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Carl Crawford

Gammons On Red Sox, Crawford, Moreno, Liverpool

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Peter Gammons made one of his regular appearances on WEEI's The Big Show today to discuss the playoffs and look ahead to Boston's winter moves.  Albert Vontz of WEEI.com has a partial transcript, and here are some highlights…

  • The Red Sox are "going to go real hard after Carl Crawford."  Gammons thinks one advantage Boston has is that they're looking at Crawford as middle-of-the-order bat rather than as a leadoff man, and Crawford "doesn’t want to be the guy trying to steal 70 bases."
  • The Angels are another team rumored to be pursuing Crawford this winter, and they'll have the money to do so.  Gammons hears that Angels owner Arte Moreno "is on the cusp" of a new local television deal worth approximately $4BB.  Gammon says Moreno and the Halos are moving fast to "swallow up even more of the Dodgers market" what with the Dodgers embroiled in the McCourt ownership dispute.
  • In the wake of the Red Sox ownership group's purchase of Liverpool FC of the English Premier League, Gammons thinks Red Sox fans will blame the soccer club if the Sox can't acquire and/or afford any major free agents this winter.  Gammons was told, however, that Liverpool is "a $1BB business that they bought for about $400MM" and surmises that majority owner John Henry sees the purchase as "a great business deal…[that] might help the Red Sox in a ten-year period."

Braves Prefer To Keep Arms, Hope To Add Bat

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The Bobby Cox era is over and the Braves are preparing for their first season under Fredi Gonzalez. GM Frank Wren says Gonzalez is "perfect" for the team, but the precise composition of next year's roster has yet to be determined. 

Some, myself included, have speculated that the Braves could deal a starting pitcher away to address other needs, but Wren told David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he'll be reluctant to trade pitching depth. Kenshin Kawakami and Derek Lowe would be potential trade chips if the Braves decided to change their stance and Jeff Schultz of the Journal-Constitution wonders if the Braves would deal Jair Jurrjens.

The Braves would like to add a right-handed hitting bat to the outfield this offseason. While Wren didn't rule out free agents Jayson Werth (bats right) or Carl Crawford (bats left), he noted that both are likely to be expensive. Wren also noted that the Braves are considering many candidates as they search for a new hitting coach (all links from Twitter).

Free Agent Stock Watch: Carl Crawford

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After the Rays were eliminated last night, left fielder Carl Crawford told Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune, "I don't want to leave.  Everybody knows that. I like it here, and I've made that known and wish something was able to be worked out."  Crawford added to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times today that it's a "high possibility I probably won't be back next year."  With the Rays lowering payroll, he's out of their price range.  Let's take a closer look at his free agent case.

The Pros

  • Crawford is a well-rounded offensive player.  He hit .307/.356/.495 this year with 19 home runs, showing the best power of his career.  He's a burner on the basepaths, typically good for 50+ steals at a success rate above 80%.
  • He's one of the game's best defensive outfielders in left field.
  • Crawford is a relatively young free agent at 29.  Perhaps he'll age better than most due to his athleticism.

The Cons

  • The contract will be a major commitment - at least five years and more than $15MM per season.  Crawford is the best available position player, and it wouldn't be a shock if bidding reached seven years and nearly $20MM per season.  Most $100MM deals have been regrettable.
  • Signing Crawford will cost a draft pick, as the Rays will offer arbitration and he'll turn it down.
  • Crawford will probably remain in left field.  If his speed slips and his slugging percentage suffers, his power could be below-average for the position.

The Verdict

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith named a slew of potential Crawford suitors in August, but the Angels, Red Sox, and Tigers are perceived as the early favorites.  Crawford could be the first position player to sign for $100MM+ without a 20 home run season on his resume.

Orioles Seek Power Bat

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The Orioles are looking for a power hitter and may pursue Victor Martinez, Paul Konerko and other free agents this offseason. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail told Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun that he'll consider signing a bat this winter.

"We haven't made any secret of the fact that we think we need to address the middle of the order, and that's a hard thing to do," MacPhail said, without naming specific players that may interest the team. 

Nolan Reimold's struggles, Felix Pie's injury concerns and Josh Bell’s 2010 performance mean the O’s would consider signing outfielders or third basemen. However, it now seems more likely that the club will sign a first baseman.

Connolly says it's likely that the Orioles will target some of the following players: Adam Dunn, Victor Martinez, Paul Konerko, Carlos Pena and Derrek Lee. Konerko would probably be a main target for the team and Martinez could be Baltimore’s top target, according to Connolly.

Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth and Cliff Lee intrigue the Orioles, but probably won’t be signing in Baltimore. MacPhail repeated that he’d like to add a veteran starter through free agency or a trade.

Odds & Ends: Mets, Varitek, Crawford, McClendon

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Thursday night links, as the Rangers and Yankees move one win closer to meeting in the ALCS….

  • The Mets will interview three GM candidates in the coming week, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News: Rick Hahn, Allard Baird, and Josh Byrnes.
  • Terry Francona hinted in a WEEI interview that Jason Varitek's time as a Red Sox may be nearing an end, says Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
  • When asked about the possibility of returning to Tampa Bay next year, Carl Crawford replied, "You always keep that little ounce of hope," according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • Danny Knobler of CBS Sports (Twitter link) thinks former Pirates manager and current Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon should be getting consideration for managerial openings around the league.

Angels Owner Prepared To Spend

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Angels owner Arte Moreno says he plans to spend aggressively to send his team back to the postseason. Moreno told Bill Plaschke of the LA Times that he dislikes losing and will do everything he can to improve the Angels.

"We know where our weaknesses are, we know where we are thin, we know where we have to go to market," Moreno said. "It's going to cost money, but our fans need to know what we're committed to winning."

Moreno said he hopes to sign an outfielder who creates runs. Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth, who are both free agents this winter, are potential targets for the Angels. Both will likely be expensive, but Moreno said he’s prepared to complement homegrown players like Jered Weaver with free agents.

"Championship teams develop their players like we have, we know that," Moreno said. "But sometimes when the prospects aren't there, you have to bridge that area, and I'm willing to do that."

GM Tony Reagins may pursue relievers, third basemen and outfielders this offseason as the Angels look to return to their winning ways. The team finished below .500 (80-82) for the first time since 2003 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006. It has been apparent for weeks that the Angels will be able to spend and it now seems like Reagins will have the flexibility to bid on whichever free agents fit the Angels' needs best.

Gammons On Ortiz, Beltre, Dunn, Crawford, Dice-K

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In his latest appearance on WEEI's Big Show, Peter Gammons discussed the playoffs, the offseason, and, of course, the Red Sox. Here are the highlights:

  • The Red Sox will likely pick up David Ortiz's 2011 option in part because they'd be afraid to see him playing for the Yankees or Rays if they let him go.
  • Adrian Beltre was never comfortable in Seattle like he was in Los Angeles and is in Boston. Gammons thinks the third baseman could end up signing with the Tigers this winter and wonders if he'd be uncomfortable in Detroit's spacious home park.
  • Although Adam Dunn insists he doesn't want to DH, he may end up having no other choice. The Nationals appear unlikely to re-sign Dunn because "they don’t know where to play him in the field," according to Gammons, who says the Yankees are a potential destination for the slugger.
  • If they pursue either player, the Red Sox are more likely to go after Carl Crawford than Jayson Werth.
  • Crawford signing with the Angels may not be as likely as people think, Gammons says, since owner Arte Moreno "isn’t always great with free agents."
  • Daisuke Matsuzaka is a trade candidate this winter, and Gammons can envision Boston dealing him to the Mets for Carlos Beltran.

Heyman On Pena, Reyes, Blue Jays

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Three American League GMs told Jon Heyman of SI.com that they believe their team's stars deserve to win the MVP. Miguel Cabrera, Josh Hamilton and Robinson Cano all have strong cases for the award, but if Heyman had asked Theo Epstein or Alex Anthopoulos, there's a good chance he would have heard Adrian Beltre or Jose Bautista mentioned, too. Here are Heyman's latest rumors:

  • The Rays hope to re-sign Carlos Pena this offseason, though it looks like Carl Crawford and Rafael Soriano will sign elsewhere. Crawford recently told Yahoo’s Jeff Passan that he’s open to signing anywhere and indicated that he realizes he isn’t likely to return to Tampa Bay.
  • Jose Reyes would like to sign long-term in New York. It looks like he’ll be negotiating his deal with a new general manager; Heyman reported earlier today that Omar Minaya will not be the Mets GM for long.
  • Speaking of GMs, Heyman adds Blue Jays exec Tony LaCava to his list of potential GM candidates. Heyman reports that the Blue Jays have about 14-15 managerial candidates, including Bob Melvin, Don Baylor, Yankees coach Rob Thomson and Brian Butterfield.

Olney On Crawford, Rangers, D’Backs

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Home field advantage in the Division Series and League Championship Series hasn't given teams the advantage you might expect, as ESPN.com's Buster Olney shows. But the Rays, Yankees and Twins presumably want home field advantage anyways and there's no question that the teams' respective owners would like the extra revenue. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:

  • Some MLB executives expect the Red Sox and Angels to get into a bidding war over Carl Crawford this offseason. He’d be a good fit on either team, though Mike Cameron would likely become a bench player if the Red Sox signed Crawford or Jayson Werth.
  • High-ranking executives wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rangers’ payroll rise to $90-100MM. The team opened the 2010 season with a $65MM payroll, so that would be a substantial increase.
  • There seems to be a very good chance that Adam LaRoche and Mark Reynolds, who have combined  to strike out 375 times this season, will not be on the D’Backs in 2011. LaRoche will probably hit free agency this winter, but Reynolds has $13MM remaining on his contract and would have to be traded.

Angels Don’t Face Financial Limitations

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The Angels will be in the red this year, but that won’t stop them from spending. As they head toward their first losing season since 2003, it’s becoming apparent that the Angels will lose about $10MM this year, a baseball source told Mark Saxon of ESPNLos Angeles.com. 

But Angels fans can still dream about a 2011 outfield that includes Carl Crawford. Multiple sources tell Saxon that the organization plans to push aggressively to sign the left fielder when he hits free agency after the season. Speaking in general terms, GM Tony Reagins said the team will be able to spend this offseason.

"You always have to take account of how the finances work, but we're not limited financially in any way," Reagins said. "Whatever we need to do that makes sense and that's reasonable, we'll address."

Crawford, Adrian Beltre and Jayson Werth are among the top free agent position players who could draw interest from the Angels. The team’s rotation appears to be set, but the club will likely pursue relievers and consider trading Mike Napoli at some point this winter.

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