Angels Standing Pat With Current Outfield
Angels GM Tony Reagins told Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times Wednesday that his club is "not likely" to retain outfielder Garret Anderson. Reagins also mentioned that the organization has no plans to pursue free agent outfielders Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu or Pat Burrell. Reagins, of course, had already written off the idea of the Halos inking Manny Ramirez.
The Angels already have a fine outfield built around Vladimir Guerrero, Juan Rivera and Torii Hunter, with Reggie Willits providing depth off the bench. Gary Matthews Jr. probably won’t be ready for Opening Day after undergoing knee surgery in October, but he’ll also be a major contributor.
Trading Partners For The Yankees
Reports are all over the place about the Yankees being too stocked with corner outfielders. The four names that continue to surface are Xavier Nady, Hideki Matsui, Nick Swisher and Johnny Damon. Here’s a list of stories about potential trading partners:
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Joel Sherman of the N.Y. Post thinks the Angels, Rays, Rangers and A’s could be possibilities, but he reminds us that there still are a number of similar-style hitters on the free agent market.
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MLB.com writer Chris Haft thinks the San Francisco Giants could be a good suitor for Xavier Nady, who grew up in the Bay area.
Cardinals Practice Patience
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the St. Louis Cardinals are taking a patient approach to the free agent market. Cardinals management is being cautious after making offers early in the offseason that didn’t receive much response.
That status stands for free agent closer Brian Fuentes, who had an offer from the Cardinals before the franchise pulled it. Goold notes that the Los Angeles Angels have become suitors for Fuentes.
No Manny For Angels, Mets
8:19pm: Dan Graziano says Omar Minaya is unable to convince Mets ownership to allow him to pursue Manny, much to Scott Boras’ chagrin. Will Manny have to go crawling back to the Dodgers, as Graziano puts it?
2:07pm: MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger talked to Angels GM Tony Reagins, who said:
"Manny Ramirez will not play for the Angels in 2009, or beyond, for that matter."
Rosenthal’s Latest: Bradley, Burrell, Dunn
Ken Rosenthal filed a new column earlier today.
- The Angels are lukewarm on Manny Ramirez, and for now are talking about filling their lineup with internal candidates.
- Kevin Towers says that if the Jake Peavy sweepstakes heats back up, "nobody is going to know it." Rosenthal discusses the chances of the Angels or Cubs.
- Mark Teixeira is "almost certain" to get an escape clause in his deal.
- The Cubs are confident about signing Milton Bradley, but the Rays, Yankees, and Nationals are interested too.
- Rosenthal looks at possibilities for Pat Burrell, discussing the Rays, Mariners, Rangers, and Reds.
- The Brewers expressed interest in Adam Dunn as they were mulling a Mike Cameron trade (Corey Hart would’ve played center).
- Bobby Abreu "remains in touch with the Yankees." Surprisingly to hear, as the two sides reportedly had not spoken for quite a while.
- The Rangers would like to move some salary, with Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, and Hank Blalock the candidates.
- The Royals like Jerry Hairston Jr., but don’t have the money to sign him.
Mark Teixeira Rumors: Monday
8:07pm: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says baseball people expect Teixeira to sign before Thursday. Rival execs see the Red Sox as the favorite. The Orioles and Nationals remain engaged; the Yankees are the wild card. Heyman says the Yanks would only want to spend slightly more than the $161MM they committed to C.C. Sabathia.
7:20pm: Roch Kubatko of MASN Online learned from multiple sources that the Nationals "have sweetened their proposal to Teixeira, offering him an eight-year deal worth $178-184MM." He’s been told they’re willing to go nine years and there’s been talk of ten.
9:02am: ESPN’s Buster Olney sums up the Mark Teixeira situation in his blog today. Olney says Teixeira’s "leverage has probably maxed out, and now only runs the risk of being diminished." The status of the involved teams:
- Angels: out of the running.
- Yankees: Olney says they initially made an offer that was markedly less than other teams, and have since withdrawn it.
- Orioles: Olney says they’re at seven years, $140MM (as opposed to the $140-150MM range we’ve seen reported). Offer has not been upgraded.
- Nationals: eight years, $160MM based on published reports. Olney is not sure whether the Nats have raised this offer but heard from confidants of "one high-ranking executive" that they have not. Olney’s Nationals sources expressed pessimism about their chances.
- Joe Posnanski: out of the bidding.
- Red Sox: Were willing to do $170-175MM when they flew out to meet Teixeira and Scott Boras; "might be nudged to $180MM." We know that the Red Sox did not pull their offer, but haven’t spoken to Boras since Thursday night.
- Olney wonders: will Boras shoot for $190MM with the intent of topping Derek Jeter‘s $189MM? If he tops it, Boras would secure the third-largest contract in MLB history for Teixeira (with his Alex Rodriguez deals taking the first two slots).
How Will The Angels Spend Their Money?
12:02pm: Boras gave a prepared statement regarding the Angels and Tex, saying that the player’s interest has been sincere. Boras left the door open for the Angels, but why wouldn’t he?
11:28am: So the Angels are out of the running for Mark Teixeira. Now what? They’ve re-signed Juan Rivera, making Manny Ramirez a "reach" according to Jerry Crasnick’s source. Mike DiGiovanna has suggestions:
The Angels…could also look to bolster their offense by pursuing a free-agent outfielder such as Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell, Adam Dunn, or, possibly, Manny. Or, they could look to trade for a hitter such as Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko, Garrett Atkins or Joey Votto. They will probably use some of the money budgeted for Teixeira to sign closer Brian Fuentes, who is seeking a three-year, $30-million deal and has said that the Angels are his first choice.
Votto seems a long shot to be traded. Acquiring Dye or Atkins would require young pitching the Halos may not be able to spare. Adding another outfielder would not be ideal, with Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, Rivera, and Gary Matthews Jr. in the mix for those three spots and the DH spot. Still, it could be done. Burrell or Dunn can at least play some first base. The Konerko idea seems reasonable, if he’d approve the trade.
Mark Teixeira Rumors: Sunday
11:37pm: Kat O’Brien and Ken Davidoff have a new column up. They say that despite John Henry’s Thursday statement, the Red Sox did not pull their $170-180MM offer. The Yankees have not made an offer; they’re debating it internally.
6:18pm: The Angels confirmed to Mike DiGiovanna that they’ve pulled their offer and are no longer pursuing Teixeira.
6:02pm: Brown, who seemingly had the Angels’ withdrawn offer scoop first, has more. He says Arte Moreno decided that Tex did not intend to play for the Angels and were being used to drive up the price.
Brown also learned that the Red Sox have not spoken to Boras since Thursday night.
5:15pm: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Angels withdrew their offer to Teixeira. He says the Angels’ decision "appears more final" than Boston’s "not going to be a factor" statement. Rosenthal believes the Angels offered around $160MM over eight years, but Tex wants to be on the East Coast. Tim Brown says the Halos will not re-enter the bidding for Teixeira.
1:56pm: A few Mark Teixeira notes from Buster Olney’s blog this morning:
Olney talked to someone who talked to a member of the Nationals’ front office. The word is that the Nationals "absolutely do not expect to win the bidding for Teixeira."
Olney also heard that the Yankees did make an offer to Tex at some point, but it’s now off the table. Kat O’Brien explains that Scott Boras is trying to bring the Yankees into the bidding, and their front office is divided.
Dan Graziano says Teixeira is "as on-board with the Boras plan as any client he’s ever had besides his ultimate client, Alex Rodriguez." Stan McNeal offers a Boras translation machine at Sporting News.
Olney: Latest On Fuentes
Buster Olney has an update on the future of Brian Fuentes. Fuentes will likely not be receiving the three-year, $30MM deal he was recently hoping for, says Olney, and could expect something closer to $15-18MM over the same three year period.
Olney looks at ten teams that could end up with Fuentes, with the St. Louis Cardinals at the top of the list (although it’s not quite clear that the ten teams are ranked on likelihood of acquiring the free agent). The Cardinals have been linked to Fuentes quite often this offseason, but are perhaps waiting for the price to come down on the free agent.
The Angels and Brewers are also mentioned; both these teams will need to replace their 2008 closers. Slightly more puzzling is Olney’s inclusion of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
Alex Walsh can be reached at alexwalshatmlbtr@gmail.com.
Mark Teixeira Rumors: Saturday
11:01pm: Michael S. Schmidt at the New York Times writes:
"The Yankees are interested in signing Teixeira, according to two people in baseball with knowledge of the matter, but for the moment are unwilling to pay him more than $160 million over eight years, one of them said."
10:18pm: An update from Kat O’Brien at Newsday says "the Yankees remain on the periphery of the bidding" for Teixeira.
Scott Boras has apparently contacted Brian Cashman to inform him that an 8-year/$180MM contract would be needed to land Tex. This contradicts recent reports that estimate that the Boston Red Sox have made such an offer, since they have not signed the free agent yet.
The article also reiterates the fact that the Yankees do not have an offer out to Teixeira.
6:50pm: Lyle Spencer and Bill Ladson of MLB.com report that Teixeira will decide on where to sign in the next few days.
12:49pm: Jack Curry of the New York Times examines Boras’ "patient, defiant style" and suggests the Red Sox are throwing it right back at him.
Roch Kubatko talks about how Washington’s Ted Lerner is the one owner who could blow the other teams away with a Teixeira offer. Many people seem to believe they’re willing to go to ten years, $200MM. Bill Madden suggests Lerner could be this year’s "One Dumb Owner."
9:24am: Yesterday we tracked the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes as the Red Sox seemed to back out, but ultimately remained interested; the rumors continue today.
Jon Heyman writes that talks have resumed between Scott Boras and the Yankees and Angels. The Yankee front office is still deciding which slugger to pursue: Teixeira or Manny Ramirez. Heyman sees signs that "the Angels might be readying for a move," since owner Arte Moreno could consider boosting his bid from the $160-170MM range.
Heyman hears that the Red Sox bid close to $180MM, but ESPN.com reports that their bid was $165-170MM. ESPN heard from an "executive familiar with the meeting" between Teixeira’s people and the Red Sox that Scott Boras seeks an eight-year deal worth $195MM.
However, when Jerry Crasnick asked Boras about this figure, he heard it was "inaccurate" and that there was "very limited discussion of economic considerations" Thursday night.
Adam Kilgore heard from a GM involved with Teixeira who believes "the Red Sox have the best offer on the table."
Michael Silverman thinks the Red Sox need to go all out for Tex and Peter Schmuck doesn’t want a few million dollars to stop the O’s from signing him.