Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Wells, Griffey, Olney, Tavarez, Edmonds

A lot of links today, so let's get to what is being said about some trade and signing possibilities in the Blogosphere... The Darth Boss George Brigade wants Hank Steinbrenner to sign David Wells to prove that Hank is indeed his father's son. River Ave. Blues says the Yankees are too smart to sign Wells and then goes on to list about 87 pitchers that should be given a shot in the Highlanders' rotation before Wells. Redlegs Rant feels that Ken Griffey Jr. is behind the recent stories that speculate on him being traded. Mariners Central speculates on some of...

Heyman On Teixeira

Jon Heyman's latest column does a fine job analyzing Mark Teixeira's future. To sum it up: Heyman's source expects the asking price to be around ten years and $200MM. Personally, I don't see him getting a term nearly that long. Heyman and his sources do not see the Braves re-signing Tex. The suitors, in order of likelihood: Yankees, Mets, Orioles, Mariners, Braves, Red Sox, Giants. A battle of the New York powers is a reasonable prediction - both clubs should have first base open and the market for the position is otherwise poor. In a February MLBTR poll, the Yankees...

The Griffey Situation

WEDNESDAY: Armstrong, through a spokesman, clarified that his comments about Griffey were meant in a broad, rather than impending, context. It doesn't sound like any trade talks have occurred at this point. I'm sure we'll be revisiting this topic though. TUESDAY: Bob Nightengale spoke to Ken Griffey Jr. recently. Junior's comments were not surprising or new - if the Reds decide to trade him he wants to play for a contender. Nightengale also has a comment from Mariners President Chuck Armstrong, who admitted he'd like Griffey to retire a Mariner. Griffey makes $12.5MM this year and has a $16.5MM option...

Pie-Greene Rumor Denied

MAY 7th: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald discussed the Pie-Greene rumor with Cubs officials, and it was "emphatically shot down." APRIL 30th: Yesterday Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote of Kevin Towers' pursuit of a long-term center field option. Jim Edmonds remains a question mark, and his contract is up after '08 anyway. Krasovic says the Cubs "have kept tabs" on shortstop Khalil Greene, while the Padres are still eyeing Felix Pie. The Cubs' win-now approach could lead to that move, as Reed Johnson is doing fine in center field so far. Greene is signed through the...

Odds and Ends: Doue, Furcal, Kuroda

Here are today's links. Dave Cameron notes Nelson Cruz's video game numbers in Triple A and suggests he deserves another shot. Japanese catcher Hayato Doue was expected to join the Red Sox organization, but visa problems have gotten in the way. Buster Olney notes that Rafael Furcal will test free agency if he can't hammer out an extension with the Dodgers by midseason. Shigetoshi Hasegawa denies the notion that he pushed Hiroki Kuroda toward the Dodgers. Athletics Nation sees Billy Beane targeting pitcher Tanner Scheppers if he's available with the 12th pick. Also, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has an overall...

Wilkerson, Norton Designated

3:28pm: Greg Norton was the other player designated. Starting Balentien and Clement regularly should be a nice offensive upgrade for the Mariners. 3:04pm: According to Ryan Divish of the News Tribune, Brad Wilkerson's locker has been cleared out. Divish speculates that Wilkerson has been designated for assignment. He expects the Ms to make one other move to accomodate for callups of Wladimir Balentien and Jeff Clement. Wilkerson, 30, hit .232/.348/.304 for the Mariners in 56 ABs. He makes $3MM this year, plus up to $2MM in plate appearance bonuses.

Odds And Ends: Thomas, Jays, Myers, Nomo

Expect another one of these today. There's lots of little stuff, but not much in the way of substantive rumors. The Mariners were one of four teams contacted by Frank Thomas's agent. The A's were obviously another. So who were the other two? With 24-year-old backstop Robinzon Diaz mashing in AAA, the Jays might look to spin off either Gregg Zaun or Rod Barajas come July. 39-year-old southpaw Mike Myers requested and was granted his unconditional release from the Dodgers. After DFAing him on Sunday, the Royals have placed Hideo Nomo on release waivers. If unclaimed by noon on Tuesday,...

Kenji Johjima Signs Extension

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Mariners will give catcher Kenji Johjima a three-year extension. That'd keep him with the team through 2011, his age 35 season. It's worth three years and $24MM - no kind of discount. I didn't see this coming; I thought the Ms would hand catching duties over to Jeff Clement in '09 despite questionable defense. Instead, they'll apparently use him as a DH/1B or trade him. He's hitting .375/.500/.688 in 19 Triple A games. Here's a look at the remaining free agent catchers after this season. Ivan Rodriguez and Jason Varitek head the class.

Frank Thomas Suitors

The Blue Jays are on the hook for the rest of Frank Thomas' salary this year, making him a fine bargain for a team looking for a DH. It seems that the signing team will not be liable for his 2009 vesting option. As an injury-prone DH with clubhouse concerns, Thomas has similarities to Barry Bonds. The Big Hurt will come more cheaply, offering less production but no steroid baggage. As far as suitors: Mariners GM Bill Bavasi will talk to his scouts about Thomas. Question for Mariners fans: does Thomas offer more at DH than Jeff Clement, who is...

Recently DFA'd: Corey, Bazardo, Jimerson

Anyone looking for a relief pitcher or an outfielder? The Red Sox, Tigers, and Mariners designated a few for assignment yesterday. Let's see what they're leaving on the table. Yorman Bazardo, a 23-year-old who actually pitched pretty well last year, was curiously designated by Detroit. The Red Sox designated 34-year-old reliever Bryan Corey to make room for Mike Timlin, who got the loss last night in his first appearance since coming off the DL. You'd figure Bazardo would get a lot more interest than Corey. Finally, the Mariners have designated 28-year-old OF Charlton Jimerson after just one plate appearance. It...

Baseball Blogs Weigh In

Bunch of random topics so let's just get to it and see what it being said in the Blogosphere... Big League Stew talks to Bless You Boys about the idea of Barry Bonds signing with the Tigers. BYB argues against signing Bonds noting that the Tigers already have a bunch of slow players (base cloggers?) and what they really need is some more speed in the lineup...Although we keep hearing about collusion and have not heard any numbers bandied about, Bonds has always made it very clear how much he values the almighty dollar. Does anybody else think that Bonds...

Odds and Ends: Harden, Bonds, Ramon Hernandez

Time to round up today's linkage. Susan Slusser believes Rich Harden and Joe Blanton will both be traded this season. She sees the Yankees and Mets as suitors for Harden, though he's already having a start pushed back. Jim Caple recently made his case for the Mariners to sign Barry Bonds; his logic is sound. Our Brian Bannister Q&A got a mention in the KC Star. Nice! RotoAuthority has the fantasy take on K-Rod's ailing ankles. Pure speculation, but Ken Rosenthal thinks Ramon Hernandez would be a good fit for the Reds. Not sure if the Reds were looking at...

Felix Hernandez's Extension Talks

Larry Stone of the Seattle Times says the Mariners are "believed to be exploring" a long-term deal with young ace Felix Hernandez. I'm wondering whether these talks have stagnated. The Mariners made an initial offer to Felix over a month ago. It's crazy to see that the Mariners first spotted Hernandez when he was 14. They eventually beat out the Braves, Yankees, Astros, Dodgers, and Rockies to get him. Felix turns 22 tomorrow; he's already got 480 big league innings under his belt. He's begun the '08 season with 15 scoreless innings, which is reminiscent of his start a year...

Odds and Ends: Putz, Byrdak, Graves

Today's linkage. J.J. Putz is out for at least a few weeks; the fantasy baseball world reacts. The Astros inked Tim Byrdak, selling him on an easy path to the big leagues. The 34 year-old southpaw had a 3.20 ERA last year, albeit with poor control. The Twins added former closer Danny Graves to their Triple A club. He's also 34. His peripherals weren't too impressive last year for the Long Island Ducks despite 33 saves. I did a Q&A with Dexter Sports. Unfortunately Corey Koskie doesn't seem anywhere close to coming back. Joe Sports Fan looks at baseball's "bespectacled...

Odds and Ends: Alfonzo, Hill, Kline, Reitsma

Time for a link roundup. SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Mets have talked with Edgardo Alfonzo. Alfonzo, 34, came up a Met and snagged MVP votes in 2000 with a .967 OPS. Seems like Aaron Hill's contract extension may wait until after the season, when his offensive value is more clearly established. No interest in Steve Kline yet...teams will probably wait the Giants out so they don't have to pay his $1.75MM salary. If Chris Reitsma doesn't make a decision soon about heading to Triple A, the Ms could place him on the restricted list. Dejan Kovacevic hasn't heard anything...

Rosenthal's Latest: DeWitt, Murton, Vargas, Hatteberg, Pena, Baek, Piazza

Ken Rosenthal has his latest column up at FoxSports.com. As usual he is not shy about stirring up rumors. Let's take a look at what the rumor-guru has to say: Rosenthal notes that the Dodgers will go with Blake DeWitt at third base who has never played a game above AA. This comes after the Dodgers failed to acquire either the Astros' Mark Loretta, who was unavailable and the Royals' Esteban German, who was too expensive. The Royals were asking for the Dodgers' third best prospect, shortstop Chin-Lung Hu. He indicates that the Padres and the Rays are pursuing Matt...

Mariners Keep Dickey

The Mariners have sent Minor League catcher Jair Fernandez to the Twins, allowing them to keep Rule 5 Draft pick R.A. Dickey, who Seattle acquired from Minnesota in the Major League portion of December's Rule 5 Draft. Dickey had a hot spring. The knuckleballer went 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in seven spring contests for the Mariners. Now he's headed for AAA Tacoma. Fernandez, 21, hit .260 with two home runs and 13 RBIs in 52 games at Class A Wisconsin of the Midwest League last year. Dickey cleared waivers before the Mariners and Twins worked out the deal, which...

Reitsma Mulling Options

30 year-old reliever Chris Reitsma is on a minor league contract with the Mariners, and they don't feel he's ready for the big league roster quite yet. John Hickey says Reitsma can retire, go to the minors as requested, or ask the Mariners for his release (they'd have no obligation to grant it). Reitsma has yet to throw on back-to-back days, and he doesn't offer the upside of Mark Lowe. Reitsma had a fifth elbow surgery in July of '07. The Mariners declined his $2.7MM option for '08 but re-signed him to a minor league deal. He's healthy now, but...

Padres, Rays Interested In Jeremy Reed

According to John Hickey of the Seattle PI, the Padres and Rays are eyeing Mariners center fielder Jeremy Reed. Hickey notes that the Padres have renewed interest and have liked him for quite a while. And he wonders whether Rays would surrender a young pitcher. Hickey believes Reed might still be on the Ms' roster as a showcase. The 26 year-old does have options left, though. The White Sox drafted Reed in the second round back in '02. He made it to Double A as a 22 year-old in '03 and hit over .400 in a half season. Reed injured...

Mariners Looking To Deal Out Of Options Players?

As the Mariners set their roster for the regular season, options become an important consideration. Earlier this month, Seattle Times reporter Geoff Baker answered some Rumor Royalty questions for MLBTR. Baker highlighted two of those players, Mike Morse and Cha Seung Baek, as likely to make the team or find work elsewhere. M's manager John McLaren said he'd like to have his squad set before breaking camp and leaving for their San Francisco-Las Vegas swing. And this morning, while speaking with Baker's colleague, Ryan Divish, McLaren hinted at possibly going the trade route with the team's "out of options" personnel:...

No Bonds For Seattle

One of the teams for which Barry Bonds makes the most sense is the Mariners. By shifting around various players, they could definitely use his bat at left field and DH. As a team with its sights set on '08, the Mariners probably can't afford to use Jose Vidro as their designated hitter. Nonetheless, Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln emphatically stated today that the Mariners will not sign Bonds under any circumstances at any time. Looks like it's Vidro for '08 (and perhaps '09 if his option vests). PECOTA sees Vidro hitting .281/.346/.372 this year.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rule 5 Draftees

Last year the Reds selected Josh Hamilton in the Rule 5 draft despite only 23 games above Single-A and only 15 games anywhere since 2002 (actually the Cubs picked Hamilton and traded him to the Reds the same day). Hamilton went on to hit .292-19-47 in 90 games. This year, 18 players were chosen in the Rule 5 draft (14 pitchers). These players must remain on the 25-man roster all season or be offered back to their original club for $25K. By my count, three players (Sergio Valenzuela, Lincoln Holdzkom, Jose Capellan) have already been offered back to their original...

Gammons' Latest: Bailey, Crisp, Giants

ESPN's Peter Gammons posted to his blog yesterday; let's take a look. More negative vibes around the Reds' Homer Bailey. His apparent availability seems odd given his talent. Bailey was described by an evaluator friend of Buster Olney as "someone who thinks he's got it all figured out." Gammons likes the fit of Barry Bonds in Seattle, but sees Jeff Clement as the team's DH in the event that Richie Sexson starts to repeat his '07. The A's still like Coco Crisp, but the Red Sox want young catching and/or pitching that the A's would prefer to keep. Susan Slusser...

Angels In Need Of Another Arm?

At the end of his most recent column Ken Rosenthal posits a nightmare scenario for the Angles, going back to 2001 when the Mariners cracked out to a 20-4 start to seize the AL West crown before May Day. With John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar on the shelf for at least 4-6 weeks, should the Angels be concerned going into 2008? Is a move to pick up an extra starter in order? The team is looking at filling 14-16 starts. With a surplus of outfielders the Angels are certainly in position to make a move. They could opt for a...

Mariners Release Horacio Ramirez

The Mariners released pitcher Horacio Ramirez, closing the door on the Bill Bavasi blunder. RotoWorld makes a good point - the Mariners wasted $458K by not non-tendering Ramirez back in December. Nice. Meanwhile, Rafael Soriano will close for the Braves for the next couple seasons. Ramirez, a 28 year-old southpaw, brings nothing to the table at this point aside from his groundball rate.

Rosenthal's Latest: Crede, Willits, Rivera, Belliard

Ken Rosenthal checks in with all kinds of hot stove info. Continuing on yesterday's post regarding Joe Crede and the Dodgers , Rosenthal reports that a source close to Dodgers management explained that the team trading for a third baseman like Crede or Brandon Inge is "all about the budget and whether [owner Frank] McCourt will allow them to add money." Rosenthal continues to point out that Crede is a better deal than Inge in terms of their contracts, and that Crede could also be more attractive to Dodgers management because the White Sox might be willing to trade for...

Rumor Royalty: Geoff Baker (Mariners)

Geoff Baker kindly answered our Rumor Royalty questions despite vacationing in Hawaii. Geoff covers the Mariners beat for the Seattle Times. He also keeps a blog here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MLBTR: How do you see the first base situation turning out? Richie Sexson is entering a contract year and his production has been below average. Do you think anyone else in the system could see time at the cold corner? Baker: If Sexson struggles out of the chute again, then fails to rebound by mid-May, I could see a chain reaction of moves that could lead to someone like Raul Ibanez or...

Odds and Ends: Johnson, Ponson, Nady

Ever lose a contact in the bathroom and scour for it for hours? That was my morning. Good times. On to the links. Friend of MLBTR Susan Slusser notes that the Giants had two scouts watching the A's on Wednesday. One guy they might have been eyeing is first baseman Dan Johnson. It seems that Johnson, who is out of options, may be able to linger around on the A's roster until at least mid-April given the expanded rosters for the Japan series. And since Slusser's article we've learned that Daric Barton's hand injury is more serious than initially thought....

Odds and Ends: Ponson, Inge, Papelbon

Let's round up some Monday morning links. The Cardinals are taking another look at Sidney Ponson. Insert your own punchline in the comments. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun could see the O's making a minor trade for a veteran second baseman if they acquire Ronny Cedeno but not Eric Patterson in a Brian Roberts deal with the Cubs. Brandon Inge is trying his best to talk his way out of town. The Dodgers' recently reported nibble hasn't been publicly shot down, so that's a plus. South Side Sox thinks speedy infielder Eugenio Velez is the type of player the...

Mariners Make Offer To Felix

3-3-08: John Hickey says the Mariners have made an initial offer to Felix. On Friday I suggested it might take $15-17MM to buy out his three arbitration years. The Mariners wouldn't mind buying out a free agent year while they're at it. 3-1-08: The Seattle Mariners have approached Felix Hernandez and his agent about signing a long-term contract. According to Hernandez' agent, Wil Polidor, the club has broached the idea but no formal offers have been made. Polidor went on to say that he will be in Arizona for the next two weeks and has plans to meet with Mariners...

Managers On The Hot Seat

It is a slow news day, so we are going to venture a bit off the beaten path...As spring training is now in full swing, a number of managers may have their jobs on the line during the '08 season. Three managers are in the final year of their deals and another 12 managers have two years left on their contracts. This second group will be due either an extension or a pink slip next winter as few teams are willing to play out a season with a lame-duck manager. Therefore, any manager with two years remaining on their contracts...

Long-Term Deal For Felix Hernandez?

According to John Hickey of the Seattle PI, a long-term deal for Felix Hernandez before the end of Spring Training seems possible. Hernandez won't make much above the minimum for '08, but maybe the Mariners can buy out his 2009-11 arbitration years at a discount. Hickey notes that Ms GM Bill Bavasi "detests the arbitration process." The Padres bought out Chris Young's arb years for $13.25MM in an extension done a year ago. Around the same time, Matt Cain received about the same amount to cover his arb years (though with a club option for the third). Based on those,...

Rumor Royalty: Geoff Baker

Geoff Baker is our Rumor Royalty recipient for the Mariners. He covers the team's beat for the Seattle Times. He also keeps a blog here. Geoff has kindly agreed to answer some questions for MLBTR readers. Please leave your Mariners hot stove queries in the comments and I'll choose my favorites.

Where Will The Starters Go? AL West Edition

Sorry for the delay from the last edition of Where Will The Starters Go. Since then, we've seen two guys come off the market in Kris Benson and Odalis Perez, and another strongly speculated to sign: Shawn Chacon with the Astros. So here's what we've got left: Bartolo Colon, Josh Fogg, Freddy Garcia, Byung-Hyun Kim, Kyle Lohse, Rodrigo Lopez, Eric Milton, Tomo Ohka, Russ Ortiz, John Thomson, Jeff Weaver, David Wells Once again, I'm open to corrections on my pitching depth charts. I tried to cull as much information from blogs and sites like Baseball America as possible. Anaheim Angels:...

Padres Rumors: Stewart, Barrett

MLB.com's Corey Brock quotes Kevin Towers as saying a free agent signing is unlikely, which implies that Shannon Stewart is not on the radar. Towers still may add an outfielder via trade. The idea of the Padres and Mariners being interested in Stewart was misconstrued a bit. Jerry Crasnick said Towers "might be tempted to look at a free agent" and that the Mariners "seem like a potential fit." My summary of his article said the Mariners and Padres were possibilities. I should've been more clear that Crasnick was speculating on those two clubs rather than reporting specific interest -...

Mariners May Lock Up Several Players

I noticed a John Hickey article from three days ago that hasn't been mentioned here at MLBTR. Hickey notes that the Mariners like to sign players to extensions during spring if possible. He assesses the chances of extensions for Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard, Kenji Johjima, Raul Ibanez, and Richie Sexson in the article. Johjima, Ibanez, and Sexson are all set to reach free agency after the '08 season. Johjima seems the most likely to stay, though prospect Jeff Clement may be close to big league ready. Sexson is as good as gone, while the decision on Ibanez will likely hinge...

Shannon Stewart Switches Agents

Shannon Stewart had a bounceback 2007, finally staying healthy and hitting .290/.345/.394 as Oakland's left fielder. Though his left field defense ranked seventh at the position according to the Fielding Bible's panel of experts, a sub-.400 SLG doesn't work for a corner outfielder. He hit all of his playing time incentives in '07, earning a total salary of $2.5MM. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick notes that Stewart "apparently scared off some clubs by looking for a two-year deal earlier this winter." Is that something Stewart pushed for, or was it his representatives at Legacy Sports Group? Either way, Stewart has switched to...