Colletti: No Offer To Manny Yet
SATURDAY: Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says both reports about the Dodgers preparing or offering a two-year deal to Ramirez in the $55-60MM range are fiction. Colletti says the Dodgers haven’t even discussed the length or salary of their offer internally.
Colletti plans to meet with Scott Boras in the near future, and both Ramirez and Derek Lowe will be discussed. Colletti’s heard Lowe wants to move to the East Coast, however.
FRIDAY: According to Bart Hubbuch, George King, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Dodgers offered Manny Ramirez a two-year, $60MM contract. Their sources believe this offer was made to appease fans, as it has no chance of being accepted. Still, $30MM a year is nothing to sneeze at.
ESPN’s Buster Olney notes that the highest-paid outfielder in the game in 2008 (present-day value) was Torii Hunter at just $18MM. He considers it "a little nuts" to be talking about paying Manny A-Rod money.
Heyman’s Latest: Manny, Holliday, Peavy
SI.com’s Jon Heyman has a new rumor-packed article up.
- Heyman suggests the battle for the three elite free agents – Mark Teixeira, Manny Ramirez, and C.C. Sabathia – will mostly be fought by the New York and Los Angeles clubs. Heyman talked to one GM who believes the country’s economic situation will not affect the big names but could be bad for the lower-tier guys.
- Heyman’s potential Manny suitors: the Mets, Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles, and Phillies. The Phillies’ interest will depend on whether Pat Burrell stays. I’m not sure why the Orioles would be in the mix.
- The Rockies are "very likely" to trade Matt Holliday. The Rox would be willing to sign Holliday for five years and $100MM, but that won’t cut it. The team’s focus in a trade will be a young starter. Heyman echoes a Ken Rosenthal thought from a few months ago: surprising small-market teams may enter the Holliday bidding.
- Heyman has the Mets, Rangers, and Indians as teams looking at Brian Fuentes. The Mets are the favorite to sign him in the three-year, $36MM range.
- Jake Peavy has already turned down one American League team. Heyman believes hes particularly opposed to the Rangers and has mixed feelings about the Yankees. Peavy is reeling from the Padres’ decision to shop him.
- Heyman has unkind words for Luis Gonzalez, who may not be welcomed back to the D’Backs based on his "uneasy relationship" with Stephen Drew and Chris Young.
- Heyman does not think MLB has any evidence against Nationals GM Jim Bowden in the scout skimming scandal.
- Heyman gives Ruben Amaro a slight edge over Mike Arbuckle to replace Pat Gillick as Phillies GM.
- George W. Bush as baseball’s next commissioner? "Many have long believed" that Bush would like to be Bud Selig’s successor.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Manny, Peavy, Cubs
A look at what is being written around the Blogosphere…
- Sox and Pinstripes has eight questions the Red Sox must address this offseason including whether or not to re-sign Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield.
- Dodger Thoughts notes that there is not a lot of substance behind the rumors of the Dodgers offering Manny Ramirez a contract worth $60MM for two years.
- Fanhouse wonders if Ramirez could make more money in the long run if he signs a two-year deal with the Dodgers now.
- Gaslamp Ball wonders if the Padres are not getting the offers they expected for Jake Peavy and are starting to get "cold feet."
- Talking Chop notes that Frank Wren’s public posturing during the Peavy negotiations is in stark contrast to what Braves fans are accustomed.
- Bleed Cubbie Blue projects a Cubs ’09 roster, including Aubrey Huff at first base and Luke Scott in right field.
- The Sports Bank says the biggest need for the White Sox lineup is to add speed. They look at some potential moves and project an ’09 lineup that includes Rafael Furcal and Chone Figgins.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.
Dodgers To Offer Shorter Term, Higher Salary To Manny?
SI.com’s Jon Heyman talked to "people familiar with the Dodgers’ thinking" recently. One such person told Heyman the Dodgers may offer Manny Ramirez a short term with a very high annual salary, perhaps something like $55MM for two years. GM Ned Colletti has taken this approach in the past with free agents Jason Schmidt, Rafael Furcal, and Andruw Jones.
Heyman’s sources say the Dodgers are "strongly disinclined" to give Manny five or six years. Colletti himself noted the Dodgers don’t have six-year contracts. However, "there are some who believe" Scott Boras won’t even sit down with a team offering four or fewer years. I can see Boras eventually finding a team willing to give four years.
Heyman lists six other potential suitors for Manny: the Phillies, Yankees, Blue Jays, Mets, Orioles, and Rangers. Some of those suggestions are questionable though.
Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Dodgers
Next up in our Offseason Outlook series, the Dodgers. Their likely 2009 commitments are below. Remember, this is not a projection of the actual ’09 roster. I use only internal candidates here as a way of showing depth and needs.
C – Russell Martin – $500K+
C – Danny Ardoin – $400K
1B – James Loney – $411K
2B – Blake DeWitt – $400K
SS – Chin-Lung Hu – $400K
3B –
IF – Tony Abreu – $400K
IF –
LF – Juan Pierre – $10MM
CF – Matt Kemp – $406K
RF – Andre Ethier – $425K+
OF – Andruw Jones – $15MM
OF – Delwyn Young – $400K
SP – Chad Billingsley – $415K
SP – Hiroki Kuroda – $10MM
SP – Clayton Kershaw – $400K
SP – Jason Schmidt – $12MM
SP – James McDonald – $400K
RP – Takashi Saito – $2MM+
RP – Jonathan Broxton – $454K+
RP – Hong-Chih Kuo – $400K
RP – Cory Wade – $400K
RP – Scott Proctor – $1.115MM+
RP – Ramon Troncoso – $400K
RP – Yhency Brazoban – $540K+
Buyouts: Brad Penny – $2MM, Gary Bennett – $50K
That’s about $59MM committed, plus arbitration raises for Martin, Ethier, Saito, Broxton, Proctor, and Brazoban. A few of those guys figure to be non-tendered (Berroa for sure), but raises could push the Dodgers close to $70MM. The Dodgers entered the ’08 season with a $118MM payroll, so theoretically Ned Colletti could have $48MM to spend (more than any team, as far as I can tell). Makes sense, since the Dodgers have the most free agents.
First issue: Manny Ramirez. I can’t see the Dodgers (or any team, really) stretching beyond four years, $85MM or so. Just a few months ago I wouldn’t have thought Manny could get four years. Will Scott Boras ultimately be reasonable, or will he stick to the "iconic" talk and aim for a contract well beyond $100MM?
As far as clearing the salaries of Pierre or Jones, I don’t see it happening. Of course, it’s worth exploring what, if any, bad contracts might be offered in return. Elsewhere on the trade front, dealing Martin seems unlikely. Any replacement would be a downgrade.
The Dodgers need to address the left side of their infield; it could be considered more crucial than the Manny situation. Interest is mutual with Rafael Furcal, and he’s the best available option. A return of Adrian Beltre would be intriguing at third base; otherwise options like Casey Blake and Joe Crede can be considered.
It’s unclear whether Penny will be back, but Derek Lowe is expected to sign elsewhere. The Dodgers may have two open rotation spots. The big names are legitimate options – Jake Peavy and C.C. Sabathia. The Dodgers will have the money for Sabathia, especially if Manny signs elsewhere. The Dodgers may not get either ace, but they seem likely to sign a veteran starter (Randy Johnson could work).
The back end of the bullpen looks pretty good (Broxton/Kuo/Wade). Colletti will still probably consider signing Joe Beimel and/or Chan Ho Park, or other veterans of that nature.
Bottom line – it should be a very active offseason for the Dodgers.
Dodgers Decline Berroa’s Option
According to MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick, the Dodgers chose shortstop Angel Berroa‘s $500K buyout over his $5.5MM option for ’09. Easy call for a utility guy. Technically Berroa is arbitration-eligible, but Gurnick says they will non-tender him rather than pay him the minimum allowable $2.85MM. ESPN’s Buster Olney believes the Dodgers will try to re-sign Berroa for less after he’s non-tendered.
Berroa’s four-year, $11MM contract from the Royals is one of the few young player deals that did not work out. With the Dodgers this year, he hit .230/.304/.310 in 256 plate appearances while playing average defense.
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Monday
Time to collect today’s Manny Ramirez rumors.
- Scott Boras tells Yahoo’s Tim Brown that Manny pays for himself. Brown says the Giants are "believed to be considering" Manny; they similarly signed an aging Barry Bonds to a large extension back in ’02 (four years with an option). Brown feels the American League is a better fit for Manny, though.
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday talked to an NL exec who believes Manny will get four years. He has a hard time figuring which team will seriously compete with the Dodgers for Ramirez. If Boras succeeds in starting a bidding war, maybe he gets five years.
- Peter Abraham says six years would be "madness," and sees the Dodgers going four years. He predicts Ramirez re-signs with them after much drama. Sounds reasonable.
- The Phillies continue to be tossed around as a solid fit for Manny; Joel Sherman mentioned it yesterday.
Sherman’s Latest: Gonzalez, Guillen, Castillo, Martin
Let’s take a little break from Peavy-mania and look at some other situations around the big leagues, courtesy of Joel Sherman.
- Padres GM Kevin Towers can’t see any circumstances under which he’d trade first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. He’s signed cheaply, and the Padres already have offensive problems.
- Sherman knows that it will be extremely difficult for the Mets to move Luis Castillo this offseason, but offers one scenario that has been discussed before: Trade Castillo to the Royals for perennial hothead Jose Guillen. Guillen would bring the Mets a power bat and arm to put in left field, while Castillo would bring the Royals some much-needed OBP and a replacement for free agent Mark Grudzielanek. The difference would be the Royals saving $6MM over Castillo’s remaining three seasons, with the Mets taking on $6MM more, but only having two years of a bad contract. Personally, I think this move could make a lot of sense for both teams, although I’d prefer to have Guillen over Castillo. Also, the Mets apparently have no interest in an Eric Byrnes/Castillo swap.
- The Phillies may be looking for a way to replace Pat Burrell cheaply in order to pursue a free agent starter. One proposed method would be to move Greg Dobbs to left field. Sherman notes that there wouldn’t be much difference in range between Burrell and Dobbs. Dobbs posted an .824 OPS this season in 226 ABs, but the alarming thing is that 217 of those ABs came against right-handed pitching. Dobbs was just 1 for 9 against lefties in 2008, and has just 52 career ABs against LHP, in which he’s posted a .579 OPS. A plattoon with Eric Brutnlett could work, but if I were a Philadelphia fan, I’d be hoping for an alternative solution. Sherman reminds us that the Phils were players for Manny Ramirez in July…
- This one surprised me, but Sherman throws a new name as a possibility on the trade market: Russell Martin. Sherman cites rival executives in saying that the Dodgers aren’t "enamored with his makeup" and that with frontline catchers being hot commodities, the Dodgers could explore the market to see what Martin could bring in return. Personally, I think moving Martin would be a mistake, but I have to admit, Martin would indeed fetch a very nice return.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Peavy Suitors, Lowe, Cardinals, Marlins
Ken Rosenthal has a new column up, focusing largely on suitors for Jake Peavy, but also touching on some other news at the end… so let’s take a look!
- Rosenthal states that the following teams have been speculated to be suitors for the Padres’ ace: Braves, Angels, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, Cardinals, Brewers, Rays, Rangers. While all of these are not serious possibilities, he elaborates on each team. He mentions Yunel Escobar as a likely centerpiece from Atlanta, and states that the Angels would love to acquire a frontline starter to allow them to send Ervin Santana and/or Joe Saunders to Colorado in a deal for Matt Holliday and/or Garrett Atkins. Rosenthal states that Howie Kendrick could be a big part of any trade, but his health seems like too serious of a concern to me. Rosenthal speculates on the possibility of a dominant rotation for the Yankees if they traded for Peavy and signed C.C. Sabathia. One rival executive’s speculative package for Boston included Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, and Justin Masterson. The Padres will likely charge the Dodgers considerably more for Peavy’s service, as they are division rivals. He lists Rickie Weeks and J.J. Hardy as a possible centerpiece for a Milwaukee blockbuster, but also points out that Ben Sheets has made the Brewers wary of injury concerns. The other teams don’t seem to match up well, in Rosenthal’s opinion.
- Rosenthal says that he was wrong in stating that Derek Lowe would prefer to remain on the West Coast. Lowe has now told him that he’d prefer to go East, with Boston being his top choice. He reiterated this desire to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.
- The Cardinals prefer a short-term solution for their closer situation, and will likely give Chris Perez the ninth inning job, or seek a lower-budget option through the trade market. They may also trade a young outfielder for an established bat at a corner OF position.
- Kevin Gregg is still likely to be traded (perhaps an option for St. Louis), and four teams have asked Florida about Jeremy Hermida. Rosenthal speculates that the Marlins will begin 2009 with Cameron Maybin in center field and Cody Ross in right.
Perrotto’s Latest: Peavy, Unit, Joba
John Perrotto has his Every Given Sunday column up over at Baseball Prospectus. Here’s some highlights from his "Rumors and Rumblings section" this week:
- Perrotto expects a Jake Peavy deal to be done before the Winter Meetings, stating that the Braves, Yankees, and Dodgers seem to be the leaders in the race right now. He notes that the Yankees will be willing to include Phil Hughes, while the Braves are willing to move Yunel Escobar. I personally like the Escobar idea for San Diego, as it would allow them to make Atlanta take on Khalil Greene’s salary. A package around Escobar and Tommy Hanson would certainly be tough to ignore.
- Perrotto reiterates that a move to the Dodgers or Angels for California-native Randy Johnson seems like a strong possibility. Johnson posted a fine season for the Diamondbacks, despite being 45 years old. He’s maintained a very solid strikeout-rate even at this stage in his career, fanning 8.46 batters per nine innings.
- The Yankees are planning on using Joba Chamberlain in their rotation next year, but are not planning on settling for what they have. Perrotto states that the Yankees will "go all-in" on the free agent market, making aggressive offers to C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe, and Mark Teixeira. Add in the pursuit of Peavy, and decisions on numerous free agents, and it looks like a very busy offseason for the Bombers.