Braves Leaning Toward Internal Options In OF
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick talked to Braves GM Frank Wren, who says the Braves are more likely to try their young outfielders than acquire a veteran outfielder after failing to sign Ken Griffey Jr.
Crasnick adds that the Braves "aren’t very excited" about Garret Anderson and have little to no interest in Jim Edmonds and Luis Gonzalez. He says the salaries of Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher might be prohibitive. Pure speculation on my part – the Braves could definitely afford Luke Scott if he’s available for trade.
Fallout From Abreu And Dunn Deals
Let’s look at the fallout from today’s big news. The Angels have reached an agreement with Bobby Abreu and the Nats have done the same with Adam Dunn, but, as many of our commenters have noted, other teams and players are affected by these deals. Here’s a breakdown:
- The Dodgers lose a lot of leverage in their negotiations with Manny Ramirez. Dunn was their preferred alternative to Manny, and Abreu was another possibility. Unless GM Ned Colletti wants to trade for a bat or sign a much lesser hitter, he may have to give in to Manny and offer three years or an enhanced one or two year deal.
- Manny Ramirez and Scott Boras must be smiling tonight. The two strongest suitors for Manny, the Dodgers and Giants, still need bats, but Manny’s the only top-notch outfielder left.
- The Braves lose leverage. They’ve considered trading for Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher, but with Dunn and Abreu off the board, and Manny out of reach, the Braves might have to give up more in a trade with the Yankees.
- The Yankees, in turn, benefit from these two deals because they can demand more from the Braves. Peter Abraham thinks the Yankees should hold onto Swisher and Nady.
- Garret Anderson and Ken Griffey Jr. are now the best remaining alternatives to Manny, so they could both benefit from today’s deals.
The Corner Outfield-DH Market
There are still many jobless players who could contribute as a corner outfielder or a DH, so it’s a good time to take stock of the market. Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu are the big names, but Garret Anderson, Andruw Jones, Luis Gonzalez, Jim Edmonds and Ken Griffey Jr. want jobs and Jermaine Dye, Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher could be available through trades.
Here’s a look at the teams who have reportedly had interest in this type of player, starting in the AL:
- White Sox: They thought about Abreu and Dye’s been involved in rumors all offseason, much to the frustration of Kenny Williams. Dye will earn $11.5MM in 2009.
- Angels: They aren’t interested in Dye, but they could be interested in Abreu or Dunn at the right price. Don’t look for them to make a play for Manny though; GM Tony Reagins said it won’t happen. Garret Anderson won’t be back.
- Mariners: The Ms could sign Griffey, but they prefer Abreu and Anderson.
- Braves: They are the top suitor for Swisher and they have some interest in bringing back Jones. Atlanta has about $5-9MM to spend, so they could change plans and pursue Dunn or Abreu if they’re willing to accept a deal worth under $10MM. Don’t rule out a Nady trade, either.
- Nationals: The Nats have offered Dunn a contract, which he’s been sitting on for a while. They’re also monitoring the Manny market.
- Mets: Abreu and Ramirez won’t sign with the Mets this offseason. If Griffey’s willing to sign at a major discount, he could sign with the Mets, but indications are he wants $5-6MM.
- Dodgers: The Dodgers have targeted Manny Ramirez all offseason, and he’s rejected two contract offers from them. The first was for $45MM over two years with a club option; the second was for $25MM over one year. Dunn appears to like the Dodgers, and Abreu’s an option, too.
- Giants: The Giants are also courting Manny, but some have said they just want to prevent the Dodgers from getting a deal. Abreu could also fit in San Francisco.
- Reds: Yet another team that could pursue Abreu, the Reds spoke with Luis Gonzalez’s agent ealier in the winter. Adam Dunn won’t return to Cincinnati this offseason.
Heyman On Andruw, Pedro, Crede, Grudz
The latest from SI.com’s Jon Heyman…
- The Yankees offered a minor league deal to Andruw Jones, which he turned down. Other teams "thought to have interest": the Rangers, Phillies, Braves, and Mets.
- Heyman thinks Pedro Martinez makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers. However, Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times learned from Ned Colletti on January 6th that the Dodgers weren’t among the teams pursuing Pedro.
- Jason Varitek‘s camp (ie, Scott Boras) apparently has no regrets about rejecting arbitration since it wouldn’t have been a guaranteed contract.
- Chad Cordero‘s next showcase is scheduled for February 19th.
- Heyman has the Twins as favorites over the Giants to sign Joe Crede. More on Crede here.
- Heyman says the Yankees feel they’re more likely to find a deal for Nick Swisher than Xavier Nady.
- Add Mark Grudzielanek to the list of right-handed hitters the Phillies are considering (Nomar Garciaparra, Rich Aurilia, and Moises Alou being the others).
O’Brien On Braves’ Outfield Options
David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the Braves’ quest to add a power-hitting outfielder:
We think they’d like to make it one of these guys, maybe in this order of preference: 1. Bobby Abreu (we’ll explain), 2. Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher (both Yankees, one or the other expected to be traded), and 4. (there can’t be a No. 3 if two guys are tied for No. 2) Adam Dunn, whose asking price (reportedly $14MM per year) is still way, waaay above what the Braves have to spend.
O’Brien says the Braves have roughly $5-9MM to work with, and they also hope to sign Will Ohman and Tom Glavine. O’Brien then runs through the pros and cons of adding Abreu, Nady, Swisher, and Dunn.
Braves Rumors: Swisher, Hudson, Andruw
A few Braves notes from MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.
- Bowman believes the Braves are more interested in Nick Swisher than Xavier Nady. The two Yankees outfielders are among many options Frank Wren can consider.
- The Braves’ interest in free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson "died more than a month ago" over defensive concerns. Which seems odd, since Hudson’s defensive numbers didn’t change at any point during the offseason.
- Bowman says "it still appears" the Braves won’t offer Andruw Jones anything more than a minor league deal.
Heyman On Manny, Varitek, Madson, Swisher
SI.com’s Jon Heyman has a new column up…
- Heyman says half the teams in baseball may still have a big deal left in them, with roughly 100 free agents remaining.
- Manny Ramirez continues to wait patiently; Heyman guesses the Dodgers go to three years for him. They’d be bidding against themselves, unless Manny has an offer we don’t know about.
- When John Henry asked Jason Varitek why he didn’t accept their offer of arbitration, Varitek responded that he didn’t believe it would’ve guaranteed him a spot on the team.
- Heyman finds it odd that first-year arb closers are getting more money than starters.
- Scott Boras was in favor of Ryan Madson taking the Phillies’ three-year, $12MM offer based on Madson’s personal/familial circumstances.
- The Yankees are finding more interest in Nick Swisher than Xavier Nady.
- Heyman has the Ricketts family as the favorite to buy the Cubs.
- Heyman suggests Bobby Abreu‘s defense gets a bad rap. The plus/minus system, however, says the right fielder is among the worst in the game.
- The Nationals and Marlins share the Rays’ policy of not negotiating once arbitration figures are submitted. The Nats are apparently willing to bend and may keep talking with Scott Olsen and Josh Willingham (each about a million bucks apart).
Nady, Papelbon, Jackson Avoid Arb
Dylan Hernandez has three new ones: Xavier Nady ($6.55MM), Jonathan Papelbon ($6.25MM), and Edwin Jackson ($2.2MM plus $200K in incentives). Papelbon tops Bobby Jenks‘ first-year arb reliever record of $5.6MM, set yesterday. ESPN’s Jayson Stark has more; he says Papelbon and the Red Sox discussed multiyear deals but couldn’t find a match. It may be revisited.
Yankees Still Fielding Calls on Swisher, Nady
According to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, Brian Cashman’s spending lots of time talking with other clubs about Nick Swisher and Xavier Nady. Cashman’s open to moving either player, but he says he won’t make a deal for the sake of making one: "we’re not going to do anything unless there’s a reason to do it."
Cashman also said most reports about trade discussions have been accurate. The Braves, Nationals and Reds are among the teams who have reportedly had interest in Swisher and Nady.
The Yankees like Johnny Damon‘s production and they’re not shopping him or Hideki Matsui.
Kepner suggests the Yankees should "hold on to Swisher and dangle Nady" for a number of reasons. Swisher’s two years younger and he’s under contract for $21MM over the next three years. Nady, a Scott Boras client, will be a free agent after the 2009 season.
Rosenthal On Andruw, Nady, Lyon, Madson
The latest from Ken Rosenthal…
- The Braves are pulling back for the moment in their search for an outfield bat. They’ll hope for a free agent bargain or the right trade. Rosenthal says they’re torn about Andruw Jones. The Braves seek a right-handed hitter but aren’t dead set on it. They were unwilling to meet the Yankees’ demands for Xavier Nady.
- Brandon Lyon‘s agent is telling teams he has a two-year, $9MM offer in hand (Kyle Farnsworth money). The Tigers or Twins are possibilities there, while the Cardinals may have offered one year. Jon Paul Morosi confirms Detroit’s interest, but says they’ve yet to make an offer. Morosi believes the Tigers have about $5MM left in their budget.
- Ryan Madson turned down a three-year, $12MM extension from the Phillies. The Scott Boras client is eligible for free agency after the season.
- Execs have all kinds of concerns with Oliver Perez: his flyball tendencies, frequent walks, and inability to reach 200 innings.
- The Yankees have little interest in Ben Sheets and Freddy Garcia. The Rangers, Mets, and White Sox remain in the mix for Garcia.
- The Brewers and other teams are in on Braden Looper, while the Orioles and Dodgers have backed off.
- Edgardo Alfonzo is playing well in the Venezuelan Winter League and could make a comeback.