Rosenthal’s Latest: Griffey, Peavy, Dempster
A look at the latest column from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal:
- Rosenthal wonders if Jason Varitek‘s viral sickness and divorce last year contributed to his poor performance at the plate.
- Ken Griffey Jr.‘s wife gave him her blessing to play anywhere he’d like. If he’s focused on getting a ring, Seattle might not make sense. Griffey’s doctor believes his knee will be in better shape in 2009.
- Padres GM Kevin Towers wonders if Jake Peavy would’ve accepted a trade to the Braves, given Atlanta’s club policy against no-trade clauses. Towers isn’t talking to the Braves, Dodgers, or Yankees about Peavy, and Rosenthal says he’s "not making much headway" with the Cubs. ESPN’s Peter Gammons says the Cubs’ loss of Jose Ceda lessens their chances, while Frank Wren still believes Peavy will end up a Brave.
- The Cubs hope to resolve the Ryan Dempster situation this week. The team wants to do a four-year deal.
- The Giants are still in on Juan Cruz after their Jeremy Affeldt signing.
- The Phillies gave Pat Burrell "parameters" for a new deal, while Rosenthal speculates on the Giants and Dodgers as other possible fits.
Odds & Ends: Kawakami, Renteria, Johnson, Ohman
A number of Odds & Ends for your weekend update:
- From Japanball.com, Kenshin Kawakami is filing for free agency.
- Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports the Cubs are considering Randy Johnson for a one year deal. The 45 year old lefty is a career 13-0 against the Cubs, 4-0 at Wrigley, and needs 5 wins to reach 300.
- The Cardinals are moving in on free agent Will Ohman, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, and are reportedly interested in Jeremy Affeldt and Arthur Rhodes.
- In the same article, Goold suggests the Cards will stall on their efforts to pursue Edgar Renteria until after the Tigers decline their offer of arbitration, since signing the Type A free agent beforehand would result in any team losing a first round draft pick. So despite "mutual interest", don’t expect the Cardinals, or anyone, to sign Renteria before the second week of December. Matthew Leach of mlb.com notes there are a lot of free agent shortstop options.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle says Giants are finding mutual interest in Rafael Furcal and Bobby Howry.
- Utility man Donnie Murphy signed a minor-league deal with the O’s – from Peter Schmuck’s blog.
- John Hickey at The Seattle Post-Intelligencer says M’s GM Jack Zduriencik expects Raul Ibanez to wait for Seattle to name it’s next manager before making any decisions.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Ask The Tough Questions
Nobody knows for sure where this year’s crop of free agents will end up. But several blogs are asking all the right questions.
- Athletics Nation asks fans "what’s the worst thing Billy could do?"
- The Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan asks, "Should the Cubs sign the Big Unit?"
- The Big Lead looks at the Yankees pursuit of just about every free agent on the market and asks, "How can it not work?"
Coley Ward writes for Umpbump.com. You can reach him here.
Cubs Interested in Randy Johnson
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune heard from Randy Johnson‘s agent that the Cubs would be on the “short list” of teams Johnson would consider. Alan Nero, who represents Johnson, said that his client “would seem to be a perfect fit” for the Cubs.
Sullivan also spoke with Cubs sources who confirmed that they would be interested in Johnson if they can’t add Jake Peavy and keep Ryan Dempster.
The Dodgers are also interested in Johnson, who is unlikely to return to Arizona.
Johnson, 45, had a 3.91 ERA in 184 innings last year. He’s just five career wins away from 300.
Braves Moving On From Peavy
4:26pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Cubs remain interested in Peavy; they intend to add one starting pitcher. Ryan Dempster is another possibility, and Randy Johnson is also on the radar.
4:14pm: Much ink has been spilled on the possibility of the Braves acquiring Jake Peavy, but GM Frank Wren tabled that idea today. Wren has notified the Padres he’s moving on to other pitchers to fill his rotation. A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe, and Ryan Dempster are known to be targets.
Kerry Wood Comments
The Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan spoke to free agent reliever Kerry Wood, with whom the Cubs recently cut ties.
Wood says he would have done anything to stay with the Cubs, including signing a one-year deal. In light of that information, the Cubs’ decision seems more questionable.
While Wood has a preference for the National League, he’s open to pitching anywhere. It doesn’t sound like the Tigers are interested, while Adam McCalvy makes a case against the Brewers. ESPN’s Keith Law ranked Wood as the top free agent reliever despite the health risk.
Kevin Gregg Trade Reactions
The Cubs acquired one year of reliever Kevin Gregg for six of Jose Ceda yesterday. Chicago teams apparently went 0 for 2 yesterday, as the reactions favor the Marlins.
- Dave Cameron says swapping out Kerry Wood for Gregg in the pen loses the Cubs one to two wins.
- MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo says Ceda resembles a young Lee Smith, and profiles as a future closer. Ken Rosenthal talked to an exec who drew an Armando Benitez comparison, in a good way.
- ESPN’s Keith Law calls the deal a "heist" for Florida.
- Paul Sullivan takes a look at Wood’s legacy in Chicago.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Swisher, Wood, Hermida
A look at the newest column from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Rosenthal believes the Nick Swisher trade is a prelude to other moves for the White Sox, and shouldn’t be judged in isolation.
- Darren Oliver could follow Damaso Marte and re-sign quickly, as his market value is also diminished by his Type A status.
- Texas native Kerry Wood is a good match for the Rangers, though they’re not going to want to do three years at $10MM per (I think). Jim Hendry says Wood will always be welcome to come back to Chicago. Rosenthal says the Rangers also have interest in Colorado’s Huston Street.
- The Cubs and the Rays are two suitors for Florida’s Jeremy Hermida, though they’ve cleared enough payroll already to be deliberate with this one.
Jake Peavy Rumors: Thursday
9:41pm: Kevin Towers told Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune that despite advanced discussions with the Braves and Cubs, he does not see a potential deal with either club. Krasovic wonders if Towers will now try to engage the Yankees and Angels.
4:26pm: Rosenthal says trade talks between the Padres and Braves remain at an impasse, but the Braves would pursue Rafael Furcal next if they do acquire Peavy.
4:14pm: Brown has a quote from Kevin Towers: "Nothing is close. I wouldn’t say we are even remotely close to pulling the trigger on anything with Jake." But the question remains – are the Padres nearing a deal with the Braves?
4:02pm: Click here to listen to an mp3 of Scott Miller on XX Sports Radio. Miller didn’t say anything new, but explained that the denials are a matter of semantics since he said the Padres are "expected to" approach Peavy soon, and not that a deal was done.
1:34pm: No agreement, says Yahoo’s Tim Brown, but "some movement" in talks with the Braves. Brown’s source also says the Cubs’ offer was much better than reported.
12:55pm: Ken Rosenthal talked to a Padres source who called Miller’s report "totally inaccurate." The source says the Padres are not close on a Peavy deal.
10:29am: MLB.com’s Mark Bowman says the Braves haven’t gotten the sense they’re any closer to a deal with the Padres.
9:18am: CBSSports.com’s Scott Miller, using careful language, suggested the Padres and Braves neared a Jake Peavy trade last night. Ken Rosenthal, however, says the Padres have not communicated acceptance of the Braves’ offer at this time. The Cubs remain uncertain but interested, despite Lou Piniella’s remarks. Rosenthal wonders if the Padres agreed internally to make a deal with Atlanta, and will take the next steps today.
Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports "no clear sign of a deal." He notes that old friends Kevin Towers and Barry Axelrod do not have the same goals.
Cubs Focused On Lefthanded Bat
Gordon Wittenmyer talked to his sources and agrees with Lou Piniella’s indication that the Cubs are not serious about Jake Peavy. Wittenmyer believes San Diego sources were putting the Cubs rumors out there to drive up the price. He says the Cubs are focused on acquiring an athletic lefthanded hitter this winter.
Wittenmyer says Raul Ibanez, Jeremy Hermida, and Brian Roberts remain on the radar. The latest word on Hermida is that the Marlins will need to be "wowed" to move him.