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Archives for October 2008

Peavy Will Require Full No-Trade

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10:10am: ESPN’s Buster Olney says Peavy will listen if the Padres have other ideas aside from his five preferred NL teams.  Olney believes Peavy may require more than full no-trade powers with his new team.  He could ask that his $22MM 2013 option be exercised, or that the $4MM buyout be increased.

8:47am: Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune talked to Jake Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod, who said Peavy would require a new team to grant him full no-trade powers.  Currently Peavy’s full no-trade powers run through 2010 but his contract can run through 2013.

While the Padres have been informed of Peavy’s five preferred clubs, Axelrod clarified:

"We certainly did not say we would approve a trade to here, here and here.  Let’s take a breath and do some reasoned analysis. We’re trying to take some time to get a grip on this, if that’s possible."

Axelrod also told Krasovic that he would not be surprised if Peavy stays put.

Red Sox Review

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Red Sox GM Theo Epstein spoke to the press yesterday, resulting in a slew of articles in the Boston papers.

Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe runs through the team’s entire 25-man roster.  Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald looks at Epstein’s to-do list, as does Joe McDonald of The Providence Journal.  Paul Kenyon of the Journal looks at the team’s minor free agents.  An overview of various common topics:

  • Jason Varitek.  Silverman sees an effort to re-sign him for one or two years, while McDonald thinks he will look for three or four.  Massarotti thinks things could get nasty here, with Scott Boras in the middle.  Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald has an article discussing the Varitek situation.
  • Julio Lugo, Jed Lowrie, Jacoby Ellsbury, Coco Crisp.  Four players for two starting spots.  Epstein didn’t tip his hand as to whether he’ll move any of these players and diminish the depth.
  • Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, Jason Bay.  The Sox may explore long-term deals for each.  There’s already been talks with Pedroia, though Massarotti thinks he might prefer to go year-to-year as Youkilis has.  He suggests Papelbon wants a long-term deal but the Sox may choose to play it safe.  McDonald and Massarotti feel the Sox will also explore an extension for Jason Bay.
  • Sean Casey, Mike Timlin, Alex Cora, Mark Kotsay.  Cora might go if Lugo stays.  Timlin may retire.  Massarotti does not think Casey will be re-signed, while McDonald doesn’t see Kotsay returning (he wants to start).
  • Outside options: Epstein could make a big move, or do very little again.  As I mentioned in the Offseason Outlook, C.C. Sabathia might be a better fit than Mark Teixeira.

Dodgers Decline Berroa’s Option

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According to MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick, the Dodgers chose shortstop Angel Berroa’s $500K buyout over his $5.5MM option for ’09.  Easy call for a utility guy.  Technically Berroa is arbitration-eligible, but Gurnick says they will non-tender him rather than pay him the minimum allowable $2.85MM.  ESPN’s Buster Olney believes the Dodgers will try to re-sign Berroa for less after he’s non-tendered.

Berroa’s four-year, $11MM contract from the Royals is one of the few young player deals that did not work out.  With the Dodgers this year, he hit .230/.304/.310 in 256 plate appearances while playing average defense.

Hendry Signs Four-Year Extension

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7:35pm: Hendry commented on all kinds of topics to MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat.  He sounds a little more intent on re-signing Dempster than Wood.  Hendry is not sure whether Jim Edmonds will retire, but he sees Felix Pie making the team out of spring training.

Cubs chairman Crane Kenney doesn’t expect any major moves that would require significant increases in payroll.  Kenney said a few weeks ago that he anticipated a bump in payroll.

12:13pm: According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Cubs have extended GM Jim Hendry’s contract through the 2012 season.  He can now focus on free agents Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood, as well as acquiring a lefthanded bat.

Cards Not Likely To Acquire Peavy

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According to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals are not a serious player for Jake Peavy.  Miklasz’s Cardinals sources downplayed the idea and noted that they’ve only had one conversation with the Padres.

As Miklasz says, it could be the money, the prospects, or both.  Viva El Birdos believes it would limit roster construction.  If the Cardinals take a pass and the Astros don’t have the goods, it might be down to the Braves, Dodgers, and Cubs.

Cards To Buy Out Mulder’s Option

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According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals have informed Mark Mulder’s agent that they have chosen a $1.5MM buyout over his $11MM option.  No one expected otherwise, given Mulder’s shoulder woes the past few years. 

Mulder’s shoulder now checks out structurally; he’s had two surgical procedures.  So far the thumbs up from doctors hasn’t translated to the mound.

Offseason Outlook: Boston Red Sox

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Next up in our Offseason Outlook series, the Red Sox.  Their likely 2009 commitments:

C –
C – Kevin Cash – $400K+
1B – Kevin Youkilis – $3MM+
2B – Dustin Pedroia – $457K
SS – Jed Lowrie – $400K
3B – Mike Lowell – $12MM
IF – Julio Lugo – $9MM
IF – Jeff Bailey – $400K
LF – Jason Bay – $7.5MM
CF – Coco Crisp – $5.75MM
RF – J.D. Drew – $14MM
OF – Jacoby Ellsbury – $406K
DH – David Ortiz – $12.5MM

SP – Josh Beckett – $10.5MM
SP – Daisuke Matsuzaka – $8MM
SP – Jon Lester – $422K
SP – Tim Wakefield – $4MM (club option)
SP – Clay Buchholz – $400K

RP – Jonathan Papelbon – $775K+
RP – Justin Masterson – $400K
RP – Hideki  Okajima – $1.75MM
RP – Manny Delcarmen – $421K
RP – Javier Lopez – $840K+
RP – David Aardsma – $404K
RP – Michael Bowden – $400K

That’s about $94MM committed, plus arbitration raises to Cash, Youkilis, Papelbon, and Lopez.  Those should nudge the Sox over $100MM.  They began the season with a $133MM payroll, and began ’07 at $143MM.  The Red Sox have a significant amount of money to spend.

The catcher situation needs to be addressed.  The Sox may offer Jason Varitek a one-year deal, or they could consider a free agent like Ivan Rodriguez.  The Rangers’ Gerald Laird would be a fine trade target, as he does not require seasoning and is under control for two more seasons.  Bengie Molina and Ramon Hernandez also may be available.  Joel Sherman suggests Russell Martin could hit the block; the price would be very steep.

Some of Boston’s veteran contracts are starting to look worse, particularly Lowell and Ortiz.  Still, neither player performed poorly this year.  The Red Sox don’t have a true albatross contract, though the $18MM owed to Lugo is bothersome.

There is not a clear place to add an offensive player aside from catcher.  The Sox might take a look at Mark Teixeira, probably to drive the price up more than anything.  They can afford him, but then they’d probably have to trade Lowell.

Boston’s ’09 rotation is already above-average, especially if Buchholz gets back on track.  Masterson and Bowden could also be rotation candidates.  Wakefield is an easy call to exercise at $4MM.  Like Teixeira, the Red Sox don’t need C.C. Sabathia.  Still, signing him would keep the best available pitcher away from the Yankees.  It would not be surprising to see the Sox make an aggressive bid for C.C.

Most of the bullpen should return; maybe the Sox will make a minor reliever signing to eat up some of Mike Timlin’s innings.

The Red Sox are sitting pretty for ’09, with catching the only glaring need.  After that, GM Theo Epstein will have a lot of cash to spend on players who might be considered luxuries.  Epstein seems to feel the same way, based on his comments.

Odds and Ends: Dice-K, Varitek, Rolen

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Links for Monday…

  • Tim Brown and Peter Abraham offer their takes on the top free agents.
  • A note from Abraham – if Daisuke Matsuzaka finishes top three in the AL Cy Young vote, he’ll get an extra $2MM in each of the ’09 and ’10 seasons.
  • The Mariners could hire their new GM as soon as tomorrow.  Geoff Baker discussed the merits of the four candidates in two recent posts.
  • Jason Varitek was mum on his future last night.
  • Joe Frisaro has the Marlins’ 2009 payroll in the $30-35MM range.  They have 15 arbitration-eligible players.
  • I came across an interesting note about B.J. Upton.  Back in 2004, Devil Rays GM Chuck LaMar wanted to sign Upton to an unprecedented eight or nine-year contract before he reached the Majors.  The new Rays regime eventually succeeded with a similar deal for Evan Longoria.
  • The Diamondbacks signed a Korean high school catcher named Kim Jae-yoon for $150K.
  • Jordan Bastian would be stunned if Scott Rolen exercises his right to opt out of his contract or demand a trade.
  • T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers are not in the running for C.C. Sabathia.
  • SI.com’s Jon Heyman looks at how the Phillies were built.

Elias Rankings: NL 1B/OF

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Eddie Bajek at Detroit Tigers Thoughts has his National League 1B/OF Elias projections ready.

  • Type A: Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Pat Burrell.  Manny has already agreed to decline an offer of arbitration, so the Dodgers are getting two picks if he leaves.  The D’Backs could end up with tons of picks, with Dunn, Orlando Hudson, Juan Cruz, and Brandon Lyon eligible for free agency.
  • Type B: Moises Alou, Luis Gonzalez, Mike Cameron.  Alou and Gonzalez won’t be offered arbitration.  The Brewers could offer it to Cameron if they decline his option, if they believe he would seek a contract elsewhere.

MLBTR Looking For Saturday Morning Help

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Would you like to write for MLB Trade Rumors?  We are planning to bring one new person aboard to cover the Saturday morning shift.  This is a paid position.  Here’s what we’re looking for:

  • Knowledge of all 30 baseball teams, no discernible bias toward your favorite.
  • Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing the news up in a few paragraphs.  I want the best of both worlds, as you have to be able to do this quickly after the source article is published.  It’s preferred that you add value to the article with your own insight, numbers, or links to other relevant articles.
  • Attention to detail – no spelling errors, especially for player and journalist names.  Ability to follow the MLBTR style and tone.  Also it is important to avoid duplicating content previously covered on the site.
  • Ability to use an RSS feed reader such as Google Reader.  This is crucial.
  • Blogging experience is preferred.  We use TypePad, which is easy to use if you have blogged before.
  • Availability for the 9am-1pm CST time period, every Saturday morning.  It is not four hours of non-stop writing, but you have to be at the computer the entire time monitoring the news and checking email.
  • You have to be able to put up with me, responding to constructive criticism and digesting the MLBTR instruction document.
  • If you’re interested, email mlbtrweekend@gmail.com and explain your qualifications.  Please don’t send anything to my other email address.  Usually we receive a few hundred inquiries, so unfortunately I cannot reply to all.  Thanks.

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