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Archives for February 2009

Cards, Ludwick Working To Avoid Arb

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Ryan Ludwick is set to fly to Phoenix on Monday afternoon in preparation for his Tuesday arbitration hearing.  But he is still hopeful, according to MLB.com’s Matthew Leach, that a deal can be reached.

The Cardinals settled on a last minute agreement with fellow outfielder Rick Ankiel on Thursday.  Ludwick is hoping for a similar push, but his gap is fairly large.  He requested $4.25MM and the Cards made a $2.8MM bid back when arbitration figures were due.

"That’s exactly why I came down," Ludwick said. "And that’s why I say I’m optimistic. To see where they were and how his whole deal went down, I think that’s what leads to optimism on my side. Thinking, hey, they got his done, so hopefully we can get mine done before I have to leave on Monday. It would be nice."

Cardinals Aren’t Talking To Ohman

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According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold, the Cardinals are not currently engaged in discussions with lefty reliever Will Ohman.

Ohman supposedly has four offers on the table, and there was some speculation that an NL Central team might be involved.  If Goold is correct, an offer didn’t come from St. Louis. That leaves the Astros, Cubs, Pirates, Brewers and Reds as possible suitors. 

The Mets, Phillies and Dodgers have already denied having serious interest.  The A’s are known to be looking for some left-handed bullpen help, but reportedly have their sights on Dennys Reyes.

Mariners Claim Luis Pena, DFA Tug Hulett

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5:14pm: John Hickey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that the Mariners have designated infielder Tug Hulett for assignment to make room for Pena on the 40-man roster.

2:15pm: Tom Haudricourt writes that the Mariners have claimed reliever Luis Pena off waivers.

Pena, 26, was designated for assignment when the Brewers claimed Nick Green from the Angels. Brewers general manager Doug Melvin explains:

"It’s like trading Pena for Green," said general manager Doug Melvin. "We needed starters. You hate to give up on a good arm but that was our need."

Week in Review: 2/8 – 2/14

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Couple of big signings this week, with Spring Training just around the corner. Let’s get right into it…

  • The Angels may have gotten the biggest bargain of the offseason: Bobby Abreu on a one-year, $5MM deal with minimal incentives. Phenomenal value for an incredibly consistent hitter. A few months ago, I never would’ve believed this to be possible.
  • The Halos also agreed to terms with Ervin Santana on a four-year, $30MM extension. This move’s a it more questionable. Ervin was tremendous in 2008, but it’s the first year he’s lived up to his potential. He has great stuff, but I’d personally be worried about his ability to keep it consistent. If he manages that, however, he’ll be a bargain for the Angels.
  • The other big signing of the week was the Nationals inking Adam Dunn to a two-year, $20MM deal. Dunn adds a legit presence to the middle of that lineup, and gives Washington a very underrated offense. However, without adding some pitching, I’m not sure I see the logic behind this move. Here’s some more insight on the Abreu/Dunn signings.
  • Dunn is expected to play first base, which is obviously something Nick Johnson doesn’t love to hear. He’d like to play every day, and will accept a trade to do so. Johnson is a great OBP guy when healthy, but he hasn’t shown the ability to be healthy at all over the past two seasons.
  • The Nats tried to add another bat to the lineup, but Ray Durham rejected their offer. He’s apparently 50-50 on retirement. Seems like he’d rather play for a team with a better chance of contending.
  • Could that team be the Cardinals? They released Adam Kennedy earlier this week, which forces them to eat $4MM. Very surprising move in this economy. That of course begs the question: Who’s going to be playing second base for the Cards?
  • The Brewers signed Braden Looper to a one-year, $4.75MM contract with a $6MM option for 2010. Not a bad deal for the Brewers, who needed starting pitching depth. Surprised we haven’t seen them (or anyone, for that matter) roll the dice on Mark Mulder…
  • The Mariners are looking to add an outfielder, and early on it looked like a reunion with Ken Griffey Jr. was on the horizon. The Braves have now entered that picture, though providing some competition for the M’s. Interesting choice for Griffey – play in Seattle again or go to a team more likely to contend?
  • Joe Crede’s name is still being tossed back and forth between the Twins and Giants. The Giants offered him a contract earlier this week, while the Twins see a sizeable gap between their offer and Crede’s $7MM demand. Last we heard, the Giants expect Crede to sign with Minnesota. Can Crede’s back hold up on artificial turf at the Metrodome?

Phillies Sign Cairo

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Scott Lauber reports that the Phillies have signed Miguel Cairo to a minor-league deal with an invite to Spring Training.

Cairo, 34, hit .249/.316/.330 last year for the Mariners. He can serve as a back-up at nearly any position the Phillies could need if he makes the team. Cairo saw time at all four infield positions, left field, and right field in 2008.

Braves Make New Offer To Glavine

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SUNDAY: Jayson Stark says that a reunion between the two sides is becoming more likely. He quotes Braves GM Frank Wren as saying:

"I think we’ve made some progress," GM Frank Wren told ESPN.com Sunday. "I think there’s a true desire on both parties to get something done."

FRIDAY: Yesterday, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports mentioned these details on Tom Glavine’s contract aspirations:

Glavine is seeking a guarantee of $3MM, plus incentives that could push the total value of his package into the $6MM range. He is willing to defer a portion of his salary.

Today, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman says the Braves have offered a new one-year proposal that would defer the incentives for up to five years.  The offer guarantees $1MM, with a chance to earn another $3MM in deferred incentives.  Bowman suggests both sides are more optimistic today than they were yesterday.

Cafardo’s Latest: Crosby, Oil Can Boyd?

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A few highlights from Nick Cafardo’s latest article in the Boston Globe…

  • Despite the assumption that Miguel Tejada won’t face prison time, the Astros are keeping an open mind in terms of possible replacements for Tejada. Cafardo mentions Bobby Crosby as an option. Crosby, the 2004 AL Rookie of the Year, is likely to find himself out of a starting job if the A’s pull the trigger and sign Orlando Cabrera.
  • Here’s something I can’t believe I’m typing… can Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd make a Major League comeback at age 49? Oil Can hasn’t pitched since 1991, but claims his velocity is back up in the low 90s, and his curveball is back to form. He’s always dreamt of carrying on Satchel Paige’s legend and pitching into his 60s. Boyd’s quote:

""I have nothing to lose, and all a major league team has to lose is 15 minutes," said Boyd. "Give me 15 minutes and I’ll show I can still pitch. That’s all I want."

Boyd threw at the Red Sox fantasy camp, and former catcher Mike Stanley said that Oil Can’s stuff is the same as it was 18 years ago, and his passion hasn’t died down one bit.

Certainly an interesting story, but can he live up to his word?

No Long Term Talks With Giants, Lincecum

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Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle says there are no immediate plans to discuss a long-term contract with Tim Lincecum. Schulman says a team executive said this morning that a deal does remain a possibility before Lincecum becomes arbitration eligible. Schulman writes,

"Many such long-term contracts are signed this time of year in lieu of one-year deals that teams can impose on players with less than three years of service time. The signing period for these deals is March 2-11. Noah Lowry and Matt Cain both signed four-year contracts to buy out some of their arbitration years."

Lincecum is eligible for free agency after the 2013 season and is open to signing a one-year deal and revisiting contract talks. Schulman reminds us that if he signed a deal, he would earn less but it would be guaranteed money instead of non-guaranteed through arbitration.

Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News adds that neither side seems concerned and that Lincecum would be receptive to a multi-year contract, according to his agent. Baggarly writes,

"The Giants shortly will begin negotiating salaries for their ’zero-to-three’ players. They must agree to terms with them before March 11, at which point they must renew the contract of any unsigned players — and unilaterally assign any salary they please above the league minimum ($400,000). A renewal isn’t usually a happy prospect. The Giants couldn’t recall the last time they had to renew a player and Evans didn’t expect that to happen with Lincecum, who made $405,000 last year. The two sides are certain to exchange ideas on a multiyear contract. Where it goes from there is anyone’s guess."

Indians Sign Graffanino To Minor League Deal

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Mlb.com’s Anthony Castrovince reports the Indians have signed 36-year old Tony Graffanino to a minor league contract. If he makes the team, this will be Tony’s seventh in the Majors. Castrovince writes,

"Last year, coming off the knee rehabilitation, Graffanino signed a Minor League deal with the Tribe and played in 25 games at Triple-A Buffalo. He hit .315 with seven doubles, a triple and six RBIs, playing all four infield spots. Graffanino is the 20th non-roster player invited to camp."

Fields, Mariners Agree To Deal

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SUNDAY, 9:34am: Jim Callis of Baseball America has the numbers: "A baseball source said Fields will receive $1.75 million, splitting the difference between MLB’s $1.5 million recommendation for his draft slot and the $2 million he was seeking, pending the results of a physical he took on Saturday."

Callis notes while the deadline to sign draft picks was August 15, Fields and Seattle were allowed to continue negotiations due to Fields having exhausted his college eligibility.

FRIDAY, 7:07pm: The Seattle Mariners have reached an agreement with Josh Fields, their first-round selection in the 2008 draft, MLB.com’s Jim Street reports.

Street writes that the deal was delayed by a $500,000 gap between the $2MM deal he wanted and the $1.5MM the Mariners were offering.

Fields, 23, was the closer for Georgia in 2008. He also was the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year last season while helping the Bulldogs reach the finals of the NCAA College World Series.

The Mariners selected him as the 20th overall selection.

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