Mets Not In On Manny, Abreu
3:41pm: MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone has info from Omar Minaya, obtained at the Oliver Perez press conference:
Minaya told reporters there will be no big moves after this, saying all of his big priorities have been met, while noting offense was not the team’s problem last season.
TUESDAY, 10:51am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman basically agrees with Sherman:
According to one person familiar with their thinking, the Mets’ chances to acquire those two ultra-accomplished hitters are slim (Abreu) and practically none (Ramirez).
MONDAY: According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets "definitely are not in for Manny Ramirez or even Bobby Abreu despite his falling dollar requests." The Mets are only seeking cheap bench bats and maybe a lefty reliever, says Sherman.
Many readers have been pressing me to post something about these Tony Paige WFAN comments, but all signs are pointing to the Mets passing on Manny.
Dodgers Rumors: Manny, Dunn, Hudson, Wolf
3:11pm: Dylan Hernandez and Bill Shaikin asked Dodgers owner Frank McCourt about the Manny situation:
"We very much want this player back and we’re trying to hard to do that, which is why we came up with something that we thought was creative that gave him a lot of money, well-deserved money, in a very, very challenging economy, but also gave him flexibility. I don’t see the long-term contract happening in this particular baseball market that we’re in."
More McCourt quotes from MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick:
"The other thing is, the agent [Scott Boras] is challenging to work with and we’ve tried hard. We’ve made three efforts and we still have not received a specific number from the agent, and I don’t know what to tell you. At some point, you have to move on and start to get ready to win a championship."
SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the Dodgers and Manny are "nowhere near a deal."
11:55am: Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says the team remains interested in Ramirez despite the newly rejected offer, according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle says "the Giants still maintain interest in Ramirez on a two-year deal max."
ESPN’s Jayson Stark has info on their progressing pursuit of Wolf:
It’s believed the Dodgers are offering a one-year deal with an option that could be similar to the contract free-agent starter Jon Garland just signed with Arizona.
11:39am: ESPN’s Buster Olney says the Dodgers are considering their Manny alternatives, including going after Hudson and Dunn.
8:38am: Manny Ramirez has rejected another offer from the Dodgers, this time for one year and $25MM. This offer seemed like something that could work for both sides – Manny gets a salary increase and a chance to re-enter the market quickly, the Dodgers minimize their risk and keep that free agency carrot in front of him. Manny and Scott Boras did not agree.
Ken Rosenthal suggests the Giants and perhaps the Nationals as Manny’s remaining suitors if the Dodgers drop out. There is no indication that those teams will top the Dodgers’ offers. What is Boras’ master plan here?
Rosenthal says the Dodgers are "intrigued by the possibility" of signing Randy Wolf, Orlando Hudson, and Adam Dunn instead of Ramirez. He says Wolf "should be theirs by the end of the week." It should be noted that the Dodgers would lose their #17 pick if they sign Hudson or Orlando Cabrera prior to the June draft.
Tigers, Verlander Avoid Arbitration
According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Tigers avoided arbitration with Justin Verlander by signing him at $3.675MM for ’09. Verlander had submitted $4.15MM, while the Tigers were at $3.2MM.
Red Sox To Sign Brad Wilkerson
TUESDAY, 2:36pm: WEEI’s Alex Speier says the Wilkerson deal is done pending a physical. He could earn as much as $2.5MM if he hits all his incentives (Tony Massarotti says $1.5MM).
MONDAY, 11:03pm: MLBTR has learned tonight that the Red Sox have signed outfielder Brad Wilkerson to a minor league deal with roster and playing time incentives. Wilkerson, 31, hit .220/.308/.326 in 309 plate appearances for the Mariners and Blue Jays in 2008. The Ms signed Wilkerson last year for $3MM but designated him for assignment before May.
White Sox Make Offer To Bobby Abreu?
2:33pm: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick says the White Sox "floated the possibility" of one year and $8MM to Abreu’s agent Peter Greenberg, and then talks stalled. The Sox haven’t made progress in trading Dye, which would be necessary to sign Abreu.
Sox GM Ken Williams on Abreu, with another odd blog-related barb for good measure:
"He is a great player and can help any club. But I just have stopped responding to every blogger’s post."
2:09pm: The Daily Herald’s Scot Gregor talked to a White Sox source who "dismissed the rumor."
9:25am: According to Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News, the White Sox offered a one-year, $8MM deal to free agent outfielder Bobby Abreu. If the Sox are able to sign Abreu, you’d have to think Jermaine Dye or Jim Thome would be traded.
Abreu has also been linked recently to the Braves, Mariners, Dodgers, and Giants.
Brewers, Weeks Avoid Arbitration
According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Brewers avoided arbitration with second baseman Rickie Weeks by signing him for 2009. The deal is worth $2.45MM plus a possible $75K in incentives, according to SI.com’s Jon Heyman. Weeks had requested $2.8MM while the Brewers countered at $2MM. He’ll be eligible for free agency after the 2011 season.
Haudricourt notes that the Brewers have one case remaining in Corey Hart ($1.1MM gap). MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy says his hearing is scheduled for the third week of February. Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash on the situation: "We still have a basic disagreement in terms of value."
Odds and Ends: Wieters, Varitek, Ohman
Links for Tuesday…
- Chat today, 2pm CST.
- RotoAuthority explains why Matt Wieters is a good fantasy pick even if he doesn’t debut with the Orioles til mid-May.
- Baseball America’s Jim Callis has the updated ’09 June draft order.
- Cristian Guzman was wise to sign a two-year, $16MM extension when he did, his agent tells MLB.com’s Bill Ladson.
- An agreement to sell the Padres to Jeff Moorad could be done by mid-month, says Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Jason Varitek doesn’t need to worry about regaining Type A status, says Rob Bradford of WEEI.
- Nothing appears imminent with the Phillies and Will Ohman, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News writes.
Orioles Sign Ty Wigginton
11:52am: Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun says Wigginton gets a two-year, $6MM deal. The O’s had originally offered one year with a club option but upped their offer due to competition from the Giants and other clubs.
8:16am: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Orioles signed Ty Wigginton to a two-year contract. Wigginton, 31, was non-tendered by the Astros after hitting .285/.350/.526 in 429 plate appearances while playing third base and left field. His ’08 numbers are dampened by his poor performance away from Minute Maid Park. Rosenthal says Wiggy will see time at first base and DH with the Orioles.
A’s Could Take Shot At Orlando Cabrera
According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the A’s have saved "a little spending money and could still take a final shot at free agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera — if he’s willing to take a deep discount."
Cabrera is a Type A free agent who declined an offer of arbitration. Unlike Jason Varitek, however, Cabrera does not have the option of re-signing with his former team. The loss of a draft pick by the signing team is a given, and Cabrera may have to compensate for the Elias curse by taking a low salary for ’09. Waiting until after the June draft could make sense for Cabrera – he’d wipe out the draft pick problem, probably still get $2MM, and won’t get Type A status again. UPDATE: Eddie Bajek tested my statement about Cabrera not getting Type A status again if he sits out two months, finding that it might only hold true if he signs with an NL team.
Adam Dunn Has Offer From Nationals
According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, Adam Dunn received a contract offer from the Nationals. He’s been sitting on it for a while, indicating the Nats are not his top choice. Jayson Stark has said Dunn prefers the Dodgers, and is waiting to see how the Manny Ramirez situation plays out.
Dunn has been only loosely connected to the Braves and Red Sox.