Red Sox Contract Notes: Okajima, Drew
According to WEEI’s Alex Speier, when Hideki Okajima‘s 2009 vesting option triggered it also guaranteed that the reliever is under team control through 2012 if the Red Sox want him. There had been some debate about whether Okajima would become arbitration-eligible after his current contract; the answer is yes.
Also, WEEI’s Rob Bradford notes that J.D. Drew is entering the phase in his five-year contract where certain injury situations would allow the Sox to void the last two years of this deal. It seems unlikely, though.
Odds & Ends: Arbitration, Bay, Manny
Links for Tuesday…
- Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball has all the info and analysis about this year’s salary arbitration class you could possibly need.
- The updated June draft order from Baseball America.
- Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe discusses Jason Bay‘s future.
- ESPN’s Buster Olney provides analysis of the Manny Ramirez situation in this video.
- More Hardball looks at the best minor league contracts of the offseason.
- RotoAuthority discusses the possible fantasy impact of those from Baseball America’s top 100 list who have a 2009 ETA.
Rays Lack Payroll Flexibility
Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times talked to Rays owner Stu Sternberg, who said the Rays lack payroll flexibility to make an in-season acquisition. Still, Sternberg left the door open to change his mind midsummer. I wonder if the Rays could move a reliever and trim $3MM or so.
Braves Sign Garret Anderson
Garret Anderson passed his physical; he’s a Brave on a $2.5MM deal. Do you like the move? Will he be better than Ken Griffey Jr. this year?
Ricciardi Discusses Halladay
Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi is tired of the Roy Halladay rumors, even though they are entirely his fault. He told ESPN’s Jayson Stark:
"Roy Halladay is not going anywhere," Ricciardi says, as emphatically as he can possibly say it without grabbing a bullhorn or splashing it on a billboard. "This has become kind of a hot topic in baseball, but we’re not trading him. We have no intention of trading him. He allows us to be good. And we feel we are going to be good. And he’s going to be The Guy." So there. It’s settled, right? Trading his ace has never entered the GM’s mind? "Nope," the GM says succinctly.
But here’s Ricciardi about a week ago, to Joel Sherman of the New York Post:
"Ownership wants no part of trading Roy at this time. He’s the face of the organization. Right now we are not thinking about going down that road. But that is what we feel in February. Who knows how you feel in June? We have thought about it, this has not escaped us [that Halladay could leave as a free agent, and trading him might be best for the long-term health of the organization]. In June, we may have to say. ‘Is this the way we want to go?’ It will be up to ownership, and ownership has a strong attachment to Doc."
Ricciardi left the door wide open in his quotes to Sherman, and that was his choice. Ricciardi also had this to say to CBSSports.com’s Scott Miller:
"The only way we’d trade him, I’d say, is if all hell broke loose and the stock market went nuts and (ownership) said we’ve got to take the payroll down to bare bones. And if that was the case, then we’d be trading a lot of people."
If Ricciardi had made his emphatic statements to Sherman or Miller, we wouldn’t be talking about Halladay.
Baseball America Top 100 Prospects
Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list is up. Voters were tabulated from six BA regulars to form the results. Matt Wieters, David Price, and Colby Rasmus snag the top three spots.
Nomar Garciaparra To Decide Soon
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney:
It’s expected that Nomar Garciaparra will make his decision by mid-week on whether he wants to play in Oakland, or in Philadelphia, or if he’d prefer to walk away from the game.
Garciaparra, 35, hit .264/.326/.466 in 181 plate appearances for the Dodgers last year while playing first base, shortstop, and third base and earning $8.5MM. Ken Rosenthal wrote about Nomar yesterday, saying the Phillies are pessimistic about signing him because the A’s are offering an opportunity for more at-bats.
Konerko Discusses Trade Possibility
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times asked White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko about the possibility of being traded. As a 10-and-5 player, Konerko has the ability to veto any deal. Here’s what Konerko had to say:
"You never know because the answer could be you help them by leaving. I would never be opposed to that. It doesn’t have to be a breakup that’s antagonistic. It doesn’t have to be a thing where heads are butted."
Konerko also spoke about "going through hell" to earn the 10-and-5 rights.
Sox manager Ozzie Guillen indicated Konerko would only be a trade candidate if the team disappoints this year. At $12MM in each of the ’09 and ’10 seasons, he’d need a big first half to become marketable. Konerko will be 33 in March.
Pirates Still Talking To Ohman
According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates are still talking to Will Ohman‘s agent. Kovacevic suggests a trade involving the Pirates’ current top lefty, John Grabow, may be more likely. Grabow will be eligible for free agency after the season and has not been approached about an extension. My opinion: there might not be much of a market for Grabow until midseason.
About a week ago, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick learned that Ohman has offers in hand from the Pirates, Marlins, and Padres. MLB.com’s Corey Brock followed up with the belief that San Diego is a long shot.
Heyman’s Latest: Cabrera, Pudge, Pedro, Halladay
Already linked to this article from Jon Heyman in the Manny piece, but it should have its own post as well, as the second half of it covers completely different material. Let’s take a look…
- Orlando Cabrera and the A’s still face a gap in the numbers. The A’s would like to sign him for $2MM-$3MM, but Cabrera is holding out for more. The hit his reputation took based on problems with his former White Sox teammates is unlikely to be helping matters.
- Heyman points out that the Dodgers did an excellent job of using Cabrera’s availability to drive down Orlando Hudson’s price tag.
- Heyman says Pudge Rodriguez’s reputation also took a hit toward the end of his tenure in Detroit. Could that be playing a factor in the lack of interest toward Pudge? Heyman names the Marlins and Astros as good fits. Pudge will use the WBC as an audition to try to prove he’s better than he was with the Yankees (.580 OPS through 33 games).
- Pedro Martinez will also use the WBC as an audition, but other than the Pirates, there’s not much of a market for him. That could change with a solid showing in March, however. The Indians made a run at Pedro early on, and the Dodgers could become a possibility.
- Heyman speculates that with Vernon Wells’ health issues and declining production, the stars may aligning for a Roy Halladay trade mid-season. Wells will miss the next month with a hamstring injury.
What’s everyone else think? Is Cabrera being stubborn or are the A’s? Where will Pudge and Pedro end up? Are Halladay’s Toronto days numbered?