Odds & Ends: Strasburg, Lester, Pudge
Links for Monday…
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel talked to Brewers GM Doug Melvin, who said the Yankees have yet to contact him regarding their possible third base need.
- ESPN’s Rob Neyer says the Mets don’t need Pedro Martinez.
- The scouts Buster Olney talked to absolutely adore Stephen Strasburg. One of them said, "Right now, he’s better than A.J. Burnett." There’s no way the Nationals can pass on a talent like this.
- WEEI’s Alex Speier compares Jon Lester‘s record-breaking contract to others given to young pitchers.
- Jim Baumbach of Newsday talked to Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado, who promoted Ivan Rodriguez and noted that assistant GM Tony Bernazard observed the catcher’s four-hit, two home run performance in Puerto Rico Saturday.
- ESPN’s Peter Gammons notes the affordability of Boston’s pitching staff.
Yankees Not Discussing Mark Teahen
8:24pm: MLB.com’s Dick Kaegel says there’s nothing to the rumor of the Yankees being interested in Teahen. Yanks GM Brian Cashman said he hasn’t even discussed it internally.
1:16pm: Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star is reporting that the Yankees may have interest in acquiring Royals’ utility man Mark Teahen, in light of Alex Rodriguez’s recent decision to undergo surgery.
Royals officials are writing it off as speculation, but with A-Rod expected to miss two months, the Yanks have been on the lookout for a temporary fix. Their current in-house candidate for a replacement is 33-year-old journeyman Cody Ransom. Ransom has 183 Major League ABs in an 11-year professional career.
Teahen is set to make $3.575MM in 2009, and the Royals’ current projected payroll of $75MM is slightly higher than the $70MM they had originally budgeted for.
One Royals official stated that they were hoping the Yankees would sign Mark Grudzielanek, which would give Kansas City a sandwich pick in the 2009 draft. Doing this would require moving Robinson Cano to third base, however.
Notes On The A-Rod Injury
9:44pm: Peter Abraham of the Journal News writes that Yankees GM Brian Cashman "has not spoken to any teams regarding trades." It sounds like the Yanks could deal with A-Rod’s vacancy using in-house options. Then again, as noted below, there are still a few infielders left on the free agent market.
9:50am: A few interesting thoughts from ESPN’s Buster Olney this morning:
The Yankees talked internally in the past about how Robinson Cano‘s best position, in the long term, might be third base. And it may be that if they determine that A-Rod will be out for a long period of time, they could shift Cano from second to third, and create another set of options for themselves, as they try to replace A-Rod’s offense.
At least in terms of the free agent market, this could make sense. Second basemen Mark Grudzielanek and Ray Durham aren’t known for their range, but signing one for $1MM or less could serve as an insurance policy. If the Yankees seek more pop, they could call the Marlins about Dan Uggla (my own speculation). Uggla is under team control through 2011, though, so acquiring him would create a long-term logjam.
Speaking of insurance, Olney notes that the Yankees do have a policy on A-Rod’s contract.
Heyman On Bradley, A-Rod, Manny
New info from SI.com’s Jon Heyman…
- Milton Bradley‘s two-year, $20MM deal becomes a three-year, $30MM deal only if he plays at least 75 games in 2009. Bradley’s games played totals over the past four years: 126 (mostly DHing), 61, 96, 75. The structure of the deal seems dangerous – does it give Bradley incentive to play hurt?
- Heyman talks about the A-Rod injury situation, running through the various replacement names we’ve discussed.
- Heyman believes the Giants would’ve gotten to the low-$40MM range over two years for Manny Ramirez, and they had not agreed to an opt-out.
Odds & Ends: Gload, Pierre, Beimel
Links for Friday…
- The Dodgers designated Justin Orenduff for assignment to make room for Manny Ramirez, according to Tony Jackson.
- The A's contracts with Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra are official.
- WEEI's Alex Speier talked to Marlins prospect Mike Stanton and manager Fredi Gonzalez about the near-acquisition of Manny last summer.
- In another column, Speier looks at the players the Red Sox and Yankees have battled for in recent years.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says a bunch of relievers are vying for one bullpen spot for the Cardinals, now that they've signed Dennys Reyes.
- Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star suggests there's a chance the Royals release first baseman Ross Gload and eat the $1.9MM owed to him in 2009. Rany Jazayerli talks about Gload as well as the chances of the Royals competing this year.
- Tom Tango says Juan Pierre would have to defer his contract for 50 years to be worth acquiring.
- Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies says the Rox offered Joe Beimel more than $1MM but so far he's passed. Beimel's home run prevention trend might be challenged at Coors Field. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says the A's are in on Beimel but "have not yet have substantive talks" with his agent.
- Check out a Giants Spring Training preview from the guys behind El Lefty Malo and McCovey Chronicles.
A-Rod Has Torn Labrum In Hip
7:12pm: All A-Rod, All the time…Tom Verducci notes that the A-Rod injury is a sign of a bigger problem, that the Yankees are getting old. Verducci also notes that Mark Teixeira is the player that will be most impacted without A-Rod’s protection and the pressure to live up to the new contract…The New York Post has another comprehensive list of possible A-Rod replacements. The two intradivisional options at the top of their list seem like a long-shot…Ken Davidoff wonders if some time away will help Yankees fans appreciate what they have with A-Rod…Rob Neyer can’t help but wonder if the Yankees are going to have to eat a good chunk of the $178MM they still owe A-Rod.
5:30pm: Even more from Abraham with special bonus audio of Brian Cashman: Abraham says surgery is necessary at some point, but that the Yankees are hoping that rest and rehab will be enough to hold off the surgery until after the season. Abraham notes that Mike Lowell tried the same tactic last season after his injury was discovered in June, but the injury got so bad he was held off the playoff roster.
3:27pm: More details from Abraham: A-Rod has a torn hip labrum that would take four months to repair surgically. He won’t play in the WBC and he’ll play less in Spring Training to try to return soon. Marc Craig of the Star-Ledger writes that A-Rod’s out indefinitely and could still need surgery. The New York Daily News offers more, including analysis from various doctors.
2:40pm: Peter Abraham of The Journal News talked to Yankees GM Brian Cashman, who said Rodriguez’s cyst was drained and they will attempt rest and rehab rather than surgery.
12:59pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post offers other ideas for third base if A-Rod is to be out for a considerable length of time: Scott Rolen, Melvin Mora, Brandon Inge, Hank Blalock, Chone Figgins, Adrian Beltre, Blake DeWitt, Martin Prado, and Mark Teahen.
12:17pm: ESPN’s Peter Gammons comments about the injury, wondering if mid-May is a best case scenario. Gammons speculates that Garrett Atkins or Chad Tracy could be fits for the Yanks, but the price for Atkins could be high. River Ave. Blues likes Mark Grudzielanek or possibly Bobby Crosby as other external options, while ESPN’s Buster Olney speculates on Bill Hall (who is recovering from a torn calf). Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if Bobby Crosby could fit.
ESPN’s Stephania Bell suggests ten weeks could be a light estimate, if Rodriguez has a labral tear.
10:40am: ESPN’s Enrique Rojas talked to Alex Rodriguez‘s brother, who says the Yankees third baseman will miss about ten weeks due to hip surgery to remove a cyst. A ten week rehab would put A-Rod at a mid-May return, so he could miss a quarter of the season. A-Rod’s brother told MLB.com the operation will be performed Monday. The Yankees haven’t confirmed anything yet though. It probably makes sense to hold off on replacement speculation until we get official word on the injury.
Check out my instant fantasy take on the situation over at RotoAuthority.
Yankees Sign 10
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees finished off their 40-man roster signings by inking ten pre-arbitration players for ’09. They’re all around the league minimum.
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Saturday
7:01pm: According to Tony Jackson of the Los Angeles Daily News, Boras and Dodgers GM Ned Colletti had a conversation earlier today. Colletti called it a "cordial and informative" chat, but contract talks apparently haven’t progressed.
6:49pm: Daniel Barbarisi of the Providence Journal weighs in:
Deferred money or not, Boras and Ramirez seem out of touch to be holding out in a market with no other real bidders. If they don’t take this deal now, a better one probably isn’t coming along.
5:32pm: Twins manager Ron Gardenhire revealed a hunch to Phil Miller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Saturday. He thinks the Yankees could make another splash:
"I still don’t think they’re done, I really don’t. I think there’s one more guy out there that eventually, someone’s going to say (sign him)," Gardenhire said. Miller suggests that he could be referring to Manny.
9:52am: According to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney some baseball executives estimate that the deferred money offered by the Dodgers would be worth roughly $41MM in present value, including $22.5MM this year. As Olney says, that’s still more than the combined base salaries of Bobby Abreu, Orlando Hudson, Pat Burrell, Joe Crede, Cliff Floyd, Mark Loretta and Takashi Saito.
9:19am: Yesterday, we heard that the Dodgers’ most recent offer to Manny Ramirez included deferred money, but Manny and Scott Boras want a deal without deferred payments. Today, a trio of LA Times writers kick off the Manny rumors.
Dylan Hernandez reports that Manny and Scott Boras are waiting to hear whether the Dodgers will accept their counter-offer of two years and $45MM, without any deferred money and with an opt-out clause for Manny at the end of this year.
Bill Shaikin points out just how much the economy has changed since the Dodgers first offered Manny a deal and Brian Kamenetzky writes that Manny shouldn’t expect to make as much as A-Rod.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Yankees, Oil Can, Halladay, Mets
On this date 21 years ago, the Baltimore Orioles traded Ray Knight to the Tigers, only one year after signing the World Series hero as a free agent. The O’s received Mark Thurmond, who would go 1-8 in 1988 with an 85 ERA+. Knight would only play 105 games for the Tigers before retiring. With spring training now in full swing, several veteran free agents are still without contracts or guaranteed jobs and may be on the verge of retirement. Let’s take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- More Hardball puts together a 25-man roster of veteran players in camps on minor league deals.
- 6 Pound 8 Ounce Baby Joba spoke with Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch about a number of topics including what the will happen once the current contracts for Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter expire.
- Sully Baseball makes a case for a team, any team, signing Oil Can Boyd.
- The Phrontiersman takes a look at the possibility of the Phillies trading for Roy Halladay at some point during the season.
- Megamets argues for the Mets adding Dennys Reyes, over the other available lefty relievers.
- The Sports Banter puts together their own list of off-season winners.
- Midwest Sports Fans project the Twins opening day roster.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here.
Rosenthal On Cabrera, Cruz, Nady, Swisher
Let’s take a look at the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- The A’s are offering more at-bats to Nomar Garciaparra than the Phillies. If the A’s sign Nomar, that wouldn’t stop them from adding Orlando Cabrera. However, Rosenthal’s source says Cabrera and the A’s "are not even close" in terms of his value.
- Nothing is close with the Juan Cruz situation; "New teams entered the mix after the sign-and-trade option became more realistic." Rosenthal says it’s still possible that a team will simply sign Cruz and give up a draft pick. La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says the Twins have made an offer to Cruz, but did not speak to his agent yesterday.
- Even with the Orlando Hudson signing, Blake DeWitt still has a role with the Dodgers pitching in at second base, third base, and even shortstop.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman "didn’t particularly like" any of the offers he’s received for Nick Swisher and Xavier Nady.
- Rosenthal leaves the door slightly ajar for the Astros and Pudge: "the team continues to indicate that it cannot afford free agent Ivan Rodriguez unless his price drops significantly." Astros GM Ed Wade said on Wednesday: "We’re not signing Pudge. Put that one to rest. We have no expectation to sign Pudge."