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Archives for February 2008

Astros Win Loretta Case

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Arbiters ruled in favor of the Astros over Mark Loretta today, saving the team $2.15MM.  I guess the 20% pay cut thing doesn’t apply here.  With the Jose Valverde savings, that makes $3.65MM for Houston.  That’s probably right around what Shawn Chacon will get. 

Three hearings remain undecided; the players will probably snag at least one victory in the cases of Ryan Howard, Oliver Perez, and Francisco Rodriguez.  Keith Law explains again why the Phils paying Howard more than they have to does not make sense.

Historically teams have won 57.7% of cases.  So we might’ve expected the teams to be 3-2 instead of 5-0 this year but it’s not exactly a huge upset.

Astros Win Loretta Case

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Arbiters ruled in favor of the Astros over Mark Loretta today, saving the team $2.15MM.  I guess the 20% pay cut thing doesn’t apply here.  With the Jose Valverde savings, that makes $3.65MM for Houston.  That’s probably right around what Shawn Chacon will get. 

Three hearings remain undecided; the players will probably snag at least one victory in the cases of Ryan Howard, Oliver Perez, and Francisco Rodriguez.  Keith Law explains again why the Phils paying Howard more than they have to does not make sense.

Historically teams have won 57.7% of cases.  So we might’ve expected the teams to be 3-2 instead of 5-0 this year but it’s not exactly a huge upset.

Pierre A Trade Possibility

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The idea that Juan Pierre could take away at-bats from Matt Kemp and/or Andre Ethier seems absurd to me.  If he was making $400K instead of $8MM, would this even be a consideration?  Tony Jackson believes Pierre will be the main left fielder while Kemp and Ethier platoon in right.

Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times notes that Pierre seems willing to waive his five-team no-trade protection.  It’s generally assumed that the Dodgers would have to eat some of his remaining $36.5MM over the next four years to move Pierre.

It seemed like the White Sox could’ve been interested in Pierre, but their outfield now seems set with Carlos Quentin, Nick Swisher, and Jermaine Dye.  Is there even one team for which for years of Pierre at, say, $24MM, would make sense?  Following the whole Corey Patterson/Kenny Lofton theme, maybe the Reds would have interest at the right price. 

Burrell Enters Contract Year

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All sorts of players are entering contract years, and it’s become a popular Spring Training topic.  Pat Burrell mentioned over a month ago that he’d love to re-sign with the Phillies.  Todd Zolecki chronicles Burrell’s trials and tribulations over nine years playing for the Phils.  He’s set to earn $14MM this year, finishing up the extension Ed Wade engineered.

Other major power threats in Burrell’s free agent class: Mark Teixeira, Adam Dunn, and perhaps Manny Ramirez.  Dunn, by the way, hasn’t had any extension talks with the Reds.

Burrell Enters Contract Year

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All sorts of players are entering contract years, and it’s become a popular Spring Training topic.  Pat Burrell mentioned over a month ago that he’d love to re-sign with the Phillies.  Todd Zolecki chronicles Burrell’s trials and tribulations over nine years playing for the Phils.  He’s set to earn $14MM this year, finishing up the extension Ed Wade engineered.

Other major power threats in Burrell’s free agent class: Mark Teixeira, Adam Dunn, and perhaps Manny Ramirez.  Dunn, by the way, hasn’t had any extension talks with the Reds.

Kinsler Signs Five-Year Deal

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TUESDAY, 12:52am:ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick pegs it at five years, $22MM plus a sixth year option at $10MM.  Crasnick says it buys out one year of free agency and the option would be another.  The ’08 season is included in the extension.

MONDAY, 9:33pm:Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that second baseman Ian Kinsler is close to a five-year deal worth $20MM.  There may also be a sixth-year option worth $10MM or more.

Grant doesn’t say whether the deal would include the upcoming season; Kinsler recently received a near-minimum deal for ’08.  If not, the new contract would buy out two years of free agency with an option for a third.

Kinsler, 25, has a career line of .274/.351/.447 in 250 games.  The average AL second baseman hit .284/.339/.416 last year.  Kinsler’s probably not among the top ten defensively at his position, if you go by the Fielding Bible awards.

Cubs’ Talks For Byrd Reach Impasse

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The Cubs have been interested in Rangers’ center fielder Marlon Byrd for some time now, apparently offering Matt Murton.  However, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers’ insistence on good young pitching in the deal has caused a stalemate.  The Cubs like Byrd, but not at that price.

Evan Grant wrote recently that one of Jason Botts, Nelson Cruz, or David Murphy is likely to be dealt before Opening Day.  A Byrd trade might allow the Rangers to keep all three.

Cubs’ Talks For Byrd Reach Impasse

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The Cubs have been interested in Rangers’ center fielder Marlon Byrd for some time now, apparently offering Matt Murton.  However, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers’ insistence on good young pitching in the deal has caused a stalemate.  The Cubs like Byrd, but not at that price.  Jeff Wilson and Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram say Byrd is still "drawing considerable interest" from the Cubs, however.

Evan Grant wrote recently that one of Jason Botts, Nelson Cruz, or David Murphy is likely to be dealt before Opening Day.  A Byrd trade might allow the Rangers to keep all three.

Greene Could Stay In San Diego

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Shortstop Khalil Greene recently signed for two years and $11MM, a deal that bought out his arbitration years.  Padres GM Kevin Towers said in January that Greene might prefer to play near his family on the East Coast.

However, MLB.com’s Corey Brock quotes Greene as saying today, "There’s nowhere else where I would want to play than San Diego."  So maybe Greene will re-sign following the ’09 season, after all.  Brock has more quotes from Greene on the Padres’ main site.  He’d like to finish his career in San Diego.

Heyman’s Top 10 GMs

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SI.com’s Jon Heyman ranks his top ten GMs thusly:

1. Theo Epstein
2. Billy Beane
3. Dave Dombrowski
4. Mark Shapiro
5. Brian Cashman
6. Pat Gillick
7. Josh Byrnes
8. Omar Minaya
9. Dan O’Dowd
10T. Kenny Williams
10T. Kevin Towers

I haven’t given a ton of thought to my own top ten, but I’d probably have Beane, Gillick, and Cashman lower with Byrnes and Towers higher and Doug Melvin in there.  What’s your top ten?  No ties.

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