Manny Meeting With McCourt This Morning
According to Yahoo’s Tim Brown, Manny Ramirez will meet this morning with Dodgers owner Frank McCourt at Dodger Stadium. McCourt wants to be sure Manny will not sulk after signing a contract. Brown adds:
If McCourt is satisfied, Ramirez will take a physical in L.A. and could be on a plane to join his teammates at spring training in Arizona later Wednesday.
MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick says Joe Torre and Ned Colletti have also been summoned for the meeting.
“Principal Responsibilities” For Mike Rizzo
According to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson, Nationals assistant GM Mike Rizzo will take on "principal responsibilities when it comes to the Major League, Minor League, and scouting operations." The Nats apparently don’t want to stick an interim GM tag on Rizzo, saying that president Stan Kasten remains in charge. Ladson adds that the position vacated since former GM Jim Bowden resigned "will remain vacant for the foreseeable future."
Aramis Ramirez Hopes To Finish With Cubs
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune talked to Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who hopes to finish his career with the team. He already displayed loyalty by leaving significant money on the table to re-sign in November of 2006.
It should be noted, though, that Ramirez became a free agent in ’06 because he opted out of a contract that had three years and $33.5MM left on it (assuming 270 games played in 2007-08).
Ramirez’s current contract could potentially run through 2012, but the new deal has an opt-out clause as well. Ramirez can void his contract after 2010, if he thinks he can beat $14.6MM in 2011 and a $16MM club option/$2MM buyout for 2012. He’s probably going to opt out or renegotiate if he thinks he’s worth more than a one-year, $16.6MM deal after 2010. He’ll be 32 at that time.
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Tuesday
7:23pm: According to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, there has been no contact between the Dodgers and Boras since Saturday. Brown thinks the silence might allow the Giants to climb back in the hunt.
9:03am: ESPN’s Buster Olney joins Jon Heyman and others in the belief that the Dodgers may reduce their offer to Manny Ramirez soon. Olney says the next offer "figures to more properly reflect the rollback in free agent prices that have occurred this winter." Olney believes the Dodgers have realized Manny will never be completely satisfied with the offers.
The Dodgers and Scott Boras were seemingly just $1.5MM apart on a deal worth more than $40MM, but owner Frank McCourt put the brakes on. He wants to start negotiations from scratch. As many have suggested, this could be the Giants’ best chance to jump in and steal Manny away.
Phillies Negotiating With Will Ohman
According to Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies made an offer to free agent lefty Will Ohman and are negotiating with his agent. The offer was turned down and countered, and they’re still talking. Ohman’s agent Page Odle says he has offers from three or four other teams (apparently it’s hard to keep track).
Nomar Garciaparra, A’s Agree To Terms
2:37pm: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says Nomar agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the A’s.
8:22am: According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Nomar Garciaparra has decided to play in 2009 and is on the verge of a one-year deal with the A’s. He’ll spend time backing up the infield corners and DHing.
A’s GM Billy Beane has been active this winter, adding Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera, Russ Springer, and Mike Wuertz. Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests owner Lew Wolff "wanted to accelerate the timetable for winning."
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle talked to incumbent shortstop Bobby Crosby, who would like to be traded. Slusser says the Blue Jays aren’t "convinced that Crosby is an upgrade over Marco Scutaro." Presumably, the A’s would have to eat salary or take back a bad contract to move Crosby (or simply release him).
Kasten Meets With Zimmerman’s Agent
According to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson, Nationals president (and acting GM) Stan Kasten met with Ryan Zimmerman‘s agent Brodie Van Wagenen today to discuss a contract extension. They’ll continue to talk with the goal of a deal before Opening Day.
Zimmerman will be paid $3.325MM for 2009, his first arbitration year. The 24 year-old third baseman is under team control through 2011.
Offseason In Review: San Diego Padres
Next up in our Offseason In Review series, the Padres. Click here to read our comments about the team from September 3rd.
Additions: Cliff Floyd, Henry Blanco, David Eckstein, Emil Brown, Walter Silva, Kevin Correia, Jae Kuk Ryu, Mark Prior, Chris Burke, Everth Cabrera, Mark Worrell, retained Brian Giles, full season of Cha Seung Baek
Subtractions (includes players subtracted during ’08 season): Khalil Greene, Tadahito Iguchi, Josh Bard, Paul McAnulty, Greg Maddux, Randy Wolf, Wil Ledezma, Trevor Hoffman, Shawn Estes, Justin Germano, Clay Hensley, Bryan Corey
For all the talk of the Padres slashing payroll, they kept Jake Peavy and exercised Brian Giles‘ option. The Giles decision, made November 7th, seemed like a good idea at the time.
I mentioned in September that 2009 provides a nice window for contention for the Padres, since many salaries for current players will increase significantly in 2010. While the Padres didn’t lose anyone terribly important, they also failed to do much to improve their lousy offense and bullpen or their middling rotation.
The offense could be a touch better, with Floyd plus more Headley and Gerut (and the subtraction of outmakers Greene and Iguchi). Adrian Gonzalez and Giles will have to maintain their offensive production. But this team needed a bat, and left fielders were affordable this winter.
Kevin Towers can probably cobble together a decent bullpen, but the rotation needs healthy years from Peavy and Chris Young plus multiple breakthrough/bounceback seasons from others. Sean Smith’s CHONE projection system suggests the Padres are an 80 win team, mainly because of promising forecasts for hurlers like Kevin Correia, Josh Geer, Wade LeBlanc, Cha Seung Baek, Chad Reineke, and Josh Banks.
Bottom line: After an offseason of bargain bin veteran additions, the Padres’ hopes rest on good health and breakthroughs from young players.
More Pre-Arb Signings
Joel Sherman of the New York Post has several more signings of pre-arb players, including Jesse Litsch, Brandon Morrow, and Edinson Volquez. Most are under $450K. And another from Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel – Yovani Gallardo signed. The Royals finished up by signing Billy Butler and Mike Aviles. The D’Backs are done, with Mark Reynolds being renewed and 21 guys signed.
Yankees Sign 10
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees finished off their 40-man roster signings by inking ten pre-arbitration players for ’09. They’re all around the league minimum.