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Archives for December 2007

Phillies, Mets Made Offers To Lohse?

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UPDATE, 12-19-07 at 11:14am: Todd Zolecki says there’s nothing to the report that the Phils made a four-year offer to Lohse.  So, Zolecki and Davidoff do not agree with Tim Brown.

UPDATE, 12-19-07 at 9:24am: Ken Davidoff wrote this morning that the Mets "do not seem particularly interested" in Lohse, Carlos Silva, or Livan Hernandez at the current prices.

FROM 12-17-07 at 1:58pm:

Yahoo’s Tim Brown indicates that the Mets and Phillies both have offers out to free agent starter Kyle Lohse, though it’s not the lead of his story (hat tip to MetsBlog).

There hasn’t been a ton of buzz around Lohse yet.  It seems that other aspects of the pitching market may have to settle first.  Lohse could be a Plan B for the Mariners.  He could be an option for St. Louis as well.  It’s been said that Scott Boras, Lohse’s agent, may try to get five years for him.  As Jerry Crasnick says, Boras is "willing to wait for teams to get desperate."  You can check out Boras’ spin on Lohse here.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Prior, Bedard, Haren

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The rumor mill is picking up today, thanks in no short part to Ken Rosenthal.  Check out his latest column.

  • Rosenthal believes the Padres are Mark Prior’s first choice, but as usual they won’t pay as much as other teams.  Both Texas clubs are in the lead for Prior currently.  Rosenthal also names the Cards, Mets, and Yankees are suitors, as we knew.  The Pirates, by the way, have not inquired.
  • Talks for Erik Bedard have slowed down, because the Orioles aren’t impressed with the offers.  The Mariners, Reds, and Mets are the top contenders.  Rosenthal indicates that the Reds may be overvaluing Homer Bailey, compared to the perception of other clubs.
  • Interesting late-game suitors for Dan Haren: the Rockies and Braves.  You wonder, then, whether they’ll also inquire on Bedard. 
  • Rosenthal notes that the Chris Burke acquisition could be a sign that the D’Backs won’t re-sign Orlando Hudson.  Burke will have to show something first though.
  • The Orioles don’t seem likely to flip Luke Scott; they like his style.  The guy could hit 30 bombs this year, in the opinion of Ron Shandler and Co.
  • The Twins are up to 39 on their 40 man roster, so they’ll have to be creative to take back four players in a Johan Santana deal.  It could mean including a player with Johan.

Vote For MLBTR

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Latest Johan Santana Non-Rumors

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After getting volumes of new information each day during the Winter Meetings, the rumors surrounding the Johan Santana talks have slowed to a boring trickle.  It’s still a big deal, though, so here’s the latest.

  • Yesterday Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe notes that it may make sense for the Twins and Red Sox to hammer out a deal before front offices shut down for a week to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s.  He says talks between the two parties are ongoing, and the Twins are sitting back and hoping for the Red Sox to crack and put two of Ellsbury/Buchholz/Lester in the package.  The Yankees are lurking but similarly won’t give up two of Chamberlain/Hughes/Kennedy.  The Mets aren’t deemed worthy based on their prospects.  Edes’ source doesn’t expect a deal soon.
  • Today, Charley Walters wrote that the Red Sox are the favorites with their firm offer of Lester/Crisp/Lowrie/Masterson.  He says there’s buzz something could be done within days.  Walters reiterates Edes’ take on the Yankees’ stance and tosses the Angels into the mix as a dark horse.

Orioles, Pirates Eyeing Dotel

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UPDATE, 12-19-07 at 9:28am: The Bucs also have their eye on Dotel, but are wary of the price and years.

FROM 12-18-07 at 11:13am:

The Orioles don’t have a closer, and Octavio Dotel is the best of the remaining name-brand stoppers.  He’s at least better than Armando Benitez, Keith Foulke, and Bob Wickman (assuming he doesn’t retire).

Normally I wouldn’t support the idea of a non-contending team dropping $6-8MM annually for maybe two years on a guy like Dotel.  But Dayton Moore showed us last year that this strategy can net a decent player at the deadline (he picked up Kyle Davies).  However since Dotel will probably want two years, he’ll be riskier than he was for Moore.  The Royals handled Dotel pretty carefully and his value was high when they dealt him. 

Crisp/Lugo For Cabrera Speculation

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Been getting this Phil Rogers blog post emailed to me quite a bit lately.  In it he speculates that the White Sox could send Orlando Cabrera to the Red Sox for Julio Lugo and Coco Crisp.  Or, they could send Cabrera to the Cubs for prospects.  Third, he suggests the Sox could sign Cabrera for around four years and $50MM, the offer they made to Kosuke Fukudome.

Nothing wrong with the speculation, Phil is just spitballing here it seems.  However, this talk gets passed around a couple of times, people don’t actually read what Phil wrote, and then people start saying this is a rumor or that there have been talks of this nature.  To me, speculation doesn’t graduate to a rumor until someone reports that it’s been discussed by execs of one or more teams.  Just my two cents on why this is not a trade rumor.  But, feel free to discuss.   

Giants Pursuing Corner Infield Help

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I’m not sure of the Giants’ plan – are they rebuilding?  Playing for 2008?  Kind of rebuilding but trying to seem respectable?

At any rate, the Giants don’t have much going on at first and third base.  I like the idea of going after a cheap under-30 third base upside play like Dallas McPherson.  But I wouldn’t fill the spot with a vet just to fill it.  As for first, I’ve said before I’d just toss Dan Ortmeier there for 550 ABs in lieu of adding some stopgap.  But that’s just me; here’s the latest on Brian Sabean’s corner infield pursuits:

  • Tony Clark is a target, and San Francisco is a good fit for him in terms of playing time.  He’d probably get a one-year deal and be paired with Ortmeier.
  • The Mariners are apparently shopping Adrian Beltre for pitching.  Doesn’t seem to be a smart move for Seattle but it may be a moot point if they are nearing a Carlos Silva signing.
  • No doubt Joe Crede can be had.  Paul Konerko, not so much.  Crede makes sense for the Giants in that they might be able to flip him if he has a good April-May.
  • Morgan Ensberg is a free agent who would probably play for $3MM and jump at a full-time chance.
  • Pedro Feliz remains on the radar, but apparently still wants three years.  C’mon now.
  • The Giants have "moved in opposing directions" with McPherson, a Scott Boras client.

About Nine Teams Watch Benson

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UPDATE, 12-19-07 at 11:07am: The Braves were in attendance, according to a source of mine. 

UPDATE, 12-19-07 at 8:42am: The Giants were in attendance, so we know eight of the nine teams that watched Benson.  Is it normal for each team to send three scouts, by the way?  It’s been said that 25 of them watched.

UPDATE, 12-18-07 at 1:39pm: The Yankees, Mets, Astros, and Phillies definitely attended.  I also received an email about a radio report indicating the Cards were there. That’s seven of the nine.

FROM 12-18-07 at 10:40am:

According to Todd Zolecki, about nine teams watched free agent Kris Benson throw 60 pitches yesterday.  The Phillies and Nationals were definitely present.

Feel free to guess at the other seven teams.  The Astros were probably there, and some of the Yankees, Cardinals, Royals, Marlins, Rockies, and Dodgers were probably on hand as well.

Benson had surgery in March to repair a partially torn rotator cuff.  Before that he’d usually been good for 180 nearly league average innings.

Mariano Rivera Confusion?

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Here is a December 17th press release from the Yankees announcing Mariano Rivera’s three-year deal.  Here is a New York Daily News article from early this morning indicating that Rivera has yet to sign on the dotted line.  There is a lot of dated information in the Daily News article, so it seems as if they simply accidentally posted an old story, nothing more.  Threw me for a loop, though.

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