Phillies, Giants Considering Rich Aurilia
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick spoke to Rich Aurilia‘s agent Barry Axelrod, who said the Orioles’ Ty Wigginton signing might move things along for his client. The Giants and Phillies had been interested in Wiggy and maintain interest in Aurilia. Ken Davidoff of Newsday would like to see the Mets get in on him.
Ken Rosenthal wrote earlier today that the Phillies also continue to monitor Nomar Garciaparra, who is "trying to decide whether he is physically sound enough to play next season."
Mets Shopping Ramon Castro?
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post:
I hear the Mets keep trying to find a place to deal Ramon Castro. They have two reasons: 1) Mainly they want to get rid of his $2.5 million 2009 contract, allowing them a little more available cash to address a righty bat or lefty reliever they crave. 2) They believe that for near minimum wage Robinson Cancel can be just as good a backup to Brian Schneider as Castro. I heard the Brewers had some interest, but have mostly backed off of Castro now.
Castro, 33 in March, hit .245/.312/.441 last year in 157 plate appearances (he spent time on the DL for a strained quad and hamstring). He’s shown good power in limited duty. He had two issues in ’08: his pain tolerance was questioned by Jerry Manuel, and he arrived late to a June game. He’s set to earn $2.5MM in ’09 before he reaches free agency.
It seems unlikely the Marlins would reacquire Castro; his final year with them in ’04 was marked by rape charges that eventually led to a no-contest plea for misdemeanor assault. Castro’s salary would be the more obvious obstacle for them.
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Tuesday
11:33pm: According to MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick, Scott Boras said he expects to resume contract talks for Ramirez with the Dodgers on Wednesday. The Manny rumors were fractured into various posts today at MLBTR – here’s the one about the Mets not being involved, and here’s the one about Ramirez rejecting the Dodgers’ one-year, $25MM offer.
We also have an article from David Waldstein of the New York Times, where Yankees GM Brian Cashman says:
"People expect us to get in on Manny, but it’s not going to happen. We’re in the nonroster invitee mode. He’s a great player, but when you look at our payroll, we’re tapped."
9:39pm: Bobby Evans, Giants VP of Player Personnel, appeared Tuesday night on XM Radio’s Home Plate show. Manny was obviously a hot topic. Check out some of the quotes from the interview:
"Manny is amongst a number of different options out there, he’s clearly the most renowned player and probably future hall of famer, so you can’t deny interest if there’s an opportunity to bring him to the Giants."
"We’re going to monitor the market of him, it doesn’t seem to be going down, although he did turn down this offer, it was a 1 year offer verse a 2 year offer that was for more money. Again ultimately I don’t know which way it will go, but we’re going to stay engaged and see what happens."
8:48pm: Chris Haft of MLB.com makes a case for the Giants signing Manny. Unlike the Nationals, who made their stance known almost immediately, Giants officials refused to comment Tuesday after news broke that the Dodgers’ offer was rejected.
7:35pm: Nationals GM Jim Bowden reaffirmed Tuesday evening that his club is not in the hunt for Manny Ramirez. Bill Ladson filed the report for MLB.com.
"We are not pursuing Manny Ramirez," Bowden said. As Ladson points out, "the Nationals are overloaded with right-handed-hitting outfielders, plus he’s 36 years old. The Nationals have often said that they are looking for players for the long term."
The Nats have focused on landing Adam Dunn and reportedly offered him a contract some time ago. He should come at a cheaper price than Manny and Washington can feel more comfortable offering the 29-year-old Dunn a mutli-year contract.
Mets Not In On Manny, Abreu
3:41pm: MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone has info from Omar Minaya, obtained at the Oliver Perez press conference:
Minaya told reporters there will be no big moves after this, saying all of his big priorities have been met, while noting offense was not the team’s problem last season.
TUESDAY, 10:51am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman basically agrees with Sherman:
According to one person familiar with their thinking, the Mets’ chances to acquire those two ultra-accomplished hitters are slim (Abreu) and practically none (Ramirez).
MONDAY: According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets "definitely are not in for Manny Ramirez or even Bobby Abreu despite his falling dollar requests." The Mets are only seeking cheap bench bats and maybe a lefty reliever, says Sherman.
Many readers have been pressing me to post something about these Tony Paige WFAN comments, but all signs are pointing to the Mets passing on Manny.
Latest On Ken Griffey Jr.
Jon Heyman of SI.com and Buster Olney of ESPN write about free agent outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. this morning.
Heyman says Junior is well set financially: "His 16-year payout at $5MM per year just happens to begin this year." Griffey’s agent Brian Goldberg has been shopping his client with no luck so far. Griffey is said to be "completely healthy" after knee surgery, and is open to playing anywhere.
Olney talked to Reds doctor Tim Kremcheck, who said Griffey’s in the best shape he’s been in in years. Kremcheck believes last year’s knee injuries limited Griffey’s power and he’ll bounce back.
We’ve heard the loose Mariners connection, but not much beyond that. The Braves are looking for an outfielder or two, but haven’t been linked to Griffey recently. The Padres seek a veteran left-handed hitter but Griffey’s name hasn’t come up in reports. Olney adds:
Heard this: The Mets will continue to bottom-feed for guys on the free agent market, at the $600K-$1MM level, and if that nets them someone like Griffey, well, then so be it.
Manny Turns Down Dodgers’ One-Year Offer
1:33am: Ramirez has turned down the Dodgers’ one-year offer, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports. The Dodgers have confirmed it.
Hernandez lists the Mets, Giants and Nationals as teams that are monitoring Ramirez’ market.
The Dodgers could find themselves in a bind if Ramirez receives a multi-year offer from another club. If Ramirez is offered what he considers a fair deal, sources close to him say that he wouldn’t grant the Dodgers a chance to match it, forcing the Dodgers to go into Spring Training without their only star attraction and reliable run producer.
Hernandez believes the Dodgers could possibly pursue free agent outfielders Adam Dunn or Bobby Abreu if they don’t re-sign Ramirez.
9:11pm Monday: ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports that Ramirez and agent Scott Boras were given a 48-hour deadline to either accept or reject the offer.
7:40pm Monday: According to Tony Jackson of the Los Angeles Daily News, the Dodgers have made another offer to Manny Ramirez. This time it’s a one-year deal worth $25MM.
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti confirmed that the offer was made last night. "We are still trying to sign Manny, and we hope that this will make him happy,” Colletti said. The team’s first offer was two years, $45 million with a club option for 2011. As Jackson notes, these are the only known offers extended to Ramirez since he filed for free agency last fall.
Orlando Hudson On MLB Network
Free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson appeared on the MLB Network today. Barry Larkin asked which teams he’s talking to, and he named the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, and Nationals. None of the teams have said anything to Hudson’s agent about changing positions. Hudson says right now he sees himself as a second baseman. Ken Rosenthal says Hudson "seems to be banking on [the Mets or Yankees] pursuing a creative solution."
Hudson, 31, hit .305/.367/.450 in 455 plate appearances for Arizona last year while earning $6.25MM. Based on the plus/minus system, Hudson did not flash his typical stellar glovework in ’08. The market for Hudson has been held down partially because he is a Type A free agent who turned down the D’Backs offer of arbitration. That means whoever signs him will give up a draft pick. Another factor may be the broken wrist he suffered in August.
Mets, Oliver Perez Agree To Terms
2:50pm: Sherman says the Mets floated various packages that could total $44MM over four years, but Boras and Perez preferred the shorter term at the higher salary.
1:18pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Mets and Perez have agreed to terms on a three-year, $36MM deal (no fourth-year option). Sherman says the signing "all but assures" Pedro Martinez will not be re-signed. You have to figure Ben Sheets is also out.
You know the story with Perez: only 27 years old, with a strong strikeout rate but plenty of walks and home runs allowed.
12:44pm: Matthew Cerrone’s sources say the Mets are "close to finalizing" a deal with Perez, perhaps for three years at no more than $12MM per. Jon Heyman terms it as "on the verge."
11:42am: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Mets are "moving closer" to signing free agent lefty Oliver Perez. The Mets hope for a three-year deal but a fourth-year vesting option "remains possible." Rosenthal says the Mets are "cautiously optimistic" about re-signing Perez. If Perez has another serious suitor, it hasn’t been leaked to the public.
Olney’s Latest: Abreu, Manny, Torre
Buster Olney has a new video up, discussing some of the bigger issues in the MLB world right now:
- One GM thinks Bobby Abreu may have to settle for a one-year, $7MM deal. Quite the dropoff from the initial three years, $48MM he was asking for to begin the season.
- If the Mets sign a cheaper alternative to Oliver Perez, they may consider making an offer to Abreu.
- Olney isn’t sure if the Giants are in on Manny Ramirez, or just trying to drive up the price for the Dodgers. He says that the Giants won’t bring on Manny unless he "fits" offensively, defensively, and contractually. It’s hard to imagine Manny’s bat not fitting in any MLB lineup, but his glove and contract could be another story.
- Olney wonders if the recent controversy surrounding Joe Torre’s book will affect his relationship with Dodger players.
Odds and Ends: Mets Payroll, Reds, Rangers
Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone. Some Odds & Ends:
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star thinks the Royals should trade for Rich Hill.
- Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News estimates the Mets payroll to be $135MM this season, before Freddy Garcia or the $2.25MM owed to Willy Randolph.
- River Ave. Blues has a nice write up on the non-guaranteed nature of arbitration and the process of declining arbitration to free agents.
- The Dallas Morning News’ Anthony Andro peers into the future of the Rangers, ranked atop Baseball America’s organizational rankings. Writes Andro, "Since the magazine began rankings in 1984, a playoff appearance has followed within six years all but twice for the No. 1 club."
- Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald lists some of the quirkier signing bonuses and perks in the MLB, including Roy Oswalt’s bulldozer.