What K-Rod’s Decision Means For Brewers
Earlier tonight, Francisco Rodriguez accepted arbitration from the Brewers, making him one of three free agents to do so (David Ortiz and Kelly Johnson being the others). Rodriguez now stands to earn approximately $13MM via salary arbitration, a decision which isn't without impact on the dealings of his team.
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes that GM Doug Melvin says the club did not make a miscalculation in offering Rodriguez arbitration. According to Melvin, he and owner Mark Attanasio were prepared for the possibility that he would accept the offer and considered it a "no-lose situation."
Melvin confirmed that the Brewers had a potential deal with LaTroy Hawkins agreed upon, but that Hawkins signed with the Angels for one year and $3MM rather than waiting for Rodriguez's decision, a move which Melvin "didn't blame him" for. According to Melvin, his offer to Hawkins was worth less than the $3MM that Hawkins signed for.
Beyond that, Melvin added that the Brewers are likely withdrawing their pursuit of Takashi Saito "for now," and that it's "possible" that this will have an impact on the club's ability to pursue Aramis Ramirez, for whom they were a reported favorite.
Haudricourt also points out (via Twitter) the irony of the fact that the decision of Rodriguez, a Scott Boras client, essentially further guarantees that the club cannot afford a reunion with Prince Fielder.
Boras On Fielder, Rays, Dodgers, Damon
Agent Scott Boras held court in Dallas tonight, providing updates on his many free agent clients and entertaining reporters with quips along the way. Here are the details:
- Boras made it clear that Prince Fielder has drawn lots of interest this offseason. The agent explained that Fielder compares favorably to all-time greats such as Jimmie Foxx and suggested teams will look to lock Fielder up for as long as possible if they recognize his potential as someone who can produce at the plate for the better part of a decade while boosting TV ratings and attendance (Boras' arguments, not mine). He played down concerns about Fielder's body, suggested he's just entering his prime and argued that comparable free agent power hitters won't be available any time soon.
- Fielder doesn't have any geographical preference as to where he signs, tweets Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star. Boras quipped that the distance from home plate to the outfield fence is the only geography concerning Fielder. For more on Fielder, click here.
- Generally speaking, Boras explained that Seattle and Milwaukee are desirable places to play because they have the potential to draw substantial crowds. He also said "the city [of Los Angeles] is waiting for the return of the Dodgers" and praised the Dodgers as a storied franchise in American sports.
- Johnny Damon played "very well" in 2011, according to Boras. He joked that 38-year-old is in line for a five-year deal, though a one-year contract is probable in reality. Boras half-jokingly suggested the Rays "have lots of money" despite their perennially low payrolls.
- Carlos Pena will likely have multiyear offers, Boras said.
- Asked if Kyle Lohse could waive his no-trade clause, Boras replied that he thinks Lohse is happy in St. Louis, tweets B.J. Rains of Fox Sports Midwest.
- The market for Ivan Rodriguez is narrowing, tweets Amanda Comak of the Washington Times. The Nationals aren't in on Pudge, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- The Nats have some interest in bringing back Rick Ankiel, tweets Comak.
- Boras expects Daisuke Matsuzaka to be healthy and return "sometime this summer," tweets Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.
- J.D. Drew is undecided on whether he'll play in 2012. It would have to be the right situation.
- Andruw Jones would've liked more playing time in 2011, but understands he won't be a full-time player, tweets MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. A deal with the Yankees is likely in the coming weeks, tweets Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
- The Braves haven't progressed toward an extension for Michael Bourn, tweets Stephen Goff of Examiner.com.
MLBTR's Luke Adams co-wrote this post.
Ortiz, Kelly Johnson, Francisco Rodriguez Accept Arbitration
Three free agents accepted arbitration at tonight's deadline: David Ortiz of the Red Sox, Kelly Johnson of the Blue Jays, and Francisco Rodriguez of the Brewers. The trio is now off the market and under team control for 2012 at a salary to potentially be determined by the arbitration process. For further details, check out MLBTR's free agent arbitration offer tracker, which allows you to filter by team, type, whether the player was offered, and whether he accepted.
Ortiz, Johnson, and Rodriguez all probably could have found two-year deals on the open market, but they'll receive raises for 2012 by accepting arbitration. Of the three, only Ortiz was inhibited by having a draft pick cost attached.
Francisco Rodriguez Accepts Arbitration
11:03pm: Rodriguez has accepted arbitration, tweets McCalvy.
9:45pm: Agent Scott Boras says his client is still mulling his decision, tweets MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Rodriguez has 75 minutes until the deadline.
9:29pm: Francisco Rodriguez will likely accept the Brewers' arbitration offer, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). Marcos Grunfield was first to report that the reliever is expected to accept (Twitter link).
Milwaukee's decision to offer arbitration to Rodriguez was somewhat surprising, considering the right-hander earned $13.5MM last year and the team could only offer him a setup role. Given the dwindling number of teams who appear to be interested in spending big bucks on a closer, the market for K-Rod may have been limited.
Prince Fielder Rumors: Wednesday
The latest on slugger Prince Fielder…
- Agent Scott Boras says he has a number of contract offers to take back to Fielder, including many from teams that surprised him, tweets Haudricourt.
- According to two Marlins beat writers, Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, the Marlins are definitely not in on Fielder (Twitter links).
- A friend of Fielder's told Newsday's Ken Davidoff that the first baseman is very interested in the Cubs (Twitter link).
- GM Doug Melvin says the Brewers "have to consider moving on" from Fielder, tweets Haudricourt.
- Despite signing Mark Buehrle, the Marlins are still talking to Fielder, tweets Heyman. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter) confirms the Fish will take a run at Fielder, and hears from a source with knowledge of the Mariners' plans that Seattle will make a "strong effort" to sign the slugger.
- The Cubs' pursuit of Fielder has probably been overblown, GM Jed Hoyer told MLB.com TV.
- The Marlins' interest in Fielder has been exaggerated, a good source tells Tom Haudricourt.
- The Marlins are already in pursuit of Fielder, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network, as signs indicate the Cardinals will re-sign Albert Pujols.
- The Rangers are not in on Fielder, president Nolan Ryan told reporters.
Tim Dierkes and Luke Adams contributed to this post.
NL Central Notes: Brewers, Betemit, Wood, Young
Some tidbits from the NL Central….
- Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, GM Doug Melvin and agent Scott Boras (who represents Prince Fielder) had a meeting late last night that Melvin tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was unplanned and more of a check-in session. "Scott just said he wanted to give us an update," Melvin said. "You never really close the door on anything because you don't know what's going to happen. You can't really read anything into it."
- Haudricourt doesn't think the meeting is a sign that the Brewers could re-sign Fielder, believing that "Boras basically was giving them a chance to jump in and make an offer that he could shop around to other clubs….More likely, [the team] gave an indication of what they might be willing to do if Fielder decided he wanted to seriously entertain the possibility of staying in Milwaukee."
- Boras also represents Francisco Rodriguez, and Haudricourt reports the Brewers "got the feeling" in speaking to the agent that Rodriguez will reject the club's arbitration offer today.
- The Pirates are no longer pursuing Wilson Betemit, reports Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link). Biertempfel reported yesterday that the Bucs were close to deals with both Betemit and Nate McLouth, and the club agreed to terms on McLouth's contract today.
- Kerry Wood wants to return to the Cubs but wants a raise, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Wood has said he will either pitch for Chicago next season or retire, and last winter signed a one-year, $1.5MM contract with the Cubs that was well below what other teams offered him.
- The Reds have spoken to the un-retired Dmitri Young, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Young, 38, has lost 70 pounds and is looking to make a comeback in either the Major Leagues or Japan. Young played in Cincinnati from 1998-2001.
- The Astros are looking at Marlins assistant GM Dan Jennings as a candidate for their open general manager's job, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). Jennings' name has been connected to several GM openings in recent years but the Marlins have turned down at least four clubs' requests for interviews. Jennings is under contract to Miami for four more years.
Brewers Intensify Pursuit Of LaTroy Hawkins
The Brewers intensified their pursuit of free agent reliever LaTroy Hawkins yesterday, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Discussions with his agents are expected to continue today. Since Hawkins lives in Dallas, he attended the first two days of the Meetings.
The Brewers have maintained contact with Takashi Saito's agent Nez Balelo, adds McCalvy. ESPN's Jim Bowden expects a one-year deal.
Furcal Unlikely To Sign With Brewers
Rafael Furcal is likely headed for a team other than the Brewers, tweets Tom Haudricourt, increasing the chances of them re-signing Yuniesky Betancourt.
Brewers A Favorite For Aramis Ramirez
Here are today's Aramis Ramirez rumors, with the newest updates on top:
- The Angels' early offers to Ramirez have been "on the low side," tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, who wonders if that signals a lack of money or interest focused elsewhere.
- Jon Heyman of MLB Network says the Brewers have been the most aggressive suitor for Ramirez. Meanwhile, the Phillies' interest appears to be fading, but the Angels are still involved, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links).
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel spoke to Ramirez's agent, Paul Kinzer, who said he considers the Brewers a "favorite" to sign his client. There are three teams with serious interest, according to Kinzer, so presumably the Brewers and Phillies are two of the three.
- The Brewers haven't made Ramirez an official offer yet, but the third baseman is definitely interested in Milwaukee, says Kinzer: "He likes that team. He wants to go to a team that has pitching and gives him a chance to win a ring. He thinks the Brewers can do that."
NL Central Rumors: Astros, Reds, Saito, Bedard
Tuesday night updates out of the NL Central, as MLBTR's 24-hour coverage of the Winter Meetings continues….
- Rival executives view Rockies assistant GM Bill Geivett as the favorite for the Astros' GM job, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
- Stephen Goff of the Houston Examiner hears (Twitter link) that the Astros may select a reliever with the first pick of Thursday's Rule 5 draft.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty talked about the team's search for pitching, and MLB.com's Mark Sheldon has the quotes. Jocketty also said Edgar Renteria's reps had contacted him, but the Reds probably aren't interested in signing him.
- All signs are pointing to the Brewers bringing back Takashi Saito on a one-year deal, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Erik Bedard is drawing interest from the Pirates, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.