Greg Maddux Rumors

Dodgers Offer Arb Only To Manny, Lowe, Blake

The Dodgers' numerous arb decisions are in, courtesy of MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Manny Ramirez, Derek Lowe, and Casey Blake get offers. Joe Beimel, Brad Penny, Jeff Kent, and Greg Maddux (all Type Bs) don't. The only real surprise here is Beimel, who earned less than $2MM this year and seemed worth the risk.   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: Maddux, Krivsky, Maroth

Links for Wednesday... Greg Maddux says he hasn't officially decided about retirement yet, but he'll "try to figure it out in the next couple of days." David Newhan is now a free agent. Marc Hulet looks at interesting names for the Rule 5 draft over at Baseball Analysts. Roch Kubatko reports that the Orioles hired former Reds GM Wayne Krivsky as a special assistant to Andy MacPhail. Lefty Mike Maroth is feeling good following May shoulder surgery and intends to pitch in 2009. South Side Sox believes the White Sox are trimming payroll. Minor league free agent shortstop Luis Hernandez...   Continue Reading

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Dodgers Keep Door Open For Maddux

MLB.com's Barry Bloom talked to Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, who said the team would welcome Greg Maddux back in 2009 if he decides not to retire. Scott Boras seems pretty sure Maddux will hang 'em up, but the decision is not official. In mid-October, it was revealed that the Padres talked to Maddux about serving as a player/coach next year.   Continue Reading

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Maddux Likely To Retire

Joel Sherman of the New York Post spoke to Scott Boras, who says it is doubtful that Greg Maddux will play again. He's almost certain to retire, but the decision is not yet official. If 2008 was his final season, it was a pretty solid effort (4.22 ERA in 194 innings).   Continue Reading

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Cafardo's Latest: Lowe, Maddux, Peavy

Here's a look at the latest column from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Interestingly, the Red Sox are reportedly Derek Lowe's preferred destination. It's unknown whether the Sox intend to add a starter this winter, but they may lose free agent Paul Byrd (and will have to decide on Tim Wakefield's $4MM option). Cafardo names a dozen other clubs interested in Lowe: the Yankees, Mets, Tigers, Indians, Cardinals, Cubs, Angels, Braves, Phillies, Rangers, Astros, and Blue Jays. Bill Mueller, 38 in March, admits he'd like to play again. Medically, it's a long shot because he'd need to regrow cartilage...   Continue Reading

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Player-Coach Role For Maddux?

Interesting note from Mel Antonen and Bob Nightengale at USA Today, found via Shysterball: The San Diego Padres have talked to Greg Maddux about of becoming a player-coach in the organization, general manager Kevin Towers said Thursday. Yet Towers anticipates that Maddux might retire instead. Maddux seems to already serve that type of role, making his 32 starts while tutoring young pitchers. Might as well make it official if he sticks around in 2009. The Padres might have a hard time fitting Maddux in the budget, but the Dodgers or Giants could be alternatives if the Professor wants to make...   Continue Reading

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Maddux Trade Completed

According to MLB.com's Corey Brock, the Dodgers' playoff berth resulted in the Padres receiving better prospects from the August Greg Maddux trade. Brock says the Padres received southpaw Michael Watt and righty Eduardo Perez from the Dodgers. Paul DePodesta describes the prospects on his blog.   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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Heyman's Latest: Colletti, Maddux, Burnett

The latest from SI.com's Jon Heyman... Dodgers owner Frank McCourt is "fixated" on the team's recent unsuccessful free agent signings. You have to wonder if he'll direct Ned Colletti to exercise caution this winter. Heyman's sources say McCourt intends to stick with Colletti for '09. Greg Maddux is "said by friends to want to return next year." Tim Keown wrote in April that Maddux told teammates this is his last season. Heyman is now saying Larry Lucchino is likely to remain Red Sox president. Heyman considers Hank Steinbrenner's suggestion of interest in A.J. Burnett "the clearest example of tampering in...   Continue Reading

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Week in Review: 8/17 - 8/23

Another week in the books, and we keep seeing big names moved after the July 31 non-waiver deadline. Let's look back on the past week: The Dodgers acquired Greg Maddux from the Padres for two minor league players to be named later. Nice acquisition to bolster their rotation, and does anyone want to place bets on how excited 20-year-old Clayton Kershaw is to get tips from Maddux every day for the rest of the season? The Pirates are exploring the idea of trading Jack Wilson this offseason more and more. Given the slim free agent market for shortstops, he would...   Continue Reading

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Heyman's Latest: Bowden, Helton, Maddux, K-Rod

Let's take a look at the latest from SI.com's Jon Heyman. Despite the headline "Nats GM in trouble," Heyman says Jim Bowden has the support of his bosses. They do not blame him for Aaron Crow and are not concerned with his possible connection to the scout skimming scandal. Heyman suggests the Rockies could shop first baseman Todd Helton this winter if he demonstrates a healthy back in September. Here's the thing - if Helton was a free agent and you had to give him a three-year deal, what would you pay? $5MM a year maybe? Are the Rockies going...   Continue Reading

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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: O's. Holliday, Glavine, Maddux, Cardinals, Jeter

A few notes on from around the baseball Blogospehere... Camden Chat feels the Orioles are stuck with players like Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff, even though both have cleared waivers. Drunk Jays Fans thinks Matt Holliday will be too expensive in terms of contract and prospects for the Jays. Talking Chop does not want to see Tom Glavine back in a Braves uniform next season. Gaslamp Ball is not happy about San Diego trading Greg Maddux to the Dodgers and wonders why the Padres would want to help their divisional rival. Ducksnorts hates the Maddux deal as a fan, but...   Continue Reading

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Dodgers Acquire Maddux

11:51am: Tony Jackson says the Padres will pay about $1.3MM of Maddux's remaining salary, with the Dodgers taking on $900K. WEDNESDAY, 8:43am: Tom Krasovic has more. The Phillies apparently offered a better package for Maddux earlier this year, but he would not approve a trade there. So the Dodgers will pay a significant amount of Maddux's remaining salary and the Padres will choose two low-level minor leaguers from a list by October 15th. They wanted James McDonald or Scott Elbert but the Dodgers wouldn't do it. 8:52pm: Paul DePodesta weighs in on the Maddux trade. He mentions in the comments...   Continue Reading

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Dodgers In Market For Pitching

10:36am: Jackson has an article up, and takes a more definitive stance in saying the Dodgers are looking for a starter and remain interested in Maddux. Ned Colletti apparently has conversations going regarding players who would need to clear waivers. 23 year-old prospect James McDonald is a strong in-house candidate if the Dodgers want to go that way. 9:34am: Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News talked to Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who does not expect much from Brad Penny for the rest of the season (he may return as a reliever, though). Torre hinted that he would like a...   Continue Reading

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Players Who Cleared Waivers

I will make this post a permanent sidebar link. This is a running list of players who have cleared waivers, based on published reports. Once a player clears waivers, he can be traded to any team (barring a no-trade clause). Updated 8-25-08 at 9:00am. Latest to clear in red. Paul Byrd - Byrd cleared waivers, but then was traded to the Red Sox. They were the only team willing to pay his remaining $2MM. Frank Catalanotto - Catalanotto, 34, is hitting .272/.337/.389 in 267 plate appearances. He's played first base and left field this year. He's not helpful against lefthanded...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Livan, Maddux, Meredith, Fielder

Here are today's links. Live chat today here at 2pm CST. MiLB.com is holding a charity auction with all kinds of memorabilia. Check it out. NPB Tracker takes a look at Japanese closer Hitoki Iwase, who should draw plenty of interest from MLB teams this winter. Trading Greg Maddux to the Dodgers is still possible, though unlikely. There's also word that the Padres "tested the trade value" of Cla Meredith last week. Livan Hernandez is expected to clear waivers today. We know the Rockies have discussed him internally, and Buster Olney speculates the Mets might be interested. The D'Backs are...   Continue Reading

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Keith Law's Latest: Players On The Move

Keith Law drops some science on some big name players that could still be on the move if they clear waivers. To wit: Paul Byrd: Law argues that Byrd would be better served pitching in the National League where a "finesse" hurler like him would have an easier time. Byrd was a Type B free agent in 2007, which means he could slip to non-compensation status this year, an incentive for the Indians to try and trade him if he clears waivers. Greg Maddux: The Bulldog will only waive his no-trade clause for a team on the West Coast, meaning...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Giants, Maddux, Grudzielanek, Arias

A few post-deadline notes from the MLBiverse... Brian Sabean is confident that he will be able to sneak some of his veteran players (Rich Aurilia, Omar Vizquel, Randy Winn, Bengie Molina, etc.) through waivers in the coming month for the purpose of making a trade. Chris Haft feels that the large number of teams remaining in contention will make that very difficult. Kevin Towers does not sound optimistic about the possibility of trading Greg Maddux in the next month noting that such a move would be "dicier" and any trade would still require the Dodgers to "step up and give...   Continue Reading

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Greg Maddux Rumors: Thursday

1:50pm: Jayson Stark says Maddux is not heading to L.A., which means he won't be traded. 7:07am: ESPN's Buster Olney says trade talks for Greg Maddux have stalled between the Dodgers and Padres. The Dodgers have mild interest and all the leverage as the only West Coast contender who will consider him. It's unclear whether the disagreement is over the $3.3MM owed to Maddux, possible prospects involved, or both. Olney believes The Professor could be put on waivers on August if no deal is reached today.   Continue Reading

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Dodgers Interested In Maddux, Byrd

9:28pm: Rosenthal says Maddux's salary may pose a problem - the Dodgers don't want to take it on while the Padres want to shed it. He's still owed about $3.3MM. 5:28pm: The Dodgers have their eye on Greg Maddux as well, according to Buster Olney. Names are being exchanged. 3:43pm: From Ken Davidoff of Newsday: The Indians are likely to trade starting pitcher Paul Byrd, with the Dodgers among the reported suitors. The interest is surprising; the Dodgers were not thought to be after starting pitching. Byrd has about $2.7MM left on his contract and carries a 4.93 ERA in...   Continue Reading

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Maddux Won't Go To Philly

According to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com, the Phillies had the Padres ask Greg Maddux if he would accept a trade there. Maddux told Padres GM Kevin Towers he would not. Towers continues to be limited to the West Coast as he tries to move Maddux's remaining $3.3MM salary. Tom Krasovic says the Dodgers are the one plausible option, and they're not interested at this time. They should probably look into it though. The Giants could be buyers, but only with an eye on '09.   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Tejada, Laird, Renteria, Sherrill

New one from Ken Rosenthal... The Padres will ask Greg Maddux again to consider accepting a trade to a team not located on the West Coast. The Dodgers haven't shown interest. One big league source told Rosenthal that the Astros have had "absolutely no dialogue" about Miguel Tejada. The Marlins are the most aggressive suitor for Gerald Laird. The Brewers, Reds, and Yankees are also in on the Rangers' catcher. Rosenthal points out a Doug Melvin connection - Melvin acquired Laird as the Rangers' GM back in '02. [UPDATE: Rangers guru Jamey Newberg tells me that it was actually John...   Continue Reading

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More From Stark: Mets, Dodgers, Indians

Jayson Stark brings us a few more tidbits from the Hot Stove... The price for Raul Ibanez may be too high for the Mets as Stark reiterates what we heard previously, that Fernando Martinez and Jon Niese are not available...Ken Rosenthal added Robert Parnell to that list of untouchables. The Mets may no longer be in the running for Brian Fuentes as they are not willing to part with Aaron Heilman. Stark says other relief pitchers the Mets have shown some interest in include Cla Meredith, Chad Bradford and Jeremy Affeldt. The Dodgers are said to be interested in several...   Continue Reading

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Padres Rumors: Maddux, Hoffman, Kouzmanoff, Greene, Bard

4:32pm: More from Towers - he's had inquiries on Jake Peavy, Trevor Hoffman, Heath Bell, Kouzmanoff, and Greene. Potential deals will be assessed after the season, though Towers wants Hoffman to stay until the end of his career. 2:43pm: MLB.com's Corey Brock has the latest on the Padres and Greg Maddux. Maddux apparently will only accept a trade to a West Coast team, preferably the Dodgers. Padres GM Kevin Towers doesn't mind trading within the division. The only piece missing is interest from L.A. They've got good pitching depth, but if Maddux could be added at a reasonable price, why...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: K-Rod, Maddux, Wolf, Street

Rumor guru Ken Rosenthal is at it again. Angels GM Tony Reagins is doing his due diligence on available hitters. Rosenthal admits his own suggestion of a Mark Teixeira/Will Ohman blockbuster acquisition is unlikely. Rosenthal believes Francisco Rodriguez's expected asking price to be five years, $75MM. The Angels would not bite on that. Greg Maddux only wants to be traded to a West Coast team. He might accept a trade back to the Dodgers, if Ned Colletti and Kevin Towers want to go down that road. The Orioles would trade George Sherrill if someone wants to overpay. Tons of teams...   Continue Reading

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Quiet On The Maddux/Wolf Front

MLB.com's Corey Brock has an update on the non-rumors surrounding Padres pitchers Greg Maddux and Randy Wolf. Though many of the pitchers ranked ahead of Wolf have found new homes recently, trade talks are moving slowly. Wolf has a healthy 101 strikeouts this year, but he's been inconsistent in general and lousy away from PETCO. Previous suitors like the Cubs, Brewers, and Phillies are all probably out. Maddux has been informed of his suitors, since he has a full no-trade clause. But Brock's source says Maddux may choose to play out the string in San Diego.   Continue Reading

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Maddux Possibilities

Steve linked to this MLB.com article yesterday, but I wanted to give it a bit more exposure. Braves beat writer Mark Bowman talked to Greg Maddux, who as you know has a full no-trade clause. When asked where he could see himself playing in August and September, Maddux named the Braves and Dodgers. He said he'd likely approve a trade to Atlanta. Neither team may be interested, however. Bowman says the Braves are looking for offense and prefer to develop their young pitchers. And Maddux himself doesn't think the Dodgers need pitching (after all, they've got Clayton Kershaw in the...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: M's, Giants, Blanton, Maddux

Nothing major yet this afternoon, but a few minor issues worth noting: Danny Knobler from CBS Sports writes that former Tigers and Padres GM Randy Smith is now in the running for the GM opening in Seattle after the season. He's been commended for his scouting work with the Padres recently. Mark Dent from MLB.com tells us that Mariners manager Jim Riggleman feels the M's will be cautious with trade talks, and goes as far as saying he expects very little change. Riggleman says they "won't move players just to move them." Does this seem like the right strategy for...   Continue Reading

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Padres Rumors: Maddux, Wolf, Clark

Padres beat writer Corey Brock has the latest on the team's trade candidates. GM Kevin Towers recently told Greg Maddux which teams have expressed interest in him. The Professor will ponder his options over the break, since he controls his fate with a full no-trade clause. Possible suitors like the Cubs and Brewers may have backed off, I imagine. As expected, Randy Wolf is drawing interest. Tony Clark could be moved within a few days, with Arizona the rumored suitor. The Padres are only looking to move veterans, and want prospects in return.   Continue Reading

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Quiet Deadline For Tigers?

Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press believes the Tigers might be quiet in the trade market this month. However, the team could use starting pitching and relief help. Morosi notes that the Tigers have not inquired on Randy Wolf or Greg Maddux. What's more, Wolf has the Tigers on his no-trade list. One starter known to be on Detroit's radar: Freddy Garcia. Morosi adds that the Tigers had discussions for John Grabow and Damaso Marte earlier this year. And keep in mind that Barry Svrluga said back in April that the Tigers "will watch Jon Rauch very closely."   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Teixeira, Yankees, Padres, Fish

And now, the latest from Ken Rosenthal's Full Count video: If the Braves decide to shop Mark Teixeira, they may have a tough time getting as much as they'd like. The Red Sox, Angels, and Diamondbacks - among other contenders - are set at 1B/DH with David Ortiz, Casey Kotchman, and Conor Jackson respectively. Rosenthal notes Boston will only pursue Teixeira if Ortiz's wrist fails to heal. Brian Cashman isn't sure whether the Yankees are buyers or sellers. Most of their high paid players have no-trade clauses. Should they want to buy, Rosenthal suggests A.J. Burnett is a guy they...   Continue Reading

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Padres Likely To Sell

The Padres have lost eight in a row, slipping to 9.5 games out in the NL West. CEO Sandy Alderson says "it's probably easier to see us as sellers at this point." He added that they could still look to buy if the Padres can creep up to 6.5 games out by the break (which begins July 14th). Here's another look at the team's top trade chips: Tim Sullivan says southpaw starter Randy Wolf is "almost certainly gone." Wolf was having a very similar season in '07 but was done by July 3rd. Aside from health concerns, Wolf has a...   Continue Reading

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Salisbury On Phillies' Trade Chips

Back on June 19th, ESPN's Jayson Stark said the Phillies had "at least kicked the tires on C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Bronson Arroyo, and Jarrod Washburn." He also expected them to inquire on Erik Bedard. Scott Lauber says the Phils have scouted Sabathia, Burnett, Ben Sheets, and Greg Maddux recently. Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer weighs in this morning on the Phillies' trade chips. He names Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth, Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, Greg Golson, and Adrian Cardenas as Phillies players other teams may covet. However, Salisbury believes Pat Gillick might opt for a midlevel acquisition and hang...   Continue Reading

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Gammons' Latest: Sabathia, Dunn, Harden

ESPN's Peter Gammons has a new blog post up. The Indians are "thoroughly scouting" eight teams that may be interested in C.C. Sabathia, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, and Dodgers (the Mets may be another). Gammons agrees with Ken Rosenthal that Mark Shapiro may trade Sabathia soon to maximize his value. Gammons does not see the Yanks jumping in with Phil Hughes or a multi-prospect offer, unless Chien-Ming Wang's injury forces their hand. He does not think the Cubs or Phillies have the goods, but suggests the Rangers as a dark horse. If the Cubs don't have enough for...   Continue Reading

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Jayson Stark's Latest

Jayson Stark's latest column is up and as usual he dips into the rumor-mill several times... Indians: According to other clubs, Cleveland is starting to float C.C. Sabathia's name, but are making it clear that they are not ready to trade him. Stark says the Indians are scouting the Red Sox heavily. One executive says that it is hard to imagine somebody giving up prospects for a guy that will almost certainly test the free agency waters. That same executive says they would have a hard time giving seven years to a pitcher as big as Sabathia. Tigers: One AL...   Continue Reading

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Stark's Latest: Braves, Robertson, Igawa

Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up. Let's take a look. While Greg Maddux is not out of the question, the Braves are more interested in a younger starter they can control for multiple years. One possibly available starter who hasn't gotten much buzz: Nate Robertson. The 30 year-old southpaw hasn't pitched well since '06, and he's signed through 2010. The Mariners will probably talk about Miguel Batista and Jarrod Washburn, but not Erik Bedard. No big surprise there. Both Batista and Washburn are signed through '09. Stark rattles off a bunch of available relievers. Mostly names...   Continue Reading

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Gammons On Available Pitchers

ESPN's Peter Gammons names ten starting pitchers who could be available in the coming months. We'll try to devise a comprehensive list when we get to the position in our Trade Market series. Gammons' trade possibilities: Paul Byrd, Jeremy Sowers, Derek Lowe, Rich Harden, Odalis Perez, Brett Tomko, Jarrod Washburn, Zach Duke, Vicente Padilla, and Kevin Millwood. Byrd, Lowe, Perez, and Tomko will be free agents after the season. Sowers and Duke are the kids. Harden is the oft-injured ace. Washburn, Padilla, and Millwood bring burdensome contracts. Gammons also five "unlikely, but not impossible" scenarios. He suggests A.J. Burnett, Bartolo...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Pokey, Lowe, Boss

Before you fire up the grill, check out these links. Dayn Perry has an enjoyable series at Baseball Prospectus called Mock Blockbuster. He proposes trades that would benefit both teams. His latest: Greg Maddux and Brian Giles for Jordan Schafer. Rays Index wonders whether Eric Hinske or Gabe Gross could be expendable once Willy Aybar returns. Joe Capozzi remembers Mike Piazza's five game stint as a Marlin. Pokey Reese sighting! Ned Colletti told struggling free-agent-to-be Derek Lowe the Dodgers aren't slamming the door on him coming back. The Red Sox signed an Australian teen named Boss Moanaroa. Athletics Nation chats...   Continue Reading

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Maddux-Braves Speculation

It's pure speculation at this point, but MLB.com Braves beat writer Mark Bowman believes the Braves could bring Greg Maddux back for another tour. Braves fans seem to like the idea, based on chat questions I received yesterday. The Braves' rotation of Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, Tom Glavine, Jo-Jo Reyes, and Chuck James/Jeff Bennett could seemingly use an innings eater. Maddux is usually good for six decent innings, and he's healthy at 42. He makes $10MM this year and has no-trade protection. The Padres probably wouldn't demand any of the Braves' top five prospects. A Maddux-Smoltz-Glavine reunion seems entirely possible...   Continue Reading

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Odds & Ends: Padres, Maddux, Anthony Reyes

A few Odds & Ends with a San Diego focus: Tom Krasovic of the Union Tribune notes that the Padres are close to completing a trade for a reliever with "good stuff" according to Kevin Towers. It does not say who it is, but it should be someone better than LHPs Joe Thatcher, who would be sent down, and Glendon Rusch, who was just outrighted yesterday. Rusch has 3 days to accept his assignment. He most likely will as he signed a minor league deal after missing all of '07. Stay tuned to see who the Padres acquire. Any guesses?...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Darvish, Maddux

Let's kick off the day with some random links. Baseball America's Jim Callis profiles young phenom Yu Darvish, currently pitching in Japan. If he were MLB-bound, he'd be the third-best prospect in the game. DRays Bay would like to see Edwin Jackson traded rather than Jason Hammel, if there's a roster squeeze. Greg Maddux has told some teammates that this is his last season. That nugget is only a small part of Tim Keown's fantastic article about the legendary Professor.   Continue Reading

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Padres Sign Greg Maddux

As expected, the Padres inked third starter Greg Maddux to a fair one-year, $10MM deal. Who says all Scott Boras clients are money-greedy? The Padres still have more starting pitching on the agenda. They've been linked to other ex-Cubs in Matt Clement and Mark Prior. Jayson Stark said recently that the vibe was that Prior would be non-tendered. Josh Towers also may be on the radar. Failing that, the Padres could always sign Freddy Garcia, as suggested in my 2008 Top 50 Free Agents List   Continue Reading

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Padres Rumors: Maddux, Cabrera, Barrett, Bradley

As usual, Tom Krasovic has the scoop with the Padres. The Padres expect Greg Maddux back, at a salary near the $10MM he earned in '07. One way it could happen - Mad Dog declines his $8.75MM player option and the Padres exercise their $11MM club option. Otherwise they'll just tear it up and figure something out. The Padres will pass on available third basemen Alex Rodriguez and Miguel Cabrera. It sounds like a Padres team source is indicating the Marlins plan to shop Cabrera aggressively. As if this offseason wasn't going to be crazy enough, here's another marquee player..   Continue Reading

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Early Evening Rumors

Rosenthal has dollar amounts for the Greg Maddux deal: the Padres will pay him $10M in 2007, with a player option for 2008. The option starts at $6M, but if Maddux reaches various plateaus, the option could increase in value to another $10M. The Arlington Daily-Herald speculates that a Kevin Mench for Jon Lieber deal could be evened out by the Brewers sending along Jose Capellan. Capellan hasn't lived up to his potential yet, but he's still young enough that he could develop into a top-tier setup man. I'd be very surprised (not to mention disappointed) if Doug Melvin made..   Continue Reading

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Pettitte back to New York?

The Yankees may have offered Andy Pettitte $15 million for one year. There's also a deal on the table from Houston, and he could decide within the week. If Pettitte really is mulling retirement, this may be more appealing then a multi-year deal for less money. Personally, I hope Pettitte signs a multi-year deal somewhere; the guy's only going to be 35 next year, and he's already started in on the Roger-esque will-I-or-won't-I business. C'mon Andy, you want to pitch! In other news, the Greg Maddux contract with the Padres is still almost done, but 2008 may be a player..   Continue Reading

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Maddux inching toward San Diego

Rosenthal reports that the Padres and Greg Maddux are about to finalize a one-year deal with a club option for 2008. Just how that '08 option works (could it be guaranteed with some number of IP in '07?) seems to be the holdup. There's no big surprise here that Mad Dog will end up in San Diego, but I'm very curious to see the dollar amount-on a one-year deal, Maddux could end up getting eight figures. By Jeff Sackmann, Brew Crew Bal   Continue Reading

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Maddux To Padres Not Finalized

Ken Rosenthal reports that Scott Boras still has Greg Maddux on the market at this point. The hangup is a second guaranteed year. Why, I don't know. Mad Dog will be fine in 2008, I promise. Rosenthal mentions the Dodgers and Astros as possible players. A decision should come down later today   Continue Reading

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Padres Close On Maddux

As has been speculated for some time, the Padres are close to signing Greg Maddux. Ken Rosenthal has the scoop; he describes the likely signing as a "significant blow to the Dodgers." Maddux turns 41 next April. Overall in 2006 he won 15 games with a 4.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 3.2 K/BB. The Professor has reached 199 or more innings every season since 1988. He is one of a kind   Continue Reading

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Wolf, Baez to new homes

Looks like Randy Wolf is about to become a Dodger. Apparently LA is set to sign him to a one-year deal with an option for 2008; I'd guess it's in the $6-7M range. The same article speculates that Greg Maddux is looking for a raise on his $9M salary from last year-a two-year deal for Mike Mussina money. I guess I didn't realize quite what a stud he was after the trade last year, but I don't know who's going to give him that kind of cash. I've been a Maddux fan since the first time he was with the..   Continue Reading

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Dodgers Acquire Greg Maddux

Ken Rosenthal tells us that the Dodgers have acquired Greg Maddux. Will be interesting to see who the Cubs end up with. UPDATE: CBS Sportsline indicates that the Cubs received Cesar Izturis in return. The Chicago Tribune's Dave van Dyck has a different take, but ESPN has confirmed the Izturis part   Continue Reading

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ESPN: Dodgers Want Maddux

A report from ESPN's Amy Nelson indicates that the Dodgers are the "hottest team on Greg Maddux." According to Nelson: "The deal would be two L.A. prospects for Maddux; one would be a position player, the other a pitcher. And both would be high-level, likely coming from their loaded Triple-A team in Las Vegas." Well, let's have a look at Las Vegas's roster. I could see Delwyn Young as a part of this, and maybe Hong-Chih Kuo as the pitcher. Southpaw starter Greg Miller would be an impressive bounty. Anything above that - Andy LaRoche, Joel Guzman, or Matt Kemp..   Continue Reading

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Maddux Leaves With Tip Of Cap

Many are speculating that Greg Maddux's excellent performance today against the Cardinals was his last as a Cub. He got the win and departed to a standard ovation, tipping his cap to the Chicago faithful. In other Cubs rumors, Will Carroll mentions today in his latest Will's Mill update that "the Cubs have received some indications that Aramis Ramirez is going to opt out of his contract at the end of the season, putting them in the same situation that the Brewers were in before moving Carlos Lee." Though many Cubs fans may not want to admit it, there's a..   Continue Reading

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What Could Greg Maddux Bring?

Add the Brewers to the list of teams that could be a fit for Greg Maddux. The shoulder injuries of Tomo Ohka and Ben Sheets seem to be rehabbing normally, so there may not be a vacancy in Milwaukee's rotation. Still, it never hurts to have too much starting pitching. Maddux, now 40 years old, is piling on the innings as usual this year. His critics will point to a trend in declining ERAs, but I don't think it's that simple. The Professor has continued to pitch like he has since 2003. The only real difference in 2006 is that..   Continue Reading

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Cubs Shopping Maddux?

A good one from the rumor mill over at Gotham Baseball. Unfortunately their page is not working right now so here's a link to MetsBlog's take on Gotham's report. According to Gotham, Greg Maddux is being shopped. Interested parties: Mets, Yankees, Brewers, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Royals, and Cardinals. The Cubs would essentially be reducing their rotation to "Carlos Zambrano and pray for a tornado," but Maddux is an impending free agent. My opinion from a couple of weeks ago: he's the same old Mad Dog, just with a well-timed hot streak. Still, dealing him now would be a very early white..   Continue Reading

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MLB Free Agents 2007: Greg Maddux

It's kind of funny to see Jay Mariotti jumping on the Greg Maddux bandwagon after two starts. The secret to Maddux's quick start is not fitness. In reality, he's the exact same Professor he has been for the last three years. Maddux's H/9 rate fluctuates from season to season. I don't think he has a lot of control over this. Sure, in his 1992-98 insane peak he certainly allowed fewer hits for a reason. But he gave up tons of hits in '99 and it looks like a fluke. He seems to have established a new general range since 2003...   Continue Reading

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Trade Candidates Part 1

With the hot stove not all that hot at the moment, I thought I'd run down some guys who could be traded between now and July 31st in an attempt to peer into the future. Part 1 of the series will focus on some of the players in their contract year. Barry Bonds is unlikely to be dealt, given that the Giants have pinned most of their offensive hopes on him. But if, for some reason, the team is out of contention in July and Bonds is looking more awful than usual in the field, a deal to the AL..   Continue Reading

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