Brewers To Make Suppan An Offer
According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Brewers will be putting together a proposal for free agent starter Jeff Suppan. I have heard from a source that the offer could be $33MM for three years plus a fourth year option. The Crew currently has Sheets, Capuano, Bush, and Vargas in the rotation. I think that’s quite solid if healthy.
The article also mentions the Giants, Mets, Rockies, Pirates, and Royals as suitors. And don’t forget the Cards, who could still re-sign him. I’ve heard that the Bucs only want to go two years on Suppan, offering a higher annual average value.
Vernon Wells Close To Signing With Jays
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Blue Jays are "on the verge" of signing center fielder Vernon Wells to a seven-year, $126MM deal. It would include a full no-trade and an opt-out clause.
As we’ve seen with opt-out clauses lately, that might make this less than a seven-year contract in reality. The crazy part is that the $18MM annual salary is seen as a loyalty discount.
Jon Lieber Action
You know it’s a rough year for pitching when Jon Lieber is a hot commodity. I kid – he’s not that bad. Liebs turns 37 next April, and figures to be the most expendable of Philly’s six starters. He’ll make $7.5MM in 2007.
Home runs and hits got the best of Lieber last year, though his command remained elite. He had a 4.93 ERA overall, but can probably pitch at his second half level (4.53).
The Pirates wanted to bring him back, perhaps hoping they could right the wrong of trading him to the Cubs for Brant Brown. However, John Perrotto tells us that interest has cooled because the Phillies asked for Salomon Torres. Seems like a fair deal to me.
Joe Strauss wrote last week that the Cards could pursue Lieber, just as they did at the trading deadline. For all of Walt Jocketty’s posturing, the team needs one starter. Not sure if any talks are going on here.
A week ago, the Phils had a deal in place to send Lieber to Milwaukee for Kevin Mench and Derrick Turnbow. However, talks dried up two days later. Jim Salisbury threw Texas’s hat into the ring in the same article. The Rangers were another team trying to trade for him in July.
Speaking of last July, the Mets wanted in at that point too.
Sizing Up The Closers: NL Central
Thinking about fantasy baseball already? RotoAuthority takes a look at the prospective NL Central closers. It’s a mess.
The 2007 RotoAuthority Fantasy Baseball Guide should be ready by mid-January; I’m keeping the price at $9.99.
I don’t have my Daisuke Matsuzaka projection ready quite yet. But my numbers will certainly be informed by all the fine projections already published, as summed up nicely by Dayn Perry.
Reaction To The Vidro Trade
As expected, Mariners fans are up in arms about this deal. Check out Lookout Landing or U.S.S. Mariner if you don’t believe me. Nationals blogs, on the other hand, are ecstatic.
There is just no way to rationalize that trade. None. I’m guessing that it was like one of those Emperor’s New Clothes things in the Mariners’ front office when this thing came to fruition. No one would admit to Bavasi that his trade was downright awful. I tried to defend the Horacio Ramirez acquisition a little bit, but the Vidro trade just can’t be rationalized.
Who would’ve thought the Ms would swap Fruto, Snelling, and Soriano for Ramirez and Vidro? Ramirez may have been nontendered and Bowden would’ve gladly sent Vidro away for much, much less. I actually thought it was the Nats paying 75% of Vidro’s contract to in effect purchase the two prospects. That it’s the other way around and a vesting option was added is laughable.
Padres After Marcus Giles, David Wells
The Padres seem to have a distinct advantage in that players want to come play in San Diego at the exclusion of other less enjoyable areas of the country. They’re currently pursuing a couple such possibilities in Marcus Giles and David Wells.
A $3-4MM offer was made to Giles yesterday. Willie Randolph seemed to dismiss the idea of the Mets getting involved, but the San Diego Union-Tribune mentions the Red Sox as possible competition. Still, the Padres are a huge favorite.
In addition, Kevin Towers will dine with David Wells on Monday to try to convince him to return to the Padres. Wells would fit in nicely with Jake Peavy, Chris Young, Greg Maddux, and Clay Hensley.
The Padres are also talking to new free agent Jayson Werth to add some outfield depth.
Mets To Woo Zito, Pass On Giles
According to the New York Post, David Wright will put on the charm to attempt to reel in Barry Zito for the Mets. He’s offered to give Zito a tour and basically questions his manhood if he plays elsewhere. But if the Mets, aren’t willing to go to the six-year, $100MM range, Zito won’t be joining them.
Meanwhile, Willie Randolph made it clear that Jose Valentin, (and presumably not Marcus Giles), will be at second for New York in 2007. That’s a shame, because Giles is probably the better bet. Some team, perhaps Tampa Bay, may have a bargain on its hands in Giles.
A source tells me that various clubs are asking about Double A first baseman Michel Abreu, a Cuban refugee. I think the return would be limited given that he may be turning 32 in February. Despite his age, Abreu did post a .900+ OPS at Double A and in the AFL this year.
Mariners Acquire Jose Vidro
The Mariners have traded Chris Snelling and Emiliano Fruto to the Nationals for second baseman Jose Vidro, according to the Washington Post. The Mariners intend to pay $12MM of the $16MM remaining on Vidro’s contract for 2007-08. Jim Bowden did well.
Vidro, 32, hopefully will not supplant young Jose Lopez as the starting second baseman. In getting into 126 games last year, Vidro had his healthiest season in a while. However, his power seems to have evaporated and he’s not exactly nimble in the field. Sure, he’s cheap, but he’s not particularly good. He’s little help at 2B or DH.
Snelling is another oft-injured player, though he is only 25. Many of his injuries have been the result of bad fortune, but he’s been through a lot. He’s still a good gamble for a team like the Nats.
Fruto is just 22 and is a high-upside arm with three plus pitches, according to Baseball America. He hasn’t started since ’03 but maybe the Nats will want to reinvent him.
Chan Ho Park A Closer Candidate?
Interesting note from the Boston Globe:
"A source told the Globe’s Nick Cafardo that during the Matsuzaka negotiations, Boras was trying to sell the Red Sox on signing Chan Ho Park to be the team’s closer."
It’s a smart idea, grabbing a failed starter and converting him to relief. Park currently posts mediocre strikeout rates, but it stands to reason that he could bump that up if used in one-inning bursts. Other starters who could excel in relief: Renyel Pinto, Oliver Perez, Angel Guzman, Jorge de la Rosa, Ian Snell, or Mark Prior.
Red Sox Sign Matsuzaka
According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Red Sox have signed Daisuke Matsuzaka to a six-year, $52MM deal with an additional $8MM in incentives. That makes him an $18.5MM player, if you are to include the posting fee. If you’re so inclined. Boston now boasts the following starting rotation:
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Curt Schilling
Josh Beckett
Jon Papelbon
Tim Wakefield
I would assume Jon Lester is the sixth man, ready to step in when needed or when he proves he’s better than Wakefield.