Kendrys Morales and Stephen Drew both share the same agent (Scott Boras), the same predicament (unsigned free agents with draft pick compensation attached), and the same frustration over their situation, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "Nothing I can do," Morales told Cafardo. "I don’t understand, but I’m just waiting for something." Morales and Drew work out together for five hours each day, six days a week. "We don’t talk too much about what we’re going through," said Drew, who turns 31 today. "We talk about other things mostly, but he’s been a good guy to work out with and go through this with." Cafardo opines that the pair reside in baseball prison, adding that Morales makes sense for the Mariners, Brewers, and Pirates, while the Mets remain the best fit for Drew. Also from his Sunday Baseball Notes column:
- According to Cafardo, there are scouts and front office people who feel the best fit for Drew is actually New York's other team: the Yankees.
- The Yankees are a little cautious about dealing catcher Francisco Cervelli since they believe he's the best option to start if something should happen to Brian McCann.
- Manny Ramirez is eyeing another MLB comeback and is working out in Miami with Miguel Tejada, but the 12-time All-Star has an image problem to overcome. "He's poison," one National League GM told Cafardo. “I know he's changed his life around and his personality has changed, but I doubt anyone would take the risk, especially with a 42-year-old player. I think a lot of teams would pardon one PED offense, but two? I doubt it, but crazier things have happened. Never take away the fact he was one of the greatest right-handed hitters ever."
- In a separate article, Cafardo reports, with the renaissance of Grady Sizemore and the very good camps of Bryce Brentz and Corey Brown, the Red Sox's outfield depth could lead to a trade. Mike Carp is the leading candidate to be dealt because of his ability to also play the infield corners. The Tigers, Brewers, and Pirates have reportedly shown interest in the 27-year-old.
If we’re supposed to care about spring training stats how can we say that sizemore has had a renaissance?
Yeah,he has had 15 AB and played 1-2 back to back game (partial ones at that). Big difference between playing in 80 degree weather for a few innings every day and playing every night on 40 deg April evenings
Still, he has looked healthy and when you remember what he used to be you can hope. Nick like most of the Boston writers are pretty much PR staff for the team
Right. Grady is a terrific talent, and should be playing regularly if he truly is healthy, but, I would not make a trade because he is part of your depth.
Am with you on Sizemore, though he has played 1 complete game and is “planned” to start him in back to back games.. I also want it to start ASAP..
The problem is that he and JBJ are lefties and that leaves Carp, Nava and Gomes, along with Victorino, Sizemore and JBJ. 2 LH CF, plus 6OF is not good, but having Victorino as the RH OF makes no sense as a hedge on Sizemore getting hurt and keeping JBJ on the roster to boot.
They really need to move someone. Nava is an on base machine, Gomes? A FA after the season, but one of the few power sources really. Carp would bring back a prospect, but you don’t want to trade someone as vital a utility guy as he is.
It’s going to be a bad move however it turns out to some Sox fans.. You watch. I’d just as soon see Gomes moved and don’t even want that since Carp has 3y of control left.
I don’t think anyone needs to be moved until the end of April or May and probably at all.
If Sizemore can play every day you send JBJ down to AAA and have him get more experience and work on his swing with an OF of Nava/Gomes, Sizemore, and Victorino with Carp as depth. Then if someone gets hurt you bring up JBJ because these things work themselves out.
If Drew is willing to wait until after the draft to sign. I think the Yankees will go for it, and so will a bunch of other teams. I’m starting to wonder how much Cafardo actually knows about the Yankees current situation. In his article, he writes that the Yankees should look for another lefty for the bullpen to accompany Thornton. They already have Nuno and Cabral who I, personally, feel more comfortable with than Matt Thornton anyway.
Yankees would only be losing a 2nd round pick. As for having another lefty in the pen, he is influenced by the Red Sox having so many of them. Nuno could be in the rotation at some point during the season, and Cabral is a bit untested. Cafardo has always favored experienced players over unknowns, even with the Red Sox
Not trying to argue really just want to know who do the redsox have besides breslow and miller?
capuano, britton, and layne
Rich Hill too..
Cabral has shown that he can get lefties out, which would be his primary use anyway. Isn’t everyone “a bit untested” at one point? You give them a chance to see what they can do and then you address the situation accordingly. Cabral hasn’t done anything to show that he shouldn’t be considered for the LOOGY role so far. I agree, Nuno probably is going to be a starter for us this year if someone goes down *knock on wood* or as a spot starter to give guys (especially Tanaka and Kuroda) days off. But if Thornton doesn’t work out, Nuno can be very valuable as a reliever too.
Drew makes the most sense for the Yankees on a two year deal with a club option for a third year. he could play third base in 2014 ans shortstop in 2015. If he does well, the Yankees can bring him back for a third year. They should pay somewhere between $8 and $10 million per year. That’s a reasonable rate these days.
But I don’t think he signs for that low. $8MM per is $2MM less than the QO for 1 more year.
That’s a range of $8 to $10 million per year. Nelson Cruz signed a 1 year deal for $7 million. Certainly a two year deal at $20 million total is in the ball park. The mere fact that Drew turned down a $14 million qualifying offer doesn’t mean he can get $14 million at this time in this market.
It’s worth noting that five of Scott Boras’ clients remain unsigned. Of the five, Rick Ankiel decided to retire and Jair Jurrjens and Barry Zito don’t figure to be on a roster at the start of the season.
It isn’t all Boras. Kendrys Morales can’t play as a regular at any position except DH. That limits his market and his compensation. Cruz wanted $75 million over four years and got a tenth of that. A first round pick is worth about $5 million. That alone would reduce Drew to $10 million or so over two years.
Is he really going to produce so much better at third base than Nunez/Johnson that it’s worth paying twice as much than both of them combined plus lose a draft pick?
If they really want him should get him now, is only a 2nd round pick. Wouldn’t even mind him if it meant they were reasonable with Jeter situation, but what price.
Wait until Thornton starts facing any RH hitters.. That feeling of being uncomfortable will grow into outright distress.
Thornton doesn’t throw 97+ anymore, more like 93-4 and can’t elevate his FB by them.. I do feel for you NYY fans with that sign and wish you could have come up with Ollie perez as the LH specialist, who can also get RH hitters out, even Scott Downs before he signed.
I doubt Girardi will have him face righties. We do have a good lefty in Cabral, I just don’t see why they like Thornton over him.
I hope the Mets sign Drew and then maybe will trade Tejada to the Tigers to be a band aid at short for Iggy.
Or better yet trade Drew in June when the Tigers are desperate after their inhouse options fail. People underestimate Drews trade value as a reason to sign him. You can always move a 3 year contract and get something of value.
Teams overpay at the deadline, they don’t usually do so at this time of year.
That could work too, but I like Tejada as a backup when Iglesias is healthy as Tejada is under contract until 2017. The reason I don’t want Drew though is he would cost a draft pick and he would be way more expensive than Tejada.
Carp could be a decent fit in Pittsburg. A platoon split for Gabby and can play a little corner IF. Some playoff experience and only got 250 or so AB’s so he knows how to keep sharp without playing every day. Just an idea.
Why is it so hard to imagine Manny getting a chance with another team. He got one last year with Texas..
He needs to find an AL team that isn’t put off by his past and is willing to give him DH at bat’s in AAA. If you consider that the Red Sox, A’s, Rays, and Rangers out because of his history with them, that leaves 11 before you think about roster logistics and whether or not there’s a possibility that he’d make the ML team better. It’s not impossible, but it’s certainly looking implausible at this point.
I would take a chance on him, but he would have to take a milb deal. The last time he got more than 17 ab in the majors he was still really good. Can always cut him, and if he really has changed he could really show some hitters in the minors how to be good.
I’ll always love Manny, but I’m not too sure he can make a comeback. His last reasonably full season in the Majors saw a big decline in productivity and he has aged considerably since then. I’d like to see the Indians give him a shot, but that’s wishful thinking.
He was still a 140 wRC+ hitter. Which would put him in the top 20 batters in mlb still. Morales by comparison at 116. Odds are against him, but offense around league has been declining that it might be worth the chance if he can be anywhere close to the hitter he once was.
I agree that league offense has been declining, but Manny has had his chances already. He’s played for 2 AAA teams and hasn’t shown that he’s still got it. While there’s a possibility that 42 year old Manny might be a capable ML hitter, I’m not surprised that no one has decided that it’s a great enough possibility to sign him.
Manny could serve as a DH call-up for an NL team going into a road series with a difficult AL opponent.
Manny showed no power in his AAA stint last year. I’m not sure why any team would do that.
Manny needs a new team? Cue the Yankees.
Mariners*
TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We need a left fielder give us Manny!
To play where, exactly? They have five outfielders on the roster along with Jeter and McCann, who will likely DH a lot when Soriano isn’t.
Manny Ramirez and Miguel Tejada working out in Miami. Does that entail a visit to Bosch’s office?
Does Cafardo really think that Drew can learn to play Major League quality second base in two weeks?
I don’t think he would be fantastic at it, but should be passable. Middle infield positions have lots in common, and he would be coming from the harder one. Isn’t moving up the defensive spectrum, and isn’t moving from infield to outfield or outfield to infield.
If he wasn’t an expensive, injury prone player that comes with draft pick compensation attached and there was more time, I’d say go for it. But this has disaster written all over it. Drew should sign with the Tigers.
Just because some of these guys want more money, and their agents say they deserve more money does not, by any means, require a team to PAY more money than the team believes they are worth. Why is that so hard to understand Kendrys?
Tell that to the MLBPA as well, they seem to think there’s something fishy going around.
How can the draft pick compensation, be considered a problem, if the only two unsigned free agents (with comp attached) have the same agent? Doesn’t that mean that maybe the Players Union should be “looking into” Mr. Boras?
if anyone should be blamed for morales and drew’s current situation it’s completely boras. they are obviously taking his advice and his advice was to reject the QO. he saw what happened last year and still he put these guys in this position cuz what, he’s such an awesome agent he can’t admit defeat just once? please. they should fire boras, take the best offer they can get and have a better understanding of the market next season. that’s the gamble they took without realizing it.