Brown on Sabathia, Teixeira, Lowe, Peavy
In his latest article, Tim Brown at Yahoo! Sports considers a possibility that others have discussed: maybe C.C. Sabathia doesn’t want to play for the New York Yankees. He certainly has options–Brown’s list includes the Dodgers, Angels, White Sox, Red Sox, Mariners, Tigers, and of course, the Brewers.
Not signing C.C. would increase the likelihood that the Yankees make a serious offer to Mark Teixeira. Nick Swisher seems to have the starting job at first base for now, but failing to land Sabathia might shift the Yankees’ attention to all three of Teixeira, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe, says Brown.
Lowe might take his time before signing a new deal this offseason, with the news that Scott Boras is looking for the same average annual value obtained previously by Barry Zito ($18MM).
Finally, Brown notes that Padres GM Kevin Towers is waiting to hear from the Cubs about the possibility of continued trade talks regarding Jake Peavy, now that Ryan Dempster has been signed.
Graziano’s Latest: Sabathia, Halladay
4:39pm: Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News shoots down all Dodgers rumors – no offer in the near future for Sabathia, no talks for Halladay, and no interest in Raul Ibanez.
I think Graziano’s Halladay musings have been distorted a bit – he basically said the Blue Jays might explore the trade market at some point.
3:31pm: Graziano adds in a new post that the Giants plan to make a six-year offer in excess of $100MM but under $140MM. Tom Haudricourt had info about a Giants bid several hours earlier as well.
Haudricourt adds that the Angels will make a bid, but reports about the Dodgers may be inaccurate.
12:26pm: Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger explains why C.C. Sabathia is taking his time while mulling over the Yankees’ six-year, $140MM offer. Graziano believes Sabathia and his agents are waiting to see what the Dodgers propose.
Graziano speaks of "rumblings today that the Dodgers either have offered or are about to offer Sabathia a six-year contract worth between $110 and $120 million." He believes this could compel the Yankees to increase their offer, just to ensure a ridiculous ($30MM+) gap between the two proposals.
Graziano has a source who continues to insist the Blue Jays will explore the market for ace Roy Halladay, who has two years and $30MM left on his deal. In that case, he believes the Dodgers are the most likely match. If the Dodgers acquire Halladay, they would focus on Manny Ramirez rather than Sabathia.
Jake Peavy Rumors: Monday
MLB.com’s Corey Brock has the latest on Jake Peavy, after speaking to Padres GM Kevin Towers.
It doesn’t sound like much is going on with the Yankees, despite Ken Rosenthal’s report of numerous discussions. Towers says he’s had "no direct conversations with Cashman about Peavy over a period of time." Towers is currently focused on the Cubs, but admits that a third or even fourth team would need to be involved. He hasn’t talked to the Angels about Peavy.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Peavy, Teixeira, Burnett
Ken Rosenthal’s got an interesting new column up.
- Now that talks with the Braves have ended for the time being, Padres GM Kevin Towers is talking with the Yankees about Jake Peavy. The Yankees have had “numerous discussions” with the Padres, even though they just offered C.C. Sabathia a contract and are still considering A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe.
- Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod said that “the Angels probably would be more appealing” geographically, but “from other perspectives, they might be less appealing” than other teams
- Rosenthal talked with an agent who said that the Angels could wait a week or 10 days before making Mark Teixeira a “knockout offer” with a deadline.
- Even though the Yankees traded for Nick Swisher, they could still have interest in Teixeira if he’s willing to consider a shorter contract of four or five years for top dollar.
- Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi knows that Toronto “won’t be the highest bidder” for A.J. Burnett. Ricciardi hopes that Burnett likes Toronto enough to re-sign.
- The Indians are considering going after both Juan Cruz and Jeremy Affeldt instead of an experienced closer.
- The Phillies and Giants could also bid on Cruz.
- The Cardinals will have interest in Affeldt and Joe Beimel as they try to strengthen their bullpen.
Do Angels Have Genuine Interest In Manny?
Angels owner Arte Moreno had kind words for Manny Ramirez in a recent radio appearance, sparking talk that he could jump in and swipe the slugger from the Dodgers. However, the general sense is that Moreno just wanted to get people talking about the Angels and perhaps hopes to drive up Ramirez’s price for the Dodgers.
Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times gets a peek at Scott Boras’ binder for Ramirez, which predicts 204 home runs and 684 RBIs over the next six years. Shaikin quotes Angels GM Tony Reagins saying his priority is elsewhere and the Manny discussion hasn’t taken place, so right now the Dodgers don’t face serious competition.
Shaikin also notes that the Dodgers are more likely to sign Orlando Cabrera to a short-term deal than re-sign Rafael Furcal.
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.
Nick Swisher Trade Reactions
The Yankees acquired Nick Swisher yesterday for Wilson Betemit, Jhonny Nunez, and Jeff Marquez. The reactions are clearly in favor of the Yanks; let’s take a look.
- ESPN’s Keith Law says Swisher has upside for the Yankees at a reasonable price. He is unimpressed with Chicago’s return, though mildly intrigued by the idea of the Sox teaching Marquez a cutter.
- Peter Abraham notes that the Yankees see Swisher as their regular first baseman, and Mark Teixeira loses leverage. MLB.com’s Lyle Spencer figures the Angels are thrilled by the trade, as they may not have to compete with the Yanks for Tex.
- Ken Davidoff loves the move for the Yankees, and believes it gives them even more cash to throw at C.C. Sabathia.
- South Side Sox gives us an inside look at the trade negotiations between Brian Cashman and Ken Williams. They really don’t get the move.
- Williams would not commit to keeping the rest of the lineup intact.
- Ken Rosenthal believes the Swisher trade is a prelude to something bigger.
- Sox Machine says the White Sox must be banking on Swisher failing to right himself.
- Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald wonders if Swisher can handle the New York media.
- MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo looks at the prospects involved in the trade.
Moreno Comments On Manny
Yesterday, Ken Rosenthal said the Angels briefly considered Manny Ramirez during their organizational meetings, but the idea was "tabled rather quickly."
Still, Angels owner Arte Moreno was full of kind words for Manny yesterday on an AM-830 radio show:
"He single-handedly took L.A. to the promised land. He did a heck of a job, he hit great, he was a fan favorite, he did a great job with their young players. At the end of the day, you want people who can hit, and he may be one of top right-handed hitters ever."
It’s hard to see the Angels getting serious about Ramirez unless Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia sign elsewhere first.
Debunking Angels Rumors
MLB.com’s Lyle Spencer shoots down three recent Angels rumors, based on his talks with "an informed baseball source." Spencer says the Halos are not interested in free agents Randy Johnson or Trevor Hoffman, nor are they talking to the Rockies about Garrett Atkins.
The Angels were never linked too seriously to the Big Unit, though I thought it was a good match. Hoffman’s agent mentioned the Angels as a "potential interested party." Both Rockies beat writers, Tracy Ringolsby and Troy Renck, have linked the Angels to Atkins recently.
Angels Moving On Without K-Rod
Ken Davidoff relays some interesting comments from Angels owner Arte Moreno, who appeared on the Sports Lodge radio show. Moreno explained that the Angels made about six different offers to Francisco Rodriguez at various times, and thought they had him signed at one point last year. Moreno says he’s "probably turning the page" on K-Rod.