A’s Interested In Garciaparra
According to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney the A’s are interested in Nomar Garciaparra. Olney suggests the A’s would like Nomar’s righthanded bat to provide balance in a lineup well-stocked with lefthanded hitters like Jason Giambi and Jack Cust.
Olney adds that the A’s have maintained interest in Orlando Cabrera, who will likely have to sign for Orlando Hudson money (up to $8MM) instead of Edgar Renteria money ($18MM).
Rangers Sign Kris Benson
SATURDAY, 10:56am: According to Jon Heyman of SI.com Benson signed with the Rangers.
FRIDAY: According to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, the Rangers are expected to sign righty Kris Benson to a minor league deal soon. Benson, 34, had rotator cuff surgery in March of ’07 and wasn’t able to make it back to the bigs last year.
Twins, Joe Crede Agree To Terms
SATURDAY, 10:48am: La Velle E. Neal III heard from a source that the Twins are expected to announce the signing this afternoon. Crede is apparently on a plane to Fort Myers.
Neal adds the terms of the contract. The Star-Tribune’s source suggest the deal guarantees Crede $2.5MM, but could pay him up to $7MM depending on how many plate appearances he makes. The incentives start at 250 PAs and continue until Crede comes to bat for the 525th time.
FRIDAY: Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune cites "a major league source" who says that Joe Crede and the Twins have agreed to terms. No details of the contract were available, but La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote earlier tonight that it appeared Crede "is willing to sign for less than the $7MM base that we believed he was seeking."
Even battling back issues, Crede’s third base defense is among the game’s best. Last year he saved 13 more bases than the average third baseman despite missing a third of the season.
Pirates Exercise Russell’s 2010 Option
According to MLB.com’s Jennifer Langosch the Pirates have picked up manager John Russell’s option for 2010. Last year, his first as a major league manager, Russell led the Pirates to a 67-95 record.
Odds And Ends: Royals, Zimmerman, A-Rod
Links for Saturday…
- ESPN.com’s Buster Olney breaks down the 2009 Royals and considers them an improvement over last year’s team.
- According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Brendan Ryan is not yet out of options because of the time he spent on the DL back in 2006.
- Yahoo’s Tim Brown writes that the Nationals lack stability. He wonders "if the organization really is getting anywhere."
- Chico Harlan of the Washington Post heard that Ryan Zimmerman thinks the time is right for a long-term deal with the Nats, despite the weakened market and his 2008 injuries.
- Wallace Matthews of Newsday thinks Hank Steinbrenner should have let Alex Rodriguez sign elsewhere after 2007 because the slugger’s become a "toxic mortgage" to the team. Say what you will about A-Rod, it’s hard to match his production.
- The Tigers don’t have the organizational depth they did when they dealt for Miguel Cabrera, but FanGraphs examines what’s left in the minors.
Lester Wants To Stay In Boston
Joe Haggerty of the Boston Metro has a Jon Lester update on his blog, Hacks with Haggs. Lester says he wants to play for the Red Sox for his entire career.
"If they approach me we can work something out to not only be a Red Sox for the next four or five years, but for my whole career."
Lester’s entering his last pre-arbitration season and isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until after 2012. Two of his teammates, Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia, signed long-term deals with the Sox this offseason. Yesterday, Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal suggested Lester could be the next to receive a multi-year deal.