Red Sox Notes: Crawford, Damon, Reyes
The latest on the Red Sox, as Joe Maddon tells Tim Britton of the Providence Journal that the Red Sox have "an edge right now" and are "the number one contender in a sense," heading into the season…
- Carl Crawford told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he hopes Rays fans don't consider him the "villain" when he plays against his former team. Crawford, who says he still loves Rays fans, drew a mostly positive reaction from Rays fans this afternoon.
- Johnny Damon told Speier that he vetoed last summer's trade to the Red Sox because he thought it was a "slam dunk" that the Tigers would want to retain him for 2011 (Twitter link).
- Damon also says he thinks Crawford will win a championship during his tenure with the Red Sox.
- John Tomase of the Boston Herald has a must-read piece on Red Sox left-hander Dennys Reyes and how dependent he is on his non-pitching hand.
AL East Links: Yankees, Anderson, Slowey
The Yankees aren't actively pursuing pitching help now, but GM Brian Cashman told Chad Jennings of the Journal News that pitchers with no options remaining and/or bad contract tend to become available later in the spring. Here's the latest on the Yankees' rotation plus other notes from the AL East…
- Mariano Rivera told Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork that Manny Banuelos is the greatest pitching prospect he has ever seen. "I like everything about him," Rivera said. Cashman says the left-hander, who turns 20 this weekend, will not start the year higher than Double-A.
- Red Sox prospect Lars Anderson told Tim Britton of the Providence Journal that he was "bummed" when the Red Sox traded for Adrian Gonzalez, but only because they traded away Anthony Rizzo and Casey Kelly, two of his friends and former teammates. Anderson says he considers Gonzalez a potential teacher at first base.
- Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star examines the Blue Jays' rumored interest in Kevin Slowey and suggests that "the only reason that would make sense for [GM Alex] Anthopoulos in terms of trading for Slowey would be if it was to set up another deal that involved one of the Jays' current" starters. I examined the possible fit between the Jays and the Twins earlier tonight.
Teams Calling About Mike Cameron
Rival teams are already calling the Red Sox about Mike Cameron, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. However, Boston probably won’t accept an offer unless they’re blown away and teams aren’t likely to make overwhelming proposals for a 38-year-old player who’s set to earn $8MM this year.
The Red Sox can use Cameron, a right-handed hitter, to complement left-handed outfielders Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew. And at this point, the Red Sox don’t have glaring needs in other areas, so they don't have to acquire new players. “They’re in a good position with the depth they’ve created,’’ an AL executive told Cafardo.
Though the Red Sox could express interest in Joe Blanton if a starter goes down, the right-hander isn’t a fit for Boston now, according to Cafardo. It’s conceivable that the Phillies called about Cameron, since Domonic Brown will miss the beginning of the season with wrist surgery. For what it's worth, Cameron says he'd prefer not to be traded.
Red Sox Notes: Buchholz, Beckett, Wakefield
The Red Sox beat the Cardinals in Florida today even though they allowed seven runs. Here are the latest updates on the BoSox, with an emphasis on the team's pitching staff…
- The Red Sox announced that they agreed to terms with 15 pre-arbitration eligible players including Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard. Buchholz was an extension candidate and he discussed a potential multiyear deal with the Red Sox, but they haven't agreed on one so far.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears from a scout that Josh Beckett "looks like he's on [a] mission" and that his pitches are looking good (Twitter link).
- Tim Wakefield told Kirk Minihane of WEEI.com that he can't envision playing elsewhere. "Why would I? I've been here for so long, why would I go somewhere else?" Wakefield asked. He first suited up for the Red Sox in 1995.
Red Sox Notes: Adrian, Buchholz, Miller
The latest on the Red Sox, as John Lackey prepares for his second Spring Training start…
- Though Adrian Gonzalez and the Red Sox have not resumed contract talks since the weekend they traded for him, there is an understanding that a seven-year deal at around $22MM per year will get it done, writes ESPN's Buster Olney. Gonzalez has said a couple of times that there's no pre-set agreement in place, but his agent John Boggs and Sox president Larry Lucchino both expect a deal.
- Regarding a potential multiyear extension, Clay Buchholz told WEEI's Kirk Minihane, "I think we've talked a little bit about it but there's nothing." Buchholz likes the five-year, $30MM deals signed by Jon Lester, Yovani Gallardo, and Ricky Romero, but perhaps the Red Sox need to see more. Buchholz's numbers are comparable to those players, but for a team there is a lot that goes into the decision beyond the stats.
- Manager Terry Francona explained to ESPN's Gordon Edes that he's thinking about the long-term with lefty Andrew Miller (Twitter link). The Red Sox were able to get a unique contract approved for Miller with the aim of subverting the option system, with a $3MM club option that vests for 2012 if he's claimed by another team. On one hand, the Commissioner's Office allowed this clause at first pass. Still, I've spoken to a few execs who think the Red Sox won't get away with it if Miller is actually claimed.
- Red Sox players are meeting today with Players' Association executive director Michael Weiner as well as several special assistants. Jed Lowrie may have a lot to contribute; Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald says the shortstop recently finished up a political science degree from Stanford by writing a 17-page paper comparing the players' unions in MLB and the NFL.
Cafardo On Rays, Cameron, Gonzalez, Hale
Jim Hickey has one of the most important roles in the American League this year, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Rays pitching coach is responsible for rebuilding a Rays bullpen that was depleted by free agency. Hickey says he expects at least one of the team's unheralded arms to break out unexpectedly, adding that if there's going to be a 2011 version of Joaquin Benoit, he'd put his money on Juan Cruz. Here are some of Cafardo's other Sunday notes:
- Domonic Brown has struggled this spring and is now set to undergo surgery on a broken hand. As such, Mike Cameron remains a potential fit for the Phillies. Cafardo argues that "the only problem with a Cameron-Phillies hookup is that he may be a very valuable member of the Red Sox now that he’s completely recovered from abdominal surgery."
- Alex Gonzalez doesn't like changing teams as much as he has in the last two seasons, and would have liked to stay in Toronto. Now that he's playing in Atlanta, the shortstop tells Cafardo that he'd "love to stay here for a long time." Gonzalez will be a free agent at season's end.
- DeMarlo Hale was interviewed for two managerial openings this past offseason, and Cafardo wonders if he'll be hired away from the Red Sox next winter. "Right now," Cafardo says, "there doesn’t appear to be an obvious place for a managerial change next season."
New York Notes: Mets, Piazza, Yankees, Aceves
Eight years ago today, the Yankees signed Ramon Ramirez to a minor league contract after winning his rights via the posting system with a $350K bid. Ramirez, then 21, had been with the Hiroshima Carp, appearing in just two games with them from 2002-2003.
Here's some links from the Big Apple…
- Bud Selig briefly spoke to SI.com's Jon Heyman (Twitter link) about the Mets' ownership and dire financial situation. "We're in unchartered waters. I talk to Fred (a lot), we just have to hope it works out," said the commissioner. The team is said to be seeking another loan on top of the $100MM it's already been granted by the league.
- Mike Piazza is helping coach Team Italy this spring, and he told ESPN New York's Adam Rubin and Newsday's David Lennon that he would like to own a team someday, but not necessarily the Mets (Twitter links). When asked if he's been contacted by anyone about owning a club, Piazza replied "I can't confirm or deny."
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe that he doesn't believe he'll be able to acquire a starter before the Opening Day, and perhaps not until June. "Normally anything of quality doesn't become available until after the June draft," said Cashman. "That's why you try and get as much as you can get accomplished in the winter. I know New York doesn't handle patience very well. But I'm from Kentucky, so it's a little easier for me to deal with."
- Cashman also spoke to Abraham about why the Yankees non-tendered Alfredo Aceves, who eventually signed with the Red Sox. "I offered him a minor league contract, that was it. I wasn't going to do anything more than that," said the GM. "Because of the back issue, we could not give him [a Major League contract]. He was throwing off the mound for us and he always hit a wall. So we ultimately continued to fail throughout the entire process to get him off the DL and active. He had a lot of success for a period of time, but then ultimately we'd had to take steps back and we'd have to shut him down and re-do the treatment."
Gammons On Prospects, A’s, Kalish, Iglesias
Peter Gammons appeared on WEEI's Minor Details podcast to discuss the value of a deep minor league system, the difficulty in finding power hitters, and, of course, the Red Sox. WEEI's Alex Speier has the partial transcript, and here are some of the highlights…
- The value of top prospects, Gammons notes, is higher than ever before since teams are realizing that it isn't cost-effective to sign free agents when those older players are entering a decline phase. Dealing for a star player in his prime is now the preferred option for a team like Boston that has a strong minor league system. “Having three really good prospects and getting Adrian Gonzalez so they won’t have to pay him past the age of 35, I think that’s part of it," Gammons said.
- To wit, Gammons believes the Yankees will forego trying for a free agent pitcher and instead use their own deep minor league system to acquire a pitcher like Brett Anderson or Gio Gonzalez "if Oakland doesn’t get off to a really good start." I'm not sure I agree with Gammons on this one. It's hard to believe the A's would deal Anderson or Gonzalez for anything short of a totally absurd offer, be it from the Yankees or anyone.
- Shortstop Jose Iglesias and outfielder Ryan Kalish are "without question" going to be regulars for Boston in 2012. This puts them right on track to succeed incumbents Marco Scutaro and J.D. Drew, who are both in the last year of their contracts.
- Theo Epstein told Gammons before the 2005 draft that drug testing was going to create "a new game over the next five to 10 years," and then the Sox drafted Jacoby Ellsbury in the first round. Gammons notes that Boston has yet to develop a consistent power hitter in Epstein's regime, aside from Kevin Youkilis (who was drafted by former Sox GM Dan Duquette).
Two Carl Crawford Deals That Could Have Been
Boston offered Victor Martinez to Tampa Bay for Carl Crawford before the 2010 season, according to Tom Verducci of SI.com. Though the Rays were open to the deal, they told the Red Sox they’d have to pursue other trades to make the swap work. Tampa Bay’s secondary moves fell through, so Crawford and Martinez stayed put.
The Red Sox weren't the only AL East team with interest in Crawford, but they showed considerably more interest than the Yankees. Crawford told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he doesn't think the Yankees were seriously interested in his services last winter when he hit free agency. “If the Yankees want somebody they go out and get them, don’t they?,” Crawford asked. Cliff Lee notwithstanding, he has a point.
Papelbon: Future In Boston After 2011 Is “A Tossup”
Jonathan Papelbon says there’s a “50-50” chance that he returns to the Red Sox after the season, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Papelbon, who is set to earn $12MM this year before hitting free agency for the first time in his career, says it’s “a tossup.”
“Whatever happens, happens. I don’t have much control over that,” Papelbon said in reference to the free agent market in general. “I’m worried about putting up numbers and trying to be the best I can be at my craft, be part of the equation for a championship club again.”
Papelbon says the notion that he wants to play elsewhere is a “big misconception” and that he can see himself returning to Boston, where he has spent the first six seasons of his career. The 30-year-old will have competition on the free agent market after the season, when Heath Bell, Jonathan Broxton, Matt Capps, Francisco Cordero, Ryan Franklin, Brad Lidge, Joe Nathan, Francisco Rodriguez, Rafael Soriano and Jose Valverde could all hit free agency as well.