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Dodgers Notes: McCourt, Selig, Cuban

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If Dodgers owner Frank McCourt doesn't make payroll at the end of the month, the commissioner's office would have the power to take control of the team and put it on the market. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, who had their proposed TV deal rejected by Bud Selig yesterday:

  • Bob Sacks, an attorney for McCourt, hinted to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that MLB could find itself in a legal "showdown" with the Dodgers and explained that there's "the possibility of some fairly acrimonious and extreme litigation going forward." McCourt's representatives are asking to sit down with Selig and negotiate their way through the Dodgers' financial issues. MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred says he's confident in the league's legal position.
  • Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said on TMZ that he would have interest in buying the Dodgers under the right circumstances. But Cuban suggests it could be a while – maybe 20 years – before the Dodgers are on the right track again. “It's just such a mess, right,” Cuban said. “I can’t imagine that it’s not going to be such a mess that it’s going to make it hard to turn around.”
  • Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball says Cuban's stock has risen because his Mavericks won the NBA Championship, but ESPN.com's Keith Law doubts MLB would approve Cuban as an owner (Twitter link).

Stark On B.J. Upton, Boras, Dodgers

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The latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…

  • The Rays are not likely to trade B.J. Upton this summer, though the Nationals have been monitoring the center fielder just in case.  Though the Rays feel they have a long-term need for catching, they're not enticed by the Nats' dangling of Jesus Flores and Ivan Rodriguez.
  • Scott Boras is the biggest culprit in trying to steal clients, says one agent.  However, the practice is legal if Boras reports all contact made with others' clients to the Players Association.  Last year Boras' free agent group looked weak before he snagged Jayson Werth and Rafael Soriano a few months before the offseason began.  This time, Boras won't be swiping Jose Reyes from Peter Greenberg, but he does have Prince Fielder, Carlos Beltran, Ryan Madson, and anyone else he manages to bring aboard.
  • Realignment is unlikely to happen for 2012, since the schedule needs to be finalized by September.  Stark also explains that realignment may depend on the decision to expand the postseason.
  • The Dodgers are telling teams they're weeks away from deciding whether to be deadline sellers.  If they do sell, it won't be because of money issues.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports agrees, saying MLB-appointed monitor Tom Schieffer would intercede if the team tries to make a move that's not in its best long-term interests.

Reaction To MLB Rejecting McCourt’s Fox Deal

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Earlier today we learned that MLB rejected a proposed 17-year television rights contract between the Dodgers and Fox, meaming it's unlikely that Frank McCourt will make payroll later this month. The decision also means that the McCourts' divorce settlement is off. Both sides issued statements regarding the decision, so let's recap…

  • The Los Angeles Times posted Selig's statement, and within it he explains that "the [proposed] transaction is structured to facilitate the further diversion of Dodgers assets for the personal needs of Mr. McCourt. Given the magnitude of the transaction, such a diversion of assets would have the effect of mortgaging the future of the franchise to the long-term detriment of the club and its fans."
  • Attorney Steve Susman issued a statement on behalf of McCourt and the Dodgers, saying that they're "extremely disappointed" that the commissioner has rejected the proposed deal. Selig's rejection is "potentially destructive" to the Dodgers and MLB, according to Susman who promises to "explore vigorously [the Dodgers'] options and remedies."

MLB Rejects McCourt’s Deal With Fox

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Dodgers owner Frank McCourt was notified today that MLB will not approve the 17-year television rights contract with Fox, reports Yahoo's Tim Brown. 

Bud Selig's decision comes as no surprise.  Rejection of the Fox deal would mean McCourt's divorce settlement is off and the Dodgers are unlikely to meet payroll at the end of the month.  If the Dodgers cannot meet their payroll obligation, MLB will seize and sell the Dodgers, though perhaps not without a legal battle from McCourt.

Trade Candidate: Jamey Carroll

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At 7.5 games back in the NL West, the Dodgers might start pondering trading a few impending free agents.  In infielder Jamey Carroll, they've got someone who would be useful to many teams.

Carroll

Carroll, 37, stepped in as the Dodgers' regular shortstop when Rafael Furcal broke his thumb in April.  With Dee Gordon now in the mix at short, Carroll is contributing more at second base lately.  He has also logged time at third base and the outfielder corners.

Carroll is a top of the order type, with a .357 career OBP and a .376 mark this year.  He's earning $1.8MM plus incentives, so his contract won't be an issue for any team.  Dodgers GM Ned Colletti hasn't been committed to acquiring draft picks through free agent compensation, but Carroll appears to have a shot at Type B status.

The Rays, Reds, Brewers, Pirates, and Giants are contenders who could use a hand a shortstop, though the Dodgers may not want to deal with a division rival.  The Tigers and Cardinals could desire a second baseman, while the Indians, Tigers, White Sox, Mariners, and Rockies might like a third base addition.  While the Dodgers probably won't extract a top 100 prospect for Carroll, there's potential for a half-dozen suitors or more.  Assuming the infielder ascends to Type B status, the Dodgers should at least be able to acquire a prospect who is on par with a supplemental round draft pick.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Cafardo On Kazmir, Upton, Broxton, Ramirez

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders if roster manipulation is rampant in baseball.  Cafardo points to the pulled quad muscle injury of Red Sox outfielder Darnell McDonald as a possible example.  McDonald wasn't showing any signs of injury and when asked about it, he gave a "no comment".  It's possible that Boston simply wanted to get McDonald more playing time with Mike Cameron eating up the lion's share of the reps.  Things such as this, Cafardo writes, are happening all around baseball.  Let's see what else is happening around the majors:

  • As poorly as left-hander Scott Kazmir has pitched in the last two seasons, there are at least five teams looking at him in the Rockies, Marlins, Padres, Rangers, and Diamondbacks.  It also wouldn't be a surprise if the Yankees jump into the mix considering their pitching needs.
  • There always seems to be a should-we-or-shouldn’t-we-trade B.J. Upton dilemma for the Rays. The Nationals could be a fit as they'd like a young center fielder they can grow with.  The question is: is he available?  All signs point to yes.
  • Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton has been on the shelf since May with an elbow injury, but the club could move him if they're lagging in the standings.
  • The Marlins' recent slide has skipper Edwin Rodriguez on the hot seat and it's no secret that the club has been keeping an eye on Ozzie Guillen for quite some time.  Guillen has one year remaining on his deal with the White Sox.
  • The Dodgers owe Manny Ramirez more than $8MM in deferred payments but the charismatic twelve-time All-Star is collecting a lot more than that.  The BoSox owe him quite a bit of money too, roughly $32MM over 16 years.  Boston will pay Ramirez through 2026, when he’ll be 54-years-old.

Rosenthal’s Full Count: Marlins, Wandy, Phillies, Rockies

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Ken Rosenthal has his lastest Full Count video up over at FOXSports.com. Let's go over the highlights:

  • If the Marlins make a managerial change, the most likely candidate would be Nationals' third base coach Bo Porter. Porter spent five years with the Marlins, and three as a Major League coach. Rosenthal wonders if the Nats would let him go to a division rival midseason, and if Porter would accept the job on an interim basis, knowing the Marlins ultimately want Ozzie Guillen. Porter turned down a similar offer last season.
  • Rosenthal asked Yankees GM Brian Cashman if he would consider trading for an ace, and Cashman replied, "I'm not Ruben Amaro," referring to the Phillies GM and his affinity for blockbuster trades. Rosenthal names Wandy Rodriguez as a potential target for New York, but says there could be a hangup since the Astros value Rodriguez as an ace, while the Yanks would view him as a back-of-the-rotation addition.
  • The Phillies are doing their due dilligence in looking for right-handed hitters and left-handed relievers, but are limited by payroll issues. They also don't currently have regular at-bats for any hitter they'd acquire. Rosenthal says someone like Ryan Spilborghs, making $2MM with the Rockies, is the type of hitter that would be appealing to Philadelphia.
  • The Rockies could be buyers or sellers, depending on their play over the next month. If they're buyers, they'll seek innings-eating pitchers (Rosenthal names Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers and the Twins' Kevin Slowey as possible targets), while if they sell they could look to move Huston Street, Ty Wigginton, and Aaron Cook.

Olney’s Latest: McCourts, Reyes, Bell

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In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote about Vanderbilt catcher Curt Casali, who one evaluator called an "absolute steal" by the Tigers as a tenth round pick in this year's draft. "He's a smart guy, and he's been calling his own pitches," said the evaluator. "You don't see that a lot in college baseball these days, because the pitches are called from the bench."

Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…

  • No matter what happens with the McCourts' divorce settlement, the Dodgers will be weakened. If Frank McCourt keeps the team, he'll be forced to use millions of dollars from the proposed FOX television deal to pay off the settlement. If he sells, the new owner will be stuck with a deal that is designed to infuse cash for McCourt now rather than help the franchise long-term.
  • Two executives told Olney that they can't imagine being able to give up what the Mets would require in return to trade Jose Reyes. The Mets will be criticized no matter what, whether they trade Reyes, re-sign him, or let him walk as a free agent. 
  • Teams are beginning to "accelerate talks" with the Padres about Heath Bell, and multiple sides are preparing to exchange trade proposals.

McCourts Settle Divorce, Contingent On Fox Deal

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Frank and Jamie McCourt announced a divorce settlement, reports Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.  However, the settlement is contingent upon MLB's approval of the Dodgers' deal with Fox, which SI's Jon Heyman says won't happen (Twitter link).  McCourt disagrees.  In the Fox deal is not approved, it's back to divorce court.  A decision is expected Tuesday, Jamie's attorney told Shaikin (Twitter link). 

Shaikin reports that the McCourts also "agreed to a one-day trial so that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon could make a final determination of whether the Dodgers belong solely to Frank McCourt or whether the team should be considered community property."  If the Dodgers are ruled community property, the team is likely to be sold as a result.

Click here to view the McCourts' settlement agreement, from the L.A. Times.

Quick Hits: Rays, Pena, Phillies, Dodgers, Royals

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Dustin Ackley will make his debut tomorrow, but Blue Jays righty Zach Stewart got his first taste of The Show today against the Orioles.  Stewart, acquired by former Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi in the July '09 Scott Rolen deal, ranked 44th on Keith Law's preseason top 100 prospects list for ESPN.  On to today's links…

  • Baseball America's Jim Callis reports that the Rays are on the verge of signing supplemental first round picks Jeff Ames and James Harris. The team signed two other supplemental first rounders earlier today.
  • Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe hears that the Diamondbacks are considering calling up Wily Mo Pena for interleague play (on Twitter). Pena has not been in the big leagues since 2008, but he's hitting .356/.431/.736 with 21 homers for Arizona's Triple-A affiliate, and he could DH in AL parks.
  • Andy Martino of The New York Daily News speculates about the possibility of Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran winding up with the Phillies at the trade deadline.
  • The Phillies "are making inquiries on established and pricey veterans" as they search for a right-handed hitting outfielder, reports ESPN's Buster Olney.  We covered this topic on Monday, under the impression that pricey players were not a fit.  If the Phillies do have these types on the radar, players like Michael Cuddyer and Ryan Ludwick could enter the mix in my opinion.
  • MLB is interviewing former Dodgers executives as its investigation nears its conclusion, reports Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times. 
  • The first player from the 2011 draft class could be the Diamondbacks' Trevor Bauer, in the opinion of ESPN's Jason Churchill and Keith Law, assuming they sign him (Insider required).
  • I talked Royals with Nick Wright of 610 Sports yesterday; download an mp3 of the audio here.
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