Archives for December 2008

Angels Standing Pat With Current Outfield

By | December 24, 2008 at 7:28pm CDT

Angels GM Tony Reagins told Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times Wednesday that his club is "not likely" to retain outfielder Garret Anderson. Reagins also mentioned that the organization has no plans to pursue free agent outfielders Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu or Pat Burrell. Reagins, of course, had already written off the idea of the Halos inking Manny Ramirez.

The Angels already have a fine outfield built around Vladimir Guerrero, Juan Rivera and Torii Hunter, with Reggie Willits providing depth off the bench. Gary Matthews Jr. probably won’t be ready for Opening Day after undergoing knee surgery in October, but he’ll also be a major contributor.

Padres Sign Luis Rodriguez, Oneli Perez

By | December 24, 2008 at 6:48pm CDT

The Padres made a few more cost-effective moves Wednesday. Corey Brock of MLB.com breaks it down:

San Diego signed right-handed pitcher Oneli Perez to a minor league deal. Perez, 25, hasn’t thrown a pitch in the majors, but sports a 2.72 ERA in 185 minor league appearances. There’s an outside chance he could pitch his way into the Padres’ bullpen this spring.

The Padres avoided arbitration with switch-hitting infielder Luis Rodriguez, signing him to a one-year deal. He hit .287 in 64 games last season while Khalil Greene was sidelined with a broken bone in his left hand. Rodriguez, 28, is likely to open 2009 as the Padres’ starting shortstop. Greene, you’ll remember, was dealt to the Cardinals in early December.

Tip Submissions

By Tim Dierkes | December 24, 2008 at 5:00pm CDT

Drew Silva will be in charge of MLB Trade Rumors from 5pm til midnight (CST) this evening. If you have a link to a rumor not currently on MLBTR, you can email it to Drew at silvadrt@gmail.com.

Dickey Picks Twins

By Ben Jones | December 24, 2008 at 4:58pm CDT

Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey has chosen to pitch for the Minnesota Twins over returning to the Seattle Mariners, Kirby Arnold of The (Everett, Wash.) Daily Herald reported.

Dickey told Arnold that he likes his chances of playing at the major-league level with the Twins, despite a larger amount of money offered by the Mariners. Arnold writes that he agreed to a “split minor-major league contract.” I’m guessing Dickey signed a minor-league deal that will pay more if he makes the 25-man roster.

The Mets and Brewers also had interest, Arnold writes.

UPDATE: MLB.com’s Kelly Thesier has it posted now. It is a minor-league deal.

Manny Ramirez Rumors: Wednesday

By Ben Jones | December 24, 2008 at 4:31pm CDT

4:31pm: Rob Neyer’s latest post on ESPN.com discusses what Ramirez’ chances are to claim himself a big contract. Neyer doesn’t like the odds. His guess is two years for $45MM. He lists the Dodgers as the likely match.

8:55am: Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger tells us to take the New York Mets off the Manny List. Graziano writes that GM Omar Minaya is having trouble selling Ramirez to ownership, despite how well he would fit in with the team. He adds that despite the Red Sox missing out on Mark Teixeira to the Yankees on Tuesday, Ramirez had a worse day. As Graziano puts it, “Because, honestly, where is he going to go now?”

8:01am: Common sense tells T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times that Manny’s best — and possibly only — option is a contract with the Dodgers. He wonders if the Dodgers and owner Frank McCourt really even want Ramirez to return. Regardless, Simers doesn’t see the slugger ending up with a small- or mid-market franchise.

Jesse Spector of the N.Y. Daily News writes the New York Yankees could still sign Manny, even after taking on more than $400MM in payroll in the past week, and have a 2009 payroll less than the 2008 version. His hypothesis hinges on not bringing back left-hander Andy Pettitte and trading Hideki Matsui in particular.

Rays Sign Joe Nelson

By Ben Jones | December 24, 2008 at 4:18pm CDT

4:18pm: Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times has a post up about the signing. He writes that Nelson gives the Rays another closer option, just in case Troy Percival isn’t ready to go following his back surgery.

Topkin, who states about 20 teams had interest in Nelson, adds the deal is pending a physical.

2:36pm: Right-handed reliever Joe Nelson has signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald is reporting. It’s a one-year deal worth $1.3MM.

Nelson, 34, was with the Marlins last season.

More Mark Teixeira Signing Reactions

By Ben Jones | December 24, 2008 at 4:01pm CDT

4:01pm: Peter Gammons of ESPN writes the Yankees are just being American.

1:26pm: FOXSports.com’s Dayn Perry believes the Yankees are taking a risk with the Teixeira deal. Perry points out that the Yankees’ spending will add even more pressure onto the franchise to win. He also thinks the Yankees needed to make this deal.

Former pitcher Jim Kaat is in line with Perry. Kaat believes there will be an adjustment period for all three of the Yankees’ big signings. He writes that players sometimes try too hard to live up to their big contracts in the first season, and that could take place here.
Murray Chass says Mark Teixeira banned himself from Boston.

11:33am: Add Rays skipper Joe Maddon to the list of baseball people who aren’t scared by the Yankees’ recent moves. This, via Mike DiGiovanna and the LA Times.

Curt Schilling weighs in.

10:01am: Since this is the major topic today — unless anything breaks — I’ll update this periodically.

Buster Olney of ESPN weighs in on the winners and losers of the Teixeira deal.
Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post writes that the Washington Nationals’ attempt to sign Teixeira was admirable. He says the Nationals showed they are willing to spend money, although a need to gain credibility as a franchise stood in the way of them and Teixeira.
Check out this post from Tuesday for more notes regarding the deal.

8:49am:

Sports Illustrated and Tom Verducci have a Q&A posted about the Yankees’ deal with Mark Teixeira. In short, Verducci likes the move for the Yankees.
“WE’RE BACK!” At least Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan says about the Yankees and the Steinbrenner family’s spending.
Boston fans lost a big present from under the Christmas tree, Adam Kilgore of the Globe writes.
Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines that the Yankees are bad for sports. He cites the national economic struggles as a top reason the Teixeira/Yankees deal makes no sense.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle writes that the Yankees’ signing is good for baseball.
Orioles fans are upset that the hometown boy will only be returning to town wearing Yankees gray, Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker writes.
Mike Lupica of the N.Y. Daily News wonders if the Yankees have spent enough this offseason to “buy back a World Series.”
Besides an apology to his wife for reporting from his vacation, New York Post writer Joel Sherman notes how Teixeira turns 29 in April. The new Yankees have become younger, he adds. He slips in that Manny Ramirez never made sense for the Yankees.
Bill Burt of the North Andover (Mass.) Eagle-Tribune writes the Red Sox didn’t want Teixeira enough to pull the trigger on the deal. He adds that the Sox will do nothing — and that they don’t need to.

Correia, Padres Reach Minor-League Deal

By Ben Jones | December 24, 2008 at 3:26pm CDT

Kevin Correia will compete for a starting job with the San Diego Padres, Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.

Correia, a righty, was previously with the San Francisco Giants. He agreed to terms on a minor-league contact with an invitation to spring training. If he makes the 25-man roster, Correia could earn $750,000, according to his agent. Krasovic notes that Correia is from San Diego.

Marlins’ Catcher Hunt Includes I-Rod

By Ben Jones | December 24, 2008 at 1:17pm CDT

Miami Herald columnist Barry Jackson writes that the Florida Marlins are discussing free-agent catchers like Michael Barrett, Henry Blanco and Ivan Rodriguez.

Rodriguez would have to accept a salary close to the league minimum for the Marlins to consider him as a serious option, according to Jackson.

Trading Partners For The Yankees

By Ben Jones | December 24, 2008 at 12:54pm CDT

Reports are all over the place about the Yankees being too stocked with corner outfielders. The four names that continue to surface are Xavier Nady, Hideki Matsui, Nick Swisher and Johnny Damon. Here’s a list of stories about potential trading partners:

Joel Sherman of the N.Y. Post thinks the Angels, Rays, Rangers and A’s could be possibilities, but he reminds us that there still are a number of similar-style hitters on the free agent market.
MLB.com writer Chris Haft thinks the San Francisco Giants could be a good suitor for Xavier Nady, who grew up in the Bay area.

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