Pirates Still Talking To Ohman
According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates are still talking to Will Ohman‘s agent. Kovacevic suggests a trade involving the Pirates’ current top lefty, John Grabow, may be more likely. Grabow will be eligible for free agency after the season and has not been approached about an extension. My opinion: there might not be much of a market for Grabow until midseason.
About a week ago, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick learned that Ohman has offers in hand from the Pirates, Marlins, and Padres. MLB.com’s Corey Brock followed up with the belief that San Diego is a long shot.
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Monday
9:11pm: Jon Heyman sounds in, noting that both sides are being a bit stubborn. Ramirez isn’t going to get the four years or $100MM he initially wanted, and the Dodgers are probably going to have to up their offerings of 1/$25MM and 2/$45MM.
Heyman says the two sides might be closer to getting a deal done, but that doesn’t make them close.
7:36pm: Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times heard something yesterday about a deal being close (two years plus a third-year vesting option), but he wasn’t able to confirm the information.
7:33pm: MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick says that Ned Colletti has refuted today’s rumors:
"’Nothing’s changed in 48 hours,’ said Colletti, who on Saturday said negotiations between him and agent Scott Boras had increased in frequency and duration during the previous week, but would not characterize the progress made."
Colletti does say, however, that negotiations have not taken a step backwards.
5:26pm: Danny Knobler at CBS Sports adds in that there’s no real competition for the Dodgers.
The Giants, thought to be the only other serious bidders for Manny’s services, currently have Manny on the "back burner," according to General Manager Brian Sabean.
Knobler also points out other signs that the Giants aren’t seriously in it:
"Could the Giants be bluffing? Sure, although as their other winter moves suggest, they’re more a strike-fast team when they really want a player.
Why wouldn’t the Giants, 29th in baseball in runs scored in 2008 and dead-last in home runs, jump at adding Ramirez?"
Knobler suggests that unless things fizzle with the Dodgers, and Manny accepts a one-year, $20MM-ish deal from San Francisco, Manny won’t be a Giant in 2009.
4:38pm: Vic "The Brick" Jacobs of KLAC 570 says Manny Ramirez "should be a Dodger later this week." Jacobs says it will be "two-year fixed, third-year incentive-laced." Click here to visit KLAC 570’s website.
Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News, however, does not believe there is any breaking Manny Ramirez news at this time.
Jim Bowden Under Investigation
9:02pm: Chico Harlan of the Washington Post report that some officials within the Nationals’ ownership, including Managing Principal Owner Ted Lerner, are "eager to cut ties with the general manager." They write:
"The Nationals, one source said, are encouraging the investigation to return an answer on Bowden so the parties can ‘go on their merry way.’"
Team President Stan Kasten has stated that he supports every member of the Washington Nationals, regardless of circumstance.
Lerner and his son, Mark, both declined comment, stating that Kasten’s response will stand as the Nationals’ statement on the issue.
The article also mentions José Rijo, who worked with Bowden in both Cincinnati and Washington. Rijo runs a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic and was responsible for brokering the deal for Carlos Daniel Alvarez Lugo, then thought to be a 16-year-old by the name of Esmailyn Gonzalez. Lugo was also four years older than he was believed to be when the contract was signed.
Rijo, a special assistant to Bowden, took a leave of absence and returned to the Dominican Republic this Saturday, but has not been fired. According to Kasten, no team officials have been punished.
MONDAY, 3:21pm: Bowden’s comment: "I’m innocent of any wrongdoing."
SUNDAY, 9:52am: According to SI.com’s Melissa Segura:
A federal investigation into the skimming of signing bonuses given to baseball prospects from Latin America is looking at Washington Nationals general manager Jim Bowden as far back as 1994, when he was GM of the Cincinnati Reds, according to a baseball executive familiar with the investigation.
The Bowden investigation is linked to the David Wilder scandal by way of a scout named Jorge Oquendo. The Chicago Tribune just posted new details on Wilder this evening. Segura doesn’t suggest it, but you have to think Bowden’s job is in jeopardy.
Rosenthal On Cabrera, Cruz, Nady, Swisher
Let’s take a look at the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- The A’s are offering more at-bats to Nomar Garciaparra than the Phillies. If the A’s sign Nomar, that wouldn’t stop them from adding Orlando Cabrera. However, Rosenthal’s source says Cabrera and the A’s "are not even close" in terms of his value.
- Nothing is close with the Juan Cruz situation; "New teams entered the mix after the sign-and-trade option became more realistic." Rosenthal says it’s still possible that a team will simply sign Cruz and give up a draft pick. La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says the Twins have made an offer to Cruz, but did not speak to his agent yesterday.
- Even with the Orlando Hudson signing, Blake DeWitt still has a role with the Dodgers pitching in at second base, third base, and even shortstop.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman "didn’t particularly like" any of the offers he’s received for Nick Swisher and Xavier Nady.
- Rosenthal leaves the door slightly ajar for the Astros and Pudge: "the team continues to indicate that it cannot afford free agent Ivan Rodriguez unless his price drops significantly." Astros GM Ed Wade said on Wednesday: "We’re not signing Pudge. Put that one to rest. We have no expectation to sign Pudge."
Mark Mulder May Audition Soon
According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, free agent lefty Mark Mulder is moving closer to holding an open bullpen session for interested teams. Mulder wants to be in perfect health before holding the session and signing. Slusser says the A’s are expected to be in attendance. Mulder is keeping his options open:
"Obviously, Oakland would be fun. I know the people there and all that. But right now I just so badly want to get right and get back to pitching, I’ve honestly thought about all 29 other teams, too."
Mulder, 31, had rotator cuff surgery back in September of ’06.
Deadline Trade Candidates
I wrote an article for the Spring Training ’09 site about players who could be July trade candidates. Check it out.
Odds and Ends: Smoltz, Crede, Burnett
A few links for Sunday evening…
- Chicago Tribune reporters Todd Lighty and Oscar Avila have more info on the David Wilder bonus-skimming scandal.
- Terence Moore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution talked to John Smoltz recently about players leaving or choosing not to sign with the Braves.
- SI.com’s Pablo S. Torre digs into Ken Griffey Jr.‘s decision.
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel learned that Marlins third baseman Dallas McPherson (42 home runs at Triple A last year) would like 500 at-bats, but a bench role is more likely. McPherson is out of options.
- Joe Crede talked about the White Sox going young, but Ozzie Guillen did not agree.
- Newsday’s Kat O’Brien talked to A.J. Burnett, who was leaning toward the Yankees well before he signed. He chatted often with Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon this winter.
- Speaking of Damon, River Ave. Blues points out a passage in Joe Torre’s book about how the Yankees chose Rondell White over him back in ’02.
- Nationals special assistant Jose Rijo is taking a leave of absence, partially because of the Esmailyn Gonzalez scandal. ESPN’s Jorge Arangure Jr. has much more on the situation, after talking to Gonzalez/Lugo’s trainer.
- South Side Sox takes a stab at fixing free agent compensation.
- Orlando Hudson could’ve had $24MM for 2009-11 if he’d taken an offer the D’Backs made before the ’08 season. Nick Piecoro says Hudson’s counteroffer was "so unrealistic that it actually upset people with the Diamondbacks."
Odalis Perez Not Returning Calls
According to the AP, Odalis Perez is M.I.A. He missed the mandatory Spring Training report date, and isn’t returning calls from the Nationals or his agent. GM Jim Bowden believes he has an agreement on an $850K minor league deal. Bowden ultimately expects Perez to honor the agreement. Perez’s statement from a few days ago:
"I thought it best and I prefer to sit in my house if the Nationals do not show more appreciation for my work. Appreciate my work means to increase the value of the contract and guarantee it. I will not accept any minor league contracts with no safeguards. I instructed my agent to report my position to the Nationals."
Bowden told Chico Harlan of the Washington Post that he dealt with a similar situation with Tony Fernandez in ’95.
Nothing Close For Juan Cruz, Twins
4:46pm: Steve Gilbert of MLB.com talked to D’Backs GM Josh Byrnes. Byrnes is in regular contract with Cruz’s agent Barry Praver, but has nothing new to report and is not talking to any teams about Cruz.
3:47pm: MLB.com’s Kelly Theiser reports that the Twins have not even extended a formal offer to Cruz. She agrees with Neal that Twins fans should not expect a Cruz acquisition, though they definitely are interested.
SUNDAY, 1:27pm: Neal is back with another update, though not a pleasant one for Twins fans. Neal writes that the reports saying the Twins are "closing in on a deal" are not true. The trade, may in fact, be very difficult to pull off:
"It’s going to be hard enough to agree to terms with the agent. Getting the Diamondbacks to agree on a trade might be even tougher. Things could always change but, for now, there’s little reason to feel optimistic that the Twins can land Cruz."
SATURDAY: Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks are "closing in on a likely sign-and-trade deal" with the Twins for Juan Cruz. He adds that "various reports expected the deal to be completed by Saturday."
FRIDAY: According to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Twins made an offer to reliever Juan Cruz tonight as part of a possible sign-and-trade with the Diamondbacks. If Cruz accepts the offer, Neal says the teams would then have 48 hours to work out a trade.
Cruz would represent a power arm for the back of Minnesota’s pen; his average heater was 94.3 mph in 2008. Cruz’s big-time strikeout stuff is accompanied by poor control, however.
Rangers Sign Kris Benson
SATURDAY, 10:56am: According to Jon Heyman of SI.com Benson signed with the Rangers.
FRIDAY: According to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, the Rangers are expected to sign righty Kris Benson to a minor league deal soon. Benson, 34, had rotator cuff surgery in March of ’07 and wasn’t able to make it back to the bigs last year.