Bobby Abreu Rumors

Arbitration Offer Feedback

24 free agents were offered arbitration yesterday; several notable names were not. The deadline for those 24 to accept or decline is Sunday at 11pm CST. If a player accepts, he's under contract on a one-year deal for '09 and his salary cannot be reduced by more than 20% (most players get raises). Anyway, let's round up feedback on yesterday's decisions. Plenty of good insight from Yahoo's Jeff Passan. How about the idea that the D'Backs didn't offer arbitration to Dunn because they didn't want to shell out too much money on draft picks next year? River Ave. Blues says...   Continue Reading

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Yankees Decline To Offer Arb To Pettitte, Abreu, Mussina

8:04pm: One of Abreu's agents, Chris Leible, spoke to Peter Abraham. Though Cashman said he was still engaged with Abreu, Leible says he hasn't heard from the Yankees once since the end of the season. 4:48pm: According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, the Yankees declined to offer arbitration to Type A free agents Andy Pettitte, Bobby Abreu, and Mike Mussina (and all other free agents). Peter Abraham and Ed Price may have had this on the web earlier; it was close. The Abreu decision comes as a surprise; until this morning most believed the Yankees were willing to risk a one-year...   Continue Reading

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Perrotto's Latest: Teixeira, Burnett, Wilson

John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus has his Sunday article up. Let's go through it: The Angels may be willing to match the Yankees $140MM offer to CC Sabathia. They won't offer 10 years to Mark Teixeira. If they can't land Teixeira, they will consider Pat Burrell for first base. A.J. Burnett is looking at the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Yankees, Braves, Orioles, and Phillies. The Twins want a left-side infielder for Delmon Young, so they can open a spot for Denard Span in the starting lineup. The Tigers are pursuing Jack Wilson from the Pirates and Matt Treanor from the...   Continue Reading

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Cubs Rumors: Ibanez, Abreu, Teahen

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has a couple of new Cubs articles up, here and here. Manager Lou Piniella would prefer the Cubs acquire a middle of the order hitter over a leadoff man, if only one can be acquired. Piniella had kind words for possible free agent target Raul Ibanez. Piniella continued to dismiss the idea of the Cubs pursuing Jake Peavy (despite recent comments from Padres GM Kevin Towers). He'd like to give Mike Fontenot more playing time in 2009, which would help balance the lineup. In the spring the Cubs will see if Fontenot can chip...   Continue Reading

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Mets Rumors: Castillo, K-Rod, Abreu

A few Mets rumors have surfaced today... According to David Lennon of Newsday, Mets GM Omar Minaya is ready to go ahead with Luis Castillo at second base next year. Paul Kinzer, the agent for Francisco Rodriguez, expects to meet with the Mets next week to negotiate for K-Rod, according to Peter Botte of the New York Daily News. After the Mets review K-Rod's medical records, Kinzer acknowledged that the next step would be a face-to-face meeting. And Anthony McCarron has a source who says the Mets and Cubs have both expressed interest in Bobby Abreu. However, the Mets continue...   Continue Reading

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Yankees Rumors: Abreu, Burnett, Teixeira

George King of the New York Post and Kat O'Brien of Newsday have the latest on the Yankees, who are in hot pursuit of free agent starting pitching. The Yankees will offer arbitration to Bobby Abreu, according to Jon Heyman. No surprise there. King says the Yankees are preparing an offer for A.J. Burnett, "perhaps a five-year deal worth about $80 million." Burnett's agent says they're just discussing parameters. It would be a strong offer, dwarfing the Blue Jays' four years, $54MM. ESPN's Buster Olney believes a fifth guaranteed year will ultimately result in the winning bid for Burnett. The...   Continue Reading

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Stark's Latest: Abreu, Arroyo, Hudson

ESPN's Jayson Stark is back with a look at needs and plans for all 30 teams. I highly recommend you read the article, but here are a few highlights. He's also got a fresh blog post here. The Phillies are eyeing Doug Brocail and Russ Springer. The Mets like Bobby Abreu, but not his three year, $45MM asking price. The Reds are quietly listening on Bronson Arroyo, and the Rangers may be interested. Contrary to previous reports, Stark believes the Mets' first order of business is getting a starting pitcher. Here's a new one - the Marlins are interested in...   Continue Reading

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Brown's Latest: Furcal, Manny, Abreu

Tip of the cap to Yahoo's Tim Brown, who was the first reporter yesterday to name the three players the Rockies would receive in the Matt Holliday trade. Now let's take a look at Brown's latest column. Brown believes everyone cleared their physicals in the Holliday deal, so expect news conferences soon. He says the A's may add a couple more hitters, possibly Rafael Furcal and/or Jason Giambi. Brown says Jim Bowden is promising everyone the Nationals will be in on the Manny Ramirez bidding. With Josh Willingham, Lastings Milledge, Elijah Dukes, Austin Kearns, Wily Mo Pena, and Willie Harris...   Continue Reading

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Royals Payroll Could Reach $70 Million

Sports Radio 810 in Kansas City talked to Royals GM Dayton Moore recently. Moore hopes to sign Zack Greinke long-term. Greinke, however, is comfortable going year to year to maximize his earnings. Moore named three free agent bats he ranked above Mike Jacobs: Mark Teixeira, Manny Ramirez, and Bobby Abreu. He implied those three are out of the Royals' price range. Moore feels that Jacobs will continue to improve. Moore says he has flexibility to extend payroll toward $70MM or even higher. He notes that last year the Royals tried to sign Jose Guillen and Torii Hunter, which would've pushed...   Continue Reading

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Perrotto's Latest: Free Agent Predictions

John Perrotto has his Every Given Sunday column up over at Baseball Prospectus. Perrotto offers a list of some educated guesses as to where some of the top free agents in baseball will land, with some surprises here and there. Let's take a look: Perrotto lists the Yankees loading up on starting pitching, landing C.C. Sabathia and Derek Lowe, while the Dodgers land Manny Ramirez after doubling their initial offer to four years, $100MM. Perrotto says the Nationals will land Mark Teixeira, as they could be prepared to offer Teixeira - a Maryland native - ten years, $200MM. Turning down...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Fielder, Beimel, Eckstein

Ken Rosenthal is on the scene at the GM meetings, and as usual has all kinds of new info. The Brewers are unlikely to trade Prince Fielder, and reluctant to trade J.J. Hardy or Alcides Escobar. It'd be smart to retain those three players. Rosenthal still likes the Braves as the favorite for Jake Peavy, but wonders if the Cubs or another team could incorporate a third team to get it done. The Cubs will need to spend much of their available money on pitching, which may leave little payroll room for an outfielder like Bobby Abreu. They could backload...   Continue Reading

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Latest Yankees Info

Peter Abraham was in on the Brian Cashman briefing; his blog posts can be found here and here. Option decisions are due on Jason Giambi, Carl Pavano, and Damaso Marte by November 14th. The only uncertainty is with Marte's $6MM option. George King reported yesterday that the Yankees are unlikely to exercise it. Abraham says Cashman indicated that Marte could be signed to a new contract if the option is declined. I imagine it'd take multiple years to entice him. There have been no conversations between the Yankees and Bobby Abreu's agents. Abreu is looking for a three-year deal, so...   Continue Reading

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Yankees Are Abreu's First Choice

According to Jesse Spector of the New York Daily News, Bobby Abreu would like to remain a Yankee. Chris Leible, one of Abreu's agents, said that Abreu's been "very happy with the Yankees" and that returning to play for them is his "first choice." Spector points out that the Yankees have lots of outfielders already under control next year. Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Xavier Nady, Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner are all options for the Yankees in the outfield. Since Jorge Posada might have to DH, the Yankees can't afford to carry too many outfield-DH type players. Abreu was productive...   Continue Reading

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Yankees Plan To Offer Abreu Arbitration

George King and Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reported today that the Yankees plan to offer arbitration to right fielder Bobby Abreu. It's an obvious decision, since the Yankees either get him on a one-year deal or get two draft picks when he signs elsewhere. Abreu has said he's looking for a three-year deal, but prefers the Yankees. The authors suggest the Mets could be a fit.   Continue Reading

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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Ordonez, Yankees, Red Sox

A look at what is being written around the Blogosphere... MetsBlog says Magglio Ordonez may not be the best option but could be a good backup plan should other scenarios not play out (ie. Manny Ramirez). Talking Chop thinks Ordonez is a good fit for the Braves noting that the team has significant money to spend this offseason. River Ave. Blues is not excited about the possibility of Ordonez in the Yankees' outfield, noting that it makes more sense to re-sign Bobby Abreu for less money. Was Watching wonders if the Yankees would have to sign C.C. Sabathia in order...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Hudson, Cano, Mariners GM

Links for Wednesday... ESPN's Jayson Stark reminds us that Manny Ramirez could've been traded to the Phillies in July. But the Phils wouldn't offer Lou Marson, didn't like the idea of Manny in right field, and were concerned about Ramirez's hustle. Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog gives his early sense of the team's offseason approach. He doesn't seem them splurging on one of the big free agent names. MLB.com's Marty Noble heard Orlando Hudson "yearns to play for the Mets" (hat tip to MetsBlog). Jamey Newberg believes in the Rangers' plan. Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn't believe Robinson...   Continue Reading

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Cubs Rumors: Hendry, Payroll, Ibanez, Roberts

Let's talk Cubs. First things first - the Cubs need to lock in their GM. ESPN's Buster Olney says the Cubs are currently trying to convince Jim Hendry not to opt out of his contract in December. Olney expects a new long-term agreement. Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago-Sun Times talked to Cubs CEO Crane Kenney, who anticipates another payroll bump despite ownership uncertainty. Maybe the $140MM range? Lot of talk about the Cubs adding a left-handed hitter for balance, with Kosuke Fukudome looking like a failure. Names suggested by Olney, Wittenmeyer, and Andy Dolan of Desipio.com: Raul Ibanez, Bobby Abreu,...   Continue Reading

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Where Will Atlanta Find A Bat?

Mark Bowman of MLB.com has a new mailbag up. The first question leads to a discussion of the Braves adding a bat this off-season. The Braves have $45MM to spend this winter, and could use every penny to fortify their team. While pitching is certainly a concern, the team would like to add a bat. They could use an outfielder or three. Bowman begins by listing the usual free agent targets: Pat Burrell and Adam Dunn, though he notes that the team isn't necessarily interested in either. In the Braves offseason outlook, Tim also mentioned free agents Raul Ibanez and...   Continue Reading

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Abreu Wants At Least Three Years

According to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, right fielder Bobby Abreu wants at least a three-year contract as he heads toward free agency for the first time in his career. Abreu prefers to remain with the Yankees, but he does not want a one-year deal. He certainly wouldn't have to settle for that on the open market. The general consensus is that the Yanks will offer Abreu arbitration and be content with compensatory draft picks if and when he turns it down. Abreu, 34, hit .296/.371/.471 in 684 plate appearances this year. The average AL right fielder...   Continue Reading

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Yankees Rumors: Jeter, Sabathia, Hudson

Let's talk Yankees. Ken Davidoff makes recommendations for the '09 Yankees. He would sign Derek Lowe and Andy Pettitte, and offer arbitration to Damaso Marte and Bobby Abreu. Jim Baumbach explains a tricky situation coming up: re-signing Derek Jeter. Peter Abraham takes a look at various free agents on the minds' of Yankees fans. Tyler Kepner of the New York Times says first priority for the Yankees is to re-sign Brian Cashman. I imagine they already have a Plan B in place, but recent reports lean toward Cashman returning. Kepner says the Indians were aggressive in pursuing a deadline deal...   Continue Reading

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Olney On The Free Agent Market

ESPN's Buster Olney has a great blog post up today with his musings about this winter's free agent market. Let's take a look. Industry people believe the current state of the economy might temper offseason spending. We've already heard the rumblings that typically high-spending teams like the Angels, Tigers and Mariners backing off or holding the line on payroll. Olney feels C.C. Sabathia could draw a $140MM offer from the Yankees, but something more in the $90-100MM range from the Angels or Dodgers. So he may have to decide whether playing close to home is worth $30-50MM. Olney extols the...   Continue Reading

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Heyman's Latest: Sabathia, Roberts, Cain

Here's a look at the latest column from SI.com's Jon Heyman. One "Yankees person" believes it will take "crazy money" to convince C.C. Sabathia to pitch in New York and in the American League. The following three names are being bandied about in the Yankees' clubhouse for center field next year: Nate McLouth, David DeJesus, and Matt Kemp. DeJesus seems the most reasonable target, though Robinson Cano could be part of a package for Kemp. DeJesus, it should be noted, played a poor center field this year according to the plus/minus system. Heyman doesn't see the Yankees re-signing Jason Giambi...   Continue Reading

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Perrotto's Latest: GMs, Angels, Offseason Moves

John Perrotto at Baseball Prospectus has his Every Given Sunday column up, let's take a look at what he has to say: Perrotto believes that there's a good chance that the only GM change baseball will see this offseason may be the one we already know about, as Pat Gillick has already announced his retirement. Perrotto cites Assitant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. as a likely replacement. The most likely other change is in Seattle, and cites Dodgers' Assistant GM Kim Ng as a possible replacement, which would make her the first female general manager in the game's history. Perrotto believes...   Continue Reading

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Yanks To Let Abreu, Giambi Leave?

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post: The general consensus appears that free agents Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi will be allowed to leave and that fits a logic: The Yanks are trying to get younger, trying to thin the herd of aging corner outfield/first base/DH types and trying to reduce the payroll where possible. The Yanks would save more than $25MM by letting the pair leave. But as Sherman notes, they'd lose a couple of their top OBP guys. They'd also face a weak free agent market for first basemen, aside from Mark Teixeira. In the outfield,...   Continue Reading

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Sherman's Latest: Yankees' Off-Season Plans

Earlier this week Hank Steinbrenner promised changes this off-season for the Yankees. Today Joel Sherman of the New York Post speculates on what those changes could look like... Sources tell Sherman that Steinbrenner wants to make CC Sabathia the highest paid pitcher ever. Sherman thinks Shane Victorino would be a nice fit for the Yankees in center field. Some Yankees officials are toying with the idea of trading some of their young pitching if the Yankees do land Sabathia and another veteran such as AJ Burnett. Sherman thinks a player like Phil Hughes could be used to land a young...   Continue Reading

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Will Yanks Make Any Trades?

Joel Sherman of the New York Post discusses the Yankees' trade prospects in a blog post today. The Yankees have a 3-5% chance of making the playoffs this year, according to Baseball Prospectus. Sherman suggests Johnny Damon, Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, and Carl Pavano as players with a slight chance of being dealt. No-trade clauses would present an obstacle for most of these players, however. As Sherman notes, Abreu is locked in as a Type A free agent. For the Yankees to receive draft picks for him this winter, they'd have to offer him arbitration and have him...   Continue Reading

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Looking At The Yankees' Impending Free Agents

The Yankees have several big-name free agents looming this off-season, including Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettite, Ivan Rodriguez, Mike Mussina, and Jason Giambi ($5MM buyout for his $22MM option). Deciding who to bring back, who to let walk and who to offer arbitration could be the key decisions that have a ripple effect throughout the rest of baseball. Tyler Kepner says the Yankees have already decided to not bring back Abreu and Giambi at their current salaries, $16MM and $21MM respectively. However Kepler says the Yankees may be open to bringing Abreu back at a reduced rate, especially without any obvious...   Continue Reading

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Week In Review: 8/3 - 8/9

Here's a quick look back at some of the bigger stories on MLBTR over the past week: D'Backs ace Dan Haren signed a very affordable extension with the team, which would keep him in Arizona through 2012 with an option for 2013. Great deal for the D'Backs and their fans. Brian Giles was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox, which is now believed to have been an effort to block the Rays from acquiring him. Giles blocked the trade to Boston with his no-trade clause. The Rockies acquired Livan Hernandez from the Twins. Minnesota won't receive a player in...   Continue Reading

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Abreu Hopes To Re-Sign With Yankees

According to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, right fielder Bobby Abreu hopes to play for the Yankees a few more years. A quote from Abreu: "I'm a free agent at the end of the year, so you understand how that is. Here is where I want to be, but we still have this season to play. There's still a long time before we talk about that." Abreu, 34, is hitting .291/.364/.476 in 483 plate appearances this year. He did about the same in '07. Last November the Yankees exercised Abreu's $16MM option for '08. It's probably not going to make sense...   Continue Reading

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Mailbag: Roberts, Teixeira, Johan, Nathan, And More

Time for this week's mailbag. You can hit it up at mlbtrmailbag@gmail.com to get in your question for next week. Do you see the Twins signing a big name middle of the order bopper or trading for one before the opening of the new stadium in 2010? - Jordan Funny you ask this. I recently asked LEN3 whether the Twins would have a $100MM payroll for the 2010 season, and he said, "I don't see it." So I'll go with his wisdom and say business as usual for the Twins despite the stadium. Why are the White Sox not aggressively..   Continue Reading

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Yankees Exercise Abreu's Option For '08

As expected, the Yankees have exercised Bobby Abreu's $16MM option for 2008. While it's a little pricey, the cost certainty and one-year commitment made it an easy decision. The Yankees may have an outfielder to spare, with Abreu, Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon, and Hideki Matsui all under contract for 2008. Of course since the DH and 1B spots aren't both tied up by Jason Giambi, Joe Girardi could definitely work with his current roster and get everyone the necessary ABs. By my calculation the Yankees will have roughly $135MM worth of contracts for 2008 if Andy Pettitte exercises his option...   Continue Reading

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Yanks Dragging Feet With Posada, Discussing Crede

Mark Feinsand has really been on top of the Yankee rumors in this young offseason. Bill Madden helps him on this one. The Yankees still haven't made an offer to Jorge Posada, and baseball insiders can't figure out why. The Yanks are said to be prepared to offer 3/40, which most perceive as only a starting point in the negotiations. The Mets hope to lure Posada away, but it could take four or even a ridiculous five years. Like I've said...4/56. The Yankees will pay up. But if the Mets do get the Posada prize, the Yankees at least get..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Abreu, Beckett, Helton, Schilling

Friday afternoon rumor tidbits... The Indians will probably let Kenny Lofton leave while exercising Joe Borowski's $4MM option. No big surprise there. Nor is it a surprise that the Yankees are heavily leaning towards exercising Bobby Abreu's $16MM option. From the what might've been department: Red Sox owner John Henry was in favor of signing A.J. Burnett instead of trading for Josh Beckett. One could make a solid argument that the Red Sox would be better off if Henry had gotten his wish. Beckett and Julio Lugo combined for 8.6 wins at $14MM this year while Burnett and Hanley Ramirez..   Continue Reading

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Cashman Takes Firm Stance On A-Rod

When we last heard from him eight days ago, Brian Cashman left himself some wiggle room to negotiate with Alex Rodriguez even if he opts out in November and the Yankees lose the Texas money. The implication then was that higher-ranking club officials could overrule Cashman's recommendation. Yesterday, after the Yankees' meeting of the minds in Tampa, Cashman took a firmer stance: If Alex Rodriguez opts out of his contract then we will not participate in free agency. That is accurate and that is definitive. Why this is being aired out in public I'm not sure, but at this point..   Continue Reading

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Yanks Likely To Exercise Abreu's Option

Bobby Abreu has a $16MM option for the 2008 season with a $2MM buyout attached. Effectively, it's a $14MM decision for Brian Cashman. Despite an awful start to the season, Abreu has solid counting stats and a .287/.367/.454 line overall. Since June 1st, he's hitting an elite .320/.398/.548 in 347 ABs. Abreu will turn 34 in March. According to both Buster Olney and Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, the option is a virtual lock to be picked up. Most teams would be very eager to sign Abreu on a one-year, $14MM deal, and that's what this amounts to...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Damon, Glaus, Wells

Ken Rosenthal has a new column up; here are some rumor-related points of interest. As you know, it doesn't make sense for the Yankees to keep both Bobby Abreu and Johnny Damon around for 2008. It's just not an efficent way to spend $29MM. Rosenthal says Damon would be open to waiving his no-trade clause, if the Yankees struck a deal with a team that fell under his 12-team protection. Damon is apparently open to regular playing time on teams not located on the West Coast. The White Sox, Phillies, Braves, or Astros might make sense, in my opinion. The..   Continue Reading

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Byrnes Extension Seems Unlikely

It seems unlikely that the Diamondbacks will sign 31 year-old outfielder Eric Byrnes to a contract extension. According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, the team won't even approach Juan Pierre's five-year, $45MM deal. And Juan Pierre isn't good. It's just the business reality - the Diamondbacks have way too much outfield talent in their system to give Byrnes anything near what he's worth. He'd probably have to take something like two years, $20MM to remain in Arizona. Earlier I said 4/32 might do it but now I'm thinking even that wouldn't work. I still like him as a..   Continue Reading

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Yankees To Offer Up Abreu?

Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record talked to one Major League executive who believes the Yankees are likely to shop outfielder Bobby Abreu to the NL this month. The key would be the Yankees paying a portion of the $10MM coming to Abreu this year. Abreu still has a $16MM option for 2008 with a $2MM buyout attached. If he has a few more months like June - .290/.408/.470 - the option could still be picked up. The Yanks could exercise it and then look to trade him during the offseason. The cost certainty and one-year commitment might be attractive..   Continue Reading

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White Sox Won't Trade For Prospects

White Sox GM Kenny Williams spoke to reporters yesterday, indicating that his phone lines are buzzing but he won't be trading his future free agents for prospects. Talent for talent is the name of the game, though the Jermaine Dye/Bobby Abreu talks have apparently died. The Sox are given a meager 1.7% chance to make the playoffs, according to Baseball Prospectus and PECOTA. And I rounded up. They're in fourth place, seven games back in the AL Central. They're in fifth for the wild card, 4.5 games out. If we try this exercise without PECOTA projections, the chances still seem..   Continue Reading

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Abreu For Dye Swap Still Alive

Ken Rosenthal's recent report indicated that the Jermaine Dye for Bobby Abreu talks had cooled over the last week or so. However, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times indicated today that this deal "has started to take some life." Read the article, and you'll find some quotes from Dye that apparently have annoyed the White Sox. Personally I think his comments are just fine. Basically he says that he will play hard for any team, and that swapping him for another veteran won't ignite the Sox. Who can disagree with that? Would Abreu really spark the Sox? The last time..   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest Video

Ken Rosenthal reeled off a slew of sweet trade rumors in a couple of videos today, which you can watch at FOXSports. Let's discuss. Rosenthal says the Cubs won't trade Carlos Zambrano unless they fall out of contention or the big righty requests a trade. Rosenthal finds neither scenario likely. He says Zambrano still has a good relationship with Jim Hendry, and the Cubs still intend to sign him. The contract remains on hold. Interesting, but not surprising to see that the Cubs are still veering towards this mistake after what we've seen this year. Lots of good Jermaine Dye..   Continue Reading

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More Rosenthal

Ken Rosenthal's been a busy man today. He's got another column up for FOXSports.com; go read it. The high-level version: Rosenthal sees the Yankees declining Bobby Abreu's 2008 option and turning to Melky Cabrera or a big name free agent for right field. I agree; you can check out my other assessments of 2008 club options here. Might be time to switch my predictions on Juan Uribe, Jose Guillen, and Paul Byrd. I can now see Uribe declined and the other two exercised. Byrd has come alive, and Guillen's strong May has sparked the chance of the Ms taking their..   Continue Reading

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The Abreu Option

Bobby Abreu is really struggling this year - he's hitting just .250/.325/.309 in 136 ABs. Even his occasionally Bondsian walk rate is down around 10%. The Yankees are paying him $15MM this year, and have a $16MM option with a $2MM buyout for 2008. In my 2008 Club Options post a couple of weeks ago, I voted that the Yankees would decline the option. At that point I was ignorant to the buyout price, however. It's more like a $14MM decision, and that's a bit more palatable. If Abreu was on track for a line around .290/.420/.450, I think it's..   Continue Reading

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Abreu Traded To Yankees

As many are aware at this point, Bobby Abreu has been pulled from Philadelphia's lineup today against Anibal Sanchez in favor of Shane Victorino. It appears that a trade is imminent. UPDATE: ESPN's Buster Olney reports the deal is tenatively done - Abreu and Lidle to the Yankees. Jayson Stark is now indicating that 27 year-old lefty reliever Matt Smith may be part of the deal along with C.J. Henry. Smith has a 2.08 ERA in 26 Triple A innings this season   Continue Reading

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Bobby Abreu Update

About 29 hours remain for GMs to get their deals done. Plenty of new stuff popped up this morning, as many sportswriters were saving good stuff for the Sunday edition. Let's start off with the Bobby Abreu saga. Late last night, we went to bed with Jayson Stark's update as the last word. Seemed like talks between the Yankees and Phillies were in advanced stages, and that it would be Abreu, Cory Lidle, and all their salary for a couple of lower-grade prospects. The latest from Ken Rosenthal is that the Red Sox are getting into the game, trying to..   Continue Reading

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Stark: Yanks Close To Abreu Trade

No, those weren't Jayson Stark's exact words. But he does have a late night trade update indicating that the Yankees and Phillies are hammering out a deal for Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle. Apparently the two clubs are negotiating which prospects will head to Philly. The Phillies are said to be targeting shortstop C.J. Henry and starter Steven White. For some reason Stark says C.J. Wilson in his update, but I believe he meant to say Henry. C.J. Henry was the Yanks' first round draft pick in '05. He's the best athlete in the system according to Baseball America. The..   Continue Reading

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Stark: Phils To Package Abreu and Lieber?

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new lead on the Bobby Abreu discussions: the Phils have begun pitching Abreu and Jon Lieber as a package deal. Stark says that only the Yankees could consider it, and that the price would actually lessen in this scenario because of all the salary. Check out the Phils' salary page at Cot's Baseball Contracts; they've got a host of ugly commitments handcuffing Pat Gillick. Beyond Abreu and Lieber, there are contracts for Pat Burrell, Randy Wolf, Mike Lieberthal, Arthur Rhodes, and Tom Gordon. In my opinion, if you're going to blow it up, don't half-ass..   Continue Reading

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Trade Rumor Roundup: 10 Days Left

Couple of fresh rumors surrounding the Padres' third base vacancy, and I'm proud to say that MLBTradeRumors was able to deduce these in advance. A week ago I compiled a spreadsheet of Kevin Towers' trading history since 2001, nerd that I am. From that we learned that Towers loves working with the Red Sox and also Bill Bavasi. That he would consider Adrian Beltre and Mike Lowell for his vacancy followed logically. Today, the Beltre rumor comes courtesy of Ken Rosenthal and Buster Olney threw down the Lowell rumor. If those two big dogs fall through, Towers could pursue previous..   Continue Reading

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Rumor Roundup

Another day, another rumor roundup. Let's throw everything fresh into the mill. The Orioles are thinking about taking on one of Philly's huge outfielder contracts, for some reason. I guess this could help next year's push for third place. Baltimore is one of baseball's most baffling teams to me. Abreu rumors have been floating around the Orioles since at least November. The Cubs and Yankees may have something cooking, with Scott Williamson the likely candidate to be dealt. If the reliever market is really so inflated, why don't the Cubs trade Howry and Eyre? The Pirates are offering up all..   Continue Reading

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Rumor Roundup

Here are some trade rumors from the last day or so that we haven't covered. All come from various newspapers or other published reports. Yesterday ESPN's Jayson Stark reported some Bobby Abreu interest coming from the Brewers. It was a longshot from the start given Abreu's contract. Today it's been revealed that Doug Melvin hasn't even spoken to Pat Gillick on the topic, and the rumor was placed by a rival GM. Any guesses who? Something seems to be brewing between the Yankees and Royals, and Reggie Sanders is the name that makes sense. The Royals would do well to..   Continue Reading

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St. Paul Pioneer Press: Tigers Close To Abreu Deal

I can't determine who actually wrote this, but it is a published report in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. It's called Don't Print That and has a smattering of rumors from various sports. The baseball notes: "A little birdie says the first-place Detroit Tigers are close to a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies for right fielder Bobby Abreu. The Indians, in town to play the Twins, are talking about trading Aaron Boone to the Los Angeles Dodgers." We've all heard of the Tigers' interest in Abreu, so we'll have to see what comes of that rumor. As far as Aaron..   Continue Reading

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Phillies Trade Rumors: Cleaning House

According to Gotham Baseball and other sources, Pat Gillick is ready to cash in on 2006 and free up some payroll. The Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees should be involved. Here's a look at the team's contract obligations. Bobby Abreu makes $15MM next year and then has a $16MM club option with a $2MM buyout. Maybe he'll demand that it's exercised upon a trade. He'll still be a 5-7 win player annually for a little while, but that salary is a beast. The 32 year-old Abreu is willing to waive his no-trade, and my gut tells me that he'd do it..   Continue Reading

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KW Denies Abreu Rumor...Or Does He?

Respected Chicago Tribune sportswriter Mark Gonzales got in touch with Kenny Williams through a spokesman tonight. Based on this article, it seems that Gonzales inquired about the recent Abreu for Contreras/Dye rumor. The word: "Williams, through a team spokesman, said there is nothing to the report, adding he hadn't spoken to the Phillies in eight or nine days and that no proposal was tendered." Now, we didn't report that this thing was on the verge. My point, rather, was that the White Sox love Abreu. That was confirmed by my source; the actual Dye/Contreras scenario was reportedly broken by Howard..   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Abreu, Manny

In very minor news, ESPN is reporting that the Cubs have signed righthanded pitcher Jason Simontacchi to a minor league deal. He was slightly less than terrible for Triple A Memphis last year and saw 15 ugly innings in the Majors. He's not young, but did win 11 games for the Cards back in '02. Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News acknowledged the Abreu to the White Sox trade rumor, branding it an "Internet rumor." Fair enough; I could've sworn Howard Eskin started this one though. Regardless, I think we should start referring to rumors from the Philadelphia Daily..   Continue Reading

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White Sox Interested In Abreu

Remember that Abreu/Contreras/Dye rumor that was bouncing around last night that couldn't quite graduate from the Unfounded category? We're a little closer to a foundation about this one tonight. A very solid source close to the Phillies tells me that Kenny Williams and the White Sox "love" Bobby Abreu. It's the first I've heard that the club is truly interested in the right fielder. He also mentioned that the Phils would like a pitcher like Jose Contreras. There is some question as to whether the Phils would need to include Gavin Floyd to make an equitable deal. He said that..   Continue Reading

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Manny To Philly Rumor Looks False

This trade rumor has been lighting up forums across the Internet all day long: Manny Ramirez to the Phillies for Bobby Abreu. According to the rumor, it's "basically a done deal." I got in touch with my very best Phillies source for the scoop. According to my source: "I checked it out with high-ranking sources as early as 4 p.m., then again at 7. Nothing is going on." This is definitely an authentic, reliable source, so I have to assume that this trade rumor doesn't have a leg to stand on. I'm the last guy to want to kill an..   Continue Reading

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Kaplan: Cubs "Trying Hard" For Tejada

Late last night I talked to Dave Kaplan, co-host of WGN's Sports Central. Dave gave me a different take on the Miguel Tejada situation than what my source told me. He said his sources indicate the White Sox are out of the Tejada sweepstakes and that the Red Sox are also backing away now that Manny said he'll stay. According to Kaplan, the Cubs are "trying hard." He also mentioned that there's "still a long way to go to get a deal done, but if the Cubs will include Felix Pie they could get it done." FoxSports's Ken Rosenthal threw..   Continue Reading

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Zito, Kendall For Floyd, Abreu, Lieberthal?

A wild rumor has surfaced on the A's page of MLB.com. According to the site: "Late Wednesday, another rumor popped up, with the Phillies said to have offered outfielder Bobby Abreu, catcher Mike Lieberthal and pitching prospect Gavin Floyd for lefty Barry Zito and catcher Jason Kendall." Lieberthal and Kendall had about equal value on the field in 2005. Comparing contracts, the catcher part of the deal is a big win for Oakland. Kendall's on the hook for $19MM through 2007, while Lieberthal is owed $7.5MM for 2006 only. So the A's come out a good $11.5MM ahead here, especially..   Continue Reading

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Prior For Abreu: Forget It

One of the hot rumors at the moment is that the Cubs "didn't say no" when the Phillies asked for Mark Prior in return for Bobby Abreu. This Philadelphia Daily News article only fueled the fire. Hopefully putting the rumor to bed, Bruce Levine quoted Jim Hendry recently on ESPN Radio 1000 as saying Prior for Abreu is not an option. According to Levine, Carlos Zambrano is off the table as well. While the Cubs need a shakeup and Abreu is a star, dealing one of their young, cheap ace pitchers isn't the solution. Prior had home run and walk..   Continue Reading

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Is Bobby Abreu Clutch?

I noticed some people saying that Bobby Abreu isn't clutch. I figured it would make sense to put some numbers behind it to see if it's just a perception that caught on or if it's true. Reader Bill already weighed in with Abreu's September batting averages in a different post, so I'll begin by expanding on that to include Abreu's full AVG/OBP/SLG lines in recent Septembers. First, his career line: .303/.411/.512. Can't complain about that. September 2005: .250/.395/.396 September 2004: .326/.483/.500 September 2003: .308/.432/.407 September 2002: .366/.455/.591 OK, it looks like his power numbers were way down this season and..   Continue Reading

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More Cardinals Rumblings

Trusted blogger Lboros has a new post over at Viva El Birdos that does a solid, thorough job of sifting through the rumors flying about in relation to the Cardinals. Especially with that infamous memo. The memo! The memo! You can check out our post from yesterday morning as a refresher. The short version: Walt Jocketty has been unusually uptight this offseason and has been keeping things close to the vest. The Abreu to the Cards rumor is more than idle speculation; it seems some talks have taken place on that. Lboros doesn't think the deal is a good fit..   Continue Reading

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Further Thoughts On Bobby Abreu

Amid the Bobby Abreu for Erik Bedard and Jay Gibbons trade rumor yesterday, I made a comment that Abreu was "strangely unpopular in Philadelphia." While I've read this in the papers and seen it on message boards, my comment doesn't really do justice to Phillies fans. So I emailed Jason Weitzel of the Beer Leaguer Phillies Blog to get further insight on Abreu. Below are some excerpts. Beer Leaguer visitors on Abreu: Among Internet users who read my site and others, opinion is largely favorable. Most readers who check out blogs are familiar with the innovative ways teams are valuing..   Continue Reading

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Bobby Abreu For Erik Bedard And Jay Gibbons

So the John Mabry rumor didn't carry enough heft for you? Looking for something juicer? How about this from a source in the Philadelphia area: The Phillies are apparently talking to the Orioles about sending them Bobby Abreu for Erik Bedard and Jay Gibbons. Abreu was the third-best hitting right fielder in the game in 2005, and the second-best in '04. He'll make $13MM in 2006 and is strangely unpopular in Philadelphia. Abreu is also on the hook for $15MM in 2007 with a $16MM club option for 2008. The '08 option has a $2MM buyout attached. Abreu will be..   Continue Reading

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