Here are a couple of links regarding potential free agent third basemen, with a note about an outfielder for good measure:
- Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez will be seeking a multiyear contract this offseason, according to his agent, Paul Kinzer, writes Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune. A-Ram hasn't ruled out returning to the Cubs, apparently, but he "would have been more likely to re-sign with [Chicago] if Jim Hendry was there," Kinzer said. This is the same sentiment we heard from Kinzer in the wake of Hendry's dismissal a week or so back. The Cubs have a $16MM club option for 2012 on A-Ram, with a $2MM buyout. He can decline the option, though, in which case he'd forfeit any compensation.
- Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd would be fine with it if the team decides to trade him this offseason, writes Paul Sullivan of the Tribune, but he hopes any such move would yield a good player in return: "If it's best for the organization to move me and bring back another piece because of my trade value, then (do it). But if they're just trying to get rid of me and get nothing back, I don't see that helping the organization," Byrd said. He's slated to earn $6.5MM in the final year of a three-year, $15MM contract, so I could see him drawing some interest on the trade market.
- Dodgers third baseman Casey Blake will undergo season-ending surgery to repair damaged nerves in his neck, writes Chris Adamski of MLB.com. It sounds like a fairly serious procedure, and Blake is 38, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Blake wants to continue playing. The Dodgers hold a $6MM option ($1.25MM buyout) on Blake for 2012, so there's a chance they could move on.
Shut up no he isnt
How’s Carlos Santana looking right now Dodger fans? Because that’s what you gave up for this washed up journeyman. I couldn’t help but notice Traeyvon Robinson is playing well in the bigs for the Mariners. What exactly did we get out of that deal? Coletti is the worst manager this side of Anaheim.
Damn… I really do feel sorry for dogers fans…
You’re preaching to the choir.Even non-dodger fans can see that coletti is awful.But you can at least look at the situation of the metropolitans to give you a much needed confidence boost in the future.Einhorn Out!
.260/.338/.431 in 1600 PA? 11+ WAR in three and a half years?
Blake clearly helped them make the playoffs in 2008 and 2009. This is how “prospect for veteran” trades are supposed to work. Team getting the veteran gets short term benefit (which the Dodgers did), and the team getting the prospect gets the long term benefit (whith the Indians did).
There are a lot of things that Dodger fans have a right to complain about, but Casey Blake isn’t one of them.
Not a fan of the deal, but how is Robinson “playing well”? He’s struck out in close to 405 of his at-bats.
He’s a rookie and his strike outs are high, but he’s also as switch hitter,batting .270 for the Mariners, while the Dodgers have rotated immortals such as Jay Gibbons, Marcus Thames and Tony Gwynn Jr. recently bringing in Juan Rivera to hit against lefties. Why not give Robinson a chance before shipping him away for a(nother) poor hitting catching prospect and 2 mediocre pitching prospects.
Clearly Blake did help the Dodgers in the short term, but Coletti seems to have no long term vision for the club. Certainly, trading away Santana in 2008 meant extending Russell Martin, instead of replacing him with castoffs and spare parts (Navarro, already DFA’d) Barajas and AJ Ellis?
What’s the plan?
He’s a rookie and his strike outs are high, but he’s also as switch hitter,batting .270 for the Mariners, while the Dodgers have rotated immortals such as Jay Gibbons, Marcus Thames and Tony Gwynn Jr. recently bringing in Juan Rivera to hit against lefties. Why not give Robinson a chance before shipping him away for a(nother) poor hitting catching prospect and 2 mediocre pitching prospects.
Clearly Blake did help the Dodgers in the short term, but Coletti seems to have no long term vision for the club. Certainly, trading away Santana in 2008 meant extending Russell Martin, instead of replacing him with castoffs and spare parts (Navarro, already DFA’d) Barajas and AJ Ellis?
What’s the plan?
Not a fan of the deal, but how is Robinson “playing well”? He’s struck out in close to 405 of his at-bats.
The day Aramis Ramirez declines that 16 million dollar option is the same day John Wayne and Satan have a snowball fight in hell.
Two things. First, the option is a club option so Aramis has no say in it. Second, why in John Wayne in Hell?
The real question is…if john wayne’s not in hell..who’s in heaven?!
A lame like John Wayne can never be cool enough for hell.I mean, wasn’t it always said that all the cool people are going to hell for some offense (Sin) or another? Brando, Hendrix, the entire cast of Barbarella. I think a more realistic place for John Wayne would be purgatory.
Half right, half wrong. The club holds the option — however, Ramirez can void it.
So possibilities:
1. Club picks up the option, Ramirez stays in Chicago for $16MM.
2. Club picks up the option, Ramirez voids it, becomes a free agent.
3. Club declines the option, Ramirez becomes a free agent with a $2MM buyout in his pocket.
Yup absolutely right, didn’t read the full contract until after I posted.
If I read between the lines on Kinzer’s statement, I swear he is trying to say that no other GM in their right mind would pick up that option, but Ricks would have been dumb enough to do it.
Anyone else feeling that?
Byrd only has 2 steals and 18 walks… Wtf..
In his defense, he did miss a little over one month. Still, he has some awful numbers. I don’t know how much the Cubs are going to get in return. I’d personally like to see the cud start Jackson in AAA in 2012 and bring him up in early May.
Of course Ramirez would have been more likely to re-sign a long term deal with the Cubs if Hendry was still the GM. Why? Because where a rational GM would have factored in A Ram’s age and injury history and probably offered him a three year, $30 million dollar contract, Hendry would have factored in how long Aramis Ramirezs’ name is and given him a five year, $75 million dollar contract with a full No Trade Clause.
Now A Ram is going to have to hope that either the Angels or Dodgers are feeling generous with their money and long term contracts…..
I would be ok with a 2yr 26 mil offer with 2 club options worth 13 mil each and NO no trade clause and that contract begins next year.
We would see how much he likes chicago then.
It won’t matter if his contract had a NTC or not. He’s a 10 and 5 player. 10 years MLB, 5 years with same team. That automatically gives him a NTC.
Isn’t Aramis Ramirez a 5 and 10 player? If so, then he has veto already and doesn’t need a no trade clause.
1) Does the 10 and 5 rights still apply if a player becomes a Free Agent and then re-signs with his old team?
2) 10 and 5 rights give a player the power to veto a trade but no financial incentive to do so. If a player gets a full NTC and his team decides to trade him then the player can get paid for waiving his NTC. A good agent will have that included and a dumb GM will agree to it.
I hope Blake’s surgery goes well but I think the Dodgers move on.
That’s a pretty bad comparison because I think we all know which way America is going…..
He’s not a “good” defender, but he can play a lot of positions acceptably and get on base. His SLG is down this year, but it’s a small sample. Still, a lot of players would take a four corners backup who could put up a .270/.340/.380 line.
Wouldn’t say it’s worth the $6M option for the Dodgers to find out, but if he came in healthy for a workout, there are certainly worse guys a GM could give a one year, $2M contract to.
I would go for Infante before Blake right now, yes – especially if Infante is cheap off of his down year.
McDonald, while a doubleplusgood defender, really isn’t any kind of a hitter at all. He’s a nice player to have, especially as a defensive replacement, but he’s hurting the team if you need to give him anything more than 150-200 PA.