Jones Unlikely To Rejoin Braves
Mark Bowman of MLB.com calls a possible Andruw Jones-Atlanta Braves reunion "doubtful."
Jones is apparently still searching for a major league deal and the Braves don’t feel comfortable handing him one. According to Bowman’s report, Jones "became defensive when a former Braves teammate simply suggested that this was an option that would allow him the opportunity to resuscitate his career in the familiar surroundings of Atlanta."
The 31-year-old outfielder hit just .158/.256/.249 last year with three home runs and 14 RBI in over 200 plate appearances.
Rosenthal On Abreu, Garland, Glavine, Sisco
The latest from Ken Rosenthal…
- The Mariners and Giants are interested in Bobby Abreu, if the price is right. Yesterday Buster Olney suggested that Abreu is willing to take a one-year deal. The A’s and Nationals have other targets, while the Mets, White Sox, and Braves are seen as long shots.
- Rosenthal examines the nuances of Jon Garland‘s December 7th decision to reject arbitration, saying that it wasn’t an obvious mistake at the time.
- Tom Glavine‘s agent Gregg Clifton did not attend yesterday’s meeting with Frank Wren; it was a health update and not a contract negotiation. Rosenthal says Glavine figures to seek a Freddy Garcia-like deal. The Braves need to save money to add an outfielder, with Nick Swisher atop their list. The Yankees’ goal in moving Swisher or Xavier Nady would be to recoup prospects.
- The Brewers are not interested in projects such as Kris Benson, Jason Jennings, Mark Redman, and Victor Zambrano. They’re just lukewarm on Mark Mulder. Benson is drawing interest from the Dodgers, Rangers, and Cardinals; one exec reviewed his audition as "so-so."
- Rosenthal doesn’t seem to buy the idea that Jason Varitek and Scott Boras feared the Red Sox could cut him if he accepted arbitration, noting that Boras client Travis Lee was advised to accept years ago.
- The Braves have reservations about re-signing Andruw Jones, who could be a Spring Training cut.
- The A’s deal for Russ Springer will be worth more than $3MM plus incentives. They’re also eyeing Brian Shouse and Andrew Sisco as possible pen additions. Sisco, recovering from Tommy John, has also auditioned for the Rockies and Giants.
Braves Rumors: Swisher, Hudson, Andruw
A few Braves notes from MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.
- Bowman believes the Braves are more interested in Nick Swisher than Xavier Nady. The two Yankees outfielders are among many options Frank Wren can consider.
- The Braves’ interest in free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson "died more than a month ago" over defensive concerns. Which seems odd, since Hudson’s defensive numbers didn’t change at any point during the offseason.
- Bowman says "it still appears" the Braves won’t offer Andruw Jones anything more than a minor league deal.
O’Brien Discusses Andruw Jones
Braves beat writer David O’Brien discusses Andruw Jones in a new blog post. He believes the Braves are leaning toward signing him, simply as "very small gamble they’d hope would pay off, nothing more." The Braves continue to look at other outfield options, guys like Adam Dunn, Nick Swisher, and Xavier Nady.
O’Brien adds that Scott Boras said Jones received eight inquiries and probably will not make a decision before late next week.
Marlins Prefer To Add A Catcher
MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro says that moreso than signing Andruw Jones, the Marlins would like to add a veteran catcher to pair with John Baker. Ivan Rodriguez makes sense, but Frisaro says the Fish would probably only offer him the league minimum. Pudge wants $3MM, says Ken Rosenthal.
The Marlins had late-December interest in Gregg Zaun, but $2MM was out of their price range. Frisaro says they’ve been exploring trading for Rangers backstop Max Ramirez (the price would certainly be young pitching).
Cafardo’s Latest: Varitek, Sheets, Glavine
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a new article up in this Sunday’s paper:
- Mariners advisers have suggested bringing in Jason Varitek to improve the Seattle pitching staff.
- "Arbitration-strapped" Philadelphia may have interest in Ben Sheets as he becomes a bigger bargain by the day.
- Cafardo details the Kevin Youkilis contract extension, to the dollar.
- Kris Benson will work out for the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Rangers, and Cubs next Saturday.
- Tom Glavine would entertain an offer from Washington.
- If Atlanta takes on Andruw Jones, they would only have to take on $400K of the $21MM plus the Dodgers are paying him.
Boras: Eight Teams Called About Andruw
According to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Scott Boras says eight teams called about Andruw Jones yesterday. Boras says he plans to meet with Jones soon to discuss his options.
The Braves are considering Jones, and it’s unclear whether the Mets would. That leaves at least six other teams unless this is simply spin from Boras, but there’s no reason to rule that out.
Mets Rumors: Andruw, Manny, Perez
Peter Botte of the New York Daily News has a handful of Mets rumors to pass along:
- One Mets official says the team is "probably not" interested in Andruw Jones, even if he comes cheaply.
- Botte did hear from one person familiar with the team’s thinking who believes the Mets could check in with Jones if he’s still available when Spring Training begins.
- One baseball official said the Mets "are not even in on" Manny Ramirez.
- The Mets don’t expect to come to any sort of agreement with Oliver Perez in the next few days.
- They’ve been in regular contact with the representatives for Randy Wolf and Jon Garland, who are considered fallback options if they don’t sign Perez.
- The Mets have talked with Freddy Garcia.
Marlins Discussing Andruw Jones
Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel is reporting that the Marlins have conducted internal discussions concerning free agent outfielder Andruw Jones.
According to the Sun-Sentinel’s report, Jones has a strong relationship with Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez that dates back to 2003, when Gonzalez was the third base coach in Atlanta. The Fish are likely to go with 21-year-old Cameron Maybin in center field this season, but Jones might be willing to play right or left if the price is right. As it stands, most teams probably wouldn’t be willing to hand him more than a minor league contract.
Rosenthal On Andruw, Nady, Lyon, Madson
The latest from Ken Rosenthal…
- The Braves are pulling back for the moment in their search for an outfield bat. They’ll hope for a free agent bargain or the right trade. Rosenthal says they’re torn about Andruw Jones. The Braves seek a right-handed hitter but aren’t dead set on it. They were unwilling to meet the Yankees’ demands for Xavier Nady.
- Brandon Lyon‘s agent is telling teams he has a two-year, $9MM offer in hand (Kyle Farnsworth money). The Tigers or Twins are possibilities there, while the Cardinals may have offered one year. Jon Paul Morosi confirms Detroit’s interest, but says they’ve yet to make an offer. Morosi believes the Tigers have about $5MM left in their budget.
- Ryan Madson turned down a three-year, $12MM extension from the Phillies. The Scott Boras client is eligible for free agency after the season.
- Execs have all kinds of concerns with Oliver Perez: his flyball tendencies, frequent walks, and inability to reach 200 innings.
- The Yankees have little interest in Ben Sheets and Freddy Garcia. The Rangers, Mets, and White Sox remain in the mix for Garcia.
- The Brewers and other teams are in on Braden Looper, while the Orioles and Dodgers have backed off.
- Edgardo Alfonzo is playing well in the Venezuelan Winter League and could make a comeback.