Dodgers Rumors

Many Clubs Showing Interest In Kuroda

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 27, 2011 at 6:03pm CDT

Multiple clubs are showing interest in Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Rockies and Reds had scouts at his most recent start.

The 36-year-old right-hander has a 3.10 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 101 2/3 innings for the Dodgers. His average fastball velocity (91.7 mph) and ground ball rate (44.6%) have dipped slightly so far in 2011. Kuroda earns an $8MM base salary this year and his full no-trade clause enables him to veto any deal. MLBTR's Dan Mennella examined Kuroda's free agent stock earlier this month.

Morosi hears from one executive who doubts the Dodgers will trade Andre Ethier or Matt Kemp, who are both under team control through 2012.

Reaction To The Dodgers’ Bankruptcy

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 27, 2011 at 4:07pm CDT

The Dodgers are 35-44 in their first season under manager Don Mattingly, but their sub-.500 record is the least of their problems. The historic franchise has filed for bankruptcy as owner Frank McCourt attempts to remain in control. Here's reaction to McCourt's latest move…

Commissioner Bud Selig says McCourt's move "does nothing but inflict further harm to this historic franchise," according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. The Dodgers are in this situation because of McCourt’s “excessive debt and his diversion of club assets for his own personal needs,” Selig says.
The attorney for Jamie McCourt, David Boies, called the Dodgers' bankruptcy filing "disappointing and disturbing" in a statement at the LA Times. "The rule or ruin philosophy that appears to have motivated today’s filing is bad for everyone who cares about, or has an interest in, the Dodgers," according to Boies.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark explains that McCourt's move means the Dodgers will be in "legal limbo" for many months to come. One sports attorney tells Stark that McCourt is simply buying himself time with today's move.

Dodgers File For Bankruptcy

By Tim Dierkes | June 27, 2011 at 8:41am CDT

The Dodgers filed for bankruptcy, tweets Richard Sandomir of the New York Times. Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times reports that owner Frank McCourt loses the franchise upon filing under MLB rules, but bankruptcy court generally overrides that. This is McCourt's next move as he fights to keep the Dodgers.

McCourt's goal appears to be to have his MLB-rejected Fox deal approved in bankruptcy court, based on this Shaikin tweet. If the team's creditors sign off on the Fox deal, Shaikin says MLB would then have to explain to the bankruptcy court why the deal should be vetoed (Twitter link). Shaikin notes that McCourt says he has $150MM in interim financing to cover the costs of operating the team until then. He'll need almost $30MM to meet the Dodgers' payroll on Thursday. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the union has informed the Dodgers players that they will be paid on time.

Shaikin lists McCourt's largest creditors per the bankruptcy petition: Manny Ramirez ($21MM), Andruw Jones ($11MM), Hiroki Kuroda ($4.5MM), and Rafael Furcal ($3.7MM). Click here to enjoy the full list, on which Kaz Ishii makes an appearance.

MLB Won’t Assist McCourt With Interim Funding

By Luke Adams 2 | June 26, 2011 at 10:02am CDT

After having a proposed deal with Fox rejected by the league, Frank McCourt and his attorneys have reached out to MLB over the last few days in an attempt to secure interim funding to keep the team afloat, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. However, the league told McCourt it won't assist with funding unless he agrees to sell the team, according to Shaikin's source.

As we heard yesterday, McCourt is open to selling a minority stake in the Dodgers, but the league "has all but rebuffed" the idea. McCourt didn't submit names of potential investors when league officials originally suggested selling a minority share. Now, with this week's payroll deadline looming, the approval process for potential investors wouldn't be completed in time.

McCourt will need close to $30MM to meet payroll this Thursday. If he's unable to produce the necessary funds, Bud Selig could seize the Dodgers and put the club up for sale, though likely not without litigation from McCourt's lawyers.

Quick Hits: Nationals, Pirates, MacPhail, Astros

By Mike Axisa | June 25, 2011 at 10:31pm CDT

Links for Saturday…

The Nationals plan on having Davey Johnson meet up with the team tomorrow in Chicago before flying to Anaheim with them, reports Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post (Twitter links). ESPN's Buster Olney, meanwhile, notes that Johnson's contract ensures that he'll be the manager for this year only. The two sides will re-evaluate things after the season.
Tim Britton of The Providence Journal says the Pirates were the big losers in the Jason Bay-Manny Ramirez trade.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun spoke to Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail about his contract, which expires after the season. "I have always taken the position, unlike one of my good friends in the game Jim Riggleman, let's just see how we do," said MacPhail. "Let's get to the end of the year and see how we do and take it from there."
Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle reports that the Astros transfer of ownership from Drayton McLane to Jim Crane likely won't happen until mid-July (or later) as MLB focuses its efforts on the Dodgers (Twitter link).
Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch addressed the speculation about how Albert Pujols' injury could impact his contract negotiations with the Cardinals after the season.
McLaren will not be leaving the Nationals, reports Bill Ladson of MLB.com (Twitter links). He will not be bench coach and will instead stay in another capacity.
The Nats can expect another resignation, this time from acting manager John McLaren, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. McLaren served as bench coach under Jim Riggleman.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports spoke to a source that is doubtful the Giants would move any of their big league pitchers to improve the offense (Twitter link). San Francisco has scored just 261 runs this year, the fewest runs in the game.
Gordon Wittenmyer of The Chicago Sun-Times says the Cubs front office plans to give the team a few more weeks to see if they can salvage the season before deciding to sell. The front office will meet next week to sort some of this stuff out.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun mentioned that Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and Reds GM Walt Jocketty have swung trades in the past and spent some time together yesterday before their clubs played. He notes that the two clubs appear to match up well in a potential trade as well.
Baseball America's Matt Eddy has this week's collection of minor league transactions, which includes a slew of draft pick and undrafted free agent signings.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Cook, Hawpe

By Zachary Links | June 25, 2011 at 1:52pm CDT

Let's check out a few items from the National League West..

Steve Soboroff, who publicly clashed with the commissioner’s office in his brief tenure as the Dodgers’ vice chairman, has resigned, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune wonders where Brad Hawpe will fit in when he returns from the disabled list. Even though it'll be hard to find a place for the veteran, it's hard to imagine the Padres cutting him loose and paying him the $2MM that he is still owed.
Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook needs to turn things around quickly before the Rockies start exploring other options, tweets Troy Renck of The Denver Post. Earlier today, Renck reported that the club has started calling other teams to gauge the market for rotation help.

McCourt Willing To Sell Minority Stake In Dodgers

By Mike Axisa | June 25, 2011 at 9:18am CDT

With his proposed Fox television contract rejected and end of the month payroll looming, Frank McCourt and his lawyers recently had dialogue with MLB that have focused on his willingness to sell part of the team to keep it afloat, writes Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports. A source tells Brown that McCourt has received “numerous inquiries” from parties willing to buy a piece of the team.

Bud Selig has been adamant in his refusal to allow clubs to use future earnings to pay off past debt, which is why the Fox deal was shot down. It’s unclear if the recent dialogue between McCourt and the league have resulted in any progress toward his retention of the club, but Brown’s source hears that the owner might not be able to meet payroll next week. If he doesn’t, MLB will likely step in and seize the team.

The Mets recently sold a minority share of the team to David Einhorn for about $200MM, giving that franchise a much needed cash infusion.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Mariners, Pedro, Giants

By Zachary Links | June 24, 2011 at 10:10pm CDT

On this day in 2004, the Royals completed a three-team deal that sent Carlos Beltran to the Astros. The Athletics were the third party in the transaction and bagged Octavio Dotel from Houston. The Royals, meanwhile, received Mark Teahen, John Buck, Mike Wood, and cash considerations..

A fun fact courtesy of ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin (via Twitter): Mets manager Terry Collins is tied with Braves skipper Fredi Gonzalez for second-most managerial seniority in the NL East with their current team.
Mark Cuban’s interest in buying the Dodgers should make Padres fans nervous, writes Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Sullivan believes that Cuban has the forward-thinking mindset and deep pockets to shift the balance of power in the NL West.
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has a chance to win right now and needs to make a move to bolster the offense, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
Pedro Martinez isn't ready to announce his retirement just yet, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (Spanish link). Martinez also says that he envisions himself in a Sandy Koufax-type role with a club.
The Giants could use an offensive infusion as the deadline approaches, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.

Stark On Cuban, Phillies, Rays, Giants

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 24, 2011 at 2:50pm CDT

Outspoken Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is a candidate to own a baseball team someday, but as ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark explains, he faces a number of obstacles. Here’s Stark’s analysis of Cuban and other notes from around MLB:

Bud Selig sees Cuban as a “squeaky wheel,” according to Stark’s sources. The commissioner does not appear to have interest in an owner who wants to be the story or who will “overtly challenge him publicly."
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. would like to strengthen his bullpen and he has checked in on a number of relievers, according to Stark.
Scouts covering the International League say the Rays appear to be evaluating two of their outfielders, Desmond Jennings and Brandon Guyer, in possible anticipation of a B.J. Upton trade. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Rays listen on offers for Upton, but it would be surprising if they weren’t evaluating their own minor leaguers. Stark reported earlier in the week that the Rays are not likely to trade Upton this summer.
Rival scouts have been eyeing the Giants’ Class-A affiliate in San Jose, especially Heath Hembree, who was recently promoted to Double-A, and top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler.

Jamey Carroll Q&A

By Tim Dierkes | June 22, 2011 at 8:44am CDT

Yesterday I had a chance to talk with Dodgers infielder Jamey Carroll. Click below to read his preferences in free agency, how he's affected by the Dodgers' ownership situation, and what he was thinking facing Trevor Hoffman in the Rockies' 2007 tiebreaker game against the Padres.

Tim Dierkes: You've played second base, third, shortstop, and the outfield corners…do you have a preference? What position did you play in college?

Jamey Carroll: I grew like everybody else, I played shortstop. I played a lot of short throughout the minor leagues. It wasn't until the last couple of years in the minors that I started to bounce around everywhere and came to an understanding that if I was going to have a shot that was going to be the way, playing everywhere. The more positions I learned the better I was going to be able to get my opportunity and help the team. I think each position has something different, something a little exciting about it. It keeps everything fresh, being able to go out and play something different. It keeps it challenging for me. You get to do something new every day when you bounce around.

Each position has something fun about it. I love turning the double plays from second. I love playing short because it's a position where you have to be in on everything. At third it's a whole different world over there. And when you throw me in the outfield after being so close in the infield I feel so far away. There couldn't be anything more different than playing in the outfield. But I definitely love playing in the middle of the infield because it's really in on the action. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter. As long as you do something to help contribute, that's the bottom line.

TD: The reaction time at third base must be the biggest difference over there.

JC: It's either smoked to you or just chopped like no other, so you're either racing for your life or sprinting for your life. If you're playing third base for a little while and you go back to the middle infield you kind of forget how much your feet have to be in motion. That's why for me it's important to make sure I'm always taking groundballs at short.

TD: You scored the last run in Expos history. How was the relocation experience for you?

JC: It was definitely something different. It was cool to know that I was a part of something like that. I had mixed emotions – I enjoyed Montreal because 1) it's a great city and 2) it's the place where I got my shot, my opportunity. At the same time for years they had been talking about moving out of Montreal. To get some finality to that and know you're going to DC, the nation's capital, and being a part of the first year back there was something special in itself too. It was mixed emotions. You're sad to leave one place but excited to start anew somewhere else. I'm thankful to have been a part of that in my career.

TD: How would you feel about adding the designated hitter to the National League?

JC: I'm old, so I like the NL – that's the type of player I am. At the same time it was fun to play in the AL and it does add that hitter and it does open up another spot for a hitter to have a chance. I grew up watching the NL and played most of my career in the NL. For example last night for us Clayton Kershaw gets a big hit to help himself with the bases loaded in the eighth. It's just kind of exciting and fun to see, but then again seeing the big guys hit some homers is just as exciting. But I like the strategy, double switches and stuff like that, so if I had to choose I'm an NL kind of guy.

TD: What was it like being traded to the Rockies in 2007?

JC: It came at a good time for me. My mom had passed away and I joined a group of guys that were phenomenal for me outside of the game of baseball. I developd a lot of unbelievable friendships with guys on that team. It was something different – I only knew one place, the Expos/Nationals system. I was a little nervous but at the same time I couldn't ask for a better group of guys to get traded to.

TD: You'll be entering free agency coming off a strong year. What factors are most important to you in deciding where to play, if you receive multiple offers?

JC: Obviously I think you want to win. That's the bottom line. I think that's a big factor. I also think it's how you fit in with the team and the organization and where I feel like my family has the best fit. It's not about me anymore. Being in the playoffs once was incredible and I'd love to have that opportunity again.

TD: Do you have a geographic preference?

JC: We couldn't be any further from home than where we are now and we've really enjoyed it. It depends on who wants me, you take those options and go from there and make the best decision out of that.

TD: Tell me what you were thinking during the 2007 tiebreaker game when Todd Helton was intentionally walked and you're coming up against Trevor Hoffman with a chance to send the Rockies to the playoffs.

JC: I was basically a defensive replacement – I wasn't really doing anything at the plate that year and so I'd end up getting pinch-hit for. Just knowing that I was on deck I kind of turned around and looked because I'd been getting pinch-hit for every other time and wasn't sure why this was any different. I kind of turned and looked at the bench and Brad Hawpe, who was up behind me, just looked at me and told me to go up there and get it done. I turned back around and it was almost somehow a little vote of confidence in a sense. I was just going to do anything I could to get him in. I knew how Hoffman approached it. I'm not a first pitch swinger but I knew I was probably going to get a fastball away and tried to take advantage of it. I think I hit it just far enough so Matty could get in there.

TD: Did you think Holliday was safe on the play?

JC: I didn't think it was going to be as close as it was. From where I was, still running down to first, it was the longest few seconds of my life to see Tim McClelland finally call him safe. But he was safe as far as I'm concerned.

TD: How closely do you and your teammates follow Frank McCourt's divorce and the stories about the team's finances?

JC: We've taken the approach that there's nothing we can do about it and it's not our situation. We probably learn more about it when we get asked about it. It shouldn't affect we way we prepare or hit a ball, field a ball, pitch a ball. Obviously we're aware of it but at the same time I really don't believe it has much of an effect on us.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Dodgers Rumors

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect