AL East Links: Lowell, Guerrero, Jeter
This round of Monday afternoon links includes updates on one player who is leaving the AL East, one who is just arriving in it and one who has played his entire career there…
- Former Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he knows he'll miss playing this year, though his transition to retirement has been smooth so far.
- Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun explains that Orioles owner Peter Angelos and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail wanted to sign Vladimir Guerrero and that Guerrero wasn't wavering on his $8MM asking price. The sides agreed to a deal last Friday.
- Derek Jeter tells Brian Costello of the New York Post that that he's "done with" feeling hurt by his contract negotiations with the Yankees and not worried about potential position switches.
Quick Hits: Diamondbacks, Guerrero, Marcum, Pence
Football will dominate today's sports headlines, but ESPN.com's Jayson Stark tweets some good news for baseball fans – Super Sunday also represents the start of the last week without baseball until November! Here are today's links, as the Packers and Steelers prepare to square off in Texas….
- The Diamondbacks could hit it big in the draft this year, a rival scout tells Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Arizona will hold the No. 3 and No. 7 picks this June.
- It's time to give Peter Angelos and the Orioles credit for signing Vladimir Guerrero, writes Kevin Cowherd of The Baltimore Sun. The big ticket signing is the latest move made by the O's who will see their payroll jump from $73MM in 2010 to $93MM in 2011.
- Francisco Liriano's $4.3MM salary could impact the Brewers' negotiations with Shaun Marcum, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Both pitchers submitted a $5MM figure. Milwaukee countered with $3MM while the Twins offered Liriano $3.6MM before settling on a $4.3MM mark last week.
- An arbitration hearing for Hunter Pence and the Astros has been set for February 18th, reports Stephen Goff of the Houston Astros Examiner. As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, Pence is Houston's last remaining case, and the two sides' figures are $1.75MM apart.
- Within a piece on the Rays' bullpen, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune writes that the team is waiting until early this week to make roster moves to free room on the 40-man roster for Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez.
- The Yankees' hunt for starting pitching and the Mets' financial issues will get more attention, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post thinks the more intriguing stories in New York involve the futures of the two starting shortstops.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer previews some storylines and poses some questions for the Reds as they prepare for the season.
Cafardo’s Latest: Pettitte, Millwood, Blanton
Even now that Andy Pettitte has announced his retirement, it seems the debate over whether he'll pitch again won't die. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe talked to one scout who, following Pettitte's press conference, was still unconvinced the left-hander is done for good.
"I get the feeling his career isn’t over. For one, he can still pitch at a high level. Secondly, he didn’t retire with any conviction. The stuff about going back and forth on whether or not to pitch leads me to believe he’ll decide to pitch again."
Whether or not the scout is on to something, the Yankees are looking elsewhere for starting pitching. Cafardo has a couple notes on their search among this week's hot stove updates….
- We heard yesterday that the Indians were "making progress" with Kevin Millwood, who is talking to multiple clubs. Cafardo names the Yankees, Mets, and Tribe as teams still in on the right-hander, with salary as the primary hang-up. Given Scott Boras' success so far this offseason, it would actually be somewhat surprising if he and Millwood don't eventually get what they're asking for.
- The Yanks will "see what they have" with pitchers like Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, and Sergio Mitre before they consider trading for someone like Joe Blanton.
- The Red Sox are eyeing former Yankee Alfredo Aceves as a potential injury rehab project.
- According to Cafardo, it would be the "shock of the century" if Adrian Gonzalez and the Red Sox don't come to terms on a contract extension by the end of Spring Training.
Quick Hits: Vlad, Brewers, Yankees, Pujols
Nine years ago today, MLB announced it had withdrawn its plan to contract the Twins and Expos due to legal issues and major opposition from the players' union. Minnesota has won six division titles and moved into Target Field since then, and they now boast a $100MM+ payroll. The Expos have since relocated to Washington and moved into Nationals Park, and this winter they handed out their first $100MM+ contract.
Here's some links for Saturday…
- Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports (on Twitter) that Vladimir Guerrero is scheduled to take his physical with the Orioles this upcoming Friday in Baltimore.
- Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio spoke to Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel about letting talent dictate the team's payroll as opposed to spending for the sake of spending.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman wasn't terribly interested in the starters that were left on the open market after Cliff Lee signed with the Phillies, writes Chad Jennings of The LoHud Yankees Blog.
- In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney says there does not to appear to have been much progress in talks about a long-term contract extension between the Cardinals and Albert Pujols. The Spring Training deadline is about two weeks away.
- Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun says the Guerrero signing has created some questions, such as what the Orioles' Opening Day payroll will be.
- Minor league contract signees Eric Chavez and Ronnie Belliard will compete with four homegrown players for two spots on the Yankees' bench according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but he notes that Ramiro Pena and Eduardo Nunez have an advantage because they can play shortstop.
Yankees Notes: Pettitte, Williams, Chavez
Earlier this week, Andy Pettitte announced his retirement, bringing an end to months of speculation. Well, for the most part anyway. Here's some news on the left-hander and other Yankees tidbits..
- Pettitte isn't planning on a comeback but he won't completely rule out another go-round after a year off, tweets Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger.
- For Pettitte retiring was a tough decision, but ultimately the right one, says Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).
- The Yankees have shown patience as of late but Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated wonders if Pettitte's retirement will make the club antsy. Their newfound restraint has them 0-for-2 on Heyman's scoreboard when considering their miss on Cliff Lee.
- GM Brian Cashman insists that patience is still the name of the game, writes Carig.
- Bernie Williams is one Yankee who is ready to shut the door on his playing days for good, writes MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. The 42-year-old centerfielder plans to make his retirement official at some point in 2011. Williams hit .297/.381/.477 in 16 big league seasons for the Bombers.
- Eric Chavez told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter) that if he makes the Yankees' major league roster, he knows he'll be playing in support of two phenomenal corner infielders. Slusser tweets that it It sounds as though the Yankees made best offer of the teams that showed interest in the veteran. The Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Mariners were among the other clubs known to be in talks with Chavez.
Yankees, Ronnie Belliard Agree To Minor League Deal
The Yankees and Ronnie Belliard have agreed to a minor league deal, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (via Twitter). The 35-year-old Praver Shapiro Sports Management client will earn $825K plus incentives if he makes the varsity squad.
After giving the Dodgers some major pop down the stretch in 2009, Belliard was retained on a $825K deal that only became guaranteed upon him weighing in under 210 pounds. While the veteran may have looked more svelte in Dodger blue, he was less-than-impressive at the plate, hitting .216/.295/.327 in 82 games. Belliard was DFA'd by the club in September.
Robinson Cano Hires Scott Boras
Robinson Cano has hired Scott Boras as his agent, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com. The second baseman, who was previously a Bobby Barad client, met Boras in the Dominican Republic today.
Cano is under team control through 2013 under the four-year, $30MM extension he signed in 2008. He'll earn $10MM this year and the Yankees have options for 2012 ($14MM) and 2013 ($15MM).
The 28-year-old has emerged as one of the best second basemen in baseball. He won his first career Gold Glove and second Silver Slugger last year, finishing third in the MVP voting. Cano hit .319/.381/.534 with 29 homers, 41 doubles and a career-high 57 walks.
Two other Yankee infielders have long-standing relationships with Boras. The agent negotiated Mark Teixeira's current deal with the Yankees after the 2008 season and was Alex Rodriguez's representative before A-Rod cut ties with Boras last fall. For MLBTR's list of Boras clients, click here.
Yankees Consider Left-Handed Pitchers
The Yankees, who heard this week that Andy Pettitte will retire, have considered exploring trades for other left-handers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Joe Saunders, Scott Kazmir, Wade LeBlanc, Clayton Richard and Gio Gonzalez are among the possible targets some Yankees people have "kicked around."
The Yankees will, in all likelihood, wait and hope for better things from A.J. Burnett instead of pursuing another arm, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The Yankees could pursue Joe Blanton via trade or make a play for free agent Kevin Millwood, but the club seems likely to let Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, Sergio Mitre and Ivan Nova battle for rotation spots. With prospects Andrew Brackman, Dellin Betances and Manuel Banuelos on the radar, the Bronx Bombers aren't desperate for pitching, even without Pettitte.
Yankees fans may be frustrated that the front office did not sign Cliff Lee or retain Pettitte, but their club is still strong. As one American League East executive tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post, “People would love to have their problems. On paper they are still about as good as you want to see."
Quick Hits: Millwood, Bautista, Hawkins
Here are some items of note for Feb. 3, 2011, the day on which former AL Rookie of the Year and MVP Fred Lynn turned 59.
- The Indians are interested in free-agent righty Kevin Millwood, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer, but not at the current asking price of one year, $4-5MM. Cleveland is among the handful of potential Millwood suitors enumerated by Ben Nicholson-Smith earlier on Thursday. The Yankees are part of the group, too, and it stands to reason that Andy Pettitte's retirement might strengthen their interest, writes Chris Bahr of the Sporting News.
- The Red Sox's interest in trading for Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista is telling because it indicates there is a belief among baseball executives and talent evaluators that Bautista's monstrous 54-homer campaign in 2010 was not a fluke, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. The Red Sox eventually got their man when they signed free-agent outfielder Carl Crawford, so Bautista-to-Boston is obviously off, notes Morosi, but it bodes well for Bautista in his final season before hitting free agency.
- Brewers reliever LaTroy Hawkins said that his surgically repaired shoulder feels good and that he'll compete for a spot in Milwaukee's bullpen, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Hawkins signed a two-year, $7.5MM deal with Milwaukee prior to last season but pitched in just 18 games before being lost to an injured labrum and rotator cuff. Hawkins has a guaranteed contract, so the Brewers will surely want him to be at full strength and pitching well, but it bears watching how they handle him if he struggles with injury and/or ineffectiveness.
Reactions: Andy Pettitte’s Retirement
Here's a look at some of the many and various takes on Andy Pettitte's retirement, which will be announced Friday …
- The Yankees will be no worse for the wear without the services of the aging and declining Pettitte, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. Although Pettitte would have been a convenient solution for the problem of the Yankees' thin starting rotation, he wouldn't necessarily have been an ideal fit on account of his diminishing workload over the past three years, according to Morosi.
- The Bronx Bombers should have assumed Pettitte was going to retire and executed an offseason plan accordingly, writes Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com. Instead, they're now in a bind with the prospect of Ivan Nova, Sergio Mitre, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon and a handful of promising but young prospects battling for two rotation spots.
- Pettitte's decision is mildly surprising to Newsday's Ken Davidoff, who notes that Pettitte must have been pretty seriously contemplating a return, considering the left-hander had been throwing recently. Davidoff wonders whether the Yankees' failure to sign Cliff Lee and subsequently diminished World Series hopes factored into Pettitte's decision.
- Pettitte simply must not have been "feeling it" after he began preparing for the 2011 season, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Don't expect a midseason return — a la Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez — for Pettitte, adds Olney.
- Whether Pettitte would return was as uncertain as a "flip of the coin," notes Tom Verducci of SI.com. Ultimately, the allure of spending more time with his family pulled the industrious Pettitte away from the game, according to Verducci.
- Considering they have a stellar lineup, solid bullpen, considerable financial resources for future moves and a top-heavy rotation that could be effective if things break right, the Yankees needn't panic, writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.
- The Yankees' signing of reliever Rafael Soriano, thereby giving them a "lockdown pen," seems especially important in the wake of Pettitte's retirement, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com.
- Our own Mike Axisa of River Avenue Blues recounts his signature Pettitte moment.
- And the debate begins in earnest: Jayson Stark of ESPN.com writes that Pettitte is not quite a Hall of Famer.