Rumors for December, 2009
Matt Holliday Rumors: Cardinals optimistic about talks
Posted by: | CommentsBuster Olney of ESPN The Magazine reports that the St. Louis Cardinals are optimistic about reaching a deal with free agent outfielder Matt Holliday. Holliday has turned down previous offers from the Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox this off season.
Now that Jason Bay has signed a contract that averages $16.5 million per season, Holliday’s agent, Scott Boras, is believed to be asking teams for $18 million a year.
You can read the economic decision of the Jason Bay and Matt Holliday deals here.
You can see Jason Bay’s statistics here.
You can see Matt Holliday’s statistics here.
Los Angeles Dodgers Rumors: State of the team
Posted by: | CommentsBill Shaikin of the LA Times recently had an opportunity to speak with Los Angeles Dodger’s president Dennis Mannion regarding the state of the club. Here are few highlights from their discussion:
- The baseball and business discussions have not been impacted by the McCourt divorce proceedings. Mannion or GM Ned Colletti have not been asked to limit long-term liabilities.
- Dodger fans have been skeptical regarding the team due to lack of off season moves. Mannion assures the fans that Colletti has the ability to make the right moves at the right time. They expect to compete for a World Championship year after year.
- Their $500 batting practice opportunity sold out six times last season.
- Colletti is working on an extension for manager Joe Torre through 2011. Don Mattingly may be the heir apparent to Torre after he steps down from the managerial role.
- Shaikin questions a few of the Dodger’s recent decisions including: declining to bid on top free agents, delaying playoff ticket refunds, not reinvesting the Jason Schmidt insurance money or the Manny Ramirez suspension money and not bidding on top international talent. Mannion dances around the decisions and partially blames it on the economic disruption throughout the country.
- Shaikin also questioned the Dodger’s decision to not offer Randy Wolf contract arbitration. Shaikin believed that Wolf would have signed a long-term deal somewhere regardless of the Dodger’s offer of arbitration. Shaikin believes that the Dodgers did not want to acquire draft picks from losing an arbitration-eligible player and be forced to invest millions of dollars into these draft picks. To avoid this scenario they let Wolf walk away for nothing.
Matt Holliday Rumors: The Jason Bay Effect
Posted by: | CommentsNow that Jason Bay is off the market, what does this mean for Matt Holliday? It could mean one of two things:
1. Jason Bay has set the market price for his year’s free agent outfielders, now Holliday and his agent Scott Boras knows the salary floor.
or
2. Matt Holliday has lost a big market suitor and lost negotiating leverage. The Cardinals, who seem to be the only ones interested in Holliday, know the Mets are out of it, therefore they can lower their offers.
In my opinion, I think the Bay signing is great for Holliday. It has established Holliday’s salary floor. Let’s assume that Bay meets all of the vesting conditions and earns $80 million over five-years. That’s $16 million per season. The St. Louis Cardinals offered a eight-year contract at $16 million per season (total of $128 million). Now that Boras knows the market value of Bay, and the fact that Holliday is a far superior player (at least in Boras’ mind), he can start asking for base salaries above the $16 million.
In fact Buster Olney of ESPN Tweets: “Sources: Boras started doubling back to teams to talk about Holliday. Stated asking price in at least one conversation was $18 mill. a year”
You may not see a Mark Teixeira-sized contract (eight-years and $180 million), but Holliday should be able to fetch the eight-years at $18 million for a total of $144 million. Unless there’s a bidding war, which I doubt since it seems the Cardinals are the only ones really interested in Holliday, expect the Holliday contract to be completed in early January. The only other upside for Holliday is to make the Cardinals think there’s another team involved, and they could bid against themselves.
You can see Jason Bay’s statistics here.
You can see Matt Holliday’s statistics here.
Arizona Diamondback Rumors: Close to signing Kelly Johnson
Posted by: | CommentsNick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic, reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks are close to signing second baseman Kelly Johnson.
The offer is believed to be a one-year, $2 million offer. The team and Johnson have been negotiating for at least a week. It is unclear if Johnson will be considered the starting second basemen going into Spring Training.
If this signing is completed, the Diamondbacks may trade infielder Augie Ojeda, perhaps to the Texas Rangers. The Rangers showed interest in Ojeda over the Winter Meetings.
Johnson, 28 on Opening Day 2010, made $2.825 million with the Atlanta Braves in 2009. He hit .224, had a .303 on-base percentage in 106 games last season.
You can see Kelly Johnson contract history and statistics here.
San Francisco Giants Rumors: Going after Kiko Calero?
Posted by: | CommentsMychael Urban reported on his KNBR show and on his Twitter that the San Francisco Giants may be going after former Athletic’s and Marlin’s relief pitcher Kiko Calero.
Urban says that Calero would be a good replacement for Bobby Howry, who recently signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Calero would be the right-handed setup man for closer Brian Wilson. Calero pitched for the Marlins in 2009 going 2-2 with a 1.95 ERA over 67 games.
You can see Kiko Calero’s statistics here.
Seattle Mariners Rumors: Another starting pitcher and who's trade bait?
Posted by: | CommentsESPN Insider writes that the Seattle Mariners and their GM Jack Zduriencik still have work to do. They have money left to spend and they have trade bait that can attract many teams.
While the Mariners can possibly trade anybody in their organization, they want to make sure that the core of their team stays intact. Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times isolates three Mariner prospects that he considers their top trade inventory: shortstop Carlos Truinfel, RHP Mark Lowe and second baseman Jose Lopez.
Zduriencik repeatedly said he wanted two starting pitchers before acquiring Cliff Lee. The Mariners were believed to have been chasing Erik Bedard, but the uncertainty of his health may be a liability. The Mariners are still in the hunt for that second pitcher. Possibilities include: Joel Pineiro, Ben Sheets, Aaron Harang (via trade with the Reds) and Jarrod Washburn
Adrian Gonzalez Rumors: three-way trade between Padres, Cubs and Red Sox?
Posted by: | CommentsESPN Chicago reports that the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres have spoken about a possible three-way trade scenario involving Adrian Gonzalez. The Cubs would send pitchers Andrew Cashner and Josh Vitters as well as a third minor-leaguer to San Diego. The Padres would send Gonzalez to the Red Sox. The Red Sox would send Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz to the Cubs, but this last part of the trade scenario was shot down on Monday. If this deal were to continue, whoever the Cubs will receive needs to be reworked from its current offer.
The original rumor on December 15 was that the Red Sox wanted to do a swap of Buchholz and Gonzalez, but the Red Sox balked when the Padres wanted prospects RHP Casey Kelly or outfielder Ryan Westmoreland.
You can see Adrian Gonzalez’s statistics here.
You can see other Adrian Gonzalez rumors here.
New York Yankees Rumors: Jermaine Dye, who's #5 and trading Gaudin or Mitre?
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune, the New York Yankees are interested in free agent Jermaine Dye. Dye, 36 on Opening Day 2010, drew interest from the Atlanta Braves as a first base option despite playing only 1 game at first base in his career. However, after the Braves signed Troy Glaus they lost interest in Dye. The Yankees are in need of a left fielder. Dye historically is a right fielder so if the Yankees sign him, they’ll probably move Nick Swisher to left and have keep Curtis Granderson in center field. Other rumored outfield targets for the Yankees include Xavier Nady, Johnny Damon, Jason Bay and Matt Holliday although the latter two are unlikely, but not impossible.
The Yankee’s fifth starter has been debated widely over the off season. Some say that the Yankees don’t have the confidence in either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain, so the team may be looking to acquire another starter. Rogers says the Yankees plan to have Hughes and and Chamberlain compete for the fifth spot in Spring Training with the loser moving to the bullpen or Triple A. Rogers believes that Chad Gaudin (6 game starts for Yankees in 2009) or Sergio Mitre (9 game starts) will not be in the rotation, rather they will be dealt by the Yankees.
