Manny Ramirez Rumors

Odds and Ends: Kendall, Laird, Giles, Manny

Today's linkage... A friend pointed out to me how strange it is that the Twins were willing to take on Jarrod Washburn's salary and give up Boof Bonser but chose to trade Johan Santana before the season. If Bill Smith could go back in time, would he still make that deal? A Gary Sheffield acquisition by the Rays is "unlikely but not impossible," according to one Buster Olney source. As expected, Jason Kendall's option for '09 vested. He's off the list! The Rangers were willing to trade Gerald Laird and a solid prospect to the Marlins for Chris Volstad. The...   Continue Reading

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Stark's Latest: Manny, Fuentes, Livan, Dunn

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up. Some teams won't go anywhere near Manny Ramirez given the way he exited Boston. Opinions range on whether he'll get two, three, or four years this winter. Will he turn it off again after signing a long-term deal? And will other players use the same strategy to escape their contracts? The Rays are likely to stand pat, despite recent injuries. Rockies players haven't hit the waiver wire yet; Dan O'Dowd plans to wait until month's end. Stark wonders whether the Cards could win a claim on Brian Fuentes. Not...   Continue Reading

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Heyman's Latest: Washburn, Cashman, Garcia, Lofton

SI.com's Jon Heyman checks in with a new column. Jarrod Washburn reportedly cleared waivers, though Heyman's use of the word "reportedly" makes me think the statement came from one of the shaky reports floating about. We'll wait for definitive word on that one. Heyman's sources say the Yankees plan to offer a new contract to GM Brian Cashman after the season. Hank Steinbrenner has apparently warmed to Cashman. Additionally, "club higherups" expect Cashman will want to stay rather than jump to the Seattle job. Heyman loves the Freddy Garcia acquisition; he wonders if Garcia will be motivated by Ozzie Guillen's...   Continue Reading

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Gammons Chat: Lucchino, Lugo, Manny

The Boston Globe has a Peter Gammons chat transcript up on its blog. Let's take a look at his nuggets of rumor wisdom. Gammons heard from someone close to Larry Lucchino that the Red Sox would not let him leave. The Red Sox could try to unload Julio Lugo in the offseason, or convince him to accept a super-utility role. Gammons says neither Hank Steinbrenner nor Brian Cashman have any interest in Manny Ramirez as a winter signing. He expects the Yankees to chase C.C. Sabathia. Manny apparently wants four years and $100MM, but Gammons expects something more in the...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Ibanez, Dunn, Blake, Stewart

Let's kick off the morning with some random links. Live chat here today at 2pm CST. Brian Matusz is hopeful about striking a deal with the Orioles by Friday's deadline. Roch Kubatko has a source saying it's likely. Baseball America's Jim Callis warns us not to listen to the posturing - he still expects all the first-round draft picks to sign with the possible exception of Allan Dykstra. Should the Mariners offer Raul Ibanez a three-year deal at $10-11MM per? No word yet on possible Rays acquisitions in wake of the Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria injuries. Marc Lancaster wonders...   Continue Reading

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Heyman's Latest: Lucchino, Manny, Rangers

I wanted to let the Dunn trade cool off a bit before diving into Jon Heyman's latest. Heyman "people in high places in baseball" who believe Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino might leave after the season, possibly for the Dodgers. He's still butting heads with Theo Epstein apparently. Heyman doesn't buy the idea that Scott Boras orchestrated Manny Ramirez's departure from Boston. He also doesn't buy the idea of Ramirez playing in New York. Nolan Ryan would like Tom Hicks to sell the Rangers to him, but Hicks has shown no willingness to do so. Players such as George Sherrill,...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Kielty, Ellis, Bonds, Poreda

Time to for today's link collection. The Twins signed Bobby Kielty to a minor league deal. The former Twin was released by the Red Sox in July. When he's going good, he can hit lefties pretty well. Peter Magowan is glad the Giants didn't successfully pull off an attempted trade for Manny Ramirez before the '07 season. However, as Henry Schulman notes, that might've prevented the Barry Zito contract. The Reds haven't talked to the agents for any of their potential free agents, and no decision has been made on Adam Dunn. Susan Slusser wonders if the D'Backs will try...   Continue Reading

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Perrotto's Latest: Waivers, Extensions, Garcia, Braves

John Perrotto over at Baseball Prospectus has his Every Given Sunday column up: Perrotto lists off several people which he believes are the most likely to be made available if and when they clear waivers. While the list is comprised of a lot of the usual suspects this August (Greg Maddux, Jarrod Washburn, Paul Byrd, Randy Winn), Perrotto lists some other names that we haven't seen as much: Francisco Cordero, Tyler Walker, Todd Jones, Jose Bautista, and Doug Mientkiewicz. Perrotto also says that he feels Aubrey Huff has the best chance to be traded of any impact bat available. Perrotto...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Giles, Dodgers, Indians, Fielder

Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up over at FOX Sports. Here's the highlights: The Red Sox wanted to use Brian Giles in right field against certain right-handers, and shift J.D. Drew over to center field for those games. Giles blocked the trade for family reasons, according to Rosenthal, despite the chance at an increased pay day and an opportunity to play in the postseason. Rosenthal says that while the Dodgers are under pressure to re-sign Manny Ramirez, there may be more pressure to sign Casey Blake after this season. Rosenthal points out that Blake is batting .333...   Continue Reading

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Manny in Pinstripes in 09?

4:22pm: Rob Neyer has an interesting take on this tidbit. "You think Manny's too old for a long-term contract?" he asks rhetorically, before running through Gary Sheffield's late-30s contracts and pointing out that he'll earn $14 million next year at the age of 40. But wait! "That hasn't worked out too well for anyone except Sheffield and his agent...Players like Manny Ramirez and Gary Sheffield are exactly what keep teams like the Red Sox, the Mets, the Dodgers, and (especially) the Yankees from winning 100 games every year." 1:58pm: I promised myself no Manny Ramirez posts today, but...George King is...   Continue Reading

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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Giles, Teixeira, Dunn, Manny

A few random notes from around the baseball Blogosphere... Orioles Outsider projects what Mark Teixeira should be worth on the open-market and wonders how much above that number the O's should be willing to go. Baltimore Birds Nest thinks that the only way Teixeira ends up in an O's uniform next season is if Peter Angelos opens the wallet and makes the biggest offer. Camden Chat would prefer to have Adam Dunn over Teixeira. The Shadow of Manny Ramirez compares the Manny Ramirez trade to a scene from "Sex and the City"...Don't worry. It went over my head also. Not...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Manny, McDonald, Bradford, Bowden

Collection o' links... Craig Monroe has cleared waivers and become a free agent. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick talks to Pirates GM Neal Huntington about his deadline deals. Pirates players Chris Duffy and Franquelis Osoria cleared waivers and will head to Triple A. Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi says manager Cito Gaston will be back next year. Yesterday Dan Shaughnessy wrote a few sentences about the commissioner's office investigating Manny Ramirez's final hours with the Red Sox. It's become a national story. More on the situation from the L.A. Times. Sean McAdam wonders if the Red Sox could acquire Toronto shortstop John...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Bay, Clement, Fuentes, Cabrera

We've got plenty of links today. There is speculation that Andruw Jones could be sent back to the minors. Joel Sherman wonders if MLB should've gotten involved when Manny Ramirez decided to orchestrate his own exit. Kind of reminds me of Gary Sheffield intentionally botching plays to force a trade out of Milwaukee in '92. Gordon Edes stands by his report that Manny pledged to give full effort if the Red Sox dropped his options. That phone call between Scott Boras and Theo Epstein occurred within an hour of his trade to the Dodgers. Jon Heyman takes us inside the...   Continue Reading

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Marlins Explored Flipping Manny To Yankees

Obviously the Red Sox and Yankees never would've worked out a trade for Manny Ramirez. However, CBSSports.com's Scott Miller says the Marlins briefly explored the idea of acquiring Ramirez and flipping him to the Yankees. The idea didn't get anywhere - neither the Yankees nor Scott Boras were having it. Miller also talked to "a person close to Ramirez" who says he wouldn't have accepted a trade to the Marlins due to their "big ballpark and unstable ownership." Miller suggests the Marlins were never actually close to obtaining Ramirez, despite the various reports floating around Wednesday night. Jon Heyman wrote...   Continue Reading

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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

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Boras Denies Calling Red Sox

Tony Masarotti of the Boston Herald reports that Scott Boras denies having ever called the Red Sox in a last ditch effort to keep Manny Ramirez in Boston, as reported yesterday. Ramirez seems happy to be gone and it didn't make sense that he would've made an attempt to stay in Boston after such a messy divorce. MLBTR readers seem to be either exhausted by this story, or think the Red Sox made the right move. Peter Gammons' blog entry from last week is a must read. Moving on, in another article, Masarotti details just how much money the Red...   Continue Reading

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Manny Wanted To Stay?

The never-ending soap opera that was Manny Ramirez in a Red Sox uniform has one final gasp this morning. Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe is reporting that an hour after the trade had been completed and the veteran had been informed he was L.A.-bound, Manny's agent, Scott Boras, called the Sox with one final offering: "If the Sox dropped the option years on his contract - which they had agreed to do if they traded him - Boras said Ramírez would not be a problem the rest of the season." We now know (obviously) that the response from the...   Continue Reading

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Manny To Dodgers, Bay To Red Sox

4:05pm: Peter Abraham says Manny's team options were removed and he has agreed to decline arbitration. 3:58pm: Let's sort through this wild trade. For 1.3 years of Bay, the Pirates receive LaRoche, Morris, Hansen, and Moss. Moss becomes the regular left fielder, LaRoche takes over at third until Pedro Alvarez is ready. When that happens, they might have a good problem on their hands. Future Pirates' outfield: Moss, McCutchen, McLouth. The pitchers are a couple of live arms at this point. The Red Sox might be downgrading a bit with Bay replacing Manny, but they get Bay next year for...   Continue Reading

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Manny Ramirez Rumors: Thursday

3:26pm: Many people are emailing saying Jon Heyman is reporting Manny to the Dodgers. 3:08pm: Aaaaaand...it's dead again. 3:02pm: Rosenthal stirs things up: the three-headed Manny-Bay-Hermida deal is back on. 2:46pm: Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says the three-way is dead, while the Dodgers are in play. Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe says to count out the Dodgers on Manny. Guess these guys aren't cube-mates. 1:31pm: Heyman says the Dodgers are back in the mix for Manny but the Marlins aren't out of it. 1:17pm: Nick Cafardo doesn't buy the "dead" talk. However, the Pirates may have turned...   Continue Reading

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Marlins, Red Sox, Pirates Talking Manny Trade

12:03am: Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein believes the Pirates will end up with Stanton, Tucker, and Hermida. 11:21pm: Heyman says there's some prospect haggling but the teams are optimistic a deal will get done. The Marlins and Red Sox seem certain to make a swap, while the Pirates are trying to enhance their part. They are still at risk of being replaced by another club. Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe thinks a deal may be close, but not done. So we've got journalists on both sides of the fence, but everyone seems optimistic. 10:33pm: The Palm Beach Post says a...   Continue Reading

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Jason Bay Rumors: Wednesday

8:37pm: Bay doesn't seem to be on the Cardinals' radar. However, talks continue with Tampa Bay according to John Perrotto. Bay could also end up in Boston in a three-team deal. 5:59pm: Jayson Stark reports that the Rays and Pirates haven't had much dialogue today, and that talks have slowed. The Pirates have backed off just a bit, but may want to see what happens with Manny Ramirez in case they can get the Red Sox interested. 3:16pm: Kovacevic has more. Brignac and Jeff Niemann's names are coming up in the Tampa Bay talks. ESPN's Jayson Stark heard the same,...   Continue Reading

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Manny Ramirez Rumors: Tuesday

9:55pm: Jayson Stark attempts to douse the Manny flames, getting denials (again) from the Dodgers and Phillies. 8:39pm: Ken Davidoff says the Teixeira deal makes a Manny trade more difficult, since that's one less option for Boston to replace Ramirez's bat. The Red Sox will keep trying nonetheless. 6:52pm: Jon Heyman says the Phillies might be the frontrunner for Manny. Ramirez will want his $20MM options eliminated upon a trade. The Dodgers are also involved, with the Marlins surfacing as a longshot. 3:07pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Dodgers are not pursuing Ramirez or Teixeira. So, conflicting reports again. The Dodgers...   Continue Reading

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Mark Teixeira Traded To Angels

4:50pm: Jayson Stark has the scoop - Mark Teixeira is headed to the Angels for Casey Kotchman and another player. MLB.com's Lyle Spencer says the second player is relief prospect Stephen Marek. Solid return for the Braves, certainly beats a couple of draft picks of unknown position. Kotchman is under team control through 2011. 3:46pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman has the D'Backs, Rays, and Angels vying for Tex. A first baseman is not a requirement for Atlanta, though all three teams could part with one. Heyman talked to one Angels source who considered a deal "remote." ESPN's Buster Olney says the...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Rhodes, Happ, Manny

Let's round up some links and rumors. The Brewers scouted Arthur Rhodes last night, according to Jon Heyman. About a "half-dozen" Braves are subject of trade talks, according to GM Frank Wren. Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein notes that Brandon Wood's stock is rising in case the Angels want to use him as a trade chip. Phillies prospect J.A. Happ wasn't necessarily pulled from his start last weekend because of a big league promotion. Phillies assistant GM Mike Arbuckle admitted that a trade is another option. [UPDATE: Happ has indeed been recalled to the Majors, though.] Tom Verducci of SI.com believes...   Continue Reading

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Mets Rumors: Manny, Ibanez, Bullpen

12:06pm: ESPN's Buster Olney ranks the Mets' priorities as reliever, corner outfielder, and starter, in that order. They're currently discussing Ibanez with the Mariners, but not much has come of it yet. 10:17am: Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger doesn't buy the denials - he says Mets GM Omar Minaya remains interested in Manny Ramirez. The Mets rank Ramirez above alternatives like Raul Ibanez, Adam Dunn, and Randy Winn, and might make certain prospects available just for Manny. Is Jon Niese among them? Niese is thought to be untouchable, and was promoted to Triple A today. Meanwhile Mets manager Jerry...   Continue Reading

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Manny Ramirez Rumors: Monday

9:35pm: The D'Backs are considered "highly unlikely" to acquire Ramirez. So now we have denials from all four teams named this morning. 9:08pm: The Dodgers would only be interested in Ramirez if the Red Sox took Andruw Jones back. 8:42pm: Peter Gammons has some unkind words for Manny. 6:46pm: Cross the Mets off the list too, according to Jayson Stark. 3:06pm: GM Pat Gillick says the Phillies have no interest in Ramirez. He makes the fairly obvious point that the Phils don't have an open position for Manny. 9:26am: Click here for a refresher on yesterday's Manny Ramirez rumors. He...   Continue Reading

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Mets Unlikely To Acquire Outfielder

Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes about the Mets' unsuccessful search for a corner outfielder. The Mets find the prospect price too high on players such as Raul Ibanez and Jason Bay. They don't seem to care for Adam Dunn or Brian Giles. They don't like Randy Winn's contract or lack of power. And Manny Ramirez is unlikely for numerous reasons. While the Mets are fans of Ibanez, they've made all of their interesting prospects untouchable. The Mets may prefer to use some of those prospects in offseason deals. For now they will stick with the red-hot Fernando...   Continue Reading

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Manny Would Approve Trade

10:02pm: Jon Heyman provides some Manny musings. Despite Manny's comments, he doesn't believe he'd waive his no-trade rights for nothing. Like others, Heyman doesn't find a trade likely. 8:36pm: Todd Zolecki finds a Manny acquisition unlikely for the Phillies, though he says they have discussed him internally. Signing Ramirez as a free agent might be more feasible, if Pat Burrell leaves. 5:40pm: Jayson Stark puts the kibosh on the idea of the Phillies pursuing Ramirez. Never made much sense anyway. Stark says the Phils remain focused on relief help. 3:56pm: Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez said today that he'd approve...   Continue Reading

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Week In Review: 7/20 - 7/26

This one will be a bit lengthy, which can be expected as the deadline approaches. Here's a review of some of the major moves and rumors of the last week: The Yankees acquired Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte from the Pirates for OF Jose Tabata, RHP Ross Ohlendorf, RHP Dan McCutchen and RHP Jeff Karstens . I agree with Tim that Ian Kennedy would've been a better centerpiece, but Tabata is pretty highly-touted himself. Kennedy would have made a more immediate impact, while Tabata is only 19 years old. The Dodgers acquired Casey Blake for minor league RHP Jon Meloan...   Continue Reading

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Manny Ramirez Speculation: Phils, D'Backs, Mets

Theo Epstein told Tim McCarver he'd try to trade Manny Ramirez if he'd waive his 10-and-5 no-trade rights. If Ramirez were to be dealt, I'm guessing he'd either require an extension or reassurance that his $20MM option would not be picked up so he could reach free agency. Here's some reverb from Epstein's remarks: Ken Rosenthal doesn't see a good match anywhere. He notes that Manny got himself into this odd contractual situation in the first place. Jon Heyman says the Mets have no interest in Manny. His string of bad behavior this year has been undoubtedly a turnoff. They'd...   Continue Reading

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Might Sox Try To Trade Ramirez?

[Update: 3:51pm] Theo Epstein spoke with Tim McCarver prior to today's game and said he would attempt to trade Ramirez if the slugger is willing to waive his no-trade clause. Dan Shaughnessy says that Manny Ramirez' latest incident was the final straw for the Red Sox. It was extraordinary. In the past, management and the manager would do handstands to excuse Manny's strange acts. No more. This time, the manager - apparently confident there's nothing wrong with the slugger - put Manny's name in the lineup, then sat and waited for Manny to pull himself out of the lineup. Manny...   Continue Reading

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Heyman's Latest: Holliday, Teixeira, Burnett, Blake

10:19pm: Angels GM Tony Reagins laughed at Charley Walters' Teixeira rumor, blaming it on..."those bloggers." 11:16am: The latest from SI.com's Jon Heyman. The Rockies and Braves will wait until right before the July 31st deadline to decide whether to trade Matt Holliday and Mark Teixeira. The Rox have been more active calling around about Holliday, though. Heyman notes that Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd has spoken to the Mets, Angels, Phillies, and other teams about him. The Rockies are seven games out, while the Braves are six back. The Braves are reportedly making a list of trading partners for Tex, including...   Continue Reading

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Manny To Meet With Boras

Earlier this week, ESPN's Buster Olney reported that he heard a rumor that Manny Ramirez switched agents, from Scott Boras to Legacy Sports Group. Now the Boston Globe reports Manny is set to meet with Boras this weekend. "We'll have a discussion about Manny's future," Boras told the Globe. So it looks like Manny and Boras are still together. Thank goodness. If those two crazy kids can't make it work, what hope is there for the rest of us? Coley Ward writes for Umpbump.com. He can be reached here.   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Roberts, Clark, Vidro, Manny

Time for today's link collection. Geoff Baker on "The Ichiro Conundrum." Peter Schmuck assesses the Orioles' trade candidates, noting that several clubs are interested in Brian Roberts. Paul DePodesta on the Tony Clark trade. Mariners beat writers are stunned that Jose Vidro is still on the roster. Manny Ramirez drew a six-figure fine for his altercation with the team's traveling secretary. It's suggested that Ramirez showed his displeasure by laying down for an at-bat against Mariano Rivera. UPDATE: Gordon Edes looked into this and found the fine to be much smaller and the at-bat to be of no concern to...   Continue Reading

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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

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Manny Drama

Elusive Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez opened up to the Boston Herald's Rob Bradford, implying dishonesty by team management: "I want to know what’s my situation. I want no more (expletive) where they tell you one thing and behind your back they do another thing. I think I’ve earned that respect, for a team to sit down with me and tell me this is what we want, this is what we want to do." Ramirez would like to sit down with Red Sox brass after the season and discuss his $20MM club option for '09 (and perhaps the '10 option...   Continue Reading

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Sherman's Latest: Bay, Nady, Holliday, Fuentes, Blake

The New York Post's Joel Sherman is working hard today, filing blog posts here and here. Multiple teams are in the hunt for a right-handed hitting outfielder: the Mets, Rays, and maybe the Yankees. The Pirates are asking for too much for Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, while the Rockies are waiting to see what Bay costs so they can ask for more for Matt Holliday. The Rays' might find their solution internally, with Rocco Baldelli. Holliday as a replacement for Manny Ramirez this winter? Right now it's just a couple of execs speculating to Sherman. The Rockies want either...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Padilla, Manny, Beltre, Dunn

Rumor man Ken Rosenthal has a new column up. At least three teams have inquired on the Rangers' Vicente Padilla: the Mets, Yankees, and Brewers. Jon Daniels is looking for "quality young pitching." Manny Ramirez's $20MM option for '09 isn't a lock. It's a tough call - .900 OPS players on one-year deals don't grow on trees. Rosenthal suggests David DeJesus or Melky Cabrera would be nice fits for the Diamondbacks, who aren't looking for a rental. He also speculates on names like Brian Giles, David Dellucci, and Randy Winn. Note: Rosenthal is playing GM here, not relaying inside info...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Meche, Horne, Manny, Uggla

Today's random hot stove links... Gil Meche wants to stay with the Royals. Yankees pitching prospect Alan Horne may be injured. This could have hot stove ramifications - Horne could've been a top trade chip or even a rotation addition this year. Peter Abraham does not think Barry Bonds makes sense for the Yankees. Hideki Matsui will be out at least a couple of weeks with a knee injury, with surgery as a last resort. Manny Ramirez shoved the Red Sox's traveling secretary. This is slightly different than the Shawn Chacon situation, in that Chacon had his hands around Ed...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Ramirez, Tavarez, Brewslow, Pena

Thankfully, the calendar will soon flip to June, and trade rumors will start to heat up. To tide you over until then, here are a few notes from around the league. Sean McAdam wonders if Manny Ramirez's current slump will affect the team's decision to exercise his $20MM option for 2009. Manny sounded rather confident last month that the team would pick it up. And while it's nearly a given that he'll recover from this month, the Red Sox could read it as a sign of decline. Still, the chances of the option being picked up are still high. A...   Continue Reading

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Cafardo's Latest: Ramirez, Papelbon, Moss

Nick Cafardo spins Red Sox rumor gold in the Boston Globe. Scott Boras is the spur in Manny Ramirez's side. Cafardo interviews the Notorious One in the Boston Globe today. Says Boras, "Our plan for him is in place. If you can make a player comfortable, you have the ability to make a player play well." So far, so good. He doesn't speculate on the reality of a contract extension saying, "I communicate with [Theo Epstein] on a number of things and I really let the decision-making be theirs. It's rare if they haven't thought about what their future plans...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends II: Longoria, Manny, Giambi, Tejada

Rumors are a bit sparse today...this should be expected in the weeks and month to come. So here are a few articles for your afternoon reading. Sabernomics takes a look at the economics of the Evan Longoria deal. Tom Verducci puts Manny Ramirez in historical perspective. 'Ducc thinks that Manny is better than some of us give him credit for. Which is difficult, because you have to give him all the credit in the world (at the dish, at least). Rob Neyer (subscription required) talks about the Yankees releasing Jason Giambi. He links to an article saying that Giambi simply...   Continue Reading

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Manny Hopes To Play Six More Years

Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez expressed no discomfort with his contract situation (Boston has $20MM options for 2009 and 2010). "They're not stupid," he said of his bosses in the Sox front office. "They know. They know I can play and I'm ready. That's it. I'm going to get the two options, then I'm going to get a four-year deal. I'm just going to go and get it." That would have Manny retiring at the age of 42. "Age is just a number," he added. Sarah Green writes for the Boston Metro and UmpBump.com. She can be reached here.   Continue Reading

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Manny Looking For Four More Years In Boston

Tony Massarotti writes today that slugger Manny Ramirez wants to play in Boston for four more years. Ramirez told reporters “I’m going to get the two options and I’m going to get two more years.” The guaranteed portion of Manny's contract is up at the end of the 2008 season. The club owns the rights to exercise options on both the 2009 and 2010 seasons at 20MM per. This statement may come as a surprise to the Red Sox brass, however. When Ramirez was asked if he and the club have discussed any of this, he responded, “They don’t need...   Continue Reading

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Manny Switches To Boras

This should be interesting. Just in time for his contract year, Manny Ramirez has ditched agents Scott Parker and Greg Genske in favor of Scott Boras. As Jon Heyman notes, this is not necessarily a bad thing for Boston since they're on fine terms with Boras. Manny recently spoke to the press about his $20MM option after the season, but didn't really add new information. There will be a lot of Boston media chatter about Manny's situation this year, and now plenty of Boras Hall of Fame type rhetoric as well. But really, it's a very simple situation. The Red...   Continue Reading

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Gammons Chat: Crisp, Santana, Ramirez

The Boston Globe ran a chat with Peter Gammons today, and some good hot stove material came about. Gammons believes the Rangers or A's could go after Coco Crisp if he's not dealt to the Twins. He notes that "the A's think he's the best CF in the game right now," and that Billy Beane could acquire him to flip him. He says the Mets are currently trying to build up inventory to trade for Johan Santana, and that might be why Bill Smith hasn't pulled the trigger on anything yet. Gammons believes the Red Sox will exercise Manny Ramirez's..   Continue Reading

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Will's Mill

Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus is at the Winter Meetings, and filing reports daily. Best of all, his notes today are free: The specific Manny Ramirez deal offered by the Dodgers that the Red Sox turned down was for Jonathan Broxton and Andy LaRoche. Sounds like it would take one more player (or an equivalent starter instead of Broxton) to get the deal done. Either that, or the Sox are just showing Manny how valuable he is, and how much they love him. I get the feeling that the Red Sox and Manny are like a Hollywood couple-let's say Pam..   Continue Reading

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Edes On The Manny Meetings

Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe is all over the Manny Ramirez dealings. The Angels will meet with the Red Sox tonight, but would have to bite the bullet and part with Scot Shields to get the deal done. Why are they so reluctant to do this? Come on. Its Manny. Boston is also interested in Orlando Cabrera, Ervin Santana, and Jered Weaver. You can count Weaver out. That's silly. The Giants might get in on it instead. The buzz is that the Nats could wedge their way into a three-way trade involving the following players: Chad Cordero, Noah Lowry,..   Continue Reading

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Dodgers, Red Sox Meet On Manny

Ken Rosenthal reports that the Red Sox and Dodgers met late last night to discuss a possible Manny Ramirez trade. Rosenthal speculates that a package of Brad Penny, Andy LaRoche, and James Loney could get it done. Rosenthal also mentions that Jacque Jones could be available and Brian Cashman is meeting with Ted Lilly's agent   Continue Reading

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Latest On Manny Ramirez

Found via RotoWorld - Curt Schilling yesterday confirmed that Manny Ramirez "wants out of Boston." So that's one roadblock out of the way - at least the does in fact desire a trade. Meanwhile, Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe has a full update. He expects that Manny is going to want more money whether via his options exercised or just a contract extension. Theo Epstein is mum, but Edes says that the Sox have not spoken to the Dodgers on the topic. Edes mentions that the Padres are interested. Murray Chass at the New York Times brings up the..   Continue Reading

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Manny on the move?

For real, this time! Or not. First off, Buster Olney thinks that Manny could be moved this week. Maybe for a less-than-perfect package. The team that keeps coming up is the Giants, but...how? I can't imagine the Red Sox would be very interested in the Bay Area chapter of the AARP. I've heard speculation that the Giants rumors persist because the Red Sox want to up the bidding from the Dodgers, but I haven't seen or heard any details about that deal. I'd imagine it would include either James Loney or Andre Ethier, as one of those guys would end..   Continue Reading

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Much Ado About Manny

Buster Olney refers to Manny Ramirez's commitment thusly: "Three years and $42 million because in the end, Ramirez, who has a full no-trade clause in his contract, will probably want a year added to the end of his current deal to make this happen. And the Red Sox will probably eat some of his salary - but not nearly as much as would have been required to make a trade happen even two months ago." A host of teams would not balk at that relatively short-term commitment. And you can be damn sure Manny would far exceed 3/42 on the..   Continue Reading

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Healey: Red Sox Like Heilman, Milledge

Mark Healey of Gotham Baseball has a new but familiar trade rumor for us: it appears that the Red Sox would like to acquire Aaron Heilman to be their closer next year. In addition, Theo Epstein and Co. may have their eye on Lastings Milledge. It could be the makings of a Manny Ramirez trade, if the Mets want to pay Ramirez's $39MM salary over the next two seasons. Healey was not able to confirm this info from multiple sources, but has faith in his Boston source here. Manny's contract may be slightly less daunting than it looks. That's because..   Continue Reading

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Angels Buzz

All sorts of good info coming from my Angels guy: The Halos were recently close to a fairly big trade, but pulled back at the last minute. It may have been the much discussed Adam Kennedy for Shea Hillenbrand deal, but another one that was rumored to be close was Alfonso Soriano for Erick Aybar and Joe Saunders. The Soriano deal included a component where Jose Molina ended up a Yankee. Now that Kendry Morales heated up and is holding his own in the middle of the L.A. lineup, the team plans on waiting until the All-Star break to make..   Continue Reading

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Angels Sign Weaver?

I'm not entirely familiar with the Halos Heaven blog quite yet, but the author is saying Jeff Weaver signing with the Angels is a done deal. In their words: "the ink is dry." Also, check out the latest Manny rumor in the same post. While not quite the polar opposite of supposed offer that heavily favored the Red Sox, this one would definitely be a win for Los Angeles. But if the Angels were willing to take on Manny's entire contract, an offer of Escobar, Shell, and Rivera plus one top Angels prospect seems equitable   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Abreu, Manny

In very minor news, ESPN is reporting that the Cubs have signed righthanded pitcher Jason Simontacchi to a minor league deal. He was slightly less than terrible for Triple A Memphis last year and saw 15 ugly innings in the Majors. He's not young, but did win 11 games for the Cards back in '02. Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News acknowledged the Abreu to the White Sox trade rumor, branding it an "Internet rumor." Fair enough; I could've sworn Howard Eskin started this one though. Regardless, I think we should start referring to rumors from the Philadelphia Daily..   Continue Reading

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Manny To Philly Rumor Looks False

This trade rumor has been lighting up forums across the Internet all day long: Manny Ramirez to the Phillies for Bobby Abreu. According to the rumor, it's "basically a done deal." I got in touch with my very best Phillies source for the scoop. According to my source: "I checked it out with high-ranking sources as early as 4 p.m., then again at 7. Nothing is going on." This is definitely an authentic, reliable source, so I have to assume that this trade rumor doesn't have a leg to stand on. I'm the last guy to want to kill an..   Continue Reading

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White Sox Receive Tejada Offer

Remember when I decided to start calling Kenny Williams "spunky" based on his Javier Vazquez and Jim Thome trades? I'm starting to think I should stick with "bold," as cliche as it may be. As I mentioned earlier on this site, the White Sox submitted two trade proposals for Miguel Tejada with a deadline of December 31st. Now the White Sox have re-entered the Tejada fray. A rock-solid source of mine close to the White Sox tells me that the team is "lying in the weeds" and allowing the Mets, Devil Rays, Orioles, and Red Sox to beat each other..   Continue Reading

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Agreement For Manny Trade?

The latest Manny rumor making the rounds comes courtesy of commenter Wild Bill from the Orioles Hangout Forum. As far as Bill's track record, I can direct you to a thread over at Sons of Sam Horn. According to the poster: "There are three reputed "insiders" [at Orioles Hangout] and all three seem to agree that the trade has been agreed upon in principal but that Manny's request for an extension will likely cause the deal to fall through. As for their validity, it seems each does have a source either within the Orioles organization or one who is once..   Continue Reading

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New Manny Scenario Discussed?

A source close to the Mets organization has supplied me with a possible trade scenario that is being discussed. It's complicated, but I thought I'd put it out there. Mets trade: Aaron Heilman, Cliff Floyd, Victor Diaz, Brian Bannister Mets get: Manny Ramirez TB trades: Julio Lugo, Joey Gathright TB receives: Aaron Heilman, Victor Diaz, Bronson Arroyo Red Sox trade: Manny Ramirez, Bronson Arroyo Red Sox receive: Julio Lugo, Joey Gathright, Cliff Floyd, Brian Bannister Wow. I'm not sure if this is any more plausible than the other complicated possibilities floating around, but this is a solid source. Let's see..   Continue Reading

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Wild Rumor From Gotham Baseball

Gotham Baseball's Mark Healey has heard a massive trade rumor from "multiple independent baseball sources." Of course, it's subject to change, isn't close, and all the usual disclaimers. Here's the Cliff Notes version of it: "Mets would send Heilman and Matsui (and $5 million) to Tampa Bay for Lugo. Then New York would send Lugo, Kris Benson, Brian Bannister and Victor Diaz to Baltimore for Tejada, and then send Tejada to the Red Sox for Manny Ramirez." Let's stop right there. My opinion on each step of this possible deal: Aaron Heilman for Julio Lugo sounds like fair value to..   Continue Reading

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Mets Catching Priorities And More

Talked to my Mets source recently, and their priorities for catcher are as follows. 1. Ramon Hernandez, but only at the right length (three years) and price (maybe $8MM per). The Mets are pretending publicly they'd start the season with Ramon Castro behind the plate. That posturing is similar to the Yankees' assertion that they could begin the '06 season with Bubba Crosby in center. Not gonna happen. 2. Bengie Molina, if he takes less cash than Hernandez. 3. Brad Ausmus. 4. Toby Hall through trade. Ivan Rodriguez is not on the club's radar due to inj