M’s Still Need Long Term Deal For Hernandez
Ryan Divish of The News Tribune says the Mariners must find a way to sign Felix Hernandez to a long-term contract extension. Divish says simply, "There is no pitcher in the organization who is comparable in terms of talent or potential. None. He’s an ace, a front-of-the-rotation horse who doesn’t come around often. And you need to keep him."
Hernandez is making $3.8MM this season and is under club control until 2011. Obviously the M's want to get this done. In March 2008, they reportedly made an offer but talks seemingly stagnated. Before 2008, $15-17MM seemed a fair amount to buy out his arbitration years. So far in 2009, Hernandez's price tag has surely increased and it's scary to think he could improve further. Divish notes,
Holliday, Angels A Good Fit?
Bill Shaikin of the LA Times wonders if Matt Holliday could wind up with the Halos, whether this season or next. Last offseason, Holliday rented a home in Laguna Beach and, says Shaikin,
He notes that Scott Boras' negotiation style "clashes with the quick-strike style of Angels owner Arte Moreno."
Odds & Ends: O’s, Josh Johnson, Yankees, Red Sox
A busy Sunday morning has made for some some discussable items from around the league:
- Rick Dempsey of MASN is excited by the Orioles future and says it is undoubtedly time for the team to trade, highlighting George Sherrill, Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Roberts, Aubrey Huff, and Melvin Mora.
- Carlos Frias of the Palm Beach Post notes A.J. Burnett has regrets over leaving the Marlins and burning his bridges in the process.
- After Josh Johnson beat the Yankees yesterday, Mike Feinsand of the New York Daily News says, "Hope you got a good look, Yankees fans. You may have been watching your future ace."
- River Ave. Blues thinks trading Xavier Nady makes sense despite Buster Olney having said, "The Yankees are unlikely to trade Nick Swisher of Xavier Nady after Nady returns."
- Not a trade rumor, but Manny Ramirez is set to begin a minor-league stint on Tuesday in Albuquerque, says The Tribune-Review.
- Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe says (via Twitter, of course) "Daisuke [Matsuzaka] to DL. [Catching prospect] Dusty Brown up with the team for the first time." She continues, "About to talk to Daisuke. Will get quotes to you shortly. [Sox manager Terry Francona] said he doesn't think this will be a two-week DL." While the Sox still have rotation depth, this surely effects any perceived sense of urgency to deal.
Braves Rumors: David O’Brien Discusses
CMSB Media had David O'Brien from the Atlanta Journal Constitution on their radio show yesterday.
O'Brien suggests despite overpaying for Derek Lowe, the deal has worked out favorably for the Braves. O'Brien finds the Braves not acquiring Jake Peavy to be a blessing in disguise and says if the Braves are going to make a move it won't be one that takes on a whole lot of salary.
A quote from the interview:
"It's hard to say because they won't just come out and say, 'We have $7MM to spend.' … They don't want to go past a certain amount and with attendance down, revenues down, I'd be surprised if they took on another big salary. I think they'd have to do more of trading prospects to get a guy, a younger player, who doesn't have a big salary or a guy who's going to be a free agent that doesn't have much left on his contract…"
O'Brien also discusses the John Smoltz fallout, and the worst walk-out music on the Braves ("These guys have no taste in music really."). Give it a listen.
O’Dowd Quells Hawpe Rumors
Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd is snuffing out rumors that the Rockies would trade Brad Hawpe if the price is right, according to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Saunders writes,
The Rockies have six weeks to evaluate their competitive chances before the non-waiver trade deadline. Baseball Prospectus gives the Rockies a 27.5% chance of making the playoffs. Hawpe said he would void his $10MM 2011 club option and become a free agent if he's dealt.
Angels Sign First-Round Pick Grichuk
10:22 P.M: The L.A. Times' Mike DiGiovanna reports that the bonus was for $1.225MM.
According to the Miami Herald via the Sports Network, the Angels have come to terms with first-round choice Randal Grichuk.
The 17-year-old Grichuk was chosen 24th overall by the Halos. He had signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Arizona. No word on the money or terms yet, but we'll update you when they become available.
Odds & Ends: Pedro, Ordonez, Holliday
On this day in MLBTR history: Last year, the Blue Jays fired manager John Gibbons and Matt Holliday talks were still swirling. In '07, we actually cared who was on Eric Gagne's team veto list and saw Michael Barrett get traded to the Padres.
- Bill Ladson at MLBlogs got word that reports that a Nationals rep saw Pedro Martinez pitch Friday are untrue.
- Joe Pawlikowski at River Ave. Blues takes issue with CERA, the stat that tries to determine "catchers' ERA."
- Jason Beck at MLB.com has more clarification on Jim Leyland's comments on Magglio Ordonez and Scott Boras. Says Leyland: "It was total nonsense on the agent's part that I blindsided Magglio Ordonez."
- John Shea at the San Francisco Chronicle outlines a scenario where 16-year-old super-prospect Bryce Harper might fall to the A's in next year's draft.
- Bill Shaikin at the L.A. Times wonders if Holliday could end up with the Angels.
- Clark Spencer at the Miami Herald wonders where Josh Johnson will end up after 2012.
- Joel Sherman at the New York Post proposes an idea where the Commissoner's Office swallows one bad contract on each MLB team, and which he believes should go.
O’s Not In “Salary-Dump Mode”
The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec talked to Orioles president Andy MacPhail, who says despite the Os' woes the team is not in "salary dump mode":
"People make assumptions about what our activity would be, which is probably not unreasonable, but at the same time, I never thought we're required to be the rest of the league's farm system.
If something makes sense for us where we can help somebody in the short term and we can get better in the long-term, that's one thing. But I really don't have much of an appetite to do something just for the sake of doing it."
Zrebiec notes that this is a stance MacPhail has "reiterated… the past couple years." Despite being the subject of many rumors, the O's haven't made any significant deadline deals since MacPhail was named president in June 2007. Zrebiec reminds that Melvin Mora, Aubrey Huff and Danys Baez are all in the final years of their contracts and that Luke Scott, Felix Pie, Jeremy Guthrie and George Sherrill have all attracted interest.
Keep up with all the latest Orioles rumors here.
Royals Still Scouting Jeff Francoeur
According to Mark Bowman at MLBlogs, the Royals retain interest in Braves OF Jeff Francoeur and are keeping an eye on him this weekend. However, Bowman notes that if a deal were to happen, the Braves might have to be willing to take on the $12MM owed to Jose Guillen.
Guillen is owed another $12MM in 2010 before his contract expires. The Royals' interest in Francoeur is well-known, though supposedly not everyone in the KC front office is keen on him. It isn't clear if the Braves would be willing to add any payroll, let alone any payroll that would involve a potential headcase like Guillen.
Yankees Will Sign Gary Sanchez
According to George A. King III at the New York Post, the Yankees have agreed to sign 16-year-old Dominican catching prospect Gary Sanchez. A contract won't be in place until July 2nd when the international signing period kicks off, but Sanchez will reportedly make $2.5MM in the deal.
Last week, Jorge Arangure noted that the Yankees had made it "very clear" Sanchez was their top choice of the international market. One scout in King's article called Sanchez a "big kid with a big arm" and a "good hitter" but claims he doesn't have the bat of fellow Yankees catching prospect Jesus Montero. The Yankees still retain interest in Miguel Angel Sano, sources tell King.