Heyman On Hendry, Yankees, Astros
Jon Heyman of SI.com looks back at the Cubs' quiet weekend and reports that rival teams were surprised when the Cubs said they wouldn't move Carlos Pena, Marlon Byrd and Jeff Baker. Here are the rest of Heyman's notes from around MLB…
- GM Jim Hendry has a strong rapport with Cubs ownership, according to people connected to the Cubs.
- Yankees people don’t think Erik Bedard would last 20 minutes in New York. Red Sox GM Theo Epstein said Sunday that he’s happy to let Bedard’s arm respond to his critics.
- The Astros hired an independent scout to watch their minor league affiliates and the scout found fewer than five players who should play in the Major Leagues.
- MLB officials “seem determined” to convince the players’ association to agree to a slotting system for the amateur draft. The union doesn’t want capped bonuses, which would limit amateur players' earning power.
MLBPA Hoping For New CBA By World Series
The collective bargaining agreement between players and owners expires on December 11th, but the sides may announce a new agreement well before then. Michael Weiner, the executive director of the MLB Players Association, told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that he’s aiming for resolution by the end of the World Series.
"In 2006, it was very productive for us to be done before the signing season," Weiner said. "There's a lot of benefit to everybody to get it done on that kind of schedule."
Representatives from the MLBPA have met with representatives for baseball’s owners on a weekly basis since Spring Training to discuss a new CBA. Commissioner Bud Selig says talks have been “constructive” so far.
On the one hand it’s completely unsurprising to hear that the sides would like to complete a deal earlier, rather than later (what else would they say?). But there are real advantages to completing the agreement before the offseason begins in earnest. Everything from the luxury tax to salary arbitration to draft pick compensation could be affected under the new agreement, so it would be much simpler for executives and agencies to operate if a new set of rules is clearly in place by the end of October.
Selig On Draft, Playoffs, Realignment, Replay
Commissioner Bud Selig held a chat with fans yesterday and he touched on a number of issues that we focus on here at MLBTR, plus some other items of interest. Here are some highlights from Selig’s chat at MLB.com:
- Collective bargaining between the players and the owners has been “constructive” so far, but it’s still early.
- Not surprisingly, there’s no chance of a salary cap in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement.
- Selig repeated his support for slotting and a worldwide draft and said the sides are discussing both possibilities at the bargaining table.
- Stories about realignment are somewhat premature, according to Selig. He has had realignment on his mind for a while, but nothing is imminent.
- The Diamondbacks have been told that they will be able to stay in the NL West and that the Astros will ultimately be asked to move to the AL West in realignment, according to Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (on Twitter).
- The commissioner would like to see two additional playoff teams in the near future.
- There are no plans to remove the designated hitter or expand the role of the DH.
- There’s not much of an appetite for expanding instant replay within the game, according to Selig. However, MLB is considering “significant adjustments” to baseball’s current instant replay rules.
- Selig told reporters today that he remains firm on his decision to retire after 2012, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
MLB, MLBPA Meeting Often, Making Progress
MLB and the MLB Players Association are meeting often and making progress toward a new agreement, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Heyman notes that the sides' lead negotiators, Rob Manfred of MLB and union chief Michael Weiner, are on good terms.
The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on December 11th, 2011, but players and owners began negotiating toward a new agreement months ago. Commissioner Bud Selig has said he's hoping negotiations go "thoughtfully, carefully and quietly" and at this point, it appears that he may get his wish.
As always, economic issues figure to be at the forefront of the discussions. The luxury tax, revenue sharing, and rules regarding team debt will no doubt surface during negotiations. The draft could also be significantly different going forward.
Quick Hits: Twins, CBA, Dodgers
Andre Ethier sat today's game out with an inflamed elbow, so his hitting streak still sits at 29 games. Here's the latest from around the league, including some notes on Ethier's Dodgers…
- Best wishes to Paul Bargas, a left-handed pitcher in the Twins system, who is undergoing treatment for brain cancer, according to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan hears that MLB and the MLB Players Association will negotiate a DUI policy into the upcoming collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires after the season.
- Dodgers trustee Tom Schieffer is meeting in the commissioner's office in Milwaukee today and tomorrow, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times (on Twitter).
- "Any financial problems faced by the Los Angeles Dodgers are the result of decisions made by Mr. McCourt and his management team over a period of years," MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred said, according to Shaikin. The Dodgers may not have enough money to meet payroll at the end of this month, according to Shaikin.
Quick Hits: Selig, Leyland, Rangers, Ethier
Links for Wednesday evening to tide you over until Opening Day…
- Peter Gammons offers up some predictions at MLB.com, but not before explaining how quickly things can change once the season begins. MLBTR's team made postseason and award picks earlier tonight.
- Commissioner Bud Selig says he's hopeful for peaceful negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA after the season, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. "Hopefully, we'll do it the way we did it in '06 — thoughtfully, carefully and quietly," Selig said.
- Tigers manager Jim Leyland told MLB.com's Jason Beck that he doesn't feel additional pressure because he's in the last year of his contract. “If we do all right, I assume I’ll be here," Leyland said. "If we don’t, I probably won’t be.”
- Rangers president Nolan Ryan told MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that he expects Texas to repeat as AL West champions. The Rangers will have the flexibility to make another major midseason acquisition, according to Ryan.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said on 710 ESPN's Mason and Ireland show that he was surprised by Andre Ethier's recent comments and that he has no interest in moving him (via ESPNLosAngeles).
Quick Hits: Rangers, Angels, Indians, CBA, Slowey
Some links to browse through during your Sunday evening…
- Add the Rangers to the list of clubs that are not interested in recently released Carlos Silva, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan (on Twitter). The Yankees and Cardinals are also out.
- The Angels can opt out of their stadium lease in 2016, but owner Arte Moreno told Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times that the team has not begun exploring the possibility of building a new stadium. That process would have to start at least four years before the planned opening date.
- Indians manager Manny Acta told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that there are likely to be roster moves made on Monday when the 25-man roster is finalized (Twitter link).
- Tom Krasovic spoke to several scouts about teams and players from all around the game.
- In regard to CBA talks, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that the "general consensus is that a hangup or even the slightest threat of a work stoppage would be shocking."
- Within the same piece, Cafardo says the Twins aren't as willing to deal Kevin Slowey as it may seem. One scout opined that the right-hander is "throwing too well for them to deal him."
- The Rockies continue to receive calls about their middle-infield depth, but the club isn't looking to move either Eric Young Jr. or Alfredo Amezaga, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- Dave Bush earned a spot in the Rangers' bullpen as a long man, tweets Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Bush would have opted out of his contract today if he didn't make the team.
- The Red Sox' bullpen depth has drawn interest from other teams, a source tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
MLBTR's Luke Adams & Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Looper, Turpen, Moyer, CBA, Nationals
Our condolences go out to the friends and family of Mitchell Page, a former outfielder and hitting coach who passed away Saturday. Page was the runner-up to Eddie Murray in a close vote for AL Rookie of the Year in 1977 and, more recently, served as a hitting coach for the Cardinals and Nationals. Here are today's links:
- According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, scouts watching the Cubs this weekend "seemed more interested in what [Braden] Looper’s status was than whether the fat-salaried [Carlos] Silva could be had." If things don't work out with Chicago, however, Looper would likely just return to his family.
- One of the Yankees' Sunday roster moves involved returning Rule 5 pick Daniel Turpen to the Red Sox, as Chad Jennings of the Journal News notes.
- Jamie Moyer still intends to attempt a comeback in 2012, writes Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Moyer, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, is realistic about the factors working against him: "I want to give this a chance and see what happens. If it doesn't work out, so be it."
- CBA talks are ahead of schedule, with the second round of collective bargaining set to occur in the next few weeks, according to MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom.
- Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post explains why the Nationals aren't considering releasing Nyjer Morgan.
- In another article for the Post, Kilgore says the Nationals are having trouble evaluating Rule 5 pick Elvin Ramirez due to health issues.
Players, Owners Begin Formal Bargaining
MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner says the players and owners had their first formal bargaining session in Tampa Bay last night, according to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun. Baseball's Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire after the season, so the sides will continue negotiating over the course of the coming months.
A number of issues, including the amateur draft, revenue sharing and expanded playoffs, figure to be on the bargaining table. But there's one major issue that won't likely come up: a salary cap. Weiner told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he doesn't expect the possibility of a salary cap to be an issue. In fact, Weiner says he doesn't expect that either side "is looking to make fundamental or radical changes in the structure of [the existing] contract."