Pirates Rumors

Odds and Ends: Hart, Ellis, Mientkiewicz, Varitek

By Tim Dierkes | August 29, 2008 at 11:35am CDT

Today’s random links…

Ken Rosenthal discusses possible changes at various GM positions. Jon Heyman says Pat Gillick could take a high-ranking role with the Blue Jays if not the Mariners.
Former Indians and Rangers GM John Hart is interested in the Mariners job. The Mariners hope to have their permanent GM hired by the end of October.
A Japanese pitcher invented a new pitch called the shake.
Eddie Bajek wonders if Mark Ellis could handle shortstop. It’s good to think out of the box given the free agent market at the position.
Doug Mientkiewicz would like to spend another season as a Pirates clubhouse leader, but he’d also like more playing time.
The trio of Blue Jays middle infielders react to the Angels rumor.
DraftInfo chatted with MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo.
Amalie Benjamin believes there’s a good chance the Red Sox re-sign Jason Varitek.

Odds and Ends: Indians, Rays, Jays

By Tim Dierkes | August 28, 2008 at 2:43pm CDT

Time to cobble together today’s links.

The Dodgers designated Tanyon Sturtze for assignment. The 37 year-old pitched only 2.1 innings for the big club.
Dejan Kovacevic does not believe the Pedro Alvarez issue will prevent the Pirates from working with Scott Boras in the future.
RotoAuthority assembles a fantasy team entirely of players who went undrafted in March.
Dave Cameron wonders if the Indians will make a trade due to their catching surplus.
Rays Index wants to make it clear that drafting high is only a small factor in the Rays’ success.
Drunk Jays Fans caught an amusing exchange between a fan and GM J.P. Ricciardi on his radio show.
Dave O’Brien ponders the possibility of a Mike Hampton trade. In another post, he mentions that reliever Will Ohman was claimed on waivers and pulled back.

Drama Over Pedro Alvarez Contract

By Tim Dierkes | August 28, 2008 at 8:26am CDT

4:51pm: Jim Callis’ analysis is a must-read at Baseball America. There is a legitimate chance Alvarez is treated as if he didn’t sign, and will become eligible for the ’09 draft.

2:08pm: Jonathan Mayo, Jenifer Langosch, and Kevin Goldstein dig up more details. Turns out Hosmer turned down $5.5MM prior to the deadline, but agreed to $6MM during an MLB-approved extension. The Nats may have had an extension for Aaron Crow as well.

THURSDAY, 8:19am: MLB and the Pirates say the grievance is without merit, while Boras says the Bucs violated MLB’s rules and need to "come clean." Dejan Kovacevic says the sides have not yet discussed the idea of more money, dismissing the idea that Boras demanded another $200K. An arbitrator will make a binding decision on this case on September 10th. Most believe Alvarez will remain a Pirate with a $6MM bonus.

By the way, Royals GM Dayton Moore is not concerned about Hosmer’s contract.

WEDNESDAY, 5:07pm: MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo has been digging all day on this topic. Many questions remain, but it’s a good read.

2:27pm: Baseball America’s Jim Callis offered thoughts on the situation in a chat today. He heard Hosmer was granted an extension by MLB, and signed a bit after the deadline. Alvarez may have been granted one as well. Alvarez apparently took control of the negotiations toward the end, which may be the cause for Boras’ complaint. A similar situation happened in ’93 with A-Rod, and the grievance didn’t go anywhere.

Also, it should be noted that the Players Association filed the grievance, not Scott Boras.

2:07pm: MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch talked to a source who said Boras wants another $200K, so that Alvarez’s bonus matches Buster Posey’s.

12:57pm: Turns out Pedro Alvarez has not reported to the Pirates yet for a reason – the Players Association filed a grievance on his behalf today. They’re saying Alvarez verbally agreed to his $6MM bonus after the midnight deadline on August 15th. Scott Boras informed the Pirates that Alvarez will not sign the contract unless it is renegotiated at a higher number. Royals top pick Eric Hosmer may also become tangled up in this mess, since his contract was submitted after Alvarez.

The Pirates issued a statement, showing their displeasure with Boras’ tactics but expressing confidence the grievance will be dropped. The team also indicates disappointment with Alvarez himself, as he ultimately approved this grievance. In a way, it seems like Boras is taking a stand in general against the idea of the midnight deadline.

Odds and Ends: Ricciardi, Guardado, Alvarez

By Tim Dierkes | August 26, 2008 at 11:26am CDT

Let’s round ’em up…

Chat today, 2pm CST.
Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star tries to view J.P. Ricciardi’s tenure from both sides. Drunk Jays Fans gives their take on the article.
Aaron Gleeman takes a closer look at Eddie Guardado, while Jamey Newberg tells us about Mark Hamburger.
Inspired by Nelson Cruz’s excellent ’08 MLB debut, Rob Neyer and Sam Mellinger discuss cheap talent and "4A" players. Do Jeff Bailey, Mike Hessman, Joe Koshansky, Scott McClain, Terry Tiffee, and Josh Whitesell fit the bill? It’s always fun when these guys get a legitimate shot.
The Pirates are getting frustrated with Scott Boras’ games regarding Pedro Alvarez – he’s signed, so let him take his physical already. Is Boras anti-winter ball for some reason? Speaking of Alvarez, Matt Bandi strikes back at Bob Smizik for his article regarding the scoop on the signing.
If the Padres have the #1 overall pick next June, will they pass on Boras-repped phenom Stephen Strasburg due to signability?
Andrew Baggarly wonders if the Giants should sign Mark Mulder this winter.
Ken Rosenthal examines the Yankees’ upcoming offseason challenges. River Ave. Blues responds to the piece.
Tigers reliever Francis Beltran was designated for assignment after 13 innings. The 28 year-old had been hittable in Triple A as well.

Odds and Ends: Indians, Livan, Braves, Friedman

By Tim Dierkes | August 25, 2008 at 12:20pm CDT

Let’s round up today’s random links.

The Pirates received catcher Robinzon Diaz from the Blue Jays in the Jose Bautista deal. Not too shabby, he should develop into a credible cheap backup.
Yahoo’s Gordon Edes sees Manny Ramirez playing for the Mets in ’09.
The point continues to be hammered home – the Indians intend to acquire a proven closer this winter. Brian Fuentes seems a reasonable target.
RotoAuthority takes a closer look at Cliff Lee.
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle wants to see if Livan Hernandez fits into their plans for 2009. Hernandez has allowed a remarkable 224 hits in 152 innings – a rate that will rank second in baseball history if he can reach the 162 innings needed to qualify. Even Jose Lima can’t make that claim.
J.C. Bradbury notes that the Braves’ attempts to extend star players acquired via trade have been largely unsuccessful.
Outs Per Swing chats with Rays exec Andrew Friedman.
Danny Knobler surveyed scouts about Francisco Rodriguez’s stuff.

Week in Review: 8/17 – 8/23

By Steve Adams | August 24, 2008 at 5:32pm CDT

Another week in the books, and we keep seeing big names moved after the July 31 non-waiver deadline. Let’s look back on the past week:

The Dodgers acquired Greg Maddux from the Padres for two minor league players to be named later. Nice acquisition to bolster their rotation, and does anyone want to place bets on how excited 20-year-old Clayton Kershaw is to get tips from Maddux every day for the rest of the season?
The Pirates are exploring the idea of trading Jack Wilson this offseason more and more. Given the slim free agent market for shortstops, he would likely gather a lot of interest.
Nate Robertson’s struggles this season have lost him his spot in the rotation, but have they also lost him a spot with the Tigers after 2008?
Orlando Hernandez needs surgery on his foot, and that could likely mean that El Duque’s career would be over.
Lots of speculation lately about where Ben Sheets is going to land after 2008. And while there’s no way to tell right now, Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman have stepped up and said they would like the Astros front office to go out and sign him in the offseason.
A lot of minor-league deals signed this week: Kip Wells signed with Kansas City, the Mets added Al Reyes, the Astros signed Jose Castillo, the Red Sox signed Dave Ross, and the Braves took a flyer on Rodrigo Lopez following his Tommy John surgery last year. The Jays made a trade to acquire Jose Bautista for a PTBNL as well.
The Rangers would like Milton Bradley back in 2009, and the feeling is mutual, though negotiations will wait until after the season. Similarly, Frank Thomas would prefer to stay with the A’s in 2009.
Eric Gagne, David Riske, and David Weathers all cleared waivers this week. The first two make sense to me, but given Weathers’ success this year, his affordable contract for the rest of the season, and all of the teams desperately seeking bullpen help, it seems strange that no one would place a claim on him. Here’s an updated list of all the players who have been confirmed to have cleared waivers this year.

Odds and Ends: Manny, Pavano, Gonzalez

By Sarah Green | August 23, 2008 at 2:29pm CDT

Some Saturday mid-day linkage:

Hitoki Iwase was lit up in the Olympics, possibly dropping his stock as a prospect. Iwase was one of several Japanese players being scouted by Major League clubs in Beijing.
Luis Gonzalez reminisces about his trade to the Diamondbacks ten years ago.
Manny Ramirez is not interested in talking about those old Philadelphia rumors. I’m shocked, shocked.
J.D. Drew’s back spasms are actually a herniated disk. According to Nick Cafardo, the Red Sox would love to add another outfielder, but can’t seem to lay their hands on one. No offense to Jason Lane.
He’s baaaa-aaaack: Free-agent-to-be Carl Pavano is starting tonight for the New York Yankees. Strike up the band and break out the rum punch.
Recently traded infielder Jose Bautista was at odds with Pirates manager John Russell.
Thomas Boswell talks about the possibility of Stephen Strasburg becoming a National next year.

Sarah Green writes for UmpBump and the Boston Metro and can be reached here.

Pirates May Shop Jack Wilson This Winter

By Tim Dierkes | August 22, 2008 at 10:24am CDT

Pirates GM Neal Huntington was diplomatic when asked about Jack Wilson’s future with the Pirates. But it seems pretty clear the 30 year-old shortstop will be shopped this winter.

Wilson makes a fine trade chip for the Bucs, especially given the free agent market for shortstops. Orlando Cabrera may require three or four years, and he’ll be 34 in November. Rafael Furcal wants to stay with the Dodgers. All the other free agents are question marks. Teams such as the Blue Jays, Tigers, Twins, Reds, Cardinals, and Giants may be looking for a shortstop. The Jays would probably only enter the mix for Wilson if J.P. Ricciardi is fired.

Wilson will earn $7.25MM in ’09 and may see his $8.4MM option for ’10 exercised. He can block trades to six teams. He’s hitting .279/.322/.355 this year in 288 plate appearances, down from last year but near his career marks. His defense is highly regarded.

Odds and Ends: Kazmir, Thomas, Sweeney

By Tim Dierkes | August 22, 2008 at 10:00am CDT

We’ll kick it off with a few links today and add more bullets periodically.

Cole Hamels feels that he handled his contract renewal last year immaturely.
Over at The Hardball Times, Geoff Young looks at the best compensation picks of the 20th century.
Geoff Blum’s ’09 option vests with one more plate appearance.
Bronson Arroyo has a plan to make the Reds competitive.
Matthew Cerrone explains Carlos Delgado’s ’09 option.
Jeff Passan on the Cardinals’ brilliant signing of Ryan Ludwick.
Baseball Prospectus profiles #26-50 on their list of players to build a team around.
Twins reliever Brian Bass accepted a Triple A assignment, so he won’t become a free agent.
MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo takes a preliminary look at the ’09 draft order.
Jamey Newberg wonders if the Rangers could pry Scott Kazmir loose this winter. It’s hard to see the Rays trading him.
Susan Slusser expects the A’s to add an impact bat this winter, but free agent DHs Frank Thomas and Mike Sweeney will probably be let go. In a related note, ESPN’s Buster Olney says the A’s had a chance earlier this year to acquire Jason Bay for a package including pitching prospect Vin Mazzaro.

Jays Acquire Jose Bautista

By Cork Gaines | August 21, 2008 at 2:06pm CDT

The Blue Jays have announced the acquisition of Jose Bautista from the Pirates for a player to be named later.

Bautista is making $1.8MM this season, his first of arbitration eligibility. He signed a one year deal last winter, avoiding arbitration. Bautista was hitting .242/.325/.404 in 107 games for the Pirates, very close to his career marks of .240/.328/.397. Nothing amazing, but a decent pickup for a team with some question marks in the infield next year.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

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