Red Sox Rumors

Olney On Orioles, Red Sox, Cubs

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 3, 2011 at 12:20pm CDT

The Orioles have a significant perception problem, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Executives on other teams believe Baltimore’s next general manager will have less power than any other GM in baseball. Here are the details, plus other notes from around MLB:

Orioles owner Peter Angelos is less involved in baseball operations than it may seem and manager Buck Showalter would love to work with bright executives, but outside executives don’t see Baltimore as an attractive place to work.
Jerry Dipoto and Tony LaCava have turned away the Orioles in favor of other teams and some other highly-regarded assistant GMs have said they wouldn’t be interested if Baltimore called.
One executive suggested Showalter should take over as GM and hire a new field manager, according to Olney.
Red Sox executive Allard Baird has come up in the Orioles’ GM conversations, according to Olney (on Twitter). Here are the latest details on Baltimore’s search.
Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum has a good chance of obtaining his first permanent job as an MLB manager, since the Cubs and Red Sox are both interested in his services. As Olney notes, the Red Sox and Cubs are working from similar managerial lists.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Oswalt, Sabathia

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 2, 2011 at 7:10pm CDT

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington confirmed to reporters that the Red Sox and Cubs have obtained a one-week extension to work out compensation for former Boston GM Theo Epstein. Here are some more notes from the division, starting with the Red Sox…

Peter Gammons of MLB Network said on WEEI's Mut & Merloni show that he won't be surprised if David Ortiz returns to the Red Sox this offseason.
Though the Red Sox have considered moving Daniel Bard to the rotation, Gammons has heard it's not likely. Jerry Spar has the details at WEEI.com.
The Red Sox are in talks with Ortiz and, to a lesser extent, with Jonathan Papelbon, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (on Twitter).
It's highly unlikely that the Yankees will sign Roy Oswalt, according to Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com. The club's worried about Oswalt's injury history, according to Matthews. Oswalt had multiple stints on the DL with lower back issues in 2011.
The Yankees are "open-minded" about the possibility of moving A.J. Burnett or anyone else without a full no-trade clause, according to Chad Jennings of the Journal News. However, the GM sees value in the innings Burnett has provided.
Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues expects Jesus Montero to open the 2012 season with the Yankees, but he wonders if New York could obtain Mat Latos, Jaime Garcia or Jordan Zimmermann for the catching prospect.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes a detailed look at C.C. Sabathia’s vesting option for 2017.
For the latest on the Orioles’ GM search, click here.

Red Sox Notes: Mike Maddux, Dale Sveum, Ortiz

By Mike Axisa | November 1, 2011 at 9:00pm CDT

Here are some links from New England while we wait for the Red Sox and Cubs to finally decide on compensation for Theo Epstein…

SI.com's Jon Heyman reports (on Twitter) that the Red Sox have not yet asked the Rangers for permission to interview pitching coach Mike Maddux, but he's seen as a likely candidate for their pitching coach job.
In another tweet, Heyman says that Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum has a good chance at the Red Sox's and the Cubs' managerial jobs. Sveum served as Boston's third base coach from 2004-2005.
In a Twitter chat with fans, GM Ben Cherington confirmed that Sveum will be in for an interview tomorrow. The full chat transcript can be found here.
The Red Sox haven't made David Ortiz an offer, according to the Boston Herald. The DH is seeking a three-year deal.

Cubs Notes: Ramirez, Zambrano, Epstein

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 1, 2011 at 5:55pm CDT

Today the Cubs introduced two of the top assistants for president of baseball operations Theo Epstein. They named Jed Hoyer their executive VP and general manager and Jason McLeod their senior VP of scouting and player development. Here's the latest from this afternoon's press conference:

Though Epstein didn’t rule anything out, he said free agent third baseman Aramis Ramirez will probably not return to Chicago. “Likely he'll be moving on," Epstein said, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter links).
Epstein says he had an enlightening conversation with Carlos Zambrano’s agent and is looking forward to speaking to the right-hander himself, according to Wittenmyer.
The Cubs expect to reach a decision on manager Mike Quade’s future within a week, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com (Twitter links).
MLB may give the Cubs and Red Sox an extension to determine appropriate compensation for Epstein, Boston’s former GM, according to Muskat.
Hoyer stressed the importance of building from within today, according to Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald (on Twitter). "Relying on external solutions to building a winning baseball team is a bad idea, and it's something we need to get past," the GM said.

Red Sox Rumors: Sizemore, Shortstops, Sabathia

By Tim Dierkes | November 1, 2011 at 9:21am CDT

The latest Red Sox rumors, courtesy of Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald…

The Red Sox are expected to explore signing free agent Grady Sizemore as a right field option, a team source tells Silverman. Sizemore would not rule out playing a corner outfield position for the first time in his MLB career, said agent Joe Urbon. An incentive-laden contract for Sizemore would likely include a player option, writes Silverman. Sizemore ranks 26th on my top 50 free agents list.
Predict which top free agents the Red Sox and other teams will sign in our new contest for a chance to win awesome prizes.
In declining Dan Wheeler's $3MM option yesterday, new Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said, "We didn’t feel like we could commit to that money this early in the offseason."
Cherington hinted that the team's shortstop surplus could be helpful on the trade market.
The Red Sox made no offer for Derek Lowe, said Cherington.
The Red Sox were "expected to go after C.C. Sabathia hard, if only to drive his price tag in New York higher," hears Silverman. Sabathia completed a contract extension last night.
Though Commissioner Bud Selig could step in as early as today to resolve the Theo Epstein compensation talks, Silverman doesn't think it's a hard deadline.

Red Sox Notes: Manager, Ortiz, Papelbon

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | October 31, 2011 at 9:21pm CDT

The Red Sox declined their club options on relievers Dan Wheeler and Scott Atchison today. Here are more details on the Red Sox, who have formally begun their managerial search…

Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin interviewed for Boston's managerial opening today and told reporters, including Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald, that he's hoping for the job. "The way I look at it is, who wouldn’t want to manage the Boston Red Sox?”
Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum will interview for Boston's managerial opening Wednesday, according to Lauber (on Twitter). Boston hasn't yet asked for permission to interview others.
Red Sox GM Ben Cherington hopes to name a manager by Thanksgiving, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (on Twitter).
Cherington doesn't expect to reach a deal with David Ortiz or Jonathan Papelbon before the players hit free agency on Thursday, according to Lauber (on Twitter).

Red Sox Decline Options On Wheeler, Atchison

By Tim Dierkes | October 31, 2011 at 1:28pm CDT

The Red Sox declined their club options on relievers Dan Wheeler and Scott Atchison, announced the team. Atchison remains on the team's 40-man roster.

Wheeler, a Type B free agent, had no buyout on his contract. The 33-year-old posted a 4.38 ERA, 7.1 K/9, 1.5 BB/9, 1.28 HR/9, and 32% groundball rate in 49 1/3 innings for the Red Sox. He missed time due to calf and forearm injuries.

Red Sox Pick Up Scutaro’s 2012 Option

By Steve Adams | October 30, 2011 at 5:26pm CDT

The Red Sox have exercised their $6MM option on Marco Scutaro for the 2012 season, tweets Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. The team has confirmed the move in a press release.

Scutaro, who turns 35 today, enjoyed arguably the best offensive season of his career in 2011. In 113 games, he batted .299/.358/.423 while playing slightly above average defense at shortstop (according to UZR). Scutaro's offensive production and solid glove make a $6MM salary for 2012 a bargain.

While the move was expected, this news confirms that the market for shortstops will be even thinner beyond the two premier names atop the list: Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins. Players such as Clint Barmes, Jamey Carroll, and Alex Gonzalez (to name a few) figure to benefit from Scutaro's absence on the open market. This move represents the first official transaction for new Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington.

Red Sox Notes: Ortiz, Manager, Compensation, Lackey

By Luke Adams 2 | October 30, 2011 at 1:29pm CDT

We heard earlier today that the Red Sox have yet to make a formal contract offer to Jonathan Papelbon. Now let's round up another handful of offseason items out of Boston….

Boston has yet to make a contract offer to David Ortiz but the sides are expected to speak soon, possibly tomorrow, a source familiar with the talks told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.
The Red Sox will begin to interview managerial candidates early this week, starting with Pete Mackanin and Dale Sveum, according to WEEI's Rob Bradford.
With Bud Selig looking more likely to intervene in discussions between the Red Sox and Cubs on Theo Epstein compensation, ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider link) predicts that the Sox won't get much for their former GM. Olney writes that the league has attempted to "tamp down the perceived value of executives," and that a huge return for Epstein wouldn't be consistent with those efforts.
A source tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that the Red Sox attempted to convince John Lackey to get Tommy John surgery as early as April, but the right-hander refused.
In his weekly column for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo surveys executives and evaluators, asking whether a club might sign David Ortiz to play first base this winter. The answers ranged from "no way" to "he's athletic enough to be able to pull it off."
From the team's perspective, there's no rush to try to lock up Jacoby Ellsbury to a long-term extension, argues Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.

Red Sox Haven’t Made Offer To Papelbon

By Luke Adams 2 | October 30, 2011 at 8:56am CDT

As of today, players with expired contracts are eligible to file for free agency, but teams still have until Thursday at 12:01am ET to exclusively negotiate with their free agents. So far though, the Red Sox have yet to make a contract offer to closer Jonathan Papelbon, according to WEEI's Rob Bradford.

During his introductory press conference this week, Ben Cherington indicated there had been some dialogue with Papelbon and that he expects the two sides to continue to talk. However, the new Red Sox GM tells Bradford that he doesn't expect a contract to be signed before Thursday: "My impression is that Pap will probably get into free agency. I'm not ruling anything out, but that's my impression."

The Red Sox figure to offer Papelbon arbitration in November, so if the Type-A free agent does sign with another club, the Sox would snag two draft picks out of the deal. For a more in-depth look at Papelbon's free agent stock, check out MLBTR's Dan Mennella's piece from back in August.

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