Brewers Discussing Extension With Casey McGehee
The Brewers are in discussions with Casey McGehee about a multiyear extension for the third baseman, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. GM Doug Melvin says he should know within "the next few days" whether an extension is feasible, though he notes that the two sides have only talked "briefly" about a long-term contract.
McGehee, 28, hit .285/.337/.464 in 670 plate appearances for Milwaukee last season, his first as an everyday player. He is under team control through 2014 and will be arbitration-eligible for the first time next winter. If Melvin does get McGehee locked up, it would be the second multiyear deal given to a Brewer infielder this offseason, on the heels of Rickie Weeks' four-year, $38.5MM extension.
Red Sox Notes: Henry, Fenway, Lester
Some news from Boston, all courtesy of WEEI.com's Alex Speier…
- In a radio interview with WEEI's The Big Show today (Speier has the transcript), Red Sox principal owner John Henry said he was fined $500K by Major League Baseball in 2009 for comments he made to the Boston Globe about baseball's revenue-sharing system. "The large markets are not allowed to give their opinions," Henry said today.
- The Sox may be able to afford a new addition at the trade deadline or during the season. "We might have a little space, but we don’t have a lot of space," Henry said. "This is a big payroll."
- Henry thinks Terry Francona and Theo Epstein will remain with the team for years to come, but didn't want to commit to exactly how long. "[Francona] has a tough job everyday over those seven months, trying to deal with a lot of pressure," Henry said. "Same issue with our general manager. Will our general manager agree to do this for another five, 10 years? These are tough, tough jobs."
- The extensive renovations done on Fenway Park will ensure the stadium can last for another 50 years, Henry predicts.
- In a separate piece, Speier looks at how Jon Lester has developed into "arguably the most important player on the team" for Boston.
Phillies, Manuel Progress Toward Extension
The Phillies have made some progress on a contract extension for manager Charlie Manuel, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Manuel’s agent, Pat Rooney, met with Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. for an hour today and the talks went well.
“It was productive,” Rooney told Salisbury. “We’re getting closer. There was some give and take. Both sides made some movement, but we’re still a little ways away. They know our position so we’ll keep working on it.”
Manuel hopes to have a two-year extension by Opening Day and has said that he isn’t worried about negotiations. The 67-year-old will earn $2.4MM in 2011, the final year of his contract. Though Manuel declined to comment today, he issued a statement confirming that "Ruben and Pat are working toward a resolution."
Orioles Expect To Keep MacPhail Beyond 2011
Orioles owner Peter Angelos told Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun that he expects president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail to remain with the O’s after his contract expires at the end of the coming season. There's no extension in place yet, but Angelos says he has already made the decision to keep MacPhail.
"I don't have to decide it,'' he said. "I think it's obvious. He's not going anywhere. We don't need to talk about it."
MacPhail says he enjoys working with Angelos and knows him to be “a man of his word.” Manager Buck Showalter says he hopes MacPhail keeps running baseball operations in Baltimore, where he took over during the 2007 season.
The Orioles have not finished with more than 68 wins in any of their three full seasons under MacPhail. They appear to be a better team in 2011, though as MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explained when reviewing the team's offseason, Baltimore fans won't likely see the O's contend in 2011. MacPhail, who started running MLB teams over 25 years ago when he took over the Twins, has built Championship clubs before. Minnesota won the World Series in 1987 and again in 1991 under MacPhail.
Boras: Beltran Is An Outfielder, Not A DH
Agent Scott Boras says Carlos Beltran could pursue jobs as a center fielder or as a right fielder after the season, but don't expect the five-time All-Star to DH. Boras told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that most teams would have room in their outfields for Beltran.
“Carlos Beltran is a great athlete, and I find it hard to believe that there would be three outfielders on a major league team that would match Carlos on a level to suggest he would be DH,” Boras said.
Beltran missed considerable playing time with knee issues last year and said yesterday that he'll move to right field to accomodate the Mets and Angel Pagan, who put together a strong season in 2010, when Beltran played just 64 games.
In 13 big league seasons, Beltran has appeared in three games as a right fielder and in two more as a left fielder. Boras says his client has the athleticism to return to center field in 2012, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The 33-year-old has not yet decided whether to pursue jobs as a center fielder or as a right fielder when he hits free agency this fall.
Mets Seek New Loan
The Mets are 'desperately' seeking a new loan for tens of millions of dollars to cover their operating expenses, according to Josh Kosman, Mark DeCambre and Dan Mangan of the New York Post. The Wilpon family, which owns the team, faces a $1 billion lawsuit and says they are open to selling 20-25% of the Mets.
JPMorgan Chase is working with other companies to put together a loan that would provide the Wilpons with cash until they sell part of the team, according to the Post. The team received $25MM from MLB in November but has exhausted its credit with the league, according to the New York Times.
Garret Anderson To Retire
Garret Anderson is retiring today, according to MLB.com's Lyle Spencer. The 17-year veteran posted a .293/.324/.461 in 17 seasons with the Angels, Braves and Dodgers, but he'll be remembered for his contributions in Anaheim. He retires as the Angels' all-time leader in games, hits, doubles, total bases, runs, extra base hits and RBI.
The 1990 fourth-round selection made three All-Star teams and won two Silver Sluggers. He was especially productive in 2002, when the Angels won it all, and 2003. Anderson led the American League in doubles both years, posting a combined OPS+ of 129.
Anderson agreed to a minor league deal with the Dodgers last March, but they cut him in August after a disappointing season. The 38-year-old hit .181/.204/.271 for the Dodgers and didn't draw interest as a free agent this winter.
Pirates Sign Cesar Lopez
The Pirates announced that they signed right-hander Cesar Lopez to a minor league contract. Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald reports that the deal is worth $600K (Twitter link).
The 20-year-old was born in Havana, Cuba, and now lives in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Rene Gayo, the team’s director of Latin American scouting, says he likes what he has seen from the 6'3" non-drafted free agent.
“Cesar is a very talented player with great character who we believe is a great addition to our organization,” Gayo said. “He has an above average sinker, a fastball that can reach 94 [mph] and has a good projectable feel to pitch.”
Coincidentally, the Marlins have a young, right-handed pitcher by the name of Cesar Lopez in their system. Florida's pitcher is a Colombia native who turns 19 this month.
Bonderman May Sit Out For 2011
Jeremy Bonderman, who came back from 2008 shoulder surgery to pitch 171 innings last year, may not pitch at all in 2011. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick hears from a player who says Bonderman doesn't want to keep rehabbing or have to compete for a job in Spring Training (Twitter links).
"More than likely he's going to sit this year out," the player told Crasnick.
Bonderman started 29 games last year, posting a 5.53 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9. The 28-year-old, who is about to begin his ninth big league season, is a free agent for the first time.
The Indians, Yankees, Rockies and Tigers were among the teams to show interest in Bonderman this offseason, though those clubs have all since added arms. The Tigers aren't re-signing Bonderman, but their opponents from the 2006 World Series could take a look at him. The Cardinals lost Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery and could be intrigued by Bonderman, as MLBTR's Mike Axisa explained last week.
Indians Sign Chad Durbin
After spending three years in Philadelphia, Chad Durbin is headed back to the American League. The Indians announced that they signed the right-hander to a one-year, Major League contract.
The deal will pay the 33-year-old a base salary of $800K and could be worth another $1MM in incentives, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Earlier in the month, we heard that Durbin hoped to sign with a contender, but there didn't appear to be many Major League offers on the table from teams with playoff aspirations.
For Durbin, who had a 3.62 ERA in 194 appearances over the last three seasons with the Phillies, it will be his second stint with the Tribe. In 2003 and 2004, Cleveland was the first club to use the right-hander primarily out of the bullpen. As Crasnick notes (Twitter link), the Indians intend to deploy Durbin as a reliever again this time around.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports and Jon Heyman of SI.com both reported when the Indians and Durbin were close to a deal.