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Archives for October 2007

Glavine Interested In Cards?

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Sounds like Tom Glavine is considering more options than just the Mets, Braves, and retirement.

According to Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Glavine has interest in finishing his career as a Cardinal.  While he might not be the "ace" the team is looking for, he might be the next best thing.

We also noted earlier this month that the Washington Nationals might be in the mix.

All that said, the Braves are probably still the favorite for Glavine.  David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently expressed near certainty that the Braves would sign him.

Nats Considering Coco Crisp?

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The Washington Post has a couple paragraphs on the possiblity of the Nationals trading for Coco Crisp.  Crisp may be deemed expendable by Theo Epstein this winter because of the emergence of Jacoby Ellsbury.

Crisp hit .268/.330/.382 this year; the solid power from his Cleveland days has not returned.  We can write ’06 off due to wrist injuries but Crisp’s offense this year was disappointing.  The 28 year-old at least played some fine center field defense.  He earns $4.75MM in ’08, $5.75MM in ’09, and has an $8MM option with a $500K buyout for ’10.  The reasonable contract and possibility for a resurgence might catch Jim Bowden’s eye.  The Nats went with Nook Logan, Ryan Church, and others this year and received a .255/.321/.382 line.  Just tossing a name out there – if Nick Johnson is healthy, is that a possible match for Boston? 

The Nationals have been linked to the big-name free agent CFs as well – Andruw Jones, Aaron Rowand, and Torii Hunter.

Red Sox Rumors

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The Boston Globe’s Gordon Edes has some mild hot stove chatter today.

  • Tim Wakefield’s $4MM option is likely to be exercised. There was some speculation a week ago that it could be declined, but no one really believed it.  It’s still a bargain.
  • Julian Tavarez’s $3.85MM option is a borderline call, and Edes seems to think it will be declined.
  • Nothing new with Mike Lowell – he wants to return, but the door’s open for the Phillies or Yankees if the Red Sox won’t pony up enough years.
  • Most folks expect Curt Schilling to leave.  But if he’s still up for one year and $13MM the Sox should do it.
  • Mike Timlin will pitch again but it might be elsewhere.  Timlin hasn’t been with another club since ’02, when he pitched for the Cardinals and Phillies.
  • Matt Clement will depart.  If his tryouts and MRIs come up clean and he can hit 90 mph there will definitely be teams offering him incentivized contracts.  Here’s one I missed from a few weeks ago: the Padres may make a play for him.  Tom Krasovic also throws Mark Prior into the mix for the Friars in that article.  Back in December of ’04, Clement talked with the Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Indians, and Blue Jays before signing with Boston.

Dontrelle Willis To Stay?

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Take this for what it’s worth.  Dontrelle Willis’ agent, Matt Sosnick, ran into former Marlins GM Larry Beinfest in the supermarket recently.  Beinfest basically said that the Marlins plan on Willis remaining with the team, so the two sides should plan to discuss a contract as usual.  For Sosnick that means late November talks.

Willis will earn more than $7MM next year, which will probably comprise a fifth or so of the team’s payroll.  Most likely new Marlins GM Michael Hill will listen to offers on both Willis and Cabrera and trade one of them.

Santana for Melky, Hughes, and Prospect?

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Tim recently posted about the Yanks inquiries into the Twins organization for Johan Santana.  Peter Abraham shares what he’s heard of the rumors for the lefty ace.

Melky Cabrera would give Minnesota a center fielder to replace Torii Hunter if he bolts. The Yankees could then offer the Twins Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy along with a second prospect.

If Melky and Kennedy plus a prospect can land Santana, I can’t see why the Yankees wouldn’t do that, even if only for the opportunity to get a leg up on signing baseball’s best pitcher to a long term deal.  But I would assume it would take a lot more.  Lots of names are being tossed around along with Philip Hughes, particularly Robinson Cano, names that are most likely the premium the Twins would demand and perhaps a deal-breaker for the Yankees.

Posted by Nat Boyle

Pirates Rebuilding, Shipping Bay?

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Pirates fans, get ready for some big changes.  Rob Biertempfel reports:

Over the new couple of weeks, the Pirates will hire a new manager, scouting director, director of player development and assistant general manager. The turnover could extend to coaches and scouts throughout the system.

New facilities are rising in Bradenton, Fla., and the Dominican Republic. The club also plans to develop a leaner, more efficient data storage system.

Red Sox Pitching Coach John Farrell is the reported favorite to be the Buc’s skipper and Theo Epstein has been singing his praises, writes John Perrotto of the Beaver County Times:

"John has brought so much to our organization," Red Sox GM Theo Epstein said. "He’s brought a sense of accountability to the pitching staff and he is just so organized in everything he does. He prepares our pitchers both mentally and physically every day of the season. He is an extremely sharp guy and the only thing he lacks is much major-league experience as a coach."

Indeed it’s an exciting time to be a Pirates fan after a bit of a dry spell.  Tim noted that the Pirates may shop Jason Bay this winter.  With these structural changes taking place at the developmental levels it seems even more likely.

Posted By Nat Boyle

Sunday A-Rod Recap

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I hate to post about the same guy twice in a row, but there’s been a flurry of Alex Rodriguez speculation on this fine October Sunday.  To break it down, here’s a brief recap:

  • The New York Post reports the Yankees are expected to make an offer to prevent A-Rod from free agency.  However, the offer will approach neither $300MM nor 12 years.  I think this is both expected and a smart move by the Yanks because…
  • Nick Cafardo likens Scott Boras’ approach toward marketing A-Rod’s "Iconic Value" to the exaggeratory strategy he took with Daisuke Matsuzaka.  And Johnny Damon, for that matter.
  • Bob Klapisch reports that in Torre’s wake, there will be much posturing from Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Alex Rodriguez who we can expect to wait as long as possible to make any decision(s).  And this is because…
  • The New York Daily News’ Mark Feinsand notes that "it is unlikely that the Yanks will have all of their issues resolved" before the tenth day following the World Series, when A-Rod will decide whether or not to opt out.  Mike Lupica meanwhile points out that the unrest in the Yankee system is a golden opportunity for A-Rod to indeed opt out with a plausible excuse.  Or as Scott Boras so eloquently put it to CNN.com, the "state of flux is a grand issue."  And further leverage for the player and his agent.

Posted by Nat Boyle

Marlins Would Benefit Most from A-Rod

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Chris Isidore of CNNMoney.com analyzes the viability of a $300MM contract for Alex Rodriguez and the likelihood of him still being in the Bronx.  Isidore writes:

"A-Rod could produce $48 million per year in revenue and asset appreciation for the Yankees, allowing the team to pay him $34 million in salary, along with a 40 percent luxury tax, and still break even."

Isidore dispels the notion that the YES Network is actually doing better with A-Rod in pinstripes by pointing out a significant decline in viewership since his acquisition in ’04, and that YES fetches most of its profits from fees assessed to cable/satellite providers.  In a most probable scenario, if A-Rod signs elsewhere, YES will lose "only about a 3 percent drop in overall revenue for YES," writes Isidore.

While this isn’t what I refer to as a "substantial rumor," Isidore points out how the one team that would see the greatest economic benefit from signing Rodriguez is the team that resides in his hometown of Miami:  The Florida Marlins.  Isidore notes:

"…for deep-pocketed successful teams like the Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Red Sox or Angels, there’s a marginal economic benefit from bringing him in, even as fabulous a player as he is. But look at the upside for the Marlins, not just in ticket revenue but also the structure of a new stadium deal.’"

Posted By Nat Boyle

Koskie to Return as Free Agent

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Here’s a feel good story from The Star Tribune:  Third baseman Corey Koskie has fully recovered from the post-concussion syndrome that sidelined him for half of the 2006 and the entirety of the 2007 seasons.  Doom and gloom loomed earlier this month as the Brewers declined his $6.5MM option and retirement seemed a legitimate possibility for the big Canadian.

Koskie has recovered from his persistent headaches and can be considered an official free agent in the weak 2008 third base market at the moment consisting of Pedro Feliz, Mike Lamb, and Mike Lowell.

The 34 year old hasn’t played 100 games in any of the last 3 seasons; however, he still displays 20 HR power when active.  That production potential alone makes him a decent 1-year bargain option to be had for conceivably around $4-5MM.

Posted by Nat Boyle

Yanks To Pursue Rowand?

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A source of mine with Yankee connections had some good info for me today.  Much was discussed yesterday in Tampa.

For starters, the Yanks are expected to make "eye-popping" offers to retain Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera before the World Series ends.  The team does not want the pair to file for free agency.

Additionally, the Yankees may make a big play for Aaron Rowand.  They believe a package of Melky Cabrera, Chien-Ming Wang, and Ian Kennedy would entice the Twins for Johan Santana.  That’s a huge price, but doesn’t seem out of line to me for the best pitcher in baseball.

My source didn’t have anything about Andy Pettitte, who hated seeing Joe Torre go and will take a month to decide if he’s even going to play next year.

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