Discussion: Is A Howard-Pujols Swap Realistic?
The Phillies organization has internally discussed proposing a swap of Ryan Howard for Albert Pujols, sources tell Buster Olney of ESPN. Philadelphia GM Ruben Amaro shot the notion down, saying, "That's a lie. I don't know who you're talking to, but that's a lie." Olney stresses that it is not fully clear whether the Phillies have actually approached the Cardinals with the idea.
Both sluggers are 30 years-of-age and both are eligible for free agency following the 2011 season. Pujols is owed $16MM in each of the next two seasons. Howard, meanwhile, is set to make $19MM in 2010 and $20MM the following year. While Pujols comes at a slightly cheaper rate in the next couple of years he (in all likelihood) would cost more to retain than Howard.
Olney points out that Howard is a St. Louis native, meaning that the Cards may be able to sell their fans on such a deal. However, the Cardinals faithful have more or less adopted their three-time NL MVP, who is entering his 10th big league season with the club.
While owner Bill DeWitt wants to keep Pujols in red and white for life, an A-Rodesque $275MM deal might not be financially prudent for the organization. One has to wonder if the Cardinals will have to consider trading their megastar. If so, could a deal centered around Ryan Howard make sense?
Odds & Ends: Jeter, Marlins, Fielder, Aurilia, Boras
If you're in the Northeast, here are some links to check out while you take a break from shoveling…
- ESPN's Jayson Stark ranked baseball's ten-year contracts, with Derek Jeter's soon to be completed ten-year, $189MM deal coming in as the best.
- The Marlins agreed to one-year contracts with 12 of their pre-arbitration eligible players according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, including Sean West, Chris Volstad, Emilio Bonifacio, and Dan Meyer.
- Brewers owner Mark Attanasio confirmed that he will be involved in long-term contract discussions with Prince Fielder, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter). Haudricourt also tweets that Attanasio and GM Doug Melvin met today to discuss the situation and there will be no deadlines imposed on the 25-year-old.
- Rich Aurilia, who stopped by the Giants' camp today, says that while he's still looking for a job, he will retire if he doesn't have one by the end of spring, tweets Jeff Fletcher of AOL Fanhouse. The 38-year-old has a broadcasting deal in place if he is unable to find a job on the field.
- Shin-Soo Choo says that he would like to stay in Cleveland long-term, writes MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. Choo, like Morales, cut ties with his former agent (Alan Nero) in favor of Scott Boras.
- Michael Weiner, the executive director of the players' union, confirmed that the union is participating in an investigation into alleged unauthorized withdrawals from Kendry Morales' bank account by a former employee of his former agents, Hendricks Sports Management (Bill Plunkett of the OC Register reporting). Morales recently dropped HSM and hired Scott Boras.
- Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch provides a few quotes from Albert Pujols about his contract situation. "Do I want to do this right now and take care of this so we don't need to worry about it? Of course," said Pujols. "If it happens, it happens. But there are some things I am able to control and there are other things that are out of my hands that I can't control. And that's the truth."
- The Mariners signed righty Tom Wilhelmsen to a minor league contract, according to Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. The 27-year-old had been out of baseball since 2005 because of substance abuse issues, though he resurfaced with an independent league team last season.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a report indicating the the Orix Buffaloes are moving towards a deal with Freddie Bynum. The White Sox released Bynum last week so he could pursue opportunities in Japan.
- Meanwhile, Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that Felipe Lopez will provide the Cardinals with a great amount of flexibility.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post calls the contracts of Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia and other Yankee players "time-bomb contracts."
- John Tomase of The Boston Herald says the Red Sox have a deep bench with Mike Lowell, Bill Hall, Jeremy Hermida, and Jason Varitek.
Heyman On Pujols, Torre, Blalock, Lopez
Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt told Jon Heyman of SI.com that he wants to keep Albert Pujols in St. Louis for life, even though the first baseman will likely require a historic contract when he becomes a free agent, presumably after the 2011 season.
- The Dodgers continue to work on a one-year extension with Joe Torre. Don Mattingly appears "likely" to take over as Dodgers manager after 2011.
- The Marlins have Hank Blalock on their radar and the Rays are also in the mix.
- The Cardinals haven't ruled out making an addition and Felipe Lopez seems like a fit. Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says (via Twitter) that the Cardinals are interested in Lopez, but not 'in' on him.
Odds & Ends: Dunn, Delgado, Pujols, Mets
Links for Saturday…
- Rizzo reiterated to Ladson that he'd like to sign Adam Dunn to a contract extension, however he declined to talk about how the negotiations were going. The two sides first discussed an extension a few weeks ago.
- Carlos Delgado's agent David Sloane tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that his client will be out of action for four months after undergoing hip surgery. Last week, prior to his recent procedure becoming public knowledge, Sloane told Rosenthal that Delgado might wait until mid-season to sign.
- Ladson tweets that Nats president Stan Kasten was seen talking to Cristian Guzman's agent on Saturrday afternoon, though neither party would comment on the conversation (via Twitter). Guzman is in the final year of a two-year, $16MM contract.
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson says (via Twitter) that Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo indicated that he's not finished trying to improve his team, and that's he's still on the look out from some pitching.
- GM Ed Wade wasn't the only Astros' executive to have his contract extended today. Assistants Ricky Bennett, David Gottfried, and Bobby Heck were all extended through 2011, tweets Houston's Senior Director of Social Media Alyson Footer.
- Mets' owner Fred Wilpon called the team's offseason "torture," according to Adam Rubin of The New York Daily News (via Twitter). Wilpon also said he expects the team to stay within the family for generations.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that Victor Martinez said he "definitely" wants to stay in Boston beyond this season. We previewed V-Mart's impending free agency a few weeks ago.
- The A's will officially name Grady Fuson as a special advisor today, tweets Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. Fuson was fired as the Padres' VP of scouting and player development by new GM Jed Hoyer back in October.
Cardinals, Pujols Talking Contract Extension?
In a chat with readers today, Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said that the Cardinals are currently negotiating with Albert Pujols about a contract extension, though the team won't acknowledge the talks.
Pujols is under contract for $16MM in 2010, and the team holds a no-brainer option worth the same amount for 2011. He has previously stated that he wanted to see how the front office was going to build the team around him before beginning talks, though I'm guessing that giving $120MM to Matt Holliday confirms the club's desire to remain competitive for the long haul.
The National League's two-time defending MVP just turned 30-years-old last month, and you can be sure he and his agent will be looking for something similar to the ten-year, $275MM contract Alex Rodriguez received when he was 32. Pujols' career 172 OPS+ is tied for sixth best all-time with Mickey Mantle, and he's still got plenty of time to improve on that mark.
Pujols Talks About Extension
Media members quizzed Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols about his contract situation today at the team's Winter Warm-Up festivities, as covered by Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and B.J. Rains of the Globe-Democrat. Pujols does not want to discuss an extension during the season, though he did say he'd be willing to take a discount if it'd make the team better.
Though Pujols hopes to avoid free agency, he'd be fine with it if necessary. The slugger's comments indicated a lack of urgency, which makes sense since he is under team control through 2011.
Heyman On Mauer, Pujols, Damon, Washburn
3:59pm: David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that the Braves have not made an offer to Damon, contrary to Heyman's suggestion below.
12:49pm: Jon Heyman's latest column for SI.com leads with thoughts on contract talks for two superstars, Joe Mauer and Albert Pujols. Heyman says Mauer has been slow to engage with the Twins only because he's giving them a chance to put the 2010 team together first. Heyman believes Mauer is "thinking about a contract for at least seven years and more than $20MM, though he isn't going to press the $30MM issue that could conceivably come into focus if he goes the free-agent route." On the other hand, Heyman says Pujols is "surely seeking" $30MM a year. On to Heyman's other rumors…
- Heyman believes the Braves and Giants made offers to Johnny Damon. It's not clear if the Giants' offer for Damon is still on the table given their Aubrey Huff agreement.
- Jarrod Washburn rejected a $5MM offer from the Twins; the Mets and Royals are other suitors.
- The Mariners have considered Ryan Garko. An outfielder would make more sense.
- The Rangers are looking for a "low-cost starting pitcher."
- The Orioles are "still in play" for first baseman Adam LaRoche. Currently it's difficult to name another LaRoche suitor.
Odds & Ends: Epstein, Cards, Contracts, Greene
Links for a snowy Thursday…
- MLB.com's Lyle Spencer tweets of the Dodgers' interest in Robb Quinlan for a fourth outfielder role. The Rockies and Twins are other known suitors.
- Red Sox GM Theo Epstein appeared on the Toucher and Rich show this morning. He spoke about the team's offense, Adrian Gonzalez, Mike Lowell, and the "bridge period" comment; MLB.com's Ian Browne provides the transcript.
- MASN's Steve Melewski says the Red Sox rescinded the contract given to reliever Bob McCrory after he failed his physical.
- Tommy Rancel of DRays Bay looks at the team-friendly deals signed by Paul Cohen clients.
- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told Cam Inman of The Contra Costa Times there's a non-zero chance the team adds Mark McGwire to the player roster on August 31st.
- There is currently no timetable for the Cardinals to sit down with Albert Pujols' agents, GM John Mozeliak told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cards are ready to talk when Pujols is.
- Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball is beta-testing an MLB salary database. Also of note: Cot's Baseball Contracts has joined the Baseball Prospectus family.
- ESPN's Buster Olney wrote yesterday that Khalil Greene is working hard and seeks a big league deal. Greene can play shortstop or third base, and Olney sees Oakland as a potential match.
- The Pirates aren't far apart with Zach Duke on his 2010 salary, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Kovacevic believes Duke's $2.2MM salary could double in his second arbitration year. A multiyear deal is not in the works.
- Murray Chass chronicles the blank contract Andre Dawson gave to the Cubs in the spring of '87.
- Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues looks at Nick Johnson's injury history in detail.
- A December 30th tweet from SI's Melissa Segura notes that Dominican lefty Victor Payano signed with the Rangers. Payano had a deal with the Red Sox in July for $900K that was voided due to shoulder concerns. Here's a video of the 16-year-old courtesy of Kiley McDaniel.
Matt Holliday Signing Reactions
Yesterday Matt Holliday and the Cardinals agreed to a seven-year, $120MM deal, possibly worth $136MM over eight years if Holliday finishes in the top ten in the MVP voting in 2016 (he'll head into that season as a 36-year-old). $2MM deferred per year knocks down the present-day value of the deal a bit. Let's take a look at reactions from around the web.
- ESPN's Buster Olney spoke to one GM who thinks the Cardinals overpaid by about $30MM given the lack of competition for Holliday. Another exec's crack: "I guess that will end the collusion talk." Olney also wonders if the Cardinals can afford to pay Holliday and Albert Pujols $43-47MM from 2012 forward. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has the same concerns.
- ESPN's Keith Law suggests the Cardinals are the NL Central frontrunners for 2010 and 2011. But the downside to having both Holliday and Pujols locked up for big bucks is that the Cards would need to fill out the rest of the roster with bargains. They might not have the farm system to do so.
- Aaron Schafer of Viva El Birdos offers his take: "the money's fine, but the length of the deal is a killer."
Odds & Ends: Orioles, Dodgers, Beltre, Pujols
Let's round up some Thursday evening links….
- The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly hears from Orioles officials that the team isn't serious about Matt Holliday or Adrian Gonzalez. This probably means that, despite their flurry of recent activity, Baltimore is done spending for now.
- Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts takes a look at the Dodgers' salary obligations for 2010.
- Todd Zolecki of MLB.com follows up on the Roy Halladay–Cliff Lee blockbuster by breaking down Halladay's extension and relaying Lee's reaction to the trade.
- While the Cardinals wait on Holliday, Mark DeRosa is exploring his other options, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Yahoo's Tim Brown adds a surprising team to a list of otherwise predictable suitors for Adrian Beltre: the Oakland Athletics. ESPN.com's Buster Olney follows up on this point, noting that the A's do have interest, but not at $10MM a year.
- The Marlins still could retain Dan Uggla, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. However, the team hasn't been in contact with his agent since the Winter Meetings, so a trade looks more likely. We heard some details earlier today about discussions the Marlins and Giants have had regarding Uggla.
- Albert Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, tells Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Cardinals' negotiations with Holliday won't affect a possible Pujols extension: "Albert respects Matt and would love to have him as a teammate and hopes he gets his money, but Matt’s situation must be seen as independent of Albert’s."
- A source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Adam Dunn "is not going anywhere for now."
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff thinks that Johnny Damon's run in New York is about to come to an end.
- Jeff Wilson of the Dallas Morning News says that if the Mike Lowell trade falls through because of Lowell's health, the Rangers have other targets, including Vladimir Guerrero, Jermaine Dye, and Jim Thome. Morosi says we should know about the Lowell deal "one way or the other" by the end of the weekend.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington answers fans' questions about his team's future in an MLB.com mailbag.