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Stephen Strasburg Rumors: Sunday

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7:10pm: Roch Kubatko at MASN Sports has a source close to the negotiations that says the Nationals' offer is worth $17MM, "with easily attainable incentives that could push it beyond $20MM." There is apparently worry about Strasburg's powerful makeup wearing his arm down, but the Nats "still think he's worth it."

The Nationals front office has reportedly also indicated to Strasburg there's a possibility they choose him again in next year's draft, with his consent.

1:31pm: Harlan now cites an anonymous source, saying that the record-breaking offer the Nationals have offered Strasburg will have to increase, if the fireballer is to sign with Washington.

Harlan's source says the offer has been on the table since last week, and no deal has been agreed upon yet. That, says the source, "should tell you enough."

Harlan writes that everyone involved in the negotiations expects them to go down to the final hours, if not the final minutes.

9:51am: With the deadline to sign at midnight tomorrow, the rumor mill's a-buzz with perspectives on Stephen Strasburg.

  • Maury Brown says it could be about years, not dollars. He writes, "If the Nationals do sign Strasburg, if smart, would be looking to avoid dealing with salary arbitration or possibly the first or second year of free agency eligibility. Look at deals such as Evan Longoria’s, Robinson Cano, or Troy Tulowitzki for examples."
  • Ken Davidoff, like most, has a "hunch" the deal will get done.
  • The AP is reporting that Nats president Stan Kasten acknowledged yesterday a "very real possibility" that the two sides will not reach an agreement.
  • Chico Harlan spoke with Ryan Zimmerman who chimed in: "When it comes down to it, Strasburg has to think about, ‘Can I go to bed if I turn down $15, 16 million dollars—whatever it is—to pass up the opportunity to play for these guys?’ That’s a lot of money. I don’t understand what he thinks will be better next year. If we don’t take him, who’s gonna take him next year? Pittsburgh? San Diego? San Diego is not gonna pay him more. Absolutely his leverage will never be higher."
  • Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post might agree with Zimmerman. Boz asks, "What team will ever be more over a barrel, or have a richer owner, than the worst-in-baseball-again Nats and multi-billionaire owner Ted Lerner?" In the same piece, he adds, "Signing contracts, not blowing them up, is their job and their responsibility — the Nats to their franchise and their fans, Boras to his client. If they don't get a deal done, it's a mammoth failure of adult supervision."
  • Rob Dibble suggests Strasburg will be as hated as his agent if he holds out.

Gammons’ Latest: Greene, Angels, Strasburg

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Peter Gammons has a new blog post up at ESPN, in which he writes about the wildcard races and what they mean for baseball. Bud Selig takes a lot of heat, but I don't think there's any arguing that the wildcard is one of his greatest achievements.

Anyway, Gammons drops a few rumor nuggets at the end of the piece, so let's round 'em up…

  • The Red Sox did not pursue Cardinals shortstop Khalil Greene when he cleared waivers. Remember to check out out handy dandy list of players who have already cleared waivers.
  • The Angels are reportedly interested in Heath Bell, who was put on waivers yesterday. Several GMs "expressed doubt that the Padres would be able trade him." I, for one, think the Pads would have no problem moving him if they really wanted to.
  • One GM says the Angels "should take Francisco Cordero. The Reds will move him."
  • Gammons says that most baseball people think the Nationals will sign Stephen Strasburg "if negotiations with Scott Boras do not get contentious." He guesstimates that Strasburg could get $22MM for three years, which would allow him to go to arbitration for three years and land another big payday. Or three. 

Odds & Ends: Shelby Miller, Astros, Strasburg

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… you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel linky?" Well, do ya, punk?

  • According to MLB.com's Matthew Leach, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said "I would say there's optimism on both sides," when asked about negotiations with top pick Shelby Miller.
  • Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle reports that the Astros have signed 18-yr old Ruben Alaniz for $160K as an undrafted free agent. A Texas high schooler, Alaniz "slipped through the cracks as teams prepared for the draft," but the Astros found him in a tryout camp recently and outbid at least two other teams for his services.
  • Maury Brown at The Biz of Baseball takes a look at Stephen Strasburg's value by comparing him to last year's crop of arbitration eligible pitchers.

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Nationals, Padres, Hardy, Smoltz

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FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up, so let's dig in for some rumory goodness…

  • This coming week may the biggest week in Nationals' history. In addition to Monday's midnight deadline to sign first overall pick Stephen Strasburg, the Nats could pick their next general manager as early as Tuesday.
  • "The buzz in scouting circles" is that Diamondbacks executive Jerry DiPoto is the frontrunner for the job, but the team has given "absolutely no indication of its plans." Acting GM Mike Rizzo has "generally gotten good reviews."
  • The Padres put both Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell on trade waivers Friday. Both are likely to be claimed, but don't count on either getting traded. The team says that the Jake Peavy trade has greatly reduced the pressure on them to move either Gonzalez or Bell.
  • If either player is going to be moved, it would most likely happen in the offseason when the Padres could negotiate will all 29 other teams.
  • If shortstop J.J. Hardy stays in Triple-A for more than 20 days, he'll remain under the Brewers control for two more years instead of one. Such a move would enhance Hardy's trade value, and it would be tough for him to argue it's unfair given his lack of production this year. However, if service time was an issue, the club should have demoted him a lot sooner.
  • Marlins righty Anibal Sanchez was throwing 90-94 in his most recent rehab start, and his return would lessen the pressure on some of the team's other young starters.
  • The Marlins and Cardinals are among the teams looking at John Smoltz as a reliever. The Cards are also looking at a number of other righthanded options for their bullpen.

Nationals Make Offer To Strasburg

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According to Thomas Boswell at the Washington Post, the Nationals have formally made their offer to no. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg, and it's been on the table for some time. As expected, the offer is "record-setting" in that it surpasses Mark Prior's $10.5MM bonus from 2001, and a source seems to indicate to Boswell that the offer is at least "twice as much" as the top bonus awarded last year, which was $6MM.

This is the first official word that the Nationals have a contract on the table, but it's all but certain negotiations will still last until the final minutes of the August 17 deadline. After examining the pattern of offers that the Nationals made to top free agent Mark Teixeira last year, Boswell projects that the current figures are somewhere between $14MM and $16MM. It's likely going to take much more to sway Strasburg and Scott Boras. Stay tuned to MLBTR as the saga continues to unfold before Monday.

Odds & Ends: Bedard, Rays, Hall, Brewers

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A few more loose links I rounded up…

  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times that he "has not ruled out offering some type of extension deal to injured pitcher Erik Bedard." Of course, the club will monitor Bedard's recovery from shoulder surgery before doing anything.
  • The Rays have signed fourth rounder Luke Bailey for $750K according to Baseball America's Jim Callis. Bailey was arguably the top high school catcher in the draft, but he blew out his elbow in the spring and needed Tommy John surgery.
  • The Cincinnati Enquirer's Tom Groeschen mentions that the Reds have interest in infielder Bill Hall, who was DFA'd by the Brewers earlier this week.
  • According to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy, the Brewers "appear headed toward a deal with their highest remaining unsigned selection, University of Tennessee outfielder Kentrail Davis." A month ago we heard that negotiations between the two sides had "gotten ugly." McCalvy also mentions that the Crew signed 5th rounder D'Vontrey Richardson and 15th rounder Del Howell.
  • Larry LaRue of The News Tribune says the Mariners "may be on the brink of agreement with high school outfielder Nick Franklin." Seattle selected Frankin 27th overall, and LaRue notes that he'll take a physical tomorrow.
  • Jack Etkin of Inside The Rockies reports that the team has released veteran reliever Mike Timlin. Timlin preferred to be home with his wife and children rather than go out on a road trip with the Triple-A Colorado Springs. The move was not performance related and there were no hard feelings on either side.
  • The Nationals have signed eighth rounder Roberto Perez, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladsen. The Nats have now signed 10 of their top 12 picks, but they're still waiting on the big guy at the top.

Odds & Ends: Strasburg, White Sox, Rangers

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Here's a few links to the get night started right…

  • Ben Goessling of The Washington Times reports that a "club source said managing principal owner Ted Lerner, team president Stan Kasten and acting general manager Mike Rizzo all flew to California last week to visit with (Stephen) Strasburg." It is unknown if Scott Boras was part of the meeting, or if Strasburg took the physical necessary to sign a Major League contract.
  • Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse tweets that Erik Bedard had his "bursa debrided & labrum repaired" when he underwent shoulder surgery. He can resume baseball activity in 4-6 months, right in the middle of his impending free agency.
  • Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune writes about the payroll challenges facing White Sox GM Kenny Williams in 2010. The team has $68.3MM tied up in ten players next year - including the recently acquired Jake Peavy and Alex Rios – and will owe considerable raises to Carlos Quentin and John Danks, both of whom are arbitration eligible for the first time. Gonzales says that "probably means the Sox will listen to offers for closer Bobby Jenks." 
  • MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that Rangers first round pick Matt Purke is in town for a physical, but no deal is imminent. The club just wants to get that part of signing process out of the way because negotiations might go down to the wire. GM Jon Daniels said "They are where you would expect them to be. We still have a gap, a divide, to bridge. That's not unusual three days before the deadline. They have been amicable discussions. He agreed to submit to the physical and get that completed just to get it behind us so we can focus on negotiations. We don't want any hurdles if we negotiate late."
  • In news that involves players who have actually signed, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports that the Rangers have inked 14th rounder Chad Bell to a $450K bonus. He's the third player Texas has signed for more than MLB's recommended $150K maximum after the fifth round.
  • Chad Jennings of The Times Tribune mentions that Josh Towers is expected to return to the Triple-A Scranton rotation next week. The Yankees DFA'd Towers last weekend, but he apparently declined to become a free agent in favor of having a job.

Nats Missed Chance To Shed Kearns’ Salary

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By placing Austin Kearns on the DL earlier in the month, the Nats missed the chance to shed the $3.4MM remaining on his salary, according to Tom Verducci of SI.com. An unknown team claimed Kearns when the Nats placed him on waivers, so Washington was in a position to shed the remaining $2.4MM on his 2009 contract and avoid the $1MM buyout for next year. However, they placed him on the DL, meaning he could no longer be claimed.

Verducci hears that the $3.4MM won't be the difference between signing Stephen Strasburg and failing to, but as one source says, saving the money "couldn't have hurt."

Heyman On Strasburg, Boras, Rizzo

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Jon Heyman of SI.com hears from people around the league who guess that Stephen Strasburg is in line for a bonus worth $12-30MM – if he signs, that is. Here are the rest of Heyman's Strasburg-related rumors:

  • Agent Scott Boras says teams dictate a slow negotiating pace and he and his clients merely follow along. 
  • Boras doesn't see why Strasburg should get less than Daisuke Matsuzaka, who signed for $52MM. 
  • Boras says the draft currently penalizes Americans, who, unlike international players, are limited to the team that drafts them. 
  • The Nationals visited Southern California to make a presentation to Strasburg, but there's no evidence they made him an impressive offer. Ben Goessling of the Washington Times also reports that the Nats paid Strasburg a visit last week.
  • Strasburg doesn't seem likely to play in Japan if he doesn't sign. 
  • Boras says Strasburg will ultimately decide whether to accept the Nats' offer. 
  • Some people around the Nationals believe that acting GM Mike Rizzo will get the permanent GM job. He's got a busy few days coming up. 

Odds And Ends: Draft, Wagner, Pirates

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Some more links as we near the deadline for signing draft picks…

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