A’s Rumors: Abreu, Cabrera, Barton
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle has the latest on the A’s.
- The Jason Giambi press conference is scheduled for today. Joe Dillon was designated for assignment to make room.
- Slusser believes Billy Beane will take a look at Bobby Abreu and/or Orlando Cabrera if their price tags slip.
- Daric Barton is drawing trade interest, with the Nationals a possibility.
Jason Giambi Reaches Agreement With A’s
6:50pm: Mike Puma of the New York Post says the deal is for one-year at $4.5MM with a $5MM club option ($1MM buyout) for 2010. The physical is scheduled for tomorrow.
5:50pm: Ken Rosenthal wrote earlier today that the the A’s have reached a preliminary agreement on a one-year contract with Giambi and the deal is at the finish line, pending a physical.
TUESDAY, 9:54am: Olney says Giambi is on the verge of agreeing to a deal with the A’s worth $6.5MM guaranteed – $5.25MM in ’09 plus a $4MM 2010 option with a $1.25MM buyout. Quite affordable!
In an article posted several hours ago, Susan Slusser wrote:
A team source said Monday that the A’s are moving toward completing a deal…A major-league source said there’s widespread belief that a package already is in place and that an announcement could be imminent.
Slusser says the A’s could still add another free agent if the price is right, but Mark Mulder is just a "vague possibility."
MONDAY, 3:38pm: According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the A’s have made significant progress in their talks with Jason Giambi. He says a deal appears imminent. Mychael Urban heard today that the A’s could sign Giambi this week, possibly for one year with an option.
One Year For Giambi, Abreu?
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney:
Keep hearing this: Players like Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu might be forced, by circumstance, to settle for one-year offers.
That has to be what the Rays and A’s are hoping – these would be excellent one-year signings. The Yankees’ decision not to offer arbitration to Abreu is looking prescient.
Rays Looking For Big Bat
Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times says the Rays are still in the market for an impact bat, likely to be their designated hitter. While it appears the Cubs are confident they’ll land Milton Bradley, that still leaves Jason Giambi, Pat Burrell, Garrett Anderson, and Bobby Abreu. The Rays have already added to their outfield by acquiring Matt Joyce, so whoever they sign will most likely need to be onboard with playing DH.
Smith also notes that 25 year old Fernando Perez "is playing well in the Venezuelan winter league, hitting .301 with two homers and seven RBIs" possibly giving the Rays even further depth at outfield.
Olney’s Latest: Lowe, Castillo, Hudson
Buster Olney focuses his new column on reluctant-to-spend teams and how they’ve changed the market. He turns up some interesting rumors…
- The Rays and A’s are in a "bidding war" of sorts over the likes of Jason Giambi, Pat Burrell, Garret Anderson and Bobby Abreu. Both teams are willing to spend, but neither wants to go first since prices are higher now with both teams interested than they will be once the first team signs a player.
- The Mets are in a great position since the Cards and Brewers aren’t likely to compete for Oliver Perez, Derek Lowe and Randy Wolf. This means they can wait, knowing that bargains will likely surface.
- The Mets have "quietly continued to gauge" the Luis Castillo market and are interested in moving him and some of his salary.
- If they find a taker, they could pursue Orlando Hudson.
- As Joel Sherman predicted, the Nationals are now courting O-Dog.
- Olney asks whether aging stars like Ken Griffey Jr. and Pedro Martinez will choose to play for the offers they’re likely to get.
- Brad Penny may soon decide where he wants to pitch next year. He’s weighing "an overture from the Cardinals" against other options.
A’s Discussing Abreu, Anderson
Signing Jason Giambi remains a priority for the A’s, but they’ve begun preliminary discussions about Bobby Abreu and Garret Anderson in case Giambi demands too much, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. She’s heard that Billy Beane contacted the agents for Abreu and Anderson.
Slusser doesn’t expect any deals until after the holidays, but writes that the Oakland front office spent part of last week preparing to meet with Giambi’s agent, Arn Tellem.
And Slusser heard from an A’s source that they are not interested in trading for Miguel Tejada.
Impacto Deportivo Manny Report
5:02pm: Hal Steinbrenner denies the report as well, says Kat O’Brien. She says no offer is on the table for Manny. Interestingly, O’Brien said she’s heard the names Pat Burrell and Jason Giambi mentioned for the Yankees.
3:34pm: Impactivo Deportivo sticks to its guns despite the Cashman denial.
MONDAY, 8:27am: MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch asked Yankees GM Brian Cashman about this report. Cashman responded: "Not true."
SUNDAY, 10:53pm: According to a report in the Dominican newspaper Impacto Deportivo, the Yankees are on the verge of signing Manny Ramirez to a three-year, $75MM deal. The report says negotiations are advanced and an announcement would take place Monday or Tuesday. If true, this would be an incredible scoop. However, there is reason for skepticism. The money and timing just don’t seem right.
A look at Impacto Deportivo’s recent history:
- 11/24/08: Reported the Braves as the mystery team in on Rafael Furcal, offering four years and $52MM. The offer was inaccurate, but they did nail the mystery team.
- 11/12/08: Correctly scooped the Damaso Marte signing.
- 2/21/08: Incorrectly indicated the White Sox reached an agreement with Bartolo Colon. Also incorrect on a similar rumor involving the Royals.
- 1/21/08: Correctly scooped the Octavio Dotel signing.
- 11/18/07: Correctly scooped the Luis Castillo signing.
Ricciardi Mentions Giambi, Hudson
Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi tossed out a few names in a conversation with Nick Cafardo:
"Orlando Hudson is out there. Jason Giambi is out there. We’ll have to see who’s out there still when the music stops and see who we might be able to get."
MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian says the Blue Jays have a payroll of around $84MM for 2009, meaning they’d have to trade someone before signing a significant free agent.
Heyman: Burrell A Fit For Tampa Bay
Jon Heyman calls a potential Pat Burrell signing by the Tampa Bay Rays a "real possibility," in his latest blog post. Heyman says Burrell would be signed as a designated hitter.
Other free agents on the Rays’ short list include Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, Milton Bradley, Garrett Anderson and Ken Griffey Jr., according to the update. The Rays are focused on upgrading their offense this offseason.
Alex Walsh can be reached at alexander.walsh@gmail.com.
A’s To Talk Contract With Giambi Soon
According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the A’s may begin discussing a contract with Jason Giambi early next week. She says Giambi is looking for a three-year deal, but the A’s will probably top out at two years with an option. The Rays are also known to have interest.
Giambi, 38 in January, hit .247/.373/.502 in 565 plate appearances while earning $21MM in 2008.