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Schilling Names Targets

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UPDATE, 10-31-07: Gordon Edes and Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe spoke to a Red Sox source who does not expect Schilling to return to the team.  The Red Sox will offer an incentive-based contract.  The source added that Tim Wakefield’s option is likely to be exercised.

FROM 10/30/07:

Interesting.  After Boston, Curt Schilling has 12 teams he’d consider pitching for in 2008.  Here they are:

Indians
Tigers
Angels
Mets
Phillies
Braves
Dodgers
Padres
Diamondbacks
Cubs
Cardinals
Brewers

Schilling had talked about the idea of going somewhere he could tutor young pitchers, like Tampa Bay.  But it sounds like that idea is out and he wants to play for a contender.  Not that the Rays can’t contend in ’08.  I’m curious as to why the White Sox and Rockies were excluded, but who knows.

That’s a nice extensive list, so it should be fun if Boston passes.  At a reasonable one-year commitment, any of the dozen should have interest no matter what their rotation looks like.

Brewers To Decline Jenkins’ Option

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Geoff Jenkins for $9MM?  The Brewers prefer the $1MM buyout.  Tom Haurdricourt says the Brewers never seriously considered exercising it, though Jeff Sackmann has shown it isn’t a no-brainer.

Haurdricourt believes the Brewers will go for a one-year stopgap left fielder rather than move Bill Hall or Ryan Braun there or promote Matt La Porta.  Barry Bonds would be an intriguing if unexpected addition.  Guys like Cliff Floyd, Luis Gonzalez, Shannon Stewart, or Brad Wilkerson could be considered.  Or Doug Melvin could even try to pry Adam Dunn away from the division-rival Reds.

As for Jenkins, the Tigers seem to be the early favorite.   

Koskie to Return as Free Agent

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Here’s a feel good story from The Star Tribune:  Third baseman Corey Koskie has fully recovered from the post-concussion syndrome that sidelined him for half of the 2006 and the entirety of the 2007 seasons.  Doom and gloom loomed earlier this month as the Brewers declined his $6.5MM option and retirement seemed a legitimate possibility for the big Canadian.

Koskie has recovered from his persistent headaches and can be considered an official free agent in the weak 2008 third base market at the moment consisting of Pedro Feliz, Mike Lamb, and Mike Lowell.

The 34 year old hasn’t played 100 games in any of the last 3 seasons; however, he still displays 20 HR power when active.  That production potential alone makes him a decent 1-year bargain option to be had for conceivably around $4-5MM.

Posted by Nat Boyle

Odds and Ends

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More random rumors and reading material!

  • Baseball Prospectus’ Nate Silver discusses Ryan Braun’s undeniably terrible defense at third base, suggesting some interesting trade and signing permutations to get him into right field.  Also note that Kevin Kouzmanoff is a butcher at third; maybe the Friars will be in the market for Mike Lowell this winter (a player they’ve expressed interest in in the past).
  • Awesome headline for this Garrett Atkins article.  Steve King discusses how the Phillies would be a fine fit for a trade, throwing the Dodgers, Twins, Angels, and Astros into the mix as well.  Note that Atkins has a career line of .269/.344/.437 on the road and .336/.399/.528 at Coors.
  • Sid Hartman is hearing that Walt Jocketty could end up in Baltimore.
  • The Daily Herald’s Scot Gregor proposes some kind of Jon Garland for Bill Hall swap, or even a Carl Crawford acquisition by the White Sox.  I don’t think the Sox and Rays match up too well for that. 
  • I thought he’d stay, but Joe Torre has turned down a one-year, $5MM offer from the Yankees.  The proposal had another $3MM in incentives and a vesting option for 2009 if the Yanks won the ’08 World Series.
  • It’s Hiroshima or MLB for Hiroki Kuroda.  Apparently the Ms already have their eye on him.  Paul Sullivan also said recently that the Cubs will be in the mix.

Melvin To Speak With Francisco Cordero

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Brewers GM Doug Melvin has been talking about keeping Francisco Cordero in Milwaukee since at least mid-September.  Jason Isringhausen is off the market, though he didn’t get an extension.  Cordero’s agent, Bean Stringfellow, might be wise to wait and see what Mariano Rivera signs for first.  Said Stringfellow (via Buster Olney):

It’s a good time to be Francisco Cordero.

Stringfellow snagged Billy Wagner a four-year, $43MM deal in November of 2005.  He’ll probably seek something similar for Cordero, who doesn’t quite have the track record of dominance that Wagner had.

Olney mentions that Melvin will meet with Stringfellow this week and believes the Brewers have a legitimate chance to sign him.  They definitely have room in the budget for Cordero and then some.

Random Rumors

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Some random rumors to help you get through your Thursday morning…

  • As you might imagine, the Rangers are keenly watching and hoping Alex Rodriguez opts out of his contract.  That would free up $7MM for them in each of the next three years.  Rangers’ manager Ron Washington’s wish list includes a center fielder, corner outfielder, and first baseman.  The Rangers have been connected to Torii Hunter quite a bit, but they’ll have plenty of competition.
  • Will the exchange rate free up a bunch of money for the Blue Jays?  Perhaps even enough to make a pass at A-Rod?  Hey, fans can dream.  Mine!
  • Something I didn’t mention yesterday – Elijah Dukes is playing winter ball.  The Rays still don’t seem to have any room for him in the outfield or at DH.  Maybe the Marlins will get involved again?  Would Kevin Gregg work?    
  • Gordon Wittenmyer thinks the Cubs should keep Jacque Jones for 2008, which makes sense.  Wittenmyer also believes 22 year-old Felix Pie with 194 big league plate appearances, has proven conclusively that he can’t hit Major League pitching.  His suggestion is to trade Pie now.
  • Larry Borowsky wants the Cardinals to sign Milton Bradley.   
  • Jeff Sackmann recommends against Geoff Jenkins’ $9MM option for ’08, but the decision was tougher than you think.

Brewers Hope To Keep Cordero, Linebrink

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A couple of high-priced pieces of Milwaukee’s bullpen have reached free agency – Francisco Cordero and Scott Linebrink.  According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Brewers will make an aggressive offer to Cordero and hope to retain Linebrink as well.

My hunch is that both players leave for greener pastures.  Cordero seems likely to earn at least a four-year, $40MM deal.  That’s elite closer territory.  Linebrink should be compensated in the three years, $15-18MM range.  While backloading is possible, the Brewers would be looking at adding $15MM per year on average to keep this pair.

My back of the napkin math says the Crew has around $60MM committed for ’08.  Only Ben Sheets will make more than $10MM.  The Brewers’ Opening Day ’07 payroll was about $71MM, so there is room in the budget for both Cordero and Linebrink.  The team’s core players are very good and very cheap.  The time to strike in free agency is now, so I actually endorse some pricier bullpen/rotation signings to get the team over the hump next year.  I might go after Cordero but let Linebrink go.  The Brewers could take payroll to a mere $80MM and have the best team in the NL Central.

Brewers Hope To Retain Francisco Cordero

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This may just be feel-good lip service, but both Francisco Cordero and Doug Melvin are talking about keeping the closer in Milwaukee. 

There are a decent number of free agents with closing experience.  But if you take Mariano Rivera and Jason Isringhausen off the board, Cordero’s the best available.  As pitchers often do, Cordero’s improved his control and strikeout rate coming over to the NL.

In a market where setup men are priced at three years and $5-6MM annually, Cordero figures to cost $10MM over four years at the least.  It’d probably make sense for Cordero to wait and see what Rivera and Isringhausen get in terms of average annual value.  Cordero’s agent Bean Stringfellow got Billy Wagner his four-year, $43MM contract in November of ’05.

Padres Like Josh Towers

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Throw 30 year-old starter Josh Towers into a big ol’ ballpark in the National League, and he could be a very useful back-rotation guy.  The Jays already saw this happen with Dave Bush.  With a 3.6 K/BB and a home run problem, Towers is definitely San Diego’s type.

Turns out that Padres GM Kevin Towers pursued Josh Towers this summer but wouldn’t part with Nick Hundley, Will Venable, or David Freese.  The Jays can either go to arbitration with Towers this winter or nontender him.  Even if arbitration would result in a salary around $4MM, it might make sense to sign and then trade him.

You can view my complete list of non-tender candidates here.

Another tidbit: the same San Diego Union-Tribune column linked above mentions that the Padres asked for Tony Gwynn Jr. from the Brewers during the Scott Linebrink discussions.

Random Rumors: Erstad, Gagne, Podsednik

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Here’s a smattering of random rumors.

  • The Twins have tried and failed to acquire Mike Piazza, Jermaine Dye, and Kevin Mench.  Instead of Dye, the White Sox offered up 33 year-old outfielder Darin Erstad, he of the .671 OPS. The Twins passed.
  • Eric Gagne will apparently earn Type A status as a free agent, despite pitching only two innings in 2006.  Rob Bradford has the details.  This was apparently a big factor for the Red Sox in making the deal.
  • The Chicago Sun-Times debunks a rumor that the Cubs are trying to trade for Scott Podsednik.  How come I wasn’t told about this rumor previously?  Who started it?  I feel left out. 
  • The Pirates and Tigers are still talking about Jack Wilson.  Apparently the deadline version of the deal died when the Bucs asked for Craig Monroe.  Really?  The deal died over that guy?
  • Gordon Edes has a Major League source indicating that the Orioles are "the kind of team that might have interest" in Wily Mo Pena.  That’s not the same as saying that they do have interest, however.
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