Josh Hamilton Rumors
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [August 5, 2009 at 3:56pm CST]
Time for some afternoon links... Over at SI.com Jonah Keri looks back at a win-win trade that lost its luster. Josh Hamilton and Edinson Volquez seemed like perfect fits for their new teams just last year, but injuries have shelved both. In his MLB.com chat, Pirates president Frank Coonelly defended the organization's choice to flip Jason Bay for prospects last summer. FanGraphs values Andy LaRoche's 2009 performance more than Bay's, believe it or not. Coonelly says the Pirates are the only club to have offered Miguel Angel Sano "significant dollars." Don't expect Sano to sign until the investigation into his...
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By Ben Nicholson-Smith [June 8, 2009 at 5:04pm CST]
Why not rattle off a few more links to wrap up this Monday afternoon... As MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports, Josh Hamilton will miss 4-6 weeks to repair a partially torn abdominal muscle. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports believes the Rangers are for real. He says Jon Daniels is not looking to trade Omar Vizquel. ESPN.com's Keith Law believes Stephen Strasburg will sign this year. He could be in line for a September debut, perhaps as a reliever. Law's high on Tyler Matzek, a polished high schooler who should go early in the first round. As Baseball America's J.J. Cooper...
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By Ben Nicholson-Smith [June 3, 2009 at 9:52am CST]
Tonight all eyes will be on Randy Johnson as he goes for his 300th win. Here are some links to keep you going until then... Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies are in no hurry to deal prospect Michael Taylor, who's slugging over .600 at Double A. Taylor understands that, as a corner outfielder, there's not much room for him in Philly. Could Taylor be a trade chip as the Phillies look to add pitching? Andy Martino of the Inquirer reports that Scott Eyre says he's "more than 90 percent" sure he'll retire after this year. Eyre,...
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By Tim Dierkes [March 26, 2009 at 8:46am CST]
THURSDAY, 8:46am: Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has a bit more. He says the Rangers are aiming to buy out at least one year of free agency, and will probably use the contracts given to Ian Kinsler and Hank Blalock as guidelines. WEDNESDAY, 4:36pm: According to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, the Rangers presented a contract offer to Josh Hamilton and his agent. Hamilton was "disappointed" with the proposal. Sullivan notes that Hamilton is already under team control through 2012, and is believed to be seeking "a deal in the 4-6 year range with possible options." Hamilton will be...
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By Nat Boyle [March 22, 2009 at 11:53am CST]
According to Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram, the Rangers are expected to begin moving toward a long-term contract extension for Josh Hamilton and could have something done by the end of spring training. The Rangers have been discussing this for over a month. For how much or how long remains to be seen. Hamilton has 3 years of arbitration remaining after this year before becoming eligible for free agency in 2012. Wilson thinks Texas will want to cover 2 years of free agency. The Rangers signed Ian Kinsler to a 5-year, $22MM deal in February 2008 so a five-to-six year...
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By Tim Dierkes [March 9, 2009 at 1:24pm CST]
SI.com's Jon Heyman has a new column up; let's take a look. Heyman says Oakland's "win now" mandate this winter came from owner Lewis Wolff. The Astros and Marlins are interested in Ivan Rodriguez, "no matter what they say publicly." Heyman says Pedro Martinez is "talking up a Dodgers reunion." So far, there's been no indication the Dodgers are entertaining it. Edgar Renteria's agent was initially asking for a three or four-year deal. It's no surprise that Frank Catalanotto is available, but the $6MM owed to him is an obvious impediment. According to Heyman, Andruw Jones told Rangers brass he's...
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By Drew Silva [February 25, 2009 at 5:14pm CST]
According to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, the Rangers signed all nine of their pre-arbitration players Wednesday. Josh Hamilton, who will become eligible for arbitration after the 2009 season, is the most notable name on the list. He inked a one-year deal worth $555K. The club is still expected to explore a long-term deal with the 27-year-old slugger later this spring.
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By Drew Silva [February 24, 2009 at 6:46pm CST]
According to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, the Rangers plan to embark on long-term contract discussions with Josh Hamilton's agents later this spring. Tim suggested last week that Dustin Pedroia's six-year, $40.5MM extension could be a model for the Rangers and Hamilton's representatives, as both players have two years of MLB service time. Hamilton, 27, went nuts last season, finishing with a line of .304/.371/.530. He also blasted 32 home runs and racked up 130 RBI.
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By Tim Dierkes [February 16, 2009 at 9:48am CST]
MONDAY: A minor update from Sullivan: The Rangers have expressed an interest to Hamilton's agent Michael Moye and got a positive response in return. No offers have been exchanged on either side. THURSDAY: MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers may attempt to sign Josh Hamilton to a long-term deal this spring. He notes that the Rangers have a history of doing spring deals with pre-arbitration players, with Ian Kinsler, Hank Blalock, and Michael Young serving as examples. I wonder if Dustin Pedroia's recent six-year, $40.5MM extension could be a model, as both players have two years of service time. Nick...
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By Alex Walsh [February 7, 2009 at 8:58pm CST]
8:58pm: Jeff Wilson writes in the Dallas Morning News that Andruw Jones worked out at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington Jan. 26. Rangers GM Jon Daniels confirmed that Jones worked out with Rudy Jaramillo, the Rangers hitting coach. Wilson writes that Jones would probably be offered a minor-league contract with an invite to Spring Training. 3:32pm: T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com chimes in on the Andruw Jones rumor. The article suggests we downgrade from "close to agreement" status, as we reported earlier, to "strongly considering," to quote Sullivan. 1:57pm: Andruw Jones is close to signing a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers,...
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