Odds and Ends: Cabrera, Sabathia, Gillick
Your hot stove links for Thursday…
- Ken Fidlin of the Toronto Sun thinks the Blue Jays should consider Rafael Furcal. I concur. But even after missing most of ’08, Furcal probably won’t have to take a one-year deal unless he wants to.
- Phillies GM Pat Gillick didn’t rule out the possibility of returning to Toronto as the team president.
- River Ave. Blues doesn’t see the Yankees or Red Sox acquiring Matt Holliday.
- The Mariners are down to 10-12 names in their GM seach, before conducting a single interview.
- David Steele of the Baltimore Sun wants the Orioles to give Daniel Cabrera one more chance. Cabrera is arbitration-eligible and should earn at least $3MM in 2009.
- Jim Baumbach of Newsday looks at free agent considerations for the Yankees and Mets.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle says there are indications the Giants will gauge C.C. Sabathia‘s interest in signing with them. I would be surprised to see the Giants win the bidding.
- Angels owner Arte Moreno seems willing to stretch payroll past $124MM for the right players. The Angels’ postseason performance will be a big factor.
- Central Maine Sports Blog talked to Gary Carter, Buster Olney, Brad Wilkerson, and others about the Montreal Expos.
Orioles To Entertain Burnett, Teixeira?
Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun has a nice end-of-season column about the Orioles today. Dan Connolly also wrote a fine summary on Saturday.
In my Offseason Outlook for the team, I suggested the Orioles explore the possibility of signing A.J. Burnett but pass on a huge commitment for Mark Teixeira. Zrebiec says the O’s will be in the initial bidding for both free agents. I respect that; it’s hard to see them winning any bidding wars though.
Instead, the Orioles will look to add starting pitching, a shortstop, and maybe a first baseman this winter. To do so, they can shop Melvin Mora, Aubrey Huff, and Ramon Hernandez among others. Brian Roberts could bring the biggest bounty, but the Orioles will explore an extension first.
My gut feeling is we will see Daniel Cabrera join the free agent class via a non-tender. He did not show progress this year, and his average fastball velocity dropped almost two miles per hour. He’d be $3MM+ poorly spent.
Odds & Ends: Roberts, Holliday, Cashman
Some points of interest:
- Brian Roberts, once a sure-fire bet to be dealt, is now a priority for the Orioles to resign according to Marc Carig of the Washington Post. The second baseman wants to play for a contender and says all the right things about wanting to stay with Baltimore. Roberts is 31 and will finish in the top 5 in average, doubles, stolen bases, and runs scored.
- According to Troy E. Renck, Matt Holliday is not happy about the idea that his back injury might influence contract talks with Colorado. Renck quotes Holliday, "It’s a stiff back, and it could get worse if I pushed it. Back stiffness and having surgery, that’s a little different. It’s just ridiculous," Holliday said. "If we were playing meaningful games, I would be in there."
- George A. King III of the New York Post tells us Brian Cashman has informed Hal Steinbrenner he would like to return. An announcement could come as soon as tomorrow.
Heyman’s Latest: Sabathia, Roberts, Cain
Here’s a look at the latest column from SI.com’s Jon Heyman.
- One "Yankees person" believes it will take "crazy money" to convince C.C. Sabathia to pitch in New York and in the American League.
- The following three names are being bandied about in the Yankees’ clubhouse for center field next year: Nate McLouth, David DeJesus, and Matt Kemp. DeJesus seems the most reasonable target, though Robinson Cano could be part of a package for Kemp. DeJesus, it should be noted, played a poor center field this year according to the plus/minus system.
- Heyman doesn’t see the Yankees re-signing Jason Giambi or Bobby Abreu due to defensive concerns.
- Heyman says the Brewers’ efforts to acquire Brian Roberts were more under the radar than the Cubs’. GM Doug Melvin admitted Roberts’ name came up last spring, as the Orioles "were wanting to get [the Brewers] involved."
- Heyman speculation…could the Giants send Matt Cain and another player to Milwaukee for Prince Fielder, and then sign Sabathia? Or could the Rockies jump into the bidding for C.C.?
Orioles To Explore Extensions For Roberts, Markakis
In what the Baltimore Sun is calling a pivotal offseason, Orioles president of baseball operations, Andy MacPhail, said the team will initiate contract extension talks with the agents of second baseman Brian Roberts and outfielder Nick Markakis.
Roberts is eligible for free-agency after next season, and the Orioles had brief discussions with Jamie Murphy, Markakis’ agent, during the All-Star game, but talks quickly ceased due to neither party being able to reach any common ground.
Roberts has been linked to several trade talks in the past, but he made no secret of the fact that he’d like to stay with the O’s:
"I’ve always enjoyed Baltimore. I like playing here," Roberts told the Sun. "It’s something that we’ll have to sit down and look at this winter. If the opportunity arises, I’ll sit down with the Orioles or my agent or my family or whoever and try to figure out the best thing to do. I just have trouble looking at it right now. I’m just trying to finish the season, and there’s nothing really on the table to talk about it. But I enjoy being here. It’s something that I’d definitely consider."
Markakis is considered the cornerstone of the Orioles’ rebuilding plans.
Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com and can be reached here: alexo05 (at) umpbump (dot) com.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Huff, Hardy, Russ Ortiz
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new column up.
- Mark Attanasio set a dangerous precedent by firing Ned Yost. Will he interfere with GM Doug Melvin’s plans in the future?
- Rosenthal considers Aubrey Huff a "highly desirable trade commodity" this winter. That begs the question – why did Huff pass through waivers unclaimed in August?
- Trading J.J. Hardy is more likely than moving him to third base. Hardy is under team control for two more seasons. The Jays, Tigers, Royals, Twins, Giants, Dodgers, and Cardinals could be in the market for a shortstop. Demand certainly outstrips supply.
- Rosenthal believes Rafael Furcal would be a nice fit for the Blue Jays. He agrees that GM J.P. Ricciardi is likely to return.
- The Orioles might prefer affordable veterans to A.J. Burnett as they try to improve their pitching staff this winter.
- Russ Ortiz wants to pitch in 2009, and he worked out for ten days a week ago. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick first reported the workout yesterday. He says the Royals, Astros, Brewers, and Red Sox had scouts at the audition.
Odds and Ends: Cashman, Roberts, Lowe
Rounding up links for Thursday…
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday notes which player moves were entirely Brian Cashman’s, and which came from above.
- Buster Olney wonders if Doug Melvin could replace Cashman as the Yankees’ GM. Olney stresses that it’s pure speculation on his part.
- Viva El Birdos asks what it would take for the Cardinals to acquire Brian Roberts.
- John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press says the Tigers should sign Derek Lowe this winter. Will Lowe get a four year deal?
- Bud Selig tells Ken Rosenthal the Manny Ramirez trade was completed before the deadline. Jerry Crasnick says the Dodgers have not talked to Ramirez about an extension.
- Rays Index explains why the team should not trade Scott Kazmir.
Odds and Ends: Lee, Rogers, Beltre, Darvish
Today’s random linkage…
- The Indians signed 21 year-old pitcher Chen-Chang Lee out of Taiwan. Anthony Castrovince has the scouting report. East Windup Chronicle says the bonus is in the $350-400K range.
- Kenny Rogers suggested Jim Leyland remove him from the rotation. Rogers still thinks he can pitch effectively next year at 44, however.
- Geoff Baker notes an extra benefit to delaying Adrian Beltre‘s surgery – the playing time could nudge him toward Type A status when he reaches free agency after the ’09 season.
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday says Yu Darvish will probably not be posted this winter but could be after the ’09 season. Davidoff says the Giants, Orioles, and D’Backs have been heavily scouting Japan this year.
- The Cubs are looking at contract extensions for Lou Piniella and Jim Hendry, according to Gordon Wittenmeyer.
Odds and Ends: Alvarez, Orioles, K-Rod, Bradley
A few more notes from the MLBiverse…
- Dejan Kovacevic is reporting the Pedro Alvarez case may not be settled until well after the season. While there is a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, some feel that the case is too complex for a single hearing.
- Peter Schmuck feels the O’s will sign a "couple of Paul Byrd-type pitchers," rather than open the pocketbook for a front-of-the-rotation starter.
- It is just speculation, but Nick Cafardo feels the Tigers and Cardinals will be the front-runners for Francisco Rodriguez…Of course this was written prior to the news that Billy Wagner will be out for the ’09 season.
- Manager Ron Washington said he wants Milton Bradley back with the Rangers in ’09, adding that he is not worried about having too many outfielders.
- Peter Abraham says the trades made by the Yankees prior to the deadline have backfired, with only Xavier Nady proving to be a valuable pickup.
- The Phillies have designated RJ Swindle for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Swindle made three appearances for the Phillies earlier this season. In Triple A, Swindle had 51 strikeouts in 36.1 innings, with a 1.98 ERA in 27 appearances.
- Athletics Nation takes a look at the outfield logjam the A’s have for ’09. While a trade or two seems like the obvious solution, Athletics Nation is worried the pieces are currently undervalued.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.
Odds And Ends: Millar, Lowe, Jays, Ibanez, Garciaparra, Posey
A few notes from the MLBiverse…
- Kevin Millar wants to return to the Orioles in ’09. Of course, many feel the O’s will make a run at Mark Teixeira this off-season which would decrease Millar’s chances of re-signing, unless both sides feel he can be a full-time DH. Millar made $2.75MM this season.
- Detroit Tiger Thoughts has made an adjustment to the projected Elias ranking for Derek Lowe. He will indeed be a Type A free agent this off-season.
- The original article is missing from the Toronto Sun, but Sportsnet has the piece in which Paul Godfrey says the Jays are unlikely to include opt-out clauses in any future contracts based on the current situation with AJ Burnett. Some believe Burnett will exercise his opt-out clause and declare himself a free agent this winter.
- Jim Street says the value of Raul Ibanez goes beyond stats…However, it remains to be seen if his value to Seattle will go beyond the two draft picks they would receive for letting him walk this off-season.
- Michael Schwartz says another free agent-to-be, Nomar Garciaparra, has proven his worth to the Dodgers in his new role coming off the bench.
- Even though Brian Sabean went to see Buster Posey play in person, he ruled out any chance of Posey making his major league debut this season.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.