Brewers Reluctant To Add A Starter
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel heard from Brewers owner Mark Attanasio that he’s reluctant to add a starter because he wants to have some payroll flexibility heading into the season.
"If we add a starter now and get (beyond) the mid 80s and have some negative events, that would be a first for us."
The Milwaukee payroll currently sits between $80MM and $85MM, up from $80MM last year. Haudricourt does not expect the Brewers to sign "a starting pitcher who costs a lot of money."
GM Doug Melvin said in an MLB.com chat that Ben Sheets remains a possibility for Milwaukee, but they’re not currently in talks. The Brewers hear that Sheets is seeking a multi-year deal.
Varitek Met With Henry, Hopes To Return
11:37pm: More on Varitek from NESN’s Heidi Watney. She says Varitek’s meeting with Henry was to "clear the air" rather than negotiate. The Red Sox had not been returning Scott Boras’ phone calls, but now they’ll reopen negotiations. Watney notes that Varitek was not aware when he turned down arbitration that any signing team would have to give up a draft pick. Tek does not blame Boras for this.
9:07am: Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe reports that Jason Varitek thought last night’s meeting with Red Sox owner John Henry "went OK." Varitek confirmed he wants to play for the Red Sox this year in a text message.
Varitek, who requested the meeting, did not comment when asked if the Red Sox were interested in bringing him back.
Buster Olney asked multiple executives whether they’d sign Varitek at any price given that they’d have to give up an early draft pick for doing so. Everyone asked said no, they’d rather have the pick. Olney reminds us that some executives could think differently, but his informal poll shows that Varitek doesn’t have much leverage with the Red Sox.
Phillies Agree To Three Year Deal With Hamels
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post the Phillies agreed to sign Cole Hamels to a three year contract worth $20.5MM.
Jon Heyman has the details. Hamels makes $4.35MM this year, $6.65MM in 2010 and $9.5MM in 2011. If Hamels wins the Cy Young his contract goes up by $500K the following season and he’ll get a $250K raise the year after a second or third place finish. Presumably he’d get an immediate bonus if he finishes in the top three in voting in the deal’s final year.
According to Sherman, Hamels is in line for additional bonuses of $100K, $75K and $50K if he finishes first second or third in Cy Young or MVP voting. If he’s the World Series MVP he makes $100K and if he’s the LCS MVP or on the All Star team he gets a $50K bonus. Hamels, who has a .390 OPS as a hitter, makes $25K for winning a Silver Slugger or a Gold Glove.
Hamels made $500K last year and was arbitration-eligible for the first time. The new deal doesn’t cover any of his free agent years.
Boras: Eight Teams Called About Andruw
According to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Scott Boras says eight teams called about Andruw Jones yesterday. Boras says he plans to meet with Jones soon to discuss his options.
The Braves are considering Jones, and it’s unclear whether the Mets would. That leaves at least six other teams unless this is simply spin from Boras, but there’s no reason to rule that out.
Odds And Ends: Peavy, Mulder, Marshall
Links for Saturday…
- Padres CEO Sandy Alderson repeated a line we've heard a lot this offseason about Jake Peavy: "I think Jake will be with us on opening day."
- Buster Olney hears from some scouts who think Mark Mulder could be the "hidden gem" of this year's free agent class. Mulder's likely to throw for scouts within a couple weeks.
- Richard Durrett points out that Ian Kinsler's the only Texas infielder who has played as many as 52 MLB games at his current position. Michael Young, Chris Davis and Elvis Andrus round out the infield. This is no doubt part of the reason they're interested in Omar Vizquel.
- Rob Neyer suggests that Orlando Hudson's not getting the attention he deserves because his defense is undervalued.
- Lou Piniella hinted that Sean Marshall has a good shot at being the Cubs' fifth starter.
Yankees Still Fielding Calls on Swisher, Nady
According to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, Brian Cashman’s spending lots of time talking with other clubs about Nick Swisher and Xavier Nady. Cashman’s open to moving either player, but he says he won’t make a deal for the sake of making one: "we’re not going to do anything unless there’s a reason to do it."
Cashman also said most reports about trade discussions have been accurate. The Braves, Nationals and Reds are among the teams who have reportedly had interest in Swisher and Nady.
The Yankees like Johnny Damon‘s production and they’re not shopping him or Hideki Matsui.
Kepner suggests the Yankees should "hold on to Swisher and dangle Nady" for a number of reasons. Swisher’s two years younger and he’s under contract for $21MM over the next three years. Nady, a Scott Boras client, will be a free agent after the 2009 season.
Mets Rumors: Andruw, Manny, Perez
Peter Botte of the New York Daily News has a handful of Mets rumors to pass along:
- One Mets official says the team is "probably not" interested in Andruw Jones, even if he comes cheaply.
- Botte did hear from one person familiar with the team’s thinking who believes the Mets could check in with Jones if he’s still available when Spring Training begins.
- One baseball official said the Mets "are not even in on" Manny Ramirez.
- The Mets don’t expect to come to any sort of agreement with Oliver Perez in the next few days.
- They’ve been in regular contact with the representatives for Randy Wolf and Jon Garland, who are considered fallback options if they don’t sign Perez.
- The Mets have talked with Freddy Garcia.
Pirates Interested In Pedro
According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates are interested in Pedro Martinez. Though talks have "solely been exploratory," the Pirates could pursue Pedro if he’s willing to consider a deal worth less than the $7MM he’s apparently seeking.
The Marlins won’t pursue Pedro and neither will the Indians, but he is open to a new destination.
Kovacevic points out that Joe Kerrigan, Pittsburgh’s new pitching coach, worked with Pedro in Montreal.
Garcia Considering Return To White Sox
FRIDAY: Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times believes the Colon signing "all but ends" the chance the Sox will pursue Garcia.
THURSDAY: According to Scot Gregor of the Chicago Daily Herald, Freddy Garcia is "strongly considering returning to the White Sox." Gregor says we shouldn’t be surprised to see Garcia sign a deal similar to Bartolo Colon‘s within the next couple days.
When Kenny Williams was asked if his rotation’s set, he said "we’ll see," which Gregor believes is "code for no."
Ronny Cedeno, Matt Diaz Avoid Arbitration
According to Troy Renck of the Denver Post Ronny Cedeno of the Cubs and Matt Diaz of the Braves have reached deals with their respective teams to avoid arbitration.
Cedeno will make $822K in 2009. Diaz will earn at least $1.2375MM, but could earn $50K more if he makes 600 plate appearances.