Billy Beane Rumors

Odds & Ends: Clement, Schilling, Strasburg

Links for Tuesday...

• RotoAuthority examines A's starter Trevor Cahill from a fantasy baseball perspective.
• Today's chat has been pushed to Wednesday at 2pm CST.
• The Blue Jays demoted Matt Clement, according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star.  Clement is trying to decide whether to accept the assignment. He allowed 11 runs and 12 walks in 10.3 spring innings.
• WEEI's Alex Speier looks back at the shockingly low price in prospects the Red Sox paid to acquire Curt Schilling from Arizona.  The D'Backs were eyeing players such as Jon Lester, Hanley Ramirez, and Kelly Shoppach, but didn't make any of them a requirement.
• Tyler Bleszinski of Athletics Nation has part 2 of his interview with A's GM Billy Beane.  Beane notes his great relationship with Scott Boras.
• I spoke to Tyler Hissey and Doug Gray of Minor League Notebook Weekly yesterday.
• Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post says the Nationals should not draft Stephen Strasburg unless he'll sign in the $9-10MM range of David Price and Mark Prior.  ESPN's Rob Neyer explains that many can't-miss pitchers did indeed miss.
• Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle talked to Giants lefty Jack Taschner about the possibility of being traded.
• Bart Given of Inside the Majors says the Blue Jays should keep Travis Snider at Triple A until May 15th so that they'll control him for the 2015 season.

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Odds and Ends: Hudson, Twins, Sisco, Dunn

Links for Friday...

• Tim Hudson wants the Braves to pick up his 2010 option for $12MM, though he has the right to void it if they do.
• Indians GM Mark Shapiro has no regrets about signing Kerry Wood for $20.5MM in early December.
• Twins CEO Jim Pohlad says the team is not done, in talking to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.  He believes signing Joe Crede makes sense, but his baseball people have the final decision.
• Michael Fleming of Variety says Brad Pitt continues to "circle" the Moneyball movie, in which he could play Billy Beane.
• Athletics Nation takes a good look at free agent lefty Andy Sisco.
• Austin Kearns commented on his friend Adam Dunn, in talking with Chico Harlan of the Washington Post.
• An amusing "25 facts about 25 random Yankees" from Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
• The Rays signed pitcher Winston Abreu to a minor league deal; he spent last year in Japan.
• RotoAuthority ranks the shortstops for fantasy baseball.
• Deals for Jason Varitek, Brad Wilkerson, and Ken Takahashi were finalized today.  Jeff Bailey was shuffled to Triple A to make room for Varitek, says Dan Barbarisi.

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Odds and Ends: Andruw, Marquis, Coonelly

Links for Monday...

• In his first post for RotoAuthority, David Chase looks at players who were said to have lost weight or gained muscle during Spring Training '08.  How did they perform in '08?
• The Red Sox inked infielder Nick Green to a minor league deal.
• Murray Chass explains why the New York Times Company's purchase of a share of the Red Sox was a conflict of interest.
• Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik: "We’ve got an offer out right now for a piece of the puzzle, and I’d hope to hear in the next few days."
• David Laurila talked to new Mariners exec Tony Blengino.  One of many interesting quotes (in reference to the Bill Bavasi regime and the '07 club): "I thought that it was clear going in that, with all due respect, they overrated their team from the last year."
  The Yankees will introduce Mark Teixeira tomorrow.  He passed his physical today.
• River Ave. Blues and Peter Abraham ask whether the Yankees should consider Andruw Jones.  Evan Brunell looks at other possible fits.
• The Dodgers talked to the Cubs about Jason Marquis, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.
• Pirates president Frank Coonelly joins Mark Attanasio (Brewers) and Drayton McLane (Astros) in supporting a salary cap.
• Jeff Moorad might be aggressive in the draft if he takes over the Padres.  Tom Krasovic adds that the Padres have already discussed spending up to $6MM on their #3 pick this June.
• Keith Law likes the Angels' Brian Fuentes signing, and doesn't think the Indians gave up much for Mark DeRosa.
• If the Indians are to add another significant player, they'll have to get creative with contracts.
• RAB and In Mo We Trust discuss Kevin Kernan's recent suggestion that the Yanks sign Oliver Perez over Andy Pettitte.
• A couple of recent Hot Stove Dailies from Jeff Passan: the Braves and A's.
• Athletics Nation asks whether Brian Sabean is "out-GMing" Billy Beane this winter.
• Sox Machine on why the Gavin Floyd-Brian Roberts rumor makes no sense.

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Odds & Ends: Sabean, Yankees, Reds, Jones

Links for Sunday afternoon...

• Peter Abraham asks if Andruw Jones would be worth a look for the Yankees on a minor league deal... and promptly answers his own question: no. He'd rather see Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner fight it out.
• River Avenue Blues takes a look at why the Yankees and Red Sox saw a drop in the rankings of their farm systems from 2008 to 2009.
• Athletics Nation asks whether or not Brian Sabean is "out-GMing" Billy Beane this offseason with his splashes in the free agent market.
• Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News doesn't feel like the Reds have done enough to climb out of fifth place. He feels the Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, and Astros are all still better teams.

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Brown's Latest: Teixeira, Crede, Friedman

Yahoo's Tim Brown filed a column late last night; let's take a look.

• Scott Boras doesn't know of any kind of contingency where the Dodgers would have to unload Andruw Jones' contract before signing Manny Ramirez.
• The Angels have not yet made an offer to Mark Teixeira, but they'll deal with that situation before moving on to other needs.  Boras is suggesting Teixeira pays for himself.
• Boras compared Joe Crede to Magglio Ordonez.  I think he is implying that he may seek big money for Crede but allow a team to opt out after a year if he hits the DL for back problems.
• Ken Williams spoke up manufacturing runs, while Billy Beane still prefers walks and homers.
• Rays GM Andrew Friedman doesn't have a contract, but he isn't concerned.

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Odds and Ends: Pitt, Manny, White Sox

Links for Friday...

• The Red Sox claimed pitcher Dewon Day off waivers from the White Sox, and also designated pitcher Chris Smith for assignment.
• Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ponders trading Colby Rasmus to get Jake Peavy and Khalil Greene.
• Brad Pitt as Billy Beane in the Moneyball movie?  Beane hopes to add offense this winter.
• J.C. Bradbury estimates Manny Ramirez's value at $128MM over the next six years.  I think Manny and Boras would happily accept such an offer.
• Dave Cameron laments the lack of respect for Ryan Langerhans.
• South Side Sox presents an offseason plan for the White Sox.
• Jacob Jackson at Athletics Nation predicts destinations for his top 12 free agents.  My Top 50 will come out after the World Series.  I disagree with a few of Jacob's picks - Derek Lowe and Jason Giambi re-signing and the Cubs signing Adam Dunn.
• I attempted to find some over/undervalued starting pitchers for fantasy baseball over at RotoAuthority.

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Odds and Ends: Steinbrenner, Burnett, Sabathia

Links for Sunday, before I head out to Chipotle...

• Hank Steinbrenner talked to George King of the New York Post. He made it clear that he has not taken a step back in running the Yankees.  Hank also mentions Mark Teixeira by name, calling him a "quality player."
• Ken Davidoff tries to determine if A.J. Burnett's injury-prone days are behind him, as his agent would like us to believe.
• Henry Schulman chatted with Dodgers GM Ned Colletti.
• John Shea lays odds for the C.C. Sabathia bidding.
• Phil Rogers campaigns for an extension for Cubs GM Jim Hendry.  He wonders if Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood would follow if Hendry joined a different team.
• A's GM Billy Beane talked to Matthew Lutovsky of the Sporting News about fantasy baseball as well as a new video game.

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A's Rumors: Ellis, Embree

More A's rumors and news, courtesy of Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (here and here).

• GM Billy Beane is committed to the long-term plan, and is not interested in quick fixes.  He'd like to add a free agent bat, probably an older player on a short-term commitment (Jason Giambi could make sense).
• Second baseman Mark Ellis had shoulder surgery a few weeks ago.  The uncertainty hurts his free agency prospects, which might give the A's a better chance to re-sign him.  Ellis is a Beane favorite, and the A's hope to bring him back.
• The A's will decide on Alan Embree's $3MM option after the World Series.

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McGwire Open To Idea Of Playing Again

Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch interviewed Mark McGwire about the 10th anniversary of breaking Roger Maris' single-season home run record. At the end of the article McGwire indicates that he thinks he can still play.

Today, McGwire says, he works out twice a day and still weighs 245 pounds. "I can still hit, if somebody wants me," he said. "Now, wouldn’t that be a shocker?"

Let me say that McGwire may have been joking. However, Hummel gives us no indication that this is the case.

Earlier today, Joe Stiglich reported that the A's would seek to add power to the lineup this off-season and that they would be more likely to acquire a power-hitter through free agency. Would Billy Beane try to coax McGwire out of retirement? McGwire did play 11 seasons for the A's and they do have an opening for a DH in '09 along with a dire need to add an impact bat.

The possibility does seem far-fetched, but this is the type of move that Beane would not shy from. And if McGwire did decide to lace up the sneakers for one more season, this is the exact situation under which it would have to happen.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

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More On Harden, Sabathia Trades

I've got some odds and ends related to the Rich Harden and CC Sabathia trades.

• The Cub Reporter had an interesting post yesterday, stating that Harden can demand a trade after this season under the old CBA.  The Cubs could always sidestep that by declining Harden's $7MM option and going through the arbitration process with him.  I ran this by a source close to the situation, and he said the Cubs are not worried about Harden demanding a trade.
• Bruce Miles talks about the "great personal and working relationship" between GMs Jim Hendry and Billy Beane.
• Susan Slusser says Beane never inquired on the Cubs' top draft pick from 2007, third baseman Josh Vitters.  She says the A's did not consider it appropriate to ask for a player they had no chance of getting.
• Slusser adds that "there is thought among other clubs that the A's might deal Matt Murton or Eric Patterson."
• Authors at the Hardball Times did a roundtable about both trades.
• Squawking Baseball praises Beane's boldness.
• The Royals spoke internally about Sabathia, but it never got to the point of a discussion with the Indians.

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