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Olney On Rays, Baldelli, Dodgers

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The Rays have 11 of the first 75 selections in the upcoming June draft, which means they could infuse their highly-regarded farm system with another group of top prospects. "If they hit it right on just half of those picks," a rival executive told ESPN.com’s Buster Olney, "then this draft will set them up for years to come." Here’s the latest on the Rays’ draft and more from around the majors:

  • Rocco Baldelli and former Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland are scouting players for the Rays in anticipation of the draft, according to Olney.
  • The Rays will take the best players available when they select, instead of entering the draft with a pre-determined approach (for example, loading up on college arms).
  • Olney hears that Frank McCourt’s financial problem is “serious and it is immediate.” The Dodgers owner has reached a “tipping point," according to Olney and is close to “rock-bottom.”

Quick Hits: Twins, CBA, Dodgers

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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.

Latest On Dodgers’ Payroll Problems

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The Dodgers lack the funds to meet their second May payroll due at month's end, wrote Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times last night.  Last month's $30MM loan from Fox will only carry them through the first May payroll.  According to Shaikin, MLB would cover the team's expenses if the Dodgers can't and would have the option to seize the team.

As Shaikin notes, owner Frank McCourt believes MLB has already effectively seized the Dodgers by failing to approve the Fox television contract and appointing Tom Schieffer to be in charge of the team's finances.  But this payroll situation could accelerate the MLB-McCourt showdown, says Shaikin.  He explains the possibilities:

McCourt [may be forced] to find outside financing to meet the second May payroll, surrender the team or file suit against MLB. It is "very unlikely" that Fox would extend another loan to McCourt, a person familiar with the matter said.

Quick Hits: Feliz, Oswalt, Dodgers

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A few items to close out this weekend..

  • Given his recent mind-changing history, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter) suggests not reading too much into Neftali Feliz's thoughts on starting next season.  Earlier today, Feliz said that he wants to continue finishing games for the rest of his career, before backtracking later on.
  • Buster Olney of ESPN tweets that of all the players he has ever written about, he would say that Roy Oswalt is among those most likely to leave baseball whenever he felt it necessary.
  • Tom Schieffer is a good pick to oversee the Dodgers, writes Olney.  Olney writes that Schieffer is, by all accounts, a tough negotiator and someone who will make budgetary decisions and stick to them.

Bill Shaikin Interview With Frank McCourt

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Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times sat down for a lengthy interview with embattled Dodgers owner Frank McCourt on Friday and posted the transcript today. McCourt discussed his meeting with Tom Schieffer, MLB's appointed trustee, as well as the league's investigation into the team's finances. Officials with MLB told him as recently as May of last year that the Dodgers "were a model franchise as far as our financial performance was concerned."

McCourt reiterated that he intends to maintain control of the team and again apologized to the Dodgers' faithful. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports offered up some more on the situation.

2012 Vesting Options Update

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It's the final day of the month, so let's check the status of the various vesting options around the league…

  • Bobby Abreu, Angels: $9MM option vests with 433 plate appearances. Abreu is more than a quarter of the way there already; he has 116 PA after today's game.
  • Rafael Furcal, Dodgers: $12MM option vests with 600 plate appearances. Furcal came to the plate 28 times before breaking his thumb. He's going to miss another three to five weeks, so he's unlikely to see the option vest.
  • Jon Garland, Dodgers: $8MM option vests with 190 innings pitched. Garland started the year on the disabed list and has thrown just 20 innings so far. He should still get there if he stays healthy.
  • Francisco Rodriguez, Mets: $17.5MM option vests with 55 games finished and if doctors declare him healthy at the end of the season. K-Rod has finished eight games so far, but you have to think the club will use him in a way to prevent the option from vesting.
  • Koji Uehara, Orioles: $4MM option vests with either 55 appearances or 25 games finished. Uehara has appeared in eight games and finished four, putting him on pace for 54 and 27, respectively.
  • Arthur Rhodes, Rangers: $4MM option vests with 62 appearances and if he's not on the disabled list at the end of the season. He's appeared in eight games so far, putting him on pace for 50. Injuries to the some of his bullpen mates could increase Rhodes' workload though.
  • Joakim Soria, Royals: $6MM option vests with 55 appearances. He's already appeared in 12 games and is on pace for 75.
  • Dan Wheeler, Red Sox: $3MM option vests with 65 games; increases to $3.25MM with 70 games. Wheeler has appeared in just eight games so far, so he'll have to start seeing more time for the option to kick in.

Adam Wainwright's 2012 ($9MM) and 2013 ($12MM) options will not vest because he will finish the season on the disabled list. Aramis Ramirez's option depends on MVP Award finishes and whether or not he's traded, not plate appearances or another counting milestone.

Mark Buehrle is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2011 season and although he doesn't have a traditional option in his contract, he gets an extra year at $15MM tacked onto his current deal if he's traded at some point this season. 

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.

Dead Money: Paying Players To Play Elsewhere

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Eating money in trades or by releasing players is far from an ideal business practice, but sometimes it's a necessary evil. The Mets believe they are better off paying Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo a combined $18MM not to be on their team this year, and released the two just last month. David Wharton of The Los Angeles Times wrote about the concept of "dead money" today, speaking to Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, sports economist J.C. Bradbury, and Scott Boras.

With some help from Cot's Baseball Contracts, let's look at the teams that are paying players to be anywhere but on their roster this season…

This doesn't include money the Braves owe Kenshin Kawakami ($7.4MM) or the Yankees owe Kei Igawa ($4MM). Both Japanese imports remain in the organization, but they've since been banished to the minor leagues. It also doesn't include all the money the Mets famously owe Bobby Bonilla for the next two decades.

Yuniesky Betancourt is the only player collecting paychecks from three different big league teams at the moment, but Carlos Silva could join him if he's called up by the Yankees. Gary Matthews Jr. could also be in that mix if he catches on somewhere this summer.

Dodgers Notes: McCourt, Robinson, Magic

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Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are making noise on the field, but the biggest Dodger story continues to be Major League Baseball's takeover of the club's operations.  Here's the latest from the City of Angels…

  • Tom Schieffer says the Dodgers have made their May payroll, reports Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.  Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports adds the detail that the Dodgers made payroll without the assistance of Major League Baseball.  (both Twitter links)
  • Team vice chairman Steve Soboroff warns baseball's other owners that they could end up subsidizing the Dodgers, reports Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.  "If I'm an owner in Kansas City or Washington, the last thing I want to do is to put $1 million a month into the Dodgers when there's $3 billion sitting in the bank," Soboroff said.  The other owners appear unified behind Selig, however, and Shaikin hears from a sports business consultant that MLB would repay owners for any money spent to cover the Dodgers' costs.
  • If the Dodgers aren't allowed to add payroll while under MLB's stewardship, ESPN.com's Jason Churchill notes that of the team's top prospects, only Trayvon Robinson may be able to provide immediate help down the stretch.  Robinson, a 10th-round pick in the 2005 amateur draft, posted a .300/.404/.438 line at Double-A Chattanooga in 2010 and has a 1.023 OPS through 78 Triple-A plate appearances this season.  The 23-year-old L.A. native plays left field and is a switch-hitter, but one scout tells Churchill that Robinson doesn't yet have everyday skills.
  • Magic Johnson denied any interest in buying the Dodgers last fall, but in a recent interview with Steve Covino and Rich Davis of SiriusXM Radio (and passed on by Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times), the Lakers icon left the door open for joining a potential new ownership group.  "You know, people here in L.A. want me to make a run for the Dodgers," Johnson said.  "I will sit back and see what happens, and if somebody approaches me and wants a partner or wants me to be involved, I'll take a look at it. 'Cause I love baseball. And I love the Dodgers.’’
  • Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe notes that Red Sox president Larry Lucchino's name "comes up a lot in the commissioner's office" as someone who can help solve the Dodgers' ownership problems.  Lucchino was linked to the Dodgers a few years ago amidst rumors of animosity between he and Theo Epstein, but the two have apparently patched things up.  Abraham also reminds Boston fans that Frank McCourt attempted to buy the Red Sox in 2001.
  • Frank McCourt's issues have made a former embattled NL West owner, John Moores, look better in comparison, writes Tom Krasovic of West Coast Bias.

Dodgers Notes: O’Malley, McCourt, Broxton

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Here are some Dodgers tidbits, including items on their Tinseltown drama..

  • Tom Schieffer said he spoke to McCourt by phone today and expects to meet with him at Dodger Stadium tomorrow, tweets Bill Shaikin of the LA Times.
  • A prominent Dodgers executive told David Vassegh of 570 KLAC that former owner Peter O'Malley has two big time investors to buy the Dodgers.  The plan would be for O'Malley to run the organization again.
  • Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has been on a speaking binge in New York City after spending the last year saying very little to Dodgers fans in Los Angeles, opines T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times.
  • Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets that Tom Schieffer on his way to Dodger Stadium for first time since he was appointed as the Dodgers trustee on Monday.
  • Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton believes that he can regain his All-Star form, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.  The club doesn't neccessarily have to go out-of-house if they choose to go in another direction with the closer role.  The Dodgers called on Vicente Padilla to close out a 5-4 win over the Florida Marlins on Wednesday.

Heyman On Lincecum, Cano, Votto, Weaver, Dodgers

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Ryan Braun's $105MM, five-year contract extension through 2020 seemed like it came out of nowhere, but a ton of other young stars also appear to be in line for new deals, writes Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  Heyman runs down the 20-somethings that could get hefty contract extensions and touches on a few other things in today's column..

  • Giants ace Tim Lincecum won't be a free agent until after the 2013 season, but San Francisco would be wise to lock him up before his arbitration numbers get out of hand.  A third Cy Young season could potentially bring Lincecum from $14MM into the $25MM range and possibly to $30MM in '13.  Heyman expects a deal to get done, even if it costs the club a fortune.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes touched on the Lincecum situation here and here, and will have much more on the topic next week.
  • Similarly, there's no reason to think the Yankees would let Robinson Cano leave in the prime of his career.  The Bombers have options for 2012 and '13 at $14MM and $15MM, respectively, and will obviously exercise them. Look for the Yanks to get a deal done with the second baseman, but only after the Scott Boras client files for free agency.
  • Reds slugger Joey Votto will hit the open market after 2013 and it would be wise for the club to lock him up as the youngster continues to improve.  This winter he signed a three-year, $38MM to take care of his arbitration years, but his rate will presumably rise after that deal is up.  Heyman believes that the Reds will lock up Votto, just as they did with Jay Bruce.  This winter, Cincinnati signed the right fielder to a six-year, $51MM deal.
  • Even though the Marlins' poor attendance would seem to indicate that the club doesn't have the funds to sign Josh Johnson to a new deal, they are on their way to a brand-new facility in the near future.  Putting that aside, they're still in the black. His $39MM, four-year deal goes through 2013 but his next contract should easily top that.
  • If you're a Halos fan looking to purchase a Jered Weaver jersey, you may want to reconsider.  Heyman writes that the right-hander is all but a goner in two years.  Agent Scott Boras is talking his client up and the Angels don't have a history of keeping their top free agents anyway.  It's possible that the next Dodgers owner, assuming there is one, could talk the Simi Valley product into a homecoming.
  • It may come as a surprise to some, but Heyman predicts that Andre Ethier will remain with the Dodgers beyond 2012.  GM Ned Colletti is believed to want to lock up Ethier along with Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw.  Even though the Dodgers' situation is probably too messy for anything to get done right away, they have to act fast to keep the 29-year-old. 
  • You can also expect the Dodgers to work something out with Kemp, who is also a free agent after 2012. 
  • Of the 33 players that Heyman profiles, he expects most to get new deals done with their respective clubs.  Some of the players that we may see elsewhere: John Danks, Shin Soo-Choo, Jonathan Sanchez, Justin Morneau, Grady Sizemore, and Shaun Marcum.
  • TV magnate Burt Sugarman is one name believed to be in the mix among potential buyers of the Dodgers.  Investment banker Jason Reese and billionaire Ron Burkle are also in the mix.  Burkle is teaming with former Dodgers great Steve Garvey.
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