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Red Sox Pursuing Teixeira

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Ken Davidoff of Newsday is confirming the Red Sox will be pushing hard to sign Mark Teixeira this offseason, a free agent perfect storm situation for Teixeira who also has interest coming from the Yankees. Writes Davidoff,

"Boston will aggressively pursue Teixeira, two industry sources confirmed. While the Red Sox have a very good first baseman in Kevin Youkilis, they can move Youkilis to third to make room for Teixeira. Incumbent third baseman Mike Lowell is recovering from hip surgery and isn’t expected to be ready until mid-March, and as much as the Red Sox like Lowell, they can look to trade him."

Or they may hold onto Lowell and explore the market during the season as they did with Coco Crisp this year.

Teixeira, a switch hitter, would give Terry Francona an impact bat and added flexibility with the middle of his lineup which figures to have lefties David Ortiz and J.D. Drew and righties Youkilis and a motivated Jason Bay.

In this piece, Davidoff also suggests the Sox part with Jason Varitek and move to acquire Jarrod Saltalamacchia for pitching, as MLBTR discussed earlier today; however, if Varitek can be had for little and the Red Sox can afford it, it may make sense to re-sign Varitek and transition in his replacement at a pace dictated by production and success.

Rangers Want Pitcher For Catcher

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The Rangers are seeking to deal one of their three catchers – Gerald Laird, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, or Max Ramirez – for pitching, says Evan Grant of the Dallas News. Grant notes that they would still have Taylor Teagarden, who they’re also open to dealing if "the return is great enough."

Grant discusses potential matches in the Giants, Red Sox, Brewers, Reds, and Tigers:

"San Francisco has pitching depth, and the Rangers love the Giants’ arms, but San Francisco has a more pressing need for a corner infielder than a catcher because Bengie Molina is signed for 2009. Getting a pitcher such as Matt Cain might require the Rangers to discuss trading Chris Davis. Boston, Milwaukee and Cincinnati, however, may be the best fits for a catcher-for-pitcher deal. Detroit also needs a catcher, but the Tigers’ system is quite thin at pitcher."

MLBTR discussed this on Friday, including Hank Blalock in the discussion as well as the Rangers’ interest in Scott Olsen.

Odds & Ends: Amaro, Marte, Griffey

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Some Odds & Ends to begin the day:

  • The Phillies are expected to announce Ruben Amaro Jr. as their next General Manager on Monday. Says Ken Mandel of MLB.com, "Amaro, 43, served as a batboy for the Phillies from 1980-83, and played for the Phillies from 1992-93 and 1996-98. He moved into the front office after retiring as a player." As the clubs Assistant General Manager, he’s been the heir apparent to the 71-year-old Pat Gillick as GM.
  • The Yankees are expected to decline Damaso Marte’s $6MM option, according to George King III of the New York Post. Marte made $2MM this year and the Yankees are opting to buy him out for $250,000. I expect them to make an attempt to sign him to a new contract but no details yet.
  • Larry Stone of the Seattle Times says Ken Griffey Jr. is open to returing to Seattle. No comment from M’s new GM Jack Zduriencik.

Insight On Zduriencik

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Mariners fans and those that would like insight on where their new GM Jack Zduriencik will take the team should read this piece from Geoff Baker’s Mariners Blog. 

Baker praises Zduriencik (whose name I will copy and paste for the rest of this post) for his low key nature and respect of the organization and positions as currently arranged. While he seeks to make sweeping changes, he carries no agenda to do so abruptly. This refers not only to players but also employees and scouts within the organization. Says Baker,

"The best GMs in this game are the ones who know how to use the people who work under them. Look at Billy Beane in Oakland and the parade of fine assistants he relies on. Or at Gillick in Philadelphia, who holds weekly conference calls with the Phillies pro scouting staff — something that truly allows them to feel they are making a difference."

Baker says the most important decision Zduriencik will make could be his choice of manager.  Baker breaks it down eloquently:

"The GM is the master-planner. But the manager is the guy in the field. The guy in the trenches. There is always the theory and the reality of carrying something out. A GM comes up with the theory. And a good manager takes that theory and — providing he has the proper tools and experience — knows how to make in work down on the field."

Baker notes how former GM Bill Bavasi did not communicate his reasons for making certain moves (Rafael Soriano-Horacio Ramirez anyone?) to his fans. Baker warns Zduriencik tends to play it close to the chest as well and how he handles the media will be decisive in his re-engaging and earning the trust of M’s fans.

See also this piece by Phil Rogers where he gives credit to the Mariners for "getting the best baseball mind available." He says Zduriencik’s scouting ability and keen judgment are responsible for the Brewers’ recent successes and should be a GM in the mold of Pat Gillick. Interestingly, Ned Yost is being seriously considered.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Sunday

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Jake Peavy, on the block:

  • According to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union Tribune, the Braves have told the Padres they will not deal Tommy Hanson in a package for Jake Peavy. This despite heavy scouting of Hanson by the Padres in recent days. MLBTR touched on this topic on Friday, but it seems the Braves are standing pat that even Peavy won’t loosen their grip on their prospects. If the Padres are putting something together with the Braves, it’s not likely to be structured around Hanson, or Jair Jurrjens, Jason Heyward and Julio Teheran for that matter. As MLBTR noted before, it could all be speculation from rival GMs.
  • Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune brings us information from Baseball America: Peavy would waive his no trade clause to play for the Cubs. While Rogers notes there’s not much of a fit he suggests a package that includes a swap of Adrian Gonzalez and Derrek Lee. Intriguing, but far fetched.

Manny Ramirez Rumors: Sunday

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As we await an offer from the Dodgers to Manny Ramirez, the notion is often floated that a six year contract for Manny is better suited for an American League team. There he can spend the latter half of his deal, presumably the final years of his career, transitioning to DH.

Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune reports that Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi confirmed that he has interest in Manny Ramirez.  Rogers quotes Ricciardi: "I’ve always liked him," Ricciardi told the Toronto Sun. "But obviously getting him and liking him are two different things."  We’ve heard this before here.

Rogers goes on to explain that if Manny is going to wind up on a team in Chicago, it would first require a trade. The Cubs will need to deal Alfonso Soriano, as we discussed last week, and the White Sox would need to trade Paul Konerko or Jermaine Dye for either team to be able to afford Ramirez. The article mentions a bad history between White Sox Owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Scott Boras, but it does give credit to Ken Williams’ craftiness and Manny’s power potential as a righty in U.S. Cellular Field. Jim Thome and Manny hitting back-to-back would be imposing to say the least.

Jacobs To Royals Fell Through

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Change is brewing in the Marlins front office this offseason. Not only have they decided to increase payroll to $30-35MM but also they are actively shopping Mike Jacobs, Scott Olsen, and Kevin Gregg this offseason; so actively, that a deal with Kansas City fell apart last week according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The deal collapsed, according to Jackson, due to "a medical issue involving a minor-league pitcher" from Kansas City.

If, or when, Jacobs is dealt, the Marlins feel Gaby Sanchez can take over at first, and Olsen’s spot in the rotation is expected to be occupied by Andrew Miller.

According to Jackson, a number of clubs have inquired about Dan Uggla but Florida seems to be looking for a far greater return for their All Star second baseman. Other names that could wind up on the block are Jeremy Hermida and Josh Willingham who are both arbitration eligible; however, it doesn’t seem likely that the Marlins will move either guy.

Should be a fun ballclub to watch this offseason.

Olney’s Latest: Teixeira, Sabathia, Ramirez, Burnett

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Buster Olney has some fun-to-read analysis of last night’s game, as well as some solid rumors for our consumption:

  • The Yankees seem almost destined to sign Mark Teixeira this offseason, but while it’s been suggested that Teixeira is seeking upwards of 10 years, $200MM, the Yankees may be looking to offer half of that, or "a deal in the range of 6 years, $18-20MM a year." Good news for the Orioles who look to be the biggest competitor for the Yankees in pursuing both Teixeira and A.J. Burnett.
  • The Yankees are gearing up to offer CC Sabathia "an offer that may dwarf those of other clubs, by a factor of 30 or 40 percent." Olney feels that may be a necessary surcharge to convince Sabathia to pitch in the Big Apple.
  • An interesting note: a few months ago, the suggested numbers for a Manny Ramirez contract were 3 or 4 years and $45MM; however, Scott Boras is effectively "working to change the perception of what is an acceptable offer… trying to raise the bar in the minds of teams, so that in the end, somebody might give him 3 years, $60MM and feel like they’re getting a bargain." I’ll add that Manny has done a lot, if not more, to change this perception as well.
  • Make of this what you will but Derek Jeter, whether intentional or not, contributed toward restoring Roger Clemens’ image by standing beside him on the sidelines of the nationally televised Longhorns game yesterday. Olney notes, "I know a whole lot of image-conscious players who would not have done that." Clemens is still unsure whether he is officially retired or not.

Cubs Considering Manny?

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From the speculative rumor mill, Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune suggests Manny Ramirez could be what the Cubs are missing, and the opportunity to bring him to Chicago could be there this offseason.  Says Rogers,

"With the aggressive nature of general manager Jim Hendry and the anything-to-win approach in the Lou Piniella era, don’t rule this out—not if the Dodgers would take on a big contract or two from the Cubs…

There’s no way the Cubs can play two left fielders, so [Alfonso] Soriano would have to go for Ramirez to come. Soriano seems to be essentially an immovable object with six years and $106 million left on his contract, but the Dodgers will need two things if they don’t re-sign Ramirez—power hitting and another buzz guy."

Rogers cites bad contracts on both teams that could facilitate a deal, but I think this is a reach. The Cubs would need to deal Soriano or Aramis Ramirez, both with no-trade clauses, specifically to the Dodgers to free up enough cash to sign Manny who’s seeking a 6 year contract with "iconic money". This would also hinge on the contingency that the Dodgers would pass on Manny to acquire Soriano or Aramis Ramirez, both of whom paled in comparison this offseason.

Red Sox To Pursue Peavy?

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The Red Sox could make a pitch for Jake Peavy, according to Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald.

"It stands to reason the Padres would want two of the team’s three best young arms – Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Justin Masterson – plus another position player.

If the Sox were to include highly regarded first baseman Lars Anderson in a package with two of their best pitching prospects, talks between the clubs would certainly become interesting. But officials with other clubs believe the Sox consider Anderson to be virtually untouchable."

Beyond the names mentioned above, Sox prospects Ryan Kalish and Josh Reddick need more seasoning before they can be considered "near major league ready." The Red Sox didn’t let go of their prospects for Johan Santana so I’m not sure they’d do so for Peavy, unless they’ve lost any confidence in Clay Buchholz.

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