Odds and Ends: Spiezio, Pavano, Gross, Jackson
Links, rumors…
- Scott Spiezio is in trouble with the law, and the Cardinals decided to release him for it. Joe Ostermeier notes that the Cards now have about $20MM in dead money on the payroll for ’08.
- Evan Grant believes the Rangers would want Jose Ceda or Donald Veal in a deal for Marlon Byrd.
- Call it informed speculation, but Mike Berardino wonders whether Carl Pavano could end up back with the Marlins eventually.
- Ken Rosenthal recently wrote that the Padres were eyeing Gabe Gross. Tom Haudricourt found out that Kevin Towers never inquired on the Brewers outfielder, but that doesn’t mean the Friars weren’t eyeing him.
- Ken Davidoff makes a case for why the Astros should sign Roger Clemens.
- Sadly, the Rockies pulled the plug on a deal with Neifi Perez at the last minute.
- We hear "best shape of his life" often in Spring Training, but not with the newly signed Bartolo Colon. The Red Sox have some history pursuing Colon, as noted by Rob Bradford.
- Conor Jackson switched agents.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Gross, Weaver, Encarnacion
Ken Rosenthal is on the scene with some new rumors.
- Astros president Tal Smith arguing other teams’ arbitration cases. Rosenthal finds it a bit awkward, while Keith Law finds it to be a hilarious conflict of interest.
- Possible trades of Matt Murton to the Padres or Rangers seem to have fizzled. The Padres may turn to the Brewers’ Gabe Gross, a player who previously caught the eye of the A’s, Indians, and Braves. Our good friend PECOTA sees a .267/.366/.467 line from Gross this year. With Gross and various veteran starters, the Brewers have some surpluses to work with.
- Rosenthal believes the Cardinals’ interest in Jeff Weaver to be not especially serious. They’ve got in-house candidates to start, and Matt Clement needing some time is not a revelation.
- We’ve read about extension possibilities for Matt Capps and Alex Rios. To that mix, Rosenthal adds Edwin Encarnacion. The Reds might want to do it now; he seems primed for a big year.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Barry Bonds
He has 762 home runs and 7 MVPs. In 2007, he hit 28 home runs in only 126 games and posted a 170 OPS+, which would have led the NL if he had not come up 27 plate appearances short of qualifying. Still, Barry Bonds is without a job for 2008. Some would argue it is because he is 43 years and has bad knees that limit him to DH duty. Others would say it is because he is an unwanted distraction. Some are even beginning to whisper that Bonds is being blackballed by baseball…The Cardinals and the A’s have been linked to Bonds. The Padres were rumored to be in the mix, but publicly have said they are not interested. Marc Topkin wondered if the Rays would be interested, which seems unlikely as the Rays just traded Elijah Dukes and Delmon Young in part because they were headaches. The latest rumor has Bonds possibly playing in Japan in 2008. Could the enticement of setting another home run record convince Bonds to head to the land of the rising sun? With camps in full-swing and Bonds recliner still without a home, let’s take a look at what is being said about Bonds in the Blogosphere…If you think there is a team that is the perfect fit for Bonds in 2008 let us know in the comments.
If there is a topic you would like to see covered in "Baseball Blogs Weigh In" please let me know HERE.
- Giants Cove is willing to admit that the Giants chemistry will be better in 2008, but there is one glaring problem with the new found chemistry. The Giants cleanup hitter will be Benjie Molina.
- Athletics Nation notes that signing Bonds would be a smart business decision for the A’s.
- Catfish Stew wonders if A’s fans will be just as hard on Jack Cust, who was named in the Mitchell Report as they say they will be on Bonds if he signs with Oakland.
- Yankees Chick finds it curious that so many Yankees fans are clamoring for the Bombers to sign Bonds.
- Rays of Light notes that baggage aside, DH is already crowded for the Rays with Cliff Floyd, Jonny Gomes and Rocco Baldelli sharing at bats.
- Metstradamus feels that the chances of the Mets signing Bonds to play the outfield are about 2,000,000 to 1.
- Gaslamp Ball
is not surprised the Padres passed on Bonds, noting that San Diego is
where the giant syringe was thrown at Bonds during a game. - Babes Love Baseball can’t understand why Bonds is without a job, but they understand he comes with a bit of a circus and the occasional ‘booing’.
Padres Rumors: Stewart, Barrett
MLB.com’s Corey Brock quotes Kevin Towers as saying a free agent signing is unlikely, which implies that Shannon Stewart is not on the radar. Towers still may add an outfielder via trade.
The idea of the Padres and Mariners being interested in Stewart was misconstrued a bit. Jerry Crasnick said Towers "might be tempted to look at a free agent" and that the Mariners "seem like a potential fit." My summary of his article said the Mariners and Padres were possibilities. I should’ve been more clear that Crasnick was speculating on those two clubs rather than reporting specific interest – sorry about that. As for Stewart, only the Blue Jays have made an offer. He came up in the Toronto organization and had some nice seasons for them.
Back to the Padres. Brock adds that Michael Barrett is not likely to be traded – Towers likes having two starting-caliber catchers on the roster. Not an ideal situation for Barrett, but it was his choice to accept the Padres’ offer of arbitration.
Greene Could Stay In San Diego
Shortstop Khalil Greene recently signed for two years and $11MM, a deal that bought out his arbitration years. Padres GM Kevin Towers said in January that Greene might prefer to play near his family on the East Coast.
However, MLB.com’s Corey Brock quotes Greene as saying today, "There’s nowhere else where I would want to play than San Diego." So maybe Greene will re-sign following the ’09 season, after all. Brock has more quotes from Greene on the Padres’ main site. He’d like to finish his career in San Diego.
Greene Could Stay In San Diego
Shortstop Khalil Greene recently signed for two years and $11MM, a deal that bought out his arbitration years. Padres GM Kevin Towers said in January that Greene might prefer to play near his family on the East Coast.
However, MLB.com’s Corey Brock quotes Greene as saying today, "There’s nowhere else where I would want to play than San Diego." So maybe Greene will re-sign following the ’09 season, after all.
Shannon Stewart Switches Agents
Shannon Stewart had a bounceback 2007, finally staying healthy and hitting .290/.345/.394 as Oakland’s left fielder. Though his left field defense ranked seventh at the position according to the Fielding Bible’s panel of experts, a sub-.400 SLG doesn’t work for a corner outfielder. He hit all of his playing time incentives in ’07, earning a total salary of $2.5MM.
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick notes that Stewart "apparently scared off some clubs by looking for a two-year deal earlier this winter." Is that something Stewart pushed for, or was it his representatives at Legacy Sports Group? Either way, Stewart has switched to Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro given his lingering unemployment.
Crasnick suggests the Mariners and Padres as two possibilities for Stewart, who is likely to sign quickly under the new representation. If he sets his sights on one year and a fourth outfielder role he should find something. If Stewart signs elsewhere and Mike Piazza retires, the A’s stand to snag the 39th overall pick in June. The A’s could find the next Joba Chamberlain, Clay Buchholz, or Huston Street with that pick.
Padres Eyeing Mike Sweeney
The Padres "have expressed mild interest" in Mike Sweeney, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. The problem would be finding a fit for Sweeney. First base or left field would be the logical choices but between the presence of Adrian Gonzalez and Sweeney’s fragility, both seem a long shot. And there’s no fit at catcher either, if you really want to stretch your imagination.
Crasnick notes that Padres GM Kevin Towers has found the talks for Xavier Nady or Matt Murton to be "slow going," so maybe he’s trying to get creative.
Sweeney, 35, has been a Royal his entire career. He hasn’t topped 100 games or an .800 OPS since ’05. It was said in mid-December that Sweeney’s agent had been in touch with the Royals and two other teams.
Pirates Rumors: Bay, Nady, Capps
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a few new Pirates tidbits today.
- Jason Bay expressed displeasure with the Pirates’ lack of activity, but his comments were respectful. He hopes to stay with the Bucs and win. Bay says he "found a whole different level of being in shape" this winter, which bodes well for a bounceback.
- Kovacevic says Neal Huntington and Kevin Towers have been in touch this week regarding Xavier Nady but nothing is close. Towers admitted publicly that he was looking at Nady and Matt Murton.
- There’s been "little progress" on a multiyear deal for Matt Capps. The Pirates approached Capps earlier this month with three or four-year scenarios in mind.
Marlon Byrd/Matt Murton Rumors
Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News has the latest on the Marlon Byrd/Cubs rumors.
Byrd has been informed that the Cubs have interest in him. Grant says the Rangers reportedly turned down an offer of Matt Murton for Byrd, requiring one or two pitching prospects be added by the Cubs. So for those who think Murton is worth more than Byrd – the Rangers apparently do not agree.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick runs down three possible destinations for Murton: Texas, Baltimore, and San Diego. It seems that the Cubs would prefer to resolve the Baltimore trade talks before they’d ship Murton to one of the other two clubs. Talks for Erik Bedard and/or Brian Roberts are ongoing, according to Crasnick.