Dodgers Make New Offer To Manny Ramirez
WEDNESDAY, 11:45pm: I was just thinking, this contract offer is not unlike A.J. Burnett‘s opt-out clause. The Dodgers would have Manny on a one-year, $25MM deal, plus an option that cannot possibly work in their favor.
7:29pm: Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports makes a good observation:
Boras did not immediately accept the offer, but a source said he delivered the offer to his client – a sign of progress because the first two offers were dismissed immediately by Boras.
7:18pm: Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times says the player option came at Boras’ request.
7:05pm: Jackson reports that the Dodgers have offered Manny a two-year, $45MM contract.
From what I understand, though, there WON’T be a deal tonight, Jackson writes. The offer is a two-year, $45 million contract, with salaries of $25 million the first year and $20 million the second, but the second year is a PLAYER option so Manny can walk away if he believes he can get more on the open market next winter. If he is injured during the first season, the second year becomes guaranteed. Boras and Co. have taken it under advisement, and the club is expecting a response early tomorrow.
6:12pm: Tony Jackson of the Los Angeles Daily News chimes in:
Gurnick wrote earlier today that they are meeting, and I have been able to semi-confirm that, as well as semi-confirm the fact that said meeting is taking place at Dodger Stadium. What I can tell you, from my own observations, is that people are behaving strangely, or at least at odds with their normal behavior. This could be it, folks. Stay tuned. It might be a long evening.
5:38pm: Gurnick has made an update to his most recent story.
Dodgers chairman Frank McCourt and GM Ned Colletti did, in fact, meet with agent Scott Boras during the team’s first spring game Wednesday. Gurnick calls it "the most serious attempt to date to sign" Ramirez.
4:37pm: MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick notes that Dodgers GM Ned Colletti was absent from the team’s first exhibition game. Might be Manny-related; might not.
9:08am: ESPN’s Buster Olney believes Manny Ramirez remains unsigned because of his behavior in Boston:
The primary reason for [the lack of interest in Manny], unquestionably, is the sport-wide perception that he did not honor his contract in Boston, and went to extraordinary depths to get himself out of that contract. These are not the on-background musings of a couple of rogue scouts, or the chortlings of conspiracy-theorist sports writers. This is the cemented belief of many executives with many teams, reinforced by Ramirez’s sudden transformation into a high-energy player as soon as he moved from the Red Sox to the Dodgers.
In my opinion, the primary interest for the limited Manny interest is his asking price. At a time when solid corner outfielders are signing for $10MM per year tops, Manny wants more than twice that salary and at least three years guaranteed. I think if Ramirez and Boras were willing to take a reasonable two-year, $30MM deal, there’d be five more teams in on him.
Lefties May Be Lowering Contract Expectations
FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal reports that the agents for left-handers Joe Beimel and Will Ohman are prepared to offer more flexibility in contract negotiations with clubs.
"I would suggest any team holding back on some last-minute interest step forward and express it," Beimel’s agent, Jeff Sroba said Wednesday. "Not that anything is imminent, but we are offering flexibility." Beimel, who turns 32 in April, has drawn interest primarily from the Dodgers this offseason. He went 5-1 with a 2.02 ERA for Los Angeles last season.
Ohman, 31, has deals on the table from the Pirates, Marlins and Padres, but is reportedly hoping the Phillies, Dodgers or Mets will come calling. He finished 4-1 with a 3.68 ERA last year for the Braves. "We’re offering flexibility, too," said Ohman’s agent, Page Odle. "We’re hoping one of the playoff teams will want that shutdown lefty."
Dennys Reyes is another left-handed reliever without a job. He went 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA for the Twins last season.
Unsigned Pedro Still Working Hard
MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez writes that free agent pitcher Pedro Martinez looked great Tuesday during a simulated game in the Dominican Republic.
He’s currently gearing up to represent his country during the World Baseball Classic. "Pedro was working really well, he threw the ball like normal and he showed good physical condition," said Dominican team staff member Rafael Mateo.
Pedro is hoping that a strong showing during the WBC will lead to a major league contract. According to a Dominican-based newspaper, the Dodgers, Pirates and Indians have expressed interest in the 37-year-old right-hander, but no offers have been extended.
Odds & Ends: Arbitration, Bay, Manny
Links for Tuesday…
- Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball has all the info and analysis about this year’s salary arbitration class you could possibly need.
- The updated June draft order from Baseball America.
- Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe discusses Jason Bay‘s future.
- ESPN’s Buster Olney provides analysis of the Manny Ramirez situation in this video.
- More Hardball looks at the best minor league contracts of the offseason.
- RotoAuthority discusses the possible fantasy impact of those from Baseball America’s top 100 list who have a 2009 ETA.
Nomar Garciaparra To Decide Soon
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney:
It’s expected that Nomar Garciaparra will make his decision by mid-week on whether he wants to play in Oakland, or in Philadelphia, or if he’d prefer to walk away from the game.
Garciaparra, 35, hit .264/.326/.466 in 181 plate appearances for the Dodgers last year while playing first base, shortstop, and third base and earning $8.5MM. Ken Rosenthal wrote about Nomar yesterday, saying the Phillies are pessimistic about signing him because the A’s are offering an opportunity for more at-bats.
Heyman’s Latest: Cabrera, Pudge, Pedro, Halladay
Already linked to this article from Jon Heyman in the Manny piece, but it should have its own post as well, as the second half of it covers completely different material. Let’s take a look…
- Orlando Cabrera and the A’s still face a gap in the numbers. The A’s would like to sign him for $2MM-$3MM, but Cabrera is holding out for more. The hit his reputation took based on problems with his former White Sox teammates is unlikely to be helping matters.
- Heyman points out that the Dodgers did an excellent job of using Cabrera’s availability to drive down Orlando Hudson’s price tag.
- Heyman says Pudge Rodriguez’s reputation also took a hit toward the end of his tenure in Detroit. Could that be playing a factor in the lack of interest toward Pudge? Heyman names the Marlins and Astros as good fits. Pudge will use the WBC as an audition to try to prove he’s better than he was with the Yankees (.580 OPS through 33 games).
- Pedro Martinez will also use the WBC as an audition, but other than the Pirates, there’s not much of a market for him. That could change with a solid showing in March, however. The Indians made a run at Pedro early on, and the Dodgers could become a possibility.
- Heyman speculates that with Vernon Wells’ health issues and declining production, the stars may aligning for a Roy Halladay trade mid-season. Wells will miss the next month with a hamstring injury.
What’s everyone else think? Is Cabrera being stubborn or are the A’s? Where will Pudge and Pedro end up? Are Halladay’s Toronto days numbered?
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Monday
9:11pm: Jon Heyman sounds in, noting that both sides are being a bit stubborn. Ramirez isn’t going to get the four years or $100MM he initially wanted, and the Dodgers are probably going to have to up their offerings of 1/$25MM and 2/$45MM.
Heyman says the two sides might be closer to getting a deal done, but that doesn’t make them close.
7:36pm: Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times heard something yesterday about a deal being close (two years plus a third-year vesting option), but he wasn’t able to confirm the information.
7:33pm: MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick says that Ned Colletti has refuted today’s rumors:
"’Nothing’s changed in 48 hours,’ said Colletti, who on Saturday said negotiations between him and agent Scott Boras had increased in frequency and duration during the previous week, but would not characterize the progress made."
Colletti does say, however, that negotiations have not taken a step backwards.
5:26pm: Danny Knobler at CBS Sports adds in that there’s no real competition for the Dodgers.
The Giants, thought to be the only other serious bidders for Manny’s services, currently have Manny on the "back burner," according to General Manager Brian Sabean.
Knobler also points out other signs that the Giants aren’t seriously in it:
"Could the Giants be bluffing? Sure, although as their other winter moves suggest, they’re more a strike-fast team when they really want a player.
Why wouldn’t the Giants, 29th in baseball in runs scored in 2008 and dead-last in home runs, jump at adding Ramirez?"
Knobler suggests that unless things fizzle with the Dodgers, and Manny accepts a one-year, $20MM-ish deal from San Francisco, Manny won’t be a Giant in 2009.
4:38pm: Vic "The Brick" Jacobs of KLAC 570 says Manny Ramirez "should be a Dodger later this week." Jacobs says it will be "two-year fixed, third-year incentive-laced." Click here to visit KLAC 570’s website.
Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News, however, does not believe there is any breaking Manny Ramirez news at this time.
Orlando Hudson’s Contract Details
Tony Jackson of the Los Angeles Daily News has the breakdown of Orlando Hudson’s recent contract with the Dodgers:
- Hudson’s base salary will be $3MM.
- $380K signing bonus that has been deferred, without interest, to an unspecified time.
- $150K for both 150 and 175 plate appearances.
- $200K for 200, 225, 250, 275, and 300 plate appearances.
- $250K for 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, 450, 475, 500, 525, 550, and 575 plate appearances.
- $10K for every single plate appearance from 576-632, totalling 57 plate appearances and $570K.
- Beginning at 550 plate appearances, all incentives are also deferred, without interest, to an unspecified time.
- Hudson is contractually required to donate $25K to the Dodgers Dream Foundation.
Is it any wonder Jackson was ready for some Advil by the end of writing this up?
Rosenthal On Cabrera, Cruz, Nady, Swisher
Let’s take a look at the latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- The A’s are offering more at-bats to Nomar Garciaparra than the Phillies. If the A’s sign Nomar, that wouldn’t stop them from adding Orlando Cabrera. However, Rosenthal’s source says Cabrera and the A’s "are not even close" in terms of his value.
- Nothing is close with the Juan Cruz situation; "New teams entered the mix after the sign-and-trade option became more realistic." Rosenthal says it’s still possible that a team will simply sign Cruz and give up a draft pick. La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says the Twins have made an offer to Cruz, but did not speak to his agent yesterday.
- Even with the Orlando Hudson signing, Blake DeWitt still has a role with the Dodgers pitching in at second base, third base, and even shortstop.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman "didn’t particularly like" any of the offers he’s received for Nick Swisher and Xavier Nady.
- Rosenthal leaves the door slightly ajar for the Astros and Pudge: "the team continues to indicate that it cannot afford free agent Ivan Rodriguez unless his price drops significantly." Astros GM Ed Wade said on Wednesday: "We’re not signing Pudge. Put that one to rest. We have no expectation to sign Pudge."
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Sunday
9:36am: Another interesting note from Jonathan Abrams of the San Francisco Chronicle: the Dodgers are saving a locker for Manny.
9:26am: Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times says that talks are intensifying between Ned Colletti and Manny Ramirez. Discussions over the past week have been more frequent than in any other one week period since November.
However, the report should be taken with a grain of salt. Writes Hernandez, "[Colletti] wouldn’t say if the increased dialogue is a sign of progress."