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Cafardo’s Latest: Manny, Sheets, Glavine

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The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo shares some notes on Manny Ramirez and around the league. Let’s have a look, bullet-point style:

  • He cites an AL Exec who says, "I’ll be honest, I never thought Ramirez would walk away from… one year, $25 million. That’s better than the $20 million option he had torn up… If he has another great year, he gets another $25 million for one year? Or maybe a team then decides, ’OK, this guy has behaved himself for a while, continues to produce at a high level now, let’s commit for another two years to him.’ Unless a team like the Yankees comes in at the last minute and gets it done, I just don’t see where he’s going to make more than $25 million." Cafardo adds that "Brian Cashman insists it won’t happen."
  • A quote from Rich Hill on his being traded to the Orioles: "[Cubs general manager] Jim Hendry really took care of me. He wanted to create an opportunity for me that he told me probably didn’t exist in Chicago, so I’m grateful. I know Baltimore tried to deal for me last year and it didn’t work out, but this time they made it work." Hill also adds that he’s over his back injury and will rediscover his control.
  • Ben Sheets not signing anywhere until June hurts the Brewers two-fold: they may have to foot the bill for the surgery and won’t receive a first round draft pick for losing a Type-A free agent. Sheets has a torn flexor tendon, as revealed by an exam with the Texas Rangers. On the other hand, MLBTR has noted that in June, after his surgery, he won’t cost a draft pick to sign.
  • Andruw Jones on playing in Boston: "It’s too cold there. There’s too much stuff going on."
  • Bobby Abreu may have to settle for a one or two year deal at $3MM. Cafardo lists the Angels, Mets, Braves, Dodgers, and Mariners.
  • Expect an incentive-laden deal for one year between Tom Glavine and the Braves. As MLBTR has noted, their latest offer was between $1-2MM with no incentives.
  • Mark Mulder could be a useful back end starter and he’s almost ready to put himself on display to teams.
  • Shea Hillenbrand is 32 and receiving no interest. Cafardo wonders if he’s "being punished for past transgressions?"
  • Cubs, White Sox, and Dodgers are lined up for Orlando Hudson; however, the transfer of ownership may have temporarily tied the hands of Jim Hendry to do anything until Tom Ricketts takes over.
  • The A’s are continuously interested in Orlando Cabrera, Adam Dunn, and Abreu.

Ben Sheets To Have Elbow Surgery

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3:39pm: SI.com’s Jon Heyman talked to Sheets’ agent Casey Close, who said his client will have elbow surgery.  Sheets hopes for a July or August return.  Tom Haudricourt says Sheets expects the Brewers to pay for the procedure.

1:56pm: ESPN’s Jayson Stark says the surgery Sheets is considering has a standard 9-10 month recovery time, jeopardizing his 2009 season.  Stark adds that "some teams that had pursued Sheets this winter seemed to be more concerned about his shoulder than his elbow."

Ken Rosenthal says Sheets is "seriously considering" surgery, with the goal of pitching in the second half.

12:45pm: According to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and T.R. Sullivan, Ben Sheets has a torn flexor tendon in his elbow that might require surgery.  There is some debate as to whether the Brewers would have to pay for the procedure.  The Rangers and Sheets agreed to a two-year deal last week, but the physical threw a wrench into it.  GM Jon Daniels says he’s not optimistic at this point.

The injury first surfaced late in the ’08 season, but until Sheets’ physical with the Rangers it was thought that rehab would be sufficient.  As many readers have pointed out, if Sheets has surgery and signs after the June draft he’ll no longer cost a draft pick to sign.

Brewers Acquire Chase Wright, Ramiro Mendoza

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According to a press release, the Brewers acquired pitcher Chase Wright from the Yankees for outfielder/catcher Eric Fryer.

Wright, who turns 26 in a few days, spent most of 2008 with the Yankees’ Double A and Triple A clubs.  He posted strong ERAs and strong groundball rates, but low strikeout rates as well.  In their 2007 Handbook, Baseball America said Wright had "solid stuff" and "profiles best at the back of a rotation."  He was designated for assignment when Andy Pettitte was signed.  Fryer, 23, hit .335/.407/.506 in 104 games at Low A.

According to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, the Brewers also added reliever Ramiro Mendoza on a minor league deal.  Mendoza’s last useful big league stint was in ’04 with the Red Sox; he racked up a lot of innings for the Yankees in the late 90s/early 2000s.

Rosenthal On Peavy, Ohman, Looper

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Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

  • Jeff Moorad’s acquistion of the Padres does not affect the likelihood of a Jake Peavy trade, according to Rosenthal’s source.  There have been no recent conversations with the Cubs about Peavy.
  • The Phillies had been confident of signing Ty Wigginton before the Orioles offered two years.  The Phils are still mulling Nomar Garciaparra and Rich Aurilia, with the Giants also in on Aurilia.  The Phillies are out on Will Ohman.
  • Braden Looper is receiving interest from Baltimore, but he prefers the NL.  The Brewers are not optimistic about signing Looper despite a recent conversation with one of his agents (Tom Haudricourt believes the Brewers are "laying in the weeds" for when the right pitcher comes along).  Looper is Plan B behind Randy Wolf for the Dodgers, and not a candidate to return to the Cardinals (who are apparently out of money).  One other team known to have interest in Looper is the Pirates.

Brewers, Weeks Avoid Arbitration

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According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Brewers avoided arbitration with second baseman Rickie Weeks by signing him for 2009.  The deal is worth $2.45MM plus a possible $75K in incentives, according to SI.com’s Jon Heyman.  Weeks had requested $2.8MM while the Brewers countered at $2MM.  He’ll be eligible for free agency after the 2011 season.

Haudricourt notes that the Brewers have one case remaining in Corey Hart ($1.1MM gap).  MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy says his hearing is scheduled for the third week of February.  Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash on the situation: "We still have a basic disagreement in terms of value."

Brew Crew Done Dealing?

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GM Doug Melvin mentioned it back in January and principal owner Mark Attanasio has now confirmed it:  The Brewers have reached their payroll limit and aren’t likely to add a major free agent this offseason.

"When I first bought the team, it was like, ’Are you ever going to get to 40 [million dollars]?’" said Attanasio, who purchased the team following the 2004 season, when the Brewers spent just shy of $28 million on players. "Now, we’re arguing between 82 and 79... There is the potential that prices will continue to come down and somebody may fall, but we don’t want to count on that, because there’s no way of knowing."

Cafardo’s Latest: Players Out Of Options

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Lots of stuff in Nick Cafardo’s column in the Boston Globe to go over.

With around 100 free agents vying for less than 20 remaining roster spots, things become more interesting with 227 players on big-league rosters who are out of options. If a player is out of options and is not rostered, he has to either be traded or designated for assignment. If designated, that player has to clear waivers. This could affect remaining free agent signings. Cafardo makes note of a few who are out of options and may wind up as trade fodder or designated for assignment before the season begins:

Red Sox: George Kottaras
Yankees: Melky Cabrera
Cubs: Chad Gaudin, Rich Hill (possibly heading to Baltimore?)
Brewers: Tony Gwynn Jr.
Indians: Anthony Reyes, Andy Marte
Twins: Boof Bonser, Philip Humber
Rays: Jeff Niemann
Orioles: David Pauley

  • With Jason Varitek re-signed, the Red Sox will either have to trade catcher Kottaras or designate him for assignment.
  • Cafardo notes Niemann is a former No. 1 pick and the righthander should garner some attention.
  • Bonser or Humber could be traded to land a reliever. Cafardo also mentions Delmon Young as a possible trading chip.

A few more bullets from Cafardo’s notebook:

  • Scott Boras thinks the World Baseball Classic will showcase Ivan Rodriguez and generate "even more" interest for the 14-time All-Star catcher.
  • Cafardo mentioned Manny Ramirez to Omar Minaya and Minaya laughed it off saying, "We’ll look into adding some offense, but only if it makes sense."
  • All quiet on the Jake Peavy front.
  • Cafardo calls Randy Johnson’s $8MM deal from the Giants as "a stroke of genius" by his agents.
  • In case you missed it, Bobby Kielty signed a minor-league deal with the Mets last week.

“Zero” Progress With Hart, Weeks

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According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Brewers have not progressed towards agreements in their arbitration cases with Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart.

Assistant GM Gord Ash said they made "zero" progress with the two players.

Hart asked for $3.8MM and was offered $2.7MM while Weeks asked for $2.8MM and was offered $2MM. The club has until February 18th to avoid arbitration.

Rosenthal On Abreu, Garland, Glavine, Sisco

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The latest from Ken Rosenthal…

  • The Mariners and Giants are interested in Bobby Abreu, if the price is right.  Yesterday Buster Olney suggested that Abreu is willing to take a one-year deal.  The A’s and Nationals have other targets, while the Mets, White Sox, and Braves are seen as long shots.
  • Rosenthal examines the nuances of Jon Garland’s December 7th decision to reject arbitration, saying that it wasn’t an obvious mistake at the time.
  • Tom Glavine’s agent Gregg Clifton did not attend yesterday’s meeting with Frank Wren; it was a health update and not a contract negotiation.  Rosenthal says Glavine figures to seek a Freddy Garcia-like deal.  The Braves need to save money to add an outfielder, with Nick Swisher atop their list.  The Yankees’ goal in moving Swisher or Xavier Nady would be to recoup prospects.
  • The Brewers are not interested in projects such as Kris Benson, Jason Jennings, Mark Redman, and Victor Zambrano.  They’re just lukewarm on Mark Mulder.  Benson is drawing interest from the Dodgers, Rangers, and Cardinals; one exec reviewed his audition as "so-so."
  • Rosenthal doesn’t seem to buy the idea that Jason Varitek and Scott Boras feared the Red Sox could cut him if he accepted arbitration, noting that Boras client Travis Lee was advised to accept years ago.
  • The Braves have reservations about re-signing Andruw Jones, who could be a Spring Training cut.
  • The A’s deal for Russ Springer will be worth more than $3MM plus incentives.  They’re also eyeing Brian Shouse and Andrew Sisco as possible pen additions.  Sisco, recovering from Tommy John, has also auditioned for the Rockies and Giants.

Sheets Wants A Guaranteed Contract

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According to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, Ben Sheets and the Brewers have not spoken since the Brewers asked whether Sheets would consider an incentive-based contract similar to John Smoltz’s ($4.5MM in incentives) or Brad Penny’s ($3MM in incentives). It appears that Sheets was not open to an similar offer, but the Brewers won’t offer a multi-year deal.

GM Doug Melvin maintains the club isn’t likely to sign Sheets, but he hasn’t completely ruled out the possibility.

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