Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Manny, Braves Howard, Mets, Nomar, Sheets
On this date 51 years ago, the Red Sox signed Ted Williams to a one-year deal for $135K – making him the highest paid player in Major League history. This contract came on the heels of a season in which Williams hit .388-38-87 with a .526 OBP and 233 OPS+. And all of that was at age 38. With one week to go before pitchers and catchers report, several players in the twilight of their career are still looking for contracts of their own. Let’s take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- River Ave. Blues says a one-year deal for Manny Ramirez in L.A. would open the door to Manny being Manny in pinstripes next year.
- Feeling Dodger Blue takes a look at options for the Dodgers other than Manny.
- Braves Blast sees Bobby Abreu as a better fit for the Braves than Adam Dunn and a better option than trading for Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher.
- The Phrontiersman argues for trading Ryan Howard.
- UmpBump continues their "Hot Offseason Action" series, this time looking at the Red Sox, their offseason moves and how the roster might look on opening day.
- Mets Geek breaks down the Mets offseason.
- The ‘Ropolitans say the Mets’ bullpen still needs work and wonders why they don’t go after one of the remaining big-name relievers on the market.
- Detroit Tigers Thoughts notes that if Orlando Hudson wants to sign a one-year deal after the June draft, he is more likely to lose his type-A free agent status next season if he signs with an NL club this season.
- Goat Riders of the Apocalypse feels that Nomar Garciaparra would make a nice backup shortstop for the Cubs.
- More Hardball puts together an All-Star squad of players still available on the free agent market.
- MLB Notebook takes a look at which teams might be interested in signing Ben Sheets for the second half.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here.
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Thursday
9:05pm: Jayson Stark has been told that the Angels will not pursue Ramirez. GM Tony Reagins put it plainly to ESPN.com:
"I can make this very brief and very clear. We are not in on Manny — and will not be."
9:01pm: According to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angles Times, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti wrote in an e-mail that he "hasn’t had any conversations today" with Scott Boras. This is fun, isn’t it?
2:33pm: ESPN’s Jayson Stark talked to Rangers GM Jon Daniels, who dismissed the idea of signing Manny.
2:13pm: SI.com’s Jon Heyman learned from Ned Colletti that the Dodgers do not have a "drop-dead date" on the Manny negotiations. Heyman says that Joe Torre prefers Bobby Abreu to Adam Dunn, in terms of a backup plan.
8:47am: Your daily dose of Manny Ramirez: Ken Rosenthal says the Dodgers’ one-year, $25MM offer contained some deferred money, but Scott Boras didn’t seem put off by that aspect of the offer. He still rejected it quickly though. Rosenthal says Boras is holding out for more years especially since players such as Rafael Furcal, Derek Lowe, and Raul Ibanez received at least three.
According to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti sent out a text message to reporters about his Wednesday talks with Boras:
Colletti wrote that the two sides restated their respective positions — Ramirez has been asking for at least a four-year deal and the Dodgers are interested in something shorter. The sides agreed to maintain communication over the next few days.
Hernandez received a clarification from Boras, who expects Manny to be signed by the time Spring Training games begin (Feb. 25) rather than when camp begins (Feb. 14).
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Wednesday
9:46pm: Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports that Ramirez’s agent, Scott Boras, and Dodgers GM Ned Colletti spoke by phone Wednesday. As Stark writes, "There were no indications the two sides made any significant progress toward resolving their differences. But they did agree to stay in touch over the next several days."
6:55pm: Giants manager Bruce Bochy appeared on XM Radio’s Home Plate program Wednesday afternoon. Manny was discussed:
The host, Lee Hamilton, asked Bochy whether the Giants are in on Ramirez. His response: "Well, I’ll say this, he is a free agent, Lee. There have been talks."
"I can’t quantify how much of a player, but this guy no question a tremendous player. Impacts the game, very few players can, it’s got to be the right thing. This is a business, you understand, that as a manager my job is to manage the players. Whatever ownership can do, which they done a lot already, I’ve got to be thankful for what we’ve done. Acquiring [Randy] Johnson, relievers, [Edgar] Renteria, but as long he [Ramirez] is still out there, you never know."
9:29am: We start out today’s Manny Ramirez rumors with a Scott Boras quote obtained by Yahoo’s Tim Brown, which apparently refers to the Dodgers:
"What I do know, you better watch out when you’re playing chicken."
Meanwhile, Buster Olney wonders if Manny, not Boras, is behind the holdout.
Need a refresher on all the recent developments in this saga? Check out our Manny archive.
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Tuesday
11:33pm: According to MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick, Scott Boras said he expects to resume contract talks for Ramirez with the Dodgers on Wednesday. The Manny rumors were fractured into various posts today at MLBTR – here’s the one about the Mets not being involved, and here’s the one about Ramirez rejecting the Dodgers’ one-year, $25MM offer.
We also have an article from David Waldstein of the New York Times, where Yankees GM Brian Cashman says:
"People expect us to get in on Manny, but it’s not going to happen. We’re in the nonroster invitee mode. He’s a great player, but when you look at our payroll, we’re tapped."
9:39pm: Bobby Evans, Giants VP of Player Personnel, appeared Tuesday night on XM Radio’s Home Plate show. Manny was obviously a hot topic. Check out some of the quotes from the interview:
"Manny is amongst a number of different options out there, he’s clearly the most renowned player and probably future hall of famer, so you can’t deny interest if there’s an opportunity to bring him to the Giants."
"We’re going to monitor the market of him, it doesn’t seem to be going down, although he did turn down this offer, it was a 1 year offer verse a 2 year offer that was for more money. Again ultimately I don’t know which way it will go, but we’re going to stay engaged and see what happens."
8:48pm: Chris Haft of MLB.com makes a case for the Giants signing Manny. Unlike the Nationals, who made their stance known almost immediately, Giants officials refused to comment Tuesday after news broke that the Dodgers’ offer was rejected.
7:35pm: Nationals GM Jim Bowden reaffirmed Tuesday evening that his club is not in the hunt for Manny Ramirez. Bill Ladson filed the report for MLB.com.
"We are not pursuing Manny Ramirez," Bowden said. As Ladson points out, "the Nationals are overloaded with right-handed-hitting outfielders, plus he’s 36 years old. The Nationals have often said that they are looking for players for the long term."
The Nats have focused on landing Adam Dunn and reportedly offered him a contract some time ago. He should come at a cheaper price than Manny and Washington can feel more comfortable offering the 29-year-old Dunn a mutli-year contract.
Mets Not In On Manny, Abreu
3:41pm: MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone has info from Omar Minaya, obtained at the Oliver Perez press conference:
Minaya told reporters there will be no big moves after this, saying all of his big priorities have been met, while noting offense was not the team’s problem last season.
TUESDAY, 10:51am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman basically agrees with Sherman:
According to one person familiar with their thinking, the Mets’ chances to acquire those two ultra-accomplished hitters are slim (Abreu) and practically none (Ramirez).
MONDAY: According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets "definitely are not in for Manny Ramirez or even Bobby Abreu despite his falling dollar requests." The Mets are only seeking cheap bench bats and maybe a lefty reliever, says Sherman.
Many readers have been pressing me to post something about these Tony Paige WFAN comments, but all signs are pointing to the Mets passing on Manny.
Dodgers Rumors: Manny, Dunn, Hudson, Wolf
3:11pm: Dylan Hernandez and Bill Shaikin asked Dodgers owner Frank McCourt about the Manny situation:
"We very much want this player back and we’re trying to hard to do that, which is why we came up with something that we thought was creative that gave him a lot of money, well-deserved money, in a very, very challenging economy, but also gave him flexibility. I don’t see the long-term contract happening in this particular baseball market that we’re in."
More McCourt quotes from MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick:
"The other thing is, the agent [Scott Boras] is challenging to work with and we’ve tried hard. We’ve made three efforts and we still have not received a specific number from the agent, and I don’t know what to tell you. At some point, you have to move on and start to get ready to win a championship."
SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the Dodgers and Manny are "nowhere near a deal."
11:55am: Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says the team remains interested in Ramirez despite the newly rejected offer, according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle says "the Giants still maintain interest in Ramirez on a two-year deal max."
ESPN’s Jayson Stark has info on their progressing pursuit of Wolf:
It’s believed the Dodgers are offering a one-year deal with an option that could be similar to the contract free-agent starter Jon Garland just signed with Arizona.
11:39am: ESPN’s Buster Olney says the Dodgers are considering their Manny alternatives, including going after Hudson and Dunn.
8:38am: Manny Ramirez has rejected another offer from the Dodgers, this time for one year and $25MM. This offer seemed like something that could work for both sides – Manny gets a salary increase and a chance to re-enter the market quickly, the Dodgers minimize their risk and keep that free agency carrot in front of him. Manny and Scott Boras did not agree.
Ken Rosenthal suggests the Giants and perhaps the Nationals as Manny’s remaining suitors if the Dodgers drop out. There is no indication that those teams will top the Dodgers’ offers. What is Boras’ master plan here?
Rosenthal says the Dodgers are "intrigued by the possibility" of signing Randy Wolf, Orlando Hudson, and Adam Dunn instead of Ramirez. He says Wolf "should be theirs by the end of the week." It should be noted that the Dodgers would lose their #17 pick if they sign Hudson or Orlando Cabrera prior to the June draft.
Adam Dunn Has Offer From Nationals
According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, Adam Dunn received a contract offer from the Nationals. He’s been sitting on it for a while, indicating the Nats are not his top choice. Jayson Stark has said Dunn prefers the Dodgers, and is waiting to see how the Manny Ramirez situation plays out.
Dunn has been only loosely connected to the Braves and Red Sox.
Manny Turns Down Dodgers’ One-Year Offer
1:33am: Ramirez has turned down the Dodgers’ one-year offer, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports. The Dodgers have confirmed it.
Hernandez lists the Mets, Giants and Nationals as teams that are monitoring Ramirez’ market.
The Dodgers could find themselves in a bind if Ramirez receives a multi-year offer from another club. If Ramirez is offered what he considers a fair deal, sources close to him say that he wouldn’t grant the Dodgers a chance to match it, forcing the Dodgers to go into Spring Training without their only star attraction and reliable run producer.
Hernandez believes the Dodgers could possibly pursue free agent outfielders Adam Dunn or Bobby Abreu if they don’t re-sign Ramirez.
9:11pm Monday: ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports that Ramirez and agent Scott Boras were given a 48-hour deadline to either accept or reject the offer.
7:40pm Monday: According to Tony Jackson of the Los Angeles Daily News, the Dodgers have made another offer to Manny Ramirez. This time it’s a one-year deal worth $25MM.
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti confirmed that the offer was made last night. "We are still trying to sign Manny, and we hope that this will make him happy,” Colletti said. The team’s first offer was two years, $45 million with a club option for 2011. As Jackson notes, these are the only known offers extended to Ramirez since he filed for free agency last fall.
Olney’s Latest: Abreu, Manny, Torre
Buster Olney has a new video up, discussing some of the bigger issues in the MLB world right now:
- One GM thinks Bobby Abreu may have to settle for a one-year, $7MM deal. Quite the dropoff from the initial three years, $48MM he was asking for to begin the season.
- If the Mets sign a cheaper alternative to Oliver Perez, they may consider making an offer to Abreu.
- Olney isn’t sure if the Giants are in on Manny Ramirez, or just trying to drive up the price for the Dodgers. He says that the Giants won’t bring on Manny unless he "fits" offensively, defensively, and contractually. It’s hard to imagine Manny’s bat not fitting in any MLB lineup, but his glove and contract could be another story.
- Olney wonders if the recent controversy surrounding Joe Torre’s book will affect his relationship with Dodger players.
Cafardo’s Latest: Players Out Of Options
Lots of stuff in Nick Cafardo’s column in the Boston Globe to go over.
With around 100 free agents vying for less than 20 remaining roster spots, things become more interesting with 227 players on big-league rosters who are out of options. If a player is out of options and is not rostered, he has to either be traded or designated for assignment. If designated, that player has to clear waivers. This could affect remaining free agent signings. Cafardo makes note of a few who are out of options and may wind up as trade fodder or designated for assignment before the season begins:
Red Sox: George Kottaras
Yankees: Melky Cabrera
Cubs: Chad Gaudin, Rich Hill (possibly heading to Baltimore?)
Brewers: Tony Gwynn Jr.
Indians: Anthony Reyes, Andy Marte
Twins: Boof Bonser, Philip Humber
Rays: Jeff Niemann
Orioles: David Pauley
- With Jason Varitek re-signed, the Red Sox will either have to trade catcher Kottaras or designate him for assignment.
- Cafardo notes Niemann is a former No. 1 pick and the righthander should garner some attention.
- Bonser or Humber could be traded to land a reliever. Cafardo also mentions Delmon Young as a possible trading chip.
A few more bullets from Cafardo’s notebook:
- Scott Boras thinks the World Baseball Classic will showcase Ivan Rodriguez and generate "even more" interest for the 14-time All-Star catcher.
- Cafardo mentioned Manny Ramirez to Omar Minaya and Minaya laughed it off saying, "We’ll look into adding some offense, but only if it makes sense."
- All quiet on the Jake Peavy front.
- Cafardo calls Randy Johnson‘s $8MM deal from the Giants as "a stroke of genius" by his agents.
- In case you missed it, Bobby Kielty signed a minor-league deal with the Mets last week.