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Nats To Pass On Weaver

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Scott Boras found a deal for Kyle Lohse; will he now focus on getting Jeff Weaver a job?  On Monday, Jeff’s brother Jered said the Nationals and Cardinals had expressed interest.  The Cards are surely out of the mix now, and MLB.com’s Bill Ladson says Weaver has seemingly "priced himself out of the Nats’ pay range."  I’ll guess the Nats were thinking $2MM or so.

So if the Nats and Cards are both out, what’s the elder Weaver to do?  Baltimore seems to be his best option.  Toronto could work.  Perhaps the Astros as a long shot.

In a note at the bottom of his article, Ladson also quashes a short-lived Felipe Lopez to the Cubs rumor.  He adds that the Dodgers have legitimate interest in Willie Harris.

Odds and Ends: Mirabelli, Lohse, Spring Stats

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Here are some links I’ve cobbled together.

Astros To Pass On Lohse

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This morning, Brian McTaggart of the Houston Chronicle suggested the Astros’ rotation picture looked like this:

1. Roy Oswalt
2. Brandon Backe
3. Wandy Rodriguez
4. Woody Williams
5. Shawn Chacon as the frontrunner, with Chris Sampson, Felipe Paulino, Runelvys Hernandez, Jack Cassel, Mark McLemore, and Brian Moehler in the mix

Now Paulino is out a month with a pinched nerve.  Williams has been destroyed this spring.  So now it’s looking like Oswalt/Backe/Rodriguez/Chacon/Sampson. 

Not exactly playoff quality nor likely to stay healthy all year.  However, Ed Wade said today he doesn’t see Kyle Lohse as a fit for around $4MM.  Scott Boras called him up last week to pitch his client.  Wade has been quite open in the press about his free agent discussions.

Given the uncertainty around everyone besides Oswalt and Rodriguez, Wade might do well to reconsider Lohse if he has room in the budget.  Otherwise, Jeff Blair says the Cardinals, Rangers, and Giants have Lohse on the radar (but not the Jays).

Cardinals Interested In Lohse

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Joel Pineiro’s second bout of shoulder tightness this spring has the Cardinals scrambling for pitching help.  Fortunately there are still a few names left on the market who are probably as good as Pineiro.  One such pitcher is Kyle Lohse; the Cardinals put in an inquiry with Scott Boras recently.

GM John Mozeliak was upfront in saying that Pineiro’s uncertainty changes the landscape for his team.  If Lohse truly goes in the $4-5MM range we’ve been hearing about, that’s a fine signing.  Hell, Pineiro got two years and $13MM and was more questionable than Lohse at the time of the signing.  Jeff Weaver and David Wells are the other two names we’ve heard linked to St. Louis this winter.  A few people have asked me about Eric Milton.  He had Tommy John surgery on June 15th, so he’d be of no help to the Cards right now. 

Rockin’ The Red gives five reasons why they think the Cards should sign Lohse, if you’re interested.

Nationals, Cardinals Interested In Jeff Weaver?

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Whither Jeff Weaver?  We haven’t heard much about potential destinations for the 31 year-old righty.  Probably has to do with his 6.20 ERA last year, but at least he’s healthy.

Jeff’s younger brother Jered piped up yesterday, saying that the Nationals and Cardinals have expressed interest.  Hard to say if that interest is current or just occurred at some point this winter.  But either team would do well to bring him in on a minor league deal.  If he’s holding out for a Major League contract it may be time to adjust expectations. 

When teams have their rotations all lined up on paper during the spring, with their rose-colored glasses on, adding a guy like Weaver isn’t terribly appealing.  But perhaps this year Scott Boras will try a new ploy with Weaver and Kyle Lohse by letting them sit out until April or even May.  We’ve seen the mercenary thing with Roger Clemens, but not so much with healthy, younger pitchers.  A few starters get injured, others don’t pan out, and suddenly maybe Lohse and Weaver cause bidding wars.

Odds and Ends: Johnson, Ponson, Nady

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Ever lose a contact in the bathroom and scour for it for hours?  That was my morning.  Good times.  On to the links.

  • Friend of MLBTR Susan Slusser notes that the Giants had two scouts watching the A’s on Wednesday.  One guy they might have been eyeing is first baseman Dan Johnson.  It seems that Johnson, who is out of options, may be able to linger around on the A’s roster until at least mid-April given the expanded rosters for the Japan series.  And since Slusser’s article we’ve learned that Daric Barton’s hand injury is more serious than initially thought.  That could buy Johnson even more time if the A’s aren’t ready to trade him.
  • The Cardinals, Mariners, Royals, and Diamondbacks, Astros, and Rangers were among teams with scouts watching Sidney Ponson touch 94mph today.  He’s stopped drinking and lost some weight; who knows, maybe he can help an NL club.
  • Peter Abraham views Joba Chamberlain’s recent comments with a little skepticism.
  • MLB.com’s Marty Noble calls a Mets trade for Xavier Nady "quite unlikely," though an anonymous Mets player likes the idea.

Odds and Ends: Ponson, Inge, Papelbon

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Let’s round up some Monday morning links.

  • The Cardinals are taking another look at Sidney Ponson.  Insert your own punchline in the comments.
  • Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun could see the O’s making a minor trade for a veteran second baseman if they acquire Ronny Cedeno but not Eric Patterson in a Brian Roberts deal with the Cubs.
  • Brandon Inge is trying his best to talk his way out of town.  The Dodgers’ recently reported nibble hasn’t been publicly shot down, so that’s a plus.
  • South Side Sox thinks speedy infielder Eugenio Velez is the type of player the White Sox could desire for Joe Crede.
  • Jonathan Papelbon wants $900K in his last year before arbitration eligibility.  Ryan Howard set a scary precedent last year.  If Papelbon doesn’t get offered something close, he’d rather make a statement and be renewed near the minimum.
  • Buster Olney suggests Dan Johnson and Doug Mientkiewicz could be possibilities for the Mets in their quest for a backup first baseman.  Olney speculated on Nick Johnson, Scott Hatteberg, Richie Sexson, Tony Clark, and Kevin Millar the day before.

Managers On The Hot Seat

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It is a slow news day, so we are going to venture a bit off the beaten path…As spring training is now in full swing, a number of managers may have their jobs on the line during the ’08 season. Three managers are in the final year of their deals and another 12 managers have two years left on their contracts. This second group will be due either an extension or a pink slip next winter as few teams are willing to play out a season with a lame-duck manager. Therefore, any manager with two years remaining on their contracts (including options) will likely have their fate determined prior to the ’09 season.

Ignoring managers that may be on the hot seat for other reasons (i.e. Willie Randolph), here is a list of managers that could potentially have their jobs on the line in ’08 based on their current contract situations. (Numbers in parentheses represent the number of years remaining on current contract)

  • Cecil Cooper, HOU (2)
  • Bob Geren, OAK (1+1 team option)
  • John Gibbons, TOR (1)
  • Bobby Cox, ATL (1)
  • Ned Yost, MIL (1+1 team option)
  • Tony LaRussa (2)
  • Bruce Bochy (2)
  • John McLaren, SEA (1)
  • Fredi Gonzalez, FLA (2)
  • Dave Trembley, BAL (1+1 team option)
  • Bud Black, SD (1+1 team option)
  • Joe Maddon, TB (2)
  • Clint Hurdle, COL (2)
  • Jim Leyland, DET (2)
  • Ron Gardenhire, MIN (2)

Taking a closer look at the list…Of the managers in the final year of their deal, Cox will be back if he chooses. LaRussa and Leyland may very well enter ’09 without new deals considering their ages. Yost, Gardenhire, Hurdle and Black look like locks for extensions prior to ’09. However, the remaining eight names on the list (Cooper, Geren, Bochy, Gonzalez, Trembley, Maddon, Gibbons, McLaren) may very well be managing for their jobs in ’08.

By Cork Gaines

Rosenthal’s Latest: Lohse, Furcal, Lofton

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FOX’s Ken Rosenthal checks in with the latest buzz from Spring Training.

  • The Mets, Cardinals, and Orioles are listed as possibilities for Kyle Lohse.  However, the Mets may deem him unnecessary, reports are conflicting on the Cards’ interest, and the Orioles are wary of the price.
  • Rosenthal says Rafael Furcal’s agent met with Ned Colletti a few days ago, but the Dodgers would likely want to see Furcal return to form before entertaining an extension.  Click here to see the other shortstops eligible for free agency after the ’08 season.  The Dodgers may have a viable replacement for Furcal in defensive whiz Chin-Lung Hu.
  • Rosenthal notes that the Yankees, in search of a right-handed outfielder, considered Shannon Stewart and Mike Cameron this winter.
  • Kenny Lofton’s chances of a getting the big league deal he wants with the Reds or Twins look slim. 
  • The rumor going around for Corey Patterson is the Marlins, if the price is right.
  • Rosenthal confirms two additions for our 2008 Out Of Options list – Gabe Gross and Clint Barmes.
  • Rosenthal says the Mets need a right-handed hitter who can play left field and first base.  Here are some names I came up with: Ryan Ludwick, Xavier Nady, Matt Murton, Franklin Gutierrez, and Kevin Millar.  Granted, not all those guys know their way around first base.

Odds and Ends: Spiezio, Pavano, Gross, Jackson

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Links, rumors…

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