Kenshin Kawakami Rumors

Olney On La Russa, Mulder, Hudson

ESPN.com's Buster Olney breaks down last night's ALCS contest in detail before turning to some rumors. Here they are: Olney can see Tony La Russa returning to manage the Cardinals for a final season in 2010. Could Mark Mulder end up in Milwaukee? His former pitching coach, Rick Peterson, has joined the Brewers, who are looking for starting pitching. Brewers manager Ken Macha managed the A's when Mulder was in his prime. As Olney points out, Mulder won't be expensive. The Braves are determining the trade market for Kenshin Kawakami and Derek Lowe. They're more likely to bring Tim Hudson...   Continue Reading

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Odds & Ends: Torre, Braves, Blue Jays

In the midst of a tight Dodgers-Phillies game, here are some news tidbits from around the baseball world.... Before Game Five, Joe Torre said he wants to (and believes he will) be the Dodgers' manager next season, reports Mike Jensen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that Frank Wren is in a bit of a Catch-22 when it comes to re-signing Tim Hudson and Adam LaRoche, and/or trading Kenshin Kawakami or Derek Lowe for hitting help. MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports that new Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos has spent his first few weeks on...   Continue Reading

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Discussion: What Should Braves Do With Their Pitching Surplus?

Mark Bowman of MLB.com has an excellent rundown of the Braves' payroll going into 2010. He focuses on Tim Hudson, who had scouts from the Rockies and the Diamondbacks watching him make his return to the mound last night. It would seem that the Braves have some decisions to make about their starting rotation going into next season. They currently have Hudson, Javier Vazquez, Derek Lowe, Kenshin Kawakami, Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson. According to Bowman, the Braves have a few different options. They could pay Hudson's $1MM buyout and let him go. They could attempt to trade Vazquez for...   Continue Reading

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Braves Seek Outfield Help In Stagnant Market

Mark Bowman of MLB.com talked to Braves GM Frank Wren about the possibility of trading for outfield help, and Wren's comments paint a picture of a tough market: "It's not going to be easy. We've been talking to clubs for a while, and most of them are reluctant to make a move right now. There are a number of clubs looking for offense with a power bat. None of us can shake one loose." Bowman writes that "there would likely be some power bats that come into the picture" if the Braves were willing to offer top pitching prospect Tommy...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Lowry, Kawakami, Lowe, Young

Links for Wednesday... Rany Jazayerli has withdrawn his support for Royals GM Dayton Moore. Chris Haft says that if Noah Lowry has a nice spring, perhaps the Giants should trade him rather than Jonathan Sanchez. Keith Law says Kenshin Kawakami should provide bulk innings for the Braves, while the risk with Derek Lowe is his age. La Velle E. Neal III doesn't get the sense the Twins are interested in Michael Young. Jeff Wilson looks at the likely free agent options for the Rangers. Peter Abraham suggests the Yankees don't have sufficient rotation depth without Andy Pettitte or a similar...   Continue Reading

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Braves Sign Kenshin Kawakami

4:27pm: O'Brien says now it's about $23MM over three years. 2:02pm: David O'Brien says Kawakami gets three years, $25MM. 8:38am: A news conference is scheduled for today, so it's safe to assume pitcher Kenshin Kawakami passed his physical and is a Brave. We'll add the terms of the three-year deal once they become available. The Japanese paper Sponichi believes it's worth $24MM, though it was written in uncertain terms according to Patrick Newman. If the Braves are able to sign Derek Lowe, they'll have a rotation of Lowe, Javier Vazquez, Kawakami, Jair Jurrjens, and Jorge Campillo (with Tommy Hanson knocking...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Padres, Manny, Braves

Links for Sunday... John Moores will remain majority owner of the Padres for three or four years even if he agrees to sell the team to Jeff Moorad, according to Tom Krasovic. Major league executives say Padres CEO Sandy Alderson is likely to leave if Moorad takes over. In a recent poll, Giants fans were divided on the idea of signing Manny Ramirez. The Pirates haven't offered Doug Mientkiewicz a contract. Thomas Stinson looks at an offseason of "mediocrity" for the Braves. Bobby Cox likes the looks of Kenshin Kawakami. Larry LaRue asks who's on first for the Mariners this...   Continue Reading

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Derek Lowe Rumors: Saturday

5:19pm: We've got a bit of a status update in Ken Rosenthal's latest. Fresh off closing the deal on Kenshin Kawakami, it seems as though the Atlanta Braves are the latest front runners in the Derek Lowe sweepstakes. Citing a source, Rosenthal says the Braves are "all over" Lowe. As for the team that was perhaps overtaken in this case, Rosenthal writes, "Mets officials seemed pessimistic." Any pending offer from Atlanta is not likely to include a fourth year, according to Rosenthal. However, an offer for three years in the $40-42MM range with a club or vesting option is "one...   Continue Reading

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Braves Sign Kenshin Kawakami

2:47pm: Says Yahoo! Sports' Tim Brown, the contract is a three-year deal. 1:43pm: David O'Brien says, "Deal is done, pending physical." Kenshin Kawakami is an Atlanta Brave. SATURDAY, 11:34am: In the comments section of his own post, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes: I really think the Braves have reached an agreement with Kawakami. And not because a Japanese paper reported it. In the body of the article, he writes that an announcement by Kawakami's people "could come at any time." 7:45pm: MLB.com's Mark Bowman that the Braves may have already lured Kawakami. The report says "multiple Major League...   Continue Reading

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Derek Lowe Rumors: Friday

7:45pm: Mark Bowman reports that the Braves are actually readying their first offer for Lowe, which they plan to make on Monday or Tuesday. More from Bowman here. 3:40pm: O'Brien has details on the Braves' five-hour meeting with Lowe and Boras. He says the Braves' offer is expected today and they want Lowe badly. It may require a four-year commitment. As far as Kenshin Kawakami - the Braves are among the four finalists. On the offensive side O'Brien suggests Adam Dunn or Xavier Nady could be targets. 9:26am: According to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves met with...   Continue Reading

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