C.C. Sabathia Rumors

Rosenthal's Latest: Dunn, Burrell, Manny

6:16pm: MLB.com's Mark Bowman says the Braves are not interested in Dunn because they seek a right-handed bat. Does that rule out Raul Ibanez as well? 1:51pm: The latest from Ken Rosenthal: The Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, and Phillies are pursuing free agent outfielder Rocco Baldelli. Now that Adam Dunn wasn't offered arbitration, the market is starting to take shape. The Braves, Mariners, and Nationals are interested, and the Dodgers and Angels consider him a fallback option. How about Dunn and Russell Branyan in the same lineup? Rosenthal considers the Yankees another possibility. Teams considering Pat Burrell, who was also...   Continue Reading

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Stark's Latest: Sabathia, Furcal, Peavy

A few notes from Jayson Stark's latest blog post... Stark believes the possibility of C.C. Sabathia signing with the Giants is alive, and the Giants have talked to the pitcher's agent. Such a signing might compel Brian Sabean to remove Matt Cain's "untouchable" tag, in Stark's opinion. Earlier today Ken Rosenthal suggested the Giants were a dark horse for C.C. The Giants offered three years to Rafael Furcal. He wants four, so they switched their attention to Edgar Renteria. The Giants want a shorter-term deal so their own prospects can take over within a few years. Stark notes that the...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Griffey, Springer, Hoffman

Links for Wednesday... Common misconception Joe and I keep running into: signing one of the 15 Type A free agents who were offered arbitration will only cost the signing team one draft pick. The player's old team also gets a second pick, but it doesn't come from the new team. It's just squeezed into the supplemental round. Check out a deeper explanation here. Nuggets from a Frank Coonelly chat: he expects the Pirates to make room on the 40-man roster for a potential Rule 5 addition, and they'd still like to re-sign Doug Mientkiewicz. Pirates pitcher Jason Davis looks like...   Continue Reading

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Braves Preparing Five-Year Offer For Burnett

2:07pm: Dave O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution believes the Braves will probably guarantee a fifth year to Burnett, at a salary of $15-16MM per. 9:56am: Will the Braves be the team to commit five years to A.J. Burnett? According to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, they're preparing such an offer. Feinsand wonders if Burnett will jump at this offer without waiting to see what C.C. Sabathia does. SI.com's Jon Heyman seems to agree with Feinsand's report. He learned from Braves GM Frank Wren that the Braves are in on Burnett but not Jake Peavy, and heard talk...   Continue Reading

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Reagins Debunks Sabathia Rumors

MLB.com's Lyle Spencer talked to Angels GM Tony Reagins, who said Mark Teixeira remains the team's top priority (and they're not concerned about his knee). Reagins said there was nothing to reports of the Halos shifting their focus to C.C. Sabathia. The Angels have also not made a play for Jake Peavy. The original report on the Angels interest in Sabathia suggested Tex remained the priority, though Danny Knobler had said the Halos dropped their pursuit of Tex.   Continue Reading

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Brown's Latest: Sabathia, Blake, Young

6:56pm: Ken Rosenthal has more on Blake after talking to his agent Jim McDowell. Blake seeks a three-year deal, and the Twins and Dodgers are in the lead for his services. The Indians have been less persistent, as they don't want to give him three years. Brown wrote earlier that the Twins feel the same. 6:23pm: Let's take a look at the latest from Yahoo's Tim Brown. C.C. Sabathia has had no conversations with the Dodgers in recent weeks. Casey Blake opened negotiations with the Twins at three years and $20MM. That's not a price the Twins are willing to...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Thorman, Sabathia, Pettitte

Links for Tuesday... Big League Stew names Scott Boras' ten most notorious deals. Darren Dreifort also probably belongs on the list. Any others? Roch Kubatko of MASN Online debunks a rumor about the Orioles offering Brian Roberts a three-year contract with a soft deadline. ESPN's Keith Law likes the Astros' signing of Mike Hampton. The Brewers signed first baseman Scott Thorman to a minor league deal. He hit .251/.283/.465 at Triple A this year. Also, Salomon Torres officially retired. C.C. Sabathia attended a Golden State Warriors game last night, for what it's worth. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti paid lip service...   Continue Reading

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Brewers Offer Arb To Sabathia, Sheets, Shouse

According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Brewers offered arbitration to C.C. Sabathia (Type A), Ben Sheets (Type A), and Brian Shouse (Type B). They declined to offer arb to Eric Gagne (Type B). Sheets and Shouse were the question marks. The Brewers apparently don't mind getting Shouse back on a one-year deal, though he seeks two years. Sheets also seems likely to decline and pursue multiple years. If he declines and signs elsewhere, his new team will lose a draft pick to the Brewers. Ken Davidoff wonders if Sheets might accept the offer.   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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Odds And Ends: Tazawa, Hoffman, Halladay

Links for Saturday... Junichi Tazawa is expected to announce early next week that he will sign with the Red Sox. He turned down offers from the Rangers, Mariners and Braves. The Padres recently offered to talk with Trevor Hoffman, but he hasn't responded. Tom Krasovic also has a Sandy Alderson quote that the Padres are "highly unlikely" to offer Hoffman arbitration. Robert MacLeod talked to Blue Jays insiders who believe trading ace Roy Halladay would send "the wrong signal" to fans since the Jays want to compete in 2009. Rob Neyer wonders how C.C. Sabathia's weight will affect his performance...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Sabathia, Schilling, Castaneda

Links for Friday... Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News says $100MM contracts for pitchers are risky, given the deals signed by Kevin Brown, Barry Zito, and Mike Hampton. Those pitchers don't seem similar to C.C. Sabathia, however. The second part of Curt Schilling's article about his trade to the Red Sox. The Royals signed several minor league free agents, including righty Federico Castaneda from the Mexican League. SI.com's Jon Heyman explains why the free agent market is slow. It doesn't seem abnormal to me; it makes sense to wait until after December 1st to see if arbitration is...   Continue Reading

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C.C. Sabathia Rumors: Thursday

Ken Davidoff wrote yesterday: According to a person in the Yankees' loop, the team is reluctant to raise its offer to C.C. Sabathia, even if such hesitancy causes him to sign with the Angels. Something has changed in the last 24 hours, because Davidoff now writes: The majority of their decision-makers support the idea of going higher for the coveted lefthander, a person familiar with the situation said yesterday. Davidoff wonders if the Yankees might go to $150MM over six years if the Angels offer $130MM over six. It doesn't appear that the Angels have made an offer yet. Sabathia's...   Continue Reading

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Brown's Latest: Fuentes, Hoffman, Wilson, Aurilia

Here's a look at the latest from Yahoo's Tim Brown. The Mets kicked around the idea internally of signing both Brian Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman. The eighth inning would be a tough sell for either pitcher though. Brown says that if the Angels fail to sign Mark Teixeira they will try to sign C.C. Sabathia as well as a closer like Fuentes. The Dodgers want the Pirates to eat "a huge chunk" of the $7.85MM Jack Wilson has coming. The Giants and Dodgers have shown interest in Rich Aurilia.   Continue Reading

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C.C. Sabathia Rumors: Wednesday

6:19pm: It sounds like Sabathia's agent Greg Genske is shutting things down for the weekend. He didn't reveal anything new to Brewers GM Doug Melvin. Adam McCalvy also notes that the Brewers will offer Sabathia arbitration, a procedural move. 12:49pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman talked to Yankees people who believe the Angels leaked interest in Sabathia to reduce Tex's demands. Those people also believe the Halos will limit their offer to the $100-120MM range. Other factors: Tex makes more sense for the Angels, Arte Moreno loves him, and signing Sabathia could reduce the chances of extending John Lackey. Nonetheless, Heyman agrees...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal On Boras' Scheme

Ken Rosenthal has a theory on Scott Boras' goals in the free agent game: Mark Teixeira and Jason Varitek to the Red Sox C.C. Sabathia and Manny Ramirez to the Angels Derek Lowe to the Yankees The crux of the theory seems to be that Boras would want Manny near his Newport Beach headquarters to better babysit him. Personally I have a hard time seeing any team sign two of the big three free agents, and it's difficult to picture Manny as an Angel. Rosenthal doesn't see the Dodgers as major players, partially based on recent comments made by the...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Kawakami, Griffey, Greinke

Links for Tuesday... The weekly chat has been moved to Wednesday at 2pm CST this time. I'll be on Seth Stohs' radio show tonight around 8pm CST. From NPB Tracker: Kenshin Kawakami has switched to Dan Evans as his agent, while Koji Uehara wants a rotation spot and multiple years. Ken Griffey Jr.'s agent, Brian Goldberg, has been in contact with nine teams (six AL, three NL). The Mariners were one of the AL teams. It's been over a decade since the White Sox signed a free agent from another team for more than $20MM. Justin Morneau would like the...   Continue Reading

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Yankees Backup Plans

Ken Davidoff of Newsday lays out the backup plans for the Yankees. Mark Teixeira would come into play for Brian Cashman if C.C. Sabathia turns down the Yankees' offer. Davidoff adds that Sabathia would likely turn down the Yankees if Tex turns down the Angels first. So we could have a scenario where Teixeira signs with the Yankees and Sabathia with the Angels, and neither team addresses its biggest need. The Yankees could also get in on Manny Ramirez if they fail to sign Sabathia. There's some hand-wringing coming out of New York as Sabathia continues to sit on the...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Dye, Burrell, Young

Here's a look at the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal says the Braves are interested in A.J. Burnett, but you already knew that. Rosenthal believes Trevor Hoffman to the Dodgers "makes sense." The Red Sox apparently have confidence they could trade Mike Lowell if need be, but rival execs believe he'd have to prove his health in spring first. Lowell has two years and $24MM on his deal. The White Sox want a young starter and additional players for right fielder Jermaine Dye. The Mets, Rays, and Phillies are "balking at such a price." Rosenthal learned that...   Continue Reading

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Angels Begin Talks With Sabathia

According to Bill Shaikin and Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times, the Angels have begun contract discussions with C.C. Sabathia. The authors believe the Halos could make an offer in the range of Johan Santana's six-year, $137.5MM deal. If the Angels do make such an offer, you have to imagine the Yankees will respond by upping their bid significantly. Despite the talks for Sabathia, Mark Teixeira remains the Angels' top priority. They haven't made an offer yet, but Scott Boras seems to want ten years while the Angels are willing to do seven. It makes sense to open serious dialogue...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Halladay, Lopez, Glavine

Links for Monday... The Cardinals still don't have a deal with Trever Miller. Is a multiyear deal coming soon for Jamie Moyer? Ken Mandel's source says it's been delayed only because of scheduling conflicts. The D'Backs released infielder Jamie D'Antona, who is headed to Japan. J.P. Ricciardi says trading Roy Halladay hasn't even crossed his mind. Dan Graziano wrote last Wednesday that some continued to insist the Jays would explore trading their ace. River Ave. Blues considers Ben Sheets a better investment than A.J. Burnett for the Yankees. Jim Allen profiled the five Japanese players who plan to come over...   Continue Reading

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Yanks Have Not Set Deadline For C.C.

SI.com's Jon Heyman talked to someone familiar with the Yankees' thinking, and he says the Yankees have not set a deadline on their six-year, $140MM offer to C.C. Sabathia. Hank Steinbrenner said the offer wouldn't be there forever, but that doesn't mean it will be pulled anytime soon.   Continue Reading

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Other Suitors For Sabathia, Rodriguez, Fuentes

Joel Sherman of the New York Post offers some potential spoilers for the Yankees and Mets in regards to C.C. Sabathia and closers Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes. Sherman suggests that Sabathia could wind up in an Angels uniform if Mark Teixeira isn't re-signed. Owner Arte Moreno won't wait around for Scott Boras's games, and has stated that he'll make an offer with a time limit. If Teixeira can't be had, the Angels will likely shift their focus to Sabathia. Sherman likens this situation to that of the 2004 Astros, who waited until mid-January for Boras and Carlos Beltran to...   Continue Reading

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Olney's Latest: Sabathia, Varitek

Olney's latest from his blog: He puts out a one liner: "The Red Sox are preparing, full-steam ahead, to play 2009 without Jason Varitek." This may in part be posturing to counter Boras seeking Posada money. Olney suggests that if the Knicks are making a move for Lebron James, then further incentive would exist for CC Sabathia to accept the Yankees $140MM offer. Take this with a huge grain of salt of course. The two are friends from their days in Cleveland. More realistically, he cuts to the point: if no California teams make a nine-figure offer, "folks involved" say...   Continue Reading

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Yankees "What If": No A.J., CC, Lowe?

No new official information has been reported from either side--but that may be precisely why articles about the scenario where the Yankees fail to sign a big name free agent starting pitcher this offseason are starting to show up. First, Jordan Bastian at MLB.com reports that the Yankees may not make a contract offer to A.J. Burnett. Burnett, through his agent, appears to be insisting on a five-year deal. While the market may not provide one, Bastian says that the Yankees simply will not. In the CC Sabathia ring, separate postings at River Ave. Blues and Brew Crew Ball look...   Continue Reading

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Heyman's Latest: Lowe, Teixeira, Guillen

SI.com's Jon Heyman recently published several new blog posts. Free agent outfielder Garret Anderson has a new agent: Scott Boras. Click here for our full list of Boras clients. Rangers starters Vicente Padilla and Kevin Millwood are drawing interest from the Braves, Dodgers, and Mets. Padilla is owed $12MM in 2009 with a 2010 option for the same ($1.75MM buyout). Millwood gets $23MM over the next two seasons and has a limited no-trade clause. Heyman says rather than battle for A.J. Burnett, the Red Sox and Yankees may duke it out for Derek Lowe. Other suitors for Lowe: the Mets,...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Weathers, Montero, Springer

Links for Friday... MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince says the Indians signed Andy Cannizaro and Damaso Espino to minor league deals. MLB.com's Mark Sheldon says the Reds are still talking to David Weathers' agent, despite the reliever's comment about flipping the page. RotoAuthority looks at Blue Jays outfielder Travis Snider, from a fantasy baseball point of view. Mum's the word from C.C. Sabathia and his agents. Rany Jazayerli likes the Royals' acquisition of Coco Crisp and respects Dayton Moore's bullpen-building skills. Click here to download an mp3 of me chatting with Greg Schaum of KCSP 610 about the Royals last night. Nick...   Continue Reading

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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Pedro, Sabathia, Peavy

A look at what is being written about the hot stove in the Blogosphere... Fire Brand of the American League looks at the ramifications of the Coco Crisp trade and what could happen if the Red Sox acquire Mark Teixeira and are unable to move Mike Lowell. Baseball Opinion says the Crisp deal leaves the Royals with a crowded outfield and a depleted bullpen and wonders if Mark Teahen or David DeJesus will be the next to go. Nationals Pride sees the Scott Olsen and Josh Willingham trade as a good start towards building a team with a core of...   Continue Reading

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Giants Interested In Hudson

According to Chris Haft of MLB.com, the Giants are seriously interested in signing Orlando Hudson. The Giants have already signed Jeremy Affeldt and Haft says their big off-season plans could also include C.C. Sabathia, Edgar Renteria, Rafael Furcal and Juan Cruz. Kevin Frandsen, who's played mostly at second base, could play third if the Giants obtain Hudson. The Indians, Mets, Yankees and Dodgers all seem interested in Hudson too.   Continue Reading

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C.C. Sabathia Rumors: Thursday

8:15pm: According to ESPN.com, Hal Steinbrenner said Sabathia will have a deadline to accept his current offer. The Yankees made Sabathia a record-setting offer for a pitcher, but Steinbrenner said "it's not going to be there forever." 2:22pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Dodgers, Giants, Red Sox, and Angels have checked in on Sabathia since the Yankees made their bid. All four clubs face various obstacles. 9:26am: The latest on C.C. Sabathia... Ken Davidoff and Anthony Rieber pass along a Peter Gammons report saying Sabathia will not sign until after Thanksgiving. Perfectly logical, though I cannot find where Gammons wrote...   Continue Reading

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Stark's Latest: Putz, Manny, Lackey, Ibanez

Let's take a look at the latest column from ESPN's Jayson Stark. Stark does the math and finds 15 potentially available closers versus six clubs in the market for one. Should result in a few bargains or teams holding on to their surpluses. The Mets don't seem willing to extend to four years for Francisco Rodriguez. Stark says J.J. Putz would become the Mets' top closer target if he's made available. MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone wrote a few days ago that the Mets are likely to trade for a reliever with closing experience before attempting to sign one. J.P. Ricciardi quote:...   Continue Reading

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Brown on Sabathia, Teixeira, Lowe, Peavy

In his latest article, Tim Brown at Yahoo! Sports considers a possibility that others have discussed: maybe C.C. Sabathia doesn't want to play for the New York Yankees. He certainly has options--Brown's list includes the Dodgers, Angels, White Sox, Red Sox, Mariners, Tigers, and of course, the Brewers. Not signing C.C. would increase the likelihood that the Yankees make a serious offer to Mark Teixeira. Nick Swisher seems to have the starting job at first base for now, but failing to land Sabathia might shift the Yankees' attention to all three of Teixeira, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe, says Brown....   Continue Reading

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Graziano's Latest: Sabathia, Halladay

4:39pm: Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News shoots down all Dodgers rumors - no offer in the near future for Sabathia, no talks for Halladay, and no interest in Raul Ibanez. I think Graziano's Halladay musings have been distorted a bit - he basically said the Blue Jays might explore the trade market at some point. 3:31pm: Graziano adds in a new post that the Giants plan to make a six-year offer in excess of $100MM but under $140MM. Tom Haudricourt had info about a Giants bid several hours earlier as well. Haudricourt adds that the Angels will make...   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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Gammons Rumors: Sabathia, Manny, Furcal, Bradley

Here's how ESPN's Peter Gammons sees some of the bigger free agent dominoes falling, assuming the Dodgers land Sabathia: Interesting how many GMs think that if the Dodgers get C.C. Sabathia, the Giants will get big into Manny Ramirez, and Billy Beane and the A's will continue to move fast on Rafael Furcal. Also, expect Toronto to make good on its promise to Milton Bradley that he is the Blue Jays' priority. Would Beane and Brian Sabean really be influenced by Sabathia landing in L.A.? We may never know, as the Yankees have come out of the free agent gate...   Continue Reading

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Union Pressuring Sabathia?

Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News reports that CC Sabathia may be getting pressured by the Players Association to accept the Yankees 6 year, $140MM offer. Sabathia inking this dea would result in lucrative contracts for other free agent starting pitchers. However, McCarron adds, "One source familiar with the union's thinking disagreed, insisting that "players are the ones who make the final decisions where they want to play, for how long and for how much. Free agents have played long enough to earn the right to make the ultimate decision.' Two player agents contacted Saturday agreed that players...   Continue Reading

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Giants Considering Top Players

According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Giants have spoken with Scott Boras about Manny Ramirez and Mark Teixeira, but it's unknown if they've made them any offers. Giants director of player personnel Bobby Evans told Schulman "we're willing to go after the best talent we can." The Giants haven't offered Rafael Furcal a contract, but Paul Kinzer, Furcal's agent, said that the Giants and Furcal have "serious interest" in each other. Schulman mentions Oakland as possible competition for the Giants, and the Royals could be among the many teams interested in the shortstop. Schulman believes Furcal...   Continue Reading

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Mets Won't Bid On Sabathia

Marrty Noble of MLB.com talked to a source who says the Mets won't offer C.C. Sabathia a contract. David Lennon of Newsday agrees, writing that the Mets "will not be involved in the bidding war for Sabathia." Yesterday, it looked like the Mets might also bid on C.C.. The Yankees offered Sabathia a record-setting deal, but Brewers GM Doug Melvin thinks they're overbidding.   Continue Reading

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Yanks Make Offer To Sabathia

5:13pm: Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News says the offer is for six years and $140MM. 4:37pm: Ed Price of the Newark Star-Ledger says the Yankees made their initial offer to Sabathia, but they expect his agents to look around a bit. 1:14pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Yankees will also make offers to A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe within the next day or two. FRIDAY, 10:27am: ESPN's Buster Olney says this initial Yankees offer will be in the $140-142MM range. By the way, the Giants have already touched base with Sabathia's agents. THURSDAY: According to Joel Sherman...   Continue Reading

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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Sabathia, Yankees, Pirates, Rays

Let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere... MetsBlog feels the reported interest in C.C. Sabathia is overblown. Rather, they see the Mets waiting for Sabathia to sign before making a move of their own for starting pitching. River Ave. Blues still sees the Yankees pursuing Mark Teixeira or Adam Dunn, even with the acquisition of Nick Swisher. Where have you gone, Andy Van Slyke speculates on what the Pirates will do this winter while finding humor in this recent quote from the Buccos' GM: "we'd love to upgrade the offense, upgrade our pitching, and rebuild...   Continue Reading

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Mets Join Yanks In Sabathia Chase?

Bill Madden, Anthony McCarron, and Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News say the Mets will be in the mix for C.C. Sabathia: Omar Minaya was dicussing a trade for a pitcher with a GM but said he would first have to see how Sabathia's free agency was progressing, a baseball executive said. A Mets official subsequently wouldn't deny interest in Sabathia. Of course, the Yankees hope to sign Sabathia quickly. Joel Sherman believes the Mets are only trying to drive up the price for the Yankees, since both teams will be in on the same second-tier starters. Matthew...   Continue Reading

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Nick Swisher Trade Reactions

The Yankees acquired Nick Swisher yesterday for Wilson Betemit, Jhonny Nunez, and Jeff Marquez. The reactions are clearly in favor of the Yanks; let's take a look. ESPN's Keith Law says Swisher has upside for the Yankees at a reasonable price. He is unimpressed with Chicago's return, though mildly intrigued by the idea of the Sox teaching Marquez a cutter. Peter Abraham notes that the Yankees see Swisher as their regular first baseman, and Mark Teixeira loses leverage. MLB.com's Lyle Spencer figures the Angels are thrilled by the trade, as they may not have to compete with the Yanks for...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Hardy, Flowers, Wolf

Another day, another column from Ken Rosenthal. With multiple vacancies in the rotation and bullpen, the Brewers may need to see what kind of pitching Mike Cameron and/or J.J. Hardy can bring in return. GM Doug Melvin is not ready to shop Hardy. He's received interest, but most teams have not given names (one team suggested swapping him for a pitcher Melvin termed, "a fifth starter.") The Padres have asked the Braves to substitute catcher Tyler Flowers for center fielder Gorkys Hernandez in their Jake Peavy offer. Dave O'Brien sees this as unlikely. If they can't sign Mark Teixeira, the...   Continue Reading

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Heyman's Latest: Manny, Martin, Jenks

SI.com's Jon Heyman has some hot stove musings today. Heyman talked to one GM who asked (in reference to C.C. Sabathia), "When does anyone ever leave a dollar on the table, much less twenty or thirty million dollars?" I have heard this sentiment often but I do remember certain players leaving money on the table (often to play in California). Randy Wolf took less in '06 to sign with the Dodgers, and Brian Giles did the same for the Padres in '05. Kerry Wood turned down a multiyear offer from Boston last year. And how about Andre Dawson and the...   Continue Reading

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Angels Hold Off On Teixeira Bid

Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times describes the Angels' strategy regarding free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira. He says that since Tex will test the open market regardless, the Halos will not make an offer within their exclusive negotiation period. So much for resolving the situation quickly. The Angels do not want Scott Boras shopping around their offer to the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, and Nationals and driving up the price. Just a guess, maybe the Nats consider Josh Willingham their cleanup hitter acquisition and will back out of the Teixeira derby. DiGiovanna adds that the Angels "plan a serious...   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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Olney's Latest: Peavy, Hoffman, Sabathia

Buster Olney has a new update on the Padres and a new article about the Giants. Olney says there's a growing feeling that Jake Peavy will be dealt "sometime before Thanksgiving." Trevor Hoffman hopes to meet with Padres executives soon to discuss the team's direction. Olney says that the Indians are one of many teams who might be interested in Hoffman if he decides to reject the Padres one year $4MM offer. Olney writes that the Giants shouldn't let the Barry Zito signing stop them from going after C.C. Sabathia aggressively this offseason.   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Guerrero, Blue Jays, Reds

Links for Saturday... J.P. Ricciardi has begun "exploring other things" in case the Jays can't bring back A.J. Burnett. The Angels aren't discussing a contract extension with Vladimir Guerrero yet. Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto are off-limits according to Walk Jocketty. The White Sox are interested in a 19-year-old Cuban third base prospect, Dayan Viciedo. Ken Williams, who has a history of acquiring Cuban players, may have the inside track on signing Viciedo. The Astros signed a young international player of their own, Chia-Jen Lo. They announced Friday that they signed the 22-year-old Taiwanese righty to a minor league contract....   Continue Reading

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Yankees Rumors: Sabathia, Pettitte, Mussina

Some new Yankees rumors surfaced at Joe Torre's charity event in New York last night. Derek Jeter talked to C.C. Sabathia about what it's like to play for the Yankees but says he's not "trying to sell anyone on New York." According to Newsday's Kat O'Brien, Andy Pettitte isn't looking for a long-term deal. He's waiting to hear from the Yankees, who know that "one year's fine" for Pettitte. Brian Cashman said this week he's looking to bring Pettitte back, and that was before Pettitte said he was looking for a one-year deal. Peter Abraham has news on Mike Mussina....   Continue Reading

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Brewers Expect A Counteroffer From Sabathia

According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Brewers GM Doug Melvin expects a counteroffer from C.C. Sabathia's agents. The Brewers have already reportedly offered five years and $100MM, so their ceiling must be a bit higher. Melvin doesn't expect the counteroffer until Sabathia receives bids from other teams. We know the Brewers are a long shot to sign Sabathia, but it'd be interesting to see the ramifications. Would the Brewers have money for other improvements? What would the Yankees do?   Continue Reading

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Yankees Rumors: Teixeira, Igawa, Sabathia

The Yankees chatter died down a bit today, but here's what we've got. Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes buzz about Robinson Cano going to the Dodgers amid Yankee interest in Russell Martin and Matt Kemp. He admits it's unlikely. Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News talked to one big league exec about whether Mark Teixeira could handle the pressures of New York. Brian Cashman says nobody has asked him about Kei Igawa, who has three years and $12MM left on his contract. Cashman would not rule out the possibility of bringing back both Mike Mussina...   Continue Reading

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Jake Peavy Rumors: Friday

1:47pm: This Scott Miller column is from yesterday, but it has some good info. Miller's source believes the Braves are the frontrunners for Peavy and are willing to include Gorkys Hernandez. Additionally, the source said the Cubs are very aggressive and the Dodgers are making a strong pitch. 12:53pm: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald says Samardzija is not on the table and has a full, not partial, no-trade. Additionally, the Cubs have not thrown Fontenot into the mix. Miles gives a 50-50 chance of the Cubs getting Peavy. 9:39am: GM Kevin Towers expects to trade Jake Peavy before the...   Continue Reading

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Red Sox Rumors: Crisp, Lugo, Burnett, Baldelli

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has the latest on the Red Sox. GM Theo Epstein says there's one deal he might be able to do before the winter meetings, possibly involving Coco Crisp or Julio Lugo. The free agent market for center fielders and shortstops is weak this year. Cafardo doesn't believe the Sox are in on C.C. Sabathia or A.J. Burnett, and he says they're unsure about Derek Lowe. However, Buster Olney says "there is an expectation within other quarters of the AL East that the Red Sox will get in on the Burnett bidding." Cafardo does see...   Continue Reading

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Yankees Rumors: Cameron, Melky, Pettitte, Lowe

5:06pm: More on the Cameron situation: Ken Davidoff says Cabrera and Ian Kennedy have been discussed. However, the Brewers will probably wait to see if they can sign Sabathia, since he's good friends with Cameron. 10:26am: The latest Yankees hot stove buzz... According to Joel Sherman and George King of the New York Post, the Yankees inquired with the Brewers on Mike Cameron. The Yanks would be willing to send Melky Cabrera and pitching to Milwaukee. The Yankees are also talking to other teams about Wilson Betemit. The Yankees are only willing to do a one-year deal for Andy Pettitte,...   Continue Reading

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Latest Red Sox Rumors

A few notes on the Red Sox... From Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe Scott Boras met with Theo Epstein about Jason Varitek. Boras is still seeking a deal similar to the one signed by Jorge Posada (four years/$52.4MM). Epstein continues to look at other catchers including Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Taylor Teagarden. Cafardo also notes that the Red Sox could go after a veteran through the trade market like Bengie Molina. Other teams have expressed interest in both Coco Crisp and Julio Lugo, but noted that Lugo would not be part of a deal to the White Sox. Cafardo says...   Continue Reading

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Yankees Rumors: Sabathia, Marte, Mussina

11:09pm: Brian Cashman sums up the Yankees' plan: "We're going to show a lot of love." 12:15pm: It's about time we check in with Yankees links. The Yankees will make their record-breaking pitch to C.C. Sabathia. If it fails, they'll move on to A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe, and Oliver Perez. Joel Sherman says the Yankees could get involved on Manny Ramirez, but only if they fail to sign Mark Teixeira and manage to trade Hideki Matsui. Sherman says the Yanks are in on the catching market just to be safe, engaging the Rangers about Gerald Laird and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. They'll...   Continue Reading

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Cubs Rumors: Dempster, Peavy, Sabathia, Hill

6:05pm: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs are willing to offer Dempster a four-year contract. This helps their chances, though Dempster's agent said today "there's very little possibility he's going to sign soon with the Cubs." 9:36am: Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times has fresh Cubs rumors this morning. De Luca's sources describe the Cubs' interest in Jake Peavy as "limited." Instead, the Cubs have "deep interest" in C.C. Sabathia. De Luca also wonders if the Cubs will entertain A.J. Burnett. Dave van Dyck suggested Derek Lowe could fit. The Cubs' payroll room will depend on free agents Ryan...   Continue Reading

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Red Sox Rumors: Bay, Tazawa, Kawakami, Lugo

Collecting today's Red Sox rumors and links... Nick Cafardo says the Red Sox did not meet with C.C. Sabathia's agent and he doesn't appear to be in their plans. The Sox are eyeing southpaw reliever Billy Traber, according to WEEI's Alex Speier. Scott Boras believes Derek Lowe would be a good fit in Boston or New York. Nick Cafardo says Lowe would like to return to Boston, maybe even at a slight discount. Jason Bay's agents say he's loving Boston and is open to a contract extension. When asked about the possibility of Manny Ramirez signing with the Yankees, Red...   Continue Reading

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