Boras And Dodgers: Ready To Talk
According to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, the Dodgers and agent Scott Boras are finally gearing up for Manny Ramirez negotiations.
As was reported yesterday, Boras left a voicemail for Dodgers GM Ned Colletti on Tuesday. Well, Colletti shot him back a voicemail Wednesday morning and the two are expected to finish their game of phone tag after the New Year’s holiday. The Dodgers, of course, made a two-year, $45 million offer with an option for a third during the Winter Meetings in November.
Nationals Not Interested In Manny Ramirez
Bill Ladson of MLB.com has been told by a baseball source that reports of the Nationals’ interest in Manny Ramirez are false.
Ladson notes two fairly obvious reasons why Manny isn’t a good fit in D.C.:
- The Nationals are overloaded with right-handed hitting outfielders. They already have righties Josh Willingham, Lastings Milledge, Elijah Dukes, Austin Kearns and Wily Mo Pena under contract for ’08.
- And the obvious one: His age. Ramirez is 36. The Nats won a league-low 59 games last season and need to build for the long-term before they go signing old, high-priced free agents with big egos.
- Let’s not forget Jim Bowden’s November 12th quote: We are not pursuing Manny Ramirez."
Boras Contacts Dodgers To Discuss Manny
10:43pm: A bit more from MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick. Boras left a voicemail for Colletti, and they’ll probably talk this week.
8:48pm: Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports that Scott Boras has contacted Dodgers GM Ned Colletti regarding the future of his superstar client Manny Ramirez.
The contact was likely motivated by a recent Times piece that quoted Colletti as saying Ramirez was the Dodgers’ "first choice." Boras may be feeling pressure to get a deal done for his client, as recent rumors have connected the Dodgers to Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu. If the Dodgers were to sign one of those free agents, they would likely no longer be interested in Ramirez.
With the list of potential suitors for Manny already shrinking, taking the Dodgers out of the picture would probably force some creative thinking on the part of Scott Boras to get his client signed.
Manny Is Dodgers’ First Choice
Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times talked to Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, who said Manny Ramirez is the team’s first choice. Colletti hasn’t heard from Manny’s agent Scott Boras since Mark Teixeira signed a week ago. As reported yesterday, the Dodgers have interest in Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu as backup plans. Pat Burrell and Garret Anderson are not on the team’s radar.
Shaikin reiterates Marty Noble’s story from yesterday – talks to unload Andruw Jones on the Mets fizzled a while ago.
Dodgers Interested In Dunn, Abreu
4:28pm: A very Dodgers-centric day here at MLBTR. MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick reports that in addition to Dunn, the Dodgers will soon open up talks with Bobby Abreu. They’d like to move Andruw Jones or Juan Pierre if they sign an outfielder.
Gurnick adds that pitching is Ned Colletti’s priority – the Dodgers are eyeing Jon Garland, Randy Wolf, and relief help.
1:46pm: According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Dodgers contacted Adam Dunn‘s agent over the holidays to express interest. If the Dodgers sign Dunn, Manny Ramirez could be in a really bad place. Other teams showing interest in Dunn: the Cubs, Nationals, Mariners, and Orioles. All five teams have surfaced in prior reports, with the Brewers also getting a mention while they were mulling a Mike Cameron trade.
There was a report nine days ago stating that the Cubs are Dunn’s first choice. Today Stark puts it this way: "The Cubs had believed to be his top choice before the Dodgers entered the mix."
Olney’s Latest: No Big Money For Manny?
Buster Olney’s latest discusses the bleak outlook for Manny Ramirez in landing the long-term, big money contract he’s seeking.
"It is evident that during a winter when many teams have clamped down and watch their dollars more carefully, executives with many teams have decided they cannot trust Ramirez on a multiyear deal."
Olney provides a brief rundown on all teams considered potential players in the Manny sweepstakes, paraphrased below:
- Dodgers: offered 2 years, $45MM and then rescinded offer after Boras didn’t respond.
- Angels, Mets, Yankees: Indications are they’re out of the bidding.
- Blue Jays, Padres, Rockies, Diamondbacks: Looking to reduce payroll, rather than add.
- Brewers: Are content with Ryan Braun in left field.
- Phillies: Are content to have signed Raul Ibanez.
- Cubs: Have "maxed out" their spending this year, and already have Alfonso Soriano.
- Tigers: Already have too much on the books and a full outfield.
- White Sox: They want to get younger.
- Athletics, Twins, Indians, Rays, Royals and Pirates (among others, Olney suggests): Would never commit $20-25MM per year to one player.
- Cardinals and Braves: Have enough outfielders and are focusing on pitching.
The obvious irony in Olney’s breakdown is that the Red Sox are the only team with both the money and the need to offer what Boras is asking and, of course, they’re not bidding. Olney suggests the Nationals would be an interesting fit but that the concern there would be that Manny might not play hard during the duration of his contract on a team that may or may not be at all competitive.
Olney concludes with a red flag for any team hoping to get Manny at a reduced rate:
"Some general managers have said privately, a great concern they have about Ramirez is that if you give him a deal of two or more years that is worth far less than he thinks he deserves, you run the risk of having a very unhappy Manny. As the Red Sox can attest, that didn’t work out so well in the end."
Cafardo’s Latest: Pettitte, Kotsay, Red Sox
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a number of items to cover in today’s Sunday paper:
- While the Mets are front-runners in the Derek Lowe sweepstakes, the Red Sox have a lot of money to play with having lost out on Mark Teixeira and could make a strong play to outbid competition.
- The Dodgers and Rangers are interested in Andy Pettitte if he doesn’t accept the Yankees reduced $10MM offer.
- Don’t rule out a return to the Red Sox for Mark Kotsay as a fourth outfielder and added infield depth.
- Cafardo reports a source close to the talks says Teixeira was "very concerned" with Mike Lowell‘s fate should he sign with Boston, but that financial matters and the negotiations process removed that "awkward situation."
- Jose Fernandez can play first and third base. He’s 34 and just completed seven years in Japan, hitting 20+ HR every year. He could be an interesting right handed-hitting option for teams looking to add depth to their infield and DH.
- The Red Sox, Orioles, Braves, Reds, and Cardinals remain interested in Kenshin Kawakami.
- Now that Teixeira is gone, Jim Bowden is not interested in Manny Ramirez. Perhaps Adam Dunn?
- The Sox are still unwilling to deal Clay Buchholz for Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Mets’ Minaya: Nothing Imminent
1:38pm: The New York Daily News has, essentially, the same report. Roger Rubin writes that Derek Lowe is a top priority for the New York Mets, but nothing’s imminent. Something could happen during the next week, though.
Rubin sees the Boston Red Sox as being competition for Lowe’s services.
9:48am: Mets general manager Omar Minaya told Kat O’Brien of Newsday to “Go enjoy the holiday” and that nothing was happening on the New York Mets’ front today.
Minaya did say the team has been talking to free-agent starting pitchers, including Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez and Randy Wolf.
As far as outfielder Manny Ramirez, “a Mets source” told O’Brien in the same article that the Mets will not sign him.
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Wednesday
4:31pm: Rob Neyer’s latest post on ESPN.com discusses what Ramirez’ chances are to claim himself a big contract. Neyer doesn’t like the odds. His guess is two years for $45MM. He lists the Dodgers as the likely match.
8:55am: Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger tells us to take the New York Mets off the Manny List. Graziano writes that GM Omar Minaya is having trouble selling Ramirez to ownership, despite how well he would fit in with the team. He adds that despite the Red Sox missing out on Mark Teixeira to the Yankees on Tuesday, Ramirez had a worse day. As Graziano puts it, “Because, honestly, where is he going to go now?”
8:01am: Common sense tells T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times that Manny’s best — and possibly only — option is a contract with the Dodgers. He wonders if the Dodgers and owner Frank McCourt really even want Ramirez to return. Regardless, Simers doesn’t see the slugger ending up with a small- or mid-market franchise.
Jesse Spector of the N.Y. Daily News writes the New York Yankees could still sign Manny, even after taking on more than $400MM in payroll in the past week, and have a 2009 payroll less than the 2008 version. His hypothesis hinges on not bringing back left-hander Andy Pettitte and trading Hideki Matsui in particular.
More Mark Teixeira Signing Reactions
4:01pm: Peter Gammons of ESPN writes the Yankees are just being American.
1:26pm: FOXSports.com’s Dayn Perry believes the Yankees are taking a risk with the Teixeira deal. Perry points out that the Yankees’ spending will add even more pressure onto the franchise to win. He also thinks the Yankees needed to make this deal.
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Former pitcher Jim Kaat is in line with Perry. Kaat believes there will be an adjustment period for all three of the Yankees’ big signings. He writes that players sometimes try too hard to live up to their big contracts in the first season, and that could take place here.
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Murray Chass says Mark Teixeira banned himself from Boston.
11:33am: Add Rays skipper Joe Maddon to the list of baseball people who aren’t scared by the Yankees’ recent moves. This, via Mike DiGiovanna and the LA Times.
10:01am: Since this is the major topic today — unless anything breaks — I’ll update this periodically.
- Buster Olney of ESPN weighs in on the winners and losers of the Teixeira deal.
- Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post writes that the Washington Nationals’ attempt to sign Teixeira was admirable. He says the Nationals showed they are willing to spend money, although a need to gain credibility as a franchise stood in the way of them and Teixeira.
- Check out this post from Tuesday for more notes regarding the deal.
8:49am:
- Sports Illustrated and Tom Verducci have a Q&A posted about the Yankees’ deal with Mark Teixeira. In short, Verducci likes the move for the Yankees.
- “WE’RE BACK!” At least Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan says about the Yankees and the Steinbrenner family’s spending.
- Boston fans lost a big present from under the Christmas tree, Adam Kilgore of the Globe writes.
- Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines that the Yankees are bad for sports. He cites the national economic struggles as a top reason the Teixeira/Yankees deal makes no sense.
- On the opposite end of the spectrum, Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle writes that the Yankees’ signing is good for baseball.
- Orioles fans are upset that the hometown boy will only be returning to town wearing Yankees gray, Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker writes.
- Mike Lupica of the N.Y. Daily News wonders if the Yankees have spent enough this offseason to “buy back a World Series.”
- Besides an apology to his wife for reporting from his vacation, New York Post writer Joel Sherman notes how Teixeira turns 29 in April. The new Yankees have become younger, he adds. He slips in that Manny Ramirez never made sense for the Yankees.
- Bill Burt of the North Andover (Mass.) Eagle-Tribune writes the Red Sox didn’t want Teixeira enough to pull the trigger on the deal. He adds that the Sox will do nothing — and that they don’t need to.