D-Backs Now Favorite To Land Eckstein
Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the D-Backs are the favorite to land David Eckstein from the Blue Jays, prior to tonight’s deadline for players to be eligible for the post-season. Previously we heard that both the D-Backs and the Angels were in pursuit of Eckstein.
Eckstein, 33, is almost certain to be traded before the deadline for setting postseason rosters at midnight Sunday. While talks are fluid, the Jays currently are more inclined to trade with the D-backs, sources say.
Rosenthal says the Angels are now considering other options, including Omar Vizquel of the Giants and Juan Castro of the Orioles.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.
Vizquel Wants To Play Next Year
Omar Vizquel, arguably one of the best defensive shortstops in the game, is not ready to retire and if he cannot sign with a Major League club in 2009, he’ll look for playing time in Japan.
"I’ve played here long enough in America," he told Henry Schulman, of the San Francisco Chronicle. "I’ve seen every team, every ballpark. I think it would be great to experience a new league and something new. I played in Japan in 2000 on the major-league all-star tour and I found it very cool – good baseball, good fans. Why not? It’s a new culture."
Schulman believes Vizquel’s days with the Giants are drawing to a close, but the veteran shortstop thinks he can be a leader for the younger infielders in the Giants’ roster.
Once the team puts on a tribute, however, he knows hes probably not coming back.
Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com. Comments? Rumors? E-mail me alexo05 (at) umpbump (dot) com.
Drama Over Pedro Alvarez Contract
4:51pm: Jim Callis’ analysis is a must-read at Baseball America. There is a legitimate chance Alvarez is treated as if he didn’t sign, and will become eligible for the ’09 draft.
2:08pm: Jonathan Mayo, Jenifer Langosch, and Kevin Goldstein dig up more details. Turns out Hosmer turned down $5.5MM prior to the deadline, but agreed to $6MM during an MLB-approved extension. The Nats may have had an extension for Aaron Crow as well.
THURSDAY, 8:19am: MLB and the Pirates say the grievance is without merit, while Boras says the Bucs violated MLB’s rules and need to "come clean." Dejan Kovacevic says the sides have not yet discussed the idea of more money, dismissing the idea that Boras demanded another $200K. An arbitrator will make a binding decision on this case on September 10th. Most believe Alvarez will remain a Pirate with a $6MM bonus.
By the way, Royals GM Dayton Moore is not concerned about Hosmer’s contract.
WEDNESDAY, 5:07pm: MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo has been digging all day on this topic. Many questions remain, but it’s a good read.
2:27pm: Baseball America’s Jim Callis offered thoughts on the situation in a chat today. He heard Hosmer was granted an extension by MLB, and signed a bit after the deadline. Alvarez may have been granted one as well. Alvarez apparently took control of the negotiations toward the end, which may be the cause for Boras’ complaint. A similar situation happened in ’93 with A-Rod, and the grievance didn’t go anywhere.
Also, it should be noted that the Players Association filed the grievance, not Scott Boras.
2:07pm: MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch talked to a source who said Boras wants another $200K, so that Alvarez’s bonus matches Buster Posey‘s.
12:57pm: Turns out Pedro Alvarez has not reported to the Pirates yet for a reason – the Players Association filed a grievance on his behalf today. They’re saying Alvarez verbally agreed to his $6MM bonus after the midnight deadline on August 15th. Scott Boras informed the Pirates that Alvarez will not sign the contract unless it is renegotiated at a higher number. Royals top pick Eric Hosmer may also become tangled up in this mess, since his contract was submitted after Alvarez.
The Pirates issued a statement, showing their displeasure with Boras’ tactics but expressing confidence the grievance will be dropped. The team also indicates disappointment with Alvarez himself, as he ultimately approved this grievance. In a way, it seems like Boras is taking a stand in general against the idea of the midnight deadline.
Odds and Ends: Ricciardi, Guardado, Alvarez
Let’s round ’em up…
- Chat today, 2pm CST.
- Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star tries to view J.P. Ricciardi’s tenure from both sides. Drunk Jays Fans gives their take on the article.
- Aaron Gleeman takes a closer look at Eddie Guardado, while Jamey Newberg tells us about Mark Hamburger.
- Inspired by Nelson Cruz‘s excellent ’08 MLB debut, Rob Neyer and Sam Mellinger discuss cheap talent and "4A" players. Do Jeff Bailey, Mike Hessman, Joe Koshansky, Scott McClain, Terry Tiffee, and Josh Whitesell fit the bill? It’s always fun when these guys get a legitimate shot.
- The Pirates are getting frustrated with Scott Boras’ games regarding Pedro Alvarez – he’s signed, so let him take his physical already. Is Boras anti-winter ball for some reason? Speaking of Alvarez, Matt Bandi strikes back at Bob Smizik for his article regarding the scoop on the signing.
- If the Padres have the #1 overall pick next June, will they pass on Boras-repped phenom Stephen Strasburg due to signability?
- Andrew Baggarly wonders if the Giants should sign Mark Mulder this winter.
- Ken Rosenthal examines the Yankees’ upcoming offseason challenges. River Ave. Blues responds to the piece.
- Tigers reliever Francis Beltran was designated for assignment after 13 innings. The 28 year-old had been hittable in Triple A as well.
Heyman’s Latest: Sabathia, Dunn, Huff, Mora
Hot off the press from SI.com’s Jon Heyman:
- An executive who knows C.C. Sabathia well told Heyman the pitcher’s first choice in free agency is the Giants. It’s not a great fit, as starting pitching is the Giants’ strength and Sabathia would add another $100MM+ contract to their rotation. The Yankees are considered the offseason frontrunners for Sabathia, though former teammate Casey Blake sees C.C. in Dodger blue.
- Heyman believes a claim on Paul Byrd would’ve made sense for the Yanks.
- Heyman agrees with the Dodgers’ choice not to risk a claim on Adam Dunn. That decision is tough to defend, though, since no one expected Reds GM Walt Jocketty to give up two draft picks for $3.45MM in salary relief.
- No one’s interested in Aubrey Huff or Melvin Mora, who have both cleared waivers. The Orioles might have an easier time trading them this winter.
Olney On The Free Agent Market
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.
Post-Draft Roundup: Hosmer, Smoak, Strasburg
Below I’ve collected more interesting remaining links regarding the amateur draft.
- The Royals bumped their offer from $5MM to $6MM and signed top pick Eric Hosmer. Rany Jazayerli was surprised to see Hosmer effectively get more than #1 pick Tim Beckham. The Royals joined the Red Sox and Pirates as teams spending around $10MM on draft picks this year.
- The Rangers resisted a Major League deal for Justin Smoak, and ultimately signed him to a $3.5MM minor league deal. Owner Tom Hicks pined for a hard slot system.
- The story of pitcher Chris Gruler, picked third overall by the Reds in ’02, reminds us to temper our enthusiasm for these kids. Many will bust.
- Tim Lincecum says Buster Posey can expect other minor leaguers to treat him differently because of the bonus he received.
- The race is on for Stephen Strasburg, who is separating himself from the pack as the top talent in the ’09 draft. The Mariners, Padres, and Nationals all have a shot at him, with the Nats in the "lead." Would the Nats avoid Strasburg due to signability concerns?
Giants Rumors: Winn, Walker, Aurilia
Let’s dig into a couple of blog posts from Giants beat writers Henry Schulman and Andrew Baggarly.
- Schulman says the Giants’ front office is divided on whether to trade right fielder Randy Winn this winter. Nate Schierholtz has a .931 OPS in Triple A this year, but can he be a capable regular in 2009? Winn makes $8.25MM in ’09, and can block trades to ten teams. The Giants could take advantage of a weak free agent market for center fielders, if Winn can still handle the position.
- Tyler Walker, owner of a 4.95 ERA, expects to be non-tendered by the Giants rather than given an arbitration raise from his current $750K. Schulman thinks Walker could still return on a lesser deal.
- Baggarly looks at Rich Aurilia, who has drawn little trade interest this year (though published reports have mentioned the Mets and Rays). Baggarly thinks the Giants need to keep him around this year to remain respectable at third base, and could even entertain the possibility for ’09. Aurilia has a strong connection to the Giants organization.
- Shea has an article up discussing possiblities for third base next year, mentioning Adrian Beltre, Casey Blake, Joe Crede, and Hank Blalock.
Cafardo’s Latest: Ausmus, Towles, Mariners, Giants, Sheffield, Salty
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a few items in his Sunday column…
- Cafardo says that the Red Sox, despite being in the market for a catcher, are not interested in Brad Ausmus. They did inquire with the Astros about J.R. Towles, who is currently in Triple A, but were told he is unavailable.
- One executive told Cafardo that the Mariners continue to demand other teams take entire contracts and give up prospects for players like Raul Ibanez, Jarrod Washburn and Adrian Beltre. In the cases of Ibanez and Beltre, that position is defensible.
- Cafardo interviewed Brian Sabean about several topics: 1) When asked about trading veteran players, Sabean responded "There’s still time"; 2) When asked whether the Giants would "go young" or target free agents in the offseason, Sabean was noncommital but said they will look for free agents and trade pieces to fix problems, specifically mentioning the bullpen and first base; 3) When asked if he was tempted to sign Barry Bonds, Sabean would not answer.
- Cafardo was just musing on a few players, but feels that Gary Sheffield could help the Rays, but only if the Tigers pay some of the salary. He also thinks Jarrod Saltalamacchia would be a nice fit in Boston next season.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here .
Giants Sign Buster Posey
11:29pm: Callis says it’s a record $6.2MM, but a minor league deal.
11:19pm: Jim Callis says the Giants have signed Posey. Terms are not yet known.
10:31pm: Just a half hour before the deadline. MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo is hearing conflicting reports about whether Giants top pick Buster Posey has signed a $6.75MM big league deal.