Cafardo’s Latest: Stetter, Catalanotto, Pedro
The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo has a few bits of information…
- The Red Sox scouted Brewers left-hander Mitch Stetter last week. The 28-year-old reliever has held lefties to a .170 average and rigthties to a .151 mark this season. The Sox, who scouted him last week, are simply being thorough and exploring options in case they come to need anothery lefty in the pen, writes Cafardo.
- Free agent outfielder Frank Catalanotto has received interest, but is holding out for the right fit.
- Jacque Jones and Frank Thomas have been working out together in Las Vegas and are both hoping to land MLB roster spots at some point this season.
- As Cafardo writes, "The Brewers may be emerging in the hunt" for free agent Pedro Martinez. The Blue Jays, Astros, Rockies, A's, Orioles, Indians and Pirates are also thought to have some level of interest.
Odds & Ends: Minaya, Bradley, McClain
Links for Friday…
- Yahoo's Gordon Edes on what might've been: Alex Rodriguez in Boston.
- MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone interviewed GM Omar Minaya.
- Milton Bradley is not a fan of the Chicago media. He explained why in an exclusive chat with MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
- Rob Bradford of WEEI talks about the scarcity of middle-of-the-order bats on the free agent market, as it relates to the Red Sox.
- Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald wonders if Luis Vizcaino could return to the White Sox.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a Sponichi report indicating that the Hiroshima Carp are in contract talks with minor league veteran Scott McClain.
- Mike Thomas of The Herald News caught up with Shea Hillenbrand and got the player's take on the various incidents in his career.
Red Sox Acquire Kason Gabbard
According to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Rangers have traded left-hander Kason Gabbard to the Red Sox for cash considerations.
The Red Sox immediately assigned him to Triple-A Pawtucket. Gabbard, 27, was 2-3 last season with a 4.82 ERA in 12 starts for Texas. He was converted to a reliever this offseason but didn't make the big club out of spring training.
Interesting side note: Gabbard was a member of the Red Sox just a few years ago, but was traded in 2007 as part of a package for Eric Gagne. The other pieces in that deal? David Murphy and Engel Beltre.
Jason Bay Comments
WEEI's Alex Speier talked extensively with Red Sox left fielder Jason Bay, who is eligible for free agency for the first time after this season. Speier learned that the models for Bay's four-year, $18.25MM deal signed in '05 were the Brewers' deals with Geoff Jenkins and Richie Sexson. In hindsight, Bay could've earned more going year-to-year, but he has no regrets. Bay noted that one benefit of that deal is that it did not include option years.
Bay's agent hasn't had substantive extension talks with the Red Sox, but he remains unconcerned. Bay's stance:
"My agents and the company put together a big fancy package and all that stuff. I’ve seen the numbers. But I understand that it’s a completely different economic time, and that there are some concessions. That being said, I’ve played the game for six years. I’m not looking to set any records. I’m basically looking for what’s fair. Whether it’s here or not remains to be seen. I’m not trying to set a precedent."
Odds & Ends: Zimmerman, Devine, Wolf
Links for Wednesday…
- WEEI's Alex Speier points out that Ryan Zimmerman's deal mirrors the Kevin Youkilis extension, despite the difference in performance. Tyler Hissey of Around The Majors likes the Zimmerman contract nonetheless.
- Speier also reports that the Red Sox placed pitcher Devern Hansack on unconditional release waivers, not long after he dislocated his shoulder. UPDATE: Hansack will be re-signed to a minor league deal.
- Athletics reliever Joey Devine had Tommy John surgery, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star talked to Royals GM Dayton Moore, who said the decision to recall Brian Bannister over Luke Hochevar was not financially motivated.
- Randy Wolf doesn't have hard feelings toward the Astros, according to MLB.com's Michael Murphy. The 'Stros wisely yanked their three-year, $28.5MM offer to Wolf in November.
- Josh Levitt names the worst contract extensions in the game.
2010 Options: Boston Red Sox
Today let's take a look at the 2010 options facing the Red Sox.
- Josh Beckett – $12MM club option with a $2MM buyout. This option vests if Beckett makes 25 more starts this year. Barring a major injury, Beckett figures to remain with the Sox.
- Jason Varitek – $5MM club option or $3MM player option. Player option allows for $2MM in performance bonuses. My guess is that Varitek will perform well enough to cause the Sox to exercise their option. They were willing to risk paying him around $9MM if he'd accepted their December offer of arbitration.
- Tim Wakefield – $4MM club option. There will probably come a time when the knuckler is no longer worth this price. But there's no sign that time is now.
- Takashi Saito – Club option equal to 2009 earnings ($2.5MM+). Saito appears healthy, but on the other hand he'll turn 40 in February of 2010. This one could go either way.
Odds & Ends: Hunter, Keppinger, Swisher
Links for Monday…
- Become a fan of MLB Trade Rumors on Facebook! We're up to 9,828 fans.
- Jed Lowrie will have wrist surgery, and Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe learned that he could return by the All-Star break. Julio Lugo, recovering from knee surgery, should be ready to take over soon.
- ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. says "negotiations between the New York Yankees and Cuban exile prospect Felix Perez have broken down because of the outfielder's problem in obtaining a visa." Perez was set for a bonus north of $3MM, but questions have been raised about his age. The Yanks may have interest in a couple of other Cuban players, Noel Arguelles and Jose Iglesias, once they're declared free agents.
- According to Phil Miller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Torii Hunter would seemingly like to finish his career with the Twins.
- MLB.com's Alyson Footer says sending Drew Sutton to the Reds for Jeff Keppinger was "a great, great deal for the Astros." Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle explains why the move was made.
- Aaron Gleeman weighs in on the Twins' decision to swap out Philip Humber for Juan Morillo.
- David Pinto of Baseball Musings gives his opinion of the Ryan Zimmerman extension.
- South Side Sox and Sox Machine discuss the minor tiff between Ozzie Guillen and Nick Swisher.
- Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News says the Dodgers signed pitcher Chuck Tiffany to a minor league deal. They'd traded him to the Rays in '06 as part of the Danys Baez deal, and the Rays released him in March of this year.
Cafardo’s Latest: Peavy, Mulder
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a couple notes in his Sunday column:
- Should he be dealt this season, the Red Sox appeal to Jake Peavy, who hit it off with Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia in the World Baseball Classic. Padres GM Kevin Towers is hopeful his clubs success will continue and trading Peavy won't have to come up. Only twelve games into the season and the Pads are tied with the Dodgers at 9-3.
- The Nationals, A's, and Dodgers are all interested in Mark Mulder who believes he "could be ready two weeks after signing."
Lowrie To Be Tested, Could Miss Season
According to John Tomase of the Boston Herald Jed Lowrie will have his left wrist examined today in Arizona. If the tests don't go well he could face surgery that, as Lowrie says, "would essentially be the season."
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Bay, Dodgers, Draft
On this date eight years ago, Barry Bonds hit his 500th career home run and on this date three years ago, Pedro Martinez won his 200th game. Both players are likely headed to Cooperstown, neither player has retired and yet both players are without a team. As we wrap up the second week of the '09 season, let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- Surviving Grady fancies the Red Sox new Canadian import, Jason Bay, who is helping Bostonians forget all about…what was his name?
- UmpBump puts together an impressive roster of players Ned Colletti "gave up on."
- The Ghost of Moonlight Graham shows that history does not favor pitchers taken with the top pick of the draft. In fact, they also show that of the best pitchers acquired via the draft in the last 20 years, only Dwight Gooden was drafted in the first five picks.
- Jorge Says No puts together a roster of the worst free agent contracts of the last five years.
- Feeling Dodger Blue looks at the Dodgers' most recent top picks, both pitchers, and both appear to finally be healthy.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here or on Twitter.