Odds and Ends: Penny, Koskie, Lowell
Links for Tuesday…
- Chat today, 2pm CST.
- RotoAuthority looks at the pitchers involved in the WBC.
- ESPN’s Keith Law weighs in on the Andy Oliver case.
- Brad Penny talked to Yahoo’s Tim Brown about his last season in L.A. UPDATE: Bowa’s amusing reaction to Penny’s comments.
- Corey Koskie is healthy and hopes to sign somewhere, says La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
- Josh Willingham‘s arbitration hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Ryan Zimmerman‘s for Saturday.
- WEEI’s Alex Speier talked to Mike Lowell about Boston’s pursuit of Mark Teixeira.
- The Sports Business talked to former Dodgers GM Fred Claire.
Dodgers, Andre Ethier Avoid Arb
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Dodgers avoided arbitration with outfielder Andre Ethier by signing him at $3.1MM for ’09. He can earn another $100K in incentives. If Ethier gets those incentives he’ll be at the midpoint of the two submissions. Perhaps the deal will help Corey Hart and Josh Willingham come to terms. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says the Brewers have had extensive discussions with Hart’s agent this morning.
Will Ohman Has Three Offers
TUESDAY: MLB.com’s Corey Brock talked to a Padres source who considers an Ohman signing a long shot. We learned earlier today that the same goes for the Phillies.
MONDAY: According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick:
Will Ohman, one of the top relievers left on baseball’s free agent market, has major league offers in hand from the Pirates, Marlins and Padres, but plans to continue discussions with three contending teams before making a decision on his destination for 2009, his agent said Monday. The Phillies, Mets and Dodgers have all stayed in touch with Ohman, but their interest has yet to progress beyond the talking stage.
Crasnick doesn’t believe the Pirates, Marlins, or Padres would be willing to go past $1MM on a one-year deal. Joe Beimel and Dennys Reyes also remain unsigned.
Orlando Hudson Rumors: Tuesday
We learned from Ken Rosenthal earlier today that the Dodgers remain interested in free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson. Rosenthal also said that the Royals like Hudson but don’t have the financial flexibility to fit him in.
SI.com’s Jon Heyman has more on Hudson, learning that Dodgers GM Ned Colletti has "had a conversation or two" with the player’s agent since Adam Dunn signed. Colletti also implied that the Dodgers could afford Hudson and Manny Ramirez, if they choose to pursue both. Heyman adds that the White Sox are not a player for Hudson.
Rosenthal On Hudson, Pudge, Cabrera, Edmonds
Here’s a look at the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Orlando Hudson would like to play for the Royals, but currently they cannot afford him even at a likely salary under $5MM. They could free up most of the cash by releasing Mark Teahen, but Rosenthal’s source says the Royals are "unwilling to make such a move." Rany Jazayerli discusses the Royals-Hudson idea in this blog post. The Dodgers are the only other known suitor, though the fit there is questionable in my opinion.
- The Mets aren’t serious about signing Ivan Rodriguez, though they have discussed it. The Mets already have $7.4MM committed to their current catching tandem. Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post goes further, saying the Mets "aren’t interested" in Rodriguez.
- Currently the A’s are unwilling to meet Orlando Cabrera‘s asking price. They are willing to sacrifice their second-round pick for him if they get their price.
- Jim Edmonds is "attracting virtually no interest." Edmonds can still hit righties, so you’d think someone would make an offer.
Dodgers, Ethier Headed To Arb Hearing?
As MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick reports, the Dodgers and outfielder Andre Ethier are on the eve of an arbitration hearing. The two sides have less than 24 hours to work out a deal, and it doesn’t look promising.
"There’s no way to handicap it," general manager Ned Colletti said Monday afternoon. "The time is right to do it when both sides can’t agree. We’ve tried to avoid it and we will the next 24 hours. We all love Andre. He was the first player I traded for when I came here."
Ethier asked for $3.75MM and the Dodgers offered $2.65MM back when figures were due. The 26-year-old hit .305/.375/.510 with 20 home runs and 77 RBI last season.
Odds and Ends: Maddux, Beltre, Cordero
Links for Monday…
- RotoAuthority discusses possible lineup position changes for star players.
- Baseball America has the latest minor league transactions.
- Greg Maddux has joined the Padres as a Spring Training instructor, says MLB.com’s Corey Brock.
- Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News learned that Adrian Beltre enjoys hitting in AT&T Park and would be excited to play for the Giants. Baggarly wonders if the Giants could attempt to acquire Beltre this summer. The third baseman and Scott Boras client will be a free agent after the season.
- Shawn Estes, currently in camp with the Dodgers, will retire if he can’t make a Major League roster according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.
- A Mets official told Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News that the team is unlikely to sign free agent reliever Chad Cordero.
- Jake Peavy talked more about the failed attempts to trade him during the winter (Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune reporting).
- The Mariners added catcher Jason Phillips on a minor league deal, according to Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune.
Juan Pierre Wants A Starting Job
Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times and Ken Gurnick of MLB.com spoke to Dodgers outfielder Juan Pierre, who is penciled in as the team’s starting left fielder currently. The problem for Pierre is that a Manny Ramirez signing would bump him back into the fourth outfielder job.
Pierre is owed $28.5MM over the next three seasons, so a trade seems nearly impossible. Pierre doesn’t agree though:
"When they want to get rid of guys, they get rid of guys. I’m not saying to go the whole Andruw route, but I wouldn’t say untradeable."
At the end of the season Pierre’s agent suggested a trade might be optimal, and Pierre agreed:
It’s a tough spot for both sides. I think [a trade] would have helped both sides. It would have made sense. But I know the market changed last year. Other teams might not want me. Just be straight with me and I’m cool.
Pierre is done keeping his mouth shut:
"For the betterment of the team last year, I kept my mouth shut and let them play. That said, this year, I don’t want that role again."
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Saturday
According to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, free agent Manny Ramirez has a locker reserved for him at the Dodgers’ new spring training facility in Glendale, Arizona.
It’s in a corner of the team’s clubhouse, right next to Rafael Furcal. GM Ned Colletti had nothing new to report on the Manny front Saturday, but it’s clear that the club is expecting his arrival at some point this spring.
Hart, Ethier Likely Headed To Arb Hearing
2:19pm: Adam McCalvy at MLB.com mentions an interesting parallel to the arbitration situation with Corey Hart.
Andre Ethier is expected to go to an arbitration hearing on Tuesday, the day before Hart’s hearing is scheduled. The numbers in Ethier’s case are very similar, the outfielder having asked for $3.75 million while the Dodgers offered $2.65 million.
The outcome of the Ethier case may be indicative of what to expect for Hart.
11:15am: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes the Brewers and Corey Hart will likely be headed to an arbitration hearing. Says assistant general manager Gord Ash, "We’re still where we were, with a case on Wednesday."
Haudricourt’s got the numbers, too: "In his first year of salary arbitration eligibility, Hart filed for $3.8 million. The club offered him $2.7 million. Hart made $444,000 last season."