Adam Dunn Has Offer From Nationals
According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, Adam Dunn received a contract offer from the Nationals. He’s been sitting on it for a while, indicating the Nats are not his top choice. Jayson Stark has said Dunn prefers the Dodgers, and is waiting to see how the Manny Ramirez situation plays out.
Dunn has been only loosely connected to the Braves and Red Sox.
Latest On Ken Griffey Jr.
Jon Heyman of SI.com and Buster Olney of ESPN write about free agent outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. this morning.
Heyman says Junior is well set financially: "His 16-year payout at $5MM per year just happens to begin this year." Griffey’s agent Brian Goldberg has been shopping his client with no luck so far. Griffey is said to be "completely healthy" after knee surgery, and is open to playing anywhere.
Olney talked to Reds doctor Tim Kremcheck, who said Griffey’s in the best shape he’s been in in years. Kremcheck believes last year’s knee injuries limited Griffey’s power and he’ll bounce back.
We’ve heard the loose Mariners connection, but not much beyond that. The Braves are looking for an outfielder or two, but haven’t been linked to Griffey recently. The Padres seek a veteran left-handed hitter but Griffey’s name hasn’t come up in reports. Olney adds:
Heard this: The Mets will continue to bottom-feed for guys on the free agent market, at the $600K-$1MM level, and if that nets them someone like Griffey, well, then so be it.
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Orlando Hudson On MLB Network
Free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson appeared on the MLB Network today. Barry Larkin asked which teams he’s talking to, and he named the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, and Nationals. None of the teams have said anything to Hudson’s agent about changing positions. Hudson says right now he sees himself as a second baseman. Ken Rosenthal says Hudson "seems to be banking on [the Mets or Yankees] pursuing a creative solution."
Hudson, 31, hit .305/.367/.450 in 455 plate appearances for Arizona last year while earning $6.25MM. Based on the plus/minus system, Hudson did not flash his typical stellar glovework in ’08. The market for Hudson has been held down partially because he is a Type A free agent who turned down the D’Backs offer of arbitration. That means whoever signs him will give up a draft pick. Another factor may be the broken wrist he suffered in August.
Latest On Randy Wolf, Braden Looper
9:23pm: MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick confirms that the Dodgers spoke multiple times with the agents for Wolf and Looper over the weekend.
Gurnick writes that the team is "cautiously optimistic" that having Oliver Perez off the board will spur the remaining free agent pitchers to reach agreements.
The Dodgers currently have starters Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda slotted into the starting rotation with Jason Schmidt, Eric Stults, Shawn Estes and Claudio Vargas looking on from the outside. Either Wolf or Looper could easily slide into that fourth spot.
3:21pm: Ken Rosenthal has the latest on free agent lefty Randy Wolf:
The Dodgers have maintained almost daily contact with the agents for left-hander Wolf, and the two sides made "a little" progress over the weekend, one source said.
It seems that Wolf has one less suitor now that the Mets are set to re-sign Oliver Perez. Braden Looper is said to be the Dodgers’ backup plan after Wolf, but the market for Wolf appears quiet. The Cubs, Cardinals, and Brewers might be looking to add one starter, but those three clubs have not been connected to Wolf in recent days.
Reds Sign Humberto Cota
According to C. Trent Rosecrans of AM 1530, the Reds signed catcher Humberto Cota to a minor league deal. Cota, 30 in a few days, hit .319/.342/.493 in 37 Triple A games last year. He served a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
Mets, Oliver Perez Agree To Terms
2:50pm: Sherman says the Mets floated various packages that could total $44MM over four years, but Boras and Perez preferred the shorter term at the higher salary.
1:18pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Mets and Perez have agreed to terms on a three-year, $36MM deal (no fourth-year option). Sherman says the signing "all but assures" Pedro Martinez will not be re-signed. You have to figure Ben Sheets is also out.
You know the story with Perez: only 27 years old, with a strong strikeout rate but plenty of walks and home runs allowed.
12:44pm: Matthew Cerrone’s sources say the Mets are "close to finalizing" a deal with Perez, perhaps for three years at no more than $12MM per. Jon Heyman terms it as "on the verge."
11:42am: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Mets are "moving closer" to signing free agent lefty Oliver Perez. The Mets hope for a three-year deal but a fourth-year vesting option "remains possible." Rosenthal says the Mets are "cautiously optimistic" about re-signing Perez. If Perez has another serious suitor, it hasn’t been leaked to the public.
Odds and Ends: Hearings, Anderson, Selig
Links for Monday…
- MLB.com’s Tom Singer looks at the effects of arbitration hearings on players. He found that most players don’t experience a post-hearing performance decline, but they do change teams at the first opportunity.
- MLB.com’s Lyle Spencer says the Angels and Ervin Santana are $725K apart with a hearing scheduled for later this month and "no progress" according to GM Tony Reagins.
- The Tigers are hopeful about bridging the $950K gap with Justin Verlander.
- Athletics Nation’s conversation with MLB.com’s Mychael Urban, Part 2.
- Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald wouldn’t be surprised to see the White Sox trade Brian Anderson.
- Murray Chass reflects on the Homestead camp for unsigned players heading into the 1995 season.
- Commissioner Bud Selig earned $18.35MM in the last fiscal year, according to Eric Fisher of Sports Business Journal.
- The latest minor league transactions from Baseball America, including the Nationals’ signing of Alex Cintron and the Rockies’ addition of Scott Munter.
- Even with a new stadium, the Marlins will continue to prefer going year-to-year with most players.
Blue Jays Make Offer To Kevin Millar
MONDAY: Schmuck mentioned this on Thursday; J.P. Ricciardi confirmed it today: the Blue Jays have a minor league offer out to Millar currently.
THURSDAY: Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun talked to free agent first baseman Kevin Millar, who will not be offered a contract from the Orioles for ’09. Millar is surprised and frustrated by their lack of interest, saying:
"Yeah, the bottom line is, obviously, they want to go in a different direction. Now, what that means, I don’t know. Are they going to win games this year? No. Obviously we know that going in. You’ve got to be realistic."
True, the team isn’t quite ready to contend, but it’s rare to hear a player say it so bluntly. Millar has drawn interest from the Blue Jays and Giants so far this winter. He hit .234/.323/.394 in 610 plate appearances in ’08.
Athletics Acquire Michael Wuertz
1:05pm: Bruce Miles notes that Wuertz is out of options, and the Cubs saved over $2MM with their recent roster-cleaning. Meanwhile, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle talked to an NL advance scout for his opinion on Wuertz.
12:32pm: According to a press release from the Cubs, they’ve sent Wuertz to the A’s for minor leaguers Richie Robnett and Justin Sellers. Given all the additions to Oakland’s farm system, neither player ranked in their Baseball America top 30 list this year.
In BA’s 2008 Handbook, Robnett, a 25 year-old outfielder, ranked 15th among A’s prospects. He was said to have "huge raw power," but that hasn’t come through in his minor league numbers.
Sellers, a 23 year-old infielder, ranked 14th in the ’08 Handbook. He was described as "a solid-average defender who’ll hit at the bottom of a lineup."
12:18pm: According to Bruce Levine of ESPN Radio:
The Cubs continue to get inquiries regarding Michael Wuertz. I expect the team to trade him today or tomorrow, with Oakland the team most likely to send young players back to the Cubs.
Wuertz, 30, posted a 3.63 ERA in 44.6 innings for the Cubs this year with a 6.04 K/9. He’s signed at $1.1MM for ’09 and will eligible for free agency after the 2011 season.