Sosa Wants $7MM
Sammy! Sammy Sosa apparently misplaced a decimal point today, declaring that he wants a $7MM contract for 2007. OK, that’s not fair. He’s worth more than $700K. He did post a better slugging percentage than the average DH, with a .468 mark.
However, the average DH also had a .355 OBP in 2007. Sammy was at .311. He hit .328/.410/.613 against lefties and .222/.267/.410 against righties.
Idea time! GMs in the audience, you can thank me later. If you’re an AL team with an open DH slot, sign Sammy for $4MM. Then trade for Scott Hatteberg. You’ve got a $6MM DH combo right there. Sosa only faces lefties, Hatteberg only faces righties. If this pair had been combined like that in 2007, you’d have gotten a .324/.411/.524 line from your DH spot. Booyah! Where else are you going to get a .900 OPS for that price?
Odds and Ends: Lincecum, Wakefield, Schilling
More random rumors. You know you love it.
- Tracy Ringolsby has some hot stove musings. It’s a fairly sloppy article with one new tidbit: "Tim Lincecum can be had for a quality bat." Either Ringolsby is misinformed, or Brian Sabean has lost it. Lincecum has Cy Young potential.
- A couple of Red Sox mainstays will stay for ’08 – Tim Wakefield and Julian Tavarez. Wake was a no-brainer at his perpetual $4MM, while Tavarez was debatable at $3.85MM. Tavarez expected it to be declined, since the team left him off the World Series roster.
- The Ms will decide very soon whether to exercise Jose Guillen‘s $9MM option. Even if they do, Guillen then can decline it and forfeit a buyout. He most certainly will pass since he can get a two or three-year pact on the open market, mercurial nature and all.
- Re-signing Tony Clark is appearing more difficult than the D’Backs anticipated.
- Reliever Masahide Kobayashi filed for free agency and is interested in MLB offers. He’d prefer to close but it’s not a dealbreaker.
- The Cardinals contacted Curt Schilling today to express interest, apparently after hearing him on a St. Louis radio show. Schilling has a minor update on his blog. Also, he posted the recruiting letter the Red Sox sent to him in 2003.
- Scott Boras client Eric Gagne may return to the Rangers; there’s mutual interest according to Evan Grant.
- Buster Olney points out that Jorge Posada could finish his next contract as the Yankees’ DH, and would probably thrive in that role.
- Don Burke speculates that Tom Glavine might be interested in finishing his career in Boston.
Odds and Ends: Cook, Benoit, Griffey, Riske
Some random tidbits that didn’t get their own posts today…
- The Rockies picked up Aaron Cook‘s $4.5MM option as expected. The bigger question is whether they can sign him long-term, maybe for three years. They also passed on LaTroy Hawkins for $3.75MM but may still sign him.
- The Rangers agreed to a two-year contract with reliever Joaquin Benoit for two years and $6MM. He would’ve hit free agency after 2008. Smart move would be to let him rack up 10-15 saves next season and then trade him for something good.
- The Braves aren’t expected to get their next center fielder through free agency, and Terence Moore suggests trading for Ken Griffey Jr. to fill the position. More reasonable targets might be David DeJesus or Coco Crisp.
- The Royals may yet retain David Riske, who wants a multiyear deal and would like to stay. They’ll definitely offer him arbitration, since he’s a Type B free agent. Also, longtime Royal Mike Sweeney might finally play elsewhere.
- Free agent Shawn Chacon is looking to start in 2008, and he’ll make over $4MM.
- Charley Walters says the Twins won’t pursue Barry Bonds. If Bonds is to land in the AL, the Orioles, Devil Rays, Royals, Angels, and A’s may be his only options.
- McCovey Chronicles suggests a Noah Lowry for Bill Hall swap.
Twins Rumors: Hunter, Silva, Slowey
A couple of Minnesota writers offered speculation today on the Twins’ plans. Let’s discuss.
- La Velle E. Neal III expects Torii Hunter to file for free agency today. Meanwhile Ed Thoma sees the White Sox, Rangers, and Cubs as the top contenders.
- Neal likes the idea of trading for Coco Crisp to play center for the Twins. Personally I would search for a more offensive-minded guy, but as Neal says Crisp could work if big improvements are made at 3B and DH. Thoma expects the Twins to fill this void by trading Boof Bonser or Kevin Slowey, with the Mets, Rays, Reds, and D’Backs as possibilities. That seems to imply a deal for Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, Rocco Baldelli, Ken Griffey Jr., or Carlos Gonzalez. Actually Griffey seems unlikely…Ryan Freel maybe? You tell me.
- Thoma also predicts that the Twins extend Johan Santana for 5/100.
Needs and Luxuries: Texas Rangers
Next up in the series, the Rangers. You can view all of the Needs and Luxuries posts here. A note about this series: I’m choosing teams randomly, and only those not currently alive in the playoffs.
C – Jarrod Saltalamacchia/Gerald Laird
1B – Frank Catalanotto
2B – Ian Kinsler
SS – Michael Young
3B – Hank Blalock
LF – David Murphy
CF – Marlon Byrd
RF – Nelson Cruz
DH – Jason Botts
SP – Kevin Millwood
SP – Vicente Padilla
SP – Brandon McCarthy
SP – Kason Gabbard
SP – Edinson Volquez
Setup: Joaquin Benoit
Closer: C.J. Wilson
Needs
Jon Daniels has quite a bit of work to do. Basically the Rangers need a first baseman, at least one corner outfielder, and probably a center fielder. Most teams need reliable starting pitching, none more than Texas.
The Rangers were 11th in OBP and 6th in slugging out of the 14 AL clubs this year. Their starters had a league worst 5.50 ERA, while the bullpen was a bright spot with a third-ranked 3.69 ERA.
Let’s start with first base. The general consensus from what I’ve read is that the Rangers’ long-term replacement for Mark Teixeira is already in-house. Double A third baseman Chris Davis had a monster year, and is expected to move to first base or even DH when he arrives in late 2008 or early 2009. For that reason, the Rangers will find a stopgap for first base – Brad Wilkerson, Ben Broussard, Dan Johnson, Catalanotto – something like that.
A slugging corner outfielder would be nice. Maybe John Mayberry becomes that guy, maybe not. Let’s face it – the Rangers probably aren’t playing for 2008, so they don’t need to go nuts with stopgaps. Murphy and Byrd on the corners would be far from ideal, but they might as well get their reps in ’08.
The Rangers seem to be itching to sign a big-name elite center fielder, with Torii Hunter at the top of the list. Such a move would breathe life into the franchise, and Hunter would help the team win in ’09. If they get a hometown discount (ie, five years, $75MM), I’m OK with it.
The Rangers badly need starting pitching, but they’ll be better next year. They’re intrigued by Gabbard and Volquez in their last two slots, and have Eric Hurley on the rise. The veterans at the front are locked in, like it or not. Millwood was much better post-hamstring injury, while Padilla is just crazy. The McCarthy/Danks swap was a head-scratcher at the time, and Danks may officially pass McCarthy next year. McCarthy averaged only 4.5 innings per start for the Rangers. Even if the trade was a bad idea, they’ll give McCarthy many chances to succeed.
It’s hard to picture this rotation being in the top half of the AL, even if you adjust for Ameriquest. But the Rangers need to see what they have rather than waste money on the Carlos Silvas of the world.
Luxuries
Hmmm. Do the Rangers have a surplus of anything?
They might want to ditch Padilla and the $24MM owed to him over the next two years, but he’s no hot commodity.
Benoit is a free agent after 2008, and he’s already 30. Even if Wilson is to become the future closer, the Rangers should stick with Benoit in that role, pump up his value, and trade him in July. Or they should seriously consider trading him this winter.
Laird may be a luxury as well, with Salty the catcher of the future. We’ll have to see how the free agents sort out and determine which teams are looking for a more defensive-minded backstop.
The Rangers really have to use 2008 to sort out what they have, rather than give precious playing time to guys who won’t be a part of the next winning team. Maybe that’s why they’ve already distanced themselves from Barry Bonds. Nor does Sammy Sosa make sense, as Botts needs a legitimate continuous shot (and don’t try to sell me on the idea of Sammy providing veteran guidance).
Random Rumors
Some random rumors to help you get through your Thursday morning…
- As you might imagine, the Rangers are keenly watching and hoping Alex Rodriguez opts out of his contract. That would free up $7MM for them in each of the next three years. Rangers’ manager Ron Washington’s wish list includes a center fielder, corner outfielder, and first baseman. The Rangers have been connected to Torii Hunter quite a bit, but they’ll have plenty of competition.
- Will the exchange rate free up a bunch of money for the Blue Jays? Perhaps even enough to make a pass at A-Rod? Hey, fans can dream. Mine!
- Something I didn’t mention yesterday – Elijah Dukes is playing winter ball. The Rays still don’t seem to have any room for him in the outfield or at DH. Maybe the Marlins will get involved again? Would Kevin Gregg work?
- Gordon Wittenmyer thinks the Cubs should keep Jacque Jones for 2008, which makes sense. Wittenmyer also believes 22 year-old Felix Pie with 194 big league plate appearances, has proven conclusively that he can’t hit Major League pitching. His suggestion is to trade Pie now.
- Larry Borowsky wants the Cardinals to sign Milton Bradley.
- Jeff Sackmann recommends against Geoff Jenkins‘ $9MM option for ’08, but the decision was tougher than you think.
Braves Notes: Hampton, Lowry, Andruw
Mike Hampton makes $15MM next year, and the Braves aren’t getting any relief from the Rockies or Marlins. However, it turns out the Braves actually spread around those payments so that they’d pay out about $8MM to Hampton in each year of the deal.
This is confirmed by Bill Shanks of Scout.com, for starters. Shanks notes that the Braves owe $8.25MM to Hampton next year because of amortization. I’ve heard that David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said something similar in the comments of one of his blog posts, but it’s been buried somewhere. Bottom line, the Braves have $7MM more than we thought they did. A $95MM payroll would give Atlanta some wiggle room to add a starter.
It’s not a stretch to add Tom Glavine, with this new information. However, O’Brien thinks the Braves need more. While Dan Haren or Joe Blanton may be out of reach, Noah Lowry seems a more realistic target. The point is to find a decent young controllable arm.
O’Brien’s also got some early interested parties in Andruw Jones: the Dodgers, Rangers, Giants, White Sox, Nationals, Phillies, and Mets. Seems like the idea of moving Beltran to right field has been discussed within the Mets organization. The Dodgers, I imagine, would shift Juan Pierre to left field.
Rangers To Pass On Bonds?
Here’s an MLB.com article from T.R. Sullivan that I’m just getting around to discussing (hat tip to Joe Siegler of Rangerfans.com).
Sullivan’s article mainly discusses the possibility of bringing Sammy Sosa back as a platoon designated hitter. Not a terrible idea if Sosa is limited to facing southpaws and perhaps Jose Lima. But here’s an interesting throwaway line in the article:
Club officials have made it clear they will not be interested in pursuing Barry Bonds as a free agent.
You may recall that the Rangers got some press in June as the "mystery team" that had pursued Bonds the previous winter. Jon Daniels confirmed the discussions but said no offer was made. In browsing that USA Today article again, I also noticed that Bonds apparently would’ve retired if he didn’t receive an offer of at least $10MM. So that might be his bare minimum this winter.
So far the Rangers and Tigers have already distanced themselves from Bonds.
Rumors and Questions
If Cubs make the playoffs, they will be glad not to see the Marlins in the postseason. After last night’s defeat, the Cubs haven’t beaten the Fish since April… of 2006.
Lots of buzz today, so here are some Rumors and Questions on the day:
- Florida Marlins Fans, it may be disheartening for you, both of you, to know that David Hyde (with some help from Bill Murray) believes as though either Miguel Cabrera or Dontrelle Willis will indeed be dealt this offseason. Tim crunched the numbers and thinks they should shed Willis’ contract. If I had to choose, I’d agree with Mr. Hyde (not Dr. Jekyll) and wave goodbye to Miggy before the D-Train rolls out. Cabrera is indisputably elite and could net a Hanley Ramirez or two. Meanwhile, Dontrelle’s value is at an all time low. Who would you deal?
- Speaking of former Marlins, Buster Olney thinks the Tigers will re-sign Todd Jones. When asked who will close for the Tigers next year, Manager Jim Leyland responded with a definitive "don’t know". Well, maybe he’s getting forgetful in his old age, but we all know who: Joel Zumaya. But is he ready? Chris McKosky of the Detroit News isn’t sure. What do you think? If only he could lay off that Guitar Hero…
- The Rangers and the Twins have each expressed interest in both Torii Hunter and, who else, Barry Bonds. Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire weighs in positively on Bonds, while Joe Christensen says chances are slim but don’t rule it out. Shooter Charley Walters says the Twins will try to re-sign Hunter. But Hunter is from outside Arlington, Texas and when asked if he’s thought a little about going home, he told reporters "I haven’t thought about it a little bit. I’ve thought about it a lot a bit." Meanwhile, the Rangers players say "Thumbs up!" to Bonds. I think the Rangers are a natural fit for both of these vets.
- Also, Ken Rosenthal’s latest video on Foxsports.com breaks down the fates of Managers-Across-The-League. Interestingly, he begins by praising Joe Torre for doing maybe his best job ever, and then notes how if the Yankees stumble in the postseason he might not be back…
Posted by: Nat Boyle
More On Bonds
All the sportswriters have had a chance to weigh in on possible destinations for Barry Bonds in 2008. Here’s a summary.
- Nate Silver of Baseball Prospectus seems the Padres and A’s as the top two possibilities.
- Fielding guru John Dewan rates Bonds’ defense ahead of Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham, and Pat Burrell this year. He’s still bad, but maybe we shouldn’t rule out the NL after all.
- Bruce Jenkins says there’s no market but seems to consider Seattle a possibility. Interesting note: Jenkins also mentions that Bonds cleared waivers in August.
- Jack Curry of the New York Times likes the Angels, A’s, and Rangers.
- Before we start penciling Bonds into the Oakland lineup, Susan Slusser reminds us that Jack Cust is effective and cheap as the team’s DH.
- Rangers manager Ron Washington says he would’ve liked having Bonds on his team this year. However, he sees the A’s as the favorite.
- Kevin Kernan of the New York Post thinks this puts the Giants in the A-Rod sweepstakes. Would Rodriguez want to join a team that is basically rebuilding?