Braves Rumors: Glavine, Outfielders
1:29pm: David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution offers thoughts on the Glavine situation.
10:42am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has the latest on the Braves.
Rosenthal believes the Braves have $6-8MM to work with, as they try to re-sign Tom Glavine and add an outfielder. The outfield situation is of greater priority.
The Braves had a positive meeting with Glavine on Wednesday; Rosenthal says their offer gives the lefty "the chance to make $3MM — a $1MM guarantee, $1MM if he made the Opening Day roster and $1MM if he was on the roster 60 days." Glavine is said to be seeking $3MM guaranteed plus incentives. He wants to retire a Brave, and is intent on pitching in 2009.
As for the outfield, Rosenthal says the Braves are "checking into" free agents such as Garret Anderson, Luis Gonzalez, Jim Edmonds, and Ken Griffey Jr. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick wrote earlier today that the Mariners are making progress with Griffey. Rosenthal says a Nick Swisher trade "also remains possible, but the Braves almost certainly could land one of the free agents for less than the $5.3MM that Swisher will earn in 2009." Swisher is guaranteed an additional $16.75MM for 2010-11, if his 2012 option for $10.25MM is declined.
Mariners Likely To Add An OF Soon?
John Hickey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer suggests the Mariners could soon sign Ken Griffey Jr. or Garret Anderson.
"It’s a good bet that a deal for one or the other will come down in the next few days."
Hickey writes that both would like to play in Seattle, so it’s up to the front office to make a decision. Since the Mariners don’t have a lot of financial flexibility, they’d have to do some "creative accounting" and likely defer money.
Fallout From Abreu And Dunn Deals
Let’s look at the fallout from today’s big news. The Angels have reached an agreement with Bobby Abreu and the Nats have done the same with Adam Dunn, but, as many of our commenters have noted, other teams and players are affected by these deals. Here’s a breakdown:
- The Dodgers lose a lot of leverage in their negotiations with Manny Ramirez. Dunn was their preferred alternative to Manny, and Abreu was another possibility. Unless GM Ned Colletti wants to trade for a bat or sign a much lesser hitter, he may have to give in to Manny and offer three years or an enhanced one or two year deal.
- Manny Ramirez and Scott Boras must be smiling tonight. The two strongest suitors for Manny, the Dodgers and Giants, still need bats, but Manny’s the only top-notch outfielder left.
- The Braves lose leverage. They’ve considered trading for Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher, but with Dunn and Abreu off the board, and Manny out of reach, the Braves might have to give up more in a trade with the Yankees.
- The Yankees, in turn, benefit from these two deals because they can demand more from the Braves. Peter Abraham thinks the Yankees should hold onto Swisher and Nady.
- Garret Anderson and Ken Griffey Jr. are now the best remaining alternatives to Manny, so they could both benefit from today’s deals.
M’s To Set Sights On Anderson, Griffey?
John Hickey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer expects that the Mariners will soon turn their focus toward signing either Garret Anderson or Ken Griffey Jr.
Even if Seattle enters the race for Bobby Abreu, they’re likely to be outbid by the Angels. The M’s simply don’t have enough room in the budget, unless they’re somehow able to move Jarrod Washburn or Miguel Batista. Hickey suggests that the Mariners might chase Adam Dunn, but notes that he’s "less than enthusiastic about playing in the Northwest."
Perrotto’s Latest: Angels, Mets, Mariners
John Perrotto’s Sunday column is up, now called On The Beat (like his Wednesday articles) instead of Every Given Sunday.
According to the article, the Angels plan to use Kendry Morales at first base, and a combination of Juan Rivera, Gary Matthews, Jr., and Reggie Willits in left field and designated hitter. Perrotto quotes GM Tony Reagins: "In our situation, you get to the point where you have young players with talent who have been given some chances at the major league level, but have not had the opportunity to play every day. We feel it’s time to allow those players that opportunity."
Perrotto reports the Angels had a fixed dollar figure that included the money they did not wind up spending on Mark Teixeira; however, not signing Teixeira does not mean they feel the need to spend the money without improving the ballclub. They still appear to be a team in the prime position to sign Adam Dunn, Manny Ramirez, or Bobby Abreu.
And a couple notes from around the Majors:
- The Mariners have "mild" interest in Garrett Anderson to play left-field.
- The Mets are trying to trade catcher Ramon Castro. They would rather spend less to have Robinson Cancel as Brian Schneider‘s backup.
The Corner Outfield-DH Market
There are still many jobless players who could contribute as a corner outfielder or a DH, so it’s a good time to take stock of the market. Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu are the big names, but Garret Anderson, Andruw Jones, Luis Gonzalez, Jim Edmonds and Ken Griffey Jr. want jobs and Jermaine Dye, Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher could be available through trades.
Here’s a look at the teams who have reportedly had interest in this type of player, starting in the AL:
- White Sox: They thought about Abreu and Dye’s been involved in rumors all offseason, much to the frustration of Kenny Williams. Dye will earn $11.5MM in 2009.
- Angels: They aren’t interested in Dye, but they could be interested in Abreu or Dunn at the right price. Don’t look for them to make a play for Manny though; GM Tony Reagins said it won’t happen. Garret Anderson won’t be back.
- Mariners: The Ms could sign Griffey, but they prefer Abreu and Anderson.
- Braves: They are the top suitor for Swisher and they have some interest in bringing back Jones. Atlanta has about $5-9MM to spend, so they could change plans and pursue Dunn or Abreu if they’re willing to accept a deal worth under $10MM. Don’t rule out a Nady trade, either.
- Nationals: The Nats have offered Dunn a contract, which he’s been sitting on for a while. They’re also monitoring the Manny market.
- Mets: Abreu and Ramirez won’t sign with the Mets this offseason. If Griffey’s willing to sign at a major discount, he could sign with the Mets, but indications are he wants $5-6MM.
- Dodgers: The Dodgers have targeted Manny Ramirez all offseason, and he’s rejected two contract offers from them. The first was for $45MM over two years with a club option; the second was for $25MM over one year. Dunn appears to like the Dodgers, and Abreu’s an option, too.
- Giants: The Giants are also courting Manny, but some have said they just want to prevent the Dodgers from getting a deal. Abreu could also fit in San Francisco.
- Reds: Yet another team that could pursue Abreu, the Reds spoke with Luis Gonzalez’s agent ealier in the winter. Adam Dunn won’t return to Cincinnati this offseason.
Odds And Ends: Anderson, Griffey, Varitek
Links for Saturday…
- According to Bill Dwyre of the LA Times Garret Anderson has no ill will towards the Angels.
- Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times thinks the Mariners need to sign Ken Griffey Jr. He adds that the Mariners may be "warming to the idea."
- The Kyodo News reports that the Blue Jays have finalized Ken Takahashi‘s contract.
- According to Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe, Jason Varitek passed his physical.
- Jay Jaffe, Kevin Goldstein and Christina Kahrl of BP fill in the remaining holes on National League teams.
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com writes that players should "go the extra mile" to please fans in the weakened economy, as they did in 1995 after the strike.
Boras Pushing Anderson, Pudge To M’s
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s John Hickey spoke recently with agent Scott Boras, who pushed Garret Anderson and Ivan Rodriguez as good fits for the Mariners.
”Garret knows the division’s pitching,” Boras said. ”He hits the West well, he’s good for young hitters to be around and it’s a good fit.” Anderson seems to make sense for the M’s, but Pudge isn’t exactly a perfect fit. The club already has catchers Jeff Clement, Kenji Johjima and Rob Johnson on the 40-man roster.
Griffey Wants $5-6MM?
According to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times, free agent outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. is "believed to be looking for a one-year deal in the $5 million to $6 million base salary range, would pay for himself with the boost in attendance he would provide." I’m skeptical on both fronts – that Griffey expects that kind of base salary and that he’d drive that much extra revenue. UPDATE: Just realized that ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick had this same info in his January 27th article.
Griffey seems to be the Mariners’ backup plan, as they’re currently trying to move money to pay for Bobby Abreu or perhaps Garret Anderson (the Twins have "lost their appetite" for Jarrod Washburn trade, says Joe Christensen). Trading for an outfielder is another viable option for Seattle, and if it’s for an affordable player they might not have to unload salary. Griffey’s agent Brian Goldberg admitted that his client is the fallback option for several teams.
Griffey is open to playing anywhere, but his friend Harold Reynolds said, "I know he’d love to be back [in Seattle]." Reynolds added: "I think they need to do it. He’s such an icon to the game of baseball. He’s going to play one more year, maybe two at the most. He needs to retire as a Mariner. He’s still got something left. I think he’d be fantastic for that team."
Mariners Hot Stove Update: Griffey, Abreu, Anderson
Mariners president Chuck Armstrong spoke to a few hundred Portland-area business leaders on Thursday and addressed a few questions on some potential moves that his team might make. Andy Giegerich covered the event for the Portland Business Journal.
- Armstrong met with a representative for free agent Ken Griffey Jr. on Wednesday, but nothing came out of the discussion.
- The M’s are also looking at free agent outfielders Bobby Abreu and Garret Anderson. They could become serious suitors as contract numbers continue to fall, especially if the demand for those guys remains low.