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Heyman On Pedro, Bay, Matsui

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The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…

  • The only teams interested in Pedro Martinez this summer were the Rangers, Rays, Cubs, and Phillies (the Brewers bowed out when Pedro was late to a throwing session).  Heyman believes interest will pick up this time around, but Martinez may retire if the Phillies win the World Series.
  • Heyman believes the Red Sox are willing to offer Jason Bay four years and $60MM; the SI writer finds that "a bit short."  We know that geography won't be a factor for Bay, he'd prefer to sign early, and the Red Sox will have a contingency plan in case they can't sign him.  Click here to read Bay's comments from yesterday's WEEI chat.
  • Hideki Matsui admitted he's comfortable with the Yankees, but said, "I have no idea" when asked if he expects to be back next year.  The 35-year-old Matsui hit .274/.367/.509 in 526 plate appearances this year, but did not play in the field.  A few weeks ago, Newsday's David Lennon suggested Matsui was eager to get back to left field and would even consider trying first base next year.

Odds & Ends: Mets, Yankees, Brewers

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A few links to browse while you recover from last night's 13-inning marathon in the Bronx….

  • The New York Post's Joel Sherman has a plan for the Mets' rotation: take advantage of spacious Citi Field by pursuing fly ball pitchers instead of the ground ball pitchers that everyone else will covet. Sherman's ideas include Jeremy Guthrie, Gil Meche, and Ervin Santana.
  • Adam Rubin at the New York Daily News hears that the Mets want to acquire a right-handed first baseman to complement Daniel Murphy in 2010. Rubin anticipates that the team's bigger move will be adding a power-hitting outfielder though.
  • Bill Madden of the New York Daily News expects the Yankees to re-sign either Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui as the team's regular DH, letting the other player go. Brian Cashman could then use that money to sign a left fielder who wouldn't be a defensive liability.
  • After the Cincinnati Reds hired Bryan Price as their pitching coach, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel becomes more confident than ever that Rick Peterson is headed for the Brewers' open pitching coach position.

Odds & Ends: Yankees, Varitek, Sheffield

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A few links to browse while we watch to see if the Phillies can finish off the last of the Division Series….  

  • Benjamin Kabak of River Ave. Blues wonders how Johnny Damon's recent slide and Hideki Matsui's hot streak will affect the New York Yankees' decisions this winter.
  • Josh Beckett wants Jason Varitek back in Boston in 2010, according to Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com.
  • MLB.com's Kelly Thesier writes that Joe Mauer has spoken to agent Ron Shapiro about his contract status, but that there haven't been any "serious discussions" yet.
  • Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports that Gary Sheffield wants to return to Florida. "It would be nice to finish my career with the Marlins," Sheffield said. "This is where I made a name for myself.''
  • The Houston Astros aren't handling the managerial interview process well, according to Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle. Justice's pick for the opening, Jim Fregosi, wasn't one of the ten candidates announced by the Astros.
  • Chris Ruddick of the Sports Network, via the Miami Herald, speculates on the next moves for St. Louis and Boston. He isn't opposed to letting Tony LaRussa and Matt Holliday walk, and suggests that Jonathan Papelbon could be shopped for a "young bat" this winter.
  • The Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay writes that former Diamondbacks pitching coach Bryan Pryce is on the Reds' list of candidates for their pitching coach. The Brewers have also expressed interest in Pryce.
  • Within a mailbag on MLB.com, Chris Haft writes that players like Matt Holliday and Jason Bay will be out of the San Francisco Giants' price range, and that the team is more likely to acquire a "hard-hitting utilityman."

Odds & Ends: Yankees, Varitek, Sheffield

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A few links to browse while we watch to see if the Phillies can finish off the last of the Division Series….  

  • Benjamin Kabak of River Ave. Blues wonders how Johnny Damon's recent slide and Hideki Matsui's hot streak will affect the New York Yankees' decisions this winter.
  • Josh Beckett wants Jason Varitek back in Boston in 2010, according to Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com.
  • MLB.com's Kelly Thesier writes that Joe Mauer has spoken to agent Ron Shapiro about his contract status, but that there haven't been any "serious discussions" yet.
  • Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports that Gary Sheffield wants to return to Florida. "It would be nice to finish my career with the Marlins," Sheffield said. "This is where I made a name for myself.''
  • The Houston Astros aren't handling the managerial interview process well, according to Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle. Justice's pick for the opening, Jim Fregosi, wasn't one of the ten candidates announced by the Astros.
  • Chris Ruddick of the Sports Network, via the Miami Herald, speculates on the next moves for St. Louis and Boston. He isn't opposed to letting Tony LaRussa and Matt Holliday walk, and suggests that Jonathan Papelbon could be shopped for a "young bat" this winter.
  • The Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay writes that former Diamondbacks pitching coach Bryan Pryce is on the Reds' list of candidates for their pitching coach. The Brewers have also expressed interest in Pryce.
  • Within a mailbag on MLB.com, Chris Haft writes that players like Matt Holliday and Jason Bay will be out of the San Francisco Giants' price range, and that the team is more likely to acquire a "hard-hitting utilityman."

Odds & Ends: Rangers, Hawpe, Griffey, Matsui

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Are you over that back-and-forth, edge of your seat Yankees-Twins game yet? If not, here's some links to calm you down…

  • Jeff Wilson of The Dallas Morning News provides a quick breakdown of each of the three bidders that are considering purchasing the Rangers. He notes that there is still no timetable for a sale to be complete.
  • Jim Armstrong of The Denver Post wonders about Brad Hawpe's future in Colorado after Jim Tracy used three lefthanded pinch hitters during Game Two of the NLDS, none of whom was Hawpe. With several younger, more athletic, and (perhaps most importantly) cheaper outfielders on the roster, Hawpe could be the odd man out.
  • When asked if he wanted to play in 2010, Ken Griffey Jr. replied "Um, yeah," according to Phil Rogers of The Chicago Tribune. Junior also qualified that by saying he'll do what's best for his family and for the Mariners.
  • Could Hideki Matsui stay in New York next year? Newsday's David Lennon thinks it may be possible, with the Mets instead of the Yankees. The one they call Godzilla has insisted he could play the outfield all season, yet the Yankees have only used him at DH because of his surgically repaired knees. Lennon notes that Matsui has also "told people he would consider trying first base," which would fit great for the team from Flushing.

Heyman On Matsui, Bradley, Dye, Chapman

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Hideki Matsui is in the final year of a four-year, $52MM extension he signed with the Yankees following the 2005 campaign.  At the age of 35, Matsui turned in one of his best seasons in the majors, posting .280/.373/.521 and 28 HRs.  However, it doesn't appear that Hideki Matsui is a capable fielder at this stage of his career after all the injuries he has been through.  Having not taken the field once all season, Matsui is strictly an American League player.  As Tim Dierkes pointed out last week, if Matsui looks to sign elsewhere, he will find himself vying for 8 or less DH openings with 11 or so others.

SI.com's Jon Heyman touches on that situation and much more in today's offering.  Here's a look at some of his rumors:

  • Those close to Matsui say his first choice is to stay with the Yanks.  However, the Yankees may have to let him walk as the DH spot will be needed for Jorge Posada and others.
  • Heyman mentions Ken Rosenthal's report that John Farrell will not be able to take a managerial job in 2010 because of a clause in his contract with the BoSox.  Heyman then adds, "Sometimes those clauses can be negotiated away."
  • The Padres are one of the "rare" teams that have a level of interest in Milton Bradley.  Sources indicate that it is a "long shot" that he will wind up in Texas.
  • Heyman addresses some of the lesser-heralded free agents in the upcoming class and estimates how much they will receive in their new deals.  Here are his guesses: Mark DeRosa, $24MM over three years; Nick Johnson, $16MM over two years; Adam LaRoche, $25MM over three years; Joel Pineiro, $15MM over two years.
  • The White Sox will not pick up Jermaine Dye's $12MM option in all likelihood.  This should come as no surprise considering the 35-year-old's dismal second half.  Since August 1st, Dye has registered an OPS of .576.
  • One GM told Heyman that he holds Stephen Strasburg and Yu Darvish in higher regard than highly-touted Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman.

Odds & Ends: Astros, Royals, Abreu

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Let's kick off the day with links…

Olney On White Sox, Rangers, Yankees

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney says Giants catching prospect Buster Posey is probably more likely to be on the team's Opening Day roster, now that they club started his service time clock. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:

  • Olney says Kenny Williams has a responsibility to publicly discuss the moves that sent Jim Thome and Jose Contreras elsewhere.
  • Olney hears that the Rangers will likely consider various infielders now that Michael Young is hurt. A player like Jamey Carroll could help the Rangers, but Olney doubts they'll make a move.
  • Here's a suggestion for the Yankees from Olney: offer both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui one-year deals after the season, but say "we'll keep whoever takes our offer first."

Odds And Ends: Perez, Greinke, Matsui, Magglio

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More links as another Met hits the shelf…

  • Oliver Perez will have season-ending surgery and, as Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post points out, the Mets now have about $100MM sitting on the DL.
  • Zack Greinke makes $100k if he wins the Cy Young Award. Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star thinks Greinke deserves it, but doesn't expect him to win it, so he suggests the rest of the Royals chip in to make sure their ace gets rewarded for his big year.
  • Magglio Ordonez keeps picking up the plate appearances and he's now just 59 away from assuring himself an $18MM payday in 2010. His option should vest sometime next month.
  • Hideki Matsui tells Newsday's Ken Davidoff that he'd consider playing with Ichiro. Davidoff suggests the White Sox and A's are possible fits for Matsui when he becomes a free agent after the season.
  • Be sure to become a fan of MLBTR on Facebook, where we're discussing Billy Wagner's future. If you don't already follow us on Twitter, you can start by clicking here.

Heyman On Damon, Minaya, Wagner

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Jon Heyman of SI.com would like to see an Angels-Dodgers World Series. He breaks down lots of great possible matchups and, as always, provides some rumors:

  • The Yankees plan on bringing back Johnny Damon and they figure to make him an opening offer worth $6-8MM. It would be a big paycut from the $13MM he's currently making, but Damon seems to want to return to the Yanks.
  • As much as the Yankees like Hideki Matsui, they probably need the DH spot for players like Damon and Jorge Posada. Check out some possible destinations for Matsui right here.
  • It looks and sounds as though the Mets plan on keeping Omar Minaya around as GM, and the $3.5MM remaining on his contract definitely has something to do with their stance. As Heyman says, one of the best deals Minaya made was his own.
  • One GM believes Billy Wagner's a "difference maker" and suggested the Mets should seek a decent prospect in return for him.
  • The Cubs don't appear likely to fire Lou Piniella, Heyman hears.
  • Heyman guesses Tony La Russa will return when his contract with the Cardinals is up after the season.
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