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Orlando Cabrera

Royals Monitoring Free Agent Market

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The Royals are leaving the door ajar for a free agent addition or midseason move, says Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.  Team owner David Glass had this to say:

"Being as candid as I can, we’re close to where we’re going to have to be on payroll.  But you still can make some moves.  One thing that I want to make sure we do is have the flexibility where at midseason, if we’re in this thing, we have the opportunity to improve this team."

Royals GM Dayton Moore on the topic:

"We’ll continue to look at names, and we’re monitoring how things are unfolding with some of the remaining players. But if we add (payroll), we’re going to have to subtract."

The salary of new first baseman Mike Jacobs remains undetermined, with the team submitting $2.75MM and Jacobs at $3.8MM.  Aside from Jacobs, the Royals added about $16MM in ’09 salaries this winter by bringing in Coco Crisp, Kyle Farnsworth, Miguel Olivo, Horacio Ramirez, Doug Waechter, and Willie Bloomquist.

Dutton notes that the Royals had previous interest in Orlando Hudson and Orlando Cabrera, but remain reluctant to lose their second-round pick even if the middle infielders come at bargain prices. 

A’s Still In On Orlando Cabrera?

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It was reported last week that the A’s might take a shot at free agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera.  MLB.com’s Mychael Urban tried to confirm the rumor Tuesday, but received little response from either side.

Urban notes that "for the A’s, that’s hardly a shocker. General manager Billy Beane has long had a policy against discussing free agents, and he stuck to it Tuesday via text."  It is a bit strange that a player’s agent would refuse to discuss interest in his client, however. 

The silence can be looked at in a few different ways.  Maybe Cabrera’s agent feels that he’s close to a deal and doesn’t want to spoil anything with the normally-mum Beane.  Or maybe all is as it seems, and there’s simply nothing going on.

Chass On Griffey, Burrell, Orlando Cabrera

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The latest from Murray Chass, who seems to be doing just fine without being employed by a newspaper…

  • MLB "negotiated a new line of credit for $125MM, from which clubs can borrow."  I’d like to learn more about the topic – which teams are borrowing, if any?
  • Ken Griffey Jr.’s agent Brian Goldberg does not think the economy is a factor in his client remaining unsigned.  Goldberg said, "Junior’s salary expectations have been modest from the beginning. He’s realistic."  Perhaps Griffey is not seeking $5-6MM after all?  Goldberg says he continues to talk to the same four teams about Griffey.
  • Scott Boras says Pat Burrell "took a bad deal" when he signed for two years and $16MM on January 5th.  Boras says Burrell’s contract froze the market for corner outfielders.
  • One additional possible explanation for Orlando Cabrera remaining unsigned: a baseball person described him as a "very caustic guy in the locker room."  Cabrera’s Type A status is probably the larger issue.

Cafardo’s Latest: Manny, Sheets, Glavine

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The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo shares some notes on Manny Ramirez and around the league. Let’s have a look, bullet-point style:

  • He cites an AL Exec who says, "I’ll be honest, I never thought Ramirez would walk away from… one year, $25 million. That’s better than the $20 million option he had torn up… If he has another great year, he gets another $25 million for one year? Or maybe a team then decides, ’OK, this guy has behaved himself for a while, continues to produce at a high level now, let’s commit for another two years to him.’ Unless a team like the Yankees comes in at the last minute and gets it done, I just don’t see where he’s going to make more than $25 million." Cafardo adds that "Brian Cashman insists it won’t happen."
  • A quote from Rich Hill on his being traded to the Orioles: "[Cubs general manager] Jim Hendry really took care of me. He wanted to create an opportunity for me that he told me probably didn’t exist in Chicago, so I’m grateful. I know Baltimore tried to deal for me last year and it didn’t work out, but this time they made it work." Hill also adds that he’s over his back injury and will rediscover his control.
  • Ben Sheets not signing anywhere until June hurts the Brewers two-fold: they may have to foot the bill for the surgery and won’t receive a first round draft pick for losing a Type-A free agent. Sheets has a torn flexor tendon, as revealed by an exam with the Texas Rangers. On the other hand, MLBTR has noted that in June, after his surgery, he won’t cost a draft pick to sign.
  • Andruw Jones on playing in Boston: "It’s too cold there. There’s too much stuff going on."
  • Bobby Abreu may have to settle for a one or two year deal at $3MM. Cafardo lists the Angels, Mets, Braves, Dodgers, and Mariners.
  • Expect an incentive-laden deal for one year between Tom Glavine and the Braves. As MLBTR has noted, their latest offer was between $1-2MM with no incentives.
  • Mark Mulder could be a useful back end starter and he’s almost ready to put himself on display to teams.
  • Shea Hillenbrand is 32 and receiving no interest. Cafardo wonders if he’s "being punished for past transgressions?"
  • Cubs, White Sox, and Dodgers are lined up for Orlando Hudson; however, the transfer of ownership may have temporarily tied the hands of Jim Hendry to do anything until Tom Ricketts takes over.
  • The A’s are continuously interested in Orlando Cabrera, Adam Dunn, and Abreu.

Dodgers Rumors: Manny, Dunn, Hudson, Wolf

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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.

A’s Could Take Shot At Orlando Cabrera

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According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the A’s have saved "a little spending money and could still take a final shot at free agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera — if he’s willing to take a deep discount."

Cabrera is a Type A free agent who declined an offer of arbitration. Unlike Jason Varitek, however, Cabrera does not have the option of re-signing with his former team.  The loss of a draft pick by the signing team is a given, and Cabrera may have to compensate for the Elias curse by taking a low salary for ’09.  Waiting until after the June draft could make sense for Cabrera – he’d wipe out the draft pick problem, probably still get $2MM, and won’t get Type A status again.  UPDATE: Eddie Bajek tested my statement about Cabrera not getting Type A status again if he sits out two months, finding that it might only hold true if he signs with an NL team.

A’s Sign Russ Springer

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FRIDAY: Slusser says Springer will earn $3.3MM plus another possible $300K for games pitched.

THURSDAY: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says the Springer deal is official and is worth more than $3MM plus incentives.

WEDNESDAY: Springer apparently took his physical today, though his deal with the A’s is not yet official.  The A’s told reliever Andrew Brown they’re releasing him to make room for Springer, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

MONDAY: The AP says the A’s are "close to finalizing" the Springer deal, with the physical the final step remaining.  Not sure why they didn’t say an agreement has been reached, then.

SATURDAY: According to Ken Rosenthal, the A’s are "closing in on" a deal with Russ Springer. Rosenthal’s source says the A’s and Springer are "making progress, but not done." They’re working towards a contract worth about $3MM plus incentives.

Rosenthal adds that the A’s are ready to make a strong attempt to sign Orlando Cabrera if his asing price isn’t too high.

Unlike Cabrera, Springer wasn’t offered arbitration, so the A’s won’t have to surrender a draft pick to the Cardinals if the deal becomes official, despite Springer’s status as a Type A free agent.

Red Sox To Be Done After Solving Catcher?

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Daniel Barbarisi weighs in on the Red Sox, saying that following whatever their solution to the hole at catcher is (Barbarisi figures it to be Jason Varitek), they should call it quits for the offseason.

Barbarisi notes that one potential bargain could be Orlando Cabrera, but points out that Cabrera’s projections for 2009 don’t figure to be any better than Jed Lowrie’s.

He also points out that while Ben Sheets is the exact type of low-risk/high-reward player the Red Sox like to gamble on, they’ve signed enough of those already this offseason.

What does everyone else think? Do the Red Sox need another piece?

Odds And Ends: Varitek, Markakis, Johnson

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Links for Thursday night…

  • Curt Schilling thinks the Red Sox need Jason Varitek.
  • Buster Olney writes that some executives think Type A free agents like Varitek, Orlando Cabrera and Juan Cruz should sign soon instead of waiting until the season starts.
  • Ken Rosenthal proposes a ’Juan Cruz rule’ so that players like Cruz aren’t the ones hurt by the compensation system.
  • Andy MacPhail provides some of the reasons he wanted to lock up Nick Markakis. He has plenty of good ones to choose from.
  • Chico Harlan of the Washington Post spoke with Nick Johnson, who "expressed no particular desire" to play in his home state of California.
  • Kobe Bryant jokingly suggested that he could play left for the Dodgers instead of Manny Ramirez.

Verducci On Hamels, Shields, Lowe, Manny

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Let’s take a look at the latest from SI.com’s Tom Verducci.

  • Interesting line: "One journeyman reliever, for instance, turned down a $2 million offer, saying he would retire before taking that kind of money."  Many veterans will choose between swallowing their pride and retiring this spring.
  • Verducci makes a comparison between Cole Hamels and James Shields, who were called up 19 days apart.  The extra service time for Hamels gave him Super Two status, meaning he became arbitration-eligible four times instead of three.  That decision probably cost the Phillies more than $10MM.
  • The Mets were willing to give Derek Lowe $14MM per year.
  • The Giants don’t believe Manny Ramirez is anywhere near a decision right now.  He’s a special case for them (they’re not in the market for an outfielder) but they won’t enter a bidding war.
  • The Blue Jays aren’t interested in Orlando Cabrera; they’re content with Marco Scutaro.
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