Dodgers Rumors

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Upton, Damon, White Sox

By Zachary Links | February 21, 2010 at 10:54pm CDT

Sunday night linkage..

Confidential documents in the McCourts' divorce hearing reveal that the Dodgers may seek to spend on players at level pace while doubling ticket prices and revenue through 2018, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. This is bad news for Dodgers fans as the uncertain financial status of the club has limited their activity this winter.
The Indians are keeping mum on their feelings about Edward Salcedo's reportedly impending deal with the Braves, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer. Salcedo, according to a Dominican paper, was signed by the Tribe in 2007. The club denied this and word that the prospect lied about his age followed.
Todd Wellemeyer is fighting for a spot with the Giants in Spring Training, writes Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News. Wellemeyer had a disappointing 2009 for the Cardinals, posting a 5.89 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9.
Even though the D-Backs find themselves with two starting-caliber catchers in Miguel Montero and Chris Snyder, GM Josh Byrnes won't try to trade the latter, writes Gilbert. Snyder was nearly dealt for Lyle Overbay in November before the Blue Jays got cold feet.
Justin Upton has had discussions with the Diamondbacks regarding a contract extension, writes Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. The 22-year-old is under contractual control for four more years.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that some Scott Boras detractors believe he sacrificed Johnny Damon for Matt Holliday. Some rival agents and club executives assert that the super-agent declined to negotiate with the Yankees regarding Damon early on, allowing the possibility that they could pursue Holliday. Boras scoffed at the notion when asked about it by Rosenthal.
Jake Peavy would have liked to see Damon join the White Sox, writes Scott Merkin of MLB.com.

Dodgers Sign Eric Gagne

By Mike Axisa | February 19, 2010 at 3:35pm CDT

The Dodgers have officially signed Eric Gagne to a minor league deal worth up to $1MM. Gagne makes $500K if he breaks camp with the Dodgers and he can earn up to $500K more in incentives based on games and games finished.

Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times first reported the deal and noted that it was official (via Twitter). Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports added detail on the terms of the deal (via Twitter).

The Rockies offered the 34-year-old Gagne a minor league deal as well, however he apparently preferred the familiarity of the Dodgers' organization. He's returning to where he enjoyed his most big league success, saving 152 games while winning a Cy Young Award during a three year stretch from 2002-2004.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mets, Gonzalez, Contreras

By Mike Axisa | February 19, 2010 at 8:02am CDT

On this date back in 1983, Dodgers' hurler Fernando Valenzuela became the first player in baseball history to receive a seven-figure award through the arbitration process. During his first two-plus seasons as a big leaguer, Fernandomania had been named the Rookie of the Year, appeared in two All Star Games, and won a Cy Young Award. The arbitration panel awarded him a $1MM salary in his first year of eligibility, nearly tripling his 1982 salary.

As the last few present day arbitration cases wrap up, here are some links to check out from around the baseball blogiverse…

Mets Paradise reviews the Amazin's offseason, and says they aren't a finished product even if the team believes they are.
Capitol Avenue Club examines a potential Adrian Gonzalez-to-Atlanta trade, and notes that it's the same situation as the Mark Teixeira swap of 2007.
Turn Two looks at some AL and NL position battles.
The Sports Banter tries to find homes for the best remaining free agents.
Phillies Nation grades the Jose Contreras pickup.
Gear Up For Blue Jays Baseball breaks down Kevin Gregg and the rest of Toronto's bullpen.
Tipi Talk wonders if Rafael Perez could contribute to the Indians as a starting pitcher.
Dodgers Digital answers questions about how the Dodgers' roster decisions will affect their Triple-A affiliate.
AdamAdkins.net ranks the top five catchers in the game today.
Brew Crew Ball provides an easy-to-use guide for creating your own Spring Training story.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Burnett, Chapman, Reyes

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 18, 2010 at 9:32pm CDT

Links for Thursday…

GM John Mozeliak and manager Tony LaRussa both mentioned to MLB.com's Matthew Leach that the Cardinals are not in a rush to add an infielder despite Brendan Ryan's recent wrist surgery.
Rangers GM Jon Daniels knows that it's far from a foregone conclusion that his team will win 87 games again, according to ESPNDallas.com reporter Richard Durrett.
Reds GM Walt Jocketty tells MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that Aroldis Chapman has looked "very impressive" so far.
Jose Reyes tells Kevin Kernan of the New York Post that he wants to finish his career with the Mets. Reyes says he's not thinking about the $11MM option the Mets have for his services in 2011.
The Nats outrighted Doug Slaten to Triple A, according to the team's Twitter. They designated him for assignment two days ago.
The Rockies and Mariners offered Mark McGwire hitting coach positions, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Mariners made their offer in 2003; the Rockies made theirs a few years ago.
Victor Martinez tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he'd "obviously" like to stay in Boston. The catcher says the negotiations are now under the team's control.
Carlos Zambrano tells Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald that he would have vetoed a trade had the Cubs approached him about one this offseason.
Andrew Friedman says he and his front office have assembled "the most talented team in Rays history," according to the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).
USA Today's Peter Barzilai looks back at some historically good free agent signings.
Greg Burke cleared waivers, tweets Dan Hayes of the North County Times. The club placed Burke on unconditional waivers ten days ago.
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney that the club find its fifth starter outside of the organization. "We'd love to have a bona fide No. 5 starter," Colletti said.
Mariano Rivera tells MLB.com's Brian Hoch that he doesn't know how long he's going to continue playing (Twitter link).
Rockies manager Jim Tracy told Denver Post readers that he helps Dan O'Dowd make personnel decisions when the GM is looking for input.
In anticipation of the club's scheduled arbitration hearing with Ryan Theriot, Cubs GM Jim Hendry tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that the arbitration process is sometimes unavoidable.
The Braves signed 17-year-old infield prospect Alejandro Sanchez Martinez to a seven-year contract out of Spain earlier in the winter, according to David Menayo of Marca.com. Thanks to Nick Collias for the translation.

Rockies Offer Eric Gagne Minor League Deal

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 18, 2010 at 4:24pm CDT

Eric Gagne has an offer for a minor league deal from the Rockies, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding (via Twitter). We heard earlier in the week that the Rockies were in the mix, with the Dodgers involved, too. Gagne threw for Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd and Jim Tracy, his former manager, but he has also thrown in front of the Dodgers, who are still in the mix.

Gagne, 34, hasn't been effective in the majors since the first part of the 2007 season. He pitched in the Can-Am league last year and is looking to return to the big leagues.

Odds & Ends: Gonzalez, Benson, Giants, Mariners

By Mark Polishuk | February 17, 2010 at 9:24pm CDT

A quick rundown of some of the day's items…

In an appearance on WEEI's Dale & Holley Show, ESPN's Keith Law said that the Red Sox are the clear front-runners if and when Adrian Gonzalez hits the trade market. "I really think that Boston could top anybody if Adrian Gonzalez becomes available, and he will," Law said. The transcript of Law's appearance is available here.
It looks like Washington might still be the only team interested in Kris Benson. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets that the Indians have no interest in the right-hander.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark polled "20 baseball wise men" to get their take on the offseason moves. The panel picked Seattle and Arizona as the most improved teams in their respective leagues, while Cleveland and the Dodgers were the least improved. John Lackey was named the winter's best free agent signing, while Brandon Lyon's deal with Houston was considered the worst.
Giants infielder Freddy Sanchez underwent shoulder surgery on December 23, but the news of the procedure didn't come out until almost a month later. Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News believes the club wanted to keep Sanchez's condition a secret in order to help them sign Juan Uribe to a more team-friendly contract. Uribe signed a one-year, $3.25MM deal on January 5.
MLB.com's Jim Street answers some Mariner-related questions in a fan mailbag. Some topics of note include the possibility that the M's could deal one of their surplus outfielders, and Chad Cordero could also be trade bait if he doesn't make the Seattle bullpen but otherwise appears recovered from shoulder surgery.
Matt Klaassen of Fangraphs thinks "Arizona overpaid a bit" in the arbitration settlement between the Diamondbacks and Edwin Jackson, but also notes that "there is reason to believe this deal is fair to both sides."
Miguel Olivo took less money to play in Colorado because he wanted to be on a contending team, reports Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
"It's decision time" for teams to negotiate with players entering the last year of their contracts, says USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
Wandy Rodriguez and the Astros had their arbitration hearing today, and The Associated Press reports that a decision should be reached by tomorrow. Rodriguez wants $7MM, while Houston has countered with an offer of $5MM.
Jane Lee of MLB.com breaks down the dollars and reasoning behind Oakland's quick flip of Willy Taveras earlier this month.
There are no new developments between Jonny Gomes and the Reds, but John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the two sides are still talking. GM Walt Jocketty is hopeful the team and player "can get something done this weekend."
Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looks at some of the issues facing the Pirates this spring, and notes that the club's young players could be helped without the pressure to win starting jobs.

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Lowell, Mauer, Adrian

By Tim Dierkes | February 17, 2010 at 1:33pm CDT

Links for Wednesday…

I recently did an Orioles-centric phone interview with Tom Sedlacek of the Bowie Baysox website.
The Cubs signed 18-year-old Korean righty Kim Jin-yeong for $1.2MM, reports Matt DeWoskin of True Stories Of Korean Baseball. I have heard that this is not official yet, however.
Ted Lilly would like to remain with the Cubs beyond 2010, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, but the lefty doesn't want to be a distraction.
WEEI's Rob Bradford chatted with Mike Lowell about his near-trade to the Rangers and his future with the Red Sox.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today examines the Joe Mauer extension situation, drawing a parallel to Cal Ripken in 1992.
This time, Padres CEO Jeff Moorad talked about hope and optimism regarding an extension for Adrian Gonzalez (Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune reporting).
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Nationals, Reds, and Indians made big league offers to Chien-Ming Wang, while the Dodgers and Rays showed interest but did not make offers.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders if the Tigers traded Curtis Granderson because they soured on him as a player.
Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball has the numbers on the five remaining arbitration cases.

Sizing Up Interest In Eric Gagne

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 17, 2010 at 1:22pm CDT

WEDNESDAY, 1:22pm: SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Dodgers are the most likely landing spot for Gagne, with the Rockies in the mix. However, Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says a pedestrian throwing session yesterday makes Gagne a longshot for Colorado.

TUESDAY, 4:41pm: It wasn't long ago that Eric Gagne was in the midst of one of most dominant stretches a reliever has ever had. After disappointing stints in Boston and Milwaukee and a year in the Can-Am League, one thing is clear: Gagne wants to pitch in the majors again. Here are the details on his preferences and the teams that are considering him:

Gagne wants to be a Dodger again, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. GM Ned Colletti confirmed to MLB.com that his scouts have watched Gagne throw, though the Dodgers have not yet made an offer.
Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times tweets that the Dodgers' interest in Gagne has been overstated, but Gagne has another suitor if that's the case.
The Rockies watched Gagne throw today, tweets MLB.com's Thomas Harding. GM Dan O'Dowd was in attendance with manager Jim Tracy, who used to manage Gagne in LA.

Odds & Ends: Lincecum, Cashman, Orioles, Wang

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 16, 2010 at 9:09pm CDT

Links for Tuesday…

Tim Lincecum passed his physical according to Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). Presumably his two-year, $23MM deal is official now.
Yankees' GM Brian Cashman sat down for an interview with NoMaas.org. He discussed what went into some of their decision making this offseason, among other things.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun projected the Orioles' Opening Day roster.
Chien-Ming Wang has already passed his physical with the Nationals, reports Chico Harlan of The Washington Post. Given the righty's recent shoulder surgery, it was far from a formality.
Joe Torre tells Mike Francesa of WFAN that the Dodgers are on the lookout for a fifth starter (audio here). Torre says the Dodgers could find that starter within their organization. He also says he and the Doders are talking about adding a year onto his contract, which expires after this season.
Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Batter's Box that the Blue Jays will draft the best players available this June. Anthopoulos also said the Jays will be open to dealing from their pitching depth.
MLB.com's Doug Miller shows that baseball's executives are getting younger as owners take a business-first approach to winning.
Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says he'd be willing to guarantee Joe Mauer eight or ten years if that's what it takes to keep the catcher in Minnesota, despite the fact that Mauer would almost certainly be playing another position by the end of a contract that long.
Padres GM Jed Hoyer tells MLB.com's Corey Brock that he's pleased with his first offseason as a GM and the process that the Padres used this winter.
Giants officials believe "the day is coming when legions of talented hitters will follow" Pablo Sandoval's path to the majors, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney says Felipe Lopez would be a "great, great fit" for the Mets.

Odds & Ends: Maya, Sheffield, Rays, Yankees

By Zachary Links | February 15, 2010 at 10:44pm CDT

Monday night linkage..

Jon Heyman of SI writes that the Dodgers and Rockies have watched Eric Gagne throw and both teams have shown the willingness to take a chance. A few weeks ago we learned that Colorado was thinking about extending a non-roster invite to the 34-year-old.
The Red Sox might not be close to signing Cuban pitcher Yuniesky Maya, a source familiar with the negotiations tells Rob Bradford of WEEI. There's a good chance that Maya will instead choose a team that offers a better opportunity to immediately enter its starting rotation.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes that Gary Sheffield would not be a good fit for the Nationals as he wants to play every day. Ladson spoke to a major league source who believes that Sheffield will not accept a role as a backup.
Jason Beck of MLB.com fielded a question from a reader, asking why the Tigers dealt Curtis Granderson, only to pursue Johnny Damon instead. Beck says that the Granderson trade brought Detroit financial flexibility and prospects. He also credits agent Scott Boras for helping to create an opportunity for Damon.
Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg told 620-AM WDAE that the club's payroll will drop below $60MM in 2011, despite having a payroll north of $70MM this season. Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times points out that while the club didn't plan to make any big additions this year, they found room for Rafael Soriano after dealing Scott Kazmir and Akinori Iwamura.
If Mike Jacobs doesn't make the Mets major league roster, Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News doesn't expect him to play for the club's Triple-A affiliate. Even though his minor league deal doesn't have an out-clause, Rubin is "virtually positive" that the Mets would accommodate him with a trade or release.
In his latest mailbag, MLB.com's Bryan Hoch supports Yankees GM Brian Cashman's decision to wait to negotiate with upcoming free agents Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Hoch believes that both players should be confident that they'll both be taken care of eventually.

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