Ben Sheets Rumors: Monday
6:38pm: T.R. Sullivan believes that now the New York Yankees have signed Andy Pettitte, Ben Sheets’ options are closing up.
“Anytime somebody signs another starting pitcher, that obviously lessens the competition,” Rangers president Nolan Ryan told Sullivan. “Obviously, Andy and Ben are at two different points in their careers, but I don’t think Andy signing hurts anything.”
Sullivan notes that the Rangers are the only team that has publicly stated interest in Sheets, but the process continues to move slowly. The Rangers are reluctant to offer a multiyear contract. Sheets wants at least a two-year deal while the Rangers are looking one year with a possible club option.
11:26am: The latest on the Rangers and Ben Sheets comes via a T.R. Sullivan report from yesterday afternoon. Sullivan wrote:
The Rangers remain deeply concerned about the medical reports. Sheets’ agent, Casey Close, is looking for a multi-year contract. The Rangers would prefer just a one-year deal, possibly with an option. The two sides have discussed financial parameters, but there hasn’t been an official offer from either side. Close would like to get other teams involved, most notably the two in New York.
If there’s another team infatuated with Sheets, it hasn’t leaked to the media yet. As Sullivan wrote, the Mets are focused on Oliver Perez. The Yankees are in serious talks with Andy Pettitte. The Dodgers are looking elsewhere, and the Orioles "just don’t seem interested." Doug Melvin won’t rule Sheets out for the Brewers but does not expect to re-sign him.
Who else needs pitching and can afford Sheets? We can’t rule out the A’s or Cardinals. The Pirates and D’Backs seem to be budgeting less than Sheets wants.
Counsell, Brewers Complete Deal
Veteran infielder Craig Counsell and the Milwaukee Brewers completed a one-year, $1MM contract after the the 38-year-old passed a physical, MLB.com reports.
Counsell spent the past two seasons with the Brewers, but the club declined its $3.4MM option on his contract earlier this offseason. He hit .226 with one home run and 14 RBI in 110 games last season.
Brewers Rumors: Hart, Weeks, Gallardo
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has the latest on the Brewers…
- Corey Hart hopes to avoid an arbitration hearing; he and the Brewers are $1.1MM apart on his ’09 salary. It’s a decent gap, but many players are fighting over a similar difference. Hart turned down a long-term extension last year but remains open to the idea. Assistant GM Gord Ash recently said, "We’re not on the same page with regard to his value. And that goes back to last year."
- The Brewers face an $800K gap with Rickie Weeks. Weeks also hopes to get a deal done. The Brewers are open to a multiyear deal with Weeks. Doug Melvin has never gone to an arbitration hearing as Brewers GM.
- Owner Mark Attanasio mentioned that the team will revisit all young players in Spring Training and consider extensions. Attanasio mentioned Yovani Gallardo by name. Gallardo, 23 in February, isn’t arb-eligible until after the 2010 season.
Cafardo’s Latest: Crede, Gagne, Rangers, Brewers
Some quick notes from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:
- The Twins and Giants will be monitoring Joe Crede‘s workouts in Arizona next week. Both teams have had ongoing interest this month.
- The Twins and Rangers are continuing to seriously consider Eric Gagne.
- Cafardo notes the growing sentiment among middle-market teams that patience could land an all star caliber player for a "low-risk one-year deal."
- Milwaukee would prefer to save and make a "Sabathia-like" deadline deal rather than spend now.
- Adam Melhuse signing with Texas could be a signal that Taylor Teagarden or Jarrod Saltalamacchia are en route to the Red Sox. Cafardo cautions that’s probably not the case since the Rangers have not come down on their asking price of Clay Buchholz.
- Watch for the Cubs to reengage the Padres and Jake Peavy now that they have found an owner in billionaire Tom Ricketts.
Brewers Agree To Two-Year Deal With Fielder
2:06pm: The official report came out last night, but for the sake of being thorough, we’ll post it now: the Brewers’ announcement of the deal is official. Haudricourt was close; it’ll be $6.5MM in 2009, and $11.5MM in 2010 for Fielder. There’s also a $1MM signing bonus included.
FRIDAY, 8:47am: Jon Heyman has the Fielder contract details. Look for an announcement later today.
THURSDAY, 8:51pm: According to Haudricourt Fielder passed his physical so the deal is now official. Exact figures are expected tomorrow, but Haudricourt guesses Fielder will earn $7MM this year and $11MM in 2010.
2:50pm: Tom Haudricourt says the Brewers have a deal in place with Fielder for two years and $18MM, pending a physical. Fielder will have his last arbitration year in 2011, after which he’ll be eligible for free agency. It looks like the deal may be announced tomorrow.
THURSDAY, 9:20am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says Fielder and the Brewers are closing in on a two-year contract. Tom Haudricourt expects an announcement today or tomorrow on a deal for at least $18MM.
WEDNESDAY, 9:44pm: Brewers GM Doug Melvin has confirmed Verducci’s report. "We’ve got some positive things going on," said Melvin. "There’s a possibility of doing it."
6:52pm: As reported by Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, SI.com’s Tom Verducci said Wednesday on the MLB Network that the Brewers are working on a two-year deal with Prince Fielder.
Fielder asked for a very affordable $8MM in arbitration on Tuesday. That low bid may have spurred the extensions talks. Haudricourt has an idea of what the numbers might look like if a two-year deal is hammered out:
"If the sides do agree on a two-year deal, it would probably be for $18 million to $20 million. When you figure that Fielder filed for $8 million this year and would be expecting a raise next year with another big season, those numbers make sense."
New Medical Report Reassures Sheets’ Suitors?
SI.com’s Jon Heyman has heard from MLB executives that a new record of Ben Sheets‘ medical history "may have sparked some renewed interest in the talented pitcher."
Sheets provided teams with updated information about his health. Heyman learned that previous health reports were not "debilitating," but they had issues. The Rangers, Mets and Brewers are presumably among the teams currently looking over the new information.
Counsell, Brewers Agree To Deal
Free agent infielder Craig Counsell has reached preliminary agreement with the Milwaukee Brewers for a one-year, $1MM contract, a source told Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com.
After spending the past two seasons with the Brewers, Counsell became a free agent when the team declined his $3.4MM club option at the start of the offseason, Rosenthal notes.
Counsell, 38, appeared in 110 games for Milwaukee last season, batting .226 with a .355 on-base percentage, one home run and 14 RBI. He is a .255/.343/.344 career hitter.
The Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals also had interest in Counsell’s services.
Olney On Mulder, Benson, Peavy, David Wells
A few notes from Buster Olney’s latest blog post…
- Free agent starter Mark Mulder is likely to throw for scouts during the first week of February. Olney says he figures to be popular if the audition goes well.
- We already knew the Dodgers, Rangers, Padres, D’Backs, Rockies, Indians, and Cardinals will watch Kris Benson throw this weekend; Olney adds the Brewers and A’s.
- Olney says "there have been no recent conversations between the Padres and Cubs about Jake Peavy," but he believes talks could be restarted quickly given the Cubs’ selection yesterday of the Thomas Ricketts group as the potential new owner.
- David Wells never filed retirement papers and would be open to a minor league deal if one was offered.
Three Teams Seeking Counsell
FRIDAY, 8:33am: Ken Rosenthal says the Mariners and Cardinals are also in on Counsell. The Cards jumped in as a reaction to Troy Glaus‘ injury.
THURSDAY, 5:51pm: According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Brewers are having productive talks with Craig Counsell to bring him back as a utility player for the upcoming season. The Brewers did not exercise Counsell’s $3.75MM option earlier in the winter; he’s likely to sign for considerably less.
Brewers GM Doug Melvin said talks have progressed to the point that he "might know something by tomorrow."
Brewers Reluctant To Add A Starter
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel heard from Brewers owner Mark Attanasio that he’s reluctant to add a starter because he wants to have some payroll flexibility heading into the season.
"If we add a starter now and get (beyond) the mid 80s and have some negative events, that would be a first for us."
The Milwaukee payroll currently sits between $80MM and $85MM, up from $80MM last year. Haudricourt does not expect the Brewers to sign "a starting pitcher who costs a lot of money."
GM Doug Melvin said in an MLB.com chat that Ben Sheets remains a possibility for Milwaukee, but they’re not currently in talks. The Brewers hear that Sheets is seeking a multi-year deal.