Rumors for February, 2010
Victor Martinez Rumors: Hoping for contract extension with Red Sox
Posted by: | CommentsGordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com, says that catcher Victor Martinez and the Boston Red Sox have not opened negotiations on a contract extension despite Martinez’s eligibility for free agency after this season. Martinez has publicly declared his desire to remain with the Red Sox.
“It’s nice that Victor says he wants to stay with the Red Sox,” agent Alan Nero said, “but in reality it doesn’t really change anything. The reality is that the Red Sox are going to have to want him. They’re going to have to be willing to pay for value to get value.”
If Minnesota Twin’s catcher Joe Mauer re-signs, Martinez will be the number one free agent catcher on the market after the 2010 season.
Martinez was quoted by ESPN saying, “I don’t really want to be a free agent. If they give me a chance to be a free agent, I don’t know what’s going to happen.” The catcher does not want to negotiate an extension beyond Spring Training. He’s open to talking only before the season starts.
Martinez is scheduled to be paid $7.7 million in 2010. He is a lifetime .299 hitter in 8 seasons with the Indians and Red Sox. You can see Martinez’s contract history and statistics here.
Grady Sizemore Trade Rumors: Trade him in 2011 or 2012?
Posted by: | CommentsPaul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer says that Cleveland Indians will probably trade Grady Sizemore in 2011 or 2012. Sizemore’s next contract is expected to be in the neighborhood of $50-100 million – a figure that the Indians cannot afford.
History has dictated that the Indians will deal their players two seasons before their contract expires such as C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee. Teams will trade a player this early in order to fetch a bigger prospect bounty since the team acquiring the star player will have the player for two playoff runs rather than a short-term end-of-the-season rental.
“If Sizemore is traded before 2012,” Hoynsie writes, “the club option becomes a player option and he could turn it down and become a free agent. Should the Indians pick up the option at the end of the 2011 season and trade Sizemore before Jan. 1, 2012, he can void the option and become a free agent.”
Sizemore signed a six-year $23.45 million contract in 2006. You can see Sizemore’s contract history and statistics here.
Willy Taveras signs a Minor League contract with the Washington Nationals
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to Bill Ladson of MLB.com, the Washington Nationals have signed free agent outfielder Willy Taveras to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training.
Taveras was released by the Oakland Athletics last week. He was acquired from Cincinnati on February 1st and was immediately designated for assignment.
Taveras, 29, hit .240 with 1 home run and 15 RBIs in 102 games with the Reds last season. He was in the second and final year of his contract and had a base salary of $4 million for 2010. You can see Taveras’ contract history and statistics here.
Joe Mauer Rumors: Twins do not want to defer money in his contract
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune, the talks between the Minnesota Twins and catcher Joe Mauer may have hit a snag because the team’s policy to not defer any salary. Deferring a portion of salary to paid out until after Mauer retires will save him millions in state income tax.
Twins’ owner Jim Pohlad has a team policy to operate on the basis of paying a player when they perform. It was rumored at the beginning of February that the Twins and Mauer had agreed to a ten-year contract.
Hartman believes that the enforcement of this policy may cost the Twins the opportunity to sign catcher Joe Mauer.
Mauer, 26, won the 2009 American League MVP when he hit .365 with 28 home runs and 96 RBIs. You can see Mauer’s contract history and statistics here.
Willy Taveras Rumors: Houston Astros interested in outfielder
Posted by: | CommentsUpdate 2/15 09:11: According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Taveras is not signing with the Houston Astros.
2/10 04:30: Astros General Manager Ed Wade told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN that the team is interested in recently released outfielder Willy Taveras. The Astros would give Taveras a chance to compete with Cory Sullivan, Alex Romero and others for a spot off the bench.
Taveras was released by the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday. He was acquired from Cincinnati on February 1st and was immediately designated for assignment.
Taveras, 29, hit .240 with 1 home run and 15 RBIs in 102 games with the Reds last season. He was in the second and final year of his contract and had a base salary of $4 million for 2010. You can see Taveras’ contract history and statistics here.
MLB Rumors: Chien-Ming Wang, Brad Lidge, Cole Hamels, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Dodgers
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s a running list of links to follow on Sunday:
- Dodger Blue Blog breaks down Tim Lincecum’s contract: $200,000 for pitching 225 innings, $500,000 for Cy Young Award, $250,000 for second place Cy Young finish and $100,000 for a third place finish, $75, 000 for fourth place Cy Young finish and $50,000 for fifth place, $100,000 for All-Star selection, $100,000 for NL MVP, $75,000 for World Series MVP and $50,000 for NLCS MVP.
- Jane Lee of MLB.com writes about the Oakland Athletics preparation for the coming season and how their big-name acquisitions of Ben Sheets and Kevin Kouzmanoff have left A’s fans more hopeful for the upcoming season.
- Aaron Gleeman says that there was speculation that the Twins could have re-signed Orlando Cabrera. Cabrera ended up signing with the Cincinnati Reds.
- According to Aaron Gleeman, the Twins had to make room on the 40-man roster for Orlando Hudson and dropped Jason Pridie rather than catcher Drew Butera because catcher Jose Morales is less likely to be ready for Opening Day due to his recent surgery.
- The Marlins and Cody Ross will have their arbitration hearing on Monday at 10am EST (via Joe Frisaro of MLB.com). Ross is asking for $4.45 million and the Marlins are offering $4.2 million.
- Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that the Cardinals have put aside any pursuit of free-agent pitcher Chien-Ming Wang.
- Scott Lauber of The News Journal says Philadelphia Phillies’ closer Brad Lidge is upbeat about his prospects for the coming season. “The way I look at it, it was a terrible year, when I think about it,” Lidge said by phone from his home in Colorado. “But I also know there’s no way it’ll happen again this year because I know I won’t have to deal with those same things.”
- Andy Martino of Philly.com, says that Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies may add a cut fastball or slider to his pitching arsenal that already consists of a fastball, change-up and curveball.
- Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle says that the Tim Lincecum deal is a win-win for both the Giants and the pitcher. It kept both sides out of aribitration which kept the Giant’s payroll manageable for years to come and it gave Lincecum a better jumping-off point for future hearings in two years. Teammate Matt Cain said that he’s very happy for Lincecum and he looks forward to be able to play along side him in the future. Cain’s due for a new contract after his 2011 option year (which will most likely be picked up).
- The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming in Spring Training with the first four starters set for their rotation: Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda and Vincente Padilla. However, the fifth spot is undermined. According to Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A., the fifth spot could come down to James McDonald, Scott Elbert, Eric Stults, Charlie Haeger, Carlos Monasterios, Josh Lindblom.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post lists the winners and losers of the off season. His winner Roy Halladay. His loser the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jamie Moyer Rumors: Will not call 2010 his final season
Posted by: | CommentsAndy Martino of Philly.com sat down recently with 47-year old pitcher Jamie Moyer. Moyer told Martino that he was ready to compete for a job in the rotation this year, and he would not call 2010 his final season.
“You know, I’m going to leave that as an open-ended question because I don’t know how to answer that,” Moyer said when asked if he expected to retire after this year, when his current contract expires. “It could be (my last season). It potentially could be. But so could have last year. So could have two years ago, so could have five years ago.
Moyer had health complications this off-season. He had surgery to repair muscle tears in his groin and abdomen which lead to a blood infection a few days after surgery. In November he found out that he had an abscess in his left groin which caused him to feel ill and queasy.
The pitcher lost his starting job last August when he was sent to the bullpen in favor of Pedro Martinez. However, he has indicated his desire to be a starter this season.
Moyer, was 12-10 in 2009 with a 4.94 ERA. He started 25 of the 30 games he pitched in. You can see Moyer’s contract history and statistics here.
Yankees re-sign Bush, Vechionacci and Gonzalez to Minor League deals
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to Baseball America via Chad Jennings of The Journal News, the New York Yankees have re-signed right-handed pitcher Paul Bush, third baseman Marcos Vechionacci and outfielder Edwar Gonzalez to Minor League deals. Jennings says that it is not likely that any of the three will be brought to the big league Spring Training camp.
Vechionacci, 23, hit .212 in Double-A Trenton in 2009 with 10 home runs and 113 strike outs.
Bush 30, pitched in Triple-A and Double-A last season. He gives the Yankees Minor League teams the flexibility of using him as a reliever or spot starter.
Gonzalez 27, had a great 2008 when he hit .295 with 14 home runs in Double-A. In 2009, he hit .232 with 4 home runs.
