Nationals Avoid Arb With Ryan Zimmerman
1:49pm: The Nationals and Zimmerman still hope to hammer out a long-term deal, according to Harlan.
8:37am: According to Chico Harlan of the Washington Post, the Nationals avoided arbitration with third baseman Ryan Zimmerman by signing him at $3.325MM for ’09 (the midpoint of the submissions).
The Nationals hope to sign Zimmerman long-term; they have him under team control through 2011. Back on January 26th, Nationals president Stan Kasten noted, "I know it’s just a coincidence that [Zimmerman and Ryan Howard] have the same agent who doesn’t seem to like to do long-term contracts before free agency," in reference to Casey Close.
Nationals Sign Five
9:55pm: This is getting a little ridiculous. Bill Ladson reports another signing; the Nationals agreed to terms with righty Jason Bergmann. Bergmann was just 2-11 with a 5.09 ERA last season.
Ryan Zimmerman is now the team’s lone unsigned player. Zimmerman has been talking long-term with the Nats, but has an arbitration hearing scheduled for tomorrow.
8:59pm: Another update from the Miami Herald, the Nationals signed Lastings Milledge today as well. And as long as I’m mentioning Milledge, while it’s not really Hot Stove related, Bill Ladson reported earlier that Milledge will hand his number 44 over to Adam Dunn and wear the number 85 (the year he was born) this year.
7:09pm: Pete McElroy adds that the Nats also signed Anderson Hernandez to a one-year deal today. Still no word on any of the numbers.
6:43pm: The Miami Herald is reporting that the Nationals have agreed to terms on one-year deals for Alberto Gonzalez and Mike O’Connor. No word on the numbers yet.
Gonzalez, acquired from the Yankees in 2008, hit .347 with one home run and 9 RBI in 17 games as a National. He’ll be in the mix for second base in Washington.
O’Connor was 1-1 with a 13.00 ERA over five games, including one start, in 2008.
Odds & Ends: Boras, Cordero, NCAA Agents
Some links for your Thursday night viewing pleasure…
- Diamond Leung has some Dodgers notes, including a particularly interesting one regarding Scott Boras. Earlier, Peter Gammons reported that the Dodgers scouting department wouldn’t be touching any Boras clients in the June draft. Leung refutes that, citing Dodgers Assistant General Manager of Scouting Logan White’s statement that the Dodgers will consider Boras clients because "talent comes first."
- The Nationals have been watching Chad Cordero’s auditions, according to Dave Sheinin. Cordero threw 40 pitches "at 70-75 percent effort" the other day. Cordero’s agent, Larry Reynolds, says that he’s on pace to be ready for Opening Day.
- Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News has a good article highlighting Okalahome State University lefty Andy Oliver and his victory in a lawsuit against the NCAA. Oliver challenged the rule that athletes cannot have attorneys participate in direct negotiations with Major League teams prior to being drafted. Oliver was suspended prior to an NCAA Regional in 2008.
- Ringolsby also notes, in the same article, that the Braves have interest in Garret Anderson.
- Tim Hudson got into a heated exchange with a reporter in the clubhouse, regarding the recent Ken Griffey Jr. drama, and had to be separated by a team official, according to the AP.
- Speaking of Griffey, the Mariners will hold a press conference for him this Saturday, Geoff Baker reports.
- Anthony Castrovince reports that Edward Salcedo, a top Dominican prospect who had been tied to the Indians last year, had an investigation launched surrounding his age. There were doubts that he was really 16, which obviously quieted talks.
Odalis Perez Holdout
THURSDAY, 10:01am: Harlan has quotes from Stan Kasten on the Perez holdout:
"Our understanding is that he has an agreement which both MLB and the union considering binding, and we think the best course would be for [Perez] to come in and honor the agreement. I’ve known Odie a long time, he came up with me in Atlanta and he’s had a nice career for himself. I think this would be a very ill-advised and foolish way for him to conduct the next part of his career."
TUESDAY, 9:16am: Harlan says the mandatory reporting date for those participating in the WBC is today, and Perez intends to pitch in the tournament. The Nationals have not been in able to get in touch with Perez, says Pete McElroy of MASN.
MONDAY, 6:23pm: Chico Harlan of the Washington Post talked to Nationals GM Jim Bowden, who says he has a "signed term sheet that has been confirmed by the players’ association" for Perez. However, a source of Harlan’s says the MLBPA’s database of approved contracts does not show this deal.
3:47pm: Odalis Perez‘s $850K minor league contract did seem light at the time. Now word comes from ESPN’s Enrique Rojas that Perez has asked his agent to renegotiate the contract. He regrets giving his verbal approval and will not supply his signature to the current deal. Perez has yet to show up for Spring Training, saying:
"I thought it best and I prefer to sit in my house if the Nationals do not show more appreciation for my work. Appreciate my work means to increase the value of the contract and guarantee it. I will not accept any minor league contracts with no safeguards. I instructed my agent to report my position to the Nationals."
While Perez says he’s not negotiating with other clubs, he added:
"I will play in the World Classic for the Dominican Republic and show everybody that I’m in great shape. I hope to find a team that values me, otherwise I’ll go home."
This isn’t the first time Perez reacted childishly when he felt he wasn’t getting proper recognition.
Esmailyn Gonzalez Falsified Identity
4:52pm: Stan Kasten talked about the situation, calling it an "elaborated, premeditated scheme no teenager concocted."
10:43am: Chico Harlan of the Washington Post has a few quotes from Rijo. He says the Nationals will have a conference call about the topic this afternoon.
8:32am: According to Melissa Segura of SI.com, Nationals shortstop prospect and 2006 signee Esmailyn Gonzalez falsified his identity and age. He’s actually named Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo, and he’s 23 rather than 19. The Nats had signed him for $1.4MM; the next highest bidder was the Rangers at $700K.
Lugo’s buscon, who brokered the deal for him, is a childhood friend of Nats exec Jose Rijo. Rijo and Nats GM Jim Bowden were under investigation last year in regard to the bonus skimming scandal.
Nationals Avoid Arb With Josh Willingham
According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Nationals avoided arbitration with outfielder Josh Willingham by signing him at $2.95MM for ’09. That’s just a bit under the midpoint of the two filings. This is Willingham’s first arbitration year, so he’s under team control through 2011.
Nats Talking Long-Term Deal With Zimmerman
According to the Washington Post, the Nationals are working on a long-term contract with third baseman Ryan Zimmerman.
The two sides will continue to talk up until a scheduled arbitration hearing on Friday, February 20. If a deal isn’t reached by then, the hearing will be necessary to determine Zimmerman’s ’09 salary. He’ll either get the $3.9MM he requested or $2.75MM, the club’s offer.
Zimmerman, 24, missed 56 games last season because of a shoulder tear, but still managed to hit .283/.333/.442 with 14 home runs and 51 RBI. He’s a .282/.341/.462 career hitter over four MLB seasons.
Odds and Ends: Penny, Koskie, Lowell
Links for Tuesday…
- Chat today, 2pm CST.
- RotoAuthority looks at the pitchers involved in the WBC.
- ESPN’s Keith Law weighs in on the Andy Oliver case.
- Brad Penny talked to Yahoo’s Tim Brown about his last season in L.A. UPDATE: Bowa’s amusing reaction to Penny’s comments.
- Corey Koskie is healthy and hopes to sign somewhere, says La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
- Josh Willingham‘s arbitration hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Ryan Zimmerman‘s for Saturday.
- WEEI’s Alex Speier talked to Mike Lowell about Boston’s pursuit of Mark Teixeira.
- The Sports Business talked to former Dodgers GM Fred Claire.
Nationals Sign 23 To 2009 Contracts
Bill Ladson of MLB.com has a bit of Nationals news for this afternoon.
The team has agreed to terms with 23 of its players, including names like Elijah Dukes and John Lannan.
As for a review of the Nationals’ arbitration-eligible players, Ladson has the list: Jason Bergmann, Mike O’Connor, Alberto Gonzalez, Lastings Milledge, Josh Willingham and Ryan Zimmerman.
Odds and Ends: Dunn, Schumaker, Abreu
Links for Friday…
- The Blue Jays signed pitcher Dirk Hayhurst to a minor league deal; they’d released him to make room for Matt Bush.
- Alex Speier of WEEI has quotes from John Smoltz about his departure from Atlanta. Smoltz leaving the Braves was the biggest surprise of the offseason for me.
- ESPN’s Jayson Stark surveyed 15 baseball sages for all kinds of opinions on the best and worst of the offseason (which is not officially over yet).
- Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post has more from the Adam Dunn press conference.
- Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sees Skip Schumaker as the Cardinals outfielder most vulnerable to a trade.
- ESPN’s Keith Law weighs in on the Bobby Abreu signing.
- Kevin Goldstein’s Top 100 Prospects list is up over at Baseball Prospectus.
- Scott Moore cleared waivers; he’ll remain in the Orioles organization.
- My definition of a fantasy baseball sleeper, over at RotoAuthority.
- Shoutout: MLBTR had over 9,800 pageviews from Puerto Rico this month.