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Manny Ramirez

Rosenthal’s Latest: Mets, Brewers, Astros

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Ken Rosenthal has a lot to offer in his latest Full Count video:

  • The Mets will prefer to pickup Carlos Delgado’s $12MM option rather than buy him out for $4MM. That’s a guarantee for a guy who should finish the year around 35-100 despite not contributing for the first two months.
  • According to sources, Manny Ramirez is unlikely to go the Mets. They will more likely focus their spending on pitching. John Maine has a bone spur in his right shoulder. Pedro Martinez and Oliver Perez are free agents. The Mets will need to go after starting pitching.
  • If the Mets go after Francisco Rodriguez, would they dangle Billy Wagner on the trade market in his contract year?
  • If the Astros sign Ben Sheets and Randy Wolf, they’d become immediate contenders, if not division favorites.
  • To recoup the loss of Ben Sheets and C.C. Sabathia, the Brewers might want to trade J.J. Hardy or even Prince Fielder for a pitcher to join Yovani Gallardo, Manny Parra, and Dave Bush. I can’t see them trading Fielder and a lot will be determined by how they fare in the playoffs.
  • Casey Blake will be in high demand this offseason. As a third baseman, his only real competition is the fragile Joe Crede. Blake can play 1B, 3B, RF and LF. He’s a good fit for the Dodgers to re-sign but, according to Rosenthal, he may want to go closer to his Iowa home.

Heyman’s Latest: Padres, Lowe, Manny, Minaya

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Let’s take a look at what SI.com’s Jon Heyman has for us today.

  • The Padres might be looking to slash their already-low payroll. With Kevin Towers, Paul DePodesta, and Sandy Alderson on staff, they might be able to do it. The question is of how competitive they’ll be in ’09.  For more on the topic, check out our Padres Offseason Outlook.
  • Towers thinks that when it comes to free agents, no one does it better than Pat Gillick.
  • Will the Dodgers retain Manny Ramirez? Tough to say. Owner Frank McCourt might not want to spend the dough. Then again, with Manny’s jersey going for over $300 at Dodger Stadium — no, that’s not a typo — he might keep him on as an attraction. If only they weren’t so committed to Juan Pierre.
  • It doesn’t appear likely Derek Lowe will don Dodger blue next season. He’s had a few rough starts this season, but is still pitching to a 3.69 ERA, and his walks are low. He’ll get a nice contract somewhere, and won’t cost a draft pick.
  • The Mets want to extend Omar Minaya’s contract, which expires after the 2009 season.

Odds and Ends: Indians, Livan, Braves, Friedman

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Let’s round up today’s random links.

Olney On The Free Agent Market

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Buster Olney’s latest below:

  • False Echoes: "the phenomenon of veterans who have quickly descended from productive players into something much less than that over the last couple of years," often from discontinuing PED use.  Olney thinks the industry is not going to throw "long-term dollars" at players in their mid 30s. That in combination with the economy and recent successes of small market clubs spells a bad market for mid-level free agents, according to Olney. If Olney’s right, that’s bad news for guys like Manny Ramirez; however, Manny has shown in L.A. that he can still produce.
  • Overlooking all of that, Olney thinks the Dodgers could land CC Sabathia if they make a nine-figure offer. For a salary-shy team, that would come as a mild surprise.  Olney suggests the Giants would go for Sabathia if not for their massive commitment to Barry Zito.

Odds and Ends: Manny, Pavano, Gonzalez

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Some Saturday mid-day linkage:

Sarah Green writes for UmpBump and the Boston Metro and can be reached here.

Odds and Ends: Kendall, Laird, Giles, Manny

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Today’s linkage…

  • A friend pointed out to me how strange it is that the Twins were willing to take on Jarrod Washburn’s salary and give up Boof Bonser but chose to trade Johan Santana before the season.  If Bill Smith could go back in time, would he still make that deal?
  • A Gary Sheffield acquisition by the Rays is "unlikely but not impossible," according to one Buster Olney source.
  • As expected, Jason Kendall’s option for ’09 vested.  He’s off the list!
  • The Rangers were willing to trade Gerald Laird and a solid prospect to the Marlins for Chris Volstad.
  • The Padres are wavering on Brian Giles’ 2009 option.  Scott Miller also wonders if they’ll be able to take on Trevor Hoffman for another year.
  • Miller says the Marlins had a deal for Manny Ramirez worked out, but the commissioner’s office killed it because the Marlins would’ve been getting draft picks rather than a second player.  Manny would’ve vetoed it anyway.
  • Rob Neyer thinks the Yankees will exceed a $200MM payroll if need be next year.
  • There seems a good chance Randy Johnson pitches next year.
  • Randy Winn and Bengie Molina may be traded this winter.
  • Missed this one from Monday – the White Sox acquired reliever Franklyn German from the Pirates for a player to be named later.

Stark’s Latest: Manny, Fuentes, Livan, Dunn

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ESPN’s Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up.

  • Some teams won’t go anywhere near Manny Ramirez given the way he exited Boston.  Opinions range on whether he’ll get two, three, or four years this winter.  Will he turn it off again after signing a long-term deal?  And will other players use the same strategy to escape their contracts?
  • The Rays are likely to stand pat, despite recent injuries.
  • Rockies players haven’t hit the waiver wire yet; Dan O’Dowd plans to wait until month’s end.  Stark wonders whether the Cards could win a claim on Brian Fuentes.  Not likely, given the contenders in front of them in waiver order.
  • All kinds of near-deals in the final minutes on deadline day – John Grabow to the Phillies, Ian Snell to the Rockies, and Jason Bay to the Rays.
  • Livan Hernandez’s incentives get expensive in a hurry once he hits 160 innings, and the Twins are on the hook for those.
  • Stark talked to officials from two teams who didn’t think the Reds would’ve offered Adam Dunn arbitration.

Heyman’s Latest: Washburn, Cashman, Garcia, Lofton

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SI.com’s Jon Heyman checks in with a new column.

  • Jarrod Washburn reportedly cleared waivers, though Heyman’s use of the word "reportedly" makes me think the statement came from one of the shaky reports floating about.  We’ll wait for definitive word on that one.
  • Heyman’s sources say the Yankees plan to offer a new contract to GM Brian Cashman after the season.  Hank Steinbrenner has apparently warmed to Cashman.  Additionally, "club higherups" expect Cashman will want to stay rather than jump to the Seattle job.
  • Heyman loves the Freddy Garcia acquisition; he wonders if Garcia will be motivated by Ozzie Guillen’s comments.  The White Sox weren’t interested; Guillen doesn’t think Garcia will be ready for the playoffs.  There’s a chance Garcia could return to the Tigers in ’09.
  • Heyman says it was a 2-2 vote whether to keep Manny Ramirez in Boston – Theo Epstein and Tom Werner advocating a trade, and Larry Lucchino and John Henry preferring to keep him.  Henry changed his mind and the deal was made.  Lucchino recently denied Heyman’s speculation that he might leave after the season.
  • The Rays made an offer to Kenny Lofton in spring and even gave Barry Bonds consideration.  But now a signing of either is "highly unlikely."  Giants GM Brian Sabean thinks the Rays should sign Bonds.
  • Heyman continues to speculate that Jim Bowden could be fired.
  • One GM expects the Padres to pick up Brian Giles’ $9MM option for ’09.  It’s an easy decision since it has a $3MM buyout.  However, Peter Gammons says it will be declined.

Gammons Chat: Lucchino, Lugo, Manny

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The Boston Globe has a Peter Gammons chat transcript up on its blog.  Let’s take a look at his nuggets of rumor wisdom.

  • Gammons heard from someone close to Larry Lucchino that the Red Sox would not let him leave.
  • The Red Sox could try to unload Julio Lugo in the offseason, or convince him to accept a super-utility role.
  • Gammons says neither Hank Steinbrenner nor Brian Cashman have any interest in Manny Ramirez as a winter signing.  He expects the Yankees to chase C.C. Sabathia.
  • Manny apparently wants four years and $100MM, but Gammons expects something more in the three years, low $40MM range.
  • The Red Sox have been looking for a young catcher, and Gammons guesses that Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Mike Napoli could be targets.  Evan Grant suggested today that the Rangers may prefer to deal Salty and keep Gerald Laird.

Odds and Ends: Ibanez, Dunn, Blake, Stewart

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Let’s kick off the morning with some random links.

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