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Olney’s Latest: Peavy, Braves, Lowe, Sheets

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More from Buster Olney’s notes from around the majors:

  • The Braves were so close to completing a trade a for Jake Peavy in November that they may want to revisit talks. Says Olney, "What they could do, if they are intent on contending in 2009, would be to sign Orlando Cabrera as a stop-gap at shortstop for 2009, and then deal [Yunel] Escobar in the package for Peavy." He also suggests the Braves give up on their refusal to give Peavy a no-trade provision for the entire length of his contract as that’s been a sticking point. Landing Peavy under any circumstances is a move their own players would support, even if he was given special treatment.
  • Derek Lowe may have missed out on the big money when the Yankees signed A.J. Burnett for 5 years, $82.5MM over him. Lowe’s highest offer is $36MM.
  • Olney says "there are more starting pitchers available than there are big-money offers available, so the Mets are bound to wind up with a good free agent pitcher."
  • Olney reports several teams are concerned about Ben Sheets’ medical reports; however, it’s his shoulder, not his elbow, that’s worrisome.
  • Pure speculation: "Jason Giambi will sign with Oakland, Pat Burrell will land with Tampa Bay."

Five Teams Interested In Griffey

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Five teams have expressed interest in Ken Griffey Jr., according to Jon Heyman who confirms the Rays and Mariners are two of them. One other AL team and two NL clubs comprise the five.

For Griffey, Seattle would be a nostalgic return; however, the Rays would provide the convenience of playing two hours from his Orlando home. Writes Heyman,

"Griffey always has been a dedicated family man, so the convenience would appeal to him. The Rays are looking for one or two hitters, and while Griffey’s on their list, a couple other younger players, such as Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell, and perhaps Jason Giambi or Garrett Anderson may be higher on it. Adam Dunn is another big hitter in a free-agent market still stacked with sluggers."

The Kid is 39 years old. Despite hitting 15 homeruns for the Reds, he parked only 3 after being dealt to the White Sox. He hit only .249 last season with an OPS of .777. His agent, Brian Goldberg, says the low output was due to a hidden knee injury he suffered after tripping "over a misplaced foot locker in the Reds clubhouse," says Heyman; however, this excuse doesn’t build any confidence in his ability to stay healthy. Griffey could come at a bargain for a team looking for a short term solution at DH.

Olney’s Latest: Andruw Jones

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Buster Olney says that despite the Dodgers’ restructuring of Andruw Jones’ contract, serious regression in his abilities has resulted in minimal interest around the league. The Reds are not a good fit and the Mets aren’t interested. Regression may be directly related to a weight increase that could jeopardize his career. Olney writes,

"There is not a lot of confidence in the minds of evaluators that Jones is a candidate for a body transformation… he has never been known as a workout freak… he has looked bad in winter ball this year, reports one highly ranked executive.

The Dodgers will probably end up releasing him before spring training, and somebody will give him a chance — and he needs to show something, in a hurry, because there is a perception within the industry that he might be finished, despite his age, despite the fact that he slammed 41 homers in 2006."

Jones is owed only $5MM next season.

Odds & Ends: Rockies, Iguchi, Indians

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Some odds and ends for a quiet Sunday morning:

  • Troy E. Renck notes that after acquiring Jason Marquis, arbitration is going to result in a slight payroll increase of $5MM for the Rockies.
  • From Kyodo News: The Lotte Marines will begin talks with Tadahito Iguchi on Wednesday in Okinawa.
  • Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe points out that the Red Sox prefer short, low cost, low risk contracts for established talent (i.e. Wade Miller, Bartolo Colon, and now Brad Penny) rather than large free agent contracts for pitchers.
  • Keith Law says the Indians got Mark DeRosa for cheap, adding that a ".285/.365/.440 line is well within reason."

Olney’s Latest: No Big Money For Manny?

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Buster Olney’s latest discusses the bleak outlook for Manny Ramirez in landing the long-term, big money contract he’s seeking.

"It is evident that during a winter when many teams have clamped down and watch their dollars more carefully, executives with many teams have decided they cannot trust Ramirez on a multiyear deal."

Olney provides a brief rundown on all teams considered potential players in the Manny sweepstakes, paraphrased below:

  • Dodgers: offered 2 years, $45MM and then rescinded offer after Boras didn’t respond.
  • Angels, Mets, Yankees: Indications are they’re out of the bidding.
  • Blue Jays, Padres, Rockies, Diamondbacks: Looking to reduce payroll, rather than add.
  • Brewers: Are content with Ryan Braun in left field.
  • Phillies: Are content to have signed Raul Ibanez.
  • Cubs: Have "maxed out" their spending this year, and already have Alfonso Soriano.
  • Tigers: Already have too much on the books and a full outfield.
  • White Sox: They want to get younger.
  • Athletics, Twins, Indians, Rays, Royals and Pirates (among others, Olney suggests): Would never commit $20-25MM per year to one player.
  • Cardinals and Braves: Have enough outfielders and are focusing on pitching.

The obvious irony in Olney’s breakdown is that the Red Sox are the only team with both the money and the need  to offer what Boras is asking and, of course, they’re not bidding. Olney suggests the Nationals would be an interesting fit but that the concern there would be that Manny might not play hard during the duration of his contract on a team that may or may not be at all competitive.

Olney concludes with a red flag for any team hoping to get Manny at a reduced rate:

"Some general managers have said privately, a great concern they have about Ramirez is that if you give him a deal of two or more years that is worth far less than he thinks he deserves, you run the risk of having a very unhappy Manny. As the Red Sox can attest, that didn’t work out so well in the end."

Cafardo’s Latest: Pettitte, Kotsay, Red Sox

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a number of items to cover in today’s Sunday paper:

  • While the Mets are front-runners in the Derek Lowe sweepstakes, the Red Sox have a lot of money to play with having lost out on Mark Teixeira and could make a strong play to outbid competition.
  • The Dodgers and Rangers are interested in Andy Pettitte if he doesn’t accept the Yankees reduced $10MM offer.
  • Don’t rule out a return to the Red Sox for Mark Kotsay as a fourth outfielder and added infield depth.
  • Cafardo reports a source close to the talks says Teixeira was "very concerned" with Mike Lowell’s fate should he sign with Boston, but that financial matters and the negotiations process removed that "awkward situation."
  • Jose Fernandez can play first and third base. He’s 34 and just completed seven years in Japan, hitting 20+ HR every year. He could be an interesting right handed-hitting option for teams looking to add depth to their infield and DH.
  • The Red Sox, Orioles, Braves, Reds, and Cardinals remain interested in Kenshin Kawakami.
  • Now that Teixeira is gone, Jim Bowden is not interested in Manny Ramirez. Perhaps Adam Dunn?
  • The Sox are still unwilling to deal Clay Buchholz for Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Rays Looking For Big Bat

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Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times says the Rays are still in the market for an impact bat, likely to be their designated hitter. While it appears the Cubs are confident they’ll land Milton Bradley, that still leaves Jason Giambi, Pat Burrell, Garrett Anderson, and Bobby Abreu. The Rays have already added to their outfield by acquiring Matt Joyce, so whoever they sign will most likely need to be onboard with playing DH.

Smith also notes that 25 year old Fernando Perez "is playing well in the Venezuelan winter league, hitting .301 with two homers and seven RBIs" possibly giving the Rays even further depth at outfield.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Yankees, Teixeira, Bradley, Furcal

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Ken Rosenthal has his latest article up. Let’s go through it.

  • Milton Bradley is weighing his options with the Cubs and Rays. Joe Maddon and the Rays may be a better fit than Lou Piniella and the Cubs. And spending time at DH would allow him to "protect his oft-injured body." But will the Rays meet Bradley’s asking price when they can turn to Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, Garret Anderson, or Pat Burrell instead?  Rosenthal adds that the Reds, Angels, and Nationals are also interested in Bradley.
  • Rosenthal says the Yankees are aiming to keep their payroll lower than last season. Despite gorging this holiday season, they’re shedding more than they’re putting on.
  • With regards to Mark Teixeira, Rosenthal reports one general manager says there is a lot of bluffing going on right now to get the Red Sox to go higher.
  • Ty Wigginton has received calls from four teams since being non-tendered by the Astros. His replacement in Houston has yet to be established. Chris Johnson, the team’s third base prospect, had a .539 OPS in Triple A last season.
  • Jerry Hairston Jr. is receiving interest from the Reds and three AL clubs, the Mariners likely being one of them. Says Rosenthal, "Hairston, 32, plays six positions and was a favorite of new M’s manager Don Wakamatsu when both were with the Rangers."  Not sure where the Phillies fit in, but Jay Bruce said Hairston was considering them.  And John Perrotto has the Pirates in the mix for Hairston.
  • The reason Rafael Furcal rejected the A’s offer was that he wants to stay with the Dodgers, so says "one agent." Meanwhile the Dodgers appear to be daring Furcal to leave for a lesser club before making an offer.

Yankees Pursuing Manny

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3:26pm: Ken Davidoff has a different opinion on the subject of Manny’s future in New York, as well as a couple of other interesting free agent names. From his Sunday update:

"I would not bet so much as a penny on the Yankees acquiring Manny Ramirez, Ben Sheets or Mark Teixeira. Andy Pettitte can come back, and Mike Cameron will come aboard if the Brewers take Kei Igawa. If deals involving those two guys can’t happen, then maybe a starting pitcher/centerfielder in those price ranges (one-year investments for about $10 million) will wind up in the Bronx. But that’s about it."

9:21am: The New York Post’s George A. King III reports that if the Yankees can’t get Mark Teixeira, they’re "right there on" Manny Ramirez.

"If they pass on Teixeira, the Yankees will try and bolster a sagging lineup with Ramirez… And to clear some money, they might entertain offers for outfielder Xavier Nady, who made $3.35 million last year, is arbitration eligible and a free agent after the 2009 season."

The article mentions a three-year deal despite Scott Boras seeking five.  King suggests Jermaine Dye is another option; however, Dye has the Yankees listed as one of six teams to which he would veto a trade.

This article was updated by Alex Walsh, who can be reached at alexander.walsh@gmail.com.

Joe Nelson Exploring Options

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The Marlins did not tender right-handed reliever Joe Nelson a contract on Friday; however, they have not shut the door on the reliever say Joe Frisaro of mlb.com.

"Nelson’s agent, Doug Schaer, fielded a few inquiries on Saturday regarding the 34-year-old right-hander, who is now a free agent. Working within a tight budget, Florida was offering about $650,000 for Nelson, who might be able to top $800,000 on the open market. Nelson was a valuable setup man last year, posting a 3-1 record with a 2.00 ERA in 59 games. He also has experience closing."

Despite Nelson being the only player non-tendered by the Marlins, there do not appear to be any hard feelings; however, he shouldn’t have much trouble finding a bump in pay from a team with higher payroll. Frisaro lists Kansas City and Boston as potential suitors. Nelson is 34 and lives in the West Palm Beach area.

Juan Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel says Nelson is taking a calculated risk. Both articles note Florida would welcome back Nelson’s veteran presence if he were unable to find what he’s looking for on the open market.

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