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Eric Byrnes

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Nationals, Myers, Hudson

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A slew of Thursday night links from around the majors….

Diamondbacks Rumors: Webb, Byrnes

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Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic spoke to General Managing Partner Ken Kendrick of the Arizona Diamondbacks about the team's future. Here are a few of the highlights:

  • The team has "every intention" of exercising Brandon Webb's $8.5MM option.
  • Like GM Josh Byrnes said earlier in the week, there's no guarantee the team will hang on to outfielder Eric Byrnes just because of his bloated contract. Kendrick said the deal "looks like a mistake."
  • The payroll for 2010 should be in the $75MM-$79MM range, after the team spent $73MM in 2009.
  • Josh Byrnes could then have up to $20MM to address the team's needs in the offseason. Piecoro suggests that might mean looking at "the bullpen, a vacancy in the rotation, and perhaps…a veteran position player."
  • Kendrick sees the bullpen as the main priority when adding new talent this winter.

D’Backs Talk: Davis, Tracy, Eric Byrnes

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Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes was forthcoming, talking to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic today.  Highlights:

  • Payroll will likely be higher than the season-ending mark of $73MM.  They have about $60MM committed for 2010, assuming Conor Jackson is retained.  GM Josh Byrnes may have $15MM+ to spend.
  • Byrnes has until the December 12th non-tender deadline to decide on Jackson, who must be paid at least $2.44MM if tendered a contract.  Byrnes intends to use that time to gather information, but his comments had a positive vibe.
  • Free agents Doug Davis and Chad Tracy are not expected to return in 2010 (Tracy has a $7MM club option that will certainly be declined).  It'll be interesting to see who the D'Backs acquire to replace Davis.
  • Brandon Allen does not have a lock on the first base job.  Second base will probably be filled internally.
  • Byrnes admitted "the roster crunch on Eric Byrnes is pretty real," implying the could release the outfielder and eat $11MM.

D’Backs To Release Eric Byrnes This Winter?

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Scott Bordow of the East Valley Tribune suspects that the Diamondbacks will consider cutting ties with Eric Byrnes this offseason and would be willing to eat the final year of his three-year, $30MM contract. 

Arizona's outfield is set for 2010, and it doesn't include the injury-plagued Byrnes.  Conor Jackson will start in left field, Chris Young is expected to start in center and Justin Upton will play right.  Gerardo Parra, after a fine rookie campaign in 2009, will operate as the fourth outfielder but should find regular playing time.

D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes will certainly try to work out a trade before simply releasing the 33-year-old outfielder, who has played just 76 games this year due to a fractured hand, but it might be hard to find a team willing to take on his salary.  "The Diamondbacks will take a lot of grief if they release Byrnes," concludes Bordow. "But it would be the right thing to do."

D’Backs Trade Candidates

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The D'Backs are out of the playoff hunt and they have a number of players who could appeal to contenders, as Bob Young of the Arizona Republic notes. GM Josh Byrnes says he's not looking to reinvent the team's core, but he does want to build "talent for the long term." He recognizes that the D'Backs are out of the race and is now open to making deals. Here are some D'Backs trade candidates:

  • There's no market for Eric Byrnes and his salary, so Young wonders whether it could be time for the D'Backs to eat the remainder of what they owe the left fielder.
  • Felipe Lopez has value; Young mentions Atlanta as a possible fit.
  • Young says it's time to move Chad Tracy if the D'Backs find a taker. 
  • In a thin pitching market, Jon Garland and Doug Davis will appeal to contenders.  
  • Nick Piecoro reports that Garland doesn't want to be traded and, not surprisingly, wants to wait and see before deciding whether he wants his 2010 option exercised.
  • The D'Backs will be looking for affordable young talent in any deals they make, but they already have some in the minors. Piecoro takes a look at the D'Backs' system.

Rosenthal On Pedro, Wood, Pudge, Gonzalez

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Ken Rosenthal weighs in on a few of the recent hot topics…

  • Like we heard earlier, Rosenthal says the Dodgers would only be willing to add Pedro Martinez to the mix if he is willing to "pitch for pay" and accept an incentive-laden contract. Rosenthal adds that Martinez’ agents reached out to the Dodgers and that the Dodgers contacted Pedro’s personal trainer but deny that any serious conservations have occurred.
  • Rosenthal feels that the Dodgers have a better shot of landing a starter if they trade Delwyn Young who is out of minor league options.
  • Rosenthal says Brandon Wood has given up hope that the Angels will trade Chone Figgins to clear a spot for Wood on the roster. Wood does have a minor league option remaining. Rosenthal says the Angels would need to find another leadoff hitter if they let Figgins walk at the end of the season as a free agent.
  • Rosenthal adds that the Marlins are "warming to the idea" of signing Ivan Rodriguez, but that playing time remains an issue as Pudge wants to play five days a week.
  • According to Rosenthal, Luis Gonzalez is willing to resign with the D-Backs, but it may only happen if Eric Byrnes continues to have problems with his hamstring.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Jays, Mets, Red Sox, Nats, Yankees

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On this date 32 years ago, commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended Braves owner Ted Turner for one year for tampering. Turner had announced publicly that the Braves would sign free agent-to-be Gary Matthews. Unfortunately, 30 years later, nobody was disciplined when the Angels signed free agent Gary Matthews Jr. to a $50MM contract. In the first two years of the deal, Matthews has been paid $15MM and his play has been worth -$600K (yes, that is negative) according to Fangraphs. With several big free agents still looking for new teams, will any of them be the next Matthews Jr? Only time will tell. In the meantime, let’s see what is being written in the Blogosphere…

  • The Eddie Kranepool Society is not worried about Derek Lowe, feeling the deal will get done once the Mets add a fourth option year and sweeten the pot just a tad. They are also putting the Mets front office on notice about the possibility of letting Manny Ramirez slip through their fingers.
  • Mets Geek feels the Mets still need to add one more piece to their revamped bullpen and suggest Wil Ohman or Joe Beimel are better options as a lefty specialist than what is already in-house.
  • The Southpaw takes a look at some young players the Jays should try to target in the trade market, with Chin-Lung Hu at the top of the list.
  • My Baseball Bias is not satisfied with just Mark Teixeira and wants to see the Yankees sign Manny Ramirez.
  • Fire Brand of the American League makes a case for three players to be the Red Sox fourth outfielder, including Rocco Baldelli, Brad Wilkerson and Eric Byrnes.
  • MLB Notebook takes a look at how the Nationals could spend the $20MM that would have gone to Mark Teixeira.
  • River Ave. Blues says this offseason is proving to be a test of just how good Scott Boras can be.
  • Sully Baseball is running a series of posts breaking down each team’s all-time home grown versus all-time acquired teams. Here he looks at the Astros.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

Brewers Not Close To Looper Deal

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5:41pm: Brewers GM Doug Melvin confirmed interest in Looper but denied that they’re close to a deal.  Melvin would not say whether the Brewers made an offer, but suggested Looper and the Brewers’ other targets want multiyear deals.

10:28am: In the "Etc." section of his Sunday update, Nick Cafardo has some updated information on a few free agents, as well as some potential trades.

  • Updating a key part of the back-of-the-rotation market, Cafardo says Braden Looper is "close to signing with the Brewers."
  • The Diamondbacks and Red Sox may soon revisit the possibility of an Eric Byrnes trade. Such a deal would likely be made more enticing for the Sox if Miguel Montero were somehow included.
  • The Red Sox would really rather not move Clay Buchholz for a catcher, even if that catcher were Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Taylor Teagarden of the Texas Rangers. However, Daniel Bard may be in play for a potential deal with Texas.
  • The Reds, Indians, Pirates and Giants are all in the mix for Ty Wigginton. Back on Dec. 18, we had a Wigginton update in an Odds and Ends post that said the player was not interested in returning to Pittsburgh.

Other topics of note (found on page 5 of Cafardo’s article) include the Tampa Bay Rays’ plan for a DH upgrade, as well as some notes on Derek Lowe and Manny Ramirez.

Alex Walsh can be reached at alexander.walsh@gmail.com.

Gammons’ Latest: Teixeira, Cameron, Montero

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The latest blog post from ESPN’s Peter Gammons is up.

  • Gammons talked to a source close to Mark Teixeira who says Tex and the Red Sox are not that far apart.
  • The Yankees backed off on the Mike Cameron trade because Melky Cabrera is showing improved plate discipline in winter ball (his walk rate is up, though it’s only 15 games).  Additionally, Brett Gardner has believers in the organization.
  • The Diamondbacks were unwilling to trade catcher Miguel Montero to the Red Sox for Daniel Bard, while the Sox wouldn’t part with Michael Bowden.  Gammons says it hasn’t been seriously discussed but wonders if the Red Sox would eat the $22MM owed to Eric Byrnes to get Montero.
  • One part of the post that is getting attention is when Gammons names a bunch of things "we don’t know," implying that he suspects these things are possible.  For example: "We don’t know whether the Red Sox will decide not to pony up and sign Teixeira or whether there really might be a three-way deal among the White Sox, Angels and Reds that would put Jermaine Dye in Cincinnati, Joey Votto in Anaheim and Chone Figgins in Chicago."  So, not quite a trade rumor here.  The Reds would, of course, want more for Votto if he’s even available.  When this semi-rumor makes the rounds it must be discussed in the proper context – the paragraph’s theme was things we don’t know are accurate.

Lugo For Byrnes Talks Dead?

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FRIDAY: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick notes that this deal looks dead now that the D’Backs have signed Felipe Lopez (MLBTR commenters were all over the idea as well).

THURSDAY: According to ESPN’s Steve Phillips, the Red Sox and Diamondbacks are having discussions about swapping Julio Lugo for Eric Byrnes.  Lugo would play second base for Arizona, while Byrnes would be Boston’s fourth outfielder.  Lugo has $18MM left on his deal, Byrnes $22MM with no-trade protection.

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