3B - Wilson Betemit - $0.345MM/Andy LaRoche - $0.33MM IF - Olmedo Saenz - $1MM LF - Andre Ethier - $0.33MM CF - Jason Repko - $0.338MM/Matt Kemp - $0.33MM RF - J.D. Drew - $11MM OF - Marlon Anderson - $0.925MM OF - Jayson Werth - $0.355MM SP - Derek Lowe - $9.5MM..   Continue Reading

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2007 San Diego Padres

Alright, time for another one of these Team Outlooks. Kevin Towers's contract obligations: C - Josh Bard - $0.3534MM C - Rob Bowen - $0.33MM 1B - Adrian Gonzalez - $0.3275MM 2B - Josh Barfield - $0.327MM SS - Khalil Greene - $0.405MM 3B - IF - Russell Branyan - $1.25MM LF - CF - Mike Cameron - $7MM RF - Brian Giles - $9MM OF - Terrmel Sledge - $0.3475MM OF - Ben Johnson - $0.3275MM SP - Jake Peavy - $4.75MM SP - Chris Young - $0.6MM SP - SP - Clay Hensley - $0.329MM SP - Mike..   Continue Reading

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Justice: Astros To Sign Carlos Lee?

On his SportsJustice blog, Houston Chronicle writer Richard Justice seems pretty adamant that the Astros are going to sign slugger Carlos Lee. My Astros team outlook has the team with roughly $30MM to spend. If Luke Scott can play right field, I wouldn't disagree with a Lee signing. This will leave Tim Purpura with about $15MM to spread amongst two starting pitchers and perhaps a catcher. I could see Pettitte for $10MM and Woody Williams for $5MMish. Trade Willy Taveras for something useful, and I think the Astros will be in decent shape for 2007   Continue Reading

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Moises Alou To Return In 2007

Nothing groundbreaking here, but worth a mention. I have it from a reputable Giants source that Moises Alou fully intends to play in 2007. I think this was the general vibe anyway, but I hadn't heard it concretely. I wrote about Alou at length here. He'd be a great fit for several AL teams if he could be convinced to DH   Continue Reading

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Cubs To Enter Matsuzaka Bidding

Being a Cubs fan is all about hope. Jim Hendry's assertion yesterday that the team will enter the bidding for Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka should keep the positive vibes going around the team. It's important to note, though, that every team has some level of interest in Matsuzaka and nearly every team will place a bid. There's no danger in bidding too low - only upside. Still, the thought of Matsuzaka behind Carlos Zambrano makes Cubs fans salivate. Suddenly the Cubs would have the makings of a rotation - Rich Hill in the third slot, a mid-level free agent as..   Continue Reading

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Latest Mets Buzz

I spoke to my Mets source recently, so here's the latest buzz around the team. As has been reported in several places, Tom Glavine plans on returning to the Braves. I'm told a "handshake agreement" is in place. If the playoff excitement can't change his mind, the Mets will take a look at Barry Zito and Mark Mulder. Orlando Hernandez may be re-signed and of course Steve Trachsel is a goner. Beyond that, the Mets have many in-house starting pitching options. The Mets still like outfielder Lastings Milledge even with the problems he's had in the clubhouse. The only way..   Continue Reading

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Akinori Iwamura To Be Posted?

In keeping with our recent Japanese theme, how about 27 year-old third baseman Akinori Iwamura? It was revealed today that Iwamura will probably be posted. He's a fine hitter and could jump to the top of the list of available 3Bs quickly. If it's true that Japanese baseball is a cut above American Triple A, Iwamura's .390 OBP and .550 SLG should hold up pretty well. I don't know about Iwamura's glovework, but Iwamura could probably outhit every free agent 3B outside of Aramis Ramirez. If I'm the Phillies, I jump on this and give him a three-year, $24MM deal   Continue Reading

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Available Impact Hitters

The offseason hasn't even begun, but already we're hearing all sorts of teams are anxious to open their pocketbooks/prospect vault to acquire an impact hitter. The Angels, Cubs, Astros, and a host of others have money to burn. Let's take a look through all of the available impact hitters, whether via trade or free agency. The players are ranked by their 2006 VORP. VORP is a good stat to use as it takes a player's position into account when ranking offensive performance. 5. Miguel Cabrera - And next year is his age 24 season. Miggy made $472K in 2006 but..   Continue Reading

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Would You Trade Alex Gordon For A-Rod?

Tom Keegan would. I can only hope Dayton Moore disagrees. Sure, the contracts of Mike Sweeney and Angel Berroa are painful...but a team looking to win in 2008 or 2009 shouldn't be giving their best prospect to the Yankees. Perhaps the Royals win an extra game or two over the next few seasons with Rodriguez instead of Gordon at third. Even that is an open question. But I don't think A-Rod would put butts in the seats any more than Gordon will. If Moore wants to make a splash and spend some money, he should put in the top bid..   Continue Reading

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Posting Possibility: Kei Igawa

Kei Igawa is a 27 year-old southpaw with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan. He pitched 200 innings this year with a 3.11 ERA and 8.3 K/9, winning 13 games. Igawa made a request for posting after 2005, but was denied. While Igawa hopes to be posted this winter, the Tigers' owner seems opposed to the idea. There's also the somewhat odd and perhaps related occurence of Igawa breaking down in tears on the mound after his final home start. If he's not posted, Igawa will become a free agent after the 2009 season. Reader Iwanaga Tak was kind enough to..   Continue Reading

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Adam Dunn On The Block?

Is it possible, in this day and age, for a player like Adam Dunn to be undervalued? I think so. As Lonnie Wheeler informs us, it's "not working" with the big guy. Dunn turns 27 in November. He'll make $10.5MM in 2007 and has a $13MM club option for '08. So what exactly isn't working with Dunn? He's hit 126 home runs over the past three seasons. Only David Ortiz and Albert Pujols have more. Dunn also has a .380 OBP over the last three seasons. Better than Carlos Delgado, David Wright, Mark Teixeira, Miguel Tejada, Carlos Beltran, Aramis Ramirez,..   Continue Reading

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2007 San Francisco Giants

Been missing my 2007 Team Outlooks? The Giants are next up. This would be a good place to give a shoutout to the premiere Giants blog out there, McCovey Chronicles. I definitely read up at this fine site before attempting my '07 writeup. Another fine one: El Lefty Malo. Brian Sabean's contract obligations: C - Eliezer Alfonzo - $0.33MM C - 1B - 2B - Kevin Frandsen - $0.33MM SS - Omar Vizquel - $4MM 3B - 1B/OF - Mark Sweeney - $0.95MM 1B - Lance Niekro - $0.33MM IF - Tomas de la Rosa - $0.33MM LF - CF..   Continue Reading

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2007 MLB Free Agent Starting Pitchers

I finally organized all of my free agent starting pitcher writeups into one link. Check it out! I also updated some of the more outdated stuff (I wrote the first one in August). The only decent starter missing from this list is Daisuke Matsuzaka, as far as I know. At some point, I'll create some handy links on the sidebar where you can access free agents by position. I'll try to keep those updated with interested teams and who's available   Continue Reading

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Soriano Rejects 5/$70MM Offer From Nats

Here's a link to a Sportsline story quoting Listin Diaro, the oldest daily newspaper of the Dominican Republic. The news: Alfonso Soriano has rejected a five-year, $70MM offer from the Nationals. Here's the original article for those fluent in Spanish. It appears that the Listin Diaro article is quoting a Mexican radio station that interviewed assistant GM Jose Rijo. So the initial bar on Soriano has been set: he'll require more than $14MM annually. That's not going to end well. In fact, I'm not sure he'll be worth it in year 1. Soriano's rejection of the offer will at least..   Continue Reading

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2007 MLB Free Agents: Moises Alou

I've recommending that about ten teams should look into signing Moises Alou this winter. I think all of the praise for him warrants a closer look. Alou will enter his age 40 season in 2007. All sorts of injuries limited him to just 221 games with the Giants for the life of his two-year, $13.25MM contract. Despite making only 378 PAs this year, Alou was the 9th best RF in the game according to VORP. He played left field in '05, and his offensive output ranked 6th at the position. The Fielding Bible described Alou's work in left as adequate,..   Continue Reading

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Interview: Bob Bavasi of JapanBall.com

Recently Bob Bavasi, owner of the fine website JapanBall.com, was kind enough to answer some questions for MLBTradeRumors.com. Bob tells me that he recently got back from his JapanBall.com baseball tour, where he encountered a variety of scouts, writers, and team personnel. His answers are in bold. What kind of posting fee do you see for Matsuzaka? Ichiro cost $13MM; could Matsuzaka require $20MM? Still one year away from Japanese free agency, RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka, 26, of the Seibu Lions (just outside of Tokyo), is considered the hottest prospect by the MLB scouts. The Lions will allow Matsuzaka to post,..   Continue Reading

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Torii Hunter's Option Exercised

As expected, the Twins exercised Torii Hunter's $12MM 2007 option today. Next year will be his age 31 season. Baseball Prospectus projects his value at just $3.55MM for 2007. On this one I will have to disagree with the numbers; I would exercise the option with little hesitation. The Twins still have roughly $13-15MM to spend this winter; here are the team needs. With Hunter off the market, the likely free agent center fielder options are: Jim Edmonds Gary Matthews Jr. Juan Pierre Dave Roberts Kenny Lofton Steve Finley Darin Ersta   Continue Reading

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Daisuke Matsuzaka To Be Posted By Seibu

It's official: the Seibu Lions will post ace starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. That means a Major League team will bid on the exclusive rights to negotiate a contract with him. Matsuzaka figures to beat out even Barry Zito and Jason Schmidt as the best free agent pitcher available. At least eight teams have already scouted him Matsuzaka. Based on this report (scroll down), the Angels will also be players for Matsuzaka   Continue Reading

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2007 Texas Rangers

Had some requests for a 2007 team outlook on the Rangers. Jon Daniels's contract obligations: C - Gerald Laird - $0.332MM C - 1B - Mark Teixeira - $9MM 2B - Ian Kinsler - $0.327MM SS - Michael Young - $3.5MM 3B - Hank Blalock - $4.75MM IF - Joaquin Arias - $0.327MM IF - Drew Meyer - $0.33MM LF - Brad Wilkerson - $3.9MM CF - RF - Nelson Cruz - $0.33MM OF - Victor Diaz - $0.335MM OF - Freddy Guzman - $0.33MM DH - Jason Botts - $0.328MM SP - Kevin Millwood - $7.5MM SP - Robinson..   Continue Reading

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Let The A-Rod Speculation Begin

In most towns, when the third baseman hits .290/.392/.523, no one considers it "sucking." Among 3Bs, only Miguel Cabrera, Garrett Atkins, Chipper Jones, and David Wright outhit A-Rod. His OBP was third best for the position. Everyone's favorite whipping boy enters his age 31 season in 2007. The Rangers are covering a large part of his contract, so he's owed $16MM annually through 2010. While it's still huge, Rodriguez at four years, $64MM is a reasonable commitment for a superstar. Even the fairly conservative PECOTA projection system from Baseball Prospectus says he'll be worth over $66MM over that time period...   Continue Reading

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2007 Cleveland Indians

The Tribe is next up in our 2007 team outlooks. Mark Shapiro's contract obligations: C - Victor Martinez - $3MM C - Kelly Shoppach - $0.327MM 1B - Ryan Garko - $0.33MM 2B - SS - Jhonny Peralta - $0.75MM 3B - Andy Marte - $0.33MM 3B - Kevin Kouzmanoff - $0.33MM IF - Hector Luna - $0.34MM IF - Joe Inglett - $0.33MM LF - Jason Michaels - $1.75MM CF - Grady Sizemore - $0.75MM RF - Casey Blake - $3.75MM OF - Shin-Soo Choo - $0.33MM OF - Franklin Gutierrez - $0.33MM DH - Travis Hafner - $3.75MM..   Continue Reading

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Olney: A's Offer Thomas Two Years

So the A's second offer for Frank Thomas is two years, $8MM, not all guaranteed. Which begs the question, is the Big Hurt still in it for the money? Because he could command much more on the open market. As I mentioned in Oakland's team outlook, there's a decent chance Beane lets Thomas walk. It all depends on whether he'll take a pay cut to stay   Continue Reading

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2007 Projections: Jeremy Bonderman, Felix Hernandez

I know a lot of you focused on the playoffs. But for those of you with fantasy baseball in the back of their minds, I have a couple of 2007 projections for you over at my other website RotoAuthority.com. 2007 Jeremy Bonderman Projection 2007 Felix Hernandez Projectio   Continue Reading

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2007 Pittsburgh Pirates

The next 2007 Team Outlook is the Pirates. Many thanks to Dejan Kovacevic for writing a fine summary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In addition, Bucco Blog always has great inside info. Dave Littlefield's contract obligations: C - Ronny Paulino - $0.38MM C - Ryan Doumit - $0.38MM 1B - 2B - Freddy Sanchez - $0.38MM SS - Jack Wilson - $5.25MM 3B - Jose Bautista - $0.38MM IF - Jose Castillo - $0.38MM LF - Jason Bay - $3.25MM CF - Chris Duffy - $0.38MM RF - Xavier Nady - $0.427MM OF - Nate McLouth - $0.38MM OF - Jody..   Continue Reading

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2007 MLB Free Agents: Starters

Let's look at the stat leaders among the 2007 free agent starting pitcher class. Want someone who's plain tough to hit? Good luck with that. With BABIPs adjusted to the league average, here are the best free agent pitchers in hits per nine innings. The following group allowed fewer than a hit per inning. Jason Schmidt Ted Lilly Barry Zito Mike Mussina Gil Meche Roger Clemens Byung-Hyun Kim Andy Pettitte Vicente Padilla Best control? Here are the rankings. Carlos Silva Greg Maddux Jeff Weaver Woody Williams Roger Clemens Jamie Moyer Jason Johnson Aaron Sele Brian Moehler Home run prevention? These..   Continue Reading

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2007 MLB Free Agents: Hitters

I'll begin work on my Top 50 Free Agents list soon. I made one last year; it had its ups and downs. A lot of fun. Today, though, we'll take a look at the best the free agent market has to offer depending on your offensive needs. Need power? Teams like the Astros, A's, and Padres could use some pop. Here are the 2007 MLB free agents with the highest slugging percentages this year. Moises Alou - .571 Aramis Ramirez - .561 Alfonso Soriano - .560 Barry Bonds - .545 Frank Thomas - .545 Carlos Lee - .540 Ray Durham..   Continue Reading

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2007 Arizona Diamondbacks

Next up, the D'Backs. Josh Byrnes's 2007 contract obligations: C - Chris Snyder - $0.341MM C - Miguel Montero - $0.33MM 1B - Conor Jackson - $0.328MM 2B - Orlando Hudson - $2.3MM SS - Stephen Drew - $1.5MM 3B - Chad Tracy - $2.75MM IF - Alberto Callaspo - $0.33MM IF - Robby Hammock - $0.33MM 1B - Tony Clark - $1MM LF - Eric Byrnes - $2.25MM CF - Chris Young - $0.33MM RF - Carlos Quentin - $0.33MM OF - Jeff DaVanon - $1.25MM club option OF - Scott Hairston - $0.33MM SP - Brandon Webb -..   Continue Reading

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U.S.S. Mariner - Offseason Plan

A must-read: Dave Cameron's Offseason Plan for the Mariners. Interesting ideas include pillaging the Cubs, playing Jim Edmonds in left, and trading Richie Sexson. You can view my 2007 Team Outlook for the Ms here   Continue Reading

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2007 Chicago White Sox

Next up: a 2007 Team Outlook for the White Sox. Kenny Williams's contract obligations: C - A.J. Pierzynski - $5.5MM C - 1B - Paul Konerko - $12MM 2B - Tadahito Iguchi - $3.25MM (club option) SS - Juan Uribe - $4.15MM 3B - Joe Crede - $2.875MM IF/OF - Pablo Ozuna - $0.5MM 1B/OF - Ross Gload - $0.35MM LF - Josh Fields - $0.33MM, Ryan Sweeney - $0.33MM CF - Brian Anderson - $0.33MM RF - Jermaine Dye - $6MM DH - Jim Thome - $8.5MM OF - Rob Mackowiak - $2.75MM SP - Jose Contreras - $9MM..   Continue Reading

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2007 Atlanta Braves

Next up in the 2007 Team Outlooks we have the Atlanta Braves. John Schuerholz's contract obligations: C - Brian McCann - $0.3335MM C - Brayan Pena - $0.33MM 1B - Adam LaRoche - $0.42MM 2B - Marcus Giles - $3.85MM SS - Edgar Renteria - $6.333MM 3B - Chipper Jones - $11MM IF - Pete Orr - $0.34MM IF - Willy Aybar - $0.33MM IF - Martin Prado - $0.33MM LF - Matt Diaz - $0.33MM, Ryan Langerhans - $0.345MM CF - Andruw Jones - $13.5MM RF - Jeff Francoeur - $0.3845MM 1B/OF - Scott Thorman - $0.33MM SP -..   Continue Reading

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Grimsley Names Revealed

Remember all that Jason Grimsley stuff from way back in June? L.A. Times reporters Lance Pugmire and Tim Brown got a glance at an unredacted version of Grimsley's affidavit, and all the names within were made public in this article. Here are the infamous six: Andy Pettitte Miguel Tejada Brian Roberts Jay Gibbons David Segui Roger Clemens In addition, Albert Pujols's trainer, Chris Mihlfeld, has apparently been cleared. The trainer in question turned out to be former Yankees and Blue Jays strength coach Dr. Brian McNamee. According to the article, McNamee works with Clemens and Pettitte. It had previously been..   Continue Reading

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