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Archives for March 2009

Heyman On Bargains, Andruw, Buchholz

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The latest from SI.com's Jon Heyman…

  • Heyman runs through his top 13 free agent bargains, beginning with Orlando Cabrera, Bobby Abreu, and Jon Garland.
  • Andruw Jones will decide next week whether to opt out and become a free agent again.  Heyman reminds us that the Yankees, Braves, and Phillies were previously interested.  He says a Yankees person "hedged" when asked if they'd rejoin the Jones pursuit.
  • The Twins sent a scout to watch Ivan Rodriguez before he signed with Houston, but Heyman figures they must be confident about Joe Mauer's back after standing pat.
  • The Red Sox "remain uninterested in the Rangers' proposal from a few months ago of Jarrod Saltalamacchia for Clay Buchholz."  Buchholz has allowed one run, nine Ks, and two walks in 8.6 innings this spring.

Andruw Decision Pushed To Monday

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1:35pm: The decision has been pushed to Monday, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  He adds that Jones does not appear interested in going to Triple A.

10:56am: According to Evan Grant of DMagazine.com, Rangers outfielder Andruw Jones is not expected to opt out of his contract today.  Grant says Jones "will give the Rangers at least several more days to evaluate him" and has not cleared out his locker.  Jones is hitting .258/.324/.419 in 34 plate appearances this spring.

Odds & Ends: Wade, Baker, Catalanotto

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Links for Friday…

Freddy Garcia Not In Mix For Fifth Starter Job

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Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post suggests Freddy Garcia is no longer in the mix for the Mets' fifth starter job, which Livan Hernandez has all but locked up with the demotion of Jon Niese today.  Hubbuch says general manager Omar Minaya didn't even mention Garcia when discussing the No. 5 starter job.

Garcia is on a non-roster deal, but Hubbuch told me he said on the first day of camp he's not willing to pitch in the minors.  So the situation should come to a head soon.

Hubbuch adds that GM Omar Minaya "once again specifically ruled out signing Pedro Martinez."

Frank McCourt Comments

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Dodgers owner Frank McCourt spoke at a Town Hall Los Angeles luncheon yesterday, and Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times was in attendance for the quotes.

  • McCourt expects to sell fewer season tickets and more single game tickets this year due to the economy.  However, Shaikin learned from Dodgers chief operating officer Dennis Mannion that the Dodgers will at least be close to last year's season ticket sales.
  • McCourt wants to "once again have the best player development system in all of baseball."  In his recent minor league organizational rankings, Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein dropped the Dodgers down to 21st.
  • McCourt acknowledged the team's poor free agent signings in recent years, saying, ""We can't do this just by bringing in free agents.  I could put up a slide of some of my big, big mistakes with free agents. You're just not sure."
  • McCourt suggested the team made its offers to Manny Ramirez public to gauge fan feedback.  Fan-influenced GM decisions – good idea?

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Bucs, Jays, Pedro, Pudge, Phils, Twins

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On this date 72 years ago, in what may have been the biggest trade in Negro League history, Josh Gibson and Judy Johnson were traded from the Pittsburgh Crawfords to the Homestead Grays for $25K and two players. Earlier this week, Pudge Rodriguez, one of the greatest catchers of this generation, became the latest big-name free agent to find a home. Let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…

  • Pirate Revolution takes a look at some players that could become available for the Pirates in the next two weeks as teams trim their rosters, including Jeff Niemann.
  • The 2012 payroll commitments in the AL East do not sit well with Drunk Jays Fans.
  • MLB Notebook attempts to calculate exactly how much teams should be willing to give Pedro Martinez.
  • Jorge Says No! says the Astros and Pedro are a good match and the recent signing of Pudge is an indication that the Astros are going for it this season.
  • The Ghost of Moonlight Graham says Pudge "fooled" the Astros into giving him $1.5MM.
  • The Fightins try to dispel the myth that Raul Ibanez was a poor defensive addition to the Phillies.
  • Twins Geek takes a look at the Twins incredible shrinking payroll.
  • Fire Brand of the American League says the release of Josh Bard has much bigger implications for the Red Sox than might be evident on the surface.
  • Sully Baseball takes a look at the Cleveland Indians all-time homegrown team versus their all-time acquired team.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here.

Odds And Ends: Tejada, Manny, White Sox

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 A few links for Thursday night…

  • Good news for the Astros: The AP (via ESPN) reports that a federal prosecutor recommended that Miguel Tejada get probation, but no prison time for his involvement with PEDs.
  • MLB.com's Ken Gurnick passes along a memorable Manny Ramirez quote: "No more cricket. I'm not signing to play cricket. Well, I can be a free agent after this year, so we'll see. But don't ask me about cricket."
  • Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald writes that the White Sox need to make a deal for a center fielder who can bat leadoff. He thinks GM Kenny Williams is "probably close" to making a deal. Gregor doesn't like Jim Edmonds or Juan Pierre for the job, but he doesn't rule out Kenny Lofton.
  • This isn't a rumor, but MLB.com's Mark Sheldon has a quirky anecdote. Micah Owings and Norris Hopper hit home runs with the same bat today. I might be more surprised that Hopper hit one.
  • Ivan Rodriguez is looking forward to joining the Astros, according to this article in the Detroit Free Press.
  • Padres CEO Sandy Alderson says it was a huge mistake to let Joakim Soria slip away through the Rule 5 draft in this article by Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Brewers Not Talking Trades

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Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel checked in with Brewers GM Doug Melvin and heard that the Brewers aren't talking trades with any team. Jayson Stark heard rumblings that the Yankees could be interested in Mike Cameron again, but Melvin said: "We're not talking trade with any team now."

Melvin said he spoke on the phone in general terms today without bringing Cameron's name up. Melvin also said the Astros haven't inquired about trading for a third baseman.

Andruw Won’t Be On 40-Man Roster

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According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News Rangers GM Jon Daniels confirmed that Andruw Jones won't be added to the Rangers' 40-man roster by tomorrow. This decision gives Jones the chance to opt out of the minor league deal he signed with the Rangers.

Jones has said throughout the week that he'd discuss his options with agent Scott Boras if he doesn't make the roster. He can either re-enter the free agent pool or accept a minor league assignment from the Rangers. Jones is six for his last 17 after a very slow start, but he has 14 strikeouts in 31 spring at bats. It'll be fun to see how Boras handles this.

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