Ivan Rodriguez Rumors

Tigers Rumors: Renteria, Wilson, Zaun, Treanor

Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press has the latest on the Tigers. GM Dave Dombrowski wasn't sure Edgar Renteria would turn down an offer of arbitration, and he didn't feel two draft picks were worth the risk. Discussions with the Pirates regarding Jack Wilson are ongoing, but concrete proposals have yet to be exchanged. The Tigers have interest in free agent catcher Gregg Zaun. Zaun, 38 in April, hit .237/.340/.359 in 288 plate appearances this year while earning $3.75MM. Morosi adds that the Tigers also like Marlins catcher Matt Treanor, but no deal is imminent. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro...   Continue Reading

---

Tigers Rumors: Zumaya, Hoffman, Miner

Joel Zumaya might be ready to pitch this spring--and he might not be, reports Jason Beck of MLB.com. Tigers assistant GM Al Avila calls it "basically a week-to-week, month-to-month situation." That's enough to force the Tigers to come up with a backup plan for their relief corps. Adding Trevor Hoffman as closer may be at the center of that plan. Brandon Lyon is another option for the ninth, says Beck. Zach Miner is mentioned as an in-house option for the bullpen, but likely wouldn't close. He may need to move to the rotation, pending an update on the futures of...   Continue Reading

---

Nats Trade For Olsen, Willingham

9:44pm: Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel was assured this evening that Dan Uggla will not be traded this winter. Additonally, Mike Berardino says the Marlins won't be signing Ivan Rodriguez for a second stint. 6:34pm: According to ESPN's Peter Gammons, the Nationals acquired Scott Olsen and Josh Willingham from the Marlins for second baseman Emilio Bonifacio and two minor league players, pitcher P.J. Dean and shortstop Jake Smolinski. Bonifacio was the prospect the Diamondbacks traded straight up for Jon Rauch. He fits into the "speed and defense" plan. Smolinski was ranked 11th among Nationals prospects heading into...   Continue Reading

---

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

---

Tigers Rumors: Pudge, Varitek, Lugo, Thames

Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press doles out the latest Tigers rumors. How will the Tigers resolve their catching situation? GM Dave Dombrowski calls an Ivan Rodriguez reunion a longshot, and Scott Boras is asking the moon for Jason Varitek. The Tigers may not have the goods to swing a trade for Gerald Laird. Morosi likes the idea of Henry Blanco, but says the Tigers have yet to contact his agent. Check out the other free agent options here. Morosi considers a bad contract swap for Julio Lugo a viable option for the Tigers. He notes that Dontrelle...   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: Pudge, Ohman, Manny

Rounding up linkage for Monday... The Jays claimed two players off waivers: shortstop Angel Sanchez and pitcher Kelvin Jimenez. The Cubs and Nationals swapped minor leaguers. The Cubs sent pitcher Matt Avery to the Nats for another pitcher named Ryan Buchter. Good stuff from ESPN's Jerry Crasnick - he surveyed 15 front-office people on the top stories of the offseason. One of a million conversations taking place at the GM meetings: Brian Cashman chatting with Walt Jocketty. Tony Massarotti's top five lies told during free agency. Ken Davidoff names his top ten GMs. Joe Posnanski on the Mike Jacobs-Leo Nunez...   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: Byrnes, Teixeira, Swisher

Random links for Tuesday... SI.com's Jon Heyman notes that a Cy Young award for Johan Santana would lock in his 2014 option at $25MM. Mark Healey of Gotham Baseball wonders if the Mets might end up signing Ivan Rodriguez. The Jays officially received Fabio Castro to complete the Matt Stairs deal. Buster Olney had this one in August. Bummer to see Larry Borowsky of Viva El Birdos stepping down from blogging. He's been my favorite Cardinals writer. Nick Piecoro wonders if Eric Byrnes could be traded for another bad contract player like Luis Castillo. The Red Sox treated Mark Teixeira...   Continue Reading

---

Tigers Rumors: Leyland, Farnsworth, Renteria

The latest hot stove buzz around the Tigers... Manager Jim Leyland doesn't expect the team to sign big-name free agents this winter. He even brought up the idea of signing minor-league free agents to help the '09 club. As you know, it's been rumored the Tigers may need to move Magglio Ordonez to get down to a targeted $100MM payroll. Eddie Bajek of Detroit Tigers Thoughts got some nice coverage in the Detroit Free Press for his work cracking the Elias code. Jon Paul Morosi's article centers on the likelihood of Kyle Farnsworth losing Type B status while Ivan Rodriguez...   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: Alvarez, Williams, Tazawa

Today's links... Chat today, 2pm CST. Great stuff on the Pedro Alvarez situation from Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein. Goldstein's source says the union will claim that the Pirates and MLB engaged in a premeditated conspiracy, perhaps designed to take Scott Boras out of the picture by negotiating past midnight. The article is subscription-only. At $40 a year, BP is well worth it. It seems that Type B status is slipping away for Tigers reliever Kyle Farnsworth. Ivan Rodriguez recently fell from A to B, but the Yankees may choose not to offer him arbitration. Baseball America's Jim Callis says Mariners...   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: LaRoche, Bradley, Burnett

Digging into today's random links... Joel Sherman looks at what went wrong for the Yankees this year. Did they fall too in love with their farm system? At least six teams have called the Pirates about third baseman Andy LaRoche in recent weeks. If LaRoche pans out and Pedro Alvarez comes aboard, the Bucs could have a surplus at some point. Craig Harris examines the rise of D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes. Eddie Bajek updated the Elias rankings for the AL 1B/OF/DH category. They're fluctuating wildly. Eddie also did catchers for both leagues; Ivan Rodriguez is headed into Type B territory....   Continue Reading

---

Cafardo's Latest: Salty, Renteria, Pudge

Let's take a look at the latest column from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Red Sox are "intrigued" by Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (I believe they have been for some time). Jamey Newberg would like to see Clay Buchholz in a Rangers uniform, but admits the deal would have to be expanded. The Red Sox will not have to pay the $3MM buyout on Edgar Renteria if the Tigers decline his $11MM option for '09. The free agent market for shorstops is weak, but the Tigers will probably look elsewhere given Renteria's .269/.318/.375 showing. Cafardo wonders if Jason...   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: Eaton, Tazawa, Royals, Jays

Today's links... SI.com's Tom Verducci ranks the five best midseason deals of the past 25 years. Peter Abraham thinks the Yankees should stick with Robinson Cano. Pat Gillick says there's a slight chance the Phils acquire a reliever this month. He was not able to acquire Kyle Farnsworth in August. MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan doesn't put much stock in the rumor that Nolan Ryan will clean house in Texas. Phillies GM Pat Gillick admitted signing Adam Eaton was a mistake. Many MLBTR readers thought so when the signing was finalized in November of '06. The Red Sox hope to sign a...   Continue Reading

---

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

---

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

---

Week in Review: 7/27 - 8/2

We saw the non-waiver trade deadline come and go this week, and plenty of action to go along with it. Let's recap the big moves of the week: The Dodgers, Pirates, and Red Sox completed a three-team, blockbuster trade that sent Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles, Jason Bay to Boston, and Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Craig Hansen, and Brandon Moss to Pittsburgh. The Pirates got a pretty nice haul, and while Bay won't necessarily replace Manny's production, he's much more affordable, signed through '09, and doesn't disrupt the clubhouse. The Dodgers add the big bat they need for a push...   Continue Reading

---

Marlins Pushing For Laird

12:09pm: ESPN's Jerry Crasnick sees Laird staying put, at least until the offseason. 11:22am: Rosenthal says the Fish are pushing for Laird, but won't give up an MLB-ready starter for him. Mike Hindman wonders if the Rangers are demanding Ryan Tucker, putting a wrinkle into the Manny talks. 10:02am: The Marlins can cross Ivan Rodriguez off their list of catching targets, though they did make a concerted effort according to ESPN's Jayson Stark. They obviously couldn't part with a veteran reliever; in fact they just acquired one in Arthur Rhodes. Stark says the Marlins are still looking for catching help....   Continue Reading

---

Graziano's Latest: Schoeneweis, Rhodes, Pavano

Here's a look at the fresh rumors from Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger. The Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, and Rays have talked to the Mets about Scott Schoeneweis. The Mets might prefer to acquire a replacement if they move Schoeneweis. Arthur Rhodes is one possibility if he doesn't end up in Florida. Geoff Baker believes it's down to the Marlins and Brewers for Rhodes, with the other getting Eddie Guardado. The Yanks might have to acquire a reliever now that they've dealt Kyle Farnsworth. Rhodes isn't on their radar though. The Ivan Rodriguez trade could kick off other trades for...   Continue Reading

---

Yankees Acquire Ivan Rodriguez

In a surprise move, the Yankees have acquired catcher Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers for Kyle Farnsworth according to Buster Olney. The move should save Detroit about $2.6MM and could help their 'pen. Nice pickup for New York, plus he's a Type A free agent if they want to risk offering him arbitration.   Continue Reading

---

Tigers Rumors: Schoeneweis, Ivan Rodriguez

Let's check in on the Tigers, who are in third place and 6.5 games out in the AL Central. Jon Paul Morosi believes Joel Zumaya's worrisome triceps injury coupled with concerns about Freddy Dolsi could prompt a relief acquisition very soon. Two recently named options of the lefthanded variety: Jack Taschner and Scott Schoeneweis. Morosi also discusses the Ivan Rodriguez situation. The Tigers haven't approached him about an extension, and could trade him in August if they slip out of contention. Morosi thinks Rodriguez, who is hitting .298/.342/.421 despite a slow start, is in line for a multiyear free agent...   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: Mets, Cardinals, Phillies, Tigers

Today's links. Mets manager Jerry Manuel expects a move, most likely for a left fielder. Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein wrote Saturday about the remaining unsigned draft picks. BP is free for all this week, by the way. Cardinals GM John Mozeliak faces a tough situation - he doesn't have much time before the trade deadline to determine what Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright will contribute. Don McKee believes the Phillies should sell the farm for Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes. Jon Paul Morosi notes that the Tigers might be able to trade Ivan Rodriguez in August. He also says that...   Continue Reading

---

Heyman's Latest: Yankees, Manny, Bowden, Pudge

SI.com's Jon Heyman has a new column up. Given Richie Sexson's expected part-time role, the Yankees are in the market for an everyday outfielder to replace Hideki Matsui's bat. Barry Bonds is not under consideration. Heyman tosses out names such as Matt Holliday, Xavier Nady, Jason Bay, and Adam Dunn, while noting that the price on most is too high (the Pirates deny this). Heyman is still saying the Cardinals will consider trading Colby Rasmus, despite various denials. The Yanks are also looking to add a #3-4 starter type. Here's a look at the market. Manny Ramirez probably isn't going...   Continue Reading

---

Marlins Inquire On Ivan Rodriguez

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes of the Marlins' pursuit of a catcher, which has been going on for several weeks now. The Fish would like to find an upgrade on Matt Treanor, who is currently on the DL with a hip strain. However, they're not impressed by available backstops Paul Lo Duca, Yorvit Torrealba, and Dave Ross. Jackson adds an interesting name - the Marlins asked the Tigers about Ivan Rodriguez, but he's not available at this time. They could always sign him in the offseason if the price is right. We revisited the trade market for catchers...   Continue Reading

---

Ivan Rodriguez To Lose Playing Time

Ivan Rodriguez, the Tigers' $13MM catcher, will now be used in a platoon with Brandon Inge. They'll alternate starts behind the plate. Rodriguez, 36, is hitting .245 (AVG)/.286 (OBP)/.349 (SLG) in 208 plate appearances. This didn't come out of nowhere - PECOTA had him at .267/.295/.390. PECOTA is a projection system developed by Baseball Prospectus. The PECOTA system uses comparable players to make its estimates. Hot stove implications of Jim Leyland's new plan: the Tigers will learn if Brandon Inge can be their everyday catcher in 2009 (Inge is signed through 2010). If not, the Tigers seem more likely to...   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: Ivan Rodriguez, Hall, Street

Time for today's link roundup. MLBTR live chat here at 2pm CST, don't miss it! Ivan Rodriguez expects to play ball beyond this season. Bill Hall isn't happy with the Brewers' callup of Russell Branyan. Hall is hitting .220/.292/.418 in 196 plate appearances. He's signed through 2010. Susan Slusser ponders the future of A's relievers Huston Street, Alan Embree, Santiago Casilla, and Joey Devine. Might be tough to deal anyone unless the team drops out of contention. Part 2 of AN's Billy Beane interview.   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: Perez, Jones, Howard, Burnett

Let's round up today's linkage. No more long-term discussions with Oliver Perez and the Mets. Andruw Jones already wants to talk extension with the Dodgers. The Cardinals are not likely to make anymore acquisitions. In my view the team has question marks in right field, the middle infield, and the rotation. Here's a look at their MLB.com depth chart. By the way, could Ryan Franklin be a league average starter? They could try it if the current options don't pan out. Jim Salisbury thinks the Ryan Howard contract situation is a nonstory. I think this is partially because (and I...   Continue Reading

---

Willis/Pudge Spinoff To Mets?

UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 8:13am: Adam Rubin's source still believes Willis could be flipped to the Mets. UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 9:21pm: Danny Knobler says the Tigers did briefly consider a three-way scenario that sent Willis and Pudge to the Mets. That permutation was dismissed before anything went public and won't be revisited. FROM 12-5-07 at 6:08pm: According to Sweeny Murti via MetsBlog, the Tigers have looked into the idea of spinning Dontrelle Willis off to the Mets. I'm sure this would thrill the Marlins, who didn't want to trade within the division. No offer has been made, but it's been discussed...   Continue Reading

---

Catcher Salaries

Dan Graziano noted in his column today that Ivan Rodriguez may have set the market for Jorge Posada when his option was exercised. Posada was the game's second-highest paid catcher in 2007, with his $12MM salary behind only Jason Kendall's $13MM. Posada is coming off a .338/.426/.543 season, so he's going to break the bank. Some team is probably going to offer $15MM per year over four years. Now that Pudge is locked in at $13MM for '08, he's jumped to that top of the list. Behind him, Jason Varitek makes $9MM and Ramon Hernandez earns $7.5MM next year. Ramon..   Continue Reading

---

Tigers Exercise Pudge's $13MM Option

According to Baseball Digest Daily, the Tigers have picked up Ivan Rodriguez's $13MM option for 2008. It was a $10MM decision for the Tigers given the $3MM buyout price. The Detroit Tiger Weblog is OK with the decision, given the lack of better alternatives. By my count, the Tigers have roughly $83MM on the books plus maybe another $6MM for those making near the minimum. Ballpark it at $90MM, which is $5MM below their Opening Day '07 mark. The Tigers have some holes to fill, but it wouldn't be surprised to see payroll rise past $100MM. The Tigers passed the..   Continue Reading

---

Boras's Approach With Pudge

I don't have a ton to add on this one; I think Michael Rosenberg nails it when discussing Scott Boras's disingenuous comments regarding Ivan Rodriguez. If I had to find one word that best describes, it would be disingenuous. He's rarely straightforward and always calculating, and that's why he's the best agent in the game by far. Rosenberg mentions that Boras's approach indicates that he doesn't think Rodriguez could earn a $13MM deal on the open market. I agree - the Tigers probably value Pudge more highly than other teams because he's symbolic for them. Rodriguez's situation has of course..   Continue Reading

---

Tigers To Decline Pudge's Option?

This one's been going back and forth for months. Just about a week ago, the buzz was strongly in favor of the Tigers picking up Ivan Rodriguez's $13MM option for 2008. One Detroit writer went as far as to suggest that the Tigers already privately agreed to pick it up. You may recall that Pudge's option comes with a hefty $3MM buyout price attached. Now Danny Knobler of Michigan Live writes that the Tigers are prepared to decline the option. They'd entertain a lesser one-year deal, but Rodriguez may not be interested. Remember, he's represented by Scott Boras. Knobler indicates..   Continue Reading

---

Tigers To Exercise Pudge's Option?

Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez has a $13MM option for '08 with a $3MM buyout attached. Last we'd heard, the Tigers were likely to exercise it for lack of a better option. Tom Gage of the Detroit News believes not only that the Tigers will exercise the option, but that privately the team has already committed to it. Gage mentions that Pudge is seen as a symbol of the team's rebirth and that he's been far too jovial in the clubhouse for a guy with an uncertain future. Wow, that last sentence was really poorly written. Gage also adds that Nate..   Continue Reading

---

Tigers Trade/Signing Speculation

Lynn Henning of the Detroit News posted a Q&A yesterday, giving his informed opinion on the Tigers' various hot stove situations. Below are some highlights. Henning expects Kenny Rogers to be with the Tigers in 2008, and I think that's the general sentiment around baseball. Rogers has already stated that it's the Tigers or retirement in 2008. I'll guess a $6MM base salary plus incentives to make $10MM possible. Henning sees the Tigers picking up Ivan Rodriguez's $13MM option for '08, for lack of a better option. Given the $3MM buyout it's kind of a like a one-year, $10MM deal...   Continue Reading

---

Rosenthal's Latest Video: Pudge, Bedard, Burrell

Ken Rosenthal has a new video up; check it out. Some highlights: Back in April, I made predictions of whether various club options will be exercised for 2008. My opinion on many of the option decisions has changed since then. One example is Ivan Rodriguez. At the time I said his defense and power would justify the $10MM difference between his $13MM option and $3MM buyout. Currently, Pudge is hitting for his usual decent average but has drawn just five walks in 379 plate appearances. Rosenthal believes the Tigers might opt for the buyout, especially if Rodriguez tails off as..   Continue Reading

---

Rosenthal's Latest

The always-interesting Ken Rosenthal has another column up, chock full of rumory goodness. The man knows how to work the phones like no other. Some highlights: Rosenthal considers the possibility that Curt Schilling could be the easy choice for the best available free agent starter after this season, with John Smoltz off the board. Even if Carlos Zambrano is out there, Schill would be a better option for teams looking to go short-term. Rosenthal says the Red Sox could revisit extension talks, even though it seemed just a month ago that Schilling was certain to hit the open market. One..   Continue Reading

---

Who's Catching For Mets In '08?

Paul Lo Duca's contract is up after this season. As you may recall, Lo Duca's reps brought up the idea of an extension at the Winter Meetings in January, but the Mets didn't want to discuss it yet. Lo Duca, 35, makes $6.25MM this season. We know catchers don't age well; there's a decent chance Lo Duca tanks in 2008 (if not this year). PECOTA might throw him another $5-6MM for '08, but that's about it. The Mets are right to hesitate. Assuming they cut him loose, they could look internally for their new backstop. Ramon Castro might be able..   Continue Reading

---

The Pudge Option

In today's column, John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press names the many milestones Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez is approaching. Lowe mentions at the end of his column: "Right now, it seems automatic that the club will exercise the option and have him catch next season - and maybe into the season after that, when he could be passing Fisk for the most games caught all-time." That is an interesting statement as Rodriguez's option for 2008 is probably not a no-brainer. It's for a hefty $13MM. But it should be noted that it includes a $3MM buyout, so the question..   Continue Reading

---

Will Tigers Keep Pudge?

The Tigers have a $13MM option with a $3MM buyout for Ivan Rodriguez in '08. Pudge turned 35 in November. He said recently that he'd like to finish his career with Detroit and might play until he's 40. Given the buyout, Rodriguez's option is more like $10MM. PECOTA puts him at $8,125,000 for 2008, so exercising it seems wise. There's value in the one-year commitment. Extending him for extra years might be a mistake, though. Detroit's larger 2008 commitments: Ordonez - $15MM Sheffield - $14MM Bonderman - $8.5MM Inge - $6.2MM Polanco - $4.6MM After the '07 season, Rodriguez, Kenny..   Continue Reading

---

Will Tigers Keep Pudge?

The Tigers have a $13MM option with a $3MM buyout for Ivan Rodriguez in '08. Pudge turned 35 in November. He said recently that he'd like to finish his career with Detroit and might play until he's 40. Given the buyout, Rodriguez's option is more like $10MM. PECOTA puts him at $8,125,000 for 2008, so exercising it seems wise. There's value in the one-year commitment. Extending him for extra years might be a mistake, though. Detroit's larger 2008 commitments: Ordonez - $15MM Sheffield - $14MM Bonderman - $8.5MM Inge - $6.2MM Polanco - $4.6MM After the '07 season, Rodriguez, Kenny..   Continue Reading

---

Search MLBTR

MLBTR Mailing List

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

MLBTR Features

Recent Posts

Rumors By Team

Monthly Archives

Live Chats

Tuesdays at 2 p.m. CST