Cafardo On Red Sox, Hudson, Garland
In his latest column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe speculates about where "old hands" such as Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz could land. Here are some of Cafardo's other notes:
- The Red Sox "are debating whether they’ll go for it and pay luxury tax money," as their payroll approaches the $170MM mark.
- If the Sox wanted to sign Jason Bay, they could offer a low, one-year base salary with three heavily backloaded option years. With as much as $48MM coming off their books next winter, they would be better equipped to pay Bay after 2010.
- Baseball executives think that plenty of good values will be available by mid-January, with some established major league players having to sign minor league contracts. One NL GM says "the Pirates will load up" on this type of player.
- The Mets are still the team most interested in Orlando Hudson, but would have to find a way to move Luis Castillo.
- A market is starting to form for Jon Garland, and the Rangers seem to be the early frontrunner.
- Other Rangers notes: The team might prefer Jermaine Dye to Vladimir Guerrero, since Dye can still play the outfield (albeit not particularly well, according to UZR/150). Texas and Minnesota could also be good fits for Miguel Tejada.
- The Indians aren't saying Fausto Carmona is available, but baseball execs feel that the club would have to listen on any offers.
Odds & Ends: Rangers, Lackey, Yankees
Another round of Wednesday links:
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that Justin Duchscherer is leaning towards an NL team, although he is not sure which one.
- Now that free agent Matt Capps appears to be leaning towards the Nationals, the Rockies are looking into other hurlers on the open market. A major league source tells Thomas Harding of MLB.com that the club is negotiating with free agent Tim Redding. The Rockies flirted with signing him last winter before he signed with the Mets, where he posted a 5.10 ERA in 30 games, including 17 starts.
- The group selected to purchase the Rangers could be in financial trouble, says Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports.
- Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com thinks that Mark DeRosa could become more valuable to suitors after Matt Holliday and Jason Bay sign, with few other big bats available.
- The Javier Vazquez trade can't be properly evaluated until the Braves spend all of the $8MM they saved in the deal, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Still, Rosenthal points out that the Braves should be concerned about the health histories of their free agent signings so far.
- Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe relays some details of John Lackey's contract with Boston, including an interesting conditional option: If an old elbow injury forces Lackey to miss significant time over the course of his contract, he'd have to play for the league minimum in 2015.
- Mark Carig of the Star-Ledger passes on this quote from Yankees GM Brian Cashman, regarding the team's outfield opening: "It won't be a big name situation. I can promise you that."
- Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik says that the two recent trades involving the Mariners and Blue Jays were "complete, separate entities," according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
Rangers Sign Darren Oliver
Free agent lefty Darren Oliver signed a one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Rangers today, with a vesting option for 2011. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick first reported progress Sunday on the deal, providing financial terms. This marks Oliver's third stint with the Rangers.
Last year with the Angels, Oliver posted a 2.71 ERA, 8.0 K/9, and 2/7 BB/9 in 73 innings. Since the Angels did not offer arbitration to the Type A free agent, there will be no draft pick compensation.
Rangers Resume Search For Bat
The Texas Rangers will look for alternative options to strengthen their lineup after their acquisition of Mike Lowell fell through, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels declined to discuss Lowell's situation but said, "I expect we'll still add to the club in a few spots. We've been in regular contact with guys we're interested in and I like our options. Fortunately for us, the market is relatively strong in the areas we're looking at."
Sullivan notes that the Rangers have interest in veterans Vladimir Guerrero and Jermaine Dye, but that Vlad is looking for a multi-year deal, while Dye may not want to sign with a team that will use him primarily a DH. Both players have been below-average defenders for years, according to Fangraphs: Dye has recorded a -21.4 UZR/150 or worse for the last four seasons, while Guerrero only played two games in the outfield in 2009 (his 2006-2008 fielding stats aren't good either). It's hard to imagine that any team will be eager to sign either player with the intention of using them frequently on defense.
If the Rangers decide to pursue a left-handed bat instead, Jim Thome is a likely possibility, according to Sullivan.
Red Sox, Rangers Considering Mike Lowell Trade
SATURDAY, 11:59am: Lowell is flying to Texas today to meet with the Rangers' front office and medical staff, and to take a physical according to ESPN's Jayson Stark. Lowell saw a hand specialist in Arizona earlier this week.
FRIDAY, 3:30pm: The Rangers will have their medical staff look at Lowell this weekend, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. We should know by the end of the weekend if the trade is going to go through.
TUESDAY, 1:22pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that the deal has a better than 50-50 chance of going through, though it's still not a lock.
8:40am: Peter Gammons tweets that Lowell may require thumb surgery.
MONDAY, 12:03am: According to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, the Rangers will take a look at Lowell's thumb in-person at some point this week. Meanwhile, Boston is looking into the condition of Max Ramirez's wrists, which gave him problems in 2009.
Cubs Still Not Close To Dealing Bradley
Although at least three teams are still interested in Milton Bradley, no trade is close, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The FOX duo names the Rays, Rangers, and Mariners as interested parties, but notes that there are roadblocks in each instance.
The Rays have been unwilling to budge for weeks in negotiations involving Bradley and Pat Burrell. The Rangers have some interest, but Bradley's last stint in Texas didn't end on "the best of terms." The Mariners, meanwhile, may be reluctant to acquire a controversial player like Bradley on the heels of making positive news with the Chone Figgins signing and the Cliff Lee trade.
Rosenthal's and Morosi's sources indicate that the Cubs are unwilling to pay the majority of Bradley's contract, or to release the disgruntled outfielder. It's hard to imagine a scenario where Bradley returns to Chicago in 2010, so you have to think that his potential suitors are waiting for the Cubs to bite the bullet and pay for a bigger chunk of the 31-year-old's remaining salary.
Odds & Ends: Orioles, Dodgers, Beltre, Pujols
Let's round up some Thursday evening links….
- The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly hears from Orioles officials that the team isn't serious about Matt Holliday or Adrian Gonzalez. This probably means that, despite their flurry of recent activity, Baltimore is done spending for now.
- Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts takes a look at the Dodgers' salary obligations for 2010.
- Todd Zolecki of MLB.com follows up on the Roy Halladay–Cliff Lee blockbuster by breaking down Halladay's extension and relaying Lee's reaction to the trade.
- While the Cardinals wait on Holliday, Mark DeRosa is exploring his other options, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Yahoo's Tim Brown adds a surprising team to a list of otherwise predictable suitors for Adrian Beltre: the Oakland Athletics. ESPN.com's Buster Olney follows up on this point, noting that the A's do have interest, but not at $10MM a year.
- The Marlins still could retain Dan Uggla, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. However, the team hasn't been in contact with his agent since the Winter Meetings, so a trade looks more likely. We heard some details earlier today about discussions the Marlins and Giants have had regarding Uggla.
- Albert Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, tells Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Cardinals' negotiations with Holliday won't affect a possible Pujols extension: "Albert respects Matt and would love to have him as a teammate and hopes he gets his money, but Matt’s situation must be seen as independent of Albert’s."
- A source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Adam Dunn "is not going anywhere for now."
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff thinks that Johnny Damon's run in New York is about to come to an end.
- Jeff Wilson of the Dallas Morning News says that if the Mike Lowell trade falls through because of Lowell's health, the Rangers have other targets, including Vladimir Guerrero, Jermaine Dye, and Jim Thome. Morosi says we should know about the Lowell deal "one way or the other" by the end of the weekend.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington answers fans' questions about his team's future in an MLB.com mailbag.
Rangers’ Sale Won’t Affect Offseason Plans
The possible sale of the Texas Rangers from current owner Tom Hicks to a group led by Chuck Greenberg won't have any major repercussions on the team's current front-office composition or any of their planned winter transactions. In regards to the front office, Rangers president Nolan Ryan told MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that should the sale go through, there won't be any "drastic changes" to how the club operates in the short-term, though "any areas of immediate need" will be addressed once the new ownership team has had a chance to fully assess things. Ryan himself is probably a big reason for this continuity, given that he is part of Greenberg's ownership group and will retain his position under the new regime.
Sullivan also heard from Texas GM Jon Daniels that the sale shouldn't interfere with any trades or signings the Rangers might have in the works, but the club is prepared to shift gears if necessary. Daniels told Sullivan, "We are not changing our plans, but we will evaluate anything or be happy to adjust when that time comes. Nolan and I have discussed that possibility and it could certainly give us some options at some point….The timing of that is unclear, but we're going forward with the same plans and financial parameters. And if that changes, we will adjust."
Daniels also discussed what some of these plans might entail in regards to what's left on the Texas wish list…
- Daniels said the team is more likely to bring in a second-tier veteran catcher or two to provide depth, rather than look for an everyday catcher. The GM said the club is satisfied with their current catching corps of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Taylor Teagarden and Kevin Richardson.
- The Rangers are one of many, many teams interested in Matt Capps, and also "have ongoing talks" about free agent reliever Darren Oliver.
- The ever-impending Mike Lowell-for-Max Ramirez trade will hopefully be finalized this week when Lowell undergoes a physical.
- Daniels said there is "a decent chance" the team will sign another starting pitcher for depth purposes.
- The door isn't closed on Texas signing a free agent bat like Jermaine Dye or Vladimir Guerrero, if their price is right.
- The Rangers would like a utility infielder, but "that seems to be low on their priorities."
Rangers Sign Geary, Olmedo
Texas has signed reliever Geoff Geary and infielder Ray Olmedo to minor league contracts and invited both players to spring training, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Geary, a right-hander, spent the last two seasons in Houston, posting an 8.10 ERA in 16 appearances last year and spending most of 2009 pitching with the Astros' Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock. Geary played with the Phillies for the first five years of his career, with his best season coming in 2006 (2.96 ERA, 3.00 K:BB ratio, 81 appearances).
Olmedo last played in the majors with Toronto in 2007, and spent the last two seasons with Tampa Bay and Washington's Triple-A teams, respectively. He has a career slash line of .228/.276/.293 in 442 major league plate appearances and has experience playing at second, third and shortstop.
Sullivan also notes that the Rangers assigned Esteban German and Clay Rapada to Triple-A Oklahoma City after the two players cleared outright waivers.
Greenberg Group Selected To Purchase Rangers
10:11pm: Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News answers some of the questions surrounding the decision by Hicks to negotiate exclusively with Greenberg's group, noting that Greenberg's group altered their bid at the last moment when it appeared as though Crane and Gilbert would get the bid.
7:58pm: Maury Brown of Biz of Baseball reports that Tom Hicks has chosen the bid from Chuck Greenberg's group over the bid from Jim Crane and Dennis Gilbert. Greenberg's group includes current Rangers president Nolan Ryan. Greenberg's group now has exclusive rights to negotiate for the purchase of the Rangers. The amount of the bid is unknown, however, previously Brown reported that the bid could reach $530MM.
Brown adds that Hicks may have chosen Greenberg's group over the Crane and Gilbert in part because the former will keep Hicks on board as a minority owner. Earlier, Brown believed Crane had the highest bid.
The final deal would need approval from 75% of the league's owners.
Evan Grant says the Greenberg Group will have 45 days to reach an agreement.
Jose de Jesus Ortiz reports that Crane had a "handshake deal" last year to purchase the Astros but backed out. Astros owner Drayton McLane says he was furious at Crane for not going through with the deal.