Griffey Rumors From Rosenthal
Yesterday we ran through various complications the Reds face in trading Ken Griffey Jr. Today, Ken Rosenthal addresses many of them.
- Rosenthal says Griffey "would not necessarily require a team to exercise his $16.5MM option for 2009 as a condition of a deal." On May 5th ESPN’s Peter Gammons had written that Griffey was "unlikely to agree to a deal without that option being guaranteed."
- Rosenthal adds that Junior is open to more teams than he was previously, as being closer to his Orlando home is a less pertinent need than it once was.
- A big league source of Rosenthal’s says Reds GM Walt Jocketty recently asked Griffey if he wanted to be dealt. Griffey would reportedly prefer to stay but would consider a deal if that’s what the Reds want. Griffey may be able to maintain his Type A status, but would the Reds offer him arbitration?
Mariners Send Exec To Scout Griffey
According to Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News, the Mariners sent consultant to the GM Duane Schafer to Shea Stadium this weekend to watch Ken Griffey Jr. Junior finds himself with a .254/.333/.384 line in 156 plate appearances. He’s three homers shy of 600.
There are plenty of complications with the Griffey-to-Seattle scenario:
- The Mariners are eight games back, seven out in the Wild Card, and in last place with a .385 winning percentage. The Reds are doing about the same, making it tough to say the Ms will offer a better chance at a ring.
- Raul Ibanez would probably have to move to DH to open up an outfield spot for Griffey.
- Griffey needs a big May to prove he can actually help a team’s offense.
- Griffey would be moving farther away from home to play for the Mariners.
- It’s not known whether Griffey would ask that his $16.5MM option for ’09 be exercised upon a trade. Even with the hefty $4MM buyout and salary deferral, the option would be hard for any team to stomach.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Wells, Griffey, Olney, Tavarez, Edmonds
A lot of links today, so let’s get to what is being said about some trade and signing possibilities in the Blogosphere…
- The Darth Boss George Brigade wants Hank Steinbrenner to sign David Wells to prove that Hank is indeed his father’s son.
- River Ave. Blues says the Yankees are too smart to sign Wells and then goes on to list about 87 pitchers that should be given a shot in the Highlanders’ rotation before Wells.
- Redlegs Rant feels that Ken Griffey Jr. is behind the recent stories that speculate on him being traded.
- Mariners Central speculates on some of the names that it might take to land Ken Griffey Jr., noting that the M’s are not likely to part with either of their top two prospects, Wladimir Balentien and Jeff Clement.
- The Tribe Time Report sees plenty of holes in Buster Olney’s recent theory that Garret Atkins would be a good fit for the Indians.
- Brewers Nation agrees with Olney that the Brewers should trade Ben Sheets.
- Sox & Pinstripes doesn’t want to just give away Julian Tavarez but they also note that the bullpen needs help and Tavarez isn’t the answer.
- Batter’s Box says Brad Wilkerson should fit in well with the rest of the Jays lineup, which also lacks the ability to hit for average or power.
- One writer at Fanhouse doesn’t understand why Kevin Towers is so disappointed in the play of Jim Edmonds. They feel it was pretty obvious that the Pads were getting a player well past his prime.
Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.
Stark’s Latest: Griffey, Daniel Cabrera, Lidge
ESPN’s Jayson Stark has a new column up; it’s a must-read.
- Stark examines the impact of ten deals made last offseason; check it out.
- Because of last year’s surprise playoff clubs, teams may wait extra long this year before throwing in the towel and trading veterans.
- As Peter Gammons has noted, Ken Griffey Jr.‘s 2009 option will be an impediment in dealing him. Even if the Reds find a suitor Griffey will probably want that $16.5MM guaranteed for ’09.
- Daniel Cabrera will be available again this summer. The Orioles should trade him as soon as possible; the .213 BABIP and 1.62 K/BB ratio indicate that his 3.54 ERA is a fluke.
- The Royals will have pitching to spare this summer, with guys like Ron Mahay, Jimmy Gobble, and Brett Tomko on the block. Might make sense to shop Gil Meche, too.
- The Phillies may want to explore an extension with impending free agent Brad Lidge before season’s end. Three years might be their max, though. The extension subject has not yet been broached with Pat Burrell.
The Griffey Situation
WEDNESDAY: Armstrong, through a spokesman, clarified that his comments about Griffey were meant in a broad, rather than impending, context. It doesn’t sound like any trade talks have occurred at this point. I’m sure we’ll be revisiting this topic though.
TUESDAY: Bob Nightengale spoke to Ken Griffey Jr. recently. Junior’s comments were not surprising or new – if the Reds decide to trade him he wants to play for a contender. Nightengale also has a comment from Mariners President Chuck Armstrong, who admitted he’d like Griffey to retire a Mariner.
Griffey makes $12.5MM this year and has a $16.5MM option for ’09 with a $4MM buyout (much of the money is deferred). It’s unknown whether Griffey would require that the ’09 option be exercised in the event of a trade, but that wouldn’t be surprising. Reds GM Walt Jocketty has yet to engage in trade discussions about Griffey.
Peter Gammons suggested the Cubs might be a fit, but they won’t pick up the option and that figures to be a problem. The Mariners could certainly make room at DH and right field. Griffey could help the Indians, Braves, and Padres as well.
Trading Junior makes more sense than trading Adam Dunn. While Griffey might be able to maintain Type A status when the Elias rankings come out this winter, the Reds would not get draft pick compensation for him unless they offer arbitration. That’d be a risky move.
Gammons’ Latest: Bradley, Griffey, Padilla
ESPN’s Peter Gammons has a new blog post to discuss.
- Gammons says Cubs manager Lou Piniella would like to add a left-handed hitting right or center fielder to bat fifth. Milton Bradley and Ken Griffey Jr. seem like long shots though. It’s odd that the Rangers wouldn’t want to move Bradley.
- Gammons notes that the Rangers wanted Mike Pelfrey, Aaron Heilman, and Deolis Guerra for Vicente Padilla in the offseason. Even as a negotiation starting point, that’s a ton for Padilla.
Teams Scouting Griffey, Dunn
If the Reds slip out of contention in May, Walt Jocketty might begin to field offers for corner outfielders Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn. Both are paid well and have at least some control over trade destinations. According to MLB.com’s Jim Molony, "a few teams are having their scouts keep an eye" on the pair in case they become available.
The standard speculation for Griffey is that he could be traded back to Seattle after he gets his 600th home run with the Reds. Junior might be a nice boost in right field for the Ms if Wladimir Balentien needs time to adjust. I doubt the Mariners would give up Jeff Clement for Griffey though. There’s been some Chicago speculation, never mind that both the Cubs and Sox are set at the corner outfield positions.
Dunn would help the Padres, who are last in baseball in both OBP and SLG. The Jays, Mets, or Indians could also make sense.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Crede, Lofton, Millwood, Dunn
Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up; let’s discuss.
- Despite his .268/.330/.537 start, the White Sox would still entertain trading Joe Crede if it’d help the big league team. This is a change from their apparent springtime willingness to deal him for prospects. The most likely desire would be pitching, if the Sox can find a suitor.
- Jake Peavy put on his GM hat, suggesting the Padres sign Kenny Lofton. Rosenthal likes the idea, but notes that Kevin Towers will first turn to his farm system. I discussed some future trade candidates for San Diego in my latest video mailbag.
- Rosenthal suggests Kevin Millwood‘s contract will be an obstacle in trading him. He earns $8.5MM this year, $11MM in ’09, and a fairly achievable $12MM vesting option for ’10. Plus there’s a limited no-trade clause.
- Walt Jocketty’s biggest test this year might be deciding whether to trade Ken Griffey Jr. and/or Adam Dunn. They both have no-trade clauses to deal with; even after June 15th Dunn’s includes most high-revenue teams.
Frank Wren Chat At MLB.com
Braves GM Frank Wren chatted with fans today at MLB.com. A hot stove summary is below.
- Wren is working on various short-term options for center field, as he does not want to block his two center field prospects.
- Rumors that the Braves would sign Mike Lowell or trade for Ken Griffey Jr., which were silly from Day 1, were shot down.
- Octavio Dotel wants a multiyear deal, and Wren doesn’t seem to expect him back. The Braves do have interest in re-signing Ron Mahay though.
- Wren says that he won’t go after any more starters if the Braves sign Tom Glavine.
- There haven’t been any talks with Mark Teixeira regarding a contract extension yet.
Odds and Ends: Cook, Benoit, Griffey, Riske
Some random tidbits that didn’t get their own posts today…
- The Rockies picked up Aaron Cook‘s $4.5MM option as expected. The bigger question is whether they can sign him long-term, maybe for three years. They also passed on LaTroy Hawkins for $3.75MM but may still sign him.
- The Rangers agreed to a two-year contract with reliever Joaquin Benoit for two years and $6MM. He would’ve hit free agency after 2008. Smart move would be to let him rack up 10-15 saves next season and then trade him for something good.
- The Braves aren’t expected to get their next center fielder through free agency, and Terence Moore suggests trading for Ken Griffey Jr. to fill the position. More reasonable targets might be David DeJesus or Coco Crisp.
- The Royals may yet retain David Riske, who wants a multiyear deal and would like to stay. They’ll definitely offer him arbitration, since he’s a Type B free agent. Also, longtime Royal Mike Sweeney might finally play elsewhere.
- Free agent Shawn Chacon is looking to start in 2008, and he’ll make over $4MM.
- Charley Walters says the Twins won’t pursue Barry Bonds. If Bonds is to land in the AL, the Orioles, Devil Rays, Royals, Angels, and A’s may be his only options.
- McCovey Chronicles suggests a Noah Lowry for Bill Hall swap.