Bonds Rumors
6:18pm: Hideki Matsui had a setback, and a reporter asked Yankees GM Brian Cashman about Bonds. I’ll let you click the link and read Cash’s somewhat rambling answer.
5:44pm: More on Bonds: MLB officials denied any collusion regarding his lack of employment. By the way, Borris wouldn’t comment on whether Bonds would consider playing outside of the Majors (Japan, for example).
8:57am: Last month, Barry Bonds‘ agent Jeff Borris told the AP that he had offered his client’s services to all 30 teams for the league minimum. Borris said just yesterday that he "talked to every club numerous times." Not true, according to Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star. Posnanski spoke to Royals GM Dayton Moore, who said the Royals had not been called about Bonds or offered his services.
It is probably a moot point – no team wants to go anywhere near Bonds. Borris has acknowledged that Bonds is highly unlikely to play this year.
Sherman’s Latest: Bay, Nady, Holliday, Fuentes, Blake
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman is working hard today, filing blog posts here and here.
- Multiple teams are in the hunt for a right-handed hitting outfielder: the Mets, Rays, and maybe the Yankees. The Pirates are asking for too much for Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, while the Rockies are waiting to see what Bay costs so they can ask for more for Matt Holliday. The Rays’ might find their solution internally, with Rocco Baldelli.
- Holliday as a replacement for Manny Ramirez this winter? Right now it’s just a couple of execs speculating to Sherman.
- The Rockies want either Jon Niese from the Mets or Ian Kennedy from the Yankees for Brian Fuentes, but the two New York clubs aren’t having that.
- Nolan Ryan doesn’t want to punt on ’08 with the Rangers.
- Sherman wonders if the Marlins could match up with Texas on a catcher.
- Juan Rivera is not available at this point.
- Casey Blake is likely to be traded, partially because the Indians probably wouldn’t offer him arbitration after the season. The Mets and Yankees are said to have "at least mild interest."
Odds and Ends: Sexson, K-Rod, Halladay
Random links for the day…
- We’ll have our weekly live chat here today at 2pm CST.
- R.J. Anderson of DRays Bay writes the Rays Comprehensive Trade Post.
- Brian Cashman confirmed interest in Richie Sexson.
- Danny Knobler quotes Francisco Rodriguez as saying that the Angels offered him three years, $34MM in November.
- Josh Hamilton called all his friends to tell them he was a Cub, then had to call them all back.
- People in Pedro Alvarez‘s neighorhood expect him to sign.
- Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay wants to see the team make some progress.
- Viva El Birdos would like to see the Cardinals acquire Jarrod Washburn.
- Ichiro’s profane, annual AL All-Star team pep talk.
Sherman’s Latest: Adenhart, Burnett, Niese, Ibanez
Joel Sherman of the New York Post has been digging up rumors left and right – here, here, and here in recent days. Let’s discuss.
- The Angels have "hinted at a willingness to build a deal around pitching prospect Nick Adenhart." This would apparently involve Mark Teixeira or Matt Holliday.
- The Phillies made an initial offer last week for A.J. Burnett, and the Jays were thoroughly unimpressed. The Phillies won’t discuss prospects Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, or Greg Golson in trades.
- The Yankees have zero interest in Burnett.
- The A’s are willing to move Joe Blanton. He’s not perfect, but he can eat innings and is under team control through 2010.
- Six games out of the wild card with a league-best offense, the Rangers don’t look like sellers.
- At least ten teams watched Mets’ Double A starter Jon Niese pitch Saturday. He’s their top trade chip given the unavailability of Fernando Martinez.
- The Pirates have their eye on the Yankees’ Ross Ohlendorf, if the Yanks become buyers for players like Damaso Marte or Xavier Nady.
- Three Raul Ibanez suitors are named: the Diamondbacks, Dodgers, and Red Sox.
- At least nine teams are monitoring Freddy Garcia: the Yankees, Mets, Astros, Rangers, Royals, Red Sox, Phillies, Tigers, and White Sox. We’ve seen the Braves, Rays, and Cubs mentioned too. Garcia’s agent isn’t up for an ’09 option with his client. A-Rod is said to be pushing for the Yankees to sign him.
- Sherman notes a rumor around the game that has Pat Gillick becoming Mariners president next year, and Brian Cashman coming on as his GM.
Yankees Unlikely To Sign Sabathia This Winter?
Newsday’s Ken Davidoff has an interesting take on the Yankees’ chances of signing CC Sabathia this winter. He finds the Yankees an unlikely match for the big lefty, for a couple of reasons.
By Davidoff’s estimate, the Yankees will have over $60MM off the books for ’09 even if they bring back Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte. Breaking off a third of that for Sabathia wouldn’t seem to be an issue, but that does not seem to be Brian Cashman’s preference. Davidoff puts the chances of Cashman re-signing at about 65%, by the way.
The other issue is Sabathia’s preference. Sabathia has some talkative friends, because they’re always being anonymously quoted. Davidoff talked to "two people familiar with his thinking," who see him choosing the NL and the West Coast. The Dodgers are named as his first choice.
Perhaps the Yankees will sign a decent starting pitcher who does not require a $100MM outlay – Derek Lowe or Ryan Dempster, for example.
Week in Review
Here’s a look back at the biggest stories MLBTR covered for the week of July 6 – 13:
- The Brewers completed a deal for C.C. Sabathia, sending Matt LaPorta and other prospects to Cleveland in return. Sabathia’s looked great so far, and LaPorta’s already making an impact in the Indians minor league system. Looks good for both teams right now if you ask this guy.
- The Cubs answered their division rival quickly, landing Oakland ace Rich Harden along with Chad Gaudin in exchange for Matt Murton, Sean Gallagher, Eric Patterson, and Josh Donaldson. Harden was brilliant in his debut. I think this could be another win-win trade, if Harden stays healthy.
- It was once again made clear that no one has interest in Barry Bonds, even at this juncture of the season. Seems like we’ve heard this once or twice before…
- It was a long time coming: The Mariners released Richie Sexson. Could the Yankees be interested?
- With likely season-ending injuries to both Eric Byrnes and Moises Alou (possibly career-ending in Alou’s case), both the D’Backs and Mets are in the market for corner outfielders. Raul Ibanez should be appealing to both clubs, though the Mariners may not be interested in trading him, Jim Riggleman says. Carlos Beltran voiced his support of acquiring Ibanez. I personally don’t see why Seattle wouldn’t pull the trigger, but I’m not a Major League GM, I suppose.
- Tim updated both the first base and catcher markets in the Trade Market Series.
- The Twins had internal discussions on Adrian Beltre. A third base upgrade would certainly be nice, but they’re not known for making big moves at the deadline. Could Bill Smith change that reputation in his first year as GM?
Odds and Ends: M’s, Giants, Blanton, Maddux
Nothing major yet this afternoon, but a few minor issues worth noting:
- Danny Knobler from CBS Sports writes that former Tigers and Padres GM Randy Smith is now in the running for the GM opening in Seattle after the season. He’s been commended for his scouting work with the Padres recently.
- Mark Dent from MLB.com tells us that Mariners manager Jim Riggleman feels the M’s will be cautious with trade talks, and goes as far as saying he expects very little change. Riggleman says they "won’t move players just to move them." Does this seem like the right strategy for a team with the second-worst record in baseball?
- Chris Haft from MLB.com writes that the Giants have signed 16-year-old Dominican outfielder Rafael Rodriguez for a $2.55MM bonus.
- Joel Sherman weighs in with his thoughts on the current pitching market, particularly why Joe Blanton is still appealing despite a poor start. He also discusses the dilemma the A’s, Rangers, and Yankees all have in deciding whether to buy or sell over the next few weeks.
- Mark Bowman feels that a trade sending Greg Maddux back to Atlanta is unlikely.
Yankees Roundup: Nady, Sexson, Fuentes, Marte
Over the next 10 days, the Yankees will determine whether they are buyers or sellers. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, if they think they are still in it then they will target "a lefty reliever and a secondary starting pitcher." That starting pitcher could be Eric Milton, however he’s 6 weeks away from starting. I’ll add a right handed bat to that list as the Yankees need help against lefties.
Sherman says the Rockies are interested enough in Ian Kennedy to deal Brian Fuentes for him and the Yankees will need to choose both whether they’re in it and how much they want to retain Kennedy. A cheaper option they’re considering is Damaso Marte, says the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Dejan Kovacevic. The fact that Marte is now closing in Pittsburgh may have either decreased his availability or increased his price tag, or both. The Cardinals, Mets, Rays and Red Sox are all in the hunt for the lefty.
Kovacevic says the Yankees are suitors for Xavier Nady as well. Nady is a career .320 hitter against lefties and has played in New York before. And then there’s Richie Sexson, who Tim discussed here, and who George A. King III of the New York Post says the Yankees could sign if/when he clears waivers this week.
A compromise of sorts could be to make a move for A.J. Burnett. The opt-out risk at the end of the year is alarming, but the Yankees could use his services this year and beyond, as well as manage his salary and the upside is still tremendous.
Yankees To Sign Eric Milton
Eric Milton, remember him? The AP is reporting that he is set to rejoin the Yankees after working out at the team’s minor league complex. The 33 year-old lefty had Tommy John surgery in June of last year. He’s said to be six weeks away from pitching in games, and the Yankees have 2009 in mind as well.
Milton was a top prospect in the Yankees’ system back in the late nineties before being traded to the Twins in the Chuck Knoblauch deal. He never pitched above Double A in the Yankee organization.
Yankees Considering Sexson?
From Joel Sherman of the New York Post:
The Yankee problems against lefty pitching are so dire that they will meet in the next day or so to determine whether to make a play for Richie Sexson, Hardball has learned.
The Yankees have a .729 OPS against southpaws this year, which ranks 7th in the American League. Sexson has a 1.045 OPS against lefties this year, but it’s only been 70 plate appearances. He was nothing special against lefties in 2006-07. Peter Abraham offers his take on the idea of signing Sexson over at his blog.