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Today’s Arbitration Decisions

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The decision whether to offer your own free agent arbitration can affect your team in two ways: you may end up retaining a player you didn’t want, or you may score a draft pick or two as compensation.  With that in mind let’s run down the rumors regarding some Type A and B free agents.

  • The Red Sox plan on offering arbitration to Type B Eric Gagne.  Worst case scenario, they hang onto him for one more year.  Best case, they get a sandwich pick.
  • The Astros have to decide on Trever Miller and Mark Loretta.  Both are Type Bs, but the Astros might not want them back.  Richard Justice notes that the old Astro regime made a mistake not offering arbitration to Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.
  • The Angels decided not to offer arby to Bartolo Colon, because the most they could give him would be a 20% pay cut.  So best case scenario they could get him for one year, $11.2MM.  Colon is not a Type A or B, so there’s no compensation regardless.
  • The Phils will offer arb to Aaron Rowand but not Freddy Garcia.  Rowand is a Type A, Garcia a Type B.  It’s a no-brainer with Rowand, who will hopefully net them a first-round pick plus a supplemental depending on who he signs with.  With Garcia they risked getting burned as he might’ve accepted.   
  • The D’Backs will offer arbitration to Livan Hernandez, who will likely decline it to pursue a three-year deal.  He’s a Type B so they’ll snag a sandwich pick.
  • The Padres will offer arbitration to Michael Barrett, and Kevin Towers actually hopes he accepts.  No worries if he doesn’t – Barrett is a Type A.  The Friars will also offer arby to Mike Cameron and Doug Brocail.  Brocail nets them a sandwich pick for sure; Cameron still has a slight chance of accepting.
  • The Braves did not offer arb to Andruw Jones but did for Ron Mahay.  Both are Type Bs; I’m surprised they didn’t want to risk Andruw returning on a one-year deal.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Peavy, Guillen, Barrett

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Ken Rosenthal checks in with another fine rumor-filled column.

  • Johan Santana doesn’t seem a great fit for the Angels, partly because he’ll be very expensive and the Halos actually do have a payroll limit.
  • Jake Peavy knows he’d have to take a discount to stay in San Diego…but even a $15MM per year type deal would be unprecedented for them.  He’s under the Padres’ control through ’09.
  • Rosenthal’s sources are divided on whether the Mets will go after Jose Guillen.  Such a scenario is possible if Lastings Milledge and/or Carlos Gomez are dealt.  It’s said that the Mets are still very interested in Livan Hernandez.
  • Chase Headley is very popular.  Rosenthal confirms Scott Miller’s rumored offer of Xavier Nady and Nate McLouth for him, not that the Padres would consider it.  Otherwise the Red Sox are asking for him for Coco Crisp.
  • The Padres will probably offer arbitration to both Mike Cameron and Michael Barrett.  That brings the risk that Barrett accepts, which wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
  • We already knew the Padres and Rays were in on Geoff Jenkins; add the Phils to the mix.  The Cubs, Giants, Rangers, and Royals have also been linked to him.

Phils Not Interested In Mora

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Steve King reported yesterday that the Phillies were interested in third baseman/outfielder Melvin Mora.  Not so, according to Todd Zolecki of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  The specific words were "no chance."  I saw this debunked elsewhere as well; can’t recall where at the moment.

As I said before, Mora doesn’t have much value and I’d imagine any team willing to pay his entire salary could have him for a song.

Red Sox Leading For Santana?

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UPDATE, 11-29-07 at 10:30pm: The Yankees’ offer stands at Ian Kennedy, Melky Cabrera, and maybe Jose Tabata.  Phil Hughes is a big upgrade over Kennedy, and the Twins are insisting on him.  Meanwhile the Red Sox are still pushing Coco Crisp while the Twins are holding out for Jacoby Ellsbury.  If one of the teams cracks on Hughes or Ellsbury this thing might get done.

UPDATE, 11-29-07 at 8pm: Despite what Jon Heyman said, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo seems to think the Red Sox are still in the lead for Santana.  It would be the package named below by Olney.  Nothing is done yet, as Santana’s agent hasn’t been approached about an extension.  Meanwhile Cafardo indicates that the Yankees may part with Robinson Cano after all.  One other note: Peter Gammons suggests that the Sox would have to redo Josh Beckett’s reasonable deal if they acquire Santana and give him $20MM+.

UPDATE, 11-29-07 at 2:50pm: Buster Olney suggests the same package as Walters from the Red Sox, except with Michael Bowden rather than Masterson.  However the fourth player is still undetermined.  He also notes that the Yankees are simultaneously talking to the Twins.

UPDATE, 11-29-07 at 1pm: The Boston Herald has a bit more.  Basically the Red Sox are only willing to include one of Ellsbury/Buchholz/Lester, while the Twins want two from that group. 

FROM 11-29-07 at 8:30am:

Shooter Charley Walters is back with a new column of rumors and whatnot.  Remember, Walters was the one saying the Garza for Delmon rumor wouldn’t die.

  • Despite the exclusion of Jacoby Ellsbury, Walters says the Red Sox have the lead in the Johan Santana sweepstakes.  The package would be Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie, Jon Lester, and Justin Masterson.  Not a bad haul.  I was thinking Lowrie might become a target of the Twins.
  • The following clubs are interested in Carlos Silva: Tigers, Mets, Phillies, and Royals.  None of those teams are new.
  • The amount of cash each club is getting this year for online media properties like MLB.com sites:  $25MM.  And don’t forget the Twins get about $20MM in revenue sharing.  Maybe that’s why they have interest in Aaron Rowand.

Phillies Interested In Melvin Mora

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Melvin Mora doesn’t figure to be a hot commodity on the trade market.  He’s got name recognition because of two very good seasons in from 2003-04.  But he turns 36 in February and will earn $17MM over the next two years.  He also has a no-trade clause, but he’d probably waive it to go to a competitor.

The Phillies are interested in Mora for their third base vacancy, according to Steve King.  I don’t think the Phils would have to give up much in the way of prospects to get him; they could probably send over a bag of baseballs if they’re willing to take on the entire contract.

Odds and Ends: Riske, Bedard, Wolf

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And now for your daily jumble o’ rumors.  More to come.

Odds and Ends: Fukudome, Eckstein, Lowell

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Ah yes, the odds and ends post, where I cobble together the day’s random links.

  • The Rangers have mild interest Scott Podsednik.  Pods had two separate stints in the Rangers organization but never reached the bigs with them.
  • The Big Lead has an interesting interview with Yahoo baseball guy Jeff Passan, wherein a run-in with Jose Lima is recounted.  Passan also takes on Fire Joe Morgan a bit.
  • Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog is hearing that Kosuke Fukudome is looking for three years and $30MM.  Sounds fair.
  • The Angels are considering signing David Eckstein and/or Darin Erstad, for some reason.
  • Bob Dutton reports that the Royals can be patient with their offer to Torii Hunter, while the White Sox want a quick resolution.  Bonus: a rather large, but not too pixellated picture of Hunter at the Dutton link.  Hunter, by the way, could save $750K per year if he signs with the Rangers because Texas has no state income tax.  Hunter is also considering the Las Vegas 51s for that same reason, I heard. 
  • Per Buster Olney, the Dodgers put in a three-year offer to Mike Lowell.  He takes this as a sign they weren’t serious, but Ned Colletti has shown a tendency to offer fewer years and more per year.  He did this with Rafael Furcal and Jason Schmidt.  So maybe the Dodgers put out a 3/45 offer or something.
  • The Phils picked up oft-injured outfielder Chris Snelling from the Rays for cash.  He’s yet to accumulate 100 big league at-bats in a season, but maybe that’ll change in 2008.
  • Ed Wade + relievers = trouble.  Doug Brocail is on the radar.
  • McCovey Chronicles lists some realistic position player targets for the Giants, including Jeff Clement, Andy Marte, and Adam Lind.

Phillies Make Offers To Kuroda, Wolf

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According to Todd Zolecki of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies currently have offers out to free agent starters Hiroki Kuroda and Randy Wolf.  There are other unknown offers out as well.  The Phils are thought to have roughly $10-12MM to burn this winter.

Jayson Stark reiterated that the Phils are after Wolf, noting that he’s high on their list.  Stark adds Matt Clement, Kris Benson, and Mike Wood to those coveted by the Phils.  Seven other teams are after Benson, including the Royals and Marlins.

MLBTR readers also know the Phils like Jon Lieber, Bartolo Colon, Kenny Rogers, Livan Hernandez, Mark Prior, Shawn Chacon, Joe Kennedy, Brian Fuentes, and A.J. Burnett.

Phillies Could Re-Sign Lieber

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The Phillies need pitching, and they intend to spend money on it.  Jon Lieber is a free agent, and he still has a little left in the tank.  Why not bring him back?

Lieber’s agent said yesterday that Liebs still has the Phillies under consideration.  His ’07 season with them was cut short by foot surgery.  For the Phillies the contract would probably have to be one year plus incentives.  Lieber’s agent wisely wouldn’t say whether he was up for that.  Who knows, maybe a guy like Lieber snags two years guaranteed somewhere.

So far the Astros are the only other team known to be considering Lieber.

Phillies Still Focused On Pitching, Not Lowell

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UPDATE: Gillick specifically said tonight not to believe everything you see on ESPN.com, in reference to the Lowell rumor.

Pat Gillick reiterated today that the Phillies are focused on pitching rather than Mike Lowell.  Specifically a starter and a reliever.

Buster Olney had reported earlier that the Phils were making a big play for Lowell.

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