Rockies Still Talking Long-Term With Hawpe
Troy Renck of The Denver Post reports that talks continue between the Colorado Rockies and Brad Hawpe regarding the possibility of a long-term deal. This seems to conflict with Tracy Ringolsby’s report that progress was not being made.
Priority number one, for the time being, is getting Hawpe inked for the coming season. With an arbitration hearing looming next month, Hawpe has submitted a $4.35 million dollar asking price, while the Rockies have submitted a figure of $3.575 million.
But looking beyond 2008 is a priority for the team. Discussions point to a deal that would secure Hawpe through 2011, his first year of free agency, with a club option in that final year.
According to Renck:
The key to these contracts is finding comparables, and creating a big enough club option to entice the player. For Hawpe, Pittsburgh’s Jason Bay represents a potential one. As a first-time arbitration-eligible player in 2006, Bay signed a four-year contract worth $18.25 million.
By Matt Birt
Rockies To Sign Scott Podsednik
Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News reports that the Rockies are "finalizing details" on a minor league deal for outfielder Scott Podsednik. The idea is to let Pods battle Cory Sullivan for the backup center field job in Spring Training.
Podsednik as an extra outfielder seems like a decent idea. He may have been treated as a starter for a bit too long.
Ringolsby adds that the Rockies haven’t made progress on a long-term deal with Brad Hawpe and will probably just ink him for one year for now.
Odds and Ends: Colon, Koskie, Atkins
We take a break from your regularly scheduled Erik Bedard drama to bring you some random links.
- The White Sox made an incentive-laden offer to Bartolo Colon, but Colon apparently physically disappeared at the thought of it. There’s a joke here, somewhere. Kenny Williams also almost kind of hinted at implying that he made some kind of effort to acquire Bedard.
- A brief note from the Sun-Times – outfielder Brian Anderson may be traded to an NL team (Marlins?).
- It’s possible that Corey Koskie makes another comeback attempt. He’s gone through a postconcussion syndrome nightmare.
- The Denver Post’s Troy Renck is always going over to Rockies players’ houses and chilling in their living rooms. This time, it was Garrett Atkins. Atkins says the Rox made a multiyear offer to him a year ago more similar to Jeff Francis‘ (4/13.25) than that of Aaron Cook (3/30) or Troy Tulowitzki (6/31). That offer was to cover Atkins’ three arbitration years and have a club option for his first of free agency.
- I recently did a Q&A with Science Fiction Baseball.
- Website note: I am leaning toward doing a full redesign. New logo, widen this baby, brighten her up, increase the font size, and yes, do away with the white on black type. Lots of room for improvement with this clunky old design, we all know it.
Odds and Ends: Dotel, Valverde, Wilkerson
Some Saturday odds and ends to mull over…
- The Yankees considered bringing Octavio Dotel back, but wouldn’t go two years on him.
- Richard Justice thinks Astros GM Ed Wade is making a mistake by setting a deadline and going to arbitration hearings with Jose Valverde and Mark Loretta. I doubt the Astros wanted Loretta to accept their offer of arbitration in the first place, but they took the $4-5MM gamble hoping to get a draft pick. But they actively sought out Valverde, and this might not bode well for him staying past 2009.
- Can’t promise anything, but my source is saying Brad Wilkerson is likely to become a Mariner on a one-year deal. Put this in the unconfirmed category for now.
- Did the Rangers DFA Armando Galarraga in anticipation of including him in a trade?
- Troy Tulowitzki explanation: he can opt out of his $15MM club option for 2014 if he’s traded. Tracy Ringolsby also reports that Garrett Atkins had unfruitful extension talks with the Rox last year and would still like to stay.
- "No substantive negotiations" on a multiyear deal for Ryan Zimmerman.
- Casey Blake‘s agent put in a counteroffer but hasn’t heard back from the Indians yet; the two sides are $1.5MM apart on his ’08 salary.
Odds and Ends: Zimmerman, Tulo, Hawpe, Wang
Some bits and pieces from today…
- Damian Miller is leaning toward retirement, leaving Johnny Estrada as the one halfway viable catching option out there.
- Talks continue with Ryan Zimmerman on a long-term deal. The Nationals and Zimmerman reportedly discussed this a year ago.
- Padres GM Kevin Towers is upfront about his inquiries on Matt Murton and Xavier Nady. The Cubs aren’t done, by the way.
- Troy Tulowitzki is able to void his contract if he’d traded.
- The Rockies have had preliminary talks with Brad Hawpe about a multiyear deal. Tracy Ringoslby says they might aim for a four-year deal, buying out one year of free agency. The 28 year-old hit .291/.387/.539 in ’07. He was a lot better at Coors and against righties.
- Anthony McCarron says a long-term deal with Chien-Ming Wang looks unlikely, and the Yankees may have to go to a hearing with him regarding his ’08 salary.
Tulowitzki Signs Extension
UPDATE, 1-22-08 at 4:29pm: The six-year, $30MM deal runs from 2008-13. The Rockies have a club option at $15MM for 2014, something they probably hope they’ll get to exercise.
UPDATE, 1-20-08 at 10:54pm: This thing is done, pending a physical. I am still a little confused because I was told the six-year deal starts with the ’08 season, but Thomas Harding says the option year is for 2013. If it’s six years and begins with 2008 the seventh-year option should be for 2014.
FROM 1-20-08 at 9:37am:
According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki are nearing a record six-year, $30MM deal. This beats Grady Sizemore‘s $23.45MM contract as the largest for a player with less than two years of service time. The deal also has a seventh-year option.
Renck says Tulo would be a Rockie through 2014; it seems like he is counting the option year in that statement. Seems like a wise move by Colorado; the Indians certainly aren’t regretting Sizemore’s contract. It’s nice to have cost certainty with your star players.
Holliday Discusses Future
The Denver Post’s Troy E. Renck recently visited Matt Holliday at his home and discussed all sorts of things. Holliday is signed through the 2009 season, and his future beyond that was a theme.
The Rockies were said to be considering a four-year offer that would’ve bought out two years of free agency, before signing Holliday for 2008-09. Holliday said that it wouldn’t be fair for the Rockies to expect him to take a four-year deal.
As Renck points out, there is a huge gap between the Rockies buying out two years of free agency and the nine years they gave to Todd Helton. The length of the deal is the central issue, but Holliday is willing to make concessions if the Rockies do the same. My guess is that he’d be up for a six-year extension, possibly five. Holliday added that if Garrett Atkins were traded it would obviously influence his decision on whether to stay in Colorado.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Boras, Murton, Marquis, Clark
Ken Rosenthal is here to hopefully rescue what’s been a slow day for rumors.
- Rosenthal points out that it seems Scott Boras has been more flexible with his clients’ contracts this year, perhaps even as the result of his "failures" with Alex Rodriguez and Kenny Rogers. A new, gentler Boras? Wait til Mark Teixeira, Matt Holliday, and Prince Fielder reach free agency.
- The Padres are targeting Matt Murton for left field, a notion that gels with Kevin Towers’ stated quest to acquire a corner outfielder via trade. Plus, Towers gets along well with Cubs GM Jim Hendry. Not sure how the teams would match up, unless things expand to include Khalil Greene. The Cubs would have to be sure they don’t need Murton for other deals or because of other deals.
- Rosenthal agrees with the recent rumor that the Orioles will decide whether to trade Erik Bedard and Brian Roberts by month’s end. He notes that Cubs starter Jason Marquis actually does have trade value, and could be part of a package for Roberts. Other teams are interested in him too – go figure. Innings are innings I guess. Marquis, 29, is owed $16.25MM over the 2008-09 seasons.
- An MLBTR commenter questioned the other day why Troy Tulowitzki‘s deal was said to top Grady Sizemore‘s as the record holder for a player with less than two years service time. The commenter wondered why Brian McCann wasn’t part of the discussion – he signed for more than Sizemore ($26.8MM) in March of ’07 with about a season and a half under his belt. Anyone know why McCann’s name doesn’t come up in this discussion?
- One of Rosenthal’s sources believes progress has been made on a long-term pact with Holliday, and the recent two-year deal is a positive sign.
- Teams inquiring on Tony Clark: Mariners, Giants, and Red Sox. Clark has been mentioned as a Giants target before.
Rockies Sign Holliday For Two Years
As I mentioned earlier, I won’t post about every one-year deal reached for arbitration-eligible players since they are quite common. However many of the multiyear contracts reached deserve a mention.
Matt Holliday, a Scott Boras client, signed a two-year, $23MM deal today with the Rockies. When the deal is up after the 2009 season he’ll be a free agent. That Holliday required this amount for two years shows what a fine deal the Rays struck with Carlos Pena. I wonder if Boras recommended against the contract Pena signed.
Perhaps Holliday’s extension indicates that the two sides have similar enough thinking that a longer-term deal could be reached before he reaches free agency. Hard to say.
Multiyear Contract Discussions: Teixeira, Tulowitzki, Morneau
With today’s deadline for arbitration-eligible players, it only makes sense that all sorts of long-term contract discussions are going on. Even players and teams who do agree to one-year deals for ’08 may find themselves with groundwork laid for bigger deals.
- That could be the case with Mark Teixeira. His agent, Scott Boras, had "quite a bit of dialogue" with Frank Wren about an extension prior to Tex signing for one year and $12.5MM. I recently guessed the Braves have a 10% chance of getting this done.
- The Rockies have had "intense, serious dialogue" with Troy Tulowitzki‘s agent about a long-term deal. Tulo isn’t arbitration-eligible yet though, so Dan O’Dowd may choose to resolve his arb cases and get back to his shortstop afterwards. Tulowitski could sign a six-year, $30MM deal, a record for a player with his service time.
- Justin Morneau signed for one year and $7.4MM. LEN3 says the Twins may contact his agent about a multiyear deal but haven’t yet.