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Manny Ramirez Rumors: Thursday

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9:26pm: MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick suggests that the "signings this week of Bobby Abreu and Adam Dunn will be the trigger to bring the Dodgers and Ramirez toward a middle ground." 

Gurnick also shares this quote from Giants president Larry Baer, implying that his club is sitting idle on the Manny front: "Nothing’s really changed from our perspective."

4:40pm: Ken Rosenthal offers thoughts on the Dodgers and Manny, as well as Hudson.

3:50pm: Not sure if this qualifies as news, but Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times learned that Ramirez cancelled a promotional appearance because he could sign a contract at any time.

8:48am: Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times has the latest on Manny Ramirez today.  Talks continue with the Dodgers, but there’s nothing new to report.

Some had speculated that Bobby Abreu and Adam Dunn were the Dodgers’ backup plan, but Ned Colletti and Scott Boras are both claiming the signings don’t affect the Manny negotiations.

How many teams are in on Ramirez?  From Shaikin’s article:

Boras said the other day that he was negotiating with "several" teams for Ramirez. We asked him whether "several" could be defined as "more than two."  He chuckled.  "Two or more," he said.

Shaikin adds that Orlando Hudson "called the Dodgers, not the other way around."  Signing Hudson would mean shuffling around Blake DeWitt and/or Casey Blake.  Ken Davidoff of Newsday notes that the Dodgers have pretty much run out of ways to "reallocate their Manny resources."

Nationals Sign Adam Dunn

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THURSDAY: Dunn’s two-year, $20MM deal is official according to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson.  Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post has quotes from Dunn from the press conference.

WEDNESDAY: According to Chico Harlan of the Washington Post, the Nationals agreed to a preliminary two-year deal with Adam Dunn.  MLB.com’s Bill Ladson confirms it, adding that a news conference is expected Thursday.  According to SI.com’s Tom Verducci, it’s a two-year, $20MM deal.

Nationals GM Jim Bowden drafted Dunn when he helmed the Reds back in 1998.  It seems likely that Dunn will play first base for the Nationals.  The 29 year-old hit .236/.386/.513 with 40 home runs in 651 plate appearances for the Reds and Diamondbacks in ’08.

With Dunn and Abreu off the market, the Braves’ only option for an outfield addition is probably to make a trade.  Also, if you’re curious, WEEI’s Alex Speier explains why the Red Sox were not in on Dunn and Abreu.

Odds and Ends: Dunn, Byrd, Epstein

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Links for Thursday…

Heyman On Manny, Pudge, Cabrera, Howard

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The latest from SI.com’s Jon Heyman…

  • Heyman says "most in the know seem to still believe [Dodgers owner Frank] McCourt will bend on Manny Ramirez and go to three years."
  • The Nationals’ offer to Adam Dunn was on the table for weeks until he realized no team was going to beat or approach it.  There were rumors months ago that Dunn sought a $100MM deal heading into free agency.
  • The Astros and Marlins are looking at Ivan Rodriguez.  There’s even an El Nuevo Dia report suggesting the Astros offered $2.5MM+ to Pudge, but that seems out of their price range to me.  In today’s mailbag, MLB.com’s Alyson Footer opines that the Astros wouldn’t go to $3MM for a catcher.
  • The A’s "want to spend no more than $5MM, and probably closer to $3MM" for Orlando Cabrera.  He should take that if it’s offered.
  • The Angels had been eyeing Joe Crede but may be done after signing Bobby Abreu.  The Giants and Twins remain the likeliest suitors for Crede.
  • The Phillies hoped to lock up Ryan Howard beyond his arbitration years, and Ruben Amaro Jr. disputed the notion that he is after Teixeira money.

Nationals Have Six Players For Four Spots

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As Chico Harlan of the Washington Post explains, the Nationals now have six players for four spots following the Adam Dunn signing.  Harlan says the Nats prefer Dunn in left field if Nick Johnson is healthy, leaving Josh Willingham’s role in question.  Here’s a look at the six players:

  • Adam Dunn: Agreed to play first base or left field.  Two-year, $20MM deal to become official today.
  • Nick Johnson: Has never played anywhere but first base.  Wants to play every day, but spent most of 2007-08 on the DL for leg and wrist injuries.  He’s fine with a trade.  Set to earn $5.5MM in ’09 in last year before free agency.  OBP machine.
  • Josh Willingham: Acquired along with Scott Olsen in November.  Missed 50 games in ’08 with back issues.  2009 is his first arb year; he submitted $3.6MM vs. $2.55MM from the Nats.  Free agent-eligible after 2011 season.  Has mainly played LF in big league career (68 innings at catcher, 3 at first base).
  • Austin Kearns: Friend of Dunn from Cincinnati days. Owed $9MM for ’09 (includes $1MM buyout for ’10). Has experience as CF and RF.  Dealt with elbow, foot injuries in ’08.
  • Lastings Milledge: Experience at all three OF positions. Turns 24 in April.  Under team control through 2012.  Didn’t hit much outside of August.  Manny Acta committed to him as the center fielder.
  • Elijah Dukes: Experience at all three OF positions.  Turns 25 in June.  Under team control through 2013.  .972 OPS after All-Star break in 29 games (dealt with calf/knee injuries).  Paid back child support; will not face prison time.

Two more, not mentioned by Harlan as those considered potential everyday players:

  • Willie Harris: Signed two-year, $3MM extension in December.  Has played all three OF positions and 2B in his career, plus a small amount of SS and 3B.  FanGraphs valued his ’08 defense so highly that they calculated him to be worth $14.6MM overall.
  • Wily Mo Pena: Exercised $2MM player option in October after Nationals declined $5MM club option.  Shoulder surgery in July.  Recently turned 27; had .472 career SLG prior to ’08.

The Nats also have Corey Patterson in camp on a minor league deal.  Seems like he chose the wrong team.

Fallout From Abreu And Dunn Deals

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Let’s look at the fallout from today’s big news. The Angels have reached an agreement with Bobby Abreu and the Nats have done the same with Adam Dunn, but, as many of our commenters have noted, other teams and players are affected by these deals. Here’s a breakdown:

  • The Dodgers lose a lot of leverage in their negotiations with Manny Ramirez. Dunn was their preferred alternative to Manny, and Abreu was another possibility. Unless GM Ned Colletti wants to trade for a bat or sign a much lesser hitter, he may have to give in to Manny and offer three years or an enhanced one or two year deal.
  • Manny Ramirez and Scott Boras must be smiling tonight. The two strongest suitors for Manny, the Dodgers and Giants, still need bats, but Manny’s the only top-notch outfielder left.
  • The Braves lose leverage. They’ve considered trading for Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher, but with Dunn and Abreu off the board, and Manny out of reach, the Braves might have to give up more in a trade with the Yankees.
  • The Yankees, in turn, benefit from these two deals because they can demand more from the Braves. Peter Abraham thinks the Yankees should hold onto Swisher and Nady.
  • Garret Anderson and Ken Griffey Jr. are now the best remaining alternatives to Manny, so they could both benefit from today’s deals.

M’s To Set Sights On Anderson, Griffey?

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John Hickey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer expects that the Mariners will soon turn their focus toward signing either Garret Anderson or Ken Griffey Jr.

Even if Seattle enters the race for Bobby Abreu, they’re likely to be outbid by the Angels.  The M’s simply don’t have enough room in the budget, unless they’re somehow able to move Jarrod Washburn or Miguel Batista.  Hickey suggests that the Mariners might chase Adam Dunn, but notes that he’s "less than enthusiastic about playing in the Northwest."

Angels Closing In On Bobby Abreu

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8:55pm: Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times collected a few quotes from Abreu’s agent, Peter Greenberg:

"The Angels have expressed interest, and we’ve been talking to them — they’re definitely one of the more interesting situations for Bobby," said Greenberg.  "It’s a good city, a winning team, and he has some friends over there."

"We’d still like a multi-year deal, but if he doesn’t get what he wants, he’ll be fine with a one-year deal.  Then, he could re-establish his market value and hope for better luck next year. He might be faced with that."

8:35pm: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the Angels "appear to be closing in on a deal" with Abreu.

7:44pm: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick heard from two baseball sources that the Angels are in serious talks toward a one-year agreement with Abreu.

7:09pm: FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal reports that the Angels waived right-hander Nick Green from the 40-man roster on Tuesday and believes the team "could be trying to create a spot for a free-agent hitter."

The Angels are thought to prefer Bobby Abreu over Adam Dunn.  "One GM pursuing Abreu said Tuesday that he was told Abreu was close to signing with an Amercian League team," writes Rosenthal.

Astros Not Pursuing Dunn

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MONDAY: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick talked to Astros GM Ed Wade, who said Dunn "was never an item of discussion for us."  The Astros are also not involved on Bobby Abreu.  The Astros don’t have money to spend and would use it on pitching if they did.

SUNDAY: According to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune, the Astros may be planning to offer Adam Dunn a one-year contract before camp begins. Rogers writes,

"Dunn, a 40-homer man for five straight seasons, would allow the Astros to move Hunter Pence to center field and Michael Bourn to the bench. That would mean a huge lift to run-production. Dunn has multi-year offers on the table, including one from Washington, but clearly isn’t crazy about them."

It remains to be seen whether Dunn would seriously consider a one-year deal or not. For a recap, here’s a write up on the market for the unsigned slugger.

Cafardo’s Latest: Manny, Sheets, Glavine

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The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo shares some notes on Manny Ramirez and around the league. Let’s have a look, bullet-point style:

  • He cites an AL Exec who says, "I’ll be honest, I never thought Ramirez would walk away from… one year, $25 million. That’s better than the $20 million option he had torn up… If he has another great year, he gets another $25 million for one year? Or maybe a team then decides, ’OK, this guy has behaved himself for a while, continues to produce at a high level now, let’s commit for another two years to him.’ Unless a team like the Yankees comes in at the last minute and gets it done, I just don’t see where he’s going to make more than $25 million." Cafardo adds that "Brian Cashman insists it won’t happen."
  • A quote from Rich Hill on his being traded to the Orioles: "[Cubs general manager] Jim Hendry really took care of me. He wanted to create an opportunity for me that he told me probably didn’t exist in Chicago, so I’m grateful. I know Baltimore tried to deal for me last year and it didn’t work out, but this time they made it work." Hill also adds that he’s over his back injury and will rediscover his control.
  • Ben Sheets not signing anywhere until June hurts the Brewers two-fold: they may have to foot the bill for the surgery and won’t receive a first round draft pick for losing a Type-A free agent. Sheets has a torn flexor tendon, as revealed by an exam with the Texas Rangers. On the other hand, MLBTR has noted that in June, after his surgery, he won’t cost a draft pick to sign.
  • Andruw Jones on playing in Boston: "It’s too cold there. There’s too much stuff going on."
  • Bobby Abreu may have to settle for a one or two year deal at $3MM. Cafardo lists the Angels, Mets, Braves, Dodgers, and Mariners.
  • Expect an incentive-laden deal for one year between Tom Glavine and the Braves. As MLBTR has noted, their latest offer was between $1-2MM with no incentives.
  • Mark Mulder could be a useful back end starter and he’s almost ready to put himself on display to teams.
  • Shea Hillenbrand is 32 and receiving no interest. Cafardo wonders if he’s "being punished for past transgressions?"
  • Cubs, White Sox, and Dodgers are lined up for Orlando Hudson; however, the transfer of ownership may have temporarily tied the hands of Jim Hendry to do anything until Tom Ricketts takes over.
  • The A’s are continuously interested in Orlando Cabrera, Adam Dunn, and Abreu.
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