Could Yankees Keep Pavano?
1:27pm: Pavano told Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record, "Let’s hope I get to write a better chapter in pinstripes."
10:12am: Ken Davidoff of Newsday gives a 1% chance of the Yanks re-signing Pavano.
8:11am: Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News has a source saying Yankees GM Brian Cashman remains a big fan of Carl Pavano, and he hasn’t closed the door on the oft-injured starter. Cashman is expected to speak with Pavano’s agent during the GM meetings. Pavano’s agent said his first choice is the Yankees, because of "unfinished business."
Pavano has a $13MM club option with a $1.95MM buyout. It doesn’t seem likely that the Yankees would guarantee him that kind of money, but they could buy out the option and renegotiate.
Rockies Rumors: Holliday, Atkins, Podsednik
Let’s check in on the Rockies next.
- Matt Holliday may be selling his Denver-area home, not that it means anything. Tracy Ringolsby has the Nationals, Rays, Cardinals, and Mets as teams interested in Holliday. Meanwhile, Troy E. Renck explores a Yankees scenario.
- Renck can’t see the Rox trading both Holliday and Garrett Atkins. Ringolsby says the Angels are more interested in Atkins than Holliday. Renck has the Indians and Twins as suitors for Atkins.
- Scott Podsednik is open to returning to the Rockies, and they could have a place for him if Willy Taveras is dealt.
- Renck expects the Rockies to be in on Carl Pavano if the Yankees don’t re-sign him.
Latest Yankees Info
Peter Abraham was in on the Brian Cashman briefing; his blog posts can be found here and here.
- Option decisions are due on Jason Giambi, Carl Pavano, and Damaso Marte by November 14th. The only uncertainty is with Marte’s $6MM option. George King reported yesterday that the Yankees are unlikely to exercise it. Abraham says Cashman indicated that Marte could be signed to a new contract if the option is declined. I imagine it’d take multiple years to entice him.
- There have been no conversations between the Yankees and Bobby Abreu‘s agents. Abreu is looking for a three-year deal, so he’ll probably be cashed in for draft picks.
- Center field is not considered a priority; the Yanks like their in-house options.
- Cashman wants to acquire two starters; right now he considers Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain his rotation.
- Eric Milton and Victor Zambrano are free agents again.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Bradley, Peavy, Young
A look at what is being written around the Blogosphere…
- Goat Riders of the Apocalypse looks at Milton Bradley and sees a clubhouse cancer, but can’t ignore his .999 OPS and wonders if he is the answer in right field for the Cubs.
- Pinstripes Published takes a look at the crop of free agent starting pitchers and speculates on who will sign with the Yankees, with the most likely being C.C. Sabathia, Jon Garland and Ryan Dempster.
- Chop-n-Change takes a look at which prospects it might take to land Jake Peavy, and wonders if a package built around RHP Tommy Hanson and OF Jordan Schafer could get it done.
- Talking Chop does not want to the Braves giving up prospects for Peavy and would rather see the Braves acquire pitching through free agency.
- First And Goal From Second Base warns that it will be a mistake for the Twins to trade Delmon Young.
- Twinkie Town takes a look at which Twins free agents could return (Nick Punto, Dennys Reyes) and the rest of the Twins offseason.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.
Odds and Ends: Sabathia, Pavano, Penny, Burnett
Random links to start the morning…
- Ben Shpigel says Billy Wagner‘s $10.5MM for ’09 is not covered by insurance, making the Mets unlikely suitors for K-Rod (hat tip to MetsBlog).
- The Padres claimed knuckleballer Charlie Haeger. You have to like the move; he’s only 24.
- Ken Davidoff writes about Nationals pitcher Tim Redding, who dreams about returning to the Yankees one day.
- Davidoff also says that contrary to popular belief, C.C. Sabathia did not buy a home in Southern California.
- In another post, Davidoff lists the worst trades of ’08.
- Nats GM Jim Bowden will probably bring in a veteran first baseman next year due to health concerns with Nick Johnson and Dmitri Young.
- Not much cooking on the Pedro Alvarez front…Bud Selig testified yesterday, and the next part of the hearing isn’t until September 23rd.
- Andrew Baggarly explains Bengie Molina‘s contentious relationship with the Giants.
- From Saturday: Carl Pavano‘s side of the story. Can Pavano be a useful pitcher next year?
- Larry Borowsky would like to see the Cardinals enterain an extension for Todd Wellemeyer. He’s eligible for free agency after the ’09 season.
- Joel Sherman isn’t sure the Yankees will invite Andy Pettitte back next year.
- Brad Penny says he pitched through a shoulder injury because of uncertainty around his ’09 option.
- Interesting fact…A.J. Burnett is second in MLB with 3286 pitches thrown (Sabathia jumped into the lead last night). Many of the ’07 leaders in pitches thrown came down with injuries this year.
- Michael O’Keefe sits down with agent Scott Boras.
- ESPN’s Buster Olney notes that the Blue Jays will pursue a shortstop this winter.
- All you ever wanted to know about Dr. James Andrews.
- Jed Hoyer explains where Curt Schilling learned his negotiating tactics.
Heyman’s Latest: Hawpe, Pavano, Fuentes, Lowe
Let’s dig into the latest columns from SI.com’s Jon Heyman, found here and here.
- Brad Hawpe had choice words in response to team criticism from Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd.
- Heyman says Carl Pavano tried to "weasel out of" paying his former agent $2MM in commission from his current contract, signed in December of ’04. You get the impression Pavano is not well-liked among members of the media.
- Heyman wonders if Rickie Weeks could be the odd man out in the Milwaukee infield next year.
- The Mets are more likely to pursue Brian Fuentes than Francisco Rodriguez this winter. K-Rod’s agent hinted that his client would be a good fit in L.A. or New York, but the Mets will have to make the rotation their priority.
- Heyman says Derek Lowe prefers the East Coast.
- Heyman figures A.J. Burnett will consider the $24MM remaining on his contract "pocket change," and will surely opt out.
Pavano Placed On Waivers
According to George King of the New York Post, the Yankees placed oft-injured starter Carl Pavano on waivers. He will almost certainly clear, but the Yankees might be able to trade him if they assume most of the $3.8MM remaining on his contract. King speculates on the Mets as a fit.
Will Yanks Make Any Trades?
Joel Sherman of the New York Post discusses the Yankees’ trade prospects in a blog post today. The Yankees have a 3-5% chance of making the playoffs this year, according to Baseball Prospectus.
Sherman suggests Johnny Damon, Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, and Carl Pavano as players with a slight chance of being dealt. No-trade clauses would present an obstacle for most of these players, however.
As Sherman notes, Abreu is locked in as a Type A free agent. For the Yankees to receive draft picks for him this winter, they’d have to offer him arbitration and have him decline and sign elsewhere. Many Yankees fans made a strong case to me yesterday that the team will offer arbitration, because another year of Abreu at $16MM+ would be an acceptable risk. It’s a good point, since Abreu is having a better season than he did in ’07.
A pitching-starved team could take on Pavano if he approves it, but he is still owed over $4MM. The Yanks would have to assume pretty much all of that.
Odds and Ends: Manny, Pavano, Gonzalez
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.
Odds and Ends: Pavano, Dunn, Brocail, Washburn
Random links for the day…
- Joel Sherman notes that Carl Pavano has a chance to help his own cause if he can be mildly useful in September. Pavano will be a free agent after the season when the Yankees buy out his $13MM option.
- The Reds will free up about $30MM in payroll, and Walt Jocketty plans to be active.
- Ben Bolch notes that the Dodgers could’ve blocked the D’Backs’ waiver claim of Adam Dunn. Bolch cites the risk that caused the Dodgers to pass – Dunn’s salary and their outfield logjam. But as readers of this site have pointed out, why not claim Dunn and offer a player of no value? Would Walt Jocketty have chosen salary relief over two draft picks?
- Multiple teams put in claims on reliever Doug Brocail, but the Astros did not want to trade him. The ‘Stros are playing for a miracle, as they’re assigned less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs.
- Geoff Baker supported the Mariners’ decision not to trade Jarrod Washburn in July, but now they’ve overplayed their hand.